Skinny me

I am one of the lucky few (or maybe unlucky to some) who tends to lose weight very quickly after child birth. I was back to my usual weight around Zac's full moon and would continue to lose weight slowly unless I stop breastfeeding.

I would get so skinny that I would look lethargic and frail. I could no longer fit nicely into my jeans or clothes and would look like I am wearing clothes I borrowed from someone else. Some of my friends even commented that all that is left is just my head! As I am also slightly tanned, I look really horrible (will look even more tanned) if I lose too much weight. My mom will ask me each time she see me if I have been in the sun although I have not!

During Hayley's time, I stopped breastfeeding at 8 months because I was getting thinner and thinner and my sister advised me to stop breastfeeding for my own sake. With Zac, even at 5 months, I am already having problems fitting nicely into my clothes. I am not going to shop for new clothes because I don't think I can easily find XXS and I know when I stop breastfeeding I will eventually return to my usual weight and the clothes will then be too tight for me.

Do any of you out there experience similar problems? Is this even a problem? I don't know. I just hate looking at my closet in the morning and not having anything suitable to wear despite it being full to the brim. And I get concerned when people ask me why I am so skinny and why I look so lethargic! I want to look good and not sick!

I tried to put on weight by eating more than the usual. I snack anytime I want to, I eat before I sleep, I eat all sorts of healthy and unhealthy stuff but I am still the same except that I developed a tummy because of my bad eating habits. I worry that if I let it get out of control by eating too much, I might have problems controlling my portions when I eventually stopped breastfeeding.

How long can it last?

Since Zac was born, I or should I say WE have never had more than 6 hours of sleep straight in a night. I am just wondering how long our body can last without getting sufficient sleep and what damage it will do to us?

I sleep around 10 / 11pm each night with Hayley and will get up around 4am to express and take over the shift from papa. Papa will sleep from 4 / 5am and will need to get up around 7.30am to get Hayley ready for school (during which I am already on the way to drop off Zac and then to work). After dropping off Hayley at 8.15am, papa will return to continue his sleep until about noon. This routine sort of interrupted papa's work although he works from home.

Hopefully when Zac turned 6 months (just 1 more month to go), we can start training him to sleep through the night without feeds and I can relax a little on expressing and won't need to express so frequently anymore. Hopefully by then we can all get sufficient sleep each night.

Zac's Update: 4+ months

At 4+ months, I:

• can roll sideways like a pro (from back to tummy and vice versa but only on my right side)
• experienced my first mild flu and cough which led to sore throat. I refused milk for a few days and made my mummy very nervous. Doctor prescribed some paracetamol for my throat and I am now able to drink without feeling any pain.
• can grab or hold on to my toys.
• still need my milk at night (same amount), turning my mummy/papa into pandas.
• think I want to start solid soon as I drool and move my tongue when I see others eating food. Mummy promised to start me with cereals when I turn 5 months.
• like to stick out my tongue and can imitate mummy or papa when they stick out their tongue
• am officially off mittens.. hurray.. and I don't scratch my face
• still love to suck my thumb and fingers

I just had my 3rd haircut last week. This time I was terrified of the noise made by the shaver and cried the entire time. I also hate when the hair gets into my mouth and my eyes.

I also had my check up on Monday and I now weight 7.425kg. Doctor said my weight is above average and my height is just average. He called me chubby and told mummy not to be too worried if I refuse milk once in a while. I also had my 3rd Pneumococal, 3rd DTP & Polio & Hib as well as my 3rd Hep B jab. I am so glad that there will be no more mandatory jabs until I turn 1.

Before my hair cut

My new hair cut

Zac's turn to be sick

My poor boy. It finally happened to him. Now he's having some slight runny nose and occasional cough. Sigh... I guess with him being near me and the ceh ceh (in case you're wondering, Hayley is still having her runny nose and cough and me still having my cough) isn't helping either. All these runny nose and cough is like a marathon... never ending...despite all the medications and visits to the doctors.

I read somewhere on the web that if I am unwell and I am breastfeeding, there is a high chance that I might pass the bug to the baby BUT if the baby do catch whatever I have, it will be less serious than what I am having and it will help him build better immune for the future. I sincerely do hope that this is true. Let's just hope that my breastmilk will help make him stronger.

I wish and pray that we will all get well very very soon...

Sick people at home

Hayley started it, she has got this marathon runny nose (been for weeks now) which eventually lead to cough. She has got serious cough, those where she will cough until she throw up! She even had nose bleed one time which scared the hell out of me. I have never seen so much blood coming out of her nose before and panicked and forgot to take photos. Ever since her runny nose started, she developed this nose picking habit. She kept telling me there are things in her nose - referring to those dried up mucus. Don't know if she picked up the habit from school or anywhere else. She will pick her nose whenever she's in bed or whenever we are not watching. This habit plus me constantly asking her to blow her nose must have injured or caused a rupture in the small veins in the lining of the nose. Anyway, I really don't want it to happen again so we are now trying hard to stop this habit of hers and hopefully her runny nose will go away soon. She started taking her med last Friday (1 week now) and will be finishing her med soon and the runny nose is still there (haiz). Looks like we might have to pay another visit to the paed and ask her for a stronger med that will work.

As for me, I somehow caught the runny nose bug from her which lead to cough and subsequently FEVER! On Wed I tried to self cure (trying to avoid taking medication since I am still breastfeeding) with panadols and sleep. It didn't work. On Thurs I was forced to see a doctor as I felt horrible (lethargic, hot, joints aching) plus I was worried that I might pass on the germs to Zac or papa if this prolonged. I was given 7 types of medication for flu, fever, cough, pain and inflammation. On Fri, I still felt lousy in the morning but subsequently felt better in the afternoon. I still have some cough but thankfully no more fever. At times like this I really wish the maid was here...maid oh maid... where are you????

Looks like what my sis said was true. She told me once my little kiddo starts going to school, she will get sick and she will bring back those germs and make the entire household sick. And everyone at home will take turns to fall sick. Looks like it is happening already.

Now I am trying hard to stay away from Zac and keep Hayley away from him as well, which of course is a very difficult thing to do. I also need to constantly remind papa to take his multivitamins and vit C to make sure he stays healthy.

Once Hayley gets better I am going to beef up her immune system. The paed advised me to give her fish oil, multivitamins, vit C and probiotics. She is currently taking fish oil, multivitamins and vit c. I need to find some good probiotics for her. Any good recommendation?