AUTHOR and activist, Zoleka Mandela, has opened up about giving birth after breast cancer.
The two-time breast cancer survivor who just gave birth to her sixth baby said people have been asking her if she breast feeds.
She has beaten cancer twice, after being diagnosed and beating it in 2012, it returned in 2016. She then had a bilateral mastectomy.
So, she took to social media to share about being a mum after surviving breast cancer.
“Beloved Queens, because a few of you have asked whether I breastfeed my newborn baby … I thought I would seize the opportunity to talk, ‘Giving birth after Breast Cancer,’ very briefly,” she wrote.
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2012 and had a bilateral mastectomy, removal of both breasts, all breast tissue and nipples – as a result, I am not able to produce breast milk or breast feeds, I’ve detailed my journey in my autobiography – When Hope Whispers,” she continued.
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Zoleka said she was due to get new nipples and make her breasts more natural, but couldn’t because she fell pregnant.
“I have for the longest time now (since 2012) been threatening to have my final breast reconstruction surgery to have my Plastic Surgeon build me nipples and fix a few, ‘imperfections,’ in my current breasts to create more natural looking ones. I thought I would also share a few images to make it make more sense,” she said.
“So, I eventually decided to have that long overdue surgery last year only to discover that I was pregnant with my 6th child and unable to go under the knife, so to speak,” said Zoleka.
She said not being able to breastfeed was a problem for her at first, but as the yeas went by, she learnt to accept that not breastfeeding did not make her a bad mum.
“Between you and me, living without nipples for the past 10yrs has honestly been the least of my worries, although at first I was devastated at not being able to breastfeed my other 4 children as I did my 1st and 2nd born for 2 years each. Over the years and having my 4th child after my 1st diagnosis in 2012 as well as my 5th and 6th after my 2nd diagnosis in 2016, I have learnt that I couldn’t have been further from the truth,” said Zoleka.
“Not being able to breastfeed does not make me less of a mother nor does it change the bond I have with the children I haven’t gotten the chance to breastfeed,” she said.
