Fazidah Abdul Latif, 29, executive in an insurance consulting firm:

Having seen a few cases where some children are closer to their maids or baby sitters instead of their own parents, I didn’t want this to happen to me. So I decided to breastfeed my children because I believe it will keep us close and I can provide the best for them.

I am currently exclusively breastfeeding Rizul (4 months old) and expressing breast milk for Rina (22 months old). My breastfeeding journey has not been smooth sailing since I have always had supply problems. It was during my first breastfeeding experience that I realised I needed a better breast pump, since the first pump didn’t seem to work very well and affected my milk supply.

However, financial constraints were a factor I had to consider since the second pump that I wanted to buy was very expensive. I recall how hubby almost jumped from his chair when he heard the price!

Through monthly savings, and by cutting down on whatever possible expenses, we managed to get the second breast pump before the arrival of my son Rizul. My hubby now agrees that I made the right investment.

I remember once receiving a notice from TNB, informing us that the power supply in our area would be cut off for eight hours. Hubby and I panicked, and started calling our friends, asking for space in their freezer to store my frozen breast milk. Fortunately, one of them was willing to help us. The night before the power supply was cut off, hubby started transporting 150ml of frozen breast milk in a basin filled with 3kg of ice. It was also raining that night, and instead of using the umbrella for himself, hubby used it to cover the basin!

Employers can support mothers by providing a refrigerator in the office. Though it requires additional expenses, in the end the company will also enjoy the benefits – healthy babies seldom fall ill, so employees will be more productive!