Resipi Rendang Ayam + Bonus Masak Lemak Cili Api (Ikan Masin Kurau)

Assalamualaikum and Hello!

A post on Saturday??He he I am now a stay at home wife/mom, so Sabtu macam ni la baru free nak update blog ke because husband is around to layan anak. Anddddd because I am now a stay at home mom, I masak hampir tiap hari. So....you can expect updates on recipes from me! Yay! I promise I will only update recipe yang menjadi. I pun google-google and some of the recipes tak berapa best. So kena try-try jugak kan? :)

This post I would like to share recipe Rendang Ayam! Husband memang suka Rendang Ayam so I kena perhebatkan skill on this. This recipe sedap!

Bahan-bahan:

1. Ayam (recipe ni boleh sampai untuk seekor)
2. 2 plastik beg kecik santan pekat yang selalu rm1.50 tu
3. Cili kering blended ikut tahap tahan pedas anda (I memang ada je ni da prepare siap. Kalao takde kena ambil beberapa cili kering, rebus, then blend)
4. 1-2 ulas bawang putih - blend
5. 10 biji bawang merah - blend
6. 5 batang serai - 3 blend, 2 ketuk
7. Kunyit hidup - blend
8. Lengkuas sikit - blend
9. Halia sikit - blend
10. Garam
11. Gula
12. Air asam jawa
13. Kerisik lebih kurang 1 sudu besar
14. Daun limau purut - lebih kurang 4 helai carik-carik
15. Daun kunyit - hiris

Cara-cara:

1. Panaskan minyak. I suka minyak banyak nampak cantik hehe (masa makan bukan cedok sangat pun minyak). Tumis bahan-bahan blend sampai naik minyak and bau sedap.
2. Masukkan kerisik and serai yang diketuk. Then masukkan ayam. Gaul.
3. Masukkan santan biar masak sikit dulu. Then daun limau purut, air asam jawa, garam, gula sikit2 sambil rasa-rasa la ye.
4. Biar masak sampai dapat rupa then masukkan daun kunyit yang dihiris2 and gaul. Siap!!

Rendang Ayam

Dalam post ni jugak I nak share my way of Masak Lemak Cili Api. Tak kesah la ikan ke, ayam ke, udang ke, sama je. Kadang-kadang masak tanpa bawang but I prefer ada bawang. Sama dengan macam my mom punya hehe. 

Bahan+Cara:

1. Blend 2 biji bawang merah, 2 inci kunyit hidup yang kecil kurus tu, cili api ikut tahap tahan pedas,

2. Masuk bahan blend, 2 plastik beg kecil santan pekat RM1.50, sebatang serai yang diketuk dalam periuk then letak atas api. Kalau ayam masukkan terus juga. Kalau ikan atau udang tunggu santan masak sikit baru masukkan. 

3. Masukkan garam secukup rasa. Kacau-kacau then tunggu masak and siap! 

Yep I memang x tambah air. Santan kt bandar ni memang orang da tambah air. Santan kotak x sure la. Tak pernah pakai. Sorry recipe ni takde gambar. Sebab selalu buat so tak rasa nak ambil gambar. Nanti saya update kalao teringat ambil gambar. 1 lagi masak lemak cili api yang sedap, guna ikan masin kurau. Yang ni I ada gambar! Lebih kurang recipe ni tapi tambah nenas (pilih yang nenas hijau sikit sesuai utk masak). Ikan masin tu rendam sekejap dulu. And sbb ikan da masin, tak perlu letak garam dah la ye. 

Ikan Masin Kurau Masak Lemak Cili Api

Ok selamat mencuba! Nanti ada lagi recipe best I update! Ada beberapa ni tapi tunggu ada masa la ^_^ 

That 'I' & 'Me',

Hayfa

D.I.Y Felt Baby Shoe

Assalamualaikum and Hello!

Short post on 2 pairs of felt baby shoes/socks I did for my #2ndbabyproject. Just like my 1st baby, somehow I have the crave of making baby stuffs during my pregnancy.

1st pair I made

For the 1st pair, I followed exactly step by step from http://www.purlbee.com/2011/12/06/mollys-sketchbook-felt-baby-shoes/

2nd pair I made

For the 2nd pair, I used the same template but I turned it over to have the stitches inside. I used different type of stitching as well. I was thinking to make more of these but I found different type of design for baby shoes/socks which I think would be more practical and comfy. I am going to try that one and make a different post on that! But this is still a great one for hand stitch! And if you have left over felts ;)

That 'I' & 'Me',

Hayfa

Baby's Check Ups + Vaccinations Experience

Assalamualaikum and Hello!

One of the questions I received from my friends is regarding baby's check ups and vaccinations. Therefore I think this post and sharing session would be beneficial for new mommies. Same case like our pre-natal check ups, government and private hospitals/clinics have different procedures. I do not have experience on baby's check ups with government clinics so for this post, this is purely my experience with private clinic. To be specific with Klinik Pakar Wanita dan Kanak-kanak Desa Melawati (Dr. Hasmawati).

I gave birth at Gleneagles Hospital KL. After delivery, my baby was injected with BCG and Hepatitis B 1st dose vaccination. The moment I got back to my parents house, nurses from government clinic came to visit my baby and I. They came everyday for about 1 week. They checked on my blood pressure, felt my stomach to make sure my womb is getting smaller, asked few questions on bleeding etc. And for the baby, they checked on sign of jaundice, asked few questions on baby's poops etc. Alhamdulillah both my baby and I was fine ^_^

After 1 week, you should bring your baby for her/his 1st check up. You should choose a good pediatrician which you think you can trust and stick with this doctor to have a good record. Ask around. If you are breastfeeding, please please please choose a doctor who is pro breastfeeding!If not you will get comment such as "your baby is not gaining much weight, please supplement with formula milk" pfftttt!!!~~  I chose Dr. Hasmawati after my research on the internet and since this is close to my house. During the 1 week check up, your baby's weight, development of hips, size of head etc would be checked. There is no vaccine injection.

After 1 month, it is another routine check up. No vaccination but just to check on baby's weight and development.

When your baby is 2 months old, your baby is due for his/her 2nd dose of Hepatitis B vaccination and DTP + Hib + Polio 1st dose of vaccination.

At 3 months old, 2nd dose of DTP + Hib + Polio vaccination and if you are up for Rotavirus vaccination, 1st dose will be given during this check up. Rotavirus is not needle injection but orally given for your baby to swallow. Rotavirus is not compulsory if you go to government clinic. Based on my research, it is because it is bit expensive for government to subsidized the cost. But they really recommend if you can afford it outside. I think I paid RM120 or RM170 per dose. Sorry I can't remember the exact price.

At 4 months old, my baby took 2nd dose of Rotavirus. There is a choice to take 1st dose of Pneumococcus vaccination at this stage. If you take the 1st dose at 4 month old, your baby will need 4 doses of this vaccination. At 4, 6, 8 and 13 month old. If you choose to have the 1st dose at 6 month old, then it would only be 3 doses only. I choose to take later since 1 dose of this vaccination cost around RM220.

At 5 months old, 3rd dose of DTP + Hib + Polio and Hepatitis B vaccinations. I can't remember whether my baby took 3rd dose of Rotavirus or not. I do not have her medical report with me now. This depending on the brand. Rotavirus can be 2 doses or 3 doses. I think my baby took the 3rd dose during this check up.

At around 6 and 8 months old, my baby took the 1st and 2nd dose of Pneumococcus vaccination. Duration between doses are important for Pneumococcus. It can not exceed certain duration if not the vaccination may not work. My doctor would tell us when is the last date we can come.

Few days before my baby turn 12 months old, i went for a check up thinking to get MMR vaccination, but I was told it was not allowed since my baby has not turned exactly 12 months old. Therefore, since we were already there, doctor gave 3rd dose of Pneumococcus vaccination. Only 2 weeks after my baby turned 12 months old, we went for the MMR vaccination (I believe this is MMRV vaccination. I yet to confirm with my pediatric).

Now my baby is 15 months old. Her next check up is set at 18 months old for DTP + Hib + Polio booster. I can only share up until now since I am sharing based on my experience. Below is summary of compulsory + optional vaccinations as per Malaysia Pediatric Association website. Although they used the word compulsory, it is not actually. In the end it is parents decision. There are parents who thinks vaccines are not needed and since they are side effects to some. Please do read on AEFI. What you should be monitoring after each vaccines, what you should do if you notice any side effects etc. Please make your decision after reading these! For me, I vaccinated my baby and would do the same for my all my babies.

If you are Muslim and worry about the 'hukum' especially for Rotavirus, please refer to our country's fatwa page. In 2008, majlis fatwa came out with hukum for Rotavirus vaccination as 'haram' since it contained 'babi' or pig DNA. The 'hujah' mentioned if it is not 'darurat' the vaccine is not needed. There are no new fatwa by the majlis with the current situation of this virus. As for me, I did some research on few ustazs' pages and refer to other countries fatwa (one of them Sweden), and decided to still give the vaccination to my baby. I asked my pediatric who is also a Muslim and she explained to me how this virus is considered on the high percentage and can cause death and I also know few friends (who lived in my area) who their babies have been warded and on critical stages because of this virus. You may also refer to Dr. Zubaidi's page for the current statistics of how this virus affects Malaysia: http://drzubaidi.com/blog/keperluan-vaksin-rotavirus/ . I would say to give or not to give is individual's decision.

Birth	Hepatitis B and BCG
2 months	Hepatitis B and DTP+Hib+Polio
3 months	DTP+Hib+Polio and Rotavirus (oral)
4 months	Pneumococcus and Rotavirus (oral)
5 months	Hepatitis B and DTP+Hib+Polio (+/- Rotavirus - depending on brand)
6 months	Pneumococcus
8 months	Pneumococcus
12 months	MMR (mumps, measles, rubella)
13 months	Pneumococcus
15 months	Chickenpox
18 months	DTP+Hib+Polio booster
24 months	Hepatitis A
30 months	Hepatitis A

Primary school MMR and DT booster.

I hope this post can be a guide to new parents. Please do more research since this involve your child. This post is me sharing my personal experience and personal opinion. Do read more and make decision which you think is the best for your baby! Let's pray our children will grow healthy :)

That 'I' & 'Me',
Hayfa

My Confinement / Pantang Experience

Assalamualaikum and Hello!

I saw an article by PaMa on "Makanan untuk Rahim Sihat" then immediately reminded me of my confinement experience. I am currently pregnant with my second baby so I figure this is a good time to jot everything down as well for my reference when my baby pops out hehe :P

In terms of confinement food, I would say I had no problem with them since my mom a bit on the modern side so basically I was on healthy and balance diet :D Nasi putih, sup sawi, sup bayam, ikan tenggiri masak something like kuah laksam like that (my fav!!), once in a week I can have sup ayam or daging masak black pepper but not so much black pepper since I was breastfeeding my baby. So the point is, it was not all the way ikan bilis or ikan kering like some people practice. And....definitely lots and lotsssss of water!! Plain water and horlicks for me. Butttt the part I am not going to look forward to my next confinement is having to drink 3 things, 1 teguk of halia, 1 teguk of kunyit hidup and 1 teguk of manjakani! Luckily my mom tak sampai hati looking at my expression, she did not prepare it everyday. I think alternate days. Fuhh~

On the second week of my confinement, I started on my urut-urut. My urut lady was Kak Nurul from Puchong. I even booked her for my second :) Yeah that early because she's really in demand! She came at around 8am, prepare air mandi herba, and also my air herba for tangas and panaskn her batu tungku. 1st, tangas. Air herba panas put under a chair then you seat or if tak tahan panas you simply stand on the bekas air. You need to wear kain batik so the kain batik will keep the heat inside. I can't remember for how long but I think it was around 20minutes-40minutes? We need to have our breakfast 1st especially drink before doing this to make sure we won't get dehydrated because you will really sweat! After tangas, was urut and tungku. I like Kak Nurul because she is breastfeeding friendly. When my baby needed to nurse, she simply stopped and let me do my thing 1st. Oh and she knows how to urut to lancarkn susu badan. After urut, mandi herba. Mandi myself la with the air herba she prepared. Then after mandi, she will put my bengkung for me. My bengkung sangat panjang. My aunty jahit for me. Nasib baik Kak Nurul knows how to lilit the bengkung. Dah habis apa lagi bayar lah! RM100 per day. But now naik harga RM110 per day. She came for 7 days. Supposedly another 3 days at the end of my confinement but something came up so I did not get that 3 days treatment.

Ok what's next....hm the misery I went through during confinement. Demam, gigil2 rasa nak mati! Seriously I thought I was going to die! Orang tua kata bentan. On my 3rd week kot, I had mastitis actually. Breast bengkak or bengkak susu. My breast was so hard, red and itchy! I had fever and the fever keep coming back after 3 to 4 hours after taking panadol. Fever jenis shivering and cannot control. My husband or my mom had to bring my daughter to me to nurse. Lemah sangat to even duduk. Tulang pun rs sakit2. I went to my gynae Dr Suhaiza and she prescribed me with antibiotic to avoid pus. And I need to massage my breast and really clear the blocked ducts in my breast. It was painful. Rela beranak lagi dr lalu sakit ni lg sekali. But dugaan, I went through it at the end of my confinement and another 2 times during my breastfeeding journey. Seriously nk hapus dosa ni T_T Insyaallah for my next baby, I know what to do to avoid going through this nightmare again. *Pray*

Ok I think that's it kot on pantang. What elseeee hmmm..Whatever it is biasa la during confinement period mmg struggle especially for 1st time mom. Dgn breastfeeding nye, baby pun still trying to get used of this world, baby still xtau pagi or malam so malam ada yang tak dapat tidur, ada yg dugaan baby kena jaundice sampai masuk hospital balik (Alhamdulillah my daughter tak kena. Ada nampak sikit la dekat mata but then hilang) and not forgetting the pressure from other people. I know I know paling tak best "Baby nangis-nangis ni x cukup susu ni. Susu ko sikit". Heh kalao baby tak nangis, baby tu nak cakap "Ibu I need your huggggg!" ke?? Ok read my post on breastfeeding k. It's important to stay with someone that's on the same page with you during confinement. Macam my mom she breastfed all her children so I got a good support from her. Thank you Mama :') If you think your mom or the person who is going to take care of you not in the same page bawak dia pergi class. Breastfeeding class and antenatal class. Bgtau awal-awal what you want for your baby. Full breastfeed ke or no bottle ke or no pacifier ke or no buai ke..Apa-apa la because in the end you are the mother, you decide what you want for your baby.

So..how was your confinement?? :)

That 'I' & 'Me',
Hayfa

Buying a Sub-sale Property

Assalamualaikum and Hello!

Bersesuaian dgn nama blog ni "the after i do" (mcm lah org Islam menikah sebut "i do" kennn), salah satu step lepas kahwin untuk yg mampu adalah membeli rumah. Before ni sy ada experience beli rumah baru launching. Kiranya x siap lg. Proses mudah je and x perlu byk duit in advance sgt. Paling2 duit down payment. Mcm sy Alhamdulillah dpt 110% loan (bank ks separate 2 loan) so mmg ambil loan then tggu rumah siap je la. Asalnye igt nk duduk la rumah ni bila da siap. Alih2 husband terasa nak beli rumah dekat dgn rumah mak sy. Senang hantar anak katanya. Rumah condo yg dekat dgn rumah mak sy ni da 10tahun. Maka bermula la proses nk beli subsale property. Ahoiii br ku tau leceh nk beli rumah atas nama org ni! Mcm2 duit kena keluaq!So this post is to let org2 noob cm sy tau serba sedikit pasal buying subsale property la. Kalao ade slh silap mintak maap awai2. Ni dr sudut apa yg sy tau based on pengalaman setakat ni. Sbenanye x settle lg tp sbb mood da sampai tulis je la dulu. Insyaallah rajin nnt bole update.

Step 1: Call agent set up appointment p tgk rumah. Da suka ckp la kt agent setuju nak beli. Nk mintak nego suruh agent mintak dr owner. Kalao agent yg bagus ms tunjuk rumah ni die da tunjuk S&P asal and tunjuk betul2 info rumah tu. Mcm kami hrtu iklan ckp xxx sqft. Rupa2 nyaaaaa x sampai pn. Agent pn xtau sbb x mintak awal2 S&P dr owner. Owner syok sendiri je main hentam. Walaupn beza berapa puluh sqft pun memainkan peranan. Setiap sqft tu ada nilainya!

Step 2: Buat appointment dgn agent lg skali utk byr 3% (ikut agent rate mcm mn. skrg ni rsnye common 3%). Isi dan sign Sales Purchase Agreement (SPA). Sebelum byr make sure agent ni bole percaya ye. Check dulu firm die ok ke x. X pasal lesap pulak 3% anda.

Step 3: Kalao owner bersetuju nk jual kt anda, owner pn sign SPA tu. Dia ks siap2 kt agent da fotostat IC, S&P asal and apa2 document lain yg related ke. Kalao ada strata title ke etc.

Step 4: Dekat SPA tu ade tulis S&P should be signed within how many days dari ms owner sign SPA. Selalunya 21days. Tp mcm kes kami, 15 days je! Durghhh 2 mggu jela nk cr lawyer suh buat S&P??So kena cr lawyer ye utk check status rumah tu sume and siapkn S&P. Lawyer tau la apa yg ptt di check. Kalao x settle loan lg pn xpe. Cr lawyer dulu. Kami noob, g sebok cr loan dulu pulak. Berikut details bayaran lawyer including stamp duty:

Stamp duty ikut nilai harga owner set nk jual kt kita:

-RM100 000 pertama dikenakan 1%
-RM100 001 hingga RM500 000 next nya dikenakan 2%
-RM500 001 seterusnya dikenakan 3%

Nak senang calculate leh guna calculator di sini.

Bg lawyer fees pulak aku xbrp pasti tp tgk2 mcm lebih kurang 1% dr nilai property kot. Hrtu ada kwn share table anggaran lawyer fees utk sekian2 harga property tp x jumpa blk dah. Kalao ada kawan2 yg lawyer mmg best la. Setelah cr2 connection Alhamdulillah jumpa hamba Allah baik hati ks 50% diskaun dr lawyer fees beliau. Nak jd ceritaaaaaa tiba2 owner kata ambil la lawyer dia. Nak tau kenapa? sbb die xnk byr. Kiranya kita settle kn la 2 in 1 lawyer tu nanti. Halooo bkn kami ada hak ke cr lawyer sendiri? Nama pn lawyer!side kita laaaa. Sbb owner ni bising2 (ms ni kami da terlebih 15hari dr ms SPA di-sign. So owner bole guna alasan ni utk batalkan pembelian), kami pn setuju ambil lawyer dia. Alhamdulillah lawyer dia memahami situasi kami yg bukan lah kaya raya. Ks jgk 50% diskaun :')


Step 5: Lawyer da siapkan S&P after check status property ok semua, pass kt owner utk sign. Dlm ms sy tgh tulis ni kami kt stage ni. Owner bukan main simpan pekasam S&P tu. Haloo dhla da ade lawyer, hg bajet hg lawyer pulak. Baik xyh lawyer in the 1st place. haha. S&P ni template je lah. Check jela details hg and property tu ok ke x. Ada sbbnya knp simpan S&P tu lama2. Mls nk cerita detail tp die baru la nk mintak approval dr pihak pemberi loan die dulu bole jual ke x. ZzzzZZZzzzz. BTW, dlm stage2 ni or better ealier, boleh la settle kn loan. Cari bank2. Mcm agent kami ada org2 bank die kenal yg contact utk offer. Bank2 ni akan value the property and make the offer. For subsale property kalao dpt 90% mmg cukup bagus la skalik mrta/mrtt+legal fee (tang loan pn ada jgk lawyer!kayo lawyer!haha). Cr la islamic punya loan untuk yg Islam.


Step 6: Bila owner da sign S&P, kita pun da sign loan agreement dgn bank pilihan hati, maka bank kena la buat pembayaran. Kalao owner ada lg baki dgn bank dulu, bank kita byr dulu pd bank mereka. Then br byr kepada owner selebihnya. Bila owner da dpt bahagian dia, dia ada 7 hari untuk ks kunci rumah kt kita pembeli. Step ni xboleh nk cerita cabaran2 sbb belum sampai lg. Harap2 smooth la!

Pastu td kan sy ada ckp subsale property byk nk keluar duit, hmm kena pk jugak kena renovate apa2 x. Mcm kami kena buat kitchen cabinet baru, toilet pn mcm nk kena tuka. lampu2 semua. cat lg. Rumah tu mmg x berjaga sgt. Sbb before ni owner sewakan. Tau la penyewa kdg2 mcm mn. X jaga rumah mcm rumah sendiri kan. So kena pk bab ni jgk.

Okla penat da membebel. Kesimpulannye jgnla jg noob cm sy ms nk beli subsale property. Tp nasib husband x noob sgt. Haha. Good luck to me and newbie seangkatan!haha

That 'I' & 'Me' (Or can I say that 'Saya' in this post!),
Hayfa

Lipase Problem in Breast Milk

Assalamualaikum and Hello!

When my baby turned around 3 month old, she started to reject my frozen breast milk. She was OK with chilled fresh breast milk but not the ones that have been frozen. I tried everything and she accepted some and some she rejected. I ended up giving her what I pumped the day earlier (kais hari ni utk mkn esok :P ). Even when I had to leave her for 2 days, it was not a problem since chilled breast milk can still be used. I started to have headache when I had to leave her for 1 week. Then only I started to read on possibility of why this is happening.

For my case, I believe it is lipase problem. After I thawed my breast milk, I noticed it has some kind of smell. Like sour metallic smell. Lipase is an enzyme that aids in the digestion of fats. When your breast milk contains high content / excess of lipase, it begins to break down the fat in stored breast milk. The fat contributes to the smell and taste which some babies may not like. Some babies are not so choosy and won't mind.

But as what I understood from my research, lipase is actually something beneficial as it helps infant to digest the fat. This allows a good digestion system (I agree as my baby don't really have digestion problem!). The problem is just for us moms who need to express and store our breast milk.

There is a method breastfeeding mommies have suggested to overcome this problem. SCALDING. Scalding is to bring your expressed breast milk to heat just up to it gets bubble a bit around the pan then quickly turn your stove off and let it cool before you freeze it.

For those who already have frozen breast milk that did not go through scalding because you just found out of the problem, you may want to try mixing the frozen breast milk with fresh expressed breast milk / chilled breast milk. Try 10% frozen + 90% chilled/fresh at 1st and try to increase the amount of frozen breast milk on every attempt. See on which percentage can your baby accept. And this can be your way forward. At least you can still use your frozen breast milk. If this still cannot work, you can always give your baby milk bath spa!

I hope this info can be beneficial for those mommies in the same situation like I was. I hope to overcome this as well for my next baby. Hopefully my next baby won't be so choosy like my 1st :P

That 'I & 'Me',
Hayfa

Breastfeeding Random Points

Assalamualaikum and Hello!

Breastfeeding is a topic that can have so many questions!especially to new moms. I believe even if you succeeded to breastfeed your child, you may not know 100% about breastfeeding (I am still breastfeeding my 1 year old daughter but I still have a lot to learn!Even my mom who breastfed her 5 children still learning!). If you have a smooth breastfeeding journey, then you may not know the challenges others faced and how to overcome it. That is why you can see famous breastfeeding consultants like Gina (founder of The Breastfeeding Advocates Network FB group) & Suraya (Founder of Lunatots) have had so many challenges in their personal breastfeeding journeys.

What I would like to share in this post are random points on breastfeeding according to what I can think of right now. Hopefully I can edit this post as I learn.

1. Choose a breastfeeding friendly hospital! Make sure the hospital has a policy like they can only give your baby other than breast milk with your signed consent! If no agreement, they should not give your baby anything! Hospital that allows baby to room in with you is the best. Only when you are tired, you can ask them to bring to their nursery.

2. No matter normal delivery or c-section, you would want to hold your baby to your skin and nurse as soon as possible after birth. This can allow your baby to have immediate reflex to suck. I have visited 3 babies who was born through c-section and only brought to their mother after few hours to nurse. It is very hard to teach the babies to suck! Tell your doctor your wish to breastfeed during your last weeks of pregnancy.

3. Do not worry if you cannot see any milk coming out from your breast after delivery because of these points:
a. babies can actually live without any milk for the first 2 to 3 days after they were born. They have storage from what they consume in the womb. Butttt yes, your baby can get jaundice because of this. Just keep direct latch (DL) breastfeed.
b. the first few days are actually colostrum which is drops of yellow thick liquid. Since it is only drops, you may not be able too see it since your baby has sucked it in!hehehe.
c. babies stomach on delivery is just as big as a cherry. They only need little by little to push that storage they had from the womb by pee and poopoo (black color).

4. You may have breast milk and your baby pee and poopoo alright but still has jaundice. Do not stop to breastfeed!! The problem is not your milk! Stop or reduce the herbs (ginger etc) or any alcohol (for non-muslim) you are taking during confinement. Some babies do have prolong jaundice. Just keep breastfeeding. Remember: "susu ibu adalah yang terbaik!" even the formula milk companies have to stress this!

5. Newborn babies like to sleep for long hours especially on their 2nd and 3rd day. Wake them up every 2-3 hours and nurse/feed them. You must do this if you do not want to go back to the hospital for their jaundice! I know you need the rest too but trust me, if you need to go to the hospital, it will be less rest! Try your best to wake your baby up. Tickle them, put cold hands on them, loosen up their clothes/blanket etc.

6. Andddd after the long hours of sleeping period endssss, then come the period of wants to suck only. It is normal! You breastfeed for 40minutes, baby let go, you try putting your baby in the cot or on the mattress, baby cries, baby wants to suck some more. Yup normal! They are not used of our world. They want to be hugged all the time, suck for comfort all the time. Patience is the key, it will get easier ;)

7. Your breast feel hard and feel there is a lump? You feel pain? You see redness on your breast? This is breast engorgement or worse it can become mastitis. If your breast start to feel hard, massage with hot water bag and continue to DL baby. After finish DL, massage to empty your breast. If too painful to do on your own, call your husband, ask him to massage like trying to make the milk comes out. If still doesn't work, and you keep getting fever on and off, go to see doctor! You may need to take antibiotics to avoid pus (nanah) in your gland. But this antibiotic won't help to decrease the lump, you need to continue DL and massage. I don't dare to give advice by putting cabbage because there are cases where their milk supply decreases after putting cabbage.

8. If your nipple cracked or feel so painful, you may apply your breast milk to the nipple everytime after DL. You may also apply nipple cream. There is also like a gel breast pad you can try to ease the pain. But do not stop to breastfeed on that particular breast. Your baby's saliva and his action of sucking is the best way to sooth your breast. Your breast needs time to adjust and to be soft for baby to suck. Be strong ya ;)

9. You can still breastfeed even if you have fever or not feeling well. Wear a mask, wash your hands frequently to avoid spreading the germs. It is even better to breastfeed because the antibodies your body is producing/activating to fight your illness will be shared with your baby. Your baby will have antibodies of these illness although they have not experience them. My daughter had her first fever when she was 9 month old and second one on her 1st birthday. Alhamdulillah.

10. When to start pumping? This depends on your need. If you are stay at home mom, I don't see any reason to rush into pumping. Unless you have breast engorgement and would like to pump the milk out. If you intend to store some frozen breast milk (FBM) for future use when you get back to work, you may start as early as 2 weeks after birth. But I think the best is to let your baby create the natural supply and demand in the first month (DL only). This is also good so that you don't feel tired in DL and pumping as well. After 1 month when you get your energy back, then you may start pumping.

11. How to start pumping? This is based on my experience. Few ways. If your baby has sessions where she/he will sleep more than 2 hours, you may take that opportunity to pump, for start. If your baby consistently DL every hour or every 2 hours even at night, you may want to pump after she/he DL. Do not worry if there is no milk coming out after DL, just pump, you will see the result after 1 week. Another way is to choose 1 session in a day to do power pumping. See next point.

12. Power pumping??Power pumping is choosing 1 session in a day (the best is early morning) and pump for 3 cycles. Pump for 10 minutes, rest for 5 or 10 minutes (while resting, drink, eat), pump again for 10 minutes,  rest for 5 or 10 minutes (while resting, drink, eat), pump again for 10 minutes. Even if you pump and there is no milk coming out, just pump. Insyaallah you will see the result in 1-2 weeks. This is actually creating extra demand so that your body will produce extra supply.

Erm I can actually continue on pumping, storing breast milk etc. but I think it is best to separate that in different post or else this post will get so long! Let's just keep this purely on breastfeeding. Let me know if there are other points to add in! I am hoping to use this as my guideline for my next baby as well (insyaAllah).

Till next update!

That 'I' & 'Me',
Hayfa

My Wedding Attire

Assalamualaikum and Hello!

This post is seeeriouslyyyyy should have been 2 years ago!! But since I am still getting questions on my wedding attire, maybe it is easier to just record it down and just direct people to here the next time I get the same question. Please ya I am not trying to talk big as if my wedding attire was so great but I do get questions! Kudos to my designer of course not me! Hehe.

WHO??WHO??WHO IS YOUR DESIGNER/TAILOR??

Both my (bride & groom) solemnization and reception attire was done by the beautiful, talented AZURA COUTURE ! From buying the materials (except my solemnization dress which I bought myself), to designing and executing it, it was her. I just told her what is the concept, she immediately drew it and we agreed on the spot. Picture below is her :)

Azura putting on the shawl for me. I was lucky coz I don't think
she is able to do this for all her customers.

THE SHAWL CAME WITH IT??WHO DID THE BEADINGS?

YES the shawls came with the attires. From top to toes. Even the shoes! except my solemnization shoe which I custom made from Cipela Couture. And Azura who did the beadings as well.

Solemnization attires for both bride & groom.
The material had the beadings but Azura added in the pink pearls etc.
Shawl completely by her.

Reception attires. Complete from head to toes from Azura.

Us with the lovely Azura

Full view :)

Solemnization shoe from Cipela Couture

She did a great job in cutting my material :D

DID YOU GET TO KEEP THE ATTIRES?

For my solemnization attire, yes! But not for the reception one. She made it for me but she got to keep it. If you think you are interested to rent it out, please do contact Azura!

HOW MUCH??

And then came the bonus question, how much??I am sorry this is something I don't like to reveal. I think it is not fair for Azura. I do not know on what basis she gave me the price. I do not want my name to be used to negotiate pricing with her etc. Until now I do not know whether the amount I paid for the attires are consider expensive or not. What I know is I am satisfied with her products and service. Please, she does not eat people! Contact her, make an appointment, seat down with her, tell her what you want, let her quote you. Too expensive? Cannot negotiate anymore? Then move on look for other designers/tailors. Simple! :D

Know what you want

Know your budget

Do not be too BRIDEZILLA. Trust the experts!

Hope this helps! More pictures are available in Bunga Studio and Azura Couture FB. Goodluck future brides!~~ (and grooms??nah they will just follow what the bride wants. haha)

That 'I' & 'Me',

Hayfa

Yogurt Cake

Assalamualaikum and Hello!

I have shared this recipe in one of the baby food group I am in. I can't remember where I got this recipe from because I like to just simply Google and browse here and there. This is probably the easiest cake/muffin recipe I have done. I can assure you it is easy! I am not a baker. Really bad at it. Still learning. So if I say it is easy, trust me IT IS easy!

You just need 4 ingredients:

-3 eggs
-2 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil (vco) OR exta virgin olive oil (evoo)
-200gram of natural yogurt (I used Farm Fresh Natural Yogurt)
-80gram of self raising flour

HOW??SIMPLE!!

1. Pre-heat oven at 180 degree celcius and set to upper and below bake/grill.
2. Stir eggs using mixer or blender. Sampai kembang org Melayu kata!
3. Mix the eggs with everything else! Make sure the flour and everything are mixed well.
4. Brush your tray with a bit of the vco/evoo.
5. Pour batter in muffin tray or cake mould.
6. Bake for 20mins. Depending on how big your oven is.

-

The texture of this cake/muffin is actually more to a very soft bread. I would say if you are confident to give all the ingredients to your baby (at least above 8 months or better 10 months), this is the perfect texture! It is so soft and great as finger food.

My Aysha Sofea enjoyed it. Hopefully your baby will too! Happy Baking Mommies!!

That 'I' & 'Me',
Hayfa

Medela Freestyle Vs. Spectra M1

Assalamualaikum and Hello!

I have been meaning to write this post for quite sometime. Last 3 weeks I had to go to Singapore for work related and I left my breast pump which is Medala Freestyle at the office lactation room (which I have been using for almost 1 year now). Desperately, i bought a new Spectra M1. Actually I have been meaning to try this pump since the reviews are so good. Now that I have used Medela Freestyle and Spectra M1, I wish to do comparisons of these two. Please note this is my personal review and opinion and I am not being paid by any of these brands! (I wish I am!)

Price

In terms of price, definitely Spectra M1 win by a huge gap! You can get Spectra M1 double pump packaged together with cooler bag etc. and local warranty for around RM499. Medela Freestyle is known for being an expensive breast pump. I got mine for RM1450 including bag, cooler bag, ice block, bottles and local warranty (which is important!). I would say if money is a bit tight for you, just stop right here and go for Spectra M1 :D

Size

Both of the pumps have almost same size and weight.

Suction Quality

Suction quality or level is an important aspect in choosing a breast pump. This is really up to individual on how close the pump can imitate your baby's suction/suckle. For me, Spectra M1 has a strong suction where it can produce let down earlier. Meaning it can empty my breast much quicker. Medela Freestyle in the other hand, takes longer time. There are feedback's from other moms who said Medela Freestyle somehow does not empty their breast. They would need to massage their breast to get to the last drop. I think getting the right size of breast shield is important as well since Medela Freestyle offers 3 different size of breast shield. So, in terms of suction quality I can't decide on the winner because to me both in the end empty my breast, therefore I am satisfied with both.

Noise level

There are moms who pump at their work station or public places. I don't really care on the noise level since my office provide lactation room. Based on my observation, Medela Freestyle has a lower noise level than Spectra M1. I only have a video of Spectra M1, I will try to get a video of Medela Freestyle during my next pumping session :P

Battery Time

This without a doubt goes to Medela Freestyle!!I usually pump around 15-20mins, and if I accumulate the time of pumping, Medela Freestyle can go up to more than 5 hours. Where Spectra M1 can just last up to 1 hour of total pumping. If you are Exclusive Pumping (EP) mom, I would not recommend Spectra M1.

Maintenance of Parts

First of all my advice in taking care of all breast pumps is to keep the pump or the machine itself in a waterproof bag/plastic bag especially if you are keeping the pump together with your cooler bag. You will never know when your cooler bag will produce condensation which can affect the pump and the battery. In the aspect of washing the parts, Spectra M1 is easier (do not wash the tubing!!). Medela Freestyle has more loosen parts which you need to detach and attach upon washing. And there are also small holes you need to clean with small brush. The membrane also will need to be washed and if not dried properly, suction may be lower or not even work. Therefore, in this case, the winner goes to Spectra M1.

Others

Medela Freestyle being more expensive of course comes with extra features, it has a screen showing time so that you know how long have you been pumping. This is handy to me as I usually get my second let down after 12 minutes. I need to make sure I wait for it. You can also set the memory on how long you want the stimulation mode and automatic change to normal mode. Where else for Spectra M1 you need to change it yourself.

Up to now, these are the only things/aspects I can think of in comparing pumps. Conclusion, if I have the money to invest, I would go for Medela Freestyle. If money is an issue I don't see any problem settling with Spectra M1.

Hope this personal review can benefit any moms out there who are trying to make decision in buying breast pumps especially if you are still in doubt in choosing between Medela Freestyle or Spectra M1. Whatever it is think of what suits your needs. Do not burden yourself in buying an expensive pump and later stressed out with money issue. Stress definitely won't help in producing breast milk!! Goodluck and Happy Pumping Mommies!!

UPDATE: Another extra point to Medela Freestyle - fits with normal size of storage bottles. So after pumping you do not need to transfer. This is a bonus since in some places hygiene is important! You would want to immediately close bottle after pumping. Spectra M1 has its own large size bottle, so you would need to transfer your expressed breast milk into storage bottles or storage bags. ;)

That 'I' & 'Me',
Hayfa