My Girls' Trip to Bangkok with One Child - Part 3

As you've read from Part 1 and Part 2, you could see that Emmett and I endured flight delays. Twice!

2 hours delayed when we depart to Bangkok and blardy 6 hours delayed when returning to Kuala Lumpur FOL. We're supposed to reach Bangkok around 8pm local time and I wanted to walk around exploring the place we stay for some much craved local food but unfortunately we only manage to touch down around 11pm local time. I didn't even get to take my in-flight meal cause Emmett was exhausted and still not feeling well then, so he was crying almost 60% of the time sigh. And can you imagine being stranded at the airport for 6 blardy hours!? Some more Don Muang airport is nothing like KLIA or KLIA 2. There's no restaurant or cafe to sit around and wait, no live entertainment, no Family Mart, nothing! This flight delay made me appreciate our airports a lot more now.

To be fair, the flight delays were due to the bad weather in KL as it was raining heavily. While I appreciate that they're doing it due to safety precautions but honestly, all those time spent on waiting could be put into doing something more productive, like eating good and cheap Thailand street food wtf.

Food is another issue for Emmett. If you've been to Bangkok, or any part of Thailand, you'd know that most of the food there are just not suitable for kids. They're either spicy, sourish or too sweet. Besides that, Bangkok is just basically not baby/ toddler friendly.

Joanne and Peggy with a chairless Emmett taking a wefie at a roadside stall while I erm went to buy more food lol.

I understand if there's no baby chair at food stalls on the street. But not even in a well-known shopping plaza's food court? There was also a restaurant that we visited that provides high chair, literally. That high chair, though, has no food tray and the openings on the sides are wide enough for a toddler to slip through and fall.

This is the said high chair. I had to hold on to him with one hand while eating with another. Motherhood is the mother in training to be a multitasking master wtf.

The glamorous reality of motherhood wtf.

So how did Emmett and I survive it all?

Baby-wearing & Breastfeeding.

I know I've said this too many times but baby-wearing and breastfeeding are life-savers for mothers (and babies).

By baby-wearing Emmett, I got to do a looooot of things.

I can start our day early even though the little one was still sleepy. 

走错路 under the hot sun wtf.

I can commute around in LRT (oh and climb up flights of stairs to reach the station).

Have our checklist checked without compromising his nap time.

Shop till we drop, literally. 

Selfie happily before knowing that we would be stranded at the airport for 6 farking hours.

And as for his food, well, he's either eating something non-spicy and non-sourish, sanwiches from 7evelen or got his tummy filled by visiting the breastaurant.

Said breastaurant a.k.a. walking-food-vending-machine lol.

With 2 kids now, I really cannot stress enough how baby-wearing and breastfeeding have helped me to survive it all while raising them. I mean, I know I can still enjoy my time in Bangkok even if I bring a stroller or bottle feeding Emmett. It's just that I know that it will take extra effort to get things done and be on the move.

That's the end of my posts for this remarkable Bangkok trip. Thanks again, Peggy and Joanne, for allowing me to tag along. And most importantly, thank you hubby, for agreeing to take care of Charlotte and allowing me to make this trip happened.

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My Girls' Trip to Bangkok with One Child - Part 1

I have to be honest, I've been longing for the day to be free from breastfeeding and go on a vacation without the kids. I mean, I've been breastfeeding for 42 months and counting. I know there are people who've been breastfed for 10 years cause erm they have 4 kids (or more!) but I'm pretty sure I'm good with just 2. For good.

To be fair, I breastfed Charlotte for almost 3 years, and I don't think Emmett is ready to wean off yet. So since breastfeeding is not ending anytime soon, I don't mind going on a vacation and still breastfeeding lol wth am I talking about.

Anyway, it was in March this year when I went to Redang for Peggy's surprise proposal, a mutual friend, Joanne, told me about their trip to Bangkok in November. I buay paiseh-ly asked if I could tag along. I'm pretty sure my face looked like this.

Of course they said yes hahaha.

Initially I wanted to bring both kids along cause mom guilt wtf. To cut the long story short, in the end it was just me and Emmett against all the farking delayed flights. 

We ALMOST couldn't make it for the trip because Emmett's flu was back and he has a difficult time breathing and sleeping the night before. I rush him to the doctor first thing in the morning and boy I was furious. Trust me when I say that I was in so much anger thinking that we might not be able to make it cause I SO need my time away to re-charge.Thankfully after a round of neb, he was breathing much better. Doctor also gave us the green light to go and reminded me to pack all the medication just in case. 

Emmett and I while waiting at the airport.

And so we made it! The flight delayed for 2 hours plus due to the bad weather and Emmett just just kept crying and whining and vomiting 70% of the time because he was still not feeling well but WE SURVIVED! We reached Don Meung airport around 11pm (supposedly 8pm local time). 

After we reached our Airbnb, I quickly got both of us wash down and ready for bed. Emmett slept through the night and I got to rest well, too.

Stay tuned for Part 2. 

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New Breastfeeding Counselor At Your Service

I've just completed a 4-days-weekend course conducted by the sifus (read: admins) of The Breastfeeding Advocates Network (TBAN) about breastfeeding counselling. Even though I've been breastfeeding my kids for 3 years plus now, there're actually a lot of things that I didn't know about breastfeeding.

I have friends and family who've came to me asking for advise or help when they wanna kick start their breastfeeding journey but there's only so much I know from my own experience. After attending this course, I was empowered with more knowledge and passion to help mothers out there to breastfeed successfully.

To start off, let me tell you 5 things you might not know about breastfeeding :)

1. Mothers will start to lactate at week 16.
Yupe. You're already producing milk when you're pregnant at week 16. But why do some mothers claim that they have no milk (cannot pump anything out, baby is always crying at the breast but calms down after topping up using a bottle)? Well, my dear, there are SOOOOOOOOO many possible reasons to it. But what you must know is, whatever you pump out doesn't indicate the amount of milk you have. You can produce as much as the baby needs. Your baby is the best breast pump in the whole wide world.

2. Most medicines are breastfeeding friendly.
I see a lot of people asking if the medicine the doctor prescribed is safe for a breastfeeding mom to consume. Even if you ask the doctor or pharmacist, they might not be sure and will have to refer to that little paper inside the box of medicine. But let me ensure you this - research shows that very little level of medication enters breastmilk. So it's OK to breastfeed even if you're under medication. It's even better to breastfeed especially when you're sick cause your body will have higher level of antibody and your baby will be benefited from it by drinking your milk :)

If you're still worry and unsure about medication, you can always check with these 2 reliable sources

LactMed
Google Play : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.nih.nlm.sis.lactmed&hl=en
App Store : https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lactmed/id441969514?mt=8

or http://www.e-lactancia.org/

3. Direct Latching is IMPORTANT
Now this point is not to put down mummies who are exclusively pumping. I'm sure you have your reasons. My target audience will be new mummies who want to nurse their babies directly. The reason why direct latching is important is because baby's saliva actually sends message to mommy's immune system to produce "medicated" milk to meet baby's unique needs.

Remember Emmett was sick awhile ago? My milk (as shown on the left side) was extra yellowish and thick. When he got better, my milk was back to it's usual milky white colour. Amazing isn't it? How our body can produce milk that suits our little one's needs. How did our body get the information to alter the milk? Baby's saliva.

And if you can establish your breastfeeding journey through direct latching, that's a good good start. It's also definitely beneficial in the long run cause you're a walking food machine. You don't have to prepare a lot of things when going out. You don't have to find a place to pump when it's time to do so and you also don't have to rush home to store the milk etc etc etc. All you need to do is just lift up your shirt and feed!

4. Breastfeeding  can be very painful. 
Breastfeeding can be very painful for some mothers, but if the pain lasts more than a minute, it is most likely caused by a bad latch. The latch is the way that the baby's mouth is positioned on the nipple. The baby should draw the entire nipple into the mouth and the tongue should be down. A correct latch should involve the entire jaw. If a woman experiences extreme pain, she should seek help from breastfeeding counselor or lactation consultant immediately to make sure that the baby is latching on correctly. I learned it the hard way as I was not equipped with the right knowledge about the correct latch and suffered sore nipples for 60 days. 60. Freaking. Days. I counted. Though I've now developed Nipple of Steel, I wish I didn't have to go through that at all. It was my stubborn will to breastfeed my child that got me through it.

During cluster feedings, the seemingly non-stop nursing sessions that happen over and over again during a growth spurt, a mom's nipples can get sore and the skin can get raw, but a special cream can help without harming the baby.

Also, a woman should talk to her doctor if she suspects she has mastitis, which is an infection that can come with a blocked milk duct and cause pain and flu-like symptoms. One of the best ways to cure a blocked duct is to breast feed, so she should continue to nurse through it.

Women also experience sore breasts when their milk comes in a few days after the baby's birth. Engorged breasts are painful, but breastfeeding can actually help.

5. Adoptive moms can breastfeed, too!
It is possible for women to breastfeed even if they weren't recently pregnant. The body can be tricked into producing milk, especially if a woman has been pregnant before. There are supplemental systems that can help with the process, but the stimulation can sometimes be enough to induce lactation. Some women believe it will help form a connection to the baby, while bringing the nutrition and positive attributes of breastfeeding, but it is a large commitment for a new mother.

If you want to know more information about breastfeeding, you can always refer to some FAQs here.

Ultimately, you can also contact me *ahem ahem* if you need help to kick start your breastfeeding journey.

Terms and Conditions apply (read: a small fee of RM60* will be charged 😊).
Click HERE to know more.

Feel free to reach out to me via
FB Messenger: https://www.messenger.com/t/michellelulu
WhatsApp: http://watsap.my/0123772494

Sekian, terima kasih 💕


 Disclaimer : The TBAN-BFC cannot guarantee to be able to help you breastfeed successfully 100%. That would depend on so many different factors. The TBAN-BFC’s advice and recommendations are case to case basis.

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My Breastfeeding Journey

Before I was married, I told my husband that I WILL breastfeed our child if I ever become a mother because we can save up a lot wtf. Honestly, it wasn't because of the goodness as I was not well educated on the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby. All I was certain is that it's free and it's gonna save us a lot of kaching lol. I was so ready to breastfeed my own baby even before getting married thanks to the people around me.

So when I found out that I was pregnant, I started to do more studies on how to kick start my breastfeeding journey. I was lucky as I have cousins who were already breastfeeding their children so I can turn to them when I have questions. Besides reading online articles and asking my cousins questions, I also attended a complimentary prenatal class provided by the hospital. And to make sure I started off on the right track, after much self debate, I registered myself into Gina's Place : The Breastfeeding Postnatal Centre to do my confinement. Debated because it's really pricey as compared to hiring a confinement lady. But let me tell you this: It's worth every single penny we paid. I'll share more with you in another post.

And that was it. I concluded that I have to start latching within the first hour and the rest will slowly take place. I thought I was well prepared and ready.

The First 2 Painful Months

Before Charlotte's arrival, I'd sometimes playfully squeeze my nipples during bath time (sorry too much info) so by 20 weeks pregnant, I already had white liquid coming out when I squeeze my nipple. This makes me even more confident that I can breastfeed my baby. True enough, before I went into the operation theater on that fateful day, my gynae pinched my nipple and said, "Good! Your milk has already kicked in." Oh what joy to hear these words!

After delivery, I took Charlotte to the breast and started to let her latch. To make sure I have milk, I'd pinch my nipple to form big drops of milk on it before I let her latch on. I remember as I fed and the nurse was watching, I kept asking if I was doing it right. The nurse took a look and said, "Yes. Oh, and please make sure that her nose is not covered. Hold on your breast so there's airway for her to breathe."

So I did as told. I carried her on one hand and used the other hand to "remove" the flesh of my breast that could possibly block her breathing airway.

After latching, I was surprised to see the shape of my nipple became long and had BLOOD BLISTERS! I was horrified but didn't react much cause I knew it was gonna hurt somehow. So I told myself that it's normal.

I got discharged the next day and checked into Gina's Place. By then, my boobs were sore and painful but I thought, it's ok, I'll be taken care of soon.

When Gina came in, she attended to me to see if I was doing well. I told her proudly that I've been feeding Charlotte since the first hour, though the pain is a little bothering.

She looked as I was feeding Charlotte that time, and asked why am I pressing my breast. When I told her that I was told to do so by the nurse at the hospital, she looked at me and said that our breast are formed perfectly for a baby to latch on, whether it's big or small. There's no need to purposely "create" an air way for her to breathe. When I unlatched Charlotte, she saw my cracked nipples and went, "Oh dear, they're pretty hurt!". Charlotte was not latching properly and what I thought was normal (cracked nipples) are actually not okay!

The consequences of not attending a proper breastfeeding class.

I was totally not well prepared when I thought I was! When Gina asked why I didn't attend her breastfeeding class, I was brought to tears and told her about my financial difficulty. You see, I resigned before I found out that I was pregnant. I also turned down a good job opportunity and missed another one. So I was pretty unemployed throughout my pregnancy. I was ready to fork out one big sum for the hospital bill and for the confinement center so I tried my best to save up on other little things. Well, attending a proper breastfeeding class shouldn't be a "little thing". I learnt it the hard way.

The first 2 months of my breastfeeding journey was the most hurtful of all! Every time before Charlotte latches on, I have to count to 3, or sometimes 5, to prepare myself for the first latch. It's so hurtful that I have to hunch my back, bend my knees and bite my lips when she first latch on. It gets ok after that first 10 seconds. But imagine having to feed every 2 hours! I never thought of giving up but the pain, oh dear, the pain was taking a toll on me.

So I went to seek for more advice. I went to the doctor to check if Charlotte was tongue-tied but she's not. After examination, the doctor said she can suck very well. So the doctor prescribed me with medication for my cracked nipples. I applied it religiously and washed with tap water after every feed and tap it dry with a towel so that the bacteria in Charlotte's saliva won't prolong the crack. Thankfully after 2 freaking months, and with the support from my beloved husband, Nipples of Steel are formed wtf.

Since then, breastfeeding has been a blissful journey. Now Charlotte can pull up down left right and I feel nothing!

On Direct Latching

Direct latching could get a little difficult later as the baby is more sensitive to her surroundings. She'd latch on a while and then unlatch to kepoh and then latch on again. But I have to say this, to be able to nurse her directly is the most awesome feeling I could ever ask for. I know that she will want no one but me when she's hungry because I', her sole food supplier wtf.

Feeding my baby directly also gives me the convenience I need everywhere I go. I don't have to worry about how many bottles of milk I need to bring out or how much hot water is enough to bring out to warm her milk. Whenever she's hungry, I'll just need to unbutton my shirt and stuff it right into her mouth lolol. No cleaning up necessary too! Let me show you a few pictures of me breastfeeding in public.

Using the carrier.

On the plane.

Covered with a nursing apron.

I used the carrier (best investment EVER!) most of the time to carry her wherever I go so most of the nursing happens there lol. It's easy and convenient. You might feel a little intimidated for the first time (nursing in public!) but after a few practice, You'll get the hang of it. 

On Pumping

Although Charlotte stays with me most of the time even when I'm working, I'd still pump to stock up in case of emergency. I have to admit that I don't pump regularly, especially at night cause of laziness. In the beginning, I'd do tandem pumping and I only yield 3 - 4oz per session. Mind you, that's normal yield! Not low yield. You might have seen some mommies sharing their high yield result online i.e. 10oz in 7 minutes. It's good to have high yield and I do get jealous sometimes. Anyway, I think my milk regulated and 5oz per pumping session was the maximum I could yield so far.

When I started working and she then had a nanny to look after her, whenever she used up 2 bottles, I'd wish to stock up 4 bottles. I felt insecure cause I used to compare myself with other mommies who can yield very well. When Charlotte was 5 months old, nanny quit cause her daughter-in-law gave birth to a baby boy. Since then, Charlotte has never taken the bottle. I'd still pump and stock them up. My freezer became so full and in the end, I have to give some away to make way for fresh ones.

So far, I've donated almost 300oz of milk. 35oz was used to make 2 kg of breastmilk soap. 10oz are now processing to be made into beads! I'll show you after I get them in around July. I've also used some to bath Charlotte. Ya, the milk bath.

Second time donating milk. Roughly 100oz here.  

If you'd like to know, I use Spectra M1 to pump. My faithful pump has served me for a good whole 10 months. But on the 19th of March, 2016, I decided to keep it away in the cabinet cause, well, I haven't been pumping since January. It's been lying around ready to serve me anytime but there's just no time for it. And since Charlotte direct latches 24seven, I couldn't pump out extra to stock up. The last time I pump was on the 1st of March but I could only yield 2oz after 45 minutes. So with a heavy heart, I put it away. ThankQ pump. I hope you'll be able to serve again some time in the future. Hopefully.

1 more month!

Yes, exactly 1 more month till Charlotte reach ONE and till I reach my first breastfeeding target. My goal is to at least breastfeed her for 2 years but I won't pressure myself. When will I let her wean off? When she's ready. Even if it means another 3 more years, or that I won't have enough sleep or rest, or that I'm the only person who can comfort her and put her to sleep, I don't mind. I'm still breastfeeding now and I'm treasuring every moment we share cause it's just too precious to me.

If you're breastfeeding, kudos to you for giving your child the best you can give. Just remember, if it feels hard to carry on, the nights are long and the years are short.

I live by these words and it has got me through many sleepless nights :)

Happy Breastfeeding!

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Breast Milk Lotion

I'm a normal yield mom. I let Charlotte direct latch all the time and currently only pump once every morning. I yield an average of 4oz after pumping for half an hour every day. Sometimes lesser sometimes more.

People often question why do I still pump since I'm not giving her the bottle. Well, I plan to at least breastfeed Charlotte for one year. And since milk is her main food intake, I wanna make sure that she has sufficient milk just in case of any emergency.

Like last month, I was diagnosed with dengue. I thought the expressed breast milk will finally serve it's purpose. But I pushed myself to continue breastfeeding until I got well.

Anyway, those expressed milk eventually filled up all the space in my freezer. So I donated.

Here are 17 packets of expressed milk dated August to November. About 8oz each. I donated them to a confinement center that supports breastfeeding. This is the second time I donate them.

I kept at least 20 packets with me. But I know soon I might give away again.

Then one day I came across this Breast milk lotion recipe. Well, basically it's to turn your breast milk into lotion la.

New research has proven that breast milk, made into a lotion, is the latest alternative form of treatment for eczema, psoriasis, sunburns and itchy dry skin. Although the idea of rubbing breast milk on your skin may seem a bit unconventional and eerie  (according to the husband), it is proven to be a safe and sometime superior treatment to other medicinal options. The antibodies found in breast milk will help aid the infection.

To make breast milk lotion, the ingredients you need are:

- 3 ounces of breastmilk
- 3 ounces oil (grapeseed oil for sensitive skin)
- 1 tablespoon of beeswax
- a few drops of Vitamin E oil (optional)

I used 6 oz of frozen breastmilk so just double everything else will do.

Below are the steps:

1. Heat grapeseed oil in low heat temperature to melt the beeswax.
2. After the beeswax is melted, slowly pour in the room temperature breastmilk and Vitamin E oil and whisk rapidly until thickens.
3. Pour into shallow jars or lotion tubs. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Refrigerate and use for up to 3 months.

Done! Easy isn't it?

Here's mine!

Sorry no picture of the process cause erm I was busy whisking and doubting the recipe, thinking if it really works cause milk and oil are immiscible liquids lol. It took some time and eventually mixed well and thicken so don't worry k!

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