Hello Dubai!

We boarded the morning flight the next day. I was very nervous for this trip for many things. Well, the many things revolved around one thing : Adeena.

Besides being a fully breastfed baby, she was also going through that bad stranger-anxiety stage where no one could come close except for me, my hubby or my helper.

So, I thought, what if Adeena got restless and cranky in the 14-hours flight? What if I get sick and wouldn't be able to care for Adeena? She won't want anyone else but me! What if my milk supply dropped, how would I feed her with no EBM as backup? What if we all get too tired after travelling and needed rest, but the kids won't sleep? So many what-ifs!

In the end, I decided to go with the flow and surprisingly, Adeena behaved quite well in the plane! In fact, she slept most of the time.

Tip #1: Dress your baby with loose and comfortable attire during the flight to avoid crankiness; sleepwear is best. If you can, breastfeed her during take-off and landing to help with the pressure in her ears.

Tip #2: If you're travelling with a baby, try to get the "hot seat" and request for the baby cot!

There were a few times when she got restless too, and during this time, I did the one thing that I knew best -- breastfed her. Works like a charm everytime! ;)

So for those of you who are wondering my secret weapon to travel with a baby during this trip, I got one word for ya - breastfeed! Basically, 60% of my time in the flight is spent breastfeeding Adeena, no kidding! :P Aydein was so much easier to manage, thanks to the in-flight games & his own gadget to the rescue!

When it was time for meal, the rest of us and Aydein would have the meal in the plane. As for Adeena, I used this to feed her on the go.

Besides being organic, the thing I like about Baby Natura is that it comes in packets, in the form of powder. So it doesn't get messy. All I need is to pour some powder in a bowl, add a bit of water, done! I can even bring some packets in my handbag anywhere and everywhere, in case Adeena gets hungry! 

After 7 hours of flying, we stopped by in Dubai for transit. Behold Dubai, the rich land with unlimited Maclaren strollers for rental (within the airport only)! :P

Lucky for us (me, especially!), my SIL had a friend who's working in Dubai. So they brought us around Dubai and tried some of the good food in Dubai. :)

Yeah, you can see how tired we were on our faces! So good to be able to be off the plane! After the meal, the good host brought us back to their house for us to freshen up, pray or just chill to relax. God bless them for that! There was nothing more that I needed other than a good bed to lay down and rest!

That night, the good host offered to take us out for sight seeing in Dubai, but I was too tired to go! Adeena was also getting cranky, so I decided to skip it and stayed back with my MIL at home, while the rest (my husband and Aydein included!) went to see the Burj and other famous places in Dubai. (Mental note: Must go visit Dubai again one day!)

Adeena, my MIL and I had a good rest that night. For that, I will eternally be grateful to our host for their awesome hospitality, and most importantly, for lending us their bed! :P

When the rest of them came back, I asked them about their trip and unexcited, they said....., most of the time they were sleeping in the car and missed all the good things in Dubai too! Hahahahaha baik takyahhhh. :P

After that, it was time for us to get on our 7-hour flight yet again, to London this time! (To be continued)

Let's Go To Europe!

It has always been my dream to step foot in Europe. But knowing how much it will cost just to get there, I'd normally brush the thoughts away, everytime. So when my husband asked me where I would like to go for that year end holiday, I chose a cheaper destination instead - Australia. But suddenly he asked,

"You've been going on about UK. Taknak pegi sana?" I told him to stop joking around, and that he would just get my hopes up by doing that. But his face remained serious, and said "Taknak sudah"

:O

Hahaha. I would be crazy to push my luck, so I coolly said, "Okay sure if you say so," while trying so hard to hold myself back from doing a jiggly dance :P

I quickly googled "London weather" and it said, "3 °C"! So obviously there is one important need for this -- winter clothes shoppingggg! :D :D :D That weekend, I went almost crazy trying to decide on the best winter wear I should get for the trip! I mean, look at some of these stylish winter wear for both adults and kids!

We got some of our winter wear from Uniqlo, H&M and Terranova. From our scouting, we found that Uniqlo has some of most affordable & decent looking winter wear. They also have this heat-tech inner wear that you wear underneath your clothes (something like long johns) to retain the heat of your body in so many candy colors! I almost grabbed 5 of them, but husband told me to be rationale "bawak mengucap yang, it's heat wear ok, lepas balik Malaysia nak buat apa?" were his words, so I came to my senses and just grabbed 2 instead. :P

Oh and H&M has the cutest kids winter wear ever! So so so exciting!

I also wasted no chance to get myself new pair of knee-high boots! FINALLY I have a reason to buy and wear them stylish boots! :D :D 

But that's not the best part. The best part about our trip is that, we were not going on our own! Our in laws heard about our trip and decided to come along with us as well! Man. 3 families on a roadtrip, how fun is that! :D

And since it was our first time travelling with kids, I made sure we brought together essential stuffs like - organic baby food, toys, iPad, moisturizer, lip balm, medicines and thermometer.

Tip : Use vacuum bag to keep your winter wear. You can easily bring 5 (or more!) down coats and save so much space!
The rest of the family also spent the whole day packing and making sure we brought everything we need while we were there. Okay, maybe a little too much of everything...

Seriously though! Segala mak-nenek were in there, from 10kg beras, bihun, sambal kacang, nasi impit, maggie, serunding, gula, garam, ikan bilis, kicap - basically we needed one special luggage just for food alone! Chronic tak chronic. My mother in law even brought her small rice cooker and blender with her! No kidding! Nasib la kawin dengan family Jawa kan. Haha :P

And then, it was time.. (to be continued)

Breastfeeding Guru

When it comes to breastfeeding, I'm sure we all have our own "guru" that motivates us to go that extra mile to complete our breastfeeding mission. It could be our mom, sister or even a friend. For me, it's Irin Putri, the very TV3 host who also happens to be my friend.

I must say, her breastfeeding journey stories that she shared on her blog does play a big role in my own journey of breastfeeding. Everyone can achieve the 2-year breastfeeding mission if you work the 8-5 job. But it's different with Irin, and this made me admire her even more. 

In case you didn't know, Irin is a TV host come producer whose nature of job requires her to leave her son for outstation assignments every now and then. Despite having hectic schedule to juggle with, she still managed to find time to pump wherever she goes, thus completing her mission to fully breastfeed her son, Raees for a little more than 2 years!

Her determination inspired me (and I'm sure a lot of her other readers!) and I thought to myself, if she, who had to travel overseas on assignments every now and then, could do it, why can't I? Again, it all comes back to determination. :)

Be inspired. Read on Irin's breastfeeding journey here (remember to click on Older Posts and dig up her olddd achives! :P)

So, who's you're breastfeeding guru? :D Happy breastfeeding, mommies! :)

Ps: Irin is now expecting her second one anytime soon! And looks like her breastfeeding mission is starting all over again for her eh! Hehe. But first, let's pray for her smooth delivery! <3 <3

2nd Child Syndrome

They say first-time parents get overly-excited about everything. You want to record every little thing about your baby - first smile, first word, first fart. And that's exactly what I did for Aydein every month without miss, here. In fact, I managed to get his milestones recorded for good 16 months!

But now, with Adeena.. I tend to skip that whole thing.. a lot! And I blame Instagram for that! C'mon it's not an excuse, and I promise I'm not slacking. It's just.. so much easier to do it on Instagram -- capture the moment and upload it with a few sentences, done! Would have done the same if we had Instagram back then!

But somehow it's not the same. It doesn't give you the same feel like blogging does if ya know what I mean. And I realized that the last milestone I updated for Adeena was when she was 6 months! I didn't even update her first birthday celebration here like I did for her brother! (Really, it's the Instagram!) So in this entry, I will try to recall the important milestones for Adeena up till 16 months for memory sake. *Inhales*

Adeena darling,

At 8 months

You started crawling. Before you were able to crawl, you would creep and spread your arms like a bird! I miss that about you. You also have the habit to mess about my bag and closet!

At 10 months

You were already able to drink from the straw, as opposed to your brother who only mastered this skill at 13 months.

You developed bad case of stranger anxiety. No one could come close, except your Mama, Papa, Abang or Bibik. At times, Tok Ayah & Opah.

It was also your first oversea trip to Europe! Such lucky girl, you.

At 12 months

You celebrated your very first tutu birthday, with your friends. You couldn't walk just yet, but I could tell you were enjoying yourself nonetheless with the unlimited chocs, cakes & candies around you specially on that very day. I'll elaborate more on your big day in a different entry. (Hopefully!)

About the same time after your birthday, you fell sick for the first time, where you were down with fever. :(

At 12 months 10 days, you were able to stand a few seconds on your own before toppling down.

You have a total of 8 teeth then.

During this time, you showed deep interest in everything feminine & girly -- like mama's lipstick and handbag!

Still, you hated having anything on your head, like the headband.

At 13 months

You began walking, 2 months earlier than your brother. 

At 14 months

You begin to add more words into your vocab, but not as much as your brother did last time. At this time, you only managed to say "Mama", "Papa", "Aba" (Abang) and "Nak" I tried to make you say "cat" so many times, but you refused and made lion roar instead. Yes, not even a Meow. 

At 15 months

You were capable of expressing your emotions well, what you like and what you didn't like, clearly. One time, you were angry at me for making your brother cried, that you also cried while thumping your legs!

You can also already salam when prompted. 

At 16 months

You will only turn 16 months in a week's time, but already, you are now able to add a few more vocabs to your dictionary, but still not as much. Now, you can say "Aa-ba" (Allahuakbar) and "Titit" (Mama's Milk) :P

You can wave and blow flying kiss when we say "Bye Deena!" or "Flying kiss?"

You understand simple instructions like, "Come here" "Where are your shoes?" "Take your shoes" "Give to Papa" "Go there" "Where's Abang?" and "No"

You're becoming a fussy eater too. You can make faces, like your "angry face" when being prompt.


When Mama and Papa dress up, you know it means going out. You will automatically take your shoes, thinking we will bring you along. When we don't, you will cry your heart out :(

You know the phone goes to the ear, but you can't say "Hello" just yet.

You know the comb goes to the head/hair.
You can eat/drink milk by yourself, but prefers to be fed. (Manja ni!)

And.. well, that's all that I can recall for now! I'm sure there are so many other things that I've left out which I will update when I remember!

Until then, let's see if this blog will get updated again anytime soon! :P

A Letter To My Swing

Hey Swing,

How are you? I hope by now you've safely reached the hands of your new owner who will be taking care of you as how I've taken good care of you for the past 7 months.

I've grown emotionally attached to you these past 7 months, and believe it or not, I teared while wrapping you to your new owner a few days back. How can I not? My freezer is full with milk, and it's all thanks to you!

It was not my intention to let you go, Swing. But I had a hard time catching up with time and deadlines while needing to pump 3x daily at work. You know how long it takes for us to get adequate amount of milk for each session, right -- at least 30 mins! That's why I needed to turn to your sister, Swing Maxi, that comes with double pumps to cut 1/2 of the time we usually take per session.

Your sister has been great, but I sure miss your discreetness! Your sister is a bit noisier compared to you, I'm not sure I can bring her out to the cinemas like how I could with you! :(

Sometimes when I pump, I think of you. You've done well for me, Swing, and I just want you to know how much I love you. So much, that I left a note to your new owner and tell her to take good care of you.

I was also worried that you would get knocked on by other things, I even wrapped you up with bubble wrap for safety measure.

Call me paranoid, but I still think that wasn't enough, so I put you in another box as a protective measure and then, tied you up, so that you don't accidentally fall out.

Knowing how rough the post office guys could get, I also remembered to tell them to stick a "Fragile" sticker on you so they would be gentle when handling you. After that, you're on your own and I could only pray you reach your new owner safely. See how much I love you? :(

And then, off you went. :(

We've had our good times together, and I'm sure you'll do just as good with your new owner too. :) Did you know that she's my junior back in primary school and a very nice one, so if you're worried, don't be! :) Oh she'll be having twins soon, so make sure you help her out as much as you can, as how you've helped me kay? :)

They say mothers get emotionally attached to their pumps and I never really know how true that is until the day I sent you away. Maybe one day we'll meet again, but until then, do take care of yourself there and continue to get some milk out! Love you, babe! ;)

I Got My Diploma in Breastfeeding!

Note: Lengthy post. Go get yourself some cookies before you start reading! :P

Most people would usually get their diploma before degree, right? Not for me! I got my diploma after degree! Ladies and gentleman, please welcome your newest diploma graduate from the Nursing Faculty -- me! :D

Alhamdulillah, I've managed to achieve my first mission of fully breastfeeding Adeena for 6 months. I aimed to exclusively breastfeed her for the first 6 months though, but when I saw her growing interest in food, I decided to start her on solids earlier, at 5 1/2 months. She will turn 7 months in a few days time, and I am blessed that I am still given the chance and rizq to fully breastfeed her to date.

Many have asked me, how did I do it? How do I have so much milk? Honestly, I don't think it's got anything to do with my milk factory. But it's about one thing and one thing only -- determination.

If you've been a follower of this blog since 4 years back, you'd know that I didn't get to fully breastfeed my first son, Aydein, for as long as I'd hoped I would. In fact, I only managed to breastfeed him exclusively for 1 month. After that, I started supplementing him with formula. Why? Because I lacked determination.

I SAID I'd like to breastfeed Aydein for 2 years, but I did NOTHING to achieve just that. I didn't read, I lacked of knowledge, I didn't even get a pump. I hated the idea of Aydein hanging on to me like ALL THE FREAKING TIME. I thought breastfeeding was so troublesome. And there goes my "determination".

So one day, when my breasts stopped engorging, I thought my breasts were not making much milk. I read, and there were articles saying that it was normal because my body has regulated the amount of milk my baby needs, but I was stubborn. I thought, how come some women still get engorgement after years of breastfeeding? The info must be wrong. These "lactation consultants" are just simply saying it. I tried all the different natural milk boosters, still didn't help. So I turned to only one thing I knew would save all the trouble -- formula.

Someone told me before, if you want to successfully breastfeed your kid for 2 years, you need to place you niat. It's true. When you pasang your niat, Allah will make it easier for you. Allah will give you the determination. But the moment you said breastfeeding is troublesome, you lose your niat, you lose your determination. So yes, as cliche as it sounds, be careful what you wish for.

So what I did differently with my second breastfeeding journey was, I started off with a good niat, even while Adeena was still in my womb. I was determined to breastfeed her for at least 2 years. I equipped myself early - with the knowledge and the equipments needed to help make this mission a successful one.

As soon as I delivered, there were times when the nurses offered to give formula to Adeena because her sugar reading was slightly low, but I insisted to fully breastfeed Adeena. I knew my milk hasn't came in yet at that time, but I knew it was important for Adeena to get as much colostrum from me + nipple stimulation for milk production, so breastfeeding was the only way to go, no formula.

2 weeks after we got home, I started pumping milk out. One side direct-feeding Adeena, the other side pumping. The output was not as encouraging at first, but that's okay. All the negative thoughts pushed aside, I kept pumping. As long as there's demand, there's milk. The more milk that is expressed out, the more milk my body will make, I reminded myself. And alhamdulillah, from what seemed like a few drops, became one full bottle. Oh and then, my breasts stopped engorging this time too, ha, but I knew better this time. I kept breastfeeding + expressing milk out. Anddd guess what? Ada pun milk! So the lactation consultants were right. They didn't just simply say. :P Once I started working, I made sure I pump 3-4 times a day. And if there is a need for me to go anywhere without Adeena with me, the pump goes with me. And whenever I see Adeena sleeping, or simply any chance that I get to pump, I will pump.

So for those expecting moms out there who have placed your niat to fully your baby for at least 2 years, let me share with you some of the ABCs on breastfeeding.

1) There is no such thing as "not enough milk" because there is. Trust me, your milk is ALWAYS there. Take toilet tank for example. Once you flush, the tank will automatically refill right? That's exactly how our breasts work. Once you pump, your breast will automatically refill the milk. The milk flow may be a little slower, but it's there. So don't be afraid to breastfeed your baby even after you've pumped, because there will still be milk left for your baby. Most importantly, don't worry! As long as you pop on your baby for however long he wants, he'll be fine. (To be safe though, practice pumping + direct feeding at the same time each time. This way, you can be sure your baby is getting enough + you get to collect stock at the same time).

2) No breast engorgement does NOT mean no milk. Haha this one I say with 101% confidence. Seriously, it only means that you've efficiently emptied your breasts, which is good, because the more often your breasts are empty, the more milk your body will make! In fact, engorgement is no good in my opinion, because it only means that you don't express out/feed your baby often enough, signalling your body that your baby doesn't need much. Less demand = less milk production. Easy peasy.

3) Make full use of your confinement period. During this time, your body is a milk factory. It will make crazy amount of milk, especially during the second week on wards, because during this time your body doesn't know how much milk your baby needs, so it makes crazy amount of milk. Take this advantage and start pumping + stocking up early, it will be worth it. Because for most people, once they go back to work, their body would have regulated the amount of milk that their baby need, and make just enough for the baby's intake. It stops being a crazy milk factory, and start being an efficient one hehe. So take advantage of this time when your milk factory goes crazy, and feed + pump like crazy!

4) Trust your breasts, they will make enough milk for your baby. Really, the second you doubt yourself, just remember to have a little faith in your "twinnies". Allah has made the women's body so unique, she can breastfeed even more than just one baby. Remember those days when formula hasn't even been invented? How did the children thrive then? Solely on their moms' milk. Takde pulak cerita tak cukup susu bagai kan.

So there you have it. Determination is key. But of course, knowledge is also equally important. Because without knowledge, determination alone wouldn't help you get all these.

Remember, when there's determination, coupled with effort, knowledge, perseverance and good niat, insyaallah you will not only succeed in breastfeeding, but in every other things that you do. :)

Happy breastfeeding, mommies! :)

Ps: I'm now striving for a Degree (1 year), then Master (1 1/2 years) and then PhD (2 years). Please pray for me guys, and let's do this together! :)

6 Months Young!

Note: Blog entry saved in draft for almost a month, punyalah lama nak tunggu siapkan satu entry -.-

Darling Adeena,

I was browsing through my blog today when something caught my eyes.



Yes darling, you turned 6 months today! How time has passed! It feels like yesterday that I fought (with my life) to bring you to this world. You were so delicate and small when you first came out, but look at 'em drumsticks now! :)

Let's see how much you've progressed since the first day you were born. At 6 months,

1) You can now creep like a cute worm whenever you want to move from one place to another.
2) You already have 2 ADORABLE bottom teeth! :D

(Some say you cut your first teeth early. Yeah pretty early I'd say, but not quite as early as your brother! Your elder brother sprouted his first teeth at 3 months! I guess we family are loaded with good calcium in us eh! :P)

3) You can sit unsupported, but tumble over after a few seconds.
4) You babble so freaking much and keep repeating ba-ba-ba ma-ma-ma over and over. So cute!
5) You can lunge back and forth on all fours. Prepping yourself for crawling soon, eh sayang? ;)

6) You are stronger now too. If your head lagged behind your arms and shoulders when being pulled from a lying position a few months back, now, your head will follow right along with the rest of your body when being pulled!
7) You can recognize your name when being called now. You'd turn your head and try to look where the voice comes from. :) Clever girl!
8) You're starting to get stranger anxiety now too. You'd cry if I pass you to someone you don't know but get quite friendly after warming up to them.
9) You're such a BIG eater, you can finish 2 servings of purees sometimes!
10) You are still a very much booby baby, and a fully breastfed one at that, alhamdulillah.
11) You're a pretty clingy baby now too. I put you down for 3 secs, and you'll wailllll your heart out! -.-

Did you know?

1) Unlike your brother who only started flipping over at about 5 months, you mastered this skill rather early, when you were about 3+ months. Then, you started rolling at 4 months. You're so good at this, you almost fell off the bed! That almost got me a heart attack, that's why since then, we never sleep on the bed anymore.
2) You started giggling/laughing when you were 4 months.
3) You started to blow "raspberries" at about 5 months.
4) Before you started solids, you could take in 4oz of milk at each feeding, making it a total of 20oz daily. I was told it's a lot for a girl! Now that you've started solids, you don't take in as much milk anymore, and only take in 15oz daily. Still a lot for a girl considering you eat 3x a day!

5) You have big appetite for food, I even had to introduce solids to you slightly earlier; when you were 5 1/2 months. That makes you an exclusively breastfed baby for 5 1/2 months.
6) Despite having a big appetite for milk & food, you remain being a petite baby. Good thing you're a girl. This way you can chug down gas drinks, cakes and ice creams when you grow up without worrying about adding up that extra cm on your body! :P

Last but not least, happy 6 months birthday, Adeena darling. May you grow up to be the healthy, pretty and solehah girl that you are. Your little family loves you! :)




Love,

Mama.