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)

Breastfeeding with Khye - Part 5 (25 months)

Well, more than 1 year has passed since my last update at 11mo.
Back then at 11mo, Khye was 99% still on my breastmilk, because he was still refusing solid food then still refusing the bottle and my boobs were his only food source.
And from then 'til now Khye & I attended a breastfeeding function, and my kids also had a luxurious breastmilk bath.

Now at 25 mo, Khye is eating well and feeding well too.
And he is still refusing bottle and only wants milk from the source.

Remember my 6 weeks ( 1 1/2 mths) trip to Europe?
Well, at that time, Khye was already 21mo and eating quite well. So I left him with my mum, hoping that without me around he would somehow take the bottle.
But nope, my stubborn little fella refused the bottle and would rather go without milk the entire 6 weeks!

I was hoping then I could wean him off then but I hearing from my mum that he is refusing any other milk and bottle, I continued to pump while in Europe, hoping to maintain my supply for him.
I brought my trusty Avent Manual pump there and pumped on the plane, and in airports and toilets.
But if course I didn't store it during our trip. I just pumped and threw. Well, not really throw but I washed my hands with it.
So that is why I have smoother hands now. Really. No joke. :)

I was still expressing about 4-5oz every 4-5 hours interval during the first few days there.
But as the days went by, I was expressing less and less.
During the last few days in Europe, I was only expressing 4-5oz every 10 hourly!

6 June 2014

(Disclaimer: My Avent Manual pump is made of PES plastic material which is honey yellow in colour. I put this disclaimer because my sis was shocked when she saw the pump and thought I used the pump from white 'til yellow in colour! lol)

And when I came home, guess what?
My little Khye kinda forgotten how to suckle.
Yes, 6 weeks is a very long time for a 1 1/2 yr old toddler. He was used not not sucking for 6 weeks and he was a little confused.
I had to slowly coaxed him to suckle my boobs!

I was actually heartbroken then.
I was ready to wean him off initially but after I decided to maintain my milk supply for him, I was sad that now my son was the one 'rejecting' me then!
It took me about a few hours for him to 'remember' how to suckle and at last he suckled my boobs for his afternoon nap!
I was ecstatic! And since then our breastfeeding bond was re-established until now. :)

Well, since the Europe trip and now, my boobs had suffered minor cuts by Khye's teeth. Both times were accidents.
First was that Khye was having a nightmare (I think so!) and suddenly cried out in the middle of the night while biting onto my nipple. And that was straight after him chipping off his front teeth and thus his teeth was sharp and yes, my nipple bled!

Secondly, it just happened last week. While nursing on the sofa with Khye, Shern decided to join in because Shern said 'I also want to lie down beside mummy!'!
Well a sofa can only handle this many people with its limited space and so Khye accidentally fell down onto the floor with his mouth still holding onto my boobs! It was actually his teeth still biting onto my nipple.
Needless to say, he scraped off a layer of flesh off it, Ouch! The whole piece of wipe was full of blood! The thing is after 1 day I still needed to offer that boob to him because it was engorged. lol. But after 3 days it healed and all's well again.

And now I am kinda happy and sad that Khye is really addicted to my boobs.
I am still contemplating whether should I wean him off now, or should I let him continue until he self-wean.
And what if I am planning for baby#3 soon? Should I be doing tandem nursing then? Hmmm....decisions decisions.

Lastly, a photo of my little sunshine at 25mo. :)

Khye @ 27 Sep 2014

Review: OXO Tot's Baby Blocks™ Freezer Storage Containers - 2-Ounce Set

I had the opportunity to try on another super duper product of OXO Tot brand.

This time is OXO Tot's Baby Blocks™ Freezer Storage Containers - 2-Ounce Set.

To tell the truth, the moment I'd heard that it is an OXO Tot product, I rubbed my hands in glee! 

Why? Because I'm so in love with all the other products I'd had by OXO Tot - the Twist Top Water Bottle, Flippy Snack Cup, Sippy Cup Set, and Divided Feeding Dish.

PACKAGING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS

 

The packaging is simple and straightforward, as it came in a box which stored the tray and its individual 6 pcs of 2oz sized containers. 

The box was sturdy and made of hard and thick cardboard, thus protecting the contents inside so that it was not dented or spoiled in any way. However, it was easy to open. 

Brand name and logo and also the description of the content was printed on the box, making it easy to identify. 

Some of the uses was also being printed at the back of the box, which is good as it simplify decision making when it comes to choosing and buying the product.   

FEATURES AND USES

 

First of all, I love the sturdy and hard plastic of the containers, unlike some which looked flimsy and cracked when put into the freezer. 

I associate OXO Tot's products by its sturdiness as it gives a very solid feeling that the material is of high quality, and this product is no different. 

The colour green is also neutral, so no gender problem for those people who dislike getting pink colour stuff for their boys and such.
But for me, no problem in colours actually because I believe that 'real men wear pink'! lol.

 

Firstly, I tried storing my expressed breastmilk (ebm) in it. I will be going for a trip overseas soon, and thus I am now trying to store some expressed breastmilk for Khye for my parents to feed him while I am away.

The containers are airtight, watertight and leakproof, which made it ideal for storing breastmilk. I like that the lids are easy to open and shut, (and I don't need to use my super strength to pry it open) and yet doesn't leak.  And yes, I did try overturning the containers, and shaking it vigorously.

But because all I had was 6 containers, it wasn't enough to store my ebm in it. So after they are frozen, I removed them from their containers and store them in a Ziplock back. But the containers still provide a very secure form of freezing system for keeping ebm. 

Removing the frozen ebm from their containers was easy. First I ran tap water at the bottom of the containers to slightly thaw them. Or you can also just leave them out at room temperature for a minute or two. Then I just squeezed the bottom of the containers and they just popped out easily.

 

Then I just store them into a Ziplock bag and labelled the dates accordingly. 
I put the whole bag into my freezer until I want to use them.

And when Khye was on semi-solid, I made pureed food for him, either to mix them into his porridge, or to just eat the puree like that. And quite often, I made a batch of pureed food at once for freezing to save time. 

I love the clear and transparent containers, as I straightaway could identify the contents, either it was potato or broccoli. 

Measurement markings in both oz and ml is really useful to indicate portion sizes, so that you know how much you are storing. 

 

These containers are ideal and kinda like a one-stop-solution for storing food - as you can portion, store, freeze, heat and serve baby food just by using these. 

Yes, I tried that. I made some pureed food and I just portioned it as I made a large batch. Then I stored and froze it in the freezer. When it was meal times, I just took it out and heat it in the microwave and served Khye there and then in the container itself!
(caution: when microwaving food inside container, please remove lid!)

So easy. And busy mums like me need easy solutions. Easy makes happy baby and happy mums! 

And oh, these are gems to be used when on-the-go, as you can serve baby straight from the container.

As they are airtight, watertight and leakproof, I also used it to store my kids' snacks such as cereals and even fruits when we are out and about. 

Talk about multi-purpose usage! :)

Look at how I used them to store cereals (Koko Krunch and Cornflakes), M&Ms, and also pieces of apples. 
They are the perfect snack size for my kids when we are on-the-go!

 

And I like that they come in a tray, in which each containers fit into the freezing tray. This storage tray rests flats on a freezer shelf/drawer and can be stacked to save space - which means that if you have more than 1 tray, you can stack the other on top and this saves freezer space. 

 

If you are a mum, you know how important it is to save freezer space. Well, it is important to me as I have limited freezer space which needs to be shared with other frozen food, ice-creams and such.

And I should mention that these baby blocks are BPA, phthalate and PVC free. 

And they are obviously also microwave and freezer safe.
The containers are designed for reheating and defrosting in the microwave, and are NOT for stovetop or oven use. 

And for those of you who are fortunate enough to own a dishwasher, you should be pleased to know that they are also top-rack dishwasher safe. 

So as expected, I am more than pleased with these quality freezer storage containers, as I'd found multi-purpose usage for them! 

I can see myself using them even in the future as condiments and spice containers.

And I see myself putting in ketchup in the container for my kids' lunchbox in the future! 
I can think of even more usage for them!

So no doubt these OXO Tot's Baby Blocks™ Freezer Containers are so worth it! Go get a set or two and you will know!

TO PURCHASE 
Please see below or visit Bloom & Grow Asia for their list of retailers.
You can also visit their Facebook page for more info. 

p/s - I'd also reviewed OXO Tot's Twist Top Water Bottle, Flippy Snack Cup, Sippy Cup Set, and Divided Feeding Dish. Have a click and read them all!


* Disclosure: I received an OXO Tot's Baby Blocks™ Freezer Storage Containers - 2-Ounce Set  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).

Luxurious Breastmilk Bath

Breastmilk Bath - 22 February 2014

That was what my kids had last Saturday - a really luxurious breastmilk bath.

I had about 30 bottles or so expired frozen breastmilk, which initially I wanted to make them into soap. But then I didn't have the time to learn how to make breastmilk soap, so I decided to just make breastmilk bath for my kiddos.

I know many of you will just go 'eewwwwww' at the sight of bathing with breastmilk, but well, if you know the nutritional value of bathing in breastmilk, maybe you will think twice before uttering 'eewwwwwww'.

A bath of warm water mixed with lots of breastmilk may treat diaper rash or even yeast infection. The milk is soothing to the skin and will help to kill the infection. Milk baths will also soften your skin.

So what I did was to pour the frozen bottles of EBM onto a tub of water to thaw.

 

After about half an hour or so, it was almost ready. 

Shern and Khye was waiting impatiently nearby, can't wait to jump into their tubs.

After the last few blocks of frozen ebm was thawed, I added in warm water and filled 2 tubs, one for each kid. Both were happy to be in their special milk bath!

 

They were busy and happily soaking in their milk bath tub while playing with their toys and props. They were in there for almost 45 minutes.

Look at their happy faces! :)

 

It was well worth it for their 45 minutes soak!

After that, Shern kept on talking about his special milk bath. And the very next day when it was time to shower, Shern requested for milk bath again!
Hohoho, well, he needs to wait for a very long time for this special concoction of this precious bath!

So mummies out there, don't throw away your expired breastmilk. Turn them into soap or make a milk bath just like what I did! They are nourishingly good! :)

MMPS One Minute Simultaneous Breastfeeding @ Gurney Paragon

I decided at the very last minute to attend the MMPS One Minute Simultaneous Breastfeeding function at Gurney Paragon. After all, my kids just gotten well recently, and I wanted to see if they are ready to go out. Luckily, they were both well and so last Sunday, we spent the day at Gurney Paragon.

24 November 2013

I heard about these functions over the years, but I've never attended any of them.
It was my first time attending, so I didn't know what to expect.

I first registered myself and then had a brief walk exploring some of the booths there.
Saw my neighbour Su Li there too with the registration.

They also had a fun activity corne made of recyclables for kids to enjoy.

There were not many people. Probably about a hundred people or so.

I was seated together with Khye. Hubby took Shern elsewhere in the mall to enjoy the mall's aircond. It was actually quite hot there as it was held in front of Gurney Paragon's outdoor atrium.

Khye was rather shy at first, a little bit overwhelmed by so many people he did not know, and he clung on to me.

He got braver and was enjoying himself and dancing and clapping his hands while the Starz Band performed some numbers.

My Khye really enjoys a good music, especially those upbeat music.

After a few speeches by YB Chong Eng, and Chairperson of MMPS, and others, it was time for us One Minute mothers to get ready.
At 3.45pm sharp, we started breastfeeding our babies simultaneously.
That's Khye & Me in action. :)

One minute later, it was done.

But guess what? Khye continued to latch on. It was his nap time too and so as he got a chance to suckle, he wouldn't let go. haha.

And in a while, he fell asleep, so I just let him sleep while I babywore him in my Ergo.

This is my certificate of participation.

I think the official numbers announced was 157 mothers breatfeeding simultaneously for one minute. 

There were also a kids performance and more performance from the Starz Band.

And then came the Quiz Time.
I managed to answer a question and I won myself some Modelling Clay products by Nikki. Shern will be so happy to see this.

Then came the Lucky Draw. I also won myself a mini prize, a Getha Contour Baby Pillow. OK, this one's for Khye, or maybe for future bub#3. lol.

Saw my friend York Tee there too, who is also one of the organizers of this event. Took a photo of her with her baby Hang.

I went home after the Lucky Draw.

At home, Khye helped me opened up the Goodie Bag I got from there.
In it were some biscuits and cookies from Chantilly Bakery, and also a Milk Booster Cookie sample, along with some brochures and discount vouchers.
Also spotted a mini handmade soup by MMPS.

All in all, I think the event organized by MMPS is very good, as it brings breastfeeding awareness to the public and also providing a breastfeeding platform to those who wish to know more.
Good job MMPS!

Just that I think the number of people showing up is a bit miserable. I was expecting a larger crowd. I hope to see more people on such events in the future.

I enjoyed myself, and I will definitely sign up for next year's event.

Happy Breastfeeding.
Breast is Best!