Baby-Led Weaning Gagging Vs. Choking

When I started solids with my baby I panicked a lot. Though I was well informed theoretically I was afraid of how would it go? So I pushed it to 7 months to say. I made up my mind to go with baby-led weaning so I knew the reaction that I will get from people around. I was even called a hard mom. According to them, I was torturing my daughter but the truth is I am allowing my daughter to lead a life of her choice. When we were in a trial phase we had to encounter gagging episodes which panicked the people around me. Since I knew the difference between choking and gagging I was able to overcome this scenario. These are the main concerns why people are against the baby -led weaning. I just wanted to give confidence to my fellow readers by making them understand the importance of gagging and choking and how to survive in these conditions.

It’s said by our ancestors and elders that while eating our concentration should be on food and it shouldn’t be carried away in haste. It’s the same mantra applied for baby too. Patience is the key factor and a pleasant environment is to be made such that baby has a good relationship with the food. Whenever food is taken one should understand the key concept of safe eating. Only this knowledge helped me to understand the principle behind eating comfortably.

When my baby was eating once, she happened to gag and my neighbour started to panic and she judged me as she didn’t find me as a panicked mom. I was calm because I knew the difference between gagging, choking and coughing. In shaa allah planning to cover that here so many new-moms will be able to take the finger food from the start without fear.

Gagging is often accompanied by coughing

Gagging is quite noisy and it’s going to be dramatic. The way your child deals with it will make anyone judge you. But it’s very safe. Each and every individual will face this in their life. The babies gag often when you start the solids. It’s because the gag reflex is in the front for babies and as they grow older it shifts to back when they are 12 months. That’s the reason why it is requested to start solids when they are ready.
Though it seems to be scary it’s a learning process for a baby. They get to learn the problem-solving skills. They are able to analyse the size, shape, and texture of the food to be allowed by them. It’s like they are the boss and they know how much to eat.

Choking

Choking is a silent killer. It’s a process of blocking the airway. With informative baby-led weaning, choking isn’t possible as the caregivers will know about the perfect size, shape, and texture. They won’t go wrong if they are knowledgeable in this area. Everything is with almighty’s wishes too.

Vomiting

Vomiting happens when they are learning to eat. If a child gags heavily the next stage they will land is vomiting. Vomiting doesn’t happen with all kids. It’s not like the adult technique. We associate everything with adult stage and forget the key point. Al hamdulilah they don’t become fatigue with this process just like adults.At one point they might puke and the next moment they will enjoy their meal just like nothing happened.

Tips to make it safe
While eating they should sit straight in a chair and been given their time and pace. If at all they gag it’s suggested not to put in your fingers to push the food out. It might panic them. It might even push the food in. Instead, let the gagging reflux bring the food out. To avoid choking please do go with the flow but being well learned on this topic.

Why didn’t I prefer chunky puree?
Purees are usually associated with the baby. I didn’t like the concept. Being a breastfed mom I felt my baby gets nutrition required and the food we give is an addition to the regular process so why to make them food aversion. I myself isn’t a fan of soups and purees so why to train them for it and then transition them to a family food! So our journey was straight with the finger food. To know what was our first food click here.

It’s a developmental milestone and I didn’t want to break that. I can see how the kids at the age of 7 still struggle to chew Whereas baby-led weaning kids chew like a pro. Maa shaa allah almighty has created each and everything for a purpose and we confuse with the modern life. When we go back to learn basics we can lead a healthy life. Al hamdulilah  happy to know this process and I am working on it to lead a simple easy life. LIFE is SIMPLE and Enjoy the life without complications. I enjoy the mess babyA does and follow the baby-led. Please do share this piece of message if you liked it.

Let’s Plan and work for a productive Living-January

Welcome to my FIRST post of 2018-Goal planning post for 2018! I am really excited that you have hopped in to read this special post of mine. Since December, I have made it mandatory to write my monthly Goals as it’s really difficult for me to work on daily basis without planning. So with the Planning, I am accountable and when looking back I will know if I am doing my things right.

To know about the December month Goal you can click here!

So how did December Goals Go?

• Concentrate on Health- Alhamdulilah trying to eat healthy but I was unable to concentrate on workouts as we are in the 18^th month regression stage.
• Build a Strong Relationship with Almighty- I failed here as I wasn’t able to read a juz per day as decided. In shaa allah will plan better which is feasible for now. Taking baby steps is really good.

January Goals

          I am breaking down my categories into 5 areas:

 Religious; Parenting; Family; Alizehmysoul blog and Learning a new art.

Religious Goal:

          I want to build a strong relationship with Almighty,

• So to Pray 5 times a day with full concentration In shaa allah
• memorise a surah a day.
• Try to read a page from Hadith with meaning.

Parenting Goal:

• I am Planning to concentrate this month with simple play-based learning.
• Try to involve her in making the bed. You might laugh but she loves helping me so she can pull the sheet, arranging the pillows etc.

Family Goal:

          I need to work on this. My motive is going to be “Do It on the Spot”. A task to be done whenever need arises. With a toddler around my home will be spread with toys, balls, spoons, etc. So whenever I cross the spot clean it then and there so I can relax.

Have No Laundry to fold the next day

Have to go through the stuffs and donate them In shaa allah as we feel the more we donate, more the Gratitude behaviour grows within you.

Read stories and speak lot as a family

Alizehmysoul Blog Goal:

• December was good in terms of writing. In shaa allah have to plan quality articles this month.
• Have to collaborate with a blogger to exchange a guest post or two.
• Link up my articles.

Learn a New Skill:

     After babyA I started taking photographs. So In shaa allah I am going to capture a special moment or anything which amazes me and make an album of it. In shaa allah I will become a skilled photographer:p

I don’t know If I would be able to complete all of these and I haven’t planned things before babyA but doing now just because of babyA’s presence in my life. It might be a simple thing for you but it’s a huge list for me and In shaa allah as planned I will have to work on it.

Please do encourage me and if you really wish you can join our journey too by sharing your plan for the month January! Come let’s begin a well planned fun filled Winter Season!

Welcome to the Monthly Goals Blog Hop! Do you plan your month ahead? Have you anything in particular that your looking forward to this month? Is there anything in your life that needs focus? Kids, family, self… what is your motivation?
This blog hop and link up is to help you make new friends and find a partner to stay accountable to. Every month, a group of us get together to write our monthly goals. This helps us stay connected, accountable as well as inspire other moms to know how we do it all.
This month the participating blogs are:
Jeddah Mom – Confident Parenting | Deliberate Motherhood
Multicultural Motherhood
Mommy’s Next step 
Alizeh My Soul

Tips for New moms on Breastfeeding with Joy!!

Al hamdulilah we have completed 18 months of breastfeeding successfully and in shaa Allah have plans to breastfeed as long as babyA wishes!! Being a first time mom we would obviously have few doubts if we can or not. But in my case al hamdulilah the moment babyA was in my womb with the help of research and guidances i was mentally prepared to bond myself with the baby. I was confident enough to nurse her whatever happens. Even during the labour as soon as the baby was out,  the nurses started to convince me to get the formula milk in stock. To be frank i haven’t got a thought to get it even once. Al hamdulilah my sister is also breastfeeding her kiddo.  The moment my baby needs me irrespective of place, time etc., I nurse her.Initially I was shy to nurse in public but now we don’t mind. I really don’t know about others but this breastfeeding has helped me a lot during our flight journey. The main thing in this journey is trusting ourselves and being confident and firm that we can do it!!  To the new moms, here are my few tips regarding the breastfeeding
1. Trust yourself
Almighty has created everyone for a purpose and the science of body is made to perform the tasks assigned to each part of the body. So for instance heart pumps the blood, likewise the fingers are to hold an object. Similarly after the birth of the baby breast is to nurse the kid, calm down the crying baby, soothe him/her as a kid. So we will have to trust that we will have sufficient milk for our baby. To trust ourselves we will have to brush our basic education and understand the benefits of breastmilk and how the process works.
2. Supportive spouse
When nursing the baby the mind of the mom should be free from worries. This csn happen only when support arises from family members. Research says when there is support from the husband the wife enjoys the previlige of breastfeeding. Even if problem arises from the inlaws if husband helps in putting your foot down she will win the sky too. A supportive husband is a person who helps in daily activities and gets necessary items for the mom and the child.
3. Wear the dress which suits you
This is actually important. Practically a loose outfit will help us to pull up and nurse. It will help you to be confident enough to nurse no matter what who is nearby and where Re you. Try different options and fix which fits you no matter who taunts you. In the end of the day, your baby and you should be convenient and comfortable.
4. Make yourselves comfortable 
Earlier when you have a newborn you would need a nursing pillow and it really helped in balancing the baby and to keep the baby in the 45 degree angle. Later find a comfort zone might be a favourite chair or sofa. I had an arm chair which helped me a lot to balance between the nursing pillow a d my body. You can even lie down and nurse the baby. There are many methods. FIND a suitable position and stay comfortable.
5. Seek guidance
When you are carrying your baby get educated regarding breastfeeding and if at all you feel you don’t get milk try to seek help. There are many facebook groups which are supporting breastfeeding. You can either contact a lactation counsellor or a lactation consultant to help you so that you can enjoy the breastfeeding relationships without any discomfort.
These are the tips which I personally experienced and it clicked for us. Now i would request you to share your experiences on breastfeeding.

Best of Alizehmysoul 2017-Hi5!! It’s time for Best 5!!

Its been around 6 months of active blogging and I had a wonderful journey in penning down my thoughts. This 2017 is a learning year for me. I have grown with my baby step by step and now we as a family are welcoming 2018. These 6 months with my blogging as a hobby I have gained wonderful followers and I do get encouragement to work on more on my niche. I just thought would you guys like to know the best of my work. Here I am linking up with some of the Best posts of ALIZEHMYSOUL.

1. Baby Alizeh’s Role in the Environment:

The best one of Alizehmysoul was the post where I wrote about Baby Alizeh’s role in the environment. Here we have discussed about the usage of Cloth diapers and nappies and how she made me to switch to the menstrual cup. We even have discussed about the food grade silicone teethers and why is it eco-friendly.Literally how my daughter is contributing towards the environment to make the place clean and healthy for the generations to come. This article was shared a few times then and I had people write to me to tell me how much it had helped them to realize how can we contribute towards the benefit of the world.

2. Attitude or Gratitude- A Simple note to Parents:

   This post was also written on June 2017. I wrote this because a thought struck on me. “Will babyA think about the efforts I put on her growth?” Will she be thinking about me once she finds her responsibilities? Then a mind voice asked me the same questions! I have combined the things which I did earlier and planned stuffs for the future in this space. It too had a good reach and was happy that I was accepted as a blogger!! To know more about it have a look at here!

3.20th Century Vs 21st Century moms:

This post was written on July in the view of a bloggers marathon and it had a good reach! Many agreed my views on why I supported 21st Century moms are better. 21st century results  are outcome based whereas 20th century is time based. To know what are the evidences I have given please do check my space.

4. Why and How should I register a carseat?:

        This post was a sponsored post but still very important. Here I have discussed about the importance of registering the carseat and the steps to register the carseat. To know more about it please do check out here.

5. Peek-a-P[boo]:

       This is a memorable post and when I wrote about it I got weird look from my husband but now based on the reach we both are laughing out. Can you imagine an article with poops and poops! Here you get an adventure of poop and stages. Few mommies said they were able to rewind how their mommy dates were full of poop talks and the blowouts. To experience the wonders of poop please do click here!!

You can visit the most popular posts by other Muslimah Bloggers below. Each blogger has chosen their five most popular post from 2017. These are the best of the best posts from around the web!

 

JeddahMom

The Imperfect Muslimah

The Lady of the House

By Shahira

Alizehmysoul

Multicultural Motherhood

Umm Afraz Muhammed Blog

A Crafty Arab

Ilma Education

MyBlessedNest

Ilm Student Central

Mommy’s Next Step

AfreensKitchen

 

BFF-BREASTFEEDING FELLAS; BREASTFEEDING FRIENDS FOREVER

We are going to complete our 18 months in a day and l am getting to hear from people around, She is No more a baby! Stop nursing her! If not now then never will she forget. To all the people who say this I just smile back and walk off from the place as I feel, nursing is my duty and almighty has mentioned in the holy Quran to nurse till 2 years comfortably and then wean naturally. Al hamdulilah I am able to nurse my daughter till date. Nursing her I get arrested at times but I feel it’s a good bonding we get to share with joy. The sweet cuddles, the naughty moments and the curvy wavy acrobats she performs since day 1 of her birth can never be tagged even with a million dollars. Who will wish to miss such priceless asset that easily? Isn’t it good to feel that she enjoys the benefits from me as long as she wants to? So when I said I’ll nurse till she self-weans people started to laugh! Did I say wrong? I spoke and convinced her to allow me to baby-wear her. When I say this people mock at me! I don’t care and l have asked her permission till date whether its babywearing or cloth diapering or the undies now. Only since she showed discomfort with the jacket mode ON in a carseat, I was given an opportunity to do my research to learn how to keep her warm. Even now she prefers to be on Undies at home and we are nowhere near potty training. When she can decide on this she can surely decide for herself when to stop nursing too. Through this post I am giving reply to the entire mob out there who keeps on asking why do l still nurse?

Picture courtesy

• It stops tantrums
• It makes their bad moment to a good one
• It prevents and shortens the illness
• A bond between mom and baby grows
• It improves their immunity
• It improves their quality of life
• It lowers cancer risk
• Peaceful sleep of the baby

This post is not to hurt anyone; it’s for those who tend to hurt me.

When a doctor said its time to stop nursing as extended breastfeeding doesn’t pass any energy to the kid I decided to change the doctor. When you get to hear this, it’s best to change the doctor. At whatever age you are nursing your kid, the kid knows to extract the energy from you and it’s the duty of a mom to eat healthy to gain and pass off the energy and make it a vicious cycle. Being in a research environment all my life; the instinct has made me to research and go with the flow.  Al hamdulilah thanks to my mom for this.  Glad that Faru supports me in all my baby decisions. It’s a real gift. During my initial struggles of breastfeeding my sisy helped me and gave me the confidence to get me to this level where I am right now. To the new moms out there, we have a post on the blog to get prepared on Breastfeeding. Please do have a look on it.

Since I have got to hear of negative stuffs on extended breastfeeding, I asked my mommy blogger friends about their views on Extended Breastfeeding. So here is a gist of what they said. Glad I am around the people who have supported my decision always! It’s good to get the positive energy always!!

Rayeesa Rayeesa

I am a mother of 19 months old boy and Alhumdulilah still breastfeesing. For me, the no.1 factor is that Allah has ordered us in Quran to breastfeed for 2 years. It is his right. The second reason being it is great for immunity and brain development.

Ayesha Yakoob Al-Yousuf 

Alhamdulillah, I have nursed all my kids till the age of 2 years because its recommended in the Qura’n “hawlain kamilain’ – two complete lunar years. I didn’t want to wean them off before it was time as it was still their right.I began to wean them ever so gradually only when the time was near. For me what motivated me was the incomparable convenience of breastfeeding. Yes, its convenience. You wont’ be bothered with washing so many bottles, you can instantly comfort them when they are hurt, it’s much easier at bedtime and through the night (although this has to be controlled towards the end) and all this comes with the innumerable benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and child including nutritional, psychological and emotional.

Zayeneesha Ayeina

Both of us sisters breastfed our kids till 2 years of age as Allah prescribed in the Qur’an (And we even nursed each other’s kids lol hence making us foster mums to them 💞) – although difficult in the start, it has been a breeze afterwards Alhamdulillah and the benefits of it all couldn’t have made us decide otherwise 💜

Madelon Basher 

 I breastfed my son until 3.5 years. After completing his Islamic birthright we continued until his need was fulfilled. Breastfeeding is so much more then just nursing. Here in Holland there are many misconceptions about breastfeeding in our ummah. One of the reasons I started writing about breastfeeding on my blog.
I am also part of the board of the (Dutch) Islamic Breastfeeding Organisation Halimah. We are there for sisters who want to fulfill the birthright of their children by giving them all the physical, mental and spiritual islamic guidence, support and knowledge they need. Breastfeeding your child is a blessing given to us and it is so wonderful seeing sisters helping and supporting eachother, spreading proper knowledge about breastfeeding all for the same goal. Completing a part of our deen. Breastfeeding is hard work and every sister deserves true support when needed. The breastfeeding period only happens once in a child’s life and it is such a special way Allah subhana wa ta’aala gave us to bond with our children. I am still amazed every time new scientific research shows new benefits of breastfeeding. Even for toddlers and preschoolers the health benefits continue what was one of my reasons to proceed after the 2 years.

Diah Dwi Arti 

I breastfed my first son for only 8 months because I got pregnant with my second son. I had a bad morning sickness at the time so I couldn’t eat well. I decided to stop breastfeed him and it broke my heart. I promised to continue the breastfeed if he asked when his brother was born but he never asked for that. I then breastfed my second son for more than 2 years, about one or two months. Now I have my third son and I’m willing to breastfeed him until he’s 2 years. Why breastfeed them? Because it’s cheaper than giving formula for them. Cheap, healthy, practical. And breastfeeding is a great process to make a bonding between mom and baby. The second reason is breastfeeding is a natural way to birth control. I myself got my menstrual periode 4 months after giving birth. But ofcourse there are many challenges in breastfeeding from the lack quantity to the quality of breast milk. Weaning is also a challenge. I wean my first and second son without any difficulties alhamdulillaah. And I hope so with this third baby. I wrote something about breastfeeding in my blog as well so you are free to check my page.

Weronika Ozpolat

 I breastfed all 4 of my children and currently still breastfeeding the youngest. Although I experienced a lot of negativity for carrying on so long, I managed to continue until near the 2 year mark. Despite negativity, I found breastfeeding easy and the best way to give my babies the nutrition they needed. I think having a supportive husband really helped. There are so many health benefits, even for toddlers. It is also a great way to comfort them. It was a special bonding experience and I am proud I was able to do it.

These lovely mumma bloggers said I am a rockstar and I can nurse my baby until we can!! In shaa allah will nurse until she weans off naturally with almighty’s grace. As I have got support from my friends you will also get support from us all!! Say a hello to your breastfeeding friend from our gang of mommy bloggers!!

Jacket in a BabyCARSEAT? Yes or No

As winters are approaching I wanted to keep my baby warm but at the same time had to  check if she is safe and comfortable with the jackets ON in the carseat. I had to check on this because whenever babyA is in carseat with her jackets ON she used to cry her lungs out and will be in peace if she is out from the jacket. But I had no option to keep her warm. So ended up researching and was shocked to learn that kids shouldn’t be with the Jackets in a carseat. Even the adults shouldn’t be with their jackets within the seat belt.

Now lets see why is it unsafe?

In a crash, the maximum protection for a child  can be given only when the harness or seat belt is near the child. So its like the more close it is the more safe the baby is! The loose harness can fit the heavy coat but during a crash it won’t serve the purpose and the baby may even eject from the carseat. The principle is same for everyone so please donot use puffed jackets in your vehicle with the seatbelt mode ON.

How to check why is it unsafe?

1. Put the coat on and make your baby sit in the carseat and buckle the seat.

2.Tighten the harness to remove the slack.

3.Unbuckle the seat without loosing the harness.

4. Remove the coat and make the baby sit again.

Image and knowledge sharing @thecarseatlady

Now you can check yourself the gap between the child and harness. This empty air will harm the kid and it doesn’t allow us to fulfill the purpose of using a baby carseat.

So our next question lies to what will be the scenario if we are using layering technique. Will that not harm then?

It will require a little harness adjustment unlike the puffy winter jackets. The layering technique will compress the air whereas the puffy jackets have uncompressed air. So there lays an issue. The slack can checked with the help of Pinch test.

The baby doesn’t feel cold actually. This is what i have learnt from babyA and that too within a car i don’t think so they would need the puffy jackets. If at all if you feel you need an option to cover them you can cover them with a baby blanket and a hat. This has helped us till now. You can even get the Cozywoggle and Poncho which are suitable for the carseat  where it doesn’t affect the harness. I started to research on this when a mommy friend of mine suggested to get a cozzgwoggle.

In fact there are many ways to use the car seat during winter. As a person who has moved recently from India, i felt spending dollars just for a cozzywoggle which she might outgrow soon wasn’t my take so i ended up using a blanket. There is no best option we will have to choose which is best for us. And I understood one point my baby is safe if i don’t introduce extra slack under the harness with almighty’s grace. Parenting is a never-ending learning process. I have learnt this part only through my daughter. Just because she cried I had to learn about the various options for warm and safe travel. She is my teacher, my guide right now. She has done her part to make me understand the safety measures and i have done my part to share with you guys! So what’s your take on this?

Peek-a-P(b)oo

If a person talks about poop often he probably would be a doctor or a mother. If you speak about the poop without any shy then you are a mother ofcourse.

Discussion about poop may happen anywhere and infact everywhere. It might be on a dining table, date nights or even during hangouts.

We mothers wake up thinking about shit, if the baby hasn’t pooped a day anxiety arises and then we literally will be behind the baby to check if he/she has pooped.

Here we are going to check on the role of Poop from pregnancy till the end.

During Pregnancy 
All forms starting from constipation to diarrhea will happen in this stage. Whatever it is poop topic won’t be a conversation topic here. The topic will be zipped one not even to husband or to the doctor due to hesitation fearing bully. But seriously she wouldn’t have a clue that a big list is in wait thereafter.

During Labour
It’s a default that when you push out the little human in you, you invariably push out the poop too. Its a very common embarrassment that every mother faces. Its science of nature and none can escape from this incident.

After Labour
After the baby is out, the last thing which will happen is the bowel movement. From now ON everyone will talk about the poop. Few will get constipated and the whole team will speak about the steps to stimulate  the bowel. When you get your first poop after birth that’s where you will start thinking about poop. The word poop would have become a part and parcel of your life by then.

Newborn Poop
This is where you don’t care about embarrassing moments or comments regarding poop anymore . It becomes a norm. Starting from the meconium which is black tar sticky substance to the mustard coloured one. From now bum cleaning,becomes a skill and you would wait for the baby to poop. Poop becomes a point to track the jaundice level in baby and recording how often the baby poops. I still remember noting down the poop records in a book and eventhough i kept a track digitally  i was asked to track down in a paper by my cousin who happened to be a doctor.  Then the conversion of mustard colour poop and then comes the stages of poops where they will be frothy and not frothy. If its frothy how to overcome that. Its the relation between the foremilk and hindmilk.  You will save the pictures of the poop to show to the doctor to know the reason. Thanks to the family with years of experience who will easily give thousands of poop clarifications stories. History of gas issues. Massage stories what not. I luckily had my sister who took care about the poop job where she also discussed about it to her doctor friends to find a solution and the phase definitely consists of innumerable sleepless nights. Your sleep will be lost until they don’t poop. Its very common for breastfed babies to not to poop in their initial days but luckily we were in this stage for a day or two and we were back in track but in those two days i would have gone mad.
Just like the days move out the shit stories also move out and then comes the next stage of poop.

Blowouts
This is what worried me a lot when i was conceived looking at the blowouts the other kiddos had and the face of mommies went strange looking at the condition the baby was!. Luckily i hadn’t faced this condition as babyA was either in a nappy or a cloth diaper during this stage. Where we safeguarded the cloth she wore during the poop blast. As it was cloth the blast didn’t happen like it occurs in disposables. In the meantime there will be tension about the diaper rashes. Luckily our diaper rash history was minor. Even Before her bum cheeks becomes bright red or severely erythematous on  I would apply coconut oil or diaper cream to make her feel comfortable. Mommy anxiousness right! Luckily we crossed this stage and landed into the real poop phase.

Real Poop
Once my baby reached a stage where solids entered the real poop comes into picture. Since she eats cultural food her poop is going to be like adults. Since its a cloth diaper the smell is going to be natural without any fragrance. It will be so pungent. I din’t find it awkward because most of the time it’s only me and my kiddo. I myself at times  feel nauseated due to the pungent smell but above all if i don’t sniff it a single day it becomes a matter of anxiety and stress. Luckily I am happy we don’t face this issue frequently .When speaking about it to other mommy friends i feel better as obviously the baby poops only when there is an intake. But a watch should be kept about the consistency as that conveys the status of baby’s health.

Though we are not in the process of potty training we make sure we are in cloth nappies or undies so we don’t have poop accidents soiling the floor, carpets, beds etc. Poop becomes a part of your life in your motherhood journey. You become obsessed more with the poop history where you will walk , speak, sleep with the poop. I went a step ahead and got a poopy print diaper from the Superbottoms. You will understand me only if you are a cloth diapering mom!!

As every phase goes on this phase will also move on. It’s afterall a small experience and every Mom would definitely go through this atleast once in their life !! After all life is all about finding happiness and cheer in every minute things happening dawn to dusk !! Happy peek-a-p(b)oo mommies !! 😉

Happy Birthday PaPa

As salamu alaikum wa rahmathulahi wa barakathahu papa!!

You were the first one to hold me,
You were the first to cuddle me,
You loved and still love me,
Every minute you care for me!!

The first kiss, laugh, giggles and how can i forget the first selfies!

Papa you are rolemodel for me
In this age you gave me the opportunity to fly alone with mamma
You knew mumma will bring me safe

You supported mumma in all the decisions she took for me starting from breastcrawling to delayed cord clamping
Cloth diapering to Baby led weaning
My best nutrition breastfeeding till date.
And the most important part to be cuddled always on my mumma and you with babywearing!!
Papa you trusted mumma! Her instinct which is special to me and which doesn’t go wrong with almighty’s grace.

From zero screen time to minimum screen time, chocolates, parties all happen just because of you papa

Every daughter is a princess to her papa and so I am to you.
You named me joy of paradise to give you joy all over the life.

Each and every moment of our [mumma and mine] life is taken care by you.!!
Each and every moment of my life i want to spend with you!
I love you a lot and today is  special all about you!!
Happy birthday papa!!

Growing up as A MOM- Reasons to climb a Slide.

We went to a mall nearby where they have a small playarea. They had a small slide over there and babyA being small i didn’t think she could climb the slide. When she did everyone gave me a strange look but i loved her spirit and started to film it and enjoyed the spirit in her with pride. Later when I came back home and sat back and analyzed why did I enjoy it, i came up with a list. So now I am going to share why a child should be allowed to climb the slide.

1. A child can climb the slide only when they put in their complete strength and energy. Its a form of being active and a form of exercise. And a person cannot climb to the top just like that. It needs complete determination and energy and self motivation ofcourse.

2. As i said climbing the top cannot happen without will power and self motivation. To reach the top the child will analyse and find out a way to reach the top. Hence creativity is kindled in the child. The gross motor skills also play a keyrole.

3. A child cannot reach the top in the first attempt so here the kid is able to learn the concepts of failure and success. The kid is able to learn how to accept failures positively and pile up the confidence within to transfer the failures as stepping stones to grab success finally.

4. The child is able to learn how to achieve the goal and what are ways necessary to achieve the goal.

5. The child is able to trust him/her. And also learns how to solve a problem.

These are the ways which i figured out. If you agree with me please do share with us why do you feel its necessary for a child to climb a slide or any other sport or game that looks apparently large for the age!! Do share if you like this article.

Let’s Plan and work for a productive Living- December Month Goal

I really don’t like to be organised. In fact you can hear from my family that I am a lazy b(m)um! I don’t really plan things well but being a new mother I really can’t say I don’t plan ahead and work with the flow. Even when I was a lecturer I hated the lesson plan but to survive in the field I had to. And in fact my mom was proud then that I took that much effort. Then planning wasn’t my thing but the moment babyA came into our life I started planning everything as I didn’t want to miss anything to be done in her life which the Almighty had blessed me with. Starting from the breast-crawling till now everything goes as per my research and my plans. Only then I realized how a planned life gives a less chaotic life. Even now my home is messy but we do some productive work as planned the previous night al hamdulilah. From this month i have planned to write up my monthly goals so that i will be able to be a more productive mom for my sweet kiddo in shaa Allah

Being a first time mommy in a nuclear setup handling things all alone though with the support from my husband i felt planning would help me to reduce my stress. So when i plan my day the previous night i feel relaxed and our journey is smooth al hamdulilah. Even alizeh gets a structured input of what she is doing. You might ask whats there of being structured and unstructured at the age of 17 months? People do things based on their capacity and available resources and my motive is to reduce her screentime infact no screentime at all as much as possible. This can happen only when i plan and organize my tasks and complete them as per schedule so that i can concentrate more on her. Planning the schedule previous day helps me accomplish stuffs.

Take steps to be healthy and fit both physically and mentally. Being away from my family back in India and concentrating on babyA all alone myself, I really forget to concentrate on my health and my husband’s health. We both are growing sideways and we have realised we should stop the growth sideways. In shaa allah  will spend atleast 45 minutes for our fitness. In fact babyA and I go for a walk but its a jolly kind rather than an actual fitness walk where i can shed some of my pounds.

Build a strong relationship with the Almighty

I really want to build a strong relationship with the Almighty. In shaa allah my goal is to pray on time as per the ruling and pray with full concentration and be a role model for my daughter in being pure and pious. In shaa allah have plans to read Quran with meaning and read atleast one juz a day. This practice will give my family peace and happiness.

    Now your question will be how you will check if this is done regularly. I have placed a board in my kitchen and i do write my plan on the right hand side and follow if i am working based on my plan. Once the tasks are completed for the day I write them in my diary. In shaa allah will be getting a journal in a short span and will record on them regularly so i can work on it in the near future. This will help me when I am going to homeschool for my daughter in shaa Allah.

Have plans to write my monthly goals on my blog so that it will be productive and can look back to compare if i am going forward or not.

Please do encourage me and if you really wish you can join our journey too by sharing your plan for the month December ! Come let’s begin a well planned fun filled festive December package!

Welcome to the Monthly Goals Blog Hop! Do you plan your month ahead? Have you anything in particular that your looking forward to this month? Is there anything in your life that needs focus? Kids, family, self… what is your motivation?

This blog hop and link up is to help you make new friends and find a partner to stay accountable to. Every month, a group of us get together to write our monthly goals. This helps us stay connected, accountable as well as inspire other moms to know how we do it all.

This month the participating blogs are:

Jeddah Mom – Confident Parenting | Deliberate Motherhood 
Multicultural Motherhood
Alizeh My Soul

Recipe- Lemon Baked Salmon

We are trying to include as many rich iron, vitamins into our diet and frying deep with too much of oil is not my thing. I prefer baked easy  than the frying as babyA might at times cry when I fry stuffs. So today we are here to discuss about the Lemon baked Salmon pack. It’s very easy to do.

Ingredients

Salmon fillets 900 gms
Garlic cloves thinly sliced- 10
Lemon – 2 thinly sliced
Green onion – 2 thinly sliced
Spinach – thinly sliced
Salt- 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Water to make the paste
Red chilli powder as per taste
Chilli chicken powder- 1 tbsp

Directions to make
1.Marinate the fish fillets with ginger garlic paste, chilli chicken powder, red chilli powder salt and allow them to settle down for few minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400F
3. Place the marinated salmon on a separate sheet of aluminium foil of approximately 8×8
4. Place two to three slices of garlic, 2 slices of lemon and add few spinach, few pieces of green onions, drizzle some oil and make them into a packet.
5. Once wrapped place them in a baking tray and bake them for 20 minutes approximately
6. Once done remove them and allow them to cool down for a minute and then unwrap the pack and enjoy the dish.

Try them and tell in the comments how did it taste?

Does my baby need all the toys in the world??

It’s the month of November and we are going to complete 17 months soon in shaa Allah! Earlier Shopping was a difficult task as we will have to go to a shop research about the product and then analyse if we need them and then buy it but now the scenario is completely different. Sitting in front of a gadget shopping is just a click away ! With the social media mode ON we get lot of choices and we tend to forget if we have that particular product in our home and buy them again?? So this post is about people who z think our babies need to be given the best and buy stuffs without understanding if the child is interested in that particular product or not. In this era, parents feel that they shouldn’t compare and fall in the trap. If a particular mom sees a product even without analysing they get it for their kid.

I am just saying before buying stuffs for the kids please do think if it’s really needed? Not every single product in the market is necessary for our baby.

Before thinking about a product answer these simple questions

1. Is it just a toy? Does it have any value?

2. Is it age appropriate?

3.Is it for me or my child?

4. Is it relating to my child’s interest?

5. Do I have any stuff similar to this kind at home?

6. Will my child really understand the importance of money?

If the answer is satisfying then go for it else we will skip it.

For e.g. One of my friends got a magnatile for her kid from xyz vendor and she got the same product from the another vendor too. So here the product is replica. Is it really necessary for the kiddo?? I don’t think so it’s important. Let’s encourage mompreuners but within our limits too as we need loads of money for the future ventures.

With the Thanks giving offers going on I was tempted to get the indoor slide for my daughter. I even convinced my husband to make the payment as he strongly believes that I won’t spend money in useless stuff but before hitting the Pay NOW button I stopped and asked Is it a luxury one?? Yes it’s a Luxury stuff for sure. If we own the Slide at home then for sure going to park will be a question mark in the future! If we don’t go out how will she make friends? How will she  socialize? So made up our mind to not get it. If a ball pit, slide, swing, etc is accessible at home for them then when and how will they explore nature?

Being a mommy of a One year Old I really feel it’s not necessary to spend in toys. It’s with my experience. We got her rattles and rattles that’s it as that’s the main thing she would like in that age. Anything with music is what they like in that age. I invested in few books too as I  was brought up in that way.

Even too much of books is a kind of pressure i would say. Let kids be taken to the library and let them use the public library for usage of books.

Please don’t fall for the peer mommy pressure and get the stuff for your kid. Analyse and do a research if your kid will be happy with the particular product or learn with it.

A one year old will like to play with empty boxes, bottles, shoes, broom and dustpan than the costly stuffs you get for your kid. When they like to use them allow them so that they will be happy. If you feel it’s wrong use positive statements and chance the habit.

Experience and time is important for the kid than the money you spend on the product. More than indoors take them outdoors and let them enjoy the nature in their own way. Let them get dirty as it’s good. The West is researching and now says Attachment parenting is best, cosleeping is best, carrying the baby is best which our forefathers said years ago. So instead of following the Western culture let’s chin up with pride our own old traditional ways to  make the kids enjoy the nature and get them maximum joy with just minimal toys.

If you feel if I am right share the message happily!! Happy thanksgiving 

Colour Themed Sensory Basket

When babyA was around 5 months she had an urge to pull the stuffs around her. That is the phase where I felt to collect the stuffs she will be interested in and put it in one place like basket or a tub or box so that she can explore and I can get some ME time when she does that. So I started searching and found the treasure basket series from the imaginationtree and I really enjoyed collecting stuffs for her and even I do play at times; being a mommy I behave like a kiddo part 2.
So now I’m in the phase of introducing colours so I took up the Colour pink now.

The baskets can be done quick and it’s very simple to create with the stuffs we have around home. Not only with colours we can create the treasure basket to teach the shapes, texture, sizes, rhymes, stories, etc. Now let’s see what all We have collected in the Pink Basket

Pink Saturn ribbon
Hot box cover
Pink spoon
Plates
Baby high chair support
Teddy

Baby shoe

Blue Basket

Foam Letter 2

Cylinder shaped

Her playset cups

Saucepans

You can also use the coloured rice filled in a bottle.

It’s really fun to sit back and see how the kids explore depending on the age. They touch, feel and explore each and every stuff in the basket.  Their imagination grows based on how to work on this. They can take it out and put it back into the bin. They may even use the property without teaching them. They may even discover a new method to use them. They will chew too as that’s their routine. So with the basic basket the baby/toddler is getting an opportunity to learn the colour, explore the stuffs and knows about the methodology to use a particular product.

Did you like this? Please do let me know about your experience with the sensory bin if you had made earlier and if not make it and share your experience

ALIHUDA REVIEW- NETFLIX FOR MUSLIM MUNCHKINS- I MEAN IT

PEACE OF MIND FOR BOTH PARENTS AND KIDS

When babyA was born I was sure that she should have NO SCREEN TIME and with almighty’s grace I was able to stick to that rule till she reached 15 months but she wasn’t able to be free from screen time as she started looking at kids of her age watching videos – smiling, laughing and giggling around. Her curiosity and exploration behaviour in her wanted to know what’s going around. So she asked her papa to show his mobile and then she was stuck to Chuchu TV. I didn’t have issues as ChuchuTV shows rhymes and she is happy with it. But then I felt what if my kid happens to see age inappropriate content where the YOUTUBE shows at times. She can even see stuffs in the AD breaks and seriously I can’t be behind her during her screen time what she sees? I can do check her history though which I don’t think I’l have time and patience to see all the contents so to be free from these tensions I wanted to find out a space for being happy as well as enjoy our screen time too. So when I heard about ALI HUDA, Netflix for Muslim Kids I was sure I can give her screen time without me worrying about the content.

HOW TO WATCH THEM:

            The first few days I spent thinking on how am I going to have babyA watch as I don’t like to handover my phone or Tablet to her as she throws them at times to know how far does it go when she drops them from top or slides them down #Mommylife. After reading FAQs on their website I found out watching in TV with ROKU is possible and it made me happy, YAY!!. Now we are glued to it when we think about the screen time. So we are happy that we can watch it through an app, or online with their website, or TV. The best part is we can save it for later use too.

Learning with a Fun mode ON:

            Netflix is a space where all the age group starting from kids to adult to enjoy watch and have fun. Similar to  Netflix, ALI HUDA is a place where kids of all age can enjoy watching stuffs starting from learning shahada to memorising QURAN everything in a playful way. Everything happens in the form of stories, songs, nasheeds, cartoons, rhymes, crafts, etc. BabyA is 16 months old and she loves to watch ALIF & SOFIA’s TWINKLE TWINKLE SHAHADAH. Maa shaa allah her ears are sharp, when her dad or her mumma switches on the TV , if she gets to hear SOFIA, SOFIA- babyA runs from any part of the home to the living area. This is to say how the basic pillar of Islam, Shahadah for any ummah can be taught in a playful way. Quran 4 Kids is another show which both her mumma and babyA loves to watch. Brainy bunch, Misri bunch and Scrapbook Island are the other shows which we love to watch.

EASY TO NAVIGATE and Content Safe:

            The approximate time of an episode is around 1.5 to 3 minutes which is better is few ways. No ads and safe content for age appropriate so I don’t have to babysit the T.V in future too. After a few episodes it asks the viewer if we would like to continue watching them. So it gives us an alarm if we need to watch them or switch it off as we have crossed the time limit which is good for the parents to work on  limiting the screen time. This is how it works in TV, Iphone, android phone and Android Tab. Hope so it’s same in IPAD too.

It’s easy to navigate as they have grouped them into age-wise and also categorizes them into TV, ARABIC, QURAN, NASHEED, TRAVEL, CRAFTS etc. Even the elders are able to learn from this ALI HUDA. Many parents would like to learn Arabic as a language and they would like to concentrate on the Phonics part which can be learnt through this.

Does it Only Concentrate on Islam?

            They mainly concentrate on ISLAM and its core principles but basic stuffs needed for a child to know is also available like the ABC song and how to greet, how to speak, etc. The content is growing and it keeps evolving and they mainly concentrate on 4 conditions which parents requested during their pilot study -Quantity, Quality, No ads and affordable price.

Irrespective of ethnicity and practices, they have framed the teachings based on the core values of ISLAM which is accepted by all. Each family can speak up based on their experiences to their kids and this can be a conversation too. Even at this age I speak to my mom who is in India regarding the ALI HUDA.

How to sign up to Netflix:

            Users can sign up for a free trial for a week/7 days and then you will have to pay $7.95/Rs.514.40 for a month. You can even cancel it anytime you want but I don’t think a need will arise for sure.

You will get 50% off your 1^st month if you use “alizeh” i.e. $3.98/Rs.257.52/- for the first month.

So it works like this get the trial of 7 days and then use my code “alizeh” for the first month to be $3.98 and then $7.95 per month thereafter.

To sign up click here and scroll to the bottom to sign up for the trial and enter my code “ALIZEH”

Would you recommend this?

   I am really happy and I will recommend this for all for sure. This will work worldwide the same way. So even my Desimoms can go for it.

ALI HUDA can also be found on Social media

Facebook: www.facebook.com/alihudatv/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/alihudatv/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/alihudatv/

–

Discalimer: I was given a free trial of 1 month for purposes of writing this review. All opinions in this review is honest and we (babyA and I) really love this product. I wouldn’t recommend anything which we don’t like/love and don’t use. I may get a commission if you use my code to sign up for trial but it doesn’t cost you anything but only enables me to bring many contents which are useful for the society.

 

 

 

 

 

Help- I doubt if my baby is happy with Breastmilk!!

Many ladies assume they do have a low supply and switch to formula or cow’s milk without having an actual proof. When asked they say we don’t know why there is a low supply!

Many have a huge list why do they believe they  have a low supply and now we are going to answer them that their supply isn’t low with few facts

 

1.My baby is always hungry and cries

Babies breastfeed not only to fulfil their tiny stomach but also to get a bond with her/his mom; a sort of relaxation; warmth. Usually elders tend to forget what they did during their new mommy days and say her daughter or daughter-in-law that there is no milk supply and force them to believe their milk supply is less and move towards formula feed.

 

2. I used to leak and now I don’t

A mom who thinks/says like this is a person who doesn’t know about the anatomy and science of breastfeeding. It’s one of the miracles of almighty. It’s everything with the demand and supply. Once the body knows how much the baby needs it will regulate based on the needs of the baby. Being a mommy of 16 month old I haven’t leaked even a single time and it doesn’t mean my baby is underweight. Al hamdulilah and thanks to almighty for a healthy living.

 

3. My baby doesn’t wait till I try to offer

Usually parents associate crying to hunger. It’s not of that sort. There are many cues which babies give for what they are crying. They may cry for many reasons like having gas, being colic, sleepy, tired, there might be a growth spurt and so on!! So please do follow the cues and know the reason why they cry and attend based on that.

Credits: Thanks to

4. My baby stays awake all night

Night waking doesn’t only mean to hunger it might also be due to the growth spurt, teething, fever, rashes, cold or reverse cycling where the babies get confused between day and night and do the process opposite.

 

5. My breasts feel softer than earlier

Once the flow is regulated based on the baby’s need there will be a change in the size of the breast and it doesn’t have any relation to the milk supply.

 

These are few reasons to know that your milk supply isn’t really low. To know if your milk supply is low check for two stuffs which are important

 

1. Baby’s Weight

Only best measure is to check the weight of the baby.

 

2. Diaper output

We can figure out with the output based on how much the input is. A normal baby’s output will be 3 poops approximately and 5 to 6 wet diapers. And if the baby is active apart from the nap hours then your supply is perfect

 

3. Do check if there is a good latch and hear the swallowing/gulp sound.

 

4. Follow your instinct

 

If you really feel your supply is low please do visit the lactation consultant for further help

Some Crazy Reasons for the love of Babywearing

Anyone who  knows me in person will know that I am an advocate of babywearing and cloth diapering. If you are babywearing we can do the household tasks and few tasks without worrying about it as your hands would be free. It’s also said by wearing your baby he/she is close to you so the bonding develops more and more. Here I am coming up with few crazy reasons of babywearing

1. I can eat biryani in a wedding feast
You know muslim Biryani’s are always tasty and that too wedding feast yummy. With a baby in a carrier  was and still I am able to relish each and everything with joy without the fear of disturbing her and I had developed the art of eating without spilling over  her.

2. So I can go shopping carefree
I am a person who hates shopping and now being a mom I have to shop where I am left with no choice. So when I go for shopping babyA will be on me and I would be able to analyse and check racks and racks and find the stuff on the list.

3. So I can speak with babyA
I love to speak a lot with babyA and we speak about birds, trees, prices of each and every stuff if we are in the shop, if we are out we speak about the cars, clouds, rain, and what not and no one can mistake me that I’m speaking alone

4. I can use escalator
I have a fear that I might  drop babyA down while using the escalator. If I babywear her I have a courage to use the escalator and enjoy the happy moments with her.
These were the few crazy reasons I have/had during babywearing. Please do share yours with me.

Baby Led Weaning- Our Tips

When babyA was inside me getting nurtured, I did a complete plan of how I should work on, with the growth of babyA. I was mocked, teased a lot for being called an Internet mom but they all forget that this technique which I am practising was followed centuries back before the finding of the mixer, mashers, diapers, etc. I am happy for being called so as I wanted my baby to be given a space to explore and come up with a solution for this. One such practical plan was to do baby led weaning and I am very happy that I achieved this for sure with the support from my hubby and my parents.
With too much of mocking around I took a privilege of exclusive breastfeeding till 6+ months and then when I felt she was able to sit unassisted planned for solids. Her first baby led weaning meal was long slices of banana. Easy to chew for a toothless baby and full of healthy fats. I didn’t want to give her pureed food at all. And now in the 14 months mark we eat everything and anything the family eats with almighty’s grace. In this blog, I will be answering all the questions based on my findings in shaa Allah!!

What can be given as a first food when we plan for solids??

I chose banana as I felt it’s easy to chew and full of healthy fat. Apples and pears can be given either in a grated form or steamed form. I preferred grated as I felt it’s easy for her as well as me. We also had chicken, fish, scrambled eggs. Strawberries, grapes all to be sliced and given as these all have choking hazards. Raw banana fry, plantains, banana flowers, curd, dosas, idlis, chappathis, pancakes, paniyarams what not but everything cut into small pieces.

When you offer the food the babies won’t accept on day 1. They will play and enjoy with the food. It took 8 good days for alizeh to eat the food on her own, without anyone helping her. I usually give her space and time to explore with the food and once she skips I make sure I breastfeed her. Before you introduce the solid it is suggested to  nurse them 30 minutes to 45 minutes before giving solids as the babies won’t try new food if they are hungry.

We have been cooking special for babies till they are 3! Should we cook special??
       When they see babyA eat the family food which we eat I get judged easily by peer moms. Babies should be given special food till a certain age. And it’s an art to cook special food for the babies. You don’t have patience to up bring your child. You are making the baby starve by not cooking special food.
No I don’t make my baby starve by following the baby led weaning. I don’t stress myself for making her to eat. I have given her the freedom to explore and eat the way she likes. Usually babies know what to eat and how to eat and how much to eat. Till 1 year it’s advisable not to add salt and sugar. I followed the minus sugar concept but didn’t follow the minus salt concept as babyA knew the difference between the salt version and non-salt version of the food and also 40 mg of sodium intake can be given on a whole so made sure we used less salt in our diet. Everything was taken in moderation except the sugar. I didn’t stress myself to give pureed food as there wasn’t necessary in my case. Thanks to almighty.
She knows to chew the food which is main thing and with almighty’s grace we have succeeded the art of eating. Al hamdulilah

Is it messy always??

       The answer is Yes in my case. Baby A in the age of 14 months I can expect only a messy eater. I cannot expect a disciplined one in this 14 months and expecting that is too much as she is a baby still. They are bound to be messy one. Only when we go out I feel embarrassed at times but we enjoy that too! What we do is keep a paper below her chair so it’s easy to clean up the mess. But luckily the hotel management has supported us to clean the mess on own but my hubby helps me in cleaning it up.

How to know if my baby is ready for solids?
      Food before 1 is for Fun. This is the theory which I followed. Whatever she eats I supplement with the breastmilk after her solid intake. Now let us look into the answer for the question

• WAIT till the baby sists unassisted.
• Wait till baby reaches 6 months of age.
• Check if baby has lost the tonge-thrust reflex.
• Baby should have developed the longer grasp.

If the above stuffs have been achieved then your baby is ready for the solid introduction in shaa Allah

How to know if your baby has completed their meal?
     As said earlier babies know how much to eat. Forcing them to complete the meal makes the kid to hate the food and create an aversion towards it. Allow them to eat how much ever they want to eat. Once they complete their meal they will get ready to play with the food. Just make sure a balanced meal is been offered for the baby.

Don’t ever compare your baby with the peer baby which in turn gives you as well as the baby pressure. Give adequate amount of water as per the suggestions from the WHO.

If you have any suggestions or any questions please do leave a comment here or mail us at salma.mehajabeen@gmail.com
If you like this post please do share.

Chocolate chip Cookies

Suddenly a week back I had an insatiable craving for chocolate chip cookies and wanted to taste them all of a sudden. Tried reaching Faru so when he is back from work he can bring home some cookies. Couldn’t reach him as he was busy with his meetings and by the time he called back I made up  my mind to make cookies at home  with the help of babyA. When I asked her if we can bake cookies? Her answer was a big YES with a big smile on her face. While I kept the ingredients on the table she was so excited and wanted to have a look at what am I upto! She wanted to sit in her high chair so she can have a view of the work happening in the worktable. The recipe, courtesy of kawaiisweetworld cookies with a minute tweak was a big hit!! This crispy chewy choco chip cookies is a hit with the glass of milk as said in the recipe too!!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup butter, melted
1 ½ cup packed sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F and please do line the parchment paper on the tray.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Stir butter, white sugar until well combined.

Add in egg and egg yolk for richness and vanilla extract to butter and sugar mixture, and stir to combine.

Add in chocolate chips and mix in until evenly distributed.

Place the mixture covered inside the refrigerator for half an hour.

Scoop out 2 T. of dough per cookie, and roll cookie dough into balls and place them in a 3 inch distance apart.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Let it to cool down and store it for after use or you can enjoy the cookies once cooled down.

Recipe Courtesy: Kawaiisweetworld

Do try out and please do let me know how it turned out! I would love to see it.

20th Century Vs 21st Century Moms

These are my views on the topic “20th Century Vs 21st Century Moms” and I am writing this as a part of the Blogging Marathon – http://supermommitali.com/category/bloggers-marathon

A mom is a mom whether you are from the 20^th Century or the 21^st Century! As a mother we seem to be over responsible in raising a healthy, happy and well-adjusted kid. This is definitely overwhelming for a parent for sure. Being a 21^st Century mom I really have too much of Information filled in my social networking but I really miss out on the informal support which my parents had in the 20^th Century. It’s not because I don’t trust them it is just because I think a lot, analyse and want to give the best to my kid.

                The technology has a huge impact on mommy’s behaviour and their lifestyle. One of the live examples is blogging and social networking. Before the boon of the Internet the networking was live and direct only with the neighbours, family and the first hand information was got only from the family but now its all over the internet. The 21^st Century is completely evolving around the “OUT-Come” based whereas the 20^th Century was “Time-based”. Everything is   Research-driven and we are open to learn anything from anyone. Everything starting from the conception till the end is digitalised I can say. A baby born in the 21^st Century is digitalised.

                With the technology we have today, mothers literally do a lot for their babies, they go insane thinking too much and still they feel they are missing out something and fall into the guilt trap. There is an expectation set “My intuition is Right and I know and I will go by this parenting theory”.

Let’s have a look at how things worked on the 20^th Century and 21^st Century according to my perspective on various aspects.

Maternity Fitness:

                Earlier in the 20^th Century the maternity fitness wasn’t that noticed. Since India is a land of joint family and bonding the pregnant ladies would do lot of household work and would be fit and perfect but many of the mommies wouldn’t be aware of taking care of themselves. Those 9 months would go either by doing household chores and thereby gaining the needed strength to deliver the babies normally or at times remain idle and gain lot of fat leading to difficulties.

                Now in the 21^st Century, Once they know they are pregnant they willingly join maternity classes where the doctors and doulas themselves teach yoga and few fitness regime. New aged mommies are fully aware and educated about pregnancy and maternity phases and are better groomed with the necessary information. With the abundant  resources online many spread the word about workouts/ fitness stuffs to take care of themselves as well their babies with care and concern.

Maternity Fashion:

                Earlier the pregnancy fashion was considered to be conservative. The dress style was to conceal their bump. They would either wear saree to be in their comfort zone or wear a salwar khameez and hide their bump with the dupatta/shawl. Even at all they wear a jean they would wear a tunic top which would conceal the bump. Main goal is to conceal themselves in a billowy clothes.

                Now in the 21^st Century the main goal is to accentuate and feature their baby bump, look stylish and give all detailing of the bump they have. Even the top designers have come up with stuffs where the moms-to-be can wear and enjoy the 9 months as a fashion diva in these special months.

Parenting Resources:

                Earlier they would be in the form of books and not every mom-to-be would like to engage themselves in reading books. If I were a mom of the 20^th Century, I wouldn’t engage myself in reading books as I become tired of holding a book continuously. For the Resources either one has to own a copy of the book or go to a library to gain the resources. To access regarding the birth stories we had to depend on the elders of the home, neighbours who would have by then forgotten the crisp and minute details of their experience.

                Now we have everything on the internet, right from the birth stories, to the after care of delivering. Many bloggers write about their birth story and what all they do to induce natural labour which is scientifically proven.

Ultrasonogram / Scans:

With the advancement of technology we are in a position to find out the gender of babies and are even able to get highly defined 5D images of the babies in the womb. It definitely serves as an anti-anxiety therapy to the overwhelmed to- be-moms who could quench their thirsts about all the unanswered questions they go through because of  those stressful hormone surges. A Mom-to-be definitely do feel happy when her baby kicks, move around inside the womb but it takes her to a whole new excitatory stage when she can literally listen to the first heart beat and when she looks her baby moving legs/hands the joy is unimaginable. With the recent advancements if at all there is an issue in the baby’s growth or health doctors help to treat the babies intrauterine itself or can also plan an immediate surgery or needed interventions the next moment the baby jumps out onto our hands without much wasting the golden hours. Thanks to the Almighty and the technology for giving this happiness.

Precious Moments After giving birth:

                Earlier there was a condition only during normal delivery the mom was allowed to cuddle the baby as soon as the baby is born. Enjoy the baby crawl moments, golden hour, etc., even without knowing about it. This all happened only if the doctor had best knowledge about it and only if his school had taught about it.

                With the technology in hand a mom-to-be knows about the importance of baby-crawling, the relation between baby-crawling and latching, delayed cord clamping, golden hour, saying a big NO to formula feed unless the situation mandates the need, giving a birth plan to a doctor, latching, even at all there is a tongue tie, if at all there is a latching issue seek an advice of the medical practitioner, enjoy the same benefits with the C-Sec. Gentle C-Sec by getting partial anaesthesia where she can sense the baby coming out of her. With the resources in her hand she is able make herself ready to the environment.

Breastfeeding

                With the exploitation of formula milk and its undue marketing strategies in the late 20^th Century parents were forced to give formula thinking their milk supply was not sufficient. It would either be completely on formula feed or would be on a top feed. When the baby reached 3 months external solids like cerelac, oats porridges, juices were given to babies not thinking on the maturity of the guts. But now in this century moms know the importance of breastmilk, when to start solids, when to introduce water, why not to start solids before 6 months, etc. In the olden era mothers used to breastfeed atleast for 3 years and in the scriptures at least in Quran its written that its mandatory for a mom to breastfeed the baby till 2 years and it also has given benefits of breastfeeding which is now being researched by the scientists. ONLY because of breastfeeding antibodies are formed naturally and babies are able to fight. This concept is understood by all. Normalising of breastfeeding is understood and people are supporting to nurse their babies in public when situation arises in their comfort zone. Earlier in the 20^th Centuries moms used to run to the restrooms to nurse their babies but now NONE runs to the restrooms as they know Feeding is not a shame. Nursing in Public doesn’t mean we show the skin, it can also be done by being modest and being in the comfortable zone. We have techniques such as 2Tee-method, by using a cover, etc.

Babywearing

               

Use of infant carriers wasn’t welcomed by many in the 20th Century though the concept evolved in Asia and it was associated to poverty or transience attached for choice/necessity to attach the babies to their bodies. They felt how safe is the baby going to be in a cloth compared to the hand? But now in this century mommies feel comfy carrying their babies in a sling, wrap, meh-dai, soft structured carriers, what not? With the babywearing concept they nurse the baby in it, rock to sleep, smile, cuddle, relax, eat, sleep without fear of dropping the kid down. During the teething phase, sleep regression colic phase, babywearing is a boon!! With the babywearing a new mom can now enjoy almost all the exciting entertainments and outings. Even hiking is possible too.

Diapering

                Once the baby was born, cloth nappies were used those days on the bums but then due to the widespread marketing of the disposable diapers, it became a boon to the over-exhausted mommies who had to keep washing the soiled nappies several times a day to reuse them. But it was not only less safer than the cloth nappies to the gentle baby bums but also a curse to the environment. Mommies in the early 20^th century used to make cloth nappies where it would hold a pee and poop but doesn’t damage their clothing. After the disposable diaper entered the scene  the usage of homemade cloth diapers moved out of our homes slowly. In the 21^st century there are moms who use disposables 24/7 . There are night time diapers, daytime diapers with absorbent technology, criss-cross technology and a unique design for a gender and a different concept for gender. Gender inequality doesn’t play over here. The design is based on the anatomy of the sex. With the care and concern shown towards the environment as well as towards the babies modern cloth diapers are slowly drifting into the market and gaining positive popularity. Potty training is also done with proper research and at the right age.

Raising Healthy Kids:

                Making the kids eat is a tedious task when we force feed them. Concept of force feeding was practised and is still practised by the 20^th Century moms. The main concept then was a chubby baby believed  to be a healthy baby. But now with the resources the 21^st Century is able to analyse and find out that being chubby is not the essential factor for being healthy. Being active, sleeping properly, self-feeding and nursed when the kid demands it is healthy now. There is a concept of baby-led weaning where the baby decides when to eat and what to eat. By this method, kids eat a good variety of food compared to the force-fed babies and special care taken babies. My sister who is a doctor by profession used to say, when I was a mom-to-be  that when the baby nears his/her 1^st birthday the baby must be able eat his/her cultural food themselves. Even now only those who follow the research oriented concept believe in it rest follow the same old school of thoughts.

                Celebrating the First Birthday party is a business in this era they spend lavishly these days by planning theme parties. Earlier it was inviting close friends family members and the party was done within home but now with the advancement in the lifestyle and technology they seek help from event planners and make it like a marriage. But few do DIY stuff for their babies joy.

                Earlier or now whichever century it is, people followed one Rule, Make the child happy!! They followed moreover or less the same concept but practised without knowing the name of it. Now with the researches happening everyday, this century moms have a whole bunch of resourced information with them where they are able to know the name of the process and make it happen with full heart and clear mind.

                I am happy that I am a 21^st Century mom where I had an opportunity to research on these facts and keep myself updated and give my best in parenting. As I am a mommy of 1 year Old I am stopping with these concepts in which I have personal experience and confidence. Happy motherhood to all the new moms out there and I thank all the old aged moms without whom the now healthy and self educated Moms/moms-to-be society wouldn’t have been into existence !!

Totscart Handmade Fitted Diaper Giveaway

Have you tried Fitted Diapers? If not then you need to right now. To try the fitted diapers baby A and I have teamed up with Totscart to bring you a giveaway.  Scoot to my Instagram and Facebook page, look for the Totscart Handmade Fitteds Diapers Review posts to take part now.

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Review- Totscart Handmade Fitted Diaper cum Giveaway

 

June is a special month in everyone’s life. As a student we would like to welcome the month of June to show our new bags, to enter our new class, to meet new set of teachers and so on.. When we came to know about the environment we started to wait for the 5^th to plant saplings, speak about it. Then as a child we wait for our Father’s day and now adding to it as a mommy I am happy to know it’s a cloth diapering month. Being a cloth diapering mom isn’t it good to have a special month dedicated to us?? And a special bond I have with this month is the birth of Baby A. Too much of memories I do have with the month of June. As its special I have come up with a Review on Totscarts handmade fitted diapers and in association with the Totscart family we are running a giveaway to make this month even special.

I am proud to say that we are a cloth Diapering family and if you know me in person you would have known about the love I have for cloth diapers. We have successfully completed 11 months in the journey of cloth diapering and we are eagerly waiting to continue till we can. As a new mommy when I heard about cloth diaper terminologies I had a massive attack and then with the reviews I succeeded the journey. Today we are going to have a detailed review on the Totscart handmade fitted diaper.

For new mommies Let me explain what a fitted diaper is?

                Fitted diapers otherwise called as fitteds comes either with snaps or snapless and they are highly absorbent in nature. They do have elastic at the legs, backside for a neat fit and the inserts are either attached or can be removed. Fabrics used will be from the cotton family. These are not waterproof in nature. In a layman terminology fitteds are a diaper where the whole diaper absorbs the pee.

Fitteds really hold a strange part in the cloth diaper world. Their cost worries a lot. But to rescue in the cost part totscart came to play a role. It didn’t leave a hole in our pocket and it serves the best. It really helps when your little one has a rash. A fitted can be used either with a cover or without a cover but I do prefer without a cover as its good way to air out those tushies without harming them.

Features of Totscart Handmade Fitted:

• These come with adorable cute prints to keep us entertained and calm even in difficult situations :p
• It comes in 2 key parts.
  • Outer Shell
  • Insert

The  Shell is made of 4 layers of cotton and insert is made of 6 layers of cotton Flannel and a one layer of hemp terry!! So totally 11 layers (including hemp) in the wet zone but, yet will look very trim!

• Adjustable Rise settings for small, medium and large.
• For a better fit around the waist it has a cross-over tab.
  

  

  

  

Promises of the Totscarters:

• Shell is made of 4 layers of cotton and insert is made of 6 layers of cotton Flannel and a one layer of hemp terry!! So totally 11 layers (including hemp) in the wet zone but, yet will look very trim!
• It will last for 4 hours.
• Totscart has come up Tongue style insert for easy use and high absorbency. It is made of 5 layers of cotton flannel and 2 layers of hemp when folded into half. Thus gives a good absorbency. It is topped with stay dry layer. With shell it provides 11 layers of absorbing layer (including two hemp layers). It could last anywhere between 3 hrs to 5 hrs..
• Prints can be customised by pre-ordering.
• Can be used from 3kgs to 20kgs.
• It will be trim.
• A++ for the customer Service.

What I like the most?

• It’s a crowdpleaser and it will win the diaper beauty contest for sure.
• It works like a dream and its adorable where it can be used a daytime fitted.
• It lasts for 3 hours plus for my medium to heavy-wetter daughter
• For my lo its trim in nature
• Dries completely quick.
• Earlier the insert was stiff but with frequent washes its flexible and it stays in place so that the pee gets absorbed without the leakage.
• With no PUL 100% breathable.

Disadvantages!

• For a new mommy the stiff insert is little irritated but with frequent washes it can be adjusted according to our needs.
• Few prints fade out after many washes and that’s how the cotton works which Preethi discloses earlier when doing the purchase.

Price:

      Its nominal for a fitted diaper. 460Rs. Plus shipping

PREPPING & WASH CARE:

            Its asked to wash twice in warm water before its used on the tiny tushies. I usually wash my new diapers alone and line dry them and the third wash will be with the regular laundry as my husband feels it’s a new cloth and it shouldn’t be used with laundry. So my fitted was on baby A after the third wash. The stiffness of the inserts became flexible in my seventh wash. And it worked fine from the sixth wash.

Special Wash Routine:

            The soiled diapers (whether pooped or peed ) will be rinsed once and stored in a open pail and then on the laundry day a prewash followed by a regular wash and 2 rinses extra and then line dry them.

Will I Recommend this Product?

 Totscart handmade fitteds are definitely a workhorse diaper and will stay dry for minimum of 3 hours. It’s a perfect day time fitted. I have seen the mommies with very leaner babies found it difficult to fit these diapers properly so I wouldn’t recommend for them. So my final verdict is I would recommend this diapers for all except the very leaner babies as they find it difficult in the fit. I have 4 fitteds from totscart in my stash and my baby falls on the leaner side.

You can buy them from www.facebook.com/totscart

 

AMS Ratings: 9.5/10.

Disclaimer: Totscart Handmade Fitted diaper was purchased by me. Neither I nor The AlizehmySoul Blog were compensated in any way for this review.

Attitude Or Gratitude -A Simple Note to Honour Parents

As Baby A is reaching her One year mark shortly in this beautiful world I was able to come up with something in regards to the thankless tasks of parenting. The world of Internet today has thousands of resources like Gentle Parenting and thousands of groups around to help during the crisis which would be a normal issue. When as a family we are entering the 1 year milestone we happened to move to a nuclear family from a joint setup. In my marriage life of approximately 1 year 10 months this is little peaky for me as I was lucky enough to be in a joint setup right from the beginning. Both my mom and mother- in-law were near to guide me in all my doings throughout. Now everything is still the same but at a distance. Last night Baby A had a rash kind of thing which made me panic to the core but it wasn’t a rash luckily [Al hamdulilah]. The moment I saw that my hands went out to reach the phone to call my mom! As it was late hours down there in india I just refrained myself from calling her. Parenting is too hard you see!! Later Baby A was put to sleep and this thought was going on and on back in my mind all day ! Will Baby A thank me for the stuffs I do? Will she think in the future about me even when she is grown up? Then my mind voice interrupted and exclaimed! Hold-On, Have you ever thanked your mom who never whined to keep your bum off the icky poops even those days when the trendy diapers or easy to go disposable pants were not widely available? When your mom braided your knee-length hair?(which you don’t have now). Have you ever thanked her for the designer and stylist avatars she took over, looking at your beautiful old time photos? Ever thanked your dad? When he carried you on his shoulders during the knee level flood times only because your shoes and uniform shouldn’t get up messed up? The real baahubali who comes to rescue with no CGs and imaginary illogics?  When he made your shoes shine? When he taught you how to ride a bike? When your parents made a wonderful decision to lead a life as you wished? When they gave you permission to work the way you wanted? When Baby A was about to enter the world, I was able to see my mom and dad in tears, which reflected their concern about their two new babies, the divine process of labour was going to gift them then. Outwardly “ONE” to come back safe as “TWO” was their only chants !! That’s parenthood. A “NO-THANKS” from us is not going to make their life less prosperous or miserable nor do they expect favours in return. They live a selfless life simply to take us to heights.

After so much of conflicts and confusions within me I came to a conclusion where I should put together a few basic steps to honour our parents. A gist which is feasible and combination of what I have done in the past and what I am planning to in the future is what this blog is all about!

1.SPENDING TIME WITH THEM

                A Best gift a person can give to his/her parents is by spending a quality time with them. Explain them how special they are to you. Call them regularly and speak to them, discuss with them the daily happenings. In this modern era, with advanced technologies we can do this from any corner of the world. Only because of this I lead a homesick free life. Thanks to the technology.. I learnt this from my mom and dad in their own ways.  My nanima (whom I used to address as “AMMA”) passed away on her early 80’s which is three years back. During her last days my mom made it a point to go meet her literally everyday after her hectic office hours and spend time with her as much as possible and made us to follow the same too. This was her way of expressing her love towards her mom. My dad cared his mother-in-law the same way as he cared his mom and that nature of his I adore a lot even now. The same was done with my dhadhima(paternal granny) too with no compromises.

2.Never ever feel shy to say those powerful words “I Love you”

                Let your parents know how much they mean to you in your life. I really adore my parents for the efforts they have taken to make us reach a solid position in our life. My husband moved out of the country for the first time leaving behind his family. His journey was approximately 26 long hours and during which my father in law had sent an “I love you” message to his son. When I heard that from my husband I teased him but later realised what was wrong in it? Why should I tease the bonding they have? Have I ever said those powerful words to my parents? My answer was a big No. Took my phone and typed those three words in my mobile and quickly hit the send button to my parents. I felt very happy to identify the energy their voices had later when I called them. Those three words are really powerful that they make the ones who hear them really joyful.

3.Handwritten Letter

                In this modern era we forget the power of handwritten letters. We sit in front of a computer or a mobile type what we feel and send them but preparing a handwritten note is way too special when compared to the email note! This I understood when I saw my mom cherished when she looks at our old handwritten messages to her. She is keeping them as a treasure. So I feel it is one of the beautiful ways to honour our parents.

4.Live Out THEIR Values

                Each person will have his or her own unique principle. If it is good we should try to follow them. Live out their values if they have a unique character which is good in nature. This thought provoked me looking at my nanima (amma’s) behaviour. I was privileged to be near her during the last phase of farewell from this earth. At that particular moment the words she told me still keeps on ringing my ears. Even in severe pain she asked me to thank each and every person who took care of her in the hospital starting from the sweeper to the Doctor who attended her. My  mom still follows that very principle from my amma and I hope so I’ll  follow the values as well, which my mom and dad follow till date. Of course a little appreciation to others is not going to let us down rather it is up someone’s day for sure. Why not we be the reason??

5.Name Something in their Memory

                Parents give us life with the Almighty’s grace. They struggle hard to make us reach a position, help us in gaining knowledge. In return we should do something to the society which will leave a good impression on our parents. A simple deed like building a water tank, or constructing a sun shade or helping the poor and needy in all possible ways will do the job! When this task has been done, prayers and blessings will reach the person and that definitely becomes a vicious cycle. My mother gives scholarship to a student in the remembrance of her mother and I have made been inspired to do something similar to honour my parents.

6.Seek Advice for the Stuff you do

                While thinking to do a particular task, make sure you involve your parents in the discussion. When you involve them they would be really happy to know that they are still being the same significant person who plays a special role in your life.

                These are the few ways I do to honour my parents. Please do share with us (Baby A and Mom of BabyA) what are the steps you take to honour your parents?? Come let us spread the joy and make this world a better place to live in!!