Chinese are very particular about how you address your relatives especially to the older generation. I am having difficulty on the Chinese titles and if you don’t know how to address them, you are disrespectful. Let me show you how complicated it gets especially in the “Cantonese family”.

There are more and I am getting rather confused. For those who know, please help me to fill up the “??”.

My children will look forward to these only when Chinese New Year comes. Why? That’s when they received angpow for addressing them.

Most Malaysian mums are not familiar with breastfeeding and don’t do it. Worst is, many parents, relatives and grandparents say bad things or discourage breastfeeding. Indeed very sad.

I really hope that breastfeeding is part of the education system here. Breastfeeding brings lots of goodies to the baby. A mum to be must prepare herself even during pregnancy and collect information about breastfeeding. I wish I did.

For my first pregnancy, I know about breastfeeding through friends. I really wanted to give my milk to my child but I do not know how. When I first try to latch my son, I failed. My son scream and yell, it was at the hospital nursery and all the moms look at me. Fail desperately. Resort to expressing my milk for him. I also did not have experience and did not purchase a good pump. About 2 months, breastmilk ran dry. I could not express anymore.

For my second pregnancy, I was more prepared. I told myself that I have to breastfeed for at least 6 months by hook or by crook. I guess all mums have to set a target and 6 months is not very difficult, trust me it is not. I got myself a good pump. I failed to latch my gal again, no help from the nurse or anyone. But I did SUCCESSFULLY breastfeed my gal for MORE THAN 6 months. She is a big drinker, drank so much that I did not have enough for her. I had to supplement it with formula.

My dd (dear daughter) was detected of UTI when she was 3+ months. She came up with a very high fever (38^oC) and no other symptoms. My paed did a urine test on her and found very high amount of bacteria. She was given 3 shots of antibiotic to clear the bacteria.

My paed suggested repeatable urine test. MCU was suggested but we put it on KIV (keep in view) and monitor her situation. I have to repeat the urine test after 2 weeks, 1 month and 2 months thereafter. Her first 2 tests were negative. Recently did the last test and it was positive. It was a recurrence of UTI , I was so sure that it is contamination but it is not.

Now the paed suggested us to bring her for a MCU procedure. MCU is to detect reflux, backflow of urine to the kidney. MCU can only be done when her urine is clear of bacteria. There are different grade of reflux. If the MCU show any grade of reflux, my dd have to take antibiotic until age of 5. Cannot be avoided!! Why? This is to prevent kidney damage. Why 5 years old? That is when the kidney is mature. If no reflux, then no antibiotic is necessary and case close, YEAH!.

Severe case of grade 4 above may require surgical to fix the problem

MCU may sound like a terrifying procedure but it is not. In an MCU, a catheter is passed into the bladder through which dye is injected. It will show what happens when the child passes urine.

The process is mainly done to see whether urine is refluxing back up the urethra towards the kidneys rather than being passed straight down the urethra.

Here are more info on UTI:

http://familydoctor.org/370.xml
http://www.pedisurg.com/PtEduc/Vesicoureteral_Reflux.htm (reflux images)

Finally at 7 months, a MCU is done on her and she have intermittent reflux on right hand side. She has to take the antibiotic, urine test after 6 months. Repeat MCU after 2 years. The paed said that some cases of reflux 1 might be downgraded due to development of the kidney, urethra and bladder.

DMSA scan was also suggested, but we put that on KIV. Reasons, not to put my dd on another traumatic procedure. Now my dd is eating well, putting on weight, good appetite and having fun.

Besides financial contribution, daddy should play a BIG part in other contributions. Here are some from Tim’s and Emily’s dad which I like to recognized.

1. Feed the children milk (of coz not breastfeed… hehehe). Especially middle of the night.
2. Bath the children and put them to sleep.
3. Mop & clean the house, sometimes help to do laundry. Put cloths into washing machine and hang them to dry.
4. Wash & Sterilize baby bottles & breastfeeding pump.
5. Play with the children.
6. Carrying the baby while mum shops.
7. Take children for walk while mum want 10 minutes of peace.
8. Take out the garbage (esp stinky diapers).
9. Wash plates after dinner.
10. Discipline, toilet train and cut off the pacifier’s habit.
11. Marketting.
12. Cook porridge.

… and a whole lot more……

You are a GREAT DAD….muakssss…