Being a new mother now is different from when my mom was a new mother, and for my mother- it was different for her, from the time when her mother was a new mother too.
I remember when Ajoi and I first walked into the baby store. we were utterly ... lost.
I didn't quite know what that little blue buttons are for on the baby crib, or why do we need a sterilizer when I remember quite clearly how my mother used to soak the baby bottles and teats in steaming hot water in order to get them germs free.
There was also this little clip that you can unbutton on your bras while magically turns them into a 'nursing bra'. it ranges from normal nursing bras, to sleeping nursing bras, wired nursing bras, non-wired nursing bras and day-use nursing bras. lets not forget, a special rack for you to dry your babies' bottles and accessories so they wont get mixed up with adult's dishes.
hey, a rubber fish looking thermometer that u can put into the bathing tub or a glass milk bottle that automatically turns green are just the right tools to indicate new parents that the temperature may be a tad bit hot for their precious little ones.
baby audio monitors, nanny cams, nursery organizers, changing stations, 10 different types or teats, 10 different categories for baby feeding bottles, nappy rash cream for 5 skin types and of course, the nipple balms... owh, don't get me started. heh
Cloth diapers, pampers, swaddling blanket, handkerchief, wash cloths, towel and hooded blanket. every single task, has an item that is designed especially for its purpose, hence the demise of your good ol' napkins.
Do you know that one of the docs at the antenatal class.. yes, we do have antenatal classes now, (you can check out Colombia Hospital at Setapak. my sister in law told me that they are offering free antenatal classes at the moment, as they are trying to penetrate the baby market. apparently mommies giving births are steadier incomes than men with cancers.) Anyways, the doc told everyone to get their hands on a 'Coleman' - you know that travel friendly containers that you bring along to picnics. that should keep your extracted breast-milk in a decent temperature while waiting for it to be kept in the freezer at home. Well heads up doc, that is not quite right!
we are suppose to get ourselves the electronic breast pumps, as manual ones are considered to be too time consuming and may lead to cramping due to the long process of pumping, each time. even better if you have a double headed breast pumps as you can extract from both your right and left side of the breasts concurrently. when we are done extracting the milk, we can choose to store it directly into the bottles- but be wary as it is advisable to get the 'BPA free' bottle so that your baby will get the full nutrient from the expressed breast milk. yup, that is what the magazines and the lactating counselor taught us... oh yes, did i forget to tell you about her? well, she will teach you the correct ways to massage your breast, accessories needed and all techniques involved in order to have a 'meaningful mommy and baby bonding experience'.
her favorite quote would be, "pernahkah kambing meminta lembu untuk menyusukan anaknya? tak pernah kan? jadi why do we need the cows to feed our babies when God made us able to feed the babies ourselves. so try not to use powdered milk. breastfeed your babies. its the nature of life. kembalilah kepada fitrah yang sebenar! remember, when there is demand, then there will be supply. feed them as long as they needed to be fed". wwwwooooooooo, so stressed right? haha.
back to the storage system. if you don't wanna use the bottles, you can also use the reusable or disposable plastic bags designed especially to store your breast-milks. get yourself some icepacks that you freeze for eight hours beforehand, put it in you nursing travel bag together with the breast-milks, as this will ensure that your extracted breast-milks will be kept in the right temperature for up-to 12 hours. this is the time-frame that you have to get yourself home and keep the milks inside the freezer.
when you need use the breast-milks; for days that your baby will want to drink more than they usually do or when you are at work and your baby is at home. Or come times when your breast are 'bengkak' and direct feeding may be too painful to endure, or when you are just too exhausted to wake up in the middle of the night- then hubby dearest, your nanny or anyone around you may use the steamer (yup, there's a gadget called the steamer) to heat up the milk to the right temperature and just feed the baby..phew~
these are just some examples of things that you will find in the baby store. so you see. time has changed- and no one told us about it. my mom said, nowadays there are just that many choices. there is nothing wrong about using it to your advantage or if you prefer to have it they way that your moms or grandmoms used to do it. this is only the beginning.
its your time, your family, your ways, your choice.
i guess, starting a family of your own is full of learning new things, new exposures, new techniques, new gadget and latest updates and that... will never change - for as long as time permits us to be here.
Breathe in, breathe out. God help us all. hehe.
For all you ladies out there, here's an example of a checklist may come in handy. Goodluck!
OR you can also click on the word below to view and download it in PDF format. =)
View or Download : "NEWBORN CHECKLIST"
