Breastfeeding & Beyond - Dr Melody Jackson

03/10/2026

27/09/2026

Submissions close Friday 9 October 2026. You can read about the inquiry and make a submission here:
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Womens_Health

21/09/2026

Finally, the day is over! A quiet cup of tea after a very full day - clinic, family time, witching hour (which, I hate to break it, doesn’t finish at infancy 🤣), working on my submission to the parliamentary inquiry into women’s health, and then to finish off, an interview with the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine to see if they’ll have me back for another three years 🙈 I’m tired, grateful, and hopeful that some of today’s work, in it’s own small way, might help shape a better future for Mums ❤️

19/09/2026

September is Su***de Prevention Awareness Month.

31/08/2026

👌

We enter parenting with a massive toolkit of discipline strategies, behavioral charts, and phrases designed to control our children's actions. But the first time you experience a massive meltdown on a public floor, you quickly realize that the wildest storm in the room isn't the child screaming — it's the internal panic, anger, and embarrassment exploding inside your own chest.

Children do not learn emotional control from what we say; they absorb it from how we react. If we respond to their chaos with our own screaming, slamming doors, or cold shoulders, we are teaching them that the only way to handle big feelings is to match them with aggression.

True emotional regulation is caught, not taught. When we pause, take a deep breath, and lower our tone in the middle of a battle, we aren't letting them "get away" with anything — we are lending them our nervous system because theirs is completely overwhelmed.

It is incredibly humbling to realize that the person who needs the most discipline in the house is often the adult. It means looking in the mirror and admitting that our triggers aren't actually about our child's behavior; they are about our own unresolved stress, fatigue, and old emotional wounds.

Parenting isn't a project to manage; it is a mirror. When we focus less on forcing compliance and more on mastering our own reactions, the dynamic in the home shifts naturally. It breaks the cycle of reactive parenting, allowing us to respond with steady intention instead of matching their chaos with our own. ❤️

Image Quote Credit: ❣️

25/08/2026

Bexsero vaccination is more important than ever at the moment!

URGENT UPDATE!

A new case of meningococcal B has been reported in NSW, a male aged 20-24.
This now brings the total cases of meningococcal B in NSW to 13.

With the highest number of cases in the country of this preventable strain of meningococcal, this poses the questions, why isn't New South Wales protecting our children and young people? How many more cases are needed before NSW makes the vaccine FREE? Follow the link to use your voice and sign a letter to our leaders to ensure no other families will be impacted by this disease- https://meningitiscentreaustralia.good.do/makemenbfree/

Our thoughts are with family and friends of this young man. Should you require information or support please call 1800 250 223 or join our private and safe Mending Hearts support group.

19/08/2026

A lovely evening recently with our work team (missing Dr Kate Jenkins who was busy fighting daycare bugs 😢), celebrating Breastfeeding & Beyond’s recent award. Very grateful for this wonderful team and the care they bring to our families each day. And thank you to the anonymous person who nominated us ❤️

10/08/2026

World Breastfeeding Week always gives me a chance to pause and reflect.

When I first became a mum, I thought that as a doctor, breastfeeding would probably come naturally. It didn’t.

Like so many parents, I had moments of joy, moments of doubt, tears, exhaustion, and more than a few times when I wondered whether I was doing enough. Those experiences changed me. They made me realise that knowledge is important, but compassionate support matters just as much.

Those early days shaped the path I never expected to take. They led me into breastfeeding medicine, where I now have the privilege of walking alongside thousands of families during one of the most vulnerable and meaningful times of their lives.

This year has also reminded me how precious breastfeeding relationships are. They don’t need to be perfect to be deeply meaningful. Every feed, every cuddle, every moment of connection matters.

To every parent who has breastfed for years, for months, for days, or for just one feed — you have given your baby something only you could. And if your journey looked different from what you hoped, I hope you know that your love has never been measured in millilitres.

This World Breastfeeding Week, I’m grateful for every family who has trusted me with their story, every colleague who continues to advocate for evidence-based, compassionate care, and for my own children, who unknowingly inspired the work that has become my life’s passion.

Happy World Breastfeeding Week. ❤️

08/08/2026

Today is a combination of teaching and learning at the Antenatal Shared Care Update. A great way to round out World Breastfeeding Week!

07/08/2026

In honor of the World Health Organization’s , explore a field on the rise: breastfeeding medicine.

Once considered a niche interest, it’s now a board-certified subspecialty with hundreds of physicians earning a certification in just the past few years. As more women enter medicine and bring their own experiences into their training, interest in this specialized care is only growing. From treating complex lactation issues to advocating for better research and support systems, physicians in this field are working to ensure no parent feels alone in navigating challenges.

Learn more about how this subspecialty is reshaping care.

Interest in breastfeeding medicine is growing as more women enter the physician workforce.