Reverie Glynisebella Zhang Yue Xi
张悦希 ; 喜「悦」 和 「希」望
Date of Birth: 17th Feb 2010
Period of Gestation: 37 Weeks
Place of Birth: Thomson Medical
Weight at Birth: 2485 grammes
Length at Birth: 48 cm
Head Circumference: 32 cm
So so so. Being a mummy for 2 weeks plus now (flashes wide smile), I'm gonna share my 2 weeks worth of views on breastfeeding, motherhood & books!
I'm not sure how exactly you name this kind of person but I'm the kind who would read alot into certain stuff before/while doing it. For example, before I even got Sushi, Mochi & Lele, I read forums about hammies & maltese. Even when Kinokuniya to purchase books about them, just to know more so as to take better care of them.
So before I got pregnant, I chance upon this book fair and got my very first pregnancy book! Vivid pictures pl0x! Mad scary with real life delivery pictures and the woman is like in mortal agony -_-!
Then I got a second pregnancy book & a pre-natal education book at Kinokuniya while I'm trying to concieve. During that period of time I'm like holding that pre-natal book frequently to class and friends are like giving me wierd "wah-you-this-age-want-baby-ah" look. Just happen that one of the modules I'm going through that time talks about pre-natal education, makes me extra alert in class!
During my pregnancy, got the ultimate pregnancy guidebook "What to expect when you are expecting". Like what the cover says "The American Pregnancy Bible" and indeed it is! Almost all questions were being answered and I love it to bits. So it's being greatly recommended by me!
Then later on, months before delivery I got the book from the same author, "What to expect, the first year". Pretty good I think, filled with tips and almost everything you would encounter about handling newborns and etc. More interested in the medical and health part as I'm friggin' yaya because I think I can handle Reviie with my pathetic experience working in infant care *cough* (So far so good =X)
So around 7th month of pregnancy, Amulet enrolled her girl, Darrielle, into the childcare I'm teaching in and I learnt a great deal from her! Have long heard about breastmilk doesn't come in before day 3 but there is no need to feed them on formula but I'm not sure how all that works and she sort of briefly explained it to me.
Chanced upon Sherlyn's blog next and she blogged a loooong post about breastfeeding and how she insist on not feeding her girl formula milk despite the nurse saying that Kayla can't be discharged if she haven't pass her first urine and etc. That post really inspire me to breastfeed even more even thou' I've already made up my mind to breastfeed Reviie!
Before even started to breastfeed, I've already encounter problems. I'm going back to work when Reviie is around 3 months, I'm worried about being able to keep up with my supply, expressing & storing breastmilk and etc. So once again, decided to go to the "holy place", Kinokuniya to purchase a book about breastfeeding!
& it really save my life! When my Mother-in-law and parents visited me, my MIL are like "you now no milk" & "she look very hungry!". I tried to explain to them about colostrum but my MIL was unconvinced. My face were being saved by the lactation consultant who came and visit shortly.
LC: Breastfeed or formula?
Me: Breastfeeding
LC: Mixed with formula?
Me: Nope, total breastfeeding
LC: Very good!
Me: (Immediately the yaya face come out to show my MIL =X)
Then she brief the whole lot of us about colostrum and how precious it is, not that I'm not aware but just make sure my MIL knows about it and stop asking me to feed her formula!
My breastfeeding path is smooth so far but not with obstacles.
Reviie didn't latch on the moment she's delivered as she's busy playing with her tongue. When she's sent to me after being cleaned up and her APGAR test, she finally latch onto my breast but was taken away by the nurse in 10 minutes as she couldn't regulate her temperature well and have to return to the warmer.
The first few days of breastfeeding was pretty hard as
- the first suction is verrrrrrrrrrrry painful! Always grab onto Laogong's hand when she latches on and try to stop myself from screaming =X
- breastfeeding helps our uterus to contracts faster, it's very painful considering the fact that I've never experienced real hard core contractions before.
- I have to sit in a uber upright position with my painful stitches -.- Really hell when I'm back at home without the hospital's auto-reclining bed!
- have to wake up every 3-4 hours to feed her myself with the stitches' pain.
- experienced engorgement and had fever that simply doesn't go away until the 3rd day.
I can jolly well skipped all these shyt if I were feeding Reviie formula. But I know the advantages of breastfeeding and definitely see it myself.
My mum didn't breastfeed me and my brothers due to insufficent supply. My MIL breastfeed my Laogong till he's 4.
Difference? I think it's pretty obvious. The 3 years that Laogong & I are together, never once he got sick himself unless I pass it to him for 1 or 2 times (with kissings it's hard not to pass the virus what =X). And at the same time, I myself got sick numerous times -_-
So now, no matter how tough, I will & must breastfeed Reviie, at least, to the minimum months of 6. If it's possible & my supply permits me, I'm gonna try for longer periods. Hopefully can break Laogong's record, LOL!
So far I'm okay with breastfeeding. And I really have to give special thanks to Sherlyn who patiently replied and adviced to my questions regarding them! And also my cousin Yenny who's always giving me advice on breastfeeding too.
Shall end my looooooong post then. Happy weekends ahead!