Fever, chills and soar throat. That’s how my week went. Three days of fever and thought it was flu. My soar throat hurts and I thought it was phlegm. Turns out it was Tonsillitis.

Tonsillitis (also pharyngotonsillitis or tonsillopharyngitis) is an inflammation of the tonsils most commonly caused by viral or bacterial infection. It is a type of pharyngitis. Symptoms of tonsillitis include sore throat and fever. While no treatment has been found to shorten the duration of viral tonsillitis, bacterial causes may be treatable with antibiotics. (wikipedia)

Ewe.. and I hate it most that I can’t drink coffee or eat sweets. ugh ugh ugh.

On my third day of fever and chills, I went to the hospital and just as I suspected, Tonsillitis indeed. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic but also advice some Home Remedies For Tonsillitis:

• Gargle with mouthwash two times a day. One in the morning and one in the evening.
• In between gargle with hot water and salt solution (a glass of tolerable hot water and 1 teaspoon rock salt). Do this at least 6 times a day, each gargle should be at least 10 seconds,
• Drink plenty of water.
• Avoid salty, chili, sweet and sour dishes.
• Drinking honey with a teaspoon of lemon juice will soothe the throat.
• Avoid soda and coffee, stick to water as much as possible.

Now, with the cares above plus the antibiotic, I am having coffee again! (I know.. but.. coffee is… love)

“WOW! CORNED BEEF!”, exclaimed my 5 year old boy. You can see the delight in his face, oh well, his excitement is obvious in his tone. Corned beef is his favorite meal. If I want him to wake up, I just cook corned beef. The smell of it is very appetizing to him and the redness of the meal is very appealing to him. He liked it on egg, as omelet. He liked it with onions and he even like it on bread. Mico, my second born child is a corned beef kid.

Kayil , my first born son, likes shrimp. He can do shrimp everyday. I am just glad that my seafoods intolerance was not passed down to him. He loves shrimp in sinigang, saute with garlic and chili or plain buttered shrimp. He got it from his dad who’s stable food is seafoods and beef. Other than shrimp he also like crab. And again, I am glad that he does not share the same food intolerance with me.

Corned beef and shrimp, what a great combination (that’s sarcasm there). And both are not cheap, I tell you. Mico only likes one brand of corned beef (yep the most expensive local brand) and we also like it as much (that’s triple the cost). Shrimp can cost 500 PhP or more per kilograms and Kayil can finish 1/4 kg in one sitting. And if I want them to eat a lot of rice everyday, this is what I should prepare everyday. That is not budget friendly.

Finances aside, I don’t think these foods are providing enough nutrients for my kids. Can you just imagine, corned beef and shrimp. Both may have some nutrients, but I know it’s not just enough. In fact,my first born son is on the lower line in terms of height and weight. I think we need to focus more on his calorie intakes and calcium intake.

How about you mommies? What are the favorite meals of your kids?

Breastfeeding and Pumping, these are two things that does not work well with me. I cannot pump well. Or maybe the pumping device I used was a cheap one (hehe). I have high regards to working mothers who still breastfeed their babies (shout out to Nicquee!). I tried pumping before and it really takes a lot of effort and not to mention frustrations. I tried it with my first born. We were to shop some Christmas presents and he was barely 2 months then. I tried pumping and the most I got was 1 ounce of milk. I’m luckier with my second born, milk supply was better then. As with my third born, he’s lucky, I never leave him even if we look for a case of my ipod nano, he’s with us (thank goodness for slings!). Now with Sati, there are times that my milk supply are good but there are times when it’s not. So during her first 6 months, she’s my plus one in every events I attend (err plus 2 for the helper).

As I read about Breastfeeding and Pumping, I learned that the key to success is still the mom’s willingness to feed the baby with her milk. It’s not easy as most books will say but if the mother is determined to do it, nothing can stop them. And of course, proper knowledge can really help in making it a success. Just before you give birth, research about pumping devices. This will be your partner in this business. There are two types of pumps, manual and electric. Obviously, electric pump is way better than manual pumps but it is more expensive too. Look for a pump that won’t break your budget but can be a good one for you. Also, ask around, you might be surprised that there are moms who are willing to sell their pumps.

When to start pumping breast milk?

Start pumping week ahead of your maternity leave. Let your breast get used to it. Save the milk and freeze it. This will save you in the future as you’ll never know how much stress going back to work (while breastfeeding will bring you or its effect on your milk supply). From time to time, let the baby feed on the bottle with your milk. Let the baby get used to feeding bottles.

Getting back to work while Breastfeeding and Pumping

There are breastfeeding products available that lets you pump hands free. isn’t that amazing? Breastfeeding blouses are also everywhere to make it more discreet for you. And if it’s up on your alley, rally some of the moms in your office and ask for a breastfeeding section.

Tip:
To make it easy for you, drink a lot of liquids that can increase your supply, in my case, it’s Orange juice with pulp and choco drink 🙂