Saturday 21 July 2012

0 Feeding Schedules for Baby


It is only right to post this entry after sharing my experiences and to do's when weaning baby from breastfeeding. By the way, my baby is 10 months old now and is fully on formula and eating solid food ranges from rice to fish and chicken.

His feeding schedule for a day is like;

4-8 months : 4-5ounces for 7 times a day.
8 months -now : 5-6 ounces for 6 -7 times a day.

Time : 9 a.m. , 12 p.m. , 3p.m. , 6.30 p.m. , 9 p.m. Nightime feeding : on demand. There were times he did not drink at all and sleep through the night. Usually he would want it until twice a night.

Take note, this schedule only applied when he is on formula. All directions on preparing the milk must be followed accordingly  or the formula won't work as it says it does. There is reasons why it was named by formula milk.

When my son was still breastfeeding, he would be nursed on demand or every two hours. The midwives advised that it is important  as breastmilk is easily digested by baby's tummy. whoaa, no wonder he will pooped after nursing sessions.
My son, Chris weighing 8.1kg with height, 70 cm at 10 months old.

My son had been introduced with solid food since he was 5 months old but only once a day. I waited until he would  really open his mouth when the spoon is pointed to his mouth and starting to chew off food before increasing the number of mealtimes a day. When he reached 7 months old, his mealtime turns to twice a day, one in the morning, another one in the evening. 7.30 a.m. and 4-5 p.m.  respectively until now.

He could ate about a bowl of rice porridge mixed with vegies and protein sources like fish fillet, chicken, anchovies, beancurd and so on. But , my son is no big eater like his parents. Haha! However, between mealtime and nursing, i would give him snack to chew on especially when the whole family is eating and he just finished his meal. He will appreciates it that he could eat with the whole big people in the house. Snacks for baby could includes, fruits like bananas and papayas, or baby biscuits. 


Baby also has his mood and winds. My son is now will get a hang on something if he found something i thought be a bond to him at a time. He would objects if you are trying to take him off from the thing that he gets the hang with at that particular time. How to break the bond for instance if he found the baby powder talc and bites it badly, distract him  with other things which is safer for him to play.

So does when it comes to mealtimes,  sometimes he would go  really ballistic everytime the spoon with food in pointed to his mouth. One has to face hard time even to feed solid food to the child especially if the baby is not a big eater. Usually i will try to sing for him the song, "If You're Happy" or just distracts him with weird sounds or any fancy colored cup to play with during the session. It always worked out well.
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But, one should never force her baby to eat if he is not willing to. Let the baby guides you how much he could eat or when he is ready to eat. Only then you can determined a routine for her to follow everyday. Chances are the baby might still full from milk, sleepy, has an uncomfortable stomach or simply want to play outside or down the floor. So, parents have to watch closely on when their baby is going to have her mealtimes. Baby could not be too hungry or too full too before the session or she could get grumpy.

Parents always have to remember that they should always try their best to follow a certain routine because babies like predictable and repeatable things. Therefore, no matter where you bring your baby either to her grandparents or other relatives, or when you are travelling with her, routine is best to be followed at all times to withhold senses of security in her.

For example that you should never skipped breakfast or dinner for her if he always had one.

I think that's it for tonight. To new mothers who happened to read this entry, happy feeding your baby. You are one awesome mother (smile).







Friday 20 July 2012

0 Those Were Mommy Son's Hard Time Together

My husband , Steven has been telling me couple or three times that i post entry on weaning baby from breastfeeding. But, it come to me like i had no idea on how to type them on.  i guess i had not known how to start the entry until tonight. It feels pretty okay by the way, at least if i forgot how to wean my next baby, i would simply browse to this entry. Maybe, in few years ahead.

Okay, here we go.  Mommas story. It has been long time i guess i did not do mommahood entry. Not that i am any expert in this or better mom than others but, i am simply sharing my experiences and I believe every mother knows what best for their babies.

I am telling you though my son is happy and healthy now with his formula, sometimes i still feel sorry of not being able to fully breastfed him. But mom always said to me that if i don't wean him at that time, it will be hard for him if i had to go to work far from home. It is actually not impossible by the way, but my situation wouldn't allow me to nurse him longer. Mom might not understand by that time how badly i want to bond with my son, but she has a point there.
My son was fully breastfed until he was only  exactly 4 months old and before he reached that, i gradually trained him to wean with bottle. Both of us having hard time during the training. I seriously thought that my son would've hate me for that. 


But, nope. He doesn't. He still wants to be hold and kissed and be pretend-belly-eaten by me after missing in his eyes for four nights in  a week. I really, really, thank God i have such lovely and beautiful son. I mean, he knows i am his mom! This fact enough to make me the happiest mom in the world. 


The training was not done in two to three days only but a month! But it was not necessarily done in every feeding session during the day but the important thing is your baby did experience the weaning with bottle. They might forget it once they get to nurse from the mother,  but if everyday given in specific  time of the day daily constantly, they will know when they will have to wean with bottle and mother can increase numbers of weaning  a day from once to twice in two weeks, then thrice a day for the third week and gradually increase them more until they fully weaned   during the days.

But, only until I really left for work do i still breastfed him at night. Every two hours until he was 3 months  old he could sleep on until three hours and in particular good night he could sleep through until four hours. Of course , when i left for work my son went very ballistic and throwing tantrums at night crying to be nursed. Poor him and mom was the one to soothe him and wean him. I could never because i always give in to my son's demand. How could i not? And when i get back home during the first weekend after i get back to work, he still show interest to be nursed but, sometimes he cried too because he was confused with being nursed and weaned.

But the second weekend i had to hardened my heart not to nurse him anymore to avoid him from being confused anymore. It was just so hard seeing him crying either weaned or nursed like that. Fortunately, he adjusted well. But weaning story does not just stopped there, i had to be clear here. During the training i weaned him with breast milk and continued to do so but, after some time my breast milk ran low and that's when I had to find the right formula milk for him. The hunt begin with reading online the best formula one could have and other mothers' experiences. 
First attempt introducing formula. It is well formulated but my baby's digestion did not tolerate with these. Had to give it up on this one.


Mine, I started with formula that my niece took when she was babysitted by my mom years ago. Enfalac. Wow, my baby couldn't stop pooping every two hours and then. I read again and spent almost an hour in the baby formula department to choose the right one for my son.
www.babycenter.com.my




But of course, before hopping into stores,  I read online from babycenter.com all the nutrients that a good formula must have and their benefits. Then , it is easier for me to surf every formula out there. I was searching for formula with benefits  is almost similar or better enough if it could supply what breastmilk would supply and best supplies, the antibody.  Then i found one, Nestle NAN 1 Pro which has the probiotics that functions to fight diseases and allergens. In my opinions, doesn't matter what brand of formula are you giving, i am sure that every mother knows what best for her baby. The formulas will not be sold after all if it does harms infants. 


We should understand that every baby is different and their body's degree of tolerance to certain chemicals are different therefore, there might be formulas that is not quite good for your infants' health but is doing great to other infants. We'll never know. All a momma needs to do, is be patient and do your homework! Read and do your research.

Finally, the bottle itself. It might have the baby dislike the bottle but is okay with the milk. Since the training begin , i had been searching for bottle that is almost similar to the mother's nipple. Tommy Tippee, Fiffy nipple range, and finally I found the amazing Breastflow The First Years. My son had been wean with it until now and has never given him wind stomach and heartburn.
My baby loves these bottle. I discover it from my former colleague, Nikita.  It is suitable for baby who breastfeeding. It is said that babies do easily switched from breast to bottle when using this very bottle. The milk flow also really of the resemblance with breastflow. It does what it says in its name. Nipples are very soft and the milk will only go out if sucked or squeezed. 

No matter what, and no matter if I already stop nursing my son long ago, I am still holding the belief that breast milk is still the best for infants and should be continued until infant is two years old. But, those momma that unable to nurse their baby, feel no guilty. As long as your  baby is healthy and happy, you should not worry.

Thanks for stopping by.




Thursday 19 July 2012

0 Thank God It's Friday

Yeah, finally weekend is here. I am going back to my hometown just after i finished my class. 

I am about to cook my lunch before going to school. And what 's in my mind for my upcoming entry? Weaning schedules for mommies! How to wean baby from breastfeeding. I had been through the hard times before going back to work. Though breastfeeding could still be done when you are back to work but not all moms have enough supply to continue breastfeeding. Finding the right formula milk for your cutie is no easy task either. Been to the mall counter to change for other formula brand. This needs a lot of patience since babies also will be going hard times to adjust herself. Lots of screaming and tantrums.  I am just excited to be mommy (which i have been for only 10 months now) but, being a mommy is no easy breezy task, no kidding.
Unrelated photos for the entry. Never mind, let my face be the decoration of this entry. I really like the grey lenses that i had newly bought online from Dee Unique House.


This is like a sneak peek to the upcoming entry. Why in the hell i go through typing this entry? If i were to do in a draft, thing is if suddenly i got writer's block, i'll simply delete the draft post. Not cool. If i post this entry, it'll force me to complete the entry anyway. Haha! 
Weekend is here. No formal clothes. Hair let loose. Free your mind. Chill. Cheers. I haven't started yet,  because i still have to work my throat off for one class late in the evening today.
My focus of weekend, Christian Wylie.

Have  a great weekend, everybody. New young mommies, stay tune for my upcoming mommies' entry.

Wednesday 18 July 2012

0 Grin Face: Manly Things I Just Knew Of

There are tonnes of things that both men and women should know of about each other. There are tonnes of things that only most men knew and there are too most known to women only.

Let's get to the point.

How many women knew how to check their cars' engine oil level? Water level? Change their tyres? Me, on the other hand, only after a year of owning a car did i learnt to do all of the above except the last one. I never experienced tyre complication though i am driving two hours to go back to my hometown every weekend. I admit i am lucky.


A Proton Persona engine, Campro 1.6 IAFM.
Source: driverviews.com


The thing is in Malaysia, if one is to get his driving license they have to attend a workshop on how to's maintain their car conditions to the optimum health. As well changing tyres. So how in the hell i get my driving license? It was arranged by my wise tutor. It was a sweet favor back then, but it certainly doesn't felt that way anymore once you own a car and you are clueless how to maintain it. I didn't even knew how to pump the tyres either! I learnt it from my husband and every now and then when i had to travel alone and forgot the how to's pump a tyre, i would call either my brother or my husband. Pathetic right.

So what's with me? I had been blogging about places, movies, relationships and people, beauty, now cars?

Awww, don't get me wrong. I am not trying to look like i am an expert in car now that i learnt a lot. Huh! I know, it is as if i had been taking some time off from blogging for almost two weeks now that i am back and change direction?! It is not like that. If one is patient enough with my ramblings, i am actually trying to explain why i did take time off. I always did if something happened.

Let me start, my car had been a little rascal nowadays. It had been overheated to 2/3 of the temperature gauge. It was likely that the car would jam anytime especially when going up a hill. It happened once to me after Christmas last year and enough to gimme a really badass hardtime.

Money flies to get a new radiator.

The problem arises again last week and i was in a lot of stress because i suspected that something really bad is going on with the car engine. The car cannot perform at its best, and felt heavy. Once the key is rotated to start the engine, the seat felt like shaking. When i switched off the car after a cruise the fan would still be spinning. When it comes to engine problem, one would know that there would be lots of notes flying off the purse to the cash machine of workshop counter.


But, a blessed day for me and i am thankful that the outlet agree to repair my car by claiming its warranty. The warranty for my car is for 2 years or 50 000 km mileage. Else , i will be paying 3-4k for the top overhaul. Thank you, God. Everything happened just in time.

I am just going to share tips that i obtained from mechanics that i asked around face to face and virtual mechanics on car overheating. Main reasons a car could overheat is;

1. Bad radiator cap. If the spring below the cap is not bouncing then it might not holding enough pressure to hold the heating coolant. 

2. Stuck thermostat. It is supposed to adjust the tempereature of the car. 

3. Leaks at the radiator. Can be detected if you could see pool of coolant on the floor where the car parked. 

4. Clogged radiator. If the radiator clogged with rust and dirts. Radiator should be cleaned profesionally at least once every three months. 

5. Faulty water pump. This could prevent the water from running throughout the cooling system. 

6. Bad cooling fan. The automatic one would be running once the temperature reaches operating temperatures or when the aircond is switched on. Mechanical one will be running all the time but it will run faster if the engine heats up. 


All of the above are the reasons of a car could overheat. If you still do not know how to see if your car is overheating, look at the temperature gauge when it hits 90 and above, then it could be overheating. If you let it be, it could reaches until maximum which is the red zone and that's when the car will stopped and the engine is jammed. The temperature could reversed but this is only indicates that the car will be anytime jammed, so pull over.  If you face this when you are driving, you should:


1. Turn off the aircond or heater or any blower. Open the window, if you don't want to be steamed off in the car. 


2. Slow down and park the car off the road. Do not force your car to go any further to prevent further parts damaged. 


3. Open the hood. But do not open the radiator cap or you'll get hurt with the steam bursting up from the radiator. Wait until 1 hour to cool off the engine back before pouring more water into the radiator and the water tank. The water is likely to be dried off or decreasing when a car overheated. If you open the radiator cap, wear your hand with cloth to avoid direct contact with your hand. 


4. If your car had been overheated to the red zone, it is better to call for help to tow your car to the quality mechanics. If it's not, after water added, you can drive it to the workshop without the aircond on. If it heats up too quickly again you 'd consider that the idea to drive it off is a bad idea. Pull over, then. Call for help. 


5. Reduce brake drag because this will increase the load of engine therefore heat up the engine more. 

No one should compromise with the car overheated problem because it could damaged the engine. If the car engine burst, then the only solution to get the car back on the road is by doing full overhaul. Therefore, bring your car to the quality mechanics to check it for you then, the bad and damaged parts could be repaired and replaced before driving it again. If the problem was let be, the head gasket will be blown. When this happen, water could get inside the engine and will mixed with the engine oil. Bad, bad situation. The engine head could be warped.


If replacement of radiator or water pump or thermostat or service radiator had been done, top overhaul would definitely be the best and only solution to avoid larger cost.


How to know if your head gasket is blown? Easy breezy.

Open the hood, and the radiator cap, start your engine. If you could see the coolant or water from the radiator jumping out from the radiator opening after 5 minutes, then you know that the head gasket is blown.

Another way is by checking the dipstick after you start your engine for few minutes. Then off it. Take out the dipstick. If you see mayonnaise residue mixed with the engine oil, you know you had to do top overhaul for your car and have the engine head skimmed. Because of the blown head gasket.

Worse case scenario is when your exhaust blow white smoke with some kind of weird sweet smell. You will need the above action done too.
This is how your engine should look like when you break it up. Head gasket is supposed to hold engine oil from mixing up with water. When overheat happens, the head gasket would be blown if let be and the cylinder head would be warped too. 



When the car running with blown head gasket, you will feel that the car lose its power, heavy and shaky. I had experience this and i could never sleep well thinking about the car. So, to prevent any overheating problem with your car it is always best that you check your water level, engine oil, any leaks from engine or radiator or other components. Bare with me, please! Brake oil level is also crucials. Your tyres air pressure as well! I know! You are trying hard to read on. Anyway, drive safe, don't drink and drive angry. Be considerate and extra patient when on the road. 

I could recommend you to check out this blog, kerosakankereta.blogspot.com to have your virtual mechanic if you don't have any mechanics' number on your speed dials, too busy, too lazy or too far from real world mechanics. He has lots of car stories to be shared and  even answer to every questions and doubts you have. Cool. I followed his blog.

Thank you for reading!
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