<From my previous blog, Dec 2008>
I wanted to record all down my experiences here of having my precious baby, Jack.
Afraid I might lost memory one day. Who knows :)
Confinement:
First month of postnatal is crucial. There are a lot of rules to be followed during the confinement period. You may not notice that they are such important until few months ahead or even at your older age, you will get the side effects.
I admit I did not rest well during the confinement period and now, I always get backache during the working hours :p
Rules:
1. Do not shampoo your hair & bath until the 12th day. So make sure you bath and hair clean before you go to hospital to deliver your baby. Not to touch water at all afterthat. Only can brush your teeth :p
Side Effect: You will get sprain knees and feet at your old age. In chinese 'fong sap'.
After Day 12th, you can bath with herbs packet boiled first and bath with that herbs water. Not the direct water from the heater. Can get the herbs packet from Eu Yan Sang or other chinese herb stores. Not to advice bath everyday even after 12 days. Only can bath every 4-5 days. Normal days just clean with a piece of cloth with warm water with few drops of 'mi jiu'..'rice wine'. Hairs have to be blow dry after every bath.
2. Food: Do not eat chicken. Only pork, fish & vegetables for the first 15 days. Some fish are prohibited. There are 'poison' in some fish. Seafood is totally prohibited for about 4 months. But I ate prawns starting 2nd month :p This is bad. Do not follow :p
Drinks: Only ginger tea or dried longan with dates water. Not plain water. Plain water is totally prohibited. This have to follow almost 2 months.
Posture to drink water: Do not stand or sit up to drink water. Your belly will not shrink to your previous size because there will be a lot of wind in your stomach. To avoid, drink while you are half lying down.
That's a tip of how I getting back my body figure. Ho ho... :p
3. Get your hair cut short before deliver your baby. It's really hot at the final term of your pregnancy. Imagine that you cannot wash your hair in the first 12 days of postnatal. Oh my...Luckily I got my hair cut.
4. Do not walk around or climb up stairs up and down at the first month.
I regretted on this. I always walk around and climb up and down the stairs at the first 2 weeks in the confinement centre. Now I always get backache T_T
It's very important to lie down all the time. Now I everyday have to sit on massager chair after work T_T
5. Menstrual: My menstrual last for about a month from the second Jack came out from my uterus. It was very heavy flow. Be prepared! Recommended 43cm sanitary pads!!
Have to clean up your bottom part very frequent as you cannot bath.
You can only clean up with the Diluted Solution provided by hospital. But they only provide you a small bottle. Can get from pharmacy. My aunty get for me from Adventist Hospital, called Chlorhexidine Gluconate. Bear in mind you will feel pain for the first month as your tear sewn is not fully recovered until the 3rd month :p Oh ya, Dettol is not recommended. I heard they said about your skin at the bottom will not be fair.
Your menstrual will stop at the 2nd month and back as normal on the 3rd month. Continuous as your normal period afterthat. If your menstrual did not come after the 2nd month, check with doctor. Who knows you might be pregnant again...hahahahaaaa....
6. Exercise. Exercise is important. Sit-up is good every night before you sleep - about 5 minutes. It is good to get your belly firm :)
Not recommended to get 'urut' service. My doctor told me that when you are old, your belly will be loose.
7. Check up
After 1st week - Internal examination
After 30 days - Internal examination
After 3 months - pap smear
After a year - I guess this is not necessary if your pap smear report shows you are normal. My doctor asked me to come after a year as he said to check for pregnancy. haha.. I told him 'No, Thank you' :p
8. Hair loss - 4th month onwards.
I had my hair loss a lot starting 4th month. Don't know it will last for how long. Mum told me will be 2-3 months T_T
It's a bundle of hair everytime I wash my hair. Not only washing hair..Everytime you comb, or even just touch with your fingers, it will drop T_T
Do not perm your hair until 6 months onwards. Regretted I permed it at 40 days T_T
The chemical causes my hair to drop more.
Luckily I have 'thick' hair :)
What else...hmm...oh..breastfeed
Milk production will start at the 2nd day of postnatal :p
Actually I tried breastfeed few times but bJack do not know to suck.
That's very normal. Baby need time to learn. But the bad thing is you do not know whether that's enough for him and it takes really long time of every feeding.
After the 2nd trial, I chose bottle feed for him. haha
So, pump out and store in bottle for him.
I bought the Medela Harmony breast pump. Cost at RM219. It's really a good pump. You only need to use one hand. The other manual pumps you have to use both hands. That's very tough.
Don't buy the electronic one. I had my nipple crack and bleed when I used the electronic one at the confinement centre.
For the first 3 weeks, I need to pump out every 2-3 hours. High production :p Every 2-3 hours can produce 5 oz. Rest and eat well are important. If you get enough rest and fluid, you will produce a lot. Even at night, it will auto flow out :p
Thereafter, every 4-5 hours. I stopped my milk production after 2 months. hehe.. by the time I started working, I stopped it. When want to stop very easy, just get cold cabbage from fridge and tied it around at your breast for about 2 days. It will totally stop without a drop. hahaha..but of course need to change your cabbage about 8 hours. Leave it as you go to bed. The next morning, you change it.
That's all. Hope those experiences can guide future mummy! XD
