Mother’s Day
Mum advocates: They give voice to the silent struggles of mothers
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
(Clockwise from left) Ms Vernessa Chuah, Ms Nurulhuda Mohamd Rasid and Ms Teng Yi Ling have started initiatives and businesses to support mothers and couples in various aspects of parenting.
ST PHOTOS: JASON QUAH, LIM YAOHUI, DESMOND FOO
SINGAPORE – Motherhood is often painted as a universal experience, yet many mothers have felt, at one time or another, incredibly alone.
Are they the only ones feeling this way? Why does every other mum seem to have it together when they do not?
In a digitally hyper-connected world where algorithms shape perspective, this tension can leave mothers overwhelmed and feeling even more isolated.
Three mums, inspired by their own challenges, have started initiatives and businesses to support mothers and couples in various aspects of parenting.
Ms Teng Yi Ling, 41, went from working through her maternity leave as a corporate high-flier to helping new and expectant parents with postpartum babycare so they can unlock the joy of parenting.
Ms Nurulhuda Mohamd Rasid, 35, started a community called The Mum Collective SG, which brings mothers together for reflective Parkside Mum Circles, and also hosts a motherhood-themed podcast.
Pregnancy loss coach Vernessa Chuah, 41, draws on her personal experiences to help women process the trauma of losing a baby, sometimes even decades afterwards.
Through their work, they give voice to the silent struggles of mothers and women who want to be mothers.
Who try, every day, to be strong for others, but sometimes lose themselves in the process.
Who think they are alone, but need a gentle reminder that there is always a hand reaching out to help. Not just on Mother’s Day, but every day.
She worked through maternity leave, now she helps parents find the joy of having kids
As founder of Baby Planner SG, Ms Teng Yi Ling teaches new and expectant parents how to care for their babies.
ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
As founder of Baby Planner SG, Ms Teng Yi Ling helps couples who feel as lost as she did as a new parent, advising them on breastfeeding, babycare and what to expect during their hospital delivery.
But her journey from a corporate high-flier to entrepreneur was accidental, forged from the struggles of parenting in Singapore.
In 2013, the 28-year-old seemed to have it all.
She created a community where mums can be vulnerable about their changing identities
The Mum Collective SG founder Nurulhuda Mohamd Rasid with her four-year-old daughter Naeema Taufiq (left) and two-year-old son Kareem Taufiq.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
A group of eight women sit on picnic mats at East Coast Park on a Saturday morning in February, deep in conversation.
Today’s Parkside Mum Circle session by The Mum Collective SG is themed “Our Shared Page”, to remind participants they are never alone, even during the messiest moments of motherhood.
After grounding and icebreaker activities, the mothers read a short 2024 essay from Vogue magazine titled Why Don’t We Talk About The Joys Of Motherhood Anymore? Their chat is guided by questions such as whether they feel safer to bond with others over struggles rather than joys, and why.
Pregnancy loss coach helps ‘invisible mums’ who feel anxiety, guilt and shame
Ms Vernessa Chuah, who has lost three babies, feels a calling to support women with pregnancy loss.
ST PHOTO: SARAH LEE
Mother’s Day is meant to be a joyous occasion, but for women who have suffered pregnancy loss, it can trigger painful memories.
“Many of these women ask: ‘Can I call myself a mum? Will I ever get to celebrate this day?’,” says Ms Vernessa Chuah, 41, a pregnancy loss coach and certified grief recovery specialist.
“The connection they have is not visible, but it’s very deeply felt, like a part of them was lost together with the child. To these ‘invisible mums’, Mother’s Day is a reminder of what is missing.”
