..::Understanding Your Uterus::..

By Teri Brown
Chances are you've already met your uterus in one form or another. Usually, it isn't a pleasant experience. It comes in the form of your period or painful cramps. Most of the time, the only occasion we really pay attention to our uterus is when we are trying to get, or have already gotten, pregnant.

Size of a Uterus
Dr. Deborah Wilson, an OB-GYN in Scottsdale, Arizona, says though the exact size of the uterus varies from woman to woman, it generally falls within a certain range. "The uterus is tiny when a girl is born, not much larger than an adult thumb," says Dr. Wilson. "Women who have never been pregnant generally have smaller uteri than women who have been pregnant. A normal uterus can weigh as little as 30 grams (.06 pounds) and as much as 100 grams (0.22 pounds).

What Is the Uterus Made Of?
According to Dr. Wilson, the uterus is made of smooth muscle lined with glands. The smooth muscle is designed to contract during labor, orgasm, and menstruation. "The glands grow thicker during the month with the stimulation of ovarian hormones and finally shed off during the menstrual cycle if no pregnancy occurs," says Dr. Wilson. "The cervix is the portion of the uterus that extends into the vagina. It is made of fibro-muscular tissue and is designed to dilate in order to allow the baby to exit the uterus."

The Function of the Uterus
Dr. Danne Young-Hawkins from Total Concept Healthcare in Logan, Utah, says the uterus is not only where babies grow, but it has other important roles as well. "It also plays a role in blood flow to the ovaries, support of the vagina, bladder, and rectum and, for some women, can be important for normal sexual function," says Dr. Young. "For instance, some women at risk of premature labor are asked to be careful about intercourse because the contractions of orgasm can trigger contractions. Those contractions can be an important part of a woman's sexual experience when she isn't pregnant as well."
The uterus has a lining that thickens up in response to hormones produced by the ovaries. If pregnancy doesn't occur, then one of the hormones that prepares the lining for a growing baby will also help the lining come off, which results in a period. "When a woman becomes pregnant, blood flow increases to the uterus and the uterus increases in size, continuing to enlarge with the baby," says Dr. Young. "After the baby is born, the uterine muscle fibers start to contract, and over the course of eight to 10 weeks it shrinks back to just a little bigger than it was before she got pregnant."
Think of the uterus as a baby incubator. It expands to accommodate the baby and also works with the placenta to supply the baby with nutrients. When it's time for the baby to be born, the uterus contracts to expel the baby and the placenta. It then shrinks back down and gets ready to start the whole cycle again.

Problems with the Uterus
"One of the most common problems that a woman has with her uterus is excessive bleeding," says Dr. Young. "A lot of women have to use a pad and a tampon every couple of hours lasting for days. For many women, their periods keep them from living a normal life."
Women can have problems with weakness of vaginal tissue, which causes other problems such as bladder leakage, the feeling that something is falling out, pressure in the vagina, and even problems with sex. "Another problem is pelvic pain that can be caused by infection, growths like fibroids or ovarian tumors, diseases like endometriosis, and/or pain from nearby organs like the bowel or bladder," says Dr. Young.
A uterus can also develop hyperplasia, which is the thickening and crowding of the lining cells. According to Dr. Wilson, this can cause heavy or irregular bleeding and generally occurs in women who are in their 40s and 50s. If not treated, hyperplasia can develop into cancer of the uterine lining. This is called endometrial carcinoma and can often be cured if caught early. Cancer of the uterine muscle is called leiomyosarcoma and is a very deadly cancer, although rare.

4 Tips for a Healthy Uterus
Dr. Wilson gives the following tips for keeping your uterus healthy:
  i) Regular physician visits are essential. A pap smear is done to check for abnormal cells on the cervix. An internal exam is done to check for abnormalities of the uterus such as fibroid tumors or cancer of the uterus.
  ii) Report any abnormal bleeding to your doctor. Abnormally heavy or irregular bleeding is often the first sign that a woman is developing fibroid tumors, adenomyosis, or hyperplasia.
 iii) Report any pain to your doctor. Fibroid tumors can affect up to 50 percent of women and, although they are generally benign, can cause serious bleeding and pain. Fibroids can affect women of any age but are most common in the 30s and 40s. We do not know what causes fibroids, but they tend to run in families. If your mother and sisters had fibroids, you are likely to have them also.
   iv) Uterine cancer occurs more frequently in women who are overweight. A low-fat diet and exercise are your best bet in preventing cancer of the uterus.

::KAPASITI PERUT BAYI::

I think the title itself is clear. Rasanya ini yang banyak dipersoal oleh ibu2 tambah2 bagi ibu yang memilih untuk menyusukan anak dengan susu ibu. Antara ayat yang biasa didengar or tanya :

"Susu tak cukup tu, anak lapar, kene campur formula jugak"

"Susu kau tak cukup,kesian anak nangis lapar, tambah nestum bagi dia kenyang"

"Bagi air masak, lepas bagi susu"

Paling sakit hati apabila tengok kaum ibu bagi anak nestum or bubur nasi dalam pantang lagi. Lagi dahsyat, bagi kanji nasi (air taji). Istighfar sebentar. Kenapa jadi mcm ni? Kerana kita, ibu-ibu, kurang exposure and mengikut sahaja. Sebenarnya, kapasiti perut bayi hanya sekecil saiz guli,di awal kelahirannya. Molekul halus susu ibu menjadikannya cepat diserap tubuh bayi, dan menyebabkan bayi cepat lapar lagi. BUKAN sebab susu ibu xmencukupi. Ini dikongsikan molekul2 nya:

Susu Ibu

Susu Segar (cow's milk)

Susu Formula

Untuk pengetahuan anda, air masak, susu formula dan nestum itu terlalu besar saiz molekulnya untuk diserap bayi di awal kelahirannya yan mana secara tidak langsung akan membebankan sistem usus bayi dan buah pinggangnya. Di awal kelahiran susu ibu berfungsi bagi menebalkan lapisan imunisasinya yang mampu menjaga kesihatannya sehingga dewasa. SANGGUPKAH ANDA memberinya air masak dan susu formula yang mampu merosakkan lapisan yang sedang menebal itu?

Credits to :Azatyvitalove & Zura Sweet Sweet.

Rujukan saya:

• http://www.cafemom.com/journals/read/765937/Microscopic_view_of_Formula_Breastmilk_and_Cow_s_Milk
• http://kellymom.com/blog-post/milk-vs-formula-under-the-microscope/

Carrier Brand

My passion with babywearing has never come to an end (yet!). so, hari ni i am so pleased and happy to share brand of carrier that is available. Malaysia pun ada local brand and it's worth buying. boleh 'celen' imported brand tau!

So, this is what I've came out with. Credits goes to all my fellow friends in Babywearing Mamas group in FB..

Brand	Website
LOCAL BRAND
Jumpsac	www.jumpsacbaby.com www.facebook.com/jumpsac  jumpsac.blogspot.com
Snuggbaby	www.snuggbaby.com
Neezaneedles	http://www.facebook.com/neezaneedles
Big Eyes Shop	http://bigeyesshop.blogspot.com/  http://www.facebook.com/BIGEYESBABY
Baby Vibes	http://www.facebook.com/pages/Baby-VIBES/109173545836745
ABROAD BRAND
Kinderpacks	www.kindercarry.com
Madame Googoo	http://www.facebook.com/pages/Madame-Googoo-baby-carriers/145687608816099
Olive And Applesauce	www.olivesandapplesauce.com
Beetlebums	beetlebums.com.au http://www.facebook.com/beetlebums  beetlebums.blogspot.com
Pognae	www.pognaeusa.com
Ergo	store.ergobaby.com
Boba	www.bobafamily.com
Beco	www.becobabycarrier.com
Manduca	www.manduca-baby-carrier.eu  www.manduca.com.au  www.manduca.de/en.home.html
Maddimoo	www.maddimoo.com.au  http://www.facebook.com/maddimoocarriers
Ocah	http://ocah.bigcartel.com/  http://www.facebook.com/ocahbaby  http://www.ocah.co.uk/
Two Momma Design	http://www.twomommasdesigns.com/, http://www.facebook.com/twomommasdesigns
Bamberoo	http://www.bamberoobaby.com/  http://www.facebook.com/Bamberoo http://www.bamberoo.hu/solarveilen
Dream Carrier	http://www.facebook.com/DreamCarrierThreads http://dreamcarriersllc.wordpress.com/
Babies Beyond Borders	www.babiesbeyondborders.com
Tula	http://www.babytula.com/  http://www.tulababycarriers.com/
Babies In Space	http://www.facebook.com/pages/Babies-In-Space/288185636571  http://www.babiesinspace.com/carrier-design.html
Obimama- Obi Wcmt/Wchb Only / Mei Tai Hth / Feather Weight Mt(Fwmt)	http://www.obimama.com/  http://www.facebook.com/pages/ObiMama/114682561887532
Belloborn	http://www.belloborn.com.au/  http://www.facebook.com/bbd2454 http://belloborn.blogspot.com/)
Melkaj	http://melkaj.blogspot.com/  http://www.melkaj.com/  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melkajcom/145223912177981
Action Baby Carrier	http://www.actionbabycarriers.com/ http://www.actionbabycarriers.co.uk/ http://www.facebook.com/ActionBabyCarriers
Ehmio	http://www.facebook.com/EhmioDesigns
Pikkolo	http://catbirdbaby.com/)

 

Bagaimana Susu Ibu Terhasil

Saya adalah ibu yang masih menyusukan anak saya yang kini berumur 21 bulan, alhamdulillah kepada rezeki yang diberi Allah. Kadang2, ada orang tnya dan ingin berkongsi apa yang saya buat untuk mendapat stok susu untuk my boy. Alhamdulillah, saya TIDAK pernah mengambil mana2 supplement kerana saya percaya pada R.E.A.L.F.O.O.D. With a lil knowledge in chemistry (for my undergrad), half-way done of food science (for master, sigh! bad of me) and I keep digging for more knowledge about food; I have made a conclusion tht processed food, no matter how many percentage they claimed to be REALFOOD, isn't a real food. Karang ada jugak yang mintak dalil or kajian, jenuh cheq. Tapi itu hakikat, perhaps I could include those articles next. Harap2 ada lagi simpanan my citation and articles that I referred dulu.

Macam mana nak sustain our Expressed BreastMilk (EBM) stock?. Ini yang mampu saya kongsikan :

1. Susukan bayi dengan kerap

2. Susukan bayi pada waktu malam

3. Pam susu ibu selepas menyusukan bayi sekiranya masih ada susu

4. Jangan beri bayi menghisap puting tiruan

5. Jika ibu bekerja, beri penyusuan secara terus dari payudara sebelum ke tempat kerja dan lakukan sedemikian sebaik kembali ke rumah

6. Semasa menyusukan bayi pada satu payudara, gunakan pam bagi memerah payudara di sebelah satu lagi untuk membuat stok bekalan susu

7. Perah susu di tempat kerja

8. Susukan bayi secara terus dari payudara pada waktu tidak bekerja

9. Ibu perlu mendapatkan makanan dan minuman berkhasiat serta rehat yang mencukupi

10. Niatkan keazaman dalam hati untuk meneruskan penyusuan bayi. Ingat, kita yang control badan kita. How? By giving the exact signal that we wanted.

11. Banyakkan minum air kosong/suam

Anatomi badan kita, menerima signal yang dihantar oleh otak. Apabila bayi dilahirkan, sentuhan skin-to-skin ibu dan bayi amatlah penting. Penyusuan susu ibu pada jam terawal menjadi perangsang untuk penghasilan susu seterusnya. Tanamkan dalam hati, sejak bayi dlm kandungan lagi, bahawa SAYA INGIN MENYUSUKAN ANAK SAYA. InsyaAllah, dengan rezeki yang ditentukan dari Allah beserta usaha ikhtiar, kita mampu melakukannya. SUPERMOM WE ARE!!

Apabila bayi dilahirkan, secara automatik, badan kita akan mengalami proses perubahan hormon (berbanding ketika mengandung). Jadi, apabila kita menyusukan bayi kita secara aktif, kilang susu akan mengeluarkan signal bahawa susu perlu dihasilkan. Signal akan terus dihantar ke otak seterusnya disalurkan kepada nerves yang terlibat dalam pemprosesan tersebut. Bahagian yang mengambil peranan menghasilkan susu:

• Alveoli. Di mana susu dihasilkan. Alveoli merupakan himpunan seperti gugusan anggur di dalam payudara. Alveoli dikelilingi oleh otot-otot kecil yang akan menolak susu untuk mesuk ke dalam ductules.
• Ductules. Laluan kecil yang membawa susu dari alveoli ke dalam main milk ducts.
• Milk ducts. These are the intricate network of canals which carry milk from the ductules and alveoli straight to your baby. Think of your milk ducts as individual straws that all end at the tip of your nipple and deliver milk into your baby's mouth. The ducts increase in size and number during pregnancy. You may have nine or so in each breast by the time you start breastfeeding.

You may find you leak a few drops of milk during your pregnancy. In fact, your milk-making system will be ready to go some time during your second trimester. You'll be able to breastfeed your baby even if she arrives prematurely.
After your baby has been born and you have delivered the placenta, the oestrogen and progesterone levels in your body start to drop. This makes way for the hormone prolactin to be released from the pituitary gland in your brain. Prolactin signals your body to make lots of milk to nourish your baby. Prolactin can make you feel more maternal, which is why some experts call it the mothering hormone.

 Ini merupakan list artikel rujukan saya :

• http://www.babies.sutterhealth.org/breastfeeding/bf_production.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_breast_milk
• http://kellymom.com/pregnancy/bf-prep/milkproduction/
• http://www.babycenter.com/0_making-breast-milk-how-your-body-produces-natures-perfect-ba_8785.bc
• http://www.diaryofafirstchild.com/2010/11/11/breast-milk-production-how-is-breast-milk-made/