How breastfeeding strengthens and transforms families

Milk of love: How breastfeeding strengthens, transforms families (Photo: Getty Images) From Kilifi's busy maternity ward to a private hospital room in Kisumu, breastfeeding is more than a meal. It is a ritual of bonding, resilience, and love. As the world marked Breastfeeding Week, Kenyan parents shared their intimate journeys, while experts reminded us that every drop counts. It is mid-morning at Kilifi County Referral Hospital's maternity wing, just after dawn. Outside, the Indian Ocean breeze drifts in through the open louvre windows, carrying the scent of salt and damp earth. Inside the maternity ward, new mothers sit on narrow beds, their babies swaddled in bright lesos. On one bed, 22-year-old Miriam Aisha leans back, her newborn son at her breast. A nurse in a crisp blue uniform gently adjusts the baby's head. "Don't rush, Mama. Let him find the nipple himself," she says softly in Kiswahili. Miriam smiles shyly. Her mother, seated on a low stool beside her, nods approvingly. This was how she, too, fed her children. "My mother taught me," she whispers. "We pass it on." In this ward, breastfeeding is both a survival and a tradition. Some mothers have walked kilometres from surrounding villages. For many, exclusive breastfeeding for six months is not just recommended, it is a lifeline, especially where safe drinking water is scarce. Hundreds of kilometres away, in a private suite at Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu, second-time mother, Caroline Mwenyesi, a 35-year-old corporate executive, cradles her newly born daughter. The room is quiet except for the baby's rhythmic suckling and the air conditioner's soft hum. The setting here is markedly different. Soft lighting, cushioned seats, the quiet beeping of a monitor, but the questions in Maureen's mind are the same as Mariam's: Am I doing this right? Is my baby getting enough? "The lactation consultant is patient. She dutifully shows the new mother how to hold her daughter so she can breastfeed better. Her husband stands at the foot of the bed, gently rocking their firstborn, a three-year-old son who has just met his baby sister for the first time. "This time, I was determined to get it right from day one," Caroline says. With her first child, she had struggled with sore nipples, conflicting advice, and a demanding job that left little time for expressing milk. "I learned to advocate for myself, to ask for lactation support before I even left the hospital," says the mother of two. In her world, breastfeeding is a planned, supported choice, yet one still challenged by the pressures of corporate life. In urban areas like where Caroline comes from, breastfeeding support may come from formal classes, WhatsApp groups, or even fellow mothers in waiting rooms. "A stranger in the queue told me to drink more water to keep my supply," Caroline laughs. In Kilifi, elder women in the community often step in, passing on techniques they learned decades ago. "I taught my daughter to feed the baby on demand, not by the clock," says 62-year-old Damaris Charo, a grandmother of six. "The baby tells you when he's hungry," she says. Dr Betty Gikunda, a nutritionist, says breastfeeding is more than instinct. "It is a skill learned through guidance". From Nairobi to Nakuru, Kisii to Kilifi, breastfeeding stories are the same in surprising ways. Ruth, a market trader in Nakuru, laughs as she recalls breastfeeding her twins under a stall piled high with tomatoes. "Some customers would stare, but I told them, hii ndiyo kazi ya mama (this is a mother's job)". Mama Jane in Kitonga from Kitui speaks of the old belief that boys need solid food early to grow strong. "We now know it's not true. My daughters taught me the science, but I still add my songs and prayers to the feeding. That's our way," she says. David Musimba, a primary school teacher in Migori, remembers boiling water for his wife's tea at midnight while she fed their son. "Men can't breastfeed, but we can make it possible for our wives to keep going." Community health volunteers in rural areas like Taita Taveta make daily rounds to check on new mothers, while older women in chamas organise "milk circles" where mothers share experiences. In urban hospitals, lactation consultants, the often-unsung heroes, stand beside mothers, guiding them past the first painful latches. UNICEF and WHO recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by continued breastfeeding with complementary foods for up to two years or more. Despite the benefits, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months remains a challenge for many. Some mothers return to work within weeks, with limited workplace support. Others face stigma, especially when feeding in public. There are myths about milk insufficiency or the 'need' for other foods creeping in. The 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey shows that 61 per cent of babies under six months are exclusively breastfed, up from 42 per cent a decade ago. The benefits are many: stronger immunity, lower risk of infections, optimal brain development, and reduced maternal risks of certain cancers. "However, this is not the end of achieving 100 per cent in the breastfeeding scorecard," says Nelisa Mwangemi, a community nurse. She says workplace gaps cause many women to return to work without flexible breaks or lactation rooms. Then, there is the public stigma of mothers still being asked to "cover up" in public spaces. However, breastfeeding researchers report that mothers and families are finding ways to push back, from lobbying for breastfeeding-friendly workplaces to setting up breastfeeding corners in markets and churches. "This is quite true, says Joan Risa, a family counsellor who volunteers at her Church. "We lobbied for the push to establish a breastfeeding space for lactating mothers, and five mothers down the line, the space was created, and the positive response is a win-win situation for the church and mothers," she says. Back in Kilifi, Miriam's baby has drifted to sleep, his tiny fist still resting against her breast. She looks down at him, then up at her mother. "He is full," she says. In Kisumu, Caroline rocks her daughter. Her husband watches quietly. "This is our little world right now," she says. "The meetings, the deadlines, the noise, they can wait, but our little bundle cannot wait," she says intimately. Health experts stress that breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure a child's healthy start. It provides ideal nutrition, strengthens immunity, and fosters bonding. Breastfeeding lowers the risk of certain cancers and supports emotional well-being. Dr Julius Adede, Wanjiku, a pediatrician, notes, "We must create enabling environments for mothers at home, in workplaces, and in healthcare facilities.

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