Winner: Beryl Tan
Beryl Tan was nominated by Katharina (breastfeeding mother):
Beryl is a strong advocate for breastfeeding and gives others confidence in what she does.
It was my first few Mum 2 Mum meet ups (BMSG’s breastfeeding support meetings) and we happened to walk together and it was during the time when I was still on the fence on whether to leave the workforce or stay even when work was starting to take a toll on my breastfeeding journey.
She made me realise that breastfeeding mothers see the world differently and that was the pull I needed that I wanted to be surrounded by similar minded women. It was less than a 30 minute chat but it made a huge impact in me that I, too, wanted to be an advocate for breastfeeding women.
Eventually, I signed up to become a breastfeeding counsellor with BMSG.
Shortlisted Nominees:
- Dr Mythili Pandi (2nd from left)
- Nur Ain Basir (centre)
Dr Mythili Pandi was nominated by Esther Han (fellow BMSG counsellor):
Dr Mythili is the lead trainer of BMSG, who makes sure that the group stays updated on information and that we are adequately trained to counsel others. As a lead trainer, she is inspiring!
On a separate event, I came down with shingles when my second born was 3 months old due to a very stressful and difficult period during that time. The lesions were on my chest and near the breasts but not on the aerola. I was still breastfeeding my 3 month old baby and was at a loss if I should continue to feed (her) directly. I saw a GP who advised me to play safe and to try avoiding being in close contact with my baby. I then shared my situation with the group of BMSG counsellors.
Despite her busy schedule, Dr Mythili very kindly reached out to me promptly and privately to share some advice. This caught me by surprise as I really did not expect her to do this for me. I was enlightened and comforted by her advice, and it significantly helped me to get through the challenging episode of coming down with shingles while breastfeeding.
Nur Ain Basir was nominated by her friend Fadhilah:
Ain provided advice on how to increase my milk supply when my milk supply decreased. She also shared pumping and breastfeeding techniques with me. She always provided advice on food intake to help increase my milk supply. Her support has humbled me greatly.
