Misadventure

A mother gotta do what a mother has to do!

If u were in Takashimaya shopping mall yesterday afternoon, you'd ve seen a crazy women shouting for help and asking for trained medical profession to come forward to help her bb who was in fits and unconscious.
Her call was answered and her bb was attended by a trained nurse who happened to be shopping and the Taka staff rendered kind assistance.
They were sent to hospital via ambulance for treatment and her bb is well n playing now!

I wanna thank all who has assisted in anyway, help or just standing by watching the free live drama.

No, I'm not ashamed of what I've done!

The ambulance medics said baby was in fits and the KKH doc diagnosed that the fits was caused by fever, till now I am still wondering what have I missed or done wrong.

Baby attended her school Children's Day party yesterday morning, she was playing happily and eating fine, she fell asleep on our way to Taka and awoke when I was choosing shoes, she helped me picked the colour, then I made payment and asked her if she wants some milk, she said no and she said she wanted cake, so I proceeded to B2 to q up for the cake.

While in Q, I maintained conversation with her, then suddenly I saw her not responding and her eyes rolled backward as her whole body became stiff. 

I quickly jumped out from the q, carried her, held the stroller and went up to B1 while my mind ran thru all the possible solutions and at the same time kept calling her name.

I realised I am not moving fast enough with bb, stroller, diaper bag in the crowd and definitely can't make it to taxi stand fast to rush her to hospital, I was thinking of calling her dad to come but it'd take him sometime to arrive from work, I also think she needed medical help immediately, so I made the instant decision to seek immediate attention to get help, which started the big calling for "help" scene.

No word can described my fear, my fear of losing my precious baby..........

I'm glad I did the right thing as I know I can't handle the situation alone with a sick baby, stroller, diaper bag and a very worried mum who may not be in her right mind in a crowded shopping mall.

She still has fever and is sleeping now.

I hope she can recover ASAP!

Note to self, must attend First Aid course to learn some life saving skills.

The best suction tool!

After buying various kind of sucking tool for removing the mucus from bb's nose, I realized that the best tool is none other then ME!

Yah, it's gross but I think the best way to clear bb's congested nasal is by the use of my own mouth to suck out the mucus!

Only a Mother would dare to do this out of LOVE!

I've asked RY to do it but he shake his head vigorously and refused to do it for his bb!

Yes, my darling girl is down with common cold and is now having bad congested nasal.

She is still active and playful despite being ill.

She started sneezing 3 days ago and yesterday she had mild fever, but this morning, her fever went up to above 38.6'c.

So we went to TMC PD clinic and the doctor prescribed some cough and cold medication as well as Ibrufen which is to be used when she has high temperature above 38.5'c to bring the high temp down.

She "merlioned" her dinner due to the congested nose as she can't swallow her food.

So I gotta use my mouth to suck out the mucus to relive her uncomfortableness.

After resting for an hour, I fed her some milk and checked her temp which was 39'c and quickly did a wipe down then gave her the Ibrufen.

Before she slept, I checked that her temp had gone down slightly to 38.6'c and hopefully she will feel better after a good night of sleep.

A Mother's simple wish is to wish that her bb get well soon!

How I wean my bb Rae from breast feeding?

I thought it'd be good to document down the wean off process so that some of the BF moms may benefit from my experience.

I had original planned to BF bb for 9 months then gradually wean her off by introducing bottle feed BM to her. The plan was to give her 1 bottle feed BM for 2 weeks then increase to 2 for another 2 weeks then introduce FM into one of the feeds, so become 2 BM and 1 FM, then another 2 weeks increase to 2 FM and 2 BM. So by the time she turn 1 year old, can can be on bottle FM fully with just 1 BM.
Note: BM is Breast Milk, FM is Formula Milk and BF is Breast Feeding

But due to the viral fever in Sept 2012 and house moving, so my weaning plan was not able to proceed as planned.
I only manage to bottle feed her BM in end Oct'12 and was 1 feed a day in the morning.
The in mid Dec'12, I added a feed of FM in the afternoon and after we return from KL, I weaned her off from mid-night BF feeding by changing to FM.
In Jan'13, I change her last night feed to FM.
Her feeding schedule is as follows:
Morning 7am - 120ml FM
Morning 10.30am - 100ml BM
Afternoon 3pm - 150ml FM
Night 9.30pm - 150 FM

I intend to give her BM till her next MMR jab which is next month, then I'll stop pumping BM for her and my life may be easier and more relaxing.

Challenge
I'd list down the challenge that I faced in weaning her off.

Finding the right bottle
It was a nightmare to find a milk bottle for her as she has been BF exclusively so she won't accept any milk bottle. She rejected my Medela bottles and Calma teat.
But am glad to be able to learn about Como Tomo bottle which is silicon bottle which feel like breast.
Bb Rae was willing to suckle on it.
The bottle cost SGD32 and the fast flow teat is about SGD14.
It is an expensive but worth the investment as she is willing to suckle

Encouraging her to drink from bottle
She resisted bottle feed BM initially and would cry and struggle at every feeds.
I gotta be firmed to let her understand that I m determined to not let her BF.
I sang and talked to her and she finally relented and suckle.

Constant mid-night crying
She was crying fiercely for the mid-night suckle for for few weeks when there was total no BF.
So every night I'd wake up to pacify her by patting her back to sleep or make her FM.
I gotta keep assuring her that no nursing doesn't mean no Love.
During bottle feed, she'd hug me tight and fondle my breast and then smell my breast for comfort.

Frankly speaking, I do miss nursing her.
I miss the "closeness" and the private bonding time that we shared.
I miss her looking at me, smiling at me while she suckles ........
I also miss the convenience of BF as now I gotta pack hot water flask, FM powder, whereas previously I only need to bring a nursing cloth.

It was a tough weaning process but I don't regret BF her.

Congrats to my Friend

Yesterday I received a SMS from my friend that she is 9 weeks preggy.
We were secondary school classmates and have been friends till now.
I am really happy for her and wish her a smooth 8 months ahead.

Update on 1 Feb 2013
Sad to update that my friend had a miscarriage and did a D&C yesterday........
A check with the gynae on last Monday revealed that her bb had stopped growing since week 7.
I feel really sad for her.
This reminded me of my previous 3 losses .......
I hope she recuperates fast and try again ........

Lazy

I realized that with the arrival of Bb Rae, I hardly write on my blog. I am too lazy to do anything after doing all the cooking, washing, feeding, putting Bb to sleep etc. And during her nap/ sleep, I will be busy doing laundry or folding her clothes etc, and if I really ve any free time, i would rather sit on the sofa and do nothing as I am really drained out ....... Maybe I still need some time to get used to being a SAHM! Once I am used to this new role, I should be able to manage myself and Bb better (which I hope asap)!

Shopping

Ever since being a mum, I hardly go shopping as I am home most of the time to care for Bb Rae, even if I do during the weekend when RY brings us out, the department that I'd go is the baby section for diapers, baby food and fresh produce section to get fishes, poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt for Bb Rae. I don't visit the adult clothes, jewelry, or shoes section anymore, this is so different from last time prior to the arrival of baby! If I do look at clothes, it ll be baby clothes for my darling girl. I think I should not be so obsessed with baby stuff, I should shop something for myself when we are in USA!

Feeding 6 Months Old BB Rae

I ve started Bb Rae with semi solid since she was 5+ months old. I started with white rice cereal mix with my breast milk and she enjoyed very much. When she turned 6 months, I started to give her home made puree like broccoli with potatoes, sweet potatoes with carrot, pumpkin with sweet corn. I also give her fresh fruits like papaya, banana, pear, apple, avocado, golden kiwi, orange. I had tried giving her home cooked porridge but she doesn't seem to enjoy. Now I d feed her puree for lunch, 2 teaspoon of cereal and fresh fruits for dinner. My bb still prefers milk than solid, so the portion I give her is pretty small as she still latch on for milk 6 to 7 times a day. I was shocked when 1 mommy friend told me that she fed her 4 months old bb commercial cheesecake, yummy yogurt sold from counter, yakult etc. She is aware of the high sugar content but she thinks the goodness of those food outlay the bads. Don't she realized these r processed food high in sugar and other addictives which may be bad for bb internal organs like liver, kidney, digestive system etc as they r newly formed? Also bb may get addicted to sweet or salty taste and as they grow they may yearn for more sugar or salt and turn into a fussy eater! No I didn't confront this mommy as I think she is an adult and a Mother herself, so she can decide what is best for her own bb. She is responsible for her action, be it Good or Bad! If bb ever gets sick, we all know who will suffer!!

Welcome to Motherhood

I'd like to welcome my friend to Motherhood! I am very happy for a friend whom I get to know thru this blog of mine that she had delivered a healthy baby girl on 22 April 2012! Just like myself, she had struggled with fertility issue for some time before this pregnancy. There are many success stories around us and I sincerely urged the many pregger hopeful out there not to give up. God listens to our sincere prayer and will grant us our wish! Just need to be patient! I am happy to make new friends thru my blog and hope that many of you will join me in this journey of Motherhood soon!

Deprived of Sleep

I am very sleepy and constantly lack of sleep!
Why?
Because of my Baby Rae!
I had not slept well since week 37 of my pregnancy due to the backache, pressing tummy, anxiety of child birth.
After baby is born, I have yet to get a continuous sleep greater then 3 hours due to night feeds.
Yes, I had a confinement nanny to have me during the 1st month upon child birth, but as I only gave breast milk via latch on (with no bottle feeding), I gotta wake up to feed baby personally.
Her last feed for the night is 9pm, then next feed at 3am, 6am, 9am, followed by 2 hourly feed till 9pm at night and the same routine the next day!
When she sleeps, I can't sleep as I gotta express milk from my engorged breast.
Now when the confinement nanny is gone, I am caring for her alone, so I gotta be alert and keep a watchful eyes over her in fear of SIDS!

I am sleepy ...... When can I ve a good sleep?

No, don't get me wrong, I don't regret being a Mother as I know all these (baby, sleepless nights, flabby tummy, dark eye circles, puffy eyes, engorged breast, baby cries, no time for doing own leisure reading or other activities, always rushing to finish the meal quick to care for baby, frequent diaper changing, constant worry if baby drinks/ sleeps/ poos& pees enough etc) come in a package calls "Motherhood" but it also gives you a bonus packet known as "happiness with laughters"!

Breast Feeding

I have always wanted to do breast feeding to my babies as I am aware of the benefits of Mother's milk to her baby.
As much as I hope to breast feed, I understand that it may not necessary mean that I can produce any or sufficient milk to feed my hungry baby. Also not all baby can latch or suckle successfully.
During my pregnancy, I kept telling my baby "mummy loves you and will breast feed you to give you the best from me. Mummy will produce lots of milk for you so that you will not be hungry".
I guess this self conditioning could have helped in my breast milk productions.

In about week 36, my gynae taught me simple breast massage technique to induce milk production. I started to produce colostrum in the following week.
I think it was a blessing that Baby Rae was able to latch on to suckle well when she was newly born.
I can still remember vividly when the nurse bring Baby Rae to me for feeding, I merely held her to my breast and she opened her mouth wide to start to suckle.
It was a very thrilling moment to see a tiny baby feeding for food!
At that moment, I was the happiest and satisfying mum with my bundle of joy in my arm!
But being a new born, she tend to fall asleep easily as it required a lot of strength to suck
the colostrum/ milk out.
So I had to constantly wake her up by touching her cheek.
I was feeding her 4 hourly and the nurse would bring her to me as I chose exclusive breast feeding.

My milk supply kicks in on the 2nd day after child birth.
I started to have engorged breast on the 3rd night.
Fortunately the lactation consultant came to my rescue on the next day,Saturday morning, before I discharged in the afternoon.
She massaged my breast to relief the engorgement and also applied cold cabbage leaves on my breasts. She also advised me to latch baby on frequently and expressed the milk diligently using a breast pump.
When I came home, I did as instructed and in few days time, no more engorgement!

As at today, I am still breast feeding Baby Rae exclusively for 9 feeds per day and am glad that she is growing well!
I hope to be able to breast feed her for at least 6 months.
Wish me luck!

Pregnancy Journal 5 - Birth Story

Baby Rae EDD was 24 December 2011 and we were looking forward to a Christmas baby.
But her actual delivery date was 3 days earlier on 21 December 2011.

I was a happy mum to be during the pregnancy and my health condition was good.
Few days before the delivery date, I suddenly felt anxious and can't sleep at night.
I was wide awake in the middle of the night.
On Monday 19 December, it went to the gynae for a routine check and was surprised to see an exceptionally high blood pressure and doctor informed that my water level in the water bag is getting lower. She suggested that I admitted immediately for delivery.
I was shocked and speechless!
I told her I was not prepared since RY was at a meeting and not reachable.
She sent me to do HCG scanning to monitor heartbeat.
I was strapped up for 45 mins to do the scan and fortunately the result was good, so I was allowed home but gotta be admitted on 21 Dec morning for delivery.
She also told me to monitor baby's movement during the 2 days!

When I got home, I quickly did laundry, house cleaning, prepared baby cot mattresses, checked my hospital bag, admission documents etc.
I had the worst night that Monday night as I was worried about baby and imagined that there was no more movements.
It was an agony to go the another night and RY almost wanna admit me on Tuesday morning.
We received a surprised phone call from my gynae on Tuesday late afternoon.
She told me to get admitted on Tuesday night after 11.30pm so that the hospital can help me monitor the baby's movement and I will be induced on Wed morning.

That night, we had a quick dinner, then went to collect my breast pump which I ordered online.
I tried to calm myself down by watch TV before we left for TMC.

We reached TMC at about 11.40pm.
I went to the delivery suite while RY did the admission registration.
I was given laxative inserts to clear my bowel and was given medication to induce labour at about 2am.
I started feeling the contraction pain 3 hours later, then at 6am I washed up and had my
shower.
The contractions got more intense and the gynae came to check on me at 7am and told me that I ve not dilated and will wait for another hour to monitor if I can go ahead with the natural delivery.
An hour later, when she came, she checked and informed that she would do an emergency c-sec in an hour's time since I was not even a cm dilated.
She told me to choose between GA and epidural.
As I was in anxiety, we decided on GA.

Then the nurses prepared me for the operation.
I was pushed to the operating theatre at about 10am.

When I opened my eyes, I was in the hospital ward and it was 11.30am.
I saw RY and the first question I asked him was " is the baby ok? Is she pretty and normal?"
RY told me that all was well and assured me of a beautiful baby.

The gynae came to my room to check on me and asked if I wanted to breast feed baby. I told her yes and she arranged for the lactation consultant to advice me on the breast feeding techniques.
I get to see baby at about 12.30pm and did my first breast feeding despite the painful wounds.
I only managed to give her very little colostrum as my milk supply had not kicked in yet.
Holding my baby in my arm was wonderful, it was like a dream finally came true!
My Motherhood journey starts instantly!
The lactation consultant helped us take picture of our newborn in my arms, I shall always remember that moment ......

Is this Real?

My Baby Rae is now sleeping in my right arm while I am busy typing this post on my iPad.

I ve been dreaming about the day of holding the bundle of joy in my arms and here she is now!
Is this real? or am I dreaming?

I am so happy now that tears of joy are rolling down on my cheek .......

Welcome Baby Rae!

Welcome to the world, Baby Rae!

I am proud to announce that I am now officially a SAHM!
I ve just given birth to a Baby Girl - Rae this morning at 10.30am via emergency c-sec!

I didn't post anything about my pregnancy earlier as I wanted to be stress free of having to update. But I ve told myself that once Baby Rae is born, I will pen my pregnancy journey down!

But now am really sleepy/ tired and shall only update the details when I am better.

My precious bb, Baby Rae, I love you and will do my best to be a good mother, and you also must do your best to be a good daughter!

Quit my Job?

Today RY asked me to quit my job to concentrate on my fertility treatment.

I told him I'm all ready to quit as long as he's ready to support me and give me allowance which he agrees, but it'll be just a token sum.
I told him I'll resign any time once I think my work is too hectic to cope .........

I think I wont resign till my baby is born to be a SAHM as I believe in caring my own baby.
A healthey & normal baby is the best gift to all Mother and Mother's tender loving care is the best gift for all babies .........

To be honest, I'm worried of over dependence single source of income since SG is a rather expensive country to live, some say it's a place "where you can die but not fall sick"!

Hey, dont think I'm kidding, many fellow sporean will agree with the above statement.

But having said that, I'll still quit for the sake of my baby!
At this moment, motherhood is the most important to me and money & career is secondary with the least priority ..........