How I Helped a Mum Find Her Footing After Coming Home from Confinement Centre

CLIENT PROFILE

A first-time mum in her early 30s | Baby 5 weeks old | Paediatric nurse in Singapore, recently home from confinement centre and figuring out breastfeeding and baby care alongside her husband

SERVICE RENDERED

Postnatal breastfeeding support

(This service entailed a home visit for a one-to-one consult and a week of text support — all done right here in Singapore.)

MUM AND DAD HAD JUST COME HOME FROM A CONFINEMENT CENTRE AND FELT COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED.

During their stay, someone else had been doing all the feeding and settling. Mum hadn't been guided on how to breastfeed, and dad hadn't been shown how to support her or comfort baby. Now that they were home and on their own, every feed felt like guesswork. They didn't know if baby was latching properly, getting enough milk, or why baby kept fussing. The anxiety was real, and they just wanted to know they were doing things right.

WHAT DID OUR WORK LOOK LIKE

During our 90-minute session at her home, we focused on:

• Helping mum and baby find a more comfortable latch and positioning using the gestalt method of fit and hold

• Practising how to use the gestalt method when mum is lying down to breastfeeding so mum could feed and rest at the same time

• Encouraging flexible, enjoyable offering of the breast

• Walking both parents through how feeding, sleep, and baby's sensory needs all connect, using the Possums approach.

THE OUTCOME

By the end of our session, mum had learnt how to breastfeed using the gestalt method of fit and hold, which helped her and baby find a comfortable latch and position that worked for them both.

She could now feed lying on her side, which meant she could rest while breastfeeding, especially helpful for those night feeds.

She also understood that she could offer the breast not just when baby was hungry, but anytime baby needed comfort, reassurance, or calming — using breastfeeding as a way to meet baby's sensory and emotional needs too.

When I asked mum what felt different for her after our session, she said:

"For me, the deep latching part. I hear swallowing sounds and he's not fussing. And although he closes his eyes, I know he's taking the milk. [I'm] reassured that I'm in the right direction."

WHAT STOOD OUT TO ME:

When I arrived at their home, I could see how hard both mum and dad had been trying to make the transition from confinement centre work. They'd given it everything they had, but without guidance on how to care for or breastfeed baby during their stay, they were feeling really overwhelmed now that they were on their own.

What I loved most was how committed they both were to figuring this out together. Dad wasn't just there in the background—he was actively involved, asking questions, learning alongside mum, and wanting to know how he could support her and comfort baby. That partnership made all the difference.

The best part? We got to the heart of what mattered: getting breastfeeding right and helping mum and dad understand how feeding, sleep, and baby's sensory needs all connect. Once that clicked, everything else started to fall into place. They could practise more confidently throughout the day and night, use feeding to meet baby's needs for both nourishment and comfort, and slowly grow into the capable, intuitive parents they were always meant to be.

I love moments like this because it's not about fixing everything at once. It's about helping families find their footing, one feed at a time.

This case study was built on a conversation with this specific client, going through our work together.

Anything in quotes is a word-for-word statement said by the client on a recorded call or in feedback.

FEELING OVERWHELMED AFTER COMING HOME WITH YOUR BABY?

You're not alone. Book a postnatal breastfeeding consult and let's figure this out together.