Teach Children About Islam

everychild born in a state of purify, or in Arabic called fitrah. as what had been said by our Prophet in his sabda "setiap bayi yg dilahirkan dalam keadaan fitrah (seperti kain putih), maka kedua ibu bapanyalah yang menjadikannya Yahudi, Nasrani atau Majusi" - HR Bukhari & Muslim. how to teach our kids about Islam? is sending them to Islamic school enough?

one Arabic poem said that "a mom is a school" (al-ummu al-madrasah). just wanna share with those who did not take Arabic, erti madrasah asalnya dari perkataan darasa bermaksud ajar. kata terbitannya seperti mudarris=pengajar, mudarrasun = subjek yg di ajar, tadris = pengajaran, madrasah=tempat belajar/sekolah. sending to Islamic school/kindergarten, etc. is only a small part (but still important) in Islamic education. to prove that a mom is a school, the BEST place of learning about Islam to these children is at home and the BEST teachers are the parents.

we don't need any resources or even any cent to teach them about Islam. since Islam is the way of life, we should not pay big amount, it's just by:-

role model
the reason why Allah sent prophets to us in form of human like us is to be role models. it is the most effective way of teaching, as in al-Quran, we are asked to practice what we preach, meaning that, by saying alone can never be an effective way of teaching and learning.

to teach them to pray, we pray first.
to teach them to recite Quran, we recite Quran first.
to teach them to fast, we fast first.
to teach them good manners, we practice good manners first.

celebrate Islam big days
what are big days in Islam? Aidil Fitri & Aidil Adha? other than those 2 harirayas, there are many big days that most of us might not appreciate (other than it is a holiday) as we appreciate hari rayas. it must be fun if we can create something to celebrate other Islamic big days with our kids. e.g.
Friday = saidul yaum (penghulu hari)
Awal Muharam = maal Hijrah - this symbolises 2 main event, the journey of Rasulullah & umat Islam from Mekah to Madinah
Maulidurrasul = the birth of Nabi Muhammad SAW - it was a riwayat saying that, anybody who celebrates the birthday of Rasululullah will be given big reward. even Abu Jahal (Rasulullah's Uncle who opposed him) gets water to drink as big as the hole on this thumb in Jahannam, because he celebrated Rasulullah's birthday.
Israk Mikraj = when Rasulullah was Israk from Masjidilharam to Masjidil Aqsa & Mikraj from Masjidil Aqsa to Sidratul Muntaha.
Awal Ramadhan = a fest to celebrate Ramadhan, a month of fasting, which in not common in our country.
etc. (will blog later about the details)

get to know Islamic countries
our children should be taught that Islam is syumul and universal. thus, all Muslims are brothers. taught them about other Islamic countries especially where our brothers are threatened, such as Palestin. and also get them know about Zionis, what is the difference between Zionis & Jew, etc.

teach them the beauty about Allah's creation
we don't have to go somewhere farther, it's just around us. tell them about their bodies, why are the hands like this and legs like that, etc.
if we go out, take time to fell and touch about anything we see, and talk to them the wonder about all those...

tell them stories about Allah, Prophets, Angles, etc.
hmm.. i don't have dedicated time to tell them stories & i don't use book to read them bedtime story neither. while BFing to sleep, i tell them stories i remember.

integrate Islam into life
often, when we parents think about teaching children about Islam, is about the rituals; salat, fasting, etc. don't forget that Islam is a total way of life, and every aspect has an Islamic element that we need to talk about and demonstrate to them. one example is, when we go to work, usually we'll say "Papa & Mama have to work to earn money so that we can buy you new clothes, etc." but instead, try to say "Papa goes to work because Allah says a good father should do it, and Mama goes to work because Allah says a good wife should help her husband". sound nicer, isn't it?

make al-Quran fun
reciting al-Quran shouldn't be always as 'formal' as every after solat, on the praying mat, to the qiblat, etc. make it fun by chanting it while playing/doing activities with them. Quran should be a part of our daily life and not only for special 'occasions'.

sing Islamic kid's song
i still remember songs taught during my kindergarten. and nowadays lots of songs can be played such as 'I Am A Muslim','A New Kids', or famous songs by Yusof Islam. Hafiy loves those! oh it's no wrong singing twinkle2 little stars OK...this is only part of it.

say doa in everything
don't limit to doa makan, doa tidur, doa belajar, etc. say nice word, and encourage our children to say nice word, as words are doa, and make them aware about it.

tell them stories about Islamic history
tell them about Khulafa' ar-Rasyidin, Umaiyah Emperor, Abasiyah Emperor, Turki Uthmaniyah, Islamic scholars, etc. it must be fun knowing the glittering of early Islam.

dont compartmentalize Islam!
sometimes we just confuse what is Islam, what is not. Islam is COMMON SENSE, and it is always GOOD THINGS. Islam is not on ibadah or the 5 pillars alone. Islam is not a part of our everyday life, but it should be our life. Islam is very complete with everything; daily routines, learn, play, entertainment, rest, etc.

OK those are just few things from my 2cents on how to teach children about Islam, making it fun and not 'something i HAVE TO follow' but 'something i do and follow'. (other moms might want to share their tips those i believe should be BETTER!) i really adore the idea of sending kids to Islamic kindy or school. but to me, our own house should be the first home/school for their Islamic knowledges and practices.

may all of us be THE BEST mothers to mould our children into THE BEST jundullah for the future of our nation and religion. insya-Allah.

Hafiy dan Susunya

i went to Dr. Aida to check Adik, and she confirmed that i was about 5 week saja.. ahahaha.. sungguh down sangat masa tu. bercampur baur perasaan, sebab Mami expect i was 2 months++ hehe. dahla Abiy tak ada.. mujurlah ada Aunty Aida, Auntry Eryn & sebagainya, hahaha. morning sickness, go away! syoooo~

Dr Aida wants to see us next 2 weeks to determine the EDD. disebabkan besar Adik (nampak sac 1.6cm je baru..) tak match dengan LMP, so dia tak bole decide EDD from last period date lah. tp probably Adik bakal lahir end of February tahun depan, insya-Allah. ahah. Dr Aida kata Adik baru je 'jadi'. :D so next check up harap2 Abiy ada sama lah. tak best la pegi sorang2. balik xde orang nak share storrriiii.

malam tu Abiy call, Mami bgtau update tu. Abiy suh Mami cari nama. hehe. Mami cakap nak nama ni kalo boy lagi & kalo girl... hehehe... excited macam nak timang anak sulung OK! neway semua anak special belaka... cuma yang second ni maybe ada '2nd child syndrome' sikitlah. bila inform atok2, semuanya selamba je, tak macam time Hafiy dulu :D diorang pun terkejut agaknya...

sesungguhnya keadaan sekarang menguatkan lagi keazaman Mami utk terus BF Hafiy. alhamdulillah skarang Mami rasa cukup kuat membina self-motivation to tandem breastfeed. ramai yang suruh Mami start FM kat Hafiy. RAMAI OK. tapi itu semua cuma jadi bunga2 di telinga saja :D lainlah kalo mereka itu yang mahu membeli, membancuh, membasuh dan sebagainya, mungkin Mami bole consider, provided Mami nak FM yang PALING MAHAL, botol yang PALING MAHAL, air bancuh dari PENAPIS yang PALING MAHAL.

maafla, bukan Mami menyombong tentang FM tapi selagi bole (selagi diizinkan Allah), Mami akan terus BF Hafiy. kalo kita bole bagi anak kita kelas A, kenapa nak bagi kelas B pulak kan? (sori i'm not saying that FM is class B but to me it's not a choice).

tp ape yang buat Mami bangga dengan pencapaian Mami ialah Mami dah tak 'berkecil' hati dengan mereka2 itu :) sungguh, sudah tidak berasa apa2. cuma Mami suka la sharing2 dgn beberapa orang kawan.. tp bukan mengadu sebab Mami tak kisah pon... kecuali kalo orang2 itu datang bawa FM paling MAHAL, botol paling MAHAL, air bancuh PALING pure, & offer macam2 perkhidmatan utk meng-FM-kan Hafiy tu agak tergugat jugak gamaknya. hehe.

susu Mami sekarang mengalami peruduman yang jelas lagi nyata. tp Mami tak bersetuju dgn idea 'bila pregnant susu kurang'. it's just kind of psychology to me. bila selalu piki macam tu, memang susu akan kurang. & Mami tak fikir peruduman itu adalah sebab pregnancy since Mami dah mengalaminya since 3 months ago. tp Mami mengakui mmg ada ibu2 yg menghadapi situasi demikian, 'rasa'nya bertukar, supply drop, efect kandungan, etc. but it is not necessarily SHOULD be faced by everybody. & if benda tu berlaku, we have to redha la kan. tp cemanapon, berpantang maut sebelum ajal :)

semalam Mami cakap ngan Abiy "Biy, kalo Mami tak larat BF Hafiy, kita hantar Shah Alam nak? (rumah Acif) :P" tahu Abiy jawab apa? "ha... biarlah dia duk sana sebulan dua" huhuhu. sungguh Mami lagi sanggup cari ibu susu utk Hafiy daripada kasik FM. bukan sebab anti-FM ok, tp ada banyak sebab seperti:
1) KEDEKUT nak kuarkan duit beli FM - memang Mami kedekut. drp beli FM, Mami nk beli pam lagi satu.
2) MALAS nak bancuh2 susu - nak bancuh minum sendiri pon malas, inikan pulak nk bancuh minum orang... mujur kat ofis ada orang tolong bancuhkan. haha. TQ kakak tealady!
3) paip kat umah TAKDE FILTER - kitorang pon minum air mineral hari2. nape tak beli filter? sbb kami KEDEKUT.
rasanya 3 alasan tu dah cukup kot. :D unless ada orang nak sponsor laa sumer2 tuhhhh. bolehh laaa dipikirkannnn :)

oh Mami nak share satu conversation ni. tak berniat mengaibkan sesapa, cuma utk panduan kita2...

"dah bagi FM ke Hafiy?"
"insya-Allah tak nak. teruskan BF lah"
"kenapa taknak? tak eloklah pregnant BF"
"tak apa..."
"janganla nak memandai-mandai"
"saya tak memandai2, saya baca, belajar, tanye orang, tgk praktis orang..."

Mami bukan BF bodoh2 je... since before Mami pregnant Hafiy, Mami dah belajar sikit2. masa pregnant Hafiy lagi lahhhh Mami belajar..sampailah sekarang, Mami terus belajar. mmg ada silap, kurang sana sini, tapi itukan namanya belajar... tapi Mami belajar. ada banyak source of info, bak kata BD* (ada benda menarik tentang ini), "semua google saja". free infos. & buku2 pun banyak.... & zaman skarang semua di hujung jari, bole consult sapa2 online saja, xpayah call2 atau jumpa2.

masa jumpa Dr Aida (she's pregnant too!), dia pesan kat Mami supaya BF Hafiy. dia sendiri pun tandem nurse, tapi dah stop 3 minggu lepas sebab anak 2nd dia dah 2 tahun. cuma dia pesan supaya makan banyak sikit sebab perlukan banyak kalori utk BF & pregnancy.

BF ni orang kata nasib2. tak kisahlah nasib ke apa, yang penting, buat lah selagi terdaya. kalo dah tak daya jangan dipaksa, nanti lain pulak jadinya. huhu.
(abg Acif nak Hafiy tak? :P)

*rupanya2 ada somebody di ofis (sgt somebody!) reads this blog! segan i~ tp seronok sebab dia puji "good la u tulis blog utk anak u, nanti ur little girl (little girl????) besar dia akan ingat mak dia tulis dia punye journey" ahak-ahak. rasa nak buat special entry pulak utk BD :P ampun... ampun...!

video masa Hafiy baru masuk 8 bulan.. tgh belajar2 sebut Mama. skg dah jadi "Maaaaaak"
tadi Bibik kate, susu dlm botol ada sikit lagi, Bibik suruh Hafiy habiskan, Hafiy jerit "daaaaah!"
biar betul Bibik ni....

My Big Boy

it happened in a day! last week, he was still under my armpit. still nangis2 mintak Mami dokong. still majuk2 taknak makan kalo Mami taknak suap mamam. still malas nak crawl. still taknak buat itu ini kalo Mami tak join sama...

but today... he's so different! Hafiy tiba2 'lari' dari Mami. Hafiy crawl panjat 'tangga' setingkat tu. pegi main2 kat weight scale Mami, pegi dapur, panjat tangga naik atas (sampai Bibik jerit2 takut jatuh), pegi kat playmat, main2 buai (nak berlatih buai adik?), korek kotak mainan cari toys, main toy sorang2, belek book Mami sorang2, bukak tutup almari... before this.. NEVER!!! sampai Mami cakap kat Hafiy "Hafiy pegila main2 sana.. explore situ..masuk sini.." but the best place is under ketiak Mami jugak.

lagi, tiba2 Hafiy suka mamam sendiri (marah kalo Bibik nak suapkan, siap buang dulu pastu amik sendiri). tp since Hafiy sembelit terus last week (oh thanks to the fresh grapes!), Mami dah disallow Hafiy makan bubur lagi. balik kepada buah semula. Bibik complaining about not giving Hafiy bubur. "nanti perut tak bole belajar digest" la, "nanti Hafiy tak pandai makan la.." ape2 ajelah Bibik oi.

Mami told Abiy on the phone about the sudden changes, Abiy macam tak caya. biar betul... it's too sudden! oh adakah ini perangai biasa budak2 yg nak dapat adik...

but one thing, Hafiy's still a berat mulut ones. it's hard to hear any word from him unless "arrgghhhhh!", "eeekkkkk"..., "mama" pun dah jarang keluar. ah, no big deal la. baru 8 bulan je, bukan 8 tahun dah pun.

about the pregnancy, and the tandem nursing, so far so good... but i really hope that i am MORE THAN 2 months! cos i dont want to face morning sickness (now still no significant MS)... :D oh i still remember during Hafiy time, i couldn't eat for 4 months... lembik je... hopefully adik Hafiy (hmm we have to list down some names) ia easier than last time, and allow me to tandem nurse. insya-Allah.

during Hafiy time, we already called him 'Hafiy' since we knew it was a boy. and we wish to call adik Hafiy by 'it's' name lah.

oh talking about name, i like to share some tips for choosing baby name:

1. religion
as Muslims, it shouldn't necessarily naming our child in Arabic, but it MUST be a good name, with good meaning. however, for most of us (Malaysian Muslim), Arabic name is somewhat a choice, easier and it is 'recognized' as a name. (between Bunga and Zahrah, i bet 90% will go for Zahrah - at least before Bunga Cinta Lestary becomes popular)

2. gender
sometimes i like the blurry line between the name of specific gender. like Firdaus, it can be girl or boy. but the 'obvious' girl name, shouldn't be named to a boy right? or is there any boy named 'Siti'?

3. memories
even if the name sounds good, it shouldn't be same with ex-BF or GF or ex-fiance... oh my..

4. the meaning
this is the thing that is really important. shouldn't look at how sweet the name is, but the meaning is bad. give them a good name with good meaning, and it will be a doa for the rest of their lives.

5. honor
this is not common in our region, i guess. we don't have Mohd Ali Muda, Mohd Ali Muda 2, etc. for us it is more related to somebody who's really a somebody like Muhammad (Rasulullah), Abu Bakar, Umar, Humaira', Hawa' etc.

6. nickname
for single-word or 2 sukukata might be easy to nickname, like Hafiy, Adam, Ali, Ain, Sarah.. parents might have their own nickname for longer name's children, but what their friend's gonna call them is something good to consider.

7. easy to live with
remember that our kids have to live with their name forever, even after their death. give them good names, and i guess should be not too long cos they have to write/type it on everypiece of exam paper... huhuhu

8. unique
name is given to identify and distinguish each individuals. if everyone has the same name, then what is the function of naming?

“Sesungguhnya kamu dipanggil pada Hari Kiamat dengan nama-nama kamu dan nama-nama bapa kamu, dari itu elokkanlah nama-nama kamu.”
(HR Abu Daud & Ahmad)

Hafiy Al-Fateh is named before Muhammad Al-Fateh, the Constantinople conquerer. Hafiy means Kind & Affectionate (one of nama gelar Nabi Muhammad SAW) and Al-Fateh means The Opener.

special video for Aunty Babe. gelap sikitlah. jimat letrik. mahal skg ni.

saya sedang cuba buka almari TV. saya tension sebab xbole bukak luas2, saya nak main dengan decoder Astro yg ada lampu tu. apsal pintu almari ni asik tertutup je kalo saya lepas???

Tandem Nursing : A Choice

thank you for all the CONGRATS wishes!

i need more than a day to accept the truth that i'm expecting, again :) oh i planned to be in pregnant mode at least after Hafiy is 2 YO. but we just planned.. :) but i'm very happy cos i got my target weight of 45kg!

the nite that i went to the panel doctor to check my BP, i said to Abiy "i dunno what makes my BP so low lately. i eat so much, plus the supplement. could it be, because i'm pregnant?" Abiy replied "it is impossible"(with kambing grin). but we went to Guardian at Bintang, just hoping it was negative so that we can proceed to any treatment or medication to bring my BP back to normal.

the test kit was safely preserved in my bag for 2 days. but on Friday morning, i just 'did' the test bcos Abiy's going to Lumut on Saturday, and maybe for a week. so anything, i wan't gonna face it alone.

and there it goes...

we went again to the clinic that nite, to confirm. yeah i am pregnant! but how many months, how many weeks, i can't tell the exact. i felt the symptoms since 3 months ago, i missed my period for 2 months, and the panel doctor wrote 5/52 in my referral letter, meaning i am only 5 week. so, wait until i see the gynae, when Abiy's back from Malaya.

the first thing Abiy asked me after i showed him the 2 lines kit was "nanti Hafiy kene bagi formula ke? kan sian Mami sakit2 & tak larat".
i told him that i WILL continue breastfeeding Hafiy despite the pregnancy, as long as ia tidak memudaratkan Mommy & adik.

and yes, it's the decision i HAVE TO make because not everybody agrees (nor educated) about tandem nursing.

i got some responses about breastfeeding during pregnancy:
my fren A : "so Hafiy nanti nak kasik formula la?"
my fren B : "wean la Hafiy kan?"
Bibik : "sudah ada isi, tak payahlah menyusu lagi"

but my answer was like what i told Abiy, except Bibik i said "doktor kata tak apa.." (satu cara tutup mulut utk makcik2 begitu ialah ckp 'doktor kata..'). but i'm not lying to her cos my gynae's wife, Dr Awang, did tandem nursing and just stop the BF during the birth.

i think tandem nursing is unusual in our region, since many moms i knew will stop BFing the elder child when having a new ones. actually, this is very personal and nursing two at a time is definitely challenging. there's some myths about tandem nursing:-
- pregnant ladies shouldn't breastfeed.
- the nutrient is imbalance since it has to adjust for 2 different ages babies.
- the newborn deserve the milk.
- mom will malnutrition for 'sharing' with the other two.
- BF won't benefit the elder child.
- etc.

as long as tidak memudaratkan, either me or the little one here, insya-Allah i will continue breastfeeding.

There is no evidence to suggest that nursing while pregnant endangers the fetus during a normal pregnancy. If a mother has previously delivered a premature baby, develops signs of pre-term labor, or is carrying multiples, there is concern that a hormone released during lactation (oxytocin) may stimulate contractions and trigger a premature labor. In these special situations, mothers are often advised to wean their older child. Research suggests that the uterus is not receptive to hormonal stimulation from oxytocin until around 24 weeks gestation, so it is generally safe to consider nursing until about 20 weeks, even in these special situations. There is almost never a need to wean abruptly during pregnancy.

Nursing during pregnancy will not deprive the fetus of essential nutrients, and will not create a harmful "drain" on the mother's body. During pregnancy, it is always important to eat nutritiously, gain weight appropriately, and get adequate rest. A well-nourished mother should have no problem providing enough nutrients for both her unborn baby and her nursing child. Breastfeeding provides several opportunities each day for the expectant mother to take breaks and rest while her toddler nurses or naps.

this is really tough. right now even i have to strengthen my determination to tandem nurse, since the B become so tender lately and often sooooo painful. and i start to feel so-called morning sickness. oh i hope it will over very soon! Abiy's role is very important now to encourage me to continue nursing Hafiy until he is at least 2 YO, or until he's willingly wean himself off.

yeah this is a very personal decision to made. hopefully, adik Hafiy is as strong as his/her brother, and willing to share... :P maybe this is why He chose me to get pregnant even before my first child is 2YO, He wants me to tandem nurse!

The Answer

now we got the answer for all these...
- low BP
- sorenipples
- blur vision
- etc.

should we....
- stay with MY SUPER CHILD, or
- move to MY SUPER CHILDREN, or
- create another MY SUPER CHILD 2???

what???

Avent Isis Uno : A Review

i've been using avent isis uno for 8 month and half. oh sure i love this pump very much. we bought it 5 month before Hafiy was born. oh i didnt just get into any shop and take any breastpump i found, but we made some so-called 'feasibility studies', especially on which one is the best pump for me.

before decided to buy any pump, i just listed down the criteria those i preferred: 1. must be small, simple & mobile. 2. not so many parts to assemble. 3. multipurpose, can use battery, electronic & manual. 4. cute & sweet.

oh i bet avent isis uno really suits me! the best part is since it is electronic so i dont have to work my hand to pump, and also the battery pack allow me to pump without power supply, and i also can use the manual if i want to.

i dont want to compare the amount of milk expressed cos i believe the let down comes from many factors, and pump type is just one of it. some moms have very fast let down even if without sophisticated pump (or even without pump, just by hand) while some are with slow let down even if with the most expensive-sophisticated pump. and with double pump also incomparable since it works so differently.

avent isis uno has one-button-controlled, where i can just use one single thing to start the let down, and continue pumping. and with all controls on my hand, i can make the IQ motor 'records' my pumping rhythm for the rest of the session. for me it works best when I apply a little pressure and hold it for some seconds as the milk flows.

and with its single touch button oh it's so eaaaasy i can even handle it without looking at it. and it can record my last pumping rhythm, and i haven't reset my rhythm for weeks. it is so personalized!

however, it doesn't actually mimic the pumping speed well. sometimes i have to re-adjust it several times to get my desirable pumping rhythm. and the suction is not as strong as manual, i guess only about 80%, but to me it's not a big deal, as long as i can rileks2 while pumping :D

the battery pack is so wonderful as well. but have to use the most powerful AA sized battery or you'll not able to finish any session :P usually i use this battery when pumping in the car, or any place without power supply. and it doesn't need any additional part, just attach the battery pack to the IQ motor.

it is not noisy, but yet it is not quiet. i haven't see anyone who's using other brand so i can't compare the noise. but it is enough to make Abiy knows that i'm pumping while he's also in the surau.

for moms who like single pumping, i think avent isis uno is something good to consider. it is a bit pricey, but it's worth it!

if you like online shopping, you can get it here, at LittleWhiz.com. just go to FEEDING -> BREASTFEEDING -> BREASTPUMP

or go to the nearest store/baby boutique those sell Avent products

saya pun sukakannya! ;)

Mommy & Hypotension

having slightly low blood pressure (BP) is not new to me. since i was in primary school, i couldn't barely standing still for more than 5 minutes. i always faint during perbarisan, and sometimes even during nasyid competition. huh.

the worst experience was during my internship, i was bicycling in the gas plant with an engineer, suddenly i was blackout while still riding the bike. tergolek dog kat plant tu. i got swollen lips, bruises all over my body and scratched safety glass. i went to a clinic after having dinner and the doctor was 'shock' telling my BP was low (couldn't remember) and my blood sugar also low (about 3.0 i guess, normal is 5.0). he said "you tak makan ka?" i said "i just have my dinner" and he what kinda 'are you sure?' then he said "you glucose level is very low even if after dinner. please eat more". huhuh. and i was 45 kg that time.

my BP is not always at the low region, it is normal but slightly low and sometimes can be lower. severely low BP is when your BP is lower than 90/60. >normal BP is 120/80 or lower, pre-hyper 120-139/80-89, hypertension 140/90 or higher. the upper reading is systolic pressure : pressure generates by heart when pumping the blood. the lower reading is diastolic pressure : pressure of arteries when heart is resting between beats.

checked the symptom2 of low BP i experienced:

- giddy & light headed
- always fatigue
- faint
- lack of concentration, lost focus
- shallow breathing
- thristy
- blurred vision, especially when getting up suddenly

lately, to be precise, since the past 3 months, the symptom was very obvious. i even couldn't get up several night for severe headache and fatigue. i went to clinics several times and most of the time, doctors said "stress kerja" huh! but finally i went to Colombia Asia last month, the doctor suspected i have some problem with my period (since it was very2 heavy ever) and he asked me to refer to the gynae. but the panel doctor refused to refer me yet, until i have my period again and she could see my condition. oh it has been 2 month without period!

the Colombia Asia doctor suspected i'm having problem with my reproductive organ, bcos of the very heavy period. that's why he asked me to see the gynae.

i'm trying to find the cause of my low BP, at least recently.
- not enough rest : 6 hours sleep is not enough???
- stress : could be, but why only now? i even 'stresser' last year.
- pregnancy : i dont think so!!! very the impossible...
- medication : i dont take any.
- blood loss : if i'm having period, it could be but i missed it for 2 months oredy!
- blood stream infection : i am healthy.
- nutritional deficiency : if this happened 2 years ago, this might be the cause. but now i'm taking supplement...
- dehydration : has possibility... i dont watch my fluid intake lately... (but how come for 3 months???)
- overactive thyroid : oh i dunno. if this is the cause, i'm sure doctor will tell me when it is really2 severe.
- heart problem : this one osso i think i could know when 'i have another 6 months to live'.

for now since i'm not diagnosed with anything, so they don't provide me any medication or even any tips, i just do my self-care & treatment.
- more water : get back into my 4L a day-water intake.
- increase salt : my Mom asked me to take asam boi. salt will increase the blood pressure, dramatically but have to ensure not too much!
>- eat frequently : adding kudap2 time while working. hahah.

i hope my low BP symptom will go away. handling a little baby, plus BFing while the body is not fit enough is completely wearing me out. but i'm still happy at least the milk production is still OK la..

i hope my next visit to any doctor will tell me something new than "tak cukup tido...","stress keje"..

whatever... as long as there's enough supply for me.

Want It Or Not

i remember once i got a message from someone telling that she had problem with BFing her baby. the baby always cried and seemed like 'tak cukup susu', and the stomach rumbling like always hungry. she asked whether is it OK if she gives her baby FM?

i told her that i thought that was not sign of 'tak cukup susu' but 'terlebih susu'. i asked weather she went to paed or refer the problem to any LC. she said no, but she was soooo tempted to give FM. i told her the baby might had lactose intolerance or lactose overload, and giving other than BM will definitely increase the problem.

however, i didnt know what she did cos she stop messaging then after saying "u sedapla cakap u tak rasa...". but i'm pretty sure she just called to get support from somebody who could say "OK! then give FM to your baby!". but unfortunately she rang a wrong bell :P

if only she had the gut to continue BF and read something like these...

Lactose overload can mimic lactose intolerance, and is frequently mistaken for it. An overload is commonly seen in babies consuming large amounts of breastmilk, ie in mothers with an oversupply. This may result in symptoms such as an unsettled baby with adequate to large weight gains, more than ten wet and many dirty nappies in 24 hours. Baby is usually less than three months old. Ironically, a mother may perceive that she has a low supply because her baby always seems to be hungry. The nappy count can be the biggest clue to what's happening. What comes out the bottom must have gone in the top!

Lactose is the sugar in all mammalian milks. It is produced in the breast and is independent of the mother's consumption of lactose. It is present in a constant concentration in breastmilk. Foremilk, the milk the baby gets when he first starts to feed, does not contain more lactose than hindmilk, but it does contain less fat. Lactase is the enzyme that is required to digest lactose. Lactose intolerance arises when a person does not produce this enzyme (or does not produce enough) and is therefore unable to digest lactose. - ABA

BFing is not only about selaking baju to nurse the baby or about expressing it, there are vasts of things to learn, especially the behavior of BF babies. i found some mommies who, 'baby tak berak for days, tak cukup susu...', 'baby menangis je, tak cukup susu...', etc (other than it really is). if only they knew what other BF moms knew... (however, there some lucky BF moms who don't have to know all those but they can BF. bravo!)...

among the things about baby that a mom-to-be or mom who want to BF should knows:
- the pee & poo pattern.
- the weight gain
- newborns behavior - especially on why they cry?, etc.
- what is baby's need? of course he doesnt need food all the time!
- mom's behavior that affect breastmilk (quality & quantity) - what mom eats, mom's rest & sleep, state of mind...

read bout what every nursing mother should know

breastfeeding is natural, but it takes practice. and lots of knowledge too. i think not only a BF mom, but also every first mom should learn about baby... and even if you couldn't, get help from the experts, especially the paeds. the www also provides lots and lots of infos, but make sure you step into the right site :D

"kenapa Mami suka buli Hafiy?!!"
"sebab Mami kan Mak..."

THANK YOU!

Mommy want to thank to everybody especially my beloved Hafiy & Abiy for the nice birthday celebration..

and to everyone who sent their wish via previous message wall (which was accidentally deleted after installing Haloscan :P)

thank you so much, may Allah bless all of you.

Happy Birthday Mommy!

alhamdulillah. Mommy diberi kesempatan utk bernafas lagi hari ni. dah lebih suku abad dah. aduh dah tua! alhamdulillah Mommy diberi rezeki yang cukup, kesihatan yg baik, keluarga yg best, kawan2 yg best, nikmat yang tak terhingga...

dalam usia ni sebenarnya Mommy jauh ketinggalan dari teman2 sebaya... dari segi ilmu, kerjaya, harta, rohani dan sebagainya. ada kurang dari half lg usia Mommy skg utk capai tahap warga emas. owhh~~~ i should use this times to fill up apa2 yg kurang sgt tu! time to gear up!

harapan Mommy utk birthday yg kesekian kalinya ini:-
[mmm biarlah Mommy simpan dalam buku nota Mommy je]

lagi, semoga Hafiy (+adik2) & anak2 Malaysia lain membesar dengan positif & menjadi warga Malaysia yg positif, kreatif, inovatif lagi proaktif untuk masa depan Malaysia yang gemilang! semoga Malaysia jadi negara maju dengan sumber pendapatan yg sangat diversify dan jadi member OPEC (pegi cari minyak kat tempat orang tak gali lagi utk increase production) :D semoga negara2 lain nanti gerun dengan future PM of Malaysia...

oleh itu Mommy akan berusaha untuk memberi Hafiy khasiat susu ibu sekurang2nya 2 tahun walaupun sekarang mengalami production constraint (kes malas pam tak habis2). arghhh!!!

semoga Allah memberi petunjuk (hidayat), menambah (berkat) rezeki dan kenikmatan (nikmat) & menyayangi (rahmat) kita semua. amiin.

kalo Mommy nak Hafiy jadi spekulator macam George Soros, ok tak?

skg Hafiy dh bole berdiri dengan support objek2. mengamalkan prinsip biar lambat asal selamat.. (lambat roll-over) setiap pagi ada terapi jalan atas embun dengan Bibik. Mommy takut kena benda2 tajam ke apa tapi since Hafiy seronok je, silakanlah. nanti dah besar bole Hafiy bangun sendiri Subuh2 jalan atas embun :)

semoga Allah panjangkan usia Mommy dalam rahmat-Nya supaya boleh tgk Hafiy membesar dgn jayanya & menjalani hari2 tua bersama Abiy :D

What Makes A Good Parent

being a parent is more than become a mother, or father. parent is the first person a little child could see... someone who they 'think' they 'should' imitate in order to grow up.

i remember my 'discussion' with one of my friend, Aunty Jina about her 2 YO daughter's tantrum. whenever she (the lil girl) gets upset, she'll scream and throw everything over, even if in public. (even if both of us had no experience) we talked to find the best way to stop that tantrum. i told her that it could be a normal tantrum for a little kid but she said, she didn't think so since her little siblings were never had as such. could it be the uniqueness? then she told me, she thought it could be because of her hot-tempered husband. the father, everytime in bad temper will shout to the family, smash things, etc. Aunty Jina then (she threw up the problem & she gave the solution herself) brought her daughter away everytime the father in bad mood, and she told & show the kid how to deal with emotion (luckily she was a cool lady) and gave her baby options such as "if you scream, you won't get anything but if you behave Mama will give you present". after few weeks (or months? forget already) she 'reported' that the tantrum was over. but it should be lots of hardworks huh?

i really believe in 'kepimpinan melalui teladan' and i'm truly against 'parenting style' that asking the kids to read books while the parents watching TV.[TV is the most attractive & powerful tool that preoccupies baby's (like Hafiy) mind. he'll stop all activities including BFing to 'watch' his favourite TV programmes (news, talkshows & Spongebob). -but i'm quite OK with that, at least he's watching the news!- i'm not against TV cos it also provides lots of infos but parents should guide the kids on what program they should watch rather than let them to decide. oh it is so.. vast of 'dirty amusement' & even sometimes i hate watching the typical Malay movies/drama that symbolises the 'short-minded', 'empty-life' of Malays... to me watching cartoon is better]

this is a story about my family.

my mother loved to read. she didn't read thick2 books but magazines and comic. i believe that it gave a big impact when i could read before i entered kindergarten (that time it was a miracle achievement cos at my kampung, Standard 1-3 pon not many could read or even knew A B C). my father said he just bought me a set of A B C blocks and from that i learned to spell, to read, to write, etc. and of course it because they also read (i'm not sure they read to me or not) & i'm sure it drove me learn how to read.(that time was no flash card, etc.)

i was not a genius child & reading at that early ages wasn't because i used to be genius, but the culture nurtured by my parents had actually encourage me to read. my Pak Teh said, my 'kegilaan' toward reading was very extreme until i would stop to collect any papers on the floor/road to read 'em. but it gave side effect, it made me a very untalkative person cos too busy reading! even i seldomly talk to my aunties & uncles.

in my opinion, a good parent should not be someone who could give 'everything' to his/her babies; branded clothes, branded toys, branded things, expensive goods, hi-standard classes/school, lots of wealths, etc... but someone who could be the best role model to the kids.

i don't think is it works if a father told his son to 'stay away from cigarette' while he's puffing the smoke...

1. we want our kids to be healthy, so we should have healthy lifestyle first. we should have enough rest, eat healthy foods, exercise, etc. & get regular medical check up.
2. we want to keep our kids safe, we first have to practise safety. wear seatbelt! practise HSE at home, clean up the mess before leaving the room, careful with knives, hot pane, etc.
3. we want our kids to learn, we should keep our minds active. read books, try new things, do something new together with our kids.
4. we want our kids to communicate. we first have to talk to others. practise effective listening and talking. have efficient discussion with out spouse and kids during family time & ask their opinion too!
5. we want our kids to do good deeds. we have to practise good manner. talk nicely to others, say thank you or sorry, pray, read Quran, respect others, etc.
6. we want our kids to enjoy life, so we shouldn't invite stress to come to our mind. listen to music or interesting TV shows, read some comics, do something fun, practise creativity, play etc.

we should have regular discussion with the kids, even if he's only a baby. when Hafiy does something like kacau2 barang Abiy, i still layan him but say to him "we don't play with other's belonging. this is Abiy's and let's put it at its place OK". i don't simply put the things back and scold "no! no!" or it will hinder his future exploration. and the pantang is when one of us talk to our kids, the other should not intefere, and don't say something like "u jgn marah baby mcm tu, u pun sama je..".oh i bet the kid will lose respect to the parent who tried to 'tegur' that no-no behavior.

so what makes us good parents? it's not the materials or any methods, but it is how we cultivate our life.

Mandi Wiladah

i had a discussion (chatting actually) with mommysarah, and she mentioned about mandi wiladah. i got many emails (but the same content) about mandi wiladah. i dont want to paste it here, but in a nutshell it stressed about:
-mandi wiladah is wajib, after the baby had been delivered (when the head(+body) was out)
-w/o mandi wiladah, if the mother dies during confinement, she would be considered 'tidak dlm keadaan suci'.
-etc.
but it was no supporting dalil neither from Quran nor hadis, nor any riwayat.

i referred the problems to Ustazah Mariah and this was what she said:

tiada nas yg menyatakan bahwa kita wajib mandi wiladah sesudah bersalin, kerana kebiasaan wanita Melayu, lepas bersalin terus keluar nifas. jadi samada mandi wiladah atau tidak, dia tetap dalam keadaan tidak suci sampailah dia mandi setelah habis nifas.
namun ada satu riwayat di zaman Rasulullah di mana sorang wanita menemui Rasulullah & bertanya, adakah dia wajib mandi kerana dia tidak keluar nifas selepas bersalin, makan Rasulullah menyuruh wanita itu mandi wiladah.
kebanyakan wanita di Mid East mengalami keadaan itu, mungkin faktor iklim atau pemakanan. malah Fatimah R.A sendiri mandi wiladah kerana beliau tidak keluar nifas.
dalam keadaan biasa, Rasulullah menyatakan bahawa mandila selepas kering nifas.
boleh dikatakan di sini, jika keadaan sedemikian (bersalin kering/tiada nifas), maka wajib dia mandi wiladah tetapi mengikut norma kita, terus keluar nifas maka tidak perlu mandi, kerana tiada keperluan.

i was make sense cos she had the evidents (walaupun lemah).

i can't refer to any book now cos i left my books at Kelantan :(

however, as far as i know, there's no hadith mentioning about mandi dua kali lepas bersalin & mandi wiladah (selain dr riwayat di atas).

namun ada perbezaan pendapat ulamak tentang 'wiladah'. terdapat ulamak yg mengertikan wiladah sebagai 'keguguran', yg mana ibu2 yg mengalami keguguran (tidak bersalin), meskipun tiada darah yg keluar, maka wajib mandi wiladah. terdapat ulamak yg berpendapat bahawa wiladah itu ialah 'melahirkan anak', samada normal/c-sec, sama ada hidup/mati anaknya, bernifas atau tidak, wajib mandi tetapi jika bernifas, mandinya selepas kering nifas, jadi 2in1 gitu.

malah dalam satu hadis Rasulullah SAW menyebut bahwa wanita hendaklah mandi & solat selepas keringnya darah slepas bersalin sama ada anak itu hidup atau mati (mtk maaf lupa ayat penuh & rawinya). & tidak disebut tentang mandi wiladah.

afterall, tujuan mandi wajib adalah utk 'membersihkan diri' tuk membolehkan kita solat & melakukan ibadah2 yg dilarang dalam keadaan junub & sekiranya selepas mandi wajib (wiladah), kita masih bernifas, maka sama seperi berwuduk dalam keadaan haid.

konklusinya, mandi wajib dilaksanakan sekali sahaja yakni selepas nifas kering = mandi wajib nifas = mandi wiladah.

perkara ini pernah dibincangkan dalam grup kami, yg mana penyebaran email tentang 'ibadah', 'feqah', 'sunnah', etc. yg menjadi persoalan dari mana datangnya email2 ini dan kenapa ia tiada 'signature' mana2 ustaz/ustazah/pakar dlm bidang2 tersebut. malah tiada dalil yg menyokong. jadi kami berpendapat, sekiranya menerima email2 yg mengelirukan tentang perkara2 tersebut. rujuklah pada yg benar2 pakar & mintaklah supporting element utk mengukuhkan keyakinan & pengetahuan kita tentang perkara tersebut. lebih2 lagi sebelum kita menyebar pada orang lain pula.

walaupun perkara yg disebar itu mungkin betul tp apa salahnya kita mengkaji (membaca, bertanya, berbincang, etc.) sedikit, insya-Allah dengan pengkajian yg sikit tu Allah kurniakan banyak ilmu2 lain pada kita. benda2 sebegini kadang2 jadi 'shortcut' pula utk orang2 biasa mcm kita yg tiada kitab2 utk direfer/tiada ilmu utk menafsir & kita ambil buta2 saja. di sinilah gunanya ustazah2/ustaz2/tok2 guru, especially dari sekolah/uni/ofis kita,bukan jd tempat rujukan masa nak exam/baca doa dlm function je.

dalam hal perbezaan pendapat, adalah perkara yg digalakkan dalam Islam selagi tidak bercanggah dengan syariat. cthnya perkara2 wajib mandi, ada ulamak berpendapat ada 5 : keluar mani, make love, mati, haid & nifas; dan ada ulamak berpendapat 6, selain dari perkara 5 itu tambah melahirkan anak. tp seperti di atas, tertakluk pada condition2 yg disebutkan.

Islam tu mudah, tp kita wajib menuntut ilmu, ia tak datang terbang macam tu je ke dalam kepala. (kecuali yg diberi hidayah oleh-Nya)

[tapi kalo nak mandipon takde salahnya... daripada membazir air (kes2 xtutup pili ketat2) baik wat mandi kan]

i'm not a 'pakar' dalam bidang feqah (in fact i'm pakar in nothing), hanya berdasarkan pembacaan, perbincangan dan diolah dlm bahasa sendiri. sekiranya anda mempunyai nas atau dalil tentang mandi wiladah, silakan kongsi sama2 ya.

Apa Gelaran?

tagged by Aunty Jua & Mommy Sarah:

"sila ceritakan psl kisah gelaran/pangkat dlm family anda. sila..sila.."

3 of Us:
Abiy = Abang@Nuar (family) Wak (friends)
Mommy = Along@Alin (family) Along (friends)
The Featherbed = Hafiy

Abiy's Side:
Abiy's Ayah = Tok Pa
Abiy's Mak = Tok Ma
Abiy's Sis Fatin = Aunty
Abiy's Bro Muhamad = Uncle
Abiy's Grandparents = Mbah Buyut-s

Mommy's Side:
Mommy's Ayah = Tok Ayah
Mommy's Mak = Mak Tok
Mommy's Angah = Mak Ngah
Mommy's Abg Chik = Ayah Chik
Mommy's Uda = Pak Uda
Mommy's Uzair = Pak Su
Mommy's Nenek = Nye
Mommy's Nye = ??? (still undecided)

all our aunties & uncle automatically naik pangkat jadi datok.

kami tiada gelaran Tun, Tuan, Tengku, Nik, Wan, etc. & takde pangkat Dato', Datin, Tan Sri.. yg ade datuk nenek je. :D

World of Scarcity

i can't help myself writing about what is happening in our country recently. i think starting from the 'that guy' takeover Malaysian cabinet, everything went 'out of order', even someone without 'Bumi' status could claim for 'kesamarataan', which was never happened before. :D so nice.

last week, our PM announced the increasing in our fuel price, about 40%, and before that our makanan ruji (rice) increased 100%! what to say more? i heard this year all rice-producing country couldn't produce as what they should due to 'padi tidak menjadi'. is it true? i dunno because i never went to those Siam or Burma etc. but the food crisis is REALLY TRUE, and that's a good WHY for most peniaga to increase the price.

however, for the fuel price, actually i feel a bit 'lega' cos my sms & email inbox are almost free from messages saying 'the national oil company is this and that'. i think most Malaysian are aware now, what is the roles of our national oil company & the role of government.
however, i heard that there'll be a demo at KLCC in July, is that true? u know what? i sounds very funny to me.

why does the oil price strikes so dramatically?

1. growing demand
the most significant is the fast growing of China & India economies. and seasonal demand for oil due to winter, etc. in 4-seasons countries.

2. low stock
this is associated with the Iraqi War, ethnic tension in Venezuela, hurricane in Gulf Mexico, etc.

3. opec effect
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), a cartel that adjusting supply quotas and thereby setting prices. OPEC’s prowess was particularly notable during the 1970s, when minor reductions in the cartel’s supplies led to “oil shocks” and thus global increase in price.

4. speculators' actions
hedge funds and other speculators betting on the possibility of higher prices have themselves exacerbated price pressure in the market. the price of oil is affected by the behaviour of market investors, doesn’t matter if oil supplies are actually low or if threats to oil supplies actually exist. they don't care as long as they can increase their trading.

oh i'm not a pro-petronas etc. but i think i can share what i knew so that i won't hear anymore, 'stupid argument' about the national oil company (petronas) & fuel price :D

1. they compare with non-oil producer i.e. Thailand & UK.
let me list down world's oil producers, what i knew only la.

Africa Continential
* Algeria
* Angola
* Cameroon
* Chad
* Republic of the Congo
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Gabon
* Libya
* Mauritania
* Nigeria
* Sudan
* Tunisia

Asia
* Azerbaijan
* Brunei
* China
* Georgia
* Kazakhstan
* Malaysia
* India
* Indonesia
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Thailand
* Turkmenistan
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam

Australasia
* Australia
* New Zealand
* Papua New Guinea
* East Timor

Europe
* Austria
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* North Sea:
o United Kingdom
o Norway
o Denmark
* Germany
* Ireland
* Italy
* Lithuania
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Romania
* Russia
* Serbia
* Ukraine

Middle East
* Bahrain
* Iran
* Iraq
* Kuwait
* Oman
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Syria
* United Arab Emirates
* Yemen

America
* United States of America
* Canada
* Mexico
* Barbados
* Belize
* Cuba
* Guatemala
* Trinidad and Tobago
* Argentina
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Chile
* Colombia
* Ecuador
* Guyana
* Peru
* Suriname
* Venezuela

now tell me which non-oil producer they're comparing with?

comparing ourselves with Saudi Arabia.. it's like comparing 'Sos Cili Makcik Jenab & Anak2' with 'Sos Cili Maggi'. it's not fair kan if we asked "why sos cili makcik Jenab xde iklan kat TV while Sos Cili Maggi always ada? well, they sell the same product-sos cili". is it fair?

Saudi Arabia produced 9Million barrels/day while Malaysia produced 0.5Million barrels/day... is it comparable? Malaysia is only about 0.05% from Saudi's oil production, and the profit margin is very low. just think about the above analogy.

2. oil price strikes high, petronas's untung goes high as well
when the oil price increase, it costs petronas a bomb! the service companies take this advantage by increasing the service charges.

3. they burned the monies by building KLCC
if you can buy yourself a new car, a house, nice clothes, don't question about what the main contributor to your gov's incomes built themselve a nice building.

4. petronas should sell cheaper2 to the country
refer to no. 2. if they sell cheaper2, who'll bear the cost???? furthermore, it oredy gives a portion of $ to the govt.

5. petronas - govt crony.
i afraid not. TQ govt for not getting involve in petronas's organization or i can guarantee the company will melingkup just like other govt's companies :D

6. petronas officers monthly wages easily exceed normal citizen yearly income.
very funny. how do u know? have u ever been a petronas officer? WRONG! even a new teacher in Miri paid higher than a Petronas engineer in Miri.

7. where all petronas profit goes?
63% - to the govt. which is 40% of gov's income. TAK KE BANYAK TU!
7% - to the shareholders, royalties & taxes
30% - to reinvest

8. petronas should control the oil price.
it's no. after all, the fuel price is govt's responsibility, not petronas.

etc. malas dh nk tulis.

we've been living in complacent for so long and we hit the edge of our comfort zone, it really made us mad and feel everybody was stupid especially petronas and the gov. haha. indeed they are because we are much smarter, that's why we keep on makan gaji and become the prey everytime the price get higher and higher.

why don't we ask our children to study hard and become one of petronas MC or minister one day so that they will:
- decrease the oil price.
- give more and more subsidy.
- give us free fuel, free cars, free houses!

who don't feel the burden of high price in EVERYTHING? even for us, a pack of 10kg beras costs almost RM50. and the chicken costs us RM9/kg. don't have to go to the poor to feel the 'agony' of the higher living cost recently. in this case, i really think those 'ministers' are not very wise. they shouldn't say "rakyat harus berjimat" while they are happily continue their living as usual in their big mansion etc. it is nicer if PM said "saya arahkan semua menteri buat car pooling & makan nasik sekali sehari utk berjimat cermat". hahaha.

i'm not a rich person, but i don't have any power to ask anyone to reduce the oil price. and i heard in August, the fuel will costs RM4/L. haha. very nice. and we are shifting ourselves from middle class to lower class. now it is really kick us out of out comfort zone. i hope we can find blessing in disguise, beyond all this @#$#@#.

but, if we revert back to why Allah created & sent us here, to be the khalifa, now, do we really be the caliph? who rules the world now? is he a Muslim? think again, it is our fault to let the 'whatever' rules the world while we are the one who sent by Allah to take the role. He ever said that when the world goes under those 'whatever's authority, there'll be lots and lots of kemusnahan. and it's really is. (sorry i forgot the source & full text but i think it is a Hadis Qudsi, i'll come back later).

but i believe that Islam will strikes back. if we see the cycle of Islamic civilization, during Adam's, they're already had some technologies (remember Qabil & Habil bred sheeps & farming), but during the ice age, stone age, etc. ppl still go hunting, pakai cawat etc. and before the Jahiliyyah, Jazirah Arab was flashed by Islamic seruan during Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, etc. and now it is goes to the lowest point of ppl civilization again. it's not a matter of time, but it's our action, cos now we're the Muslims who left to continue the journey of Islamic civilization. and i really believe in what is said in our Kitab.

to me, and in our family, instead of blaming here and there, we look back in ourselves, do we really perform our duty as Muslims and the caliphs? could this be a 'bala' or test for us, to make us aware that, how high we fly & how far we go, there are things we can't control? and if we want to fit ourselves into 'a Muslim profile', where are we?

anyway, we can choose to face this with positive attitude and be happy paying the high price of fuel & all the basic needs, or keep on pointing and blaming this and that, get stressed but still have to pay the high price :D we opt for the #1!

as i said, i'm not a pro-petronas nor pro-gov, but the reality is, we can't do anything. even if the other party takes over, will they able to reduce the fuel price? oh maybe they will, cos i heard, Selangor citizen are waiting for their 'free water' =) i want it too!

DISCLAIMER
*don't read if you can't differentiate between the govt & the national oil company.
*don't read if you're angry with the govt because this writings is not defending the govt., or anyone, just sharing the true facts about the national oil company.
*before you get angrier, please understand that the subsidy is not from petronas, but the govt.
*i have nothing to do with the company mentioned.

on BF, toy & oil price

i got this question

hi mami hafiy. nak tanya pendapat sikit psl pumping ni:
1. baby saya umur 5 minggu sekarang & saya memang exclusive BF dia. 3 minggu lagi saya nak start keje & skrg saya dah mula kumpul stok EBM. Masalah saya ialah baby saya menyusu setiap sejam stgh/2jam sekali & klu saya pam susu utk stok EBM, breast saya tak sempat nak penuh balik utk next feeding & baby pun merengek sbb tak puas minum. mcmana saya nak plan pumping time saya utk stok EBM & pd masa yg sama susu saya cukup utk direct feeding?
2. setiap kali pam saya cuma berjaya pam 1.5oz shj sedangkan skrg baby saya minum 3oz each feeding time.ini sedikit sebyk merisaukan saya samada saya boleh stock up sebanyak itu atau tidak.
3. adakah penggunaan electric breastpump boleh meningkatkan jumlah susu yg dipam pada each pumping time berbanding manual pump? buat masa skrg saya guna breastpump avent isis manual.
4. adakah milkmaid tea berkesan utk menabahkan susu?
-mummy dina on how to pump milk?

i am not the best person to answer, but i try my best from my little experience (& i believe other mommies have their own practices & knowledge to share).

1. the rule of thumb is, always remember that 'SUPPLY BASE ON DEMAND'. our milk duct is not like oil reservoir that will deplete upon high production, but the high production and demand will stimulate more milk to formed. continue pumping & direct BF, it might initially looks awful when we feel 'susu dh abis lepas pump & xcukup utk baby'. however, if we continue pumping & BFing consistently, the body will learn that there's extra demand and it will 'work' to provide more and more milk.
2. start early & you'll be OK. right now cos u're still direct BFing, so ur hasil tenusu might not be that much. but once you're back to work, you'll get even more than that. even, if you have more stocks, you can combine and it shouldn't be one-day-stock for one-day-feeding.
3. i think the pump type is subjective. my experience, suction on manual pump is stronger than electrical one, but i can pump a bit longer using electrical cos can avoid lenguh2. hehe. i think comparing production between manual & electrical is like comparing orange & apple. both have their own pro & cons.
4. i used to take milkmaid tea but it didn't work on me. i think different people have different lactogenic agent. however, the BEST to increase milk are by INCREASE PUMPING FREQUENCY and DIRECT FEEDING. and forget to have a balance diet & plenty of water!
   

hope that's help ya Mummy Dina, happy BFing!

my 8 month boy

we bought this form fitter for him. initially, i never expect anything on him, to fit the shapes into the holes, etc. but we still guide him how to. and usually he'll scream everytime we hold his hand to fit the holes, cos he liked to suck the blocks instead.

Abiy said "he doesn't interested on this toy". i replied "it's OK. maybe he's too small to play with this kind of toy but we shouldn't stop encouraging him OK".

one fine evening i found him, tried to put a shape into the holes (of course la tak match). owh it was soo touching! he's such an independent baby! Mommy never tot you know how to do it! so everyday after work, i spend time with him, playing with the fitter while learning about shapes and colors.

and it's so true that babies are full of miracles. we don't know when they start learning and how they learn. we parents, don't stop showing, teaching, guiding them even if they are just a small kids and leave us with no respond. be consistent, put a little patient and you'll be surprised!

on the oil price

double the price in 5 years! i still remember 5 years back when i was in uni. the fuel price was rm1.35/L and now it's doubled. the crude oil price also struck dramatically to usd130/barrel. the growing demand, supply disruption, OPEC effect and commodity traders & market investors' behavior, are factors those are expected for this kind of resources.

true, it is really hard for the makan gaji like us. barang xde, harga naik. minyak baik, harga naik. gaji naik sikit, harga naik banyak. always trapped in the rat race. how banyak the gaji pon still tak kaya2. & now in food crisis we can't buy beras siam from Brunei anymore :((

but we believe in the law of abundance. out there are lots of wealth & rezeki Allah takkan putus. it's just how we strive for it.

Mommy keja kuat2 biar dapat bonus lebeyyyy..!!!

Tragedi Mei Tai

the how:

L: in standing position for takbiratul ihram & al-Fatihah. one hand holds baby, one hand to takbir & put below chest (if possible).
R: ruku'. hold (hug) the baby with both hands.

L: sujud with baby. one hand holds baby, one hand on the floor
M: sujud with baby at sides. put the baby beside you & perform sujud
R: in sitting position for duduk antara 2 sujud & tahiyat

REMARK: the baby's position is depend on the way you carry the baby outside solat.

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what happened in May (at 7 month) a special dedication to Auntie Sarah (get well soon):

1. Hafiy met Mak Ngah FOR THE FIRST TIME! (she just came back from Manipal,India)

sape lebih huduh?

2. Hafiy met Adam.

"eh awak! awak! kamera!"
"apehal mamat ni?"


"Abiy tolong, ada orang nak rompak kamera saya!"
"apeke hey nye anak pakcik ni?"
"tadek sapa nk rompak kamu nye, tu kamera kamu tetinggal kt situlah"

3. Hafiy caught fever 2 times. however, upon the recovery, Hafiy achieved these, very the sudden:-

budak demam

• crawl!
• stand by himself (support by chair, Mommy's legs, etc.)
• walk on 1st step walker
• eat papaya, banana & other fruits w/o lenyek2. he mashed 'em with his gum
• climb
• terjun tiruk
• call "MAMA!"

4. Abiy bought walker. but Hafiy hate it until today.

please get me out of here!

5. Hafiy's hobbies

selerakkan, cabut &makan playmat

makan buku biar bangat pandai


main dgn segala menda tali termasuk tali pinggang, tali seluar Mami & talipon


panjat Mami


berdiri!


koyak buku! bergaya je lebih pastu habeh kene cabut benda2 yg bole dicabut.

6. Funtime together

kena buli

Mami beli kat Servay je Hafiy nih

7. Mommy lost another.. 2kgs! wow! so it made me 45KG now! yahhuuuu!

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this morning, Mommy read a book & i gave Hafiy a baby book to play with. i didn't pay much attention on him cos i was totally captured by the book i read. he came to me and climbed. i tot he didn't interested on book. however, after i surrendered my reading, Hafiy got to my book and opened it up.

he just want our things! (it's a norm for babies and little kids to imitate their parents)

that's why i don't give him baby porridge, puree etc. i bake avocado, sweet potato, pumpkin, potato, etc. and give him in their perfect shapes, and 'raw', mild & pleasant fruits like banana & papaya, for him to enjoy. as long as the fruits are gentle enough & he can mash with his gum, i don't afraid of choking (but the mealtime still have to be under full adult's observation!). 'brickly' fruits like pear or apple, not in the list yet. he might choke!

eat my baby Hafiy, eat! grow my baby Hafiy, grow!