Reflections of a new mummy - The Breastfeeding Journey

I'm a 1.5 week old mummy and i'm happy to report that the breastfeeding journey has been ok thus far. Isaac started suckling at my breast a few hours after birth, and i laid him on my side with the help of the nurse. The act of moving to the left and right sides were a bit painful especially after the c-section, but i perservered and it was bearable subsequently. And i was delighted when Isaac suckled immediately when put to the breast, and i sure hoped he was getting the pre-milk aka colostrum, which contains a host of antibodies:) And i continued to breastfeed Isaac throughout my stay at the hospital, though i'm not sure how much milk he got out of it.

Well, you always have this ideal picture of how breastfeeding should be - that the milk will come in soon enough to feed your hungry baby and everything will be hunky-dory. But reality sets in - on the 2nd night (12 Sep), Isaac felt restless, was crying and kept searching for my breast despite being put to my breasts for 20 minutes each. My mum told me that Isaac is hungry and suggested that i supplement my breastfeeding with formula. We also checked with the nurse who said that the baby is probably hungry. So, we made the decision to give him formula (Nan 1). Isaac slept like a baby after that. And we all felt reassured. Then when my mum went home, at around 9plus, Isaac regurgitated milk when Chee Meng was carrying him which sent Chee Meng into a frenzy. Being a first-time parent, Chee Meng kept worrying if he was okay and if Isaac spat out milk coz he did not carry him properly. He ran straight out of the room and sought the nurses' help and one of the nursing sister ran to take over Isaac from his arms immediately. Being first-time parents, we were so worried so much so that i regretted giving him formula. Chee Meng went back to the nursery 10 minutes later to check if Isaac is ok.. and Chee Meng told me subsequently that Isaac just looked at him from his cot and seemed ok. Maybe Isaac was thinking "Daddy, i only spat out some milk, which is normal... why are you so worried?". Well, hopefully:)

I checked with Isaac's paediatrician, Dr YY Yip, the next morning after he checked Isaac about him regurgitating milk after formula and also sought advice from him if i did the right thing by giving him formula. Dr Yip said that it's normal for babies to regurgitate some bit of milk after feeding. As for starting Isaac on formula, Dr Yip said that it's ok to give formula otherwise the baby would be hungry and restless and may develop jaundice if he continues to stay hungry as his body would then break down the protein in his body to fulfill his needs. I felt reassured and less guilty after Dr Yip's explanation. And Isaac continued to be fed formula if he is still restless after breastfeeding. I also took the opportunity to take a rest on the third night by asking the nurses to feed him formula if he is hungry and boy, it was the best 8 hour sleep i had after delivery. I felt recharged and revitalised coz i slept less than 10 hours in 3 days after my c-section.

The decision not to breastfeed that night also caused my nipple to become a bit dry (or maybe it was already dry prior to that:)) I also had a little bit of bleeding on my left nipple and the nurse asked me to buy Medela's PureLan to apply. The nurse also wheeled in a breastpump to see if my milk has arrived. Upon pumping, there were a few droplets of milk which the nurse used to soothe my dry nipple. But i could still see dry scaps around the nipple which meant that anymore suckling by Isaac would aggravate it. Well, this is the first reality check and set-back to my breastfeeding journey.

We were discharged from the hospital on 15 Sep and prior to my discharge, i had asked my mum to help me prepare a tin of Nan 1 so that i can feed Isaac in case he gets hungry. And as my confinement nanny only arrived at 4pm that day, we had to handle Isaac on our own for about 3 hours. Isaac obviously enjoyed the car ride very very much that he continued to sleep way past his feeding time - for almost 5 hours!! Hence, we decided that we had to wake him up for milk and i made him formula. And being a first time inexperienced mummy, i even overdosed on formula!! But luckily the nanny came soon after and took over! Phew!! I'm also very lucky to have a very good nanny who encourages me to breastfeed and always telling me that breastmilk is the best!

Breastfeeding really takes a lot of perserverance and determination and i must admit that there were times when i was so tired that i really felt like giving up and just give Isaac formula. But luckily, the nanny also encourages me to continue on and that breastmilk is good for the baby. And when i'm tired, she'll take over the feeding with formula so that i can rest and a good sleep really does wonders. I really appreciate her support in the breastfeeding journey.

Well, 1.5 weeks into mummyhood, my breastmilk is steadily increasing and i'm able to pump about 1.5 ounce of milk even after feeding Isaac. I hope the milk will come flowing, or perhaps even overflowing soon, so that we can stop feeding him formula and let Isaac be a totally breastfed baby! Another positive thing about breastfeeding - it allows me to bond with Isaac!!

Yes, breastmilk and breastfeeding is the best!

Reflections of a new mummy - The Pregnancy Journey...

Isaac has a really strong neck! He turns around quite a bit during feeds!

Time really flies.. i'm a one-week old mummy! Exactly one week ago, Isaac was born. I still remember the fear and anxiety i had over the c-section the night before the operation, the excitement when Isaac was born, the satisfaction when Isaac suckled at my breast that same afternoon and the moment when Isaac opened his eyes and greeted Chee Meng's colleagues and my parents. And now, it's been a week.

I've been thinking about my pregnancy journey these few days. I still recall the excitement we had when I tested positive when using the pregnancy test kit on 14 Jan (one day before my birthday!) and when Dr Chew confirmed my pregnany on my birthday -15 Jan!! We were supposed to go to Hong Kong on 17 Jan and Dr Chew advised us to postpone the trip if there was no absolute necessity for us to proceed. We decided to take his advice and postpone the trip to March. And luckily we postponed it coz i discovered i was bleeding on 18 Jan and went to see Dr Chew immediately. We were both scared as it reminded us of a similar experience 5 years ago, when i bled and suffered a blighted ovum eventually (sag present but no foetus). So, we were sort of prepared for the worst while on our way to Dr Chew's clinic. Dr Chew ordered me to be admitted to hospital for complete rest-in-bed and i was not allowed to even walk to the toilet. Everything was done in bed. I had to stay in the hospital for 3 days and was allowed to discharge on the condition that I continue to lay in bed at home and to minimise any movement. We decided that it was best for me to stay at my parents' place so that my meals would be taken care of (instead of at home where i've no food supply..). And it was also where i spent the rest of my pregnancy at. I was also given hospitalisation leave for 8 weeks, and had to go back to Dr Chew's clinic for jabs to stabilise the womb twice weekly until i was 12 weeks pregnant. It was a trying time for us, and Chee Meng would ask if there was any bleeding whenever i go to the toilet. And luckily, the pregnancy stabilised. However, i was losing weight as i did not have any appetite and Chee Meng was worried every time my weight dropped when i had my check-up at Dr Chew's. But with God's blessings, my parents' love and care, and the well wishes from our friends and colleagues, everything went well and i went back to work when i was 13 weeks pregnant.

The 2nd and 3rd trimester was a breeze and quite enjoyable. Though i must confess that i still have a fear of bleeding whenever i go to the toilet especially in the first few weeks of my 2nd trimester. I'm glad things went well and i was gaining weight and my pregnancy proceeded smoothly. Every visit to Dr Chew's was exciting for us - as we are able to see little Isaac in my tummy and at times, making interesting movements. I still recall fondly that he was sucking his little thumb during one of the scan conducted in the 13th week. Or covering his face during one of the scans. I also enjoyed the movements and stunts when Isaac was in my tummy - and how he would respond to my mum's call for him to do 'Breakdance'. I was also quite disciplined throughout my pregnancy - i did not touch any cold drinks, no coffee, no tea - and only drank warm water and hot drinks. But i got a little impatient towards the end of my pregnancy and could not wait for Isaac to join us.

And about the delivery process - my ideal delivery was via natural delivery without epidural and how i would hold Isaac across my belly after delivery. But as updated in my earlier post, i opted for a c-section under general anesthesia and i only managed to see Isaac about 3 hours after he was born, as they had to warm him up in the nursery first before he could be sent to our room. And when they sent him into the room, all the discomfort from the operation disappeared.

Our little prince has finally arrived!!

Isaac's sleeping positions..

After a four-day stay in the hospital, Isaac finally came home on 15 Sep. And at home, we noticed the various sleeping positions that he has... and some of it are also my favourite sleeping positions!

He also fidgets around quite a bit even while sleeping.. which explains the many movements i felt while he was in my tummy!


Isaac in deep sleep...


This reminded me of a scan that Dr Chew did while Isaac was still in my tummy... covering his face during the scan..



This is my favourite sleeping position! Haha! He takes after me in this aspect!


"I'm a superman!!"

Pictures of Isaac

Picture of Isaac when he was just wheeled out of the operating theatre..


Isaac opening his eyes - 4 hrs after birth!


"Hi everyone!"


Mummy and Isaac!

Introducing Isaac Poh Chin Tze!

Introducing bebe... also known as Isaac Poh Chin Tze, born on 11 Sep, weighing in at 3.29kg!


Isaac seeing the world on his third day!
As fate would have it, all my talk about delivering him naturally, having no epidural all came to nought coz in the end, i delivered him via caesarean section. The first consideration for c-section was because we thought Isaac would be a big baby and i might have problems delivering him. Secondly, i heard about how my colleague's daughter had to go for emergency c-section eventually which meant that she had to suffer twice. Thirdly, my mum somehow had a hunch and was egging me to opt for a c-section. Well, i'm glad i opted for a c-section coz Dr Chew told me after delivery that Isaac had one round of his cord round his neck. Perhaps that's the reason why there was no sound no picture despite Isaac being head-down at 37 weeks!!

At my last consultation on 9 Sep, we discussed with Dr Chew the option of a c-section. Dr Chew, who is pro-natural, was open to me having a c-section coz he also feared that Isaac would be too big for me which meant that i might still have to go for emergency c-section if i can't deliver him naturally. He said 'no point suffering twice' but he said that we should give Isaac a chance to come to this world naturally on his due date on 10 Sep. And if there are no signs that Isaac is ready to come to this world, then i go to the hospital on 10 Sep, 10pm and have the c-section on 11 Sep, 8am. Chee Meng looked at me and then told Dr Chew 'huh, 11 Sep... she don't want to have a 9-11 baby...'. That's when Dr Chew laughed non-stop for a good 3 minutes as he was so tickled about the 9-11 thing! But then i told Dr Chew that i'm ok with 9-11 if it has to be 9-11 coz i was also getting impatient about getting Isaac into this world soon after resting for about 10 days doing nothing but sleeping and eating...

As there was no picture, no sound on 10 Sep, I admitted myself to Gleneagles Hospital at 10pm that night. I felt quite emotional - a mixture of fear and anxiety - before i left my parents' home and it also dawned on me that after that night, i would not just be a daughter to my parents but would be promoted to become a mother. It got worse when my dad hugged me and told me that 'all would be ok' before i left for the hospital. There is this thing about fathers and daughters, especially between my father and me, and my tears keep flowing whenever my dad hugs me and comforts me. After hugging my father, i went on to hug my mother who was also tearing.. see lah, so drama huh?!

On 11 Sep, 6am, the nurse woke me up and i prepared myself for the surgery. Chee Meng arrived at 6.45am and we chatted for a while before the nurse came to get me to the operating theatre at about 7.30am. Chee Meng followed me down to the OT and waited outside for Isaac. Chee Meng 'met' Isaac slightly after 8.40am and followed Isaac and the nurse to the nursery where Chee Meng was asked to check that Isaac's hands and feet are intact etc. Chee Meng told me that he was so touched and emotional when he first saw Isaac. I was wheeled back to my room and was awake at about 9.10am (the anaesthetist did a good job in administering just the right dosage!)

My mum arrived at 11 plus and was the first grandparent to see Isaac. Dad arrived about 4plus and was excited to see Isaac... and he was particularly happy that Isaac has a 'kok-tau'. And Isaac reciprocated by opening his eyes wide open to greet Grandpa and Grandma!



I want to thank everyone who came by the hospital to visit me - Damien, Alice, Sally, Angie, Felicia, Lai Lian, Chee Meng's colleagues, Angeline, Lauren, Bing, YY, Sandra, Lim Tim, Irene, Jennifer, Mrs Chua, Alan and all our relatives.

Watch this space! Will post more pictures of Isaac soon!

Counting down... One More Week..

Had my 2nd last consultation with Dr Peter Chew yesterday and was accompanied by my mum and Chee Meng. Throughout the consultation, Dr Chew kept telling me that 'your baby won't be small' and when he did an estimation via the scan, Bebe's weight was about 3.65kg!! Dr Chew said that there is usually a +/- 200 grams difference, which means that Bebe would at least be 3.4kg! Then he went on to examine me and said that my cervix had not opened and my pelvic bone is of average size. He said that he is worried that my baby would be too big for natural delivery and asked if i have the power to sustain a natural delivery. Of course i said yes..

I've always wanted a natural delivery coz it heals faster and more importantly, i don't have to go under the knife. But my mum was saying that if Bebe is more than 4kgs, then it may be better for me to have a c-section so that i don't have to suffer labour and then still have to go for c-section. Even Dr Chew, who has encouraged natural delivery all along, was open to the idea of a c-section coz he was worried that Bebe would be too big for natural delivery and the fact that i would have to suffer twice - ie, go through normal delivery and then having to opt for c-section eventually. Dr Chew said that we will know 5 hours into labour if we should proceed with natural delivery or have to go for c-section. Well, i hope that everything will proceed smoothly and let me deliver Bebe naturally!

Also received news on Monday that a friend, whose boy is due on 14 Sep, chose to join this world earlier! It's her second child and she delivered via c-section. Hmm... her son was supposed to be Bebe's 'younger brother' but now has become Bebe's 'older brother'!

So, we are all now waiting for Bebe to decide when he would like to join us.. mum is saying 8 Sep (08-09-08), my elder brother Eric is saying tomorrow, and Chee Meng keeps asking me when Bebe is coming to join us.. Well, i'm also not sure, and it all depends on when Bebe is ready! I told him to let mummy enjoy a few days of doing nothing at home, just resting and maybe a little shopping, and he seems to be quite obedient about it. I just asked him yesterday when is he ready to join us and told him that we are ready whenever he is ready.. so let's wait for Bebe to decide. And if Bebe still has not made a decision by 9 Sep, we'll have to decide for him and maybe opt for a c-section:)

Let's see:) In the meantime, let's pray for a natural delivery!