I always wanted to write down my experience on breastfeeding and sharing this with other new mommy. Hopefully this "story" can help you understand breastfeeding better.
Before I went on labor, I told the nurses in the nursery that I will be fully breastfeeding my baby after she is born. I reminded them that I will need them to cup feed baby while I am not able to fully breastfeed her for the first 2 days. The nurse in the hospital actually refer to me as "mama yang fully nak breastfeed" when they talk to each other.
As I am a very strong supporter of breastfeeding, the only goal that I have in my mind after labor is to ensure I fully breastfeed Valerie. After the tiring labor, I was send back to my room at around 10.30pm and rested for the whole night. The next morning at around 7am, the nurse came to my room, asking if I am going to breastfeed my baby. I told yes of course and waited in the room. To my misunderstanding I thought that the nurse will be bring little Valerie to my room so that I can bf her but instead I will need to go to the nursery. After a very tiring labor and 7 hours of sleep, I still could not really put my feet on the ground. I was alone that morning, hb went back home to sleep because he is not allowed to spend a night in the hospital. The most challenging experience that I have after labor is actually getting down the bed (which is relatively high for me). I forced myself to get off the bed, went to the toilet to changed my cloths before I walked to the nursery to see my little baby.
When I reach the nursery, the nurse carry Valerie to my arms and say, this is your little baby. I could still remember the happiness of holding her. Here is where I started to feed little Valerie but of course, the first 2 days, the milk supply has not come yet. However, I can see the colostrum form and baby is feeding on that. Even breastfeeding schedule is "on demand" which means it depend on when baby is hungry, but the hospital has a few slots for breastfeeding. I am quite surprised that the hospital is encouraging all the mommy's to breastfeed their newborn. Only supplement with formula if requested. So in every 4-5 hours, I will go to the nursery and feed her. I can still remember that on the 2nd day after labor, I started to notice that the milk is actually coming in. On the 3rd day after I came back home, I have engorgement as the milk is changing from colostrum to milk. As my previous experience breastfeeding Emily, the most painful memory that I have is the engorgement pain. I tried many ways to let Valerie to feed but she is more of a sleepy baby and did not really wanted to feed. I tried to use hot compress and massaging to express the milk, but it was not quite successful. On the 4th day, the engorgement pain become more and more painful and I started to have slight fever. Baby Valerie is admitted to the hospital again due to slight jaundice. To reduce the engorgement pain I had to resort to use cabbage and it actually works for me.
After using the cabbage, I manage to express the BM and manage to successfully breastfeed Valerie when she returns home. I have also manage to keep around 20 bottles of EMB frozen for Valerie just in case I need to travel abroad in the next few months.
Today, Valerie is fully breastfeed and even Emily is consuming the extra milk supply that her sister can't finish. I am so glad that this is one of the BEST gift that as a mom I am able to provide.
Monday, 28 April 2008
My labor day experiance
It has been some time since I am able to sit down in front of the computer and blog on my past few months experience. I have gotto say that being a mom of 2 is not an easy task. Its more like working in office on a very hectic day, with endless back to back meetings and multiply it with 10 times. That's how busy it is being a stay at home mom (I'll explain later why I am so busy). I guess I really have to respect my friends who are full time moms who can manage both the entire household, 2 kids and some even the own business! I better get back to my topic before I continue talking about WAHM's magical touch.
Well, it all started at 5.am (again. same time with my 1st labor of Emily) and I started to have the painful contraction. If I remember correctly (which I need to do after delivery) it was the 4th time I am having "false alarm" for Valerie's delivery. It always happened in the middle of the night, and the contraction started and ended after 1 - 2 hours. So on the 1st March 2008, at 5am the contractions started and again, I woke up in the morning asking myself if its the day "again" ?
The contraction is quite mild after a few hours of pain and since I m due for a medical check-up with my gyne that morning, I actually took my bag along and went to the hospital. After the doctors inspection she told me that "today is the day". Happily I ask my hb to pick up the bag from the car and I was admitted to the Labor Room at 12 noon.
In the labor room the nurse of Hospital Pantai were very nice and friendly started to prep me for the delivery. I was actually not feeling so much contraction at that time but the doctor insisted that I should be admitted to the labor room so that the midwives and nurses can monitor my progress. The interesting thing is I was admitted at 12 noon on a Saturday and I had to change 3 shift of mid-wives and nurses before Valerie is born.
Well, in the labor room, its actually quite chilly and me and hb was sitting there, chatting and trying to finalize on the name selection. Bare in mind that we still don't know the sex of our baby yet at that time. The nurses too my blood pressure and baby heartbeat every 30 mins. My cervix only open up to 2 cm at that time. After a few hours of in the labor room and the contraction did not really kick in, the nurse decided to break the water bag. It was around 4pm when my water broke and the contraction started to be more painful.
At 4.40pm, the pain started to be more severe but still not too severe. The nurse told me I was only 4-5 cm and still another 50% to go. After 5pm, I think I kind of not quite aware of the situation because the pain is gaining up on me. Dr Yeap came to visit me at around 5.30 and told me that I am going to delivery tonight before 12 am. What a good news.. I was hoping that she will say that you are going to deliver around 1-2 hours but it did not happened. I was given an injection that supposed to help reduce the pain. but I think the injection was more painful than the labor pain and it did not really 'reduce' the pain. It made me giddy so that I can't feel the pain that much. The contraction pain actually lasted till around 9.30 (5 hours in total) and baby Valerie is born at 3.55kg naturally.
During the whole time, my hb is supporting me, encouraging me all the way. Not to forget, my mom who is also inside the labor room, is holding my hand and giving me the fullest support. Without their encouragement and support, it will be harder to go through the 5 hours of actual labor pain. I can still remember clearly the day Emily is born in 2006 and now in 2008 Valerie is born. Both the labor experience is unforgettable and also the most painful moment in my life as well as the happiest moment in my life.
Well, it all started at 5.am (again. same time with my 1st labor of Emily) and I started to have the painful contraction. If I remember correctly (which I need to do after delivery) it was the 4th time I am having "false alarm" for Valerie's delivery. It always happened in the middle of the night, and the contraction started and ended after 1 - 2 hours. So on the 1st March 2008, at 5am the contractions started and again, I woke up in the morning asking myself if its the day "again" ?
The contraction is quite mild after a few hours of pain and since I m due for a medical check-up with my gyne that morning, I actually took my bag along and went to the hospital. After the doctors inspection she told me that "today is the day". Happily I ask my hb to pick up the bag from the car and I was admitted to the Labor Room at 12 noon.
In the labor room the nurse of Hospital Pantai were very nice and friendly started to prep me for the delivery. I was actually not feeling so much contraction at that time but the doctor insisted that I should be admitted to the labor room so that the midwives and nurses can monitor my progress. The interesting thing is I was admitted at 12 noon on a Saturday and I had to change 3 shift of mid-wives and nurses before Valerie is born.
Well, in the labor room, its actually quite chilly and me and hb was sitting there, chatting and trying to finalize on the name selection. Bare in mind that we still don't know the sex of our baby yet at that time. The nurses too my blood pressure and baby heartbeat every 30 mins. My cervix only open up to 2 cm at that time. After a few hours of in the labor room and the contraction did not really kick in, the nurse decided to break the water bag. It was around 4pm when my water broke and the contraction started to be more painful.
At 4.40pm, the pain started to be more severe but still not too severe. The nurse told me I was only 4-5 cm and still another 50% to go. After 5pm, I think I kind of not quite aware of the situation because the pain is gaining up on me. Dr Yeap came to visit me at around 5.30 and told me that I am going to delivery tonight before 12 am. What a good news.. I was hoping that she will say that you are going to deliver around 1-2 hours but it did not happened. I was given an injection that supposed to help reduce the pain. but I think the injection was more painful than the labor pain and it did not really 'reduce' the pain. It made me giddy so that I can't feel the pain that much. The contraction pain actually lasted till around 9.30 (5 hours in total) and baby Valerie is born at 3.55kg naturally.
During the whole time, my hb is supporting me, encouraging me all the way. Not to forget, my mom who is also inside the labor room, is holding my hand and giving me the fullest support. Without their encouragement and support, it will be harder to go through the 5 hours of actual labor pain. I can still remember clearly the day Emily is born in 2006 and now in 2008 Valerie is born. Both the labor experience is unforgettable and also the most painful moment in my life as well as the happiest moment in my life.
Friday, 11 April 2008
Valerie Ooi pictures
Here we go..finally mommy has time to post some of Valerie's pictures online.
Looking at Valerie's picture reminds me of Emily..she really looks a lot like her sister who looks a lot like daddy :)
Valerie's first day in Hospital Pantai
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