It poops!

The truth about baby is that it poops. The colour of poop varies. If you are breastfeeding then its poop is fairly non-offensive, yellow-ish and pasty. If it is formula then it turns military greenish and can be harder as the baby needs to do a little more to digest the formula. If you don't want it to be so hard then follow a formula feed with some warm water, this helps every human being with digestion.

Once you wean baby onto solids the poop gets interesting and at times very smelly and colourful (for lack of a better word). It can be orange if baby just had carrots, green if baby had avocado, it will smell of paw paw if that is what baby ate earlier - so just prepare yourself.

Sometimes baby needs help passing stool and this is where your roll as a mama is key. You know your baby best and if the P rule has not worked then you can try another way. The P rule, for your information, is giving your baby fruits that begin with the letter P. Remember P is for Poo. So pears, paw paw and prunes all help in aiding the digestion process. If you notice your baby struggling to poo and passing what us mommas call a round ball, then take baby's legs and gently push them into his belly and stretch them out again. Do this twice or three times. Also baby massage around the belly button area helps too. Again if you see it is a struggle for baby then get a bowl of hot water - not too hot, you don't want to burn your bubba, but not tepid. It has to be hot. Take some cotton wool and dip into the water, squeeze the water in between the bum and wipe downwards applying a little pressure on where the stool passes - you will notice baby wanting to push. Do this at least four times with plenty of cotton wool. He will pass stool and be prepared to watch it - it is not fun, but your baby will love you for it afterwards. Remember if nothing comes, don't worry - just do not force it coz he can get sore as well.

Ah the poo's of life. When a baby does poo it brings so much joy to us mums because it means that his digestive system is working. As the doctors say a baby can poop once in ten days or ten times in one day. Don't fret if baby's poo is not as regular as yours - he is still growing and adjusting to the different things you are giving him. Remember if you have any doubts, your doctor is there for you to chat to.

By the way - do not buy huggies on the street that sells all things for baby. A friend of mine used to buy them in bulk and they burned her baby's diaper area. Invest in good huggies - the originals are available at KimFay - and they give you wholesale prices and they deliver! You don't want your bundle of joy to suffer just because you want to save a penny or two. Also, diaper cream - I can swear by sudo cream. I used to use the Castor oil and something else and she had a rash that would not go away, once I switched to sudo cream I have not seen a rash and baby is quite content.
It all seems pretty overwhelming at first, there is a bit of trial and error, but as a mum just take a bit of time and you will see your bubba will be super happy.

Until the next time, fabmama, have a wonderful mommyhood week!

Breast is best

So here is the deal - you have heard and seen the government campaigns and you know that the World Health Organization say that breast is best. You are supposed to breast feed your child for a minimum of 6 months. Basically, my theory is that the WHO wants to make sure that the world population does not get any higher. More people in the world, more people to look after. Breast feeding is a natural contraceptive - also am not sure how many women enjoy sex when they are feeding, being nurturing throws out the sexy. Also with boobs so full of milk that they could burst, a touch from a man is the last thing a woman would want.

Ok new moms, here is the deal. If you choose to breast feed you need to invest in a really good breast pump - no make that two - one electric one manual; we live in Kenya - electricity comes and goes - you need to be able to pump when you have to otherwise they fill up and hurt like hell.
Try and feed a new born every three hours. They will take up to 1.5-2ounces a feed - which is like 20 minutes on the breast. A full feed would be about 40 minutes - that is twenty minutes on each breast - or about 3-4ounces.
Don't worry if baby does not go by the above. Each baby is different. A new born will eat and sleep pretty much the whole day - oh yah, and poop.

If you want to do the whole 6 months exclusively, good for you. I couldn't and I know I was a formula baby so babys will be OK - do not worry! Just go with your choice and stick by it. A lot of other mothers, or women like to judge, ignore them - easier said, but just ignore!
If your boobies get really full and feel like somone put stones in them - freeze some cabbage leaves and ease the pain with them. It is smelly, but it helps with the pain. Then try and express as soon as you can - or just use a warm towel to let the milk flow - best is in a hot shower.

Breast feeding is the best thing in the world. I loved it, it made me bond with my baby. If you get it right do it - do it well, do it often. It is a hell of a work out, makes you shed those kilos and it works. When you decide to stop - again, be ready - the guilt that comes with it is hard! It is horrible but you have to overcome it.

If you are one of those ladies who likes to pop a boob out in public -errrr, I wont say go for it, because I think it does make a  lot of people uneasy, yes women as well. Nursing covers are available in Kenya and they let you keep your dignity as you feed your baby and does not compromise your babys comfort.

Invest in some good nursing bras and tops so that you are not looking like a fool in public when you feed - carry an extra in case breast milk spills and buy some pads to keep the leaks at bay. Remember the boobs will leak, be prepared! Also, you need to think about your breasts - invest in a nice breast pillow - makes it easy for a feed - easy on your body and does not allow for future sag. Also good bras, even while you sleep are key!

If you have a friend or your mum who can help you for the first month or 6 weeks - get them to help with night duty. Let baby get used to the bottle from day one - avoid nipple confusion by investing in good bottles and teets. Let your friend or mum feed the baby with breast milk during the night so you can be fully rested. It won't happen - as in you will defiinitely wake when baby wakes, but it is easier on you not having to breast feed - breast feeding is like running a 10 kilometer distance really fast.
Btw, it works up an appetite, keep useful foods around and be careful what you eat - gassy foods will have baby gas.

Look after your nipples by using vaseline before you give birth (don't think, oh now she tells me!) - or use lansinoh nipple cream that is safe for baby. I know it is not available here, so diaper cream also helps but ensure you wipe it off before you feed your lil bubba.

Boobies are fun - so your man thought - not only fun but extremely essential! Enjoy giving baby boob juice and don't forget to burp bubba after every feed no matter if its from the bottle or the breast.

It's a bundle of unexpected whachyamacallits!

So you read up on being pregnant, you googled, you bought the book - what to expect when expecting  (that and 10 other books because they were right there at Simply Books in Nakumatt and the attendant looked at you with a judging eye when you picked up just the one book, you showed her!) you spoke to your mum, your doctor, your partner and your friends told you all about their pregnancies. But why is it that you are totally clueless on motherhood?

You spent 18 hours in labour - OK two hours because you were one of the lucky few. You lost your dignity as you screamed and panted and pushed something the size of a watermelon out of the size of a keyhole. You are exhausted, your hormones are all over the place, you are unsure, you are sore in your nether region and to top it all off, you have visitors.
Your baby is not what you expected, its nose is a bit flat, its eyes puffed up and the first poo it made was black. You have tried to breast feed but your baby doesn't want to latch - are you a bad mother??? Or are you just nervous that your uncles and father-in-law are looking at you and may catch a glimpse of an areola!

You are a ball of mixed emotions - yes you are so in love with your baby - but suddenly you realise that you are responsible for another life and oh my goodness what if you screw it up, because, if we know you, there are plenty of mistakes you have made!
The nurses at the hospital do take their time and show you how to feed, change and bathe the baby - but you freak out because this little being is so fragile they may break her and you want to be a bit protective but fake a smile because, remember, the world now judges what sort of a mother you are.
They peel the baby's clothes off, all the time keeping a heater on - a heater? Why did none of the books mention a heater?? Anyway, they peel baby's clothes off and boom, there it is a stump with a kind of clothes peg on baby's tummy - it looks raw and as though it hurts like hell - and the nurse takes surgical spirit and dabs it on the baby - you scream inside because you feel your baby's pain. Consolation: they feel no pain. Question: why didn't you know that already?

Basically motherhood throws you into a different world - you are no longer single and free, like  doctor you are always on call, like a lawyer you have to learn to negotiate, like a politician you have to learn to smile when you want to hurl abuses, like a fashion model you have to maneuver your clothes when breast feeding, like a master chef you have to whip up a meal but you know what - you can because you are a mom!
Congratulations on your bundle of unexpected wachyamacallits - it is a special journey, fasten your seat belt and be ready for the ride of your life!!