Patricia Maluleke* is fraught with worry. The unemployed 29-year-old from Thohoyandou, in Limpopo, recently had a baby girl and it’s been a struggle. “My daughter is only four-months old, but I am already facing uncertainty whether I will be able…
“This baby is getting hungry and not getting enough food! She’s always crying because you’re not giving her food so that she can grow well!” These words rang in the ears of first-time mom Thandi Mhlanga as she prepared soft…
The baby formula industry uses increasingly manipulative messaging to target healthcare professionals and mothers. This is one of the findings of the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding Series released last week. The series of three reports highlights falling breastfeeding rates in…
Breastfeeding is a relationship between two people in a thrilling new, highly vulnerable position: a mother and her newborn. It’s a bonding experience shaped by physiology, emotion and the good and bad realities of life. It is far more than…
An expert believes that South Africa’s low rate of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) will remain a concern until new mothers are offered more support and education. Katinka Lategan, a certified lactation consultant, said mothers face several challenges because they are not…
New mothers often dread returning to the office after having a baby. Being able to bond with your new bundle of love somehow changes everything – but believe it or not, it’s possible to juggle motherhood and your career guilt-free.…
A triple breast cancer survivor who gave birth to a baby girl just six months ago wants to instill hope in fellow women who are fighting the disease. She is a firm believer that the dreaded ‘c-word’ will never be…
Adolescent girls and young women have a higher chance of being affected by HIV/AIDS and if not prioritised, the goal of eradicating HIV by 2030, will remain nothing but a fantasy. So says Kenyan-based activist, Irene Ogeta. “The world’s biggest…
The majority of mothers in low-income communities in South Africa face many barriers such as high levels of stress which is believed to undermine their ability to produce breast milk of acceptable quality and quantity. This trend has seen South…
