A new member in the family!

Dear B.L.O.G,

It's been a while since I write any entry as I was on my maternity leave. I just came back to the office yesterday. Oh, how I miss you dearly. You know I can only write to you at my office as that is the only place that I can get connected with the cyberworld for free.

I've got good news to share with you. Alhamdulillah, we have a new addition in the Fitri's family. He was born on 2nd November 2006 via normal delivery. Here is his first photo:-


NAME : ALIFF BIN MOHD FITRI
DATE OF BIRTH : 2 NOVEMBER 2006 (10 SYAWAL)
TIME OF BIRTH : 9.17 P.M.
WEIGHT AT BIRTH : 3.39 KILOGRAMS
LENGTH AT BIRTH : 53 CENTIMETRES
PLACE OF BIRTH : AMPANG PUTERI SPECIALIST HOSPITAL


Yes, now I have two boys, Ashraff and Aliff. Plus hubby, it makes three men in the family. I'm definitely outnumbered!

Ok, let me tell you about the labour first. The first blood "show" I had was on 31st October 2006 at around 5 p.m. That night, hubby drove me to Ampang Puteri to check on my condition though I do not have any contraction as yet (kalau ada pun mungkin tak perasan). I was dilated for 2 centimetres and was told by the nurse to come back tomorrow to see my gynae for further check-up.

I couldn't make it on the 1/11/2006 as Fitri's cousins was staying at our house that day and as a host, takkanlah nak tinggalkan tetamu pulak. So, 2/11/2006 was the day that we saw Dr Fauziah. No progress. Still 2 cm dilated. Still no contraction. But since the blood sign has been showing for the past 3 days, Dr Fauziah decided to induce the labour to avoid any infection and complication later on. Alamak! The word "induction" scares the hell out of me as Ashraff was born the same way. Punyalah sakit walaupun bukaan takdelah besar mana. But Doc knows what's best for me and the baby so I agreed on the induction.

To cut the story short, labour was easier and faster this time around. All in all, I suffered from the unbearable pain for only two hours i.e. from 4 cm dilated till the birth of Aliff. But I can feel the pain really bad this time cause I do not use any form of pain relief except for the gas. Not that I don't want to but doc said the dilation was fast so tokleh nak use any drug. I have also trouble pushing Aliff out from the womb. Rasanya adalah dalam 5-6 kali jugak push baru Aliff keluar. With Ashraff is just one go je. Sama macam Ashraff, Aliff was also born on Khamis malam Jumaat.

Aliff, I can say, is more contented as compared to his brother. Dia pun jarang nangis. Mandi and pakaikan baju takdelah nangis macam abang dia. So, I can finally try baby massage on Aliff after bath, which I can't do it on Ashraff. He also loves to be swaddled unlike his brother. Though contented, he has trouble sleeping at night. Actually siang pun sama. The thing is he has a lot of gas in his tummy so that is bothering him from his sleep. Kesian tengok dia. Ibu ngan Ayah pun kesian jugak sebab kena take turns jaga dia waktu malam.

My super duper achievement with Aliff is that I manage to exclusively breastfeed him so far. Memang penat the first few weeks but I persevere as I am more than determine to breastfeed him as long as possible. So, I don't know how he can be so gassy. Must be from my milk. I tried to eliminate all the gassy foods in my diet but it still does not work. Nampaknya I have to wait till Aliff is 3-4 months old where his stomach and intestines mature. Bersabar jelah...

With breastfeeding as well, Aliff suffers from breastmilk jaundice. Twice admitted at the hospital - first when he was one-week old and second when he was one-month old. Several blood tests has to be taken every week till the birubilin level dropped. Up till now, he still have that yellowish sight at the corner of his eyes but doctor said there is nothing to worry about as he should fully recover soon. The most is 10 weeks. As for me, I have to forgo my own health to ensure Aliff is free from jaundice. I was refrain from consuming any jamu. Since Aliff still has slight jaundice, sampai sekarang jamu masih tidak bersentuh. I hope in two weeks time, I can start taking jamu.

Here's a confession I would like to make as a second-time mum:-
1. I've never been this tired before. Having more than one child can be overwhelming at times especially when both the toddler and the baby needs your attention at the same time.
2. I thought I'm used to sleep deprivation but no I'm not. Since Aliff is a restless sleeper both day and night, I'm more sleep deprived than having to take care of Ashraff alone.
3. Breastfeeding is a breeze. It's easier to breastfeed your second child, probably due to your experience and maybe you have upgraded your knowledge in that area and are more prepared.
4. Second child is not a carbon-copy of his brother/sister. They have different personalities and characters. So, you got to learn how to deal with this new individual in your life. You still have to make decisions in dealing with them like do I need to use pacifier this time around, or buaian to make him sleep? Do I put him to sleep on his tummy like his brother or just a swaddle will do?
5. I learn new things in my life which I thought I know since I'm not a first-time mum. But this new child teaches me new things. Like with Ashraff, I learn the definition of "high-need" baby or demanding baby and how to deal with them. With Aliff, I know what is breastmilk jaundice.
6. I still read about the milestones/development of an infant in the baby book or the internet eventhough I have gone through it with Ashraff.
7. I've learn how to use the baby sling as I believe baby-wearing has lots of benefits. Aliff looks a lot more contented in the sling and I can breastfeed in public discreetly. And it's also a cost-cutting measure since we do not have to invest in two strollers.

Anak adalah anugerah dan amanah yang diberikan Allah. Not only am i determine to fully breastfeed Aliff, this lady would also want to be a more patient mum to both Ashraff and Aliff. That's basically my resolution for year 2007-:)

1 MONTH OLD ALIFF
WEIGHT : 4.4 KILOGRAMS


2 MONTHS OLD ALIFF
WEIGHT : 6.0 KILOGRAMS