calculating premature age

Umar was a premature baby. He was born at 32 weeks and admitted at the NICU for 14 days (more or less). However, we are thankful that he survived. And we are thankful too that he is growing well without much complications and is following the growth chart accordingly.

Anyway, if any of you is concern about your development of your premature baby, maybe it will help to know that you should use corrected age rather than the chronological age.

Research has found that it is much, much more realistic to use "corrected age" as a measure of premature baby development.
In short...


Calculating Your Baby's Adjusted Age: Example

• Chronological age: 20 weeks
• The number of weeks your baby was premature: 6 weeks
• Subtract the number of weeks premature from the chronological age (this is your baby's adjusted age): 20 weeks minus 6 weeks equal 14 weeks.
• Divide your baby's adjusted age in weeks by 4 to determine your baby's adjusted age in months: 14 divided by 4 equals 3 ½ months.

That also means that Umar is actually (69 - 8 = 61) months-old or 5 years and one month.

Which i can say that he is doing very well. But as i have wrote in previous post, don't worry too much and at the same time, use your motherly instincts.

source: http://www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/29675_28115.asp

Jangan stress jika anak sakit

Semalam saya terdengar satu slot di radio IKIM. Tetamu jemputannya seorang doktor wanita.

Doktor ini kata, ibu-ibu suka sangat stress jika anak sakit. Dan ibu-ibu suka sangat fokus pada sakit anak. Itu negative vibes. (saya tambah yang part negative vibes).

Ibu-ibu sepatutnya lebih tenang, dengan cara banyakkan bersyukur.

Jika, contohnya, anak sakit mata. Ibu perlu bersyukur anak itu cuma sakit mata. Tapi masih boleh melihat. Boleh berjalan. Boleh makan. Tidak terlantar kesakitan.

Biasanya itu tidak berlaku. Ibu-ibu akan jadi sangat risau. Kenapa Allah bagi anak aku sakit mata ni? Mana la berjangkit ni?

Sudahnya, stress dan risau banyak sangat, ibu pula yang jatuh sakit.

Kalau ibu sudah jatuh sakit, alamatnya susahlah orang dalam rumah. Ibu kan tulang belakang keluarga.

Kesimpulannya, setiap sesuatu yang berlaku itu bukan sia-sia, bukan kebetulan, dan ada sebabnya.

Jadi banyakkan bersabar, berdoa dan semoga Allah menyembuhkan semua penyakit kita dan keluarga.

"“Syafakallah syifaan ajilan, syifaan la yughadiru ba’dahu saqaman.” 

Semoga Allah menyembuhkanmu secepatnya, dengan kesembuhan yang tiada sakit setelahnya."

Kenali najis anak anda.

Maafkan lah kiranya entry ini sangat gross. Tapi bila jadi mak, memang najis pun kadang-kadang jadi cerita.

Aku perhatikan bila aku cebokkan anak, ada anak yang najisnya gelap dan tenggelam. Tapi ada pula anak yang najisnya kekuningan dan terapung.

Sudah sekian lama aku perhatikan dan ada tanda tanya, tapi semalam baru sempat nak google.

Maka memang setiap sesuatu yang Allah ciptakan bukan kebetulan.

Yang aku dapati, najis yang terapung tandanya sihat dan kalau tenggelam maknanya tak sihat.

Ada pula kajian tentang feces and stool ni, dapatannya seperti berikut.

"A renowned Japanese expert, specializing in human feces, said that we can diagnose our health condition by inspecting our own defecation color, smell and shape.

The healthy feces are usually 3 centimeter in diameter, golden yellow or brown in color, soft but not too soft like a mud. They have no strong smell or taste, with 2 to 3 pieces of feces for each bowel action. The absence of pressure is less or loose during defecation. You poop easily and comfortably without pressing or pushing too hard on the feces.

The feces should contain 70 to 80% of water content, and they should be floating on top of the water in your toilet ball. In term of hardness, the normal healthy feces should be soft and in a complete form. Normal stool should be cylindrical, modest in size and a feel of shiny texture. If the stool stays too long in our large intestine, it may appear in a granular form or too coarse."

Ada juga diterangkan jenis-jenis najis di artikel asal. There are feces with bubble, soup-like feces, mucus-like feces, thin-and-jelly-like feces, rotten-egg smell feces, bloody feces and many more. 

Even kalau baby pun kita kena tengok najisnya untuk tentukan kesihatannya kan? Macam post yang entry pernah arin buat dulu tentang baby & stool.

Jadi, bukan sahaja baby je kita kena monitor. Anak-anak yang membesar pun sama-samalah jaga juga.

:)

Cuma jangan purposely tengok najis lama-lama. Tak elok dalam Islam.

Motherhood 101: 10 Tips to Improve Sleep for New Moms

credit to: http://mummynew.blogspot.com/

Sleep is essential and often time new mothers are associated with lack of sleep.

Lifestyle changes, interrupted sleep, lack of routine and high levels of unpredictability led to fatigue that could, at times, be overwhelming and lasted well beyond the first six weeks of parenthood.

As a mother of three, i could say that sleep deprivation is no joke. Lack of sleep will lead to so many consequences including post-partum depression, unhappy family and worse, risking your life.

Thus, these are 10 tips on how to improve sleep for moms especially the new ones.

credit to: http://www.askamom.co.uk

1. Talk about your sleep needs.

Get help from people around you. However, normally in Malaysia, we tend to get help from our own mother/ mother-in-law during the first few weeks after delivery.

2. Use the hospital nursery.

It’s there for a reason -- do not feel guilty. “This is your time to recuperate from birth,” Park says.  “Let a trained professional take care of your baby for the night or two that you are in the hospital.”

However, in the hospitals that exercise "rooming-in" to encourage and establish breastfeeding, you can still use the nursery but make sure that you let the nurses know that you need them to send your baby to you every one or two hours.

3. Just say no to added responsibility.

If you feel guilty about spending less time with your oldest child, you may want to volunteer to go on a trip with his class or take him for a special excursion to the museum. Think twice. “Do not take on any extra responsibilities when you have a newborn at home,” advises Susan Zafarlotfi, PhD, clinical director of the Institute for Sleep and Wake Disorders at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.

4. Sleep when your baby sleeps.

Any experienced baby nurse will tell you that the key to staving off postpartum sleep deprivation is to sleep when your baby sleeps. “If your baby takes a nap, put everything aside and take a nap too,” Zafarlotfi says. “Everything can wait -- except the baby.”

Park agrees. “It is very tempting to try and do chores, wash dishes, do laundry and clean floors when your baby is asleep. But  accept that your house is dirty and messy and go to sleep because once baby is up,  you have to be up too,” she says.

Do not use this time to make phone calls or catch up on episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, 24, or other favorite shows that you have been recording.
“I don’t care of you have piles of laundry all over the house -- if you are too tired to drive your child to the pediatrician, you have a problem on your hands,” says Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep and the clinical director of the sleep division for Arrowhead Health in Glendale, Ariz.

This is also what i did.

5. Say yes to help.

“Accept any help that you can get,” Park says. “Many people are resistant, but whether it is a family member, friend, or babysitter, accept help, so you can get a few hours of sleep,” she says. “People think of sleep as a luxury, but it is a medical requirement.
“When you do get to nap, avoid television, radio, and looking at your clock so you don’t focus on how much time you have left,” she says. A cool, dark environment is also optimal for napping.

6. Don’t worry that you won’t hear your baby cry.

“A baby is a natural alarm clock and mothers tend to be attuned to their baby’s crying,” Park says. If you are concerned that you won’t hear your baby or if the nursery is far away from your bedroom, buy a monitor and keep it near you. Remember that your baby is safe, and if he cries for a few minutes before you hear him, he will be OK.

7. Outsource tasks.

If your baby takes a bottle, ask your partner to take on some of the feedings. If you’re breastfeeding, says Park, “Consider pumping and giving someone else a turn to feed.” Try to divide up all your household responsibilities as best you can.

8. Keep your eye on the prize.

One day -- maybe tomorrow, maybe when your infant is 8 months -- she will sleep through the night. And so will you. Some babies sleep through the night earlier than others. If your baby is crying all night, talk to your pediatrician as there may be a medical reason -- such as acid reflux or too much gas -- that can be treated.

9. Don’t ignore the baby blues.

Sleep loss can lead to mood changes, and new moms are at risk for baby blues or the more serious postpartum depression. “If you are experiencing some of these symptoms, talk to your doctor to address them,” Park says. Mood changes may be made worse by sleep deprivation.

10. Rule out underlying sleep disorders.

“Short naps should revive you somewhat, but if you don’t feel like they do, see a professional as there may be an underlying sleep disorder that can be treated,” Park says. Sleep disorders like sleep apnea -- pauses in breathing while you sleep -- are very common among people who gain weight, and may develop due to the weight gain of pregnancy. A sleep study, in which you are monitored while asleep, can identify sleep apnea. Treatments are available.

original source: http://www.webmd.com/

Bila Makan Supplement Tapi Susu Masih Kurang.Apa Perlu Dibuat ?

Badan kita semua tidak sama. Ada yang badan boleh terima segala macam petua untuk meningkatkan susu badan. Ada yang susah sangat nak terima. makan macamana pun, susu badan tak nak keluar atau kurang.

Bila terjadi bebenda macam ni, jangan stress sangat. Tu petua paling penting. Sebab it will effect production of the milk. Tapi kawan-kawan semua cakap makan itu boleh tambah susu, makan ini boleh tambah susu. Tapi kenapa bila diri sendiri makan, tak da apa-apa pon effect??Ni boleh menambah stress.

Pengalaman aku sendiri, waktu susu agak merundum dulu ( aku tak pernah pumping, selama hampir 2 tahun menyusukan Zara, aku direct feeding dia je ) , so aku cuba milk maid tea, aku try makan halba, try minum air mata kucing but it doesn’t work for me.

So, apa penyelesaian nya?

Kita berbalik pada badan kita . Know our body. Explore our own breast.

1. Breast Massage:

Cemana nak buat ? Massage the breast from the chest towards ke nipple part. buat berulang kali secara perlahan-lahan. Kenapa nak kena massage ?

Ini kerana  urat-urat kita perlu di urut untuk membolehkan flow susu keluar dengan cepat dan mudah.Boleh lakukan breast massage ni sewaktu mandi atau sewaktu feeding the baby. Sebelah bagi anak susu, sebelah lagi massage the breast. Lakukan setiap hari so that boleh nampak perbezaan milk flow nya.

2. Check nipple kita untuk plugged ducts .

Adakala susu susah nak keluar kerana nipple duct kita dah tersumbat. Kenapa boleh tersumbat? Ni disebabkan oleh susu kering yang melekat di permukaan nipple kita. Bersihkan nipple secara perlahan-lahan.Insya Allah, selepas itu berikan baby that particular side first – side yang dah tersumbat tu.

3. Body Massage especially bahagian shoulder and back .

Kita berbalik kepada asal. Badan kita dah penat bekerja, penat duduk, penat berdiri segala-gala nya penat. Maka, urat kit apon penat. Flow darah agak slow dan sebagai nya. So Urut shoulder / bahu dan bahagian lengan supaya flow darah dan seterusnya urat kita akan bekerja dengan baik semula. Bila semua dah bekerja dengan elok, urat tak senget-senget lagi , milk flow akan laju dan production atau atau susu akan keluar dengan laju.

4. Cuba Hand Expressing .

Study menunjukkan hand expressing mampu meningkatkan milk production dan pengeluarannya lagi tinggi compared in using electric gadget for pumping. Macamana nak buat hand expressing : Terdapat pelbagai cara yang mana sesuai/comfortable bagi kita untuk lakukannya. Antara cara yang boleh dilakukan :

Thus itu antara langkah-langkah yang boleh kita buat bila segala usaha makan supplement atau sebagai nya tidak berjaya. Paling tidak pun sebelum membeli supplement meningkatkan susu badan dan sebagai nya, kita cuba cara ni dulu.

Jimat wang , badan pun rasa lebih refresh dan bertenaga. Betul tak?

Good luck mummies!!

Info :

1. http://www.moondragon.org/obgyn/pregnancy/breastfeedproblems.html

2. http://www.breastfeeding-problems.com/breast-massage.html