In Norway 99% of new mums are breastfeeding when they leave hospital, 3-4 months later 90% are still breastfeeding.
The World Health Organisation says Norway supplemented public information with new measures to allow women a year's maternity leave on 80% pay, extensive support to help them succeed at breastfeeding, a total ban on infant formula advertising and allowances for mums once they returned to work to take protected breaks in order to breastfeed. - BBC News
I wish the Brunei Government would do the same. For all the talk talk talk about how important breastfeeding is to the Ministry of Health. I don’t see that much action being implemented. I took Aydin to Ripas and he was hungry to be told there wasn’t any space where I could feed him. Luckily Pijah found their Health Education room empty and shut myself in and fed him. When really the male nurses should have suggested that to me instead of unhelpfully telling me ‘No’. You may be men but if you're a nurse, I expect better professionalism from you.
In the private sector, very few stores make it easy to breast feed while you’re out and about with the baby. Only Hua Ho Mall in Manggis has a dedicated Breastfeeding room. I haven’t let this deter me though. I have publicly breastfed Aydin in Dynasty, Emperor’s Court, Escapade, Tandoor.com, Rangmahal, anywhere is feasible really as long as there is chair and I have a pashmina to drape over me. Mothercare has some brilliant discreet nursing tops but I have improvised with a pashmina to great effect.
I salute that lady I saw breastfeeding in Mothercare, shirt hiked up exposing postnatal belly and baby stuck to her chest, nonchalantly inspecting a stroller in the shop window. More power to you lady!
Workwise I have been lucky that we have a proper Mother’s Room with chair, fridge, sink and sterilizer, converted out of a cleaner’s area. I seriously question whether there are any other employers in Brunei (the government included here) that do as much to facilitate their lactating employees. I know of ladies who take discreet breaks making use of empty offices and meeting rooms to pump and I salute them too. You make do where you can.
Its us, the Mums, who have to make our situations work for us to keep on breastfeeding when the situations around us do not often make it easy. Maybe we should get together and petition everywhere to make the facilities commonplace, instead of a rarity.
I wish the Brunei Government would do the same. For all the talk talk talk about how important breastfeeding is to the Ministry of Health. I don’t see that much action being implemented. I took Aydin to Ripas and he was hungry to be told there wasn’t any space where I could feed him. Luckily Pijah found their Health Education room empty and shut myself in and fed him. When really the male nurses should have suggested that to me instead of unhelpfully telling me ‘No’. You may be men but if you're a nurse, I expect better professionalism from you.
In the private sector, very few stores make it easy to breast feed while you’re out and about with the baby. Only Hua Ho Mall in Manggis has a dedicated Breastfeeding room. I haven’t let this deter me though. I have publicly breastfed Aydin in Dynasty, Emperor’s Court, Escapade, Tandoor.com, Rangmahal, anywhere is feasible really as long as there is chair and I have a pashmina to drape over me. Mothercare has some brilliant discreet nursing tops but I have improvised with a pashmina to great effect.
I salute that lady I saw breastfeeding in Mothercare, shirt hiked up exposing postnatal belly and baby stuck to her chest, nonchalantly inspecting a stroller in the shop window. More power to you lady!
Workwise I have been lucky that we have a proper Mother’s Room with chair, fridge, sink and sterilizer, converted out of a cleaner’s area. I seriously question whether there are any other employers in Brunei (the government included here) that do as much to facilitate their lactating employees. I know of ladies who take discreet breaks making use of empty offices and meeting rooms to pump and I salute them too. You make do where you can.
Its us, the Mums, who have to make our situations work for us to keep on breastfeeding when the situations around us do not often make it easy. Maybe we should get together and petition everywhere to make the facilities commonplace, instead of a rarity.
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