Update Tab Item Badge after getting data (Swift) - swift

Question

I'd like to update a Badge on a Custom Tab Bar Item when I receive some data. I am able to update the badge on the initial viewDidLoad() but then when I try to call viewDidLoad again later with the data, my tab items are nil. Here is how I have set it up...
class CustomTabBar: UITabBarController {
var count = 0
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
print("this prints correctly every time I call reload with the updated count: " + count)
if let tabItems = self.tabBar.items {
let tabItem = tabItems[0]
tabItem.badgeValue = String(count)
}else{
print("tab items nil")
}
}
func reload(count: Int){
self.count = count
viewDidLoad()
}
}
I'm calling reload() from another view controller after I get the data I need.
func updateBadge(){
let tabBar = CustomTabBar()
let username = UserUtil.username
let db = Firestore.firestore()
let upcomingContestsRef = db
.collection("NBAContests")
.whereField("EnteredUsers", arrayContains: username)
.whereField("Stage", isEqualTo: 2)
upcomingContestsRef.getDocuments()
{
(querySnapshot, err) in
if let err = err
{
print("Error getting documents: \(err)");
}
else
{
print("count is " + String(querySnapshot!.count))
tabBar.reload(count: querySnapshot!.count)
}
}
}
I've check that viewDidLoad is getting called each time in custom tab bar controller, but after the initial load I don't have access to change the tab items anymore.
Does anyone know whats going on?
I've check out these similar questions
Reload / Refresh tab bar items in a ViewController ?
Setting badge value in UITabBarItem in UIViewController

Answer 1

This creates
let tabBar = CustomTabBar()
a new instance instead you need
guard let tabBar = self.tabBarController as? CustomTabBar else { print("returned") ; return }