Twambie

May 2026

I would like to share my breastfeeding story.

I have two children, and I breastfed my first child for 16 months. She was born at the beginning of COVID in 2020 and during that time we didn't get a lot of support for breastfeeding. During Covid there were many restrictions so we really struggled, especially those of us who were first time parents - even my mother was not allowed to visit me. I was all alone with my first child in lock down, and that was so hard. 

I had a very good birth experience with no complications, but my milk didn't come in until the third day. That was very challenging, because I didn't know at the time that it was normal. So in the beginning I had a screaming baby, but my instincts told me not to give that baby formula milk.  On the third day my milk production increased. Soon after that the baby developed a shallow latch, even though she had latched so well after birth. It was a new struggle, and I remember being all alone, and struggling so much. 

There were days where I would cry and cry while the baby was also crying, and my husband was saying, "Let's give the baby formula”. I had read somewhere that introducing formula milk when you intend to breastfeed is not a good idea, so I felt conflicted. I'm so grateful for La Leche League South Africa, because I reached out to a wonderful lady on their Facebook page, who guided me to a La Leche League Leader close to me. Even though I could not meet her in person, she helped me conquer the challenges of bleeding nipples and a poor latch, and I was able to resolve the feeding issues we had in the first few weeks. I had to use many techniques, which I do not remember anymore, but I do remember vividly that the Leader helped me so much. She came to my aid, and I was able to breastfeed for a full 16 months, and had an amazing breastfeeding journey.

That was my first experience, and even though it was a long time ago, I wanted to mention it.

Fast forward to 2025, five years later, when I had the second baby and it truly felt like the first time again. I think, because of the big age gap, I had pretty much lost my grip on the natural flow of breastfeeding that I had developed during my first time.

Again, my birth experience was good, without any complications. I was discharged on the second day, after breastfeeding had already been established. Still, some challenges came. My baby had reflux and some sort of tightness in his neck and back, and I had a baby who just screamed for the first few weeks. I did not feel how some of my friends had said I would feel the second time around. It felt like the first time all over again. I felt completely clueless.

I was questioning myself, "I am not producing enough milk for this baby".  We had a latch problem again. It was just so difficult for me. Some of the things are hazy now, because I was so tired, and my baby was crying day and night. I never knew that a baby could cry so much! The only time he wasn’t crying was when he was breastfeeding. That was when he became calm. I reached out again to my trusted La Leche League team to see if they could help me. I was referred to one of the La Leche League Leaders close to where I live, and she helped me so much.

Caroli, the LLL Leader, helped by reassuring me that everything was going to be okay, and that I was indeed producing milk, because the baby was having wet diapers. On days when there were fewer wet diapers, she encouraged me to continue to keep him skin on skin, and that truly helped, even though we still had large problems. I pushed through because of that woman who gave me confidence that I was indeed doing well. I questioned myself often, thinking that my body was not producing enough milk, or that something was wrong with me, because I could not manage to latch my baby, and because he woke up so frequently, even though we know newborns wake often. It was really helpful to have someone  in my corner when I was vulnerable postpartum and my body was still healing. When I was thinking too much or was stressed, I would feel that my milk supply would drop. 

I was really glad that I got referred by this La Leche League Leader to go and see a La Leche League Leader who was also a doctor and  she guided me in a very technical way through latching my baby more comfortably. I saw that changing small things made a big difference with my baby and the latch and my comfort would improve significantly. When I was struggling a lot with getting a comfortable latch, I would get additional free video consults. Every follow up appointment with her helped push me through every process, and day by day, this is what grew my confidence in my own ability.

La Leche League of South Africa helped me through five consecutive years  of breastfeeding and I am grateful for that every day of my life. Without them I would not be breastfeeding until this time. When something was wrong with my baby, I always assumed something was wrong with breastfeeding or with my milk, like when he was crying or when he was gassy. The worry in my head was that I should go to formula. A lot got blamed on my milk. But LLL Leaders helped me realise that was not the case, sometimes my baby was just tired or having a bad day, like we all have at times. I realised that I needed someone to help me with everything else around my home and life, so that I could focus on him.  Breastfeeding is my magic bullet- the quickest soother for any crying. When he’s sick I use breastmilk drops in his nostrils and breastfeed him - he calms and feels better and his breathing improves; it’s the most amazing thing. My boy is now 17 months old and he is thriving. He is a very happy and healthy boy who loves his booboo and I'm not seeing us stopping breastfeeding anytime soon, until we are both ready. Thank you very much.

Twambie and her two children