Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Volunteer Work

I just signed up as a volunteer Peer Counselor for a research project called The Impact of Peer Counseling Program on Breastfeeding : A Randomized Control Study. It is a joint collaboration between Jabatan Perubatan Keluarga, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM) and Malaysian Breastfeeding Peer Counselor (MBfPC). The research will be conducted from March till September.

We volunteers are given responsibility to contact mothers who delivered their babies at PPUKM, according to the schedule given, to give the mothers support and counselling in breastfeeding their babies. The objective is to see which group of mothers will breastfeed their babies exclusively for a longer duration, either mothers who received support or mothers who did not receive any support from Peer Counselors.

For my friends who are wondering... Yes, I am now a Certified Peer Counselor with the Malaysian Breastfeeding Peer Counselor (MBfPC).

Your Milk Is Spoilt!

L: Expressed Breast Milk (EBM) after taking out from fridge.
R: EBM after gently swirling to mix the 2 layers together.

That's what my mother said when she called me the other day. What made her say so? Because she saw my breast milk in the feeding bottle has separated into 2 parts, ie. top part was creamy and bottom part was watery. Here we go again...

I have faced many challenges during my breastfeeding journey. The least of my problem is the process of breastfeeding my baby. The most challenging is educating the people around me about the benefits of breastfeeding and why we should be breastfeeding our babies instead of giving formula milk.

Maybe I should start writing more on this topic. For now I would like to share with you the contents of breast milk and formula milk.

This does give food for thought to the individuals who always say that formula milk has more nutrients compared to breast milk.

Please understand that while I am passionate about encouraging mothers to breastfeed, I still respect mother's who choose to use formula milk (taking into consideration the circumstances they are in and how tough it is to make the right decisions regarding the well-being of our children).

The following information was from a poster that was developed as a student project for the Breastfeeding Course for Health Care Providers, Douglas College, New Westminster, BC, Canada - © 2007 by Cecily Heslett, Sherri Hedberg and Haley Rumble.

CONTENTS OF BREAST MILK

Water

Carbohydrates (energy source)

   Lactose

   Oligosaccharides (see below)

Carboxylic acid

   Alpha hydroxy acid

      Lactic acid

Proteins (building muscles and bones)

   Whey protein

      Alpha-lactalbumin

         HAMLET (Human Alpha-lactalbumin Made Lethal to Tumour cells)

      Lactoferrin

      Many antimicrobial factors (see below)

   Casein

   Serum albumin

Non-protein nitrogens

   Creatine

   Creatinine

   Urea

   Uric acid

   Peptides (see below)

   Amino Acids (the building blocks of proteins)

      Alanine

      Arginine

      Aspartate

      Clycine

      Cystine

      Glutamate

      Histidine

      Isoleucine

      Leucine

      Lycine

      Methionine

      Phenylalanine

      Proline

      Serine

      Taurine

      Theronine

      Tryptophan

      Tyrosine

      Valine

      Carnitine (amino acid compound necessary to make use of fatty acids as an energy source)

   Nucleotides (chemical compounds that are the structural units of RNA and DNA)

      5’-Adenosine monophosphate (5”-AMP)

      3’:5’-Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (3’:5’-cyclic AMP)

      5’-Cytidine monophosphate (5’-CMP)

      Cytidine diphosphate choline (CDP choline)

      Guanosine diphosphate (UDP)

      Guanosine diphosphate - mannose

      3’- Uridine monophosphate (3’-UMP)

      5’-Uridine monophosphate (5’-UMP)

      Uridine diphosphate (UDP)

      Uridine diphosphate hexose (UDPH)

      Uridine diphosphate-N-acetyl-hexosamine (UDPAH)

      Uridine diphosphoglucuronic acid (UDPGA)

      Several more novel nucleotides of the UDP type

Fats

   Triglycerides

      Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

         Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (important for brain development)

         Arachidonic acid (AHA) (important for brain development)

         Linoleic acid

         Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)

         Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

         Conjugated linoleic acid (Rumenic acid)

      Free Fatty Acids

      Monounsaturated fatty acids

         Oleic acid

         Palmitoleic acid

         Heptadecenoic acid

      Saturated fatty acids

         Stearic

         Palmitic acid

         Lauric acid

         Myristic acid

   Phospholipids

      Phosphatidylcholine

      Phosphatidylethanolamine

      Phosphatidylinositol

      Lysophosphatidylcholine

      Lysophosphatidylethanolamine

      Plasmalogens

   Sphingolipids

      Sphingomyelin

      Gangliosides

         GM1

         GM2

         GM3

      Glucosylceramide

      Glycosphingolipids

      Galactosylceramide

      Lactosylceramide

      Globotriaosylceramide (GB3)

      Globoside (GB4)

   Sterols

      Squalene

      Lanosterol

      Dimethylsterol

      Methosterol

      Lathosterol

      Desmosterol

      Triacylglycerol

      Cholesterol

      7-dehydrocholesterol

      Stigma-and campesterol

      7-ketocholesterol

      Sitosterol

      β-lathosterol

      Vitamin D metabolites

      Steroid hormones

Vitamins

   Vitamin A

   Beta carotene

   Vitamin B6

   Vitamin B8 (Inositol)

   Vitamin B12

   Vitamin C

   Vitamin D

   Vitamin E

      a-Tocopherol

   Vitamin K

   Thiamine

   Riboflavin

   Niacin

   Folic acid

   Pantothenic acid

   Biotin

Minerals

   Calcium

   Sodium

   Potassium

   Iron

   Zinc

   Chloride

   Phosphorus

   Magnesium

   Copper

   Manganese

   Iodine

   Selenium

   Choline

   Sulpher

   Chromium

   Cobalt

   Fluorine

   Nickel

Metal

   Molybdenum (essential element in many enzymes)

Growth Factors (aid in the maturation of the intestinal lining)

   Cytokines

      interleukin-1β (IL-1β)

      IL-2

      IL-4

      IL-6

      IL-8

      IL-10

      Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF)

      Macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF)

      Platelet derived growth factors (PDGF)

      Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)

      Hepatocyte growth factor -α (HGF-α)

      HGF-β

      Tumor necrosis factor-α

      Interferon-γ

      Epithelial growth factor (EGF)

      Transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α)

      TGF β1

      TGF-β2

      Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) (also known as somatomedin C)

      Insulin-like growth factor- II

      Nerve growth factor (NGF)

      Erythropoietin

   Peptides (combinations of amino acids)

      HMGF I (Human growth factor)

      HMGF II

       HMGF III

      Cholecystokinin (CCK)

      β-endorphins

      Parathyroid hormone (PTH)

      Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP)

      β-defensin-1

      Calcitonin

      Gastrin

      Motilin

      Bombesin (gastric releasing peptide, also known as neuromedin B)

      Neurotensin

      Somatostatin

   Hormones (chemical messengers that carry signals from one cell, or group of cells, to another via the blood)

      Cortisol

      Triiodothyronine (T3)

      Thyroxine (T4)

      Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) (also known as thyrotropin)

      Thyroid releasing hormone (TRH)

      Prolactin

      Oxytocin

      Insulin

      Corticosterone

      Thrombopoietin

      Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)

      GRH

      Leptin (aids in regulation of food intake)

      Ghrelin (aids in regulation of food intake)

      Adiponectin

      Feedback inhibitor of lactation (FIL)

      Eicosanoids

         Prostaglandins (enzymatically derived from fatty acids)

            PG-E1

            PG-E2

            PG-F2

      Leukotrienes

      Thromboxanes

      Prostacyclins

Enzymes (catalysts that support chemical reactions in the body)

   Amylase

   Arysulfatase

   Catalase

   Histaminase

   Lipase

   Lysozyme

   PAF-acetylhydrolase

   Phosphatase

   Xanthine oxidase

Antiproteases (thought to bind themselves to macromolecules such as enzymes and as a result prevent allergic and anaphylactic reactions)

   a-1-antitrypsin

   a-1-antichymotrypsin

Antimicrobial factors (are used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects, such as bacteria and viruses.

   Leukocytes (white blood cells)

      Phagocytes

         Basophils

         Neutrophils

         Eoisinophils

      Macrophages

      Lymphocytes

         B lymphocytes (also known as B cells)

         T lymphocytes (also known as C cells)

   sIgA (Secretory immunoglobulin A) (the most important antiinfective factor)

   IgA2

   IgG

   IgD

   IgM

   IgE

   Complement C1

   Complement C2

   Complement C3

   Complement C4

   Complement C5

   Complement C6

   Complement C7

   Complement C8

   Complement C9

   Glycoproteins

      Mucins (attaches to bacteria and viruses to prevent them from clinging to mucousal tissues)

      Lactadherin

   Alpha-lactoglobulin

   Alpha-2 macroglobulin

   Lewis antigens

   Ribonuclease

   Haemagglutinin inhibitors

   Bifidus Factor (increases growth of Lactobacillus bifidus - which is a good bacteria)

   Lactoferrin (binds to iron which prevents harmful bacteria from using the iron to grow)

   Lactoperoxidase

   B12 binding protein (deprives microorganisms of vitamin B12)

   Fibronectin (makes phagocytes more aggressive, minimizes inflammation, and repairs damage caused by inflammation)

   Oligosaccharides (more than 200 different kinds!)

CONTENTS OF FORMULA MILK

Water

Carbohydrates

   Lactose

   Corn maltodextrin

Protein

   Partially hydrolyzed reduced minerals whey protein concentrate (from cow’s milk)

Fats

   Palm olein

   Soybean oil

   Coconut oil

   High oleic safflower oil (or sunflower oil)

   M. alpina oil (Fungal DHA)

   C.cohnii oil (Algal ARA)

Minerals

   Potassium citrate

   Potassium phosphate

   Calcium chloride

   Tricalcium phosphate

   Sodium citrate

   Magnesium chloride

   Ferrous sulphate

   Zinc sulphate

   Sodium chloride

   Copper sulphate

   Potassium iodide

   Manganese sulphate

   Sodium selenate

Vitamins

   Sodium ascorbate

   Inositol

   Choline bitartrate

   Alpha-Tocopheryl acetate

   Niacinamide

   Calcium pantothenate

   Riboflavin

   Vitamin A acetate

   Pyridoxine hydrochloride

   Thiamine mononitrate

   Folic acid

   Phylloquinone

   Biotin

   Vitamin D3

   Vitamin B12

Enzyme

   Trypsin

Amino acid

   Taurine

   L-Carnitine (a combination of two different amino acids)

Nucleotides

   Cytidine 5-monophosphate

   Disodium uridine 5-monophosphate

   Adenosine 5-monophosphate

   Disodium guanosine 5-monophosphate

Soy Lecithin

Getting Drunk on Breastmilk

I always love the look on my baby's face when she's getting 'high or drunk' on breastmilk!

Family Outing to The Mines Shopping Center

The smiles on the faces of my little boy and my parents-in-law are priceless! I am so glad that he has the opportunity to spend some fun time during the school holidays with his grandparents and be spoilt by them.

Having a splashing time at the Splash Park

Dim Sum for lunch

Fun boat ride with grandpa!

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri!

Wishing all my Muslim friends Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. Maaf Zahir & Batin. 

Have an amazing and great time during the Raya Holidays catching up with family and loved ones.


For those who are travelling back to their hometown today, drive safely and have an enjoyable journey!

How Do I Know if a Food is Organic?

Before you buy organic products, you need to know whether they are genuinely organic. 

One of the best ways to find out is to look for the organic certification logos and the word "organic" on product labels. 

Here are some guidelines on how to differentiate the labels according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards.

100% Organic:

The product has been made using pure organic ingredients. The manufacturer has also processed, packed, handled and transported the product in full compliance with the USDA standards for organic agriculture.

Organic:

This product contains at least 95 % organic ingredients (excluding water or salt). It is eligible for the organic label provided the remaining 5% of the ingredients are not commercially available in organic form, and not produced using specifically prohibited methods (i.e. irradiation).

Made with Organic Ingredients:

The product labeled "Made with organic ingredients" must contain between 70% - 95% organic ingredients, excluding water and salt. As many as three of the organic ingredients in the content may be listed on the front of the package

Product with less than 70% organic ingredients:

The label on this product will be allowed to list the organic items in the "ingredients" panel only, and the term "organic" may not be used anywhere else on the package.

One common misconception is that "natural" equals "organic". While "natural" usually indicates foods that have been minimally processed or without added artificial ingredients, it does not address the way that food is grown.

Organic Facts

Here's more organic facts and what other terms mean legally:

Organic fruits and vegetables were grown without synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or sewage slude and haven't been genetically engineered and irradiated.

Organic beef and chicken come from animals that weren't the offspring of cloned animals. They were raised on 100% organic feed, were never given growth hormones, antibiotics or other drugs and their meat was never irradiated.

Organic milk comes from animals that, for at least the past 12 months, were fed 100% organic feed and weren't given antibiotics or growth homones like rBST. This organic fact alone gets me to drink organic milk.

Organic eggs come from hens that were fed 100% organic feed and were never given growth hormones or antibiotics.

Organic seafood doesn't mean a thing, since USDA hasn't defined the term.

Cage-free eggs come from hens that were not confined to cages and that may or may not have had access to the outdoors. They're not necessarily organic.

Free range or free roaming poultry have access to the outdoors, but for no minimum time. They're not necessarily organic. Cage-free poultry doesn't mean anything, since most chickens grown for meat are kept indoors (but cage-free) until they're transported to slaughter.

No hormones administered can appear on beef labels if the producer can document that the animals were raised without hormones.

Hormone-free is an illegal claim, since all animals produce their own hormones.

No antibiotics added can appear on a label if the producer can document that the animals were raised without antibiotics.

Natural (or All Natural) meat or poultry products contain "no artificial ingredients and are no more than minimally processed." They're not necessarily organic, though some supermarkets try to make them appear to be.

Source: www.live-the-organic-life.com

Useful Tools to Update Your Facebook Status

Today, I received a message from a friend asking me to show her how to update her Facebook status via Twitter.

Well, these are some of the useful and free tools I use to update my Facebook status and other social networking sites:

1. From Twitter to Facebook:
Use Twitter apps: http://apps.facebook.com/twitter/

2. From your Blog or RSS Feeds to Twitter and Facebook
Use Twitterfeed: http://twitterfeed.com/

3. Schedule your tweets in advance:
1st: Plan and prepare what you want to tweet over a duration of time
2nd: Use SocialOomph: http://www.socialoomph.com/

If you find this article useful, feel free to share it with your friends!

Warm regards,

Sany Woo

Families Enjoy Time Spent In Making Tang Yuan

TheStar Online (December 22, 2010)

IT IS a merry family affair whenever Lau Kwai Fong makes glutinuous rice balls (tang yuan) for the Winter Solstice festival.

Her daughters-in-law and grandchildren will gather at her home in Petaling Jaya to knead, roll and boil the tang yuan before bowls of the marble-sized balls are offered at the altar for prayers.

Lau, 80, has been making the glutinous rice balls from the time she got married.

Closely-knit: Samantha (second from left) feeding her grandmother Lau with the tang yuan while Lau’s other grandchildren Nicholas (left), Nigel (third from left) and Benjamin look on.

 

She insists that the tang yuan must be hand- made, which she does lovingly for the family.