Adil Imran - Birth Story Part II

So there I was, laying on the bed while the nurse pushed me down to the OT. She had quite a time to push and pull the bed with me on it until sampai the OT. The most difficult part masa nak masuk dalam lift. Dalam hati rasa macam nak bangun from the bed and tolong je die. I baring lagila berat kan. Huhu. Anyways, I arrived at the OT quite early. They were still prepping here and there getting things ready. This time the OT room was smaller than masa Aqil's. Masa Aqil dulu, I sampai-sampai je everything was ready. Now, I sempat lah tengok the ins and outs apa orang buat before an operation. Susun-susun scalpels and whatnots, bukak plastic tu bukak plastic ni, susun gauzes ke ape entah. I tengok jelah. Quite busy jugakla diorang nak siap-siap tu. And then the anaesthetist pon came in, Dr Hashim if I'm not mistaken. It was the same doctor as before, mase I had Aqil. Again I knew what to expect but at the same time I was still jittery kecut-kecut perut skit. Hils was still not there :(

Adil Imran - Day 3

The anaesthetist borak-borak with orang sekeliling tanya doctor dah sampai ke belom die dah nak cucuk dah ni. He was very talkative and cheery. Die takot if he started, doctor sampai lambat and then the drug will wear off. Uihh. Lagilah takot I mendengarnya. But he was only joking and kidding around. From what I heard, it seemed that Dr Ariza was in KLCC and was running a bit late because jalan jammed. From waiting and listening to them talking I also got to know that Dr Ariza's house is only like 5mins away from Ampang Puteri, near Kayu and Petronas kat belakang hospital ni. Hehe. Takde keje, I dengar jela ape diorang borak-borak tu. It was nearing 8 oclock, Dr Hashim pon dah nak start. First, he connected me to an IV thingy and kena tunggu that 1 bag of ubat habes masuk dulu. After that, he instructed me to sit up. Die letak antiseptic kot benda yang color brown-brown tu on my back and started to find a nerve to cucuk at my spine as I was having spinal anaesthetic. It was quite easy to cucuk me. And as I remembered from Aqil's time dulu it was a bit uncomfortable, sakit sikit lah. I saw the doc prepping the needle and macam takot je tgk the needle tu..panjang. But Alhamdulillah I have high pain tolerance and am not that afraid of needles. After the doc was done, I pon baring balik. In an instant, my legs started feeling tingly and not long after I couldn't feel them dah.

At 8pm, Hils was still not there yet. I dah start risau. Dulu, he was with me mase nk wheel me down to the OT. But this time, since tadi die hantar Aqil, the nurse dah jalan dulu. Did he know that he was supposed to come down and teman me here? Dia tau ke nak pegi mana? Huhu. With Hils, most of the things you kena double check and ingatkan dia, plus him and directions are not exactly BFFs. I dah sedih-sedih dah ingatkan he wasn't coming. Told one of the nurses to panggilkan the husband. But not long after, in he came...all scrubbed up...wearing a scrub in orange complete with an orange scrub cap. Nampak macam escape convict or even a clown pon ada :p My heart melted and I was relieved. Naseb baek dear hubby tau nak kene temankan I :) Everyone was wearing either blue or green, die je orange. If I had a phone with me, I would snap a pic of him. Hahah.

Pic courtesy of mr google.

So in hubs came and sat down at the stool near my head while holding my hand yang telah dilentangkan wide apart. Dr Ariza pon arrived moments later and she was ready to get down to business. Sempat buat lawak lagi tanya betul ke ni patient die sambil taking a peek at my face. Takot terpotong salah orang :p A screen was put up at my neck so I wouldn't get to see what's going on down below. I kept asking Hils for updates but die pon macam takot nak tengok sangat. All he could see was a lot of blood. Dulu masa Aqil, I asked him to take photos in the OT but apparently takde pon. He said he doesn't like blood or the sight of it. Tengok cerita gory boleh pulak. This time around I asked him to take videos. Just hold up the camera kat tempat perut tu. Die taknak tengok pon takpe. I yang teringin nak tengok what was happening. But this time, better la sikit, got 1 pic in the OT which I already posted in a previous post. Jadilaa..huhu.

Dr Ariza was doing her thing when as expected, tiba-tiba je baby dah keluar..tak rasa apa pon. At 8.13pm, Adil Imran was born. This time I get to see him as the place where they attended to the baby was in my line of sight. After the baby came, Hils then followed the baby and doctor somewhere while Dr Ariza stitched me up. In the OT, I was feeling a bit queasy. Kepala rasa berat and macam pening-pening sikit. Like when you go for a sauna or jacuzzi. Maybe it was because this time, they put kind of like a heater thingy under the sheets near my neck tu. Diorang tanye I sejuk tak and I said yes so tula diorang letak heater tu. But the direct heat tu made me feel uncomfortable and pening-pening and queasy. After all was done, I did recovery at the OT instead of the recovery room and watched while they cleaned up. Watched apa yang boleh while terbaring like that. After a while, they then wheeled me back to my room.

By the time I was wheeled back to my room, it was about 9pm. Hils family was already there. Aqil tengok je I terbaring like that macam tak tau what was happening. My family was on the way. They were all waiting to see the baby.  After my family arrived, baby pon sampai. Everyone kerumun around the baby. At that time I was shivering a bit. Sejuk. My teeth were chattering. My mom said I kena bentan sikit. But I was shivering uncontrollably. After like half an hour like that and from the help from a hot water bottle baru I ok and stopped shivering. Huhu. I rase ok je but orang lain yang macam risau-risau. So around 10 something they all went back. I wanted Hils to spend the night but nanti Aqil macam mana kan. So my mom spent the night. Baby pon with me since I breastfeed, baby kena rooming in. At that time, my waist down was still numb and I couldn't feel a thing. My mom yang kena bring the baby to me to bfeed. I am blessed to have very supportive families, Alhamdulillah. Thank you all~

Blast from the past: Aqil Rafiq - Birth Story

Take 5

I'm feeling a bit down. Have been studying hard but it seems like there's no progress. So much to do. Aaahh~ Stressed~ It reminds me of the good old studying days. I miss those days. Studying keeps your mind alert, fresh and sharp. I think my mind is getting a wee bit rusty. Is it because of the age factor? Am I showing signs that I'm going old? Eeeekk~ 

Must not give up. Must keep on going Una~ Haiihh. It's tiring when I get my brains going in high gear. It's just not as before la. I just need to take a break from it all and vent out here a bit :p

It's not like I haven't done anything to stimulate my brains all these while. I guess by playing too much Scrabble and Bookworm doesn't help as much as I would have hoped...hehe :p 

My all time favourite~

I've also read somewhere that breastfeeding also plays a part in mom's not being as 'sharp' as before. I read that by breastfeeding, the baby takes most of the nutrients from their mothers. The baby also takes this element (I forgot what it is) that is needed to form and build the synapses in the baby's brain which is rapidly developing and growing in the first few months. That's why some breastfeeding mom's, they tend to feel forgetful and sometimes even encounter those bimbo-ish moments. I guess that and also the fact of trying to cope with the craziness of having a baby around. Huhu. But anything for the baby kan? I guess every mom wants the best for their babies. So to top it off, it's good to have that daily dose of fish oil which is filled with omega and good for brain development. I've been taking Blackmore's Omega Memo from when I started out breastfeeding. It has higher DHA compared to EPA. DHA is good for the brains whiles EPA is good for the heart (and all this while i thought it was more or less the same :p).

Besides from the Omega Memo, I've also been taking calcium supplement (because I'm lactose intolerant) and Vitamin C to make my milk more nutritious for Aqil. I'm picky when it comes to food (NOT a good trait) and need to take supplements to top up where I lack. Huhu.

I've also been trying to get Aqil to drink Scott's Emulsion to boost up his immune system but it seems that he's not too keen on taking it :( I bought the Orange Flavoured one and not the Original one pon die tak nak jugak. Aqil memang tak suke makan ubat. Everytime nak bagi Aqil his meds, nanti die muntahkan balek. There's only like 10% chance that when bagi ubat, he'll keep it down without a fuss. Macam mana eh nak bagi budak makan ubat? Huhu. I haven't tried fish oil yang liquid selalu makan yang capsules je and was quite surprised to find it delicious. Hoho. No wonder Hilmi has offered to finish up the bottle since Aqil won't take it. Sedap rupenye :p

On another note, since I have been taking Fenugreek for about a week now, Alhamdulillah my milk supply has gradually increased. Now I can pump enough milk for Aqil's nursery and even some left for the next day. I know it's not like back then when I had a freezer full of milk supply but I take what I can. Now kejap je my boobs dah full. Baru je pump a few hours back and now have to pump lagi. I can't be picky. Beggars can't be choosers~ 

Breastpump Review

I've been using Medela Swing for the past year now. And so far it hasn't disappointed me one bit. So here's a little review on the breastpump's that I've used and the one that's on my wishlist in the future. Hehe :p

Medela Mini-E

This pump is okay for an electronic pump. The downside, like I've said before is the noise. It makes a terribly noisy sound..like a lawn mower. The suction is okay, the Swing's suction is better. The breastshield is quite hard..plastic. Have to provide 4 AA batteries if you're using it on the go (I usually use it in the car).

Medela Mini-E. Bought at Mom's Care, Ampang Point for RM469.

Medela Swing

Better than the Mini-E. Suction is better. Has two suction modes, stimulation phase to stimulate let-down reflex and then the expression phase where the pump moves to slower speed as the milk begin to flow. Much much quieter than the Mini-E. Has SoftFit breastshields (I swear by this...not too hard on the breasts) for massaging comfort. Uses 4 AA batteries for on the go.

Medela Swing. Bought at First Few Years, The Curve for RM669.

Pureen Manual Breastpump

I bought this because I left my pumping bag at home when I balek kampung for Hari Raya last year. Huhu. Eventhough I had Aqil with me, I still had bengkak susu because Aqil didn't drink much. Had to buy a pump jugak..didn't succeed much with expressing it by hand. 

Pureen Manual Breastpump. Bought at JJ Bandaran Melaka for about RM50.

My first time using a manual pump. I had trouble with it. Tangan jadi lenguh. Just used it twice kot. It took like 30mins to get about 3-4oz. Whereas if I use the Swing, I can get 15oz. The breastshield is plastic, keras. I thought that it would be silent, but it still makes a squishy noise when I pump. But I guess this pump will help tone your arms kot, die punye concept same macam hand exersice thingamajig macam kat bawah ni :p

 

Medela Freestyle

This one here is on my wishlist bile ada rezeki for adik Aqil nanti.

Medela Freestyle. Costs from around RM1500. There are good deals if you buy online..have to survey. In stores, the cheapest I've come across is at First Few Years, The Curve for RM1699.

It's wonderful features include:

• Daily use · double pump · electric (double pump so it will cut in half your pumping time)
• True pumping mobility with hands-free option. (I think this is one of the most convenient features in a pump..imagine, you can do a whole lot because its hands-free)
• Rechargeable battery and ultra-lightweight motor. Optional 12V vehicle lighter adapter available. (No need for AA batteries anymore, die ade rechargeable batteries mcm camera punye tu)
• Easy interaction with digital display, memory, timer and backlight.
• More milk in less time with 2-Phase Expression® technology when pumping at Maximum Comfort Vacuum™.
• Everything mom needs in a convenient bag - perfect for active moms.
• Use hands-free with most top-flap nursing bras including Medela nursing bras and camisoles.
• Double pumping kit features SoftFit™ breastshields for massaging comfort.

**drools**

Ahh..someday Inshaallah~ Hehe.

There are also many other models of breastpumps in the market, Avent, Spectra and whatnot. I haven't tried Avent's breastpump so I'm a bit biased with Medela and from what I read I think Medela is the best :p Prior to buying a breastpump I guess you should need to do some research first and see which one will suits you the most. Here are some tips on buying a breastpump:

1. Choose a breastpump that best suit your needs. If you're a stay at home mom, chances are you don't need a high-end electric pump because your baby will be with you most of the time. Instead you may want to opt for a manual pump which is cheaper in price.
2. Read up reviews and do your research on the internet on the breastpumps that are in the market and that you intend to buy. Ask around friends that has been using that particular pump that you are eying on.
3. Ask many questions about the breastpump before purchase. Get the sales assistant to show you how to operate the pump (hear for any noises..whether its loud or not :p). Ask whether the pump has a warranty or not. Sometimes, the motor can have some problems after a while and its good to know that there is a warranty handy.
4. And lastly, buy within your means and don't splurge.

Happy pumping ladies~

Pumping Working Mom

Breastfeeding for a working mom could be a bit distracting and time consuming. For me, I had to pump 3 times a day. Had to wake up extra early to pump once before going to work. Then once again at work and then another one before going in for bed. It takes about 30-45mins for a pumping session. At work, I usually pump after lunch, around 2.30pm and then solat. I would be like MIA for about an hour or so. Huhu. Around 3.30pm I pon muncul balek kat office. Buat-buat keje sket and then opppss..dah nak kene balek dah. That was my routine until Aqil was about 10months. Now I only pump like once (rarely twice) a day and the pumping sessions are like short..only 15mins or so.

Back then, I can get like 12oz of milk per pumping session, 3 times a day. That means around 36oz of milk per day. Aqil only needed 10-12oz of milk for nursery. You can imagine la I had excess. My freezer was full..all the storage bottles were used up. I had plenty of milk. But now, I really have to struggle to even get 10oz per day. And now since Aqil's a bit bigger he needs about 14oz at nursery. Haiihhh.

Since I sit at a cubicle and not have my own room, I had to go pump at a small room inside the kilang's clinic. It's a small room, meant for nursing mothers. Has a chair, power supply and a mini fridge to keep BM. Good thing its a mother-friendly-workplace. Usually I do a bit of reading while pumping...one time, I even had a gossip session with Nad in here while I pump. Hehe.

Fridge yang buruk tetapi banyak berjase :p

I mentioned in my previous post that I had the Medela Mini-E. For me it was an okay pump la except for the sound. It sounded like a motorboat or even a lawn mower. Man..that pump was noisy and I mean very very noisy. Before going back to work from my maternity leave, I decided to buy another pump. After a few surveys, I bought the Medela Swing. Wanted the Medela Freestyle but it costs far too much (RM1600+) for a breastpump. T_T  Let's see la..if ada rezeki beli for the next round plak..hehe.

My Medela Swing yang banyak berjasa~

So before going to work, I have to pack:

1. pump
2. extra bottles (around 4 or 5 4oz bottles)
3. marker and masking tape (to label the bottles)
4. power cord
5. chargeable batteries (just in case need to use it somewhere without power supply)
6. cooler bag

I put them all in my 'Pump Bag'. So I bawak my laptop bag and my Pump Bag. Dah tak bawak my handbag dah since I selalu kena tegur dengan pakcik-pakcik tanya why I bawak banyak sangat bag, nak balek kampung ke..lalala. Biar jela kan nak bawak berapa banyak bag pon. Diorang guys tak payah bawak bag pon if tak bawak laptop home. Senang je. Huhu.

I had all kinds of challenges while breastfeeding. But I keep on at it for the sake of the baby. Only NOW i know why syurga di bawah tapak kaki ibu. Its not like kita tak tahu how much our mothers have done for us..how much they sacrificed to take care of us..but you really wont know unless you have the first hand experience. Trust me. Thank you Mama for all that you've done~

The Breastfeeding Challenge

I came across a few hurdles and challenges along the way while breastfeeding. The first day I had Aqil, I tried my first attempt to BF. Being a first time mom and all, unfortunately it wasn't a success. I didn't get Aqil to latch on properly. The nurses had to teach and guide me a few times. I read brochures and stuff on breastfeeding but theory and practical is way way different. Aqil only got a little bit of milk for like maybe a few seconds and then dah tak dapat dah. And then had to call the nurse to show how to BF properly, once die tunjuk and Aqil dpt minum she left and then when I moved sikit ke terlari alignment sket...susah nk masuk balek and continue. Haiihhh. Those first few days were challenging and I was a bit depressed since tak pandai nak BF. The nurses told me to hand express or pump milk and then give it to the baby in a tiny cup (to avoid nipple confusion).

I took about nearly 2 weeks to get the hang of breastfeeding. I was so grateful when I finally got the hang of it. Two weeks to get the hang of it but about 2 months to really master all the tricks and techniques. To master all the positions, it took about 6  months kot. Huhu. But Alhamdulillah, I managed to overcome that hurdle. I thought Aqil didn't know how to suck or latch on properly padahal it was me who got the angles all wrong. Haiihh. This obstacle passed, hopefully I won't have any problems with anak-anak yang seterusnya.

Back then, I also didn't know that your breasts could get engorged. And when it does...MY GOD it hurts!! To think back, I was so naive. I didn't know that if you don't empty your milk about the same rate as when you produce, the milk ducts can get clogged and the breasts will get engorged. I thought die macam paip...when baby minum, die turn on, when baby tak minum die turn off la. I didn't know that you cant control the kepala paip tu. Huhu. And I was one of the fortunate mothers who had plenty of milk supply. I just couldn't get it out as fast as I had it in because of my  BF techniques and latching problem above. Imagine my surprise, when the first night tu I saket because of bengkak susu. I asked my mom in despair, why didn't she ever mention about this. before...about that it could get engorged and stuff, she looked at me with muke yang kesiankan anak die and thought that I already knew about this beforehand. I didn't know how I could miss this part out and not forsee it coming. I never came across it in books I was reading or even websites (maybe I was scimping through?) Bad days I tell you. I would never want to wish it upon anyone else. Sakettt~

Had to go to the hospital's nursery and had a nurse show me how to hand express milk. Lega la sikit. I'm glad that the hospital was breastfeeding friendly. Gained lots of advice from the nurses. Told my mom that I needed a breastpump. I thought I could put off buying it and only need it when I go back to work. But as circumstances shows, I needed it pronto~

Medela Mini Electric Breast Pump

My mom bought me a Medela Mini-E pump that night jugak. Thank you mama. That was my first pump and it helped me a LOT. It was so easy to pump milk and not let it get engorged. The first few days were spent with pumping. Aqil was fed on and off. Had to keep on trying and trying many many many times to breastfeed him for a session. Sangat penat. Aqil dapat minum sekejap..terlepas..and then kene keep on trying and trying lagi sampai dapat balek. Haiihh. If tak dapat jugak just bagi Aqil minum through the cup. Kesian je tengok die tak dapat nak breastfeed fully. Huhu.

I felt like a terrible mom. Breastfeeding should come naturally to all moms kan patutnye? Kata dah jadi emak...patut pandaila. Haihh. What more stress from people who kept giving this advice la and that advice and then looking on while I tried to breastfeed. Stress okay~ Maybe because of the added stress, lagila tak boley-boley nak menyusu. Ideally, you should BF in a peaceful state of mind...preferably somewhere quiet without any distractions. Breastfeeding should be a zen-like experience where the mom gets to bond with the baby.

I was wayyy off course with breastfeeding. I thought it would be easy breezy. Everyone made it look like it was sooo easy. People say it comes naturally. Thats why I didn't put much thought on this and assumed that I too would find it a piece of cake. Boy was i W.R.O.N.G. Big time!! I never knew breastfeeding would be THIS challenging. And this is only the tip of the iceberg, there were a few bumps and glitches along the way too but that's for another time..I'll write about it later :p

Got MILK?

Aqil is now 1 year and 1 month old. Alhamdulillah, I got to breastfeed him fully..until recently that is. Unfortunately, my silk supply has been lower than usual. Don't know if whether its because I haven't been pumping constantly or whether its because Aqil memang dah besar and my body knows that its time for Aqil to not depend on my milk. Sedeylaa. I couldn't produce enough milk for my baby dah. Huhu. Now I have a tin of soymilk ready at nursery whenever my BM is not enough.

I thought Aqil would be picky since he has been on BM all this while, but kakak nursery tu kata Aqil okay je minum the soymilk. I was quite anxious jugakla nak bagi die susu apa.  I read yang baby ni sometimes memilih susu, some susu kene, some tak kena dengan baby..so have to pilih betul-betul. I don't want to give him cow's milk so decided on soymilk since dulu my mom pon gave Adah that mase kecik. Bought Isomil yang for 1 year and above. I haven't tried giving him the soymilk myself though :p Let's just keep the soymilk for nursery jela ye Aqil? When with mama you can have mama's milk.

 

Before being pregnant lagi, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed my baby exclusively because I know that mother's milk is the best milk ever. Cewwah. Back then I knew that it can boost the baby's immune system and breastmilk die ikut demand and supply and die punye nutrition tu adapts to your baby's needs as they grow. Basically what I knew macam tu jela :p Since my mom also used to BF all her kids, no wonder that I wanted to do the same kan?

Now, because my milk supply is low..it's like kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang.  Sometimes tu I even needed to squeeze in a pumping session before sending Aqil to nursery just to get enough milk for nursery that day. Because  of this, my boobs are also returning back to normal...and I'm glad. It's not as big and as full as after delivery.  I feel like my boobs are mines now and no longer a vending machine. Sometimes I feel like I'm a bit selfish in this way. Huhu.  But although I feel that tiny inkling of a feeling like maybe its time to let Aqil go, I can't go down without a fight kan? I need to do something to increase my milk supply.  People say drinking a lot of water helps increase your milk supply as you need lots of liquid to produce more liquid (milk). I thought of buying Fenugreek herb supplement also la. It can also help milk supply. Will pop into GNC to cari. Tried finding it at Guardian and Watsons but takde. Hope this will help Inshaallah~

 

I tried going to forums to cari 'when is it time to stop pumping milk to your baby?' but macam takde topic on that. I mean if you still have milk supply, takkan still nak kene pump until your baby is 2 years old eh? Is there a certain age or you just know depending on your milk supply tu when to stop? Hurmm~