can you tell he’s been practising? ;)

“i’ve got the magic stick…”

“hah! i am SO gonna beat the c*** out of…”

whoops. so much for not endorsing violence.

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It has been wildly and grossly reported on CNN (Celoteh-tak-tentu-pasal News Network) that there will be a GRAND, HUGE-ASS, GLITTERATI birthday party of EPIC PROPORTIONS happening in the eastern part of Singapore this coming December, akin to the recent weddings of TomKat, Datoks SK (no relations to chain of jewelry shops or almost-recalled beauty product endorsed by famous oriental star), and other small-time celebrities-tak-jadi of the Suria variety.

The Diaznadnaha investigating crew decided to dig deep into the heartlands to discover the awful truth and harsh reality behind this almost-scandalous piece of news, originated by an educator-by-day, amateur-roving-reporter-with-bad-spelling-by-night, Mie Bte Suv.

This is what they found…

1) Talks are in session with well-loved chef, Yua (not, as erroneously reported, some other chef called Naa, whoever that is), on the design of an appropriate confectionary for the celebration of one-year-old, Iqan, which does NOT include extreme amounts of sugared icing on little cakes placed in little cups, otherwise known as Cupcakes. (It is agreed upon, too, that the public should be warned of the proliferation of such sweet offerings to small children, as well as adults, as they may cause bad teeth and bad karma. Also, if you are being charged $400 for a bunch of them, you’re being s-w-i-n-d-l-e-d, honey. But that’s another newsworthy report altogether.)

2) A group of Actual Friends of the said birthday child’s parents have responded positively to the modest celebration taking place. They include a mix of relatives, as well as non-internet-savvy and internet-friendly people (or iFriends). Some of these iFriends are Real People, who have, over time, established Real Connections with one another in the Real World. These iFriends are a few amongst those who played a part in the mother’s journey during her fiercely-protected pregnancy, as well as her journey through a year of motherhood, by dispensing good wishes, advice, listening ears, and lots of love. They have met, cuddled, kissed, hugged, and shared in the joy of the growth and development of Iqan, from the moment he was born into the world. (They are also known not to launch attacks on the parents, virtually or otherwise.) The guest list is kept to a minimum and is currently undisclosed. However, it is known that Ms Mie “Know-it-all” Suv, is unfortunately not invited as she is, as she declares, merely a “casual observer”. Not that she cares, of course, as she herself will probably throw a first party for her own cute and adorable child a few months down the road, with no invited guests of course.

3) The boy’s much-adored aunt, ifzahurnah, will be presenting Iqan with a drum set. (This part of the reporting is, amazingly, correct.)

4) No expensive presents are sought after or expected from gorgeous lady in uniform, Naihar – only her precious presence is. That, money can’t buy. As it stands, ten out of eleven minutes are still owed to Naihar, for free manhandling (toddlerhandling?) of Iqan. Flight schedules are a bitch. Or so we heard.

5) Iqan’s father will not be showering him with gifts. This includes ridiculous gadgets, like iSomething or iOther. (On a side note, Apple interns should be fired for not knowing their products.) The father will be showering lots of lurve on the child, by arranging the food for the day, and at the same time, contributing to the community. (This, too, a newsworthy report for another day.)

6) The allegedly grandiose party will be held in an undisclosed open venue which costs the hosts a grand total of $60/-, including electricity and running water (and a whole lotta running-around space). The parents of the boy Iqan are, as you can tell, hopeless cheapskates, which was also the reason why they did not hold their wedding at a nice hotel. Then again, as they say, “damned if you do, damned if you don’t”. Right, Naihar? har har! Oh, it is also noted that no FDWs will be made to clean up. Only Banglas, for which they will be paid through the Town Council.

7) Babies will be, without a doubt, the highlight of the day. Babies, be they twins, triplets, or sextuplets, are lovely creatures, worthy of being celebrated for their mere creation and existence. All babies will be put in a circus-like ring to be duly admired on that day. Those who do not coo accordingly for an equal amount of time at each and every baby present will have their heads and reproductive systems chopped off.

8 ) Due to the impending bonus and generally generous moods, Iqan will likely enjoy his loot. The child’s parents have little control over this, except to answer to those who’ve made queries, that gifts, if any, should not endorse violence, be too bulky, or non-age-appropriate. Guests should not feel burdened – we have exclusive news that this will be the only time in many years to come where his age will be celebrated, the next one being 16. (Though by then, he’ll be too teenager to even want one by his parents, ho ho.)

9) The abovementioned bonus, plus the mother’s shrewd thriftiness, will go to paying for her only child’s first birthday. Part of her bonus will also be disbursed to all parties involved in the caregiving of Iqan, such as the grandmother and the helper. (Must declare publicly hor? Like public taxpayers’ monies liddat.)

This is a post done tongue-in-cheek style. So let’s all learn to laugh at ourselves. And if you can decipher all the anagrams of the names… you should REALLY get a life.

:D

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i’ve heard of all kinds of machines in my short life of 11 months.

iPod. iRobot. iRiver. iDunnowhat. (i hear there are also things like iMac, iShuffle, iSwallow.)

so self-centred hor, these people with “i” things?

hmm, maybe “i” stands for “intelligent”. maybe people like being surrounded by “intelligent” things. but can people be more “intelligent” and start coming up with names that don’t start with “i”? like, i don’t know, uZap?

or better still, use “we” lah. sounds more friendly right? “we” denotes sharing. like weBrolly (ie. technologically-enhanced umbrella). or wePet (ie. mechanical domestic animal).

meanwhile, the Daddy has gotten himself another one of those “i” junk to add to his clutter of playthings.

he said it’s an iLuv.

huh?

as you can see, i was rudely awoken in the morning by this so-called intelligent gadget. but hah! weBabies are infinitely superior in our intelligence than a little box that makes a whole lotta noise. after a few suspenseful and thrilling moments later, i figured it out in no time. (see my hitchcock-like silhouette in the background? cool huh.)

iSimply hit SNOOZE.

it wasn’t so fun, so i didn’t bother with it much.

Daddy’s toe bulu made for SO much more entertainment.

and for that, i shall call him iHobbit.

0

  

my bimbotic moment for today.

(thankfully, i still have them.)

male colleague (X) had asked me (Y) a few days ago what it was i used on my lips. lip gloss, i told him, pouting for effect.

so today over lunch, his fascination with the female aesthetic continues.

X: lip gloss has this effect…
Y: on men??
X: … no. on lips.
Y: oh. darn.

and i finally understand PCD’s “Buttons” after careful listening to it this morning in the coltmobil. dia suruh laki tu bukak baju dia rupanye, tapi laki tu selenge takmo bukak. eh? entahlah. agaknye baju dia banyak sangat butang, dia pon tak kuasa. (that was my bimbotic minah mode, btw.)

speaking of stripping, ingat eh adik-adik yang telah baca BH minggu lalu – hen party adalah haram! nak main lagu “Buttons” ajer boleh. tapi jangan panggil strippers tau. ustaz dah kasi warning. HEP!

(i wonder whose happening hen party pics they used in that spread though, ouhh…)

:O

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his shoo shoos are only a month old, but it’s become more Prata then Prada.

the soles are now flat and furry and stained from puddles and mud and other unidentifiable gunk, including his own saliva (from chewing on his shoo-shooed feet while bored in stroller).

“for selling your sole to the devil, we bid you adieu…”

so the Daddy decided to put his foot down and get him a proper pair of shoes. you know, the kind with rubber soles. like, FINALLY.

“huh, am i on project run(a)way?”

he said he didn’t mind spending a bit on the shoes coz the little one obviously puts it to good use. as the malays would say, “muai, you!”

as soon as they were fastened on to his feet, he was off, as quick as lightning, out of the shop faster than you can say “stop in the name of clarks!”

“ready, set, GOOOOO!!”

we had two youthful babysitters with us, but barely half and hour running after the little one around carrefour, they raised the white flag and declared themselves 5kg lighter each.

“wheeee!!”

the new shoes gave him better grip and balance, so he hardly trips, which means, OMG… he can run EVEN faster. :O

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb83aJYuBJ8]

but it was well worth the Daddy’s moolah. plus it’s such a pwetty colour. well, as pwetty as boys’ footwear goes lah.

to the unty out there who was thinking of getting him a pair of clarks before we foiled her plan, he’ll grow out of his size 4.5 soon, so… you know what to do… ;p

“ha ha, i ketuk daddy! ketawakan dia!”

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we’ve been ever so reliant on our, as Red puts it, “breastfeeding station on wheels” aka the coltmobil, that lugging the little one on public transport is something of a novelty for him.

i think the last i took the bus or train with him alone was during my much-missed maternity leave. it was easy then coz he didn’t weigh as much (or wriggle as much) as he does now, and all i had to do was feed him well before the trip and he wouldn’t so much as squeak all throughout. (remember, esah, our orchard trip? hee.) with SO MUCH to see and hear, all that hustle and bustle of the crowds and vehicles, he won’t even remember if he’s hungry or sleepy.

now that he’s too heavy and wriggly for me, i’d rather stick to my coltmobil, thankyewberymuch.

which leaves the Daddy to take him on them buses and trains to, erm, expose him to the true-blue heartlander singaporean experience of riding on public transport. :D

to date, his record holds from tampines to novena, and tampines to toa payoh, both times to meet me after work, with nary a glitch.

the daddy reported that the little one enjoyed himself very muchly, even so far as to terrorise other passengers in the train by calling out to them, swiping at their newspapers, and flirting with the ladies. (at least i THINK it’s the little one and not the Daddy, ha ha.)

but i guess buses and trains aren’t as exciting to him as cars. mention the word “car” and you’ll instantly hear a deep growl revving out of him.

somewhere in toa payoh…

“where is my P plate?”

“that a way, please!”

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you know what? i think i’ve visited more babies in this year alone than in my entire lifetime.

baby danial!

mister gahmen, please note that we ARE procreating okay.

maybe we should withhold the procreation thing for a bit after this and hold them wombs for ransom so mister gahmen won’t increase the gst next year. what say you?

no? still want ‘em cute babies?

ok lah. go ahead.

just don’t eat them up when the going gets tough…

beware the baby-eating monster!

trivia:

“A newborn has a developed sense of smell at birth, and within the first week of life can already distinguish the differences between the mother’s own breast milk and the breast milk of another female.”

so clever!

either that, or the other female smells REALLY bad after a day at work. :p

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we have this guest room in our house which is rarely used for the purpose of receiving guests, coz we ever hardly have guests stay over. well, with the exception of maybe twice in the three years we’ve lived here.

in this guest room, there is this queen-sized bed, complete with a new, rarely-used queen-sized dunlopillo mattress, and a queen-sized comforter.

other than being a museum space for this bed, the room also serves as a clean-laundry-dumping area and ironing room. oh, and occassionally, a storage room.

but seeing how the little one is quickly becoming not-so-little, we’d like to find another safe haven for this queen-sized bed so that we can have a bit more space for his stuff.

so, would anyone be interested in buying a queen-sized bed, along with its queen-sized dunlopillo mattress (queen-sized comforter optional) for their own guest room?

price negotiable. transportation your own, if possible. email izadnhana@yahoo.com. while stocks last! (eh wait, only got 1 lah…)

i’m itching to do up a proper play room for the little one, you know, with a reading corner, a toy corner, a creative corner, a naughty corner… hehee.

so yah. exclusively for izadnhana’s readers ha ha.

LELONG! LELONG! lai, lai!

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we’re rehabilitating him to be kind to animals AND babies, see.

“sayang… sayang…”

let me tell you the name of this baby.

ready?

it’s A…neeqa! HAHA!

and ouhhhh, what a beauty lil aneeqa is. whee, another potential menantu for me!

i almost squeezed her like an orange pulp when her mummy didn’t see. i think i’m the one who needs rehabilitation.

aniq, atikah, aneeqa.

*****

i miss the time when he was all thunder thighs and chubby cheeks. now that he’s much, much more mobile and doing major workouts during his every waking minute, he’s shed even more of those baby fats we all love and cherish.

his food intake is good, or at least, he finishes up whatever’s in his bowl. he’s still on BM, though i believe, not as much as his peers who’s downing what, 200+ml by now? he only has patience for 160ml (in the bottle – probably less from direct source!) at most per feed, before he’s distracted by something or someone, and wriggles himself free from the boring work of drinking milk.

oh.. and some of you will be glad to know that we finally bought our first tin of FM the other day. a small tin of similac follow-on. which is now sitting prettily unopened, next to that big fat of also unopened tin of nan for below 6mths. (btw, anyone wants to buy this off us? give you discount!)

we’re not sure why we’re heading towards, as some would say (in jest) – “the dark side”.

he’s less than a month away from a year old, which means, i’ve almost miraculously reached my 1-year TBF target. :O

i’m almost ready to hang up those pumps, but not quite. daytime feedings should be easy to wean off coz he’s used to the bottle when i’m at work. and judging from the way he laps up EVERYTHING we give him, he probably won’t mind the taste either.

the night-time before-bed comfort suckling i don’t mind too much. it’s been easier lately since he’s learnt to unlatch and roll around the cot by himself to sleep.

you know, i think he’s become more independent, not just physically, but also emotionally since he started walking. he insists on being let down to walk instead of being carried. he even insists on letting go of our hands when we try to hold it.

and i suppose, this BF weaning process is also a kind of independence, on both his and my part.

so… when will the grand official opening of tin similac be?

*bites nails*

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this time round, we have babies in tow, from east to north to west. they GENERALLY behaved very well (no cries or tantrums, just a lot of walking/menggelitis-ing, crawling, and drooling).

one newly-married couple’s luck was like the proverbial kentang that day. the bini dropped her newly-bought camera in the cab on the way to the first house, and after the last house, the laki dropped his wallet! thankfully, the wallet was found by a kind soul, who deposited it at jalan bahar police station. next year, jangan misplace anak sudah, ye!

it was SO LATE by the time everyone arrived, and cheesecakes and eclairs were devoured. by the time we left the last house, it was close to 1am and the babies (and some adults too) were zonked out. next year, our house last pulak lah, ye!

and we promise to handcuff the little tornado then too. :D

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“sayang… sayang…”

still in the process of rehabilitating the incorrigible cat terroriser over the weekend. thanks to kak m for the use of her furry persian called mickey. i think she (the cat, not kak m) may be sporting a bald spot or two now. oops.

ps: please keep your eyes on the cat OR the baby. but NOT the cute hunk with the dimple, hokay! eppp…

*hits play and swoons* ;p

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exactly ONE more month to go before the big ONE.

:O

we’re not sure where to even begin planning for a par-tay. we only have the date set and… that’s it. whoops. there’s still time, right?? *bites nails*

maybe i could rope in the little one for the preparations.

fried eggs to go with your cake, ma’am?

bila mau game, beb…

that is, by the way, one of his favourite playthings, another being my fruit punch ladle. more to bang things on than actual cooking of course. though i think he gets the idea for its intended use from observing mum and the helper daily in the kitchen. (well, definitely not from me!)

hmm, boleh lah dia tolong bapaknye masakkan maknye nanti. senang sikit maknye, ye?

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i guess it’s only natural that the first real live animals our little ones come into direct contact with are cats, seeing that we don’t exactly live in a kampung, or a farm like old macdonald.

that’s one of our neighbour’s MANY cats. (that is also one of their many awful-looking bedsheets hanging on the pole, hehe.) they also have one heck of an ugly big old dog, which i think, has made a few of our guests who’ve seen it outside our door jump in their skins.

it’s a routine for the three of us when we return home everyday, to hang around the void deck with the cats for a few minutes. there are five of them, big fat ones, at the last count. our block is like a meeting point for these merry band of felines.

and they get a lot of attention too! i know coz we’re on the second floor and, being the formidable kaypoh (or rather, civic-minded) neighbour that i am, i’d peer out of the kitchen window once in a while, always to find someone stop and stoop to pet a cat, or someone dutifully leave food, snacks and water for them (different people each time), or someone carefully applying antiseptic on one of the cat’s wound after a fight.

the little one, being curious as a cat himself, would strain his body towards the cat to touch it when we’re carrying him, but for the sake of the cat’s safety (no, not the baby’s), we don’t let him go too near. coz THIS is what will happen.

:O

on behalf of the cat terrorist’s parents, sorry, kiau and owner! and you all ah, please don’t action hero and call up SPCA lah, ok? we’re still in the process of teaching him the appropriate and PC way of handling cats, but we can’t go “sayang, sayang” or he’d go slobber all over the cat and end up with furballs in his mouth.

but then, somehow the kitties always run away and hide from him first leh!

i guess cats aren’t that curious after all.

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occasionally i plod through ST for a change, when i’ve had enough of BH’s splash of gory pictures of people with scary diseases and deformities (usually in some remote village in malaysia) or even more gory stories of rape and incest (also usually in some remote village in malaysia). :O

[btw, what's with the Suria Raya Live-bashing lately in BH's forum pages ah? aiyah, raya over liao, maafkan saja lah! next year tak buat lagi, ok? but remember eh, cannot anyhow put happy, pretty people to prance around on stage in glittery costumes before raya, very tak ramadhan rocks.]

anyway, where was i?

oh yes, ST.

last week, someone wrote in a forum letter on the lack of nursing facilities in the workplace for new mothers.

Nov 2, 2006
Why no room to pump milk for new mothers?

I SPOKE to two women recently. One is a new mother back at work from maternity leave. The other is pregnant and her baby is due next month.

They don’t know each other but face the same problem: No private room in the workplace to pump breast milk for their babies.

Obviously they need privacy to do this, a mother’s duty. One of the women has supportive colleagues who let her use their office to pump her milk.

The mother-to-be said her office colleagues had repeatedly requested through the staff suggestion scheme for a room for breast-feeding mothers to pump milk.

But the higher management lacked either the resources or the initiative to deal with the matter, as nothing had been done yet on the suggestion.

The management said it was still looking into it.

This situation is common in many workplaces. One of the women works in a statutory board while the other works in a government ministry. This is what motivates me to write this letter.

The Singapore Government has in the recent years been working very hard to encourage a higher birth rate through the implementation of various policies. It wants married couples to produce more babies to augment an ageing population.

While the five-day work week for civil servants and statutory board employees was a great example of the Government ‘walking the talk’, it should also lead by example to provide facilities such as private rooms for mothers to pump their milk.

While it is good to see policies being implemented to make Singapore a more conducive place for couples to start a family, it is also important to ensure that the official message on the joys of parenthood is consistent with the government’s actions.

This means that those who take up parenthood should have adequate support from the Government.

To this end, it may now be necessary for the Government to take the lead in ensuring that the higher management in the Civil Service and statutory boards find creative ways to support new mothers in their new responsibilities, in order to encourage private employers to follow suit.

Ngiam Hui-Shin (Ms)

ahh! a topic close to my heart (literally – *feels boobs*). not that i have a problem myself, being employed in a, ahem, family-friendly organisation and fairly supported by colleagues who are all aware of my ‘extra-curricular activity’. they all go “eh, you got go *makes squeezing gestures* already?”. and it’s not just the girls, but the guys too, lol! even my very male boss enquires about my progress occasionally and gives words of encouragement. it’s quite… surreal, to say the least. :D

and then today, more BF militants have joined in the call.

Nov 7, 2006
Female employees should have a right to nurse their baby

I APPLAUD Ms Ngiam Hui Shin’s suggestion that management of public and private organisations reserve designated rooms for nursing mothers among their employees to pump milk for their babies (‘Why no room for new mothers to pump milk?’; ST, Nov 2).

This straightforward arrangement – a clean, dry, private room with a lockable door, table, chair and power socket – follows logically from the Government’s pro-family stance, and the slew of policies and schemes for working parents.

I appreciate the plight of the two mothers Ms Ngiam highlighted in her letter. I am a nursing mother myself. I have been expressing milk for my baby for the past five months since I returned to work from maternity leave.

I work in the business school of a local university and am blessed with bosses and colleagues who are supportive of my needs. I am fortunate to have a room of my own at work, and with that, the liberty to express milk for my baby three times a day in this room while checking e-mail and making business phone calls.

Yet, because this is not an official arrangement, it does not assuage my constant anxiety that this privilege can be rescinded at any time.

I appeal for this privilege to be made a right for nursing female employees, because a nursing employee is usually a happy employee, confident of the physical and emotional well-being of her child. Knowing she is assured of a lactation facility when she needs it gives her peace of mind to focus on her work. She will be grateful that her employer is provides for an important aspect of her (and her child’s) welfare, and motivated to work all the harder. I know I am.

It is a fact universally acknowledged that breastfed babies are generally healthy, happy and smart and grow up to be healthy adults and workers. From the point of view of national health and productivity, it pays for all employers, including the Government, to accede to the needs of nursing employees.

Mary Lee Ching Ling (Ms)

Nov 7, 2006
Give nursing mums time off to pump their milk

I REFER to the letter, ‘Why no room to pump milk for new mothers?’ by Ms Ngiam Hui Shin (ST, Nov 2).

This subject is close to my heart as I nursed my elder son for more than two years and am now nursing my six-month-old son. I fully agree that with the call for more babies, the Government should give new mothers all the help they need to fulfil their role as mothers. Providing a nursing room in the workplace is a big step towards helping them juggle two roles, as dedicated employees as well as dedicated mums.

With increasing awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding, it is heartening to know there are a lot of employers who provide nursing rooms for employees. Some companies have the works, providing employees with everything they need from a conducive environment to a pump, a refrigerator to store breastmilk and ice packs, a sink to wash up and some, even a steriliser to sterilise pump equipment after use. On the other hand, some companies just provide a basic room. However, speaking from experience, I believe any mother will be grateful for a room simply with a table and chair.

However, it doesn’t matter if the company provides these facilities for employees. The most important thing is that the bosses of nursing mothers are understanding enough to allow them to take a little time off during the workday to pump. A nursing room is really of no use if the boss is discouraging and frowns when the employee uses it or insists she pump during lunchtime. One has to remember that pumping is like answering the call of nature. Sometimes, the nursing mother really cannot wait. To maintain a steady supply, she has to pump as often as possible at the same time every day.

I am not asking employers to allow the nursing mother to be away for long periods of time to pump and effectively not do any work at all. Usually, each pump session lasts only about 20 minutes or at most, half an hour.

All this is really give and take. I believe nursing mothers will work harder at other times of the day because they know they have to take time off to pump. As a result, they may even be more efficient compared to other employees.

It is widely known that breastfed babies have better immunity systems and fall sick less often, which means mothers do not have to take leave so often – which benefits the company. Not allowing nursing mothers to pump when they need to will give them undue stress which will affect their milk supply.

Lotus Ren (Ms)

it’s a start, but those of you working nursing mums out there who have been sneaking off for furtive pumps in dirty toilets or tiny store rooms under the wary eyes of colleagues or employers, i besiege beseech you – circulate these articles to them!

and of course, also those of you who are about to give birth or go back to work. hey, must provide ready infrastructure for when you come back from maternity leave mah. ;)

ok, go!

***

addendum (tak habis-habis addendum):

whaddayaknow! BH (9 Nov) pun ada artikel tentang SB (alah, you know, the melayu equivalent of BM)…

SUSU BADAN
Tugas bersama

Suami tidak harus lepas tangan dan biarkan kaum ibu tangani masalah sendiri

By Dr Zainal Muttakin Abdul Rahman

MEMBERIKAN susu ibu mungkin disifatkan sebagai tugas kaum ibu di seluruh dunia. Namun, peranan golongan ayah sebenarnya tidak kurang pentingnya.

Ayah tidak boleh bersikap lepas tangan dan membiarkan kaum ibu menanganinya sendirian.

Sebaik-baiknya, bakal ibu dan ayah harus berbincang semasa ibu itu hamil mengenai soal penyusuan.

Pasangan hendaklah bersetuju mengenainya kerana ia bukanlah tanggungjawab ibu seorang sahaja.

Cuba bincangkan tentang jangka masa ibu akan memberikan bayi susu badan iaitu sekurang-kurangnya enam bulan untuk menetapkan matlamat jangka pendek.

Golongan ayah memainkan peranan penting dalam membantu ibu yang menyusukan bayi agar beliau dapat berehat, memastikan pemakanan beliau terjaga dan berikanlah dorongan agar beliau tidak begitu tertekan.

Jauhi daripada menggunakan ungkapan seperti ‘susu ibu tidak cukup’ atau ‘tidak sedap’ atau ‘bayi tidak suka menyusu daripada ibu’ dan sebagainya.

Ini kerana menyusukan bayi mungkin mudah buat sesete ngah ibu tetapi bagi yang lain, ia merupakan satu perjalanan yang amat mencabar.

Yang penting, pasangan hendaklah bersabar terutama sekali pada tahap-tahap awal ketika ibu mula memberikan bayi susu badan.

Sekiranya proses memberikan susu ibu masih terus bermasalah, keputusan untuk menghentikan pemberian susu badan sebaik-baiknya dibuat secara bersama setelah suami isteri saling berbincang.

Setelah keputusan dibuat, usahlah menuding jari antara satu dengan lain. Pada saat inilah, si ibu kadangkala berasa lebih tertekan dan mengalami kemurungan.

Suami hendaklah faham akan perasaan isteri yang mungkin berasa serba salah dan mengalami rasa rendah diri. Ramai ibu yang mengalami masalah sebegini.

Terdapat banyak isu dan rintangan yang ibu akan hadapi sepanjang usahanya untuk memberikan bayi kesayangan khasiat susu ibu yang memang cukup bermanfaat.

Ia termasuk bagaimana ibu dapat terus menyusukan bayi setelah mula bekerja, bilakah masa yang sesuai untuk memberikan susu ibu daripada botol, bolehkah ibu terus menyusukan bayi apabila ibu jatuh sakit dan bagaimanakah cara menghentikan anak daripada terus menyusu setelah usia dua tahun.

Semua ini mampu mencabar kekuatan si ibu.

Sebenarnya, baik jika pasangan suami isteri itu sama-sama mengikuti kursus antenatal (semasa mengandung dan sebelum melahirkan).

Dari situ, mereka akan mendapat nasihat dan tunjuk ajar daripada pakar penyusuan (lactation consultant) yang mampu mempersiapkan diri mereka sebelum bayi lahir.

Untuk membantu ibu bapa mendapatkan jawapan berhubung pemberian susu ibu, saya sarankan anda merujuk laman web http://www.kkh.com.sg/PatientHealthLibrary/WomensHealth/Breastfeeding atau http://www.breastfeeding.org.sg/ .

ahh, yang ini boleh circulate to your suamis or, if you rather, DHs.

selamat menyusu!

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