When grandmother Clara insisted that I do confinement, I was so defiant. So old fashioned!!!! But after doing my research, I relented (to some).
Food, ginger, DOM:
No seafood, chicken and egg due to the stitches. So its just fish and pork, drenched in rice wine for warming the body, ginger to dispel the wind. Soupy dishes to increase breast milk flow, fruits for fiber.
There is a need to "warm" up the body so that mummies can perspire to expel the wind and whatever water retention.
Pig Trotters with black vineger:
When we did the antenatal class, the physiotherapist told us that mummies lose a lot of collagen in our body. That why mummies have a tendency to creak and crack whenever we move our joints. This is because the body is preparing for childbirth by softening the ligaments.
So after birth, in chinese culture we must eat pig trotters (the skin and fats) to replenish the collagen in our bodies, the black vinegar is to break down the cartilage of the pig trotters , so it is calcium infused and the ginger is to dispel the wind. Luckily, I like to eat this dish. I must eat more so I can have more collagen for my face, must look pretty mah. I guess that is why some mothers look even better after giving birth. But it DAMN fattening.. what the heck!!
Drinking of water:
I asked Dr Han on why we can’t drink water and he explained that water is considered ‘cooling’. He said the pores are open after delivery, so we shouldn’t introduce cooling things. So every drink must be warmed like milo, or the longan drink. He say don’t defy and drink… he say I follow (doctor lei) But I tried my luck by asking if we can drink warmed ribena.. he say no.
Grandmother Barbara said not to drink water too. She said she didn’t follow, and still drank cold water, that’s why she bloat and never was able to lose her pregnancy weight, scary... coming from an Eurasian, she win... I’m following
Bathing:
Grandmother Clara allows bathing and washing of hair, so there isn’t any problem. But still don’t understand why must mummies bath in herb water… but I’m not pushing my luck here
Not exposed to the "open"
I had my windows all opened, sat in front of an osilating fan, slept in air conditioned room. Oh man, I even walk around topless. Can't help it as this breastfeeding thingy is damn difficult. There is the pumping, latching, sleepy child, blah! So trying..
Wearing bed room slippers
Its the don't walk around bare foot cause of cold floor and wind and the whatever. I read the malays are very particular about this cause mummies should not hit their left big toe. (The uterus point is there) I learn from my massage lady that the left foot has all the major organs points, so its important to start massage from the left foot. Interesting..
My thoughts on confinement: MUST.. I take back what i said... Will do it for my future babies.. It is very necesary as mummies are treated like a queen during this time. I felt so weak the first 2 weeks..and not forgetting the F$%^ing pain..arrgh! I just couldn't keep my eyes open half the time, BB[V] was also a sleepyhead then. As I regain my strength so did she and now I miss her sleeping days cause NOW she is always awake!! Me got no me time!!!
Bottom line: I will only follow these selected few as it is for beauty. The rest forget it….
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Aunty Jaundice and Uncle Colick
Honestly.. Evil....
I don't understand why this Aunty Jaundice and Uncle Colick enjoys visiting newborn babies. I mean babies should be left alone to sleep and drink. Period.
It took us a total of 23 days and 6 visits to the polyclinic for stoopid Aunty Jaundice to go away. It was so torturing to have to worry about the small one looking so yellow, many aliments were tried to extinguish the jaundice. Example; getting some herbs from the medical hall and bathe the small one in some power yellow coloured water, letting her drink double boiled red dates drink, n for mummy flo; eliminating all ginger from my food.
We were not able to comprehend the polyclinic checks initially, I mean the last time I visited a polyclinic was many donkey years ago just to get a MC to "pontang" school. In this current times, polyclinic look quite stylo mylo with the bright lights and the cherrie-o coloured chairs though they are stingy on the air-con lar, damn hot.. But the main problem is the people there, damn gross loh.. quite freaky-ish actually... its the one eyed dragon and one armed bandit type of crowd, the old folks have this "see who cough the loudest", the men "I got thicker phlgem than you" the children "I like to scream" the sick "my goal is to make others sick" competitions .. all held concurrently!!
But the issue here is about cost, a visit to do a blood lab check in polyclinic is $11. We did our check and realized if we had visited a pediatrician it would cost us $100+ per lab check.. so total of 6 visits its $66 vs $600+... polyclinic wins...
Enough about Aunty Jaundice, the evil one is actually Uncle Colick. He visits periodically but whenever he visits , he creates a mayhem in the house. It is DAMN difficult to appease a colicky baby, BB [V] was attacked 5 times to date. There was that 2 days of torture when she only screams from 330-630am, the other 3 times is 830-2pm.. No amount of singing, walking, rocking, patting, boob stuffing worked!! My poor gal just cried and cried.. honestly its heart breaking.. so thereafter there is the "ruyi" oil and gripe water and alot of precautionary measures put in place just to ban his visits..
But somehow I think Uncle Colick is gay as he like to attack vunerable boys more. I mean the elders told me that boys are more colicky than girls, So BB[V] is lucky in this aspect.
So its goodbye to aunty Jaundice and go away Uncle Colick.. I hate you two
I don't understand why this Aunty Jaundice and Uncle Colick enjoys visiting newborn babies. I mean babies should be left alone to sleep and drink. Period.
It took us a total of 23 days and 6 visits to the polyclinic for stoopid Aunty Jaundice to go away. It was so torturing to have to worry about the small one looking so yellow, many aliments were tried to extinguish the jaundice. Example; getting some herbs from the medical hall and bathe the small one in some power yellow coloured water, letting her drink double boiled red dates drink, n for mummy flo; eliminating all ginger from my food.
We were not able to comprehend the polyclinic checks initially, I mean the last time I visited a polyclinic was many donkey years ago just to get a MC to "pontang" school. In this current times, polyclinic look quite stylo mylo with the bright lights and the cherrie-o coloured chairs though they are stingy on the air-con lar, damn hot.. But the main problem is the people there, damn gross loh.. quite freaky-ish actually... its the one eyed dragon and one armed bandit type of crowd, the old folks have this "see who cough the loudest", the men "I got thicker phlgem than you" the children "I like to scream" the sick "my goal is to make others sick" competitions .. all held concurrently!!
But the issue here is about cost, a visit to do a blood lab check in polyclinic is $11. We did our check and realized if we had visited a pediatrician it would cost us $100+ per lab check.. so total of 6 visits its $66 vs $600+... polyclinic wins...
Enough about Aunty Jaundice, the evil one is actually Uncle Colick. He visits periodically but whenever he visits , he creates a mayhem in the house. It is DAMN difficult to appease a colicky baby, BB [V] was attacked 5 times to date. There was that 2 days of torture when she only screams from 330-630am, the other 3 times is 830-2pm.. No amount of singing, walking, rocking, patting, boob stuffing worked!! My poor gal just cried and cried.. honestly its heart breaking.. so thereafter there is the "ruyi" oil and gripe water and alot of precautionary measures put in place just to ban his visits..
But somehow I think Uncle Colick is gay as he like to attack vunerable boys more. I mean the elders told me that boys are more colicky than girls, So BB[V] is lucky in this aspect.
So its goodbye to aunty Jaundice and go away Uncle Colick.. I hate you two
Saturday, February 7, 2009
14 days old
The last 2 weeks has been a roller coaster, trying to adapt
The 1st 2 nights were crazy!! cause she couldn't stop crying from 330-7 am, both of us were so helpless.. then we realized that she was insecure and just wanted me and my boobies.. and so she invaded our bed for 1 week.. I mean it was easy for me to feed her, I just need to stuff my boobs into her mouth and all is calm.. but I manage to wean her off as we didn't want to crush her or spoil her.. I mean she is getting into a habit of using my boob as a pacifier... the boob is sex tool and shouldn't be abused like this.. right!?
After we got discharged, we went a total of 4 times to the polyclinic to check for her jaundice. The level has dipped but not cleared and so we will have to go again this wed. Then there was this scare because the princess didn't poo for 6 days!! Ya she was full of shit.. literally I mean... We did every thing we could to make her poo but she was very contented to keep her waste inside her.. She had us all worried and there she is smiling happily every day.. silly gal.. So the pediatrician did that liquid pump thing and my oh my!! I just need to comment that alot of diapers were used that day.. hehe..(Parents and their obsession with poo)
We got ourselves into a routine oredi..(fast right..) guess it is the fact that we chose to "hands on" and not get any help besides the grannies..
1st: nobody in the family could comprehend the fact we had to pay $3k for a confinement lady during CNY
2nd: I don't do well with naggy people around me
3rd: DD Trev and I have decided on how we wanted to bring up our gal and really don't wish for interference
Today is my 14th day and I am up and about. no more pain anywhere, every where is healed, though I have just some water retention issues which is normal.. fatique will be a nagging issue with a baby, so we will have to live by it, though I have gotten used to it.. now that the milk has kicked in, I am able to pump my milk for the wee morning feeds
We are so loving the time spend with the little one, she is like a chameleon whose face changes every day.. so cute..
I can sleep anywhere, anyhow...
The 1st 2 nights were crazy!! cause she couldn't stop crying from 330-7 am, both of us were so helpless.. then we realized that she was insecure and just wanted me and my boobies.. and so she invaded our bed for 1 week.. I mean it was easy for me to feed her, I just need to stuff my boobs into her mouth and all is calm.. but I manage to wean her off as we didn't want to crush her or spoil her.. I mean she is getting into a habit of using my boob as a pacifier... the boob is sex tool and shouldn't be abused like this.. right!?
After we got discharged, we went a total of 4 times to the polyclinic to check for her jaundice. The level has dipped but not cleared and so we will have to go again this wed. Then there was this scare because the princess didn't poo for 6 days!! Ya she was full of shit.. literally I mean... We did every thing we could to make her poo but she was very contented to keep her waste inside her.. She had us all worried and there she is smiling happily every day.. silly gal.. So the pediatrician did that liquid pump thing and my oh my!! I just need to comment that alot of diapers were used that day.. hehe..(Parents and their obsession with poo)
We got ourselves into a routine oredi..(fast right..) guess it is the fact that we chose to "hands on" and not get any help besides the grannies..
1st: nobody in the family could comprehend the fact we had to pay $3k for a confinement lady during CNY
2nd: I don't do well with naggy people around me
3rd: DD Trev and I have decided on how we wanted to bring up our gal and really don't wish for interference
Today is my 14th day and I am up and about. no more pain anywhere, every where is healed, though I have just some water retention issues which is normal.. fatique will be a nagging issue with a baby, so we will have to live by it, though I have gotten used to it.. now that the milk has kicked in, I am able to pump my milk for the wee morning feeds
We are so loving the time spend with the little one, she is like a chameleon whose face changes every day.. so cute..
I can sleep anywhere, anyhow...
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The road to recovery- The 1st week
Oh Why hasn’t any one told me that the recovery stage is the WORST part of pregnancy??
Damn, there are so much health problems to tackle after the delivery. it’s a good thing I didn’t take epidural, if not its going to be even longer…
1st: Pee
I was to asked to do my 1st pee at about 4 hours after delivery, I wasn’t able to do so as I didn’t have enough fluid and so I downed 3 cups of milo. Thank goodness, it was a smooth trip, no pain though.. Lucky I didn’t take epidural, I can’t imagine having a pee bag inserted and then removed..
2nd : Cramps and pains
Constant PMS pains as the uterus starts shrinking... super uncomfortable..
The nagging pain every where, the backache (due to the pushing), episiotomy stitches, bum bum, body aches
3rd: Bum:
The 1st bowel movement happened 3 days after delivery, I remembered dreading it, but alas it was smooth sailing.. Hehe…(the power of the stools softener, its godsend!) but 8 days down, I am having slight piles, and when I checked the internet, its again due to the pushing, the rectum gets traumatized. Can’t blame my bum bum… and so i suffer…
4th: Episiotomy
The stitches pain started after the 6th day as the wound starts to heal, it swells and the stitches gets tighter. So much tenderness.. You know after getting discharge on the 3rd day, on bb [v]’s 4th day we had to go polyclinic to get her jaundice checked (compulsory okie!!) Poor mummy flo, me had to move around so much, by the time I came back I felt wounded… then bb [v] was trying to settle in, so there was a lot of fussing around… so anyway, Ponstan rawks!! But not always rawks you know, its tramatising..
5th: Breastfeeding
I’m on exclusive breast feeding, so its meal on demand. It is damn trying, I’m still trying to figure it out.. sore nipples, low milk supply, not supportive mother and mother in law (old school; believes in formula milk) blah blah blah.. The list goes on, will be seeking professional help in the next few days, I must persevere!!!
6th: Emo issues
Cried twice oredi.. Breastfeeding issues, fatique… Normal…
7th: Confinement
Actually its not that bad, I have been going out almost everyday. Obviously I would rather not as it damn taxing on the body. But no choice, there is jaundice checks and bb [V] didn’t poo, so had to go pediatrician.. One of those things…will blog on this issue when its over…
8th: Hot
Always sweaty and I shower everyday mind you…perpetual smelly mummy flo.. Hate it…
9th: Massage
Its damn shiok-a-doos when being massaged, but after the binding, *faint* now I’m suffering with a tight bind and itchy skin because its hot. But for the sake of beauty , what the heck!
10th: Lochia
The heavy flow ended on the 5-6th day, Dr Han assisted by helping me push the blood out after stiching up..but the flow increased again after I started my massage where she will push the uterus back into position.
11th: Fatigue
No need to explain, one small little thing constantly asking for boobies..
So can you imagine me… HOT,PAIN,SWEATY,PAIN,TIGHT,PAIN,ITCHY,PAIN,BLOODY,PAIN, TIRED,PAIN……
Delivery was the easy part man... 3 1/2 hours.. now its my 8th day..haiz.. how long more??
BB [V] .. must love mummy okie….
Damn, there are so much health problems to tackle after the delivery. it’s a good thing I didn’t take epidural, if not its going to be even longer…
1st: Pee
I was to asked to do my 1st pee at about 4 hours after delivery, I wasn’t able to do so as I didn’t have enough fluid and so I downed 3 cups of milo. Thank goodness, it was a smooth trip, no pain though.. Lucky I didn’t take epidural, I can’t imagine having a pee bag inserted and then removed..
2nd : Cramps and pains
Constant PMS pains as the uterus starts shrinking... super uncomfortable..
The nagging pain every where, the backache (due to the pushing), episiotomy stitches, bum bum, body aches
3rd: Bum:
The 1st bowel movement happened 3 days after delivery, I remembered dreading it, but alas it was smooth sailing.. Hehe…(the power of the stools softener, its godsend!) but 8 days down, I am having slight piles, and when I checked the internet, its again due to the pushing, the rectum gets traumatized. Can’t blame my bum bum… and so i suffer…
4th: Episiotomy
The stitches pain started after the 6th day as the wound starts to heal, it swells and the stitches gets tighter. So much tenderness.. You know after getting discharge on the 3rd day, on bb [v]’s 4th day we had to go polyclinic to get her jaundice checked (compulsory okie!!) Poor mummy flo, me had to move around so much, by the time I came back I felt wounded… then bb [v] was trying to settle in, so there was a lot of fussing around… so anyway, Ponstan rawks!! But not always rawks you know, its tramatising..
5th: Breastfeeding
I’m on exclusive breast feeding, so its meal on demand. It is damn trying, I’m still trying to figure it out.. sore nipples, low milk supply, not supportive mother and mother in law (old school; believes in formula milk) blah blah blah.. The list goes on, will be seeking professional help in the next few days, I must persevere!!!
6th: Emo issues
Cried twice oredi.. Breastfeeding issues, fatique… Normal…
7th: Confinement
Actually its not that bad, I have been going out almost everyday. Obviously I would rather not as it damn taxing on the body. But no choice, there is jaundice checks and bb [V] didn’t poo, so had to go pediatrician.. One of those things…will blog on this issue when its over…
8th: Hot
Always sweaty and I shower everyday mind you…perpetual smelly mummy flo.. Hate it…
9th: Massage
Its damn shiok-a-doos when being massaged, but after the binding, *faint* now I’m suffering with a tight bind and itchy skin because its hot. But for the sake of beauty , what the heck!
10th: Lochia
The heavy flow ended on the 5-6th day, Dr Han assisted by helping me push the blood out after stiching up..but the flow increased again after I started my massage where she will push the uterus back into position.
11th: Fatigue
No need to explain, one small little thing constantly asking for boobies..
So can you imagine me… HOT,PAIN,SWEATY,PAIN,TIGHT,PAIN,ITCHY,PAIN,BLOODY,PAIN, TIRED,PAIN……
Delivery was the easy part man... 3 1/2 hours.. now its my 8th day..haiz.. how long more??
BB [V] .. must love mummy okie….