Nangelam Maaritom (Translation : We have changed) from Capatti's to Curries

Change from Capatti's to Curries

"Nangelam Maaritom" was a famous indian curry ad. Last time only one Curry Powder brand was known in the market and everyone was only using that curry powder. People didnt bother to try any new ones because they were just used to the old one and even if it doesnt taste good anymore, there are people who still REFUSE TO CHANGE. So, the ad was to show that people have now accepted another brand and have moved on, and now its your turn to do so.

 If you have believed in only one brand in your whole life, but you notice that the quality of that brand is deteriorating, dont you think you should AT LEAST TRY A DIFFERENT BRAND? If you choose to change, it will do two GOOD things :

1. You get to know whether the other brand is good enough or not. At least you have given them a chance to prove themselves.

2. You are also doing something good for your "so called favorite brand". They will realise that their fans are moving away and will improve their quality.

At the end of the day you get two competitive brands to choose from, rather than simply receiving crap from one just because you are ignorant and stubborn and not giving someone a chance.

If you have given BRAND B many chances, again and again and again, what's the harm in giving BRAND P ONE chance , this time? INI CURRY LAH !!!

P/S : Seriously, I was only talking about curry powders. :P

Cool ways to stay cool

Its boiling hot in Malaysia right now. I have some cool ways to cool off, in no particular order. These are other ways than switching on the air conditioner at your home for 24-7 until the weather becomes better.



1. Take a dip
MY Favorite. These days almost everyone have portable pools at home. Just jump in it and have a splashing family time. Other options are community pools, rives, beach, lake anywhere... just take a dip!

2.Dress less
Wear as little as possible (Fashion kills, please hide your boots and leather jackets for sometime). Wear loose cotton clothes. Time to bring out your skirts n mini dresses.

3. Hydrate yourself
Drink plenty of water. Nothing beats this. Or you could try lime juice with a pinch of salt instead of sugar. Time for some ice cream too.

4.Open Windows.
 In the morning (before it gets hot), leave the windows open for cool air to come in.As it gets warmer close the windows. You can also cover your pillow and bedsheets with a comforter during the day and take away the comforter when u want to sleep (if you are lazy to do idea No.10)

5. Wet Tshirt
Grab a cotton shirt, run it under cool water, wring it and wear it. Its super cooling to do this and it dries up before u know it. If you dont like the thought of having a wet shirt on you, you could just wet a towel and place it around your neck. Keep repeating as it dries. Go on, try it. It will make you forget the heat.

6.Shopping malls (well, at least u are not using your aircond)
If you are not in the office, and want to save on electricity bill, run to the nearest shopping mall. Although u only intend to window shop, you may end up with a hole in your pocket... hehehe

7.Misty Breeze
Fill some bottles with water. Store them in the freezer. Place them in front of table fan. You can place them in a cup or bowl to catch dripping water. As the ice melts it gives you cool air. Other options are to get those fans which also sprays water. There are also portable ones that you can carry around with you.

8. Home facial
Some swear by it. Slice some chilled cucumbers or tomatoes and place them on your face. Lie down and relax your self. Sip some cucumber or tomato juice while doing this.Alternatively, you could refrigerate your face products (masks, toner, cream). Oh so cooling to use.

9. Sleep on the floor.
For those who can, try sleeping on the floor in the afternoon. Its very cooling and you can sleep well.

10. Cool sheets for a nice cool dream
Keep your pillow cases, bedsheets in a plastic bag and keep them in the freezer. Take them out to use just before sleeping. Good Night. Cool dreams.

Laidback Leisure & Lotsa Love @ Langkawi

We have been to Langkawi before and have visited the main attractions there - Cable Car, Island Hopping, Wildlife Park, Eagle square, Under Water World etc. I have blogged about it here : http://vodkavidvimly.blogspot.com/2011/02/langkawi.html

This time we wanted to just chill out and spend time with the kids with no itinerary to follow. So we got ourselves a room on the beach and chilled out.

Beachfront on Cenang Beach

I dont like writing reviews for hotels unless its an unknown, non-luxurious hotel, which can be useful for people who are looking for info. This review will be useful for those who are looking for a beachfront hotel @ Cenang itself . Most of the beachfront accommodation on Cenang are motels, which will only suit backpackers. This is a hotel with basic amenities, minus the frills. I mean, if you are an outdoor person, who is not gonna spend much time at hotel, then read on. Those who prefer to be pampered at the hotel, can check the 2 luxury hotels on Cenang beach.

OK back to the room.
If you would be satisfied with a room that opens up to the Beach, with spacious Bed and a long Bath to soak yourself in, then this is a perfect accommodation.

Note: All beachfronts @ Cenang are always fully booked. Book at least 2 months earlier. For this particular hotel, if you dont get the Sea View, dont bother with other rooms. Its not worth it, better check other hotels (http://vodkavidvimly.blogspot.com/p/travel.html). You can try Malibest Tree Top Chalet by Baron, but no babies/toddlers allowed.

Cenang during the day

Sun, Sea , Sand, Sunset , swaying coconut trees, sound of waves & swish- swosh of sand with squeals of kids splashing in the water

Cenang @  night (Advantages of having beachfront room)

Birthday Supper with candle light & moon light

Family Fun

Shopping

• Langkawi Fair

Billion - Things here are much cheaper than @ Kuah. You could come here first to buy the stuff (tidbits, chocs, liquor, toiletries etc) that you need for yr vacation.
Other than Billion, nothing else here. FOS is closed now. There is Perfume Desire but prices same as in Kuah.

• Langkawi Parade

Teoh Soon Huat - Can get all items here, but not much difference in price with shops in Kuah. Its like your local departmental store. Perfumes are more expensive here.
Other Outlets - Vincci, PDI, Giordano (its website mentioned Guess, but I could not find it). It also has a cineplex.

• Langkawi Plaza

Dont bother. Nothing here. Its seems people come here for the Reject Perfume shop, but its a very tiny shop, so for those who seek that place, dont bother. Better perfume shops in Kuah.

• Pekan Kuah

If you consider yourself like a 'makcik' & interested in crockery items, then its worth for u spend a whole day here. Its filled with plates, woks, pots and pans. People also buy travel bags here.
You can also get a variety of chocs here, the imported ones that you cant find in KL, u can find here. Chocs that u can get in KL, are only lesser by 3 - 5 ringgits AT MOST. Mostly are only 1 -2 ringgits lesser. My advise is no need to check prices in all shops. Just get into one, grab what you looking for and leave. Seriously, the difference of price within those shops are only 1-2 ringgits.
For Perfumes, there are 2 shops opposite each other: World of Perfumes & Cote De Parfum. Perfumes are cheaper at World of Perfumes.
Overall, the only thing cheap in Langkawi is Beer, Wine , Liquor, Ciggies and the likes.

• Cenang Street

You can get colourful beachwear & knick knacks here. We enjoyed shopping here more than any other place in Langkawi. There is also Cenang Mall. It has 2 storeys : Eateries on 1st Floor (Starbucks, Old Town, few fast food) and clothes & bags shops on ground floor.


We had a VERY RELAXED vacation although we moved around quite a bit. Enjoyed the time with the family.

Magnificent monuments of Delhi & Agra - By Nethianathan Krishna Kutty

Inner Engineering and Architectural Engineering

This time my journey is to the northern part of India, New Delhi. My purpose is to attend a 3 day 'Inner Engineering' program with Sadhguru in Delhi. The program is about creating inner well being as opposed to chasing for fulfillment externally. I would strongly recommend for people that wish to look at life at a different perspective.  Besides attending the program, I took this opportunity to visit nearby places. I covered Delhi and Agra. I was supposed to go to Rishikesh / Haridwar but plans changed along the way as Maha Kumbha Mela festival was scheduled to begin on 27th Jan 2013. The festival is expected to lure 85 million people!.. I changed the plan the moment in got the info.

As I was making transit in Chennai before flying to Delhi, I managed to squeeze some time to get Lord Balaji's darshan before the 'Chennai - Delhi' flight. This is my 3rd visit to Tirupathi and this was the longest wait to obtain His darshan. I waited in the queue for 7hrs despite paying INR300 for Special Darshan ticket. 15 seconds seeing Him was worth the wait!.

Inner Engineering with Sadhguru

Sadhguru , a realised master, mystic and yogi. Being in the same hall with this spiritual master is truly an awesome experience which cannot be explained by words. A realized Guru, full of compassion towards the well being of man kind. You have to experience it yourself.

Delhi:

India Gate

End of that week was India's Republic Day, so,  there were rehearsals going on near India Gate and it was closed. Somehow, we managed to get to the closest point to get a good glimpse and many clicks of India Gate. When I mentioned about the closest point, I'm talking about a good 9 to 10 km of walk from New Delhi metro station to get to the point. It was a tiring day indeed.

Rehearsal for Republic Day 

Qutub Minar

Took metro from New Delhi to Qutub Minar. At ticketing counter, I handed over INR500 for 2 person as tickets for foreigners is INR250 each. The ticketing officer inquired about our origin and recommended us to purchase the local tickets which cost INR10 each. Of course he made INR200 for himself but it was a win win situation. At the entrance, we told that we are from Chennai and we were good to go. Believe the builders had a quite an unusual desire to build the tallest minarets. There was an incomplete minaret that was supposedly be twice the size of Qutub Minar. It was deserted as the life of the aspirant fell short.

I would strongly recommend that anyone who plans to go around Delhi for sight seeing to NOT plan it on Monday! The Lotus temple was closed. Red Fort was closed. Hop On Hop Off was non operational on Mondays. Thanks to Fuji HS10 for its capability to zoom in, we manage to capture some images of the Lotus temple from outside of its compound! Reaching here was made convenient thanks to the metro which was nearly as good as the tubes in London. It was easy to get everywhere in Delhi this way.

Jama Mosque

Quite a big mosque, but architecture wise, nothing spectacular. We paid INR100 to go up the minaret to get a city view. We managed to take some close up pictures of the Red Fort from here as it was closed due to Republic Day. Entrance was free but INR300 for camera which was way too expensive. Around this place are slumps. Crowded, dirty, people living on pavements and lots of beggars.

Chandni Chowk

The rikshawalla brought us in through the aisles of shops. Its a narrow path, filled with people and yet the rikshawalla weather us through it. Though is was a dreadful moment, but definitely one to be remembered. Every possible area's are occupied as everyone is trying in every way to make a living. Chandni Chowk is an area surrounded with slums. Not a nice sight and certainly not a place to bring family.

Akshardam Temple

This was a magnificent temple. It was simply mind blowing. With musical fountains and fine architecture, this is a masterpiece an Indian craftsmen can be proud of. 80% marble stones inside the temple crafted to perfection. It's  very well managed and organized. They have canteen, shops selling books, posters and prayer items. You should be there around 4pm to appreciate the fine craftsmanship and be there till evening to witness the musical fountain and the incredible view of the temple when they turn on the lights! Unfortunately no camera's were allowed in, so we only managed to take pictures from outside. This picture was taken from metro station which was 1km away from the temple.

Agra

Agra Fort

Agra Fort is similar to Red Fort but far more smaller. This is the place where Shahjahan spent his last 7 years under house arrest by his son. Shah Jahan was held under house arrest when his son got to know that Shah Jahan has instructed to build the Black Taj, just opposite of Taj Mahal across Yamuna river. Shah Jahan spent close to 40mil rupees to build the Taj Mahal and this had a significant financial impact. It was said that duirng that time, with 1 rupee, you will be able to have a slave for a lifetime. Knowing that Shah Jahan is building the second Taj, the son decided that its time for him to put a stop.   Shah Jahan was said having poor eyesight and throughout the 7 years of house arrest, he had to see Taj Mahal via a mirror.. tragic!

Baby Taj

Taj Mahal

The grand Taj. We were hoping for a good weather so that we could take some nice photos of the Taj. We spend about 7 hours to cover the beauty of this grand monument. When we were about to leave the Taj, my buddy told me that even Shah Jahan wouldn't have spend 7 hours in a day admiring the Taj! We basically covered every inch of this magnificent Mughal architecture. No wonder it is known as one of the universally admired masterpieces in the world.

At Hotel Host, you can dine at the rooftop while watching the beautiful Taj.

Others

Food

Food was basically prata's n other breads. We ate at hotels, but we did try the ones by the roadside too. Somehow, we did not get any delhi belly. 

Shopping

We did not shop much as there was nothing appealing to us.

Scams

Beware of scammers. There were people trying to sell us high priced tickets and such. We usually discuss on the fare before taking any cab ride.

Transportation
Within Delhi : Metro - It was efficient. Clean and worth to take the metro to move around.
Delhi - Agra : Train - Prebooked tickets earlier. There were meals in the train. It was a smooth ride.


Thats all for this trip.

- Since my wife's travel map is dusty (as she was informed by Tripadvisor), I decided to save her blog from being dusty too - Nethianathan Krishna Kutty

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.

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 -

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.