Being separated from your loved ones during lockdown situations can be distressing. What more a breastfeeding mother torn from her newborn.
Working mothers in Singapore found it difficult to travel home to care for their infants in Johor after Malaysia’s movement control order (MCO) came into place.
Coupled with work commitments and Singapore’s tightening of Covid-19 measures, they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Upon learning their situation, a Johor statesman stepped up right away.
Telling the mothers to pump their breast milk and freeze it, he made arrangements for the packaged ‘liquid gold’ to be sent to Malaysia via the Causeway.
An added perk: A transportation company helped to ferry the milk over, free of charge.
According to Johor state assemblyman Andrew Chan, they successfully sent around 2,000kg of breast milk across the Causeway on 28 Apr.
In his bilingual Facebook post, he shared that he fully understood breastfeeding was not easy. After all, he was a father of 3, and his wife had breastfed their kids.
With the MCO extension, many Malaysian mums working in Singapore are forced to separate from their families and kids.
Without support, they might feel demoralised. Let’s help and take care of each other.
According to Malaysian English daily The Star, Mr Chan had received calls from these mothers expressing their dilemmas.
As they continue to toil away in Singapore, he learnt that their children were staying with their father, grandparents, or a guardian.
Eventually, these hardworking mums found a way. They had to pump and freeze their breast milk so they can send it back home.
Mr Chan says,
It is important for the infants to get their mothers’ milk, for growth and stronger immune system.
A transportation company ferried the frozen breast milk from Singapore to Johor “without any costs.”
The breastfeeding journey is tougher than before due to Covid-19. Mothers separated from their children across the border must be feeling anxious, since they can’t hug, kiss, and even breastfeed them.
During such trying times, it’s good to see leaders coming out to support and encourage those in need.
Hopefully under such arrangements, working mothers in Singapore can continue to send their breast milk home.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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