9 months later

9 months later…and guess what is on my mind?!

Breastfeeding! Heu heu heu…

Talk about being stuck doing something…

Nope…scratch that…I am not stuck doing it….it is just something that I have to do and I am doing it willingly (excuse my complains dear mr.husband!)

Do you know that breastfeeding moms are not encouraged to donate their blood?! You are allowed to donate blood 9 months after childbirth but if you are still breastfeeding, they do not allow you to do so. Some may let you but not here in Sarawak.

Do you know that breastfeeding moms burns extra 500kcal perday?! (“errr…..so why are you still as big as jumbo dear mommy?!”…err I cant really answer that… T____T)

Do you know that for the baby to be truly benefited from breast milk , they must be fully breastfeed for more than 6 months?

Do you know that the breast only produce one type of milk…that is breast milk! Heu heu heu….but the older milk will lose its fat after sometime (but not the nutrition) and we call this foremilk…it is lighter and has less fat…then the fresher ones has more fat ..so it is heavier(?) and it is call the hind milk … both are beneficial to baby. Our granny are right about breastmilk being “air dan nasi”… but one thing they get confused is that, both breast will produce that ‘air dan nasi’ …and not right breast ‘air’ and left breast ‘nasi’…  so dear mommy, you should feed your baby from only one breast per session…if your baby is still not full, and your breast already emptied, then you can change to the other side….pahe dok mu? ;)

Do you know that breastfeeding is the most effective contraceptives?! My gynae told me this…so I think it must be true….

Do you know breastfeeding is the most natural thing to do…but like walking, it takes some practice. :)

Happy breastfeeding mommies! 

Don’t stop…don't ever give up...when you said you can’t do this anymore, delay it for another day…say that you will do it for just one more day…and the next day, say it again, “just one more day”….and before you know it, you will be breastfeeding your child for 2 years! Most moms who stop breastfeed sooner than they planned to, regret it sooner or later! …

so ‘just one more day!’

Surviving

There is one tv programmed that I truly love right now, ‘Surviving Motherhood”. Its on EVE chanel…cant remember when because I have it recorded every series.

Anyway, how should I describe it? Every week a group of mom, who have never met, come together and discuss motherhood issues. Mind you it is about everything…including “sex vs sleep”..ahaha…you know how open orang puteh are!

What I truly love about this program is that it is so spontaneous. And the issues they are discussing are real!

Besides getting advice from other mom on the program, they also give us advice from the experts. So there, it’s not totally bogus…

Come to think of it, moms do need friends. They need mommy friends. Moms worry about everything all the time. So they need friends who can actually rationalized them, all the freaking time! HAHA…

I am lucky to have this one group of friends, we have never met in real life (some of them actually manage to meet…but not me…huwaaaa)…anyway, we first ‘met’ in babycenter then someone suggest that we form a whatsapp group…so we did…at that time we are just entering our 3^rd trimester…and now here were are…our babies are crawling and climbing around! :)

They are my savior….we talk about our babies all the freaking time and we talk about everything else some other time….we talk about everything! Haha…luckily it is not a public group.

So my advice to you is, get friends…make friends…make friends with the same interest…

Right now I am looking for a group of breastfeeding mothers…heuheuheu….so I can complain n whine without being judged! :P

Cuz I am lucky ducky

So he is teething….for about a week or two! Ngeh ngeh ngeh…..moms, please be jealous of me! hehe…just kidding.

But I am lucky….his cranky phase is over before we know it….or is it just us? Is it because my husband n me is just too excited for him to even realized he is crankier than he usually is?!

Babies cry…that’s my motto…sometimes they cry because of no apparent reason… well…moms cry too….hew hew hew…

Talking about that…I am desperate to get my energy back! My extra energy…forget about being supermom! I am barely awake by 9 pm… well to be fair, I do get up at 4 or 5 just to pump…despite my sleep being interrupted few times by the little hand… 

but how did other moms do it?! How can they have the energy or the time to do anything else but taking care of their baby and go to work?!

Omg….i need helpppppp!!!

Baby Food

Food may cause constipation

Banana

Applesauce

Cereals

Breads

Pasta

White potatoes

Food to relieve constipation

Apricots

Spinach

The P’s fruit

Prunes

Peaches

Plums

Pears

Cruciferous vegetable

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Legumes (big NO NO for G6pdies

Beans

Peas

Lentils

Root Vegetables

Sweet potatoes

Raw beets

Carrot

The POWER of POWER-pumping

Ok….so power-pumping is what you should do when your milk-flow drop.

When power pumping, you will pump for 20mins, rest 10mins, pump again 10 mins then rest again, then pump again for 10mins. Means in total you need about 50-1hr. Well there is no definite time actually. Some pump for about 10 mins, rest 10 and repeat till 1 hour. (That’s what I did).

Why power-pump? Power-pump, in addition to drinking enough water and eating sensibly, can actually boost your milk-production. What it is supposed to do is actually sending signals to the brain that the baby needs more milk (through the suction)…hence the body will produce more milk. Forget the expensive milk-booster…this one is a definite success…just remember to eat and drink enough water.

I guess a much disciplined mom will do this at the same time every day. As for me, I power pump anytime I can. It was such a success to me that I guess I am addicted to it. It is tiring…mind you…sitting there for 1 hour…but the result is so convincing. Give it few days for the milk to come in…some said 3 days…some maybe less or more. Persevere..insya allah you will get the reward.  :)

Tips

Where should I even start?

Since the little one came to my life, I barely had time for anything else besides loving him… :P

But it is true…I am smitten! I am in love all over again. Woke up every day and see their faces…I am falling head over heels.

Good news good news… he is still fully breastfeed. Since I have started working, this is a new challenge to me. Maintaining a good supply is almost impossible. Just almost…but it is still possible. 

All it need is extra support and extra rest (which I can hardly get any lately).

People asked me how I managed to exclusively breastfeed him till now…I can’t give you any tips without saying I have been blessed with a very supportive husband and a very patient child. Even when there is no or little milk-flow, all my little guy did was whine…and all I can do is coax him and try again later. 

Nope…my baby is not baby-michelin…but he is not underweight either…and for that I am grateful. 

And nope…my fridge isn’t full with ebm. I expressed the milk today for his use tomorrow.  I keep in it the chiller instead of freezer. I am one of this paranoid mom who believes that chilled ebm is far better than frozen one, with one condition, u must use it within 2-3 days. 

When I am at home, I rarely give him bottle. Direct-latch is always better. Plus it helps with the minimal ebm I have. 

So there…that is all the tips I can tell you. When the milk-production is low, I choose to sleep and power-pump when I have enough rest. When I am at home, I choose direct-latch over bottle-feed. I tried to eat proper food and drink enough water (if not more).

It is hard…it is tiring. I can’t remember the last time I left home without my little guy (except when I left for work)…I can’t remember the last time I slept through the night cuz lately he woke up several time for night-feed. I can’t remember the last time I truly had a long shower… & I can’t remember the last time I stop thinking about him. J being a mom is absolutely tiring….absolutely over-whelming…absolutely time-consuming…but yet I have never feel more alive! ;)

Breastfeeding

Now i understand why some moms loves to upload their ebm (expressed breast milk)...cuz it really take a lot of energy n effort to pump! 

I cant comment more on pumping cuz ...hihi...i am too lazy to do so. Plus i find it easier to dl (direct latch) without all the bottle and pumping and storing fuss. 

When the nurse weighed him yesterday and told me he has reach 5kg, i m overjoyed. I felt like all my sweat and tears are paid off. All my short showers and quickie meal and 2second toilet break seems nothing now. My baby is 5kg in just 2 months. Meaning he is eating(well..drinking) well. Alhamdulillah. 

Give it overnight and suddenly i realized i am being selfish. This is not my 'contribution' alone. This is ours! My husband and me. Sure he is 'exempted' from feeding our baby but he is there for everything else! 

I can still remember when my obgyn asked me if i would bf my child and i said yes. I also told her that my husband is my biggest supporter. She smile widely and say, "his support is all you need"...and oh boy wasnt that the truth...all the help and back-rub he gave...just makes this bf journey so worthwhile. Totally worth while. 

I dont know why some moms choose fm...they must have their personal reason cuz every mom wants the very best for their child.

But those of you who are expecting, maybe i can advice you this, be prepared to bf your newborn. To exclusively bf your newborn. Trust yourself that your body will produce enough milk for your child...because that is the case unless you have medical reason (which is highly unlikely...). The first latch should be within 2hours after delivery...(mine was within 2-3hours...cuz they told me they need to keep my newborn under the warmer or something...they intend to do so for 5hours, if i m not mistaken, but my husband, keeps on asking the nurse and finally they agree to bring our newborn to us...i mean he is ours...didnt i just push him out into the world?! And why would he need a warmer when his mom is alive and able to warm him up?! Manas padu pasal ya..haha)...

Anyway...my point is, try hard and try harder to bf your newborn. If you have a very hard time after deliver and you cant dl..its ok...you can expressed ur milk and gave it to the nurse...ask them to feed ur newborn using feeding cup or spoon or syringe.. tell them that you plan to bf your newborn and surely they will understand...

If they dont...oh well...its ok. Once you n ur baby are home, start to dl...never ever give up...never ever scold your newborn...sooth them and try again...they might wail their heart out...take a deep breath and try again...its ok...sooth them..hold them lovingly...insya allah...  ;) 

P/s: its not that easy for me either but i am desperate....i am desperately wanting to bf my baby...and alhamdulillah my prayers are answered... 

here comes my baby boo

Dear abandoned blog...sorry for abandoning u...

:p

Just kidding.

Life has been perfect.

It has been a month and i m adjusting to it. 

My current passion is 'breastfeeding'.

Right now i feel like if there is one thing to fight for, its exclusive breastfeeding. 

Giving your newborn formula (milk) is not the worst thing ever but giving them breast milk is the best thing ever and ever...

Plus its free!

And formula cost a fortune!

With formula you need water heater (which mean electricity/gas for the stove), hot water(obviously), feeding bottle, sterilizer, soap (k cuci bah) and etc....plus when u go out, u need to pack everything! Oh...thermos to keep the hot water...ngeh ngeh

But if u exclusive-breastfeeding, all u need is boobs...and ur cute baby...and a balance meal ( u need this even if u dont breastfeed)...if u go out, all u need is extra shawl or nursing cover or if ur shawl is long enough, u dont need that extra! ;)

If u bf, in the middle of the night, when ur baby cry for milk, u can just rolled him to ur side n feed him..then u both can fall asleep when feeding.. :p ( just keep a pillow behind him to keep him laying on his side...utk elak tersedak susu). 

Plus it means ur hubby will help with the diaper changing and everything else...cuz he cant feed the baby..so he will be looking forward to help any other way... ;) 

Did i mention it is free?! 

Forget the hundred ringgit supplement as ur milk-booster. Find something that work for you! Find some daily food/drink that can boost ur production...as for me, i am loyal to milo, hot chocolate, milk, horlic, goat milk (hi-goat), half-boiled egg and lots of other food that doesnt cost a fortune...

P/s: i have no problem with anyone taking the supplement to help with their milk supply... ;) 

Most of all, believe u can do it. Allah has created us so perfectly...why would we doubt if we can or cannot do it?! That is what boobs are for (ehemm...excuse the language... :p)

Ask for support from your husband...he is all u need...trust me!

When the others are pushing you to feed your baby with formula cuz ur baby is crying after feeding, all u need is your husband by your side. 

       All you need to do is just feed him again...or atleast just cradle  him to sleep...sometimes the baby just want to be cuddled... to be close to us...cuz that is the closest he can be to his previous 'home'...

Lets get serious

Putting my serious face on..(as if! :P)

So…let me share some of the info/knowledge I have earn throughout this pregnancy of mine (ecece..macam pandey gilak!)

Now, I will just share the ‘surface’…I am no expert…to know more, read and ask around and read some more…

1. Ultra-scan is actually bad for baby. The longest exposure our baby can be exposed to the scan is 15mins max per session (if I am not mistaken)…why? It might cause miscarriage in some mom…It might caused brain damage to some baby… it might be the reason why more and more babies born authistic…it might…so better be safe than sorry.

1. Bathing you newborn in warm water only can be bad for his/her bones…well..i’ve just read this from some mak bidan. I think there is truth behind this. The trick was to bath baby in warm water, then for the last rinse, use cold water…

1. Maternal milk (e.g anmum, fosil (eh..apa nama ya?!)…or any brand, is good and bad at the same time. Careful not to get GDM (gestational diabetes m-something)..the type of diabetes you get when you are pregnant…most of this commercial maternal milk has high-sugar-contain….and trust me…you really-really-really don’t want to get diabetes at all…

1. Check-up at KKIA (the government Klinik Kesihatan Ibu dan Anak), is actually better than monthly check-up in private clinic (no offense, I went to private clinic myself…but I also went to KKIA). Why? It is cheaper (free semenanya). Why? Less scan…at KKIA, the doc only do the ultra-scan at your first visit, then around 20^th weeks and 38^th weeks (more if you have any prob)…at private clinic, the doc will do the scan each and everytime…sure you can say no…but trust me, you will be too excited to get a peek at your baby to say no to your doc (at least I am). In KKIA, they check your Hb monthly for free! They palpate your tummy to learn the position of your baby (no ultrascan…but there is still the Doppler-scan…I wish they didn’t use that as well..). They check your hands and feet for edema. They check your weight-gain and your blood pressure. Best of all, they gave good advice! They teach you everything from taking care of yourself, to taking care of your newborn later… and this is all for free! The older your nurse is, the better, because in this case, older means they are experienced… if you don’t agree with them, just smile, its ok…you can always choose what to take and what to ignore….

1. Surround yourself with positive people and positive stories…before this, people keep on telling me how scary childbirth is, how painful it is, how the episiotomy is actually more painful than the childbirth itself! (urghhh…I am all against epi!) …ok….to be fair, I don’t have any experience in this, but to surround yourself with negative people with negative stories and will just serah-diri bulat2 to the doc, is really not my cup of tea. I am not undermining anyone... I am just someone who understands that the doctors are tied with the hospital policy and sometimes, the decision they make is the best and safest to avoid any lawsuit should something goes wrong. They are playing with the better be safe than sorry. Eg in the case of episiotomy. Why oh why this unnecessary procedure being done routinely before? Because it is the quickest way to get the baby out…so baby is safe and the doc is safe…what about the mom? She is safe as well…but recovering from epi is far worse than natural tear(if there is!)…unless the doc did a really good job…a really good job….there are a lot of uncertainties here. Even without episiotomy, the baby is safe, the doc is safe and the mommy is even safer…of course…let’s just say, I will say yes to epi when there is really a need for one…really really needed one…

1. spinningbabies.com has the best tips ever on avoiding breech babies

1. Ina-May Gaskin’s guide to childbirth is the best book to read…the birthing stories makes you can’t wait for your own experience.

1. Join a group of expecting moms, the best if you can find those with the same edd as you. You guys can be clueless together and support each other….there is no one is more understanding than the person who is going through the same thing as you at the same time.

1. Don’t buy maternity clothes..it is expensive! Just buy bigger clothes…much bigger clothes.

1. Read and read and ask around…but don’t expect other mom’s experience will be the same like yours. You are you, carrying your child….and your child is a totally different baby than theirs. In other words, get educated but keep an open mind.

Ok…enough with 10 things….too much of anything won’t do anyone any good… ;)