Showing posts with label Breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Breastfeeding. Show all posts
Am I Eating Enough?

Am I Eating Enough?

May 31, 2012
Advertorial Post. Please scroll down for latest update :)

"Am I eating enough?"

"Is my baby getting enough nutrients?"

Well those are among common questions when we are in the pregnancy zone. Sometimes it makes us feel like we are doing everything wrong. So much of being worried on not eating enough (even though the kg-number on scale keep on increasing every single week T____T ), let alone the question of eating healthy stuff and supplying all the good nutrients that baby needs.

Or what if the mother experience some severe form of morning sickness during the first trimester? Or worse for the whole 9 months? This is quite worrisome because it can interfere with nutrients absorption and cause dehydration and weight loss too.

Having said that, mommy must ensure that they have a good digestive system to pass on nutrients effectively to baby by drinking plenty of water, eating high fibre foods, take food that provides probiotics and prebiotics or seeking for supplement solution for better nutrients absorption.

Water? Yeah we have a continuous supply of that at home. High fibres foods? Green veggies, oats are among of those. Supplement solution? Ok what is that??

Go get your own pack of new Anmum Materna with Probio DR10 and Prebiotic which can help to support good digestive system for optimal nutrient absorption. Probiotic are the good bacteria (Probio DR10 is one of the good bacterias originated from yogurt) whereas Prebiotic provide foods for the good bacteria (probiotic). And here, Anmum Materna has prebiotic named Inulin which came from plant and also a good source of dietary fibre.

Only 2 glasses a day provides the important nutrients that you need throughout the pregnancy (or maybe you are preparing for one). Not only it provides probiotic & prebiotic, but Anmum Materna has all the goodness of folate (to prevent neural tube defect in fetus), Gangliosides, DHA (for brain development), Calcium (for strong bones) and Iron (for red blood cell supply); everything that benefits both mommy and baby :) 

Obviously eating ENOUGH. Hahaha! 
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ShilaShower
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Paapaacare the new mommy & kids store

Paapaacare the new mommy & kids store

May 22, 2012
Mari saya kenalkan, sebuah lagi mommy & kids store (currently online base, InsyaAllah physical store akan datang nanti). PAAPAACARE.




No no, ini bukan kedai milik saya. Macam biasa, saya ni marketing arm saja :P Orang kata tu, sokong suami dan rakan-rakan hehehe...Bezanya kedai ini, ia diilhamkan oleh tiga orang Ayah penyayang, yang mana setiap perkara yang berlegar dalam kehidupan mereka semuanya tentang Isteri & Anak-Anak...Mungkin para isteri serba workaholic, jadi yang duduk busy menguruskan anak-anak, Ayah-Ayah mithali ni lah, hehehe...So they came up with an idea to run their own mommy & baby store :) 
Anything mommy & kids related, Papa always care... =)




Dari zaman isteri mengandung, sampai melahirkan dan masuk pula zone penyusuan, sampai membesarkan anak-anak, InsyaAllah, trust me, they are an expert ;) 

Anyway, saya tak boleh nak cerita panjang :P Kalau berkesempatan, rajin-rajin lah visit FB Page PaapaaCare and jangan lupa LIKE okels? Official website in progress, well it takes a while jugak nampaknya nak siapkan E-Commerce shop ni rupanya. Meanwhile, don't forget to follow PaapaaCare on Facebook (LIKE them!) so you won't miss any great offers and deals there ;)

They still have a lot to update, I know they have boxes of Fisher Price stuff in the office, bouncer, kids toilet training tool, Avent manual breastpump, Playskool walker and a lot more. So stay tune for more updates on PaapaaCare Facebook Page okels?

Antara yang ada, "Learning & Development Stuff" like below. Go check it out HERE!





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ShilaShower
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Susu untuk Ibu Mengandung :) Eyh, breastfeeding pun boleh...

Susu untuk Ibu Mengandung :) Eyh, breastfeeding pun boleh...

March 21, 2012
Advertorial 48hours. Please scroll down for latest updates :)

Hello mommies! Hari ini I nak cerita tentang "Susu Ibu Mengandung." I rasa ramai pregnant moms yang selalu google terms ni kan? Sebab itu antara keyword yang kerap ada dalam blog ShilaShower jugak, ehehe...Agaknya masa pregnant Adam Haris dulu I rajin buat review serba serbi tentang barang-barang baby and many other pregnancy related stuff, so blog posts tu sampai sekarang berguna untuk ramai ibu di luar sana :) 1st mommies especially lah kan.

Dan sebetulnya, sebelum mengandungkan Adam lagi I dah minum susu untuk ibu mengandung nih. Ada I tulis dekat sini. Kira macam nak prepare body siap-siap, biar cukup khasiat segalanya. Yang paling utama mestilah folate. Nama pun first time, tahap kerisauan tu macam-macam, so awal-awal lagi dah minum susu ni dengan harapan dapat beri cukup folik, kalsium and iron untuk baby nanti. :)

Mula-mula tu cuba 2-3 brands tapi akhirnya I settled for Anmum Materna. Rasa tu ok lah, sedap untuk diminum, not too sweet yang pentingnya. Bab rasa ni susah nak justify sebab some people yang memang tak gemar susu, bagi rasa apa pun dia takmau minum, hehehe...
Ini stok sebulan zaman pregnant Adam dulu hehe...

Yang ni packaging latest, cari yang macam ini di supermarket.


Lagi pun in the only brand yang clinilcally tested :) Kita takdak experience, mestilah pilih apa yang paling diyakini ramai. Yang kalau dari 10 orang yang I tanya, 8 mesti jawab Anmum. So Anmum lah pilihannya. 


Pertama, because it provides 100% daily folate requirement dengan hanya meminum 2 gelas susu sehari. Folate is the keyword ya? Sangat-sangat penting untung semua ibu mengandung.

Kedua, sebab bila dah belek-belek and compare between labels, secara peribadi I berpuas hati dengan nutrisi dalam Anmum Materna. Lagi-lagi hit points bila ada DHA and Gangliosides yang mana sangat penting untuk perkembangan otak. Ha, jangan ingat brain development start bila baby dah lahir okels? It starts as early as 27 days after conception, tu yang I semangat nak consume perkara berkhasiat supaya InsyaAllah baby yang keluar nanti sihat dan bijak.

Ketiga sebab susu ni provides calcium and iron yang secukupnya dan yang keempat sebab harga berpatutan, berpadanan dengan bajet dalam poket macam tuh, hihihi....

Hasilnya?

Adam Haris :) Hahaha! Ya, anak ini sungguh sesuatu. For those who knows Adam, mereka tahu apa yang I maksudnya :P Well, I tak kata minum Anmum Materna confirm anak terus bijak because brain development ni perlu diransang berterusan, TAPI, sekurang-kurang I telah pilih untuk mulakan dengan perkara yang baik :) InsyaAllah lepas ni bila dah bersedia nak tambah ahli keluarga, I nak start minum Anmum Materna again. 

Cuma masa Aiman I tak prepare awal-awal :'( Sebab itu macam di luar jangkaan. Hahaha! Omputih kata, accident case. :P 

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ShilaShower
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MimiJumi the boob-like milk bottle :P

MimiJumi the boob-like milk bottle :P

January 16, 2012

Just as the product tagline goes, "Simple but Extraordinary". I must say this very-natural-looking milk bottle is very, very cool. Because it looks just like the boob~!

Agak-agak kalau ada baby yang refuse to take bottle or maybe dalam transition between direct feeding to bottle feeding, boleh cuba guna bottle ni lah kot? Maybe can help to reduce the risk of nipple confusion. 

Material is soft and "boob" is designed to be in the best shape close to real one. Except the nipple (I think) is too long, obviously nothing near the size of mom's, kot?? :P And this little beauty is quite pricey; RM87 for one bottle :P 

Note: Can't imagine if Aiman uses this bottle and he chomps on the nipple and crack it off, ouchhh! Macam horror la tengok boob berlubang kot? Hahaha!
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ShilaShower
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Style4Mama - Your Elegant Nursing Apparels :)

Style4Mama - Your Elegant Nursing Apparels :)

December 20, 2011
Calling all breastfeeding moms, or anyone who knows one, kindly sebar-sebarkan this :)

Introducing new online shop yang boleh custom-made your nursing apparels according to your size requirement.


In fact, their first product of nursing shirt pun sangat cantik. Guna English cotton in paisley design. Detailing baju pun cantik. So not the typical boring colored nursing shirt *which you know how* kan? Hehehe...

Not only that, they are making several opening types for their ready-to-wear baju and you boleh pilih tshirt pattern mana yang sesuai untuk breastfeed baby. Good kan? Like this Paisley Purple, the opening type is neckline access. Sebab usually ready made nursing shirt ni, opening type dia standard je and you don't have much options and tak semestinya selesa untuk semua orang. Yerlah, baby kan minum macam-macam gaya, kalau kena gaya shaolin soccer macam Aiman, tak jenuh nak selak baju? Hehehe...


As for materials and designs, I believe they will upload more pics soon. Sebab kedai pun baru launch pagi nih, hihihi. I am so excited to write a post about it sebab finally, ada tempat buat nursing shirts yang stylo sikit. You know what I mean. Breastfeeding and big boobs issue T___T, but that doesn't mean you have to hide in over-sized clothing, and that doesn't mean you have to give up on style, hehehe...

Now, go favourite Style4Mama and stay tune for more updates nanti :) Meanwhile, mungkin boleh pi tanya jenis-jenis baju ka, jenis-jenis kain ka, fashion-fashion ka camtu lah.
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ShilaShower
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Breastfeeding in Public

Breastfeeding in Public

February 10, 2011
I've been reading articles and loading up my brain with more info on breastfeeding since last week (I'm experiencing bad susu days now) ~>___<~ but number of times that I stumbled upon videos and articles about moms being threatened and boo-ed for breastfeeding their child in public. 

Seriously, what is wrong about breastfeeding in public? Unless you simply whooped out your boobies and fed your little one with you tanks wide open, that's a different case altogether as it is clearly embarrassing lah kot kan.

I understand that it may not be a norm to breastfeed openly in public but hey, that's a natural act from mommy to her little feeder you know? And I personally think that as long as the chest area and back is properly covered, then it's fine. 

Why do this people have to perceive this as some sexual symbol or as if the mother is doing a free strip show or something? And you say nothing to someone who dressed up in an eye popping outfit with boobs almost spilled out of top? Lempang karang baru tau!

Personally, I don't mind to breastfeed my little one in public as long as everything gets properly covered. But well, I worked my way slowly to actually get my comfort level to do it in public. Aiman is a spontaneous feeder (and can be very monstrous too) that most of the times I really have to act fast and quickly feed him before he starts screaming and telling out the world that he is hungry. 

And to find a nursing room or proper place to breastfeed takes time and can be very drawn out too. Plus, nothing can be more nerve racking than a wail of hungry baby and no one likes it, kan? So, feed him in public it is. 

Lastly, I just want to tell the whole wide world that breastfeeding is one of the most of challenging thing that I ever done in my life. Boleh bagi sama taraf macam nak buat bungee jumping tahu?


My spontaneous little feeder. See? Mum's in charge!
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ShilaShower
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EBM stocks di paras kronik!

January 13, 2011
Serious kronik weh!

3 packs left! Daripada 40 lebih paket di zaman awal menceburkan diri dalam arena penyusuan badan, sekarang ada TIGA paket sajo.

Milk production tidaklah jatuh merundum, still producing an average 20oz per day BUT the thing is, I have one super monstrous baby at home! Yang sekali minum 5oz, adoyaiii! Ok lah fine, mungkin metobolism tinggi ke apa, berat pun 8 kilo tapi baru 4 bulan setengah. *Genetik anak beranak, what to do kan*

So instead bekalan dulu 6 packs sehari, sekarang sudah jadi 4 packs saja, and bila I balik lambat frozen ebm terpaksa digunakan. Sikit-sikit, lama-lama habis terus. -_-"

So how now?

How to increase my breastmilk like betul2 increase?

I've tried phytonatal ke apa tah jamu from Nona Roguy tu (mahal lah!), well it works tetapi asyik nak sakit perut lah kan. Sekali baca belakang botol, "sesuai untuk ibu selepas bersalin menguruskan badan". Cis, ubat pegi toilet rupanya. So dah tak makan lagi. Tak kuasa okeh. I don't mind being fat (for now) and enjoying my foods than to suffer sakit perut. Tahu?

Fenugreek? Tidak berapa berkesan on me, bau busuk je lebih. Hampeh.

Alfalfa? Awal2 ok, after a while efek dah takde. Aiseh.

Soya? SUPERB! Tapi the only place yang I selalu beli is dekat Soya Shop Ikano or pasar malam. Jenuhlah nak pergi Soya Shop tu hari-hari kan. Pasar malam pulak Thursday only.

Alahai, Aiman baru 5 bulan nih, we have another one month to go to make this penyusuan berjaya. So now I'm going on this strategy of feeding him 3.5 to 4.0oz per session tapi kerap. Tak boleh ikut dah demand 5.0 - 6.0oz Aiman tu, naik semput nak pam susu. Huhuhuhuhu...
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ShilaShower
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Secondhand Electric Breast Pump for Sale - Avent ISIS IQ Uno

Secondhand Electric Breast Pump for Sale - Avent ISIS IQ Uno

November 25, 2010





All for RM400

  • Used electric breastpump

  • Breast pump is in good working condition

  • IQ Uno control handle, battery pack and manual parts included

  • Pump can be used in 3 modes: manual, electric, battery pack

  • With let down massage cushion to gently stimulate breasts

  • Electronic memory learns to match your baby's suckling action


FREE items included!
- Bumble Bee breast pads (brand new)
- Joy Angle breast milk storage bags 25pcs (brand new)
- Earth Mama Angle Organic Milkmaid Tea (4 tea bags included)
- Earth Mama Angle Nipple Butter (used few times only)
- Bumble Bee nursing pillow (used but in good and clean condition)
- Avent milk bottle and teats never been used

  • Serious buyers only

  • First come first serve basis


Email me at koshy_17@yahoo.com for more details and inquiries :)
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ShilaShower
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MEDELA Swing & Mini Electric for sale! Cheap cheap!

MEDELA Swing & Mini Electric for sale! Cheap cheap!

November 22, 2010


MEDELA SWING



RM599 (RRP: RM799)

Includes:
  • SoftFit Breastshield
  • 2 Bottles & Caps
  • Bottle Stand
  • Power Cord
  • Shoulder / neck strap
  • Tubing
  • Valve and membrane
  • Drawstring bag
  • Instruction manual
  • Breastfeeding Information Guide


Stimulation mode:
To simulate your baby's initial rapid sucking to start your milk flowing.

Expression mode:
To simulate your baby's slower deeper sucks to express your milk gently and efficiently.

  • Swing is designed for Moms On the Go!
  • One touch let down button designed for faster milk flow
  • Convenient, easily fits into a purse or briefcase
  • Efficient, adjustable speed and vacuum
  • Comfortable, come with SoftFit Breastshield
  • Mobile, use on a laptop, belt clip or shoulder/neck strap





MEDELA MINI ELECTRIC



RM388 (RRP: RM469)


Includes:
  • Breastshield
  • Valve & membranes
  • Breastmilk bottle, lid & travel cap
  • Wide base slow-flow nipple
  • Container stand
  • AC adapter for local use
  • Breastfeeding Information Guide
  • Instruction manual

Features:
  • Easy to assemble, use and clean 
  • Gentle and efficient expression 
  • Full range adjustable vacuum 
  • Electric or battery-powered
  • The Mini Electric was rated the best battery breastpump by a number of baby magazines.


NOTE:
  • Items all brand new
  • Items in sealed box WITH warranty
  • Items will be shipped from UK via Airmail (expected to arrive within 7 days)
  • Offer valid until 30th November 2010


Email me at koshy_17@yahoo.com for info and enquiries. TQ :)

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ShilaShower
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Isu hidup minggu ini: susu ibu

Isu hidup minggu ini: susu ibu

October 27, 2010
Pertama,

Medela ni, dah beli pam mahal-mahal, bagilah bag yang stylo mylo sikit. T_T Buat ler kaler black and pink polkadot ke apa kan. Hihihihi. Ah, tapi ini isu tak berapa penting. So abaikan.

Kedua,

Semalam sesi pam Shell V-Power Aiman Haris berkurang menjadi lima, tetapi hasil meningkat menjadi 28oz! Apekah gabungan milo dan oat dan almonds dan Sunmaid Raisins telah menyebabkan hasil lumayan ini? *Mungkinlah kot?*

9.30am - 6.5oz
12.30pm - 6.0oz
4.30pm - 5.0oz
8.30pm - 4.0oz
5.30am - 6.5oz

Eyh eyh, tapi kamu orang jangan ingat saya pam 5-6 kali tu dekat ofis semata. Itu termasuk malam dekat rumah sekali daaa. Kalau kat ofis semata, wah hebat! *Takde kerja office ke si ShilaShower neh kan?* So itu tidaklah mungkin terjadi.

Saya telah menetapkan untuk pam 3 kali di ofis pada waktu yang sama setiap hari. 9.30AM, 1.00PM, 4.30PM

Dan lagi 2 kali di rumah; antara 8.00PM to 12.00AM dan WAJIB: 3.30AM.

Tapi selalu gagal je yang 3.30AM tu, jadi replace pukul 5.30AM.

Jadi lihat, cukuplah 5 kali pam untuk mengumpul bekalan makanan buat anakanda Aiman Haris. Sikit-sikit lama-lama jadi bukit. *Falsafah saya dalam menjaya penyusuan susu ibu* Hihihihi. But seriously, it works! Saya bermula dengan 20ml sahaja dan bertambah menjadi 1oz dan berlarutan selama sebulan.

Tapi saya selalu kata pada hati, "sabarlah". Alhamdulillah, kesabaran itu berbaloi :)

Semalam masa tengah pam, kakak dekat ofis ni tanya, "eyh susu ada ke? tak dengar bunyi air pun?" Ada, ada, tapi slow flow, so takdelah bunyi "schlurp! schlurp!" itu. Hihihihi.

Ketiga,

Masih jugak tak reti nak buat gaya bebas waktu mengepam. Sebab perkakasnya banyak betul dan tak sempat-sempat nak baca manual. So, guna je FS tapi tak berapa gaya bebas jugak. Kuikuikuikui. Mungkin kena jumpa Lyn, mintak tolong dia buat demo. :)

Keempat,

Ada yang bertanya, "apa yang membuatkan saya begitu bersungguh bf-ing?"

Breast is the best! Ah, tapi tu jawapan biasa. Merapatkan hubungan ibu anak semua tu jawapan skema format buku. Tak best. Mestilah semua ibu nak bagi yang terbaik untuk anak-anakkan? Semua ibu pun nak menjadi orang pertama dalam hidup anak-anak kan?

Yang sebetulnya, saya takut nak bagi formula dan nak jugak bagi susu badan sebab eczema. Doktor bilang sama kami, jika ibu atau ayah mempunyai alergi and asma (or mungkin pernah ada rekod), anak-anak berkebarangkalian besar mendapat eczema. Saya ada alergi sampai sekarang dan suami pernah mempunya rekod asma semasa kecilnya, jadi, setiap anak-anak kami akan mempunyai risiko yang sama besar untuk mendapat eczema.

Cukup dengan Adam Haris, kesian tengok dia tergaru-garu gatal. Nasiblah Adam kena tahap picisan je, belom kronik, not even separa kronik pun bak kata Dato' Dr Biduwiyah, pakar kulit di Ampang Puteri. Tahap macam Adam yang doktor kata "tak payah risaulah" pun dah berbotol-botol Simple cream kami lumur, Elomet bersepah dekat rumah, bayangkan kalau kena teruk sampai berair, berdarah ke, macam mana?

Kelima,

Dah, mak nak kena pegi buat rutin harian ni. Dah 9.30. =P


Patut cuci gambar ni, tampal kat kubikel ni, buat pembakar semangat supaya jangan malas. 
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ShilaShower
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Pumping for my super fast milk slurper

Pumping for my super fast milk slurper

October 26, 2010
Pheww!

I pumped 6 times for yesterday and managed to get a total of 21oz but still not enough to feed Aiman who needs 24.5oz from 7am - 7pm. Owh, he took the entire EBM packs that I prepared for him yesterday with no single pack left by the time I reached home. Hmphhhh...Hopefully my milk supply will catch up very soon. But again, I think I have come mighty close to his needs, it just that 6 pumping sessions per day is just too tiring. -_-"


I have to admit that breastfeeding is not an easy job, or never will be. Now that I have started working, breastfeeding has become an uphill task and also a battle against laziness *wipe sweat off forehead* Seriously, it takes a lot of determination and perseverance to make the whole thing success. Well you know, working and pumping in between is one tiring process but no matter what, I still have to do it continuously until Allah knows when.


Speaking of which, I have to express my milk as many times as possible because well, I'm a mother with not so abundant milk supply and rarely have issue on engorgement and leaking. Seriously need a lot of hard work to keep up with Aiman's daily intake (7 x 3.5oz). A total of 24.5oz!! *Fainted*


Nevertheless, I am still proud of myself *ehem* for being able to breastfeed Aiman, exclusively, for two months! *Yeay!* Because I gave up breastfeeding my eldest way too early as I didn't have enough courage to make it a success. Looking at the pitiful amounts of EBM even after consulting LC at PMC and series of painful and bleeding nipples, I decided to put a stop on breastfeeding Adam *sighhh*


The thought of "I have read enough so I know everything now" was a total mistake and things didn't turn wonderful easy as expected because reading and experiencing are two different things altogether. But now I know, that breastfeeding is a learned skill and persevere is the KEY.


Please meet, my new handbag T_T 
October stocks, 35 packs and still counting. September stocks already kawtim!

Aihhh, pening pening. Penat pikir, cukup ke makanan haku nih?
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ShilaShower
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Strawberry & Orange: it works for me!

Strawberry & Orange: it works for me!

October 12, 2010
Yes, I'm talking about strawberry and orange as a milk booster (fresh ones please).

Why strawberry and orange?

Please, don't ask me for the scientifically proven thing whatsoever because I didn't bother to google for info because all I know is to try. If it works, alhamdulillah, if it's not, then let it be. But I remember reading it somewhere, in a book perhaps, that any food that is high in vitamin C will help to increase oxytocin levels in our blood. So, mungkin lah kan.

The idea of trying these vitamin C rich fruits came from Azza's blog entry where she wrote about her concern on the low milk supply. So, one of her blog reader; Arin, commented that mandarin orange and strawberry are among fruits that can help to boost milk supply by increasing the oxytocin levels. So I tried. After all, its just fruits and definitely have nothing to worry about or to the very least, it helps to improve my digestive system. :P

Alhamdulillah, it works miraculously for me! Because I woke up this morning with a hard rock milk tanks after eating a bowl full of oranges and strawberries and seedless grapes last night. So why not you try it? Perhaps it will also work for you too :) I've tried so many foods from whole grains to dairy products, but nothing beats strawberry and orange so far. Comes next is dates and hot milk combo.


And you know what? I just hit my highest score of 6oz per pumping session this evening. Penuh botol, sangatlah mak suka kan. Normally it would just be up to 4oz max, so that's an increase of 2oz which is amazing enough to me. :P Let's see if the formula will work again tonight as I'm thinking to have a bowl of strawberries, oranges and dates and a big mug of hot milk. Tengok 3 jam lepas tu jadi Pamela Anderson tak. Ekekekeke...
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ShilaShower
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Formspring you!

Formspring you!

October 07, 2010
Eheh, Formspring me tu I kena jawab soalan kan. Meh sini ShilaShower nak Formspring you olls pulak. Ok. Serious. I have questions and can anyone answers these questions I have, please?

FIRST:
How much EBM should I put in a bottle and how many bottles should I give to the babysitter? How to figure out on how much breastmilk that Aiman will need from 7am to 7pm because currently he drinks on every 2 hours.

If let say he takes 6 bottles per day at 3oz for each feeding, waliauweiii, that's equal to 18oz lah! Mak pam baru dapat 4oz both tanks, how meh? 3 kali pam baru 12oz. Do you think that I can catch up with his needs? Current EBM stocks amounting to 110oz and I'm worried if later on, more stocks will be out than in. Eyh, tapi taklah risau tahap kronik, tak elok untuk kesihatan. Cuma ada sikit keraguan munasabah di situ. Hihihi.

SECOND:
Aiman will have to stay with babysitter. *Kesian...Sobbsss* So, since he is a breastfed baby, how and when should I start explaining and teach his babysitter on how to handle the breastmilk? Kena ada testing period hantar Aiman kat babysitter ker? Itu lah, I ada sedikit worry if that makcik tak handle EBM tu betul-betul especially part nak panaskan susu. Takut susu tak warm and Aiman minum susu sejuk, aiyoh. Or maybe I should buy bottle warmer to make feeding session a bit easier?

THIRD:
Let say if I opt to buy a bottle warmer, then which brand will fit MAM bottles nicely?

FOURTH:
Hiccups after breastfeeding. Any tips on how to prevent it? Stop tu memang taklah, once it starts, tunggu je lah dia stop sendiri. Maaf, I don't believe on sile-tampal-tisu-basah-di-dahi-bayi-anda because I don't see any logic there. Plus, kalau setiap dua jam dia sedu, wahhh jenuh jugak kerja nak koyak tisu tampal kat dahi okeh.

FIFTH:
Mengapa kenapa Aiman Haris suka kumpul susu dalam mulut? Maksudnya, bila dia sudah tertidur, lalu saya mahu mengalihkan dia ke atas tilam, mak aihhhh, melimpah susu dari mulut macam Niagara Falls! Haihhh, tahukan anak bahawa setitik susu itu ibarat emas? Okeh, dia taktau sebab dia baby lagi. But it seems to happen like once or twice a day. +P

So that's all, a total of 5 questions that need to be answered, please. :)

Last but not least, a little something on Adam Haris. My soon to be 18 months toddler is building up his vocabulary wonderfully and the latest word that just came out of his mouth is GIANT! Ok well, it sound Ya-Yen but still it points to GIANT. Bukan Giant Doraemon, tapi his all time favourite logo of GIANT Hypermarket! His catching up more words on his own nampaknya.

And he calls Adik Aiman as Ai-Nam. Or sometimes, Ai-Yam! +P

Here are few short words the he speaks fairly clearly and understandable :)

Air
Naik
Abah
Va (Wan)
Mak (Mak Tok)
Mama
Up
Giant!
Ainam (Aiman, hihihi)
Jam
Jap (sekejap. eyh, kecik-kecik dah pandai hesitate. tak bagus nih)
Jom
Vu-ah (Buah)
Nana (Banana)
Bina (Ribena)
Dadah (muahahhaa, ini bukan drugs yer, but sejadah)
Baby

And a few more that I can't recall right now. Kira boleh lah sangat for his age kan? =P

Eyh, soalan I kat atas janganlah lupa nak jawab. Hehehehe.


Sama tapi tak serupa, hihihi....

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ShilaShower
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I failed to breastfeed my first son...

I failed to breastfeed my first son...

September 26, 2010
...but I hope that I can make it with my second son....

I'm in a mission! But I know, that thing isn't any easy even with my first time experience in hand and in fact, I still struggle a lot with it. -_-" The only thing that makes a difference from my first time is determination, especially during the first two weeks when things went rough. I thought that it was going to be an easy start for me but I was so wrong as things were a lot more tougher than before *jaundice, hospitalization & etc* and my milk didn't came in until the fourth day.

Alhamdulillah that to date, I managed to breastfeed Aiman exclusively and few times of bottle feeding Adam with my EBM despite of my slow flow breastmilk and flat nipples *tunggu jugak bila nak banjir besar, tapi idok ler berlaku nyer*. Engorged once and that's it. Breast fullness? Not so often or maybe that nurse my baby on every 2 hour now, cik puan B tak sempat nak full to blast. Kot? But working on demand vs supply, that's all that I need to remember for now and not anything else.

Frankly speaking, breastfeeding is like an obstacle course for me. When few things like latching, milk flow, that were initially harder but later got smoother, then new challenges came in (growth spurts, fussy baby and pacifying-mommy-all-night). So yeah, determination is the key to success (tak lah berjaya sangat pun) but at least I managed to be at where I am now because it didn't progress this far when I was with Adam. Plus, determination helps to fight the all time killer question; "susu cukup ke nih??". Otherwise, I would have surrender to formula especially when I see the saggy empty breasts or when the postpartum depression kicked in. Depress lah kan bila tersadai je dekat rumah. Huhuhu...

Anyways, I'm still demanding for helps and I'm forever indebted to Lyn for being there to help me with latching and answering my questions 24/7. Thanks Lyn :) Besides, I keep on reading on few breastfeeding blogs in order to gain more info on BFing and to boost up my spirit to success (but not the forum, hardcore sangat, nanti I rasa macam jadi semut di lautan gajah) kuikuikuikui.... Kurus is no longer an issue tho I'm just as fat as before and not even a kg being shed off, but I know eventually I will. Harap ia bukan fakta dusta. =P

For now, I need to work hard to build my milk stash so that I will have enough supply for Aiman when I get back to work. Work??? Owh no!! +P Anyways, I'm glad for being able to overcome failure factor no.1 during my first time; building up EBM stocks. Because this time, I can see my hard earned EBM is filling up our freezer (the lower level) and highly likely will conquer the upper part very soon. =P

85 oz in a month. Jangan gelak hokey. This is considered a lot to me. A LOT! I know some of you sekali pam dah dapat 8 oz, seploh kali pam can easily hit 80 oz. Mak ni nokss, berpuluh kali pam sampai sebulan, baru lah cecah 85 oz tuh. Of course it is something kan? Hihihihi... At the moment, I can only get around 1.5 to 2.0 oz per pumping session and I really hope that it will increase gradually once I get back to work.


Disclaimer: I am not a total pro breastfeeding person and whatever written here and images shared is for my personal record only. Yes, I am determined for breastfeeding but to me, breastmilk is not just everything. Adam is my formula fed baby but he's doing just as fine as others did. In fact, he can say dozens of words clearly now including his own name, ADAM. :)
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ShilaShower
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On breastfeeding and jaundice

On breastfeeding and jaundice

September 16, 2010
Aiman was detected with jaundice (SB 200) when he was 3 days old and he loses his weight excessively from 3.4kg to 3.0kg within that short period of time (Info: normal weight loss for a newborn should be no more than 10% in the first week of life). It was so bad that Aiman needs to be re-admitted back to the hospital for phototherapy treatment, on the fact that his jaundice was just at the beginning and expected to increase in the next few days before it begins to dissapear.

But instead of leaving my baby alone under the supervision of PMC nurses, I decided to readmit myself too so that I can breastfeed my baby at all time and most importantly, because I didn't want them to formula feed Aiman Haris. Little did I know that the nightmare has just begun.

First, on managing the pains. It was a hard time when I need to take care a jaundice baby that need to be fed as frequent as possible while trying to tolerate the contractions pain, sore nipples, engorgement and stitches down there. Tak cukup tidur tu tak payah ceritalah kan?

Second, on supplementing him with formula. This is something that against my wishes but paedatrician instructed me to give him 2oz top up after each feeding, in a way to give more fluids which helps to improve his bowel movement and bring down the bilirubin down more quickly. At that point of time, I have no other choice but to say yes but on one condition. I will first breastfeed him 20 minutes on each breast and formula can only be given if he seems unsettled and unsatisfied. But if he sleeps well after the 40 minutes breastfeeding session and settle well under the phototherapy light, then no formula should be offered to him at all. Plus, formula feed should be done using a cup and strictly no bottle feeding. *So yer, I jadi macam mak tiri sekejap masa tuh* I have to, otherwise my breastfeeding plan will go haywire. =P


It was so kesian to see my tiny little baby all wrapped up and slept under the warm blue light for 24 hours a day but alhamdulillah, after having oi-tak-best-gila 3 days stay in PMC, his bilirubin level was low enough that the doctor said, "Aiman boleh balik hari ni" :) Yeayy!!

But again, upon discharged, doctor gave me a small can of Enfalac HA that I need to feed my baby as a supplement to my not-so-much breastmilk. Jaundice had gone down, but we still need to help Aiman gaining his weight back to his birth weight or good if it's more. So iyolah, kalau susu nan ado, macam mana anak mak nak naik berat?

Well, everyone else is saying my breastmilk is sikit termasuk makcik urut. "Ni kalau orang banyak susu, tekan sikit dah memancut dah. Shila ni takde pulak gitu ye". I just nodded and smile politely. Tidak apa, anggapkan masuk telinga kanan keluar telinga kiri. To me, BREASTFEEDING IS A CONFIDENCE GAME.

Aiman is the master here. He's like, "I'm small but I'm the boss". I don't stick to any feeding schedule because we both are working on demand and supply rule. That means I will nurse him as often as required by Aiman Haris and will wake him up if he sleeps more than 2 or 2.5 hours. I don't mind if people ask me whether or not my breastmilk that I'm producing is a lot, because all that I know Aiman is drinking the amount that enough to keep him up. So long that he has 6-8 wet diapers with pale or water-colored urine (enough hydration) and 2-3 or more seedy stools everyday and he seems content after each feeding, I know that my baby is getting enough milk. Plus, I do direct feeding and no bottle feeding yet.

Today, I'm glad that the small can given by the doctor is remained unopen and for trusting myself and follow my gut instinct that I can do it this time. Guess what? Aiman is now weighing at 3.8kg and that healthy weight gain came solely from my breastmilk! and not a single drop of formula as given by doctor. But true enough, breastfeeding is such a challenging journey. Mencabar minda jiwa raga otak badan semualah!

I will share more on my breastfeeding journey in later entry, the ups and downs that I faced since last two weeks. How that I managed to stock up my 40oz EBM (sikit tapi untuk I banyak lah tuh) when I only have an average of 1.5oz per pumping session (both breasts!) What most important here, hati kena gigih. +P Tapi penat jugak doh. Semoga saya berjayalah kali ini. *lap peluh*

Till then, here the bahan bukti to keep myself up and steady that I have enough breastmilk for my baby. Monster susu!

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ShilaShower
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"Breastfeed" is my favorite word for now

"Breastfeed" is my favorite word for now

July 22, 2010
Yeah ladies, more on breastfeeding today :) See? I told you, this is my favorite word for now and insyaallah, will make it last forever.

Breastfeeding - it's a big word, it's a big thing. It takes every part of your life; mommy, in order for it to success. My first time did not go well even though I have done so much to make it work. Worried of my baby not getting enough, plus the super-hell-painful crack nipples and not enough EBM for Adam, I finally settled for formula. *Big sobssss here*

Then came the hot issue of "susu-lembu-anak-lembu" where most mom bloggers started to debate about and seriously, it was not helping at all. *eyh, tapi anak saya minum soya, so dia baby soya lah kan?* Frankly speaking, I didn't even bother to read those info available on forum page as suggested by few of you. Ok I know, the info shared on the web is informative and I did read a few pages but decided to stop the moment I found those unnecessary-words said by hardcore-breasfeeding-mamas. You know what I mean, I don't have to elaborate further in here.

Good for you if your milk is flowing non stop like kilang-susu-dutch-lady, but please don't look down upon those who fails to breastfeed exclusively. You never know what is their problem neither that you know what they have gone through. I prefer to read those blogs with moderate views and opinions, for example on Mama Danish blog. Which she will also be my right hand in breastfeeding this time, hihihi. Ok Lyn? Upah mintak kat Kown, tehehehehehe. ;)

So, back to my first time experience, the journey wasn't that smooth. Probably the latching was wrong and lack of info on few other things such as let down reflex, stocking up EBM, pumping schedule and etc. To me, breastfeeding is a thing that you need to experience firsthand before mastering it; it's not just about reading and theory. It's a lot more than that.

I learnt a lot from the mistakes done in the past and I hope that my second time won't be as hard as before. At least I know on what to expect when the baby is born and what to do next. I am more confident and determine this time because I know, come what may, I have a friend who is pro in breastfeeding to help me :) Unlike before, kalau nak mintak tolong datang rumah pun tatau nak cari siapa. Hehehehehhe. Upah mileage, Lyn mintak kat Kown tau. =P

Most importantly, I don't want to spend another RM300 every month for formula milk! Enough with Isomil. RM300 + RM300?? That's a ridiculous amount to spend for monthly formula milk supply hokeyyy??? Satu sen pun tak menjimatkan and that's equal to our Persona monthly installment. Soon, I will make this small poster and clearly state on it, "NO ADDITIONAL RM300 FOR FM!!" and stick it on the wall. RM300 is a lot! At least to remind me and to boost my motivation just in case I get close to surrender myself to FM. Tehehehehehehe... Tapi betul, ini sebab musabab utama kenapa saya nak sangat dan kena jugak bf. Takde duit weyyy nak spend sampai 500-600 beli FM, rugi mampuih Mat Kown kata. +P

Baby Soya =P
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ShilaShower
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1.6k for a breastpump?

1.6k for a breastpump?

July 19, 2010


When I first told my husband,

"Abang, nak beli pump baru. Harga RM1660" *konon tak payah nak berpantun puisi bagai, straight to the point, tapi....*

He gave me this big "GULP!" and looked at me like I have two heads or something. I know, he was shocked by the hefty price tag of this human invention that to be placed on his wifey boobies. He didn't give any definite answer to me; whether it's a yes or no or nanti-fikir-dulu but he showered me with questions. Since then, the issue has been put on hold.

But today, when I was googling for info on Spectra 3, I stumbled upon this website named Lil Kai Store which offers a plan to its customers who would like to purchase a breastpump via installment. Bukan kutu scheme yer puan-puan but it offers a certain number of months for which you have to settle the amount completely *depends on breastpump of your choice* and the amount is flexible. Or in my case, bajet tak cukup, nak kena 4 kali cash out Nuffnang baru dapat. Hukhukhukhuk...



: : Huuu, duit tak cukup neh. Tunggu cek bulan Jun, bulan Julai belum cash out. Bulan Ogos September belum tahu apa rupa. Tunggu subsidi Mat Kown lah jawabnya : :


RM1660 for Medela Freestyle and that's nearly equal to my Neverfull! Tapi Neverfull tak boleh pump susu, hanya boleh isi botol susu *sobsss* Initially, I thought of settling for Spectra 3 set (RM585 on Lil Kai Store) but knowing that they have this installment plan, why not balik-bertimbang-tara with my husband dulu?

This time, I really want to go serious about breastfeeding and I think I know what is the mistake I've done last time; the reason why I didn't make enough EBM for Adam. I immediately fed him with breastmilk that I expressed earlier rather than keeping those as stocks. Obviously, I missed few sessions of direct feeding everyday kan? *Udah kepala I ni fikir, kalau dah pam, lepas tu Adam nak minum, mana ada susu kat badan. Cik B tu ringan kosong je rasa*

So back to my breastpump story, I think I'm going to give a second thought on this mother of breastpumps. Yes, Freestyle is expensive but come to think it; the time it saves for not having to pump for 20-minutes each side, why not kan? Tu belum kira sakit jiwa pegang Avent yang bulky lagi beratkan? By the time abes pump belah kanan, tangan dah lenguh. Masuk belah kiri, jiwa dah stress. =P *Ok, alasan memang macam-macam bila nak membeli benda baru*

Enough said, I need to do some math before presenting my proposal *for the second time* to Mat Kown. Even if I need to make another round of my "Garage Sale" to fund my Freestyle, I'll do it. Tehehehehe.... :)

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ShilaShower
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Breastpump: reviews and opinion needed

June 28, 2010
Dear fellow mommies,

I'm planning to buy another breast pump but I have no idea on which to go for. I haven't done much research on every available pump in the market but real life experience shared here would be very much appreciated. I've tried to google as much info as I can, but the findings are not satisfying at all. It looks more like a marketing tool when every details describing the pump is canggih.

I want a real life experience and independent review especially on handling the pump. I have all these questions in my mind - is it quite? is it portable? is it lightweight? is it comfort? how the suction? do you need to assemble too many parts to make it works? and a lot more.

Owh anyway, I'm looking for an electric pump ya, tak larat mak nak manual pumping. =P But I don't dare to splurge straight for RM2000 Medela Freestyle because I'm not sure on how my hasil tenusu will be this time, but I really hope a good pump will help at least a bit.

I know, some may ask, "what happened with Avent Isis IQ Uno?" I still have it but the pump is a little bit heavy and bulky, especially when I have to hold it for 15-20 minutes each side. Lenguh gila tangan. Other than that, it works just fine.

It would be good if I can get double electric breast pump but hopefully the price is not as expensive as Medela Freestyle. Ada nggak??

Thanks and regards,
ShilaShower


P/S: Laki mak dah caiyok! caiyok! suruh bf nih. Dia kata we should gear up more than what we did before. So yeah, having said that, this breast pump will definitely be on him. Takut nak kena double expense on formula lah tuh. Ekekekekeke. Adam sorang aja dah RM300, kalau kali dua? Boleh beli kereta woh!

P/S/S: Lin, kalau Shila still terkedek-kedek tak berjaya, Shila suruh Kown hire Lin jadi personal lactation counselor je lah. Kuikuikuikuikui. Hands on baru dapat cara betul kot? =P
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ShilaShower
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