A Mother's Discovery

a mother's experience nurturing her little ones, treasuring every single family moments with her loved ones and sharing her thoughts on day-to-day life experience, breastfeeding and natural parenting ...

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

look alike...???



am i frustrated, depressed, shocked with this revelation...????

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

1st family vacation....

this was during her first vacation

buckle up in her carseat


a lot of emotional (and physical) changes involved after my baby was borned....i was glad that i was only 3 kg heavier from my pre pregnancy weight (but it gradually increases after i stopped breastfeeding when Jihan was 6 months but now i'm serious about shedding off a few kg that i gained within the last 1 year...argghhh!!)....plus the lack of sleep, the pain and agony to handle the tiny creature that has just come out from your womb....it was a mixed feelings actually...the first few weeks is the most critical condition for the mother....good social support is very important to the mothers as to prevent post natal depression (thank god i didn't suffer from this)


the fact is, i was very happy with my newborn baby at that time and i was coping quite well adapting to a new life....after confinement, i started working...then a new kind of stress emerged...i was a bit physically and mentally imbalance and exhausted....at one point, i decided to take a few days leave and plan an impromptu family vacation....(the first one for Jihan, who was 4 months old at that time)


it was during fasting month and we went East Coast...i buckled Jihan up in her carseat and she behaved very well...she loves travelling in the car...i had to wake her up to breastfeed her...now we have to pack an extra bag (plus others) for Jihan's clothes and stuff...luckily she was still breastfeeding at that time so no need to pack a whole basket of milk powder and bottles and sterilizer, etc....we packed 2 bags for her- 1 containing her clothes and another 1 containing her diapers and some toys...other accessories for her include baby hat ( which she hated wering it)and a few toiletteries...we always stuff her stroller inside the car boot in case we need them...

the journey was good but it takes time for Jihan to adapt to a new environment (the hotel room)...she cried loudly when she was in the elevator...but after a few try, she got on well...

it was a memorable vacation for us...it was only the 3 of us...it was time to strengthen the bond between us and for us to spend more time with our lovely Jihan...

tips on planning your first vacation (with baby):




  • go to a place that are accessible to health centre


  • choose the environment that is almost similar to your home


  • plan for a short vacation (2-3 days)


  • pack your stuffs as well as your baby's stuff 1 day before the journey


  • make a checklist on what to bring


  • pack some of your baby's favourite toys as well


  • if your baby is bottlefed, bring along the bottle sterilizer or sterilizing tablets (do not compromise hygiene for the sake of your little ones)


  • if you plan to go to the swimming pool/beach, bring along sunscreen for babies and babies floaties


  • bring extra clothing as she/he might puke or dirty the clothes accidentally


  • do not cramp the car with unnecessary stuffs/toys


  • bring a stroller/pram along


  • minimize the amount of baggage (if possible)


  • drive safely and carefully


  • buckle up your baby in her carseat


  • make sure the ventilation is good inside your car (not so hot or not so cold)


  • enjoy yourself and make your baby enjoy herself too!


Wednesday, November 21, 2007

sweet tooth...


i remember when my Jihan had her first tooth...she was about 7 -8 months...it was the the lower central incisors...they emerged one by one...then it stopped...for quite some time...i started to worry and asked my dentist why the other teeth have not erupted yet...she said not to worry, in fact i should be thankful because the later they come out, the later they'll get dental carries....


we waited quite long for the other teeth to come out...when she was almost 1 year old, then the upper central incisors emerged...by then she had 4 teeth...we didn't give her foods that were hard and difficult to chew as she only had her gums to chew on the food.....


when she was about 15 months then she had most of her teeth erupted...by then she ate almost everything...


we have no problems to care for Jihan's teeth...we started brushing her soft gums when she was about 4 months....when she got bigger, we bought her her own toothbrush and toothpaste...and now, she is able to brush her own teeth....twice a day...and she really loves it...


besides that, we do not introduce chocolates and sweets to her...once a while, she got to taste them but those sweet foods are not in her dietary plans....and she never had a taste of carbonated drinks...that can promote dental carries if your child indulges into them...


it is not difficult to care for the little one's teeth....avoid sweet foods and instill the habit of good dental hygiene in them since young....by starting early, your baby will become used to having his teeth cleaned and hopefully, you will avoid future problems with brushing...


also avoid acidic, sugary or fizzy drinks especially between meals, at bedtime or during the night as a comforter..tooth decay can occur if a baby has long and frequent exposure to sugary drinks given in a bottle...if possible avoid night feeding where the bottle is stucked at your baby's mouth for a long time....

Thursday, November 15, 2007

a wisdom tooth story (part 2)

after almost 1 week suffering from the terrible ache, it finally subsides today...i went to dental department yesterday and had my OPG done...


my OPG

that's my OPG...can you see the wisdom tooth and the right side? that's actually my left lower wisdom tooth which is laying almost horizontal...it's pushing all the other teeth for it to come out..but still it cannot come out because of the overlying gum..the root actually is very near to the one of the dental nerves, that's why it is causing so much pain when it is inflammed and swollen as it compresses the nerve...while the right side being very vertical which make it easier to come out, but still cannot come out because of the overlying gum and soft tissue...so far it is sitting there quietly and i hope it will just stay there and be good!

so, that is the real situation...so what will happen now is i'm praying and hoping that i won't get another attack...and i hope they will call me earlier to have a minor oral surgery to remove the tooth!

so today, i started to eat normal food again (i have been depending on Nesvita 3 in 1 for the past few days) and able to consult my patients (though i restricted my conversations with them as it still give some pain when i talk too much)....

Monday, November 12, 2007

a wisdom tooth story...


impacted wisdom tooth


ouch!!! oh, hai...! i'm in no mood to do anything today...i've been trying to let myself out of this hot and stuffy environment for God-knows how long....as far as i remember, i've been in here for ages...and i remained still and quiet without disturbing others..but for the past one year or so, i thought it'll be nice if i can venture what is outside there...so, i thought i wanted to peep around and that was when i started pushing myself to the surface...

well, i managed to peep a little bit...i got to see my other friends out there...before this, i can only hear their voices...but is not that good though...i cannot squeeze myself back in...i cannot stand all the food debris got stuck in between me and my home..and it tend to be smelly...yucks!!


when my home got covered with the dirty food debris, it will become so ugly and dirty...i cannot sweep them away...but i feel great when i got a very nice bath with Oral B shampoo cleaning me and swept the dirty things away...sometimes, when i throw my tantrum, my home swelled up and trapped me...and i felt stuck and stuffy...



it has been a few days that i am not feeling that good...my home is swelling up and i becames stuffy and i tried to push myself to the surface more and more...luckily i don't have any fever...and some of my friends out there also complained of uneasiness with my home swelling up...

just now i heard someone talking about me...they were discussing of throwing me out for good!!!!! oh, no!!!! that's not good for me...i'm losing my friends and where will i be sent to..?? but they thought of doing it later because it's going to be a painful thing to do and it is expensive...but they somehow can get it done for free as well...oh, i don't know.....if they want to throw me out, i will hold tight to my lovely home and call my friends to hold my hands not to let me go....!



maybe, that's the fate of me...i've nowhere to go now...i wait and i wait for my destiny...i don't decide for my own destiny...but they do - the HUMAN!


yeah, that's the story of my wisdom tooth, to be exact - the left lower wisdom tooth...the right-sided one has been good, it has not decided to come out...i can't decide yet what to do..luckily it is not infected...just impacted...this is worst than wearing a braces!!!!! arghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Friday, November 9, 2007

Chicago, The Musical



my cousin called a few days ago inviting me for a musical show (ChicagoThe Musical- the original was played by Reene Zelweger and Catherine Zeta Jones) on Deepavali Day at Kuala Lumpur Convenction Centre...she had 2 tickets cost RM 180 each and wanted to give them to me as she could not go and watch the show...(wow!!!) i had several times turned down her offer previously (including The King and I the musical where they got to have a tea with the actors before the show...sigh..!)

i immediately called my hubby asking him whether he wants to go or not and he said yes..! (yahooo!!)

so we went yesterday quite early (leaving Jihan with atuk and wan) and were wandering around at the KLCC and my hubby bought himself a new perfume, i bought myslef an Anuar Zain latest CD (at last!) and bought Jihan a pair of nighties...

then off we went to the show...the crowd was good...we got the centre seats but it was on the upper tier...the view was quite far but ok lah..

the last time i watched these kind of entertainments was many years ago....when i was in from 2...most of them were held at MATIC Jalan Ampang.... for hubby, it was his first time, so he was quite excited...

the show was good...the music was nicely arranged and had soul in it...their voices were marvellous and their dancing and acting were just perfect...everybody sang and danced and mostly to the fast number.....i cannot compare to the local setting because i missed watching P Ramlee the musical recently...

i should thank my cousin for giving us the free tickets! yeah, more free tickets next time huh?

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Jihan pandai....


my dear Jihan is getting matured each day...she tries to be independent in everything she does...she tries to wear her own shoes, she doesn't want others to feed her during meal times, she wants to switch on or off the lights by her own, on or off the aircond and so on...she will simply say, "Jihan pandai...." and won't let us do it for her...


though there are things that she still doesnt like doing such as going to the toilet to poo-poo and she-she, take her own tricycle if it got stucked, throw a tantrum when her demands are not met....but i think she grows up very fast...


i saw her videos captured shen she was younger...she was witty, funny and adorable...and she thought very smartly as well...


nowadays, she is a star...she can imitate any advertisement or characters that she sees on the TV and that really entertains us...


she is also very friendly and know how to bring about herself when she is at other places...


sometimes, we just cannot underestimate our kids...they mature in their own way even though we don't really teach them how to do it...they see and enjoy their life and learn through them by day to day experience....that's why the right exposure is needed at this age for a good interpersonal development...watch what the children see on TV and put them in the right environment so that they'll be nourished with the good attitudes...

friends and family gathering (hari raya gathering)

we had the gathering last weekend at our home in Bukit Mahkota....i planned to upload the photos in the fotopages but their server is down again...

sneak preview....



PHOTOS UPLOADED @ OUR FOTOPAGES

Friday, November 2, 2007

the Day when i had her...and the story goes on...



23rd June 2005


i think the time has come...! i realized i had show at 11.00pm . that evening, me, asrul and zizie went to bangi (dahlia's house) to settle the SPA forms. late that evening, i managed to bake an apple crumble cake (actually, the baby was the one who really wants it). anyway, mild contraction started at about 1 am(24/6/05).


24th June 2005


so, lafter subuh we went to hukm ...had ctg done ( which was reactive), and VE (vaginal examination)....it was damn painful when VE was done...(all this while i simply like to VE patients...) and i was so frustrated to find out that i was only 1 cm dilated....DR ask me to go home first and wait for the contraction to get stronger.


when reached home , the contraction seized, mum said it was a false alarm, but the bloody show was heavier...! the contraction started back at 3 pm after eating nasi baryani and was getting regular n stronger since then (2:10).


at 6 pm i couldn't bear the pain anymore...so, we went back to HUKM...had CTG done....and VE..wah!! at 7 pm already 3 cm and DR said, "let's make u a mommy tonight.." and he did stretch and swipe (S&S) to make it bigger....! it was damn painful and i stopped him as he wanted to make it till 5 cm...!so dilated to 4 cm (save 1 hour!).


he called Prof J for his consent to do ARM (artificial rupture of membrane - break the waterbag) and sent me to the labour room at 8pm. at the labour room...the birthing suite was nice (room no 4), the nurses were very kind...Prof J came at 8.20pm, repeat the VE (still 4 cm) and ordered pitocin after epidural is done...and i waited for the anaesthetist to come for the epidural...in the mean time, the nurse offered me Enthonox (gas for pain relief) but it didn't work that well..(asrul's hand was full with nail marks!!)


At last Dr O (the anaesthetist MO) came at 9.20 pm, set the epidural catheter in and VOILA!! the contraction pain was gone....! so, i managed to get some sleep from 9.45pm till 10.30pm while Asrul ate his dinner outside the labour room with mak n abah..epidural is really a wonder...a real gift to women in labour!!i really love it!!!


i realized that my uterus was hyperstimulating at 10.30 pm and some sort of pain can be felt at the anus, vagina..the sacroiliac joint was tearing up and the lumbosacral region was pulled apart...!!! felt like pushing already but it was too early!!! the nurse came by at 11.00 pm and i told her that i was hyperstimulating..she did the VE and to my surprise she told me that i was already fully!!..she asked me to slowly bear down so that the head will come down just in time for Prof J to arrive to conduct the delivery...


11.20, Prof Jamil arrived...he was also surprised with my excellent progress...he thought that i will only deliver after 2 am...anyway, i started pushing at 11.20pm....after putting all the efforts and hardwork, my baby girl is finally delivered at 11.44 pm.....!!!


aLHAMDULILLAH...the epidural was a miracle..i did not even realize that i had an episiotomy! and stitching was fine...no pain felt!


the first thing that was so obvious about her was her glowing big pair of eyes...!! she weighed 3.18 kg, with the length of 53 cm and head circumference of 34 cm...APGAR score was 9 at 1st minutes and 10 at 5 minutes....she was a wonderful and great, healthy, cute-looking baby... i'm a mommy now...!!! forgot all about the pain coz i have a lovely princess that enlightened our lives now...


then, begins all the excitement and the determination to breastfeed my baby...as a 1st time mother, it was a very difficult moment...to get the baby properly latched, with no milk being secreted yet for the first 3days...and the breasts getting engorged like a shining watermelon (haiyaa!)


my milk started to established on the 3rd day after i got a good massage from the mak bidan...at that time, i was delightful and excited and alhamdulillah seeing my milk spurting out and Jihan excitedly gulping every drop of milk...but then i started to have cracke nipples (ouchhh!)....so , i bought a nipple protecter to wear it temporarily, and applied the nipple cream as well..alhamdulillah, i didn't have problem with moral support...everybody encouraged fully breastfeeding and my parents were excited telling their colleagues that i fully breastfeed my Jihan...


when starting to work (1st time working experience in life - as a houseman), alhamdulillah Allah made it easier for me to express the milk..and i invested quite a lot (RM) to fully breastfeed my Jihan for at least 6 months( and Allah grants my wishes- maybe for the next baby i hope to breastfeed him longer to save money on formula milk)..i bought an expensive breastpump but it was worth it...i can continue using it for the next baby as well..


like the experience of beinig pregnant, giving birth and breastfeeding and taking care of my baby (even though my confinement period was quite stressful- i had a bleeding haemorrhoid)..i want to experience that again and again, insya allah...may Allah, bless us with many children who can contribute towards the ummah and nation...