Friday, April 23, 2010

Weaning in Progress

Tao is 8 months and 3 weeks old. I started to wean Tao today by feeding her 1 oz of formula milk using cup and spoon just for her to have a taste of another type of milk. I felt like cheating her by feeding her 'artificial milk' although it is almost the right time to do so.

I planned to wean her gradually when she is 9 to 10 months old by supplementing with formula milk once a day and continue to express milk during day time and nurse at night. However, I decided to start now because my milk supply was decreasing since last week after clogged milk duct leading to infection with flu-like symptom. Initially, the problem started because of sore nipple so I fed Tao less on the affected side due to excruciating pain. I think I did not empty that side properly during feeding/ pumping and caused milk to back up. When I read from my book regarding this problem, it advised to let baby nurse from affected side first. The clogged duct cleared after that but left me with almost 50% of usual supply so I had been using my stock from the freezer.

So I let Tao start to taste formula earlier so that she will not reject formula milk when needed. I supplemented her with formula during confinement when milk supply was not established but as supply increased, I began reducing formula until she completely rejected formula in second month and she had been feeding on breast milk ever since.

I express milk using pump during day time when I am working, going out or even at home. Tao gets use to nurse only at night (in dimmed light and air-conditioned room) so she refuses to feed directly even if I am with her during the day. Choosy little girl. I have done my pumping everywhere. In washrooms at my office, nursing rooms in shopping complex, fitting rooms (when nursing rooms at not available and washrooms are dirty), washrooms in airport, washrooms at Singapore customs and even in the car during traffic jam (using a huge scarf tied around my neck for cover up - I am so used to pumping that I do not even have to see what I am doing)

Hopefully by feeding Tao with breast milk until now will ensure her to grow up healthy and smart :)

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

I have resigned!

I have resigned from my post as a Program Administrator in my company in Nov last year. The reason I gave to my boss and others is that I have to take care of my 2 daughters. Somehow people find it hard to believe and kept on probing me to tell more. They even thought I have been going to interviews on the sly. Some colleagues thought that my husband must be so capable to be able to provide for all our expenses.

The truth is ............ resigning in order to take care of my daugthers is one of the reason.
Another reason is that I will be helping my husband and his business partner (his brother) to manage their company's account, HR, income tax, KWSP, Socso, banking etc. In other words, I will still be working but in the comfort of my own house where I can help my parents-in-law to take care of my girls after 5:30pm everyday.

However until now, I am still working part time in my company due to I am kind hearted. Gag!! I agreed to work on mornings to train the new PA until she is familiar with her job. So my actual resignation day will be on 7th May. (Checked on Chinese Almanac that day is an auspicious date. Hehe.) I don't think there are any other people who takes half a year to resign. Reason I agree to help out is that I can still cope with my workload at home and I do not want to lose touch with my 'outside world' so fast. Not because of the salary but it won't hurt. I do feel more relaxed to go to work everything morning knowing that I can be home in early afternoon.

When I was working full time, it was just horrible. When i saw the icon on the bottom right of my monitor showing 5:00pm, I will get panic and think 'How can I complete today's job? What task should I leave out so that I can go home at 7:00pm? Should I e-mail some of my files home so that I can continue to work at night/ on weekends? Will my parents in law feel tired having to take care of my kids for so long? Am I a bad Mum because I do not accompany my kids the minimum recommended 3 hours every day? Etc etc' It was a horrible experience to go through the cycle everyday. Let's just say I am very lucky indeed and I am very grateful to be able to escape from 9 to 5 job. (or should I say 8 to 8 job?)