Here at The VBAC Link, we want to empower you with better birth experiences AND better postpartum experiences. The Lactation Network does just that. Caitlin McNeily is Vice President of Consultant Relations at The Lactation Network, working closely with thousands of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants in all 50 states. Her background in medical device sales led to the creation of Ashland Breast Pumps. It was through this work– connecting with new parents desperate for help– that led to The Lactation Network.Chrisie Rosenthal is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Director of Lactation Content and Programming at The Lactation Network.She has helped more than 7,000 families through her successful private practice, The Land of Milk and Mommy. She's worked alongside large pediatric practices in Los Angeles and as a hospital-based IBCLC. In addition, Chrisie is the author of two best-selling breastfeeding books: Lactivate!: A User’s Guide to Breastfeeding published in 2019 and The First-Time Mom’s Breastfeeding Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide from First Latch to Weaning published in 2020. Caitlin and Chrisie are both moms who had breastfeeding struggles of their own. They are passionate about helping other moms have the care and advice they wish they had!Additional LinksThe Lactation NetworkHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Hello, Women of Strength. We have an amazing episode today for you with our friends, Caitlin and Chrisie. They are from our favorite, The Lactation Network, and are IBCLCs with The Lactation Network. We are going to get into the topic of how The Lactation Network came about but also, all of the questions and what it means to work with The Lactation Network and an IBCLC. We talk so much about preparing for birth and then birth. We talk a little bit about postpartum. We are starting to get more into postpartum because it is a really important topic, but this is a topic that is near and dear to my heart because I have had three babies and three pretty different experiences. I’ve had some challenges along the way, so we are excited to welcome our guests today talking about breastfeeding and pumping and going back to work and all of the things and what it looks like to work with an IBCLC through The Lactation Network. So, welcome ladies. Caitlin: Thank you. We are so excited to be here. Chrisie: Thanks, Meagan. Meagan: So excited to have you. I think maybe we can just start off right off the bat with what is TLN? We’ve been talking about it for a little while now, but what is The Lactation Network? How did it start and where are you today? Caitlin: Yeah. My name is Caitlin McNeily. I am the VP of consultant relations at TLN. TLN stands for The Lactation Network. We are the largest network nationally in the U.S. of IBCLCs, lactation consultants for short, but IBCLC stands for Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants. I am based in Chicago and have been with TLN since its inception and have seen it through a couple of iterations and have watched it grow as my fourth baby, as I sort of lovingly refer to it as. I do have three kiddos of my own– 13, 11, and 8. I had very different nursing experiences with all three of them. All three of them were C-sections and all of those were equally as different. So you know, when starting TLN, so much of it was very much in my wheelhouse at the time. I was pregnant with my third baby and going through that whole process. I wish I knew then what I know now about all of the amazing support that a lactation consultant can offer. The way that TLN was born, I think, is relevant to cover briefly but essentially when the Affordable Care Act mandated coverage of breastfeeding support and supplies, I was brought into a company to start a breast pump, what we call a DME which is a durable medical equipment company. I won’t get in the weeds there, but essentially, we provide equipment