On Sunday morning, we went to the hospital to visit my friend, Sandy, who'd just given birth to a baby boy.
I'd forgotten how fragile and small a new born baby is until I have the little fella in my arms. The little fella was quite a busy body though, scanning his surrounding with only one eye, as the other had some discharge which has stuck the lids together.
(I felt so bad, when I took this photo, the flash just went off and gave him a startle, sorry little fella)
I was carrying him half the time we're there, while Daddy entertained Zara. Zara was very curious about the baby. When she was near the baby, she tried to poke her finger into the little baby's mouth when he yawned, and also tried to poke his eyes. After that, we have to make sure she's far away from the baby, just in case she hurt him without realising.
She also tried to imitate the baby's whimpering, and laughed at herself after that. For the ~2hrs we were there, she was very well behaved, playing with Daddy, looking at the baby from a far, walking about the room and checking out things, and of course eating (the bread my friend baked before she went into labour). When she became too chatty, and raised her voice, Daddy brought her out of the room for a walk.
I have been encouraging my friend to breast feed, and sharing with her all the benefits (my experiance with Zara). My friend who didn't breast feed her first baby because of lack of information, is trying to do it for this little boy now. She was telling me the Pediatrician told her that it's best to mix feed the baby for the first few days so that the baby won't get dehydrated, and then get jaundice. Although I think that's crap not true, I don't want to discourage her as well, and just said do what she thinks is best. It's better for the baby to consume even a little breast milk then totally none at all like her first child.
After we left the hospital, while in the car, Daddy & I were chatting about how small and helpless new borns were, and it's hard to imagine 12months ago, our boisterous little girl was just like that, it's just amazing how much she'd grown. It would be nice to relive those days of caring for a new born, so, we'll have to work harder on the 'project'. I just hope it won't take us another 6 years to get there.
I hope my friend's journey to breast feeding will be a successfully one, and all the best with her new born baby! Added at 11:05am : Breastfeeding does cause jaundice, but this is mainly due to insufficient milk for the first few days, and it's not life threatening. Readings : -website 1 -website 2
13 comments:
Agnes, breastfeeding does cause jaundice...but that wasn't life-threathening...
I also encourage my friends to breastfeed! :) It's the best first food for our baby! :)
Looking at the little one...I nearly forgot how a newborn should look like...:)
Hope to hear good news from you soon! :)
yea...now ashley is bigger and more robust so to speak, I almost forgotten how fagile she was 6 months ago....
Zara, 帮妈妈加油！:P
hope new mommy can breastfeed baby longer, the other day read newspaper, baru said that breastffeding lower the risk on a lot dreadly virus attack, so...go, go, go...
I dare not to carry newborn now, because I so afraid, they so vulnerable, I really can't remember and imagine how I carried two at a time then, God must had help me a lot then.
so all this baby visiting... have you started to "want cheese"?
p/s: I dare not let my son go near newborns as he is too rough!
We often need a newborn to remind us just how fragile our energetic/chatty/mischievous little ones used to be!
Jia you o! Hope to hear good news soon:)
Newborns are 'tiny' and fragile and need extra care when carrying them.
I wasn't worried of how I should carry my girl but the problem was how to change her clothes and bathe her. She was a mere 2.7 kgs baby. She was so fragile and I was so scared of hurting her. To think about it, dat was about more than 3 years ago.
Ya, u should encourage ur fren to breastfeed her kid.
And as what Egghead mentioned, teach Zara to say "I want cheese" (hee, hee).
Yeah... the newborn really looks fragile!! lol That is why, I'm scared to hold newborns.... sad to say, when my boy was born, it was my mother who took care of him.
I'm happy you are able to savour the joy of motherhood with Zara.... Guess this is gonna be one of my great regrets in life!! :-)
yeah newborns are most fragile. The last time I carried a new born was Ashley - a few months back when she was a month old - so fragile. Now she's really big. Hehe. Er since when breastmilk causes jaundice? I read that it will help clear jaundice. Now i'm confused.
Fannie,
Thanks for telling me the facts that breast feeding does cause jaundice to certain extend. I added the link with such info.
I hope my friend will be succesful in her breast feeding, and I will also be successful in getting #2.
Mom2Ashley
(to let you remain anonymous, I'll start addressing you this way)
Yeah, even 1 month can make so much difference.
I still remember Zara still had her cord stump with her, and since I didn't have a confinement lady, I was the one who had to clean her cord stump and always so worry it'll hurt her. And when it fell off, I almost screamed!
Jesslyn,
more like 爸爸 need to 加油. :P
Maria,
Yeah, I also hope my friend will persevere.
Yeah, last time you terror hor, not just carrying 2 at the same time, tendom feed some more. I don't know how you did it.
Egghead,
I want cheese, but this 'cheese' cannot buy from the shelf, but must self manufacture.
Don't know 'factory' can produce so soon or not. Aigh.
I see LLS handle the inflatable pool, I also won't let him handle Zara who's already 1yr old loh. He's sooo.. soo.. hercules!
Blurblur,
Yeah, so well said. And then I feel proud after, from such a helpless baby, I managed to care for Zara until she's so big.. :D
Tracy,
Yeah, changing them and bathing the soft fella wasn't easy. I was so stupid some more, bought all those t-shirs without buttons ones, puting on the clothes was such a chore, so worry I'll break her neck.
Helen,
Don't have to regret, can have another one, and relive the days. And this time, no more mummy's help, all done by you. :P
Twin,
Aah, you know Mom2Ashley? Yeah, they grow so fast.
Read the links I'd provided, it does cause mild jaundice, mainly b'cos milk production is slow in the first few days, and the baby may have less fluid intake causing the bilirubin to break down slower.
Okay, time to teach Zara to say "I want cheese!" LOL... Ivan was a big newborn and a good sucker hehehe
Sue,
you mean he latched on very well?
Don't care if she can say cheese or not, we hantam first. :P
Oh breastfeeding does cause jaundice, no wonder my son was having jaundice during the first 3 weeks.
The doc told me it was my diet, we asian like to take ginger, too much ginger caused jaundice...now I wonder how true is this.
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