Mothering Corner

My boy’s preschool is having an excursion in August. They are going to the national tuff farm to see and ride on the little ponies, so my boy was very excited about it. However, he was disappointment when I told him that he can’t join as we are going to Bali during that weekend. So, I guess we will have to make it up for him, and hopefully, he will enjoy himself on our family trip.

I am one of those parents who will try hard to please my kids, but not until the extend of spoiling them. Even if he tells me he want to see dolphins when he saw them on TV that day, I also promised him that we will go for a Hawaii Travel when time comes. Planning a trip should not be a big deal, since we can get almost everything from Maui vacation home rentals. But it’s the money involved that makes us delaying most of our trips.

That’s the thing about being a parent huh? Doing everything for our kids. Putting them ahead of us. I certainly hope I can make my kids the happiest kids in the world, if not material wise, but with lots of love.

I stopped by the bank at Greentown the other day, and saw a few mothers who dropped by the stock market firm nearby. Hubby said there were lots of women who went there everyday, just to check out the price of the stocks and buy or sell the stocks like crazy.

The first thing that came across my mind was, “where do these women get the money from?” They didn’t look like good investors, and I think they were more like betting than investing. They would most probably buy the stock options based on tips or just follow the gang. It’s very risky to invest in stock market like that. Unless you have tonnes of money to be wasted, this is clearly another form of gambling!

Most professional investors have stock option screener to help them decide better on which stock options to get. Besides, they don’t have to sit at the firm all the long to monitor their investment as this can be done online, as long as they have internet connection anywhere.

Gee…I wonder who were taking care of their kids?

I used to watch Oprah Winfrey before I got myself so busy with blogging, knitting and kids. LOL!

I remembered on of the episode about a mother who refused to admit that she had Prescription Drug Addiction because she didn’t feel sick like most drug addicts when she needed a go. She refused to get any help as well because in her opinion, she was just taking her medication, maybe a bit more than her prescription, but she thought she was under control.

This obviously is the first sign of addiction —— denial. Most addicts won’t admit that they have a problem until it is too late. The professional help is always available from rehab centers and it’s up to the addicts to enroll themselves and take up the treatments.

No one can help them better unless they realize that they really need help. As for the lady, she went into rehab by the end of the show. Clearly, that was what she needed.

My girl cannot see me naked. Once she sees the breasts, she will ask for nursing, no matter how full she is. So, if I’m wearing a top which is very expose, she will lift them up ASAP and try to latch on eagerly! LOL!

Sometimes I wonder how am I going to wean her off completely. Seeing her being so addicted to breastfeeding makes me wonder if she will ever be wean off by her second birthday. That’s why I didn’t get myself a bikini for our trip to Bali because I know she will definitely ask for nursing anytime and anywhere.

So, I will only put on something as exposing as a bikini once my girl is weaned off. So, hopefully by then the kids are old enough and we can have a nice Hawaii Travel for family vacation. I already bookmark the details and information about hawaii oahu vacation rental which will be handy when we decide to go for a trip in the future.

So, in the mean time, I better not wearing anything that will trigger my girl to lift up my top in the public to save myself from any embarrassment.

My kids travel with us most of the time, so they have got used to changing places and can be easily adapted to new environment, as long as they are a few of their favourite objects along. I will pack as much as I can for them, especially their bolsters, books and toys, so that they won’t feel awkward staying in a new place.

But not every kid has this adapting ability, especially for those who seldom travel. To us adults, what we tend to worry about is how to move the stuffs from one place to another. This can be easily settled with International Movers which has reputable chain of companies and trucks to help us out.

We tend to ignore the emotions of our kids who might be facing some traumatic stress too. Thus, talk to you children about the big move so that they have an idea what is going on. Be prepared to except some tantrums or frustration from them during the transition period. Just give them some time. All of us need time to get adjusted.

I used to work in education line, and I’m fully aware of those methods which you can use to boost up your baby’s intellectual, but I don’t use them on my kids. I prefer my kids to grow at their own pace, with lots of fun filled activities, than being pressured to excel in academic.

However, I agree that each child is unique. If a child is born a genius, she may not be going through the same learning process as other normal kids. Being the top 2 percent of the population is something to be proud of. If my kids are geniuses, I will be happy for them too.

But at the same time, I will be worrying about ways of bring them up. Just look at how sad the world is about our local genius who had just passed away not long ago. Sometimes, we are emphasizing too much on IQ, but ignoring the importance of EQ, AQ, CQ or other quotients too.

At the same time, as long as we are not being kiasu, our kids will be geniuses in our eyes.

My boy is going through a stage where he likes to ask a lot of questions. I try to answer as much as possible, within my ability as I want him to communicate more with him than just keeping everything to himself.

When I was at my mom’s place, I heard that he asked her why was I so busy upstairs. My mum told him that I got to work to make money and buy things for them. If I was not working, they would not have toys to play with, or go for shopping.

So, whenever he sees me at the PC, he will ask me in his innocent eyes, “Mommy, you working?”

See, that’s what driven me into making more money so that I can provide my kids a better environment to grow up in. On top of that, I like them to be exposed to different surrounding through vacations to nice places around the world like Hawaii luxury vacations or the Dolphin Quest I found from Kauai Vacation Info. If I am working now, we will be getting more and will be achieving all these vacation dreams faster than just relying on hubby’s income alone.

On top of that, I have to make sure that I only work when they are sleeping or not needing me. I still have to fulfill my mothering duties, and my kids are more important than anything else.

Everyone of us likes fruits at home. In fact, we have a habit of taking fruits everyday, and my kids will definitely ask for some food snack in the afternoon. Most of the time, I only get them local fruits like mango, papaya, jackfruit, and etc or apples and grapes. Sometimes, I give them fruit juice, especially on hot days like this.

Frankly, I feel like adding more variety of fruits in their diet. I’ve heard and read of the goodness of Goji Berries but I haven’t tried out yet. The thing is, we can’t get them from the stores, but we need to purchase the dried goji berries or the mixed and 100% pure Goji Berry Juice online only, for the time being.

But if you haven’t heard of Himalayan Goji Berries, they are considered as one fo the most nutritious food source on the planet. They are rich in antioxidants and your body will definitely be benefited from the fruit or drinks.

However, the drink is not cheap, and I’m not sure how much will it be if you top up the shipping fees. So, I got to think twice before getting one. If not, just take our regular fresh apple juice every morning then.

My kids are addicted to Animal Planet. Even if I don’t let them watch too much TV, but they can be very fascinated whenever I turn on the idiot box, and my boy will tell me that he likes to watch animal, especially sharks and dolphins. He have been telling us to go to the zoo and aquarium which he has been to before, but we will have to work out a plan first.

Frankly, if I can afford it now, I will bring my kids too see the real dolphins. Sharks is not a good idea, a visit to the aquarium will do! Why dolphins? It’s because I know my kids will definitely like to see the dolphin shows from Dolphin Quest.

If we are going to Hawaii with the kids, we can’t just simply lying on the beach and do nothing, the kids will definitely be bored to death! So, we have to plan some activities that are suitable for them. A visit to the Dolphin Quest will be nice. I will just have to get Wailea maui condo and car rental from Hawaii Travel to help us get around the islands. Frankly, it would be really nice to visit Hawaii with the kids.

One of my blogger friend may be going by the end of the year, so I will get more info from her later.

 I bought my first pump based on recommendation from mothers at MMB forum. Most of the mothers are using Avent or Medela. I chose Avent ISIS as I was working when I had my first child, so with a manual pump, I could easily pump everywhere because I don’t have to worry about electrical socket or battery supplies. But after that, I got myself another Avent and Medela Mini Electric when I had my second child. I used 2 pumps when pumping to speed up the process and to stimulate my body to produce more.

However, if you are wondering how to choose a good breastpump, you may refer to this article by Pat Lindsay.

1 - Effectiveness. This is determined by both how often the pump cycles (creates suction and releases it) and the pressure of each suction. A  healthy nursing baby will suckle 40-55 times a minute. Pumps which cycle close to this range are more effective at yielding the most milk as well as maintaining the milk supply more effectively. Look for a pump which cycle at least 25 or more times per minute. Cycling rates below 25 are often ineffective at yielding milk. Additionally with a lower cycle, the suction is sustained for longer which many times leads to pain of the breast and nipple tissue. Breast pump suction pressures range from 20-650 mm Hg negative pressure. Pressures in the high 200s often cause pain. Pressures below 150 are reported to be ineffective at extracting milk. A breast pump that is similar to a nursing baby creates around 200-230 mm Hg negative pressure and cycles about 45-60 times per minute.

2 - Comfort. Most mothers find pumps with the auto cycling feature are more comfortable to use.  Some breast pumps also are limited to only one size breast shields. Mothers with larger nipples and/or breasts may find these “one size fits all” pumps less effective and uncomfortable. This is a good reason to have a lactation visit to help determine what pump is best for you and your need.

3 - Type of pumping action. Single or Double?? Single pumps, whether manual or battery/electric, only pump one breast at a time. Single pumps provide less stimulation than double pumping and the pumping time required is twice as when a double pump is used. Single pumping one breast then the other breast is a good option if you will only need to use a breast pump occasionally. Single pumps are a good choice for the stay-at-home mom or the mom only working part-time and needing to use a breast pump no more than an average of once per day.  Simultaneous double pumps, often referred to as hospital or professional grade pumps, offer the best pump performance. They pump both breasts at the same time, thus cutting pumping time in half over single pumping. Additionally, there is research to suggest that simultaneous double pumping increases the hormone responsible for milk production and therefore better maintains milk supply over a longer period of time.

4 - Pump durability. When choosing a breast pump, it’s important to have an idea of how often and how long you’ll need to use the pump. Some pump have smaller and less durable motors. These may carry a shorter guarantee then the larger motor pumps. They are usually not designed to hold up to frequent use (using more than once per day) and usually indicate on the box that this pump is adequate for the mom pumping for occasional bottles.  Others are designed to be used frequently and for longer periods of time and therefore have larger and more durable motors with longer guarantees. Don’t make the mistake of choosing a pump that’s purpose and life span fall below your pumping goal or needs. This can result in premature motor wear and many times a compromised milk supply once the motor begins to wear out. Manual pumps, of course, do not depend upon a motor for operation. With frequent use,  mother is more likely to “wear out” before a manual pump. Some manual pumps are more of a work out than others.

5 - Other points to consider: One feature that you may be concerned about is the quietness of the pump. The larger the pump, the more likely that the motor will be quieter. The smaller the pump, the more likely that the motor will be louder and therefore less discreet. Manual pumps, by their very nature, are very quiet. What power options the pump provides is also of importance. If you will need to pump in a place without an electrical outlet, then you’ll want to consider a pump which runs either on batteries or vehicle adapter power source. Other considerations could be, its discreet design and/or its portability.

6 - When pumping due to medical necessity: if pumping for a preemie or baby who is not latching therefore not feeding from the breast (exclusively pumping) or pumping to increase a  low milk supply, the best choice for stimulating to build an adequate milk supply and maintaining a healthy milk supply is a hospital-grade rental pump. These are rented due to the cost being so great ($850.00 - $2100.00). After breastfeeding of your baby is well established and baby is now nursing effectively from the breast,  you may then purchase a pump for either occasional bottles or return to work. Until that time, you need every bit of help in building an adequate supply and maintaining your supply since you don’t have the benefit of the baby nursing from the breast.

7- Even with the best pump on the market, mothers who don’t use the pump adequately or without some knowledge of the process of milk making and some personal instruction of the care and use of the pump she has chosen, may limit their success with pumping. Pat suggest that you purchase or rent a pump from a qualified source such as a Board Certified Lactation Consultant who gives instruction on pumping and care of the pump.  Buying a quality pump is an investment!  If you buy from a department store, you will not get this valuable expert information which could make a big difference in your success.

Well, most of the breastpumps are great, and you can choose them based on market research or recommendation. However, you have to remember that there is not breastpump in this world which is better than your baby’s suckling. It is still the best!