What to do in Sabah - PART 1

Hi,

As a Sabahan, a lot of my semenanjung friends will ask this question. Sometimes, I get a bit blur too. (Obviously, I grown up in a boarding life for the past 10 years) My siblings is the most trusted people I will ask since some of them at occasion do drive tourist/family/friends around. They knew good spots too! As I am married to KL man, I always wanted to entertain him and bring him around Sabah, well although he did amazing job in researching/following Sabah famous blog/insta and that makes him more knowledgeable than me. 

Desa Cattle Dairy Farm Kundasang Sabah.

Also known as Sabah own New Zealand land together with the black and white calf. (Lembu NZ)

1) Drive: 

I suggest you guys to have a local driver instead of driving on your own due to the road and loads of big loaded lorry and trucks. It takes roughly 2 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu.

2) Time:

The best is morning drive. So by the time you reach the town of Ranau, you get the chance to see the beautiful Mt Kinabalu. And of course the nice, windy and cold air is a plus!

3) Food:

If you're a big eater then pack your own! I bought Mama Homemade Nasi Lemak all the way up. At Ranau town also have KFC. Don't worry.

4) Fuel: Don't load your tank way to full since you gonna drive up the hill.(Berat nanti).

5) Fee: To enter the farm will cost you RM5(Adult) Free for under 7(Tell them this,Budak belum sekolah)

6) Products: They sell cow milk (plus Chocolate), Goat milk, cheese, yogurt, gelato/ice cream (plus chocolate), waffles, sausages, pizza and other merchandise (T-shirt,fridge magnet and keychain)

7) Activities: You can walk around the farm with a proper walking path. Wear shoes instead of slipper since you gonna dip you shoe in biochemical area to have a clean shoe before entering the barn area. You can feed the goat (RM1.50 per stack of grass) and give milk to the cow (RM1.00 per small bottle). You can watch the milking process too from the viewing room at higher ground (covered area).

Till next post. Hugs!

love,

mommy nfs

The Milk Journey (Breast-feeding, Pumping & Bottle feeding)

Hi all,

Being a new mom is always about milk. I wanna share my first experience on this one! I started my journey at the hospital. Few hours after gave birth, it's time to learn how to feed your hungry baby. Honestly, I am clueless. I did learnt online (YouTube & Blogs) on how to breastfeed. Funny but true. Must learn religiously all this new stuff. 

So on my hospital bed, I struggled for almost an hour or maybe more with the nurse (paed ward). Thank god, PCMC has the best nurses. She stood next to me teaching me how to hold, feed and whatever needed. She's a bit hesitant to leave at first until I really-really get to do on my own. Susah gila I almost cry.

Well, as good things are meant to be difficult to get (I am talking about the Pahala of Breastfeeding), I believe I can do this. All along the confinement period, I still in learning progress. There're stage where I almost give up. I cried and hate how tired to bent down few hours. But, I realised how much hard work my parents did to me too. (Ya Allah, promise my mom heaven)

I am very lucky, as everyone around me support my journey. It's not easy to do it alone. Especially you're lock into the position and not being able to move. (READ : handphone and remote control)

Breast-Feeding

1) It's all about the position. Since, my lil one is a bit small, I only comfortable with Cradle Hold. Side Lying Position only when my lil one is four month (I just discover how to properly did this position)

[TIP] Lay down at one side (left or right but remember to switch), take your baby closer to your boobs. Make sure the baby is turning to your side and always check they can breath. Place a pillow behind your back for support.

2) Tools. Nursing cover and nursing pillow is great to have. 

3) Booster. Daikon (White Radish), Horlicks and Water. Work amazingly!

4) Heated pack to sooth your sore engorged boobies. (I bought Tommy Tippee Brand that can be use as Hot and Cold. Convenient!) 

Breast Milk Pumping

1) Essential item, obviously a pump. Light, easy and handy is a big plus! Invest if you have more but remember more is not always a winner. I bought Dual Lacte and loving except when comes to cleaning and washing.

[TIP] So, what I did was putting all the pump in a big Tupperware and store in the fridge after pumping session. I will wash everything at the end of the day!

3) Ice pack and milk bag. I bought mine from Daiso. It's a food bag (some sort of aluminium look a like on inside of the bag). Very cheap and easy to clean or when you want toss it away.

4) Storage. I store most of them in the storage bag instead of bottle. It use lesser space in the fridge and I don't need to do any washing! (Hahaha, time is super precious when you have a baby).

Bottle Feeding

1) Much needed a bottle that your baby love. I am using Tommy Tippee all the way. I bought the stater pack  (2x5floz, 4x9floz, 2 bottle handles, 1 bottle brush and 1 soother). 

2) Napkin.

3) Baby Formula. (Whatever suit your budget and of course the baby itself!)

Since day 1, my baby already start consuming formula milk. I started with Similac since they gave this at the hospital. I finished my first can (got this free from his paed) and start giving breast milk only. Then as I worried I may not being able to give enough supply to my baby, we try another brand (I forgot. Also got it for free from the paed). My baby also have some poo poo situation problem. He didn't poop for almost a week and this new mother and father is freaked out! We went to the hospital just to make him poo. (God bless us all). On the third or fourth visit, we decided to meet the paed just to make sure everything is okay. Doctor said everything is okay and normal. It always about what the mommy eat if they breastfeed. Well at this point, my baby is kindda 50-50 feeding situation, that is why we are confused. We went out the room with another new can of milk powder (for free again) as a suggestion to ease my baby poop. It's Enfalac Gentlease. 

[TIP] These days, our baby formula is getting finer. Thus, for formula milk preparation I don't use hot water anymore. I just pour room temperature mineral water. Easy peasy! And less hassle to travel. Big YAY!!

(Disclaimer: As advice and suggested by our doctor to us.)

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“The reward of a woman, from the time of pregnancy until birth and breastfeeding, is the same as the reward of one on the path of Allah, and if a woman leaves this world during that time because of the hardship and pains of birth, she has the reward of a martyr.” [Makarim al-Akhlāq, pg. 238]

xx
Mommy nfs