Episode 04: Fearless Feeding with Charlotte Chambers

Few things attract more judgement than how a mother feeds her baby.

Breast is best. Fed is best. Breastfeeding, formula feeding, combination feeding; behind those simple phrases are women trying to make deeply personal decisions at one of the most vulnerable times of their lives, often without access to all the information they need.

In Fearless Feeding, Charlotte Chambers, part of the first female-owned and operated infant formula company in Australia joins Victoria Braithwaite and Dr Pennie Taylor for an open conversation about infant feeding, motherhood and the judgement that can come with both.

Charlotte shares her own experience of trying to feed a newborn, the challenges that followed and how that lived experience ultimately became the beginning of a business.

Together, they explore the messaging around “breast is best” and “fed is best”, the laws and restrictions surrounding infant formula information and marketing, and an important question: what happens when parents don’t have all the information they need at one of the most vulnerable times of their lives?

How do we make reliable infant-feeding information and support more accessible to new mums? How do we better support women when breastfeeding doesn’t go to plan? And can we have more honest conversations about feeding our babies without judgement, guilt or shame?

Because fearless feeding isn’t about choosing one side or another. It’s about giving women the information, support and confidence they need to make the decision that is right for them and their baby.