CONFERENCE 2026
World Breastfeeding Week
One presentation for each day of World Breastfeeding Week
from 1-7 Aug 2026.
Each presentation is
FREE
for 1 day only!
Simply create an account on the LACSA website, login and click on the presentation of the day.
From Listening to Maternal Confidence: Constructive Support through Communication
The act of breastfeeding is essentially a relationship between a mother and her baby. Although accurate breastfeeding information is essential when a mother asks for breastfeeding help, she is also looking for reassurance. We need to offer mothers time, attention and presence. We must find a way to put the mother at ease and establish a feeling of connection, all-the-while increasing her breastfeeding self-efficacy. In this talk we will be looking at communication- and counselling skills to aid breastfeeding supporters in the art of listening to, and learn from mothers, in giving support and in building a mother’s confidence in her ability to breastfeed and care for her child.
Leana Habeck
B Cur (Stell) RN, RM, RPN, CHN, Dip Peri Ed (UJ), LLLL, IBCLC
Leana Habeck, holds a BCur degree from the University of Stellenbosch and is an RN, RM, RPN & CHN. She worked in maternity before starting a family. She also has a qualification in Perinatal Education from the University of Johannesburg and taught antenatal classes in Stellenbosch and the Helderberg area for many years. She is a trained crisis pregnancy counsellor and worked at a local crisis pregnancy center for many years, later running their well-known abstinence based sex education program before having her third child. Leana is a La Leche League Leader and compiled (and facilitate) the Online Breastfeeding Peer Counselling Training Course. She is also an IBCLC and a founding member of LACSA (Lactation Consultants of Southern- & Africa). She is a Trainer of Trainers and has taught the WHO/UNICEF 20 hour Breastfeeding Management Course numerous times. She has been protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding families in her and her colleagues’ practice, The Breastfeeding Clinic, for many years. She has been interviewed on radio several times, regularly contributes to national baby magazines and has presented several talks at local workshops, National symposiums and recently at an International conference. Find her on Instagram and YouTube @leanahabeck.
Effects of Climate Change on Lactating Mothers & Challenges
Climate change poses significant challenges to lactating mothers, affecting breastfeeding practices and outcomes. This presentation will explore the effects of climate change on lactating mothers, challenges, and mitigation strategies.
Moora Letsoalo
Birth & Postpartum Doula/Childbirth Educator/Lactation Counsellor
Moora Olebogeng Letsoalo serves as the South Africa Program Director for Happy Mama Healthy Baby Africa Alliance South Africa. She is the Doula Program Coordinator and Supervisor for HMHBAA Community Doulas. She’s a professional certified Birth & Postpartum Doula and Lactation Peer Counsellor. Based in Pretoria, South Africa, she is a dedicated community doula, childbirth educator, and lactation specialist. Moora provides essential perinatal health education and comprehensive labor and postpartum support to underserved pregnant and postpartum mothers and their infants. Her mission is to improve maternal and infant outcomes by promoting exclusive breastfeeding, prenatal education, labor assistance, and postpartum care, ultimately ensuring survival and well-being. With more than six years of experience, Moora has been conducting antenatal and postnatal classes, equipping mothers for childbirth, and offering postpartum support. She has attended numerous births, with a special focus on supporting high-risk cases and young mothers. Passionate about reproductive justice, Moora has pioneered maternal health and wellness initiatives, including the first full-spectrum reproductive services. She has also facilitated groups for expectant mothers to openly share their experiences with birth, loss, abortion, and miscarriage. Through her compassionate work, Moora continues to make a profound impact on maternal and infant health in her community. She is a mother of three.
Breastfeeding vs Breastmilk Feeding
Breastfeeding represents a responsive and interactive relationship between a mother and her child. In recent years, the growing awareness around the importance of breastfeeding seems to be replaced by the importance of breastmilk feeding. While expressed milk feeding plays a vital role in certain specific situations, there's a growing tendency to equate it with direct breastfeeding, much like aggressive marketing has normalized artificial feeding as a "choice." Breastmilk feeding inadvertently shifts the focus to quantifiable volumes and the treatment of human milk as a commodity. This can cause mothers to lose confidence in their bodies' natural ability to adequately nourish their babies and may foster reliance on pumping to "see" milk intake. Inevitably trust in natural physiological processes is undermined. What are the ramifications of not feeding directly from the breasts? How do we address the fading traditions of direct breastfeeding?
Dr Rahmat Bibi Bagus
MBChB, IBCLC, LLLLeader
Dr Rahmat Bagus is a mother to 4 children (ages 11, 15, 19, 22) who all breastfed for extended periods of time. She is a medical doctor with an interest in lactation and paediatric primary care (having trained at Red Cross Children’s Hospital) and lactation. She established her own private practice called Kids Medicare in 2007 in Parow, Cape Town, South Africa. She is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and extended her practice with “Breastfeeding Care” seeing challenging breastfeeding dyads. Rahmat has been a La Leche League (LLL) Leader since 2014 and runs breastfeeding support meetings and several WhatsApp groups for mothers. She serves as the Professional Liaison (PL) Leader Administrator for LLL South Africa (LLLSA) and facilitates case study discussion sessions with Leaders and assists with supervision of social media information posts as well as website publications for LLLSA. Rahmat serves on the Medical Advisory Team and Global Professional Leaders forum for LLL International. She co-teaches a 30-hour online breastfeeding education course for healthcare workers in South Africa twice a year.
Jean Ridler
RN RM
Jean has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for 35 years – retired end of 2025. She is the mother of 2 children and grandmother of 4 – all breastfed. Her varied career spans the private, public, and volunteer sectors, and includes roles as a WHO/UNICEF Trainer of Trainers and a BFHI Assessor. Since becoming an IBCLC in 1990, she has witnessed the exponential growth of lactation science and the transformative impact of the internet on maternal-infant support. She currently co-teaches a 30-hour online breastfeeding education course for healthcare professionals in Southern Africa. “While I've learned invaluable lessons from brilliant local and global colleagues, the most profound insights have always come directly from the amazing mothers and babies I've had the privilege to serve.”
From Pump to Bond: Induced Lactation Essentials
Induced lactation allows non-gestational and adoptive parents to provide human milk, supporting bonding, infant health, and parental confidence. This session will transfer knowledge which are evidence based and practical skills to support clients through all phases of lactation induction, including hormonal, mechanical, and counseling strategies.
Hettie Grove
RN.RM.RCN.CHN.BCUR-ED.ADMIN, IBCLC SACLC course developer
Hettie Grove is a Registered Nurse, Advanced Midwife, Community Nurse with a B.Cur degree in Nursing Administration and Education, an IBCLC and the co-course developer of SACLC. She served on the PAC for GOLD for several terms. She is the author of Born to breastfeed, Born to be breastfed. She is a speaker at different conferences and co-publisher of a paper soon to be released.
The role of breastfeeding in shaping oral development, feeding skills and early speech acquisition
An overview of how breastfeeding influences orofacial development, feeding ability and early speech acquisition, with clinical considerations for supporting breastfeeding dyads.
Sharna-Lee van der Merwe
Speech language therapist and SACLC
Sharna-Lee van der Merwe is a Speech language therapist at a district hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, with a special interest in infant feeding and breastfeeding support. She is a SACLC and is currently completing her master's degree, focusing on the preparedness of speech language therapists in the management of breastfeeding dyads. Her clinical work centres around supporting infants and caregivers through evidence based feeding and early communication intervention.
The experiences of breastfeeding training in the rural Eastern Cape at Mankosi Clinic between 2021 and 2026: Sharing of training and lived breastfeeding experiences
The presentation will show the current landscape of how people live in rural communities within South Africa. It will also show that a lot of women do not have access to clinic and medical support as there is a long walk for people to walk. The presentation will talk about One to One children’s fund, this is an NPO which does training with mentors mothers. Judy Kirkwood presented, trained and upskilled these mentor mothers in 2021 and she has maintained online training. We are hoping to return now in May 2026.
Judy Kirkwood
BNUR (UCT), IBCLC, RM, RN
Judy Kirkwood is a Registered Midwife and Nurse with a degree from the University of Cape Town and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She is a mother of 2. With more than twenty-six years of experience specializing in the health of women and newborns, her professional background ranges from neonatal ICU care in London to serving as a midwife and neonatal special care nurse. As a private consultant to both the private and government sectors, Judy is the developer of the patented "Shark Latch" and "Penguin Posture" breastfeeding techniques, an easy 7-step method designed for deep breast attachment (SA Patent No. 2017/05579 and Trademark No. 2017/22215™). She is the founder of the Best Start Baby Feeding Initiative, an education program and visual training toolkit designed for parents, nurses, midwives, and multi-disciplinary teams to improve breastfeeding outcomes. In September 2022, she officially registered the Best Start Baby NPO (Registration No. 281-341), a social enterprise dedicated to empowering all families with support and mentorship, regardless of their means. Judy remains a passionate community activist and corporate consultant committed to promoting breastfeeding across South Africa.
Eating disorders in Breastfeeding
This talk explores the complex relationship between eating disorders and breastfeeding, highlighting the physical and emotional challenges mothers may face. We will discuss how disordered eating can impact milk supply, maternal wellbeing and infant feeding with a compassionate and evidence based approach.
Emma Numanoglu
IBCLC, SACLC, RGN, BA(psych), BSc(Hon) psych
I qualified from Carinus Nursing College in 1997 with distinctions in Midwifery, Psychiatry, General Nursing and Community. I have completed a BA degree in Communication Science and Psychology and a BSc (Hons)Psychology. I am a South African Certified Lactation Specialist (Wits) SACLC I am an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Specialist IBCLC. I am a board member for milk matters and passionate about getting breastmilk to these little prem babas. I have a huge interest in mental health, postpartum care and education. I run a breastfeeding clinic from my home, teach antenatal classes and provide postnatal hospital and home visits for the past 18 years.
LACSA Member Benefit
LACSA members enjoy extended access until 31 August 2026 and can earn 6 CPD points.
Who Can Join?
Membership is open to:
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IBCLCs and SACLCs
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Breastfeeding peer counsellors
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La Leche League Leaders
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Individuals who have completed at least 20 hours of breastfeeding support training
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Students in relevant fields
Membership Fee
Annual membership: ZAR 150
Not a eligable to become a member?
You can still book extended access and earn 6 CPD points as a non-member.
Access Fee: ZAR 200
Account name: LACSA
Bank: FNB
Branch Code: 210835
Account number: 63068592336
Swift Code: FIRNZAJJ
Reference: Conference and your full name
Please send POP to info@lacsa.org.za