The Pumping Super Shields

I just received my Pumpin' Pal Super Shields which i ordered online from MumsFairy! Ok, they are pretty cool cos they allowed me to lean back while pumping, thereby able to alleviate my shoulder pains and aches...besides they also lessen milk drips. Basically its still better than the traditional funnels.
I was thinking of getting the handsfree too, but i guess don't waste $$$ lor....since i don't mind holding onto the pumps...I gotten quite used to multi-tasking on the comp + pumping simultaneously.

HAHA.

Trying to lift his head up high...growth spurt?

Poor mummy is suffering from back aches and shoulder pains lately....wonder if its due to the effects of epidural, from carrying little one too much or having to bend forward when pumping/breastfeeding. I guess its due to a combination of these reasons.

Little boy is now attempting to lift up his head. And succeeded a few times in turning his head from one side to the other side. We had to start making sure he doesn't bury his face flat or compress his nose against the mattress, since we made him sleep on his stomach a few times during the day. The times when we had to burp him, he was attempting to straighten his body like wanting to stand up and pushed his head back wanting to lift it up...talk about learning to run before even learning to walk! Kids learn fast don't they...

I managed to capture my naughty boy in one of his fussed up moods. I was playing with him in his baby cot but apparently it didn't last that long before he became cranky and started to fling his hands and legs all over the place...I guess he's in his growth spurt now, becoming fussier and kept wanting to drink more during this period of time.

Worst Nightmare.....Ever....

Little one has been getting naughtier each day! He simply just depletes our energy levels....fast.

Brought him to my mum's place to stay overnight during the weekends for the first time. OMG, he gave us hell in the middle of the night. He was extremely cranky and kept us awake for a record time of four hours+ straight (kun and i didn't sleep a wink from 1am till 5am due to kyan's bad cries). We tried different methods to soothe him like giving him milk, be it through bottle or breast (which he vomitted thereby staining his clothes), we thought he was hungry since he was moving his mouth but no idea why he still puke out after we burped him...and it just seems like he's forever hungry so we fed him again and again...one hand scared of overfeeding him yet don't understand why he still kept making the sucking movement with his mouth after his feeds....changed his diapers, burped him, pat him, carried him....it was just frustrating when he kept crying and refused to sleep....it just didn't help when both of us have no idea what he was crying about. I need a baby cry reader *sighz*

And the worse thing is, i get bad-tempered when i have lack of sleep...therefore i just scolded kyan for being such a naughty boy.

I really miss the times where i can have peaceful nights.

Juggling with breastfeeding issues

For the past few nights since the CL left, i have been doing total breastfeeding (TBF) at night...ever since then Kyan has been on total breastmilk (BM) daily. Sometimes i wonder whether it will be difficult to switch him to formula next time, and how long more can i persevere in pumping breastmilk and breastfeeding since it is so energy consuming and i have thoughts of giving it up sometimes. And the thought of going out and suffering from engorgement 6 hours later is terrible to me. How to deal with the "problematic" breasts outside when i have no pump and no place to express? So troublesome having to pump outside. Sian lor.

The plentiful stocks in the freezer is another headache. I have plans to donate or even sell it (HAHA). Really don't know what to do with them since my supply is now an average 200ml+ which is way over what Kyan is drinking (100ml each time). I know i can keep the stocks so next time when i go back to work my MIL still have the supply to feed Kyan, but i'll still be pumping at work anyway....so it just keeps on adding. Besides how to clear away the older stocks? sighz...

I guess too little milk got problem, too much milk also got problem!

Donating beats to throwing the milk away. However Kun is afraid if we donate, there might be a risk where the receiver's baby encounter problems after drinking it, which explains why he rather throw it away. But i don't want to throw my precious milk away! How how? Sigh...

Night Experience

It was my virgin experience taking care of kyan for the past two nights, and its just the beginning! At least it was kun and me in it together. I guess "practice" makes perfect.

The first night - Kyan had his feed at 11plus/ 12plus midnight and then the next feed was at about 1am+ in the morning. I latched him for about 45mins or so till my shoulders ache. But nevertheless, he fell asleep and slept all the way till 7am in the morning~ Amazing! I woke up a few times though to check if he was alright. I guess i was just being rather paranoid and anxious since it was my first night taking care of him. And hearing him make those noises didn't help much either :-/

The second night - My breasts turn hard but i was still deciding whether to pump out as i was waiting for kyan to wail so i can latch him on. But i think better not since i don't want to end up with a bad engorgement...So i woke up to pump. It was about 1.50am in the morning. At 2plus midnight, kyan started to fidget and open his eyes thereafter. He wants milk since his mouth kept moving. I was pumping when he wanted milk, so i latched him and stopped my pumping, hoping there is enough milk left for him in my breasts. He suckled hard and caused my nipple to be really sore and painful. I wanted to latch him all the way till he has had enough but i couldn't bear the pain. Kun and i had to give him two EBM bottle feeds of 30ml each. He still opened his eyes wide refusing to sleep! Put him back in his cot and he started to become restless wanting to cry again. So we had to pat pat and carry him (afraid he will cry out loud and disturb my PILs sleeping) but he still doesn't want to close his eyes and was still quite cranky and restless. I made the last decision to make him suckle on my nipple again and go to bed since his mouth was still making the suckling movement. It was painful but i was bearing with it. Finally he slept at 4am+.

End of confinement....official one month old

Today is the day where i will need to take care of little one....by myself....with kun, with my mil....yes today marks the end of my confinement...my confinement nanny is leaving this afternoon.

How fast. One month ago Kyan was fresh out of my womb, crying at the top of his lungs when he was out. As quoted by Dr Heng, "small baby with a big voice..." Today, he is officially one month old....and this one month period since birth marks a few changes for him, knowing how to look and stare at us like as if he knows what we talking to him, knowing this is mummy...and this is daddy....knowing how to bully us! (by wailing out loud knowing someone will go to him eventually), crying to seek attention and wanting us to carry him....and not forgetting the few pounds he has put on since birth (as mummy can feel little one's getting heavier each time she carries him when breastfeeding).

Breastfeeding has also been a tough issue. Though i am fortunate enough not to worry about the issue of milk supply, it has been something which i have to motivate myself to do...A simple example will be having to wake up in the middle of the night to pump milk...i am someone who is too lazy to do that! But this time i am forced to....if not my breasts are so engorged and painful....engorgement or pump milk? I choose.

I am contemplating whether to latch little one in the middle of the night or pump milk. Though latching on is easier, its usually more energy consuming perhaps, having to stay awake for one full hour breastfeeding kyan while he may end up falling asleep in between, and the best part is, he may not be fully satisfied and will cry for milk shortly after (in such case i will end up waking so many times)....in comparison to pumping out milk...at least i know i can sleep once my duty is done...but i still have to sterilize bottles, warm up expressed breast milk (EBM), feed kyan....in the end, the time taken for both may be the same....and comparing both alternatives, latching on is definitely better than EBM. The milk is fresher, uncontaminated, baby is more attached to me and i get to bond with baby more. It may be a case where i still have to pump after latch on too, just to empty my breasts. As night time usually yields more milk than in the day and so breasts get easily engorged too. Now it is possible to pump up till 280ml in the night for one pump session...wonder whether i will reach 300ml?

Kyan loves to be cuddled and pat pat. And its tiring me out...or rather all of us...just like now when i'm carrying him in my arms.

Kyan's first month celebration!

It was kyan's full month celebration yesterday. Relatives and a few friends came and showered with lots of pressies for little one. It was nothing fanciful though, just a simple buffet lunch/dinner at home. Kyan was given a little trim in the morning....nono, he was not shave bald :P


Thereafter. we headed to my mum's place just for a short while before coming back again. Kyan wore a blue outfit which was bought by my mum....

Kyan says..."I surrender!" haha....

Special Thanks to...

My mum for a set of lovely clothings and winnie-the-pooh anklet for kyan
My fil for sponsoring $2k!
My pils for arranging and hosting everything in order
My sister for the gym playset
My grandma for the lovely angbao and gold anklet

All our lovely aunts and uncles for the gold pendant, pressies and ang baos!
My cousins, wilson and anson for the moo moo cow! Kun's cousins, jialing, jiamin and family for the rocker and clothings! All our lovely cousins for your presence!

And not forgetting my own friends...
joanna, deanna, binly, shawn, skye and eric for the combi baby carrier and visiting me in the hospital...meiying for the musical strepper toy... lynn, karen, jenner, vivien, shirleen, kate, khee shin for the special homevisit and ang baos...maureen for the special gift and home visit...and my colleagues, hui shan, michelle, leshane and christine who came to visit me in the hospital...shu min for the lovely ang bao...kate for the Pigeon sterilizer... jack and susie for the avent warmer... alan for the lucky baby warmer... junjie for the gift set...weixin and lydia for the cute adidas shoe...kun's NS buddies, wilson, nick and guo hui for coming + gifts...stacia and cheryl who will be coming to visit me on the 30th....and not forgetting all who send me their warm wishes...thanks all! *muackx*

My Closest People....

These are people who are closest to me *other than my own mummy of course* :P

This is my daddy...but i'm more interested to look elsewhere.....outta the window perhaps...

Daddy, do you think you can put me straight please? I can't face the camera properly...

This is my granny! She will be taking care of me wholly once mummy returns back to work....

Its bathing time!

Its bathing time~!
WARNING - Parental guidance needed. Do not scroll down further if you are under the age of 18 *ahem*

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Look! I'm swimming.....in the red 'ol bathtub....mummy grasp me tight pls....don't let me fall....*clings onto mummy's hand for dear life*

First BCG jab at Sengkang Polyclinic

Kyan has his first BCG jab today. The Hep B jab was not administered as we are planning to take up the 6-in-1 package with Dr Vanessa Tan.

A blood test was done in the morning to make sure kyan's jaundice was perfectly ok. No problem. But it was during the BCG jab that poor baby was crying so loudly....mummy see liao heartpain, moreover she was alone in the room with the two nurses who did the jab for kyan. Kun and the confinement lady was asked to wait outside...they could hear the loud cry which rang from inside the room. Kyan's head and hand was held tight by the nurses since he should not fidget or move during the jab. Poor boy.

Mummy and the nurse cuddled me to soothe me, i was eventually able to settle down until on the second time when we were asked to go back the same room 15 mins later to check if i was ok after the jab. The nurse dabbed on my "wounded" area and i cried....mummy cuddled me again.

Now mummy can finally take her worries of the first jab. Hope she and me will be strong enough to see through the series of jabs in future. As quoted by mummy ever since i was in her womb..."kyan must be a strong and brave boy ya...."

First PD visit at Kidslink

My poor baby is having cough, phlegm in his throat and abit of blocked nose since Sat, after we brought him back from the polyclinic.

It seems that it may be a case of bacteria/germs that flew around in the polyclinic itself. Sighz. If this continues, kyan will not be able to take the BCG/Hep B jab on thurs.

I'm so worried sick for him. This morning, we brought him to the PD, Dr Vanessa Tan at Kidslink. This PD is pretty detailed and patient. I shot her a list of questions which she was most willing to answer. She mentioned that babies will have whizzing sound when they breathe/drink milk, due to their small nostrils. I can continue to breastfeed him, there is no concern of breastmilk issue, except that i shouldn't be taking herbal and caffeine stuffs. I was confused since i thought i am supposed to take herbal during confinement and the PD tells me shouldn't. I asked her why and she mentioned whatever i take will go to the baby, medically speaking, doctors do not encourage the take on herbal stuffs. For Dr Vanessa's case, she went on a normal diet and did not take herbal stuffs. I'm so in a dilemma....thought we are supposed to "bu" during confinement.

I was given nose drops and cough medicine for Kyan. Only if he coughs at least five times a day then i can give him the cough medicine. The PD said kyan has only a bit of blocked nose, not running nose.

Anyway the nurse explained to be about the 5-in-1 and 6-in-1 jab. I am deciding which one to administer for Kyan. Haiz. I guess as long as the day he hasn't take his first jab, my worry will never be gone.

I'm so stressed out over his health and everything. Somehow i miss the time when everything was just "me" alone and that i didn't have to shoulder such a huge responsibility like being accountable for someone's health. It is very frightening and worrisome being a mother. Why am i such a worry freak...sighz. I guess i am still trying to adjust to this new lifestyle. Now that i'm a mum myself, i really appreciate what my own parents have done for me, and that what they have to go through bringing me up. Its really tough. Salute to parents, especially mummies.