My Wonder Years: October 2009

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

My Confinement Lady

Profile
Name: Maggie Yong
Skills: More than 30 years experience of raising children, prepares gourmet home cooked food
Additional Info: Always very particular about cleanliness, has a modern take to confinement myths and has great fashion sense.
Blog: http://www.nainaigang.blogspot.com/

When I was pregnant, people have been asking whether I've hired a confinement lady. I dread the thought of it, having heard so many unpleasant stories about them. Peter and I decided to just get another maid to help around the house. And the confinement lady? - that would be MOM!

I must say, there's no other person in the world that would beat Mom's attentive love and care. Mom would go to the market every morning, buying only the freshest produce. She would prepare various type of delicious home cooked food to keep my appetite and also made sure every meal was well nourished for confinement. And the best part is Mom would allow me to take my bath and wash my hair! Of course, I had to compromise by taking herbal baths.

Mom, you're truly THE BEST! Thank you for everything *hugs*

Breakfast: Toast with sausage & cheese. Side condiments - fried "nin gou"

Lunch/Dinner: "Kai Zhao" (Chicken in rice wine) - a MUST in every meal during a months' confinement

Dinner: Stir fry spinach with pork, ginger and rice wine

A typical dinner set menu

American Breakfast (minus the coffee)

Lunch: Pork with ginger and rice wine

Lunch: Pork Chop with onion sauce + fried rice

Dinner: A VERY VERY tasty pork ribs. Not too sure of its ingredients :)

Dinner: Stir fry papaya with roast pork

Dinner: Papaya soup (many believed this was the remedy behind having abundance of breast milk)

Breakfast: Mee Hoon with pork chop in rice wine soup

Dinner: Steamed tomato with mince pork and brocolli

Supper: Double boiled chicken broth in coconut

Lunch: Fried rice with egg and assorted vegetables

Never Give Up Breastfeeding!

Being a first time mom, I was very pro breastfeeding exclusively to my little one. I've read so much about it during my pregnancy days and I've been mentally preparing myself for it. Little did I know, it was such a stressful task (well, at least for the first week).

Since birth, I've made Baby Isabelle suck on my nipple. She didn't know how to suckle properly and I didn't know how to guide her properly. My nipples sored and bled. She didn't have anything down to drink for 2 days straight! She was wailing in hunger and my heart just could not bear seeing her this way. We had no choice but to give her formula on the morning of her third day of life.

I didn't give up. I continued to pump my breast milk (with much help from Peter) and slowly, the milk began flowing.

It has been almost 3 weeks now and I've got a freezer filled with nothing but breast milk!!!

12 Oct, 3.30am: My greatest achievement on Day 3 after birth

13 Oct, 5.50pm: Manage to pump out 4oz on Day 4 after delivery. It still wasn't enough to feed Baby Isabelle as she needed more to keep her hydrated during her photo therapy session

14 Oct, 8.45pm: The best moment - one fully bottle!!

Today, a freezer filled with milk. Creamer, anyone??

Too much until I had to discard older milk!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Jaundice

Baby Isabelle was found to have jaundice on day 4 of her life. She was brought back to Sunway Hospital to check on her Bilirubin level. The result wasn't good. Her Bilirubin level registered at 245 which was beyond normal. She had to be admitted immediately for photo therapy. My heart ached as I saw what she had to go thru at such young age...

She stayed over a night and Peter had to ferry my breastmilk to the hospital a couple of times, just to make sure she had enough supplies.

Baby Isabelle was discharged the next day at around 3pm. Over the next few days, we made sure she sun bathed in the morning.