Dear Dad,
Before my first child, my mum warned me. She said, “Your time is no longer your own after having kids,” and for once, she was right.
Learning how to cope with a newborn can be a real shock to your routine. As new parents, you will need to come to grips with the fact that your life will revolve entirely around the baby and your needs take second priority. For me, this realisation set in as soon as my wife and I left the hospital. We suddenly found ourselves alone and without ready assistance from the birthing ward nurses.
So with that and a little bit of hindsight in mind, below are my top tips to help get you home smoothly and settling in to life after birth.
Getting everyone safely home from the hospital presents the first challenge. Common options include taking a taxi, driving your own car, or using public transport. However, if you are using a car, the baby must be in an appropriate car seat. Aside from its illegality, the consequences of not restraining your child can be horrific (queue crash test videos). Make sure you get a seat that suits your budget and lifestyle, then practise installing it prior to D-day. If you need help selecting the right car seat, call my wife.
Next up: essential hardware. My first child was born at 36 weeks, which made my wife and I look fairly unprepared when we hadn’t yet bought a cot. Don’t make the same mistake and ensure you have the essentials well before il bambino arrives. You don’t need to buy expensive new items as most of this can be purchased pre-loved (except nappies and car seats) to save some coin, but as a minimum have these four areas covered:
Sweet dreams? The best advice I can give to help you acclimatise to life after birth is to get everyone in to a good sleep routine. Newborns feed every three hours. As a result, being able to get your baby back to sleep quickly at 3am is vital. There’s tonnes of literature on sleep routines but, as a start, my wife and I followed the four steps in the sleep chapter of this book. If you end up feeding using infant formula or expressed breast milk, I would recommend mum and dad working complementary ‘shifts’ (eg mum feeds baby at 9pm then goes to sleep; dad stays up and does a 12am feed then goes to sleep; mum wakes up at 3am etc).
Finally, clear the decks. Whilst you will be tempted to show off the new baby to friends and family as soon as possible, I would suggest giving yourself time and space to get into your baby-care routine before you line up all of your visitors. Dads also need to be conscious of balancing work time and home time in the first three months after birth. I would strongly advise minimising non-essential work travel during this time unless you have surplus ‘brownie points’ to burn.
I hope that wasn’t overwhelming (there’s no going back now though). Persevere. Life will become more normal after a few months. Until then, be prepared to give up a few gym sessions and some Netflix until everyone settles in.
Alex
Obstetricians
Dr Pamela Tan: www.drpamelatan.com
Dr Paul Tseng: www.virtusfertilitycentre.com.sg
Dr TC Chang: www.doctor-chang.net
Dr Dharshini: www.drdharsh.com
Dr Siva: www.rafflesmedicalgroup.com
Dr Jazlan: www.rafflesmedicalgroup.com
Dr FM Lai: www.acompanyforwomen.com.sg
Dr EK Tan: www.drtanengkien.com
Prof Choolani: www.nuh.com.sg/nuhgynae
Prof Chong: www.nuh.com.sg/nuhgynae
Prenatal classes
Beloved Bumps: www.belovedbumps.sg
Mother and Child: www.motherandchild.com.sg
BumpWise: www.facebook.com/bumpwise
Love Based Birth: www.lovebasedbirth.com
Blooming Births: www.blooming-births.com
Inspire Mum & Baby: www.inspiremumbaby.com
Tree of Life Birth: www.treeoflifebirth.com.sg
Parentlink: www.parentlink.com.sg
Warda Yusoff: WhatsApp 9880 1417
Tessa Webb Lyman: WhatsApp 9896 0378
First Aid Tuition: www.firstaidtuition.com.sg
Birth partners
Johanna Wagner: WhatsApp 9795 7949
Doulas of Singapore: www.doulasofsingapore.com
Red Miller: www.lovebasedbirth.com
Natasha Cullen: www.belovedbumps.sg
Avigaïl Riahi: www.belovedbumps.sg
Chantel Kismet: www.blooming-births.com
Linda Tan: www.inspiremumbaby.com
Deanna Kearns: www.laboroflovesingapore.com
Emeline Hare: www.mybabyadores.com
Athina Vandevoort: WhatsApp 8225 3743
Angelyn Seet: www.treeoflifebirth.com.sg
Kiki Porter-Wolff: WhatsApp 9108 5521
Warda Yusoff: WhatsApp 9880 1417
Yoga & pilates
Laura Dobberstein Yoga: WhatsApp 8571 1794
Terra Luna Yoga: www.terralunayoga.com
Sarah Manning: WhatsApp 8161 9580
Sacred Funk Yoga: www.sacredfunk.com
Pure Movement Centre: www.puremovementcentre.sg
Inspire Mum & Baby: www.inspiremumbaby.com
Mother and Child: www.motherandchild.com.sg
Amber Sawyer: www.ambersawyer.com
Group fitness & personal training
Mom In Balance: www.mominbalance.com
Beloved Bumps: www.belovedbumps.sg
Coached Lab: www.coached.fitness
Health 2 Mama: www.health2u.sg
Photographers
Red Bus Photography: www.redbusphotography.com
Evie Grace Photography: www.eviegracephotos.com
The Studio Loft: www.thestudioloft.com.sg
Leanne Jackson Photography: WhatsApp 9851 6346
Little Me Moments: www.littlememoments.com
Baby gear
PramFox: www.pramfox.com
Baby Slings & Carriers: www.babyslingsandcarriers.com
Warabee: www.facebook.com/warabeehs
Baby Gates N Safety: www.babygatesnsafety.com
motherswork: www.motherswork.com.sg
Mothercare: www.mothercare.com.sg
Physiotherapy
Embrace Physiotherapy: www.embracephysio.sg
Physio Asia: www.physioasia.sg
Physio Down Under: www.physiodownunder.sg
Physio Core and Floor: www.physiocoreandfloor.com
City Osteopathy & Physiotherapy: www.cityosteophysio.com
Edge Healthcare Orchard: www.edgehealthcare.com.sg
Health 2 Mama: www.health2u.sg
Osteopathy
Edge Healthcare Orchard: www.edgehealthcare.com.sg
The Osteopathic Centre: www.theosteo.com.sg
Chiropractic
Organic Family Chiropractic: www.organicfamilychiropractic.com
Light Chiropractic: www.lightchiropractic.com
Naturopathy & homeopathy
Edge Healthcare Orchard: www.edgehealthcare.com.sg
Inatura: www.inatura.com.sg
Homeopathic Health Centre: www.drrukshinmaster.com
Vitanovella: www.vitanovella.com
Nutritional health
The Iron Suites Medical Centre: www.theironsuites.com
Nutritious N Delicious: www.nutritiousndelicious.com
Health 2 Mama: www.health2u.sg
Labour preparation
Life Balance: www.lifebalance.com.sg
Inspire Mum & Baby: www.inspiremumbaby.com
Podiatry
The Foot Practice: www.thefootpractice.com
Paediatricians
Dr Veronica Toh: www.rafflesmedicalgroup.com
Dr Tan Siew Pin: www.olivetreedoc.com
Dr Leo Hamilton: www.kidsclinic.sg
Dr Natalie Epton: www.sbcc.sg
Dr Belinda Murugasu-Koh: www.memc.com.sg
GPs
Dr Loo Hui Voon: www.forumclinicsg.com
Dr Mythili Pandi: www.imchealthcare.com
Dr Peter Chiu: www.imchealthcare.com
The Iron Suites Medical Centre: www.theironsuites.com
Well baby clinics
Mother and Child: www.motherandchild.com.sg
Beloved Bumps: www.belovedbumps.sg
Breastfeeding
Tessa Webb Lyman: WhatsApp 9896 0378
Mother and Child: www.motherandchild.com.sg
Alona Hodik: www.bellytobreastfeeding.com
Dr Mythili Pandi: www.imchealthcare.com
Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group (Singapore): www.breastfeeding.org.sg
Stillen Maternity: www.stillen.com.sg
Health 2 Mama: www.health2u.sg
Mental Health
More Mindful: www.moremindful.me
Dr Kamini: www.dr-kamini.com
Dr Amy Reale: www.arc91.com
Counsellingconnectz: www.counsellingconnectz.com
Thrive Family: www.thrivefamily.sg
Mary Barrett Global: www.marybarrett.global
Inspire Mum & Baby: www.inspiremumbaby.com
Support groups & communities
New Mothers’ Support Group: www.nmsg-singapore.com
BumpWise: www.facebook.com/bumpwise
Love Based Birth Hive: tribe.lovebasedbirth.com
Mindful Mums: www.meetup.com/moremindfulmums
Stork’s Nest Singapore: www.facebook.com/storksnestsg
New Mums Singapore: Search on Facebook
Mother and Child: www.motherandchild.com.sg
Beloved Bumps: www.belovedbumps.sg
nůmama Choir: numamasingapore@gmail.com
Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group (Singapore): www.breastfeeding.org.sg
Chapter Zero: www.chapterzero.org
Online resources & books
Honeykids Asia: www.honeykidsasia.com
Sassy Mama: www.sassymamasg.com
From Fear to Love: Available on Amazon
The Positive Birth Book: Available on Amazon
Elevating Child Care: Available on Amazon
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Available on Amazon
The Science of Parenting: Available on Amazon
The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read: Available on Amazon
The Gift of Birth: Available on Amazon
Nannies & helpers
The Newborn Nanny: www.newbornnanny.sg
Empowa: www.empowa.sg
Anisya: www.anisya.com
Massage
Nik’s Bodywork: www.nikbodywork.com
Beauty Mums & Babies: www.beautymumsbabies.com
Inspire Mum & Baby: www.inspiremumbaby.com
Health 2 Mama: www.health2u.sg
Tree of Life Birth: www.treeoflifebirth.com.sg
Sleep
S Family Wellness: www.sfamilywellness.com
Mother and Child: www.motherandchild.com.sg
Financial considerations
LynchPin: WhatsApp 8666 6242
Simply Wills: www.simplywills.com.sg
Maternity & baby clothes
Lagom Kids: www.lagomkids.com
Hunter + Boo: www.hunterandboo.com
Sagaseed: www.sagaseed.shop
Stillen Maternity: www.stillen.com.sg
Bonds: www.bonds.com.au
H&M: www.hm.com
Baby showers
Host: www.hostsingapore.com
Tim’s Fine Catering: www.timsfinecatering.com
Fika Events: www.fikacafe.com
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Dear Mum-to-be,
Congratulations and I can just imagine all the to-do lists you have right now, trying to get as many things done before the little one arrives. There will NEVER be enough time to get everything done, because parenthood is a continuous journey, and we don’t need to finish every single task we set ourselves. Be kind to yourself; take time to practise self-care, read, drink coffee (yes, even this!), take long warm baths, meet friends and do whatever it takes to make yourself happy before the baby arrives. And SLEEP A TON!
With regards to mental preparation, one thought that would undoubtedly weigh frequently on our minds is to hope for a smooth delivery and a healthy baby. And here is one tip that I wished I had known during my pregnancy: get covered under maternity insurance early from the 13th week onwards. Why? Because it would have taken a good chunk of the anxiety away, knowing that both the baby and I would be protected all the way until I gave birth, and that my baby would, thereafter, also be protected until the second year of his birth. Just knowing this fact would have made the scans for congenital illness such as Down’s Syndrome a little less stressful, and it certainly would have helped with possible expenses that arose if there were any pregnancy complications!
One thing to note is that hospital insurance isn’t the same as maternity insurance: the former, in general, covers a certain list of pregnancy complications only. Furthermore, most hospital plans tend to have a waiting period of 300 days, which means that they will not cover your current pregnancy if you have only recently started your policy. Therefore, the right plan most suited to you now (as an expectant mummy) is actually maternity insurance! This is a common misconception of which many aren’t aware.
Should the unthinkable occur, no mother should ever have to worry about incoming medical bills when she is already struggling with grief and loss. Let’s chat a bit more and see how we can protect you and your baby.
Love from a mother to another,
Eva
Eva Genevieve Khoo | LynchPin
Eva is a financial consultant from LynchPin, which comprises a group of financial consultants representing Great Eastern Financial Advisers (GEFA). Her work involves helping families, as well as individuals, plan financially for the lifestyle they desire, so they can be where they want to be in life, together with their loved ones.
She does this by first understanding her client’s needs and long-term financial goals through cash flow studies, and then plans for moving forward as well as other possible scenarios that could potentially result in financial loss. One of her goals is to educate new mothers on maternity insurance and the importance of it.
Eva also volunteers at a non-profit organisation that supports mothers on their journey through parenthood. One of her roles involves hosting social events catering for young children, as well as providing support to expat mothers who are new to Singapore.
Contact Eva on 8666 6242, evagkhoo@rep.greateasternfa.sg.
Patrick Chang | Simply Wills
Writing a will is an important and yet neglected part of financial planning. Some new parents are probably not aware of the adverse consequences of not having a valid will, especially if the children’s next of kin is not a Singapore resident. Simply Wills help their clients draft their wills and provide safekeeping of wills to ensure they will be available when they are needed most. They also work through their panel of lawyers to help your next of kin obtain court orders to administer your estate when needed. Founding Director, Patrick Chang is a succession specialist and helps families write wills, create trusts and transfer and preserve wealth. His company has helped more than 18,000 clients, both locals and expatriates.
Contact Patrick on 9698 4444, www.simplywills.com.sg.
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Dear Mum-to-be,
You’re living such a precious time of your life, growing a life within you and waiting to meet your beautiful child. I’ve been there and I know that it’s a mixed bag – the excitement, the nerves, the ups and downs of pregnancy – you’re not alone, we all feel it. If there’s one thing that I can tell you, however, it’s that women are a powerful force. The women before us brought us up, and the women around us will cheer us on and walk beside us on the path of motherhood. The ritual of a baby shower is a special gathering, a rite of passage, where the women around you come together to celebrate, show their support and shower you and your baby with love. Every mother-to-be deserves it. You deserve it.
How to do a baby shower that feels right for you and becomes a memory that you’ll treasure, involves a little coordination and a little bit of inspiration. This is where we can help. We are often creating tailor-made baby showers and providing a beautiful space for them. Here are some of my insider tips to guide you on your way.
Be open: Tradition has it that a close friend organises this lovely ritual for you. It can be hard to say what we really want when someone is generously doing this event for us, but remember that they want you to have a positive experience and it always turns out best if there is open communication at the start. Share what you hope for and personalise it to your taste.
Plan early: Babies don’t always arrive on their due dates! It’s best to plan for a baby shower 6-8 weeks before your due date.
Gift registry: Even if you don’t want your guests to give you gifts, you can be sure that most of them will want to, and they will ask you what you need because they genuinely want to give you useful items. This is also a great way to help family and friends (who might not live in Singapore) feel more involved and useful during these precious months. A gift registry saves everyone time and ensures that there is less double-up of gifts.
Focus on essentials: It’s easy to go all out and buy lots of things when you find out that you’re pregnant but ask any experienced mother and they’ll tell you that it quickly becomes cluttered and wasteful. Remember that friends and family will also give you more items once your baby is born, either as gifts or hand-me-downs. Google ‘newborn baby essentials’ and start with those items for your gift registry.
Consult an event planner: They do this for a living and once you share a little about the type of experience for which you are hoping, they can guide you to the right venue, experiences, activities and caterers. This reduces planning time dramatically. If you wish, they can also take over the running of the event on the day so that everyone can relax, and you’d be surprised at how affordable they can be.
Get creative: Baby showers don’t only have to be all about cake and gifts. If the mum-to-be has any hobbies or interests, you can tie them in. We have a range of creative courses, like floristry, candle making and making natural skincare products, that can be woven into a baby shower.
Venue: Try to find a venue that can take care of the logistics and event coordination for you. The less you have to think about the details on the day, the more that you and your guests will enjoy it.
Accommodating different groups of friends: Baby showers often bring together people who don’t know each other. Having a centralised event planner or key point of contact really helps with the natural questions that different people will have about the event, gifts and more.
xx Em
Emma Beckford | Host
Host is a beautiful, contemporary venue that is available for events, private parties, and creative or corporate workshops. Founded by Emma, a lover of all things creative, it also provides a range of curated and innovative workshops. They are masters at personalising events, such as baby showers, to the taste and interests of each mum. They do this through stunning catering, and providing creative experiences such as learning candle making, block printing, making natural beauty products or floristry. They can take care of parts of the baby shower, or the event as a whole, right down to the games!
Host thrive on creating beautiful memories for their clients and making their lives easier, so that they can enjoy their special day without a worry. Even the online ticketing system is a breeze and takes the hassle out of coordinating costs for the organiser. Browse through their website to have a look at their gorgeous space in the heart of River Valley.
Contact Emma via www.hostsingapore.com, 9 Mohamed Sultan Road, #02-01, Singapore 238959.
Tim Meijers | Tim’s Fine Catering Services
Hailing from the Netherlands, Chef Tim Meijers began his culinary profession as a young apprentice at Muller, a one Michelin-starred restaurant located in Groningen, owned by Chef Jean-Michel Hengge. Pursuing his culinary passion deeper, Chef Tim Meijers worked in many fine Michelin-starred restaurants in the Netherlands, Britain and France. He was also the Head of Catering at Saint Pierre, a fine dining Relais and Châteaux establishment. Now wealthy in experience and owner of Tim’s Fine Dining Catering Services, Tim specialises in bespoke Modern French cuisine with a hint of Japanese influence.
Contact Corrine on 9272 7354, corinne@timsfinecatering.com, www.timsfinecatering.com.
Fika Events
Fika Events aims to create event decorations and setups that look unique, creative and personal. ‘Fika’ is a social institution in Sweden; it means having a coffee with one’s colleagues, friends, date, or family. Run by the team behind Fika Swedish Cafe and Bistro.
Contact the team on 6396 9096, info@fikacafe.com, www.fikacafe.com, 257 Beach Road, Singapore 199539.
My Registry
My Registry is a universal baby registry: a gift list where you can add items from any store in the world—online or brick-and-mortar (really!). Gifts can be products, experiences, even a Cash Gift Fund for big-ticket items. Gifts can be added from any favourite store, and even added on the go by smartphone, through scanning barcodes or snapping and uploading photos using the app. Babies need a lot of stuff! The ultimate baby registry checklist, available on My Registry, will assist with organisation, and make it easier for family and friends, who may not be based in Singapore, to choose gifts that you’ll love.
]]>Dear Mum,
I’m a mum of twin boys and one of the founders of Lagom Kids. The journey to becoming a mum for me was a long one. I really feel it’s such a gift to be a mother.
So when it comes to baby and children’s clothing, my principle is quite simple. I believe in the philosophy of Lagom (a Swedish word and concept) that literally translates to ‘the right amount’. Not too little, not too much, but just right. I highly recommend to shop good quality, ever-lasting designs made of natural materials, that can be worn throughout the day for different occasions - clothes that your little ones will be comfortable in to freely explore this wonderful world of ours. Hopefully, clothes like these can be passed on to another family member or friends and, in doing so, helping our planet by wasting less.
I believe in making clothes that survive one child to the next! Extending the life of clothing by an extra nine months can reduce carbon, waste and water footprints by around 20–30% each. Shop smart. Reuse, recycle and choose quality over quantity.
As a mum, it’s so important to stay positive. Some days can be really tough but mindset and attitude will help you stay strong. Stay positive and remember all (or at least most) of us are figuring it out as we go along.
Anna xx
Anna Bervander | Lagom Kids
Anna was born in Sweden but moved to the bright lights of San Francisco at the age of 19 where she achieved a BFA Graphic Design degree. She began her career as a graphic designer in San Francisco, before relocating again, this time to Singapore, in 2001.
Lagom Kids is a concept that was created together with a friend after both became mums. Building brands together in their previous work experience, they felt inspired to create quality kids clothing with simple clean designs in which their kids could run, play, and nap.
The goal with Lagom Kids is to create a brand that inspires a simple, carefree childhood, full of play and exploration. Lagom Kids is passionate about making children feel confident and comfortable so they will grow up as engaged, confident adults.
Contact Anna on 9168 6116, hello@lagomkids.com, www.lagomkids.com.
Beth Medley | Hunter + Boo
Hunter + Boo is a modern, ethical baby and kids wear label that doesn’t compromise on style or personality. The label was founded by sisters Beth and Sarah Medley who combine their love of fashion, art and nature with a desire to improve the lives of those who produce their collection. Made with the softest 100% organic cotton and eco dyes, each garment celebrates the joy of childhood, made with care to leave as light a footprint on the environment as possible.
Floris Oh | Sagaseed
Sagaseed was started when founder, Floris, was pregnant and feeling uninspired by the options of prints, frills and layers. She wanted to dress her new body with clothes she would normally wear so she set out to create a few key items that would become the essentials in a pregnancy wardrobe and beyond. The collection, which uses only sustainable fibres, helps to make style easier and comfortable, enabling mums to feel the difference during pregnancy and motherhood.
Contact Floris at hello@sagaseed.shop, www.sagaseed.shop.
Lisa Chong | Stillen Maternity
Stillen Maternity was born out of a dream to dress the working mums and mums-to-be with chic professional wear that is nursing friendly for pumping in the office. Stillen curates and creates collections with pieces that are functional and stylish. These pieces will serve well from pregnancy to nursing days and beyond because you can barely tell they are maternity wear.
Mums can get so busy taking care of their babies that sometimes they forget to take care of themselves too. Dressing for work during pregnancy and nursing days is now effortless with Stillen Maternity, because they will have you looking your maternity best in comfortable fabrics and stylish designs.
Contact Lisa at hello@stillen.com.sg, www.stillen.com.sg.
Bonds
Bonds is a well-loved Australian underwear and baby clothing brand that’s been around for over 100 years. With incredibly cute designs and very comfortable patterns, they’ll quickly become a favourite in your household. Bonds ships to Singapore for free for orders over S$100.
H&M
A global favourite for kids clothes, H&M has about a dozen stores in Singapore with a great selection for babies, toddlers and beyond.
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Dear Mum,
What an amazing and, possibly, unimaginable ride it has been for you to get to this point and I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you once again.
As I am sure you have heard - or know already - that sleep is often whispered like a sentence to a crime or a warning to an impending doom when it comes to parenting. “Say goodbye to your sleep” or my favourite, “sleep as much as you can now before the baby comes!” And all this while you’re probably wondering if it’s really that bad.
Unless you have ‘that’ baby - you know, the one that magically sleeps well from day one and never had any issues - then you may be going through something like I was: rocking, walking baby to sleep a few times a week or even a few times a night, nursing up to ten times a night, or having a baby up at 3.45 am ready to party… I hear you, I feel you, I see you and importantly, am here to tell you that this need not be your plight forever. Or even right now.
I had read all the articles and blogs there were. I couldn’t even begin the books because I was so overwhelmed and sleep-deprived myself that I started spiralling into postpartum depression, anxiety, rage, hallucinating phantom crying and my brain just wouldn’t shut down. I tried sleep training my daughter on my own. Felt all the mum-guilt piercing my heart and every cell of my body, felt helpless and lost at what I was doing to her and to myself. I tried to hold on for longer, thinking I could ride this out. I didn’t need anyone to help me. I could be superwoman, supermum, superwife and do it all… and then I crashed onto the hallway floor in tears one afternoon shaking and panicking… and called my husband saying I needed professional help, for my mind and for sleep, because I was fearing for both my life and the baby’s life.
After hiring a fellow sleep consultant, I was blown away. It took three nights, and maybe a spatter of another few nights here and there but really, in two weeks, she was sleeping on her own! I felt like Cinderella and the fairy godmother had waved her wand to give me a sleeping baby who woke up happy and giggly. I honestly couldn’t believe it and made it my purpose to learn everything and anything there is to do with sleep for infants through to adults.
I don’t tell you this story to scare you. I tell you in the hope that my story will be drastically different from yours. Sleep training shouldn’t be considered ‘necessary’ for all babies, in just the same way that rehab isn’t necessary for everyone who likes a drink. But if you find yourself in the pit of despair, riddled with anxiety and wondering if there is a way out, then seek help.
A little bit of knowledge about infant sleep hygiene can go a long way to setting your family up for sleep success. Here are my top four tips:
My aim is to educate parents and arm them with as much information as possible so that they can be the expert on their baby’s sleep. The tips above are a good place to start, but if you’re deep in the throes of unsustainable sleep habits and whatever you’re doing is no longer working for you, then give me a call. A professional sleep consultant uses their expertise and experience to take the theory of infant sleep patterns and mould it into a workable, practical and achievable plan of action, specifically tailored to suit your needs, your partner’s needs, and your baby’s needs. They build a safe place for you to feel supported in your decisions and a shoulder to cry on when the stress needs releasing. They are your partner in this journey.
If I’m not the right person to help you out of the pit and back into the light, I’ll do my best to point you in the direction of someone who can.
Congratulations again. You’ve got this.
x Shubhra
Shubhra Venneti | S Family Wellness
Shubhra is the face behind Shubhra Sleep and Wellness Solutions and her wellness podcast, Shift with Shubhra. As a multi-passionate mumpreneur with a 3-going-on-30-year-old toddler, Shubhra believes that there is never one solution that fits all (it might fit many, but not all). With that belief in mind, she set out to create a company to help mothers from four angles (for now): physical healing with sleep coaching; spiritual healing with Akashic Light Healing; nurturing bonds with their baby through the Baby Signs Program; and soon, the subconscious healing through Rapid Transformational Therapy (a branch of Hypnotherapy), in which she is currently training. With these services, she hopes that she can help not only mothers and their babies, but the whole family to have a thriving, joyful family life together.
Contact Shubhra on 9887 7339, info@sfamilywellness.com, www.sfamilywellness.com.
Rachel Farr | Mother and Child
Postnatally, feeding and caring for your baby will be utmost in your mind. If you choose to breastfeed, Mother and Child’s IBC lactation consultants are here for you, at their centre or in the comfort of your home. Rachel is an experienced maternal and child health nurse, lactation consultant and sleep consultant. She attends the Mother and Child Well Baby drop-in sessions and is available for home visits, private consults and group sessions. She also specialises in teaching Introduction to Solids workshops and conducting developmental assessments. She is registered with the Singapore Nursing Board.
Contact the Centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.]]>
Dear Mum,
After nine months of pregnancy, nothing can compare to the joy of finally meeting your beautiful baby. Just as your new baby will need attention and care, so do must mothers care for themselves throughout their perinatal journey, from before conception, throughout pregnancy, labour and post birth.
The childbearing process alters the emotional and physical aspects - rapid weight gains, bodily discomforts, changes in posture and balance and, as women labour and give birth, deep and intense sensations and emotions - everything from joy to disappointment - exist. In this process, women need comfort, reassurance, confidence, guidance and skilled maternity care during childbirth. After birth, many have pain or a need to heal some parts of the body and mind. Women functioning on less sleep due to caring for the baby, may feel vulnerable with no time for themselves, and possibly experience a lack of confidence in mothering capabilities.
Massage is a common alternative therapy recommended throughout the perinatal journey. This includes prenatal massage, post massage, perineum massage and lactation massage. Anecdotally, massage is shown to be effective during pregnancy as it reduces depression (particularly IVF conception), anxiety, leg and back pain. In my experience, women who receive massage during pregnancy experience fewer prenatal complications, less pain and shorter labours, as well as lower incidence of prematurity and low birthweight for newborns. Postpartum depression and cortisol levels are often decreased in massaged women.
Many mothers find that their body swells during labour. Massaging can help to redistribute water within the body and encourage the draining and circulation of excess fluids. For mums seeking an increase in their breast milk supply, massage can be a great way to increase circulation and the necessary hormones to increase milk production. The postpartum body is one of constantly fluctuating hormones. In addition to touch, many massages involve essential oils that may help elevate your mood and may encourage hormonal balance, and get your body ready for deep, restorative sleep.
The concept of wrapping or binding during pregnancy (known in Singapore as Jamu herbal wraps) and the postpartum period is not new; many traditional cultures around the world have been belly binding mothers for centuries. The practice has been found in Asian, West African, and Latin American cultures, to name a few. It is often regarded as the crucial first step in the healing process after birth.
In many areas of the world, women are expected to have a ‘lying in’ confinement period of at least one month after birth to jumpstart postpartum recovery: this is a period of time in which new mothers are in resting positions most of the day, only caring for the most basic needs of her baby and herself.
In today’s world, the modern mother rarely experiences the immediate postpartum period as a healing one. Often exhausted and overworked, the new mother’s body takes much longer than a few weeks to fully repair itself. Often, women find themselves dealing with weak abdominal muscles for months or even years after pregnancy. A weak core leads to chronic back pain, and pelvic floor dysfunction, such as urinary incontinence, is more commonly found in women with diastasis recti.
The goal of belly binding in the first few weeks postpartum is to quickly support the body and discourage further separation of the muscles, as life with a new baby gets busy. Along with a healthy diet, lots of rest, and self-care practices, postpartum belly binding may help prevent long-term diastasis recti, back pain, posture issues, and pelvic floor muscle weakness.
Much Love,
Nik
Nik Adis | Nik’s Bodywork
Nik Satunah Adis, founder of Nik’s Bodywork is an ITEC (International Therapy Examining Council, United Kingdom) and certified pregnancy massage practitioner from NurtureLife Australia. She is qualified in manual lymphatic drainage (Dr. Vodder), a Reiki practitioner, and a qualified ‘Family Constellation facilitator’, trained by Stephan Hausner from Munich, Germany, and Chris Walsh from Melbourne, Australia.
Aside from working on numerous local and expatriate women in Singapore and abroad, Nik has supported mothers in delivering babies as a trained birth doula in rural villages in Indonesia as well. Nik believes that pregnancy bodywork and massage is a work of science, art and meditation. And what matters most is the state of ‘consciousness’ of the pregnant mum and the practitioner.
With 23 years of doing bodywork professionally, Nik constantly upgrades herself in re-education and has successfully conceptualised her own techniques and skills. In Singapore, Nik has successfully trained several therapists who are, and have made their way in becoming, professional massage therapists.
Contact Nik on 9834 2584, nik@nikbodywork.com, nikbodywork.com.
Genah Lim | Beauty Mums & Babies
Genah and her team aim to pamper and care for mothers at every step of their journey, through pregnancy and motherhood. Beauty Mums & Babies (BMB) helps massage away pregnancy tensions with water-soluble massage oils designed with mums and bumps in mind, keeping their skin hydrated whilst preventing stretch marks. BMB’s proprietary TCM and Javanese postnatal massage techniques also aid mums in their recovery after childbirth. If you’re having breastfeeding issues, do pop a lactation massage onto your radar. Looking for wellness programs to keep yourself fit during and after pregnancy? They offer somatic therapy and yoga classes for mums-to-be and parents. Baby massage and baby care and infant first-aid workshops are available.
Contact Genah on 9728 6794, enquiry@beautymumsbabies.com, www.beautymumsbabies.com, 290 Orchard Road, #14-11/12 Paragon Tower 1, Singapore 238859.
Inspire Mum & Baby
Inspire Mum & Baby specialises in a massage therapy called myofascial release. Myofascial release is a gentle massage and movement therapy for the treatment of motion and pain issues and also works on postural adjustments to release tension. It targets the fascia, a type of connective tissue that wraps around most structures within the human body, including muscles, veins, and major organs. Fascia supports and protects these structures. Women generally have body/muscle aches and cramps, fatigue, tension on the shoulders, back and legs due to sedentary lifestyles, carrying of babies and kids, and during pregnancy, work and family stress. Myofascial release helps to reduce the discomfort, feeling free and tall with fewer restrictions to mobility. The benefits include improving blood circulation, posture, breathing, psychosomatic conditions and insomnia.
Contact the team on 9234 1866, info@inspiremumbaby.com, www.inspiremumbaby.com, 188-2 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 436990.
Health 2 Mama
Heatlh 2 Mama provides pregnancy and postnatal massage for mums at home or in their clinic at Telok Ayer. Having a massage by a physio can help with symptomatic relief and can also address other issues such as C-section tenderness and adhesions, tummy soreness, breastfeeding relief and also relieve aches and pains in the joints and muscles.
Contact Bex on 8358 2144, info@health2u.sg, www.health2u.sg, 101 Telok Ayer Street, #03-01, Singapore 068574.
Angelyn Soh | Tree of Life Birth
Prenatal and postnatal home massages are conducted at your home and Tree of Life Birth will supply the massage table. Angelyn also offers doula services, Bradley Method prenatal classes, and placenta encapsulation.
Contact Angelyn on 9008 6556, info@treeoflifebirth.com.sg, www.treeoflifebirth.com.sg.
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Dear Mum,
Congratulations, you are beginning the biggest adventure of your life! Before the fun really begins, it’s a good idea to get yourself as clued up on what’s likely to come. Read as much as you can but be selective. There is a ridiculous amount of information on baby raising out there, not all of it will be suited to you. If what you’re reading doesn’t entirely make sense to your way of thinking, find different books or articles that do.
Pregnancy is a good time to find your tribe. Join some Facebook and WhatsApp groups with other folk due at the same time as you. Having a group of people who are going through the same adventure as you is really important for both your physical and mental health. Friends made at this time can become lifelong. It can also be useful to find out from mums who are further ahead of you, what equipment and baby ‘stuff’ was really necessary as far as they were concerned, and what never left the packaging!
It’s a good idea to get domestic arrangements sorted out as early as possible too. Who do you want around you to help and support you? Family is amazing but obviously it is not always possible or practical (especially if you’re an expat) to have them around all the time. What kind of help do you think you’ll need? Maybe if you already have a cleaner, you can arrange for them to visit more regularly and that will be enough for you. Perhaps you already have a helper in residence which will make a massive difference to the workload, or you may be considering a doula, a confinement nanny, or a postnatal supporter like me. Find out as much as you can about the different possibilities as early as you can so you can book them in ahead of time. There are many services available to support you in every aspect of baby rearing so don’t be afraid to ask for help; there is plenty out there and we all need help sometimes. There are no prizes given for martyrdom in parenthood.
One of my favourite tasks as a newborn nanny is visiting prospective parents just before their baby is due to help them assess if they’ve got everything they’ll need for the imminent arrival. They will, undoubtedly, have many things they will never need and there are always things you don’t find out about until after. It’s good fun to see what friends and family have sent as gifts. You can always tell which ones have had children and which ones haven’t by the practicality of the gifts! As long as you know where the nearest baby equipment shops are, you can get most things fairly easily here.
The first few weeks of being a parent are stressful, tiring and scary but are also awe-inspiring, incredible and produce the kind of emotions you didn’t know were possible. No amount of preparation will cover every eventuality, but more is always preferable to less. I wish you much happiness in your journey as a parent. Embrace the messy, revel in the silly and enjoy every moment.
Love,
Audrey
Audrey Black | The Newborn Nanny
Audrey is a newborn nanny. Her goal as a postnatal supporter is to help parents gain confidence in their ability to care for their new baby. This confidence will help to make the first few weeks a bit more fun, rather than just a matter of survival. Audrey has worked with babies and children for over 30 years, keeping up to date with current trends and medical opinion on how best to support new parents. She offers a free pre or postnatal consultation, either in person or online, to establish your likely needs and for her to explain exactly what are her areas of expertise.
Contact Audrey on 8498 9730, audrey@newbornnanny.sg, www.newbornnanny.sg.
Kathy Rougier | Empowa
Kathy is a trained postpartum doula and mother of one, who spent over 20 years in corporate business. She has lived in the UK, Thailand and Singapore and uses all of her training, life experience and passion for coaching people to support new mums, and families, through the new challenges they will face. This includes holding space for their birth journey, feeding, lactation, newborn care, self care for mothers, coping mechanisms for new fathers and redefining their new futures. Empowa is all about empowering new parents to be the very best version of themselves. When a woman gives birth, she gives birth to a new baby, and a new mother. That change in momentum can feel monumental and women can be left feeling like less of the person they used to be, and not knowing the person they have become. Empowa finds the new mum’s strengths, from past and present, identifies and empowers them to be the most amazing new version of themselves, be that a stay-at-home mother or a working parent.
Contact Kathy on 9295 1035, empowermentdoula@gmail.com, www.empowa.sg.
Anisya
Anisya is an open marketplace for foreign domestic workers (FDWs) - helpers - and the families who employ them. While most helper employment agencies charge the helper two months’ salary to be placed with an employer, Anisya offers their marketplace with absolutely no charges for FDWs.
Using Anisya’s services, which can include handling all the paperwork if you’d prefer, promotes employment freedom and empowers both workers and employers with informed choices. They achieve this by eliminating the debt burden on FDWs when they seek jobs; enabling informed employment matches for FDWs and employers through an online and open marketplace; valuing every FDW as carers and stewards of families’ wellbeing; and promoting empathy between employers and FDWs to build sustained and effective working relationships.
Anisya is a proud social enterprise member of the Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise and the Business For Good community which promotes the use of business for social impact.
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Dear Mum-to-be,
So here you are, ready to embark on the wonderful journey of parenthood. First off: congrats! For sure, it’s one heck of an exciting time counting down to baby’s arrival. But nursery paint swatches and ‘It’ pram aside, pregnancy and becoming a parent can be mega daunting, too. Your changing body, your anxiety about birth, your worries about how everything changes once you become ‘Mum’… it can be a lot to take in. It’s why parenting websites, magazines, apps and books can be a huge support.
As editor of HoneyKids Asia, one such parenting and lifestyle site, I may sound biased. But I’ve been in your shoes. When I first arrived in Singapore with two young children (my son was eight months old and my daughter just over two years), it was hard. The heat! The humidity! The search for a decent flat white! As I was coming to grips with my new everyday and learning a new city, there were so many questions. Where could I go for a pram-friendly walk? What’s the best indoor play centre for toddlers? Where can I buy craft supplies? So I did what every mum does: I turned to my faithful friend, Google. And my digital BFF served me up some awesome articles and life-saving tips from the various parenting websites here in Singapore.
When the opportunity arose to become Editor of one of my favourites, it was a no-brainer. It’s been a total passion project, and honestly, there’s nothing better than hearing from readers who say how much they love our content and how it’s helped them. From firsthand advice on what baby gear you really need and what you can live without to how to deal with tantrums (your own included!) and the most kid-friendly places to take your new bub, it’s all at your fingertips. My advice? Find the sites, mags and apps that resonate with you, follow them on the ol’ socials, then get stuck in! Guaranteed sweet reads await, ready to inspire you throughout this crazy parenting gig. You’ve got this.
Love and LOLs,
Amy
PS. While we’re on the topic of reading, Amy Brown, an Associate Professor of Child Public Health at Swansea University wrote an article for The Conversation asking ‘Are baby advice books making mothers depressed and anxious?’ It’s worth a read!
HoneyKids Asia
HoneyKids Asia is an online parenting and lifestyle magazine that helps the new mum live the sweet life with her family in Singapore. As well as sharing all the best things to do and places to go, it delivers honest advice, heartfelt feels and trustworthy parenthood tips. The team prides itself on its fun and friendly tone, and for being refreshingly real. Its former editor, Amy Potter, is a mum to two tiny terrors, meaning she’s a professional multitasker and an expert in all things one-handed. With a belief in supporting mothers and showing solidarity, she’s all for shining a light on the highs and lows of parenthood.
Sassy Mama
Sassy Mama is an online parenting site that began in 2013 when a group of fun-loving mamas set out to discover the family-friendly side to their favourite city, and share the latest news in the world of parenting in Singapore. The Sassy Mama team do the research on everything you might want to know as a mama-to-be or parent, and make this information easy to read and accessible - ‘cos they know you’re short on time, probably haven’t slept much (those newborn nights!) and may not have had your morning coffee yet (they get it, they’re mums too!). They are for being truthful about motherhood (even the not-so-wonderful parts). They are against mama guilt and for working with what you’ve got, not what you wish you had. They are for safe births (however your bub makes their entrance into the world), breastfeeding AND bottle-feeding, knowing all the options, going on adventures and expeditions, and squeezing in some self-care. They respect that every parenting journey is different and there is no one way to parent.
The Sassy Mama team gives you all the info so you can make an informed decision, whether that be choosing the right school for your kid or dealing with a parenting problem. And they are serious about hunting down the fun stuff in town too - from kid-friendly museums to the best free playgrounds! Soon-to-be mamas should check out their pregnancy section for all the essential tips, whether you’re looking for a suitable OBGYN, antenatal and postnatal classes, recommended baby must-haves or even a confinement nanny. You can join one of their Due Date Clubs on Facebook to connect with other mamas who are due around the same time. Plus, follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates ('cos info changes so fast!) on what’s hot for kids and families in the little red dot. They can’t wait to welcome you to their Sassy Mama tribe.
From Fear to Love | Red Miller
‘From Fear to Love: Your Guide to a Fearless Magical Birth’ by Singapore-based biodynamic midwife Red Miller is a step-by-step guide to identify your fears and discover the secrets they hold to empower and transform your birth experience; connect to your innate wisdom and inner compass for critical decision making; develop a self-nurturing plan that will enhance your body’s ability to nourish and grow a healthy baby; work with your pain guides, to increase your capacity to cope with labour’s intensity; inspiring your birth partner to step up and lead with you; be better prepared to embrace the experience of birth regardless if it is the organic water birth you plan or a Caesarean.
This book is for pregnant mothers who wish to experience the healthiest, most joyful and nurturing birth experience possible.
Available on Amazon.
The Positive Birth Book | Milli Hill
Work out what kind of birth you really want, and learn how to maximise your chances of getting it, in this refreshing, warm and witty guide to pregnancy, birth and the early weeks. Packed with vital and cutting-edge information on everything from building the ultimate birth plan, to your choices and rights in the birth room; from optimal cord clamping, to seeding the microbiome; from the inside track on breastfeeding, to woman-centred Caesarean, ‘The Positive Birth Book’ shows how to have the best possible birth, regardless of whether the plan is to birth in hospital, at home or by elective Caesarean. Find out how environment, mindset and expectations can influence the kind of birth experienced, and be inspired by the voices of real women, who tell the truth about what giving birth really feels like. Challenging negativity and fear of childbirth, and brimming with everything that needs to be known about labour, birth, and the early days of parenting, The Positive Birth Book is the must-have birth book for women of the 21st century.
Available on Amazon.
Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting | Janet Lansbury
Janet Lansbury’s advice on respectful parenting is quoted and shared by millions of readers worldwide. Inspired by the pioneering parenting philosophy of her friend and mentor, Magda Gerber, Janet’s influential voice encourages parents and child care professionals to perceive babies as unique, capable human beings with natural abilities to learn without being taught; to develop motor and cognitive skills; communicate; face age-appropriate struggles; initiate and direct independent play for extended periods; and much more. Once we are able to view our children in this light, even the most common daily parenting experiences become stimulating opportunities to learn, discover, and to connect with our child. ‘Elevating Child Care’ is a collection of 30 popular and widely read articles from Janet’s website that focus on some of the most common infant/toddler issues: eating, sleeping, diaper changes, communication, separation, focus and attention span, creativity, boundaries, and more. Eschewing the quick-fix ‘tips and tricks’ of popular parenting culture, Janet’s insightful philosophy lays the foundation for a closer, more fulfilling parent-child relationship, and children who grow up to be authentic, confident, successful adults.
Available on Amazon.
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding | La Leche League International
Dedicated to supporting nursing and expectant mothers, the internationally respected La Leche League has set the standard for educating and empowering mothers in the natural art of breastfeeding for generations. Now, their classic bestselling guide has been retooled, refocused, and updated for today’s mothers and lifestyles. Working mothers, stay-at-home mums, single mums, and mothers of multiples will all benefit from the book’s range of nursing advice, stories, and information - from preparing for breastfeeding during pregnancy to feeding cues, from nursing positions to expressing and storing breast milk. With all new photos and illustrations, this ultimate support bible offers:
Mothers bringing babies into a new world want sustainable, healthy, positive ways to help their children blossom and thrive. There is no better beginning for your baby than the womanly art of breastfeeding.
Available on Amazon.
The Science of Parenting: How today’s brain research can help you raise happy, emotionally-balanced children | Margot Sunderland
Backed by the most up-to-date scientific research, ‘The Science of Parenting’, 2nd Edition, provides evidence-based parenting advice, with practical strategies from birth to 12 years of age. Child psychotherapist, Dr. Margot Sunderland, has more than 30 years’ experience that she brings to this internationally-acclaimed guide, and she provides numerous case studies to relate the science to real life.
From separations and time apart to forms of discipline to the latest thinking on screen time, this guide traces the direct effect of different parenting practices on a child’s brain. Summaries at the end of every chapter provide key takeaways and make action points simple and clear so parents can begin to implement them immediately.
As a professional who works with families, Dr. Sunderland is attuned to the struggle of parents juggling lives at work and at home. ‘The Science of Parenting’ remains the greatest work on what science can teach about parenting and the remarkable effects of love, nurture, and play, on a child’s development.
Available on Amazon.
The book you wish your parents had read (and your children will be glad that you did) | Philippa Perry
Every parent wants their child to be happy and every parent wants to avoid screwing them up. But how does one achieve that? In this absorbing, clever and funny book, renowned psychotherapist Philippa Perry shares what really matters and what behaviour is important to avoid - the vital dos and don’ts of parenting.
Instead of mapping out the ‘perfect’ plan, Perry offers a big-picture look at the elements that lead to good parent-child relationships. This refreshing, judgement-free book will help you to understand how your own upbringing may affect your parenting; accept that you will make mistakes and learn what you can do about them; break negative cycles and patterns; handle your own and your child’s feelings; and understand what different behaviours communicate.
Available on Amazon.
The Gift of Birth | Emeline Hare
Every woman has a unique set of goals, ideas, and circumstances as she approaches the journey towards motherhood. Emeline Hare wrote ‘The Gift of Birth’ to help empower mothers with knowledge to make informed decisions, and develop faith and confidence in their bodies to ensure they achieve a joyous birth and the best start with their baby.
‘The Gift of Birth’ guides expectant and new parents to understand birth options, understanding the stages of labour and birth, prepare emotionally and physically for birth, develop a tailored birth plan, pack for the hospital, manage and control pain, understand the first hours, days and weeks with a new baby, and develop an everlasting bond.
Emeline Hare is a British, Singapore-based mother of three children who has supported hundreds of parents around the world and has drawn on her hands-on experience to author ‘The Gift of Birth’.
Available on Amazon.
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Dear Mum,
I wonder how you are feeling right at this moment. Perhaps you are joyful with this little life growing inside of you. Perhaps you are excited about the future and all the many ways in which your life is about to change. But perhaps you are worried and anxious too.
Maybe your mind is coming up with many “what if?” questions that make it hard to feel ok. Or you may be experiencing moments when you feel down, sad and even wondering why you decided to have a baby at all. You have a unique story that has brought you here to this moment: this transition that will forever change your life with baby’s arrival. I hope you have had a smooth journey up to this point and it will continue to be so. But I know that you may also have experienced pregnancy loss or had to endure the stress of fertility treatment.
I’m here to tell you that these upsetting thoughts and feelings, as well as painful experiences, are actually quite common and that you are not alone. However, such negative feelings and thoughts get too easily brushed aside and explained away, usually with comments such as “it’s just your hormones!” or “this is normal”. You don’t have to put on a brave face and pretend you’re OK as you struggle on the inside. Listen to the people who love you and know you well, and to that wise part in you, in trying to understand whether extra support is needed through this transition. Positive change can come in many ways, such as a compassionate listening ear, a healthier lifestyle, or working through these feelings with a mental health professional.
Pregnancy and early motherhood are a time of exquisite vulnerability: emotions are amplified, and it can all get too overwhelming. This goes for all kinds of feelings: from the frustration of having to wake five times in the night, to the intense love for your baby that feels like it’s going to burst your heart wide open.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I was pregnant with my first child. I thought that my training and years of psychotherapy beforehand, would mean motherhood would be a piece of cake. The delivery experience, the physical recovery afterwards, the sense of isolation and aloneness I felt sometimes, the resentment at my partner who was ‘lucky’ to get to go to work all day…the list could go on. Impressive how many unconscious expectations one can carry without being aware of them.
I invite you now to take a pause and ask yourself with curiosity just how many of these unhelpful expectations you might be carrying also. I know it’s hard to imagine life beyond the delivery, mothering a newborn. And yet, that is when you are most likely to struggle and need support.
And when and if you do, help is out there. All you need to do is reach out.
Warm wishes,
Silvia
Silvia Wetherell | More Mindful
Silvia Wetherell is the Clinical Director at More Mindful and a registered counsellor (SAC) with specialised certification in maternal mental health (PMH-C). Currently pursuing a PhD in Applied Psychophysiology, Silvia is introducing innovative ways to promote good mental health using biofeedback interventions.
Additionally, Silvia is a Postpartum Support International (PSI) coordinator and co-founder of the free support group for mothers, Mindful Mums. Having been trained in London and with a Masters from Monash University, Silvia practises integratively to help her clients work through pre and postpartum depression and anxiety, pregnancy loss, birth trauma, difficulties with bonding, relationship adjustment, anger management and parenting issues.
More Mindful is a specialised parental mental health counselling clinic which provides comprehensive clinical interventions for women who are suffering from the range of prenatal and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders. In addition, Silvia and her team are passionate about providing the same level of psychological support to husbands and partners, to help couples transition into parenthood and guide the whole family to a healthy emotional start.
Her clinic operates from Raffles Place and Mother and Child’s clinic at Tanglin Mall. She offers online and phone counselling consultations. House calls and hospital visits can also be arranged. Referrals to More Mindful come from obstetricians, family practitioners, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, midwife-led clinics, breastfeeding support groups, Postpartum Support International, and direct referrals from the mother or family members.
Partners or family members are encouraged to be involved in the treatment program if beneficial to the family. Babies are also very welcome to join the counselling sessions. In addition to English, her team of counsellors provide counselling sessions in Dutch, Hindi and Portuguese.
Contact Silvia at her clinic on 6817 7867, secretary@moremindful.me, www.moremindful.me.
Dr Kamini Rajaratnam
Dr Kamini Rajaratnam (MBBS, MRCPsych, FAMS) is a patient-centred psychiatrist who is committed to providing compassionate and holistic care to her patients. She is especially passionate about working with women facing emotional issues during and after pregnancy. One in seven women suffer from postnatal depression and 80% of women experience mood disturbances in the postpartum period. As a mother herself, the challenges of pregnancy and motherhood resonate only too well with her. She has made it her mission to guide mothers who are facing emotional difficulties or on the brink of burnout, to make the changes necessary to reach their optimal health and functioning. She’s certified in the Mindful Motherhood program and Bringing Baby Home program, and she uses these powerful tools in combination with other interventions and medication when necessary. There is help available for anyone feeling increasingly overwhelmed, experiencing mood disturbances, anxiety, insomnia, irritability and fatigue.
Contact Dr Kamini on 6250 8077, kamini.rajaratnam@better-life.sg, www.dr-kamini.com.
Dr Amy Reale
Dr. Amy Reale is an American clinical psychologist, who has lived and practised in Singapore since 2014. As Director of Comprehensive Psychological Services, Dr. Reale provides psychotherapy and consultations to children, parents and families. Her doctoral research, under the tutelage of a leading mother-infant researcher in New York City, focused on the impact of maternal depression and anxiety on the nonverbal dynamic between mothers and babies. This, alongside her extensive training in early childhood development, psychodynamic/analytic therapy, neuropsychology and nonverbal observations, makes Dr. Reale uniquely qualified to support parents and their babies in fostering healthy bonding, attachment and development. Dr. Reale received her Doctoral and Master’s degrees from an accredited university in New York City, USA. She is registered in Singapore and licensed in NY, USA, as a psychologist and holds full membership in the World Association for Infant Mental Health, among other international societies.
Contact Dr Amy on 9164 5990, Dr.Reale@gmail.com, 104 Towner Road Townerville, Anima Resources Centre, Singapore 327827, www.arc91.com.
Tanja Faessler | Counsellingconnectz
When launching Counsellingconnectz in 2012, its director and founder, Tanja Faessler, knew one thing for sure: it had to connect deeply with her passion for coaching and counselling. The winner of this year’s ‘Most Innovative Award for Product + Services’ in The Finder’s 2020 Expatpreneur eAwards, has translated her personal mission into the only fertility-related counselling place of its kind in Singapore.
From couples counselling to counselling just for kids, Counsellingconnectz aims to provide clients with strong mental and emotional support on their journeys, in extended topics such as primary and secondary infertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, loss (miscarriage, stillbirth or elective termination) and marriage counselling.
The diverse team has developed an in-depth knowledge, through their close collaboration with medical specialists and their network of holistic practitioners, to provide the best possible services to aid their clients. The majority of the team members have been granted membership into the Fertility Society Australia (FSA) and Australian and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors’ Association (ANZICA).
Contact Tanja and her team on www.counsellingconnectz.com, enquiries@counsellingconnectz.com.
Thrive Family
Dr Ronina Stevens and Dr Emma Waddington, founders of Thrive Family, set out to create an honest and compassionate environment that allows clinicians and clients to thrive. All the therapists at Thrive Family have a shared commitment to using evidence-based practice in their work. Some of the therapies they use include Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), and mindfulness.
Contact the clinic on 6909 6123, Whatsapp 9233 0602, office@thrivefamily.sg, www.thrivefamily.sg, 10 Winsteadt Road, #02-10, Singapore 227977.
Mary Barrett | Mary Barrett Global
As a mum, it’s easy to forget about one’s life journey when everything is given to work and the family. Feeling constantly out of control, maybe with fear, panic or anxiety; always exhausted; trying to juggle life-work-family-home; and being at a crossroads not knowing what to do next, requires assistance and, perhaps, the time to invest in the mother.
Mary Barrett is an experienced mindset coach and NLP practitioner offering individuals, teams and organisations Empowering Mind Mastery coaching programs. A mum herself, Mary brings a wealth of experience and wisdom to provide individual coaching programs for MasterMums. Mary will help build self-confidence, self-worth and self-belief so that mums can trust their own instincts and live more authentically. With Mary’s support, clients gain a clear direction on what is next for themselves, their family and their careers. Mary provides an incredibly powerful toolkit so mums can take full control of their mind, turning the inner critic into the biggest cheerleader.
Contact Mary on mary@marybarrett.global, www.marybarrett.global.
Linda Tan | Inspire Mum & Baby
Linda is the pioneer Watsu practitioner in Singapore. Watsu began as a form of aquatic therapy for rehabilitation and incorporates mind and body relaxation. This is beneficial for postnatal moms who are having baby blues and postpartum depression. Please refer to the Allied Health: Labour Preparation chapter for her full listing.
Contact Linda on 9234 1866, info@inspiremumbaby.com, www.inspiremumbaby.com, 188-2 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 436990.
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Dear Mum,
Firstly, congratulations on being a new parent, a new parent-to-be, or new to Singapore, all of which are a combination of exciting and daunting, in equal measure!
Looking for a support network or finding your tribe is a tough ask when the world of parenting is daunting on every level, but I know my parenting journey has been made all the more easier because I found my tribe - people with whom to share the highs and the lows and to give advice when you need some focus, or when you just need to have a good old moan, plus a shoulder to cry on when times get hard (and they will, believe me!).
I arrived in Singapore almost six years ago, with a 10 month old son, no furniture and no friends. The furniture I could handle with a trip to IKEA, but the latter took me a little longer to resolve. I started out with Facebook and joined one of the many groups. In desperation, I asked for recommendations on where to take my 10 month old for some fun (and to get me out of the house!). As often happens when you reach out, a couple of mums told me they were headed to an indoor play gym and that I was most welcome to join them in a few days time, so putting my nerves to one side, I bravely said yes (this whole trying to meet new friends is rather like dating, I think!).
There are many opportunities for anyone new to this whole game to find your people and they will brighten your world and make your days much more manageable. Being a new parent can be a difficult time and organisations like NMSG help people make friends, build support systems and share experiences in raising young children in Singapore.
Amanda x
New Mothers’ Support Group (NMSG)
The NMSG is a not-for-profit organisation, founded over 20 years ago by a group of new mums. Originally organised to present talks from industry experts on different parenting topics, it has now developed into a community supporting parents-to-be, new parents and parents new to Singapore.
The NMSG, currently run by over 20 volunteer mums, all of whom are in various stages of their parenting journey, aims to bring interesting and relevant meet ups, socials and information to the community they represent. The NMSG covers all aspects of the early parenting journey from Baby and Bump sessions (aimed at pregnant/new mums) to indoor play gym get togethers (suitable for toddlers and older kids to let off some steam), and other opportunities to meet with other parents.
As it can be difficult to make the first steps as a new parent to get out and about with your little ones, all NMSG events are hosted so there will always be a warm welcome from one of the committee members (usually in a bright turquoise t-shirt). Membership is affordable ($35 for the first year, $25 for renewals) and it’s a great way to find your ‘tribe’.
The NMSG is on Meet-up highlighting upcoming events and where to sign up, has an active Facebook page, classifieds page, and website which has a members-only access area listing partners offering great benefits for members.
Website: www.nmsg-singapore.com
BumpWise
BumpWise was created in 2014 to support mothers who requested holistic support and natural alternatives during pregnancy and after birth. The active WhatsApp communities for pregnancy, babies, and toddlers have around 500 mums supporting each other on the journey, without criticising the choices made! They run regular coffee mornings (due to COVID, these are currently via Zoom and completely free of charge), where they introduce exciting, relevant topics and connect with various practitioners and specialists in their fields. They also hold workshops on topics such as introducing solids, supporting your kids with natural remedies, strengthening the immune system and much more. Founder and owner, Johanna Wagner, is a clinical herbalist and naturopath as well as a childbirth doula and mother of three children aged 27, 16 and 13. Her trusted partner, Anahita Bhatia, is a very experienced postpartum doula and holistic sleep coach.
Contact Johanna on 9795 7949, johanna@bumpwise.sg.
Love Based Birth Hive
Love Based Birth Hive (LBBH) is an online community created to bring together expectant mothers, new mothers, planning-to-conceive-again mothers, their partners, and passionate birth workers and wellness professionals interested in holistic wellness, sustainability, green living, yoga, meditation, gentle birthing and parenting. The tribe prefers natural remedies over prescription drugs.
The members come together to create community, to learn and grow together, to keep choosing love over fear because they know this is essential today to experience deeper connection, joy, love and magic while becoming mothers and parents. They accept that giving birth creates a newborn baby AND a newborn mother and that, when mothers thrive, the whole family thrives.
Request to join at tribe.lovebasedbirth.com/feed.
Mindful Mums
Postnatal depression has been nicknamed the ‘smiling depression’ because, as so many women feel under pressure by society to be happy and grateful when a baby comes into their life, they pretend to the outside world (and often to themselves) that all is well. Mindful Mums is a free, open group for anyone to attend with or without baby. A new mum doesn’t have to be in the midst of depression to attend, but simply having a sense of struggling with the feelings and thoughts brought on by motherhood.
Mindful Mums will use some mindfulness techniques but the group is mainly about supportive listening and sharing - not advice-giving or parenting training. New mums can go along and join, can RSVP through meet up, can contact More Mindful or just drop in on the day - all are welcome!
Website: www.meetup.com/moremindfulmums
Stork’s Nest Singapore
A Facebook community founded by Jani Combrink in 2012, Stork’s Nest Singapore (SNS) has a network of 14 groups, with around 24,000 members across those groups. All of these groups are very active, supportive and helpful. Jani is a South African qualified nurse and IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). She started SNS in 2012 among her friends, as a way to spread valuable sources of information, but also to find her own village as she was feeling desperately alone with three babies under the age of three. The community has never failed to support and show kindness, whatever the question. The group is representative of all walks of life in Singapore: they have local members, expats, even people who have left Singapore but still value the information and kindness of the group. It is an invaluable peer-support group, where all members can still learn new things.
Request to join at www.facebook.com/StorksNestSG.
New Mums Singapore
New Mums Singapore is a Facebook community founded in September 2014 by Jodie Jones and Jayne Pryce. Jodie and Jayne, both working and pregnant at the time, had a vision to create a community for expat mums and mums-to-be to connect, make friends and attend activities both with, and without their children - such as meet-ups, coffee groups, baby classes, lunches, wine nights. Catering for all mums from working professionals to stay at home mums and everything in between, New Mums Singapore is a platform for women to find their people and be supported as they navigate this thing we call parenthood. With nearly 1,800 members, in addition to founders Jodie and Jayne, New Mums Singapore has two wonderful admins, Lucie Powell and Katie Hedley.
Request to join at www.facebook.com/groups/593672134076118.
Mother and Child
Having a baby is the start of a wonderful, life changing journey. Mother and Child provides the most comprehensive support for expectant couples and new parents in Singapore, including their free social group meet-up on Mondays. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet other mothers with young babies, make friendships and be supported. Their popular New Mothers course, for mums with babies from four weeks to six months, has provided many mums with wonderful social support, new friendships and having questions answered in a nurturing, fun and safe environment. A midwife or maternal and child health nurse and invited pediatricians, counsellors and physiotherapists share information on growth milestones, sleep, travel with baby, and returning to work. Please note: COVID restrictions may impact in-person events.
Contact the Centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
Beloved Bumps
The favourite of expats and global locals, Beloved Bumps offers pre and postnatal services from a team of certified midwives and health professionals.
The company was founded by a UK-certified midwife, Natasha Cullen, who wanted to build a company that was truly unbiased, distinctly interactive and very sociable. Backed by the latest research, the Beloved Bumps team stresses no judgement on your decisions before OR after you give birth. Their unique difference from other prenatal services is the community that they have created and the support groups that mums can continue to attend once their babies have arrived. It is here that you will meet your tribe, connect with like-minded mums and become part of their popular community.
Since 2017, thousands of couples have built meaningful friendships through their classes and events such as prenatal courses with multiple social events, WhatsApp groups, coffee mornings, postnatal courses, baby-well groups, pre and postnatal exercise classes, and mum/dad-specific get-togethers.
With more than 130 five-star Google reviews, it’s no wonder the Beloved Bumps community continues to grow throughout Singapore!
Contact Natasha on 8809 8623, www.belovedbumps.sg, 46 Kim Yam Road, #03-05 Singapore 239351.
nůmama Choir
nůmama is a non-profit community choir for mums and mums-to-be, best summed up by its strap line: sing:support:escape. It’s a forum for women to unite, share and escape reality through song. Since 2009, nůmama choir has grown into a musical support group for women from all walks of life and abilities, such as opera singers, circus stage managers and women whose boldest performances have been behind a shower curtain. The music they sing is eclectic and has included gypsy wedding songs, Broadway numbers, African chants, classical choral and pop. Their mission is to be an inexpensive mother and baby group focusing on the needs of the mother, with a safe and nurturing environment for the child; to be a support group for new mums adjusting to their new world; and to be a non-audition, community choir where women challenge themselves in a way that is different from the wonderful, but sometimes tiring, existence of raising children.
Contact the committee on numamasingapore@gmail.com.
Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group (Singapore)
Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group (BMSG) has a vision of a vibrant community of breastfeeding mothers who find emotional support, encouragement, companionship and information within the organisation. BMSG also envisions a community where breastfeeding is seen as normal, and is part of society’s fabric. To make this vision a reality, they facilitate support for breastfeeding mothers, education for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and families, public awareness and advocacy in the community. They offer breastfeeding counselling, workshops, and support group meetings for mothers.
Contact their helpline on 6339 3558, WhatsApp 6339 3558, counselling@breastfeeding.org.sg, www.breastfeeding.org.sg.
Chapter Zero
Chapter Zero started back in 2015 by two mums who were yearning for children to have a childhood with more freedom, play, and respect so they set up the organisation hoping to make a change, with one family at a time. They founded the Facebook group Respectful/Mindful Parenting Singapore which now has 15,000 followers and has been instrumental in creating a large supportive community of parents and caregivers. The natural next step was to meet the growing demand of parents wanting more depth in their learning by creating and facilitating the in-house workshops ‘Respectful Parenting Workshops Series’ and ‘The Mindful Nanny’; offering expert-facilitated playgroups; training parents in the internationally known ‘Parent Effectiveness Training’; hosting talks and events with Nonviolent Communication trainers; and organising their popular Pop-Up Adventure Playgrounds which give children the opportunity for some child-led play and family bonding.
Contact Li Ling, Aletheia and Steph on connect@chapterzero.org, www.chapterzero.org.
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Dear Mum,
Congratulations on your beautiful bump! I hope you are feeling well, getting some rest, and perhaps doing a little light reading on birthing, breastfeeding and baby care. While taking some time to educate yourself, I also want you to know that you should plan to take it easy as the weeks pass – you are gestating and that is a full-time job! Anything else that you accomplish should be considered a bonus.
The good news about breastfeeding is that other than learning all you can about those first essential hours and days right after birth, there isn’t anything else you need to do to prepare. Your body is doing just what it should, right now as you read this – all you need to do alongside your learning is to make sure you are drinking enough water, eating healthy foods, and getting enough rest.
Educating yourself about breastfeeding can take several forms: some mums-to-be really like settling in with a good book (like The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, a La Leche League publication) while others would much rather have someone “just tell me all I need to know!” Whatever your style, take some time to learn about breastfeeding if you are hoping to make it work. While it should be natural and easy…. it isn’t always. A little preparatory knowledge can go a long way!
There are lots of prenatal classes around (a whole section of recommendations can be found in this book!), many of which are really great options. Some courses will include a session on breastfeeding with a separate, knowledgeable person – while others gloss over the topic a little bit. Ask what kind of breastfeeding education is a part of the course you choose – it matters!
If there is one big secret I wish I could tell all pregnant mothers, it is this: learn how to optimise your birth plan for maximum breastfeeding success – line up all the factors in your favour, and then make it happen! If I have the pleasure of teaching you about your great start to breastfeeding while you are still pregnant, chances are you won’t need to see me once the baby arrives. The first few hours and days are that important!
Breastfeeding is a head game – there is an enormous amount of trust that has to happen in order for it all to go smoothly. Trust in your body, trust in your baby, trust in your partner’s support, and most of all, trust in the belief that you and your baby can do this! And if it all goes south, don’t wait – get some help right away! There is always a way forward.
Yours in milky snuggles,
Tessa
Read more: Do you need baby warmers in Singapore?
Tessa Webb Lyman
Tessa is a mother of two breastfed babies (two and three years’ duration) who discovered the hard way that there was no breastfeeding help in Jakarta after the birth of her first child. She did a ton of breastfeeding learning before, during, and at all hours – running into almost every difficulty that exists along the way and having to figure it all out for herself (and with a lot of help from KellyMom!)
She requalified as a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist (CBS) upon the discovery that she could help others as a vocation, utilising all of that acquired knowledge and experience as a basis; studying while her toddlers were in preschool, and leaning on her BSc in Biology and background as a science teacher. She began practising in Singapore in 2017 upon earning her CBS, making exclusive home visits to mothers and nurslings of all ages, all over the city – accumulating over 1500 hours of service to nursing dyads along the way!
Tessa’s goals are always to help mothers achieve their breastfeeding goals, leading with a warm, empathetic, understanding approach and helping devise plans that are workable and sustainable, with the mother’s goals at the forefront. She offers breastfeeding preparation classes both privately and in conjunction with BumpWise and Love Based Birth.
Contact Tessa on WhatsApp on 9896 0378.
Uma Thambidurai | Mother and Child
Uma is a British trained nurse/midwife and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who has supported families in the UK, Malaysia, Australia and Singapore. She commenced her career almost 40 years ago, and loves her role in supporting mothers and their babies.
As Director of Mother and Child, Uma and her exceptional team of health professionals, ancillary service professionals, and customer service executives, strive to serve the needs of the community of expectant couples, new parents and their babies. Uma has two married children and a cuddly grandson. Mother and Child also offer midwife-led antenatal classes, home visits and well baby clinics.
Contact the Centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
Rachel Farr | Mother and Child
Postnatally, feeding and caring for your baby will be utmost in your mind. If you choose to breastfeed, Mother and Child’s IBC lactation consultants are here for you, at their centre or in the comfort of your home. Rachel is an experienced maternal and child health nurse, lactation consultant and sleep consultant. She attends the Mother and Child Well Baby drop-in sessions and is available for home visits, private consults and group sessions. She also specialises in teaching Introduction to Solids workshops and conducting developmental assessments. She is registered with the Singapore Nursing Board.
Contact the Centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
Isabelle Faber | Mother and Child
Isabelle is a registered midwife with the Singapore Nursing Board and a researcher. She is a strong supporter of women’s interests and reproductive autonomy which was the topic of her thesis. She has worked in hospitals in Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland and Australia. She is an IBC lactation consultant, a passionate Infant Massage Instructor (IAIM) and HypnoBirthing Practitioner.
As a lactation consultant, Isabelle can support clients prenatally at the Centre or after the baby’s birth at either the hospital or in the comfort of their home. Her aim is to support and help during the breastfeeding journey by respecting the mother’s preferences. Mother and Child also offer midwife-led antenatal classes, home visits and well baby clinics.
Contact the Centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
Joanne Hunter | Mother and Child
Joanne is an Australian-trained nurse and midwife with over thirty years experience. She has worked in Scotland, Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Australia and now Singapore. The birth suite has always been her passion and where most of her experience lies. Joanne has also worked in postnatal wards and special care nurseries and has accumulated extensive breast feeding experience. She has completed the Childbirth Educator course, facilitates Childbirth preparation classes at Mother and Child, and is available as a lactation counsellor. Mother and Child also offer midwife-led antenatal classes, home visits and well baby clinics.
Contact the Centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
Natalie Spencer | Mother and Child
Natalie is a registered nurse, registered midwife and IBC lactation consultant from America and Australia. She has work experience across the full spectrum of maternity care setting and in the neonatal intensive care unit. Natalie moved to Singapore in January 2019 with her husband, and worked at Thomson Medical Centre as a lactation consultant prior to joining Mother and Child. Mother and Child also offer midwife-led antenatal classes, home visits and well baby clinics.
Contact the Centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
Alona Hodik | Belly to Breastfeeding Lactation Care
Alona is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and a Certified Childbirth Educator but, first and foremost, she is the proud mother of three wonderful children - all exclusively breastfed and the reason she became a lactation consultant. When she gave birth to her first daughter in 2012, she knew she wanted to breastfeed but wasn’t really sure how to go about it.
Alona and her baby struggled with latching, so she called a lactation consultant to help and it was like magic, something just clicked and they finally got it! During her own breastfeeding journey and struggles, she realised that she wanted to help other mothers and families just like that amazing lactation consultant helped her!
In addition to her IBCLC certification, Alona’s credentials include CBS - Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, CBEd - Certified Childbirth Educator, BSc in Biology and an MBA. She can help with low milk supply, slow weight gain, pain during breastfeeding, sore/bleeding nipples, shallow latch, tongue/lip tie, engorgement, blocked ducts, mastitis, oversupply, reflux, short/flat nipples, pumping, relactation, breastfeeding twins, and more. To support the breastfeeding journey, she teaches prenatal breastfeeding classes for expectant parents and, after the birth, she offers lactation support home and hospital visits to make sure each mother’s breastfeeding journey is the best it can possibly be. Her care is client-centred and aimed at identifying specific goals while providing up-to-date evidence-based information and recommendations on lactation and infant feeding.
Contact Alona on 8722 3242, alona@bellytobreastfeeding.com, www.bellytobreastfeeding.com.
Dr Mythili Pandi | International Medical Clinic (IMC) Katong
Dr Mythili is a family physician who has trained and worked in Australia before returning home to Singapore. She graduated from the University of Sydney, Australia, in 2008, and moved to Singapore and worked in the exciting field of obstetrics and gynecology in a busy hospital practice. In 2010, she moved onto general practice and found her passion in it. She is trained in occupational medicine and family medicine.
Dr Mythili has been working closely with the Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group (BMSG) since 2010 and is an ExCo member of the charity. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and loves working with mother-baby dyads and guiding them along their breastfeeding journey.
Contact the clinic on 6342 4440, katong@imc-healthcare.com, 88 East Coast Road, #02-07 Katong Square, Singapore 423371.
Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group (Singapore)
Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group (BMSG) has a vision of a vibrant community of breastfeeding mothers who find emotional support, encouragement, companionship and information within the organisation. BMSG also envisions a community where breastfeeding is seen as normal, and is part of society’s fabric. To make this vision a reality, they facilitate support for breastfeeding mothers, education for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and families, public awareness and advocacy in the community. They offer breastfeeding counselling, workshops, and support group meetings for mothers.
Contact their helpline on 6339 3558, WhatsApp 6339 3558, counselling@breastfeeding.org.sg, www.breastfeeding.org.sg.
Human Milk 4 Human Babies | Singapore Chapter
Human Milk 4 Human Babies (HM4HB) is an informed milk-sharing network. It’s a volunteer-only network of community pages that does not receive any kind of funding or financial support. They do not support the sale of human milk, but rather the sharing of breastmilk between mothers with excess and those in need. They are mothers, fathers, adoptive families, grandparents, childbirth and breastfeeding professionals, volunteers, supporters, donors, and recipients who have come together to support the simple idea that all babies and children have the right to receive human milk. The mission of Human Milk 4 Human Babies is to promote the nourishment of babies and children with human milk. They are dedicated to fostering community between local families who have chosen to share breastmilk.
Join the Human Milk 4 Human Babies Facebook community.
Stillen Maternity x Milky Mumma
Stillen Maternity is all about supporting mums through their pregnancy and breastfeeding journey, because being a busy woman and mother shouldn’t mean compromising your health and wellbeing. They have brought to Singapore’s shores, Australia’s best selling Milky Mumma lactation and pregancy support products. Milky Mumma is founded by Gabriella Ambrose - birth doula, HypnoBirthing instructor and fellow mum in Brisbane - and she has specially chosen all of the ingredients to encourage healthy hormonal balance, iron levels, lactation, hydration and more. Filled with galactagogues and made of wholesome superfoods, her products are caffeine free, gluten free, refined sugar free and dairy free. Whether it is the yummy lactation smoothie, the grab-to-go collagen bar or the energising hydration fluid, you’ll find yourself reaching for more.
Contact Lisa at hello@stillen.com.sg, www.stillen.com.sg.
Health 2 Mama
A common issue faced when breastfeeding is blocked milk ducts which can lead to mastitis if not resolved early enough. Health 2 Mama have physios who can visit you at home and provide specialised lymphatic massage and ultrasound therapy to help clear the blockages and relieve engorgement.
Contact Bex on 8358 2144, info@health2u.sg, www.health2u.sg, 101 Telok Ayer Street, #03-01, Singapore 068574.
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Dear Mum,
You must be thrilled and excited for the birth of your precious baby. Before you meet your gorgeous baby, you will be making many decisions, including how you plan to feed your baby. You will experience many challenges in the early weeks, and may be overwhelmed with the feeding frequency and sleep deprivation. If this is the case, dropping in to a Well Baby Clinic will offer you immediate access to midwives and health professionals, and the chance to meet other mums - these friendly chats and support cannot be overstated!
If you do decide to breastfeed your baby, it is a uniquely special experience between mother and baby. Midwives and health professionals are able to lead and support you through this journey, with ease and confidence, so that it is as natural and instinctive as possible. If this is not your first feeding experience and you have faced some challenges before, or you have breast anomalies or medical issues, then there are options that can be considered and discussed with a lactation consultant.
Childhood is a time of rapid growth and change, and regular visits to Well Baby Clinics can offer immeasurable support to both you and your child as you both journey through this super-highway of development. Even if your child is healthy, visits to Well Baby Clinics are a good time to focus on both your child’s wellness and your own.
Talking about ways to improve care and prevent problems helps keep your child healthy. Such topics may include nutrition, child growth and development schedules, access to development assessments, hearing, vision and other screening tests, immunisation, sleep, childhood diseases, appropriate diet for age, safety in the home, and recording your child’s height, weight, and other important information.
In time, you will look back fondly on your journey. Let’s do this together.
Warm regards,
Uma
Mother and Child
Mother and Child’s Well Baby consultation is an essential service to every new family, especially in the early weeks when newborn life can be overwhelming. In addition to weighing and measuring your baby to track growth and progress, their health professionals provide essential feedback, assistance and advice on feeding and caring for your newborn or infant. Maternal concerns and wellbeing will also be addressed. Their midwives and health visitors will discuss your baby’s progress, feeding, sleep, weight, growth and development and provide you with emotional support. Mother and Child provides the most comprehensive support for expectant couples and new parents in Singapore, from breastfeeding and midwifery support to prenatal classes, yoga and everything in between.
Contact Uma and her team on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
Beloved Bumps
The early days and weeks with a baby can be tough for any new mum and it can leave you with a lot of questions: Am I feeding enough? How is my baby’s growth? My baby is crying a lot, is something wrong? I’m feeling a bit down, is that okay? Beloved Bumps’ Well Baby clinic is a great way to check-in with their midwives and health visitors and allows you to talk about newborn care and any issues you may be having from 0-6 months. Mums also find it incredibly helpful as a way for them to check-in, since new mums need just as much support as babies do! After your appointment, you are free to hangout in their child-friendly space for a cup of tea or coffee.
Motherhood is amazing, but it’s also exhausting, scary and hard sometimes. Beloved Bumps know what it’s like because they’re all mums too! Topics they can help with include breastfeeding, infant feeding and nutrition, growth and early child development, safety, community support, adjustment to parenthood, and parenting and attachment.
If there’s any issue on which their midwives/health visitors feel you need further support, then they’ll refer you directly to one of their trusted partners.
Contact Natasha on 8809 8623, www.belovedbumps.sg, 46 Kim Yam Road, #03-05 Singapore 239351.
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Dear Mum,
Congratulations to you! After enduring several months of bodily and emotional changes, everything is about to shift as you embark on your new role as a mother.
From the moment your baby cries her first cry, a thousand “What do I do?” questions will race through your mind. Kind friends and relatives will share their experiences and opinions with you while the internet bombards you with a plethora of answers. Relax…this is where your paediatrician steps in to help.
Your newborn is a night owl, sleeping when mummy is awake and demandingly ravenous at night. This short phase will soon ease into a daytime wakefulness and night somnolence in a few weeks and no amount of sleep training your baby will usher in the new routine sooner. Go with the flow! Your baby may be only 3kg but she is armed with instinctive survival skills and will not stay quiet when she is hungry. Unless your newborn is premature or underweight, your baby will guide you with regards to how frequently and how long she needs to be fed by the one instinct she knows, crying. You will find yourself at the paediatrician’s clinic a few times in the first month of life. The doctor will be closely monitoring your baby’s wellbeing ranging from newborn jaundice, umbilical cord care and weight gain.
Before you know it, your baby has settled into a regular feeding routine and is gaining weight. You will soon notice she gazes into your eyes when she feeds, quietens when she hears your voice and starts to smile when she is pleased. Your little one will gradually skip a feed or two in the night in exchange for a longer uninterrupted sleep. By two to three months, she will start cooing and may even hold a conversation with you, especially in the mornings when they are at their best after a long night’s rest. Babies normally roll over between three and four months. Her vocalisation begins to sound more elaborate now. She starts being funny, blows raspberries and chuckles when she is happy. When you start introducing food to her, remember to get your camera ready. She will demonstrate a plethora of reactions which will tickle you to tears. Gradually, she starts to creep and crawl and eventually starts to walk at around one year. Her cooing will evolve into babbling and you may catch her calling you Mama between nine to 12 months. By a year, she is waving, clapping, dancing and tottering around the house. Even though her spoken vocabulary may be quite limited, you will notice she understands much of what you tell her.
Her vaccination starts at about four to six weeks and continues quite closely for the first six months. At each visit, you will find the paediatrician checking your baby’s weight, wellbeing, and development. Most babies catch their first cold or diarrhea after six months when the antibodies conferred by you in utero have dwindled. Breastfeeding reduces this risk and that is one reason why breastfeeding is strongly encouraged for at least six months.
Before long, your fragile babe is now a feisty toddler with her own character. You will look back nostalgically and wonder how time has flown by so fast. Your paediatrician who has walked you through the first year will also share the same pride with you.
All the best,
Dr Veronica
Dr Veronica Toh | Raffles Hospital
Dr Veronica Toh has been a paediatrician and neonatologist at Raffles Hospital for more than fifteen years, having previously practised neonatology and paediatrics in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. She obtained her basic medical degree from the National University of Singapore and her postgraduate degree of MRCP (Paeds)(UK) from Edinburgh. She is accredited with the Specialist Accreditation Board and is a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine Singapore (FAMS). Her special interests are in the care of premature babies, perinatal asphyxia and neonatal encephalopathy. She spent a year training in cerebral and whole body hypothermia for perinatal asphyxia in the Leeds General Infirmary and Hammersmith Hospital under the Health Manpower Development Plan scholarship.
Dr Toh is a mother of three grown up boys and she has a wealth of experience in bringing up her children. She is passionate about her profession and loves her little patients.
Contact her clinic on 6311 1111, www.rafflesmedicalgroup.com, Level 8 Raffles Specialist Centre, 585 North Bridge Road, Singapore 188770.
Dr Tan Siew Pin | Olive Tree Baby & Kids Clinic
Dr Tan graduated from National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lon School of Medicine 1985, and with a MSc (Paediatrics) in 1989. She worked as a specialist paediatrician at NUH from 1989 - 1998, and started Olive Tree Baby and Kids Clinic in April 1989. She is a mother of four children and a strong advocate of breast feeding.
Olive Tree paediatric practice is run primarily by Dr Tan as the anchor paediatrician. On Tuesdays, Dr Mary Lim Li Anne is the in-house paediatrician and fills in for Dr Tan. They provide medical service from newborns up to 18 years of age.
The following services are provided: newborn assessments and checks on hospital-born babies, breastfeeding advice, well-baby visits from birth onwards including developmental assessment, vaccinations, general paediatric healthcare, and management of acute and chronic illnesses. Dr Tan has admitting rights to oversee hospitalised patients at Mount Elizabeth, Gleneagles, Thomson Medical Centre, Mount Alvernia, and East Shore Hospital.
Contact her clinic on 6738 6488, 583 Orchard Road, #02-08/09 Forum The Shopping Mall, Singapore 238884, www.olivetreedoc.com.
Dr Leo Hamilton | Kids Clinic Novena
Dr Leo Hamilton trained in the United States. He became US board-certified in 2003 in the speciality of paediatrics and, in 2006, in the sub-speciality of paediatric haematology and oncology. Dr Leo spent several years as a private practice paediatric haematologist/oncologist before relocating with his family to Singapore in 2011 and has since continued as a paediatrician in Singapore. Dr Leo cares for children, from newborns to teenagers, in his clinic at Royal Square Novena, as well as the private hospitals -Mount Elizabeth Hospital Novena, Mount Elizabeth Hospital Orchard, Gleneagles, Parkway East, and Thomson Medical Centre.
Dr Leo has a strong belief in practising modern, up-to-date medicine that minimises interventions and medications. During his training, he learned that most of everything he knows about Paediatrics changes, hence sticking to evidence-based medicine is his guiding principle. The basic care he provided 20 years ago when he started as a paediatrician has changed tremendously, and he knows it will continue to do so.
Dr Leo is a strong believer that most children need few or no medications, and enjoys working with parents to determine what medicines will help, and what is unnecessary. Knowing when a test is needed is an important part of being a paediatrician and a central part of his practice.
Contact his clinic on 6817 9608, www.kidsclinic.sg, 101 Irrawaddy Road, Royal Square at Novena #16-09, Singapore 329565.
Dr Natalie Epton | SBCC Baby & Child Clinic
Dr Natalie Epton is a paediatrician and neonatologist practising at Mount Elizabeth Hospital Novena. She has special interests in neonatal medicine, including neonatal intensive care, early childhood development and childhood nutrition.
Dr Epton received her medical degree from the University of Birmingham, UK, in 1999. She completed her postgraduate paediatric training in Birmingham Children’s Hospital and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, obtaining her membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in London in 2004. She then went on to complete her advanced specialist training in paediatrics and neonatology, becoming one of the first doctors in Singapore to receive advanced accreditation in both specialties.
Dr Epton has served as a clinical lecturer at both the Yong Loo Lin undergraduate medical school and the Duke-NUS postgraduate medical school for several years, and personally mentored many junior doctors. Her research has won awards at several regional conferences, and she has had the privilege of being an invited speaker at an international congress. She is committed to patient education and has served as a member of the editorial advisory board for Young Parents magazine for over five years.
Dr Epton is a passionate advocate of breastfeeding and, as a mother of three, she has a wealth of personal practical knowledge and experience.
Contact her clinic on 6255 5017, 38 Irrawaddy Road, #05-46/47 Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, Singapore 329563.
Dr. Belinda Murugasu-Koh | Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre
A very popular paediatrician, Belinda is sympathetic, forward-thinking and fluent in English, Mandarin Chinese, Bahasa Melayu, Hokkien Dialect, and Cantonese Dialect.
Contact her clinic on 6734 5833, 3 Mount Elizabeth, #15-17 Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, Singapore 228510.
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Dear Mum-to-be,
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
I’m personally very passionate about nutritional health in pregnancy. As you are probably aware, obtaining adequate nutrition is one of the most important responsibilities mothers have throughout pregnancy - not only for yourself but also for your growing baby. Unfortunately, research suggests that most mums are not getting enough essential nutrients, despite the many dietary supplements that are often recommended. Postnatal depression and other postnatal issues related to nutrient deficiencies are far too common. The good news: good nutritional intake is totally achievable!
Deficiencies in iron, zinc, DHA (an important Omega-3), magnesium, folate and the vitamins B12, D, C, A, K are common. It is incredibly difficult to check all the boxes for vitamins, minerals and nutrients, every single day, given you are also dealing with increased demand, nausea, as well as taste and energy fluctuations. Many standard dietary recommendations are out of date or not tailored to the individual, so you might often need to do some research yourself to be able to recognise the common signs and symptoms of nutritional deficiencies. Combining whole foods (unprocessed and unrefined) with good quality supplements is the best way to ensure adequate levels.
Iron deficiency is the world’s most common nutritional deficiency. About 3 in 4 women suffer from iron deficiency (with or without anaemia) in their third trimester. This is not very surprising when we consider that more than 30% of women of child-bearing age already suffer from iron deficiency and that each pregnancy requires an additional 1,000mg of iron (and the average women only has 3,000mg of iron). Iron reduces the risk of depression, plays a crucial role in our immune system, and is essential for the physical, cognitive and emotional development of your baby. Despite these staggering rates and significant impacts on both mother and baby, iron levels are rarely proactively checked by most doctors. Look through your previous results, have you ever seen serum ferritin on your lab report? Ideally, you would like to commence your pregnancy with a concentration of 100-300ng/mL but anything below 30ng/mL indicates absolute iron deficiency.
Zinc, a mineral present in many foods, plays an essential role in the construction of your baby’s cells and DNA during pregnancy. Yet the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that worldwide over 80% of pregnant women have insufficient zinc intake. It is needed for cell division, adequate tissue growth and supports development as your baby grows. A healthy intake of zinc as part of a well-balanced diet is crucial. Zinc is also important in helping to minimise postnatal depression.
DHA, the most important fatty acid in the Omega-3 group, is essential for the brain development of the baby and an adequate DHA level (between 4-5%) is ideal to help avoid the risk of preterm birth. Due to the increased demand during pregnancy, the body automatically converts many fatty acids into DHA.
Vitamin D plays an important role in pregnancy. Vitamin D supplementation (when deficient) during pregnancy may reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia, low birthweight and/or preterm birth. Some studies have also shown that Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of children being born with autism.
Folate, magnesium, vitamin B12, C, A and K are other important nutrients for both your wellbeing and the optimal development of your baby. Most of these vitamin levels are not routinely tested except for vitamin B12 and folate levels.
Top tip: Having enough zinc (red meat, legumes, wheatgerm), vitamin A (sweet potatoes, carrots, dark greens), vitamin E (sunflower seeds, avocados) and DHA (salmon and sardines) can do wonders for improving skin elasticity and, therefore, preventing stretchmarks and tears. If you suspect a deficiency, get it checked out.
The good news is that several health professionals in Singapore are specifically trained in nutritional medicine and can help you to review your individual test results and guide you on what exactly your body needs at this important stage (pre and postnatally).
I highly recommend a full nutritional health check-up when you’re planning to fall pregnant as well as regularly during your pregnancy (especially re-checking in the third trimester when baby requires so much) as your levels may change significantly with the growth of the baby. The experts in our clinic, Dr Dheeraj Khiatani, and our Australian Dietitian, Dr Naras Lapsys, would love to support you throughout your beautiful journey.
All the best for your pregnancy and all the exciting times ahead,
Heike
The Iron Suites Medical Centre
The Iron Suites Medical Centre focuses on the diagnosis and optimal management of iron deficiency as well as overall nutritional health that can lead to increased fatigue or impaired general wellbeing. Every third woman suffers from iron deficiency at some point in her life – largely due to heavy menses and/or pregnancy. Pregnancy is one of the most critical times where iron stores are essential as each pregnancy requires 1,000mg of iron (and women only have up to 3,000mg of iron in their bodies).
Iron is critical for the wellbeing of the mother and also for the cognitive and physical development of the growing baby. Early detection of iron deficiency enables the provision of dietary advice and, when appropriate, prescribed medical treatment with oral or intravenous iron. The Iron Suites has treated more than 2,000 women and is recognised Internationally as experts in the administration of intravenous iron.
Contact the clinic on 6702 1929, WhatsApp 8399 9768, contact@theironsuites.com, www.theironsuites.com, 160 Robinson Rd, #04-11 SBF Centre, Singapore 068914
Karin Graubard-Reiter | Nutritious N Delicious
Karin G. Reiter is an internationally acclaimed functional medicine practitioner, speaker, and consultant. Over two decades, she has helped thousands of individuals and employees at organisations all over the world (McKinsey, Google, Rolls Royce and more) make small but profound changes in their nutrition and wellness.
After being diagnosed with two autoimmune diseases and being told by doctors that she would never lead a ‘normal’ life, Karin set out on a journey of healing through food, and while healing herself, created the D.N.A. Program (Delicious, Nutritious, Available), the ultimate formula for balancing nutrition and flavour. For Karin, food is life, food is love, food is what connects us as people and as a culture.
Contact Karin on karing@nutritiousndelicious.com, www.nutritiousndelicious.com.
Health 2 Mama
Health 2 Mama have nutritionists who work alongside their physio trainers to specifically target the nutritional needs of mothers during pregnancy, breastfeeding and after birth. They offer online and in-person consultations and have specific programs where they can support with meal plans via WhatsApp or through the Health 2 Mama app.
Contact Bex on 8358 2144, info@health2u.sg, www.health2u.sg, 101 Telok Ayer Street, #03-01, Singapore 068574.
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Dear Mum,
Congratulations, you’re amazing. Pregnancy and childbirth is a magical journey and is a time of numerous changes and transformations within the female body which often affects daily activities. These changes, although completely natural and normal, can often be extremely taxing on the body and it is common through the course of your pregnancy, to develop some aches and pains. Over 50% of pregnant women will experience some lower back pain at some point during or postpartum.
However, even though it is extremely common, it doesn’t mean that you have to suffer - or for the discomfort to be affecting your daily life. Osteopathic treatment aims to assist the changes throughout this journey so you can experience minimal pain and discomfort, and improve your quality of life throughout the different stages of pregnancy. It creates structural balance through touch, physical manipulation, stretching and massage to relieve muscular tension and help the body’s own healing mechanisms.
Osteopathic treatment has been shown to be beneficial for women in reducing or stopping neck pain, shoulder pain, lower back and pelvic pain throughout pregnancy. Osteopaths do this by using a multitude of techniques such as soft tissue, joint articulation and mobilisation, myofascial release, muscle energy and craniosacral therapy.
One major effect on the body during pregnancy is from a hormone called relaxin that prepares for labour by slightly increasing the elasticity of ligaments. Relaxin is extremely important as it will enable the pelvis to promote the shape of the baby’s head by increasing the space of the pelvic outlet during delivery. Unfortunately, this hormonal effect on the ligaments can contribute to altered stability and induce pain in the lower back/pelvic region during pregnancy.
Osteopathy is a gentle, safe form of treatment that is particularly effective for babies as well as children. The birth of a baby can be one of the most stressful events of life; this process, along with the positioning during development inside the womb, can inflict stresses and strains on a baby’s body. If these strain patterns remain unresolved, they may result in discomfort for both baby and mum and possibly have long term effects on the development of the baby. Paediatric osteopaths, in combination with a detailed case history, use a non-invasive, gentle approach to treatment which is often called craniosacral therapy, with an aim to release any restrictions found within a child’s body.
Common paediatric presentations include colic and reflux, irritability, feeding issues, sleeping issues, plagiocephaly (uneven head shape), neck restriction, behavioural issues, postural and developmental issues, uneven walking gait and scoliosis (a curved spine).
Take care of your self and I look forward to meeting you.
Cheers,
James
James Rowland | Edge Healthcare Orchard
James is an extremely passionate structural and craniosacral osteopath who specialises in treating prenatal and postnatal women, babies and children. He prides himself in being able to offer an accurate examination and diagnosis, thereby allowing him to tailor treatment for each individual, offering the best possible care for his patients. James’ passion in osteopathy started when he was a teenager. James used to run a successful multidisciplinary clinic in Cardiff, Wales (UK) before continuing his profession in Singapore.
Contact the clinic on 6235 5488, james@edgehealthcare.com.sg, www.edgehealthcare.com.sg, Edge Healthcare, 583 Orchard Road, The Forum #11-01 Singapore 238884.
The Osteopathic Centre
Founded in 2008 by Dr Paul Bell (D.Health), he and his team of highly qualified and experienced practitioners, Greg, Iqra and Laura, aim to achieve optimal, pain free function by managing a broad range of musculoskeletal issues in all age groups. The journey into motherhood can be both exciting and daunting. By supporting and working closely with other health care professionals during pregnancy, such as obstetricians, GPs, midwifes, lactation consultants and paediatricians, his team are able to provide the best care possible for your family.
Conditions often seen in clinic include pelvic, lower back, neck and wrist pain in both pre and postnatal mums; and latching/feeding problems, gastric issues, problems with head shape and head positioning, sleep disturbance and altered bowel function in newborn babies. The team uses a mix of very gentle and more direct techniques depending on age and the symptoms presented.
Contact the clinic (three locations) at www.theosteo.com.sg. (1) 20 Siglap Drive, 01-02 Bowmont Centre, Singapore 456192, 6446 7236. (2) 11 Collyer Quay, 06-05 The Arcade, Singapore 049317, 6221 4064. (3) Park Avenue Rochester, 24th Floor, 31 Rochester Drive, Singapore 138627, 6221 1977.
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Dear Mum,
What an amazing journey on which you have embarked. It is a journey, nonetheless. And not a sprint. Although, at times, it may feel like a marathon…but know that there is a finish line, with some warm cuddles waiting for you (and possibly a nappy that needs to be changed too!).
Sometimes things don’t go as planned and sometimes things happen that you had no idea could. Don’t let anyone tell you it is normal when, in fact, it is common (and just to be clear, that’s not the same as normal); and something can be done to help you move forward.
A journey is one that is best shared. We weren’t meant to go through birth and raising a child alone. You have nothing to prove and there is no need to bounce back. Embrace moving forward knowing you can be supported with the right care and guidance.
Here is my women’s health physiotherapist’s tick list for embracing motherhood:
Seeing a women’s health physiotherapist during pregnancy is a great time to obtain individualised advice and management for your aches and pains, bladder or bowel concerns, and to learn more about your pelvic floor and its important role during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond.
Love Preet
Preet Singh | Embrace Physiotherapy
Preet is a post-graduate trained women’s health physiotherapist and an Australian expat who has called Singapore home for the past nine years. Preet is a mum of three and understands all too well the struggles of raising a young family away from home. After her own pregnancy and postnatal battles, she decided to dedicate a service to address women’s health needs. 2019 saw Embrace Physiotherapy come to fruition.
Embrace Physiotherapy is built on the philosophy: ‘women who know better, do better’. Located on the East Coast, Embrace Physiotherapy takes care of women’s health and pelvic floor concerns from adolescence, through the childbearing years to menopause and beyond.
Preet loves helping women embrace life by addressing concerns such as pelvic girdle and back pain, incontinence, prolapse, dyspareunia, birth prep, postnatal assessment, return to exercise, diastasis recti abdominus rehabilitation, blocked ducts and mastitis, and provides pre and postnatal exercise classes. Visit her website to learn more about how physiotherapy can help you embrace motherhood.
Contact Preet on 9780 7274, help@embracephysio.sg, www.embracephysio.sg, 410 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427636.
Danielle Barratt | Physio Asia
Danielle Barratt has 24 years of years of experience in providing holistic physiotherapy to women all around the globe. She has worked in Australia, UK, Canada and Singapore, providing women’s health physiotherapy to women of all ages. Danielle is proud to call Singapore home (having been an expat child here) and has developed a strong supportive global networking team. She is passionate about empowering women to better understand their bodies, through life’s stages.
Danielle treats all aspects of physiotherapy from musculoskeletal to bowel, bladder and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction (incontinence), pelvic organ prolapse, vaginismus, diastasis rectus and more.
A session with Danielle will involve a friendly chat about any areas of concern, followed by an objective assessment and an individually tailored treatment program to resolve any signs and symptoms. Danielle loves her work and feels incredibly fortunate to have found not only a career of many years but a lifelong passion, and immense joy, in seeing women gain confidence with their bodies and stay fit and stronger.
Contact the clinic on 6736 4142, danielle@physioasia.com, www.physioasia.sg, 360 Orchard Road, #05-02 International Building, Singapore 238869.
Tamara Gerdis & Monica Donaldson | Physio Down Under
Tamara and Monica are both senior women’s health physiotherapists, each with over 20 years of experience. They teamed up in 2018 to open Singapore’s first dedicated women’s health physiotherapy clinic, called Physio Down Under. At Physio Down Under, women can have the following conditions assessed and treated: pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain; postnatal check-up (including posture, pelvic floor, abdominals, C-section scar, specific advice on safe return to exercise); diastasis recti; wrist/thumb pain, such as De Quervain’s and carpal tunnel; breastfeeding conditions, such as blocked milk ducts and mastitis; pelvic organ prolapse; urinary and faecal incontinence; overactive bladder syndrome; and painful sexual intercourse.
They pride themselves in having a team of specialist physiotherapists with access to state-of-the-art equipment and evidence-based treatment modalities, including real time imaging and therapeutic ultrasound, EMG biofeedback, electrical muscle stimulation, pessary fitting, clinical pilates, and prenatal and postnatal pilates (taught by a women’s health trained pilates instructor).
Contact Tamara & Monica on 6990 5580, info@physiodownunder.sg, www.physiodownunder.sg, 318 Tanglin Road #01-30, Phoenix Park, Singapore 247979.
Karen Edwards | Physio Core and Floor
Karen is a pelvic health physiotherapist who has been working in this specialism for over 20 years. She is passionate about working with clients to treat their pelvic health issues. These include, but are not limited to, continence for women, men and children; sexual dysfunction; pelvic pain; menopausal concerns regarding preventative pelvic health, and many more musculo-skeletal issues relating to pregnancy, postnatal and beyond. Female incontinence is actually very common, but it is not normal. It can occur at any time in life for a woman, but commonly presents during pregnancy, postpartum and menopause. Symptoms can affect your daily life considerably. Treatments are tailored to the individual but could include bladder education and training, deferment techniques, pelvic floor rehab, down training, abdominal massage and defecation dynamics.
Contact Karen on physiocoreandfloor@outlook.com, www.physiocoreandfloor.com, 27A-30B/C Loewen Road, Singapore 248839.
Jill Burns | City Osteopathy & Physiotherapy
Jill is an Irish physiotherapist based at City Osteopathy and Physiotherapy in Guthrie House. She works with women in all stages of pregnancy, helping them recover from musculoskeletal aches and pains. These include back pain, pelvic girdle pain, abdominal conditions, orthopaedic conditions and various hand issues associated with pregnancy. Jill aims to get women back to the sports and physical activities that they love. As well as being a physiotherapist, Jill is a trained pilates instructor, yoga teacher and BodyTalk practitioner, and treats mainly musculoskeletal conditions; she doesn’t offer pelvic floor assessments or prolapse treatments.
Contact the clinic on 6314 4440, reception@cityosteophysio.com, 1 Fifth Avenue, #03-02 Guthrie House, Singapore 268802.
Heidi Maccanti | Edge Healthcare Orchard
Heidi is an Australian trained, experienced physiotherapist who has worked for over 20 years in the area of neurology and paediatrics. Heidi has worked in Singapore for many years, has an extensive knowledge of the healthcare system and is well versed in treating children with developmental delay, orthopaedic issues and neurological impairments. Heidi will also assess your child if you have any concerns with any of their functional patterns or development in general. As a mother of two boys, she is also very experienced in treating sports injuries in children under the age of 17, and has pitch-side experience in many sports including netball, rugby, soccer/football and hockey.
Contact the clinic on 6235 5488, heidi@edgehealthcare.com.sg, www.edgehealthcare.com.sg, Edge Healthcare, 583 Orchard Road, The Forum #11-01 Singapore 238884.
Health 2 Mama
Health 2 Mama includes a team of physios with experience in treating mums during pregnancy and after birth. They specialise in treating typical pains that crop up such as back, neck, pelvic and pubic pain and more specific conditions such as round ligament pain. They now offer unique online pelvic floor rehabilitation and diastasis recti healing programs, available through their app and supported by the physios themselves. One of their key features is the convenience of being able to treat you at your home (but they also have a physio clinic at Telok Ayer).
Contact Bex on 8358 2144, info@health2u.sg, www.health2u.sg, 101 Telok Ayer Street, #03-01, Singapore 068574.
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Dear Mum,
I remember when I knew I was becoming a dad for the first time. Very soon, you will be meeting your baby for the first time and you will want to do everything you can to protect this little one you love.
Over 60% of all accidents in children aged under four years happen in the home because parents tend to underestimate the hazards present. It is not just the outdoors where children are exposed to the risk of accidents: current studies show that the risk of injury to babies and toddlers is particularly high indoors. Falls, burns and poisoning dangers lurking at home can be significantly reduced with just a little effort.
Sometimes it seems that children are magically drawn to everything that is not suitable for them, be it staircases, drawers, hot pans, or sharp objects. This curiosity and desire to discover is completely natural and is an important part of the child’s development. As children grow up, their mobility and radius of activities increase, exposing them to more hazards and risks. But children under the age of four lack any risk awareness - this means everyday situations such as hot stoves, stairs or an unlocked medicine cupboard can have tragic consequences.
Having the luxury of in-person chats with parents of young babies and children at Baby Slings & Carriers (yep, we are sister labels) quickly helps us realise how often and serious babies and children can get hurt if a home isn’t properly secured for their safety. Yet anyone with a baby who is mobile or a boisterous toddler/preschooler will soon tell you that it is next to impossible to monitor their every movement.
It is important for us to prevent the obvious and potentially dangerous ones by safety-proofing your home. For example, do you want your child to have access to the kitchen? If yes, you may want to consider putting cabinet locks on drawers containing dangerous objects like knives. If you do not wish your child to be in the kitchen at all, then consider a safety gate and you may get away with not having cabinet locks.
Whatever is your family’s unique situation and decision, taking some time to consider the best way to baby-proof your home while keeping it livable for the adults, will ease some of the stressors of the coming years.
All the best,
Donnie
Donnie Lee | Baby Gates & Safety
Donnie is the chief solution finder at Baby Gates N Safety. Meticulous in details, with a deep understanding and knowledge of safety products, coupled with a practical hands-on approach, makes him the go-to-guy for safety and baby proofing situations around the home. As a parent himself to three lovely daughters, not one of whom could keep their hands and curiosity to themselves when they were little, and having lived in both apartments and houses, he has often had to improvise solutions in the past to ensure that his daughters stayed safe and kept injuries to a minimum, as safety advice and products were then not easily available in Singapore. Baby Gates N Safety stock a comprehensive range of baby/safety-proofing products, including safety gates, at their retail showroom, and can advise parents on how to safety-proof their home.
Contact Donnie on 6909 3430, www.babygatesnsafety.com, 39 Jalan Pemimpin, #06-01 Tailee Industrial Building, Singapore 577182.
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Dear Mum-to-be,
Congratulations! You must be feeling all excited about baby’s impending entry into the world. I know there will be a lot of decisions that you will soon have to make.
Psst….. have you heard about babywearing? Allow me to let you in on a little secret – probably the best-kept secret of experienced parents who somehow make taking care of a newborn seem so effortless. Babies, having been part of you for nearly nine months, have grown very accustomed to your rhythms, and most babies tend to need some time to get used to life outside the womb – which is why babies tend to fall asleep faster (and stay asleep longer) and are less fussy if you keep them on you. Every baby is different, but some sort of carrying is expected, especially in their first year of life.
Babywearing is the art of having baby worn on your body using a babywearing device like a ring sling, wrap or carrier. It doesn’t just help both you and your partner free your arms and get around more effectively, especially in a busy place like Singapore, it also helps you bond with your baby and improves their sleep patterns - not to mention helping you get accustomed to your baby’s breastfeeding patterns faster.
Parents today are spoiled for choice with a large selection of babywearing devices. But are they really good for baby or you? Have you considered if your baby is going to be comfortable in the baby carrier, and will the device you have chosen respect baby’s physiological rest positions? What about you? Will you be able to maintain a good posture and avoid getting strains from the use of the carrier? Or is it causing more harm than good?
People usually get carried away and head off to the shops in excitement as soon as they know they are expecting a baby – especially if this is going to be the first baby. Well, I know that was exactly what I did! However, buying babywearing devices is unlike buying clothes, you can’t just rely on big brands you see online or in-store or even simply trust that those with lots of good reviews or have all the features under the sun are the ones that will work for you. Every baby’s body proportions, development and body curvature is different, so is your body proportion and physique. Put you both together and we have yet another dimension. Given so many variables, there is just no one-size-fits-all solution.
Trained Babywearing Fit Specialists can discuss with you your options and help sieve out those that will respect optimal body postures and ergonomics. These consultations are best done after your baby is born. So, look out for a store that has certified babywearing consultants, and if that ends up being us, I’m really looking forward to meeting you and your baby!
From Pearline
Pearline Foo | Baby Slings & Carriers
With the birth of her first child in 2004, Pearline was gifted a made-in-Singapore ring sling during a time when ‘crotch danglers’ (the non-ergonomic carriers where kids look like they’re suspended from an abseiling harness) were the only other baby carriers available in the market. Back then, babywearing was still a foreign concept and few people carried their babies in a babywearing device. Having had several hits and misses in babywearing, and then suffering from not being able to walk for two weeks due to injury caused by bad babywearing devices, Pearline started Baby Slings & Carriers in 2007 as an online store to spread the love and knowledge about ergonomic babywearing. From humble beginnings, Baby Slings & Carriers now runs a retail showroom with a specially curated range of babywearing devices that caters to different needs, body proportions and budgets. Being a pioneer in the industry, Baby Slings & Carriers also conducts babywearing workshops and runs babywearing specialist training courses for babywearing consultants in Asia.
Contact Pearline and her team on 6397 6691, contact@babyslingsandcarriers.com, www.babyslingsandcarriers.com, 39 Jalan Pemimpin, #06-01 Tailee Industrial Building, Singapore 577182.
Kai Hui Tan | Warabee
Deciding on ‘which’ baby carrier or sling to purchase and figuring out how to use it correctly can be a long process with multiple aspects to consider – is it safe? Ergonomic? Comfortable? As new parents in 2014, Jia Vui and Kai Hui spent several months researching, asking around and trying different carriers and slings. Over the next six years, they went on to become certified babywearing educators, shared what they learnt through offering public workshops and helped many families in private babywearing consultation sessions. Their aim is to empower parents to be confident in carrying their child safely and comfortably. Consultations are conducted in the comfort of your own home and advice is tailored to your individual family. Familiarising and utilising any existing carriers the family already own is their priority. If there are gaps to fill or the family does not own any carriers, parents can try the wide range of carriers available to have a more accurate feel of what can work. After the consultation, Warabee continue to be reachable for any questions that may emerge as the child grows along the babywearing journey.
Contact Kai Hui at www.warabeehs.com, or on Facebook Messenger.
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Dear Mum-to-be,
I imagine I’m the 43, 628th person to congratulate you, but I hope it’s no less meaningful and sincere.
Strollers and car seats often add up to be one of your largest tangible baby-related investments, so it can pay serious dividends to get it right. I’ll pass you some A-grade secret-mummies-business information on the biggest mistakes mums make when buying their prams and car seats (but please, do feel free to WhatsApp me and we can chat about you specifically).
The first common mistake mums make is that they get what their friends have — surely they’ve done all the research, so it must be the best one, right? Every single pram on the market is absolutely perfect for someone, but finding YOUR perfect pram and car seat can be like finding a needle in a haystack: Do you need to take your car seat in taxis (not all are suitable, you know)? How do you check if the car seat you like is compatible with your car? Do you have a bad back and need a lighter pram to lift into the boot of a car? Are you going to take your car seat back home and need it to meet local regulations there? Quick geek-out - there are three main regulations: US, European and Australian but infant car seats will only have ONE of these regulations and a lot of the US and Aussie seats are not compatible with taxis in Singapore. Big red flag! Do you want it to attach to your stroller (because not all prams and car seats are compatible with each other)? Do you want your pram to be travel-friendly and compact enough for narrow city streets, or do you want the option to run with it? Anyway, you get the picture. There is a perfect pram and car seat for everyone but it’s not always easy to pin that sucker down.
Secondly, mums get points for considering which infant car seat will fit their buggy, but they rarely consider the toddler car seat (if you have considered it, you’re totally amazing — you’ve got this in the bag). This is a conundrum very unique to Singapore. Everywhere else, parents of toddlers have a car, but if you rely on taxis, as many families here do, then there are very few prams that are officially (or even unofficially) compatible with taxi-friendly toddler car seats and that can take the sheen off your $1,000 stroller really, really quickly.
Thirdly, mums can get really preoccupied with the goal to have just one stroller. I know, I know. That was me too. I totally get it - having just one pram that can do everything you need it to is really attractive. But, honestly, in the long run, you will absolutely spend less money on prams and car seats if you consider the possibility of getting two prams if you have any of these conflicting requirements: running, travel, needing to catch taxis, or taking the pram off a flat surface (think: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, the beach, off the path at the Botanics). Trying to find one pram that can do all those things, while possible, usually results in a pram that does all things decidedly averagely rather than (humour me) two prams - each that does its very specific and separate job better than any other pram out there.
And while three is a nice round number for a list of tips, I’m going to drop you a bonus one; triple check you’re using your car seat properly. Car seats are not like prams and cots and bunting. They are finely tuned pieces of precision engineering, designed to protect the life of your child under extreme and uncontrolled crash forces. So how you use them is really important and 96% of parents (not to scare you, but it’s true) get it wrong.
Give me a call and we can chat some more. I’m fun :)
xx Elise
PS. This letter assumes you’re already convinced of the need to use a car seat, but if you’re not, let’s totally talk. It’s a matter of life and death.
Elise Mawson | PramFox
Elise is an engineer, mum of three little boys, a US-certified child passenger safety technician instructor (CPST-I) and Australian-certified child restraint fitter. Her team at PramFox (the same team behind Singapore’s beloved Taxi Baby Co.) are the experts on car seats and prams in Singapore and they are the best people to find the perfect stroller and car seat for you. They also handle professional car seat installations, car seat and stroller cleaning and stroller servicing (for free when you buy from them!), and they also run community education programs such as helper and school bus aunty training. They’re the only ones in Singapore who sell all the top brands and they can help you source special order parts and products if you’re having a hard time tracking something down. Consultations with Elise are free of charge and you can catch her on WhatsApp or at their CBD boutique.
Contact Elise on 8866 3351, hola@pramfox.com, www.pramfox.com. Visit PramFox at their CBD boutique at 328 North Bridge Road, #02-35 Raffles Hotel Arcade, Singapore 188719.
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Dear Mum-to-be,
Let me say right off the bat that you cannot know for certain how you will be as a parent. We might have hopes and expectations of ourselves, based on our own childhoods or perhaps influenced by what we read and see around us, but nobody will understand your specific joys and challenges – and those of your loved ones – quite like you will. Which is my lead-up to say: no matter what happens in the future, cut yourself some slack. Through my photo shoots, I have observed hundreds of families and children at home, where they are often the most comfortable and willing to let their guard down. I spend quite a lot of time with my clients (most of my shoots are 2 -3 hours long), and they are often generous with the access that they give me in return for real, intimate images of their daily lives. Many of them have let on that they do not feel like they are doing a bang-up job at parenting.
And yet when I head home and look through the shots I have taken, all I see are the expressions of babies and children as they take comfort in their parent’s arms; fleeting touches, a hair tousle or a little squeeze; the curve of a new parent’s arms gingerly holding on to a tiny baby, trying to find the right position to burp or soothe. Sure, some homes I photograph are big and immaculate, while others are modest and crammed with mementos of childhood. But these environments matter not as a reflection of their inhabitants’ standard of living or earning capacity; they matter as a trigger, many years later, for your family to remember how you lived, where you had your meals, and what (or who) your child clung on to while drifting off to sleep.
You will be enough. You might not know this when you are deep in the trenches of daily drudgery and fire-fighting. But you will see it in the faces of your children when you surface for however brief a time. And you will see it in your photos, years down the road, photos that respect and celebrate whatever kind of family you are, right now.
Every day we are inundated with imagery that places so much value on how we look and how our homes look. Over time, we start to believe that only certain types of moments or certain types of homes deserve to be photographed. In our minds, our regular craziness becomes mess, our lived-in clothes become sloppy, our chaos becomes outtakes. We all deserve better than these thoughts; your family is enough. There is no better next month or next year to document, record and preserve your fast-growing kids, or what it means to be family now.
With empathy,
Kerry
Kerry Cheah | Red Bus Photography
Kerry is a newborn and family photographer whose core purpose is to document relationships – between loved ones, and between subjects and their environments. Her typical clients want an unvarnished documentation of their daily lives and are prepared to let their guard down, in return for raw and emotive images that celebrate who they really are.
Instead of babies wrapped in blankets and baskets, Kerry focuses on the tenderness and bewilderment of new parents as they adapt to having a newborn at home. She aims to create a visual diary for clients that will resonate with their loved ones across years and generations.
A typical photo session with Kerry sees her observing her clients unobtrusively as they care for their newborn at home or even in the first few hours after birth in the hospital. She provides simple directions for a few family portraits, but otherwise moves herself around to document the family as they interact organically.
Contact Kerry on 9368 3492, theredbusphotography@gmail.com, www.redbusphotography.com.
Emily Newell | Evie Grace Photography
With a bespoke portrait studio specialising in maternity, hospital, newborn and family photography, Emily launched her business while pregnant with her second baby. Her aspiration was to capture the love of family and the magic of being a parent. With close to a decade of experience photographing families in Singapore, Emily knows how to capture those special moments that are both beautiful and full of emotion.
Offering a unique experience from start to finish, Emily has developed a loyal client base who have worked with her, over the years, to document all their family milestones. She is passionate about capturing a family’s memories and having them forever recorded in beautiful keepsake artwork. With a product menu of archival quality printing for both classical and contemporary styles, Emily will work with parents to pick the best pictures to adorn walls, bookshelves and desks, rather than just sitting on the computer screen! P.S. They offer digital packages as well.
Contact Emily on 9025 3750, hello@eviegracephotos.com, www.eviegracephotos.com.
Maryann Koh | The Studio Loft
Maryann is the managing partner and head photographer at The Studio Loft. With a background in film and TV production, Maryann was in the advertising industry for a few years. After the birth of her firstborn, she took a leap of faith and pursued her love for photography. Since then, she has never looked back. Her work has won gold international photography awards and she is currently working on a curriculum for photo workshops.
As an all-woman team, The Studio Loft started with the aim to give pregnant women and newborns the space to feel safe, nurtured and beautiful; their style is both gentle and ever-evolving – they like to keep their ideas fresh!
The Studio Loft balance technical finesse, gorgeous lighting and good old-fashioned artistry. After more than 13 years running their studio, they know what it takes to get kids to flash a smile, mums to relax and even reluctant husbands to kick back and have fun. They guide you into tasteful shots that feel more like a conversation with friends than postured posing.
Contact Maryann and her team on 8810 9460, 6235 3696, smile@thestudioloft.com.sg, www.thestudioloft.com.sg, 71 Ubi Road 1, #09-39 Oxley Bizhub, Singapore 408732.
Leanne Jackson Photography
Leanne is a maternity, newborn and family lifestyle photographer. She loves lifestyle photography and particularly enjoys creating natural, relaxed images of clients in their favourite surroundings. Families can choose where to be photographed and at which locations; newborn shoots often take place in the comfort of home while maternity and family shoots may be at home or somewhere outdoors. Having a child of her own, Leanne appreciates how ‘free-spirited’ kids can be, so she is more focused on capturing the natural interactions and connections between everyone rather than photographing perfectly behaved children! Her main aim is to create a fun, stress-free environment in which to tell your story.
Contact Leanne on 9851 6346, leannejacksonphotography@gmail.com.
Ann Holian | Little Me Moments
Ann is a maternity, newborn and family lifestyle photographer with well over ten years experience. Having previously worked in London, Sydney and Hong Kong, she is now based in Singapore. Time passes quickly and Ann loves to capture those special every day moments to create natural, beautiful images that can be treasured for a lifetime. Ann loves working with all age groups and especially enjoys catching ‘that moment’, when little personalities appear during the shoot! With her relaxed approach, she aims to put everyone at ease and make the shoot fun and memorable for all.
Using her extensive experience, she is as happy shooting on location in the park or beach using natural lighting, as she is shooting in a studio environment. If studio style shots are what you are after, she can bring along her portable studio kit and shoot lifestyle shots for you in the comfort of your own home.
Contact Ann on 8113 1637, info@littlememoments.com, www.littlememoments.com.
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Dearest Mum-to-be,
It is a heady mix of excitement and nervousness that accompanies that first missed period and smiley faced pee stick. Congratulations and welcome to the new mom club.
Take a deep breath. Honestly, it’s not that scary. And importantly, you are not alone. Many women before you have walked the same journey and emerged stronger and wiser with a deeper appreciation of their bodies, their relationships and their lives. Pregnancy may not be a walk in the park but we are blessed with the ability to carry new life within us and I assure you, it will be a humbling, life-affirming and powerfully transformative experience. Decades on, every single mother still remembers their birth story in great, vivid, mind-blowing detail.
Mothers often come to clinic consultations with the same questions and anxieties: Is my baby normal and healthy? Am I doing the right thing for my baby and body? Will we have a smooth delivery? (And sometimes, when will this or that annoying symptom go away?). When a patient asks a question in clinic, more than 90% of the time they’ve probably already consulted Dr Google beforehand. Or one of the myriad of pregnancy books they have had Amazon deliver - pronto - to their doorstep. Such is the current state of clinical practice.
The obstetrician’s role is manifold. One main clinical objective is to screen pregnancies and triage the high risk from the low risk patient population. We are looking for deviations from normality that warrant special attention. The good news is that 80-90% of patients have absolutely normal, low risk pregnancies and deliveries. In the majority of the pregnant population, the antenatal follow ups with ultrasounds and investigations are monitoring very normal pregnancies. But this monthly screen also gives us the opportunity to detect any abnormality early and provide the best outcomes for the minority with special needs. Appropriately managing higher risk pregnancies gives the babies the best possible start to life.
Just as important as the professional duty to guide and advise a patient on clinical matters is something I bundle together and call “the intangibles”. It is that feeling of trust and security that a patient feels when there is good doctor-patient rapport. The patient feels better walking out of the clinic than when walking in. This happens when the doctor takes on the dual role of a genuine caregiver and fulfills the needs and expectations of the patient. Being attentive to concerns, available for the patient and communicating clearly are all features of an obstetrician who places great importance in developing that relationship.
Hence the right fit for a patient is not only an obstetrician with the appropriate professional credentials and experience practising in a conducive environment for regular visits, but also with the right personality fit for the patient to help make the pregnancy journey memorable and comfortable. To provide the most optimal birth experience for patients with specific requests during delivery, there also has to be a match in how the obstetrician practices with the expectations and preferences of the patient.
How does one prepare for the best birth experience? I tend to think of the prep work akin to an athlete training for a race. The first thing that everyone needs is a healthy body and mind. The basics of regular exercise and healthy eating still hold true. Exercise helps your body transition through the different stages of pregnancy better and helps you recover your pre-pregnancy body more quickly after labour. Labour is a little like a gym session and some stamina is needed. Being a couch potato the whole nine months will not be the least bit helpful. Mental and emotional health is just as important. Being calm, centred and confident helps one prepare for the labour ahead and feel empowered to achieve a normal delivery.
The second is doing the theory: antenatal classes, books and reliable sources for information accessible online are good adjuncts for information outside of the clinic to help you through the changes you are feeling as well as prepare for the childbirth, lactation and caring for your baby.
Thirdly, everyone needs a cheer leader. Establish a good support team of the best people cheering you on through this journey. Besides your husband, family and friends, it can be helpful to reach out to a community of similar soon-to-be-Mums who are going through the same daily experiences as you. In labour, besides your obstetrician and midwife, some patients may feel the presence of a birth partner (doula) helpful and reassuring.
I’ll end off with saying that pregnant mothers often think of childbirth as the finishing line - but it really is a speck in the continuum of the journey of parenting and marks really only the beginning of another whole new adventure. Remember to also be kind to yourself and have self-love. It will give you nourishment to love someone else with intensity you’ve never known before and be ready to face whatever challenges that lie ahead.
All the best!
Dr Pamela
Dr Pamela Tan | Thomson Medical Clinic
Dr Tan is an obstetrics and gynaecology specialist practising at Thomson Medical Center in Singapore. Prior to private practice, Dr Tan was a Consultant at KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital. She obtained her undergraduate degree at the National University of Singapore and her post-graduate MRCOG degree with the Royal College of O&G (UK). She is accredited with the Specialist Accreditation Board (Ministry of Health) and is a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore (FAMS). She serves on the board of the Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology of Singapore (SCCPS) with a subspecialty interest in colposcopy and vulval disease. In further pursuing this interest, she was a fellow for pre-invasive disease at the colposcopy and vulval unit at the Whittington Hospital in the United Kingdom where she was also attached to the Assisted Conception Unit in Guys Hospital to learn the latest in reproductive techniques for subfertility. She is accredited to perform advanced minimally invasive keyhole surgery. Her philosophy to doctoring is one that is focused on building relationships with her patients. She strives to deliver patient care that is warm, caring, professional and well advised. She is a believer of pro-natural birthing and providing an optimal birthing experience as desired by her patients.
Contact her clinic, TLC Gynaecology Practice, on 6254 2878, www.drpamelatan.com, 339 Thomson Road, #03-02 Thomson Medical Centre, Singapore 307677.
Dr Paul Tseng | Thomson Medical Clinic
Dr Tseng is an experienced fertility specialist, obstetrician and gynaecologist who is well known for his holistic approach to treatment. Dr Tseng’s medical career began at Singapore General Hospital achieving his OBGYN specialty and then becoming an integral part of the pioneering team to first offer fertility care and IVF technology to Singaporeans in 1988. For the next decade, Dr Tseng helped build the Hospital’s Centre for Assisted Reproduction ‘CARE’ fertility service before starting his private practice. As technology has improved over his 30 year career, Dr Tseng has seen the benefits of the less invasive, effective fertility treatment in helping reduce patients’ associated stress and anxiety.
With a busy obstetric practice, Dr Tseng is focussed on helping women from conception to delivery and beyond. Having spent a year at St George’s Hospital London - a centre of excellence for the sub specialty of uro-gynaecology - Dr Tseng also manages clinical problems associated with the dysfunction of the pelvic floor and bladder as these disorders can have broader implications for reproductive organs, and quality of life.
Contact his clinic, TLC Gynaecology Practice, on 6254 2878, 339 Thomson Road, #03-02 Thomson Medical Centre, Singapore 307677.
Dr TC Chang | Thomson Medical Centre & Mt Elizabeth Hospital Novena
Dr. Chang is the Head and Clinical Director of the Fetal Assessment Centre in the Singapore Women’ Medical Group. Dr. Chang has been working in Singapore since 1994 at the KK Women’s Hospital from (1994-1998) and in Thomson Medical Centre since 1998. He was made a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, KK Hospital in 1997 and was a Visiting Consultant to that Department from 1998 to 2006. From 1998 - 2020, he was the Head of the Fetal Assessment Unit (Centre for Prenatal Diagnosis and Obstetric Ultrasound) at Thomson Medical Centre. In 2005, Dr Chang spent time as an Associate Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and worked as a Consultant in National Women’s Health, Auckland City Hospital. Between 2007 and 2009, Dr Chang was the President of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Singapore.
His interests are in the medical and surgical management of low and high risk pregnancies, ultrasound assessment of the at-risk fetus, invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures and gynaecological laparoscopic surgery. Dr Chang has admitting rights to six private hospitals in Singapore but does most of his obstetric deliveries and surgical operations at Thomson Medical Centre and Mt Elizabeth Novena Hospital.
Contact his clinic, WC Cheng & Associates, on 6253 4122, 339 Thomson Road, #01-01 Thomson Medical Centre, Singapore 307677.
Dr Dharshini | Mount Elizabeth Hospital Novena
Dr Dharsh was born in the United Kingdom, educated in Singapore, and graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), with a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery. She subsequently went on to obtain her Masters in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and became a Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (London).
She is currently the Medical Director of Kierauniv International Clinic for Women, located at the top floor of Mount Elizabeth Novena, where she guides her patients on their special journey towards natural childbirth.
Dr Dharsh has also extensively trained in medically indicated caesarean sections, gynaecological surgery (hysterectomies, myomectomies, cystectomies), laparoscopic (key-hole) procedure and has a keen interest in hysteroscopic surgeries (a non-invasive procedure to surgically treat small masses within the womb). Her clinical practice performs Intra Uterine Inseminations in the process of fertility management. She has a special interest in Adolescent Gynaecology and has a close rapport with her teen patients.
Dr Dharsh was a Clinical Teacher and Examiner with the Dept of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, NUS, has conducted Clinical Skills workshops to train medical students and young doctors in Obstetrics management, was made Chief Registrar in 2011 at the National University Hospital, and regularly presents her research papers at local and international conferences.
Dr Dharsh currently delivers her patients at the suites of Mt Elizabeth Hospital Novena and Thomson Medical Centre.
Contact her clinic on 6694 0755, www.mountelizabeth.com.sg, 38 Irrawaddy Road #11-48, Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, Singapore 329563.
Dr Sivananthan | Raffles Hospital
Dr Sivananthan received her medical degree from the University of Bristol, UK and did her postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynaecology at the John Radcliffe Hospital, in Oxford, UK., where she undertook higher specialist training in high risk obstetrics and maternal medicine. She has also worked at the National University Hospital, Singapore. Dr Sivananthan is a registered specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology both with the General Medical Council, UK and Singapore Medical Council. She is a Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and holds a Diploma in Family Planning from the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health.
As a consultant in Raffles Women’s Centre, her practice includes all areas of general obstetrics and gynaecology. Her special interests are in women with medical conditions in pregnancy (diabetes, asthma, thyroid disease, cardiac disease), and women with pregnancy complications (raised blood pressure in pregnancy, bleeding in pregnancy, foetal growth restriction). Dr Sivananthan has published in peer-reviewed journals (American Journal of O&G, Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology), is a Cochrane review author and has presented at international and local meetings (FIGO, British International Congress of O&G). Dr Sivananthan sees patients at Raffles Hospital.
Contact her clinic on 6311 1230, www.rafflesmedicalgroup.com, Level 12 Raffles Hospital, 585 North Bridge Road, Singapore 188770.
Dr Jazlan | Raffles Hospital
Dr Jazlan obtained his medical degree from the National University of Singapore and completed his post-graduate training in obstetrics and gynaecology. He obtained his masters from the Royal College of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, UK. Thereafter, he achieved his specialist accreditation with the Ministry of Health, Singapore and was admitted as a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, and College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists in Singapore.
Dr Jazlan was an appointed clinical tutor and examiner of the medical faculty in the National University, Singapore. He is a specialist lecturer with the Singapore Armed Forces and Singapore Civil Defence Force. Apart from pursuing his clinical practice, Dr Jazlan is keenly involved in research with various publications in scientific and medical journals. He has authored publications in journals such as The Singapore Medical Journal, Annals Academy of Medicine, Singapore and The Singapore Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
Dr Jazlan is avidly involved in public health and education. He has organised and participated in many public forums, seminars, scientific meetings, and media interviews as well as television and radio health programs. Dr Jazlan is a weekly health columnist in Singapore’s only local Malay newspaper, Berita Harian, and a writer with Majalah Perkahwinan magazine. He was previously a writer in the health segment of Singapore’s Mediacorp Manja magazine.
Contact his clinic on 6311 1230, www.rafflesmedicalgroup.com, Level 12 Raffles Hospital, 585 North Bridge Road, Singapore 188770.
Dr FM Lai | Gleneagles Hospital & Homebirths
In practice since 1999, Dr. Lai Fon-Min understands the choices women must make regarding their gynaecological and obstetrical care. His more than 20 years of training and experience with high-risk pregnancies, deliveries and key-hole surgery gives women the reassurance needed fortheir pregnancy. He supports women to make informed choices by providing information about options available.
Dr Lai is aware that many practitioners have a pre-set idea of the best way to deliver a baby or treat a gynaecological condition. In contrast, he takes the time to listen to what the patient wants – whatever that may be. Your choices are important to him; he will not push a particular path unless he believes it is in your best interest. Even then, the patient is not subjected to scare tactics. He believes in offering real choices, supported by evidence-based practice and does not believe in using fear in pressuring women into a course of action.
He is an active supporter of natural birthing options and is willing to attend a home birth. He is supportive of women choosing to have a birth plan and utilising methods such as HypnoBirthing and Spinning Babies. Dr. Lai started attending homebirths and waterbirths in 2006 and has since started the waterbirth movement in private hospitals in Singapore. As he is skilled in various delivery options, he is able to achieve high success rates for vaginal delivery without compromising on the safety of the mother or baby for breech, twin pregnancies and previous Caesarean Section births (VBAC). He has admitting rights to most hospitals in Singapore.
Contact his clinic, A Company for Women, on 6333 6181, www.acompanyforwomen.com.sg, Camden Medical Centre, 1 Orchard Boulevard #03-05/06, Singapore 248649.
Dr Ng Kai Lyn [MBBS (Singapore), MMed (Singapore), MRCOG (UK)] is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with sub-specialty expertise in urogynaecology and minimally invasive surgery, as well as a clinical interest in fertility. Prior to moving to private practice, she worked at National University Hospital, Singapore. She is the recipient of Healthcare Manpower Development Plan award from Singapore Ministry of Health and completed a prestigious Urogynaecology Fellowship at an International Urogynaecology Association accredited institution. Besides general obstetrics and advanced laparoscopy, she is well versed in managing pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometrial polyps, endometriosis and fertility issues.
Dr Ng currently practices at Gleneagles Hospital with ACRM.
Contact the clinic on +65 6474 3900, info@acrm.com.sg, 6A Napier Road, #05-35, Gleneagles Hospital, Annexe block, Singapore 258500.
Dr EK Tan | Mount Elizabeth Hospital (Novena)
Dr Tan Eng Kien obtained his medical degree from the University of Manchester in 1997, graduating with Honours. He completed his obstetrics and gynaecology training in the United Kingdom and is an accredited specialist in the UK and Singapore. Dr Tan has a special interest in the management of high-risk pregnancies such as multiple births (twins) and pregnancies with complications (like diabetes, high blood pressure, babies with congenital problems). Other interests include water births and obstetric ultrasound imaging.
An active contributor on articles on women’s health in magazines and symposiums, Dr Tan is certified by Advanced Life Support Group UK to be a MOET trainer. The Management of Obstetric Emergencies and Trauma (MOET) is a course to train senior doctors in life-saving techniques for pregnant women with serious complications. He regularly teaches MOET in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Prior to starting his private practice in 2016, Dr Tan held multiple portfolios at National University Hospital where he was a Senior Consultant, Assistant Professor and the Residency Program Director. He was the consultant in charge of the Delivery Suite, updating the protocols, ensuring that pregnant mothers were well looked after during labour and their babies were delivered safely.
Contact his clinic, EK Women’s Clinic, on 6926 9818, WhatsApp 9348 9996, www.drtanengkien.com, 101 Irrawaddy Road Royal Square @ Novena, #13-14 Singapore 329565.
Associate Professor Choolani | National University Hospital (NUH)
Prof Choolani completed his PhD doctoral thesis on non-invasive prenatal diagnosis at Imperial College, London, UK. His principal areas of research are non-invasive prenatal diagnosis, fetal mesenchymal stem cells for intrauterine fetal therapy, and early detection of epithelial ovarian cancer. He was awarded the NMRC Clinician Scientist Award to continue his research in the prenatal diagnosis field.
Contact his clinic on 6772 2002, appointment@nuhs.edu.sg, www.nuh.com.sg/nuhgynae, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, National University Hospital, Singapore 119074.
Professor Chong Yap-Seng | National University Hospital (NUH)
Professor Chong was awarded his MBBS from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in 1988, and obtained his MMED (O&G) in 1995. Subsequently, he was conferred a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree by NUS in 2006. Presently, Prof Chong is a Senior Consultant in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the National University Hospital (NUH), Dean of the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine as well as the Executive Director of the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) since 2015.
Prof Chong has been a firm advocate of natural birth since 2006. His research interests cover developmental origins of health and disease, breastfeeding and early childhood programming, genetic epidemiology of pregnancy-related disorders and intrapartum and postpartum management. As a respected clinician and researcher with a profound interest in women’s health and early development, Prof Chong is the Lead Principal Investigator of the National Research Foundation Translational and Clinical Research Flagship Program on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. To date, he has well over 300 peer-reviewed research publications covering topics such as the genetic epidemiology of pregnancy-related disorders, intrapartum and postpartum management, natural childbirth, strategies to promote breastfeeding, and the developmental origins of health and disease.
Contact the clinic on 6772 2002, appointment@nuhs.edu.sg, www.nuh.com.sg/nuhgynae, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, National University Hospital, Singapore 119074.
]]>Dear Mum-to-be,
For the next nine months, your body will be all about growing your healthy baby! This asks for energy, focus, discipline, perseverance and a strong body. Being pregnant is a top sport, where you will use every bit of extra energy. Sports and healthy nutrition can make a big difference in how you will feel.
Several studies showing the main positive benefits of sport and healthy nutrition during pregnancy will encourage you to put on your sneakers right away and get active. Here are ten reasons to continue to exercise during pregnancy.
In a healthy pregnancy, you can basically continue to exercise until just before childbirth. Your baby will grow considerably in the coming months and, as the baby’s growth changes, you will have to adjust your sport schedule whilst continuing your active routine in a responsible and healthy way.
Here are some basic guidelines.
By far the best sports that you can keep doing during your pregnancy are walking, swimming, cycling and a combination of strength and cardio exercises giving a total body workout. There are several groups where you can follow a tailor-made workout for pregnant women, such as at Mom in Balance, up until your due date and where you can meet and connect with other pregnant women.
When the baby arrives, your family is in a whole new rhythm. The better you feel yourself, the more you can enjoy the early years of motherhood. So, try to eat healthily and make time for sports. But also take the time to relax. With a body that is rested, strong and in good condition, you will get through the broken nights more easily and find the energy to be involved with your family, your work and everything else that is important to you.
The best project to work on is you!
xx Esther
Esther van Diepen| Mom in Balance
Esther van Diepen, Founder of Mom in Balance, is Dutch in origin, and living in Singapore with her four kids. With her Top Sport background, she developed the Mom in Balance sport program with experts in the field of fitness during pregnancy. She loves the outdoors, nature, being on an adventure with her family, and living in different places around the world. She started Mom in Balance in 2008, when living in New York, as an outdoor and online sport program, and she runs different programs for an active pregnancy, to get back in shape, and to ‘Mpower’ every mum. With 350 great trainers, the program runs worldwide as well as in Singapore. With these outdoor workouts, mums will keep a healthy sport routine during pregnancy and rebuild fitness through cardio fitness after their delivery.
Contact the team at singapore@mominbalance.com, www.mominbalance.com.
Anna Kwan | Beloved Bumps
Anna is a postnatal exercise specialist. She runs small group classes both in person and virtually and also sees clients on a one-one basis at their home. She specialises in postnatal core rehab and diastasis management.
Contact Anna on 8809 8623, www.belovedbumps.sg, 46 Kim Yam Road, #03-05 Singapore 239351.
Jim Webster | Coached Lab
Jim is a sports scientist at Coached Lab which provides professional diagnosis and programs with results that track progress. Formerly the domain of elite athletes, Coached Lab made sports science testing friendly and accessible to everyone. Their unique fat burning test is a metabolic efficiency test that measures how the body uses its energy during exercise. By looking at metabolic rate, they are able to identify the ideal training zone to maximise fat burning and lose excess body fat. Their resting metabolic rate (RMR) test is a non-invasive test that identifies the minimum energy expenditure that a body uses daily to function. Knowing this number allows ease in planning a nutritional strategy to facilitate significant weight loss or muscle gain based on each person’s unique metabolic condition. If you want to lose weight, improve health, and accelerate performance, their unique testing services and programs can help.
Contact Jim at hello@coached.fitness, www.coached.fitness, 144 Robinson Road, 10-02, Singapore 068908.
Health 2 Mama
Health 2 Mama are a team of female physio trainers. They use their expertise as physios combined with their knowledge of strength training and women’s health to help mums ease into exercise during pregnancy and after birth safely - or if already exercising, help them to maintain their strength and fitness. They have Ease into Exercise, Go Mama and Super Mama training programs available and also unique online programs specifically for pelvic floor strengthening and diastasis recti healing via their app.
Contact Bex on 8358 2144, info@health2u.sg, www.health2u.sg, 101 Telok Ayer Street, #03-01, Singapore 068574.
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Hello there,
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I bet you’re excited about the path ahead of you… a whole new chapter of your life begins as you welcome this new bundle of joy into your lives!
It’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed as you’re steering into uncharted territory – I remember how little confidence I had with my first, not knowing that I actually had options! Then wanting to do everything differently for my second, but living in a country with which I wasn’t familiar and far from family and friends… you really have to surround yourself with people who will give you the right information at the right time, who don’t have their own agenda but your best interest at heart.
Doulas provide just that: they are like a Sherpa guiding you through unfamiliar terrain. We don’t have an opinion on how you should be birthing… all natural, waterbirth, hypnobirthing, with or without pain relief, elective caesarian… whatever is right for you and only you! We want you to feel that you are calling the shots, that you have all the info you need to make an informed choice.
Have you thought about how you want to give birth yet? Who your birth team is going to be? How is your husband feeling about being your pillar of support?
Maybe you’ve attended antenatal classes and it’s made you realise how different things are here, how much more medicalised the system is than what you’re used to from home. And the good news is, you have so many options, so many choices you can make - it is really important that you feel in control of the whole process.
Whichever course of action you choose, be calm in the knowledge that your village is right here, ready for you to come as you are and when it’s the right time for you. You may be away from your family, but your support network is on standby. I don’t have a vision for birth as it is totally unique to each mum – no two bodies are the same, no two births are the same… as much as we think we can control the process, we never know what labour will throw at us. I’m happy when a mum finds her voice, when she feels she is truly supported and she trusts the process and her team enough to surrender to the process and forget everything around her.
You will be spending most of your labour (which can sometimes be challenging and long) at home, then at the hospital with rotating and often over-worked staff and the obstetrician may only come in for the last 10 minutes or so before your baby is born. Having a doula means you know who will be with you on the day, someone who has accompanied you throughout your pregnancy, who knows all about your preferences and wishes. She’s a familiar face to cheer you on during your labour and until you’re safely settled into your postnatal room. No shift changes, no other clients to take care of at the same time, your doula is there only for you… and your partner, of course!
You can rely on your doula to support you at home, help you decide when it’s time to go to the hospital, help you at every crossroads during pregnancy and birth when you need to understand the situation and possible alternatives to make a decision that works for you. They can also help initiate breastfeeding, show you how to handle your baby, and how to heal and recover after the big event!
For me, becoming a doula was somewhat accidental… I embarked on this journey when my family was complete. One of the most experienced doulas in Singapore at the time suggested I look into the training to be able to support expat clients in their mother tongue, as I speak English, German, Spanish and French fluently. Thinking about how unprepared I was for my first birth, I wish I had had someone to guide me back then – and I happened to fall in love with the job, or rather I think it’s a vocation. I never knew it would take over my life as it has, but I love every minute of it and am happiest when I’m supporting my clients through this unforgettable event in their lives!
Many clients ask me what my birth philosophy is… the simple answer: I don’t have one. It is important to me that you choose what feels right for you and I will be there to support you every step of the way. No matter what the birth outcome, when you feel listened to and in control, you will look back on your baby’s birth with joy and no regrets.
As a certified childbirth doula, childbirth educator and postpartum doula, I have supported over 250 births here in Singapore and worked with many of the most sought-after obstetricians. Certified with Childbirth International, I have continued my training in many complementary modalities – Spinning Babies, Microbiome & Epigenetics, Fertility Counseling, and much more. Being a clinical herbalist and naturopath, I support my clients with natural remedies throughout pregnancy and beyond.
I’d love to chat about how I can support you: finding the right caregiver and hospital, helping you formulate your birth plan, private antenatal classes, or supporting you at birth… get in touch to arrange a meet and greet free of charge!
Look after yourself,
Johanna xx
Johanna Wagner | BumpWise
Johanna Wagner is the President of Doulas of Singapore and the Founder and Owner of BumpWise. Since starting out as a doula in 2013, she has supported over 250 births at all the hospitals that allow doula access here in Singapore. Birth is something a woman will never forget and guiding a mum through this process, being there as she transcends her own limits, is absolutely priceless. Johanna is like a mountain guide; bringing you where you have never gone before, urging you to go the extra mile when you think you can’t go any further – because the view at the end will be incredible. BumpWise also offers prenatal classes, postnatal workshops and a community support group which you can read about in the following chapters. Johanna speaks fluent English, German, Spanish and French.
Contact Johanna on 9795 7949, johanna@bumpwise.sg, facebook.com/bumpwise.
Doulas of Singapore
Doulas registered with Doulas of Singapore (DoS) are professional birth workers who have achieved certification with internationally renowned institutions. They know all about birth and the postpartum period, and they have insight into the practices and protocols of all the hospitals in Singapore. You can get in touch with any of the independent doulas for a free, no-strings-attached conversation – their details are listed on the Find-A-Doula page of their website.
Visit www.doulasofsingapore.com.
Red Miller | Love Based Birth
Red Miller is a Birth Consultant, Holistic Midwife, Author & Founder of Love Based Birth and she is passionate about helping couples have awesome births. She has attended nearly 800 births in more than 10 countries including Nepal, USA and Singapore; in diverse settings from rice fields to a palace. Red guides couples through a unique step-by-step process to help them physically, mentally and emotionally prepare for birth. They learn how to manage and significantly reduce the pain of labor, transform their fears into positive action and navigate the health system in which they are working.
Red’s book ‘From Fear to Love: Your Guide to a Fearless Magical Birth’ is available on Amazon. She is also the creator of the Love Based Birth Hive, an online, holistic community of parents and wellness professionals created for the millions of women around the world who are seeking deeper connection, joy, love and magic while becoming mothers.
Contact Red on 9487 6230, red@lovebasedbirth.com, www.lovebasedbirth.com.
Natasha Cullen | Beloved Bumps
Natasha is a mother of two boys, a midwife from the UK and the founder of Beloved Bumps. She qualified with a BSc Midwifery in 2009, and went on to work in London where she stayed before moving to Singapore with her family in 2017. Having worked in all aspects of midwifery, she mostly worked as a senior midwife on the Labour Ward, as she is incredibly passionate about supporting and advocating for mothers during birth. In the UK, midwives are regarded as the ‘experts in normal birth’, meaning you may never encounter a Doctor during your pregnancy, labour, birth, or postnatally – it is such a privilege to support, watch, learn from, and be present at a woman’s labour, birth and watching a couple become parents for the first time. Natasha loved and missed this so much on arrival to Singapore, that she also trained to become a CBI certified doula, and so continues to support couples on their remarkable journeys into parenthood. Natasha is incredibly devoted to supporting couples in Singapore at whatever time of pregnancy or postpartum needed – her aim is to support and empower couples to feel more confident and relaxed as they become new parents.
Contact Natasha on 8809 8623, www.belovedbumps.sg, 46 Kim Yam Road, #03-05 Singapore 239351.
Avigaïl Riahi | Beloved Bumps
Avigaïl grew up in France where she trained and registered as a midwife. She then worked as a midwife in England for six years and helped hundreds of women deliver safely. Avigaïl has a special interest in research and has also worked as a clinical research midwife in London. Whilst working on research studies such as preterm labour, she realised the importance of providing evidence-based information and care.
Much more exciting than this, Avigaïl became a mother herself not long ago and this experience has given her a completely new perspective in her career. Working at Beloved Bumps gives her the opportunity to share her passion about helping women understand their bodies. She also strongly believes that being informed and prepared is the secret to empowering parents-to-be to make their journey, through pregnancy and birth, a time that they will always cherish.
Contact Avigaïl on 8809 8623, www.belovedbumps.sg, 46 Kim Yam Road, #03-05 Singapore 239351.
Chantel Kismet | Blooming Births
Chantel believes that every parent deserves a positive experience from conception to pregnancy, birth and beyond into parenthood. Having been through a traumatic birth experience and spiralled down depression, the light at the end of the tunnel led her down this path towards birth work. Chantel is committed to protecting each couple’s experience through education and awareness.
Her classes, “Childbirth with Love” is focused on reframing the way we look at birth and life after baby. Childbirth is a natural part of us and it should be a journey filled with love, pleasure, joy and not fear. The activities and topics covered are geared towards strengthening the mind, preparing for a comfortable birth, fostering a deeper relationship with yourself, connecting deeper with your partner, learning how to navigate the new terrain of parenthood.
She also offers preparation classes to parents who are looking for a vaginal birth after a caesarean, twin preparation classes as well as refresher classes for second or more time parents.
She is also a Birth & Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator, HypnoBirthing educator, HypnoMothering Fertility Practitioner.
Contact Chantel on 9171 4357, chantel@blooming-births.com, www.blooming-births.com.
Linda Tan | Inspire Mum & Baby
Linda has assisted thousands of prenatal mums in being pain-free through land and water movements, myofascial release, massage, Watsu and, most recently, working as a doula. As a certified birth and postpartum doula, Linda helps women to have a safe, memorable, and empowering birthing experience. With her added skill-sets on anatomy knowledge, birthing movements, massage, hypnobirthing and therapy, she merges these into her doula work and helps her clients, physically and emotionally, providing evidence-based information to allow them to make informed choices. Linda believes that all births are unique and it’s important to respect the mum-to-be, giving her the love and dignity for a birth that is so pure.
Contact Linda on 9234 1866, info@inspiremumbaby.com, www.inspiremumbaby.com, 188-2 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 436990.
Deanna Kearns | Labour of Love
Deanna Kearns is Canadian, a mother of three, and has been a professional birth worker for the past 18 years. She has lived in Singapore for the past 10 years and, in that time, has had the privilege of attending hundreds of births, supporting many couples on their journey to becoming a family.
Deanna trained with DONA (Doulas of North America), as well as CBI (Childbirth International) and is certified in yoga for pregnancy, active birth and with babies. She is also a HypnoBirthing practitioner and studied with Gail Tully, the founder of Spinning Babies. Having had the opportunity to work and be registered in most hospitals in Singapore, she helps families to understand all their options, the protocols of each hospital, and how to advocate for what is really important to them for their birth.
Deanna encourages parents to make informed choices and to ask questions of their care providers, partners and, most of all, themselves. She is fully supportive of the expectant mother’s choices, whether it is a water birth or elective cesarean, as mothers are the true experts on their bodies and their babies. She hopes to give parents all they need to find their own voice and to advocate for themselves in order to have a supported, calm and wonderful birth experience.
Contact Deanna on 9022 7504, Labour of Love Facebook, deannathedoula@gmail.com.
Angelyn Seet | Tree of Life Birth
Tree of Life Birth believes in holistic woman-centred care during pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood. Angelyn conducts Bradley MethodⓇ Natural Childbirth courses in small groups for both the expecting mothers and fathers, with fathers being prepared to assist as a Birth Coach. Birth doula services are available that include optional two to four home visits and full labour and birth support including breastfeeding support at your home after the birth. Prenatal and postnatal home massages are conducted at your home and Tree of Life Birth will supply the massage table. Placenta encapsulation is available and the team only makes pure placenta in vegetarian capsules with no additives.
Contact Angelyn on 9008 6556, info@treeoflifebirth.com.sg, www.treeoflifebirth.com.sg.
Emeline Hare | My Baby Adores
Emeline is passionate about health and well-being and is the mother of three children and author of The Gift of Birth. She has supported families across the globe, specialising in antenatal education, neonatal and postpartum care. Emeline has a science background and holds a postgraduate qualification in Antenatal Education and Neonatal Care. She spent two years training to become an accredited Breastfeeding Counsellor in the UK, and attended specialist training at the International Breastfeeding Centre, Toronto, where she lived for a year with her young family. Emeline is passionate about Baby Massage and Baby Yoga, the wonderful health benefits it provides and the deep bond and connection it brings between parent and baby.
Contact Emeline on 8298 0616, emeline@mybabyadores.com, www.mybabyadores.com.
Athina Vandevoort
Athina is a midwife and doula, offering birth and postpartum doula services, private antenatal classes and lactation consultancy. Originally from Belgium, she moved to Singapore whilst pregnant and got to experience the Singaporean birthing scene from the perspective of an expecting mum. To be able to continue supporting couples through labour, she then additionally trained to become a doula. She has been preparing and assisting women in Singapore from pregnancy throughout postpartum since then. It is her absolute passion to empower women to have the birth they desire. Athina believes being surrounded by supportive professionals who believe in the mother’s innate power to birth her baby, is not a luxury, but a basic right.
Contact Athina at 8225 3743, athina.vandevoort@gmail.com.
Parentlink
ParentLink has the privilege of sharing the most special and awe-inspiring time with mothers-to-be - the birth of their baby. They love helping families welcome a tiny new person into the world, starting the whole life journey together.
Since 1998, ParentLink has been supporting families by providing the most comprehensive range of prenatal and postnatal services available. Their highly experienced team of doulas, childbirth educators, first—aid instructors, masseurs, counsellors and more are available for assistance. Parentlink staff have a combined 30 years’ experience in hospital labour wards, birthing centres and home births, and have supported families through all kinds of choices. Their doulas are all certified with Childbirth International, or have equivalent experience. They also specialise in childbirth education, homebirths, waterbirths and provide rental service for waterbirth pools, oxygen tanks, and birthing stools.
Contact their team on 9012 0071, info@parentlink.com.sg, www.parentlink.com.sg.
Kiki Porter-Wolff | WC Cheng & Associates
Kiki is a British paediatric nurse and midwife with over 40 years’ experience, the last 21 years in Asia. Her motto is Knowledge Breeds Confidence and she works as a Midwifery-doula exclusively for Dr TC Chang’s patients. Her private Hypnobirthing courses are available to the public.
Contact Kiki on 9108 5521, or at the clinic, WC Cheng & Associates, 6253 6174, Thomson Medical Centre, 339 Thomson Road, Singapore 307677.
Warda Yousoff | Nik's Bodywork
Warda Yusoff has offered birth and postpartum doula service to hundreds of women and families based in Singapore. As a certified doula through DONA International, she makes it her personal goal to offer the information, education, and support women/ couples need to make their own informed choices in birth and parenting, navigating through the maternal system in Singapore.
Warda graduated in Bsc in Business from University of London, UK and has trained as a Pregnancy Bodyworker Specialist through Nik’s Bodywork International with experience and certification in many natural modalities including pre natal, post natal bodywork, herbal jamu wrap belly binding, and lactation support.She has attended Childbirth Educator trainings through Birthwell Birthright In Australia and is a Certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator , LCCE in Singapore, supporting a wide variety of birth settings from natural, VBAC, Water births, C-Section, Medicated, Home and Hospital.
Warda is committed to executing and maintaining her Doula and Childbirth Educator Credentials with continual training and up-to-date information. Her services are exclusive, holistic, client-centered and culturally sensitive to women and families.
Contact Warda on 9880 1417, warda@nikbodywork.com.
Uma Thambidurai | Mother and Child
Uma is a British trained nurse/midwife and an IBCLC lactation consultant who has supported families in the UK, Malaysia, Australia and Singapore. She commenced her career almost forty years ago, and is passionate about and loves her role in supporting mothers and their babies.
As Director of Mother and Child, Uma and her exceptional team of health professionals, ancillary service professionals, and customer service executives strive to serve the needs of the community of expectant couples, and new parents and their babies. Uma has two married children; a daughter and son; and a cuddly grandson. At the time of printing, Mother and Child don’t offer services to be present at the birth, but they offer midwife-led antenatal classes, home visits and well baby clinics.
Contact the Centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
Isabelle Faber | Mother and Child
Isabelle is a registered midwife with the Singapore Nursing Board and a researcher. She is a strong supporter of women’s interests and reproductive autonomy which was the topic of her thesis. She has worked in hospitals in Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland and Australia. She is an IBCLC certified Lactation Consultant, a passionate Infant Massage Instructor (IAIM) and HypnoBirthing® Practitioner.
As a lactation consultant, Isabelle can support clients prenatally at her Centre or after the baby’s birth at either the hospital or in the comfort of your home. Her aim is to support and help during the breastfeeding journey by respecting your preferences. At the time of printing, Mother and Child don’t offer services to be present at the birth, but they offer midwife-led antenatal classes, home visits and well baby clinics.
Contact the Centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
Joanne Hunter | Mother and Child
Joanne is an Australian-trained Nurse and Midwife with over thirty years of experience. She has worked in Scotland, Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Australia and now Singapore. Birth suite has always been her passion and where most of her experience lies. Joanne has also worked in postnatal wards and special care nurseries and has accumulated extensive breast feeding experience. She has completed the Childbirth Educator course and facilitates Childbirth preparation classes at Mother and Child.
Joanne is available as a lactation counsellor at her Centre or for home visits. At the time of printing, Mother and Child don’t offer services to be present at the birth, but they offer midwife-led antenatal classes, home visits and well baby clinics.
Contact the Centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
Natalie Spencer | Mother and Child
Natalie is a Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife and IBCLC Lactation Consultant from America and Australia. She has worked as a Registered Nurse in both the USA and Australia and as a Registered Midwife in Australia. She has working experience across the full spectrum of the maternity care setting and in the neonatal intensive care unit. Natalie moved to Singapore in January 2019 with her husband, and worked at Thomson Medical Centre as a Lactation Consultant prior to joining Mother and Child. At the time of printing, Mother and Child don’t offer services to be present at the birth, but they offer midwife-led antenatal classes, home visits and well baby clinics.
Contact the Centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
Kathy Rougier | Empowa
Kathy is a trained Postpartum Doula, mother of one, who spent over 20 years in corporate business and has lived in the UK, Thailand and Singapore. She uses all of her training, life experience and passion for coaching people to support new mums, and families, through the new challenges they will face, be that holding space for their birth journey, feeding, lactation, newborn care, self care for mothers, coping mechanisms for new fathers and redefining their new futures. Empowa is all about empowering new mums, and families, to be the very best version of themselves. When a woman gives birth, she gives birth to a baby, and a mother. That change in momentum can feel monumental and women are left feeling like less of the person they used to be, and not knowing the person they have become. Empowa finds your strengths, from past and present, identifies and empowers you to be the most amazing new version of yourself, be that a SAHM or a driven working parent.
Contact Kathy on 9295 1035, empowermentdoula@gmail.com, empowa.sg.
]]>A letter to you from Natasha Cullen. Natasha is a midwife and founder of Beloved Bumps.
Dear Mum,
Congratulations on your pregnancy - what an exciting time for you!
There are many reasons why prenatal classes (also called antenatal classes) are important in your pregnancy. They provide information that you need for your labour and birth, and also how to care for your baby! One of my favourite things that a Dad-to-be said to me at the end of his prenatal course was, “I didn’t know, what I didn’t know” - you can read lots of books about pregnancy, birth and beyond, but sometimes you just need to hear it from one credible, reliable source. There are lots of opinions and ways to do things, and you need to remember that most of the time there is no right or wrong way…trust your instincts and do what works for you!
The other big reason to do prenatal classes is that you meet other couples, having a baby around the same time as you, and you build your support network. You may think you already have a lot of friends with kids, but nothing beats being able to message another parent at 4am in the morning, knowing they are awake too and going through the same thing you are at the same time. Even as a midwife, I did prenatal classes, and the friendships that I made through those classes are still some of my closest friendships today.
Use your support network of family and friends, trust your instincts, have patience, and remember that there is no way to be a perfect parent, but a million ways to be a good one.
Hold on to those little babies and enjoy your newborn cuddles!
Natasha x
Beloved Bumps
Beloved Bumps provides prenatal and postnatal services for parents-to-be, including prenatal classes, postnatal classes, exercise, yoga, first aid and doula services. Run by experienced midwives and nurses from the UK, France and Australia, they provide unbiased, evidence-based classes that are interactive, fun and engaging, whilst helping couples to get to know each other and build meaningful friendships with those going through the same journey at the same time. Included within the courses are social events such as ‘Date Night’, ‘Ladies Lunch’, and postnatal reunions to get to know your classmates better. At Beloved Bumps, access to the team is available at all times to ask any questions you may have. The Beloved Bumps community is incredibly supportive, and they look forward to having you join them!
Contact Natasha on 8809 8623, www.belovedbumps.sg, 46 Kim Yam Road, #03-05 Singapore 239351.
Mother and Child
Mother and Child is Singapore’s trusted prenatal and postnatal hub for expectant couples and young families. Their caring team of experienced midwives and health professionals, led by Uma Thambidurai, a British-trained midwife and senior IBC lactation consultant, bring invaluable experience and practical knowledge to support expectant couples during their pregnancy, immediately after the birth of their baby, through their baby’s development, and supporting mothers in their early stages of motherhood. The team have honed their skills supporting clients for over 25 years in Singapore.
Their popular prenatal classes delivered by experienced midwives, prepare parents-to-be for a positive, calm and empowering birth experience. They share evidence-based, up-to-date information enabling clients to make informed choices. They emphasise the practical aspect of ‘learning by doing’ in a supportive and pleasant environment.
Their bespoke childbirth preparation course is delivered in four sessions over four weeks - intensive courses are available for busy couples. The interactive sessions provide detailed information, videos and discussions on labour, pain relief options, the miracle of birth, variations on the normal, initial days after birth, as well as newborn feeding and care.
Their internationally certified HypnoBirthing (Mongan Method certified) course teaches the art and joy of experiencing birth in a more comfortable and confident manner. It will allow expectant mothers to approach birth and parenting informed and empowered, and gives the birthing companion an integral role in the birthing process.
Mother and Child provides the most comprehensive support for expectant couples and new parents in Singapore. In addition to their prenatal classes, they offer breastfeeding support by IB-certified lactation consultants, sleep consultations, new mothers’ get-togethers, baby massage courses for mum and dad, introduction to solids classes, yoga, first aid for couples and first aid for helpers. Mother and Child is the go-to prenatal and postnatal centre in Singapore.
Contact the Centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
BumpWise
BumpWise’s antenatal classes are specifically written for giving birth in Singapore – they offer tailor-made private classes in the comfort of your own home, or very small group classes that are interactive and allow for all your questions around childbirth in an intimate and comfortable setting.
Taught by certified childbirth doulas and lactation consultants with day-to-day experience in the hospital wards, BumpWise provides up-to-date information on the practices and protocols of your chosen care provider and hospital. Information and practical training for the postpartum period – breastfeeding, postpartum healing, baby care – are an important part of the curriculum. They don’t have an opinion on how the mum-to-be should birth, or feed, or parent… they meet you where you’re at and provide the support you need to achieve your goals. BumpWise has a great network of practitioners to which to refer, all specialising in the perinatal period.
Contact Johanna on 9795 7949, johanna@bumpwise.sg.
Love Based Birth
Love Based Birth preparation classes are for an expectant mother who wants a positive birth experience for herself and her baby; to minimise birth interventions like Caesarean, episiotomies, vacuums, forceps and labour induction; to be well prepared for making informed decisions; to plan a VBAC; to learn natural pain coping techniques for labour; to enlighten her partner on how to best support her; to equip herself for a more intentional and gentle birth; to refresh knowledge or improve experience of a previous birth; to connect with other pregnant mums in her area; and to plan a home or hospital birth.
Holistic midwife, Red Miller, guides expectant mums on a journey to reclaim their intuitive power, transform their fears, and establish self-care practices to enable the magical, fearless birth that is desired.
Contact Red on 9487 6230, red@lovebasedbirth.com, www.lovebasedbirth.com.
Blooming Births
Every parent deserves a positive experience from conception to pregnancy, birth, and beyond into parenthood. Blooming Births is committed to protecting each couple’s experience through education and awareness. Their classes, Childbirth with Love, are focused on reframing the way we look at birth and life with baby. Childbirth is a natural pathway and it should be a journey filled with love, pleasure, joy and not fear. The activities and topics covered are geared towards strengthening the mind, preparing for a comfortable birth, connecting with and fostering a deeper relationship with your partner, and learning how to navigate the new terrain of parenthood.
Blooming Births also offers preparation classes to parents who are looking for a vaginal birth after a Caesarean, twin preparation classes, as well as refresher classes for second or more time parents.
Contact Chantel on 9171 4357, chantel@blooming-births.com, www.blooming-births.com.
Parentlink
ParentLink has the privilege of sharing the most special and awe-inspiring time with mothers-to-be: the birth of their baby. They love helping families welcome a tiny new person into the world, starting the whole life journey together.
Since 1998, ParentLink has been supporting families by providing the most comprehensive range of prenatal and postnatal services available. Their highly experienced team of doulas, childbirth educators, first aid instructors, masseurs, counsellors and more are available for assistance. Parentlink staff have a combined 30 years’ experience in hospital labour wards, birthing centres and home births, and have supported families through all kinds of choices. Their doulas are all certified with Childbirth International, or have equivalent experience. They also specialise in childbirth education, homebirths, waterbirths and provide rental services for waterbirth pools, oxygen tanks and birthing stools.
Contact their team on 9012 0071, info@parentlink.com.sg, www.parentlink.com.sg.
Inspire Mum & Baby
Inspire Mum & Baby helps mothers experience a smooth prenatal journey, offering a variety of prenatal services, including HypnoBirthing classes and antenatal workshops using Spinning Babies techniques, birthing movements and massages to encourage a better birth. Their antenatal workshops are interactive and compressed sessions for busy couples focusing on the main aspects of important, evidenced-based information to provide the couples with informed choices in tune with their birth preferences. The sessions are formulated in a hands-on style, with informative discussion, practical sessions and reflections. The group size is kept to a small number for a personalised discussion.
Contact Linda on 9234 1866, info@inspiremumbaby.com, www.inspiremumbaby.com, 188-2 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 436990.
My Baby Adores
My Baby Adores was founded by Emeline Hare in 2006, and provides prenatal classes to help parents prepare for labour, birth and the early weeks with a newborn; and helping parents make informed decisions, making them feel calm, confident and excited for the arrival of their baby.
Classes are provided on a one-to-one basis, offering a personal service tailored to your needs. My Baby Adores runs a variety of classes and courses including HypnoBirthing, active birth, preparing for Caesarean section or VBAC, refresher classes, and workshops on feeding and caring for a newborn.
Emeline holds an advanced postgraduate diploma in antenatal education and neonatal care and spent two years studying to be a UK-accredited breastfeeding counsellor. She draws on her years of experience working within the NHS in the UK, in Toronto, Canada, and as a birth doula in Singapore.
All parents taking her classes will receive a copy of ‘The Gift of Birth’ - written by Emeline - which is filled with lots of practical tools and tips for labour, birth and early weeks with a newborn.
Contact Emeline on 8298 0616, emeline@mybabyadores.com, www.mybabyadores.com.
Tree of Life Birth
Tree of Life Birth believes in holistic woman-centred care during pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood. Angelyn conducts Bradley Method Natural Childbirth courses in small groups for both the expectant mothers and fathers, with fathers being prepared to assist as a Birth Coach.
Contact Angelyn on 9008 6556, info@treeoflifebirth.com.sg, www.treeoflifebirth.com.sg.
Warda Yusoff | Lamaze Childbirth Classes
Warda has attended Childbirth Educator training through Birthwell Birthright in Australia and is a Certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator (LCCE) in Singapore, supporting a wide variety of birth settings from natural, VBAC, Water births, C-Section, Medicated, Home and Hospital.
Warda is committed to executing and maintaining her Doula and Childbirth Educator Credentials with continual training and up-to-date information. Her services are exclusive, holistic, client-centred and culturally sensitive to women and families.
Contact Warda on 9880 1417, arda@nikbodywork.com.
Tessa Webb Lyman | Breastfeeding Preparation Classes
Tessa is a mother of two who experienced almost every breastfeeding difficulty that exists (thank you KellyMom for getting mothers through!) and who now gives breastfeeding classes with a view to prepare soon-to-be mothers for their most successful breastfeeding journey. She utilises the expertise of her Certified Breastfeeding Specialist qualification to support evidence-based best practice, starting immediately after birth.
Tessa began making exclusive home and hospital visits to mothers and babies in Singapore in 2017 to assist with all stages of their breastfeeding journey – from birth to tender finish, and everything that comes up in between.
She offers breastfeeding preparation classes both privately and in conjunction with Bumpwise and Love Based Birth.
Contact Tessa on WhatsApp 9896 0378.
Alona Hodik | Belly to Breastfeeding Lactation Care
Alona is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and a certified childbirth educator but, first and foremost, she is the proud mother of three wonderful children - all exclusively breastfed (with different challenges) and the reason she became a lactation consultant and a childbirth educator. Alona believes that the breastfeeding journey starts in pregnancy, so she offers evidence-based, informative, interactive and fun prenatal breastfeeding classes that prepare expectant mothers for the early days of breastfeeding a newborn. Parents come out of the class feeling confident and knowledgeable about normal newborn behavior and breastfeeding. Alona also offers private antenatal childbirth courses tailored to your needs and designed to address what you want from your labour, birth and parenthood. They emphasise team work and your partner’s role in supporting you in labor, birth and beyond. This course is the perfect way for expectant parents to prepare for the birth of their precious little bubba in the comfort of their home. After the birth, she offers lactation support home and hospital visits to make sure that each mother’s breastfeeding journey is the best it can possibly be.
Contact Alona on 8722 3242, alona@bellytobreastfeeding.com, www.bellytobreastfeeding.com.
First Aid Tuition
First aid is immeasurably important for new parents. Anne and her team provide practical and theoretical training courses in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillation (AED) in Singapore. All household members should attend some first aid training so that, when needed, reactions to emergencies at home, in the workplace or at school, can be performed quickly and correctly.
Contact Anne on WhatsApp +44 7810077 258, anne@firstaidtuition.com.sg, www.firstaidtuition.com.sg.
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Dear New Mum,
Whether this is your first child or your fourth, you don’t need me to tell you that your life is going to change. You feel this already. You also don’t need me to tell you to embrace the change. The truth is you will sometimes, and sometimes you won’t.
What I am going to tell you is to allow the feelings: whether you are excited or apprehensive or both, all of your feelings are valid. Motherhood is a complex state of being. Some moments we are excited about transitioning back to work or staying at home, other days we dread it. Some moments we cherish our tiny babe and other times we just wish they would go to sleep. Motherhood is all of it. Make room in your life for these feelings just like you are making room in your house for the new little person.
This may mean reassessing self-care. We’ve all heard the platitude that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Frankly, it is true. You’ll soon find that waking up in the middle of the night or feeding a baby is better when your body is pain free and you’ve had enough sleep.
Take that nap. Have that massage. Have that coffee with a friend. Do whatever it is that you need to do to care for the caregiver (that’s you). It’s not indulgent. Your baby needs you to be physically and mentally operational and you need your village.
Yoga is a great self care option for pregnant and postnatal women as it reduces stress and inflammation in the body and strengthens the mind-body connection. It can relieve pre and postnatal associated aches and pains and prepare an expectant mother mentally for childbirth and motherhood. After the arrival of baby, yoga can help new mums get acquainted with changes to the body. Many postnatal classes offer the option of bringing baby along, thus giving mum and baby a great bonding activity. Furthermore, it puts you in the supportive company of other women experiencing similar life transitions.
What your body is doing is incredible and should not be underestimated. Celebrate it. Don’t feel the need to rush back to anything, including productivity. Wait for your doctor to give you the go ahead to continue with exercise. Reintegration is going to take time. Linger in this phase of your life as long as you have the capacity. And if that capacity is not as long as you like, go back to the start and allow the feelings.
Last of all, trust yourself. You’ve got this. And if you feel like you don’t have this, that’s fine too. Reach out for help from friends, professionals or both. This is your modern village.
Oh and do those pelvic floor exercises. That stuff is legit. ;)
Love always,
Laura
Laura Dobberstein Yoga
Laura began yoga in January 2000 as a way to alleviate stress. Over the years, her practice evolved into a companion that saw her through times of both joy and great personal challenge, including multiple country relocations and two pregnancies. She holds a 200 hour yoga certificate from Yandara Yoga Institute in Baja California and additional certifications in prenatal, postnatal, yin and children’s yoga.
Laura has supported many Singapore-based women in their journey to expand their families through prenatal yoga. She believes that the best pregnancy and birth experiences are evidence-based and occur when the mother is informed and respected in her choices.
Her classes are always tailored to individual and group needs. Prenatal classes may include physical asana for relief of pregnancy related aches, breathwork, meditation, yin, restorative poses and labour preparation.
Contact Laura on 8571 1794, various locations including Beloved Bumps: 46 Kim Yam Road, #03-05, Singapore 239351.
Terra Luna Yoga Studio
Terra Luna Yoga is the first women-focused and trauma-aware yoga studio and therapy space in Singapore. Nestled in the heart of Bukit Timah, they offer Prenatal and Postnatal yoga, taught by qualified yoga teachers who are also doulas and childbirth educators themselves. Their birth-informed and evidence-based approach to teaching has helped to empower many mothers in birth and beyond.
Contact Dewi on 9658 3611, hello@terralunayoga.com, www.terralunayoga.com, 611A Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269713.
Sarah Manning
Sarah Manning has over 25 years of international yoga teaching experience. She has taught yoga in Singapore, Australia, and China. Sarah is a yoga teacher trainer for the International Yoga Teachers Association of Australia. For the past 15 years, she has instructed yoga teachers on topics that include pre- and post-natal, back care, and yin yoga. Currently, she teaches prenatal, postnatal and private classes at Como Shambhala Urban Escape; Yin and Qigong for Canvass Yoga Studio; Qigong and yoga for fertility for Optimal Reproductive Health and Be Natural; and Private classes in yoga therapy specific for body rebuild after baby to avoid or support back issues postnatally.
Contact Sarah on 8161 9580, smanning@symys.com.
Ashley Davies | Sacred Funk Yoga
Ashley discovered yoga in 1998. Her journey continued with completion of her first 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2003 and then became a Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher in 2005. Recognising her passion, Ashley attended her second prenatal training in 2012 with Mindful Birth. She specialises in supporting and empowering women throughout their pregnancy, birth, and beyond. Since completing Level 1 & 2 Insight Yoga Training with Sarah Powers, she has also chosen to specialise in Yin Yoga. Ashley holds a psychology degree and has completed trainings in Vinyasa Yoga, Kids Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Reiki, and MBSR. Her studies will continue in 2020 as she pursues a Yoga Medicine Certification. With 20 years of experience, Ashley assumes the role of facilitator with grace, authenticity, and integrity. She teaches with the intention to inform as well as inspire, and her nurturing positive guidance creates a supportive space for students to explore their practice. Ashley is the proud mom of Connor (9) and Abigail (6), both born in Singapore. She started her business Sacred Funk in 2008 and, in January 2019, opened her boutique yoga studio, The Breathing Room.
Contact Ashley on 8112 5827, ashley@sacredfunk.com, www.sacredfunk.com, 422 Joo Chiat Rd, #03-01 Singapore 427642.
Nada Besir | Pure Movement Centre
As an embodied movement therapist for over 17 years, Nada draws from her global education in Pilates, Gyrotonic®, Nutritious Movement™ and Yoga teachings to facilitate the body into alignment, aiding in restoration and renewal. Teaching both private and group sessions from Core Collective Dempsey, Nada’s Prenatal Embodied Pilates Reformer classes are intimate and individualised for the mama to be. This mind body class aims to build strength, ease common pregnancy complaints, and teach movement and breath strategies in preparation for a positive birth experience and beyond. With three growing children of her own, two of them home births in Singapore, Nada’s adept knowledge in the rigors of birth, along with her pre and post-natal training in the UK and US, aims to prepare, educate and empower.
Contact Nada on 8499 4744, nada@puremovementcentre.sg, www.puremovementcentre.sg, 27A-30B/C Loewen Rd, Singapore 248839.
Inspire Mum & Babies
Inspire Mum & Baby is the only holistic centre with the widest choices for pre and postnatal mums to have better fitness and wellness. A women-centric centre, the prenatal clients can hop around different classes with the same package such as Aqua Pregnancy, easing tension in the water and relaxing the mind and body; Prenatal Yoga, providing gentle stretches and breathing techniques creating space needed for the growing baby; to Prenatal Couple Yoga for the couple to exercise and connect as a couple together; and Prenatal Pilates to strengthen the muscles needed from the increased weight and the changes of the postural dynamics. The postnatal exercises are fully customised and personalised to individual needs depending on whether a natural or caesarean birth. . The range of fitness classes help the mums to cover all aspects of their postnatal needs from cardio, to toning and stretching. Inspire Mum & Baby has assisted many postnatal mums on conditions such as pelvic pain and diastasis recti.
Contact the team on 9234 1866, info@inspiremumbaby.com, www.inspiremumbaby.com, 188-2 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 436990.
Anna Teh & Kaaveri M | Mother and Child
Mother and Child provides the most comprehensive support for expectant couples and new parents in Singapore, including prenatal and postnatal yoga, and prenatal and postnatal pilates. Their classes are gentle and controlled with specific postures dedicated to strengthening the body, sequencing of postures to improve circulation, and breathing techniques to encourage the body to relax and the mind to become quiet and focused. Furthermore, these friendly, easy going classes bring women together when they are undergoing the same emotional and physical changes, often far away from the support of their family and friends.
Contact the centre on 6836 0063, info@motherandchild.com.sg, www.motherandchild.com.sg, 163 Tanglin Road, #03-11 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933.
Amber Sawyer | Embodied Living
Pregnancy and postpartum can be such a potent time for a woman as she embraces change on every level of her being, as she steps towards the labyrinth of birth and motherhood, shedding who she is now in order to bring forth and take care of a new human being. Amber Sawyer, PhD, Founder of Embodied Woman Yoga, specialises in developing mindful and foundational yoga practices for expectant, new, and seasoned mothers, empowering them to find inner and outer alignment, connecting with their pelvic health, breath, body, mind and preparedness for birth and entry into postpartum. Currently, she serves as a birth assistant, teaches pre and postnatal yoga, as well as offers an Embodied Woman Prenatal and Postpartum Yoga Teacher Training biannually. Amber also founded the Embodied Woman Yoga Academy, which is a platform for courses, CEUs, Yoga Teacher Trainings and resources related to women’s health, particularly pregnancy and postpartum.
Contact Amber on 9635 9247, info@ambersawyer.com, www.ambersawyer.com.
]]>She’s standing there, looking at the ultrasound image and she says, nonchalantly, “Do you know you have a bicornuate uterus? It means you can’t have kids.” I don’t remember what happened in the haze of the next hour but, somehow, I paid and took myself back to the office, where my husband worked too. I do remember standing in the far corner of the lunch room trying to tell him what she’d told me. We may not have been trying right then, but we’d talked about it. We wanted a whole brood of kids; maybe even five. Our whole world keeled over.
The next six months were bleak. The second and third opinions had agreed with the first doctor - albeit in much kinder and gentler ways - but the message never wavered: if you try for ten years, you may get lucky. We talked about adoption. We talked about surrogacy. We talked about a lot of things.
I got the flu, but when it didn’t go away, I went to the GP and he did a bunch of tests. I was sitting on my couch, watching crappy TV and he called back with the test results: I was five weeks pregnant (and I guess I had some other kind of flu thing as well, but I honestly can’t remember anything else he said on the call). The feelings I had for the next seven months were amazing. Excitement (so excited I could barely sleep), nervousness, anxiety, and more excitement again. I had never felt that heady cocktail of emotions before, and even though I’ve had more babies since then, I’ve not felt it again.
There is a certain magic surrounding your first baby and it’s a gift.
If I think back to my expectation of motherhood during that first pregnancy, it was unrealistic - warped by my lack of exposure to the gritty reality of motherhood and child rearing, and compounded by my refusal to heed ‘outdated’ advice from well-meaning relatives. This expectation made the first six months of my son’s life that much harder for me. I was expecting the best days of my life - and I got them - but I should’ve also been expecting the worst. I had tethered my identity to an unattainable notion of what I believed motherhood to be, and when that idealistic facade was shattered - as it certainly was, over and over again - I questioned my entire identity and self worth.
If I could have a do-over, I’m sensible enough to admit that I would still be just as stubborn and advice-phobic. But what would really have made a big difference, would be to know where to go (or even to know that there was somewhere to go) during the hard times. I didn’t know that I should’ve seen a women’s health physio six weeks postpartum or that there were lactation consultants who would’ve happily come to my house. I didn’t know that a good osteopath can help with the baby’s reflux or that my Australian car seat wasn’t compatible with Singapore taxis.
What I hope this book will offer is help with all the questions and doubts; to provide you with the knowledge that there are people and organisations ready and waiting to help you. Even after three babies and two miscarriages, I’m not an expert in pregnancy, childbirth or newborns. But these experts exist, they’re in Singapore, and now they’re in this book.
In the following posts, you will find chapters on everything from medical professionals to car seat engineers (spoiler alert: that’s me, nowadays). Each chapter starts with a letter - to you - from one of the specialists, followed by a directory of the most-recommended specialists in that field. Rounding out each chapter is another letter written by one of my dear friends. This letter is written from a real mother, back in time to her younger self; to when she was expecting her first child.These letters are heartfelt reflections from mothers who had a really hard time when their babies were born; mothers who thrived in their new roles; and mothers who survived. This book is not here to preach to you, but just to be with you. By offering these intimate, honest and raw letters from real mothers, it is my sincere hope that you may identify with some of them, and not just absorb some of the advice they wish they’d received back then, but also settle into the knowledge that you are not alone in this. It takes a village to raise a child and your village is right here, ready when you are.
On that note, welcome to the (parent) ‘hood! It’s loud, it’s messy, but you’ll never want to leave.
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