Sebanyak 200 bungkusan berjaya dikumpulkan, iaitu hadiah pelbagai ukuran yang didermakan oleh ahli. Ia diberikan kepada 130 ibu di PPUM, manakala hadiah selebihnya diberikan kepada jururawat di Wad PICU sebagai tanda penghargaan dan peringatan di atas sumbangan mereka serta bersempena dengan Hari Jururawat Sedunia pada 12 Mei lalu.

Chan berkata pihaknya mengalu-alukan penyertaan ibu dari seluruh Malaysia dan juga Singapura termasuk ibu yang belum hamil kerana adalah penting untuk setiap wanita mengetahui kepentingan dan kebaikan susu ibu walaupun mereka belum mempunyai cahaya mata serta pihaknya bercadang mengambil kursus kaunseling penyusuan ibu yang sah supaya ahli kumpulan MyMomsBest mempunyai pengetahuan formal mengenai penyusuan ibu. Apabila disahkan mendapat latihan formal, mereka berharap dapat menyebarkan pengetahuan itu kepada ibu lain.

“Untuk tujuan ini, kami berharap akan mendapat sokongan dan kerjasama dari Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia bagi memberikan pengajaran khusus untuk kumpulan sokongan ini. Bagaimanapun, MyMomsBest belum dapat mewujudkan talian am untuk ibu yang berminat kerana ia memerlukan perancangan teliti. Tambahan pula, kami menjalankan kerja amal ini secara sukarela.

“Kadang kala ibu yang baru lepas bersalin memerlukan rakan atau saudara mara di sisi. Kami sedar mereka mungkin jauh dari keluarga atau tiada saudara mara, jadi MyMomsBest bertanggungjawab memberikan sokongan moral kepada mereka yang memerlukan. Malah ada doktor yang meminta pertolongan kami untuk membantu meyakinkan kaum ibu yang ada di hospital untuk mengendalikan cara memerah susu dan kebaikan menyusukan bayi mereka,” kata Chan.

Kepada ibu yang berminat mengetahui lebih lanjut mengenai kumpulan sokongan itu, layari www.mymomsbest.com dan untuk menjadi ahli, anda boleh mendaftar di www.mymomsbest.com/forum .

Tiada sebarang bayaran untuk menjadi ahli kumpulan sokongan MyMomsBest dan hingga kini mereka mengadakan tabung derma di kalangan ahli sekiranya akan menjalankan kerja amal sebanyak dua atau tiga kali setahun. Malah, ahli turut menyumbang masa mengendalikan forum di mana soal jawab berkenaan penyusuan ibu dan keibubapaan dijalankan di talian jaring. Belanja perkhidmatan laman web pula dibiayai sepenuhnya oleh Chan dan Phang.

©New Straits Times (M) Berhad

News from Berita Harian

News archived from Berita Harian dd 16 June 2004

http://www.bharian.com.my/m/BHarian/Wednesday/Keluarga/20040616082554/Article/

Galakan ibu susukan bayi melalui internet
Oleh Shaidah Shafie

KEPENTINGAN dan khasiat susu ibu tidak dapat dinafikan. Selain mengeratkan perhubungan ibu dan anak, ia mengandungi beberapa jenis zat antaranya kaya protein, laktosa, zat besi, kalsium, fosfat serta enzim khusus menghadam lemak dan sumber air mencukupi bagi bayi.

Menyedari kepentingan susu ibu, ada ibu berasa bertanggungjawab mempergiatkan kempen menyusukan bayi. Malah, bermula daripada kesedaran itu juga menjadi punca kepada penubuhan Kumpulan Sokongan Ibu-ibu Yang Menyusukan Anak dan kini dikenali sebagai MyMomsBest.

MyMomsBest ditubuhkan pada 10 Oktober 2003 dan berhubungan giat sesama ahli melalui internet. Individu yang bertanggungjawab membangunkan laman web kumpulan ini ialah Lilian Chan dan Phang SS.

Chan berkata, MyMomsBest mempunyai lebih daripada 200 ahli, iaitu pelbagai kaum, agama dan latar belakang kerjaya. Ringkasnya, kumpulan sokongan ini menekankan sifat muhibah di kalangan ahlinya.

Chan, ibu kepada lima cahaya mata lelaki dan berasal dari Pulau Pinang turut mengendalikan laman web (http://www.geocities.com/malaysianmomshare) untuk ibu-bapa yang kehilangan anak (meninggal dunia) dan anak yang mengalami sakit kritikal. Ini kerana beliau sendiri berpengalaman menjaga anaknya, Vincent — yang dilahirkan tidak cukup bulan dan menyusukan bayi itu.

Justeru, bersandarkan pada pengalaman dan pengetahuan mengenai kepentingan susu ibu, MyMomsBest adalah kesungguhan Chan untuk mengajak ibu menangani permasalahan yang mungkin dihadapi oleh banyak lagi ibu lain.

My Mom’s Best was created with the main objective to encourage and promote breastfeeding and informed parenting.

Themed “Parenting with a Heart,” the website has informative articles by paediatricians, obstetrician-gynaecologists, lactation consultants and other medical professionals.

The website also has an interactive forum for all mothers to share childcare and breastfeeding tips aside from interesting and heart-warming stories from mothers and a lot more. It originated in Penang about a year ago, with co-founder Chan Lilian at its helm. From a handful of members, it now has over 100 mothers and fathers who exchange ideas, thoughts and tips via the Internet.

“Before today, I have never met many of these mothers; most of us know each other through the Internet.

“But it is nice to see that all over the country, we are all of the same mind and heart when it comes to giving our best to our children,” Chan said.

Sitting long hours alone while watching over a sick child in hospital can be a lonely and difficult experience, especially when wrestling a gamut of emotions from anxiety to frustration and fear.

Aware of this, a group of empathising mothers turned up at UMMC to show their support and presented little gifts to Siti and other mothers on Mother’s Day.

“I was not expecting this at all. It is very nice to be remembered by other mums,” said Siti.

The thoughtful visitors were members of the breastfeeding support group from My Mom’s Best, a parenting website for Malaysians.

One of the website’s members, who wants to be known only as Ibu Yong Sen, had a child who was in the intensive care unit for nine months. Through her, the support group learnt that mothers of long-term patients were making small gifts to surprise the mothers in other wards on Mother’s Day.

The support group hence decided to initiate a gift-giving event on this special day to show all the mothers who have children in hospital that they were remembered by other mothers who care and wish to share in their worries and burdens for a little while.

The group visited four wards, from a general ward to the surgery ward, to cheer up other mothers, sharing news and anecdotes with thankful strangers as if they were old friends and bringing many smiles to them.

While the intensive care unit was very solemn, the mood at the general ward for children was a little more upbeat as recuperating children made friends with one another and even showed each other what gifts they had received.

There were plenty of gifts to go around, and the remainder was given to the nurses at the wards.

“We would also like to thank the nurses for their help as well,” said a member, adding that May 12 was International Nurses Day.

STAR METRO – Central Edition

Monday, May 10, 2004
Group showers fellow mums with gifts and support
By GOH EE KOON

IT IS mid-morning on May 9, and for Siti Zubaidah Adli, this is her first experience celebrating Mother’s Day as a parent. But unlike so many mothers who will be preparing to go out for lunch or receiving presents from their families, Siti is spending it by the bedside of her first child in University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).

Five-day-old Aby Daniel Hakim was born three days early. Minutes after his delivery, Siti, 29, was told by the nurses that he had breathing difficulties. The immediate decision was to hook the infant up with respiratory tubes and to put him in the paediatric ward’s intensive care unit.

For the first few days of his life, Aby struggled to overcome the respiratory problems, while his mother was on tenterhooks waiting for the worst to be over.

Happily, that obstacle has passed and as Siti recuperates in the hospital, she watches over Aby daily as his condition stabilises.

“The worst is over and he is okay now,” Siti told Star Metro, adding, “I only want the best for my son.”

What are their future plans?

Phang says:  Well, simply to do more to promote breastfeeding. As we already have over 40 members, we are in the midst of splitting into two smaller groups. Though Lilian and I will be active in both groups, we are preparing a new leader to lead a smaller group so that each member s needs are met.

 Other than getting the corporate sector to take part in our gatherings, some members are interested to become breastfeeding counsellors. So I am helping to enquire about the necessary training needed. Who knows, if there are enough members, we might eventually be able to visit hospitals to encourage breastfeeding amongst new mothers!

Sheela Jayaraj, 34, of Klang, a mother of two boys, was invited to join the online Malaysian nursing mums website in February after writing to Chan.

 We are all mums who are very passionate about breastfeeding and raising our children in a loving and healthy environment. We support one another and try to meet once in a while to discuss various subjects. Our children also get to play with one another, she says.

The online group is beneficial to new mothers who are trying to breastfeed their newborns.  Many new mums give up easily if they have no support from anyone. There is no one to guide them on how to get the baby to latch on correctly or how to build up her milk supply, says Sheela.

 Experienced mothers can also transfer a wealth of information and knowledge to new mothers via the Net. Working mothers who wish to breastfeed can learn how to express milk so that caregivers can give breast milk to the babies, she says.

Members don t just discuss topics on breastfeeding but also share their thoughts on topics like cooking, hobbies and problems in their lives.

 It is a wonderful website and I have never looked back since I joined, Sheela says.  It has definitely changed my life for the better as I have caring friends from all walks of life to support and cheer me up when I am feeling blue.

Chan Hui Min, 35, a mother of two and a homemaker, thinks the online breastfeeding group is  fabulous because mothers no longer feel that distance is a hindrance to communicating with one another.

 We have mums in Malacca, Muar and Batu Pahat who have no access to lactation consultants. The group provides peer support based on our own experiences. Other than know-how support, we also give moral support to nursing mums and mums-to-be, she says.

 Since members are women from diverse backgrounds and cultures, we have been able to get different perspectives on subjects that are brought up for discussion.

With Christmas and the New Year around the corner, I know lots of parents will be looking forward to share their babies and children photos in a personalized e-card. What can be more adorable and charming than to send our cute little babies photos to show our friends while sending them the season’s greetings?

Now you can easily do that with Neslac Excella Gold e-Photo Wishes. I have tried out the online site to make my own e-card using my little boy’s photo. What I need to do is to upload a photo, choose the type of design I want and click to send to all my friends.

They have made it much easier whereby you can link your Facebook account and select friends from Facebook.

If you remember, I have blogged about the baby milk, Neslac Excella Gold Excellence Begins Young website where you can do a lot of other things like checking your child’s development, play the games with your child and also many other things such as asking the experts regarding your child’s growth. So, head over to the Neslac Excella Gold Excellence Begins Young website and start making your own greeting cards.

Do you know that you can win prizes as well? They are running a contest where the person who sends the most e-cards will win the weekly prize of RM 200 shopping voucher. They are giving away 5 prizes each week. So, grab it while you can because the campaign runs from 1st December 2009 till 8th February 2010. This period fits in nicely with Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year too.

Happy Holidays to all the mommies out there. It is the school holidays so keep your child occupied with lots of games and fun! But remember to keep them strong and healthy with lots of good, nutritious foods and drinks too, ya?

Same interests

Founder of the website, Phang Sze Sze with her 15-month-old son, William Tan. Says Phang: “If there are enough members, we might eventually be able to visit hospitals to encourage breastfeeding amongst new mothers.”

Those in the support group are always looking for ways to provide the best for their children. They read books and magazines, surf the Internet and make friends with other mothers to gain more information.

Chan says:  Communication is just a click away. Without having to spend valuable time to travel, we enjoy a close friendship via e-mail.

The group is not like sponsored links such as the United States-based BabyCenter or iVillage because it does not intend to provide resources like them. Instead, it prefers to provide a more personal touch by reaching out to mothers on a one-to-one basis.

 It is more comfortable and useful to communicate with mothers from the same culture because we are talking about things peculiar to Malaysians. Also, in times of trouble, we lend an ear to the member and in good times, we cheer her on, says Chan.

As the group s founder, Phang shares her experiences in breastfeeding, expressing breast milk and parenting. Other than welcoming new members, she also helps some of them get in touch with professional bodies that can help with women s health or breastfeeding via the group s own resources and contacts. She also organises gatherings for members to have some fun and socialise.

 As I hold a full-time job, Lilian has been a great help in signing up new members, says Phang, mother of 15-month-old William Tan.

 And it helps that she s older and wiser in many ways and she has played an important role in sharing some funny and kind motherly thoughts through her witty style of writing.

Members of the group living in the Klang Valley have so far met twice. Meetings are informal and the women let their children play with one another and strike up friendships.

She says:  Some of the dishes we prepare for our gatherings comprise ingredients that help to boost milk production. In future, we plan to invite representatives from companies, like those selling breast pumps, to join us and perhaps hold talks related to breastfeeding.

The Star Online > Features

Thursday, July 31, 2003

For the love of the child

By MAJORIE CHIEW

In conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week which begins tomorrow, MAJORIE CHIEW checks out an online breastfeeding support group.

YOU are raring to be the perfect mother and totally breastfeed your baby because you have read all about the benefits of mother s milk, but suddenly you discover that reading about it is totally different from actually doing it. And the books do not provide solutions to breastfeeding problems, such as when the baby is not suckling well or the so-called lack of milk production.

Well, don t just wave the white flag and reach out for the bottle of formula milk. If you are determined enough to breastfeed successfully, help is just a few clicks on the mouse away.

There is a new online breastfeeding support group for all mothers and mums-to-be who are interested in breastfeeding: msian_ nursing_mom. The group, founded by Phang Sze Sze on Feb 10, started with just 12 members. To date, the membership is about 40 and still growing.

Members of the online breastfeeding support group and their babies at a gathering.

It all started when Chan Lilian, a mother of five sons, wrote an article entitled Working at breastfeeding (StarTwo, Jan 29). It sparked off some interest and several women, including Phang, contacted her. During their discussions, the idea of setting up an online support group for breastfeeding mums was mooted.

Penang-based Chan says:  As I have experience in setting up my own online grief support group, I suggested to Phang to start the support group because there are mothers who are keen to know one another’s problems. By word of mouth and through the link with the myhome4work website, membership grew.

The members are a multi-racial mix and include a few Malaysians abroad and an expatriate in Malaysia. They comprise full-time homemakers, working mothers and a few working women who are pursuing further education.

 Phang and I devote time to run this group out of interest in breastfeeding. There is no commercial gain or any other motive. We are not affiliated with anyone. Our mission is to provide an avenue for Malaysian mums to get and exchange information for the benefit of their children, says Chan.

 We vet through every application and each potential member has to write a short introduction about herself before she is admitted. This is to sieve out pranksters. Though the group is all about breastfeeding, we always ensure that every member feels comfortable in this friendly, interactive group, says Chan.

 Our main concern is to help members who may not have been successful in their attempts to breastfeed. We want to provide peer support in every area related to bringing up children. So far, we have discussed issues on car seat safety, dealing with sibling jealousy, weaning and starting babies on solids.