All About Your Child

Give your child the best.

Although most parents know that breast feeding is the best choice, but the perceived inconvenience, previous attempts failure and lack of knowledge on the actual advantages that breastmilk have caused many newborns to be denied benefiting from breastfeeding.

In the beginning, it may be frustrating and may take some effort to get it started right, but once the perserverance has passed the test, you are on your way to make a big difference in you and your baby’s life.

Breastfeeding creates a special bond between you and your baby. Every mother’s milk has a unique smell to a baby. This enhances bonding between the mother and baby. In fact this is a great help to promote behavioural development of the baby. Bottle feeding is merely providing food and even then, not necessarily the best food.

All the right kinds of fat in breastmilk comes in higher quantity but is more easily absorbable than formula milk. These include Omega fatty acids, such as DHA and AHA, which enhance your baby’s brain and vision development when they needed most.

Breastmilk contains more carbohydrates compared to formula milk to meet your baby’s needs.

Breastmilk contains less protein than formula milk, but this protein is of a form that is more digestible for the sensitive stomach. All the protein from breastmilk can be absorbed by your baby, unlike formula milk.

The proportion of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals in breastmilk changes with the needs of your growing baby up to 6 months of age. Formula milk proportion stays the same and are often less easily absorbable.

The amount of water in breast milk is just right to satisfy your baby’s thirst, thus, when you breastfeed your baby, you do not need to give water at all. The proportion of water in formula milk is dependent on how much you put in.

There are more than a hundred ingredients in breastmilk that cannot be created with human hands or brain. These are important for your baby’s complete development.

The anitbodies in breastmilk help your baby fight against infection. These are absent in formula milk. Bottle fed babies are more likely to suffer from diarrhea, ear, lung and urine infections, increases anxiety and visits to the clinic.

The taste of breast milk varies according to the mother’s diet while formula milk taste the same all the time. Thus, breastfed babies are more ready to try new food during weaning then bottle fed babies.

In the long run, breastfed babies are less likely to develop obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes when they grow up.

The best part is the mother gets to return back to her pre-pregnant weight more quickly because more calories are burnt when producing breast milk. Breast feeding also protects the mother from breast cancer.

Allan and I wanted to bring the kids out for shopping in the evening and so we were trying to coax Keatkeat to take his afternoon nap. He hasn’t been willing to catnap during the day for a few weeks already. But when it comes to 8pm, he will start to whine. That’s the last thing we want in a crowded shopping centre, where everyone will stare at the noisy child.

So Allan “threatened” him, “Mommy is going shopping later, if you don’t go sleep now, you will stay at home.”
Keatkeat:”Alone? What about Binbin?”
Dad:”Binbin (who is fast asleep) will go with mommy. You will stay at home with me.”
Keatkeat:”Why?”
Dad:”To keep me company. I will feel very lonely if I stay at home all by myself.”
Keatkeat:”Then I’ll bring you out shopping, then you won’t be lonely.”

*

I was complaining to the boys that they are not being flexible enough. They are too reliant on me. They just want me to do EVERYTHING for them. Even when Allan tries to give me some quiet time for myself by helping them to dry up after bathe, they would make a big ‘hu-ha’, especially my 2-year-old.

Me (complaining tone):”Can papa pat (patting on the buttocks, we are still trying to kick this habit of theirs) you to sleep? Mummy is very tired. I have to do all the things for you two. I need time for myself. Its the same. No matter who pat you to sleep. Its the SAME! Why must I always be the one to do everything for you?!!!”

I was getting hotter as I complained more.

Keatkeat:”Because you are the Best! We love you very much mummy….”

Ahhhh….what can I say??!!

*

We saw ‘Lightning McQueen’ pajamas. We have been trying very hard to find one. As most of you know, the boys are car-crazy, especially Keatkeat. So finally we found it at one of the bazaars, we called them “pasa-malam” over here in Singapore.

We were as excited as the kids. So we asked the seller for their sizes. After much searching thru his boxes. He turned around and shook his head,”Sorry, we do not have anymore stocks for their sizes. The sizes I have are for 8-9 years old.”

Damn! How unlucky! I was feeling terrible and when I saw the kids’ faces, it was worse. They looked so disappointed. When I squarted down wanting to comfort them. Keatkeat lift up his hands and stroke my head, “Its ok, don’t be sad. We’ll find another one next time.” And he walked on….

Huh??!!! In the end, I was the one that was being comforted?