Breastfeeding with Khye - Part 6 (2 yrs 10 mths)

The last update on this topic with Khye was almost 10 mths ago when Khye was 2yo.
Today, Khye is almost 3yo.

When I found out I was pregnant with Vern, I was still breastfeeding Khye. I was uncertain on whether should I stop breastfeeding him, or to continue and later on do tandem nursing.

But one thing I do know is that I wanted to wean Khye off nursing before sleep, especially at night.
And I also wanted to Khye to be less addicted to my boobs.
He was really, really addicted to my boobs and would ask for 'nen-nen' the moment he saw me stepped into the house. Yes, he was that addicted.

And so what did I do?
I bought a lemon, and squeezed some lemon juice on my boobs when he next asked for 'nen-nen'.
I told him 'nen-nen spoiled'. He didn't really understood then.
So when I lifted up my shirt and he tried it, he made a face as it was sour.
He didn't like it, and then he started to cry.

The next time he asked for it, I repeated the same thing. Squeezed some lemon juice on my boobs. Then I told him 'spoiled'. He didn't try it to suckle the second time after hearing the word 'spoiled' though, but just cried.
And that was how Khye learned the word 'spoiled=sour nen-nen'.

It was easy to day no to him during the day, but was a little bit harder at night when Khye woke up for his middle-of-the-night feed. But I offered him water instead and he took it.
It only took us 2 days for him to get less addicted to "nen-nen"
So I considered the weaning process was a success, because he was no longer addicted to "nen-nen"

But after a few weeks when I was sure Khye was no longer addicted to it, I relented and offered him "nen-nen" whenever he was cranky, mostly to sooth and calm him down.

And slowly, I continued to breastfeed Khye whenever he asked for it (but also making sure he was not asking for it ALL the time!).
So it was mostly once a day, or sometimes two days once. He mostly suckles for comfort, and not to fill his tummy.



So How Was Breastfeeding While Pregnant?

I heard people say that breastfeeding during pregnancy may cause miscarriage or preterm labour, so I was initially a little bit concerned about that.
I consulted my gynae and he said it was ok as long as mine is not a high risk pregnancy and to stop if I ever feel uncomfortable about it.

I was feeling great because I managed to wean Khye off his addiction, and yet at the same time still provide him with some comfort nursing.

Throughout the pregnancy, some people say my milk changes but Khye was still suckling it without any complains. He was happily suckling it up to the day of my labour.

But there are certain times when I think Khye does only dry-nursing, and also certain parts of my pregnancy where I had tenderness on my nipples and such, so it was a little bit uncomfortable when Khye latches on. But nothing I couldn't deal with. I told Khye to be gentle and he seemed to understand, so we continued.



So How Is Breastfeeding After I Gave Birth to Vern?

I had bad engorgement on Day 3 and 4 after giving birth to Vern. where my breasts were full and engorged but yet nothing much when I tried to pump it out.
Vern was so tiny and couldn't drain the milk before falling asleep again. And marmet (hand express) didn't seem to work too.

So I requested hubby to bring Khye to the hospital to suckle and help me clear it off.
And you know what? Khye didn't want to suckle, saying "nen-nen not nice"!
I guess it is now full of colostrum and not the milk he was used to, so it was a different taste and he didn't like it.
So no choice, I need to clear the engorgement myself. ;(

But after a few days and the colostrum turned back into milk, Khye was happily suckling again.
Khye asks for nen-nen when he wakes up every morning.
And so both of us has some bonding time before he wakes up and prepare for school.



So How Is Tandem Breastfeeding?

And so every morning, it was tandem breastfeeding session for my 2 kids, Khye and Vern.
It was a precious moment actually, a moment I do treasure.

And lastly, a random photo of my Little Sunshine at 35mo :)

11 July 2015 @ 35 mths

Click here to follow Khye's Breastfeeding Journey:

Breastfeeding Khye - Part 1 (1 1/2 mo)

Breastfeeding Khye - Part 2 (3 mo)

Breastfeeding Khye - Part 3 (5 mo)

Breastfeeding Khye - Part 4 (11 mo)

Breastfeeding Khye - Part 5 (25 mo)

Click here to follow Shern's Breastfeeding Journey:

Breastfeeding Shern - Part 1 (2 mo)

Breastfeeding Shern - Part 2 (4 mo)

Breastfeeding Shern - Part 2.5 (5mo)

Breastfeeding Shern - Part 3 (7 mo)

Breastfeeding Shern - Part 4 (10 mo)

Breastfeeding Shern - Part 5 (1 yo)

Breastfeeding Shern - Part 6 

Breastfeeding Shern - Part 7 (16 mo)

Breastfeeding Shern - Part 8 (17 mo)

Presents From Vern

When I delivered Khye, Shern was about 3yo, and I wrapped up a present (an RC car I bought from Tesco) and gave it to Shern, telling him it was from baby Khye.
Shern was very happy with his present from his 'lil brother at that time.

And I was surprised when just a few weeks ago, Shern asked me "Where is the car that Yiu-Khye gave me last time?"
I was a little taken aback because I didn't expect him to remember it since he was only 3yo and that time and now he is already 6yo. That little car also got lost somewhere among his toys and he no longer plays with it.

But that got me thinking and I wanted to be sure that I prepared a gift each for both of them from the baby, because I think Khye will remember as well, just like his koko did.

The gift don't have to be something big. Just something that both of them likes.
And luckily on the morning before I went into labour, my sis and I went to Mr. DIY and grabbed some toys from there.

It needn't be expensive toys. I got it for a few ringgit each.
My sis helped to wrap it up inside a paperbag (because I went into labour so suddenly) and I wrote a little note to each of them from their 'lil brother.

 

The brothers' reaction when they meet Yiu-Vern for the first time.
Shern was very much happy and excited to see the baby.
Khye on the other hand, Khye was a 'lil apprehensive when he saw the baby. I think he was a little shocked to see the baby no more inside my tummy, but now on the cot. :)

 

Look at them excitedly digging into the package taking out their presents.

 

Shern is into airplanes nowadays. We got this plane from the market at RM15.

And Khye's basketball net we got it from Mr. DIY at only RM3.50.

 

Look at their super happy faces.
Guess they are more happy with their pressies than welcoming their lil bro. Haha.

Anyway, I hope in years to come, Khye will also remember that this pressie is from Vern, just like his koko did with his present from him.

Yiu-Vern - Week 1

20 July 2015 - Vern @ 1 week old

It has been a week in a blink of an eye. 
4 days at the hospital, and 3 chaotic days later at home, Vern is one week old. How time passes us by! 

This was how Vern looked like on the day he was born. 

With his wrinkly feet and all, he was too adorable. Well, all mothers say this of their babies I guess. 

 

Managed to capture Vern with his eyes open on his first few days. 

Breastfeeding

Vern immediately knew how to latch on straight after birth. He latched on well and started suckling on my breasts, enjoying all the goodness of the colustrum on Day 1 itself. 

This is the first photo of me and baby Vern, with him suckling on my breasts contentedly. 

14 July 2015

I delivered Vern at night so when my mum and sis came to visit me straight after my delivery, it was nearly 11pm. So they only brought Shern to the hospital as Khye was already asleep. 

And so I had some bonding time with Shern, and let the big brother see Vern for the first time. 

We took a photo together (but without Khye)

Jaundice

on Day 3, Vern has mild jaundice and at the same time, my breasts were so engorged it hurt so badly. Maybe that was also the reason Vern didn't get much milk from my engorged breasts. 

And so he was being put on photo/light treatment for the night so if his level goes down, he could be discharged the next day as per schedule. 
Luckily his bilirubin level reads 152 (lower than 170) so he got to go home together with me. It was joyful indeed to get to go home with my baby.

Upon going home we took him to the Klinik Kesihatan to check his bilirubin level and it seems like his level was increasing every day.

On day 5, his bilirubin level went up to 170. Then to 224 on Day 6, and on Day 7, it was 265. 
It was then that we decided to bring him back to Island Hospital for a check-up, and as suspected, Vern was admitted back there for photo/light treatment. 



Sleeping

Very was a very fussy baby on his first night at home. 
He wanted to be carried, and couldn't sleep for long. 15 mins to 30 mins at max. Then he would fussed and cried again.
Mum and I thought 'oh no, here comes another high-need baby just like Shern used to be!'.

But on the second night, he was very good, and he could sleep for 2-3 hours before crying for milk. And during the day he was less fussy too. 
Not sure if it is because of his jaundice that he becomes lethargic or he suddenly turned into an angel overnight. :)




Vern's Expressions in Week 1

In just 1 week, Vern already has many facial expressions. 

 

 

 

  

  

He looks so chubby here from this angle. 

 

 And here he is, all bundled up like a little burrito. :)

  

And lastly, a 'muscle-cramp' smile from baby Yiu-Vern!

How is Mummy Doing?

This time, I feel that it takes a longer recovery process for my c-sec wound. Maybe because I am now getting older. It hurt more than I could remember when I tried to stand up and walk the next morning. 

But besides that, I'm feeling good. Hemorrhoid shrank after delivery. 

And besides the engorgement which was quite bad initially, but then I got over it now so everything's fine now. 

And just like the previous 2 times, mum is my confinement lady. I am so glad for her help, as I wouldn't feel so relaxed if a stranger comes into my home to do my confinement for me. 

Here is a selfie I took of myself together with Yiu-Vern. 

Hello World, Meet Vern

Name: Lim Yiu-Vern (林优文) 
Gender: Boy
Born On: 14/7/2015
Weight - 3.28 kg
Length/Height - 50 cm
Head Circumference - 33 cm 

Click to view Shern's and Khye's Hello World blog post)

Review: The Original THERALINE Maternity and Nursing Pillow

I had bought a maternity pillow when I was pregnant with Shern.
I spent quite a lot of money on it and ended up didn't really like it as  so I did not do further researched on maternity pillows when I was pregnant with Khye, thinking that they are all a waste of money.

But then Bloom & Grow contacted me when I was breastfeeding Khye and asked me if I would like to review the Theraline Maternity and Nursing Pillow.
I was a bit skeptical at first, but after reading all the raving reviews online, I decided to give it a try as it is not only a maternity pillow, but is a nursing pillow as well.
Little did I know that I am going to love, love, love this pillow!

So What and Who is Theraline?

Theraline call themselves THE specialist for breastfeeding pillows. They claim that no other suppliers has a more extensive product range of breastfeeding pillows.

(Source: http://www.theraline.com/us/theraline.htm)

Packaging and First Impressions

The parcel came bubble-wrapped to offer some cushioning to the product.

Upon removing the bubble wrap, you can see that the pillow was packaged inside a large rectangle bag made of plastic material.
I like the bag as it helps to keep the pillow clean and also a place to keep the pillow when no more in use.

It also comes with a strong cotton handle for easy transportation.

It comes with an information sheet about the pillow, which is very useful as it shows the different ways you can use the pillow.

The pillow comes with Pillow Cover. The pillow cover pattern I got was Vichy Caro Blue. This means that I can wash the pillow cover any time and more often, and don't need to wash the pillow itself that often, although the pillow can be machine-washed.
For me, I wash the cover once every fortnightly, together with my bed sheets etc.
There are many pillow cover designs to choose from plain colours to patterns to floral. etc.

Its inner cover and cover is made of 100% cotton, so it is made of breathable and light material.

Upon taking out from the bag, it reveals a rather long and big pillow.

See the size of the pillow as compared to Shern. It is even longer than Shern then who was 5 years old.

 

Is this long and big good?
Well, to some, being this long and big may take up your bed space if you have a small bed. But for me it is no problem, because we have a King Sized Bed! :)

It's dimension is approximately 190 cm x 38 cm for those of you who wants exact measurement of this long and big pillow.
And its capacity is approximately 42 l.

This Original Theraline Maternity and Nursing Pillow has a filling made out of millions of tiny EPS micro beads that are really lightweight.
What I like about it is that the filling can conform to the shape of your liking, meaning it can conform to the shape of your body in whatever position you are in; whether sitting down or lying up.
So I was immediately impressed with how mouldable and yet light it was despite its size. How I could shape it any way I like it, be it long and thin, or round and fat!

See how easy it was to shape the pillow.
It can be bent to U shape, or L shape, or S shape, and many others.

  

  

Trying It Out and Its Features

I love that this pillow is so super versatile!
I got this pillow before I was pregnant, but am still breastfeeding Khye. So the first thing I used it for was as a breastfeeding pillow.
Khye being such a huge baby at almost 2 years old then, and I used the pillow as a breastfeeding support pillow and it can really support even a toddler, thanks to it being so long and big!
I supported my arm and put one end of the pillow behind Khye's back and then the other end of the pillow tucked under both my thighs as a bolster.
It was really so comfortable.

Sometimes when I bring it to the living room, Khye used it too, to simply just lying down to rest himself. Or just to lie and watch the tv with the pillow behind his back. He knows how to enjoy life this little guy.

And now that I am pregnant, I am even more appreciative of this Theraline Maternity and Nursing Pillow.
It supports my growing belly and makes sleeping so much more comfortable.

I suffered from backache since being pregnant with Shern, and being pregnant with baby#3 now, my backache is worse with the extra weight, so I use this pillow all the time to relieve my backache whenever I'm sleeping. It gives me so much more relieve than a normal pillow because it is long and can support my whole back.

And while it supports my back, the end of the pillow can also be used to tuck in between my legs as a bolster. So it is a 2-in-1 and is such a comfortable position for a pregnant lady to sleep in.

And as you know, pregnant ladies have leg cramps in the middle of the night. And this pillow can be used to prop up my legs and thighs to elevate them and to reduce the leg cramps.

I also use it to prop me up in bed, while doing some light reading or so.
I love that it supports without giving way.

I also know that once baby#3 arrives, I can use it as a breastfeeding pillow to my newborn. They are so teeny and small and obviously need some propping up in order for me to breastfeed them more comfortably.

When baby#3 does tummy time, the pillow will be useful as a tummy time aid when baby learns to push his head up. It will cushion his head fall which will leave me feeling more at ease.

And when he learns how to sit, this pillow will once again be used as a propping pillow behind and as a side in a 'U-shape' just in case baby falls down.
See how useful this pillow is.

This Original Theraline Maternity and Nursing Pillow grows with the Mother and Baby, by first using it as a Maternity Pillow for the mum, then as a Nursing Pillow for both the mum and baby, and then graduate as an Aided Pillow for the baby by cushioning their falls.
I love products that can last a long time and grows with us.

So it is no surprise that this pillow wins the Mother & Baby Award Winner for 2014.

Even if I am not pregnant or breastfeeding, I will still use this pillow as it is such a comfortable pillow-bolster to me!
It has been invaluable for the past one year plus I've been using it. and I know I will be using it for a long time to come!

So of course, I totally and heartily recommend this pillow to any pregnant or breastfeeding mums, or simply anyone that loves a good pillow for a good night sleep!




TO PURCHASE 

Please visit Bloom & Grow Asia for their list of retailers.
You can also visit their Facebook page for more info. 



* Disclosure: I received an Original THERALINE Maternity and Nursing Pillow for review purpose, but no monetary incentive was received. All text and opinions are of my own and represents my honest opinion of the product(s).