Hand Foot Mouth Disease (HFMD)

These two weeks have been pretty tough for me and the girls. One of the babies I babysat was down with HFM and he passed the virus to my kids. The thing is, you can't really avoid it because usually the virus spreads even before the symptoms show up. So in this case, baby B got it during Raya break and the parent wasn't aware of it. And when he came and we noticed the rashes, it was already too late cos the kids had been playing together the whole morning. So the kids got quarantined from that day onwards until the day they have fully recovered.

What are the symptoms?
- It might or might not start with fever.
- You might notice rashes on the knee (or the back of the knee), elbow, palms, nappy area and around & inside the mouth.
- They lose appetite to drink and eat.

So how did it all start?
Caedy (my 2yo) played with B on Wed & Thurs. We realized that B was infected on Thurs itself. Caedy got the symptoms on Sunday night (that means incubation period was 3-4 days). She managed to eat a little on Sunday, but from Monday to Wednesday, oh boy, it was like hell broke loose. She was crying, screaming, kicking, throwing tantrum, you name it.

Keira, my elder daughter who is 6yo, got it on Friday night (I suppose she got it from the sister, so incubation period was probably around 5 days). I thought she should be easier to handle since she can communicate well. But I was totally wrong! She was whining and crying all the times too. I mean with all those ulcers in the mouth, I would have cried more hysterically! Anyway I thank God there were no blisters on her hands and feet.

What to do when your kids get infected?
First of all, a pain-killer is a MUST (well, at least for me). I dare not let them eat Nurofen kinda pain-killer though. Too many kids got allergic reaction. This is one of the most recent cases: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/doctors-told-give-sick-tot-4030335.
So I gave them Paracetamol for children. If they have fever, you can give up to every 4 hours. If it serves as a painkiller, give every 6 hours.

Start from Day 2 after symptoms appeared, Paracetamol alone wasn't enough. So the pharmacist prescribed Cataflam and Oral Aid. It helped to numb the pain so that they could at least drink.

They survived 2 days with almost no food, only Yogurt, Vitagen, chilled juice and Acerola Cherry which is very high in vit C (or you can also give ice cream / ice popsicles). I also gave Keira extra virgin coconut oil to boost her immune system.

Both started eating again on Day 4 and Caedy started drinking her milk again on Day 7 even though she preferred not to drink (but at least she wasn't so scared of the bottle anymore).

What else can I do, the kids are so miserable?
Well honestly, they won't want you to do anything. I offered them drinks hourly (and usually they just got upset when I did that), and just let them be. Just be sure you are always there when they need you. For my 2yo, she wanted to be carried most of the times, so that was what I did the whole day. Whereas my 6yo just wanted to watch TV and do her own stuff.

When you think you cannot take it anymore?
Give yourself 3 days or probably 5 days max. They are going to be alright. It's heartbreaking that they have to go through it. I know how it feels to see your kids hungry but can't eat, tired but can't sleep, but they will be fine soon. When the kids chase you away, don't take it personally. My 2yo screamed and said "Mommy GO!" but I knew she was just saying "Please don't make me drink anything."

What other things should I take note?
Quarantine your kid(s) for at least a week or until the rashes or ulcers disappear. Notify the daycare / preschool / kindergarten / school about it because their stools still carry the virus for a month and they are still highly contagious. Increase their vitamin and probiotic intake for another week. Do expect a little bit of fever (not more than 3 days) or diarrhea or vomiting upon recovery.

Well, this is definitely the part-and-parcel of parenthood. We just got to do what we've got to do. After all, we are the moms (or dads), we are supposed to be stronger than them. So be strong. You can do it and everything is gonna be fine.

WORRY NOT

OK at first, I thought I am probably not the right person to post anything to ask people not to worry cos usually I am the first one to get frantic and paranoid especially when it is in regards to my loved ones. Then, there's this voice that whispered to me (of cos it wasn't an audible whisper, else I'D HAVE TOTALLY FREAKED OUT) that says someone can't write anything about worry unless he/she has experienced and overcome it. Well, I won't say I have totally overcome my tendency to worry but I have improved (a little bit). 

Many times, things are just out of our control. I know many parents are worried about the haze that has been around for like ages, the crazy hot weather that causes water disruptions, the annoying blood suckers aka Mrs. Aedes Aegypti, the ever increasing illnesses and diseases, stories about maids abusing babies, not to mention the rising cost of living and the list goes on. Recently, all 3 children that I'm babysitting are not well. Some has been having prolonged cough and runny nose for weeks, some has viral fever and is on antibiotic. It's not easy for the parents, and for me. 

But then, "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" (Matt 6:27).

Choosing not to worry doesn't mean being ignorant. I am taking precautions and doing my best to protect the children and my family. I make sure the kids stay indoor as much as possible, I spray the mosquitoes repellent in the rooms an hour before the kids' bedtime and then ventilate it before they go in to sleep, I wash their hands & wipe their faces frequently, I increase their probiotic intake to make sure their bodies have strong immune system to fight in this season etc. 

That's pretty much what I can do for them. Other than that, I'm just trusting God that He is in control. I have done my part and I let Him do the rest. This season, too, shall pass.

2 Corinthians 4: 17-18 “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.  Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.  For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 

So don't worry.

YOU CAN PREPARE HOMEMADE BABY FOOD!

I can't believe my last post was 6 months ago! How time flies.

Anyway, since Caedy was 6mo, I have started her on solid food. And from these 7months experience, I learned a lot. Some of you might think it's so troublesome to prepare baby food, so much work, so many things to wash and clean after that, bla bla bla... Before you decide to stock up your cabinet with those sugar-loaded cereals, think again. Why do you think it's hard? Is it because you didn't plan properly? Or is it because you don't have any clue how to go about it?

I gotta tell you, preparing baby food is so simple and compare to other cereals, it costs so much lesser. Here's some tips to help you start out:

1. Plan ahead
Yes, take out your organizer, or use your smartphone, or just pull out a sheet of paper. Plan out what you wanna cook for your baby this week. Start with a weekly menu sheet. (Therefore, you only need to do groceries shopping once a week). You don't have to serve different food everyday. (You'll get what I mean as you continue reading.)

2. Invest in the right kitchen equipments
Of course, not everyone can afford to buy everything, but if you can invest in one or two of these items, you'll save lots of time and energy. I used to think the conventional ways are the best, but boy was I wrong? I used to steam food (veges, chicken, fish, etc) using this:

I guess it works for some people... But well, it's definitely not the best way if you are a busy mom or if you have to cook few other dishes at the same time.

So I invested in this:

It's one of the best things I have in my kitchen:
(i) I can cook few dishes together.
If I'm preparing food for kids only, I cook them altogether, 1st tier (from the bottom) - steam veges, 2nd tier - steam egg, the 3rd tier - steam meat.
(ii) Sometimes I even use the lowest tier to steam Caedy's bottles.
(iii) You don't have to watch the time. Just set the timer, make sure the water is enough. Voilà!

Other kitchen equipment that you'll find useful:
- Blender (hand blender is good too)
- Slow cooker
- Multi function Rice Cooker (you can cook rice, soup, porridge, casserole, or even for steaming). Some rice cooker allows you to set the time you want the food to be ready. How smart!
- Microwave (to defrost and heat up the food)
- Oven (for baking)

3. Get some knowledge
Old folks will tell you that it's bad if you don't feed your baby fresh food.. Well, errr... hmm... it really depends on how you store the food. My simple guideline: cook the food thoroughly, cool it, keep it in clean air-tight containers, store in the refrigerator (max 3 days) or in the freezer (up to one week). Storing in an air-tight container & keeping it in the fridge/ freezer will prevent oxidation and therefore preserve the nutrients. So if you can't cook everyday, cook in batch! It's definitely better than giving your baby other food from the shelves.

-----
So today, this is what I prepare:

Purees:
1. Steamed green and yellow zucchinis for 10mins with the steamer.
2. Cool them quickly
3. Blend them together
4. Divide into 5 portions and keep in air-tight containers
5. Keep 3 in the refrigerator and another 2 in the freezer (I usually put the batches purees in one big air tight container in the freezer together with my expressed breastmilk, but since I'm not pumping anymore, I find that container too big. So temporarily, I use a ziplock bag, to double make sure the food remains fresh).

Porridge:
1. Cook brown rice & millet in a slow cooker
2. Cool it down
3. Divide into 3 portions & put in air tight containers
4. Keep them in the fridge
OK I seldom freeze porridge, cos it's too easy to cook, I can just dump all the ingredients (usually multi grains & meat) into the slow cooker before leaving to work, and come home with nice smooth hot porridge.

I heat up the purees, then mix it with the porridge before serving. So I can prepare 2-3 different purees on the same day and I can alternate them throughout the week (if it's the 1st time you're feeding your baby that particular food, make sure you feed the same food for 3-4 days consecutively, to identify allergies if there's any).

So this is Caedy's dinner for the next 4 days! Easy!
So mommy, don't keep telling yourself you can't do it, because you can...

Go ahead and try... Take out your organizer and start planning today! :)
(Note: http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/ is a very good website about baby food).

No Wheezing - Breastfeeding

Caedy is now 5 mo 2 wks. She could hardly sleep for the last 2 nights, her nose was blocked, her cough was phlegmy ... Doc checked her, he said other than lotsa mucus in the nose, there is no problem at all. Her lung is strong and clear. 

I still remember Keira's lung constantly had wheezing sound since she was a little infant, she outgrew it when she was almost 3yo. Now I'm even more convinced that breastfeeding really benefits Caedy. If I could turn back time, I'd breastfeed Keira no matter how hard it was. Well, if only.

I have to say the first 2 years of raising Keira wasn't easy at all, we brought her to doctor very frequently. Even until now, her immune system is still quite weak. I know breastfeeding can be quite tough, but it's tougher to see our baby is weak & easily fall sick.

Keira when she was 2yo+

 Feb 2011, suspected pneumonia. lotsa wheezing sound in her lung.

Let me say again, the key to successful breastfeeding is support and persistence. 
You can do it, for the sake of your little one :)

xoxo