Fashionista's Book Review: French Children Don't Throw Food

I had the opportunity of reading this book before I gave birth. It was recommended by my pal Farhah, and since I was kinda gung-ho about the whole mothering thing (truth be told, I've never thought of myself as a motherly type of person, and even now that I have a baby, I still don't think I have evolved to a motherly kind of person) I decided to give the book a try. 

I would have to admit, this is among one of the most fun parenting books that I've ever read. It's funny and witty and it's written in a way that makes it easy to relate to (and I don't even have kids yet at that time so it was good to be able to understand the mechanics of parenting before they actually make their appearance).

What I love about the book is that it shares the personal experience of the writer in bringing up her own daughter (and later twins). She shares what she has been through; the sleepless nights, the crying, not knowing what to do etcetera etcetera.

So far I have actually implemented a few things in the book that I find to be really useful. Before I continue, do take note that each baby is unique in his or her own way, therefore what works for me might not work for you.

The first thing that we tried was the 'pause and observe' technique. The writer noted that most French parents would observe the habits and behavior of their infants/ babies/ kids in order to know the cues that the babies are sending to them. It took us (me and hubs) awhile to get to know our baby better but this technique is really helpful in helping us determine whether our baby is crying because she is hungry (or still hungry even after a feeding session), wants her diaper to be changed, is sleepy, has tummy pain/ gassy, wants to be burped or simply wants to be hugged. Although there are times where we can't understand why she's crying but those times are far and few in between.

The second technique that we tried is to 'let the baby cry'. There are times when we do feel that it's quite exasperating where we have tried everything we can to calm the baby down but she's still crying so we do let her cry for awhile. This technique has been really helpful in getting the baby to establish her nightly sleeping pattern (since she was one month old she's been sleeping her nights well with only one or maybe no feeding in between). However this is one practice that we very seldom do simply because we believe that most of the time the baby cries for a reason but sometimes this technique is necessary in establishing new habits/ patterns with the baby.

There are many other techniques and methods as mentioned by the writer but I am definitely not going to share them here because I want you to go out and get the book. It's definitely a life saver for a first time mom (like me) and it really helped me to see how I can manage my journey towards becoming a good mother (I don't aim to be a perfect mom, just a good one, good in my own unique way). I would have to say that it helped me to become calmer in handling a wailing baby.


xoxo Mrs Fashionista

Fashionista's Review: Philips Avent Sterilizer 3-in-1 Electric Steam Sterilizer

This is the one item that hub's colleague, Sharina said is an absolute must-buy in terms of baby gadget. Although initially after I bought the sterilizer, I seem to be doing a lot of direct latch to the baby (i.e. feeding the baby directly from the breast) I began to question my purchase. However, now that the baby is almost 3 months old (time definitely flies) and feeding both from the breast and also from the bottle, the sterilizer is definitely a godsend.

There are several different types of sterilizer from Avent (and they cost differently too) but we decided to settle on this one because we can simply put all of the baby bottles etc into the sterilizer, make sure that the base is filled with about 100 ml of water and press the blue button to start sterilizing.

Here's a photo of how the sterilizer looks like. 

It's called 3-in-1 because there are three ways in which you can use this sterilizer, but normally I use it with both top and bottom parts. What made me question my purchase in the initial days post birth was that you can actually sterilize all your baby bottles etc by putting them in a container and pouring hot water into it. Now that the number of items needing to be sterilized have increased (I normally sterilize three 4 oz baby bottles with teats and all, a manual breast pump and seven Avent via cups for me to put my expressed milk) I find that using the sterilizer is really a convenient way of helping me make sure that all the items that needs to be sterilized gets sterilized. Do take note that in order to make sure that your bottles and such gets sterilized, you need to make sure that there's enough room for the steam to reach the insides of your bottle/ teat/ bottle cap if your stacking them in the sterilizer.

I usually use the sterilizer once every two or three days (after one round of using all the baby bottles etc). My preferred time would be at night before I go to bed at night because that would ensure that I have the bottles all sterilized and ready for use the next morning and the sterilizer and the bottles in it has cooled down (I did once open the top of the sterilizer post a sterilizing session and almost scalded my hand). I decided on Philips Avent simply because I am using their bottles and pump but I am sure that other sterilizers would also be able to do the job with the same level of efficiency.

To mummies out there who are contemplating on whether to get a sterilizer or not (whether your breastfeeding or bottle feeding), a sterilizer will definitely be a time saver. Unless of course, you decide to direct latch your baby all the way. To find out more on this product, you can go directly to Philip Avent's website [here].

xoxo Mrs Fashionista

Halal Food in Phnom Penh

I was supposed to complete this post last year after my trip to Phnom Penh in September. Unfortunately, it's been left gathering dust since I came back. So here's a compilation of the halal food outlets in Phnom Penh that we found.

There are a number of halal outlets in Phnom Penh, and due to their dispersed location, it is quite difficult for one to vary the restaurants that one visits. We ended up visiting only three restaurants.

First up, Mamak's Corner. This restaurant is pretty easy to find because it is located near to Phsar Thmei. It's located at a very busy street, Street Kramun Sor and I guess it's one of those streets that you have to pass through in Phnom Penh because we seem to be passing by this restaurant a few times a day. They serve local Malay cuisine and if you're missing Malaysian food, it would probably be a good idea for you to drop by. On our visit To Mamak's Corner, we found that they serve what we call Nasi Campur here in Sarawak or Nasi Kandar in Semenanjung Malaysia. It basically means that they serve a number of pre-prepared food on a long table and you can pick and choose which dish you want to go with your rice. Unfortunately for me, being a lover of authentic Malaysian food, despite their efforts in preparing and serving Malaysian food, I find that the taste is a bit lacking but it's not that bad (although I still prefer food that is made and served in Malaysia, if you get what I mean). If you're interested to drop by or know more on the restaurant, you can access their website [here]. 

Restaurant Asmak 81. This is the restaurant that we frequented the most since our trishaw driver seems to have a liking to this restaurant. However I must say that he does have good taste. The food is absolutely wonderful and the ambiance of the restaurant is great (it's a quiet and relaxed atmosphere, by the way). It's located at Sangkat Phsar Thmei 3. I absolutely recommend this restaurant for those who like Asian food like Malaysian food or Thai food (their cooking is absolutely delicious). Here's a link to a review of the restaurant by Trip Advisor. 

Last but not least, Phnom Penh India located at Preah Sisowath Quay (it's right opposite the Tonle Sap river) and very easy to find. We finally got tired of Asian food and since we were passing by this road on a daily basis, we decided to stop by and try out some Indian food. The price of the food is slightly more expensive that Mamak's Corner and Restaurant Asmak 81 but the food is absolutely delicious. This is one restaurant that I would definitely come back for more. Although as the name of the restaurant suggests, they only serve Indian food. Alternatively you may also want to click [here] to find out more on the restaurant.

It's a tad unfortunate that we were only able to try out three restaurants in Phnom Penh but we were there for a conference and our time was rather limited. I would have to say it's not that easy to look for halal food here (unless you have a Muslim guide or driver) but we managed to find a few. 

xoxo Mrs Fashionista

Fashonista's Review: Washable Breast Pads

In the duration of me being a mom, which is not very long though, roughly about two months and seven days to be exact, I have been fortunate enough to experience breastfeeding (if you've been reading my blog for a while you might have realized that) and breastfeeding comes with (whether you like it or not) leaky breasts. Definitely you would need leaky breasts to be able to breastfeed, otherwise, where would the milk come from, right? To manage leaky breasts, you need to have nursing pads (these comes in two types, disposable and washable) to make sure you don't embarrass yourself in public. I've come to read that later on (which means more than two months of breastfeeding, I presume), your breasts will be more efficient at producing milk, thus leading to less leaky breasts. However, I have yet to experience this efficiency, so I have come to depend on nursing pads to help me manage the let down (this is the term for the leaks that breastfeeding women experience, by the way) and here's my review of the three (fortunately or unfortunately I don't have and need that many) washable breast pads that I have.

Oh, I almost forgot, if you're uncomfortable at me mentioning breasts over and over again, maybe you should stop reading this post (as this is a review on nursing pads there's certainly going to be frequent mentions of the breast in this post).

The first one is Pureen washable nursing pads. These retail for somewhere around RM11 per pair. If you're in Kuching, I bought these at Teck Kong Trading in Tabuan Jaya, it's very near to my home thus the reason for me buying these is simply because it's convenient for me to do so. It only comes in one color, white. The nursing pad has different fabrics on different sides, one side is waterproof (this side of the pad faces your bra) and the other is cotton (this side should face your breast). After using this pad for about a month (I stopped using it once I experienced less let down, I think due to my milk production is getting more efficient), I would have to say that I don't recommend this pad to moms out there. The reason for this is because I find that the breast pads are not that comfortable to use. For one thing, when there's let down, your pads would absorb whatever leakage from your breasts. Unfortunately, this would cause the pad to stick to your nipples thus making it quite sticky and if you are experiencing nipple sore due to breastfeeding it would hurt (not much but it's noticeable) when you're removing the pads from your breasts. And another thing, the breast pads are flat in nature (if you've noticed, a woman's breasts are not flat in nature), thus the pads do not rest comfortably underneath the bra (the pads are unable to mold itself naturally to the breast). So if you're wearing a flimsy bra like the nursing sleep bra, the irregular shape of the pad is quite noticeable underneath your t-shirt.

Following that, I decided to try another brand, Autumnz washable breast pads. These pads comes in four colors, glorious graphite, natural nude, pure white and sugar pink (I don't know why they need to overdo the names of the breast pad colors, I would have preferred grey, cream, white and pink but maybe that's just me). I bought these online (I forgot which store unfortunately) and these are priced at RM15.90 for three pairs. The pads have different fabrics on different sides, one is lace (which faces your bra) and the other is soft cotton (to be used facing the breast). To tell you honestly, I really recommend these pads as they are really soft and comfy, it's contoured to fit the breast and the best part is, it's not sticky even after a let down (psst, it's even cheaper than Pureen). Unfortunately, it doesn't hold well, meaning I do find that sometimes there are milk stains on my shirt despite me wearing a nursing pad. This usually occurs when I've positioned the nursing pad too high up; due to gravity, the milk flow downwards and is not absorbed by the pad, or sometimes because there's too much milk leaking out and the pad is unable to absorb them all. Despite the occasional leakage, this is still my preferred breast pad. 

The last pad that I bought is Philips Avent comfort breast shell. I bought these for RM72 from Little Kids because they offer free shipping on orders above RM100 (if you've purchased as many things online as I have, you might be tempted to save on shipping costs as they could add up to be quite a lot). The reason for me buying this is that it has two functions, it can collect let down when you pump or it can also be used as a breast pad (do note that you are supposed to throw away any milk that is collected when you are using the shell as a breast pad). Unfortunately I only used this shell a couple of times and since then have never used it again. The reason being is that because it is waterproof and non-absorbent, breast milk will pool in the breast shell after a let down and if you are not careful (or just plain clumsy like me), spillage might occur when you're removing the breast shell from your bra. After using it twice and spilling the milk both times I decided to stop using it. And another thing, the shape of the shell is quite noticeable underneath my shirt so I wasn't comfortable with that either. So, I don't recommend this to moms as a breast pad, but as a milk collector when you're pumping, maybe yes, it's quite handy (although I don't use it as a milk collector).

Unfortunately my experience is limited to these three because since I've gotten Autumnz's breast pads, I'm happy with them that I don't need to buy any more pads. Initially I wore the pads night and day (changing them whenever they're soaked or at the very least twice a day). However one month after giving birth, I don't experience as much leakage as I did before, so I only wear the pads whenever I go out to town. That could also contribute to me not needing that many pads. And oh, I almost forgot, all three pads wash easily and dry easily.

Happy shopping peeps!


xoxo Mrs Fashionista

PS: I am not affiliated with Autumnz in any way nor do I earn commission when you buy any Autumnz washable breast pads.

Fashionista Mommy Adventures: The Malaysian Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Course

I was lucky enough to get to know of a breastfeeding course while I was 36 weeks pregnant and post delivery I decided to attend the course (I was experiencing nipple cracks and nipple sore at the time which seriously made me rethink my decision to breast feed).

This program is called the Malaysian Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Training Program and I initially heard of the program when my friend Remus attended a similar course a few months ago in KL. It's organized by the Malaysian Breastfeeding Peer Counselor and just so you know, it's not solely for those who are interested to become breastfeeding counselors, anyone (even men) are welcomed to join the program.

The course fee is RM250 per person and it is held over a duration of three days (in our case it was held over the weekend, from Friday to Sunday) starting from 8 am until 6 pm. The course is conducted in an informal way that encourages discussion among the participants. Due to this, the course is only able to cater to around 25 participants per session (we had around 21 participants, unfortunately some had to drop out due to personal reasons). I'm not going to go into detail on the itinerary of the program (I say it would be best if you join the program yourself as the wealth of knowledge gained from the program is priceless) but here's a quick summary of what happened that weekend:

Each participant is given a file (complete with notes and all), pen and ID at the beginning of the program. The file contains the itinerary of the course complete with printouts of the different modules that is being covered in the course, additional notes, appendices and activity sheets (we didn't really have to refer to the notes during the course though because as I said, the course is done in a discussion style, thus most of the time we are asked to think on our feet). However, even though the course is very laid back and relaxed, we do have homework that we have to complete every day. 

As mentioned, the course is done in an informal manner so it's free seating for everyone, you can sit wherever and however you like. Actually you can even lie down if you like (no dozing off though) but no one did that. But we did see a number of participants (including me) bringing our baby/ babies to the program. 

Incredible as it seems but this is how our training was conducted. In between the training you can see toddlers and babies crawling/ lying down/ sleeping here and there.

Since it's a breastfeeding course, the topic remained focused on breastfeeding and nursing. Here you can see one of our facilitators, Kak Kamariah demonstrating how to help a fellow mother nurse with the help of a nursing pillow. If you see closely on the floor in front of the pillow, there's a handmade breast (right next to the feet there). We had to make our own breast and we had to use this breast during the training. This breast can also be used should we decide to counsel fellow mothers on how to nurse.

This is the last activity in the training where Chris (the one holding the ball of pink thread) is sharing her feelings on the training.

Now, if you're thinking about attending the program, what can you expect? Let me just say that the program opened my eyes about breastfeeding. It doesn't only cover the physical aspects of nursing i.e. how to nurse, how to you position your baby and yourself when nursing. It covers so much more. I learnt and got to know of many aspects that affect breastfeeding, for instance the emotional aspects that could actually affect the flow of your milk and of course influence the baby's feeding and also how a baby's latch could also be the culprit in reducing milk flow. 

Hurrah! I am now a breastfeeding counselor! Truth be told I attended the course for one reason and one reason only, to help myself in breastfeeding. But I gained so much more. I got to know new friends, inspiring moms who shared their journey in breastfeeding (and let me say their breastfeeding journey is not all a bed of roses, it's filled with sweat and tears), I got to know other amazing counselors (our facilitators and organizer are a great bunch of people; they are really generous in sharing their knowledge and experience with us and they are also especially patient in guiding us throughout the course) and I guess I got to appreciate breastfeeding even more. I've always taken it for granted that you either can or cannot breastfeed, like some moms have it easy where breastfeeding is second nature to them. Now I know it takes a lot of determination and perseverance in making breastfeeding a success. And from the sharing sessions with other moms I've also gotten to know that these moms have actually sacrificed a lot in making sure that their offspring are breastfed and this makes me respect them even more!

So for new moms (and not so new moms) who'd like to breastfeed or have always been breastfeeding, I'd say do come and attend this course. You'll come out of the program with a different perspective and a more capable person to help other moms establish breastfeeding with their baby/ babies. And oh, to dads too, if you like, you are very much welcomed to join the course. After all, mommies need plenty of support from the dads of this world don't we?

If you'd like to know more about breastfeeding, you can join these Facebook group or check out these sites:

1. The Breastfeeding Advocates Network
2. Kumpulan Sokongan Susu Ibu Sarawak
3. Susuibu.com
4. Malaysian Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

To mothers who are breastfeeding out there and find it tough to do so, we support you =).

To nature and nurture.


xoxo Mrs Fashionista

Fashionista Mommy Adventures: Breastfeeding

Knowing the kind of person that I am (patience and perseverance has never been my forte) and my lack of experience at being a mother, I have decided earlier on to cut myself some slack and even told myself, if breastfeeding is not for me, then so be it. I don't think I'm a lesser mom if I'm unable to breastfeed my baby. To me the main factor in deciding to breastfeed is in its benefits (both to the baby and the baby's momma), so despite my lack of confidence in breastfeeding, I would like to see if I can make it and how far can I go. To tell you the truth, I'm really hoping that I can make it until she's two years old.

So this is my experience in breastfeeding so far for the past 24 days (I have only been a mom for 24 days and yet sometimes it feels like a lifetime).

To my surprise, I love breastfeeding (I initially thought that I wouldn't be able to adapt to breastfeeding, but in a surprising twist, I look forward to my breastfeeding sessions with Alexa). I really do. I didn't know breastfeeding would give me so much joy and satisfaction. As a first time mom, everything is a new experience. I have been rather excited to start my journey parenting my baby as best as I can, although initially I had thought about trying to take the easy way out in parenting (i.e. using formula milk and disposable diapers and also getting a maid that'll help me with my baby) but I have since changed my mind. I decided to try the traditional route; cloth diapering (I'll share my cloth diapering adventures in another post), breastfeeding but I am retaining the maid (there's only so much a girl can take, and a maid is not something I'd like to live without).

Things that I know now that I didn't know before about breastfeeding:

1. Breastfeeding makes me hungry. Like super hungry. Although I do know that breastfeeding helps to burn 500 calories a day (which is one of the huge plus point in helping me lose the weight I've gained during pregnancy), it makes me ravenously hungry. Unfortunately, trying to eat (the hunger pangs comes without warning at such odd hours like in the middle of the afternoon or in the middle of the night) while trying to attend to the baby is not an easy feat to master. Usually the hunger loses against the baby. That would probably explain why I've lost about 11 kilos so far (I only gained 8 kilos during pregnancy so I'm now weighing less than where I was before I got pregnant *yeay*).

2. Breastfeeding also makes me extremely thirsty. I don't know whether it's because the fluids in my body has been converted to milk and then supplied to the baby, or is it the combination of meds that I'm taking (other than the doctor's meds I'm also taking traditional Malay herbal pills) or is it just simply recovering from childbirth but I am thirsty all the time! Usually I'd be drinking about 2 litres of water a day, now I think I drink about 3 - 4.5 litres of water a day. And if you think I'm drinking way too much, even my skin is dehydrated and dry (and that just proves that I need to drink more water *sigh*).

3. Breastfeeding also makes me super sleepy. Sometimes, it's a combination of all three! Sleepy, hungry and thirsty and the worst part is, you have your hands tied, one to hold the baby and the other to also hold the baby (my baby seems to have grown longer so one hand to hold the upper part of her body and the other to hold the lower part of her body).

4. Nipple cracks and nipple sore seems to come with the territory. Initially I was quite gung-ho with breastfeeding so I breastfed on demand, this was until I discover how sore my nipples could be when the baby couldn't latch properly and also overusing the nipples (due to frequent breastfeeding obviously). I got nipple cracks and it hurts like hell (or a version of hell as I imagine it to be). At this point (I think it was less than 10 days after birth), I was seriously thinking about giving up on breastfeeding, it was simply too painful for me to endure. Luckily hubs came home with a nipple cream and nipple shield *relieved sigh*. I guess hubs has better insight on breastfeeding than I do.

This is what hubs bought at the pharmacy. It's been really useful (both for me and the baby, she has a few rash spots around the folds of her skin) and my areola also seems to heal really fast. I use it whenever nipple sores occur, usually lathering them at night before I go to sleep after I'm done with breast pumping. 

Hubs initially bought this at the pharmacy but I found out that when the skin comes in contact with the nipple shield (this occurs when the baby is breastfeeding) my nipple felt really painful (it's almost similar to the pain when I direct latch the baby without any nipple shield) so I decided to forgo using this brand and bought another one. 

So I ended up buying this one from this online store called Little Kids and have been using it regularly whenever nipple sores occur (now it occurs less because I think the baby has practiced better latching techniques, so there's less pain when breastfeeding *yeay*). I was informed by a friend that nipple protectors might reduce your milk supply and was not encourage to use it often so I only use it whenever my nipples feel sore. 

Mistakes that I made in breastfeeding:

1. I stopped breastfeeding for about 2 days due to nipple cracks. It was really painful and I can even see the skin of my areola peeling off and I almost cried when I breastfeed. Due to this I had to introduce formula milk and the bottle to Alexa. She took to both well but I do feel that if I let her use the bottle longer she wouldn't have the patience to breastfeed (I noticed that using the bottle is easier for the baby because they need less energy to suck on the bottle teats compared to the nipple). I have since started using nipple shields and the Bepanthen ointment whenever my nipples starts to get sore.

2. I started breast pumping one day after I stopped breastfeeding due to the nipple cracks. At that time, I could pump about 40 ml per breast. Unfortunately, due to baby demands (crying, feeding, pooping and even more crying contributed to lack of sleep and fatigue) combined with a lack of discipline, I stopped breast pumping (this was about a week later) for about 5 days and this contributed to a reduction in my milk. When I started pumping again, I got less than 5 ml for one breast and only 20 ml on the other (I almost cried when I saw how less milk I could pump). I was advised previously by my friend Remus that the amount of milk produced is dependent on demand and supply, so I have since decided to pump 4 times a day (if possible) and put myself on a pumping schedule at 6 am, 12 noon, 5 pm and 10 pm (this also depends on if the baby's asleep, if she's awake then I'd do a direct latch instead). So far my pumping supply has increased from less than 5 ml to almost 20 ml for one breast and for the other, it has increased from 20 ml to 30 ml (and sometimes almost 40 ml *yeay*). I haven't taken any supplements for breastfeeding (I know there's a lot of friends out there that are promoting supplements to increase milk supply) simply because I am currently taking too much meds (Malay traditional meds, doctor's meds and supplements for my c-section scar) so I don't want to overdose on the meds (most of them causes the body to heat up so I don't want my milk to be too heaty either). Maybe I'll reconsider the breastfeeding supplements once I'm done with my confinement.

And despite all this trouble, why breastfeeding?

Okay, I have to be frank here. My reasons for breastfeeding are purely selfish. Seriously, they are absolutely selfish reasons.

1. Breastfeeding makes the baby sleepy. I don't know what it is in a mother's milk (I'm sure I'll know the answer if I google) but Alexa would close her eyes in the middle of breastfeeding and when she's done, she's fast asleep! So that means less work for the mom (that's me, obviously), I usually just have to burp her (she usually keeps her eyes closed and having to burp doesn't even bother her at all) and then put her in her crib and she'll be fast asleep. I've experienced her sleeping from 1 hour and 30 minutes to about 5 hours and 30 minutes after breastfeeding, so that probably means that my milk supply is lesser if she sleeps less and more if she's able to sleep more. In the instance that she's asleep for more than 4 hours, I would wake her a little just to breastfeed (usually she'd be sucking with her eyes closed) and then proceed to leave her to sleep once she lets go of the nipple (after she burps, of course).

2. Breastfeeding makes me lose weight. This is among one of the things that makes me so motivated to breastfeed. I mean, I can't exercise (I do have the c-sect scar to think of) and I have to stay indoors all day so the best way for me to lose weight is via breastfeeding. And considering how successful my weight lost is so far, I am very determined to breastfeed so that I can hopefully drop a few more kilos.

3. Breastfeeding boosts the baby's immune system. So far we have eliminated jaundice together (me and Alexa, that is) and hopefully she has a strong immune system that'll help her fight off any virus attacks in the future.

4. Breastfeeding is good for my uterus. I don't know how to explain this, but you can read it [here].

5. Breastfeeding also saves money. It's free and definitely very convenient. No waiting time for the baby, just pop it into the baby's mouth and you are good to go.

Unfortunately, so far I have not been able to breastfeed exclusively, and I do have to top up with formula milk. I am trying to reduce my dependency on formula in the hopes of being able to breastfeed exclusively. To do that, I have come up with a small strategy. Usually Alexa takes about 60 ml - 125 ml of formula milk (this depends on how much time had elapsed since the last feeding). So I use 2 strategies to help me improve my milk supply.

Strategy A - I start with breastfeeding. An indication that she's full is when she's asleep and the sucking has stopped for a few minutes. If the milk supply is low, she would wake up about 10 minutes later crying for milk. I would give her the same breast (I do this because I want her to get as much hindmilk as possible so that she's full for a longer period of time) and she would repeat the same process (remove her mouth from my breast as she falls asleep). I would only give the bottle when she awakes for the second time 10 minutes later. Usually she'd only take between 20 ml - 60 ml of formula if I use this strategy. Sometimes, I would give her my other breast and see it will be able to make her full. In the initial period, she'd feed off both breasts twice and still cry for milk so I'd give her formula milk then. But lately (the past two days or so), she's able to sleep for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes after she feeds on just one breast. So I'm hoping that this means that Strategy A is working and my breast milk supply is increasing.

Strategy B - I start with formula milk. I would stop after between 20 ml - 60 ml of milk have been consumed. I would then burp her and proceed to give her breast milk. I use this strategy when she's super hungry because if she's ravenous, there's a higher probability of her injuring my nipple and cause them to become sore, so I'd rather feed her a little bit to appease her hunger then proceed to breast feeding.

Oh, here's a great article on sore nipples and how to overcome them that I read. If you'd like to read it, click [here].

And this is my breastfeeding journey as a first time mom. Hope this post helps other mommies out there who are having problems with breastfeeding just as I have. It's not easy, I know but it's not impossible either, right?

Cheerio!


xoxo Mrs Fashionista

Fashionista Mommy Adventures: Apps for the Baby

As a frazzled first time mommy (yes, sleepless nights have made irregular scheduled appearances in my life and I have yet to get accustomed to them), I have learnt to rely on applications in my iPhone to help me make sense of the routine (or non-routine behavior that my child is exhibiting). Here are some apps that I find helpful:

1. WebMD Baby App

I was recommended this app by my friend Farhah. I am really thankful that she gave birth earlier than me, she's been continuously giving me useful pointers and tips on baby care. This app is simply amazing. It helps me to keep track of the baby's feedings, diaper change and sleeping times which is really helpful. I use this app daily to keep track of the baby's feeding (so that I don't overfeed her), diaper change (so that I know when to change them before the baby cries because her diaper is soaked to the max) and track her sleeping time (a newborn needs about 17 hours of sleep a day, so sometimes she might get grumpy simply because she's sleepy and hasn't had enough sleep).

Because of this app, I can actually gauge the baby's sleeping schedule (so usually I'd prepare to wake her up when I know she's supposed to feed, wants a diaper change or whatever) and this actually makes me understand why she cries (initially the first thought has always been, she's hungry, but most of the time, that is not the case). Besides that, the app also has a BabyBook feature where you can upload your baby's progress (via photos), Growth (to measure the baby's height, weight and head circumference), and a Notepad (for you to jot down notes or things that you need to remember). The app is also filled with information that first time mommies might want to read on, like crying and colic, or what to expect after a c-section (and the list goes on).

2. Baby Ears

Here's another app that was also recommended by Farhah. This app actually helps you to distinguish between the different cries that a baby makes and once you're able to discern the different cries, you can actually know whether the baby is hungry, wants to be burped, is not comfortable, sleepy or gassy. So far I've been able to distinguish the hungry and gassy part (simply because that's the most often sounds that my baby makes) but unfortunately I haven't been able to distinguish the other sounds. To know more about the app, click [here].

3. The Wonder Weeks

Here's an app that was recommended to me by my friend Remus (she's another great mommy that's been really supportive and helpful). This app actually explains the different growth stages that a baby goes through and it explains the growth spurts that your baby is experiencing (which explains why the baby is crying for no reason sometimes). The app shows the leaps that a baby experiences at different weeks and it also comes with a chart that chronologies the sunshines (good times) and thunderclouds (expect loud screams and unconsolable wails) from age 0 until week 84. The app comes with a book (that I've been meaning to buy but it's currently out of stock at MPH) that explains more on the growth stages that a baby goes through. To know more about the wonder weeks, you can go right to their website [here].

(This entry below is added and updated on the 4th of August 2013)

4. Breastmilk. Every Ounce Counts.

I've used this app for a while now to track my pumping sessions. Unfortunately as of the time I'm writing this, I couldn't find any website for this app so I am unable to link you to any website but this app is definitely available in the App Store. What I do is first I set my session by selecting which breast (or both breasts) that I'm pumping from and then click Begin to start the timer. Once I am done with pumping, I'll just click End to stop the timer. After that, I'll just enter the quantity that I have collected in the Notes section.

What I love about this app is that I am able to track how long I pump (usually I pump longer when I feel that there is more let down or when I have time and is relaxed) and what is my pumping output. Since using this app, I have managed to track my pumping achievement from only 5 ml (unfortunately this was due to  me stopping my pumping activities for five days) to roughly about 80 ml per breast two months later.

I'll update this post once I find more apps that I find to be useful. Or you can share with me other apps that you find useful or have helped made your life easier.

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xoxo Mrs Fashionista