> I have just had an amazing day. It all started with a client of mine who
had
> twins eight weeks ago. She called me last week to say that she had been
> breastfeeding her twins in a popular coffee shop on Orchard Road - the
main
> shopping street of Singapore. This coffee shop is in a shopping mall that
is
> predominately selling mother & bby products. After she had fed the first
> twin - very discreetly with a large shirt and a muslin covering herself,
the
> woman manager came over to her and told her that breastfeeding in
Singapore
> was illegal since it was considered obscene. As this was her first time
> breastfeeding in public, it did nothing to boost her confidence.
>
> I invited a few colleagues - mostly Singaporean mums - who were all long
> term breastfeeders, the La Leche League and members of the Singapore
> Breastfeeding Mothers Support Group to join me today at the coffee shop
with
> our toddlers & babies. The press were informed (not by me!) and they
turned
> out in droves. We had two magazines and 4 newspapers represented and a
> reporter from a TV show called Talking Point that is on the News Channel
> here in Singapore (Channel News Asia). The mum herself was interviewed, as
> were many members of the breastfeeeding groups, and myself (while feeding
my
> 2 year old saughter Erinn). The General Manager of the coffee shop was
also
> interviewed and he formally apologised to my friend, explaining that the
> manager concerned had been reprimanded and he saw this as an educational
> opportunity where he and his staff could become more aware of the need for
> consideration and respect of breastfeeding mothers. We hd confirmed with
the
> police that there was no law against breastfeeding (don't laugh, remember
> where I live!) although individual stores had the right to have their own
> policy. (Clarks shoes here by the way have a sign on their wall stating
that
> mothers may NOT breastfeed their babies in the store and they actively
tell
> mothers this, even those not intending to breastfeed, sometimes those who
> don't even breastfeed! Needless to say, I don't buy Clarks shoes!)
>
> The first article came out in one of the daily newspapers this afternoon,
a
> little sensationalist but very positive. The tv program will be aired
> tonight and the other papers will be publishing tomorrow morning. The
> magazines will be publishing for next monhs issue.
>
> All in all, a very productive day. Managed to significantly raise the
> profile fo breastfeeding for a few days in a country where breastfeeding
is
> not high profile. Everyone involved, including the store, was wonderful.
> Except for one very stroppy reporter (woman) who wanted us to all sit in a
> line and breastfeed at the same time. She said she had thought we woud all
> be carrying banners or placades!!! and kept asking what we were trying to
> achieve and what was our point. When she asked me why I thought women
didn't
> breastfeed here very much, I replied that the initial support in the
> hospitals was often not very good (no rooming in, pacifiers and bottled
> water as well as formula frequently given to babies whose mothers have
said
> they want to breastfeed, negative comments like "your nipples are very
small
> for breastfeeding" or "he's feeding a lot - I don't think your milk is
very
> good quality" or to one mum who had had a caesarean three hours earlier
and
> had expressed some colostrum for her twins "there's not a lot there, I
don't
> think you'll be able to breastfeed these babies")  the reporter started
> arguing with me and telling me that the hospitals were wonderfully
> supportive. Shje then announced that she was a "failed breastfeeder" - her
> words, not mine. Anyway, she was the only problem.
>
> I'm so glad I did this! Still floating after a great day.
>
> Nikki Macfarlane
> Childbirth Educator  & Doula
> Singapore
>
>

Cindy Curtis,RN,IBCLC
mailto:[log in to unmask]
http://www.erols.com/cindyrn

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