I believe rooming in with mum and insisting that the mum bf (is she’s well enough) will help with making bf successful. Not guaranteed, but will help. With Leonard, I was conned. The doctor said I most likely don’t have milk so it’s best to feed him formula first. I shouldn’t have believed him bcos I’ve read the LLC Womanly Art of Breastfeeding already, and babies can go without milk the first day, and most babies instinctively know how to suckle. But being scared (don’t know why I should be scared, bodoh!) I trusted him.

The hospital in Melaka doesn’t allow rooming in bcos they scared of baby snatching. With Laurenz (#3) I insisted that he be breastfed and that the nurses bring him in each time he cries. Lucas #2 was too sleepy (or lazy) and didn’t want to suck at all.

I was in a twin-bedded room all 3 times, and all 3 times my neighbours had c-section! Generally newborns drink, pee/poop, and then sleep most of the time. So they won’t disturb anybody. It’s the whole kampung troop visitors that makes the noise. I’ve seen them in GHs.

-Mom to Leonard (17/05/00), Lucas (28/11/01) and Laurenz (21/06/03).