One of the better ones I have come across is the one located at The Curve. It is a cozy place which is located on 1st floor, just beside Mothercare. I like the fact that it is done up with the mother’s expectations in mind.

Across the room is where the security guard is, who is always on the look-out for people who should not be entering the room.

In the room, there is a changing table which is from the Ikea range of furniture. However, the changing mat needs to be changed – think it is a little worn out now.

There is a bin inside with a lid to ward off any smell from the diapers. The wash basin in clean and there is also ample space for you to park your strollers.

In the room there are 2 cubicles with curtains drawn for the privacy of breastfeeding mothers with their precious bundle. The seat inside these cubicles are quite decent. However, the management may want to think about putting another seat inside for the older child who follows the mother in. Otherwise, the mother will be distracted with a tired and restless kid.

The cubicle also has a table for mothers to put their relevant things, but also good for mothers who pump their milk. I sometimes do that and I appreciate the table very much. However, only one of the cubicle has a plug point. And so, you have to choose the cubicle to cater to your electronic pump.

Of all, the best thing is that the set-up of the room gives the mother a sense of isolation from all the hustle and bustle of the shoppers. Perfect for that special bonding moment with the baby.

While we always believe that all mothers should know how to breastfeed their young, it is actually not true and many times, breastfeeding fails because mothers are not properly informed.

This is where Gina and her talk will come in as it covers topics like …

I attended this session to relate my breastfeeding experience with my 2 kids and despite thinking that I am a veteran in this area, I still learnt a thing or two from her, like how our breast milk is different between the breasts or how the breast is likened to a factory and all its different parts!

My take on this – Definitely must go for all parents, whether you are first time or not!

Breast is best, and we all need all the help we can get on this!

In one of my many visits to Toys r Us, I stumbled upon this brand of breastmilk storage bags from The First Years.

The key thing that attracted me to this product was its zipper seal. I was using another brand of milk storage bags which required the use of clips and I simply hated it. If you estimate wrongly, you could end up with milk all over your hands when you clip it. However, with this zipper seal, you will not have this problem.

The material used here is also thicker, giving the impression that it is more solid and you will not fear it softening when you immerse it into hot water to prepare for feeding.

It is also easy to grip and the pour spout ensures that the milk will not be all over the bag when you tilt it over, hence less cleaning time! Yay! How great is that?

I have found this product in Toys r Us retailing for RM49.90. Each pack comes in 25 pcs of sterilised bags. You can just open and use it, no problems.

The other day I went to The First Few Years in The Curve, and they were selling it for RM47.90, some more members get 10% discount. *Sob* *sob*

One of the perils of a breastfeeding mum is having sore nipples. I should know, I had tonnes of this when I was breast feeding my first child. It was even worse when he was sick, or when he was having a fit for tantrums. It was really painful.

At first I thought it was due to my baby’s position in nursing, but then I was told that sometimes, even if you get the position right, you can still feel sore especially if the baby (like mine) has an unusual temper.

The pain was so bad, it made me think if I should continue. All this ended when i stumbled upon Medela Purelan Nipple Cream.

It is just so wonderful, you only need a little and you apply it straight to the nipple. No need to rinse off. It is made of 100 % ultra-pure natural lanolin and therefore has less chance of any allergic reaction. What’s more, in my experience, I only need to apply it in the morning and by afternoon, it is all fine and ready for baby again!

Hope that this product will help mothers out there who have problems like mine. It comes in 2 sizes – 7g and 37g. I bought the 37g one for a little less than RM50. Available in most baby stores which carries the Medela brand. Also available in Toys R Us, although you have to ask the staff about it if you do not find it. The KLCC branch stores this near the cashier because it disappears whenever left on the normal shelves!!

If you are like me, a breastfeeding mum, then you will know that expressing our precious gold liquid is not easy, especially if you are working. With my older kid, I was at a lost as to what type of breastpumps to buy and what brand and where etc. In the end, I settled for a single electric Medela pump. After 2 years, it is still in good condition and it has been invaluable in helping me provide nutrition to my child.

This time round, I figured, it is better to just get a double breast pump since I am likely to feed past my baby’s first year. Time was the main consideration. The double pump will shorten each of my session considerably.

I went out to shop around for the best deal and bought the Medela Pump in Style. I think they no longer are producing it and have since been replaced with the Medela Pump in Style Advanced. This is an enhanced model, emphasising its 2-phase expression system which imitates the baby’s natural sucking rhythm. This was developed with research on observing how the baby suckles.

The model I have do not have this feature but has a manual knob for me to adjust the frequency and the vacumn suction strength, much like how a baby would suckle too. What I like about this (and my current) model is that it comes with a nice black bag whick packs 4 bottles, 2 pumps and a contoured cooling element for the cooler. It is so convenient and discreet. And I love the fact that the cooling element lasts 12 hours, so I do not have to worry about where to store my milk to preserve its freshness.

2 things that I do not quite like are the pump’s valves and membranes. The valves are quite difficult to clean and the membranes are easily torn because it is so thin. One way around that is to really have the soap run through the valves and have spare membranes in hand in case you tear them when washing.

I bought my model for a little over RM1,000 and I think the current model is selling for about RM1,600, but please check the stores near to you for the latest price. Certain shops sometimes carry offers and some have discounts if you are a member. But I personally think the investment is worth it, considering the kind of money you pay for a small can of infant milk powder is something like RM50 and they go through 3-4 cans every month!

So, if you are thinking of breastfeeding but not sure what to buy, go check this out. Or, you can be like me, already tried single pump and want something faster, go see this too. Available in most kiddies stores.