Time flies.....

 

Tomorrow, 1st April 2011 Insha'Allah I will be 7 months pregnant. I've not blog much about my second pregnancy as compared to my first. Alhamdulillah, everything is the same; feeling, treatment from hubby and loved ones and just everything is like that special first time pregnant feeling. From the moment before I found out of my pregnancy until today, I'm experiencing the same exact feeling as when I was carrying Khairaldin. The only difference this time around is that I have more aches and pains. Well, what would you expect, I've an active toddler who somehow suddenly needs my attention. Ever since the baby started moving, Khairaldin has been so clingy and demanding. Everything will be "Mommy this, Mommy that." I'm sure he's tad bit jealous but at the same time whenever we talk about 'the baby' he's the one coming to my tummy and kissing it. I pray that his love for his li'l brother or sister will grow stronger as soon as they meet each other physically, Insha'Allah.

Anyway, I remember compiling photos of my first pregnancy. It's like, everyone wanted to see how a "small" lady like me can carry such huge belly. So, this time around, I'm gonna do the same just because I wanna be fair. Speaking of "small", Iskandar kept saying that I looked bigger/chubbier when I was pregnant with Khairaldin, this time around, I'm not that chubby. LOL! He made my day for sure. :D The last time I checked, I've only put on 8kilos and to think I'm almost 7 months pregnant. I just hope I wont put a lot more at the very last stages. I managed to put on about 15kgs when I was carrying Khairaldin, so yeah you can see why I'm happy about the compliment. ;)  

Other than that, I'm just praying this will be a smooth sailing pregnancy and delivery. May Allah give me the strength that I truly need from now until the day comes. I'm still having trouble trying to get Khairaldin to sleep with others than myself. If he can't accommodate with this change then the next thing is to pray harder that I will give birth at wee hours in the morning when he's sound asleep. AMIN!!!! Either way, I'm sure HIS plan is way better than mine. So I'll do the best I can now and let HIM plan the rest. Insha'Allah.

Here goes, me being pregnant. Hahaha

6 weeks pregnant

I didn't know I was pregnant until 7 weeks later!

I was carrying Khairaldin for a total of 10 hours!! Beat that.

Such a long gap after that because I didn't know I was pregnant. Pictures above was just a coincidence as we were on holiday. I would've documented my journey if I had known earlier. But hey, you can't really see the tummy till 20+ weeks anyway.

20 weeks pregnant

24 weeks pregnant

26 weeks pregnant

Tasha at 6 months pregnant and I maybe 15 weeks pregnant

I just love how my cheeks aren't that pregnant like chubby, if u know what I mean! Or, maybe I grew into it? Blegh.

So, that's some random update from me which you will not get that often. Maybe the next time will be during my third pregnancy? Well, who knows. :)

Pantang schmantang! :D

Famous question: "how do you 'pantang' in the UK?"

11 days after delivery.....

I have been getting this question quite a lot lately- confinement in the UK. Or as the Malays(ians) would call it 'pantang'. Let me tell you that this entry may seem like I am an anti pantang lady but truth is, I am not an anti-pantang larang lady. In fact, I'm all out for it because it gives the Mother time to recuperate and get back on their feet. It really is very helpful to confine yourself for a while because it's not easy to sort things out whilst caring for the baby and yourself. So yes, confinement is indeed good for post natal. The thing that gets to me is when people try very hard to impose unreasonable 'pantang' because 'it was pass down from our ancestors'. There are things that we should strongly do and there are also those that we have to leave behind because it only causes further burden to the mother and/or baby.

There are a few pantang that Malays(ians) impose onto newly Mom's. The pantang starts straight after delivery up to 40-100 days. It 'concentrates' on aspects such as food, drinks, the way they walk, sit, sleep, bathe etc etc. Basically every single thing newly moms do is being scrutinised. I am sure there are reasons behind the dos and don't's. I mean, I strongly agree that mothers should eat proper food to help with breastfeeding. The food Mothers eat really do help with production of breastmilk. So go ahead and eat healthily!

Here are the pantang that I feel is rather inappropriate:

1) Sleeping in separate beds with husband for 40 days or more.
To me, there shouldn't be any reason at all to sleep in separate beds with Hubby once you are married. Separating yourself from Hubby is as bad as separation. So, it's best to be there for the Husband/Wife all the time. The birth of a child shouldn't make your life with Husband any more complicated. :)

2) Shouldn't have a bath straight after delivery. 
In Islam, we should always keep our self, home and everything around us clean and tidy. After delivery, there will be an awful lots of blood flowing and really it is not clean and hygienic to let it 'stay there'. In the UK, mothers are asked to have their bath as soon as they deliver to clean themselves. Yes it hurts but it's also for the Mother's own good. If you are given the chance to have for your bath, go straight in the toilet, run the shower and niat 'mandi Wiladah', it is not a must on you, but it's best to do something with a niat.--- full explanation here. You will feel more comfortable, clean and ready to get on with the day once you have had your bath. Once you've started feeding and caring for the baby, you won't know when's the next free time you have. So, whilst the baby is still sleeping and getting used to the surrounding, have your bath and clean yourself.

3) No to iced water!
Until today, I'm still not sure why we can't drink iced water after delivery. Anyone care to explain? Coz in the UK, the only drink we are given straight after delivery is cold iced water! No such thing as warm water. And I asked the Midwife if it's ok, apparently according to her, it helps with the blood. Which is rather weird.

4) Clothe yourself with as much clothes as you can. 
Ok only exaggerating, but basically when you are in the confinement period, Malays(ians) believe that it's better if you wear cardigan over your t-shirt, with a long pants or sarong and also socks. Personally to me, being in too much clothing only makes me uncomfortable and restless. When I gave birth to Khairaldin, I had a hard time breastfeeding him because he just wouldn't wake up for milk. Then he had jaundice and my milk wasn't properly produced. I was advised by the midwife, nurses etc not to wear any clothes and to put him on my chest. It's called the skin-to-skin technique where he was more comfortable and can smell my skin. So I did as I was told. Alhamdulillah, he instantly 'looked' for milk. From then on breastfeeding was a brezze for the both of us.

5) Not to go out of the house during confinement period.
But apparently going to the doctors fot check ups is ok? The first question my midwife asked me when Khairaldin got back home was, "have you brought him out for a walk etc?" "You can't lock him in the house for long because when you start bringing him out, his antibody might not be immuned to the surrounding." And my reaction was YEAY!! Which mother would want to stay in a place for a long long time? 2 days is long enough! So hearing those advice from my midwife made me jump out of bed and straight out of the house. Fresh air from outside is very much needed at this point in time.

I think that's about the only pantang that I am not too keen of. I'm not judging those who follow each and every pantang. By all means, it's a personal choice so do whatever suits you the most. However, it is when I am being judged for not doing what is supposed to be tradition that annoys me. Following tradition blindly could cause us to sway from our already prefect religion. It is best to weigh things first before attempting to do it. Insha'Allah, Allah will guide us through the righteous path if our intention is to do so.

Human beings are different in so many ways and it's difficult to impose a certain 'way of life' onto them. I mean come on, even the Quran states what we should and shouldn't do but it's not that we follow it as we are supposed to. Hence, imposing tradition onto someone who could not fathom the idea will only upset them. Like I said, most traditions were passed down from our ancestors so, maybe at that time those traditions were relevant but in this modernised time it may not make sense anymore. Respect others for their personal choice. :)

Choices in life...

Credits: Google.com

Everyday in our life we ought to make a choice. From the moment we wake up we've already made a choice by choosing to wake up. Then it comes to whether we should shower, what clothes to wear etc etc. It's impossible to not choose at all in a day. Making a choice in our everyday life give us the feeling of ownership. After all, the word in itself means 'power, right and liberty'. Before making a decision one should have a plan in order to make it work. Prophet (peace be upon him) once said "there is no intelligence like planning." Of course when you have made a decision and feel the ownership, you would feel that you've accomplished something without having to listen to anyone else.

Ever since I gave birth to Khairaldin I have been the decision maker on how to bring him up. I was the one who chose to cloth diped him, babywear him and last but obviously not least, breastfeed him till he's 2 years old, Insha'Allah. Obviously, I consult Iskandar first to make sure he's okay with the decisions I make. Before I consult him, I prefer to list the pros and cons to him so that he can see my point of view. This has worked well for us. We make the choices and feel great when it's all accomplished. If we make a decision and feel rather unhappy about it, that's maybe because we don't own the choice. So we abandoned it.

Anyway, I chose to blog fairly recently only because I wanted to share my experience as a newly Mom and Wife. As you can see my entries are mostly about parenting and relationship. So when I write, it's all from my personal experiences and thoughts. Viewers could either like it or hate it, for all I care. However, when I write my entries, never have I had the intention to sound cocky, high up and everything negative. I always write with a POSITIVE energy and mindset. Like all my entries, I would like it to relate to Islam in such a way because it is difficult to get info on Islamic parenting and relationship on the web. Since internet is THE form of communication nowadays, I thought I might as well write something so that people can read up on it. There is also a Hadith from Al-Bukhari: Prophet (peace be upon him) stated "Convey from me, even if it be one ayah." and also another from At-Tirmidhi: "Whoever points in the direction of goodness shall be (in reward) like those who act upon it." Speaking of which, I was really grateful to know that some people looked up a few keywords on google about Islamic parenting and they ended up on my blog. Alhamdulillah. I'm really glad to know that and it only makes me wanna read more and blog about it. Insha'Allah, I will continue to do just that :)

Back to my point, my entries are all meant to be positive, unless it's a personal rant which I go through once in a blue moon. And obviously I won't relate anything Islamic to my rants! Haha It's ok, you'll know when I'm ranting because I'll let you know before hand to not waste your time reading it. Of course being a writer or blogger you can't expect everyone to like your entry. You'd be incredibly great writer if you can win everyone's heart. I have always been ready for criticism, because I'm not a qualified writer. However, when people have the rare idea about me trying to show off about my life, that's just ridiculous! I think when you read a blog, you have to set a mindset to it since you can't hear how it's being delivered. Even if the writer writes it in a positive way and you seem to have a negative mindset, that's just you not the writer. Some people might think that I am bragging about getting the chance to breastfeed my child till he's 11 months and counting. Personally, it's a choice! If you feel a negative energy from my writing all I can say is that, you had a choice and you definitely did not own up to your choice. That is why you feel everything everyone else do is wrong!

I for one do not follow the norm. So, that might even get some people's panties twisted because I chose to be different. My point is, you have a choice in this life you live in, if you choose to do something, make sure you own up to it! You can know that you are not owning up to your choices when you have a defensive attitude about people who do things differently to you. Don't ever judge someone for the choices they make but in fact, try to know why they make the choices in the first place. If you really can't grasp their idea, don't comment on it!

So, keep reading if you want to but do it with a positive mind and heart. :)

Newborn checklist

I have been getting a few PMs from Mommies-to-be wanting to know what things to buy for their newborn baby. I was 'chosen' because I am a SAHM and our household income is rather low. So a few of you are wondering how we managed to do so. To begin with, I live with my parents, so most of the household stuffs are paid for by them so we only buy things for ourselves and 'the baby'. Four months before Khairaldin's debut, I was made redundant from work. So I was really in the only get-the-necessity attitude. At that time we could not spend much so we really made sure whatever we get is for a long term period and not for a few weeks old and that's it.

Anyway, it's been almost a year ago since I bought stuffs for 'new arrival' baby. I might miss out some important stuffs needed so it's best if you Mommies have a few lists in hand to just compare with mine. :) I got my list from Iza, who recommended me Mothercare's baby checklist. As you can see below, the list have all the so called "necessities". Even though it's too detailed, I find that Mothercare lists down almost everything you need to have to welcome your baby for the first 3 months. These items listed is to get you Mommies prepared for the first 3 months. Once you've got used to having th baby around, I think you'd be able to go out shopping for more items. But these are essentials and to stop you from worrying on what to get whilst you're on confinement. Insha'Allah.

Credits: Mothercare Malaysia

Before I break the lists down into sections, I'd just like to tell you Mommies that it might be easier if you have decided on what type of parenting skills you want to practise. For instance, are you into natural parenting (ie; co-sleeping, cloth diapering, babywearing and breastfeeding) or conventional parenting (ie; sleeping in a cot, disposable diapers, pushchairs and bottle-feed). If you are into conventional parenting, I could only say that you are reading the wrong blog because being a SAHM you tend to practise natural parenting due to not so luxurious funds coming in at the end of the month. ;) But if you want to try both natural and conventional, then probably you will be able to get some ideas about the things to buy. Just in case, I raised Khairaldin fully natural parenting. So, I couldn't advise on things like disposable diapers, push chairs and bottle feed. Sorry.

Now, lets break the list down.

Baby clothes
6-8 sleepsuits
6-8 bodysuits3-4 daywear outfits
2-3 pairs socks2-3 scratch mitts
2-3 hats
The maximum number stated is definitely the maximum and it'll be more than enough to last you for the first 3 months. Bear in mind, people will be giving gifts and somehow they tend to buy sizes from 0-3 months. The other reason why you shouldn't buy too much of 0-3 months sizes is also because the baby gains weight rather quickly. You might be able to use the 0-3 months clothes up to 3 months or you might have to start using 3-6 months sizes after baby is 2 months old (that's what happens with Khairaldin). YES, it is very hard not to buy those cute little outfits but in the end of the day, you wouldn't wanna waste it as well, would you?

Nursery
Ok we chose to sleep with Khairaldin in the same room hence co-sleeping. So we haven't got any nursery/baby room. If you Mommies wish to sleep seperately with your baby then probably you could pick from the list the essential things. However, if you are planning to co-sleep (either on the same bed or room) then here's my list:

Baby crib (we only used this when he was about 4months old)
Snuggle nest (I didn't know the existance of this thing until I saw my sister using it. Truthfully, I think it's very practical as you don't have to wake up to constantly check if baby's blanket is covering his/her face or even if you are actually sleeping on baby. I would highly recommend it!)

Oh yeah, when Khairaldin turned 6 months, we had him sleeping on a 'proper' bed since his crib was too small for him. This bed could last him until he's 12 years old if he doesn't grow tall so quickly! :) You can either opt for extandable or non-extandable. We chose the non-extandable because we had enough space in the room. My nephew has been using the same type of bed from 6 months until he's 12 now. All we need to do is change the mattress every 4 years or so as it'll get flat by probably 4 years time. A few people questioned whether he doesn't fall from the bed since it's not a baby cot (no rails etc). Alhamdulillah, ever since he started crawling he's only fell off my bed a couple of times. He's never fallen off his bed. Every morning he'd crawl till the edge of his bed and 'call' me (not even cry!). Somehow, that'll wake me up. I'll pick him up and breastfeed him and back onto his own bed. No fuss. Alhamdulillah. I guess it's all about training and all of us will get into a routine.

I don't really fancy babycots because of its rails. Looks like they're in a cage! No offence, that's my point of view. :)

Feeding

If breastfeeding is your way, then read these entries first.

So the ultimate and important accessory would be...
BREAST PUMP (I bought Ameda Lactaline Personal Dual pump)

Most people, including yours truly, chose to buy breast pump after the baby is born only because I thought there was no neccesity as baby hardly drinks anything. Boy was I wrong! During the third day, if you are lucky, earlier, your breasts start to produce milk. Since baby doesn't or couldn't drink much at an early stage, your breast will become engorged as there's milk but it's not coming out. Imagine having to wee and can't find any toilet to let it go. Same case scenario, only more painful! Since baby could not take all of the produced milk in his/her tummy and the breast needs to be emptied, the only way to do it is to pump it all out. The good thing about breast pump is also that your milk production will become su fficient for a very long time. I've known a few friends who started pumping after baby's about 3 months and it's been really hard for them to get the milk to produce sufficiently. So after a few months, breastmilk becomes lesser and lesser. For working Mom's also, breast pump is the essential gadget.

It's up to you whether you want to buy milk storage bags or bottles. In my case, I didn't as I wasn't planning to work anytime soon. Khairaldin also doesn't like to drink from bottle so almost all of my breast milk was thrown away after pumping. However, both Iskandar and I doesn't see this as wastage because our main intention is to not get any sore boo bies and also to make sure the milk produce sufficiently. In the end of it, since Khairaldin hates bottle, we see no point keeping it for no reason. Alhamdulillah even with throwing away that much of milk, I still managed to feed him until today (9 months ++ and counting). Alhamdulillah.

Travel

Until today, I still don't own a pushchair/pram or whatever. I don't even know the difference. Hehe So, I'll leave that bit for you Mommies to decide. However, if you want to know more about babywearing, do not hesitate to ask Adriana (can Adrin?) she's the PR for Malaysian Baby Wearers so I'm sure she knows a great deal! I've only tried Ring Slings and SSC but Adriana has almost every single babywearing items. She's either tried and tested or owned it. Hehehe So, she's definitely the right person to speak to. :)

I highly recommend you Mommies to buy a CARSEAT! Safety first Moms and not forgetting, it'll only make life so much easier when you train them from small!!!! Since we didn't know our baby's sex, we bought the Ferrari carseat. Coz we thought if it's a girl, Red would be fine and if it's a boy, Ferrari will shout I'm a boy! Hahah Also our carseat lasts up to 4 years old. So that's why we bought that instead of Maxi Cosi etc, which probably lasts till 1year old the most.

Changing bag
I did buy one but hardly ever used it. I'd rather have a huge handbag to stuff everything in it. Since we also don't have a pushchair, it was easier for me to have my handbag and wear Khairaldin. So if you do a lot of travelling, then this is one of the essential.

Bathtime

We bought almost everything listed on Mothercare list. Except for non-slip bath mat, top and tail bowl, bath support and changing mat. Most changing bag now includes changing mat, so double check before buying. For the soaps etc, we bought the skincare set, lasts until now.

Playtime

Cot mobile

Play swing
As soon as your baby's eye can open, it's best to hang toys above his cot or your bed. I didn't train Khairaldin's eye to look at toys from a distance and apparently he's a bit 'juling'. So it's best to train the baby straight away. We have a few mobiles now on his bed to get him trained. Insha'Allah.

Play swing or baby bouncer is rather important if there's only the two of you in the house. When I was on my 'confinement' my MIL was around for 2 weeks but after that it's just Iskandar, Khairaldin and I. After Iskandar finished his paternity leave, it's only Khairaldin and I at home. So in order to get with the day to day job, I had to put Khairaldin in a play swing to keep him entertained for a while. That got the job done. If you are used to babywearing, you can also wear baby whilst doing housework. But I didn't have the guts to do it then. hehehe

Others

Changing unit
Baby monitor

Seriously, I think changing table is a MUST have item! I don't know if it's just me or what, but I get sore back from bending down to change Khairaldin's diaper or after his bath. It's better if baby's high up and you don't need to bend much. After pregnancy and delivery, your body just become very sensitive. So take good care of it, girls!

As for baby monitor, we didn't get any coz the house in UK is small enough and we can hear him scream even when we're downstairs. I think it's an essential when you are in Malaysia. I'm not sure, double check with other Mommies.

Diapers

12 cloth diaper covers
16-24 inserts

For the first 6 months before baby's on solids, you probably need 8-10 diapers A DAY! Or even, they're being changed every 3 hours for the first 6 months, at least. So depending on how hardworking you are, I think 12 cloth diapers should be enough. Once you get up in the morning, put the diapers in the washing machine. If you hang it by 9am, diapers should be ready to be used by 12pm. It is that quick and easy!

That is all I have or can remember at this time. If other Mommies have anything to add, please do leave your comments in the comment box. It could definitely be of some help to the new Mommies.

Till then, have fun shopping for your little ones! :)

A wife..... in Islam

I find it funny how people perceives a 'perfect' wife as someone who cooks and cleans up after the husband! If you're not one of those people, you're definitely not doing a wifey duty, so they say. Since I don't cook AND clean up after Iskandar, I am perceived as the non wifey material. Heh, very typical! Not that I care much since truthfully, it's how he perceives me as being the PERFECT one :) After all, he chose to marry me even after my Mom told him plenty of time that I don't cook and I definitely don't do housework ;) So, he had a choice and he still chose ME!

Anyway, I am a self-proclaimed Stay At Home Mom but that doesn't mean I am not a wife at the same time. Isn't it obvious that I am also fulfilling my wife 'job'? Iskandar is not complaining for all I care. Iskandar spoils me, like, A LOT!!! Till a point where my parents think I am being lazy! :D When actually, my husband is the one wanting to do these things for me. Iskandar cooks for me because when we went for our 'kursus kahwin' the Ustaz said, "the raw food that you bring home for your wife is not considered as nafkah until it's being cooked. Because she can't eat raw food". So nafkah is fulfilled when the husband cooks the food for the wife and she becomes a happy bunny ;). However, that doesn't mean that it's not fulfilled if the wife's cook for the husband. Of course the wife can help out and cook for the family, of course she can. In my case, my husband loves cooking hence he's always in the kitchen before me. Is that wrong? Definitely NOT! Iskandar also does the house chores because he doesn't want me to do 'heavy' things like vacuuming etc because that's a 'man job', according to him. Although, once in a while, I do vacuum the house but he'll bring the vacuum upstairs and downstairs. Also, whenever he cleans up, he'll get very detail and can spend hours doing it. When he needs help though, he'll shout for me.

When it comes to Khairaldin, it's a full time job for me. From when Khairaldin wakes up until he goes to bed, I deal with him. I feed him, change his diapers and bathe him since the day he was born. Iskandar probably have cleaned and fed Khairaldin a hand full of time. But we are absolutely fine with it. We are fair! He deals with the house chores and I deal with the baby. That's the most fair thing to work with in a relationship. Doesn't mean I stay at home I have to do every single thing. He knows that taking care of a baby is the toughest job anyone could ask for. That's why he tries his very best to decrease my 'work load'. Since I am on the topic, let me quote a hadith Authenticated by Abu Ya'ly and al-Bazzar "Women came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said 'O Messenger of Allah, men have taken away all the bounty of jihad. What work can we do to earn a bounty equal to jihad? He answered 'Running the household of your husbands will bring each one of you equal reward as that of the warriors in the way of Allah'. But they were not satisfied and asked Sallama (the nurse of Prophet's son Ibrahim) to raise the similar issue. Prophet (PBUH) then reassure her that women's work, ESPECIALLY, carrying, breast-feeding and rearing a child has rewards unavailable to men.

Clearly, if people actually 'research' they would know that it's never been mentioned that a wife's job is to cook for the husband but in fact, is to make sure that he he is actually fully satisfied with the relationship. So yeah, what happens behind closed should remain behind closed doors. Even though Iskandar spoils me, I am sure he's never come to a point of being a 'dayus' husband. Alhamdulillah. We try our very best to lead an Islamic lifestyle. He constantly remind me that in Islam, "The wife's duties do not require her to clean nor cook. It is the husband's duty to provide food for the wife, older children, and servants (if possible) to clean and cook. However, if the wife does those things out of mercy and love, it is a gift to the husband."

In the end of the day, if you are both happy with your lifestyle then, be it. It is up to Allah to judge whether one is being a 'worthy' wife or not. Also, I am very proud to announce to the world that my husband cooks and clean for me, because he is capable and he's doing a righteous deed for his family. Alhamdulillah, I am very blessed to have Iskandar in my life and I am very sure he feels the same way regardless of what people say :).

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

The JumpSac baby!

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The day I didn't "wear" Khairaldin

Personally, I have nothing against people who uses pushchairs/strollers/prams to go out & about with their babies. In fact, I respect them for the courage they've to go around the small alleys in shopping malls because I can't push strollers without banging into people's legs! heheh I am capable of banging into people with just pushing the supermarket trolleys. Thank god I've got Iskandar to push it everytime we do grocery shopping. :-)

I do have something against the "stroller designers" themselves though! hehe I don't understand why they have to make strollers so bulky! Being a less than 5'0" Mom doesn't make it any easier if I were to push strollers about. It's just so troublesome! I know there are a few non-bulky ones but most of it comes with carseats, like this! I only want the stroller not carseats! Most of the strollers I like can't even be used until baby turn 1 year old. Can't they just make an all in one that we can use from birth till 2/3years old, at least? I also like those parent facing type of strollers as it's easier to see whether Khairaldin's asleep/awake/crying/laughing. But yes, that cost a bomb and again, it doesn't accomodate till baby turns 2 years old. Take for instance this stroller, it's nice and suits my wants and needs but it cost £350. Gotta be kidding me. I hardly bring Khairaldin out and I definitely wouldn't spend that much for a stroller. Another negative point about using pushchairs is THE British weather. Imagine coming out from shopping malls in the rain and you'd have to carry the baby out of the pushchair and into the carseat. Yes, horrendous! I bet by that time he's already yelling his head off. I can so imagine it.

So, it was my personal choice to wear Khairaldin. Alhamdulillah Iskandar supports my decision in babywearing and he also wears Khairaldin when I allow him to do so. I am possesive like that! hehe A lot of people have been asking me if my back hurts whenever I wear Khairaldin. To be honest, it doesn't. The ring sling that I wear isn't just a random cloth that I wrap around myself. It's been padded and suits Khairaldin's weight and also my height, it is custom-made. I bet if I wear Babybjorn people won't say anything because it's designer brand but truth be told, it actually serves the same purpose.

Some points to be noted about babywearing, credits to this website:-

1. Sling babies cry less- OH YES!!!! Personal experience, I've never had to put up with Khairaldin screaming his head off.
2. Sling babies get "humanized" earlier- I would say so because Khairaldin knows when we are talking to him or when Mommy & Abah is having a conversation and not to be disturbed. He knows eye contacts & body language very well!
3. Sling babies learn more- Yet to discover but like Dr Sears say, if they spend less time crying they definitely fill the free time observing about.

There are so much more plus points that people are not aware of. I'd say, read up on babywearing before you want to judge on whether or not it's good to wear baby. Contrary to popular belief, carrying your baby doesn't make them any less clever than "stoller babies". In fact the baby would be smarter if you tell them what's what rather than letting them sit in the stroller and just look at stuff without knowing what they're looking at. With babywearing, you're able to tell the child what they are looking at.

I'm not saying that I won't be using stroller in the future, Insha'Allah I will but when Khairaldin turns 1 year old, at least. Insha'Allah. Because by then he can sit properly and I bet he'd be too heavy for me and hubby to carry him about. In the mean time though, I would like to carry him as much as I can because he would be "close enough to kiss" and, which parents doesn't like the smell of their babies. Even if they smell of stale milk??!

Oh yeah, I notice that I never like the idea of pushchair even before I had Khairaldin. I used to babysit my brothers kids before I got married and whenever we go out they'd bring the pushchair but end up I'll take them out of their strollers and carry them. It's just because I love babies. I find it really hard just letting them "sit" on their own. I love to carry babies just because I can! Alhamdulillah I have so much great experience with babywearing and I'd definitely carry on wearing for as long as I can. I know people are intrigue about how I don't have any backpain when carrying my 6kg baby and to be honest, I am intrigued as well.

In the end of the day, wearing your baby or using strollers are personal choice. If you can push the strollers why not just go ahead and push it. But if you're a possesive and love to carry babies, then why not just wear your baby? ;-) And I chose to wear my baby even before he was born.

Ps: I'm ordering a new carrier and so can't wait to get it!