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Did you know that there are stages to your breast milk? In fact, there are 3 different stages of breast milks, mums need to understand. 1. Colostrum Colostrum is the first stage of breast milk, also known as "liquid gold." It can occur during pregnancy and last from birth to four days after the baby is born. It is rich in carotenoids, which give it its distinctive golden yellow color (although sometimes it can be clear). The thick, sticky consistency coats your baby's intesti

Did you know you can breastfeed your baby in many different positions? You might need to experiment with a few positions before you become more confident and decide which is most preferred and comfortable for you and your baby. Every mum & baby are different. Here are 5 common breastfeeding positions for you to try out! 1. Cradle Hold Sit on a plush chair with armrests or on a bed with pillows and cushions all around you. If you are sitting in a chair, rest your feet on a sto

Calling all dads! Want to be involved in helping out with your newborn but don't know what to do or where to start? Sister Susan has come up with 6 helpful tips for dads. 1. Singing to Baby Dads can try to pick one or two unique songs and sing them to the unborn child often during pregnancy. Once the child is born, Dads can continue to sing the special song to the baby. Dads can attempt the neck nestle and put your baby's head against your voice box on the front of your neck

Having a baby can be a joyful and wonderful experience. It can also be emotionally and physically taxing at times, especially when you are faced with a baby who cries unceasingly. When I was working in a neonatal intensive care unit, having a crying baby created a lot of problems. The parameters in their readings will become unstable, which may affect the treatment they are receiving. In the unit, one of the measures we used for a crying baby was the “containment” measure

Sister Susan is back with another story, she recounts, "During my days working in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), I have built a strong rapport with the parents of babies admitted to the unit. Some of these "friendships" are still ongoing today. When their babies are admitted to NICU, the parents often feel helpless and “guilty”, which can bring out hostility towards those of us working in NICU. I once encountered a father, who was dissatisfied with whatever we were

Sister Susan recounts, "I enjoy watching YouTube videos and recently, I came across a video of an 11-month-old boy snowboarding with his father in China. It was incredible to see an 11-month-old boy balancing himself on the board, knees bent, and his body slightly forward. He was a delight to watch. Seeing him brought back memories of another amazing almost 3-year-old boy I met years ago. I was working in the NICU at that time, and this little marvel’s sibling was a patient

Sister Susan recounts, “When I was working in the antenatal clinic in Oman, I met a mother who brought her baby in for a review by the pediatrician (the baby clinic is annexed to the antenatal clinic). When I examined the baby before the pediatrician's review, I discovered that the baby's oral cavity had been painted blue. I was horrified, and with the help of a translator, the mother explained that she had applied Gentian Violet to the baby's mouth because of oral Thrush (tr

If you are struggling to increase your milk supply, it could be due to a number of factors. You might have been hoping that consuming more nutrients or drinking soup every day would help, but nothing seems to be working so far. To help increase lactation, your obstetrician might prescribe Domperidone and advise you to take 10 mg three times a day. However, once the lactation has improved, the medication must be weaned off. Domperidone is a popular drug used to treat vario

There was a time where donor milk was not readily available everywhere in Singapore. This was when Sister Susan was working in the NICU in one of the private hospitals, where she got to meet one of the mothers of a 25 weeker premature baby. Sister Susan shared, “At that time, the doctor wanted to start the baby on early breastfeeding, however the mother was having a hard time expressing milk. Upon talking to her, I noted she was getting depressed because of the milk situatio