Events and Info on World Breastfeeding Week (1- 7 August 2022)

1 August 2022 marks the start of World Breastfeeding Week. Here’s how to celebrate breastfeeding in Singapore with other mamas and families!

World Breastfeeding Week 2022 runs from 1 – 7 August 2022! This annual celebration and awareness campaign highlights the benefits of breastfeeding in 170 countries across the globe – including Singapore. The theme for World Breastfeeding Week 2022 is Step Up For Breastfeeding, which is all about breastfeeding education and support. And on the note of educating yourself don’t miss our FREE Sassy Mama Expert Chat with Osler Health International: Breastfeeding 101 to learn everything you wanted to know about breastfeeding but were afraid to ask!

As ever, we feel it’s important to highlight all the ways you can celebrate breastfeeding (and seek out support on your own journey) here in the Little Red Dot. Breastfeeding can be absolutely wonderful and rewarding, but it can also be challenging, isolating and demoralising; this annual celebration is a fab way for mamas to enhance their support system and know that they are part of an important worldwide movement. Stay tuned as we share other breastfeeding stories from mamas in Singapore throughout the week, including the all-important question: How do you know when it’s the right time to STOP breastfeeding?

Read More: All About Breastfeeding in Singapore – Expert Tips, Best Gear & Accessories

Breastfeeding Events in Singapore

Breastfeeding 101: Sassy Mama Expert Chat X Osler Health International

Get ready for everything you wanted to know about breastfeeding (but were afraid to ask!). Whether you’re expecting and thinking about breastfeeding or currently breastfeeding, this Sassy Mama Expert Chat is for you! In our live discussion and Q&A with Dr. Trisha Upadhyaya from Osler Health International, she’ll discuss valuable pointers such as nutritional benefits and current breastfeeding recommendations, how to get that perfect latch, troubleshooting common breastfeeding woes like low and oversupply, cracked nipples and pain, tongue and lip tie, blocked ducts, engorgement, mastitis and more. Plus there will be a chance for your questions at the end.

Date: 25 August 2022
Time: 11:30am – 12:15pm
Where: Online. You will receive a Zoom link once you have registered.
Price: FREE!

RESERVE SEAT NOW

WIN a Breast Pump from Cimilre (worth up to $249)

It’s no secret that breast milk provides baby with plenty of nutritious benefits – a message that’s central to World Breastfeeding Week. This year, to celebrate, we are giving away two breast pumps from Cimilre– a Free-T2 Plus Smart Wearable Pump ($189) and the S6 Plus (S6+) Pump ($249)! Founded in 1999 by Uzin Medicare (also the brains behind Spectra), Cimilre hails from Korea and has been one of the most reliable brands for breast pumps for at least two decades. Want to win their Free-T2 Plus Smart Wearable Pump ($189 or their S6 Plus (S6+) Pump ($249)? Join our giveaway for a chance to win!

Breastfeeding Mothers Support Group

Breastfeeding Mothers Support Group has an event “Just Breastfeed Lah!” to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week (WBW)  in conjunction with National Day! There will be yoga for mums and bubs, vendors of family-friendly brands for shopping, a children’s art jam and quiet play corner (throughout the event!), discussions led by a breastfeeding family, and breastfeeding counselling on-site.
When: 6 August 2022, 10am – 1pm
Where: SCWO, 96 Waterloo St
How much: $5 (per adult, kids are free). Register here.

World Breastfeeding Week – Webinar

Alexandra Hospital is holding a World Breastfeeding Week Webinar bringing together a group of lactation consultants, neonatologists and nurses to educate and empower the wider community, mothers and their families on the benefits and joys of breastfeeding.

When: Saturday 13 August 2022, 2-4pm
Where: Online
How much: Register here.

Breastfeeding in the News

The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) has updated its breastfeeding guidelines – its last update to said guidelines was in 2012. Now, the AAP supports “continued breastfeeding until two years or beyond, as mutually desired by mother and child”. The update is in line with WHO guidelines, too, as WHO has recommended breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond for several years now.

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has added new challenges and stresses to the experience of new motherhood. On the bright side, research indicates that the coronavirus cannot be transmitted via breastmilk, as babies and young children seem to be at low risk for contracting COVID-19 in general. As the WHO puts it, “mothers should be counselled that the benefits of breastfeeding substantially outweigh the potential risks for transmission.”

According to UNICEF, “Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies and protects them against illness. UNICEF says “Mothers who get coronavirus shortly before giving birth and begin breastfeeding, and those who become infected while breastfeeding, will produce immune factors (antibodies) in their milk to protect their baby and enhance the baby’s own immune responses. This means that continuing to breastfeed is the best way to fight the virus and protect your baby. If a mother does fall ill with symptoms of fever, cough or difficulty breathing, she should seek medical care early, and follow instructions from a health care provider. Nursing mamas who have Covid-19 should adhere to “The 3 Ws” to practice safe and proper hygiene while breastfeeding:

–Wear a mask during feeding
–Wash hands with soap before and after touching baby
–Wipe and disinfect surfaces regularly

These best practices of course apply to formula feeding as well. We know it’s stressful, mamas, but just remember that nursing your babies gives them the absolute best immunity protection possible. In the meantime, you definitely deserve a cookie.

The Best Nursing Rooms to Breastfeed in Singapore

First off, if you’re nervous about breastfeeding out of the house, mama, be sure to check out our 6 P’s to Ensure Success Breastfeeding in Public. It’ll ease your mind to have a plan beforehand, and we promise: it gets a little bit easier every time!

In our experience, the ability to nurse in peace goes a long way toward establishing a successful breastfeeding relationship. We also know that hunger can strike babies anytime, anywhere, so it’s key to know where you can find a cool, quiet place on the go. We scoured the island for The Best Nursing Rooms in Singapore and put together a photo slideshow of our top 10 pics, and also listed out all the other rooms on the island that we could find info for. Be sure to check it out, mamas, and let us know if there’s something we missed!

Lactation Consultants in Singapore

Breastfeeding might be the most natural thing in the world, but it often doesn’t feel that way when you’re doing it for the first time! So many mamas all over Singapore have raved about the difference a lactation consultant can make, whether it’s helping your baby get a good latch, identifying issues like tongue ties, or giving you pumping strategies to stimulate milk flow. Check out our directory for a list of lactation consultants in Singapore, or look to other resources like Stork’s Nest Singapore, the Breastfeeding Mothers Support Group or La Leche League Singapore.

Speaking of Stork’s Nest, if you’re pregnant or just starting on your breastfeeding journey, you will DEFINITELY want to check out these 15 Things to Know About Breastfeeding (Before You Breastfeed), courtesy of Stork’s Nest’s amazing founder, Jani Combrink!

You Got This, Mama!

However your breastfeeding journey goes, mama, we hope that it’s a smooth and positive experience for you and your bub. If you’re nervous about continuing it when you return to work, be sure to check out our Expert Tips on Breastfeeding When You Return to Work, which will give you the best chance for continued success. You can also read other mamas’ stories, from a recent recollection about the ups and downs of breastfeeding twins to another mama’s humorous struggles with insane nipple pain.