Now, Moe, the lady behind Brunei's first online motherhood and breastfeeding specialty store, has taken it further to obtain certification to teach and counsel soon-to-be or new mothers.

So, Moe, you're now a CLEC. What does that mean exactly?

Well, as you know, I have been pro-breastfeeding and have always been counselling other mothers out there the benefits of breastfeeding.

This certification basically equips me with more knowledge and authority to conduct breastfeeding classes (both ante natal and post natal), one-to-one counselling sessions for parents-to-be, support in basic breastfeeding techniques, tandem nursing and concerns relating to breastfeeding.

Becoming certified is one of the first steps towards enabling me to practice as a professional moving forward. With this certification, I am able to help mothers understand, educate and share updated and evidence-based information, in hope that more mothers will be empowered with the proper knowledge of breastfeeding.

Erm, MS RN IBCLC?

Hahaha. Those letters just mean that she has the qualifications to be an expert on lactation. IBCLC stands for International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, which Virginia has been a member on since 1993.

Virginia has worked in several hospitals in the States during her 25 year career. Currently, she works as a Lactation Consultant in Sharp Mary Birch Woman's Hospital, as a Lactation Consultant, attending to High Risk Perinatal Breastfeeding. She's a grandmother of 2 beautiful grandsons

So, I had learnt a lot from her, through her vast experience.

Once again, you awe me with your passion and dedication. Now that you are a CLEC, any plans for the future?

Well, when you feel strongly about something, the dedication just comes naturally.

And for the future, Dot Dot's Little Shop will be looking into the possibility of conducting some breastfeeding classes during the second half of the year. I also hope to support young mothers via home visits and collaboration with the local hospitals, MCH (Mother & Child Health Centers) and JPMC. Possibly, one day, we hope to participate as a speaker in health promotion talks to reach  to other mothers.

Of course, we continue to accept inquiries via email on breastfeeding and one-to-one meeting, if needed, to further assess the situation. We also continue to obtain breastfeeding support materials, such as breastmilk storage essentials and books on breastfeeding amongst others.

Sounds like a very productive year ahead for you now that you have your lactation counselling credentials! Lastly, mind giving some advice to pregnant women and new mothers on the subject of breastfeeding?

Oh, I'm more than happy to share some of what I had learnt during the programme.

Did you know that until the 19th century, it is normal for breastfeeding to go beyond the age of 3, sustaining until about the age of 7? But as the world became more industrialized, the duration of breastfeeding lasted for no longer than 2 years. Subsequently in the mid sixties, where formula milk was just beginning to make its debut, breastfeeding rates started to decline as formula feeding was now the "in" thing.

I recall stories from women of that generation that, formulas were introduced to mothers as a form of alternative nutrition, and also it was "easier" for both mother and child. Cultural discrepencies were also contributing to early infant death, whereby honey is being introduced to infants (often under the age of 1 year old) as supplement. The infant's stomach is not mature enough to have its digestive acids kill the botulism spores found naturally in the honey, and thus resulting in early "unexplained" infant deaths.

With the rise of infant mortality (especially in third world countries), WHO had came up with a Breastfeeding Code , whereby it states that infants should only receive no other nutrition than breastmilk exclusively for the first 6 months of life and continued on until the age of 2 (and beyond), if possible.

And the fact is, the benefits of the human milk is vast, and compared to artificial baby milk (formula), nothing can beat the live antibodies that comes in human milk.

From my quick interview above, you can see that Dot Dot's Little Shop goes the mile towards enforcing the culture of long-term breastfeeding. I am truly impressed by the level of dedication, and it's a source of inspiration for me.

Young mothers or mothers-to-be are able to learn more on how to care for their babies from another mother, which many of Dot Dot's Little Shop customers and clients appreciate.

Here's are some of their own words:-

"...thanks so much for your tips and advices :)) it helped me alot and reduced my anxiety hehe you're just amazing moe! breastfeeding is indeed not easy at all but it makes everything worthwhile when i look into Belle's eyes ♥ what an amazing feeling! ..."

"...Hi, I just discovered your website and found out that this is the website that all Bruneian new mothers should have. The knowledge of breastfeeding is still quite limited in Brunei as they opt for formula for several reasons. I really find ur website useful and would like to say congratulation for doing such a great job!!! Keep up the good work!!..."

"...Well done with helping the lady in Lumut with breastfeeding!! That's really great - must be so satisfying to see a great result and thanks to you that little baby will be getting the best nutrition it can get. I bet the mother is so happy too...all the problems she had can put you off breastfeeding so easily. You will be an awesome lactation consultant I know ;)..."

"...Another fellow breastfeeding mom got empowered and inspired! Thanks to you, there are more happy moms and happy babies because of you! Brunei needs a kind and sweet mother-to-mother peer counsellor like you!...."

The world of breastfeeding is relatively unknown to me, so reading these words from Dot Dot's Little Shop's feedback page made me realise that there are many mothers who struggle with breastfeeding.

All I know is that, if ever I do have a baby one day, I know who I'm going to. :)

Thanks Moe for being so inspirational, and bringing comfort and happiness to the Bruneian mothers!

Moe is the admirable lady behind Dot Dot's Little Shop. Dot Dot's Little Shop was established in September 2009. Although new, Dot Dot's Little Shop has attracted many customers and fans as evident from her Facebook Fanpage. On her website, she shares informative articles and her personal experiences with her own dot dot, little Guinevere.

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