3.5 Months Update

- Today, he turned from 'upward' position to prone position for the first time, as my folks call it 'belajar tengkurap'. I didnt see it though, missed it by 1/2 minute as I was in the kitchen. Bummer :) It was a bit of a cheat since the small cushion below his head probably helped him, but he has been turning sideways quite often lately to start with.
- He is sucking his fingers big time, but the good side of it it seems it has helped him (or me/the caregiver) to occupy himself. Gone is the phase where we had to be with him all the time when he's awake so that he doesnt get bored & starts being cranky :).
- As he gained more control of his limbs & his attention span (? not too sure but i think), he starts to be able to self-soothe himself to sleep. It is still a long way to go, as he has been pretty used swayed in a sling, but yeah we are working on this as we dont want to carry him all the time to make him sleep.
- He is cooing more and more, not only when he is happy (when he is engaged with other people or look at interesting toys), but also when he is calming himself to sleep.
- He is loving swimming. Today hubby said he was totally at ease in the water moving his arms around. This has been his 4th day properly baby-swimming.
- He gets really annoyed by sudden loud voices, like car alarm, speeding motorbike, person suddenly talking  to him very loudly. He will shriek suddenly & cries, but quietens quickly too after the sound is gone (& we are there to comfort him).

- He is drinking 120ml per feeding when I'm away, 2 or 3 bottles a day. I'm still experimenting with the bottle volume, trying to increase a bit more especially in the mid morning & late afternoon so he can last a bit longer before I come back home to b/f directly.
- I am very happy that I have been able to pump sufficiently for him and currently my daily pumping volume is more than or at least the same that he needs. This was a big question mark before I started to work, I had a conservative prediction that I would be pumping deficit, as in if he needed 4 bottles a day, I would only be able to pump 3. But thank goodness it is currently all good.

Back to work

It's been 3 days I have gone back to work. Of course I miss him dearly. The first 100 steps out of the house are the heaviest. It's like i'm having the time of my life because of this little man's presence in our house, but yet I am leaving him to do something else. So the first day was the hardest *only for me, and not for him ;) *, I haven't even left my door step and my eyes are red already :).
Anyway, first day didnt turn up to be so hard. Just one hour resting my bum on the office chair, we all ran out of the building 'cause a fire drill was about to start. So there I was back at home from 10.00 am to 2pm to be back with my son :).
It's been 3 days & I have managed to be back at home during lunch break time so that I can breastfeed him directly & of course to see his little blossoming smile & play with him a little bit. Been going to office early (on time) so I can leave on time too. I don't know how long I can keep up doing this, but I will try my hardest to do this as often as I can. Afterall I am gladly doing it.
Ah the joy of motherhood :)

First Travel Trip

Hello! We just came back from a balik-kampung trip to Jakarta & Yogyakarta, me & Adam :) . I must say Adam behaved really well during the travelling time. Phew! He slept easily on train rides & plane flights. Must be the bouncing feel of the train tracks & the zero noise effects on the plane.

This is what I did to prepare for the trip:
- the night before, i didnt do full pumping, so i have extra gush flow in the first half of the day in case A gets cranky.
- minimize hand carry bag weight. Put most things in the checked-in baggage. forego the idea of bringing a stroller along as he can still be cranky on stroller anyway, but is most comfortable when held close, so a sling is the most efficient choice in carrying him (Tested in duo trips to local neighbourhoods).
- ordered the KLIA limousine-train-VIP service to ensure i have someone else carry my baggage till fully check-in while i concentrate fully on carrying & holding A. (Since A cannot hold his head upright yet by himself, sometimes i need one hand holding his neck & the other holding his torso or free to pull out wallet etc from my bag).
- Made my maid stay back with me all the way till i'm in the cab which picked me up in the condo.
- thank goodness i brought a copy of A's birth cert in Malaysia. Eventhough his passport already said he's born here & that's obviously why his passport is still blank from any immigration chop, I still get questions by the young immigration officer. So the malaysian sijil copy helped to prove the case.
- The only 2 times Adam let out a sharp cry was when i was standing still too long waiting on the check in desk & the immigration desk. Rocking motions quickly calmed him down in less than 10secs (and also helped rushed the officers in charge to process my forms faster ;p ).
- Noticed that A slept back when we boarded the sattelite train between the airport 2 terminals. So i decided to hang around longer inside the back-and-forth train for 30mins instead of the 3 mins trip :). Yap and he slept like a baby (notice the pun?). So all i had left was 20mins in the boarding lounge which was spent nursing him and once on the plane, i spent 10-15mins cuddling him before he falls asleep again for most of the flight time :)
- Garuda gave me first row seat & priority baggage queue, so the arrival process was done quickly. The jakarta immigration officer also escorted me to the diplomatic immigration counter to avoid the usual long queing :) Happy me & Adam :)
- Quick nappy change in the airport & quick cuddling on the nappy room mat (since he loves being put freely on a mat once he's full & awake) before picking up the baggage & meet my parents outside the airport :)
- He got a bit cranky towards the last 30mins of the taxi trip to home, that i'm not surprised, after all who can bear the traffic madness of Jakarta. But of course, to all his crankiness, breastfeeding is a simple quick solution :)

Ok, so the travelling was smooth! Before I decided I would go for the trip duo with A (Hubby is on a long stretch of offshore assignment), I had 2 concerns..:
1. will i be able to keep up on pumping breastmilk for stock up purpose
2. i need A to get increasingly familiar with bottle feeding & needs training for this!

Well, the first few days in Jakarta, the 2 things above did not go very well. I kind of discounted the fact of how much help I have been getting in KL with my maid's presence. My parents are not exactly the baby-wearers type who willingly or have the strength to carry a 3m baby for long minutes. And A does not take day naps unless he is swayed & he usually needs at least 15-20mins of being carried before falling asleep! so there i go, handling Adam all day & just hoping the 6pm time will come soon enough, as beyond that he starts deep sleeping & does not need the cradling anymore. So yes, i was exhausted :p taking care of him. First few nights i opted for longer sleeps rather than extra awake time for pumping.

And then on the bottle training, mum was eager to give him bottle at the beginning, but i knew that A preferring milk way better on breast than bottle, will still be cranky after feeding from bottle & will need swaying again to soothe him (This is my maid's trick which is working better & better every day). So after I had a few bottle of stocks, she tried once & found it very hard to soothe Adam after that... so i told myself i will not ask my mum to bottlefeed him again unless she volunteered (which she never did after that ;p ). However, i dont blame my mum, her joints are not strong to withstand this kind of 'exercise'.

After a few days & with some hints here & there, i think my parents saw that i was getting too exhausted, they start to get more involved in handling A, at least when he's not so cranky :p so i have more time to rest. I was quite amazed & impressed by Dad who then handled baby A at his crankiest time of the day (always on the late afternoon) & patiently tried to soothe him (without rocking that is) for at least 1 hour in my 3 days in Jogja. So with this extra help, i was able to be on track again for pumping. Well for bottle training, let's just get back to KL and restart again with my maid. Finger crossed it will be ok.. anyway it's not like we have a choice, he will have to drink from it once i get back to work ... er... in 10 days time from now.. comfort or not comfort now, but he will adapt sooner or later.

So here i am tonight, with Adam peacefully asleep since 9 pm, my mum n my maid each also sleeping in their own room, and I was able to play 'the sims' on the net for 1 hour + ;p. Welcome home to us & cheers to the back-to-daily-routine!

Bouncer testing

On a shopping trip, we dropped by at the local toy store & made Adam try the bouncer. Here is his reaction

1. Blank look, not aware yet what's going on & why mummy put him down from the sling (yes, i do carry him in a sling when i travel solo)

2. Three secs later, starts to look around & notice what's surrounding him.

3. And then glimpse of smile start to appear & became a greater grin (which i didnt snap as I was then giggling with him :) )

Ow the thing with these baby toys...

Adam 2.5 mth

Yay, he has reached 2.5 months now!
I am so happy i can be with him every day and night, nurturing him and see his smile, grin, and even cries. He is my daily dose of happiness.

He gained another kg in 1 mth, now weighing at 5.5 kg n measuring 57cm (i thought i measured him bynmyseld n got 59cm). Anyway, as long as he is growing in normal range n healthy, it is all good!

Notes:
- he's still light enough for me to 'pangku' him upright with bare 2 arms for short time swaying in the house. But for outbound trips, i carry him in a ringsling ( i also have a wrap but bit cumbersome to wrap it arnd my body, though very comfortable. Ring sling easier to wear)
- have sort of trained him for push up exercise, ha, well more like a neck push up exx so he has a stronger muscle there n hopefully can hold his head upright soon (will help a lot when i carry him, dont have to worry abt his head tilting weirdly downwards). Showing some gd progress! Saw him hold up his neck for 'bout 4 secs 2consec times today. But ya, dont worry Adam, take your time, dont want to push too hard either!
- sleeping longer stretches at night. Record so far is 7 hrs straight. Usually in deep sleep 7pm-7am range, with 3-3 wakeup times just for 'refreshment'. In the day,feeds at 2-3 hrs interval, with crankiness up in late afternoon,b4 he finally enters his deep sleep
Zone. Dont want to talk too much on this at the risk of jinx-ing it!
- so with the above, i am able to have more rest, more chance to pump too. Am storing abt 2-4 btls daily now @100ml aprox. N using 1 btl daily for btl practise by our helper for Adam to get used to it. He's getting there i think.. N i hope.. I dont dare to give halfday or full
Day practise yet as i want to stock
up the milk too, cause i think he might
be a heavy drinker! Wonder if the freezer has got enough space for frozen breastmilk till 1 more mth.
- he used to wake up always crying, but now he can wake up throwing me smiles when i open my eyes. What wonderful morning greeting!
- during the day, he is often alert n happy for 1hr after @feed. I usually play with him, sing (naik delman is a favourite, repeat 15 times in a row!), sing while massaging his leg n stomach, tell stories, try to have conversation back n forth w him (more like him cooing n
Me re-echoing his word n combine it with other words) n play music to his ears. he can pay attention when i tell him stories based on a brightly coloured softbook. So cute to
see him scrutinizing the pic on each page of the book as i go thru with him page by page :)
- he is more aware of using his arm
N hand. I can feel him cling to me
more using his arm when i carry him. Also he has started to put his fist into his mouth. I first thought this was a hunger signal like he used to do, but now he's doing it like 15mins after a satisfactory feeding. Paedi also said this is not hunger n he will soon enter both fists there.
- some rashes on his cheeks. People say its because of breastmilk but not according to paedi, it's a form of eczema but will disappear n no need to worry.
- he got his 5-in-1 mandatory vaccine ( let me try to remember this correctly): dpt, polio, n 1 more ?. Plus rotavirus n pneumococcal.
- he will fly first time next wednesday to our Tanah Air n he will see papa again after 1mth. Yippee!

His latest napping position: warm
on mummy's tummy.

Who is more content?

It's amazing how breastfeeding builds bonding btw mum n kiddo. Now that i've experienced it, i totally vouch for it.
Just yesterday, we tried giving expressed breastmilk via bottle by our helper. For a moment, i felt i missed the direct b'feed moment. So when 1 hour later, kiddo woke up n cried, i gladly b/f him. **gimana sih, mau latihan botol,tp 'maknya ga rela, msh pengen nyusuin juga :p**

But then again who doesn't?
See this cheeky face after he got one feeding session.

The first 1 month and a half

I'm loosing track of all his milestones.. It's like there is always something new that's happening every day with him and every time I think I know what's happening with him, he surprises me with even more the next day.

So, this is what he can do know:
- Visual: He has progressively developed his eyesight & watching the progress is simply amazing! First it was now & then only that he would watch people moving. His first thing that fascinated him visually (that we know of) was probably the lamp crystals & the fans on the ceiling. Then few weeks ago, as I was walking in the dim light at night around him, I noticed his eyes could follow me as I walked around him (& I thought I sucessfully sneaked without him seeing me). Now, he definitely can see things clearly, he loves bright color such as the red bee on his crib mobile, he watches people moving intensely, he loves being brought to the balcony & see things outside, he was also so curious & looked around when we brought him to the mall last week.
- Breastfeeding: In his first 2 weeks, when he was hungry, he would cry all the way till he sucessfully latched. But now, as long as he's in my arms cradle position, he would turn quiet already knowing that he will get his milk soon :) But of course, he's giving me only less than 10 seconds to give him the breast otherwise he will cry again that spells out as 'Mummy, u're too slow, give me the milk already!' :). As for his length of time, at the beginning I used to closely watch the clock & breastfeed him each side for 20mins (as per the tip from one of the nurses in the hospital), but very often he's already asleep on the first side. Then I switched to just let him breastfeed on 1 side till as long as 45 mins or till he dropped the nipple/finished with feeding. I think this last method works better as he's getting more milk and they say the longer he drinks on one side, the more he gets the hindmilk, which is the milk with higher fat content (good for his weight gain).
- Sleeping: Well they say, babies start to sleep in longer stretch at night from 6weeks onwards. Currently Adam is still waking up on average of every 3 hours at night, but he has been an angel at night 95% of the time, always deep sleeping again after each night feeding.
- Bathing: He so enjoys bathing & loves being put in the warm water & having the water showered over his body using the mini cups we have :)
- Position: He loves being carried around, the presence of a warm body soothes him, like all babies. When he's got reflux, after we get out the trapped air in his oesophagus, he usually sleeps very well in upright position on our chest, and sometimes I put him in prone position on bed too. But this, I only found out recently, probably on his 6th week. Before that, mummy and daddy were almost clueless what to do with his reflux, except just keeping giving him the breastmilk as he never rejects it anyway & will keep him away from being awake & crying :). This was exhausting :)
- Activity: Now, he doesnt only sleep but also has more time awake (starting the past week/ wk7-8). And he loves being talked to & stimulated by music & colorful squeaky toys. Dont leave him alone as he will be bored & start crying :). He is also soothed when daddy brings him walking around up the condo stairs (ha, dont make me do this), this trick really works! He has also started giving deliberate smiles when we engage with him plus making some ooh/aah sound, but he must be in a happy state, ie. no reflux & stomach full of milk :).
- Measurement: He gained 1 kg after 1 month, and by now we know he's even heavier. We think we need an adjustable sling very soon otherwise he will be too heavy for me to carry just with hands :) We are also very happy that he gained weight at normal rate (doctor said range of 0.8 - 1.2 kg is good) 'cause I was a bit worried with his reflux/spit-ups. Anyway, he was measured 4.5kg & 56 cm, a long & lean baby :)

As for me - well, mum deserves a note as well & not just the baby right? :):
- I crave for food all the time. I'm superbly hungry, my appetite is nothing compared to when i was pregnant (actually i ate just normally during pregnancy). The breastfeeding obviously depletes my calories quickly.
- My tummy size has reduced substantially. I'm just 1 kg off my pre-pregnancy weight within 1 week after delivery, but I still cannot fit my jeans & buttoned pants :(. Doctor asked me whether I had used the traditional 'bengkung' to come to this size, which I said 'no, dont think that thing is working'. I guess i am just lucky genetically. Also, found no stretchmark, but still have the darkened skin on my tummy & spots of the dried eczema scars on my back... will take a slow time to disappear i guess.
- I'm getting used to what i call the staggered sleeping time, people say it's sleepless night :) At the beginning, it was so exhausting, especially the first 10 days when my episotomy stitches has not healed yet. Then, I would be so tired if I didnt get a one hour nap in the afternoon, especially when he got his reflux going on. But now, I can survive some nights without naps, especially that he can sleep longer in the afternoon, thanks to some more comfortable sleeping positions that we just found out.
- Domestic side: We got a nanny/helper coming in beginning of this month, yeay (ah, the benefit of living in a developing country) ! And thank God for mother & mother in laws! I've gotten so much help from these people (+hubby). Actually, I can now imagine how tiring it is for mums who do not have this kind of help, saluts to them!

My current indispensables

These days can't seem to live without these :) :
1. Nursing pillow. Just thick enough to elevate my newborn baby to the level I want & to rest my arm and distribute the baby weight. I just wish it had a belt with it so that it doesn't drop when i stand up n want to move :). Actually I am so tempted to buy another version of it, this local indo brand seems quite promising, whose design is after the renowned 'my brest friend' brand.

2. Nursing bra. This local brand is so comfortable & fits me perfectly. I had to buy extra of these. I had thought 3 was enough, but the 'leaks' make them wet quite easily... :(

3. Nursing pad. Never thought I would need quite a lot of these (re. the leaks)... I use the washable ones. If I had used the disposable ones, I'm sure I would be running boxes of them by now :)

well yeah.. they all revolve around breastfeeding, which is Adam's main comfort source (& need) :) . Oh, and i have to put lots of baby talc on my body, otherwise i really smell like a walking milk factory :)

And most importantly, my post-birth life would not be so good were it not for my mum, who has been a life-saver! Thanks to her, I don't need to think of what I would eat for lunch or dinner, she helps calming the baby when I'm out of energy, so I can catch up on some rest, and as what my dad had said, she 'keeps the domestic line impecable', ie. thanks to her the house is in order, and she has the sincerest heart in doing all these... Angel without wings are mums.. hope i can take care my kids as well as her.

A peace of mind

So happy today! After having a constant weight on his 10th day check-up, today we decided to go to the paeditrician clinic just to get Adam's weight checked again. I've been feeling anxious about his weight especially since the paedi mentioned he was a bit concerned that the baby has not gained weight yet on the last check up. This, despite me having read from various sources that it's normal for baby to loose weight/not gained much yet in the first month... and also the nurse was actually saying the same thing...

Plus, Adam spits up a lot (well I have no other baby to compare with), but it just breaks my heart when i see him spitting up freshly drank breastmilk or even processed breastmilk that has already turned to granular form - having been digested in his stomach. So i was wondering whether he was able to process enough milk or not..

So when the baby scale showed a whopping 3.985 kg, my face beamed with a large smile. So relieved! He was still 3.51 kg 1 week and a half ago and he's growing fine :)

I guess this is one of the many simple things that make a mother happy :)

btw, Adam celebrated his 3rd week yesterday, so happy birthday - or shall i say happy birthweek Adam! :)

The path to the world

How did he come into the world? After almost 10 months warmly cuddled in the womb, the time to come and see the world came on 2nd of August 2011.

So this is the story of my birthing experience, a bit long i must say, but it was such an exhilarating experience that i wanted to write down this to memory lane...

The water broke at 5.15am in the morning. I was still lying/sleeping on my bed when I felt something wet flowing down there. I walked to the bathroom, really just 2 metres away from my bed, and warm water started running down my thigh. By the time I reached the toilet, I knew this is the famed 'water broke' or in hypnobirth term, 'membrane release' accompanied by 'birth show' (aka blood show).  I went back and told my husband. While he still gained extra minutes of sleeping, I checked my delivery bag and put the last minute items into the bag, such as pillow, chargers, and I realized I needed more pads. My mum who heard my commotion also woke up and checked on me, upon which I told her the time has come :).
I timed my contraction, it was still very light, actually I wasnt sure it was a contraction, but it's the only thing I could time and it was about 6 minutes apart. My mum cooked breakfast and we took some pictures with Adam still in my belly and husband beside me. Finally at 8.30 am, we left for the hospital.

As we already had done pre-registration for labour n delivery, we went straight to 2nd floor, the L&D Unit and checked in into one of the rooms. I asked whether I could still wear my 'batik daster' but they don't allow n I changed to the hospital robe. I guess that was for hygienic and practical reason. Thereafter, they put those little discs attached on belt on my belly, they monitor the baby's heart rate and my uterine contraction. When the doctor came and did an internal examination at about 9.00am, I was at 3cm. The doctor ruptured further my membrane and I could feel water gushing out, the nurse said it will help speed up labour.

Boy he was right, after that I could feel contraction grew stronger, though I was also thinking maybe it's my own pain tolerance limit that couldn't take the pain well and I may be overfeeling it. I kept going to the toilet and felt more comfortable to sit there and swing my bottom on the bottomless seat...
Now I know what surges feel like, they are really like waves crushing into the seashores, once every few minutes. I tried listening to the rainbow relaxation track at the beginning of labour, but so sorry, I couldnt bear listening to Marie's voice at that time, hence turned it off. Instead, I just handled it naturally, without any particular thought in my mind, just trying to pass the time second by secon

At about 12pm, the doctor came in again & did a 2nd (and last) internal exam. Prior to that, I had politely declined the midwive's offer to do interim internal exams. To my surprise, he said I was already at 9cm dilation! Wow, I had thought I was still at 4 or 5cm dilation, as the contraction has only shortened to about once every 4-5 minutes. Before the doctor came, I was already mentioning the word 'epidural' to my husband as I thought I couldnt bear this longer... but since I was already 9cm, obviously i was on the last stretch already and epidural would not be practical anymore. So doctor left and mentioned to midwive I could start pushing in 1/2 hour time. Second wow... that is fast i thought...

So there... after 1/2 hour, midwive came & asked me is it ok to start pushing. I told her yes, but asked her to guide me/teach me on the breathing. Well, it's true what people say... it's like pushing when u're in the loo.. only much harder... My husband still remained besides me and supporting me all the way, while my mum waited outside.
I felt so sleepy at times during contraction, I think it's either the oxytoxyn hormone or the low iron that made me feel like dozing off, but then again the surges were so strong, so impossible to sleep! After about 1/2 hour trying, seems there's no progress.. I asked to rest which was granted... Then tried again after possibly 20mins, but same thing, no sign baby was coming out soon...

After one hour trying pushing, dr came again and said he's going to help with suction, cause one hour trying is already too long and he could see the baby's head was stuck at an angle. He did mention I still have to do the pushing though.. so there we go.. my legs were put on the prop and I have no idea how the suction tool could be inserted... he did have to do an episotomy though.
What happened next, was a series of pushing everytime the surge came. For every surge that probably lasted less than 1 minutes, I could do abt 3 consecutive pushings... Doctor and 2 midwives and my husband was the leading support team and they were amazing! At one point,dr R said 'we can do this together as a team', it did take the burden off me when he said that, i never put it in my mindset that birthing was a teamwork :).
So as my breathing became better and more effective (apparently I shouldnt make noise when pushing as the energy will split away..) and the doctor encouraged me that it will be over in 1 or 2 more surges, baby Adam finally surfaced at 1.57pm, head first. I didnt even realize his head was already out until the doctor said so!
Once he's fully out, they put the baby on my belly/breast, what a wonderful feeling! I started talking to him and so many words came out... we were in awe.. the midwive then further took the baby and put in a warmer beside me, while doing the cleaning etc. Meanwhile, i was still on 3rd phase, contracting out my placenta and also stiches was done to cover my tears. The stitching made me take the gas, it did help! Husband said he also tried the gas after I was done with it, cheeky him!

So that was the story of my first son delivery. I can only second what other mothers have experienced, that giving birth is one of the most exhilarating episode & hardest thing i've ever done in my life! But hey, it's all worth it and feels magical when u look at your own son/daughter, so pure and adorable (hey, all parents are bias towards their own offspring :) ) and wonder how on earth all this has happened.

Adam Reidanu Kaelan

And to the joy of our hearts, he was born on 2nd of August 2011 1.57pm in Kuala Lumpur.

The meaning of his name:
Adam: (per the Bible) created in God's image & loved by Him; earth (hebrew).
Rei: (japanese origin) strive/ "teguh"
Danu: (javanese origin) light/cahaya

and when combined: Adam Reidanu: created and loved by God, may he be a striving light to those around him.
We like the name "Adam" because of its simplicity and easily pronounced by all languages. The story of Adam in the bible is also an inspiring one as it shows how deep is God's love towards us, men in his creation.
As for the middle name, we wanted something that is still rooted with the indonesian heritage, but unique at the same time.
So there you go with the background of his name :)
Adam, we hope u will be happy and proud of your name :)

Ready Anytime

Yeay, we have finally reached full-term, 38 weeks and 1/2 now. So exciting. A's head is now engaged about 25%, my hips & bones are loosening, and I walk even so slowly, or shall I say waddle.

Have given the birth-plan, short, simple n essential I would say to my gynae, who said it goes along with his basic procedure. Here is the excerpt:

Birth Preferences Plan of  

Retsa

Estimated Due Date : 6 August 2011

Obstetrics & Gynaecology Doctor : Dr Ravi Chandran              Paeditrician: Dr Adrian Goh

#1 Labour

Birth Companion:

• From non-hospital side: My husband only (or 1 alt. person if my husband not able to make it)
• From hospital side: no medical student pls. Nurses: not too many.

Movements:

• Freedom to move/walk around during labour – no continuous IV fluid etc strap to arm unless medically necessary.

Discomfort Management/Relief:

• ·         Would like to rely on breathing/relaxing techniques & walking/changing body position as much as possible.
• ·         Medical options such as gas, pethidine, epidural* (walking preferred) to be given when requested.

*please inform us when is the final moment of being allowed to receive the epidural

Hydration/Food:

·         Drinking fluids (water, juice, tea etc) rather than having IV – unless medically necessary.

·         Light snacks allowed

#2 – Delivery

• Episiotomy: To be performed only if necessary.
• Cutting the Umbilical Cord: cord to be clamped until pulsation has been ceased.
• Immediate skin to contact btw mum & baby right after delivery.
• Begin breastfeeding immediately if possible, if not within the hour.

#3 –After delivery

• Breastfeeding only – no bottles or pacifiers
• If formula milk is needed (due to lack of breastmilk etc), mum’s consent is needed.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

AA & CK – 13 July 2011

:) Wish us luck, Hope everything goes well!

Baby at 33 Weeks 5 days

Thursday, I had my bi-weekly check up with my gyne, baby, you have gained a healthy 300g, & now at 2.3 kg. Your head is still down there and still actively moving (Good boy!). Saw your familiar face this time even more hidden by your hand,  I've gained 1 kg in 2 weeks! (wow that's fast). Some blood & cervical cell samples taken to be sent to Lab to make sure Mum is healthy (Result will come out next week). And pre-registered for delivery as well in the hospital, to make sure when the D-day happens, no more admin stuff to be done.
At home, mum experienced a bit of hand swelling/stiffness in the recent mornings but it goes away quickly once shaken (water retention is the cause), legs also feel heavier with the water retention, and feet expand more but I still use my usual shoes, just bring sandals to wear when sitting in the office :). Ow and when baby shakes his head or moves his hands down there, tickles me to pee right away :)
All in all, I have no serious pain, I still get enough sleep (but I've become so easily sleepy esp after lunch),  and when I think of my baby & my husband being on my sides, I just feel so blessed :)

Breastfeeding Class

We went for a one-hour private breastfeeding class in our hospital. It is part of the Parentcraft (parenting) class programme that the hospital holds (RM 180 for 3 sessions covering diet, delivery process, medical choices, newborn healthness, and static exercises + labour breathing techniques (they teach Lamaze).

However the breastfeeding session is actually also free for any couple that go to Gleneagles for obygin checkup (as long as your doctor's clinic register you to them i think, even if u dont take the parentcraft class). The lactation specialist lady also said if later on we have any problem, we can come to her to discuss /consult with her & ha, it's free also :)

The hospital does not advertise much about being a breastfeeding-friendly hospital, but I find this is such an important move & good example to follow.

on Raising a child

As the due date gets nearer, I realized I have only read pregnancy articles or books. So I began looking for books on raising babies/parenting (yes, being book nerd that i am :) ). Many of the books are similar, in a sense that they will give outline on baby's growth benchmark, nutrition, healthcare, babycare etc. Not to say that these are not important, but one book that strikes me as touching a different topic is pictured above. 

Brain Rules for Baby explains & dissects on what are the important factors that contribute to a smart and happy child. And no, it's not about reading him books, playing piano tunes to his ears, or giving him/mother enough vitamin supplements, but he emphasised on the fact that smart & happy can only be one package & must be grown together. I cannot agree more to this.

I've read 1/3 of the book so far & he has touched on the importance of a healty pregnancy (physically & mentally) and happy bonding of the 2 parents. As he quoted novelist James Baldwin "Children have never been good at listening to their parents, but they have never failed to imitate them".

To take a peek on what he talks about in his book, u can try his online quiz. I failed miserably at 25% when responding to hiz quiz. So much that i don't know about parenting :)

The book is written by John Medina, who is also a neuroscientist, so he backs up his points by a lot of couples/babies/parenting studies, but still present the ideas in an easy-to-read manner.

31 weeks 5 days

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Think his nose & his lips are like my husband's :)

His first baby stuff

These 2 little story books are the first things I bought for the little B. I bought it when I was abt 3 months preggie. I've read here and there that it is good to get the baby familiarized with his mum's voice while still in the womb. My gyne said that he can hear pretty clearly starting 24 weeks,
So I've started to rattle stories to him. First ones was in english based on these 2 books. One was short stories on Winnie the Pooh & the other one was little rhyming poems abt Dr Seuss. Then I realized, I had different tones when reading english & indonesian stories. Since I want my baby to first understand his mother language, I began reading some indonesian 'dongeng'/tales found from the internet. Then since sometimes it takes more time to find reading materials, I changed to 3rd method, I just rattle about anything, what I had gone thru the days etc :) - though sometimes I get so tired after work :( .

I also sing 1-2 songs, hopefully he gets familiar with these 2 songs (I promise I will sing them more routinely as the delivery approaches) so that when he cries incosolably, I can sing these songs to calm him down as he will be used to it already :)

In the meantime, I'm now on 30 weeks & I can feel his kicks & turns more pronouncably on my stomach. Even when I run my tummy with my hands, I can sometimes feel some area more hardened, I guess that's either his knuckles or head :) Stay good inside Babe, we'll see you in about 2 months :)

Coming soon to the K family

Am on my 7 months of pregnancy now, and by now it really shows thru my tummy :). How the 7 months have passed quickly. Here are some pregnancy memory snapshots off my head:

• * Nov 2010 end, discovered pregnancy few days after we came back from our Seoul trip. I was bleeding only a bit on what was supposed to be the start of my M-cycle but it just didnt flow like a natural one so I bought a testpack one afternoon in a pharmacy across my office. Oh joy, it's positive & let hubby know immediately:)
• * I called my gyne to set up an appointment & they gave me a fast slot due to the light bleeding (He usually has a full schedule for hist next 2 weeks already). I was supported by progesterone hormone pills (and weekly shots for the first 8 weeks) to make sure the womb n placenta attachment was stronger.
• * My first trimester was bumpy with notable morning sickness, so much so I was admitted to hospital for dehydration & anti emetic shots to help eliminate the vomitting, the medical term for this sickness is called Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Miraculously and thank God the morning sickness disappeared by week 18, which was early February.
• * The doctor could tell the baby sex as early as week 14, it was later confirmed by some test as well, and it's a boy! :)
• * Week 17, the doctor took blood test to check on down syndrome probability. Further test was needed & we took the amniocentesis test, where the doctor drew amniotic fluid thru the tummy wall with a syringe, thank goodness the result was OK.
• * I started feeling the baby movt (more like gas) on week 18 but my husband could feel the initial movt on week 22.
• * The tummy grew rapidly on month 5. Suddenly I looked pregnant :)
• * Along with the tummy growth, I was attacked by itchiness & rashes on my body trunk, that then spread to my limbs, then knuckles and fingers. So itchy, I couldnt have a good sleep at nights. Went to a skin doctor too, who said it looked like some form of eczema. but thank goodness after 6 weeks (end of Month 6) this died down & I sleep better. After some online reading, this could be it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PUPPS Oh the secrets of pregnancy that noone told me before :)
• * And another surprise was the colostrum that started coming out as early as week 16 I think, (at first I thought it was just water trapped after i took shower), then it starts oozing & dripping & still happening until now. Wow, how the body changes & prepares its own, it's amazing!
• * The first baby stuff I bought was a diaper bag (that could be used for a laptop bag) messenger-bag style from an Indonesian online store.
• * The first maternity stuff I bought was a belly belt extension, so I could keep wearing my normal pants but just with an elastic extension to button my pants. 
• * Major baby stuff buying was as early as Month 7 starts, thanks to a local baby fair in a mall. I took a day off from office so I could visit it on the first opening day, good move! Had to fight my way against strollers & mummies carrying babies :) . Felt quite overwhelmed with the so many baby products available. Settled on babies clothes (in addition to my mum's major buys in Indo), wooden baby cot set, moses basket (a bargain at rm 100 ;) ), maternity pillow, toys, some baby bottles & warmer, cloth diapers.... but could not decide yet on stroller & breast pump. So many varieties & it was becoming overwhelming. Still have time to buy these later :)
• * Started talking to Baby as he apparently has developed enough hearing ability since week 24, to make sure he will recognize his mummy's voice easily when he comes out later :). Had to peek into the internet to remember children lullaby lyrics, read story books, otherwise i just talk about anything.
• * Hubby and me have not agreed on a name yet, though we have a few choices already :)

Now, 2.5 more months to go to welcome our son. Hoping for a normal delivery, able to go thru the labour pain and be able to breastfeed my newborn. Mummy & Daddy can't wait to see you!

Flashback to 2010

Yes, I know it's a bit late now to post all things related to 2010, but I've been meaning to do this before I post anything in 2011. 2010 was an exciting year for me & CK, as we travelled to lots of new places, nearby & some a little bit further. Thus, pictures for the memory lane it is!

**Spoiler Warning: Long Scroll Ahead**

2010 Jan: Singapore Trip on my Birthday
We took the Aerobus KL-SG, just in 3.5 hours to go down to SG, visit my bro, meet CK's parents&sister, and this happened on my birthday. We celebrated by watching Songs of the Sea in Sentosa, a lighting & musical show.

2010 Feb: Trip to Cherating during Chinese New Year:
This is on the northern beach side of Malaysia, so far the most memorable place I've been in Malaysia: The long stretch of white sands beach, the one day forest hike we went with 7 layers of waterfall, the night river ride to see fireflies.. magical... and the nicest old coffeeshop!

2010 Feb: Putrajaya Air Balloon Show:
We went on a saturday morning, this administrative town of M'sia, just 45mins from our place, was the place for an international air baloon festival:

2010 March: HongKong Trip with Iv & Ch:
Iv was having her office training there, and 2 of us jumped into the wagon & joined her. A city of old & new concrete jungle, fantastic view from the Peak, Disneyland, Sea World, Shoppings & eat & eat...

2010 May: Mum dropped by to KL:
Following my quick trip to Jkt (family reunion as usual), my mum tagged along on my way back to KL.
We visited Genting Highland.

2010 July: Taman Negara Weekend Trip:
This protected forest area is located in Pahang State. Another memorable trip into the forest, this time with long boat trips along the cooling river & a tree top canopy walk which made some of the younger ones of us loose the chill!

2010 July: Hong Kong & Macau Trip:
I was fortunate to visit Hong Kong again, due to an office training, and I used the weekend to visit the nearby Macau Island, just 45 mins by fast ferry.

2010 August: 2 Weeks Thailand Trip:
This was the longest holiday we had in the year & we really enjoyed ourselves. The first week of the trip, we took our parents along... Bangkok & ChiangMai with them: Palace & pagoda sightseeing, nightmarkets, day trip to old ruin city of Ayuthaya, elephant riding, thai cooking class... Hmmm... so much to do in Thailand.

Then.. the 2nd week, just me & CK, off to Koh Samui & its nearby smaller *heaven* islands, followed by a bonus trip to the quiet laidback - equally beatiful - Krabi. I can say that I will never get tired of beaches & I love Thailand because of this. "Amazing Thailand" - I agree to this tag!

 

2010 October: KL ATV Trip in Bukit Tabur
Only 2 words: Fun & Dangerous!

2010 November: Club Med Cherating:
A Friday+weekend trip with CK's office to close one of his project. The hotel provided so many activities for us to choose from: Trapezium (only for those who have not drank beer for tea break :) ), sailing, beach volleyball, archery, lazing around, waterpolo, watergym, yoga, night circus show, dancing till midnight, and free flow of breakfast, lunch, and dinner... hmmm.... what a nice rewarding break, for me too, I had the toughest long working hours in Oct & Nov, but so glad my project signed off & I could join CK for this trip :).

2010 November: Seoul Trip:
It was early winter in Korea & Air Asia just opened KL-Seoul flight. We went there with bargained-price tickets & found an interesting culture, beautiful sightseeing, and the first snow in Seoul on our last night :)

Hmm... little did we know that I was about 3 weeks pregnant on this trip :) !

It was the nicest surprise that welcomed us back when we reached KL :)

2010 December: Batam & Jakarta Family Visit
To close the year, what better way than to spend it with family. We spent Christmas in Batam with CK family & kins, then short 2.5 days trip to Jkt to catch up with my fam. We spent the Year End in KL... me & my morning/night sickness to mark the year end closing... but nothing compared to the happiness all along the year :)

Summary of the year:
Looking back, I can only say that 2010 was a great year & feel so blessed that we had the chance to spend our times together where we are now & these breaks in between... Not that spending it all in one place would be less blessed, but it was just the way we decided to spend the year...
It will also be the last year we spent just as a couple in our 'small' little family, I cant wait to feel the new experience in 2011, with the additional responsibility we are being given :)