From Struggle to Breakthrough: Yolanda's Breastfeeding Journey
- Apr 19
- 2 min read
-April 2026
As both a mother and a medical doctor, I have always known that breastfeeding is the best form of nutrition for a baby. It was not just a preference for me, it was a commitment. I was determined to make it work.
I delivered via C-section and initially produced no milk, so my baby was started on formula [see LLLSA comment below]. My milk came in after 72 hours, but by then he could not latch. I was told to give up, but deep down I knew this was something I was not willing to walk away from.
Those early weeks were intense. I was pumping around the clock, recovering from surgery, in pain, and completely exhausted. But I stayed consistent.
At two weeks postpartum, I was connected to a La Leche League breastfeeding support group through a friend and colleague, and that changed everything. With the right guidance, I focused fully on correct technique. I committed to daily and frequent skin-to-skin contact, allowing my baby to relearn the breast naturally. I also transitioned from bottle to cup feeding to protect the breastfeeding process. The latter was the most difficult.
With cup feeding, some days felt like progress, and other days felt like setbacks. There were moments it felt overwhelming, like I was frustrating my baby more than helping him. But I stayed the course. I trusted that consistency in technique would eventually pay off.
At six weeks, we had our breakthrough. My baby latched. It was not perfect at first, I recall painful and cracked nipples, but it was the turning point. With continued skin-to-skin, patience, and consistent technique, everything improved. By eight weeks, breastfeeding was comfortable. By ten weeks, it was effortless.
Today, my baby is 9 months old, feeding beautifully both at the breast and from expressed breast milk. What once felt impossible became our reality through persistence and the right approach.
I thank La Leche League for such a great initiative and the immense support my son and I received in our breastfeeding journey!
-Yolanda Khumalo-Senzeni
[LLLSA comments:
1. The earliest milk our breasts produce is called colostrum. Colostrum comes in small quantities perfectly matched to a newborn baby’s small stomach. Babies who are latched on know how to suckle and obtain the colostrum by themselves. However, when we try to remove milk by means of expressing or pumping, it can take several attempts to “fool” our breasts into letting go of that milk into a container instead of the baby. Colostrum is present even when we can’t “see” it.
2. The change from colostrum to mature milk happens over several days between 2-6 days after birth; occasionally this is delayed with caesarian section births. However, frequently allowing the baby to nuzzle and suckle at the breasts, and continuous skin to skin care with the baby increase the hormones making and releasing breastmilk.
3. Global Health Media video on cup feeding can be viewed here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkhSJ16FHfY&feature=youtu.be ]
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