Hullo all..
at work today.. and as usual.. low energy.. very unproductive.. told myself let me finish all those nitty gritty work before i indulge myself in forum.. aiyoh. failed
i seriously wondering how come i am like so lost these days.. on monday night.. miser was paying for goceries.. and i was shopping for some cetaphil for yu he.. then i walked round and round and round the pharmacy.. and miser was waiting out side with cranky teng..and asked me 'how come u look so lost?'.. i also dunno :S
anyway...
blink: hmmm.. i dunno but i think there cld be better options? coz.. it is not easy taking care of an infant.. even with established and 'experienced' baby sitters.. they cld screw up.. because baby sitting is quite an 'individualistic art'.. what suits and what works for self is determined as the 'truth'.. and with 'no thinking' of any fellow 'successor'...ha! and hor.. uni grad.. most of them are probably single and carefree.. unless they come from like a huge family when they are soooo experienced. i think it is even hard to get one in the first place? also their term of service.. can be quite short once their semesters start.. end up you might need to hire and re-train several .... i wun suggest that option leh
i think, if i need to make a decision, i wld trust my, erm, ur mum to take care of my boy.. and i just have to travel further to get him back every day. for time spent on travelling.. i get security in knowing my kid is properly taken care of.. that's my humble opinion
ddnikz: blood test? for? i dun recall going back that soon .. unless. u are suggesting jaundice test because the jaundice level is high?
annette: ya.. think got dirt leh.. 'empty sterilisastion' first? second round, throw in ur metal spoons for the fun of it?

.. then after that sterlise a few bottles.. but the bottles can remain sterile in the steriliser .. for. 30 minutes? eh. i forgot liao.. let me konw can? i think theinstruction manuel got state how long it stays sterile..
ha.. teng saw the eelvated cot.. in my room.. (now he's happily sleepingon his toddler bed).. and asked 'what is this?'.. then according to my maid.. he was quite grumpy the whole day dunno for what reason.. anyway. he's off to his playgroup liao.. maybe later he will investigate this 'new' thingy in greater detail?
joyce: one push? SALUTE!
xoxo: aiyoh. u sound so formal

.. which pt of teng's life are u referring to?

P.. reason being.. my anal level with the routine fluactuated.. ok.. let me share the most anal, to the point of being obsessed pt?.. the height of my post-natel depression
i followed the routine to a T, down to the last SECOND

.. teng can be screaming away.. yet i insist.. it is not 1045 sharp yet.. dun feed teng.. or.. it is not 1230 sharp.. dun let him.. yeap. that horrible
of course.. when i get treatment for my own depression. i was better liao. i aga aga. plus/minus 5 minutes?
hey. have u read the book the secrets of the bb whisperer? by Tracy Hoggs? i think you might be more comfortable with it.. it advocates an E.A.S.Y scedule .. i analyased the routines of GF and EASY before.. they are essientially the same thing.. comprising of the same things done.. however.. EASY is more flexible since it is cyclic.. while GF would define a good routine as 7/7 or 8/8.. EASY doesn't adhere to time that strictly. it however emphasises on the same thing that GF promotes.. but less 'rigid' per se.. so u can be on 10/10 schedule.. and EASY will still define the bb on a routine
.. does that sound better to you? but honestly. they are the 'same'.. before i got my hands, or even realise, there was a GF book which states the speicific timings. i combined both the EASY and GF sleep guide.. to come up with the precise timings of teng's routine.. it worked well.. then when i found that contented bb book by GF. i was pretty stunned that my timings actually matched the recommended timings! plus minus 15 - 30 minutes
i ensure u.. bbs are adaptive.. and they can do it. it is often the adults who are haywired.. and dunno what they are doing and often create (and then blame the world) on all the negative associations created..
may i suggest you look into your family's habits.. and work the timings of the bb around your family.. not the other way round
.. bbs are borned 'fresh'.. like a sponge literally, really to absorb..they have no prior experience and (almost always, have their day and night mixed up).. so adults pls take charge.. from the start..
.. consider getting tracy hogg's book for a read?
http://www.babywhisperer.com/babywhispererdcae.html?load=tracy
hippo: hey. the GF makes it sound easy hor? bluff one!


.. reason being.. when parents attempt to set a routine.. it is often when the bb is already haywired.. and has multiple problems.. and it seemed that GF is unnecssarily harsh on the bb and letting the bb cry..IN THE BEGINNING... but when we are out of synch..and trying to get back into our element.. we also experience frustrations what more can we expect from a bb?

. so what's my pt? eh. i also dunno.. hahaha
anyway. ...
<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>
quote:</font>
as much as i would like to structure feeding times, i'm actually more concerned about establishing a steady milk supply, which seems to be built on demand/supply. i.e. benefits of direct latching (where possible) and feeding on demand, especially in the 1st mth, will far outweigh training baby to feed on schedule.
so for me, i intend to feed on demand and direct latch in the 1st month as much as possible (ok, if this fails, call LACTATION CONSULTANT hahahaha) then 2nd mth onwards will try and structure a feeding timetable. i like how gina ford makes it sound so darn easy. hehehehe...<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>
you will be very happy to konw how.. GF actually wants this to be done. when she structured the initial feedings 3 huorly.. of course if the bb needs to be fed (because bigger appetite).. in the beginning.. then it must be fed.. so in the first few days.. there is no routine per se.. just regular WAKING bb up to feed eveyr three hourly.. yeap.. waking the bb up.. so that the supply can be established. which is exactly what you are saying, right?
and hor .. this is prior experience.. teng was able to last a 6 hours sleep in a stretch when he was just three weeks old. that time my idotic confinement lady was still around.. and when i wanted to wake teng up for a feed. she said no. let the bb sleep.. ok.. then after that.. hourly feeding in the night! wah liew.. so my pt.. (if u double check against the resources on the web).. it is not strictly demand and supply.. because some bbs wun demand for a feed.. and crying is actually a very late cue feed.. then bb and mother get all flustered.. it is almost always advised to wake the bb up for feeds.. so u see. there is a schedule imposed right? not truly a demand feeding right?
also hor.. there is this bigger reprecussion which i tell myelf to be very mindful off.. bb sleeping = bliss.. but bb can be drowsy and keep sleeping when they have health issues!.. it happen to a fren's kid.. for confidentiality.. i cannot mention the specifics.. all i can comment is.. if she has woke the bb up for feeds and not rely on hearsay to let the bb sleep for as long as he wants.. then perhaps the consequences would not be that dire..
from 2nd mth onwards.. bb goes thru growth spurts.. and require extra feeding to increase milk supply. GF actually recommended specific expressing timings in her routine..right from the start (which u can store away).. so that the bb wun be left flustered crying for extra milk. ..and because we pump right from the beginning (to be stored away).. our body is always producing more than what the bb needs.. which is exactly demand and supply principle met.. and we dun risk hourly latching and becoming the human pacifier!
hourly latching is a headache!.. coz bb is yelling non-stop.. mother suffering from cracked and bleeding nipples.. then bb keeps getting the foremilk. which can cause excessive and explosive stools an air in her stomach.. then it gets termed as'colic'.. it is frustrating and depressive for the mother and family which makes most give up on bf-ing. which shdn't be the case.. the actual underlying reason is often.. inability to get to sleep by itself.. and relying on the breast to fall asleep. a negative sleep association. which is very difficul tot handle.. *sigh*
i have a fren now.. who is undergoing the same thing.. i am attempting to trouble shoot for her.. lest she falls into a depression!. i have the book with me now. and is going to scan a few pages of the first two weeks routine for her..if it works.. (and of course she must perserve). then i am very confident that it will work for most of us too
ok. so what are some signs that the bb are ready to transit from the initial round the clock 3 hourly feeding to a stable one-two weeks routine?
- your bb has regained his birth weight
-he is happily going three hours between feeds, the 3 hours being calculated from the beginning of one feed to the beginning of the next feed. This means that if a feed ha been taking around one hour, there is only a 2 hour gap between feeds.
-your bb shows signs of wanting to go longer between some feeds -you have to wake him for some of his feeds
- he is staying awake happily for a short time after day feeds..
my fren's girl met all the signs.. except the sleep part.. reversed.. hourly latching at night.. 4-5 hours latching in the day. but that is a sleep problem.. which impacts the feeding. coz tired bbsca noot feed well.. but that is another INTERESTING issue altogether.. the sleep patterns of a bb.. kekekeke
wah liew.. long post.. i better get back to work.. else i get discovered and get sacked before i can claim my maternity leave!
tty (all) later!