Breastfeeding & Travelling to Penang - Day 4

Last night, Day 3 in Penang, I was reluctant to pump at night when I was supposed to. I wanted to pump in the morning so that the milk would be fresher. This morning, Day 4, I am feeling horrible engorgement which costed me a good night of sleep and a lot of youth (*wink*). I pump as usual but not much milk is released from the ducts and I guess I shall have to bear with the engorgement until the end of the day, hopefully, by then, I shall be in the mood to have 'milk let down'. 

To be on the safe side, I bring my pump out along with me for comfort, at least I know that I have my equipments handy whenever I need them. Hopefully, I can manage to stand the pain until end of the day!

Breastfeeding & Travelling to Penang - Day 5

IT IS THE LAST DAY OF MY BUSINESS TRIP! Today is the day that will determine whether all my efforts for the past few days will go wasted or not. 

In the morning, I wrapped the chilled milk in newspapers and then kept them in the polystyrene chiller box together with the well-frozen ice packs. I had 3 small ones and I always managed to keep the milk chilled for at least 5 hours when I went out for daily business visits. Usually the milk and ice packs were kept in the cooler bag. For this time, since the milk would have to be kept chilled for about 12 hours out of the fridge, I kept them in a polystyrene chiller box.

The weather seemed to know what I was up to and all day the weather was not hot at all. It rained heavily in the morning and then the sky remained cloudy until about 4pm when the sun showed her sunny rays. The chiller box was kept in the front passenger seat with the air conditioner blowing directly at it. I was not sure if that would help lengthen the life of the ice packs that were keeping the previous milk chilled, but somehow, it would be better than not keeping the external environment cool.

Finally, I reached home after visiting 3 customers and a long 5 hours drive. Guess what? My chilled milk were still chilled and the ice packs were only about 80% molten! I managed to bring the milk back for my Little Jen! (*smile widely*)

My First C-Sect Experience @ Pantai Cheras

Alright, I delivered via C-Sect under with a really heavy heart. It was really unexpected when the Gynae asked me if I would like to opt for C-Sect since tomorrow would be my due date and baby was more than ready to greet the world. If I did not go for C-Sect, I would have to go back to the hospital for an hour of monitoring every 2-3 days interval. I would have to lie down with all the weird sticky antennas sticked on my tummy. Those things sent some signals to the monitoring equipment everytime the baby moved, when there were contractions and of course, the baby heart beat as well. 

I eventually considered C-Sect as my own mother, my mother in-law both told me that it was normal to have C-Sect nowadays despite the fact that both of them delivered naturally. Well, understood that both were really looking forward to meeting their grandson in person especially since the pregnancy dragged till the very day before the expected due date.

Eventually, I started searching for dates and what the chinese calendar said about delivering on 07 July 2011 and the best time and etc.. Set and I called the Gynae, made the appointment so simply like making an appointment to see the Dentist. Had a good Kim Gary dinenr with Hubby. IT FELT LIKE TOMORROW MIGHT BE THE END FOR ME.. since I would be lying on the operating table and cut apart to make way for my Little Jen.

The next morning, I told Hubby what I would want if anything happened to me. He looked nervous too.

I told the Nurses that I wanted my Hubby to be with me during the operation. They wheeled me to the 'waiting room' and gave me some shots. Then, they wheeled me into the operation theatre, made me sit up, hugged a pillow, poked a needle through my back and that was it. I started to feel numb from my waist downwards. They made me lie down again and draped a cloth in front of me, cutting my view from my legs.

They pulled both my hands to so that both were 90 degrees from my body and strapped on more equipments i.e. to monitor my blood pressure and heart beat. Then, I could feel something done down below, should be the urine tubes.

Finally, my Gynae came in and then he started to ask me if I could feel anything down below. I was half awake and asked for Hubby. Someone came in and touched my forehead. He was draped in green like the rest of the nurses and doctors. I thought he was my Anesthetist. Realising that his eyebrows were too bushy and too familiar, I looked again, and there, he was my Hubby.

The Gynae started asking -  Can you feel anything? No pain? No pain.. No pain okay..

The next thing, He asked Hubby to stand up and looked over the draped cloth. The water was slightly yellowish and the Gynae told him that Little Jen had passed motion in the womb. Ops, I heard that and I got worried. I waited to hear my Little Jen crying and his first cry was heard soon after.

A while later, I could see his chubby thighs as the Nurse carried him to the little cubicle. Warm tears flowed down my cheeks and I tried my best to control my feelings but it was just too indescribable. Hubby wiped my tears gently and whispered into my ears, "Now that I see Little Jen, it feels so weird, all of a sudden, we have a son."

After that precious moment, everything became blur and I was so drowsy, I could only hear the Doctor and Nurses talking but I just could not peel my eyes open. Looking forward to meet Little Jen in the recovery ward later.. (*smile*).

Food You Crave for During Pregnancy = Food Your Baby Enjoys Very Much

My auntie once told me that whatever I crave for when I was pregnant would be more or less the stuff that my Little Jen would like later. I ate apple and avoided oranges during pregnancy. The fruit that I must have every week is banana! I liked papaya too. Right before my delivery, I craved a lot for Durians! Just in time to have a few before I went into confinement. 

I avoided eating pork as the taste just put me off. However, I liked chicken and amongst all the dishes at the table, I would attack mainly the vegetables. All vegetables except turnips, white carrots and similar carrot-like vegetables.

And, yes, my Little Jen has similar likings and dislikes. However, this is not entirely true as he likes to have pork in his porridge too, at least he does not reject it totally like me during pregnancy. Babies do not usually enjoy vegetables but yes, he likes vegetables. No rejections at all and he especially loves to eat fruits.

So, verdict on this is partially true.

My 11 Month Old Baby

Little Jen turns 11 months old yesterday and we are all really looking forward to his very first birthday.

In the past 11 months, he had shown tremendous growth mentally, physically and of course, emotionally as well. He still does not know how to stand and walk without support now. However, I am in no rush as I believe that he will know how to when the time comes. Without any support, he can take a staggering 3 steps and stand for about 5 seconds at max.

Teeth-wise.. The same, he still has 7 teeth and the rest have not sprouted yet. Nonetheless, he is already taking in a lot of solids like porridge, bread, biscuits and his favourite - fruits. With only 7 teeth, I have already bought him a tiny toothbrush for him to toy around.

His weight is about 9kg now, nowhere near 10 yet but since he is within the healthy weight range, it is okay although he has not put on much weight for the past few months.

He is not used to being with my own parents and when I leave him at home while I run some errands outside, he will start fussing and crying all the time. Once recently, he actually stopped crying and according to my Mum, he suddenly seemed to thought of some great idea and started scrambling up the staircase. However, when he was on the first floor, he started crying out loud again. Buzzy Mummy knew what Little Jen was trying to do. He thought of climbing upstairs so that he could find Mummy. He does that a few times a day when he wants to see Mummy at home. I am working from home and I work upstairs whereas he is always downstairs with my Mother-In-Law. It is such an amazing feeling to know how much he appreciates Mummy (*smile*). By the way, trying to teach him some sort of emotional independence and this proves how much he has developed mentally.

Buzzy Mummy thinks about Little Jen every second she is away as well. Love..

When will my baby start walking?

I have been asking in Online Forums and also whenever I meet up with any young parents or speak to any on the phone - How old was your child when he/she started walking without support? 

So far the earliest I heard was about 8 months old and this lady told me that her friend bragged about it to her when her daughter was only able to walk by the time she was about 12 months old. She however told me that once when she consulted the Paediatrician, he told her that it is no use forcing a child to walk. The leg muscles may not be strong enough to hold their own body weight and this can cause more harm than good.

Once I asked another friend of mine on the phone. He immediately claimed that his son was a late bloomer as he only started walking without support by the time he was 17 months old. However, he then recognized my concern and mentioned that he was not even worried when his son was only able to turn himself at about 7 months old, which was also quite late. What a great father he is, I could sense it. He advised to be patient and when babies are ready to walk, they will and soon, you will be running after them. "No need to ask any other people and compare cause every baby is special."

He told me that his wife had a colleague who had always checked with his wife whenever the baby started to achieve something new. It seemed like a frequent reminder of how slow his baby was. The lady was telling her that her son was able to eat this by this age and crawl by the time he was 4 months old and walk by the time he was 7 months old. It sounds so much like a miracle that you can expect the Mummy to tell you next time that the son is already flying!

After speaking to some parents, well, my Little Jen is not slow at all. He is just being very very cautious not to fall down = Smart boy! (*Laugh*). 11 months  old already able to walk 3-4 steps without support.. what else can I ask for (*smile*).

Tinted Window Film - For UV-proof windows

In the past 2 years, I have been working with my laptop sitting right next to a window. Unable to move into the room although it is temptingly cooler and cosier in there as there is just not enough room for another table. No choice, I have to live with the window during the day come rain or shine. 

Just a few months back, I realised that the pigmentation on my face had darkened a lot and oh, there were also freckles on my right shoulder, the side most exposed to the harsh sun rays. Poor me.. and I complained to Hubby.

Now I am determined to take better care of myself before things get any worse. So, I am applying sunscreen everyday before sun rises and re-apply after lunch break. Alright, I never applied sunscreens before this thinking that I could get away since I was not going outdoor.

The next thing now, I am planning to get the windows tinted with 99% UV resistant films! I called and emailed a few companies including one in Seri Kembangan. The lady in the particular shop actually laughed when I told her I wanted to tint my window with total surface area of not more than 15 sq ft. She suggested I buy the films and ask someone to help install it. Well, if I knew how or had my own contacts, why would I ask to include the installation fees. Nevertheless, she has given me the rough cost estimation.

Without installation - ~RM250
With installation - ~RM450!!!

Another replied my email directly saying - We do not provide films and installation for 15 sq ft.

Okay.. so, I guess, unless if I learn how to install on my own, I am not going to get anything UV-proof (@.@). Maybe, I should re-consider getting a blackout curtain then...

Letting go of your baby

Once I met a wise man and he told me, "You must have great karma since you are in this world in perfect form, looking radiant and well-spoken." Then he asked me, "How much do think your parents contributed to your well-being now?". It was difficult for me to answer as I knew that I would very much like to answer - EVERYTHING. The usual answer will be without them, I will never be here where I am. 

However, I have learnt a little about karma, reincarnation and etc.. I am reincarnated because I have my attachment to life, I just have something that I cannot let go of. So, in Buddhism sense, it is not because of my parents.

Then, why am I living the life I have now with a loving Hubby and a perfect Little Jen? Again, this is the law of cause and effect. Because I must have done something good in my past life that I who I am now, reincarnated as a human with all loving and kindness surrounding me and above all, loads of chances to do good deed to gain more good karma.

He is right by saying that my parents breathed life into this physical body and brought me into this world but everything is an effect of my own doings. My parents could have done many things to change me to make me a 'better' person but eventually, my karma will rule over my life.

I can only bring up my Little Jen with all the love I have but it is up to himself to carve his life pathway. I do not own Little Jen and I can do everything I can to provide for him but his own karma will decide the person he will be in future.

Nonetheless, of course, parents are your God at home and when you think of it that way, you will learn to respect them and treat them with love and kindness. I do hope but I cannot demand that Little Jen will be as grateful.

Baby Not Sleeping Well at Night

I am really grateful to have Little Jen sleeping soundly every night before midnight. He will then still get up at about midnight, 3AM and then 6AM before greeting me with a dazed look in the morning. 

Last night, he cringed at about midnight, then few times more till it was slightly pass 2AM. I just hoped that he would fall back asleep on his own. However, he cried and cried and then coughed and by that time, I was sitting up, watching him already. He suddenly vomited and then cried loudly in fear. He was frightened, I carried him up so that he would not choke, comforted him, wiped him clean and then, made sure he slept soundly again. He woke up a few times again shortly and cried before passing out some gas. I was agitated but Hubby said that he must be feeling unwell and just needed some comforting.

In the morning, his poop was again greenish and thick liquid-like, similar to last night's. Might be that he was having diarrhoea and that caused him to have very gassy tummy last night. Poor Little Jen and of course, poor Mummy, hopefully, tonight he will sleep better (*smile*).

The Search for Little Jen's 1 Year Old Birthday Cake

I am searching high and low in the internet for that special cake for Little Jen's 1st Birthday in July. Found Cakes by Jo which is really interesting with all the beautiful customised designs and personal touch. BUT too bad, she is fully booked until August 2011 already. 

There are of course some other online home-made cakes but I am not too confident that the cakes will turn out as well as desired and be mouth-watering.

Then, I thought, why not I bake on my own. May be ugly but at least it is speciallu Mummy-made cake. BUT again, I do not have an oven, mixer and other cake-making utensils. Will have to KIV this until I have  my own little dream kitchen.

Maybe I will shop around with Hubby for cakes nearby .. maybe a Jelly Cake from Jelly Cake House which is conveniently 5 minutes away from home or maybe the usual cake chain store, Tong Kee Bread and Tart Cake House in Connaught or maybe Secret Recipe. Since Little Jen does not know how to speak for himself on the type of cake he wants, I will be the decision maker (*wink*).

Most probably some nice Cheese Cake.. Yummy..

Baby New Tooth at 11 Months Old

Yeah! Finally, what a long wait! Waited for Little Jen's next tooth to appear after his last of the 7 teeth appeared when he was 7 months old. We waited for more than 4 months for one of his molar tooth to grow out of his gums. It is one of the top molar tooth. 

Just in case you have lost touch with the school lesson on types of teeth we have, can refer to the below picture from Tooth Growth and Development:

Little Jen has 7 of his Incisors out already. The Canines have not appeared yet and now, he has his first Molar out. Hopefully the rest will follow soon so that Little Jen can get a taste of real solid food.

I also found from Wikipedia on the growth pattern of Deciduous Teeth (aka Baby Teeth) and it says that babies usually have their incisors within 6-16 months of age and then canine teeth within 16-23 months. Their molars will appear when they are 13-33 months old.

Interesting to know that my Little Jen is teething well.

My Baby - Teething Issue 1 Week Before 1 Year Old

I have been eyeing Little Jen's gums since the time I found the new molar tooth sprouting. It seems like his gums are swollen especially those near his 3 bottom incisors. Tried to offer him his Avent Stage 3 Teether but he only bit on the fish shaped teether for a while and then totally forgot about it. 

My Baby First Book

Hubby and I both enjoy reading a lot. So, I am thinking that my Little Jen will enjoy reading as well. So, we bought him Bedtime Stories and Rhymes.

Of course at the age of 11 months old, he can see neither see anything familiar on all the pages in the book, nor can he relate them to things he sees in his daily life. 

Still, he enjoys flipping the pages of the book, excited with the way the pages turn. I have tried reading to him but he does not have the patience to even wait for me to finish a short rhyme. He wants to enjoy things the way he likes - By flipping, pointing at certain pictures and shouting, "Arrgh!!!" as if he just discovered something really interesting (*smile*).

He had the books for weeks and one fine day, as I thought I could trust him not to tear the pages, he tore one and shouted happily. What an achievement!



Oh what to do.. This is Little Jen a.k.a. Little Disaster. Will just buy him another book when he is older then.

Blackout Curtains over Tinted Window Film

Following my previous blog on my search for Tinted Film - For UV-Proof Windows, I have checked for more price idea at nearby shops myself and the cost for the 3-panel windows is about RM200-250 including installation. This is with 5 years warranty. 

I reconsidered my options and I am now opting for blackout curtains. This is great since my mother in law is a seamstress and we can just buy the cloth with the patterns or colours that we want and she can sew them for me. We managed to find the blackout cloths at Kamdar, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and also Tewah in The Mines Shopping Centre. The prices range from RM12.90-RM28.90/m but the width of the cloths were different from about 60cm to 108cm. So, based on the window's measurement, we bought 5m of cloth with 60cm width from Kamdar. Total was about RM70 and the sewing of course, free-of-charge! Much more economical than tinting the windows.

Oh, the curtains are said to be able to block out 80-90% of sunlight which will be just fine as long as the UV doesn't get to me (*smile*).

Yu Yee Oil for My Baby Little Jen

My Little Jen uses Yu Yee oil once after his morning bath and once again after his evening bath or wipe. During antenatal class, the nurses taught us how to apply the oil after bath, simply by putting a drop into our hands, rub both hands until warm and then gently press the oil on the baby's tummy. This way, the oil will help to expel wind from babies' tummies and the warmth from mummies' hands will provide comfort. 

We have been using the oil since he was a newborn and until now, just days before his 1st birthday. Probably bought about 10 bottles at max until now. The smell is just lovely and comforting. Sometimes, I use it too when I have stomachahe or bloated tummy. Yes, I have bloated tummy too especially when I take too much milk or get too hungry which also leads to gassiness. Even if it does not really help me, it gives me the comfort.

I am going to buy a new bottle of Yu Yee oil and probably use less of it but growing used to the smell, it is so hard not to use it. Just too nice to be forgotten.

Happy Birthday Hubby and Little Jen

This same day a year ago, I am sorry Hubby cause I could not celebrate your birthday with you. I had to have you stay beside me in the morning before, during and after the operation that changed our lives completely. That morning, I remember how thankful I was to have you holding my hands, staying with me to welcome our baby, our Little Jen. How you wiped my happy tears away from my eyes gently. Precious moments I could not have exhanged for anything else.. 

Happy Birthday Little Jen and oh, Happy Birthday to Hubby as well. I love you both.. :)

My Baby Little Jen Vomited - Is the milk powder not suitable for him?

When Little Jen was 7 months old, we started to give him formula milk - S26 during the day. Since he took that when he was in the nursery right after leaving my womb and did not display any allergic reactions. Firstly we gave him the Promise Gold S26. Then we realised that there were the pink coloured box ones without the Gold on the box. Little Jen had been well nourished wit breast milk and so, we thought, no need for expensive formula cause we did not believe in better milk powder for brighter and healtheir babies. Breast milk was nourishing enough. 

Now that he had turned 1, we brought him S26 - Stage 3 for 1-3 year olds, also without the Gold. The milk powder was slightly harder to dissolve in water and usually after feeds, we would notice lumps of milk in the bottle. The Stage 2 milk was okay.

Now, we give Little Jen Fernleaf milk powder for 1-3 year olds. This is much easier to dissolve and appearance wise, this looks thinner. Taste wise, I am not so sure but Little Jen usually finishes the amount we prepared for him unlike S-26 where he will sometimes, almost always not finish. He will leave an ounce or two behind. So, I guess Fernleaf tastes good but it maybe due to the fact that it is thinner as well.

He sometimes vomits when he cries too hard and sometimes when he chokes after coughing a little. We are so used to this, we just try to ensure our Little Jen does not cry too hard, too often. Recently, he seems to have slightly more gas in his tummy and he poos regularly but his stools are little yellower and softer. We think that this may be his reactions to the new milk but I decide to stick to Fernleaf for few more days  to observe if the milk is causing him any problems. Hopefully not..

The best part about changing to Fernleaf is that it is 30% cheaper than S-26. And, I do not believe that price reflects the nutrition and quality level of the different milk brands.

Snow is expensive too but he hates it and will not even take a sip.

I wonder why..

Little Jen's Finger Got Stuck at the Door

Little Jen is now using his left hand more for feeding himself with finger food and to grab hold of stuff.

His right hand was stuck in between the door and the wall and he had his other hand pushing on the door to close it.  It was accidental and obviously he had no idea what would have happened if the door slammed shut. Luckily Mother In Law saw and prevented him from closing the door. BUT that was bad enough as that already caused his right ring finger to swell already.  His finger looked dark red at the tip and he cried so hard that he vomited.

Examined the finger carefully and was so relieved that he did not crush any of his tiny little bones. He cried every now and then when he accidentally applied pressure on the finger when he played with his toyes. Thank goodness that no permanent damage is done (*phew*). Have to keep a closer watch on him now..

Breastfeeding After 1 Year

Yes, Little Jen is already 1 Year 1 Week and 5 Days old and I am still breastfeeding him. Since he turned 7-8 months old, I had dropped all the day feedings and substituted with formula milk. Until now, I am still doing that but I have been trying hard to stop nursing him. It was not due to the pain during engorgement that made me nurse him. It is simply because it just feels right for a Mummy to provide the best nutrients for her little one. 

By the way, recently, I have tried a little harder to stop nursing and my milk supply obviously reduced quite a lot. I am not feeling engorged by about 6pm although the last nursing was done in the morning at about 8am. It takes a lot of determination to stop nursing.

Now that I passed the 1 Year mark eventhough I only nurse at night, I do not think it is that easy to lose my milk supply unless if I really do not want to nurse Little Jen. However, this is really individual, some Mummies are really not able to maintain their supply if they do not constantly pump or nurse throughout the day. I am thankful to be able to relax on breastfeeding and still provide comfort to Little Jen.

Little Jen's First Birthday Cake

This came a little late but better late than never. I have been searching for birthday cake to celebrate Little Jen's birthday since almost a month away from his big day. Tried looking online and then searching for nice-looking yummy cakes in stores nearby but hmm.. after going all over the place, I decided on the good ol' Secret Recipe. 

It was not only Little Jen who would be celebrating his birthday. His Daddy too. His Daddy likes the Expresso Cheese Cake and that cake was a memorable one for us. I bought him that cake the first time we celebrated his birthday as a couple and we took almost a week to finish pinching on every crumbs left. Only two of us.. Yummy.

This time, we could not take coffee since Little Jen should not be taking caffeine-laced food. Hubby likes cheese cakes and Little Jen likes chocolate (yes, it choc contains caffeine too but I guess this is exceptional.. haha..) and for a healthy touch, we may have some kind of fruit on the cake.

Just nice, there was a new Secret flavour - Choc Cheese Berries! Oh, written on the cake -  Dearest Hubby and Lil Disaster a.k.a. Little Jen (*smile*).

That was the final choice and oh, I added a Little Dinosour on the cake cause Hubby liked to nickname himself as Yoshimi (Yoshi stands for a cute Dino) and there was also a Little Baby to represent Little Jen.

Happy Hubby, Buzzy Mummy and Little Jen for a Happy Family Picture!

And then.. now you see..

Now you don't.. Almost.. Buzzy Mummy got to blow the 1-Year Old candle for Little Jen since he had not idea what to do with it.

And.. a happy beginning to a new year for Little Jen and Hubby.. (*wink*).

Little Jen - Baby Diarrhoea for 3 days

Poor Little Jen.. He cried so loudly on Friday night all out of a sudden when he was nursing in the car. We were travelling from KL to Melaka and it was already about 10pm. I could usually calm him down with just some soothing pats or songs but this time, he cried so loudly and seemed to be in pain. Hubby asked if he was crying cause his diaper was soaked. 

Oh ya, then I recalled. His butt was reddish earlier in the evening and just minutes ago, he sounded like he pooped. He was having nappy rash and the poop made his butt really sore. I immediately took out his diaper and he calmed down a little but was still crying. Wiped and just as I was about to put on a new diaper for him, he started crying out loud again. Since it was near home already, I did not proceed with his diaper.

Once we reached home, I found that his butt was much redder than before. Applied a nappy rash cream for him and put on a fresh cloth nappy for him. He did not make any noise this time when I put on the cloth nappy for him except when I was applying the nappy rash cream on his butt and in between his thigh and groin. Obviously cloth nappy was much more comfortable since it was softer than a diaper.

The next few days, I noticed he had diarrhoea. Well, I couldn's have noticed earlier since I was not taking care of him during the day as I worked. Tried to nurse him more to soothe his pain a little although my supply had been really low since I had started to wean him off completely 2-3 months ago. I wanted to nurse him since breastmilk is the best - it provides him with antibody and is definitely gentle on his tummy.

We fed him with solid food only as much as he wanted to take. Water was given every now and then since he had lost quite alot of fluid. His poop was liquid, dark green in colour and he pooped about 4-5 times a day instead of his normal 2-3 times. All the while, he worn cloth nappy.

Unless his diarrhoea was gone, there was no way he could avoid nappy rash as his nappy was wet almost all the time due to his diarrhoea and pee. By Day 3, his butt was looking better and by Day 4, he pooped normally and his nappy rash was completely headled.

Poor oral hygiene can lead to problems during pregnancy?

Interestingly poor oral hygiene does not only cause you to have tooth decay and gum disease but is also potentially risky for your unborn child in your womb. I stumbled upon this article fromCosmeticsdesign.com US. 

It was mentioned that Researchers from Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, and the University of Pennsylvania both found that poor oral health during pregnancy contributes to an increased risk of premature birth and miscarriage. It is also stressed that regular checkups are important to prevent gum diseases that has been identified as a risk factor for premature birth, miscarriage and even stillbirth as the bacteria from the mouth can get into the baby’s bloodstream.

World Breastfeeding Week 2011 @ 1-7 August 2011

This  year's theme for WBW is "Talk to me! Breastfeeding - a 3D Experience".

As reflected by the theme, communication is encouraged for better breastfeeding awareness and knowledge especially between different generations,  sectors, genders, and culture. This encourages the sharing of knowledge and experience, thus enabling wider outreach.

I agree with the problem on the knowledge sharing aspect especially for new mummies trying to get hold of breastfeeding especially before they have the chance to experience themselves since they are usually in their pre-natal stage and also in the first few days after giving birth to their bundle of joy. I myself was one of these mummies too slightly more than a year ago.

As communication is an essential part of protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding, I am sharing my experience and knowledge as a normal working Mummy trying to juggle breastfeeding with family, work and my very own self. It is true experience and I am not painting the picture of a bed of roses for you. It is definitely not as easy as it seems.

Naturally yes, Mummies are to breastfeed their babies but it is a path full of potholes and water puddles. Once you get a hang of it by getting more information beforehand and being persistent especially during the first month of breastfeeding, you will very soon be cruising on 5th gear!

Experience on What Say You - RTM, TV2

9.30am

Morning, Little Jen. How nice of you to wake Mummy up while Mummy is still dreaming of all things sweet. Oh no, Little Jen, why did you pee on the floor.. Okay, come, let Mummy bathe you.

11.30am

Breakfast taken and time for myself to take a bath.

1.00pm

I must admit that I am not a real stylo, my hair was last trimmed and coloured more than 6 months ago. Now looking so dull and flat, I have to get a hair cut and a good hair wash. Once in a while must splurge on good hair wash and scalp massage session, it is worthwhile as all the stress will go down the drain too. Mico in Balakong charged me RM45 for a cut, wash and blow session. No charge for the little hair setting done.

2.00pm

Done with hair wash. Okay, one more last thing, my eyebrows. I get them trimmed too at a beauty salon nearby the hair salon. Hopefully I learn the trick to trim them myself very soon.

2.45pm

Home again and Buzzy Mummy is hungry. Instant Penang Har Mee is the solution. Feels yummy to the tummy and the portion is just nice.

3.15pm

Pat pat a little powder and mascara. Ready to go.

4.00pm

Reach RTM and go straight into Wisma TV. No one is at the Reception area. Hmm, there are 2 little girls at a nearby table. They lead me to another guy. The guy directs me into the make up room. The room is so well-lit with so many mirrors. The lady being made-up looks familiar. Oh, why not, she is the Host of the Talk Show.

The guy Host walks into the room soon after I reached. His heavily pregnant wife is around too.

A young lady walks in and introduces herself as Stella. Stella lead me to the waiting room where there are some refreshment available. Dr. Koe goes into the room the same time as me. She seems so enthusiastic. Later, I get my make up and my hair is made slightly curled up. Nice..

5.00pm

Time to get the video camera rolling. The whole session is quite relaxing except for some parts where my misconceptions or rather my strong opinion are being corrected by Dr. Koe, the Lactaton Consultant and Lily, the founder of Anggugu.com. Hmm.. for some, I still trust my own judgement. The whole discussion makes me feel like Breastfeeding is really subjective and nothing to be judgemental about.

6.15pm

It is over and time to go home. Hubby and Little Jen are happily waiting for me outside the house. Not a bad day after all.. the next day will be another normal day.. (*smile*).

TRAGEDY AS BREASTFEEDING MOTHER SMOTHERS BABY AFTER FALLING ASLEEP ON JET

The article below is from Daily Mail at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1232265/Breastfeeding-mum-smothers-baby-jet-falling-asleep.html. During the recent talkshow on Breastfeeding, it was stressed that Mummies will not suffocate their babies during breastfeeding even when lying down together with their baby. I am more subjective on this matter. 

If babies are breastfed in the correct manner, the breast should not in anyway obstruct their nose. This is basic knowledge and a skill to be learned by breastfeeding mummies. During breastfeeding, mummies will generally feel sleepy due to the release of a sleep-inducing hormine for both mummies and babies. Hence, I still believe that it is good to take precaution and ensure that the baby is okay from time to time in a breastfeeding session. A session may last for even as long as half an hour to an hour and mummies especially in the first 2 months will be really exahusted as well due to childbirth, loss of blood and the demanding round the clock nursing schedule.

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:27 PM on 2nd December 2009

The tragedy occurred on a Kuwait-bound United Airlines jet, which was diverted to London's Heathrow. A mother accidentally smothered her baby daughter to death on a flight after she fell asleep while breastfeeding. The four-week-old girl was travelling with her Egyptian mother from Washington DC to Kuwait when the tragedy occurred on November 24. Crew on the United Airlines jet were alerted by the 29-year-old mother's screams. A doctor travelling on the plane tried unsuccessfully to revive the baby.

The plane, which was over the Atlantic at 33,000ft, was diverted to London's Heathrow airport just before 10am, where police boarded. The baby girl was rushed to Hillingdon Hospital, a spokesman told the Daily Mail. However she was pronounced dead on arrival at 10.35am. Three days later a post-mortem was performed on her at the Great Ormond St Hospital in London. 

Police are still awaiting the results of that. In the meantime, the spokesman said, the death is being treated as 'unexplained'. No arrests have been made in the tragic incident. 

A police source told The Sun: 'This appears to be a tragic accident. The girl comes from a loving family. 'Her mum was going to Kuwait to show her to relatives.'  

It is not known if the woman was travelling with anyone other than her child.

Officers from Scotland Yard's Child Abuse Investigation Team are now dealing with the incident. 

In 2004,  Briton Lisa Briggs smothered her baby as they slept less than three years after losing another child to a similar tragedy.

Miss Briggs, 23, fell asleep while feeding five-week-old Keitha and woke in the morning to find her lifeless by her side.

Miss Briggs had lost her four-week-old daughter Cerese in identical circumstances.
However the Royal College of Midwives said in 2006 there are some benefits for breastfeeding mothers to share a bed with their babies, and a blanket message advising them not to do it could be counter-productive. 

Melanie Every, a regional manager for the Royal College, said: 'We know that there are many, many cultures and many, many women who will continue to share beds with their babies, even when they are advised not to do it. 'Now, knowing that, it's important to give them advice on the safest possible way of doing it, rather than just saying don't do it.'

Babies can die of suffocation when their airways are obstructed by lying against their mother - a phenomenon known as 'overlying'.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1232265/Breastfeeding-mum-smothers-baby-jet-falling-asleep.html#ixzz1U1wsKGE0

Little Jen - Baby Say NO to MSG

Little Jen had caused me much discomfor during pregnancy. I could not take outside food as often and if I had to, I would choose my food carefully. Anything with too much MSG was too much for my tastebuds and would make me nauseous. I grew up finishing everything in my bowl or plate and never left anything behind. With Little Jen's anti-MSG strike while he was in my womb, I had to ask my Hubby to finish all my food when the content of MSG was more than detectable.

Hubby grew up taking Bovril and Marmite and so, Mother In Law thought that Little Jen would like it too. I had never taken any in my past 27 years of life. The ingredient, MSG was clearly stated there on the Bovril's label. True enough, Little Jen would try to delay his next spoon everytime Bovril was added into his porridge. Finally, Mother In Law gave up on Bovril and resumed to feeding him porridge with ground anchovies whivh he liked very much. Little Jen is a disaster but when it comes to food, he seems to have a healthy tastebud. Oh, no coffee for this little one as well. We shall see next time if he hate this too.

Little Jen - Baby Seriously Teething after 1 Year Old

The last post I had on Little Jen's teething progress was when he was about 11 months old - Little Jen - Teething Issue. Now that he is 1 year and 1 month old, almost all his teeth have surfaced on his gums. Even his canine teeth are already showing their tips. 

I am only puzzled by his bottom incisor. All incisors, top and bottom have sprouted and there is only this one bottom tooth that has not been making any progress at all. He fell one or twice and had his bottom gums bleeding. Maybe that was the reason .. Thinking again, should not and hopefully not (*smile*).

As of now, there are only about 3-4 teeth that are still grounded.

He can already take crackers and his favourite snacks. Little Jen loves snacks a lot, especially tapioca chips. He can just sit quietly and keep munching on them. Usually, he will start scrambling out of his baby chair as soon as we put him there. Oh, my Little Jen..

Sleeping Too Much throughout the Day, Will Affect My Baby's Night Routine?

Little Jen usually sleeps twice during the day. Once at about noon and another time in the evening anytime between 4pm and 7pm. Sometimes, he will sleep at 7pm and wakes up only at about 8pm or so. My In-Laws will ask, "Will he not sleep at night since he is sleeping so much during the day?"

Well, yes and no.

Usually the answer is no as he usually sleeps by about 10.30pm at night, not later than 11pm. Only on special occasions like when he goes to my parents' house and finds things too interesting to sleep so early. He will only sleep by about midnight to 1am or even 2am at times.  Other than that, he sleeps at about the same time daily whether it is a weekday or weeekend.

Sometimes, he sleeps a lot later in the evening because during the day, he has not been getting enough nap and is dead beat by late evening. Of course, nothing can stop this little one from sleeping if he wants to since he will either scream and be cranky all over or just turn on the snooze button after a good bottle of milk. To let him sleep when he wants is better. Sometimes, we too find it very hard to fall asleep at night  if we are too tired. So, since he is human, I suppose the same theory applies to him.

At times, yes, he will sleep later at night. Usually this happens when Little Jen wakes up from his nap by about 8 plus or 9pm at night. Obviously his play time will drag on a bit over his usual bed time. Still, he does not stay awake past midnight.  Since I am comfortable with the timing, it is okay to  let him sleep late occasionally.

Looking at the positive side, he wakes up one time less during bedtime and Mummy gets to have less disturbed sleep.

Heart-Melting Smile!

I have really no idea why he is so happy but all I know is that this little guy's smile really melts my heart and brighten up my day! Little Jen is my little sweetheart and I love him so much.. wonder how much he loves me.. hmm.. (*wink*)

Bukit Tinggi & Bukit Raja, Klang - Jusco Nursing Room

Earlier on I had no idea that the older Jusco would be equipped with Nursing Rooms and I went all the way to the Bukit Tinggi Jusco whenever I had to stop by for a session. This was practised though I was really nearby Bukit Raja Jusco and Bukit Tinggi Jusco was about 30 minutes away. One day when I had a little more time and I was nearby Bukit Raja Jusco, I decided to try my luck and look for a nursing room there.

I was pleased enough to find a nursing room with facilities as good as the newer Jusco shopping complexes. It may be a little older but it is enough for a nursing working mummy on the go. There are a few rooms with curtains for privacy as usual. Each room is equipped with comfortable sofa and a small table. No electric point and so, will have to settle for manual pumping. Need to train that muscle anyway so that I can carry Little Jen a little longer and little more often.

Hot water is provided outside the nursing rooms area. The diaper changing tables are also located outside the nursing rooms.

Thumbs up for Jusco for being baby-friendly and also of course nursing working mummy friendly.

Bandar Tasik Selatan, Selangor - Terminal Bersepadu Selatan Nursing Room

Surprise surprise, there are nursing rooms located in this newly built transport complex. They are located near the entrance to the Female toilets. Of course, being located near the toilet is not the best thing, but at least this is way better than being located in the toilet itself. You may read my earlier blogs on nursing rooms and you will be surprised to find one of the nursing room is pointing to one of the toilet cubicles. 

The nursing room is labeled outside as the Diaper Change Room and inside, you will see a space for diaper changing. In the room, there is another room with a lockable door and a sink. That is the Nursing Room. On the right of the room, there are a set of sofa and table for one. On the left, there is the sink.

The room is pretty well-maintained and since it is a new complex, no damage seen, no wear and tear. Comfortable enough for a couple of Mummy and Baby. The wall is beautifully decorated with cute bears and giraffes motif. I am sure Mummies who are shy like me will appreciate the Nursing Room facility.

This is a great improvement for Malaysia! Hope more areas and buildings are made baby-friendly or more accurately breastfeeding-friendly. Kudos!

KL - Jusco, Mid Valley Nursing Room

If I recall correctly, there were Nursing Rooms located on both the 2nd and 1st Floor of Jusco in Mid Valley Megamall. I went to the 2nd Floor when Little Jen started to fuss for milk. They renovated the toilet and the Nursing Room there was gone. It is okay, I thought since there was supposed to be another in the 1st Floor where the Baby Department was. 

Rushed to the 1st Floor and the toilet was renovated too. Very pretty indeed.. BUT, the 2 Nursing Rooms were occupied. AND, the sofa that used to be at the powder room was also gone! I have my Nursing Cover with me but knowing Little Jen a little too well, he would kick and pull it so that he could see better and breathe better too. So, I had to settle for nursing in one of the toilet cubicles. Good thing, since the toilet was new, it was clean and the 'scent'was tolerable. However, I had to stand while nursing him. It was heavy and not comfortable at all.

I then pulled Litttle Jen away and of course, he shouted for more and in anger. Went again to the Nursing Rooms and they were still occupied. I saw a lady feeding a baby who was in a trolley. Hmm, obviously she was not breastfeeding. I felt a little angry since the Mummy occupied the room which was meant for breastfeeding cause we obviously needed more privacy. I asked to 'tumpang' and there I went, seated in a corner to nurse Little Jen. Another lady came in and tried to breastfeed her baby too. The baby started crying. Little Jen lost focus and did not want to nurse anymore. So, we both went away to find Daddy outside.

Week 12 - Discovery of the Twins

On the day that marked the 3rd month of my second pregnancy, Hubby and I decided to visit the same specialist that delivered our Little Jen on the 7th of July, 2010. He was able to give us the confidence that everything was well inside and that I would be in good hands when it was time to meet my newborn. 

The Gynae was not chosen based on online research or recommendations but simply a walk in case after a sad episode of my life just 2 months before I conceived Little Jen. He is Dr Chow at Pantai Cheras, KL. Not a man of words but he seems sure of what he does and believes.. by the way, he has already passed the standard retirement age.

Prior to the consultation, the nurses were asking me to drink lots of water, "No, that one small bottle will not be enough, my dear. Drink more.." Ops, I could not take anymore or else, I would vomit. So, she said, "Then okay, just don't vomit and don't pee just yet." Morning sickness was bad at that time, even water seemed too difficult for me to swallow.

Actually, before we visited the Doc, I was a little afraid that Doc might just be unhappy that I got pregnant after a C-Sect when my son just passed his first birthday. Surprisingly, they looked happy, the nurses and my Doc.

Before the scan, Doc asked if I had drank enough water. I showed him the small bottle of water and he looked pessimistic that he would be able to scan anything. After a short while with the ultrasound scanner, he showed me and Hubby that there were 2 little sacs. We could not understand what he was trying to show us and the nurse just smiled. He then asked my Hubby, "Can you see 2 inside?" My Hubby turned to me as if saying, how the heck should I know if there is one or two.. What was what?

Then the Dr. Chow announced that we were having TWINS! I was so shocked I started trembling a little. Hubby seemed to have turned white. I asked Doc if he was sure and then still could not believe my eyes, I asked the nurse. Hmm.. yes, TWINS! And, their hearts were fluttering in the scan.

Dr. Chow said that there would be a lot of complications to expect during twins pregnancy. First, starting with morning sickness which would be doubly worse since I would have double the hormones. Then, twins are bound to be delivered early, probably 2-3 weeks earlier.

He was not kidding. I ended up in bed most of the time due to morning sickness which got worse by evening and night. I vomited more than I did during my first pregnancy.

That was the beginning of a 6 1/2 months wait...

Week 16 - Twins.. Boys, Girls or Both?

In the 4th month visit to Dr. Chow, Doc was trying hard to see the gender of both twins. One was easily identified since the legs were kept wide open for some time. Twin A is a BOY for obvious reasons. By now, we are still not sure if we are having fraternal or identical twins. So, we have to wait for Twin B to show us who he/she is. 

During this visit, I was still having my morning sickness.

When I conceived Little Jen, my morning sickness went off by the time I was about 4 1/2 mths and I put on 5kg in my 4th month of pregnancy. I could still remember the nurse asking me, "Selera makan ek?" with a wide grin on her face. The morning sickness made me lost about 2kg and regaining 5kg was good news.

This time with twins, I lost a little weight and maintained my pre-pregnancy weight until the 3rd month, after which I gained 2kg.  Probably cause the twins were not being too choosy on their choice of food or cause I already roughly knew what type of food I could manage down my throat. All I knew was that I was always hungry! And oh, I was also craving for sweets all the time, lots of them.

Doc was already asking me to slow down on my sugar intake due to suspected gestational diabetes in previous pregnancy.. :p

Week 20 - Twins.. A Boy and who?

Finally the morning sickness episode is out of the way and the increase in the weight department is really making progress here. Mummy gained a whopping 5kg in the past month! Dr. Chow made a remark by saying, "Wah, gained so much weight this month!" I casually put the blame on Chinese New Year non-stop dining and snacking.. and of course, I could not tell him that I was having at least 2 slices of barbequed pork every day with avocado and bread! Yummy recipe for mid-morning, mid-evening and sometimes, supper as well!

This time, again, Doc scanned thoroughly to give us the answer we had been waiting for whole month-long. He scanned and scanned and finally after what we described as a long wait, he announced, "The other twin is a GIRL!" Oh.. goodie, we are having a boy and girl twins! Hubby put on a wide smile on his face and I sighed with relief. I finally had the license to buy PINK!

Our boy...

Our girl...

They were about 370g each and were both growing well. Praying for their good health with each and every passing day!

Vaccination against Meningitis?

Today while my Mother In-Law accompanied me and Little Jen to the government clinic for his routine check up and jab, she suddenly brought up a good question. Have Little Jen been vaccinated against meningitis? Hmm.. Well, I have to check on this one. 

Asked the nurse that gave him his DTaP jab today. She told me that Government was only giving compulsory vaccinations as stated in his Little Blue Book and no jabs for meningitis would be given. 

Hmm, I checked online for the short form of the meningitis jab and found the below: 

"The best way to protect your child from meningitis is through immunisation. Vaccines are effective in stimulating the body to produce antibodies against pathogens that cause meningitis. There are different vaccines that protect against a range of organisms.

· Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine. Studies have shown that theHaemophilus influenza type b (Hib) virus is the leading cause of viral meningitis in Malaysia. Since 2002, the Hib vaccination has been made compulsory for all babies in Malaysia." 

The above is taken from a article dated 23 August 2009 in Parenthots entitled Pneumo What? by Datuk Musa Mohd Nordin. 

Okay, do it is called the Hib vaccine. Little Jen was supposed to take the jabs when he was 2, 3 and 5 mths old based on the Little Blue Book but no dates were written in the respective columns. 

Will need Hubby to check out with the nurses on Little Jen's next visit to the clinic on 23 May 2012.

Breastpumps.. What to Choose?

With all the emphasis on the importance and benefits of breastfeeding, many new mummies are opting to breastfeed rather than feeding their precious ones with formula milk. Same goes to me.. I breastfed my Little Jen exclusively for 6 months and then continued until 8 months after which I started him on formula milk during the day. Being a working Mummy, my pump was my best friend especially during the first 8 months. I survived with a single electronic Avent UNO pump.

Now that i am expecting twins, I am not too sure if I can cope with only a single electric pump. I had to pump both sides every 4-5 hours and each side would take up to 10-15 minutes to reach the 5 oz mark. Each pumping session would take about 20-30 mins. On good days, I could complete the pumping within maybe 15 mins. For twins, I shall have to double the time and effort but I am not too sure if I can stand spending so much time 'milking' myself. It sounds almost impossible with a single pump. 

With a dual pump, I can pump both sides simultaneously and may just have 20 oz within a good 20-30 mins. This means I can focus more on my work or just reward myself with more rest time. 

To know whether a single or dual pump is better is easy and here comes the difficult part...

The single Avent pump costed me RM899 when I bought in 2010. A dual pump now can easily cost me more than RM2000. It may be worth the price if you compare the price tag with the total cost for formula milk 6 months to a year down the road, for twins. BUT, I still think it is really pricey. 

To buy a new unit from US sounds like a good option, since the price is less than half the local price of Avent Duo. BUT.. my Avent Uno broke down once right after 1.5 months of heavy pumping. I had to send it to the service center in Damansara and lived with the manual pump for a whole month. I have to think twice about buying an imported unit without any local warranty. 

A friend I knew from an online social network suggested me to try Ardo Calypso. She commented that it was better than Ameda and quieter than Medela. From online search, it seems like the service center is the same as Ameda's and no bad comments on the service. This is a closed system, so, less likely the milk will get into the pump system and get contaminated or cause contamination. 

The price? Less than RM1000 for the dual pump. 

Looking forward to seeing the real thing during the coming Motherhood 2012 expo at KLCC this 24-26 Feb. Hopefully I can see the display set.. :-)

Twins via C-Sect - Where to deliver?

Headache.. Now that I am a month away from my 3rd trimester, I am really taking into consideration the cost for delivery of the twins. My Doc at Pantai Cheras is great and has been taking good care of me and my precious twins. However, the total cost for delivery via C-Sect is really a mind-boggling issue.

We paid about RM7000 for my C-Sect including a 3 days, 2 nights stay, medicine, baby care and lab testings when I delivered Little Jen in 2010. It was a planned C-Sect and all went smoothly. This time with twins, we are just afraid that the bill may be really high. At least we know that the cost will not be double unless if any of us need any special care/treatment.

Checked with HUKM today and the cost of delivery via C-Sect for twins will be RM1855 all-in. From my tele-conversation with the nurse on the other line, the drawbacks of delivering there to my opinion are (1) You will get a team of Doctors to attend to you instead of one personal Doctor and (2) Visitors including Hubby are only allowed to visit during visiting hours. The good thing is that Hubby can be with me during C-Sect. Forgot to ask about trainees being present during delivery..

The private wing of UKM, UKM Specialist Center on the other hand allow visitors at all time and patients are allowed to choose their Doctor depending on availability. No trainees will attend to Mummies and Mummies will only be attended by Doc and nurses. The cost for C-Sect to deliver twins - RM6000-7000, provided it is a normal C-Sect without any complications. In case of any need to admit the babies to the NICU, they will be sent to HUKM. UKM Specialist Centre does not have their own NICU facilities.

Hmm.. I shall have to discuss with my Doc on the estimated cost when I see him next.. this Saturday!