KK Hospital leads the breastfeeding way.

In 1990, Dr Noel Leong, who by then was in KK Hospital, saw the importance of promoting breastfeeding in the hospital. I was invited to sit on the Breastfeeding Promotion Committee he initiated, which had the strong support of KK's Director of Nursing, Ms Lee Yoke Lan. To convince the hospital board that there was a necessity to promote breastfeeding, a baseline survey was conducted on mothers returning for their post-natal check-up at six weeks, to see how many were still breastfeeding. The shocking statistic of 2% left no doubt of the need. SBMG was invited to help train the KK nurses, and we took all the maternity ward nurses through our "Nurses' Contribution to Successful Bresastfeeding"in three batches, each comprising three ninety-minute sessions. The trainers were myself, Lynette Thomas and Yeo Soo Lan. The hospital's decision to take on Doris Fok in 1991 as Lactation Consultant was in line with this thrust. From counselling the mother on her first visit, the hospital increasingly put in place more supports to encourage breastfeeding. Seven years down the line, in 1997, KK Hospital conducted a year-long survey to find out how many babies were still breastfed at four months. The finding of 6.3% still feeding at four months was encouraging progress, though it also revealed how much more work lay ahead. KK Hospital has remained the centre where other hospitals send their nurses for lactation training.

Coming out of CASE as Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group (Singapore)

In 1989, CASE informed us of their intention to restructure, and suggested that the time had come for us to be an independent society. It was a time of floundering and soul-searching for us, as we pondered whether we were ready to go independent - a voluntary, non-profit group with no funding from anywhere to back us. We decided to take the step of faith. We were registered as Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group (Singapore) - BMSG(S) - on 19 January 1991. Looking back, independence was a great step forward for breastfeeding promotion. It enabled us to move ahead in an unprecedented way. BMSG(S) invited Dr Dixie Tan, former Member of Parliament, and herself a medical doctor with great interest in breastfeeding, to be our Patron. At BMSG(S)'s first Annual General Meeting in August 1991, Lynette Thomas became the first President of BMSG(S). To mark our new status, we organized an Inaugural Seminar for Healthcare Professionals, bringing in three speakers, the late Prof. Derrick Jelliffe, his wife, Prof. Patrice Jelliffe, both from the University of California, USA; and Dr Neil Campbell, Director of Neonatology, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. Dr Mark Belsey, Chief of Maternal and Child Health, of WHO, Switzerland, who was here as a speaker for the FIGO Congress, addressed the Seminar as a fourth speaker. This landmark seminar was the first of several more BMSG(S) organized in succeeding years, to bring breastfeeding expertise into Singapore to address our doctors and nurses. This had never been done before.

1st EXCO of BMSG(S), elected March 1991. Standing (L-R) - Faridah Menion, Selina Gomes, Wong Mei Kwun, Bridget Goom, Lyneet Thomas [President] & Marianne Srinivasan. Front (L-R) - Debbie Woodford, Yeo Soo Lan, Doris Fok & Wan Siew Kwun.

New aspects of BMSG(S) work.

Independence gave us funds from membership subscriptions which we could use for breastfeeding promotion. Membership profile also changed. Our membership now included not only breastfeeding mothers, but husbands, nurses and even doctors who wanted to underline their support for breastfeeding. Farida Menon initiated the setting up of product outlets where we sold our handbooks, breast pumps and other breastfeeding-related products. In more recent years, breastfeeding blouses and tee-shirts, and sarong sling baby carriers have been popular items. These were excellent avenues to meet and counsel mothers who came to buy products. Outlets were run by BMSG(S) counsellors who volunteered their time and space at home for the convenience of mothers. BMSG(S) has maintained up to five outlets at different locations at various times. These outlets also brought in useful income for the Group. The early 1990s was also the period when we had meetings for members and their friends at a zonal level. BMSG(S) also helped train the first batch of counsellors for Joyful Parenting.

President Lynette Thomas speaking at BMSG(S) Inaugural seminar in September 1991

BMSG(S) Booth at Healthy Living - Mums, Babies & Children 1991 Exhibition at IMM Building.

World Breastfeeding Week Seminar in August 1994