Unusual headaches

Working Mom dilemma #2 – unusual headaches

 

Ever since Salma has started having the separation anxiety, I've made it a point to go visit her every lunch time, if I don't have any meetings or pressing work to complete. And because she is extra clingy nowadays, I end up spending almost my entire lunch break at the school with her and having my lunch later than usual. And I'm not sure if this is the reason, but lately I will get a headache after eating. Usually after having lunch, but sometimes I will get the headache after eating dinner as well. I am not sure if it's the combination of losing nutrients from breastfeeding before having had something to eat (sometimes I skip breakfast because I have no time to eat) and having my lunch 30 minutes later, or just that body not able to convert the energy fast enough for me (or my body trying to convert food into energy faster than usual because of the adrenalin rush of having to complete a task after lunch).

 

I went to the doctor some time last week, and he said I had low blood pressure, which can be due to a low red-blood cell count. I used to be anemic many many years ago, so this makes sense to me.

 

But being a working mom with this ridiculous schedule, I am guilty of not eating healthy. Just because I don't have the time to go to the places to buy myself the healthy food for lunch, and absolutely no time to cook myself a healthy meal for lunch. If I have the energy to cook dinner, which is rare, I usually don't cook extra for me to bring to lunch the next day.

 

Like right now, I am so drained of energy and I have a headache, and I'm sleepy! How do I boost my energy? I tried to drink the kacip fatimah drink but it doesn't help. Have not tried Redbull, but worried that it will flow into my breastmilk and then Salma will go into hyperdrive. I am generally wary of consuming energy-boosting pills or drinks in case it will affect her in an adverse way because of breastfeeding. If it makes her sleepy, then maybe that's alright. But I don't want her to end up being more energetic than usual, because I already feel that she is much too "lasak" for me to handle!

 

Caffeine has the opposite effect for me, as in it makes me more sleepy. So that's out of the question. I have had days where after having some form of caffeine-ated drink, I fall asleep in the surau or in the lactation room without even realizing it! So it's back to eating healthily… which I don't know why it's so difficult for me to do. I wish they had Jenny Craig in Malaysia so that I can have healthy food delivered to me for all meals! Hahaha… and lose weight at the same time! What a thought… maybe I should bring Jenny Craig to Malaysia. Any takers?

Booster seat

I bought a booster seat for my 6 month old instead of a high chair, which I think is more convenient cos we can bring the booster seat to her grandparents' and feed her comfortably while we are there. I bought the booster seat for RM89 from littlewhiz.com, brand My Dear. It's lightweight and safe to use, and she hasn't complained sitting in it while I feed her. For now I place it on the floor or on the couch. Have not tried strapping it to one of the dining chairs, but we have not had our dinner at the dining table in awhile! Yes, I'm guilty of eating in front of the tv...

 

Today I dropped by her school during lunch and they were feeding her. Everyday, I pack for her rice cereal, Farley's Rusks, and another rice cereal flavored with apple and cranberry. I've pureed mango and green peas for her. She loves the mango, but still does not like the green peas. But must make sure to keep on feeding her the vegetables so she gets used to eating veggies when she's older.

 

Incidentally, Salma has started drinking from a sippy cup. I bought a Nuby one from Toys R Us with a soft silicone spout that has a safety valve. Again, same like the eating, I have no idea where she learned how to sip from a cup. She either bites or sucks on the spout to let the water out, but she drinks a lot faster from the cup than she does from the bottle. Breastfed babies usually move on straight away from the breast to the cup, and Salma is no exception. She hates drinking from a bottle. We give her water, milk and apple juice. She did not like apple juice at first, but is now getting the hang of it.

 

She thinks she's a big girl now…

Baby's first words

Last week, I think it was on Thursday, Salma said her first word, "Papa". She said it over and over in school when I visited her at lunch. Her teachers noticed too. Then when she cried, she said, "Mama". At first I thought she didn't know what these words meant, but when her Daddy got home, and I asked her to say, "Papa", she said it. Then when I asked her, "Where is papa?", she turned to face him! Haha :D  That made me so happy.

 

We tried getting her to say "Mummy" and "Daddy", but she just gives us this blank look and then repeats, "Papa." Then me and my husband both thought that she is trying to say "Poppet", which is what we call her at home because no one calls her dad 'Papa', not even the teachers at school. He is referred to as 'Daddy' at all times.

 

So I guess "papa" and "mama" are natural sounds that a baby makes, and why so many children across the world call their parents this. She says "Papa" when she's happy or playing. So maybe she doesn't really get that 'papa' equals 'daddy'. Probably not. But she knows who 'daddy' is when we say to her things like, "Daddy's home!" or "Daddy's here…"

 

Can't wait to hear what other words she says…

Working mom

I have reached that stage where my body clock is all out of sync. I wake up at 4am wide awake even though my baby girl is still fast asleep. Then in another 4 hours I have to be in the office. Getting ready to go to office is the pain cos my girl usually cries when I'm getting dressed regardless if I've fed her or not.

Lately she's been crying a lot in school after some time being pretty well-behaved. I worry that she's experienced some traumatic event in my absence so that's why she cries. With me, she's fine. We can play. She will cry when she wants to sleep or when she wants to carried around jalan-jalan (which I am so lazy to do sometimes). Yesterday, after a stint of bad behaviour in school, I took her to Sunway Pyramid straight after school and she was fine. She sat obediently in her stroller, playing with her toy as I pushed her around. So I wonder, what is it that causes her to cry so much in school? Is it cos Mummy is the only one that understands her?

She loves waking up in the morning... she always wakes up with a smile. I would love to just stay home and play with her all day. Just have that be my full time job. Sometimes at work I use up so much mental energy solving problems or analysing data that by the time I reach home with her, I'm exhausted. Can't really play with her without falling fast asleep in 2 hours. Wish I could have more time with her...

I envy those stay-at-home moms... with maids. Hahahaha... not that I want a maid to live with us, cos I actually feel uncomfortable with strangers in the house, but maybe it'd be good for a day-time maid to come over to just help me clean up. Then my job would be to play with salma, bathe her, feed her, change her. Sing songs, read books.

But who'll pay for half the bills if I don't work? Lil' Poppet won't have new clothes and things if mommy stayed at home all day... so comes the sacrifice. But then I end up with having her cry all day when I'm away, and it tears my heart out.

Manja is as Manja does

 

I had my birthday last Saturday, and I had the best time spending it with my husband and Salma. With an overdue facial session (alone time for mommy) and a surprise birthday cake and dinner at a Mexican restaurant. My husband's birthday present for me was meant to be the Jamiroquai concert at the F1 After Party on Sunday (cos I am a big Jay K fan). And we had it all planned... drop the baby off at my parents, have lunch with them and then go off to enjoy the F1. We reached Sepang around 2 pm or so. Walked around the mall area... but then at each hour my parents would send us an sms saying that Salma has not stopped crying, and what should they do? So we suggested: feed her a farley rusk, give her a drink, take her for a car ride, play the lullabye cd, give her a bath... and they reported back that none of it worked! She kept crying and crying and crying for me. And right when the race started, my dad sent the most pathetic sms ever, saying that it was now the 4th hour that she has not stopped crying and can we please come home?

 

My heart just dropped. I felt so bad and so sad. So torn. Between wanting to spend some well-earned alone time with my husband for my birthday, and wanting to go back and comfort my baby. Then my husband says that we have to resign to the fact that we're parents now, and this is what we should expect from now on. Then I was thinking, but why must she behave so unreasonably after having had fun times with her grandparents babysitting her in the past? Why must it be today that she starts acting up?!

 

With a heavy heart, I told my husband that we had better head back. I got mad at myself for not sitting her down and explaining to her that me and daddy will be gone for some time and not to get scared. But I forgot that part. I just said to her, "bye-bye!". Heh. My freedom is now officially over I guess.

 

Felt so bad for my husband because he was so looking forward to the day. And so was I! It's been a long time since I've been to a concert. Eesh.

 

You might say that she is too manja (spoiled). But we don't spoil her as in "spoil" her spoil her. You know. I mean, I cuddle her a lot and she sleeps with me... maybe we do manja her. Oh I don't know! Is it wrong to cuddle her all the time? We love cuddling! We love just lying around and cuddling and then touching each other's faces. That's one of my favorite activities... But that's the thing... Manja is as Manja does.