The Ridiculous Dos & Don'ts of Pregnancy

Stumbled upon this - it is so so so hilarious!! Enjoy! :)

Amusing Facts About Babies

Source from: http://www.eioba.com/a63498/amusing_facts_about_babies

1) Men are officially the best at changing baby!
Research shows that the average time taken by a woman to change baby is 2 minutes and 5 seconds, whereas the average man takes 1 minute and 36 seconds! Expert in male and female behaviour Corinne Sweet says 'Changing baby is essentially a mechanical process, men approach it like a pit stop; they want it over as quickly as possible'. So come on guys lend a hand, you're the experts!!
I don't think so... maybe I should time this the next time David & I change Ben's diaper to prove this...you have no idea how fast I changed Ben's diaper during the wee hours in the morning (need to be super fast so that I can continue sleeping and also not to wake our little fella up)


2) Overweight children...
...are up to 5 times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke before the age of 65. So if you're overfeeding your 'little' one, you could be killing him with kindness.
Oooo... luckily you won't overfeed a baby if you are breastfeeding


3) Eating fish during pregnancy...
...can boost your baby's brain development and give him better communication and language skills. A study of 7000 mothers found that those who ate fish at least once per week had babies who scored higher in verbal skills at 15 months than those whose mothers ate no fish.
I do eat alot of fish when I was pregnant...but so was the time when I go Wendy's crazy and McDonalds crazy :P


4) The father's sperm...
...will decide the sex of your baby. The mother's eggs contain only a female or X chromosome, but a man's contains either an X (which makes a girl) or Y chromosome (which makes a boy). Whichever one reaches the egg first and fertilises it will determine the sex.
Yup yup... this is true...agree agree. Sympathized with the older generations (or people with older generation thinking) who still blames the woman for the baby's gender)


5) Air fresheners...
...may cause diarrhoea and earache in babies say scientists. They found that infants in homes where air fresheners and aerosols were used every day were 32 more likely to suffer from stomach and ear complaints.
Huh! Really???


6) One in five toddlers...
...can open medicine and chemical bottles with child-resistant tops experts are warning. Every year thousands of toddlers are taken to hospital having swallowed substances ranging from perfume, painkillers and household cleaning products. The Child Accident Prevention Trust advises parents to store all medicines high up and well out of reach and sight; never assume that a child cannot open a product with a child-resistant lid; and never leave pills or drugs in a handbag - a favourite place for a toddler to search.


7) Will your baby be left or right-handed?
It's decided as early as 10 weeks gestation say researchers who found that babies in the womb favour one hand over the other, the same one they'll prefer to use in life.
We're still observing Ben now, see which hand he uses to suck, or grab things... hmmm...

Pregnancy experiences - before, during & after

How long was it before you found out you got pregnant?
~ We tried for 3 months


Can you tell (6th sense) when you got pregnant?
~ Yup. Was a few days late with period and sort of felt there's something different this round.


How do you confirm it?
~ Buying the pregnancy test kit was quite tough... so shy and had to hide it from other people in case it turns out negative.


What was daddy's reaction?
~ "Oooooo.. I'm gonna be a daddy!!!"


Gynae: How & reasons for choosing?
~ Ask around friends for good referrals. (*note: Thanks to Siew Choo & Wei Yun for their advice)

• 1st was a Chinese lady gynae at Tmn Desa Medical Centre. Changed after 3 months due to personal reasons.


• 2nd was an Indian male gynae with his own clinic in Subang (he was attached with SJMC). Changed on 7th month onwards as giving birth at SJMC is very expensive, be it natural or C-section.


• 3rd was a Malay male gynae at Putrajaya hospital.

Preparation during pregnancy?
~ Buy books on pregnancy, surf the Net for info & guides, ask around friends, go for monthly check-ups, sign up & attended an ante-natal class (very very good!), eat more healthy foods (yes, I do go for Wendy's & McDonalds when the mood strikes), use the BabyPlus gadget borrowed from Siew Choo (hopefully it helps Benjamin! :P), sort out the baby stuff given/lend by friends & relatives


Any pantang?
~ Err... actually broke some... things like:

• Don't tell people you are pregnant until like the 3rd month (I actually told my brother, in-laws, best friend & close friends at work as soon as I meet them hahahaha...


• Don't eat crabs (your child will end up with very 'active' hands like crabs!)


• Don't move the things in your bedroom (we actually moved our master bed on the very day I started having contractions!)


• Don't sew things when you are pregnant (I had to sew my bag cos the coin pouch part tore off and my handphone got stuck in the hidden layer in the bag)

Perks for being pregnant?
~ Not much, occasionally cars will stop to allow you to cross roads, the rice portion is more when you go tapau for lunch, your food will come faster than normal, can eat alot and not worry about people saying you are fat (cos you are already way past fat :P), but I don't recall people offering me their seats when I took the LRT though...


Things that bums you out when you are pregnant?
~ Not much choices in terms of office wear (unless you are rich and willing to spend money to buy fashionable maternity wear - which I don't cos its only for 9 months & my sis in laws are giving me theirs), having to carry extra 11kg around, not able to eat alot of junk foods, not able to see below your tummy once you hit 7th month pregnancy, getting leg cramps while sleeping at night (thank God I had this twice only throughout the 9 months!), needing to rest and pee alot.


Confinement preparation?
~ Was supposed to get a confinement lady to help out in the 1st month after delivery but 2 weeks before I delivered, the confinement lady broke her leg during a trip to Bali (imagine how irresponsible of her to go for a trip right before my due date!) - anyhow, ended up DIY the confinement ourselves, which turns out great really... cos David gets to bath Ben & care for him while I rested, mum in law will cook & boiled red dates drinks and we saved RM3.3K for not hiring the confinement lady! :)


Place to give birth? Reasons for choosing?
~ Putrajaya Hospital. Reasons: recommended by close friend (*thanks Siew Choo!), cheaper (we took the Full Paying Patient scheme which means we can jump queue during check-ups, we get to choose our gynae, I stayed at VIP executive room but all this are still cheaper than SJMC), semi-private hospital, pro-natural delivery, very pro breastfeeding.


Worries before delivery?
~ When will it happen? How will I know this is IT? Will I be ready for it? Is my water bag going to burst right in the public? What if I had contractions at office? All sorts of questions in my mind... and to think by 9 months Benjaimin has yet to engaged and locked himself is quite worrying although he has already turned head down.


How do you know this is IT? (the time to deliver laaa...)
~ It was on 3rd March 2009, well, I don't actually know it until late at night. Wasn't even aware I had started my contractions until I asked my close friend & sister in law why am I having period pains every 15 minutes... :P


Natural or C-section?
~ Natural. Thank God cos the morning itself, we had our gynae checkup and the doc was telling us my amniotic fluid is very little, he proposed to admit me ASAP & start to induce the labour (6 hours each pill, after 12 hours if Ben is still not engaged, doc will perform a C-sect on me). Doc told us to think about it cos the max he gives me is 1 week to come back on which he will definitely C-sect me already by then. Thank God we didn't say yes immediately, we went home, discuss and think about it, move the bed around to make space for baby crib, then I started having contractions in the afternoon (which I don't even know until 9pm that day). We were actually preparing to admit myself to hospital at night thinking maybe I can sleep through the 12 hours on the inducing pill. Praise God, I had my contractions and delivered Benjamin naturally on 4th March at 4.30am.


Any pain relief options?
~ Wanted to get the pethidine but not able to locate my gynae at that time and when the gynae came it was already too late to use it (plus risky since cannot monitor Ben's heart rate) so ended up relying on the Entonox (laughing gas) and Benjamin was out in 4 pushes (in which 1st push was wasted screaming with all my might...!!)


Experience after baby was out?
~ Ben shot out real fast like a slippery fish at the 4th push, I just felt something shot out from my body and right after that, my tummy just went lighter (though it still looks like a 6 months bump)


Breastfeed or formula?
~ BREASTFEED! Nothing can beat the benefits breastfeeding gave for the mum, baby & daddy! :)


God's wonders in this pregnancy?
~ I do not have any morning sickness at all, able to wolf down tons of food (oh, the 3 times a week meal at Wendy's, having 2 sets of McD meal sets), very very fast natural delivery (and doc saying I lose very little blood only!!)


Advice for other mother-to-be?
~ Start taking folic acid if you plan to conceive, eat healthily throughout pregnancy, stay away from cigarettes smoke & alcohol, read up all you can on pregnancy & babycare, sign up for ante-natal classes, go for breastfeeding, if possible try your best to go for natural delivery, pray for God's protection throughout pregnancy & during delivery.

Common Breastfeeding Myths

Myth: A breastfeeding mother should space her feedings so that her breasts will have time to refill.
Fact: A lactating mother's body is always making milk. Her breasts function in part as "storage tank," some holding more than others. The emptier the breasts, the faster the body makes milk to replace it; the fuller the breasts, the more production of milk slows down. If a mother consistently waits until her breasts "fill up" before she nurses, her body may get the message that it is making too much and may reduce total production.

Myth: It is the amount of milk that a baby takes in (quantitative), not whether it is human milk or formula (qualitative), that determines how long a baby can go between feedings.
Fact: Breastfed babies have faster gastric emptying times than formula-fed babies - approximately 1.5 hours vs up to 4 hours - due to the smaller size of the protein molecules in human milk. While intake quantity is one factor in determining feeding frequency, the type of milk is equally important. Anthropologic studies of mammalian milk confirm that human babies were intended to feed frequently and have done so throughout most of history.

Myth: Breastfeeding mothers must always use both breasts at each feeding.
Fact: It is more important to let baby finish the first breast first, even if that means that he doesn't take the second breast at the same feeding. Hindmilk is accessed gradually as the breast is drained. Some babies, if switched prematurely to the second breast, may fill up on the lower-calorie foremilk from both breasts rather than obtaining the normal balance of foremilk and hindmilk, resulting in infant dissatisfaction and poor weight gain. In the early weeks, many mothers offer both breasts at each feeding to help establish the milk supply.

Myth: The mother should not be a pacifier for the baby.
Fact: Comforting and meeting sucking needs at the breast is nature's original design. Pacifiers (such as dummies, soothers) are literally a substitute for the mother when she can't be available. Other reasons to pacify a baby primarily at the breasts include superior oral-facial development, prolonged lactational amenorrhea, avoidance of nipple confusion and stimulation of an adequate milk supply to ensure higher rates of breastfeeding success.

Myth: Mothers who hold their babies too much will spoil them.
Fact: Babies who are held often cry fewer hours a day and exhibit more security as they mature.

Myth: Nursing a baby after 12 months is of little value because the quality of breast milk begins to decline after 6 months.
Fact: The composition of human milk changes to meet the changing needs of baby as he matures. Even when baby is able to take solids, human milk is the primary source of nutrition during the first year. It becomes a supplement to solids during the second year. In addition, it takes between 2 and 6 years for a child's immune system to fully mature. Human milk continues to complement and boost the immune system for as long as it is offered.

Myth: Many women do not produce enough milk.
Fact: Not true! The vast majority of women produce more than enough milk. Indeed, an overabundance of milk is common. Most babies that gain too slowly, or lose weight, do so not because the mother does not have enough milk, but because the baby does not get the milk that the mother has. The usual reason that the baby does not get the milk that is available is that he is poorly latched onto the breast. This is why it is so important that the mother be shown, on the first day, how to latch a baby on properly, by someone who knows what they are doing.

Myth: A breastfeeding baby needs extra water in hot weather.
Fact: Not true! Breastmilk contains all the water a baby needs.

Myth: Pumping is a good way of knowing how much milk the mother has.
Fact: Not true! How much milk can be pumped depends on many factors, including the mother's stress level. The baby who nurses well can get much more milk than his mother can pump. Pumping only tells you have much you can pump.

Myth: Modern formulas are almost the same as breastmilk.
Fact: Not true! The same claim was made in 1900 and before. Modern formulas are only superficially similar to breastmilk. Every correction of a deficiency in formulas is advertised as an advance. Fundamentally, formulas are inexact copies based on outdated and incomplete knowledge of what breastmilk is. Formulas contain no antibodies, no living cells, no enzymes, no hormones. They contain much more aluminum, manganese, cadmium, lead and iron than breastmilk. They contain significantly more protein than breastmilk. The proteins and fats are fundamentally different from those in breastmilk. Formulas do not vary from the beginning of the feed to the end of the feed, or from day 1 to day 7 to day 30, or from woman to woman, or from baby to baby. Your breastmilk is made as required to suit your baby. Formulas are made to suit every baby, and thus no baby. Formulas succeed only at making babies grow well, usually, but there is more to breastfeeding than nutrients.

Myth: If the mother has an infection she should stop breastfeeding.
Fact: Not true! With very, very few exceptions, the mother’s continuing to breastfeed will actually protect the baby. By the time the mother has fever (or cough, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, etc) she has already given the baby the infection, since she has been infectious for several days before she even knew she was sick. The baby's best protection against getting the infection is for the mother to continue breastfeeding. If the baby does get sick, he will be less sick if the mother continues breastfeeding. Besides, maybe it was the baby who gave the infection to the mother, but the baby did not show signs of illness because he was breastfeeding. Also, breast infections, including breast abscess, though painful, are not reasons to stop breastfeeding. Indeed, the infection is likely to settle more quickly if the mother continues breastfeeding on the affected side.

Myth: Breastfeeding does not provide any protection against becoming pregnant.
Fact: Not true! It is not a foolproof method, but no method is. In fact, breastfeeding is not a bad method of child spacing, and gives reliable protection especially during the first six months after birth. It almost as good as the pill if the baby is under six months of age, if breastfeeding is exclusive, and if the mother has not yet had a normal menstrual period after giving birth. After the first six months, the protection is less, but still present, and on average, women breastfeeding into the second year of life will have a baby every two to three years even without any artificial method of contraception.

Excerpts from:

• Lisa Marasco (From: LEAVEN, Vol. 34 No. 2, April-May 1998, pp. 21-24)
• Dr Newman website (http://www.nbcionline.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=27:myths-of-breastfeeding&catid=5:information&Itemid=17)

Benefits of Breastfeeding

Was reading this article from Medela's website (http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/benefits-of-breastfeeding)

Why is breastfeeding best?
With the upcoming arrival of your new baby, there are many decisions to be made. None more important than deciding which form of nutrition is best for you and your baby. Numerous government and private industry associations today recognize and promote the importance of exclusively providing breastmilk to babies in the first twelve months of life.

Following are compelling, research-based facts about the importance of breastmilk that may help you to make an informed choice:

Best for Baby:

• Research shows that breastfed infants have fewer and shorter episodes of illness.
• Breastfeeding is the most natural and nutritious way to encourage your baby’s optimal development.
• Colostrum (the first milk) is a gentle, natural laxative that helps clear baby’s intestine, decreasing the chance for jaundice to occur.
• The superior nutrition provided by breastmilk benefits your baby’s IQ.
• Breastfeeding is a gentle way for newborns to transition to the world outside the womb.
• The skin-to-skin contact encouraged by breastfeeding offers babies greater emotional security and enhances bonding.
• The activity of sucking at the breast enhances development of baby’s oral muscles, facial bones, and aids in optimal dental development.
• Breastfeeding appears to reduce the risk of obesity and hypertension.
• Breastfeeding delays the onset of hereditary allergic disease, and lowers the risk of developing allergic disease.
• Breastfeeding helps the baby’s immune system mature, protecting the baby in the meantime from viral, bacteria, and parasitic infections.
• Breastfeeding increases the effectiveness of immunizations, increasing the protection against polio, tetanus, and diptheria vaccines.
• Breastfeeding protects against developing chronic diseases such as: celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, and childhood cancers.

The benefits of breastfeeding appear to last even after the baby has been weaned.

Lack of Breastfeeding Increases the Risk to the Infant of:

• Ear infections
• Childhood diabetes
• Obesity
• Gastrointestinal and diarrheal infection
• Childhood cancers
• SIDS
• Respiratory infections
• Allergies
• NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis)

Best for Mother:

• Research shows that breastfeeding benefits the health of mothers.
• Breastmilk is always fresh, perfectly clean, just the right temperature, and is the healthy choice at the least cost!
• Increased levels of oxytocin stimulate postpartum uterine contractions, minimizing blood loss and encouraging rapid uterine toning.
• From 3 months to 12 months postpartum, breastfeeding increases the rate of weight loss in most nursing mothers.
• Breastfeeding offers some protection against the early return of fertility.
• Because breastfed babies are healthier, their mothers miss less work and spend less time and money on pediatric care.
• Breastfeeding women report psychological benefits such as increased self-confidence and a stronger sense of connection with their babies.

Lack of Breastfeeding Increases the Risk to the Mother of:

• Urinary tract infection
• Pre-and post-menopausal breast cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Osteoporosis

3-month-old baby's milestone

Hmm... let's see... Ben is 3 and a half months old now, so just curious and want to check whether he is doing what he is supposed to be doing at babies around his age... I got this off from this website (http://www.yourbabytoday.com/features/dev_threemonth/index.html)

Milestones this month*

• Your baby can bring his hands together. (Check!! Ben started doing this during these few days...)
  
  
• With a mighty effort, baby can raise his chest, supported by his arms, when he lies on his stomach. (Check!! Actually Ben did this around 1 month old+!)
  
  
• Baby can roll over (one way). (Check! Though not often we get to see him doing that...yet...)
  
  
• He reaches for objects. (Check! Seriously, no kidding... my hair is currently one of the easiest thing he can grab hold off nowadays...)
  
  
• Baby can put some weight on his legs when you hold him upright. (Actually, you can practically feel his whole butt resting on your arms, not just his legs... so then again, I'm not sure whether this apply or not?)
  
  
• He makes sounds like "ah goo." (Check!! He makes all kinds sounds... ah goo, anggu, amma, buuuu...)
  
  
• Baby laughs out loud. (Check! And I'm proud to announce that I'm the first person to get Ben laughs!)
  
  
• He squeals when he's happy. (Check! Actually nowadays Ben squeals at everything, alot of times... whether he just wokes up, whether he's playing with his bolster, whether he's listening to me reading him children Bible stories)
  
  
• Baby smiles spontaneously. (Check! Ben nowadays will give me a cheeky smile the moment he wakes up, when I said "Morning Sunshine!")
  
  
• He can focus on very small objects. (Check! He focuses on a lot of things now. Just noticed today he was staring and focusing on the flowery patterns on his bolster)

• Baby turns toward the sound of a familiar voice. (Check! He is now able to turn around when he hears my voice, or daddy's )
  

Of laughter and joy...

I made Ben laughed yesterday! What a glorious and joyful sound! I thought babies aren't supposed to start laughing until they were like 4-5 months old?

Anyway, I was just changing Ben's diaper on the changing table as usual and was talking to him how he sometimes tried to sneeze but at the last minute the sneeze just went away and Ben would be going 'ah--ah---ahhhhhhhhhh.....' instead of the usual 'ah-ah-achooooo!' and all of a sudden Ben started smiling cheekily. As if mummy just let out a big secret of his.

So I repeated what I said, acting out his failed-to-sneeze reaction and his smile grew wider... and then he started laughing! I repeated a few times and he continued laughing, so I called daddy over to hear it (I need witness for my achievement!! :P)

Daddy crept up behind me and heard Ben's laughter and took the digital camera and start recording behind my back. (Ben is very alert with cameras around, he goes macho-macho and serious looking the moment he spotted a camera) so we managed to record a few minutes of me making Ben laughed... until Ben noticed the camera and he goes into his macho mode.

We tried it again at night when my brother in law dropped by and Ben did the same thing... laughing and chuckling at us.

What a joyful sound and sight to see Ben in this way... I thank God for blessing us with this precious child. :)

Fussed and over-stimulated...

Ben was so fussy yesterday - we suspected it was because we over-stimulated him (thanks to me!) with all the playing and talking and singing... until about 10.30pm, I brought him downstairs where mah-mah is still watching TV cos daddy wants to rest for a roadshow tomorrow.

So mah-mah hugged Ben on her lap while she was lying on the sofa while I sat at mah-mah's fave chair and watched TV together. Ben was quiet for about half hour, after which he starts to fuss again. So we say nite-nite to mah-mah and I carried him upstairs to our room again.

Daddy was surprised that Ben is still not asleep and took over carrying him. Then Ben started crying... he looks so sad and for us, its kind of heart-aching seeing that. In the end, I suggested giving Ben his nen-nen (his next feed is supposed to be 1 hour later) and daddy placed Ben next to me on the bed.

And Ben starts to suckle... until he fell asleep... haaaaaa.... finally peace and quiet again... and no more worries of why Ben is crying and fussing.

This morning when Ben wakes up at 9am, he goes big-eyed and quiet...staring at me again like yesterday, as if trying to think again 'hey...mummy is still here... let me wait a while and see whether its a dream or what'... and when I said my usual line of 'Morning sunshine!' at him, he gave me a big smile.

I've gotta start creating a timetable of activities with him soon. Play, teach, feed, sleep those sort of things in orderly fashion. But meanwhile, Sunshine... let's play! :)

Full time mummy - day 1

I've just quit my job on 5th June 2009 and am now spending my 1st day as a full time mummy... Benjamin woke up this morning and was smiling cheekily - makes me wonder whether he knew today onwards his mummy is going to take care of him full time.

He looks around as if noticing its already past 9am and mummy is still around at home. Normally hubby would have fetched me to office by 8.45am and Benjamin would have been placed downstairs with his mah-mah (aka granny) but today seems to be different.

Benjamin gleefully played with his bolster, clutching it with his hands and legs and rolling it side to side, chuckling and cooing at the bolster that seems to be moving on its own. His chuckles and squeals woke hubby up and after a while, hubby joined in to play along with Benjamin.

After about an hour of playing, Benjamin starts to fuss and wants his nen-nen (that's breastmilk to you who don't quite catch the baby talk yet!), so I get ready to feed him. I lay next to him and let him suckles . Previously when I go to work, Benjamin would've been drinking my breastmilk from the baby bottle but now he looks contented and suckles long until he fell asleep.

After a while, I carried him up and placed him into the baby craddle and he continued sleeping - while I start creating this blog.

I will blog whenever time permits, noting down my joy and life with hubby and Benjamin now, my new profession as a full time mummy, my past experience and memories of working life, pregnant phase etc etc.. whatever that comes to mind.

Until then, stay on and wish me luck in this new journey of my life...