Since I was very kiasu if I failed in breastfeeding Justin, I chose to deliver at baby-friendly initiated hospital. There’s only one in Ipoh, and that is Ipoh Specialist Hospital. Before I was about to pop, I joined their antenatal class, and there’s a session about breastfeeding conducted by their ex-lactation consultant, Mdm Tham. She’s a nice lady who’s very determined in helping mothers to breastfeed exclusively, and she helped me a lot during the initial days.
Why I chose a BFIH in the first place? The nurses are trained in breastfeeding, and they practise rooming in with baby. All general hospital are BFIH, and there are only a few private hospitals are.
Well, to succeed in breastfeeding, a newborn baby is best to be placed on the mother’s breast within an hour he’s born. I can still remember how amazing I was seeing Justin and Isabelle for the first time, and how they learnt to suckled.
Justin wasn’t hungry when he’s born, and he’s more curious about his surrounding. Even if I tried to latch him on lying down, he’s not interested. So, the nurse took him away for a bath first, before handling him to me again. Then only he’s interested to nurse. The nurse helped me to latch him on, and I was still lying down. It’s best to learn how to breastfeed lying down as mother can take some rest too.
But for Isabelle, she’s crying for milk shortly after she’s born. I nursed her while being wheeled from the delivering room to my ward! Of coz, I was nursing her lying down, and being a moo the second time around, I was a pro! So, I don’t need any help.
In BFIH, babies are normally handled to the mothers who want to breastfeed as soon as possible. And mothers don’t have to walk to the nursery as they practice rooming in with babies. Justin and Isabelle were with me all the time, except after midnight till 6am, as the nurses advised me to take some rest, but they still brought my babies to me for breastfeeding as I opt to do it exclusively, which means not supplementing with cow milk.
And at BFIH, they don’t permit bottles and pacifier to avoid nipple confusion in newborn babies. If you can’t breastfeed as some mommies are very tired after a cesarean, the nurses will cup feed the baby. So, if you are keen to breastfeeding but still need some help in the first few days, try to cup feed the baby by using Medela feeding cups. They’re quite cheap, it’s about RM2.50 - RM3.00 per cup. Yes, newborn babies can drink from a cup! My MIL was also shocked to see Justin drinking from a cup when she’s feeding him while I was having my massage at my 3th week of confinement.
The best thing is, you can get home visit from experienced nurses after you are discharged from the hospital. Why? It’s because you don’t have milk for the first few days, as it’s only colostrum. To those mothers who’re pumping and got nothing for the first few days, and being frustrated that you don’t have milk, it’s really not milk, as colostrum is thicker than milk and it’s more on quality but not quantity. So, you’ll get only a little if you pump, and you’ll feel like giving up.
When the milk comes after 3, 5, or maybe 7 days, you’ll probably be suffering from engorgement if you’re not nursing enough, or the demand supply is not equalized yet. So, home visit is very helpful this time. Mdm Tham taught me how to massage my breasts to soften the lumps, as I was badly engorged (and it’s extremely painful!!!) and the milk just won’t come out even if I use my Avent pump or nurse directly. So, if you need more help, just get from the nurses. Some nurses from Klinik Kesihatan visit new mothers who have just deliver too, I had this service with Isabelle. But I didn’t have much to ask about breastfeeding already! 
