One of my main concerns during pregnancy is the question of whether I’ve enough breast milk to feed my baby especially on the first week after delivery. From my observations, most moms will give up and give their infants formula when they thought they have insufficient milk supply. As for me, I choose to trust in God who is the provider of all. Now, that is not merely a blind faith. Ok, let me explain. Where does a baby come from? (of course, from the parents) but who actually create that child? God. If God create that child, will he not give the parents a way to provide for that child? I certainly think so. So, will God intentionally make a new mom to have an insufficient milk supply? I don’t think so because there is a good reason why new moms have poor let-down of milk on the first few days after giving birth…

Infant Stomach Size and Growth

One of the biggest concerns of new parents (and new grandparents, aunts, uncles, and anyone in any way involved with your baby) is whether baby is getting enough to eat. While it’s easy to tell how much is going in with babies who are bottle-fed, the volume nursing babies take in is a mystery. Regardless of the feeding method, the size of your baby’s stomach may come as a surprise. “How do you know she’s getting enough?”
“He’s always crying. He’s hungry!”
“She needs to eat more than that, surely!”

Whether they mean to or not, some well-meaning people in your life can make you doubt yourself when it comes to whether your baby is getting the all-important “enough” to eat.

One of the most surprising things I heard when I watched the “Simply Breastfeeding” DVDs was the size of a baby’s stomach and how it grows during the first few weeks.

Days 1 and 2: The Size of a Thimble or Marble

Have you ever wondered why your body produces so little colostrum? Think about it: here’s “nature’s immunization,” something so important to your baby that it’s often referred to as “liquid gold.” Yet the volume of this fluid is miniscule. Can you guess why? It’s simple: a newborn’s stomach can only hold the volume equivalent of a thimble or a marble. On top of that, over the first two days, a newborn’s stomach does not – cannot – stretch to accommodate more. Many parents and nurses have found out the hard way that feeding a newborn an ounce or two of anything is an exercise in futility: when that much goes in, that much is going to come right back out. Spitting up in newborns is due to a number of factors, not the least of which is the size of their tiny tummies.

Your body knows that your baby’s stomach can only handle about 5 to 7 milliliters (think of a marble or thimble) of milk. Your body is smart, because it only produces as much colostrum as your baby can hold. The size of your baby’s stomach and the volume of your colostrum are matched, and frequent feedings (approximately 10 to 12 times each day) are normal.

Day 3: The Size of a Ping-Pong Ball or Your Baby’s Fist

Your baby’s stomach grows like gangbusters in the first three days until it’s about the size of a ping-pong ball or the baby’s fist (22 to 27 milliliters). By this time, your milk probably hasn’t come in yet, so there’s really no point in your baby’s stomach capacity growing any faster than that. On the third day, feeding your baby anywhere from eight to 12 times each day is normal
It’s better to feed your baby several small meals rather than fewer, larger ones. First, because your baby’s stomach simply can’t hold that much, and second, because long nursing sessions at this stage can actually lead to sore nipples. Frequent nursing sessions, not lengthy ones, are the way to go at this stage. The time for long nursing sessions will come later, when your baby’s stomach has grown large enough to accommodate larger volumes of milk.

Day 10 or So: The Size of a Large Egg

By the time your milk has come in and the supply is established, let’s say day 10, your baby’s stomach can handle a volume equivalent to 60 to 81 milliliters, which is roughly the size of a large chicken egg. And how large is an adult’s stomach? You may be surprised, but it’s only about the size of your fist, a grapefruit, or a softball.

“Enough” Is Relative

So now you know that “enough” to eat is quite relative. Your body is remarkable: it has produced a baby and will nourish your newborn with the right amount of colostrum and the right amount of breast milk, once it’s come in.

References

Silverman, WA, ed. Dunham’s Premature Infants, 3rd edition. New York: Hoeber, Inc., Medical Division of Harper and Brothers, 1961, p. 143–144.

(source: http://www.typeamom.net/infant-stomach-size-and-growth.html)

Isn’t it amazing? Isn’t God amazing? It is really an eye opening for me. I believe many moms do not know about this and a new mother who lacked help in breastfeeding has to contend with ignorant relatives who, because she is not able to breastfeed, force her to bottle feed her baby, depriving him of valuable colostrum. But of course, in some cases mothers can’t breast feed due to physical challenges or sickness. I hope this info will help the new and inexperience moms out there!

I’m coming to my 36th week this weekend and so far I’ve been doing good, in term of preparing myself for the big day. Of course preparation is nothing compares to going through the experience itself. But as someone who has strong belief in educating myself thoroughly when facing new challenges and situations in life, I just feel that being lazy is not an excuse to be ignorant. I’ve been reading a few good books about pregnancy and parenting and also visiting some awesome websites cater for the likes of me. I found that the info I gained help me tremendously in facing the unknown. It is also my conviction that since I’ve been blessed with this wonderful gift from God, I’m fully responsible to give my best to take care of that gift. Somehow, when God decided to ’send’ us this child, he knew that my hubby and I have the necessary resources and capability to handle this responsibility. We are the steward of this child along with other things God has given us. It is our responsibility to guide her in life and that someday she can find her way to God based on her own free will and decision (no, we do not believe in infant baptism. Whether my girl chose to accept Christ as her Lord, that decision is hers to make, not my hubby& I. That’s why we strongly believe in God inspired parenting principles).

Ok, here are some of the books that I read throughout my pregnancy and I want to recommend them to all parents-to-be.

Oh no…I’ve been neglecting this blog for almost a month! Am very sorry for the lack of updates but lots have been happening between the last update till today and I wasn’t in the mood to share anything. But do stay tune, I will be back very soon…probably later today!

I went for my monthly check up today. I’m officially on my 32nd week (8 months preggy). I left home at 7.15am and reached the clinic at 7.30am (yup, that near). Waited till 8am for the clinic to open. There were few moms already waiting, so we waited ‘nervously’: who’s gonna be first in the long long queue?. Clinic opened at 8am and we rushed in, hah! I got no. 4! (punya kiasu, but early moms get the best numbers ). By 8.30am I’m all done and reached home at 9.30am…cepat kan?

Here’s today’s check up results:

• Blood pressure: 110/70
• Glucose level: ok
• Edema: present
• Height of fundus: 34 cm (should be 32 cm)
• Fetal position: oblique (should be cephalic or head down position, but the nurse said the baby will have ample time to turn head down)
• Fetal heartbeat: 155/min
• My weight: 66.5kg (last month’s weight was 65.6kg. Weight increase since preggy: 9.5kg)
• Fetal movement: active
• Hb level: 10.4 gm% (bit anaemic)
• Received my second dose of tetanus jab

The nurse commented that my tummy is rigid and huge for 32 weeks and she suspected that I’ve excessive amnio fluid. Should I freak out? I went home and googled Baby Center and found this info that makes me freak out…oh no…but I tried not to be overly concern. After all the baby is doing well. The nurse said I should reduce my fluid intake if I’ve been drinking water excessively. I don’t deny that I’ve been chugging lots of water throughout my pregnancy but it’s a habit I’ve long before preggy: 3 liters of water every day. Maybe I’ve to cut it down to 2 liters per day but it depends…anyhow, I’ve to focus more on obtaining enough iron from my diet. My Hb level is a bit low this month. So I planned to include more liver, cereals and poultry in my meals. (Liver? yuck!, but for baby sake I’ll try).

I read this news in the Star today and hmmmm…honestly I’m not impressed…in fact I cringed in embarrassment…

108-year-old Wook weaves ‘magic’ to keep younger hubby

KUALA TERENGGANU: What is the secret that allows a woman who is 70 years older than her husband to keep her man happy?

In the case of 108-year-old Wook Kundor it is her “killer massage” that she learned from her ancestors.

The traditional massage is what is keeping her 23rd husband Mohd Noor Che Musa, 38, glued to her side…

(Hishh…benda gini pun mo kestau di newspaper juga ka…malu saya baca part urut-mengurut tu…hish…adaka…)

I didn’t realize that my stretch marks are getting more and more each day till I saw them on the mirror…holy cow…they are bad…even after applying the stretch mark cream religiously since the fourth month of my pregnancy. And they have this prickly and stingy sensations especially after meals and my girl is moving actively. I’m expecting to see more of them appearing in the weeks to come especially on the right side of my tummy since my girl loves to menonggeng her bontot that side.  It can be quite painful when she does this. A couple of nights ago, I was woken up by a nagging pain on the upper part of my back. Initially I thought it was a contraction but then contractions are supposed to be on the lower part (of back). Then I suspected my girl was putting her bump or kicking her legs against my right lung or liver or spleen or whatever. I tried to shift my sleeping position a few times but the pain was still there but it stopped about 20  minutes later…fuhh…scary juga…

Stretch marks below my belly button

Side buttons

I was supposed to blog about this nursing poncho or nursing cover last month but I totally forgot about it. So here it is. I bought this nursing cover from KL Baby Expo back in May. It’s from Autumnz and the price was RM35 (original price is RM43.90). They are available in 7 colours: misty mauve, blooming blue, chic khaki, blush beige, posh pink, gorgeous grey & winter white. I wanted to buy the one in pink but my hubby suggested that I go for a darker color, so I chose chic khaki.

Here’s the product description posted in Autumnz’s website:

If you asked me what is the most exciting thing I’ve encountered throughout my pregnancy, I’d definitely say the 3D/4D ultrasound scan. This advance technology…it’s magical! I’m just so glad that I went for it. Now, looking at my girl’s first pictures is one of my favorite past time . When we first saw her on the screen (during the said scanning), we thought she looks like me…and then…hmm…after some time we changed our mind after looking at my hubby’s pics as a toddler. She definitely looks more like her dad

Look like daddy?

But then we never know…

I posted this wonderful article in my other blog, All Things Inspiring, and thought of sharing it with you all as well!

I read this beautiful prayer by Iyanla Vanzant and thought of sharing it here for those preggy mothers out there.

A MOTHER’S PRAYER FOR HER UNBORN CHILD
- Iyanla Vanzant

Blessed and Merciful God,
Thank you for the gift of life.
Thank you for the life of the child growing inside of me.
Thank you for your love that is shaping and forming
this child’s life into divine perfection.
Thank you for shaping this child’s mind.
Thank you for shaping this child’s bones.
Thank you for shaping this child’s destiny and for
writing it upon his or her heart.
Thank you for knowing and calling this child’s name
even as it is being formed.
Thank you for showing me how to love this child even
before it is born.
Thank you for giving me a healthy appetite for those
foods that are life giving and life sustaining while this
child is growing inside me.
Thank you for giving me peaceful rest while this child
is growing inside me.
Thank you for peace of mind while this child is
growing inside me.
Right now I give to you all of my concerns for the
health, strenght and well-being for the precious life
growing inside my body.
Right now I call forth your grace, mercy and the
loving light of your presence to fill my being and
sustain the life growing inside me.
Prepare me for this birth. Prepare my mind. Prepare
my body.
Bless me and this child that its birth will happen easily
and effortlessly, under the grace of your peace.
I give your angels charge of this child.
I give you charge over my entire being.
I give you thanksgiving and praise for this blessed life
growing inside me.
May this prayer be lifted, heard and accepted into the
highest realms of all that is good
For this I am so grateful.
And so it is!