Building Nigeria’s First Breastfeeding Clinic: A Conversation with Dr. Lope Adejuyigbe

In this episode of Behind the Latch, Margaret Salty interviews Dr. Lope Adejuyigbe, a physician and lactation specialist based in Lagos, Nigeria, who founded the first breastfeeding clinic in the country. They discuss the breastfeeding landscape in Nigeria, barriers to exclusive breastfeeding, cultural beliefs, the urgent need for lactation support, and how Dr. Adejuyigbe is building a movement to make breastfeeding help accessible to more families.Breastfeeding in Nigeria: Barriers and OpportunitiesDr. Adejuyigbe outlines the breastfeeding challenges in Nigeria:Limited breastfeeding support in healthcare settingsWidespread formula marketing and hospital distributionCultural beliefs that breast milk alone is "not enough"The impact of short maternity leaves and lack of workplace accommodationsThe Creation of Nigeria’s First Breastfeeding ClinicMotivated by personal family experience and WHO training, Dr. Adejuyigbe launched the first dedicated breastfeeding clinic in Nigeria:Started with personal funds and private practiceFaced skepticism from doctors and nurses unfamiliar with lactation specializationNow seeing growing community acceptance and increasing patient referralsChallenges Mothers Face and Clinic ServicesDr. Adejuyigbe shares the key issues she sees among mothers:Early formula introduction encouraged even by healthcare providersPressure for oversupply due to social media influenceLack of access to clean water making pumping challengingNo hospital-grade pumps available in Nigerian hospitalsHer clinic addresses a wide range of cases, including:Latch difficultiesLow milk supplyBreast abscesses and mastitisBreastfeeding with complex medical conditions (hypothyroidism, PCOS, surrogacy, adoption)The Power of Early InterventionDr. Adejuyigbe emphasizes:The critical window of the first 1–2 weeks postpartum for establishing breastfeedingThe need for better prenatal and immediate postnatal educationHow early support makes breastfeeding easier and more sustainableAddressing Cultural Beliefs Around BreastfeedingMargaret and Dr. Adejuyigbe discuss common myths in Nigeria:Belief that colostrum should be discardedWidespread "top up" cultureMisconceptions about breast milk "going sour" if not expressed frequentlyLooking Toward the Future: Expansion and Peer SupportDr. Adejuyigbe shares her goals:Expanding her virtual breastfeeding clinic to serve more countries affordablyBuilding a breastfeeding peer counselor program to extend basic education at the community levelPartnering with hospitals and government agencies to mainstream lactation supportPublishing research on breastfeeding experiences in NigeriaGuest Info:Dr. Lope Adejuyigbe, MD, IBCLC Candidate, is a physician, lactation specialist, and founder of the first breastfeeding clinic in Nigeria. She is dedicated to transforming the breastfeeding support landscape across Nigeria and beyond.Resources Mentioned in This Episode:📌 WHO Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes📌 La Leche League International – Peer-to-peer breastfeeding support📌 WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program – Model for community-based breastfeeding support📌 Lactation Education Resources (LER) – Online lactation educationConnect with Me:Questions, feedback, or ideas for future episodes? Reach out!📧 Email: [email protected]📸...

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