Back to breast success story- Sharfaa

I recently saw a La Leche League Leader to assist me with my breastfeeding journey. When I gave birth in December 2024, my baby latched immediately and breastfed Alhamdulillah. Then on day four, he had a major drop in sugar levels and was admitted into hospital. At the hospital they gave him formula in a bottle, which raised his sugar, but unfortunately he stopped latching onto me after that.

The next few weeks were very difficult as every time I tried to get him to latch, he would latch initially but then cry hysterically until he got a bottle. I would have to express and bottle feed, which wasn’t practical and very draining. We tried cup-feeding and spoon-feeding as well and he drank well from both. Eventually I tried nipple shields as well but my baby didn't like those.

Two weeks later, when I saw the Leader, she showed me how important a good latch is. She showed me how the latch changed by how the baby is held and how he could lie against me comfortably. He latched directly onto my breast and drank well. When we went home, he latched on and drank well again at the next feed, but 30 minutes later, woke up crying and would not latch on again, even after I tried calming him. I gave him some milk in a spoon again and he took it. The rest of the day was rough. He screamed every time we tried to breastfeed. I tried again to spoon feed or feed him expressed milk with a syringe. I tried the nipple shield again; the Leader had shown me how to apply it more deeply. Eventually he latched on with the shield and drank till he fell asleep.

Throughout that night he latched on with the shield, but by the morning my nipples were very sore. The Leader stayed in contact with me the next day by chat and asked me to bring him closer to my body to help him latch more deeply.

That next day was rough as well. He cried inconsolably at times. In between we tried to syringe feed him again. The Leader suggested that I feed him very often and not wait for him to cry. By the late afternoon, he latched on again and we carried on breastfeeding for the rest of the day. I was worried that I did not have enough milk as my breasts were feeling very soft, but the Leader reassured me that there was still milk in my breasts. My nipples were still feeling slightly sensitive but not as sore as earlier in the day.

Over the next few weeks and months, my baby continued breastfeeding Alhamdulillah. He sometimes still prefers a nipple shield but other times, drinks perfectly without it.

I’m so grateful for the assistance of La Leche League as it has made my life and my baby’s life much easier. I haven’t had a breastfeeding issue again, and if my baby fusses, I just ensure to have him lie the exact way that the Leader showed me and do the “sandwich” method, then he latches and drinks Alhamdulilah.

Sharfaa Anthony