Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Bujang Valley & Mount Jerai


It's our 4th anniversary but we were busy with Diwali preparations so we planned to make our short trip to SP for a wedding a memorable one by going up Mount Jerai. Both of us have never been up there and it is also our first trip together to Sungai Petani :).
The SP trip was planned for all our KL families to stay together and attend Sanjeev mama's wedding. So we stayed at Permaipura Homestay. I have to recommend this place as it is EXACTLY as mentioned and shown on their website. We enjoyed our stay there. The only minus point was that there were no water heater in the intermediate house , and in the corner house, only the master bedroom had water heater. Otherwise, it was superbly clean and green , green , green. Most of the lights in the Deluxe home worked with motion sensor.

Permaipura Homestay


It is in close distance to SP town and other amenities (by car, of course). We took this chance to visit two places in SP - Bujang Valley & Mount Jerai.


Bujang Valley

It is well maintained even without charging any entrance fee.

Some of the artefacts @ Bujang Valley
There are also few candi's (tomb temple's) , which we didnt visit due to scorching heat. We decided to wet our feets at the waterfall, which is also in the compounds of Bujang Valley Archaeological Site.




Mount Jerai

We were able to drive up Mount Jerai by ourselves, though there are some sharp bents and landslides which we need to be careful of. Once you reach the peak, you will be mesmerised by the beautiful scenery and chalets. It is also quite cooling at 12pm, so I guess it must be really cold at night. I am sure it is worth to stay a night here just to enjoy the misty path and cool breeze.









That was a memorable trip up Mount Jerai. We hope to put up a night there one day.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Breastfeeding : ABC's for Daddies


Your wife just gave birth to the most loveliest creature you have ever seen and she has decided to breastfeed. Now, you feel you are gonna lose out on spending time with both mum and baby. Fret not. You will not be left behind, or rather you should INVOLVE yourself. Here's a simple guide. Learn your ABC's.


Appreciate:
Appreciate your wife for deciding to breastfeed. It will take most of her time and it will be a challenge, but your appreciation will be a support for her. Tell her that you know the benefits of breastmilk for your child and make her feel appreciated. NOTE: Please see G for more info.

Bathtime:
You can always offer to bathe baby. This way, you get to spend sometime with baby and mommy gets to take some rest.

Cuddle:
Babies dont just drink milk all the time. They also want to be carried and cuddled. Daddy can do this too. Mommy can use this time to bath or rest.

Drink:
Always get mommy something to drink. Even plain water will do, but if you have the time you can mix a nice beverage for her. Fluids help with milk production. (also see F)

Embrace:
When mommy is feeding, embrace mommy and baby. Let them know you are always around to shower them with love.

Food:
Together with the drink, you can get her some snack - bread/biscuits. Even better if you can prepare her a meal.

Gifts: Gifts are always welcomed.

Help :
Thats a big word. Help with visitor's. Help with housework. Help with running errands. Help with buying all the necessary items that may be requested at odd times - breast pump / nipple shield etc.

Instinct:
At this point of time, trust your wife's instinct. She knows best for your child, as she is following her maternal instinct.

Joke:
You can always share a joke or two with your wife. It helps to keep her happy in order to produce milk well. Remember to keep her happy in any way possible. Dont let her tear. When she is happy she releases oxytocin in the body that helps with milk production.

Keep out unwanted useless pointless demotivating conversations about breastfeeding away from your wife! Keep such people far away from her as possible (ok that may sound terrible, but sometimes people just dont know when their advice is useless)

Lactation Consultant:
If your wife is finding difficulties with breastfeeding, you can always find a good lactation consultant and arrange an appointment to meet such a person who can help out.

Massage:
Massage mommy's back or feet whenever you have the time. It will be the most heavenly feeling after feeding the whole day. At the same time, you get to spend some time together.

Nappy :
Yes, daddy can always help to change the nappy / diaper. You get some time to bond with baby while mommy runs to get a quick shower.

Offer :
Always , always OFFER to help. There are many ladies who do everything by themselves without bothering to ask for help. If you offer, they will definitely accept. When mommy is breastfeeding, there is just so much of help that you can offer.

Pump:
You can always get the pump ready when it's needed and also wash it after use. Keep it dry and ready for use again. Now, that's a HUGE help.

Queen:
At all times, make your wife feel like a queen. During the initial stages of breastfeeding, she goes through so much of challenges that a daddy might not understand. Sometimes, they feel so low of themselves. So you need to reassure that she is doing well and is always the queen of your heart and the home.

Read:
Read more on breastfeeding. Understand why your wife is taking so much of effort in breastfeeding. Share interesting facts on breastfeeding with your wife.

Sing:
Sing to baby. Babies would have listened to your voice often when in the womb. Naturally, when they are out, your voice soothes them and they fall to sleep easily.

Take care of other children at home. Make sure elder ones get attention, meals and sleep as they always do. Let them play with baby too. Let them understand that new baby is not going to change your love for them.

Unstress the stressed (OK, I know that's not a proper word, but its my blog, so I dont care) Post delivery and breastfeeding can stress a mother. Do your best to keep her stress free.

Vanity:
In the beginning stages of breastfeeding, mother's tend to forget about themselves. You can always keep her pretty. After their bath you can get her talcum, comb, scrunchie , clothes , etc ready. Tell her she looks awesome as always even though she is not looking her best. She will be back to her hot gorgeous self after she gets a hang of breastfeeding. You just need to keep her spirit alive when she is struggling at the beginning stages of breastfeeding.

Wear :
When you go out, always offer to wear your baby. If you have a toddler, then you can take turns managing them.

Xcite:
Get your wife excited! Enough said.

Yours :
Please remember, baby is yours too and you too have the right to promote whats BEST for baby. You have the right to say no to formula for the first few months of babies life, if possible till baby is 1 and older.

Hubby dearest, I am only able to pen this down because you showed me that there is SO MUCH a man can do to help a breastfeeding mom. Thank you darling, for being there throughout this journey. Love ya loadsss.
Zzzzz :
You can always offer to lull baby to sleep or offer to take care of baby a while so that mommy gets some sleep.


" A HEALTHY baby is a product of a HAPPY mommy taken care with lots of love by HEROIC HANDS-ON HELPFUL daddy" - VIMLY -


Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Breastfeeding : Getting past the initial stage


These days many moms want to fully breastfeed their child, but they give up within the first one or two months. For a successful breastfeeding journey, you have to have a STRONG mind and push through AT LEAST for the first 3 MONTHS. If you can sustain for 3 months, the rest of your breastfeeding journey is nothing but sheer pleasure.

There a lot of medical help and online info on breastfeeding, but nothing like first hand info given by people who experience it themselves. I want to share my easy tips and I hope many mommies will gain good info and be determined to pull through this journey.

Anyway, I am a SAHM, so its not fair to say that I am working hard like the breastfeeding FTWMs, but still,  what I want to share are super simple rules to push you through this journey, or at least for the first 3 months, after that, its a natural process, you don't need any help anymore.



Before I begin, let me tell you that THE GOLDEN RULE TO SUCCESSFUL BREASTFEEDING IS TO KEEP FEEDING. I'll remind you again, its only difficult in the first 3 or 4 months. Babies may cry every half hour or every hour but this situation will only last for 3 or 4 months. After that, you need not worry about anything and you will realize that handling a breastfed baby is much much more easier than a bottle fed baby.

 Below are some reasons as to why mothers give up on breastfeeding and also some tips on how to overcome each issue (apart from the golden rule).

Problem 1- Low Milk Production (if u think so)

Tips:
a) FLUID
Drink LOTS of water. If possible, have Milo/Horlicks/milk in between. Soups are also beneficial especially during confinement. But if you are alone at home and no one to help to prepare soup or other beverage, just plain water, loads of it is good enough to produce milk.
b) FEED FREQUENTLY
Continue to feed frequently. Feed for longer periods. If baby sleeps, wake her up to feed. Make sure baby is fed every 2 hours once. If baby sleeps and you feed less, your milk production automatically decreases.
c) EMPTY breasts after each feed
After each feed, empty your breasts. Even if you get only 1oz, dont worry, this is only to trick your body that it needs to produce more milk You may even pump first before each feed, whichever way suits you better.
d) OXYTOCIN
Whenever oxytocin is released in the body, it stimulates milk production. You can get oxytocin released by eating your favourite food, eating chocolate, sex, just about anything that makes you happy. Try and see , you will notice the difference.
e)  HERBS (Optional)
Mom's who think they have low supply can take herbs that can increase milk production like fenugreek, fennel seeds, blessed thistle, mothers milk tea etc. I took Fenugreek - non capsule form, so its safe. My mom grinds the fenugreek seeds and keeps them in a tupperware. I take one tea spoon 3 times a day. Of course, its bitter, so I just gulp it down with water. It works for me, so others  can try too.

Problem 2- Unsettled Baby

Tips
a) Hunger
Breast milk digests fast, so babies cry more often than formula fed babies. They CERTAINLY, DEFINITELY dont sleep for a good 2 hours in the first few weeks of their life. ITS PERFECTLY NORMAL if your baby cries every 30 minutes of feeding. There is only one solution - keep feeding.
b) Comfort
Sometimes they just want comfort. You can continue to latch, as they just want the comfort of suckling at mommies boobies. :) Latch them often in the beginning stages to produce more milk. There are some mommies who have fed direct for 7 hours without rest - this is NORMAL. This is JUST A PHASE. It will pass, put your heart and mind into it and push your way through.
c) Reaction to Caffein etc
Some babies could react to some food that you take. Keep a diary to jot down if baby cries after taking a certain food and try to minimize the intake. It may solve your problem.
(Of course there are many other reasons for baby crying like needs diaper change etc, but I am only discussing those related to breastfeeding here)

Problem 3- Latching

Tips:
Some mommies face latching problems. You can read more on latching guidelines off the net. Some simple things to watch to ensure proper latch on.
- Baby opens mouth widely with lips outward
- Baby takes in a lot of the areola and not only the nipples
- Can hear baby gulping down milk (in the beginning maybe after 5 -10 sucks, but as baby grows this becomes more frequent and loud)

TIP: Whatever problems you face, KEEP TRYING. If you still fail, GET PROFESSIONAL HELP.

Problem 4- Engorgement/blocked duct/ mastitis

Tips:
Engorgement - Here's a simple trick: Pour hot water into a small bottle. Wrap it with a towel (as the water's hot). Roll it over your breasts. Put some pressure on it. Milk will be leaking once you do this.You can then pump or feed baby directly.


Cracked Nipples - Leave few drops of milk to dry on the nipples after each feed (as long as no thrush allergies). Make sure baby latches on properly to reduce pain.


Blocked Duct - check babies latching
                        - breastfeed frequently
                        - massage, warm compress

Mastitis(Inflamation of breast glands) - take good rest
                                                           - feed frequently
                                                           - hot bath , warm compress

Problem 5 - Pumping 

Tips:
- Normally, we dont produce much milk in the first few days of babies life; some even after a week. Milk kicks in only after 5 - 10 days of delivery. Yet, pumping will not yield much, until 3 months. So, please, please, please dont give up when you see the amount you pump. (Note: Some mommies are able to Exclusively Pump even from day 1. As our bodies are different, not everyone will be able to do this)
- Pumping after every feed will produce more milk. Even if you only get 1oz per session, after 10 sessions a day, you will be able to stock 10oz of milk. This can be kept in the freezer for emergency use. (Breastmilk lasts for 6 hours in room temperature, 6 days in the fridge and 6 months in deep freezer.)
- No pump in the world can compare to baby's sucking. Baby will be able to drain out as much milk he/she needs. So, in the beginning allow your baby to latch directly to produce more milk. You can pump in between to empty your breasts (as advised above).
- Late Night /Early morning pumping yields more milk. Feeding on side and pumping on the other also yields more milk and saves time.
-If you are pumping in between feeds, pump for 20 minutes at each breast. Usually after about 5 or 10 minutes, you MAY think there is no more milk. BUT, DONT STOP. Give another 2-3 minutes as this may trigger  the hormone prolactin and you will see milk flowing again.

Problem 6- Intro of Pacifiers/bottles/water/dummy/formula

Tips:
Pacifiers/dummy/bottles
Do not introduce pacifiers or bottles too early.
Water / formula
Whenever baby sucks at anything else for comfort, you will lose the time baby is at the breast. This leads to the brain telling your body no need to produce more milk. Same applies to formula or even water (of course, there are other reasons as to why you shouldn't intro water, but now I am only discussing about increasing milk supply). If baby is fed with water, then he gets a feeling of a filled stomach and will not cry for milk, thus creating a false info to the brain to reduce milk production.
Do not top up with formula as this will make baby feed lesser on your breasts and reduces your supply. Just keep feeding. Of course when a baby is crying, it can suck on anything, so if you give formula, he will finish up the whole bottle - this does not mean he is hungry. This will only make his stomach and appetite bigger and cry more the next time he is on your breasts.

Problem 7- Nipple abnormalities

Tips:
Some have flat or inverted nipples, but this is not a reason to stop breastfeeding or to give up. This is one reason why you need to continue to breastfeed. Just keep doing and you will learn that your baby is adaptive and can feed even if you THINK your nipples are not normal. You may try using nipple shields in the beginning, but let your baby to latch directly too. Trust yourself and your baby, you WILL SUCCEED.

Problem 8- Not getting enough REST / STRESS

Tips:
Have proper rest. I know it is not easy during the initial stages, but if you have gone through a tough day. Just  ask daddy to care of baby a while. Take a good hot bath, mix a nice hot cup of your favorite beverage, have some soothing music and start feeding again. Keep a positive mind and relax during feeds. Trust me, it makes a difference.

Problem 9- Negative Comments

Tips:
Be prepared to hear people saying "baby crying, maybe not enough of milk", "baby fever, because mom has fever and feeding 'feverish' milk.", "baby too thin, MUST top up with formula". Just TURN A DEAF EAR to all this nonsense. Some oldies have their own theories because they did not have enough info during their time, so they thought formula is a good supplement to mom's milk. Now we have so much of info, we know we just need to continue breastfeeding. Its the most easiest solution for all breastfeeding difficulties. After initial stages of 3 months, when baby doesn't always cry and you are still breastfeeding, all this negative comments will stop. As they can see with their own eyes that THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS NOT ENOUGH MILK and THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MOM's MILK NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Problem 10 - No Info

Tips:
Last but not least, a lot of moms give up on breastfeeding because of less info.
- Read breastfeeding books / online
- talk to people who have successfully breastfed
- join breastfeeding groups - lots of info are shared here
- PAEDs or medical professionals can help relief you of breastfeeding pains but NOT ALL have complete info on breastfeeding, as they may have only learned it theoretically. First hand info from successful breastfeeding mommies are more reliable to support you. Lactation consultants are also a reliable support.





Again, I am stressing on the GOLDEN RULE : KEEP FEEDING. DIRECT LATCH YOUR BABY ALL THE WAY TO SUCCESS. 

GOOD LUCK


Taking this opportunity to thank my hubby and my parents who went all out to support me during my confinement in Banting. Actually, thanks is just not enough. 

Breastfeeding : 3 Simple Steps


Baby needs to feed on demand - usually every 1 to 3 hours. Every baby is different, so is their feeding patterns. Some babies may even cry every 20 minutes for feeds. Please  remember that this is JUST A PHASE. Easier times will come, just be patient. Now take a deep breath and follow the simple step below.


1 - Latch On correctly
Breastfeeding should NOT be painful for mommy or frustrating for baby. Here is how it should be done:
- Brush baby's lips on nipple until he open his mouth
- Allow him to take in as much of the areola as possible into his mouth
- Jaw movement and gulping sound ensures proper latch on
- Baby will stop when satisfied. If need to break suction, insert the tip of your little finger into the corner of baby's mouth.

2- Comfortable position
Have a certain area of your house or room for breastfeeding. Have it propped in the position that suits you best. You can have books or music to keep you relaxed. Or you can just use that time to bond with baby.
There are few positions that you can try:

Image Owner: unknown. Righful owner, pls inform.

3- Switch Breasts
Babies may fall asleep after feeding on one breasts, but its best to offer both breasts at one feeding. Feed on first side until he stops suckling. Remove, burp him and continue on next side until he is full. Begin the next feed with the heavier breast.

Burp baby after each feed. If he does not burp after 30 seconds, then he may not need to be burped. Most breastfed babies do not need burping.

Hope this will help you with your breastfeeding journey. Good Luck.

Breastfeeding: Baby's First Food


Research proves that babies who are exclusively breastfed for the first six months grow well and healthy.
Breastmilk protects babies from bacteria and viruses that they come in contact with during theirs fist few months of life.

Colostrum
 Colostrum is the liquid that is produced before the real milk. Colostrum is thick, sticky, and clear to yellowish in colour. It contributes to the babies health that no artificial formula can.

- It contains more protein and vitamin A than mature breastmilk
- It is a laxative, to help baby pass meconium. This can help prevent jaundice.
- It is bay's first immunization against many bacteria and viruses


Mature breastmilk
 Mature milk kicks in 3 or 4 days after birth. It is greater in volume and appear thinner and lighter in colour, compared to colostrum. Breastmilk has the perfect blend of nutrients to meet every baby's nutritional needs.



Benefits of Breastfeeding


Image: owner unknown. Rightful owner , if u see this, please  inform

What happens to babies who did not get ANY Breastmilk (BM) at all?

1. Formula Milk (FM) babies are 2X more likely to die from ANY cause in the first 6 months of life.
2. FM babies are 2-5 times more likely to die from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
3. FM babies 5X more like to suffer from gastroenteritis.
4. FM babies suffer more from diarrhea compared to BM babies
5. FM babies are 6-10 times more likely to suffer from intestinal infection
6. FM babies 2X more likely to suffer from type 1 diabetes

Later in life, FM babies are more prone to chronic diseases compared to BM babies.
Source: www.theecologist.org

Breastfeeding: How it works


The simplest explanation in my own words. Hope it helps. :)

Milk Glands - make milk. Then milk travels through this glands to milk ducts. These milk ducts then widens into several milk sinuses. Through this milk sinuses, milk will come out to many openings at the nipples.
Baby's sucking sends message to the pituitary gland to secrete prolactin. Prolactin surges stimulates milk production. Continued sucking also releases hormone oxytocin. This hormone sends out  large amount of milk at once. This is called Milk Ejection Reflux (MER). The system works the same with pump stimulation. You can see milk squirting in all directions when you pump.

IMPORTANT: It is usually the time in between the first few sucks (till milk decreases to few drops) and the continued sucking to secrete prolactin, where baby fidgets (or pump shows no more milk). Usually this is when everyone ASSUMES all kinds of things (less milk/no milk etc) and give up on breastfeeding. You just need to continue for another 2-3 minutes to trigger prolactin and to see milk flowing again and baby will suck properly again.


                       
Another tip: Keep feeding every 2 hours. For some, you may need to feed every 30 minutes in the beginning. Just keep going on, things will get easier. You and baby can learn a lot with frequent feeding.
The more milk you remove from your breasts, the more it will produce.
Option: You may empty your breasts after each feed via pump or even pump before your feed. When you tell your body that your baby's demand is high, your body produces enough supply to fulfill it.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Naadi Astrology - Real or Reel?



Naadi Astrology or Naadi Jothidam is a form of  astrology where it is belived that everything that happens in each individuals lifetime have already been predicted  many years ago and is written on palm leaves by the sages.

One place in Tamil Nadu which is famous for palm leaf readings is the Vaitheeswaran Temple. I have never been there nor experienced any palm leaf reading myself, so by right, I should not be writing about this. Anyway, its just my opinion based on others experience. 

Based on others experience, I gather that the naadi readers MAYBE trained/experienced cold readers. What is a cold reader? A cold reader is a person who guesses information about someone by analysing his body language, dressing, manner of speech etc. Just by this simple analysis, a cold reader can guess a person,s background, way of life, race, etnicity, level of education, occupation etc.  

A naadi reader also asks questions which you will need to answer with yes or no. They may start by giving a series of alphabets and ask wether your name starts with any of this alphabet. Then they switch to a differrent question - maybe about your siblings and then they return to asking about the letters in your name. MAYBE its a form of distraction to you and you dont realise that he is trying to get the information right out of your own mouth. 

Next, from others experience, I also gathered that most of the info that were given (which were obtained from you) which has already happened seemed to be correct, whereas your future information is something that you cannot vouch for and you just have to wait for it to happen to be sure. For some, the future predictions are not all true and for some future predictions were just vague that they are not sure whether that was what was predicted. My question is this - None of my friends who saw this naadi astrology was told the name of their future spouse. If they can predict future accurately and also name people you know, why they cant get the name of future spouse? (Unless of course you have someone's name in your mind and they sort of guess that out of you)

Based on someone's experience, (well, this someone was dishonest to the palm readers), he found that palm readers just guesses names from your answers. This guy, lets name him Babu, created some names and prepared a mock life story for them. He created 5 different characters, wrote them down and went to 5 different astrologers, pretending to be each of those characters. The reason behind writing it down is so that he would be able to answer the yes no questions when asked. 
For example, he created a Ragu with wife Shanti with 2 siblings and so on. When he gave his thumbprint to palm reader A, palm reader A managed to guess the name Ragu, wife Shanti and all details correctly.   (But of course, the palm didnt say that this man is actually Babu.)
When he went to palm reader B and pretended to be Sashi married to Laxmi, palm reader B also manages to give correct info. All the 5 palm readers were able to give correct info as per his creations., but none told that he was Babu and reveal his REAL life. This only proves that the thumbprint serves no purpose in finding the palm leaf of an individual. Secondly, the are not reading your name off the palm leaf, but guessing it from your given answers.

There... I said it, this is my OPINION. if you believe that the palm readers are giving your name based on the palm leaves that are derived from your thumb prints, and later reading out your whole life story from it, so be it. You are a believer, everyone else need not be.
    
    
    

Friday, August 31, 2012

Journey of a pilgrim (ii) - by Nethianathan Krishna Kutty


                Its me again, writing about my temple tour. First, we went to Tirupathy to get Lord Balaji's dharshan. As I have already elaborated on this in my last post, this will be a short one.This time we went up by car. As it was Full Moon, the place was packed and it was closed by the time we reached. So, we put up a night there and went up again in the morning. Again, got a good dharshan and we set off to visit other temples.



We went to Thiruvanamalai and visited Arunachaleswara Temple. Thiruvanamalai is actually the name of a mountain which sits right in the middle on the town. The mountain is surrounded with different type of  Lingams all around it. They have a special ritual going asround the mountain - its called 'Girivalam'. We were 2 days short to participant in the event.



                 Then we went to Veloor Golden temple again, but this time at night. It is more beautiful at night. Unfortunately cannot take pictures here. Even from a far you cant see the temple. I have also mentioned about this temple in the last post, so skipping this.
                  Next up, we went to the famous Chitambaram temple. It is said that this is one of the very few temples where Sivan and Vishnu reside together. In this temple, Sivan is captured as Nataraja performing "Ananda Thandavam" (Dance of Delight). This temple offers three aspects of Shiva worship - form,semi form and the formless. Form is Nataraja, semi form is the Linga and there is also the formless omnipresence.



                  Then we went to Vaithisvaren Temple. This temple is famous for palm leaf reading.

First, they take the thumbprint and place of origin. Then we are told to wait until we are called. Each of us are put in different booths. I was asked indirect questions and was told to answer yes or no. They usually ask for first letter of name, then goes of to a different question and asks for the last letter of the name, goes to another question and then asks whether name is one word or two words and so on. In the, end he gave all my family members names correctly. Then he reads my future predictions which I will only know when the time comes.

Thats all on temple tours, after that we went shopping and sighseeing around Chennai.

   
   
     No, I was not harmed in any way by my wife to make this post - Nethianathan Krishna Kutty -

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Another June baby in the family

My due date was 30 June 2012, but my daughter decided to come out earlier. Even I was sure she will be out during week (10 June - 14 June ). Chronology of event:

9 June 2012 - Went for weekly check up. Doc said I was 2cm dilated and also told us that she can rupture the membrane and I can deliver today. Me and hubby did not want to do it as we could still wait. We intuitively thought that it will happen this week anyway. Then I found out that its normal to be dilated for 2 cm   after first delivery. I may have even been dilated for some time already.

10 June 2012 - I still felt normal, no contraction pain. Felt a little tired though.

11 June 2012 - I went about with normal activities, drove to town, etc. Later at night I started having very slight pain for every hour, but I just dismissed the thought that it was contraction pain.

12 June 2012 - There were slight pains now and then during the day, but nothing severe.

13 June 2012

12 am - 2am : The slight pain became a little more intense but still very much bearable so we were still confused whether it is contraction. The pain could be felt every 20 mins for about a second or two. After 2am we decided to go to the hospital. Me, hubby, my mom and Aarsyan left from Banting.

3am - Nurse put me on CTG scan. There were contraction pain and I was dilated to 3cms. I was admitted.

6am - I was on the bed, comfortable and dozed off to sleep. Hubby accompanied me.

8am - Doc came in. I was already 5cm dilated. Water bag broken and taken to labour room. Still my contraction was bearable. Hubby with me all the way keeping me very comfortable.

10am - The pain started to be a little intense. 15mins later the pain was for every 2 or 3 minutes and lasted for about 2 or 3 seconds. Before I knew it I was ready to push and before I could push the 3rd time...
Uwahhhhh..... she was out at 10.27am. At 2.55kgs, she was so tiny. It was such a joy when they placed her on me.

So, now we have 3 generations in our family with birthdates 3 days apart.
My daughter : 13 June
me : 16 June
my mom : 19 June
(To add to the list, my hubby's brother's birthdate is 10 june ;))

Our precious girl looked exactly like my first one. We named her Deleeina Kutty. Deleeina means pretty; Kutty is her surname.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Kinta Riverfront & Camerons... 10 days before delivery

I dont write about hotels or hotel reviews, but Hotel Kinta Riverfront saved me from travelling KL-Cameron-KL in a day. Since I was 9 months pregnant, the travel will surely tire me but we badly wanted to go up Camerons before I deliver. We had no choice but to go on that week itself, (which is a school holiday), because the week after that, I may be in the labor room. As 2nd June was school holidays (plus Agong's birthday), all hotels in CH was FULLY booked. Not a single room available.

So, the next best thing was to find hotels nearby (Tapah / Simpang Pulai/ Gopeng/ Ipoh). There were all fully booked too! After few days of trying my luck, I found Kinta Riverfront and  just booked blindly. That was just one day before travel. Thankfully we got a place to stay and kept my fingers crossed that it should be "stay able". I was too afraid to check online - what if it was dodgy and that will deter me from going for the trip, so I just hoped that it will all be fine and went on with our plans.

Travelling during school holidays is the worst thing you can do, but we had no choice. The drive up north on the highway was terrible. Cars were not moving, so we used the trunk road which was clear. As we reached Ipoh and approached the hotel, it looked ok.



The Riverfront looked like "Longkang" Front (pic below), but thats OK. After all we just needed a place to sleep tonight  after going up to CH and back down to Ipoh.



For such a last minute booking and limited (more like NO) options , the room was fantastic. First of all, the hotel is brand new only 6 months old, so everything in the room was new and clean. Nice long bath and rain shower and touch screen for all switches.

See through bath ?


Saturday Evening

We checked in and got ready to go up CH via Simpang Pulai. This is the first time I went on this road up to CH and I preferred it compared to the Tapah Road. This road is wider and much safer. As it was school holidays and after 6pm, the jam to the night market at Brinchang was terrible. Just 3km before the night market, cars were not moving and it took about 2.5 hours to reach the market from there. Well, we had no choice, so we just enjoyed the cool breeze while stuck in the jam.
After the night market, we left CH at 10.30 pm, and the journey coming down was no hassle as it was clear. We were in Ipoh within an hours time via Simpang Pulai.

Sunday

After the tiring journey last night, we needed to have good breakfast, and the hotel had a good variety of food. I could sit there eating for 2 hours. Next, we hit the swimming pool and Aarsyan enjoyed his time there. The swimming pool has see through glass... not something I expected in a hotel in Ipoh.


We left to KL with a happy heart. Nice needed vacation for a very pregnant mother. Thanks to the 2 handsome men in my life.

Goodbye to my Twenties - UPDATED (Again)

It took me awhile to post this...coz its kraaaazy to think that I am 30 now....Well, the time has come to say goodbye to my twenties. I became 30 on 16 June 2011. Lets see what I have accomplished in the last decade (2001 - 2011).


Graduated from Uni- 2003
 met my hubby - 2003
Fell truely, madly, deeply in LOVE with each other - Nov 2003 


Started my first job - 2003
Real Estate - 2005
Second job - 2006
Third job -  2007


Found the PERFECT, MOST FLEXI workplace - 2008
Marriage confirmed - 2008
(that's 5 years from 2003 - as family may not agree for marriage, we actually let fate decide in 2004-2006 and let some open "options" - thank god, fate was on our side and we had to disappoint those"options" - to those affected "options", it was not our fault, blame it all on fate ;P)
Own home -  2008

Enjoying Marriage life-Married to Nethianathan Krishna Kutty on 10 Nov 2008
Enjoyed first pregnancy - (Feb 2009 - Nov 2009)
Enjoying Motherhood - Dev Aarsyan Kutty born on 16 Nov 2009
Continuing to enjoy motherhood - Deleeina Kutty born on 13 June 2012

First Car : BHB 8332(Wira A/B S.E Chilli Red) - Feb 2004-Feb 2009
Second Car: WSG 9979 (BuMbleWeeee - Thanks to hubby) - Feb 2009

Secret Excapades@Cuti cuti Malaysia (Cameron's, Genting, Tioman, Bukit Tambun,)
Our Travels:
Phuket, Thailand - 2008
Bali, Indonesia - 2009
Hatyai, Thailand - 2010 
London, England - 2010
Paris, France - 2010
Rome, Italy - 2010
Kerala, India 2011
This list will continue to grow with me....I want to travel even at 70(If I am still alive... hehe).

These are just little things that have happened in the last decade, but the next accomplishment will surely be the best:

JENG*JENG*JENG
To be continued.....

Continuation (dated 31 Dec 2011) : I have left the Solution Delivery Resourcing Manager role at BAT GSD to be a full time housemummy in 2012. I AM SO HAPPY  - Thanks again to my dearest darling hubby.

Updated Again - I never thought I would be updating this again, but I have yet another accomplishment, my second child was born just days before I ended my 30th year on 16 June 2012. This will be my last update here. I am done with deliveries, my focus will now be my family. I LOVE it just the way it is!!!

Thursday, May 31, 2012

10 things to love & hate about pregnancy

5 loves

  Sleep I can sleep at any time of the day with ease. This 9 months is the time when everyone will tell u to take a nap the moment u look tired.
  Dancing tummy I love the funny feeling everytime baby moves. Its such a miraculous feeling that there is a little human moving inside you. Sometimes there are sharp points jutting out that me n hubby try to figure out whether its the heel or elbow. :)
  Food I don't get cravings but I stuff myself with all the dairy products ... Cheese, yogurt, chocolate etc all my favourite... Yummy
  Shopping Exciting to shop for newborn :)oh well its always exciting to shop.
  Extra pamper I know (n am grateful) that I am pampered even when not pregnant. During pregnancy and confinement it's double pamper ... Hehe thanks to my loved ones.

  5 hates :

  Maternity wear They look horrible on me. I seem to be swimming in them. Can't wait to get back to clothes of my size and missing my stilettos.
  Forgetfulness I seem to be forgetting everything alot !
  Tiredness It doesn't help when you have a toddler running around.
  No Vacation I know some ppl still travel during pregnancy, but I don't enjoy it, so no vacations for a year. :(
  Delivery The thoughts of it will start to haunt when you are ready to pop.


 And after all the hard work, its time to get totally pampered by hubby n parents during confinement. I only eat,drink, sleep, with baby feedings in between. Other than feeding, baby is totally taken care by both my mum n hubby. :-) Such a spoilt mom I am...

Monday, April 30, 2012

KK Family Day 2012


This year we had our gathering in the HOT heritage town, Malacca. We managed to get a nice bungalow with 6 rooms and well furnished. The only minus point - the house was dusty. Other than that, nothing much to complain about. All credit goes to Achi Boy for finding this place. For more details can check out http://rosevillahomestay.wordpress.com/about/photo-gallery/



Day 1

Check in at 12 then lepak till 8pm. Makan, lepas tu keluar jalan jalan. Some pictures of Malacca town at night:




Day 2

Its been scorching hot for weeks, but the day we plan to splash in AFamosa Resort, it had to RAIN!. so, we just lazed around hoping for the rain to stop. At about 11am, we were all ready and rain had stopped, but we decided to go to a nearer water park at Ayer Keroh which was only 20 mins from Rose Villa.

Singgah makan dulu...@ Subaidah Ayer Keroh








We spent the whole day splashing in the water. Some pics of the water park:







Then at night, we ordered fast food and MIL celebrated her b'day.



Day 3

We checked out at 12pm and went to Malacca town before leaving back home.





-THE END -






Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Saree Blouse: Super Simple

  There are times when my blouse designs get rejected at the tailor shop due to my last minute request... so I have to draw a simpler design on the spot. These are the blouses in those category which are not my favorites but of course they were much cheaper than my other designs. Anyway, they are super simple designs to try.


Least favorable:


Out of the simple ones that I have, i like these two:



This is one design which i dislike the most as its the most common design around - the X back. 



Thats all, folks...

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Say NO to antibiotics.... for common cold/cough/flu

I am no medical expert, but this is one thing that I always believed in: The common cold/cough/flu will be gone within a week even without medication. So, I thought of getting facts to prove my little theory.

This is what I have gathered from reading materials and since I am no doctor, I would NOT be able to answer your questions or any arguments, so please just read it quietly.


Common Cold
          The common cold is a viral infectious disease, which usually resolves within 7 to 10 days. When the virus first infects the nose, the nose makes clear mucus to help wash germs from the nose. After 2 or 3 days, the bodies immune system helps to fight the virus, changing the mucus to a yellow or green colour. This is normal and does not mean you or your child needs antibiotics. Many people fail to realise that their antibody can do a very good job at taking care of the flu. Some people resort to antibiotics instead.

Antibiotics 
         An antibiotic is a substance or compound that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria. Again, Bacteria and not VIRUS. Antibiotic dont work on common cold as it is caused by virus. In fact, they may do more harm than good if taken to cure common cold. Antibiotics are needed to treat infections caused by bacteria. For example, bronchitis, pneumonia, strep throat and bacterial ear infection or pink eye.

Antibiotic Resistance 
        Antibiotic resistance is when a microorganism is able to survive exposure to antibiotic. When bacteria are repeatedly exposed to antibiotics, for example when taken to treat common cold, the germs in your body changes and this may allow them to completely repel the antibiotic. Antibiotic kills or inhibit growth of bacteria. Sometimes, one of the bacteria survives because it has the ability to neutralize or escape the effect of the antibiotic; that one bacterium can then multiply and replace all the bacteria that were killed off. Exposure to antibiotics therefore provides selective pressure, which makes the surviving bacteria more likely to be resistant. When this happens, your sickness will prolong and you may not seem to get any better. Then you will need stronger medication. Sadly, due to antibiotic resistance, antibiotic such as penicilin and erythromycin have become less effective. 

In some countries, even the sale of over the counter medicines for cough and cold are banned as it is not supposed to be used for children under the age of 6. 


Alternative Treatments
Alternative treatments are safe for most people. However it may cause allergic reactions or side effects to some people. Here are some example's of alternative treatments:

  • Chicken Soup - The heat, fluid and salt is beleived to be able to treat flu.
  • Vitamin C - This is more of a prevention than cure. If you have been taking vitamin c, it is believed that you will have a slightly shorter cold.
  • Oregano - This is a herb that is usually used to treat colds especially for children. It is believed to help children to take out phlegm. 

 Finally, just remember this - There are currently NO MEDICATION to shorten the duration of common cold.It gets better within 10 days. Only if it prolongs further, then doctor may prescribe antibiotics.
Viral infections that should not be treated with antibiotics include:
·             Colds
·             Flu
·             Most coughs and bronchitis
·             Sore throats (except for those resulting from strep throat)
·             Some ear infections