Breastfeeding Q&A - Singapore

Lately I have been receiving emails and Facebook massages about my breastfeeding journey. Most of the questions given to me are pretty much the same, so I thought why not just give this Q&A a whirl on this blog. Some of the questions are from readers, some questions are add on or inspired by other article online.

Q: How long did you breastfeed for?

12 months and counting....

Q: Have you ever consulted the lactation consultant?

Looking back I wish I did, to consult the lactation consultant during the early stage of breastfeeding to be armed with better knowledge on breastfeeding and to do the right way. If you are new at it and need some clarification I highly suggest you consult one.

Q: What were the major struggles of Breastfeeding you have experienced?

I think the major was making sure I have enough supply, during the early stage when my nipples got pretty sore and cracked and the whole emotional thing when I doubt myself if I should continue to breastfeed or just stop when I don't have the confidence in me.

Q: Going back to your biggest struggles in the first month… care to share more about them?

I think in the early stage, my mind is always toying with the idea if my baby was having enough milk or should I feed formula since I was struggling with supply. But the moment I get to the stage where my milk was enough for my baby I am so glad I never had to feed formula ever again.

Sore and cracked nipple was pretty bad I often cry during latching and I started to realized that my latching was poor and the wrong way. So I look up on the internet to find out how to latch properly and keep practicing till the baby is an expert latcher. 

Q: What words of encouragement do you have for new mums?

Don't be discourage and assume that you have low milk supply in fact we women all have enough supply if we preserved on latching the baby the first 2 month to establish milk supply. At first it seems hard but if you pull through you will realized later that you have more than enough milk, at one time I was able to pump so much milk to store for 5 days 4 night trip away from the baby. 

Also breastfeeding isn't gonna be forever it's just a few years or so try to relax, don't pressure yourself and spend time to bond with your child. If you are a working mum this is the best time, coz the moment work starts you don't have the luxury to just latch all day every day. To also get those hours of latching less stressful, try turning on some soft music or watch a drama and relax.

Q: How did you manage to keep up with the breastfeeding with work and other commitments?

I am a full time working mum, 11 month old baby and a 12 year old PSLE daughters and a home to operate. My schedule is tight and my hours are short. Juggling is like a skill that all mothers develope eventually. But I also have very good family supports, especially my husband and my mum who constantly helping me with chores and looking after my kids. At the end of the day is tough and tiring but you know it's all worth it.

These days I have my 12 year old to help me look after her sister when I eat my meals or going to the toilet in peace. So yeah these days I know I got my family's support to help me manage all the commitments. 

Q: What are your top tips for breastfeeding mums?

NOT to WORRY too much, we always get worry about if our supply is adequate or not. If we really need to give formula for our sanity, I think it's fine too at least you are becoming a breastfeeding monster it should be fine.Our worries becomes stress that is when supply will drop badly and it's a lot of hard work to maintain supply thereafter.

Q: So, do you have any plans of conceiving no. 3?

Well I will be honest; I would love to have more kids if I am not living in Singapore. But as of now I do want to concentrate on my 2 kids, if we ever had number 3 it will be a miracle that god plan for us. But we focus on these 2 baby cats for now (sometimes I call my kids cats)

Q: Have you ever breastfed in public?

Yes and when my baby was much smaller breastfeeding in public is pretty alright for me but now that she is older we really need to do it in a nursing room so that she don't get distracted easily. Also she hates being under the nursing cover which is why we nurse in a nursing room.

Q: Do you have any tips for working mums who might like to continue with breastfeeding?

To start building your supply 1 month before you start work, take it easy and don’t stress (number one killer for supply) and try to stay on schedule as much. And eat a balanced diet.

Q: Did you eat anything in particular to increase your supply when you were breastfeeding?

I eat a lot of Oatmeal it seems that Oatmeal works for me and Virgin Coconut Oil in the soft gel form just to make my milk thicker and nutritious for the baby.

If you have more question do email me or leave a comment below!

Thank You for Reading!