Archive for baby
Motherhood Quirks
I have a funny thing to confess.
I LOVE SMELLING BEHIND TUFEIL’s EAR!!!
There i said it. It’s like bacin bacin kinda smell that is just heavenly to me. Sis thinks its totally disgusting but i love it.
I know another friend who loves to smell her baby’s breath.
What’s YOUR quirky thing?
Fasting with a Baby
Baby will usually sleep at 10pm. Thru the night, he will wake up about twice say around 1 and 4am. at 5am when i hafta wake up for Sahur/Sehri, i will gently turn him to his tummy praying he won’t wake up. Mostly he won’t.
Sahur menu at my house is either last night’s break fast leftovers or rice. Mostly i can’t stomach rice still being groggy and all but i just stuff myself. Most importantly is to drink 1ltr of water, otherwise, i can’t survive the day!
Pray at 5:45am. While waiting for baby to wake up for morning feed, i will play Lexulous while watching Smallville. (Now at Season 7 Episode 14) or sometimes i nap but if possible i dont because i will feel FAT when i wake up! Besides, in an hour i hafta get ready already.
Sidetrack : You know, every Ramadhan I will put on weight instead of lose them! Because always sleep with FULL TUMMY! End of side track.
It was nice to receive a pat on the back by a fellow new mother at work. She said, “Wah you’re fasting and you’re still pumping. Way to go!” Thanks. I felt appreciated for my effort.
I’m not sure whether expressing BM is tiring or relaxing. In one way, i get a break before i start work and i get to read my book. In another, its like drinking my energy away.
My mum would give 4 bottles to Tufeil thru out the day. If his last feed is 5pm, then it is very ideal for me.
You see, i finish work at 5:15pm dash home and reach at 6:15. Once i step home, i will make bee line to my room to pump for about 15min. Then i take a quick shower n get dressed in 15min. from 6:45pm to break fast time i will nurse the baby to, hopefully, sleep. So that i can eat in peace! teehee.
But if his last feed is 6pm, there will be a problem. I can’t nurse him to sleep. Or if he wakes up in the middle of break fast, then i hafta hold him in left hand, and fingers my food with the right.
Standing Tall. bwaahahahah
Close up now
From what i heard/read/know, a walker hinders the baby’s own instinct to walk on their own. So this is for emergencies only, when we’re really desperate.
But in any case, without the wheels, it will serve like a mini … what-you-call-it… gym station? game station? Something like that. *trying to minimise guilt here*
After Maghrib prayer, i will top and tail him and change into pyjamas. that would be around 8:30pm. Then the adults in the house will play with him till about 9pm when he would want his next feed.
Between 9 – 10pm a bit more of quiet play (er… sometimes not so quiet) and a mandatory change of diaper. After that, i will turn down the light and nurse him to bed.
ZZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzz Zapped of all energy, i can’t do much anything else. At most i will watch Smallville to sleep. I feel guilty for not doing extra in this holy month of Ramadhan. Lord forgive me. Give me strength. Ameen.
Sneak Preview!
Sat, 25th Apr
My 2nd sis (Syifaa’s mother) stayed at our place for the weekend. (Yes she’s officially moved.) We wanted to go out somewhere but cldnt decide where n when (as in what time) until First sis (Ash) had to go off to meet a friend. So the two of us (plus 2 babies and a maid) ended up going to Jurong Point for dinner at Pizza Hut.
Actually i almost wanted to back out because the baby was cranky and making me cranky too. Esp since it’d b my first time gg out with the bb without Zubair and my first time trying out the sling. But Ly persuaded me otherwise.
So at 8pm, we finally went out.
The Sling.
The Baby safely inside! (And this is the sneak preview! LOL)
I’m not so sure it’s very comfortable for me OR the baby because i still had to hold his head and he looks all crooked being folded in the sling. Granted, it did lift like half the weight off plus no wriggling. But because i just fed and changed him, it was a comfortable ride as he slept on…
But towards the end of dinner, he started crying!! Feeding Time!! Oh God.. i was soo clueless at how to do it. Pro-Slingers are all saying we can do it while babe is in the sling. But the truth is… its VERY Diff.. ok.. its my first time after all. It was sooo uncomfortable and “kekok” even baby got agitated and cried n cried n cried. Its a no wonder cos he kept “losing” the milk with the awkward position and it was soooo damn hot under so many layers the sling was visibly wet with his sweat! Really!
We finished dessert quickly and left. My arm was aching already and i still havent buttoned up. We left the maid to Q for cab then we tried to find the nearest toilet to adjust everything. But it was soooo freaking far i cldnt walk anymore! So i settled for the nearest staircase. Poor Syifaa’ got frightened by the ventilation noise. TO be honest, i was too. But i was sooo desperate!
Got back to the Q almost just nice for our turn. Thank God Ly offered to carry Tufeil cos i really cldnt take it anymore. She even hid the babe under the tudung panjang because it was late and there are “trees” around.
We reached home 11.20pm.
Quite traumatic for me, it was. But hey… we’ve got to start somewhere huh.
Breastfeeding scare!
I have been feeding him lying on the bed for sessions between 5am – 12nn.
As most mothers say they sleep while they feed their babes. Q: So does that mean they dont burp the baby?
I always feel guilty each n everytime the baby regurgitates. Q: Would they feel hungry again afterwards since the milk came out from their system?
Lately i noticed that after 10 min of feeding, Tufeil would get restless. He would push me away, but at the same time cries for milk!! Its very confusing for me.
Then last Saturday, I started training him on bottle cause i dont want to surprise him with the bottle on D&D night and he would refuse then i’d hafta go home!? Then he started snorting while i was feeding him. Then again the push away bottle but cries hungrily.
I panicked. We were alone at home and Z was in the toilet. Z told me to turn off the fan. but he still cried and i got crankier cos it was soooo HOT!!
I called mummy and she said she was on the way home.
When she got home and inspected baby…
.
.
.
.
It turned out that there was a HUGE HUGE TAIK HIDUNG (still dont know the proper English word other than nose shit) stuck in his nose!!! and on both sides of the nose too! He was 3.5weeks old then and we hadnt cleared it once! *sheepish grin* Sorry yeah first time parents.
He ate and slept better afterwards.
When Khairiah visited me at KK Hosp, her baby was into 4th week and she was so expert a BF-ing already. I was amazed.
Now that i’m at that stage too and i realise im getting better at it too. Though not as expert as she is, at least i dont need the nursing cream anymore. Weehooo… So it is NOT impossible.
Nan told me that she didnt think it was gonna be easy too… but it will get easier (no latching problems, no squirming babies) at 8weeks onward or something.
‘Azma wondered if her baby would ever sleep thru the night. It was impossible for her to imagine but the day came. As for me, i dont doubt they can sleep thru the night as Tufeil can sleep 4 – 5hours at a go but during day time!! So instead i’m wondering if his clockwork would ever change to east coast time(or whatever)???
Just wanna remind myself, “WE CAN DO IT!” cheyyy bah.
Stuck in Between
- One would say “bedung (swaddle) lah”, the other, “his limbs need to be free.”
- One would say “use lampin (napkin)”, the other, “who’s gonna wash?”
- One would say, “the fan’s too strong, he cant breathe” but the other said, “he’s hot lah”
- One would say, “Put on the hat for him” the other, “Its too hot” (the latter’s the one who said fan’s too strong)
- One would say, “Shape his head” the other, “That’s so cruel!”
- One would say, “She will comment if i take him from her” the other, “He took him from me”!
And im stuck in between.
I can understand both points of view but i do whichever is easier for me. If u want it ur way, then do it urself.
The only things i have strong opinion about are:
- No need to give water to baby (even when hiccup?)
- Please dont use powder.
But i have no choice. If i ask for help, i should accept it the way its presented back to me.
Syifaa’ The Little Helper
Mon, 23rd Mar 09
Today Zubair went out early. So i had plenty of time to conjure up the mood to clean the room.
When i took out the vacuum, Syifaa’ said she wanted to vacuum too. But of course, that’s dangerous so i only let her play with the button to wind in the wire (before plugged in).
Then i took out the mop and she insisted she do the mopping!
She even mopped under the bed!
I’M STILL HERE!!!
Thurs 19/3
Felt contractions at 2am. (They like to come in the middle of the night dont they!?) But was not regular but made me feel rather apprehensive for the check up at 11am.
Had to wait about 1hr to do the ultrasound at Antenatal Monitoring Clinic (AMC) Jeez. Luckily, met Fara who was also there for her baby’s appointment so 1hr passed by like nothing as we talked and talked. We were very loud though cos first we were shooed by the nurse to go from the waiting area inside, to the one outside and then i noticed some pple glanced back at us irritatingly. Sorry! We were sooo excited to meet and had a lot to talk about! heheheh
Then had to wait 15min to do the heartbeat scan for 30min. By the time I met Doctor Lubna, it was way past 1pm.
Amniotic Fluid 7.7 (Not to get below 5) and Baby’s weight is 2.9kg (Good range between 2.5 – 3.5 i think). So Doctor said that she’s comfortable to wait for another week AFTER my EDD. And that she won’t do the VE on me if i dont want to. I shook my head hard!
She also noticed that Im having irregular contractions and asked if i felt anything. During the scan, NO. I did manage to glance at my chart and understood why Dr Endrina had to ask her colleague on what to do when she saw my chart last week. Last week’s chart was VERY Regular BUT i still didnt feel anything. This week’s was very random and at varying peaks.
Total cost: $53. not bad at all! I was thinking over $100!
Next Appt is Wed 25th Mar, a day after my EDD and to go thru the same procedures as today’s.
We sighed breaths of relieves! INsya’Allah it will mean that we get to go to the family BBQ on Sunday and hopefully even manage to hold off till after Zubair’s 2nd major concert on 24th Mar itself!
I did ask him though what if i deliver right DURING his performance???? He said its ok i’ll come AFTER the performance, at least i’m still here. Memang nak kena cepuk betul!!! Let’s just hope the baby will wait patiently for the papa to come and receive him before it decides to pop out!
The only negative outcome im feeling is the pressure to keep baby’s weight down. My mum already commented, “Oh its heavier than Syifaa’ when she was born” she was 2.7 or 2.8 like tt. Arghhh I sooo want a light baby. My friend’s 3kg baby look soooo tiny and petite and cute. I can’t bear to be responsible for his obesity in later life! HUARGHHHHHHH
I know i know… most importantly baby should be healthy… but i just can’t help resoluting NOT TO EAT at all!! THAT kinda pressure ok! But alas… im not that strong willed. Just last night i finished the rest of the half of my McFlurry ice cream. LOL
38th Week Check Up
Thurs 12th Mar 09
After waiting for 20 or so min i was told to go and get a 30min CTG scan (to monitor baby’s heartbeat). Unfortunately, someone just started on the one and only machine so we had to wait another 25min. So i went to see my dietitian first.
It hurts me to lie (not to mention that it wont do me any good) but when she asked if im still taking all the vits and supplements i just nodded. Truth is i havent been for the past 2 weeks or more! Its really really REALLY difficult to be consistent.
At this last stretch im also finding it EXTREMELY difficult to refuse sugary stuffs. So much so that the dietitian was disappointed to see my increased blood sugar level. It was only because i ate things like Fried Hong Kong noodle, 25% less sugar Granola Bars, a 3 oz Yami Yoghurt and a bite or two of some choc cakes…. *wide grin*
But i find it…. Ridiculous at best, and contradicting at least… when everybody else took their pregnancy as a very good excuse to indulge in SWEET nothings… I, for one, feel extra extra guilty when i consume just a tiny treat even a sip of lemon juice during this pregnancy. And i look forward to AFTER delivery to start hitting on ALL THOSE FOODS I MISS DESPERATELY!!! How ironic!
The only thing positive she could say was that i still maintained my weight at 67.6kg despite all the sinful food.
I had that nice gynae again! Dr Erinda, i believe her name was. She looked at the CTG scan report and commented, “Oh very active baby huh.” Thank God! Then she went out with the report then came back saying, “It says here that you’ve been having some contractions, do u mind if i do a VE?” I winced. She said, “I promise to be very gentle.” I relented.
No. I hadnt dilated yet. Thankfully too that I remembered Khairiah’s tip to remain relaxed so it wont hurt as much. Actually she said so that the cervix would open quicker when you’re not all tensed up but i applied it to this scenario as well and i suppose… it worked! I didnt feel anything afterwards!
The doc frowned too when she saw my latest readings. and stressed the importance of keeping a good diet, otherwise, i might be forced to get induced! Hmmm!
Next appt is exactly a week later on the 19th March, that is, if i still hadnt delivered. I will hafta go for ultrasound scan first to check fetal weight as well as waterbag level. YAYYY!! The best thing also is that i wont hafta rush back to the office after the appt cos by next week, i’ve started my leave already! Wheeeee
I promise myself to walk around the park after lunch.. say… 3 or 4pm if its not too hot? otherwise at night lah and i will make sure i drag Zubair with me! Haha… oh well who knows i can get contractions anytime anywhere now and shouldn’t be left to my own devices!
After 38 weeks of Gestation….
… came the drama!
I called up my mum at 4:45pm yesterday, “Mummy, im going to the hospital now.”
hehe… i made her shocked / panicked for awhile.
No i wasn’t having labour pains… We were just concerned that the baby hasnt been very active ALL day!
Usually i would wake up in discomfort in the middle of the night with his kickings. He would also start jumping around when i hit the shower every morning. Too cold i guess. But yesterday morning. Na da. Zilch. nothing. Zubair came awake esp to ask me if he’s been moving bcos he also noticed that the baby wasnt active all night.
I remember the gynae from the last visit said not to take the chances and just go to the hospital to get checked. At first, I gave ourselves time till after lunch… then extended it to after work.
I consulted ‘Azma and she told me to try waking up the baby first so i started tickling him. LOL by tickling i mean scratching my tummy gently (its very itchy anyways but cant scratch hard so the skin is very thin round about there). Hmmm well yeah he DID nudge me back but after went back to sleep or… whatever the cause of the silence was.
Hairiah, on the other hand, told me to drink something sweet and then lie down on my side.
Felt a bit guilty with this thought in mind, “Could it be cause i indulged myself in a lot of sweet stuffs the previous night just before bedtime?” Cause i noticed the last time that this happened, i was eating sweet things the night before too. (Maybe ive been having a LOT of sweet stuffs lately. SHHHHHHHHHHH)
Funnily enough, during lunchtime, as we were having “coffee” at Coffee bean (no i dont drink coffee… but ordered a KIDS Sunrise with no whipped cream just as guiltily), a treat from my colleague, He was ALL action and stretches. By the time i reached back to the office, its the silence of the lamb again. Hmmmmmmmmmm
Told Zubair to get ready to go to the hospital.
On the way, ‘Azma was very kind to tell me what to expect while i’m there. I only knew that they will strap me to the heartbeat monitoring machine for about 30min to 1hr but she explained to me the 3 possible scenarios that could happen AFTERwards.
1. If everything is well, they will discharge me
2. If not so well meaning there’s some contractions or heartbeat is low, then they will transfer me to the normal ward to be admitted.
3. They will perform Vaginal Exam (thereafter known as VE) to see how many cm have i dilated (opened) to judge stage of labour.
(did i get u right, Mah? heh)
You know what happened?! the VERY moment i was asking to lie down and was strapped HE STARTED KICKING vigorously already!!! But i tot it was like a once off and waited listening to the beat myself. There were 2 or 3 times when his heart skipped a beat when he was stretching hard. Hmmmm scary.
at the 30th min or so i heard some nurse said, “Eh the Lizard went away already.” HUH?!?!??! LIZARD?!?!?!? in this CLEAN sterile Hospital?!?!?!?!? Yikes!
1hr later, the doc came and showed me the chart. It has both fetal heartbeat as well as MY contractions. No i didnt have any and the heartbeat showed a VERY ACTIVE baby. Yeah yeah when i lie down THEN he started to move!
Zubair was so cute. I didnt get to meet him before i went into this Triage Room to be monitored because he hasnt reached already and men arent allowed in. He asked me to do a video call! heheh unfortunately i think 3G technology is barred in hospitals cos we both can’t make video call.
I went out and see the anxious Papa. and reassured him everything’s fine and dandy. Paid $32.15 for this 1hr of service. Thank God. I was imagining it could hit over $100!!
The funniest part of the day? Zubair said, “Everytime i wear this white t-shirt, i attract some kind of insects. Just now there was a lizard on my tummy!” ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING!!! So this lizard came from MY, MY husband! LOL *shake head*
And now baby is making up for lost time. He’s kicking me harder than ever!
The Original Juice 