Transcript

Title: What to prepare

Narrator: If you choose to breastfeed, is there any preparation? As Debby and Sonia mentioned before, you have to prepare yourself mentally; learn proper breastfeeding skills; gain support from your husband and family; inform your doctor about your decision to breastfeed. Sonia has something to share…

Sonia: I think that family support is very important during the whole process of breastfeeding. I attended breastfeeding workshop with my mom. Formula feeding was common in her generation. I was fed with formula milk when I was a baby. After attending the workshop, my mother realised that breastfeeding is so good. Since then, she really helped me a lot in my breastfeeding journey. Really, there are many breastfeeding information and once I learned something new, I will share it with my husband, so that he knows the many benefits of breastmilk. I shared the educational materials with him, so that he can learn more. I also told him no matter how difficult the process is; never ask me to give up. Anyway, whenever I have a temper, it's important for you to tell me “it's OK, take it easy, just take it slow”. Don't say “Alright, let's supplement with formula milk.”

Narrator: Study shows that women with support from their husbands and family can continue breastfeeding for up to 6 weeks which is 8.5 times that of those without family support. Inform healthcare professionals in advance that you are going to breastfeed. Remind them your choice when you are admitted to the hospital, so that doctors will use appropriate pain relief while you are in labour. Now, there is some non-drug pain relief used in various hospitals. You can discuss with your doctor about this.