A prenatal lactation consultation is for mums who are still expecting — usually from around 34 weeks, though earlier is fine if you have particular concerns. It is one of the most valuable sessions I offer, because the first few days shape so much of what follows, and they are the days when you will have the least capacity to go looking for answers.

In an antenatal session we cover what actually happens in the first 24 to 72 hours: how colostrum works and why the small volumes are exactly right, how to hand express and why that is a skill worth having before you need it, comfortable positions to try while you are still recovering, how to tell that a feed is going well, and what to ask the ward staff for while you are still in hospital.

We also talk through your own history. A previous breastfeeding experience that ended earlier than you wanted, breast surgery, PCOS, diabetes or a planned caesarean can all shape the first week, so you leave with a plan built around you rather than a generic checklist. If you would like your partner to join, please do — knowing what to look for makes them far more useful at three in the morning.

Mums who have had a prenatal session tend to need less crisis support later on. And if you do need me afterwards, you already have someone who knows your history.

Singapore is well served for breastfeeding help. The public hospitals and polyclinics have lactation services, and plenty of mums get everything they need there. If that is working for you, keep going.

What a private IBCLC adds is time and continuity. A home visit runs 60 to 120 minutes in your own space — your chair, your routine, no clock in the corridor. I see how you actually feed at home rather than how you feed in a clinic room, which is often where the answer is hiding. When my calendar allows I can often come out the same day you message, and the same person who did the assessment is the one replying to your WhatsApp message four days later. When I genuinely cannot get to you, I will say so straight away rather than leave you waiting — and we will either find the next slot or get you onto a video consult that day.

The trade-off is cost. Public lactation support is subsidised for eligible patients; private consultations are not. A lot of mums use both — hospital or polyclinic support for routine checks, and a private consult when something specific is not resolving. There is no wrong way round, and I will say so plainly if I think your situation is better handled by your doctor.