He also said that the experience has made him reflect on the meaning of fatherhood and has moulded him into the kind of man he wants to be for his daughter and the kind of involvement he wants to have in parenting his daughter.
Mr Chen, who generally enjoys more quiet activities such as gardening, trekking and keeping fish, said: “Fatherhood has made me more emotional. I think it’s needed. If you want to love a baby, you need to love very loud.”
His own father, he added, died in a car accident before he was born and he never had a father figure in his life. He spent his childhood in his grandparents’ home before moving back to live with his mother and two siblings at the age of 16.
“Being a father figure has always been my dream,” Mr Chen said. “I think I’m just trying to be what I always imagined a father would be like.”
Looking ahead, he is hoping to be a “very supportive” father in helping Chloe fulfil her dreams.
“Even if it’s something that goes against the norm such as being a musician or being in a band, I’ll try to do it. I want to be a friend she can debate with before making decisions. And if she fails, I want to be there to comfort her.”
Mdm Yip, who switched jobs to be a nurse educator after her injury, has since recovered and is now able to carry Chloe around independently.
She is still breastfeeding Chloe every night and during weekends. She supplements this by bottle-feeding Chloe fresh milk.
The couple continue to equally share childcare and household duties.
Because of the strong early bonding, Mr Chen still instinctively picks up Chloe when she needs to be soothed, Mdm Yip noted.
Mr Chen said that before picking up his daughter, he does take a slight pause to try and engage with her to gain an “insight into her world” to better understand her needs.
UNDERSTANDING HOW BREASTFEEDING AFFECTS A WOMAN
His unexpected full-on experience in helping his wife with breastfeeding has made Mr Chen more appreciative of mothers.
“If I think back, I had this experience with my sister who was then breastfeeding. One day, she broke down in a restaurant. She was upset about all the changes she experienced as a mother – how she lost confidence and how her body had changed. At that moment, I didn’t know what to say.”
Now, Mr Chen would not be lost for words and he has found greater appreciation for the sacrifices that women make when breastfeeding.
“When mothers breastfeed, they don’t think about how much they have sacrificed to do it. They don’t debate how much they trade in. Even if it’s very painful, they just want to give the best to their baby,” he said.
“To me, that’s one of the most beautiful things that a human can give. That is what pure love and pure kindness look like.
“After going through this, if I could go back in time, I would tell my sister that she’s prettier and more wonderful than before.”
