We were in the car near Tes*co Pu*chong when I truned to look at the backseat of the car and realized that I forgot to bring my pump-bag. (I know Maisarah is not drinking EBM but I still pump during the day. Just being precautious incase she miracally wants EBM again.)
Anyway, we're supposed to be on leave today but yesterday we decided to cancel the leave. Now that I have forgotten my pump, we're back to the original plan. So this morning we'll leave the office cause Shah want's to get his car tyres balanced and algined. While he does that I will be in A*riani to get some tudung. Then we're not sure where we'll head but we'll go home after lunch to play with Maisarah. She will be surprised to see us back home early.
Showing posts with label Bee Makes Milk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bee Makes Milk. Show all posts
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Maisarah: "No Bottle for Me!"
Remember my previous post. Well, we gave Maisarah UHT milk in her usual bottle on Thursday last week but she didn't like it. So the next day, Kakak gave her my EBM (expressed breastmilk) in the bottle. Lo and behold, she refused to drink the EBM! If we gave her UHT milk she would refuse even more. Ever since last Friday she won't drink my EBM. Based on Ira's suggestion, we bought chocolate flavored UHT milk last weekend. She seemed to like it but wont drink more than a small box a day. So that means her milk intake during the day time is around 3 - 4 ounces only. None of it is breastmilk. She will only get her fix of breastmilk when I am at home. Today I asked Kakak to to add some Milo powder to my EBM but Maisarah wont have any of it.
The only thing I haven't tried is soy milk. So this afternoon I might just stop by the shops to get some. I am a bit worried about her calcium intake. But at least she still drinks a lot when I am with her. I think her need for breastmilk is not quite satisfied at night because lately she has been asking me for milk in the morning when I am about to leave for the office. I want to give her more but I can't because I'll be late for work. I hope she will start drinking milk during the day. Please pray that she does.
The only thing I haven't tried is soy milk. So this afternoon I might just stop by the shops to get some. I am a bit worried about her calcium intake. But at least she still drinks a lot when I am with her. I think her need for breastmilk is not quite satisfied at night because lately she has been asking me for milk in the morning when I am about to leave for the office. I want to give her more but I can't because I'll be late for work. I hope she will start drinking milk during the day. Please pray that she does.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Milk from A Box
Yesterday, 15 October 2009, exactly one month and four days before Maisarah turns two, I supplemented her breastmilk with UHT milk. I was fully prepared for this. I knew that eventually my milk would not be enough to sustain her needs so we had bought a box of Du*tch Lady UHT milk last weekend. Yesterday morning, I had finished up all my frozen milk stock and in the fridge there was about 11 oz of breastmilk left. Lately Maisarah drinks 9 oz of milk a day and I am only able to express 5-6 oz at the office. Since I have not much stock left in the fridge I mentioned to my mom's helper (whom I call 'Kakak') to give breastmilk in the morning and evening and give 3 oz of UHT milk after lunch. In this way I am hoping I can still continue to breastfeed her until she turns two.
According to the Kakak, at first Maisarah drank the UHT milk but after 1 oz she stopped and said 'Tak sedap'. But Kakak continued to give her the milk and she drank close to another 1 oz before she stopped and refused to drink any more. I am not deterred to give her the milk so we're going to try again today. I'm hoping after a few more tries she will acquire the taste of milk from a box and will start to like it. If not, I will have to try other brands of milk. But I'm pretty fixed on giving UHT milk and not formula for her milk supplements. But just for my future reference, what type of milk are you giving your child? Please also share with me your tips on giving formula/other types of milk to previously breastfed babies. Maybe I can try them out on Maisarah.
According to the Kakak, at first Maisarah drank the UHT milk but after 1 oz she stopped and said 'Tak sedap'. But Kakak continued to give her the milk and she drank close to another 1 oz before she stopped and refused to drink any more. I am not deterred to give her the milk so we're going to try again today. I'm hoping after a few more tries she will acquire the taste of milk from a box and will start to like it. If not, I will have to try other brands of milk. But I'm pretty fixed on giving UHT milk and not formula for her milk supplements. But just for my future reference, what type of milk are you giving your child? Please also share with me your tips on giving formula/other types of milk to previously breastfed babies. Maybe I can try them out on Maisarah.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
A Post of All Sorts
First and foremost, thousand apologies to those who left comments in my previous posts. I read them through the pushmail on my phone but have not had the chance to reply to them. I will do so A.S.A.P.
Secondly, I think I have lost some weight. You see I weigh at 55 kg ever since I gave birth to Maisarah (or Puteri Al-Kentut, as her father call her). But around a couple of months ago I found out that I had gained 2 kilos. Soon after that, I started wearing Pre*mium B. But I don't think that is the reason why I dropped those kilos. I think it is due to the 'side effect' of the H1N1 season which has caused me to ditch using the elevators and climb 77 steps around 4-5 times a day. I hope I wil continue to use the stairs after this.
Thirdly, we are now close to entering the third quarter of Ramadhan. Alhamdulillah I am still providing enough milk for the small girl. InsyaAllah, I ope to do so for the next 2 months when she reaches two years of age.
Fourth, this brings me to write abit on Puteri Al-Kentut's stories. (You should listen to her call herself by that name. Note to self: 'Hish, jahat betul mommy and abah ni panggil nama anak yg bukan2'.) She is getting more active and happier by the day. She just can't keep still and is always running and dancing around. Shah also calls her 'Anak Tiger' and when we ask her 'Macam mana bunyi anak tiger?', she will give a sweet and soft roaring sound. So cute! Other than that, we now are 100% sure she can tell colours and count. I think she has known them earlier but she being her playful self just loves to confuse us. She always purposely say the wrong things when we ask her anything. Eg: What colour is this? (while pointing at a blue shirt) and she will say Red.
Ok, I think I have exceeded my 'short post' legth limit. So I will write more next time! Au Revoir! Arrivedercci! (as Jennifer Gardner says in '13 Going on 30')
Secondly, I think I have lost some weight. You see I weigh at 55 kg ever since I gave birth to Maisarah (or Puteri Al-Kentut, as her father call her). But around a couple of months ago I found out that I had gained 2 kilos. Soon after that, I started wearing Pre*mium B. But I don't think that is the reason why I dropped those kilos. I think it is due to the 'side effect' of the H1N1 season which has caused me to ditch using the elevators and climb 77 steps around 4-5 times a day. I hope I wil continue to use the stairs after this.
Thirdly, we are now close to entering the third quarter of Ramadhan. Alhamdulillah I am still providing enough milk for the small girl. InsyaAllah, I ope to do so for the next 2 months when she reaches two years of age.
Fourth, this brings me to write abit on Puteri Al-Kentut's stories. (You should listen to her call herself by that name. Note to self: 'Hish, jahat betul mommy and abah ni panggil nama anak yg bukan2'.) She is getting more active and happier by the day. She just can't keep still and is always running and dancing around. Shah also calls her 'Anak Tiger' and when we ask her 'Macam mana bunyi anak tiger?', she will give a sweet and soft roaring sound. So cute! Other than that, we now are 100% sure she can tell colours and count. I think she has known them earlier but she being her playful self just loves to confuse us. She always purposely say the wrong things when we ask her anything. Eg: What colour is this? (while pointing at a blue shirt) and she will say Red.
Ok, I think I have exceeded my 'short post' legth limit. So I will write more next time! Au Revoir! Arrivedercci! (as Jennifer Gardner says in '13 Going on 30')
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Breastfeeding a Toddler
Maisarah will turn 21 months old on Wednesday next week. Alhamdulillah I have still managed to continue breastfeeding her. I'm 3 months shy from reaching my goal of giving Maisarah breastmilk till she turns 2 years old. Currently she is still drinking only breastmilk. Occasionally she will have her yogurt snack or have cheese or some milk aded to her food. But mainly she is still on Mommy's milk. My stock pile has dwindled to about 10 bottles in the fridge and freezer. Daily I'm able to express a total of 6-7 ounces while she now drinks 6-8 ounces while I'm at work. Hence, so far so good. I'm praying hard to Allah that this Ramadhan won't cause my milk production to reduce further. However, I am prepared to supplement Maisarah with UHT milk if Allah decides otherwise.
Anyway, lately breastfeeding her has sometimes created incidents which amuse me and others in my family. Below are the things she does while breastfeeding:
Anyway, lately breastfeeding her has sometimes created incidents which amuse me and others in my family. Below are the things she does while breastfeeding:
- She will demand I breastfeed her while lying down. She always says 'Mommy baring' (Mommy, lie down). If I say 'Mommy duduk la ye?' (Why don't I just sit down?). She will reply ' Tak boleh'.
- If she is not satisfied with one br*ast, she will say 'Tukar tet*k' (Change breasts) or 'Nak belah kiri/kanan' (I want the left/right side) which ever one is free. Sometimes her 'left/right' is correct. This also happens when she feeds in the middle of the night. She started doing this since she was a little over one year old but at that time she would say 'Ukar Ekek'.
- Also, ever since she was a little over one year old, she would breastfeed freestyle, i.e. some times while sitting or she would start feeding while lying down next to me and then get on top of me or raise her bum in the air (i.e. tertonggeng). These acts never fail to make my mom laugh.
- Lately, she will feed on one br*ast and twist ('gentel') the ni*ple of the other as if she is tuning the radio. That will tickle me and some times she will resort to pinching the ni*ple which then makes me raise my voice at her.
Well, no matter what she does, I am truly greatful to Allah forgiving me the pleasure of brestfeeding Maisarah. I am surely going to miss our bonding/cuddling sessions together when the time comes for her to wean. For now, I will treasure each and every feeding session with her.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Another 6 months to go!
My first letter to Maisarah: Your 18 Months Old!
Dear Maisarah,
Happy 18 Month Birthday! I can't believe that in 6 more months you'll turn two. My how time flies when your having fun. It seemed like yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital. You were weighing only 3 kgs compared to the 10 kgs you are now. The night we brought you home, you cried for almost 4 hours non-stop. You should have seen how crazy that made me and your Abah. We were pulling our hair trying to figure out how to sooth you. And during that night, it dawned on me how difficult it would be to raise a child. I wasn't sure if I could carry the huge task Allah had entrusted into our hands. Could we actually raising a child to be a caring, loving, thoughtful human being and devout Muslim? Well, that is too far to see but insyaAllah we hope to be able to do so. But at that point in time, I was thinking, could we survive the first month? or the first year?
Well, survive we did. After that first night, taking care of you was a breeze. You were not overly cranky and slept through most of the night during the first two months. You seldom cried for no apparent reason other that for food or sleep. Unfortunately, time passed by too quickly those two months. Before I knew it, I had to return to work. After that, spending time with you was limited to the few of hours in the early morning (you woke up as early as your abah and I did which is 5.30 am) and few more at night. But we made sure we spent as much time with you as possible on weekends. I made sure to minimise time away from you during weekends as I wanted to continue breastfeeding you for as long as I could. So wherever I went, you came along too!
Even though we were away from you during the day, we still managed to witness all the important developments in your life. We saw you roll and creep during your first six months. I also made sure I gave you your first spoon of solid food. Before that first spoon of rice puree you grew up healthily fed by my own breastmilk. I was so proud of you and of myself too! Then when you were seven months you started crawling and we just could not keep up! Your first tooth also made it's appearance around that time. Since then your tastebuds have experienced all kinds of fruits and vegetables. You were such a healthy little baby enjoying all the food. Even so, you breastmilk intake didn't reduce and Alhamdulillah I managed to supply enough milk for you.
When you turned eight months, you fell sick for the first time. Poor baby! You looked so tired and was slightly cranky. Your abah and I were so worried. We kept on checking your temperature and giving you sponge baths to lessen the fever. And luckily the fever subsided in a few days. As old folks say, 'demam tu mungkin sebab nak pandai buat benda baru' (the fever is a sign of you going to acquire a new skill), much to our suprise you started talking a few days later. Since then your vocabulary has grown and it may have doubled, tripled or even more now that you've turned 18 months. You are now constantly talking and we can strike conversations with you. THis has certainly amazed all family members and friends who've come to visit. You now like to tease Mommy. Whenever I ask you questions like 'What is your name?' or 'What diod you do today?', you reply by saying 'Tak nak cakap' (I don't want to say) and then giving me that cheeky smile of yours followed by the pharse 'Saje je' (I'm teasing you) indicating that you know the answer but you don't want to tell it to me. You are certanilybecoming bigger and brighter by the day and I pray to Allah the He will guide both me and your Abah in raising you and nurturing you to become a caring, loving, thoughtful human being and devout Muslim.
Alhamdulillah, we have come this far and may Allah bless our little family with health, long life and happiness for as long as possible. Also, praise to Allah that you are still fully drinking Mommy's milk and may this journey of ours continue for another six more months.
Love always,
Your Mommy
P.S: These are the important dates of your development throughout the first 18 months of your life...
Happy 18 Month Birthday! I can't believe that in 6 more months you'll turn two. My how time flies when your having fun. It seemed like yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital. You were weighing only 3 kgs compared to the 10 kgs you are now. The night we brought you home, you cried for almost 4 hours non-stop. You should have seen how crazy that made me and your Abah. We were pulling our hair trying to figure out how to sooth you. And during that night, it dawned on me how difficult it would be to raise a child. I wasn't sure if I could carry the huge task Allah had entrusted into our hands. Could we actually raising a child to be a caring, loving, thoughtful human being and devout Muslim? Well, that is too far to see but insyaAllah we hope to be able to do so. But at that point in time, I was thinking, could we survive the first month? or the first year?
Well, survive we did. After that first night, taking care of you was a breeze. You were not overly cranky and slept through most of the night during the first two months. You seldom cried for no apparent reason other that for food or sleep. Unfortunately, time passed by too quickly those two months. Before I knew it, I had to return to work. After that, spending time with you was limited to the few of hours in the early morning (you woke up as early as your abah and I did which is 5.30 am) and few more at night. But we made sure we spent as much time with you as possible on weekends. I made sure to minimise time away from you during weekends as I wanted to continue breastfeeding you for as long as I could. So wherever I went, you came along too!
Even though we were away from you during the day, we still managed to witness all the important developments in your life. We saw you roll and creep during your first six months. I also made sure I gave you your first spoon of solid food. Before that first spoon of rice puree you grew up healthily fed by my own breastmilk. I was so proud of you and of myself too! Then when you were seven months you started crawling and we just could not keep up! Your first tooth also made it's appearance around that time. Since then your tastebuds have experienced all kinds of fruits and vegetables. You were such a healthy little baby enjoying all the food. Even so, you breastmilk intake didn't reduce and Alhamdulillah I managed to supply enough milk for you.
When you turned eight months, you fell sick for the first time. Poor baby! You looked so tired and was slightly cranky. Your abah and I were so worried. We kept on checking your temperature and giving you sponge baths to lessen the fever. And luckily the fever subsided in a few days. As old folks say, 'demam tu mungkin sebab nak pandai buat benda baru' (the fever is a sign of you going to acquire a new skill), much to our suprise you started talking a few days later. Since then your vocabulary has grown and it may have doubled, tripled or even more now that you've turned 18 months. You are now constantly talking and we can strike conversations with you. THis has certainly amazed all family members and friends who've come to visit. You now like to tease Mommy. Whenever I ask you questions like 'What is your name?' or 'What diod you do today?', you reply by saying 'Tak nak cakap' (I don't want to say) and then giving me that cheeky smile of yours followed by the pharse 'Saje je' (I'm teasing you) indicating that you know the answer but you don't want to tell it to me. You are certanilybecoming bigger and brighter by the day and I pray to Allah the He will guide both me and your Abah in raising you and nurturing you to become a caring, loving, thoughtful human being and devout Muslim.
Alhamdulillah, we have come this far and may Allah bless our little family with health, long life and happiness for as long as possible. Also, praise to Allah that you are still fully drinking Mommy's milk and may this journey of ours continue for another six more months.
Love always,
Your Mommy
P.S: These are the important dates of your development throughout the first 18 months of your life...
Turn - 9 March '08
1st solid food - 20 May '08
Creep - 28 May '08
Crawl - 12 June '08
First tooth - June '08
Sit - 19 June '08
Sunat - 5 July '08
Fell Sick for 1st time (fever, cough) - 13 July '08
Fell off the bed for 1st time - 2 August '08
Took her first unaided
steps (5 to be exact) - 19 October '08
First family holiday (Langkawi) - 19 April '09
First time at the beach and in the swimming pool - April '09
Monday, April 06, 2009
Happy Face
Anyway, the reason I am writing today is to update this blog with Maisarah's pictures for her Abah to see all the way from Oman. Her Abah misses her badly and is so worried about the 2 girls in his life. Don't worry Abah! Maisarah and Mommy are fine.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Holiday ends tomorrow
Boring!!!!! Tomorrow I'll have to go back to work. Luckily I have no classes on Monday. So I can start slow. Tomorrow I can prepare my lecture notes for the week and finish marking the test papers.
It's no fun going back to work after almost a week of no work and just play. I've been spending all my time with Maisarah. Most of the time was spent watching Bar*ney and chasing after her around the house. I'm not sure how she'll be on Monday as she has been very clingy to me this past week. I hope she'll be ok and will want to drink milk from the bottle. I also hope that my one week break from expresing milk has not affected my supply. Hopefully, I'll still be able to express a much milk as before for Maisarah's daily consumption. I've got 10 months to go, inayAllah, before I can decide to stop breastfeeding or not. I've been reading in a forum that it's ok to continue breastfeeding after the baby has reached 2 years old but my mom says that would be weird. I want Maisarah to continue getting the best milk available on earth but at the same time I want to teach Maisarah to sleep with out suckling. I guess I should have thought her that since she was small. But now she has gotten used to suckling on my b's in order to fall asleep. I'll have to work on this soon. But as for now, I'll just let her be.
Shah has almost fully recovered from his flu, alhamdulillah. He's now busy preparing for his work.
"He is very strong. he is the best guy on earth and I will buy him a PS3 as a present since he has been good all this while. His body is so buff at the moment , looking more like the Terminator. I know I am lucky to have a very handsome and buff hubby." ---> These were written by Shah when I went to get him a bowl of corn flakes. Actually, Shah has always been doing this whenever I am in the middle of writing a blog post or a word document and had to suddenly leave the computer to get him something. This time I've decided not to delete what he's written.
Anyway, he's been bugging me to buy him a PS3 ever since we received our year end bonus last week (Alhamdulillah finally!) and I'll be receiving my consultancy payment soon. Well Abang, we'll see ok? I want to get me some nice things with my hard earned money too. I am in dire need of new outfits for work. Unfortunately, the company decided to reward us with the bonus after the sale has ended. So I can't get more for less money. No fun!
Well, I'll have to find the time to go shopping. In the mean time, I've got to psych myself to get into the mood for work.
It's no fun going back to work after almost a week of no work and just play. I've been spending all my time with Maisarah. Most of the time was spent watching Bar*ney and chasing after her around the house. I'm not sure how she'll be on Monday as she has been very clingy to me this past week. I hope she'll be ok and will want to drink milk from the bottle. I also hope that my one week break from expresing milk has not affected my supply. Hopefully, I'll still be able to express a much milk as before for Maisarah's daily consumption. I've got 10 months to go, inayAllah, before I can decide to stop breastfeeding or not. I've been reading in a forum that it's ok to continue breastfeeding after the baby has reached 2 years old but my mom says that would be weird. I want Maisarah to continue getting the best milk available on earth but at the same time I want to teach Maisarah to sleep with out suckling. I guess I should have thought her that since she was small. But now she has gotten used to suckling on my b's in order to fall asleep. I'll have to work on this soon. But as for now, I'll just let her be.
Shah has almost fully recovered from his flu, alhamdulillah. He's now busy preparing for his work.
"He is very strong. he is the best guy on earth and I will buy him a PS3 as a present since he has been good all this while. His body is so buff at the moment , looking more like the Terminator. I know I am lucky to have a very handsome and buff hubby." ---> These were written by Shah when I went to get him a bowl of corn flakes. Actually, Shah has always been doing this whenever I am in the middle of writing a blog post or a word document and had to suddenly leave the computer to get him something. This time I've decided not to delete what he's written.
Anyway, he's been bugging me to buy him a PS3 ever since we received our year end bonus last week (Alhamdulillah finally!) and I'll be receiving my consultancy payment soon. Well Abang, we'll see ok? I want to get me some nice things with my hard earned money too. I am in dire need of new outfits for work. Unfortunately, the company decided to reward us with the bonus after the sale has ended. So I can't get more for less money. No fun!
Well, I'll have to find the time to go shopping. In the mean time, I've got to psych myself to get into the mood for work.
Friday, December 12, 2008
One Year Milestone
Alhamdulillah I have now reached the 1 year milestone of breastfeeding Maisarah. I am very grateful to Allah for making my breastfeeding journey rather smooth-sailing. I had a breezy start in which I only had 1 or 2 incidents of blocked duct. This was easily remedied by taking a pin and princking the blocked duct (seen as a white spot) on my ni*ple. I got this solution from surfing the internet. Luckily the blocked duct did not cause mastitis.
After my confinement and starting work, I was blessed with perfect timing (thanks to Allah) as I had no classes for 6 months since I got back to work during the middle of a semester and this continued to the 3 month long holidays for students. So I had my own sweet time in the office to manage my work and still take time to express milk for Maisarah. Furthermore, I made the right decision to get an electric double breastpump (i.e. Spectra 3). This was really money well spent. So with I was able to pump 4 times a day, and was able to store lots of expressed breast milk (almost 120 four-ounce bottles) for Maisarah. At that time, I was worried the management was going to send me on a 4-day team-building trip.
When I started lecturing again in July, with the help of the Spectra 3 pump, I managed to maintain expresing a total of 16-20 oz per day for Maisarah's daily consumption. However, I had to reduce my pumping schedule from 4 to 3 times a day as I had to prepare lecture notes for my new subject and rush in and out to lectures. Soon fasting month came along in September. I was again afraid I couldn't maintain my daily output so I made sure I ate rice for sahur. During the fasting month, I managed to get 16 oz of milk per day so I had to dig into my frozen stock. By the end of the month, I had used up 20 bottles from the stock pile.
Now that it has come to 1 year of being a fully breastfeeding mommy, I am proud to say I can strill manage to express 16-18 oz per day. I now express twice in the office and my stock pile at home is at 110 four-ounce bottles. InsyaAllah, I will try and continue till I hit the 2-year mark in November 2009. But for now, I am very grateful to Allah for allowing me to last this long. Everything after this is a bonus for Maisarah and I. My target right this moment, is lasting till May 2009.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Maisarah @ 11 months
The little Princess is almost 1 year old. Time has sure gone by quickly since she was born. I guess it's time for me to post some updates on Miasarah.
- She talks - Maisarah can say qute a few words now like 'cat', 'nak', 'book', 'bag', 'bib', 'atas' - indicating that she wants to go upstairs, 'bear', 'kaki', 'girl', 'boy', 'habis' and a few more which I can't remember.
- She's able to recall her family members by name - every day she likes to look at our family portrait and when we point to our pictures she will be able to call out our names, i.e. 'Mummy', 'Abah', 'Mama Ya' (my sister), 'Uncle Dan' (my brother), 'Baba' (my mom), 'Habib' (my dad), 'Wan' (Shah's Dad) and 'Mak Tok' (Shah's Mom).
- She walks - these past few days she has become more confident to walk. I think by next week she will be walking all over the house.
- She loves books - ever day she will ask me to read at least one of her books over and over again. Mommy yang penat.
- She likes to scream for her Abah and Baba.
- She will wait for us to finish solat so that she can 'Amin' (perform dua') with us.
- She will 'half-crawl, half-leg paddle' when she wants to move fast from one place to another. It's difficult to imagine but I have a videos of her doing this. Maybe I'll upload it one day.
I guess those are the things that I can remember off-hand. Maisarah has certainly grown up and her motor and cognitive skills are increasing day by day. It is such a wonder to see her grow and I certainly enjoy these past few months with her as she is so playful, talkative and can respond back to us whenever we talk or play with her.
Last week Maisarah came down with quite a high fever. Her temerature was close to 39 degrees Celcius. I had to bring her to the clinic and made sure her head was sponged with a damp cloth. Luckily the fever subsided the following day. But, since Sunday, Maisarah has been having a cold and she has been acting up. She cries whenever she doesn't get what she wants and if we persist to deny her wishes she will start screaming. I hope this is because she is unwell and not because she is becoming a spoilt little girl.
P/S: On the breastfeeding front, Maisarah is still breast fed and I am very thankful to Allah for bestowing me the opportunity to provide Maisarah with her milk for almost 12 months. InsyaAllah, I will continue to breastfeed her until she turns 2 years old or she herself weans, which ever comes first.
Friday, May 09, 2008
A Working and Pumping Mom's Review pt 3 - Cooler Bags and Chillers
The last things needed are a cooler bag and chillers to store the expressed milk during the commute to and from work.
1. Moms Precious Smart Pack package - inclusive of Mom's Precious cooler bag, three Mom's Precious ice packs and six Mom's Precious milk storage bottles
It is designed to fit the Spectra 3 breastpump motor on the bottom with a small access at the back to pull out the power cord to be connected to the wall power outlet. This is so that you wont have to take the motor out of the bag to be used. The top part is then used to store the cooler bag. It also comes with a removable mat which can be used to provide a clean surface for moms to work on.
I bought this smart pack because of it's back-pack design and it can fit my pump as well as a cooler bag for my EBM and chillers. When I used the iQ Uno, I placed my EBM, chillers and the breastshield in the cooler bag and pushed the cooler bag right down into the back-pack. Then placed the motor and other stuff on top. Now that I have the Spectra 3, I still can use this bag if I need to bring the Spectra 3 out of the office. Shah and I went for a Java Programming course two weeks ago. It was held in KL near KL*CC area. So every day, Shah and I took the LRT to and fro. I brought with me my Spectra 3 breast pump in the back-pack. I placed the motor at the bottom. The cooler bag was big enough to store 6 milk storage bottles + 2 Spectra breastshields in a ziplock bag + 2 Moms Precious chillers + 1 coleman brite ice. So don't be fooled by the size of the cooler bag. It may look small but it can fit lots of things. Based on my exprience, The cooler bag + 2 Mom's Precious ice packs are able to keep the EBM cooled for up to 12 hours. I've even used it up to 14 hours and I found the the ice packs were completely soft but the EBM was still kept cold.
When I wanted to use the pump, I just threaded the power cord thru the back access, connect the breastshields to the tubing and motor at the front and I was all set to pump. When I was done, I closed the bottles, store the breastshileds back into the zip lock bag and place all into the cooler bag which was in the back-pack all the while. All was done in the bag itself with no risks of leaving anything behind. While on the course, I also brought with me the Avent Isis manual pump in a pouch just incase there was no electricity. It was not that heavy to carry the back-pack with the Spectra 3 to and fro on the LRT.
2. Happy Mother's Set with Techni Ice
This was the first cooler bag and chiller set I bought. The Techni Ice is easy to use and the cooler bag that comes with this set is generous in size. However, based on my experience, this cooler bag would not be able to keep the EBM chilled for more than 8 hours if you use it with the Techni Ice alone. Maybe because the insulation of the bag is not that good. In any case, the bag can be used to store chilled EBM for a short periods of time, for instance when transporting chilled EBM to the nursery or babysitter's place or from office to home. Now I use the Techni Ice as back up chillers in my mom's freezer for instances when there is no electricity at home.
I like using this ice pack as chillers for my EBM. Two ice packs placed in a good cooler bag can keep the EBM chilled for more than 8 hours. The size is small too and it is not heavy when frozen. It also comes with a sleeve so that the condensation from the chiller will be absorbed.
4. Coleman Brite Ice
You can get this at most department stores at their camping/outsdoors section. It is easy t use and is able to keep my EBM chilled for more than 8 hours. However, it is much heavier than the ice packs I mentioned above. Even so, to give me long lasting cooling I use the Brite Ice together with the ice packs every day at the office.
I guess that completes my review. I'm not sure if it will help a lot for any mothers out there who are planning to work and continue breastfeeding. But I just wanted to jot it down for my own notes.
A Working and Pumping Mom's Review pt 2 - Milk Storage
I didn't know that there were more things (other than the pump) needed when wanting to work and still exclusively breastfeed Maisarah until I was introduced to SusuIbu.com which was during my confinement period. You would need some sort of milk storage, a cooler bag and chillers to store the expressed milk during the commute to and from work. In this entry, I will list down my reviews on the milk storage gadgets I've used so far.
1. Moms Precious Milk Storage Bottles pack of six
I use these bottles to store milk after expressing at work. I usually store 4 oz per bottle which is the amount Maisarah drinks each feed. Even when I used the iQ Uno, after each session I will pour the milk into these bottles so that I only have to bring one Avent bottle to work. This save space in my cooler bag and is less in terms of cost. Now that I use the Spectra 3, I express directly into these bottles. This is the great thing about these bottles, it can be used directly with Spectra and Medela breastpumps. Plus it is BPA free. These bottles are certainly very convenient for me and easy to sterilise. I just immerse them in hot water for 10 minutes minimum. These bottles can be used to freeze the breastmilk too. However, I don't use them for frozen breastmilk.
2. Playtex Liners - there are two sizes 8 oz and 4 oz
I use the liners to freeze the expressed breastmilk (EBM). These liners are are be a bit pricey and you can only use them once. I have no choice but to use them as I don't have much space in the freezer so I can't freeze the EBM using the milk storage bottles above. So what I do is, when I get home, I will pour the milk into the liners and then tie it with a rubber band. Then I stand them in a covered plastic container so that it doesnt get contaminated by the odour from the other items in the freezer.
I use the 8 oz liners to store the 4 oz of milk. The most I've filled is 5 oz in each 8 oz liner. This is so that there will be some room to spare before I fold the liners and tie them up. You need to leave some space as breastmilk expands slightly when frozen. The 4 oz liners are used when I express 3 oz and less, i.e. during my confinement period.
3. Medela Milk Collection Shells (not actually milk storage but I'll just include it here)
This is useful when expressing one breast at a time. I use the shell on the breast which is not being expressed to collect milk that flows out whenever I get let down. I actually can collect up to 1oz of milk when engorged. I've also used this on both sides when I was at a seminar and didn't have time to express. So, whenever there was a let down, the milk would be stored and not wasted in the breast pads.
My Recommendation:
If you have ample space in your freezer then just use the Moms Precious Milk Storage Bottles for freezing EBM. You can save costs as it is reusable. Plus you can then thaw the frozen EBM, warm it up and then feed you baby directly by replacing the sealing disc with a teat. This is better than what I'm doing now since Maisarah is still fed using Avent bottles which unfortunately is not BPA free.
The Milk Collection Shells was a good buy for me as I used to leak a lot especially when I did single pumping.
1. Moms Precious Milk Storage Bottles pack of six
I use these bottles to store milk after expressing at work. I usually store 4 oz per bottle which is the amount Maisarah drinks each feed. Even when I used the iQ Uno, after each session I will pour the milk into these bottles so that I only have to bring one Avent bottle to work. This save space in my cooler bag and is less in terms of cost. Now that I use the Spectra 3, I express directly into these bottles. This is the great thing about these bottles, it can be used directly with Spectra and Medela breastpumps. Plus it is BPA free. These bottles are certainly very convenient for me and easy to sterilise. I just immerse them in hot water for 10 minutes minimum. These bottles can be used to freeze the breastmilk too. However, I don't use them for frozen breastmilk.
2. Playtex Liners - there are two sizes 8 oz and 4 oz
I use the liners to freeze the expressed breastmilk (EBM). These liners are are be a bit pricey and you can only use them once. I have no choice but to use them as I don't have much space in the freezer so I can't freeze the EBM using the milk storage bottles above. So what I do is, when I get home, I will pour the milk into the liners and then tie it with a rubber band. Then I stand them in a covered plastic container so that it doesnt get contaminated by the odour from the other items in the freezer.
I use the 8 oz liners to store the 4 oz of milk. The most I've filled is 5 oz in each 8 oz liner. This is so that there will be some room to spare before I fold the liners and tie them up. You need to leave some space as breastmilk expands slightly when frozen. The 4 oz liners are used when I express 3 oz and less, i.e. during my confinement period.
3. Medela Milk Collection Shells (not actually milk storage but I'll just include it here)
This is useful when expressing one breast at a time. I use the shell on the breast which is not being expressed to collect milk that flows out whenever I get let down. I actually can collect up to 1oz of milk when engorged. I've also used this on both sides when I was at a seminar and didn't have time to express. So, whenever there was a let down, the milk would be stored and not wasted in the breast pads.
My Recommendation:
If you have ample space in your freezer then just use the Moms Precious Milk Storage Bottles for freezing EBM. You can save costs as it is reusable. Plus you can then thaw the frozen EBM, warm it up and then feed you baby directly by replacing the sealing disc with a teat. This is better than what I'm doing now since Maisarah is still fed using Avent bottles which unfortunately is not BPA free.
The Milk Collection Shells was a good buy for me as I used to leak a lot especially when I did single pumping.
A Working and Pumping Mom's review pt 1 - Breastpumps
When I was pregnant I was determined to breastfeed my baby. However, at that time I only knew that I had to buy a breast pump. In this entry, I will list down my reviews on the breastpumps I've used so far.
1. Avent Isis iQ Uno
I did ask some friends on which breastpump brands were good. They said either Medela or Avent. But my friends were using the Avent Isis so they recommended it to me. They suggested that if I have the money, get the Avent Isis iQ Uno which was an electric pump. I didn't do any research on the pumps so I just decided that I'll get the iQ Uno. This pump is good once you've mastered the technique to relax and get let down. It's not tiring as you only have to pump a few times to set the pumping rythm and then press the button which will automate the pumping. However, since the iQ Uno is a single pump, you need to express each breast one at a time and this can increase the time required to express milk. I've used it at the office and it takes me about 40 minutes to express 6-8 oz from both sides. I've even used it on a few occasions when I had to work out of office. On one of these occasions, I couldn't find a power outlet. The good thing about the iQ Uno is that it also comes with a battery pack and also attachments to make it a manual pump. Unfortunately my battery pack is not working properly so I had to resort to the manual operation.
2. Spectra 3
The difference between Spectra 3 and iQ Uno are:
- you can't control the rythm. With the Spectra 3 you can only control the strength of suction.
- there are no pack up if there is not electricity supply (i.e. no manual attachements or battery pack)
- with the extra breastshieled set you can double pump using the Spectra 3
I bought the Spectra 3 with the extra breastshield set at end of March. The main reason is because I wanted to double pump and shorten the time expressing milk at the office. Plus I've read that double pumping is good to maintain the prolactin enzyme production which is critical for maintaining long-term supply of breastmilk. Now that I've used it for a little over a month, I only need about 15-20 mins to get the same amount (6-8 oz) as the iQ Uno, sometimes even more. With the iQ Uno, I had to do some massages to stimulate let down, then pump and then repeat the process when the milk flow has almost stopped. But with the Spectra 3, I just place the breastshields and then carry on with my work (reading/replying emails, surfing the net etc.) and soon enough I will get let down. So not much effort is needed comapred to the iQ Uno. The suction to me is also not that strong and doesn't hurt as some reviews I read in SusuIbu.com.
My Recommendation:
The Spectra 3 is a value for money double pump (less than RM 450) and the if you need a manual pump for back up get the Avent Isis Manual. Both of this together will be almost the same price as the Avent Isis iQ Uno but with the advantage of double pumping. For speed and maintaining long term milk supply, go for double pumping.
1. Avent Isis iQ Uno
I did ask some friends on which breastpump brands were good. They said either Medela or Avent. But my friends were using the Avent Isis so they recommended it to me. They suggested that if I have the money, get the Avent Isis iQ Uno which was an electric pump. I didn't do any research on the pumps so I just decided that I'll get the iQ Uno. This pump is good once you've mastered the technique to relax and get let down. It's not tiring as you only have to pump a few times to set the pumping rythm and then press the button which will automate the pumping. However, since the iQ Uno is a single pump, you need to express each breast one at a time and this can increase the time required to express milk. I've used it at the office and it takes me about 40 minutes to express 6-8 oz from both sides. I've even used it on a few occasions when I had to work out of office. On one of these occasions, I couldn't find a power outlet. The good thing about the iQ Uno is that it also comes with a battery pack and also attachments to make it a manual pump. Unfortunately my battery pack is not working properly so I had to resort to the manual operation.
2. Spectra 3
The difference between Spectra 3 and iQ Uno are:
- you can't control the rythm. With the Spectra 3 you can only control the strength of suction.
- there are no pack up if there is not electricity supply (i.e. no manual attachements or battery pack)
- with the extra breastshieled set you can double pump using the Spectra 3
I bought the Spectra 3 with the extra breastshield set at end of March. The main reason is because I wanted to double pump and shorten the time expressing milk at the office. Plus I've read that double pumping is good to maintain the prolactin enzyme production which is critical for maintaining long-term supply of breastmilk. Now that I've used it for a little over a month, I only need about 15-20 mins to get the same amount (6-8 oz) as the iQ Uno, sometimes even more. With the iQ Uno, I had to do some massages to stimulate let down, then pump and then repeat the process when the milk flow has almost stopped. But with the Spectra 3, I just place the breastshields and then carry on with my work (reading/replying emails, surfing the net etc.) and soon enough I will get let down. So not much effort is needed comapred to the iQ Uno. The suction to me is also not that strong and doesn't hurt as some reviews I read in SusuIbu.com.
My Recommendation:
The Spectra 3 is a value for money double pump (less than RM 450) and the if you need a manual pump for back up get the Avent Isis Manual. Both of this together will be almost the same price as the Avent Isis iQ Uno but with the advantage of double pumping. For speed and maintaining long term milk supply, go for double pumping.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Operation MilkyWay
Last Thursday Shah and I came home at around 6pm. It was raining and we found that the electric gate was ajar and locked with a chain. I immediately knew that either the gate was not functioning or there was no electricity. I had a strong feeling that it was the latter case and the first thing that came to my mind was my breastmilk stock. All 80 bottles of them. Was it melting? How long has it been left to melt?
The moment we got in, my suspicions were answered. A major lighting striked the house and the fuse box tripped. The strike was major as the ELCB caught fire. It happened at 3pm and for 3 hours my mum has been waiting for the electrician to come. And for the same three hours my milk was left to start melting. Luckily I had placed some Techni Ice and Coleman Brite Ice on top and to the sides of the milk containers in anticipation of this exact incident occuring. Due to this, my frozen milk stock was still fully frozen. So my next concern was when will the elctrician arrive and when will the electricity be restored? Looking at the condition of the fuse box cover (having black spots due to the fire) and the fact that the electrician was 'still on his way' since 5pm, Shah and I knew that this could be a major case and the house would still be dark come night time.
Operation MilkyWay was then in full force. We need to rescue Maisarah's milk. We had to start calling neighbours and friends to ask them for refuge for my breastmilk. At 7:30pm, my mum called our immediate neighbour since they have a deep freezer. Unfortunately, their freezer was full. The other neighbour had a small freezer which was also full. Our hopes were slightly dashed. My sister, Alia, then called her best friend Syakira whom she knows has a huge fridge that is usually not that full. This was our lucky break.
We went there at 8pm with 3 out of 5 plastic containers filled with milk. I brought Maisarah with us, as an added effect to show them that the milk is actually breastmilk but also to cool her down in the car. Poor Maisdarah had been in the hot house since 3pm and at 8pm she was quite cranky from the heat as well as tiredness. Syakira was not home but her parents were. They were understanding of our situation, especially Syakira's mother. She made her helper clear space for the containers and we realised that there was actually enough space for the other 2 containers we left at home. So, sheepishly, Alia and I asked if we could also bring the rest to store there. Syakira's mom was ever accomodating and told us to quickly go and get them.
Alhamdulillah, Operation MilkyWay was successful! All 5 containers were safely delivered to Syakira's house by 8:45pm.
During the events above, the electrician came at around 7pm with no tools in hand. He didn't have a clue what was wrong and was waiting for his friend to arrive. One of the neighbours that my mum called earlier suggested that we call TNB and get them to come over and asses the situation. The TNB technicians arrived when we were on our way to get the 2nd batch of milk to be sent to Syakira's house. They managed to restore the electricity when we got home at 8:45pm. Apparently, they just had to change the ELCB and all was back to normal.
On Saturday, Alia brought back all of Miasarah's milk and they are now safe in the freezer. I will no longer be actively building up the stock. Instead I will just maintain it by using and replacing the same amount each day to ensure that the stock keeps running and doesn't expire. As always, I will keep on praying that this incident will not happen again. I hope this will not happen to any other breastfeeding mothers out there.
The moment we got in, my suspicions were answered. A major lighting striked the house and the fuse box tripped. The strike was major as the ELCB caught fire. It happened at 3pm and for 3 hours my mum has been waiting for the electrician to come. And for the same three hours my milk was left to start melting. Luckily I had placed some Techni Ice and Coleman Brite Ice on top and to the sides of the milk containers in anticipation of this exact incident occuring. Due to this, my frozen milk stock was still fully frozen. So my next concern was when will the elctrician arrive and when will the electricity be restored? Looking at the condition of the fuse box cover (having black spots due to the fire) and the fact that the electrician was 'still on his way' since 5pm, Shah and I knew that this could be a major case and the house would still be dark come night time.
Operation MilkyWay was then in full force. We need to rescue Maisarah's milk. We had to start calling neighbours and friends to ask them for refuge for my breastmilk. At 7:30pm, my mum called our immediate neighbour since they have a deep freezer. Unfortunately, their freezer was full. The other neighbour had a small freezer which was also full. Our hopes were slightly dashed. My sister, Alia, then called her best friend Syakira whom she knows has a huge fridge that is usually not that full. This was our lucky break.
We went there at 8pm with 3 out of 5 plastic containers filled with milk. I brought Maisarah with us, as an added effect to show them that the milk is actually breastmilk but also to cool her down in the car. Poor Maisdarah had been in the hot house since 3pm and at 8pm she was quite cranky from the heat as well as tiredness. Syakira was not home but her parents were. They were understanding of our situation, especially Syakira's mother. She made her helper clear space for the containers and we realised that there was actually enough space for the other 2 containers we left at home. So, sheepishly, Alia and I asked if we could also bring the rest to store there. Syakira's mom was ever accomodating and told us to quickly go and get them.
Alhamdulillah, Operation MilkyWay was successful! All 5 containers were safely delivered to Syakira's house by 8:45pm.
During the events above, the electrician came at around 7pm with no tools in hand. He didn't have a clue what was wrong and was waiting for his friend to arrive. One of the neighbours that my mum called earlier suggested that we call TNB and get them to come over and asses the situation. The TNB technicians arrived when we were on our way to get the 2nd batch of milk to be sent to Syakira's house. They managed to restore the electricity when we got home at 8:45pm. Apparently, they just had to change the ELCB and all was back to normal.
On Saturday, Alia brought back all of Miasarah's milk and they are now safe in the freezer. I will no longer be actively building up the stock. Instead I will just maintain it by using and replacing the same amount each day to ensure that the stock keeps running and doesn't expire. As always, I will keep on praying that this incident will not happen again. I hope this will not happen to any other breastfeeding mothers out there.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Busy month
The last few weeks has been very hectic for me. We're currently going through the accreditation process for the engineering programmes at Uni*en and the report needed to be sent to the accreditation panel today. That's why I have yet to put an entry in here. Everyday of the last 2 weeks was spent finishing the report and compiling all the info. Finally, last Friday we managed to print and bind it.
Inspite all that I still managed to find time to express milk for my cute and chubby baby. Luckily Shah's classes finish at 7pm on 3 out of the 5 week days so I manage to wind down after 5:30 pm and continue expressing to meet Maisarah's daily intake of 20 oz per day. Although since the last 2 weeks of February Maisarah has started to drink less. Normally, before I leave for work I will nurse her and according to my mum she will then spend the morning sleeping and drinking only 2-4 oz of milk. Then during the afternoon she will drink about 8-10 oz more. So in total, she's been drinking about 12-14 oz per day for the last 2 weeks. When this first happened, Shah and I panicked a little and went to buy different teats and alternative feeding devices (feeder cup and a bottle with a spoon at the end) thinking she was having nipple confusion. But my mum said that Maisarah still didn't want to drink a lot even with the different teat. But I found that Maisarah now started to drink more at night. So I guess she is reverse cycling. This is ever since Maisarah started to co-sleep with Shah and I and she has easy access to her milk factory. I don't mind her co-sleeping with us as this means that I wont have to get up to feed her every night and I can continue sleeping while she feeds. Another plus point is that since she is drinking less than 20 oz, the extra expressed milk can be added to my frozen stock for use on 'rainy' days. I'm so worried that I'll be sent to any team-building course and I can't bring Maisarah along.
Anyway, back to the accreditaion process, we've got about 3 weeks before the panel comes for their visit. Within this 3 months, we've got to gather all the evidence and information written in the report for them to scrutinize and view if needed. So lots of things needs to be done. I guess until the end of the month, I'll still continue to run around like a headless chicken (well, maybe not up to that extend). I must make sure I will keep to my pumping schedule (8am, 1:30pm and 5:30pm). I had to cut down my pumping sessions from 4 to 3 times due to the workload. Hope this will not affect my breastmilk supply.
Inspite all that I still managed to find time to express milk for my cute and chubby baby. Luckily Shah's classes finish at 7pm on 3 out of the 5 week days so I manage to wind down after 5:30 pm and continue expressing to meet Maisarah's daily intake of 20 oz per day. Although since the last 2 weeks of February Maisarah has started to drink less. Normally, before I leave for work I will nurse her and according to my mum she will then spend the morning sleeping and drinking only 2-4 oz of milk. Then during the afternoon she will drink about 8-10 oz more. So in total, she's been drinking about 12-14 oz per day for the last 2 weeks. When this first happened, Shah and I panicked a little and went to buy different teats and alternative feeding devices (feeder cup and a bottle with a spoon at the end) thinking she was having nipple confusion. But my mum said that Maisarah still didn't want to drink a lot even with the different teat. But I found that Maisarah now started to drink more at night. So I guess she is reverse cycling. This is ever since Maisarah started to co-sleep with Shah and I and she has easy access to her milk factory. I don't mind her co-sleeping with us as this means that I wont have to get up to feed her every night and I can continue sleeping while she feeds. Another plus point is that since she is drinking less than 20 oz, the extra expressed milk can be added to my frozen stock for use on 'rainy' days. I'm so worried that I'll be sent to any team-building course and I can't bring Maisarah along.
Anyway, back to the accreditaion process, we've got about 3 weeks before the panel comes for their visit. Within this 3 months, we've got to gather all the evidence and information written in the report for them to scrutinize and view if needed. So lots of things needs to be done. I guess until the end of the month, I'll still continue to run around like a headless chicken (well, maybe not up to that extend). I must make sure I will keep to my pumping schedule (8am, 1:30pm and 5:30pm). I had to cut down my pumping sessions from 4 to 3 times due to the workload. Hope this will not affect my breastmilk supply.
Hmm...I seem to notice that whenever I start off entries, I tend to revert back to Maisarah or my quest to breastfeed her. I guess from now on most of my entries will be this way. I hope this will not be a bore. I started this blog as a journal of my life with Shah. But I guess this will evolve as my role changes from a wife-cum-PhD-student to a wife-cum-career-woman and now a wife-cum-mother-cum-career-woman. I also hope this blog becomes a journal of my breastfeeding journey.
Before I end, I've got to put a note here that Maisarah has successfully turned (is this the proper English word for 'meniarap'??)!! Last night, Shah and I were talking while I was about to pray Maghrib. At that time, Maisarah was laying face up on the bed and was grumbling for one of us to pick her up. Whenever, she's angry or frustrated she will try to turn but everytime she will only be able to half-turn her body but not her head. Last night, in her furstration she was able to turn all the way to her right, lift her head and free her left hand from under her body. Luckily the camera was nearby, so we managed to capture this. I'll try to upload the picture and video soon. We're so happy we managed to capture her turning. She also can now laugh when we make funny noises or 'agah' her. I need to get this on video too. Maybe it's not a bad idea to invest on a camcorder soon. Anyway, all these things that Maisarah does makes all the morning sickness I had to endure worthwhile.
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