Chasin My Bilirubin Blues away

Baby Arielle has jaundice, something common in 90% of all babies. Jaundice is caused by too much bilirubin in blood as her liver is not well formed enough to break down bilirubin.

Poor baby Arielle has to be on phototherapy to get rid of the bilirubin. We were sad initially to see her cry so badly when she first received the treatment. She has to receive the phototherapy for a total of 8-12 hrs in a 24hr period.

Thankfully she is having the treatment at home and we can still cuddle, feed and comfort her.

She will get well soon!

Baby's 2nd day

We are tired but happy! Last night both of us woke up here and there to feed, clean and cuddle baby each time she cried. It was very tiring but we are so privileged and happy to have this life given by God to nurture and manage.

Cleaning poo though tiring is also God telling us that baby is growing and absorbing the food that she needs. :)

Baby is here!!!

Our precious little baby is here, finally! The contractions started slowly on Thursday noon, Feb 12th, intensified on Feb 14th morning but slowed down (tricking us to think she might come on Valentine's day) and she was born on Feb 15th, 1234am!

She weighs a whopping 3.295kg and this is a miracle to us considering we were worried earlier that we might have to induce the birth at 34 weeks as baby's tummy did not seem to be growing.

It was a helpless and emotionally painful experience to see Serene go though the labour pains and all I could do was to encourage her, pray for her and hold her. Despite this, the pain did not seem to subside. I think she is a very brave lady, determined and strong! I was also worried that I might freak out and faint to see all the blood. Amazing thing is when I first saw baby's hair, something within me took over, perhaps the paternal instinct, and it was just beautiful and amazing to see baby slowly coming out. It was a great experience for Serene and myself and the labour and delivery bonded us even closer.

We are so excited and happy being parents, cuddling baby, meeting her needs and thanking God each moment that she is growing and healthy.

Above are some pics to share our joy with all of you dear friends.

Dogs and Babies

After all the bad press about Dogs and Babies, I thought I should step up my research on this topic. The case of the baby who was mauled to death by grandma's dogs would worry any dog-owning parent-to-be, but any vigilant caregiver should never leave an infant unsupervised with pet dogs, particularly if one of them happens to be a bull terrier! I read a number of reports on this and came to 3 conclusions:

• The neighbours said there was no blood on the Jack Russell, but they couldn't tell with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier because it was black. As a Jack Russell fan, I would naturally assume (along with the rest of the world) that the chief aggressor was the bull terrier and the Jack Russell may have joined in the attack out of pack instinct.
• The unfortunate grandmother left the baby downstairs in a basket, while she went upstairs for a nap. Babies should never be left unsupervised and within the reach of pets, no matter how tame or placid they may be.
• Grandmothers tend not be be dominant and assertive doggy pack leaders, and it is possible that the dogs considered the baby an attention-grabbing nuisance visitor, instead of an Alpha Puppy - the Offspring of the Alpha Dog - and thus treated it accordingly.

Whatever the case, my heart goes out to the family which lost 3 loved ones in an instant - their baby and 2 dogs - and it will be a reminder to always be vigilant when you have a baby in your care.

I spent the day doing more research about introducing your dog to your new baby. I know of lots of babies who grew up with dogs and I know it's up to Panliang and I to set the tone of how our expanding family interacts!

INTRODUCING YOUR FURRY BABY TO YOUR NEW, NON-FURRY BABY

Part One: Pre-Baby

1) Make sure your dog is obedience trained and responding well to your verbal commands. If your dog has had some obedience training, take the time now to practice and reinforce those commands. It will give you peace of mind knowing that when you say "sit," "down," "stay," or "off" your dog will do it. Also, having your dog walking at heel when you're pushing that stroller can be invaluable.
– Done!

2) Begin to reduce the amount of attention you give your dog. It will be difficult for your dog to accept the baby when he associates it with not getting as much attention.
– Done! Darcy now gets 2 walks a day… instead of 4 at the height of our madness.

3) If you don't want your dog in the newly appointed "nursery", it's time to start prohibiting his access. If he ceases to see that room as his territory, he won't be as put out by being "put out".
– Done! Darcy’s bed has been surreptitiously moved from in front of our bed to next to the bedroom the door. He's even taken the initiative to move out and sometimes sleeps in the living room!

4) Expose your dog, in a controlled manner (on leash), to as many babies as possible. Babies look, smell, sound and move differently from big humans. Do this in a positive manner; offer treats, toys petting or anything the dog enjoys when it is near a baby.
– Done! So far his reactions have been either positive (displaying interest, sniffing) or indifferent.

5) Play recordings of a baby crying, and other various noises that little ones tend to make, like the ones found HERE. By playing these for a little while every day, not only will your dog get used to the sounds and start to take them for granted, but so will you. Crying at the volume a baby can wail at can be distressing for a dog who's never heard it before. Start at a low volume, then gradually increase it to a normal level.
– Done! I think the constant looping of mp3s of crying babies on iTunes is bothering ME more than it bothers Darcy!

6) Set up the nursery, cot, baby stuff, etc. Dogs need to see and smell what this room will be like. Encourage them to explore. Do some training in this room. Just the basics (sit, down, stay) and reward well.
– Done!

7) Sprinkle baby powder and lotions around the house to help your dog get used to the new smells.
– Work in progress… I’m going to start using Johnsons Baby Bath shower gel!

8) Ask new mothers to give you dirty diapers on occasion. Have these in the diaper pail so your dog gets used to what this new scent is all about.
– No. There are limits to the lengths I would go to!

9) Purchase or borrow a life-like baby doll. Carry it around in ways a baby will be carried (arms, carrier, carriage, stroller, etc.) Talk to the doll, pretend to be changing diapers, sit on the couch or in a rocker and sing. You are presenting a visual picture to your dog. Better to get them used to what you will look like with a doll, than for the first time with your baby. Let you dog sniff and investigate, and reward all good/calm behavior well. This will also enable you to become accustomed to holding the baby and having the dog nearby as well.
- Cuddling and singing to a doll is just 变态 bian tai!!


Part Two: At Time of Delivery

1) Take a baby blanket in a plastic bag to the hospital. Remove the cloth and wrap the baby in it to transfer the baby's scent. After the visit, put the blanket back in the plastic bag to keep the scent from contamination. At home, remove the blanket and put it down for your dog to investigate. Feed treats while the dog investigates - this will be your dog's olfactory introduction to the baby.

2) Bring home dirty diapers when available and put them in the diaper pail.

Part Three: Homecoming

Someone else should hold the baby, and the mother should go in first and have a joyous reunion with the dog. If the mother is holding the baby, she is likely to instinctively pull away, giving a negative message. The dog may also associate her absence with the bundle she is carrying and resent it. After a full and heartfelt greeting is the time for the infant to be brought in. If your dog has been socialized with children and you have been successfully doing the pre-baby program, when the baby comes home, allow your dog to sniff. Keeping your dog away will only increase his inquisitiveness and can sometimes build undesirable behavior due to not being able to see what is so special to you.


Part Four: Life with your furry and non-furry babies

Make sure your dog gets positive attention from each household member each day (brushing, grooming, play, walks, etc.). When visitors come to see the baby, have them meet and acknowledge the dog first. Do not change the routine that has already been in place. Let the dog see his status is not diminished.

Positive reinforcement is the only thing that will work with a dog, with reliable results. Punishing a dog is the worst thing to do; smacking a dog will incite biting, and it will also cause your dog to resent your child's presence. (ie: "when she's around, I get in trouble"). Start to reward your dog every time he and the baby are together. He needs to associate the child with GOOD things. Once you've returned home with your new baby, yes, your dog may still feel a little jealous. It's perfectly natural to feel a little left out when there's a new arrival, but you can easily reassure your dog that he hasn't been displaced in your affections.

Make it a habit to play with your dog too, even when the baby is around. Pet him while you are feeding the baby, or while the baby is looking around the floor on a blanket. Be careful not to push your dog away when his curiosity gets the better of him and he comes to sniff your new bundle. Ignoring him while the baby is loose will create problems as your dog starts to associate the baby's presence with his neglect.

Never ever punish a dog for growling, all it does is teach the dog not to warn before biting. Remember, growling is NOT bad. It's the only way your dog has of warning your child that she's too close or telling you that he's had enough and needs time away.

* Hold the baby, reward the dog.
* Feed the baby, feed the dog.
* Change the baby, reward the dog.

If your dog is rewarded every time he comes near the baby and sits nicely to sniff, it will not be long before the baby becomes the dog's favourite person next to you.

Some days you feel like you just don't have the energy to play with your dog in addition to caring for your new baby, but the extra effort will be worth it as your human child and your dog grow to be inseparable companions in the years ahead.

Even after you are sure they have accepted the baby, remember that dogs should never be left unattended with children, even for short periods of time.

References:

http://www.dogobediencegroup.com/babyprep.html
http://www.dogmanners.com/Yournew.htm
http://dogs.about.com/cs/childrenanddogs/a/aa112002a.htm