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Touch Therapy – Baby Massage

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At least once in our life we have all experienced the magic of touch. Touch in the form of that one single pat in the back that congratulates your for doing good job; when a friend holds your hand after crying out all your troubles assures you that she’s always there for you – the magic of touch.

 

Chloe and I along with other Mum’s from the Breastfeeding Q&A UAE group won a complimentary baby massage course from The International Association of Infant Massage and Infant Massage U.S.A. with Nurse Midwife and Trained Instructor Sahar at Loving Care.

 

Everyday life can be so stressful. We may sigh and say “I need a good massage.” It’s not only us adults who feel stress but our young ones as well specially our babies who’s only way to communicate with us is with a cry; oh how frustrating can it be when no one seems to understand what you need little baby.

 

 

Benefits of Infant Massage:

  • Helps relieves discomfort from gas, colic and constipation
  • Improves Blood Circulation
  • Aids in Digestion
  • Enhanced Development of the Nervous System 
  • Stimulates Neurological Development
  • Increases Alertness/Heightened Awareness
  • Reduces Stress Hormones
  • Improves Immune Function
  • The Release of Oxytocin, the Nurturing Hormone
  • Relaxes and soothes
  • Deepens Bonding
  • Improves communication
  • Contributes to development
  • Empowers
  • Helps baby sleep better
(from International Association of Infant Massage – http://www.iaim.ws/Benefits.html)

 

Comfortably we choose a spot in a circle with our babies and talk about our week (talking to other mom’s somehow re-assures one that you are not alone); Sahar our lovely instructor talks to us the benefits of each massage stroke we are doing, we then get our grapeseed oil carefully rub it between our palms and before we start we look our babies eye-to-eye and ask “Can I give you a massage?” 

 

The course is 4-5 sessions for about one and half an hour each. We have spent 5 wonderful Saturdays with the group and we all have seen how each baby has changed from a fussy one when started to a more calm behaviour with each massage stroke. Chloe and I have a much better bonding after class; we both look forward to 10 am for our massage time before she takes a bath. I tell you she demands one; well she gets all fussy when the clock strikes 10 am but when I ask her “Would you like a massage”  I get a little smile of YES.

I did notice that she gets better sleep after I give her a massage and when I’ve done just every trick I know to calm her down the one thing she needs is a good tummy massage along with her favorite song with it – skid a ma rink a dink.

***

 

Loving Care:  is a comprehensive program to empower women with knowledge, tools, and experience to connect with themselves and their baby, as they become centered themselves. These are done through consultation
and programs we offer. Loving Care prenatal and breastfeeding sessions, postnatal home visits and lactation consultation/breastfeeding support, and Baby massage classes. These can be done in private or as a group.
Lovingcare@inspiratus.us 

 

Sahar Alhusseini is a U.S. Certified Nurse Midwife and lactation consultant with experience in women’s health,
childbirth, lactation consulting and infant massage. As Loving Care’s resident prenatal and postnatal health
practitioner, she provides education, and support in many different areas of women and baby’s health including
breastfeeding and baby massage. Sahar holds a Masters of Science in Nursing from University of Illinois Chicago
and a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Johns Hopkins University, USA.

 

 

Just like daddy

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very happy with his medals (team and individual)

Most kids living in UAE get stuck playing indoors with all the gadgets available to them, that’s why we encourage V to do some extra activities. We first enrolled him to take karate lessons but he didn’t enjoyed it and beg us to stop. C found out about the Filipino Youth Basketball League from the referee of their game, we asked V if he wants to play basketball with a happy face he replied

“I want to play basketball like my Daddy.” 

He just finished his 2nd season of basketball league and he has improved a lot from the 1st season. Every Saturday he looks forward to spending time with Daddy – both of them head off after breakfast to his league and his Dad patiently waits for 2 hrs.

While eating they talk about basketball moves and spend quality time browsing shoes (I hope he doesn’t collect shoes like his dad)

Parents cheered for the final game V’s team the Falcons led on the first quarter but Might Tigers worked hard and won 1st place.

He’s so happy with his two medals: Silver for Team and Most Improved Player.

He approached us in the bench very happy

“Look Mama! I have medals Just like daddy!“

Ampalaya Salad

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I’ve been slowly introducing V to eating raw vegetables this month, I guess it has been my fault that he’s not gotten to like eating more fruits in vegetables since we have been so forgiving of him when he refuse to eat them. We have reinforce the rule of having 1 bite of each food prepared during meal time, explaining to him that he will never know if the dish taste good if he never try and eating vegetables will make him stronger.

As a kid my cousins use to put all their veggie share on my plate and bully me to finishing all of them or else I’m not allowed to leave the dining table, thanks to our Manang’s who would only require me to finish a spoonful of my veggie share. Sadly I was not a big vegetable eater as a kid but I did eat a lot of fruits, it was not till my teens that I enjoyed eating them.

One of the vegetables that I refuse to eat is Ampalaya (Bitter Melon), and when I was force to have them my secret would be to drink a cup of water and swallow this bitter veggie without taking any bite. Our Manang Juliet prepares ampalaya with almost no sign/taste of it’s bitterness, she would always tell us “Ay naku tikman nyo yung ampalaya ko di mapait yan!” (Taste my ampalaya dish it’s not bitter) and she was right, that’s the time that I learned to enjoy eating ampalaya.

Whenever we visit our Lola Kaye in Pagsanjan, our Manang J always serve us this fresh salad and which she usually paired with fried Tilapia or Crispy Pata.

Ampalaya Salad

Ampalaya Salad

1 medium Ampalaya, sliced thinly
1 small Carrots, julliened
1 small Onion, sliced thinly
2 tbsp Vinegar
1 tbsp Sugar
Salt & Pepper

Procedure:

Soak Ampalaya in ice cold water for 30 minutes, this is our Manang J’s secret to remove most of its’ bitter taste.

Dissolve sugar in vinegar add salt and pepper. Add more sugar if you want it sweeter.

Toss Ampalaya, Carrots, and Onion with Vinegar mixture. Serve immediately.

Starting a Christmas tradition – Advent Calendar

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Growing up my family’s Christmas countdown starts on the first Simbang Gabi. Santa Claus was not a biggie for us we had our very own gift giver which was our parents, godParents, Aunts and Uncles. The highlight for us would be the Noche Buena , opening of gifts when the clock strikes 12 midnight and finally getting our Christmas money from our GrandParents.

 

Having a family of my own, I want to have a tradition for Christmas specially for the kids. Something that they will remember when they have kids of their own.

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Christmas 2010. We should really have one this year with Chloe.

 

My eldest V believes in Santa Claus, we didn’t really introduce him I guess he got it from his friends in school. When we put the Christmas tree up he has been bugging us when will Santa Claus visit.

He’s a big boy now, asking us to take a picture of him doing something silly or funny.

 

This year I showed Daddy C several ideas for Christmas and we both love the idea of having an Advent Calendar. Of course C let me decide what kind of calendar we’ll use as well as crafting them. I managed to create a stocking from colored papers and made us of old gift wrappers to design them.

After all the crafting Dad took charge in hanging them in a string and up on the wall, high up where V would require our help to reach one.
 We are on the 3rd day and he has been looking forward to getting the message which just brightens his morning.
What Christmas traditions did you have as a child?
Have you created a new one for your own family?

Chloe Isabelle – 5 months

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Look see! Lil’ miss turned 5 months and we didn’t have any cake to celebrate. I promise to make one for her 6th month when she starts solid food.

 

 

V is having more fun with her sister now that he is getting a reaction when he does something. Chloe likes her brother so much that she laughs at all the silly things V does. We are collecting points as who make her laugh the most and V is a sure winner.

 

Dad put up her playpen where she stays in the morning while I do some chores, sometimes I find her asleep with one toy in each hand. Yes she tends to grab everything she can reach and puts it in her mouth, which also means I can no longer wear earrings I almost lost one at the mall.

She is demanding more attention from us entering 5 months. Protests when her dad holds the ipad or phone while carrying her. When she wakes up in her cot oh dear she hysterically cries and would refuse to go back in to sleep that’s why most nights all 4 of us sleep in the bed.

And while everyone says she looks more like me, I see a lot of similarities between her and Dad. Excited to start her with solid food next month 🙂