Engorgement

Engorgement. Engorged.

The feeling where your breasts feel hard as a rock and it's PAINFUL ... 

Even more so when you attempt to feed your baby, the milk will spray onto baby's face! 

Luckily, I always use a small cloth at each feed so that when this happens, I will conveniently use this cloth and apply pressure onto the breast to stop its flow.

My lil' princess seems to understand this routine and will patiently wait for the flow to stop and resume her feed.

I used to pump each time the breast is full and will not time the session (being a newbie). 

I always find myself soaked at 3am, when milk production is active. 

Little did I know that the more you pump, the more milk will be produced (body thinks baby is hungry and will provide more supply). 

I was happily pumping away and emptying my breasts only to have them full again TWO HOURS LATER!

It was tough!

I read online and got tips on how to bluff your breasts not to produce too much milk.

Apply ice packs or cold water onto your breasts to slow down the milk flow if it leaks (they call it a letdown). 

Warm water relieves engorgement but this will also actively produce milk. (explains why every time I take a hot shower, I'll be leaking at the same time).

Feed baby with the same breast at least 2 feedings as this will let your body know that baby doesn't need that much. 

If you feed baby with both breasts during the same feeding, it'll tell your body that baby wants more ...

I had to nurse my baby at 4 feedings with the same breast to notice the changes.

Yup, no longer soaking in milk in the wee hours of the morning!

p/s: The above is based on my own experience and it would be best if you consult your ObGyn for professional advise.

"Dirty" LIl' Secret

I must warn you that this may disgust you at one point.

What I'm about to discuss is something personal but equally important for other first-time moms like me.

The oh-so-embarrassing condition of suffering from hemorrhoid.

I must admit that visiting the bathroom to pass motion isn't something I look forward to ever since I gave birth to my lil' girl in June 2011. 

I would remember the episode of pushing the baby out during delivery and I'd be worried.

No, scared to death that my stitches would come off!!!

Possibly a month ago, I started bleeding each time I passed motion but there was NO pain. 

A couple of days later, I noticed something protruding down there, accompanied by pain pain pain!

One day it got worse and I had trouble walking and sitting ... the pain was excruciating!

I cried as I was taking care of baby on my own during the day when everyone else was at work.

I struggled to carry her, stand, walk or do just about anything!

I have tried ice packs and hot water, to reduce the swelling.

It got slightly better but not for long.

It was such a tiring process as I needed to make trips to the bathroom every now and then.

Hubby wanted to bring me to the clinic but I was obviously embarrassed to have someone examine my behind! 

My ObGyn had previously subscribed Duphalac which softens the stool (not to treat hemorrhoid) as I confessed to him I had difficulty passing motion after delivery. 

It worked.

This time around, hubby went to the pharmacy to purchase the medication. 

There was this ointment called Proctosedyl Ointment.

He also bought the pills for consumption (don't worry, all safe to be consumed even if you are nursing your baby).

The next day, the pain subsided and it took me roughly 3 days to feel the reduction of the swelling. 

I also read online that it will resume to normal ie no bleeding, etc within 6 months.

Wow ... that's a SUPER long time to wait!

I still bleed now when I pass motion and feel slight pain (obviously flinching in the process). 

I make sure that I don't sit nor stand too long, carry heavy stuff and watch my diet, that means NO spices too.

Guess I'll just have to wait for another 3 months to see if it's entirely healed ... else, to the ObGyn we'll GO!

Berpuasa Ketika Menyusu?

Betapa bertuahnya kaum Hawa diberi pilihan untuk berpuasa walaupun sedang menyusu badan ataupun tidak berpuasa (tapi kena jugalah ganti ya :) )

Indahnya agama Islam, TabarakAllah ... :)

Saya pilih untuk berpuasa.

Yalah, cam tak best pulak kalau semua orang tengah berpuasa, kita tak puasa.

Siang hari bolehlah makan & minum kan ... bila kita menyusu baby, memang AMAT dahaga! 

Lapar tak sangat tapi ... HAUS betul! 

Ketika keluarga bukak puasa pulak, meriah betul diaorang kat meja makan ... kita pulak dok sorang2 tak campur ... yerlah, orang tak puasa mana boleh join orang berbuka?

Lain benar suasana bulan Ramadhan tu ... kalau boleh, taknak miss puasa ... nak join jugak!

Hari pertama berpuasa tu ... Ya Allah, Tuhan sahaja yang tahu betapa bergendang gendut tali kecapi perut ni berbunyi ... laparrrr ... 

Boleh pulak masa tu baby macam tahu je Ummi tengah berpuasa .. dia pulak asyik bergayyyuuuutttt memanjang ... lapar pulak dia bulan puasa ni ha.

Menguji keimanan sungguh! 

Sabaaaaarrrr je lah. 

Oklah, berjaya mengharungi pusingan pertama! :D Alhamdulillah!

Iftar selalunya saya makan nasi. 

Disebabkan satu hari tak minum tapi masih lagi menyusukan baby, makanya SETIAP SATU JAM lepas berbuka sampai sahur hari berikutnya saya akan minum air.

Sahur pulak, selalunya buat Milo + oatmeal (minuman wajib), makan dengan kurma atau biskut.

Nampak macam simple sangat pulak menu sahur kan? 

Percayalah, oats tu memang berkesan kalau nak tahan perut dari lapar untuk sehari berbanding makan nasi waktu sahur. 

Hmmm ... lain orang lain pulak caranya kan? 

Tapi itulah menu saya setiap hari ... Alhamdulillah, dapat berpuasa DAN menyusu baby juga!

Baby saya dah 2 bulan+ dan kalau menyusu pulak, adalah dalam 1 jam 45 minit kena dok tunggu dia ... manalah saya tak kehausan ... semua cecair pergi kat baby.

Walaupun cam tu, Alhamdulillah, susu badan memang cukup dan baby dapat breastfeed on demand :)

Jadi kepada sesiapa yang tak berapa yakin susu badan akan mencukupi masa berpuasa tu, Insya Allah, akan cukup ... cuma para ibu2 yang dikasihi sekelian perlu banyak bersabar ya? :)

Soalan ni selalunya daripada first-time moms cam saya ni :D

Jadi terserah kepada kaum ibu sama ada nak teruskan berpuasa atau tidak. 

Anda tahu apa yang terbaik untuk diri anda dan bayi anda ;) 

Eh, cam iklan ler pulak ... :P

Salam Ramadhan! :)