Hallo, I’m Katinka
Welcome to my private practice in Harare. I offer services around breastfeeding, baby massage, baby sleep, healing laser treatments and home based jaundice treatment.
I am a Lactation Consultant IBCLC and a Baby Massage Instructor CIMI.
My name is Katinka Musavaya, and I support you to support your baby.
I am a Lactation Consultant IBCLC since 2017, trained in the Possums Sleep Programme in 2018 and Certified Infant Massage Instructor since 2021. I was a La Leche League Leader for 10 years from 2014 to 2024.
Lactation Consultant IBCLC’s are healthcare professionals who specialise in the clinical management of breastfeeding. I opened my private practice under the name Katinka Breastfeeding in 2016. I have a consultation room at my house for families from out of town but usually do home or hospital visits for your convenience.
I am registered with the Natural Therapists Council of Zimbabwe NTCZ, a member of International Lactation Consultant Association ILCA and the Lactation Consultants of Southern- & Africa LACSA.
For anyone looking at becoming a Lactation Consultant IBCLC themselves, I am the IBLCE Liaison for Sub-Saharan Africa. Email me: africa@iblce.org
Here is my credential
https://ibclccredential.iblce.org/354ec578-6302-4b0a-b05d-3ec8e2a73c68
Breastfeeding Support
I have experience with breastfeeding preterm babies, babies with challenges to latch, painful breastfeeding, induced lactation for adoption/surrogacy, pumping and hand expressing, low milk supply, twins, engorgement, breast pain, bottle feeding, bottle refusal, supplementation, sleep and many more.
🌸 Gold Standard Package
Whether you are navigating the early days or facing a new challenge, I am here to provide clinical expertise and gentle support in the comfort of your own home or hospital room.
Common reasons for a visit:
- Feeding Challenges: Latching difficulties, nipple pain, or baby refusing the breast or bottle.
- Clinical Concerns: Tongue-tie assessment, low milk supply, engorgement, or breast pain.
- Specialised Care: Supporting preterms, twins, induced lactation, or transitioning from formula.
- Practical Skills: Pumping, hand expressing, interpreting baby behaviour and optimising sleep
What to expect during our sessions:
Each of our sessions is designed to be approximately one hour.
During a first visit, I will dedicate time to fully understand your and your baby’s history and current feeding concerns. This will be followed by a thorough physical examination of both you and your baby, including a detailed assessment of the baby’s oral anatomy. I will then observe a complete breastfeed to provide immediate, hands-on assistance with positioning and comfort. To accurately measure your baby’s milk intake, we will perform a “weighted feed” after weighing your baby. Finally, we will collaborate to develop a sustainable, personalized care plan specifically tailored to your feeding goals.
During a follow-up visit, I will observe another complete breastfeed to assess the progress made and ensure the initial concern has been resolved. We will discuss what has been working effectively and any areas that have been challenging. If the feeding problem persists, we will work together to create an adjusted, collaborative follow-on care plan.
Your Support Includes:
🤱🏼 Consultations: 3 home or hospital visits
☀️ Laser treatments: if needed
💬 Follow-up: private 1-on-1 chat between sessions and 2 weeks after our last session
🏠 Community: Access to my Breastfeeding House WhatsApp group
🌸 Home/Hospital Visit
Whether you are navigating the early days or facing a new challenge, I am here to provide clinical expertise and gentle support in the comfort of your own home or hospital room.
Common reasons for a visit:
- Feeding Challenges: Latching difficulties, nipple pain, or baby refusing the breast or bottle.
- Clinical Concerns: Tongue-tie assessment, low milk supply, engorgement, or breast pain.
- Specialised Care: Supporting preterms, twins, induced lactation, or transitioning from formula.
- Practical Skills: Pumping, hand expressing, interpreting baby behaviour and optimising sleep
What to expect during our sessions:
Each of our sessions is designed to be approximately one hour.
During a first visit, I will dedicate time to fully understand your and your baby’s history and current feeding concerns. This will be followed by a thorough physical examination of both you and your baby, including a detailed assessment of the baby’s oral anatomy. I will then observe a complete breastfeed to provide immediate, hands-on assistance with positioning and comfort. To accurately measure your baby’s milk intake, we will perform a “weighted feed” after weighing your baby. Finally, we will collaborate to develop a sustainable, personalized care plan specifically tailored to your feeding goals.
During a follow-up visit, I will observe another complete breastfeed to assess the progress made and ensure the initial concern has been resolved. We will discuss what has been working effectively and any areas that have been challenging. If the feeding problem persists, we will work together to create an adjusted, collaborative follow-on care plan.
Your Support Includes:
🤱🏼 Consultation: 1 home or hospital visit
☀️ Laser treatments: if needed
💬 Follow-up: private 1-on-1 chat between sessions and 2 weeks after our session
🏠 Community: Access to my Breastfeeding House WhatsApp group
🌸 Video Call
A video call is a wonderful way to get expert support quickly from the comfort of your home. We will spend about an hour together, and I’ll listen to your story to understand how breastfeeding has been going for you so far.
What to expect during our call:
Our session is designed to be approximately one hour.
During a Call, I will dedicate time to fully understand your and your baby’s history and current feeding concerns. I will observe a complete breastfeed to provide immediate assistance with positioning and comfort. Finally, we will collaborate to develop a sustainable, personalized care plan specifically tailored to your feeding goals.
Your Support Includes:
🤱🏼 Consultation: 1-hour phone or video call
💬 Follow-up: private 1-on-1 chat between sessions and 2 weeks after our session
🏠 Community: Access to my Breastfeeding House WhatsApp group
🌸 Chat Support
A Chat Consultation offers quick, expert support directly on your phone! I will thoroughly review your detailed history and all the information you provide to understand your breastfeeding journey so far.
What to expect during our chat:
Our consultation period is designed to last 2 weeks.
During the 2-week period, I will dedicate time to fully understand the history for both you and your baby, as well as your current feeding concerns. I may request photos or videos to clarify details that are difficult to explain in text. Together, we will then develop a sustainable, personalized care plan specifically tailored to help you achieve your feeding goals.
Your Support Includes:
🤱🏼 Consultation: 2 weeks of private 1-on-1 chat
🏠 Community: Access to my Breastfeeding House WhatsApp group
🌸 WhatsApp Group
Whether breastfeeding is going well, or you are still struggling with something, you don’t have to do it alone. Join this supportive community for expert guidance and peer connection through every stage of your breastfeeding journey.
💬 Real-Time Help: Moderated with immediate responses during office hours.
🤱 Expert Guidance:
- Newborn 0-6w
- Young Baby 7w-4m
- Older Baby 5-11m
- Toddler 1y+
- Preemie & NNU
- Growth Charts
- Baby Chat
💡 Mini Milk Mind: Daily messages with interesting breastfeeding facts.
☕ Baby Hour: Live video calls to connect face-to-face!
🍵 Baby Hour Café: In person meetings at varying destinations!
✨ Free 2 week trial ✨
Your Support Includes:
🏠 Community: Access to my Breastfeeding House WhatsApp group
Baby Massage
An amazing experience for both parents and baby. The massage techniques are very easy to learn and its benefits go far beyond the immediate physiologic gains. I teach you to massage your baby.
Baby massage is a beautiful experience for both you and your baby. The massage techniques are simple to learn, and the benefits extend far beyond the immediate physical gains.
Benefits of Baby Massage:
- Interaction: Promotes bonding and secure attachment, fostering a sense of being loved, respected, and valued.
- Stimulation: Stimulates all bodily functions, including digestion, and enhances your baby’s awareness.
- Relief: Helps alleviate discomfort from gas and colic, constipation, growing pains, muscular tension, teething, and cramps.
- Relaxation: Contributes to improved sleep patterns, enhances muscle tone, increases calmness, and reduces crying.
About the Classes:
Classes are suitable for babies from 0 to 12 months, including preemies.
A class consists of 5 weekly sessions. This structure allows both you and your baby enough time to comfortably learn and get accustomed to all the massage strokes.
What You Will Learn:
You will be taught massage strokes for the legs, feet, stomach, chest, arms, hands, face, and back, as well as a specific colic routine, gentle movements, and touch relaxation techniques.
Strokes are demonstrated using a doll, taught little by little to ensure babies are not overstimulated and their cues are respected. Only parents massage their own baby.
Baby Led Approach:
Classes are baby led, so please don’t worry if the scheduled time coincides with your baby’s sleep or feed times. Spare dolls are available for practice if your baby is sleeping. Communication is key in our classes, and it is perfectly fine if your baby cries—this is one of the natural ways they express their needs. Please do not hesitate to join because you have a “difficult” baby; we welcome all babies and parents.
Your Class Includes:
💆♀️ Sessions: 5 Hybrid sessions (online/in-person)
📘 Handout
🧴 Massage oil
BiliBlanket
Home-based jaundice treatment.
Jaundice treatment is now possible in the comfort of your home, ensuring minimal disruption to breastfeeding and bonding. You can hold, bond with, and breastfeed your baby continuously throughout the treatment.
Discuss home-based jaundice treatment with your doctor. A referral by a paediatrician is required.
Your Responsibilities for Home Treatment:
- Attend scheduled follow-up visits with the prescribing paediatrician.
- Ensure timely blood tests for bilirubin level monitoring.
- Carefully monitor your baby’s condition.
Your BiliBlanket Rental includes:
💙 *Jaundice treatment*
🚗 *Delivery and setup* only in Harare (no night drives)
Things I wrote
I felt like giving up completely on breastfeeding. Also knowing how many twin moms give up within the first month but now I definitely feel happier about breastfeeding. And not filled with dread like before. My babies are gaining weight and I’m proud of myself for pushing through. I couldn’t have done it without your help.
Becoming first time parents is a huge change and shock to the system. Having a little tiny human being depend on you for their every need is amazing yet rather daunting at the same time and is something no book, class or Google search can prepare you for. However, having the professional support and guidance from Katinka was an answer to prayer! We now had someone WE could depend and rely on. Someone who didn’t judge or put our baby in any category. Someone who was patient, kind and gentle with Mom and Baby and someone who cared enough to continue to follow up on both of our progress. My husband and I would highly recommend Katinka to any and all unsure and concerned parents!
I received more than the technical assistance I was looking for. I had emotional issues and insecurities that were eased through the sessions and talking to someone after birth and managing a newborn. Thank you.
