BabyTalk: Picnic at the Park (Funtivities)

the last month of my maternity leave was fruitful.. apart from being able to spend time with the kids, i had fun putting together the column & pictures for Funtivities on BabyTalk's  October 2011 issue.

if you haven't heard about the magazine, i invite you to climb out from under your rock to get a copy of this mag ;p

BabyTalk is a friendly resource to guide and support expecting and new moms manage the challenges of the most life-changing event in their life - motherhood. It offers the right balance of expert advice and real-life stories to inform, encourage and involve mothers stage-by-stage from pregnancy to parenthood.

what i love about the mag is it's written by moms for moms.

i had severe milk shortage last week. was down with high fever, chills & cough & made the wrong move by taking what i thought was a harmless cough mixture off the shelf. previously i could express 6 ounces of milk but it suddenly plunged into a pathetic 1 ounce.
my heart sank everytime i had to take the reserves from the freezer. all 52 ounces gone in just 3 days!

in my desperation, i wrote to babytalk and asked if they knew of any lactation consultants that could help. i wasn't about to give up on breastfeeding leah. i needed someone reliable whom i can consult.
amidst their busy schedule, they made the effort & gave me a whole list of contacts of lactation consultants.

i finally managed to contact one and was amazed by how helpful a total stranger can be to you... i told her my exact predicament and she patiently came out with helpful solutions.
was told that the body wasn't producing milk because the cough mixture i took dries up all the phlegm & at the same time the milk production in the body.

thank you so much joey & gina for your invaluable help!

meanwhile, here are some photos for the column...
do pick up a copy of their Oct issue (available now at major newstands).

 

Parents to Parents: Parenthood Oct 2011

As a little girl, i grew up enjoying documenting the happenings in my daily life, mapping out & penning down my dreams & aspirations.
Diaries and journals were my best friends. And when technology came into play, i was introduced to blogging where i discovered apart from writing, u can plonk photos into your post.
i've been hooked since.

Growing up with rows upon rows of Enid Blyton in our shelves, my childhood ambitions included being a storybook author & journalist.
Well, i'm no where near the above two occupation but i did have a glimpse of it this October.

I had the opportunity to contribute an article in Parenthood recently.
I was on confinement, maternity leave... i treasure spending time with our newborn but being cooped up in the house alone for most part of the day, tending to a little cherub & often their inconsolable cries is no walk at the park... i had to find an outlet to destress and writing was the most therapeutic thing to do at that moment.

Naturally i wrote about the closest thing in my heart, my family.
The desire to have a second child right up to the birth & the roller coaster ride in between... the valuable lesson i've learned throughout the past year.

It's nice to be able to express myself through blogging but seeing it in print is a different experience altogether.
By contributing in the column, i hope to be able to encourage & connect with young mothers out there who may be experiencing a similar transition/season of change.

You can read more on the article in the October issue of Parenthood.
If you have any feedback or comments, do drop me a mail at babylicious.info@gmail.com or drop me a comment below.
Would love to hear from you.

ps: there's also another up & coming parenting publication where i contribute & share fun ideas/things to do with your kids.
am still waiting to get my hands on the latest copy at the newstand this weekend. can't wait! fill you in on the details soon... 
xoxo