Sue Ettmayr
TZANEEN – “Breastfeeding is supposed to be a natural instinct, but often mothers don’t know how to latch their babies,” says nursing sister, Wendy Coleman (78).
Coleman helps mothers with their newborns at Tzaneen Mediclinic. She shows up to 70 mothers a month how to breastfeed and how to cope with problems.
Before retiring, Coleman went on a World Health Organisation (WHO) informative one week breastfeeding course at Letaba Hospital.
A group in France, Le Leche League, shows new mothers how to breastfeed and she hopes the movement will soon be introduced in South Africa.
At two months old, babies suddenly get a growth spurt and need a lot of milk. Galactagogues is a substance that promotes lactation and Coleman recommends Jungle Juice to increase milk supply.
“Mix three litres water with one litre apple juice, 10 drops rescue remedy and one sachet blackcurrant rehydrate and drink a glass after every feed. Fluids increase the milk supply but stress is the worst enemy of breastfeeding, hence the rescue remedy.”
She recommends music while breastfeeding and says babies are partial to the soothing notes of Mozart.
Coleman, née Bisset, grew up in Agatha and decided to become a nurse at the age of eight.
As soon as she finished school she went to Johannesburg on her own to start her training at the then Johannesburg General Hospital. Afterwards she did her year’s midwifery at the Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital in Johannesburg.
She nursed the country’s first pacemaker patients at the Florence Nightingale Hospital in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. She also nursed the first patients to get artificial steel valves in South Africa.
Coleman became a full-time mother to her two children after she married. In 1982 the Colemans moved to the Agatha family farm. Coleman’s mother had Alzheimer’s and help was needed on the farm.
Coleman is fearful of following in her mother’s medical footsteps so she consumes extra virgin coconut oil daily as it’s believed to ward off Alzheimer’s.
Coleman was appointed to take care of the aged from Gravelotte to Mooketsi from 1982 to 1994.
She was instructed to investigate the medical need. This was the start of the Haenertsburg Clinic.
She did home visits and her oldest patient was Ms Lily Lake (91). It was among the elderly that she came face to face with cancer.
She went on a short public health course and started a mobile clinic in 1994.
It involved family planning, immunisation of babies, examination, diagnosis and treatment from Politsi to Deerpark.
Coleman retired in 2003, sold the farm, and lived near the Coach House Hotel where she ran a clinic for the staff.
She stays fit and strong with the body of someone half her age. She concentrates on exercises for mobility and strength four times a week and this includes press ups and push-ups.
