B.R.O.K.E.N. S.L.E.E.P.

Alhamdulillah Bean is home safely and is fully recovered from newborn jaundice (no hospital admission required, just lots of breast milk as advocated by his paed).

 

Alhamdulillah I am recovering, relaxing and rejuvenating as much as I possibly can.

 

The Other Half and I are sleep deprived at the moment and are taking turns to manage the household, caring for a newborn and a pre-schooler.

 

He does the school run in the morning.
 

Groceries.
 

Comes home.
 

Cares for Bean while I shower, express breast milk, get ready for my post-natal massage and binding.
 

Picks up lunch tray/tiffin cans/flasks of red date tea from The Grandparents from The Flat Upstairs.
 

Eats gobbles his lunch.
 

School run in the afternoon.
 

Sends The Little Girl to The Grandparents at The Flat Upstairs.
 

Comes home.
 

Cares for Bean while I befriend my Avent Breastpump and VIA cups.
 

We bathe Bean.
 

Naps (if possible).
 

Picks up dinner tray/tiffin cans/flasks of red date tea from The Grandparents from The Flat Upstairs.
 

Eats chomps his dinner.
 

Loads the dishwasher.
 

Return lunch trays/tiffin cans/flasks to The Grandparents at The Flat Upstairs in exchange for The Little Girl.
 

Cares for Bean while I keep the bedtime routine with The Little Girl.
 

I befriend my Avent Breastpump and VIA cups again before "sleeping".
 

Does the night feeds and diaper changes (I sometimes wake up too from the cries and letdown, and end up either breastfeeding or pumping).
 

Subuh again! Subuh already? But we haven't "slept"!
 

Breakfast time!  

 

(It is alright for you to have a headache/feel dizzy/see stars after reading the above list as we are fatigued from carrying out all these tasks!)

 

Now insert : put dirty laundry into the washer and transfer washed but still damp laundry to the dryer in between almost every single task.

 

Don't forget all the self care routines too (as mundane as teeth brushing sounds, one can sometimes miss out when both kids require attention at the same time!).

 

Solat. Don't miss that from his list of things to do. I am excused as I am still in nifas.

 

Then insert ironing some clothing randomly in between. We have started sending a small (but increasingly larger by the day) laundry basket to The Grandparents at The Flat Upstairs so that we can get some decent shut eye (read: nerve preservation). Oh, how my shoulders and neck ache from all that ironing...and the appearance of ugly varicose veins from standing on my feet a lot. Ugh!

 

Finally, do not leave out vital tasks such as renewing car road tax, car insurance, household and fire insurance, school concert rehearsals, school summer programme, 1001 other fun activities to keep the 39 month old pre-schooler entertained, engaged, learning and happy. Some we can complete online, but some require eye to eye contact and actual conversation, get what I mean?

 

Phew!

 

Things are about to get more interesting challenging as we embark on the Holy Month of Ramadhan next week. May Allah bless us with Strength to carry on and fulfil our obligations as Muslims.

When the first 44 days are over, with no help from The Grandparents or Confinement Helper (who is only helping out for the last 9 days), our reality of a family of 4 members will commence. This is the "honeymoon" period so let me just kick back and relax in the smallest way that I can.

 

Guess that birth story will have to wait for now until I gather my composure as posting a summary would not be fair *hehe*

 

Till then

 

<pause>

 

see you soon!

 

It won't be too long, I sincerely hope.

 

P/S: Yes, the fact that we are parents of 2 kids have finally sunk in. It did the moment we took Bean home!

Confinement Recipe: Papaya Milk Dessert

Confinement is a rest, relax and rejuvenate period for me. Sometimes after breastfeeding and feeling both peckish and thirsty in the late afternoon before meal time, I love a healthy dessert to tie me over without piling on the pounds.

This simple and tasty dessert is also a cure for constipation and helps in increasing breast milk supply.

Ingredients:

1 whole ripe papaya

1tbsp rock sugar

250ml milk

Small slice of ginger, if baby has no jaundice.

Steps:

Wash papaya and pat dry.

Cut off top part of papaya to use as a "pot lid".

Decore papaya to remove seeds, empty papaya will look like a "pot".

Cut the bottom of papaya so that the "pot" can "stand" on its own.

Pour ginger, rock sugar and milk into the "papaya pot" and close "pot lid".

Place onto a plate or bowl to fit steamer.

Steam for 45 minutes.

Serve hot.

Tip: If in a rush, skin and cube the papaya then place all ingredients into a bowl that can fit into steamer.

Bon appetit!

Second Pregnancy: Confinement Food Recipes

Stumbled upon "Falling in Love with Confinement" by Peiling Goh at Kinokuniya yesterday. Retails for RM46.00. See also www.moms2b.com

I got myself a copy and after flipping through a few pages, I am loving the recipes. Excited enough to share my thoughts here after trying out a few simple dishes (omitted those with black fungus and mushrooms so as not to trigger more contractions).

Note: Mine is a bilingual copy - very handy as The Other Half and I can then read the English version while my confinement helper can read the Mandarin version. Literally, we are on the same page, pun intended.

The healing food and drink recipes are so delicious looking I am looking forward to testing the safe ones now and wait for the rest during confinement. I like how it is a practical handbook, simple enough for The Other Half to follow on days when we are on our own.

Here's finally looking forward to confinement positively/not dread the lack of support network/avoiding limited food and drink choices/having to explain every single recipe that I have used before at every single meal preparation.

Caveat: I cross refer all ingredients with Halal & Haram, The Prohibited & The Permitted Foods & Drinks According to Jewish, Christian & Muslim Scriptures by Muhammad Umar Chand.

Syukur Alhamdulillah!

Confinement Recipe: Porridge

Let's face the truth about confinement food: 44 days of eating rice with mixed vegetables and soup on the side, twice a day, can be really boring.

On hot days, I prefer porridge. Here is another simple, easy to cook, breastmilk replenishing recipe to share.

To cook on high setting in the slow cooker for 2 hours, then low setting for another 2 hours (or set it to auto mode):
1 cup of washed jasmine rice
200g of diced celery
200g of diced pumpkin without seeds and skin
200g of diced carrots without skin
200g of diced potatoes without skin
1 inch of smashed ginger without skin (omit if baby has jaundice)
about 8 cups of water, or more to cover all ingredients

Optional:
200g of minced chicken; or
200g of minced beef; or
200g of cubed salmon; or
200g of dried oysters; or
200g of dried scallops

To garnish:
Chopped spring onions
Sprinkle of browned shallots and garlic
Dash of pepper
Drizzle of sesame oil
Sprinkle of sesame seed

Serve hot.

This portion serves 2 adults and 1 toddler.

Note: I still cook and eat this now for this simple fact: The Little Girl is still nursing at 33 months, and I am nursing when pregnant with The Little Bean. Needless to say, I feel like a booster every now and then is just what I need.

Bon appetit!

Confinement Recipe: Young Papaya with Free-range/organic Chicken Soup

The ingredients are quite simple in this famous "increase breastmilk supply" recipe. Sure works for me, and I hope it does for you too!

 

For boiling, then simmer for about 40 minutes:

400g chicken on the bones, cut to serving size

200g young papaya, cubed without skin and seeds, blanche with hot water if sappy

1 inch smashed ginger without skin (omit if baby has jaundice)

About 1 litre of water, sufficient to cover ingredients

 

For garnishing:

1 tablespoon sesame oil to stir into soup before serving
dash of pepper

20g soaked, drained and softened goji berries to be added into soup before serving

 

Serve hot with meal.

 

This is one soup I do not mind drinking with chicken, papaya and goji berries through it.

 

Young papaya is commonly used in one of my favourite Thai salads but during confinement, I get to enjoy it as part of soup! Organically grown young papaya can be obtained from your good organic green grocer.

 

Free-range organic chicken is preferred for making soup as boiling "farm-raised-antibiotics laden-commercial-force-fed-to mature-within-x-number of days" chicken is a no-no within the Chinese community. Confinement period is a period of resting, healing and nourishing both mother and child. Lesser "contaminants", the better!

 

Dried goji berries/wolfberries are available from chinese medical halls. I buy large ones without sulphur dioxide to store in the freezer. Soaking them in cool boiled water after rinsing brings them to a nice soft texture and when added to soup just before serving prevents the berries from turning the soup brown/red hue whilst preserving its sweet taste.

 

Bon appetit!

Confinement Recipe: Fenugreek with Ikan Haruan Soup

The Other Half is 50% Malay, and the Malay folks believe in consuming ikan haruan for "fast action surgical wound repair".

 

See http://goldenson-penang.blogspot.com/2010/03/ikan-haruan-aka-snakehead-fresh-water.html#!/2010/03/ikan-haruan-aka-snakehead-fresh-water.html

We also learnt during ante-natal classes that fenugreek, a herb widely used in Indian cooking, promotes breastmilk production.

This is a confinement soup recipe which serves to heal (protein from ikan haruan "magically" heals episiotomy stitches in my case) and increase breastmilk supply.

I am happy to share this recipe as it had worked wonders for me during my first confinement and I hope to enjoy this again after The Little Bean is delivered, insya Allah!

To bring to boil, then simmer for about 40 minutes/or if using a slow cooker to cook on high to boiling point then simmer on low for 2 hours: 

600g ikan haruan

2 tablespoons of fenugreek seeds

1 inch old ginger, crushed without skin on (omit if baby has jaundice)

about 1 litre of water, sufficient to cover ingredients

To flavour the soup before serving:

1 tablespoon sesame oil into the pot, stir well

dash of pepper, to taste

Serve hot as part of a meal.

So simple! My MIL who is Irish finds this easy to prepare, especially when using the slow cooker as the low setting allows her to multitask without burning the pot.

I prefer mine strained and skimmed, with just the soup to drink. Fenugreek does stink up the body and urine. Oh, the things we do for breastmilk supply to increase!

Tip: No salt added, as salt promotes water retention (fact, I followed) and rumoured to reduce breastmilk production (not sure if fact or myth, but I followed just in case it does reduce breastmilk production!).

Bon appetit!

Retrospective Wisdom: The Newborn

Dear S****,

We love you very much and thank Allah for His precious gift and trust bestowed upon us.

On the first night, you sniffled and sounded like a kitten "miu miu" throughout the night. Daddy thought you have named your first designer brand on your very first day outside the womb! Mummy fed you colostrum and you seemed contented just nuzzling close and warm. As you have not learnt to suck very well, Mummy had to express the colostrum by hand and let you lick it off. A very cute kitten you were!

The lactation consultant had said that you were not latching on properly, kept falling asleep on the breasts and perhaps Mummy should reconsider breastfeeding exclusively. Luckily Mummy is much more headstrong and determined than listening to sweeping statements from a total stranger. Sometimes Mummy have this desire to just call on the lactation consultant and just tell her in her face how mistaken she had been and that she ought not discourage any other first time mothers the same way she did to us!

On the fifth day, we went to the hospital for your check up and you were admitted for jaundice. The children's ward was full so Mummy and Daddy waited for you 18 to 20 hours a day until you completed your treatment. Grandma and Granddad came to fetch you home on the eighth day.

When you returned home, you have learnt to sleep on your tummy. However, you missed the warmth of the UV treatment and wanted to stay close to Mummy 24/7. Naturally, we nicknamed you "Koala" as you would only sleep well if you were clinging onto Mummy.

As you were fully on breastmilk, you fed every 2 hours punctually. Mummy was frantically pumping and feeding you round the clock, sipping red date tea and Earthmama Angel MilkMaid Tea to ensure constant supply. Your paed, Dr. Sofiah Ali was generally very pleased with your progress and growth despite having been admitted for one night of observation due to colic at Day 17.

The nurses at the paed ward had all been smitten by your gray blue eyes!

Daddy was in charge of diapers and you certainly kept him very busy too, leaving him to be a zombie at the office. Despite that, he worked very hard to ensure that you are well provided for.

With lots of love,

Mummy & Daddy

**Retrospective Wisdom: If ever anyone else's newborn has jaundice, I would say get boarded at the hospital with the newborn and place the UV lamp sunbed (phototherapy) by your bedside!! Or rent a UV lamp sunbed for the newborn at home. That'll greatly cut down fatigue for the set of new parents.**