Pressure & lack of love

My gynae has recommended that I take lighter duties at work effective immediately. My blood pressure is high and he does not want me to stress myself out as with pressure like that, I am susceptible to preterm labor.
I still don’t feel any attachment for my twins. I still keep asking myself how I can bring myself to love these babies when I love Mick so much. I just feel guilty. Last night, I slept on the spare bed in the study room as I had bad cough and didn’t want to pass my germs to Mick. In the morning when he woke up, he didn’t say a word, just walked into the study room, carried my blanket and pillow back to my room. Then he said, “I will take care of you, don’t sleep on another bed”. Awwww…I was so touched, and felt even guiltier that in about 10 weeks, I will be dividing my attention to 3 kids.
Mick has always been the center of attention as he is the only grandchild on both sides of the family. Now, with the twins on the way, I am very sure he will be feeling left out. Firstly, the twins will be getting a lot of attention for just being twins, second, he will not be the only grandchild anymore.

Vapor Balm

While in US, I noticed that they actually sell a different version of Vicks for infants than what we have in Malaysia, called the Baby Rub. I was a little puzzled as why there was a difference, so I did a Google search. The search articles that popped up, stated an ingredient called Camphor that is found in the normal vapor rubs may be toxic to babies as some babies can be allergic to camphor.
I wanted to get the Baby Rub but could not find it anywhere in Malaysia. I went to the pharmacy and asked for a vapor rub without camphor and was recommended the 21st Century Children's Vapor Balm. This balm has a nice lingering strawberry fragrance and does not contain camphor. Retails at RM6.95, can be found in all major pharmacies in Malaysia.

New Mummy Checklist

Photo credit

Often times when we shop for our newborn, we forget that we need to get stuff for ourselves too. I have compiled a list of what a new mummy would need for the baby’s arrival –
Breastpump
Breastmilk Storage bottles/bags
Breastpads
Nursing Bras
Maternity pads
Disposable Undies(more hygienic)

Baby Cotton Buds/Swabs

Experts recommend that we should never use cotton buds(Q-tips) to clean baby’s ears. Earwax is nature’s way of protecting baby’s ear canal and using a cotton bud may push the wax further or damage the ear canal if not careful.
I found these really nice and safe bulb shaped cotton swabs at Anakku. This swab can be used to clean babies and young children’s ears and nose. Perfect for newborns, it can be used to remove visible ear wax without going too far into the ear canal. Great for toddlers too, as it teaches them how to clean their own ears.

Singleton vs Twin Pregnancy

How is twin pregnancy different from singleton pregnancy? That’s what a lot of people ask me when I tell them that I am carrying twins.

To begin with, I didn’t have a good singleton pregnancy. I was suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) with my singleton pregnancy. When people say that twin pregnancy is much worse than singleton pregnancy, I actually would think otherwise in my case since I didn’t quite experience a normal singleton pregnancy.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum occurs in 0.5 – 2% of pregnancies. The occurrence is very low and the root cause of it still cannot be determined. It effects you mentally and physically. The peak incidence is at 8-12 weeks of pregnancy, I had severe nausea that I couldn’t keep anything down. I vomited at least 40 times a day until I was so dehydrated that the skin on my tongue started to peel off. I was hospitalized at 8 weeks and was on medical leave for almost a month. I vomited till my 8th month. Not only I was sensitive to smells, I was also very sensitive to certain colors and sounds. But all that pain was forgotten when I saw my beautiful Mick.

Now, with the twin pregnancy, I do get nausea, but not as severe as my first pregnancy, so I am able to deal with it. Other than that, I also have severe stomach cramps, swelling of the feet, fatigue, insomnia which is also bearable at this point. So, all in all, my twin pregnancy is not that bad, nothing much for me to complain about after going through the whole HG episode.

My Choice for Mattress Protector

I tried the simple rubbermat, placed it under the bedsheet, and it was really hot. Mick was sweating so much. Then I purchased another type of protector. It had a plastic layer sewn at the bottom and cloth on top. I must say that it looked much better than the blue-pink plastic rubbermat. But the end result was the same. Plastic is plastic. Furthermore, the protector was hard to wash, after washing it left stains(yellow) on the edges. Then I discovered the Fluffies Mattress Protector, which I bought online. It doesn’t feel plasticy at all. The top is made of soft quilted cotton(with teddy impression) and the inner is made of a vinyl barrier. It truly does what it is supposed to do, which is protect the mattress. This mattress protector is also very easy to care for. Just wash it in the washing machine and dry it.