Rachel's Diary

My Rachel!

2009-03-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

Rachel was born on 1st of May 2008. I can still felt the pain but eventually its had been overcame by the grateful feeling that I have for my dear little angle - Rachel. She looking at me with an eye opened for her very first time. She is a very little infant with only 2.45 kg as she was born a month and a week earlier than the expected due date.

1st of May in 2008 was my very first experience in giving birth as well as Rachel in her very first experience beathing by her very ownself in the labour room. I just cant image how she felt about her world? But its sure that My husband, Wayne, and I can never forget our very first family time at that moment. Its fillup by joyful tears and happiness laughter. Its one of the most wonderful time and experience in our life. Oh, my dear Rachel, I,m just wordless to express by feeling toward you. I'm really LOVE YOU more than I can say.

Jaundice In Rachel

2009-03-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

Jaundice was an illness that happened in the first 2 months plus of Rachel's life. It turned Rachel's skin, eyes and mouth a yellow color.

Wayne and I were Extremely Worried about Rachel's condition as her bilirubin level was getting higher very quickly day after day but there were no light therapy or phototherapy was recommend by the doctor.

Wayne and I was very helpless and painful by sending Rachel for blood test everyday, then very 2 days and then every week............which last more than 2 months. This must be a very painful experience for My pitty little Rachel. However Rachel was a very brave baby who never cried everytime when the nurse was taking her blood. Mammy is very proud of you My dear!

The only thing that I can do for you was kept my very best to breastfed you day and night and day and night. We kept a longer worriedness as Rachel was having mild jaundice for a longer time due to breastfed.

First Experience in Breastfeeding

2009-03-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

Daddy and I were too excited to welcome you by calling your name, talking with you and sharing with you our happiness and excitment after you had just born. This made me forget to put you to the breast immediately after deliver. That wasn't difficult to get to grips with as you are a very intellingent baby who well adapted with you sucking skill. I'm still remember that was 10 o'clock in the evening, 1 hour and 35 minutes after you get born.

Daddy and I was very happy and excited to see you having your first meal in the labour room. A few minutes after that, we were sent to the ward by the nurses accompanied by daddy while mammy was still feeding you. This might be the first experience for mammy to feed you in the public.......haha...! You are so Gentle and Lovely my dear.

Mammy will never forget our Very first experience in this.....Love You Rachel!

A Brilliant Suprise!

2009-03-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

Rachel was started babbling and producing sounds that resemble many different languages. As time goes on, these sounds begin to resemble more closely the words of the languages.

It was a suprised as Rachel was able to called her own name at that time when she was only 4 months old. It wasn't an accident as Rachel could repeated calling her own name a few times in a day accurately, but it was only last for 2 weeks.

It was really an 'Unbelievable Talents' of you in your early age!

Reading Time!

2009-03-18T23:10:00.000-07:00

Daddy and mammy were started to buy you books at mammy's trimester pregnancy. We bought you some story books. Mammy can still remember that I first read for you when you are only 2 weeks old. I tried to read for you once or twice daily after you woke up from your morning and evening nap.

Mammy put you on mammy's lap and read you a story on every of our "Reading Time'! Mammy know that you can't able to understand the story at that time but mammy was keeping on with this for making it a habit for you as well as for mammy.

Rachel was always put no attention and inpatient laying still on mammy's lap while the 'Reading Time'. Sometime you were just fall a sleep in the middle of the story. Sometime you did showed your frastration and being irritating through out the process. Anyhow, mammy will do finished up the story telling in every 'Reading Time'!

However, mammy failed to make it as a routine daily. Sometime we didn't even read for more than a week. Sometime it was due to my own comitment and sometime was based on your condition.

Then mammy discovered a new way to explore you to books and reading materials by buying you some 'baby friendly books' which you could flip through by yourself likes 'the animals in farm', 'baby's toys', 'alphebets & animals' and so on. Although you didn't really interested toward all those books at that time but mammy was kept showing you or read for you or flip with you everydays. Day after day, you showed more interest toward those books and reading materials!

Daddy and mammy were very happy while we saw you can able to flip through the 'Big and Thick' story book page by page all by yourself nicely and patiently while you are only 10 months old. Other than that, you were wanted to flip through the story book and other baby books everytime when we put you on the bed (before you sleep and at the time you were just woke up) as we put the books at the side of the bed.

You show more interest toward books day after day. Now, you will never miss out a day by not 'reading' or flip through books. Daddy and mammy are really suprise and proud of your achievement!

Mammy is really hoping you may keep this as a habit and routine in everday through out your life. Keep reading my dear!

Breastfeeding Experience and Difficulties

2009-03-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

As I still remember, breastfeeding isn't a easy task for me. Although I have had a successful first experience in breastfeeding just after deliver Rachel but it was just didn't go smooth after we had been discharged from the hospital.

I was facing low milk supply which made me feel upset and worries. It was extremely hard to pump out the breast milk by using the manual hand pump which I bought in my trimester pregnancy. It was a night mare when my husband tried helping to pump out the breast milk until bleeding due to cracked nipples. My husband and I were very upset and helpless at the moment. However, we decided to try our very best to feed Rachel by mammy breast milk as suggested by the doctor due to her illness of premature - juandice.

My husband bought an electrical milk pump which cost around MYR700. While I tried out whatever suggested ideas or ways from everyone around us by focusing in the only aim of which to supply breast milk for you - My dear little Rachel. Mammy tried to drink alot of soup, dates juice, longan juice, milk for breastfeeding, vinegar pork leg, and took alot of vegetables at that time. At the mean time, mammy tried to massage mammy's breasts frequently and pumped milk everyday (7 - 8 times a daily) so that it may help stimulate more milk.

By trying all the suggested ways, finally I was sucessfully stimulated and produced more and more milk day after day. From 3 ounces daily to 5 ounces, 12 ounces and in the highest record was 40 ounces a day. Daddy and I were very happy and encouraging by the result after all the efforts we put in.

There were some difficulties experiences behind the successful result. I was facing a very painful and serious cracked nipples due to the frequent breastfeeding and pumping activities. I can stillremember how painful I was when I was taking a shower as the water dipping down on my nipples and while pumping milk except the time I breastfeeding Rachel. That was my very first time feeling of how fatigue to breastfeeding a baby which I can never image before hand.

Other then that, I also facing a blocked ducts problem which caused me caught in fever and physical pain such as headache, dizziness, cold, and painful breasts. It was really an unforgetable difficulties moment which made me almost giving up with breastfeeding. Luckily with the great courge and support by daddy, I was once again overcame the frustrations and difficulties.

The personal characteristics (never give up) as well as the moral and physical support provided by family, friends and the health professional were the factors that bring toward the positive influence on the breastfeeding experience and or overcome those breastfeeding difficulties in me. Other than that a proactive and effective way for motivating the prolonging breastfeeding experience are unrestricted mother-baby contact and unrestricted feeding.

When I planned to go back to work, I had successfully stored more than 500 ounces of breast milk in the fridge for you. I am very pround of this achievement. So, dear rachel were still taking breast milk by grandma and kakak using a more simple method than trying to introduce formula milk to you. I was bringing along the electrical pump to office everyday to pump the breast milk and kept as a storage twice a day and it also help when my breasts are really full and painful.

Although there were alot of difficulties in breastfeeding my baby since she was born but I can surely tell her that every effort that mammy and daddy invested were WORTHLY as we see her grow healthier and stronger as well as happier day after day.

Thanks my dear husband for his support, courage and effort which means alot for me toward success. And I'm very glad and touching in sharing my pain and joy with him. And I here to thanks My Little Rachel as she were giving me this opportunity to have this experiences as a unity as a family.

Love them both!

My feeling towards my baby when I go out for work

2009-03-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

Mammy is always feeling guiltly when I left home for work. I'm sorry to leave you at home with grandma and kakak. Mammy wanted to tell you that, mammy is always keeping you in my heart. You are mammy sweet little active girl. You are bright and happy all the time. Althought you are stubborn sometimes, but mammy is still loving you. Mammy wanted you to be yourself. Mammy wanted you to achieve your happiness with your own definition within the law of the universe.

You will be growing up and being independent one day who rules you own living and seeking for your own meaning of life and gain your own happiness and joy. Wherever you go and whoever you are one day, mammy and daddy will be always by your side loving you and support you.

Stand up after you fall.........keep on with your journey as you know no matter how far you go, how successful you are and how down you are..............there will be daddy and mammy.

As difficult as being a parent sometimes is, it is also very rewarding. Along the way, there are many moments which bring us joy and levity, and remind us that you are unique with your own personality.Daddy and mammy can never forget the moment when we first saw you smile. Love you my dear Rachel!

Going home sweet home

2008-05-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

First thing for daddy to do on the second day was to fetch the aunty we hired for the confinement care while mammy and Rachel are pending for discharge as doctor needed to check for any possible infections.

Luckily on the 3rd day, mammy and Rachel are discharged without infection but Rachel needs to be back tomorrow for Jaundice checking.

Rachel meets the world

2008-05-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

Mummy's water leaking at 2am on the 36th week. Daddy and mammy rushed and reached HUKM at 3am and after checking and long waiting, mammy finally admitted at about 5am.

Mammy having the contraction at 10:30am after the medication. The contraction became more and more painful and frequent.

Mammy was sent to the labor room accompanied by daddy at 6pm.

After all the painful struggle, Rachel meets the world on May 1st, 2008 at 8:12pm. Daddy and mammy heard her first cry. The nurse then brought Rachel to let mammy carry for a while.

Rachel's weight was 2.47kg and height 48cm. Resting in the radiant warmer, Rachel facing tiring mammy with her left eye opened.

Daddy was busy calling to spread the good news.