Baby is home!

Baby jaundice is down to 8.5 considered as normal level. The normal level for bililubrin is below 10 or so according to paediatrician. So baby had good care for 3 nights. Finally the long awaited home coming!

Initially the paediatrician wasn't keen to release baby and wanted further observation, but the results looks rather stable with the day before results at 8.9 and today's at 8.5. Besides I'm getting burned in the pocket and since it looks normalized may as come on home! Everybody is anxiously waiting for baby so may as well be today.

Just need to make sure baby gets a little morning sun everyday to build up the liver strength.

Got my parents help to carry baby back to my in-laws house where currently mommy is having her confinement period. Way too much taboos about her confinement and recovery from child bearing. No aircon and no fan! And weather in Malaysia now is oh so hot! Not easy to endure.

Finally baby is back and both my parents and parent in law dote on him. No wonder he got such a charming smile when he was born!

Enfalac A+ baby milk

Bought enfalac A+ baby milk. Mummy decided this would be superior than the Nestle Naan brand. I should think so too when I went to shop for it. Enfalac A+ was also expensive in comparison. So off I go to hospital with baby milk in hand.

The prognosis was good too. Jaundice level has come down to about 10.5 so by tomorrow baby can be discharged.

Everybody is looking forward to seeing baby and rather anxious of his current condition. Mum already send home for confinement recovery.

And me? Rather knock out from all the running around! Haha! That's parenting for me!

[update] Enfalac Price last checked August 2012

Enfalac A+ DHA+ Step 1
650gm = RM$71.60
500gm = RM$48.60

Enfalac Regular
650gm = RM$46.30

Related post:
Enfapro A+

Baby Jaundiced, uh uh

Apparently it is common for baby to be jaundiced soon after birth. I guess my baby is no exception. My wife and I were looking forward to bringing baby home but looks like baby will have to stay a little longer in the hospital. He will need a nice little sun tan in the nursery care ward to reduce the jaundice level. Hope it won't take many days. Hopefully his liver will be strengthen enough to overcome the jaundice condition.

In addition his glucose level was very low too. Probably mother's milk has insufficient nutrition or insufficient quantity. So looks like have to supplement with infant formula.

Meanwhile need to bring back mother home for maternity confinement care.

So looks like it is going to be a very busy week for me with many trips to and fro.

Baby Night Two

Everything is going fine although the paedatrician noted that there was some slight jaundice which she considered normal. The liver is still young and was just starting its filtration of the yellow pigment from the blood and will take about a week to function fully.

Anyway its about time for us to check out. So come monday morning we would pack our luggage settle the hospital bill and off we go to my in-laws place.

There are still many things to do and many things to learn. Definately an on the job hands-on training. You can read only so much but in the end you have to do it; practice makes perfect.

The timing of the birth was just perfect timing. Everyone prayed for God's timing and baby came at a time when the delivery fees are still considered weekday rate for a saturday morning. Were it to be past noon and it would be considered double charge. The weekend resting period was good timing too, where friends and family could come and visit coz it was not a working day.

Every timing was just simply superb. Despite some anxious periods everything fit out quite snugly I should say.

Day of bundle of joy

It was such a wonderful day. Anticipation and excitement on the arrival of baby has come. It has been a long wait, with the final anxious week wondering when exactly the due date would come. In fact the doctor suggested to induce the arrival of baby for fear that the placenta was way past due. Placenta that are "ripe" would mean less nutrients to the baby thus the suggestion.

But it was with much fervont prayer that natural birth process proceeded. In fact when the contraction started my wife wasn't sure it was an actual contraction and bore with the labour pains starting from 1am that early morning when I have just completed doing the laundry. I was a little tired, but had only fitful sleep as my wife was trying to determine whether it was an actual contraction.

Eventually by 5am she was rather sure, and we got ready to go to the hospital.

By 6.30am the midwife checked and there was dilation of 4cm. So it was finally coming! And time to admit her in. She was wheeled into the delivery room while I went to ground floor for registration. It took awhile to get it done so by the time I went to the delivery room the dilation has reach 8cm. My wife opted for epidural as she couldn't stand the pain anymore. Although it was considered a little late for such a procedure it still did its effect of numbing the pain. I guess the anesthesist was very good in his dosage estimation. I heard one instance where it was given too much until the mother do not have feeling at all and was not able deliver until it wore off. And took several hours! My wife case, the dosage was just right, enough to numb off the pain and yet still have some dull feeling.

By 7.30am the dilation was 8cm and by 7.50am it was at full dilation of 10cm and it was time to deliver. The gynae has just arrived for initial check. Then the midwife took over for the natural birth procedure. Try as my wife might, somehow she couldn't push properly. The midwife has to teach on the spot the technique of delivery to push from a certain set of muscles and push during the contraction. Somehow with the use of epidural there is always the chance of not doing it right because of lesser feelings.

So in the end, doctor has to step in and switch to using suction method of delivery. A slight incision had to made too to widen the opening for baby to come out. The doctor had to tug a bit to pull the baby out while my wife pushed on one of the contraction. Finally the baby head pop out and it was all over!

Baby came out with a cry as the nurses drain away the fluid necessary for breathing. Soon the cord was snipped off and baby was placed on mother for initial bonding before taken away for cleaning, while the doctor cleared away the rest of the placenta.

And of course I am now the proud father of a new born baby son and starting texting to get the word out on the good news! Such a biological marvel and how wonderful God in his creation! And of course the advances of technology meant I could tell not just my friends and family of the wonderful event, but the whole world too!

So happy birthday my dear child and welcome to the brave new world!

It's a boy!

Well we already know that. It is a healthy baby boy of 2.43 kg. A bit below average nevertheless a healthy baby boy. Has a nice smile and likes to blow bubbles! Awww he is so cute!

Mother is feeling a little hungry but otherwise alright. It was a fast delivery. Took about 20 minutes. Quite fast too.

Baby coming soon

The awaited day is now arriving. It has been a long 9 months wait but well worth it. Bundle of joy, coming into this brave new world. May God have favour upon baby. Mother is prep and now just awaiting the time when cervix dilate to its full proper size for actual delivery. Already hooked onto the CDG and the baby heartbeat is going pretty fast. The epidural is having its effect and mother is now able to withstand the labour pains. Just a little more longer for the full dilation as we wait for baby to come round.