Breastfeeding exclusively via latching for six months every single feed.
Exactly six months ago, I posted:
I'm thankful to the supportive people who allowed me to breastfeed exclusively via latching for six months every single feed.
Even though the Singapore government signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child... Singaporean mothers and Singaporean children continue to face various challenges in Singapore.
Breastfeeding:
"Babies who are breastfed are slightly more intelligent than those fed on formula. As babies, they are also less likely to get infections and, later in life, will have lower risk of obesity and diabetes. So say two obstetricians from Singapore General Hospital (SGH) who want to debunk the "widespread perception by physicians and the public alike that infant formula is the preferred choice in infant feeding"."
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/breastfed-babies-smarter-and-healthier-sgh-docs
However in Singapore, most mothers either have a low milk supply or totally no milk supply because Singapore is a stressful country with "over 160,000 people here are admitted to public hospitals as inpatients for stress-related illnesses every year, at an annual cost of around US$931 million. More than 11 million appointments are made with GPs here annually as a result of such illnesses, costing about US$1.1 billion. Over two million GP appointments each year were for chest pain driven by stress-related mental illness, and about 240,000 people were sent to the Accident and Emergency departments of hospitals for stress-related illnesses yearly."
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/singapore-spends-31-billion-on-stress-related-illnesses-annually-study
Breastfeeding exclusively:
Means not to feed the baby with water or formula milk.
However in Singapore, "close to half - 49 per cent - said they fed their babies a mix of breast milk and formula milk, while 45 per cent said they fed their babies only breast milk and water. The remaining 6 per cent did not breastfeed."
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/study-shows-mums-are-breastfeeding-longer
Breastfeeding exclusively via latching:
The challenge is to not pump breastmilk and feed the baby using bottle or use pacifier on them.
However in Singapore, "A study in 2011 by the Health Promotion Board found that less than 1 per cent of mothers were exclusively breastfeeding their babies for at least six months. The global average is 38 per cent."
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/breastfed-babies-smarter-and-healthier-sgh-docs
Breastfeeding exclusively via latching for six months:
In order to breastfeed exclusively via latching for six months, most mothers have to choose between compromising her child or her income.
According to the law in Singapore, "the first eight weeks' salary for a mother's first and second births will be paid by the employer. The last eight weeks will be reimbursed by the Government."
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/a-quick-guide-to-the-different-types-of-parenthood-leave-in-singapore
Breastfeeding exclusively via latching for six months every single feed:
The challenge is to have a support system that will give the mother emotional support during the day and physical support during the night, which is why it's important to have the father at home.
However in Singapore, "The take-up rate for paternity leave was 35 per cent last year (2018), compared with 53 per cent in 2017 and 47 per cent in 2016."
Singapore Management University sociologist Paulin Straughan said the low take-up rate among fathers could be partly due to traditional ideas about women as primary caregivers "It may also be about self-policing at the workplace. Some may not want to be absent too often in order to show they are committed and dedicated workers," she added.
Corporate leadership is another factor, said HR expert Erman Tan, former president of the Singapore Human Resources Institute. Mr Tan said: "It is about whether your bosses and peers are supportive of you or whether your colleagues make sarcastic remarks after you come back from leave."
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/parliament-6-in-10-dads-did-not-take-paternity-leave-last-year
Do you think the above reasons are why Singapore has the lowest birth rate in the whole world?
Or is it because we have the world's highest cost of living?
Is it because Singapore is the only country where the government earns profit from the lease of public housing by having about 50% allocated to "land cost"?
Or because Singapore is the only country where the government earns profit from our compulsory national insurance scheme because the premiums collected exceeds the payouts yearly?
Or because Singapore is the only country where the government earns profit from our pensions as the returns on our retirement fund is kept by the government and we only get as low as 2.5%?
Or what?
I'm thankful to the supportive people who allowed me to breastfeed exclusively via latching for six months every single feed.
Even though the Singapore government signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child... Singaporean mothers and Singaporean children continue to face various challenges in Singapore.
Breastfeeding:
"Babies who are breastfed are slightly more intelligent than those fed on formula. As babies, they are also less likely to get infections and, later in life, will have lower risk of obesity and diabetes. So say two obstetricians from Singapore General Hospital (SGH) who want to debunk the "widespread perception by physicians and the public alike that infant formula is the preferred choice in infant feeding"."
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/breastfed-babies-smarter-and-healthier-sgh-docs
However in Singapore, most mothers either have a low milk supply or totally no milk supply because Singapore is a stressful country with "over 160,000 people here are admitted to public hospitals as inpatients for stress-related illnesses every year, at an annual cost of around US$931 million. More than 11 million appointments are made with GPs here annually as a result of such illnesses, costing about US$1.1 billion. Over two million GP appointments each year were for chest pain driven by stress-related mental illness, and about 240,000 people were sent to the Accident and Emergency departments of hospitals for stress-related illnesses yearly."
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/singapore-spends-31-billion-on-stress-related-illnesses-annually-study
Breastfeeding exclusively:
Means not to feed the baby with water or formula milk.
However in Singapore, "close to half - 49 per cent - said they fed their babies a mix of breast milk and formula milk, while 45 per cent said they fed their babies only breast milk and water. The remaining 6 per cent did not breastfeed."
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/study-shows-mums-are-breastfeeding-longer
Breastfeeding exclusively via latching:
The challenge is to not pump breastmilk and feed the baby using bottle or use pacifier on them.
However in Singapore, "A study in 2011 by the Health Promotion Board found that less than 1 per cent of mothers were exclusively breastfeeding their babies for at least six months. The global average is 38 per cent."
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/breastfed-babies-smarter-and-healthier-sgh-docs
Breastfeeding exclusively via latching for six months:
In order to breastfeed exclusively via latching for six months, most mothers have to choose between compromising her child or her income.
According to the law in Singapore, "the first eight weeks' salary for a mother's first and second births will be paid by the employer. The last eight weeks will be reimbursed by the Government."
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/a-quick-guide-to-the-different-types-of-parenthood-leave-in-singapore
Breastfeeding exclusively via latching for six months every single feed:
The challenge is to have a support system that will give the mother emotional support during the day and physical support during the night, which is why it's important to have the father at home.
However in Singapore, "The take-up rate for paternity leave was 35 per cent last year (2018), compared with 53 per cent in 2017 and 47 per cent in 2016."
Singapore Management University sociologist Paulin Straughan said the low take-up rate among fathers could be partly due to traditional ideas about women as primary caregivers "It may also be about self-policing at the workplace. Some may not want to be absent too often in order to show they are committed and dedicated workers," she added.
Corporate leadership is another factor, said HR expert Erman Tan, former president of the Singapore Human Resources Institute. Mr Tan said: "It is about whether your bosses and peers are supportive of you or whether your colleagues make sarcastic remarks after you come back from leave."
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/parliament-6-in-10-dads-did-not-take-paternity-leave-last-year
Do you think the above reasons are why Singapore has the lowest birth rate in the whole world?
Or is it because we have the world's highest cost of living?
Is it because Singapore is the only country where the government earns profit from the lease of public housing by having about 50% allocated to "land cost"?
Or because Singapore is the only country where the government earns profit from our compulsory national insurance scheme because the premiums collected exceeds the payouts yearly?
Or because Singapore is the only country where the government earns profit from our pensions as the returns on our retirement fund is kept by the government and we only get as low as 2.5%?
Or what?
