Sleep Training For Adults (From A Baby’s Point Of View)

 This is funny, I got this from my BC group :)

 OK, here’s my situation. My Mommy has had me for almost 7 months. The first few months were great – I cried, she picked me up and fed me, anytime, day or night. Then something happened.

Over the last few weeks, she has been trying to STTN (sleep through the night). At first, I thought it was just a phase, but it is only getting worse. I’ve talked to other babies, and it seems like it’s pretty common after Mommies have had us for around 6 months. Here’s the thing: these Mommies don’t really need to sleep. It’s just a habit. Many of them have had some 30 years to sleep–they just don’t need it anymore. So I am implementing a plan. I call it the Crybaby Shuffle. It goes like this:

Night 1–cry every 3 hours until you get fed. I know, it’s hard. It’s hard to see your Mommy upset over your crying. Just keep reminding yourself, it’s for her own good.

Night 2–cry every 2 hours until you get fed.

Night 3–every hour.

Most Mommies will start to respond more quickly after about 3 nights. Some Mommies are more alert, and may resist the change longer. These Mommies may stand in your doorway for hours, shhhh-ing. Don’t give in. I cannot stress this enough: CONSISTENCY IS KEY!! If you let her STTN (sleep through the night), just once, she will expect it every night. I KNOW IT’S HARD! But she really doesn’t need the sleep, she’s just resisting the change. If you have an especially alert Mommy, you can stop crying for about 10 minutes, just long enough for her to go back to bed and start to fall asleep. Then cry again. It WILL eventually work. My Mommy once stayed awake for 10 hours straight, so I know she can do it.

5 months and solid

Today Ms. A is 5 months and 2 days old, how time flies when you are having fun and she's not a newborn anymore :(.

I have been stalling to NOT give her solid because when she's on solid it means she's a big girl and I'm not ready I want my baby to stay baby for a long time :). Yeah I know that's not going to happen.

Ms. A has been watching us eating like a hawk, she will stop and look at me when I drink or eat something while I nurse her, I can see that her mouth is making chewing movement and she also starting to wake up at night for feed which she usually sleep through the night so I told Mr. Husband that I want to try give her solid and see if she's ready or not.

I decided to make her food not using commercial ones, so on Friday I grinded brown rice until become powder, 2/4 cup of raw brown rice make up 1 cup of brown rice powder.

Is Baby the Best Ice Breaker?

Based on my experience from 9 months pregnant and 4 months in the motherhood gig, I can tell that baby is the best ice breaker in the world.

When I was pregnant strangers ask me how far along I am or they ask me whether it's a boy or a girl and somehow there's softness in their eyes.

When we were "stuck" in Guam for 10 days, every single person well most of people that we shared elevator with ask about Ms. A, "is that a boy or a girl?", "how old is she?", "oh she's so cute", "oh she's big for her age" and the comments will continue. Although, I'm a bit annoyed when people ask whether she's a girl or a boy when she's clearly wearing flower pink onesies.

Happy 4 Months

Time flies fast when you are having fun, I guess changing  nappies every 4 hours (give or take), broken sleep, sleep for 4 hours max, wake up at 3am, dealing with a catnapper, overtired, screaming and squealing baby is fun, right?

Ms. A is not a newborn anymore, she's more responsive now, she laughs, she smiles everytime she sees me which melts my heart, she "talks" back, she's more mobile, she grabs and hold things, and sometimes she sleeps through the night.

Happy 4 months my little possum, please stay healthy and happy for many months and years to come, and let the real fun begins.

Mummy and Daddy love you so much xoxo

Super Boobs Juice Has Super Power

One of the girl in my group share this and I just had to share it with the world.

Read the original article here

Other uses of breast milk

Want to use your extra frozen breast milk for something useful? Using breast milk can benefit your whole household!

We all know about the great benefits of breast milk for mom and baby and even the environment, but are there other uses of breast milk?

The answer is yes, breast milk can be used to actually cure a few ailments and even help heal certain diseases…it can be taken by baby, you or any other grown-ups for these purposes. 

Breast milk contains immunologic agents and other compounds that take action against viruses and parasites. 

Breast milk is sterile, anti-bacterial and can even help heal wounds and can help people heal faster after organ transplants and other surgeries.

The many alternative uses for breast milk discussed here…

Breast milk and its uses 

  

All of the below uses for breast milk or breast milk cures can be used for the whole family…

- Pink eye breast milk (eye infections). You can put a few drops of breast milk into baby’s eyes or any family members who are suffering from pink eye. The breast milk will keep the area clean and will initiate healing. You can do this as often as possible. 

- Eye puffiness or redness. Wonderful for removing puffiness and is used just as you would cows milk for the same purpose. Dab on with some cotton wool. 

- Opening a stuffy nose. Breast milk is natural and a great alternative to medications which might even make the situation worse. Just squirt a few drops into baby’s nose while he is lying down, then use a bulb to suction the excess out from his nose. 

Small Victories

It's been awhile since my last post, things happened here and there and caught me to stop posting for awhile until I have time to type with my 2 hands.

Yes, typing with my 2 hands is one of the things that I consider as a small victories in my new journey as a mother.

Why is that?

That means Ms. A is sleeping and she's not sleeping on me like she used to do in her early days. Don't get me wrong, I love the snuggles but things can be a bit tricky when your arms burn and you need to stretch it or you have this urge to go to the toilet. You try to move very little so it won't distract her precious sleep. Once, I tried to go to toilet with her on my chest sleeping, it was really tricky but it's doable and she opens her eyes and look at me like "what on earth are you doing woman?" lol, well a woman gotta do what a woman gotta do, no?

Don't judge me, I do whatever works for us.

The Day I Fall in Love

29 January 2012 is the day I fall in love with you, the day I welcome you to the world and the day I hold you for the first time in my life little Ms. A.


The journey begins when my water broke at 6.30am on 28 January 2012, we rushed to the hospital as told by midwife. She checked me and she said it's only 1cm dilated and sent me home, she gave us instruction that I should have some rest as labor can be anytime today but instead we went for a walk around the neigbourhood to speed things up. I got more contractions but still irregular so we had lunch and just chillin at the apartment.


At around 6pm the contraction become 3 minutes apart so we went back to hospital again in a hope that labor is happening, but the midwife said that it's only 2cm dilated so she sent me home again. I burst into tears because I wish to meet my little girl soon. I think the midwife felt sorry for me, she gave me medicine so I can sleep  and promise me that labor will be today. So off we go home again.

"Dear Non-Pregnant Person"

Dear Non-Pregnant Person, 

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice:

1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is 'Congratulations!' with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an a$$.

2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase 'my baby'.

3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in #2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.

4) The body of a pregnant women should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is 'You look fabulous!'.

Trip to Nah Island

Last weekend was our turn to take the boat out, after got confirmation from 3 other couples, we booked Francisco as the boat driver and prepare stuff to bring include food for the picnic and snorkling gear.

We decided to go to Nah island because it's not as far as Ant atoll but it has same sandy beach like Ant which is a rare treat in Pohnpei. Trip to Nah island took about 45 minutes to one hour by our boat because we have to go really slow in some shallow area especially during the low tide. Nah Island located inside the lagoon across from Nan Madol but since we're using big boat so we have to go outside the lagoon to reach it. I'm not too fancy going out the lagoon as the sea can be really choppy and rough, but this time it wasn't too bad and it's not too long so I'm fine.


The view on the way to Nah island

Nan Madol

50 reasons to be glad you're pregnant!

1. Relishing the early weeks when only you and your partner know your special secret.

2. Knowing you've got nine whole months to plan, dream and fantasise.

3. Throwing away your ovulation charts and testing kits and going back to having sex without a timetable.

4. Choosing maternity clothes - they've never been more practical or more sexy.

5. Now you've got the perfect excuse to pamper yourself - spending hours in a scented bath, enjoying a massage or rubbing soothing lotions into your growing bump.

6. You can join an antenatal class and find a whole new bunch of friends (and don't forget our BabyCenter birth clubs: another great way to meet people due at the same time as you).

7. For once in your life you need to get heavier - pregnancy is nature's way of making you feel good about putting on weight.

8. If this is your first baby, enjoy the next nine months sleeping late at weekends: you may not get many chances later on.

9. At last you've got the bosom you've always wanted, which means you also have...

10...a great excuse to buy lots of pretty new bras.

11. Now you have the good reason you have been looking for to take up yoga, meditation, healthy eating and deep breathing.

12. At last you'll have something more than potplants and cats to care for and nurture!

13. Suddenly you'll find you're getting lots of extra attention from parents, aunts and uncles, not to mention your partner.

14. You may find you develop a closer relationship with sisters, cousins or friends who are parents themselves. Congratulations, you've just won free admission to the parents' club!

15. Telling your mum, dad, sister, brother, aunt the good news and watching their faces light up.

16. New talents! Whether it's knitting bootees or assembling a flat-pack cot, you'll suddenly find yourself trying out all sorts of new skills.

17. Suddenly you'll feel a new appreciation for your own mother and all she went through having you.

18. Decorating the nursery: one of the most exciting things you'll ever do.

19. Feeling those first fluttering kicks and thinking, 'Is that what I think it is? Or is it just wind?'

20. Feeling OK for sending your partner out for chicken tikka masala followed by double-choc chip ice cream.

21. Your parents digging out your old cot or clothes, which they've kept safely all this time 'just in case'.

22. Going for healthy walks with your partner and getting fresh air in your lungs because it's good for you and good for your baby.

23. Enjoying the extra-vivid dreams you get in late pregnancy - and laughing about them with your friends.

24. Feeling a little pair of heels prodding under your diaphragm and knowing you'll soon be meeting the little person they belong to!

25. Choosing baby clothes - or just phoning round for all the catalogues, leafing through them and planning what you're going to buy.