Peace Out with Traveloka - The Escape I Never Knew I Needed!

So a few weeks ago, I was invited by Traveloka to join a staycation with fellow bloggers and vloggers to experience a night stay at The Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur. The name of the staycation was "The Escape You Never Knew You Needed". At first I really thought that we would just hang out and chill at the hotel, but it turns out, they made a list of workshops and really really fun activities for us for the whole day, that it really WAS the escape I never knew I needed!!! 😍

I think for the past months (or should I say years?) I have been soooo busy being a mom that I forgot to have a little fun and some me time. The staycation have let me being away for awhile from my kids and just have a little fun with the activities that they have planned. There were some  leather craft workshop, sugar cookie decorating workshop, creating clay art, and making body scrub/lip tint etc! It was so much fun! 😍I had a great time!! (Although all the way through the workshop my mind can't stop thinking about my baby in the room with her dad who I haven't fed yet at that time! Lol)

Ice breaking session

Anyways.. in that workshop we learned that Traveloka has now curated some interesting activities and attractions for some top travel destinations/cities that you can plan for your loved ones when you're visiting the city of your choice! 😍

So senang la, semua dah ada dekat dalam satu website! So you can just book and plan your activities ahead when you want to travel! After you have booked for a flight and hotel for your next travel destination on Traveloka, you can see their sections on Top Attractions what tickets to buy to plan your vacation ahead 

It'll be less of a hassle when you have planned everything for your itinerary for your vacation. For example, if you were to visit Hong Kong, you may want to buy the Disneyland tickets beforehand rather than queuing and wasting time waiting in line. As travelers, your time is precious! So plan well for your vacation and avoid the lines!

Anyway, in that workshop...we also did fun activities that maybe you too, can plan with your friends or family some day! I loveeee a hands-on workshops for me to take part! These activities are perfect to do on baby showers, birthday parties and so on! 😍

We did some leather craft workshop!

This staycation is filled with various activities that was soooo fun! I never knew I needed this kind of escape and a break from my mommy life! Seriously hilang stress buat activity ni semua! Lol. Thanks so much Traveloka for this experience! If you guys wanna travel or find activities to do with your loved ones in KL or anywhere in Malaysia or overseas, you may want to check out Traveloka guys!


XOXO,
Shazwani.

My Second Labor Story

Hi guys!!! My goddddd it has been ages since I last logged into this blog! I'm not sure I should just delete this blog or still keep it! haha.. But I figured, hmm...maybe there are some things that I wanna remember here, so I shouldn't just delete it lah even though I don't update anything anymore! huhu.. Anyways.. it's the end of 2018 already man!! Sooooo fast lah this year goes by! And right now I am forcing myself to sit down and write here because this year I gave birth to my beautiful daughter and I wouldn't want to start raising her differently than her brother! I don't want to be that kind of mother who likes to pick a favourite and treat differently among her kids starting from they're this little. Her brother has a full story on this blog. So it won't be fair to her if I don't write about her too. Even though there are some things that I did differently now that I have a second child.. (First child syndrome is real guys! hehe) But I love both of them so dearly and equally the same! And I'm trying my very best to give them the same treatment.. So anyways I think I have not tell you guys about the full story of my labor, no? I just updated a bit only on my 'gram. So here goes.. the first and last post of 2018! HAHA 

First off, I didn't know whennnn exactly I got pregnant. I have irregular period for as long as I can remember. So when I did pregnant that September 2017, I really couldn't be bothered why I didn't bleed that month. Because sometimes I get my period, sometimes I don't. So I didn't get my period that September..and then came October, I also didn't get it.. Butttt I started having nausea and I bloated soooo bad that month! Oh yeah, I also have gas problem since my uni days. My tummy is alwaysssss bloated. Like really bad. Sigh. So when I was bloated that second week of October, I really thought it was just one of those days that my tummy bloated? But when it was dragged to a few days, and it also comes with a little nausea feelings, and I stillll didn't get my period, I started to get worried. "Am I pregnant??? But when??? We didn't even......? Or did we??? Whennnn??! I thought we were using protection??" Hahahaha. So after the signs of me being pregnant is quite spot on, I rushed to the pharmacy and bought a whole bunch of pregnancy kits as if one isn't enough to tell me that I'm pregnant! hahaha..

 I told my husband that we're officially pregnant on his birthday, October 20th. Yes I waited for a few weeks to tell him! Although that time I already almost 3 months pregnant! So I made the decision to tell him on his birthday and wrapped the sticks in the box as his birthday present cuz I'm a cheapskate wife, I don't buy things for my hubby anymore. I give him priceless present only! hahaha. And he was sooooo happy! He already said he wants another one by the time Ayden was 2 year old. So I guess maybe he hijacked my uterus and made me pregnant without me even noticing! Bahahaha

So anyways..I only did our check up in November..I was already 3 months pregnant that time.. And I couldn't tell when exactly I got pregnant, hence I didn't know my EDD a.k.a estimated due date for my labor. We did our check up with a few different doctors and hospitals during that first trimester. And 3 of the doctors I went to said 3 different dates for the EDD! One is 3rd June, another one is 7th June and another one is 9th June! LOL. So yeah..we didn't know exactly when is my estimated due date..but it's around end May or early June lah I assumed.

My second pregnancy is very different than the first one. My nausea was really bad! It was until towards the end of my pregnancy! Some people just had it during the first three months, me on the other hand, had the whole 9 months!!! It was so exhausting...but Alhamdullilah I had a healthy pregnancy still.

During the whole 40 weeks of pregnancy, we had a lot of problems or should I say challenges that we came across along the way.. Because of my husband's work schedules, we did our checked up at 5 different hospitals because I just couldn’t decide which hospital I should deliver, with his crazy work schedules and also which gynae I want until the very last minute/trimester/appointments because during that whole 9 months, we traveled back and forth to Damansara, Kajang, KL/Melawati, Bangi, and Cheras! 

And we checked up at Prince Court KL, KPJ Damansara and KPJ Kajang, Columbia Asia Cheras and Andorra Hospital. Yes I just couldn’t decide which gynae I want because last time I didn’t really “connect” with my doctor in Prince Court..cuz he’s a guy maybe? Or maybe cuz he didn’t talk that much? (I like a doctor who explains things and love to talk - just like me. Lol) But my doctor in PCMC is fine, really! Maybe it’s just me. It's just that I didn’t have that “AHA!” vibe with him. Lol. My husband as usual he doesn’t like changes. He’s the kind of person who doesn’t like to change to anything that’s he’s already comfortable with. So he insisted on seeing the same doctor in PCMC because I have records there, dah kenal doctor and some nurses there etc. But I told him that this time I want to “shop” around for gynae. I don’t just want to settle. I want to find what’s best for me and myself because it’s my body, I’m the one who’s giving birth here. Not him. Duh. Lol. Because last time it was my first baby and I didn’t know what to expect. So when the nurses at Prince Court said no women gynae available for me at that time and that I have to wait for a few months for my next appointment to see the most sought after woman gynae there, I thought like.. “oo ok lah, any doctor also can la. Because beranak is still beranak and you’re going to feel pain with any doctor also”. Lol. Plus, I want things to be simple and easy cuz later my hubby will bising sebab it’s hard for him to arrange his schedule to go for a check up  So last time I only went to see one doctor only all the way through my pregnancy and labor. And this time...since I have experience already, I want to choose what's comfortable for me! :)

So after experiencing my first labor, although everything was fine really, but I just have this feeling of wanting to try other doctors the minute I found out I was pregnant. This time my hubby agreed that we go to some different gynae just to compare so I can make up my mind on who’s the best. This time around I told him, “it’s my body. Please let ME choose and be fussy this time!” And so he let me be. Lol.

The first few months we checked up at Prince Court only. After entering second trimester that I started going to KPJ, and Columbia Asia. Every other week, I checked up at 3 different hospitals that it’s driving my husband insane. Hahah. First week KPJ Kajang, second week Prince Court, third week Columbia Asia and then KPJ Damansara. And it goes on for a few weeks. Because at that time I was still unsure on where to settle in and have my labor because you know...we were traveling a lot of times every week..so who knows suddenly my water broke somewhere among those locations I mentioned kan. So I needed to ensure I have my records in all the hospitals I checked up with so in case of anything, I can beranak anywhere of the four hospitals lah! Lol.  Then I entered the third trimester and I remembered the hospital that went viral on FB last year. I remembered the hospital was beautiful and new and the gynae was my sister’s gynae for 3 of her kids. So I asked her, “ok tak your doctor?” And she told me nice things about her and highly recommend it... so againnnnn... I dragged my husband to teman me go check out the hospital for a check up there. Andddddd added Andorra to my hospital list! hahaha 

So during my third trimester that I started checking up in Andorra. To be honest, I hated having my check up there. Even though it was just a few times jee, butttttt it felt like I was there for a longgg longggggggg time! The system is quite terrible honestly. Because of the crowd I guess? Orang Malaysia ni pantang benda viral, semua nak try jugak kannn...hahaha. I'm not sure now macam mana lah, but earlier this year it was quite bad for me and I already felt like crossing Andorra off my hospital list! But.... my gynae, Dr. Kham was very very veryyyyyy nice person and warm and sooooo motherly!!! I only did my check up there about 3 times I think? And I still went to the other hospitals for the third trimester check up. I told my husband, honestly I don't know what I want... LOL. After trying for many doctors, it's hard to make decision pulakkk..hahaha. Because every hospital I went to ada pros and cons. So I said to my husband, let the baby decides lah when she wanna come out. After all, we don't even know the exact EDD and our schedule changes a lot too. So I said, let the baby decide when and where she wanna come out lah!

Then June 2018 came, and I don't have any signs of labor yet. With my first, I was overdue. I had to induce at 41 weeks.. So I thought with my second one ni, I will have to be induced jugak lah... I was secretly praying that my baby will be overdue so I can have more time to prepare her things as I was not prepared at all! I was too busy the whole pregnancy that I just didn't prepare much for her arrival. So we did our activity as usual.. And on that 5th June, I still don't have any contractions or any signs of labor. It was already passed the estimated due date that the first doctor said my EDD would be on the 3rd June. So...I still think my baby will come next week. Just like his brother. haha.

So we went out that day, breaking fast at Dpulze Cyberjaya. We went back at around 10 something, after the store is closed. And then suddenly, I felt something came out from down there! It felt like period. Something warm like blood. haha. So I rushed to the toilet to check what was it. I thought it would be the "bloody show" sign. And then to my dismay, it was green color!! I panicked! As I knew that that is meconium (fetal/baby's poop)! I was like shittttttttzzz. My baby is stressing out in there and she pooped...because she was overdue??! I knew that it was very risky now and dangerous! Oh no...I was so panicked and we went straight to the Emergency Room at Andorra as that was the nearest hospital at that moment! We were like 5 minutes away! Luckily I did my check up there 3 times so I had my records there! So my husband dropped me at the ER, and went back home to take my hospital bag etc

They checked me up, and said, I haven't dilated yet. Not even 0.5 cm. LOL. So after an hour they checked this and that in the ER, they called the doctor. Doctor said, bring me to the labor room straight. So around 12 something I was already in the labor room. I was pretty scared because my husband is not around yet and kept on thinking who will have to take care of Ayden because we didn't have a maid yet at that time because the week before, our maid ran away (Screw you stupid lying agents! May you rot in hell) 

So I prayed to God to help make our labor an easy one and to somehow let me deliver this baby with my husband beside me and that Ayden has someone to look after him somehow. I prayed hard for that. I knew that it will be impossible...because there were only the two of us at that time and it was already 1 AM. Tak kan nak call my MIL or anyone kan datang jauh jauh just to look after that one budak so I can deliver the baby with my husband in the labor room.

Hazim said I have already done it so he said I can do it on my own... At that time I wanted to cry..I don't know why I felt like I got no husband and no one beside me during one of the hardest and important moment in my life. hahaha. So yeah, my husband decided that I will be going for the labor alone and he will look after Ayden if Ayden still didn't want to sleep. tskk

But God works in mysterious ways I guess. And Allah heard my prayers. The moment my husband reached the hospital with all my things, Ayden fell asleep so he put him in our room and asked the nurses to update him if he wakes up or cries..and then he went back to the labor room to check out on me! I was only 1 cm dilated that time. Doctor came in, and explained to both of us that actually it will be a risky labor if I want to wait until 10 cm, because my baby is under distress and already passed stools. (Maybe she really was already overdue just like I wanted -__- ) so she suggested for a Cesarean delivery.

Dr. Kham said, now is 1 am and by 6 am I should already deliver the baby to avoid complications for the baby. So she said it will be best if we just opted for Cesarean delivery now to save the baby and not risking other health complications later. I asked my doctor would it be okay if I want to still try for normal? Because I feel like I have 5 hours to go before 6 am and anything can happen in between that time. Plus, I delivered my firstborn about 5 hours plus also.. So the doctor agreed, but said by 5 am, if still not a good progress, we will have no choice but to go under the knife. So she induced me for labor to start..and gave a few nasihat and teach me to read this one surah/ayat to ease labor...and asked me to ask for forgiveness from my husband too. Then I waited for my labor to come while wishing hard I won't go under the knife..

At 3 am I was already 5 cm. So I thought by 6 am I can do 10 cm la only 5 cm to go! haha. But my body just doesn't respond well to the drug I guess..so it stayed 5 cm for 2 hours plus. At 5. 20 am, the doctor came in to check on me again, she said I was only 5 cm still. So she has decided that I will have to go for C-section delivery. Sigh...

I was really unprepared and not ready to go for operation. So I was really really realllly scared! Everything happened so fast! The moment they numbed my lower body parts and I can't feel my legs at all, I got panicked! They asked me to lift my leg up but I can't do so, and then I got panicked even more..that I almost fainted because I was so scared! That feeling was so frightening.. I cannot calm down.... Probably because I wasn't ready kot.

Anyways. I was pushed to the labor room around 5.30 am.. Just right before we went to the operation room, everyone who is involved in the operation room gather all around me and recite doa. Rasa nak nangis sangat masa tu. Takut sangat tengok orang doa keliling you, ok! Lol. All I kept thinking was Okayy. I'm going to die today. This is itttttt. This is my last day on earth. Good bye Hazim....take care of the kids! That was on my mind that time. Seriously perasaan yang sangat takut sebab tak bersedia langsung nak kena belah! huhu..

Dr. Kham was too nice though and she let my husband in as well. Kalau ikutkan emergency Cesarean mana boleh kan. So anyway...masuk labor room around 5.30 AM, by 6.00 AM, Ava Marissa was born!!! I was like...ehhhh dah siapppp??!! I didn't die?? It's thatttttt quick??? hahaha. And I didn't feel any pain at all?? Oh man, this is so cool! Next child C-section je lah!! Senang nyeeee... I can do this every year then! Bahahaha. Although cesarean delivery is advisable to gap about 2-3 years at least, just so you know. hehe. And then right after my husband recited the Azan for the baby, the nurse called him and said Ayden dah bangunnnnn! Oh thank God!!! Just right on time!!! God grant my wishes!!!! I get to deliver my baby quick, I get to do it with my husband beside me and Ayden was safe and sound the whole time I was in labor! Alhamdullilah.. 


Below is the video of my labor that my husband took.. Thank you for being so cool Dr. Kham!!!



So in the end, my baby has decided for me to really make up my mind and let me beranak there. hehehe.. Cesarean delivery is not that bad actually! The pain will be after the labor of course but it's not that long la.. Even my husband said he prefers C-section labor for me because he said it's fast and he saw me looking like it was not that painful... -__-  The pain starts after the labor lerrrr. Memandai je dia. haha.. For a week plus sakit tauu! But then after that, you'll be fine inshaallah!

Andorra Hospital was a very nice hospital and service though. I highly recommend it but I don't recommend to do your regular check up there because waiting for your turn can be really annoying. (Not sure now macam mana). The shortest waiting period would be 3 hours and the longest we have waited was about 5 hours. So I recommend you to check up just twice, to get your record there and then check up somewhere else if you can't bear the waiting hours for your check up. hehe. And I get a lotttt of questions regarding the whole cost of delivering in Andorra too. Again, I don't know if price has changed now, but at that time the whole process is about 12k for 2 nights stay. Their service was so good! And food is amazing too!!!

I will update more story on the service in Andorra ok? In my next post! Dah tulis panjang panjang ni tiba-tiba rasa best pulak nak start blogging balik! hehe. Ok lah, till my next post! See you next year!



XOXO,
Shazzy.

Olay Miracle Duo!

Olay has always been one of those drugstore skincare brands that I like. I've been using Olay (on and off) since I was 20 years old. They’re one of the few drugstore skincare brands that offer a good percentage of useful anti-aging ingredients like peptides and niacinamide, sometimes even more than what a number of high-end skincare brands offered. 

 Like I mentioned in my previous post, I've tried their Olay Miracle Duo range - the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Night Cream and the Olay Regenerist Miracle Boost Youth Pre-Essence. I had great result on my skin! I thought my skin looked somewhat glowing and more radiant after using those two for a while. Hence, I thought I give their Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream try too since I heard it is one of their best seller item! ^_^

The Olay Regenerist Miracle Boost Youth Pre-Essence is designed to be applied every morning and evening after cleansing and toning. It features an advanced skin energy complex with hydra firming complex that instantly give a smooth, radiant and flawless skin. With its skin energy complex, it helps your skin look energized and strengthens skin barriers to give you a healthy looking skin.

 This Olay Regenerist Miracle Boost Youth Pre-Essence will allow the essence or serum that you’re currently using to work better as they absorb better. As they mentioned it on the box, the Olay Regenerist Miracle Boost Youth Pre-Essence will work better when combine with their Olay Day Cream. So I thought I'd give it a try!

As mentioned earlier, this Olay Regenerist Miracle Boost Youth Pre-Essence is very light and watery. It is absorbed very well by the skin unlike most serums that leave your face a little oily.

 My serums are still performing optimally when I use this with them. From the list of ingredients, this contains quite a high percentage of niacinamide (Vitamin B3) that is a good anti-aging ingredient that can help improve skin’s elasticity, enhance its barrier function, help erase discoloration and revive skin’s healthy tone and texture. I used this after my toner and before applying my serum and moisturizer.

The Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream on the other hand is a really effective moisturizer. It is an anti-aging day cream moisturizer that aims to firm lines, smoother looking skin plus intense hydration. This cream moisturizer is loaded with (again) niacinamide and peptides too, which are great in improving my skin’s overall tone and texture.

My face is so dry most of the time and this is exactly what I needed to make my skin look healthier and dewy. I love that it is lightweight and gentle yet my skin remains hydrated with its star ingredient. It also has a smooth finish and absorbs/dries up quickly, allowing even makeup application that's safe from caking. It helps renew skin's surface layers revealing youthful look and it hydrates to help plump up the skin too.

These characteristics make them perfect to use during the day or even at night. And it's perfect for our hot weather too, because the products don't feel heavy or sticky on my skin. I would highly recommend this for women who would like to prevent fine lines. I’ve used this for a while now and I can see the difference in my skin!

For more info, do check out their website here https://www.everydayme.com.my/olay


XOXO,
Shazzy.

How I Healed My Baby's Eczema

Oh well...the title is quite misleading actually. Lol. I mean, there's really no "cure" in eczema right? At least that's what my doctor told me. You can only control and manage it, not exactly cure it, no?  - well...that's what I've learned for the past year of having an eczema baby. Hence my baby is not exactly "healed" from eczema. He still has it until today, but very very mild or controllable at least. And I'm happy enough! Actually I don't feel like I am an expert enough to share this with you guys, hence the hesitation/dragging of this blog post. haha. But since so many have asked me and personal messaged me regarding this topic, I thought I'd share what I've learned and did to control his eczema.

Seriously having to deal with this severe skin condition for more than half a year has really drained me physically, emotionally and mentally.. being a clueless, first time mom that I am. So I completely understand whoever is going through this phase/dugaan.. :(
May Allah bless us all and give us strength and patience to go through this tough phase in life and reward us after all the hardships.. Inshaallah.

So anyway, a few weeks ago while I was shopping in Jaya Grocer, I met this Chinese couple strolling around the food aisle with their baby. The baby's stroller is facing the world, (I wouldn't dare putting Ayden to face the world when his eczema was that bad. He can only face me! Huu) so that's when I saw their baby has red, angry looking eczema on her face/skin.

It was something like this  :(

Immediately after I saw the baby, I felt the need to share what I know and how I controlled my baby's eczema because it was like walking down the memory lane again when I saw her baby. I remembered my struggles and my pain as a first time mom dealing with that situation. I couldn't look at that red furious skin. Tak sampai hati.. I felt so sad for the mom because I know how it feels like to have to deal with that kind of situation.

And the looks from people that we get some more! Ugh...so annoying! At that time when Ayden has bad skin, I felt like whoever looked and stared at my baby differently, I felt like shouting "Shut the F up. You don't know what I'm dealing with!". LOL. Although they may not judge or anything pun! haha. Paranoid terlebih! I felt like everyone was judging me for not being a good mom. For letting my baby hurt like that. For not doing anything for him. When I actually already did a heck of lot of things that is in my power and knowledge.

When we're out and about, I will try to hide Ayden from people! 

He can only face me! Thank goodness I have a pram to hide from prying eyes and paparazzi! hahahah

Sometimes I covered him with the stroller's canopy + sunshade, or blanket... Just to avoid people from judging my baby. Sorry Ayden...

 :(

So anyways..when I saw that couple that day, being the friendly person that I am, I said hello and we chatted for like 20 to 30 minutes in between the cereal aisle. She's a first time mom too. She looked miserable and I completely understand why. Her baby was 7 months old. Those are the critical phase/age when Ayden got his eczema. He has mild rash/eczema when he was just about 2 to 3 months old. Then it started getting worse at 4 to 6 months old and even worse at 6 to 8 months and the worst was at 9 months. It became worse and worse throughout a 2 months time span and I had been to 4 different specialists during that time (which included 3 dermatologist and one allergist and also his general practitioner). And we tried a lot of remedies since then.

Then it slowly became less and less red everyday when he was around 10 to 11 months old, IF nothing triggers for it to happen la! haha. - This is the tricky part actually. To manage whatever that may trigger his eczema. Even until today, if he eats something that his body can't really accept it, he'll have the redness and the eczema will start appearing.. But since we already have this experience, so it's not so stressful as before, cuz then I'll know what to do. The important issue here is not what causes eczema in the first place, but rather what allergies and skin irritants that is triggering the flare-ups. So as a mom you need to know all that!


Make a list of what your baby can and cannot eat, what detergents/skin care he's allergic to, etc. Like Ayden, he can't take gluten, dairy and eggs products, all the nightshades fruits/vegetables, citrusy fruits and food that contains MSG. And oh, he definitely cannot be in hot places. Gedix sikit budak ni. Macam mak dia. Lol ;p

Okay I'm gonna show you guys some of Ayden's eczema pics. Please do not use any of my baby's photos without my consent for whatever reasons you may have. Thanks.

Newborn Ayden. 

His face had some red patches when he was born. I don't know if it's that Mc Donald's that I ate that has caused this. haha.. But one of the doctors that I went to see said to me, that people who are born with O blood group, they have a higher tendency to get skin condition problems

Ayden is O blood type and on top of that, we also have the eczema genetic in our family! So yeah, lagi lah double luck! LOL. Memang dah nasib nak terkena! Nak buat macam mana kan..terima jelah. Allah sayang saya, Dia nak hapuskan dosa dosaku. Huhuu 

Around one month. Just started. 

I didn't know what it was at first. I thought it was my milk as they said susu badan panas. So at this time, I just applied Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm. And it kinda works.. 

2 months old.. Started as tiny rash

This was around 2 to 3 months old

Natural blusher. Huuu 

>_<

Started bleeding. His skin was too thin that it breaks and bleeds. At this time, I still only used organic products to heal his eczema.. But nothing really seemed to work. In fact, it became worse and started spreading 

4 months old

This pinkish cheeks are his "normal" condition/situation, when there's no eczema. He never really had a smooth, baby soft skin when he was a baby! :(

Pretty rosy cheeks! Lol

Started spreading to his forehead, head (cradle cap)

Veryyyyy dry skin!

>_<

This was around 4 to 5 months old I think? 

This redness was kinda like a normal situation that I had to deal with everyday 

-__-

5 months old

:(

Dari jauh dah nampak merah menyala!

6 months old

We had to tie him up everyday to avoid him from scratching because mittens, socks, swaddle, etc didn't work no more!

T__T

You can see his skin is very rough..

Flaky skin on the forehead...and redness, irritated dry skin on the cheeks

It breaks my heart seeing him like this! :(

Sometimes I don't know if that rosy pink cheeks are a bonus for his extra cuteness or what. hahaha. Sebab dah selalu sangat tengok merah, sampai tak tahu what's normal

-______-

7 months old

We had to tie his hands so he can't scratch his face! We did this for almost two months straight! Day and night! Oh poor boy.. We really had to do this because he can remove his mitten on his own, he can get out of the swaddle by himself, and he definitely loved scratching the face using his arms even though they're covered with Scratch-Me-Not sleeve. Sabar je lahhhh. Gatal sangat kot..Sian dia! :(

So this was the only way to prevent him from scratching his face in his sleep. But sometimes, he can still get out from it!! Aiyoooo. Kuat betul dia ni yerrrr. Macam bapak dia kuattt. haha

:(

This was around 7 to 8 months old I think?

Dah biasa tengok situation macam ni....

-___-'

Around 9 months old

We had to do the wet wrap therapy every few hours when his eczema was so bad and started spreading all over his body!

9 months old

10 months old

Bila dah berdarah, mak dah malas lap...pakai plaster je lah! hahah

Every now and then he still has it though

-___-

12 months old

Whenever he's sick, it'll flare up! 

13 months old

And when mommy forgot to cut his fingernails, this will happen..

-______-

14 months

Bila panas, he'll develop like tiny rash

Anddddd...now... 

Dah bertukar jadi prince charming! heheh

^__^

Oh God...I remembered crying every single day for two weeks straight when his eczema was at its worst (around 8 to 9 months old), every time I woke up and looked at my innocent baby's face covered with pus, blood, nanah, crusts, oozing/water, blisters, yellow/honey-colored fluid oozing from the rash, etc! I was an emotional wreck! Every morning my bed sheet or mattress would smell like blood or hanyir and really weird smell. :(

It was really really awful! I don't want to remember those moments! *cries*

I didn't have his worst photo/video with me though. Ya Allah.. there was this one time when it was the worst outbreak everrrrrr. After I took some Chinese medicine that was supposedly going to heal his eczema, but became worse! - His eczema which was just around his cheeks normally, started spreading out to ALL OVER his body! Nanah, blisters, air2 all came out all over his body within a day! It was sooooo awful!! I literally tak tidur 3-4 hari jaga anak until I fell sick! It was so bad, I became depressed.. T_T

If you've been following me, you'd know that my phone was broken a few months ago..so all the 7000 photos and memories of him having a really really bad eczema has completely gone, because I stupidly didn't back up my phone! haha. So I couldn't really share most of the pics now because I don't have them anymore, only those in my Whatsapp pics that I shared above. Bagus la jugak hilang, I seriously don't want to look at them. Rasa nak nangis sebab teringat balik my struggles and my feelings as a mom looking at your child hurt like that! Tengok yang ni pun nak nangis! And I also definitely can't share the healing process pictures too, because I don't have them anymore! Sorry guys! Tu la...perap lama sangat sampai lupa and ter-kena delete! Huuu...

At 12 months old.. Ayden can now face the world! LOL 

xD

Anyway, we have tried every thing. You name it, we've tried! I think I have spent about RM 10k for his skincare, doctors and medicines alone. Dah la mentally, emotionally drained, financially pun stressed jugak! Like every week we went to different specialists during the worst outbreak (when he was around 8 to 9 months old tu). Every visit to the doctor, can cost us like RM 1k each time!

What's worse when people knew you were desperate and would try anything to help your baby, so they tried selling you their products (which tak berkesan pun) and take your money and not really sincere in helping you... I've met so many of them. Sigh..sabar je lah. huhu. Dah la mak pantang orang jual2 ni. Ada je nak pergi beli. LOL xD

Like I've shared on my Instagram, this is his organic skin care brands that I've used. They're from The Honest Company, Original Sprouts, Baby Kingdom, Aura Cacia, Buds, Young Living, Four Cow Farms, MooGoo, Badger, Butt Naked Baby, BabyGanics and Earth Mama Angel Baby.

I have a little bit of a mental problem - I like changing his bath products when they're not even finish yet! Heeee :p

This is one of the best soap I've tried! Can't remember where I got this 

I also purchased the handmade/organic soap bars as well. 

There are lemongrass, goat's milk, coconut soap and Claire's Purple Gromwell Root, which traditionally used for treating skin conditions. It contains a substance called Allantoin which accelerates the replacement of body cells, which helps to reduce eczema and detoxify when used externally especially for people with acnes, prickly heat, eczema and itchiness. All these soaps are great for soothing burns, insect bites, inflammation and allergic skin.

I tried some random non steroidal lotions and creams from pharmacies and independent distributors too. 

I love Atopiclair because it kinda work a little for my baby during that worst outbreak..but I think it's a bit stinging and gave him like a burning sensation kot when his skin is inflamed and flared up, because he would scream for a few seconds whenever I applied that. But this is great to be used during flare and remission phases of eczema. It is steroid-free and relieves itching, burning and pain associated with the skin condition. It will only sting for awhile but it works in repairing the damage skin. This stuff is great for itchiness, extreme dry skin, and rough skin patches. It works immediately!

I also LOVED that Aloe Propolis Creme from Forever Living! It's sooooo awesome, I became a member instantly! LOL. When his eczema was so bad and watery/infected, I applied a very thick amount of that cream, and immediately after a few hours, I saw his skin getting better and dried up so quickly! It's one of my favourite products! If your baby's eczema is infected -  Like there's increased redness of the skin around the rash and a yellow/honey-colored fluid oozing from the rash or forming a crust over the rash, you may want to try this product! Or apply any aloe vera jelly. It'll dry up the area quite quickly! It was proven to relieve itching, reduce redness, help prevent irritation from returning by balancing the PH of the skin, promoting moisture of the skin and cellular turnover (producing more healthy skin cells and shedding old cells). It obviously does not cure eczema and nothing will, however it does help!  

I bought the whole set of MooGoo skincare products as well...as so many claimed that this brand works. They said it instantly reduce redness and irritation and itch. But nahhhh...my son's skin didn't show any signs of it getting any better when using these products. So I ended up using them myself.. since I too, had to use all organic products/detergents etc when handling Ayden during that worst outbreak..

I also tried Cetaphil products. 

The Cetaphil Restoraderm are great. But I like the regular Cetaphil Baby ones. Smells amazing! I only use the normal range when he's skin is not inflamed

If you're buying Mustela products, make sure you buy the Stelatopia range. Those are for eczema skin. Otherwise, the normal range may irritate your baby's skin. 

Anyway, we tried homeopathy, osteopathy, dieting - Gluten free diet, Egg & Milk free diet, Vegan diet, Paleo diet, changing his bed sheet, towels, clothes, blanket everyday, using Kangen water, mandi air laut, bleach bath, using only organic products - food, detergents, skincare etc, went to see 4 different specialists/dermatologists/allergist from KL to Johor, 3 different pediatricians, Chinese sensei, ustaz perubatan islam, traditional methods, wet wraps, tied him up for a month plus - day and night so he could stop scratching, trying to stop breastfeeding and gave him soy milk/goat's milk la (but he refused pun) and apa entah lagi.. I can't remember dah. It's like for those 2 months straight (when he was around 8 to 9 months old tu) during that worst outbreak, for every single week, we went for a different method and doctors once we have not seen any signs of it getting any better. Yes, I'm very impatient and desperate! When you've tried so many things and have spent so much for months and months already..you just want fast result! huhu. Dr. Aron's method je belum try, sebab once I got to know about him, my son has shown signs of getting better. Alhamdullilah

This were some of his homeopathy meds from France

Andddd...the "makanan sunnah". 

Gum Arabic, Habbatussauda, garlic tablets, herbs/akar kayu, sabun gamat, sabun sulphur, Olivenol etc etc.

The wet wrap therapy

Since I can't take regular eggs, I bought the organic/free range eggs and I also substituted my cow milk with goat's milk or soy milk or coconut milk or almond milk/macadamia milk

Gluten free products. 

I ate their cereals, their desserts, cookies, breads, pastas, pancakes etc during my Gluten Free diet period. haha

Sorry gambar gelap. Malas nak edit. haha. 

Anyway, this was my makanan ruji when I tried to have a Gluten Free diet. haha. I love the Orgran brand. You can find them in Jaya Grocer. I bought cereals, breads, muffins, cookies, cakes, pancakes, pastas etc all Gluten Free so I won't go crazy because I can't eat so many things during that time! (Read: I love to eat sweet stuff. So when you ask me to cut my cakes, and milk in my coffee, I can go emo! LOL) 

We tried giving him goat's milk too. Pun dia tak nak. And naik macam hives pulak. Bagus la jugak dia tak nak susu lain, because even though so many people around me said that my milk is "toxic" for him, that has caused his eczema... I still believe that mother's milk is the BEST milk. 

So I keep my cool and still continue nursing him until today at 18 months old! Alhamdullilah :)

Anyway, siapa sini nak this susu kambing, please PM me. I bought these at around RM 100 over each. Dah buka though. Pernah bancuh 1-2 kali je. Still elok, tak expired lagi. If you don't mind, please take it.

His lips were so swollen because I thought he was eczema free when he was around 11 months old..sebab dah lama tak kena.  Thus, this mommy so gatal pergi letak cheese in his pasta! I thought sikit je takpe kot.. Hahaha.. Kesian my baby! Dah macam Jay-Z! >_<

We rushed to the ER that day.. Thank goodness it was nothing serious! I was soooo afraid if he can't breathe or something! Lesson learned! No dairy forever and everrrr!! Lol 

So sexy! Heheh. 

Poor baby...

Anyway....I admit, it was kinda my fault for not really listening to the doctor's advice. I thought I knew better. I thought by following whatever things and method that I have been told in the eczema support groups that I joined, I was doing the right thing. Well...partly yes, I was doing the right thing by avoiding the steroid. As we all know that steroid IS bad! But I also helped him "healed" a bit too, by using the steroid. tskkk. It's kinda like a love-hate relationship =/

Steroids are not for long term use even if the doctor says it is ok. Steroids are toxic and addictive! Eczema is an autoimmune issue, so it's best if you try to boost your baby's immune system instead of relying on steroid. You may want to add Vitamin A, C, D, E and probiotics in your baby's diet and lay off the sugar will help over the long term. The best foods for healthy skin are: Omega-3 fatty acids, such as flax seeds or flax-seed oil, salmon and tuna fish. I give Ayden salmon everyday now and Alhamdullilah his skin is looking so much better day by day. And lots of fluids, preferably water too, as this helps to keep their skin well hydrated.

I was less then thrilled about using steroids on my infant, but I really had no choice otherwise nothing would control his red inflamed scaly irritated skin. At first, like other concern, terlebih paranoid moms, I too avoid steroid at any cost after googling and reading so many opinions and thoughts and experiences about it. I knew steroid is BAD for the baby! All the side effects has really scared the shit out of me! haha. So I've tried avoiding it no matter how bad my son's skin look like. But after like a gazzilionth visits to different doctors and specialists, all they gave was steroid. Hydrocortisone la, U-Closone la, Eumovate la, B-Mycin la, and other creams! At first I didn't use any of the steroids though! It's like...there's nothing else that can work in healing eczema. Sigh...

I even asked Doctor Gangaram a dermatologist from Prince Court Medical Centre, "Is there any other creams beside steroid that we can use? I really don't want to put steroid on my baby!".

His answers has really enlightened me. He said,

"We have been using steroid since 1950s. For the past years, steroid is the only thing that we doctors use that could help ease the skin condition for eczema. So your baby could live like a normal person. Why are you so afraid of the steroid? This one that I'm giving you is only the mild ones.. It's only 1% steroid. Kesian your baby!".

And then it hit me! I only became a mother for not even a year...and my so called "research" is based on GOOGLE. And these doctors have studied years and years and have treated many people successfully...why on earth would I listened to the people on internet and let my innocent baby bare the pain and suffer?! :(

Then when I was back from the hospital that day, I called my good friend Farhana as she has a son who has eczema and a niece that has a severe case of eczema too. I wanted to know what did she do and her sister in law did to cure or control her daughter's eczema. After chatting for a bit, she said

"Ala babe...don't worry too much about the steroid. I dulu pun macam you. Avoiding steroid etc. True, steroid is bad...true, it is a manmade medicine..so it has a lot of flaws/side effects...but you must also remember that it is also Allah who gave people the knowledge in creating the steroid. Maybe for now memang itu je cara nak kurangkan the inflammation? I'm not asking you to use it everyday. Don't abuse it la.. Just use it a tiny bit to make the irritation and inflammation a little less. Then once the skin got better, try avoiding what could trigger the eczema. You're the mother, so you need to know what could trigger his eczema. Then try to avoid it. That's how you can control and manage it... Inshaallah everything will be okay".

Then it hit me again...hmmm yeah, whyyyyy did I hate steroid so much again? heh.

So... after that phone call, I began using the steroid properly. Last time I only used it like one or two days, then I stopped before the skin has really really healed because I was too paranoid of using the steroid for too long. Thus, the eczema was not exactly vanished, and then after a few days it will start appearing again and again.. Then I get depressed again. This process has been repeating for months! haha xD

Thus after talking to Farhana, I started using the steroid properly everyday for almost two weeks. I think it was about 12 days. I used it at night time only. Until his skin has finally become very smooth and pretty again. At the same time I continue with my routine that I've been doing for quite awhile : -

• Bathe him with 2 tablespoon of Epsom Salt mix with 1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar mix with Kangen water (or normal water will do) every day, 
• And then every once or twice a week I would let him soak in Rooibos tea mix with lemon,
• After his bath, I would slather some Extra Virgin Coconut Oil all over his body 

I am sooo thrilled with this product! Please NEVER change it or remove it from the market!

• And lastly I would apply the Bud's Super Soothing Rescue Lotion on top of the coconut oil. I'd put quite a thick amount of those two; the coconut oil and the Bud's lotion...especially on the eczema part. (During the worst outbreak, I used one tube of this lotion for a week! Cepat sangat habis because this was the only lotion that really really work wonders!)
• Then I'd give him one teaspoon of the coconut oil for him to consume. Twice a day. 
• Oh and I'd apply this Bud's lotion every one hour when the eczema strikes. 
• Then at night time when he's asleep, I apply a tiny bit of Hydrocortisone ointment on the eczema part. I'd apply the steroid only when the eczema was quite bad. Otherwise, I would only do the routine that I just mentioned. Every single day for two months.

I religiously did all these until his skin has become normal and pretty again. Now, I only maintain it by using the coconut oil and Bud's lotion. The main point here is to avoid dry skin. Always moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Buy great moisturizers! Try all brands in the market to find out which ones are the best for your baby's skin as different product may have different effects on skin! So buy a really great moisturizer. This is the single most important step in minimizing your baby’s eczema. Do not underestimate this! This needs to be part of your daily routine with your baby! Also, watch what you (if you're breastfeeding) or your baby eats. Avoid all the allergic triggers.

As of now, my baby still consume the coconut oil. Every day. He loves it too much! haha.. I'm not sure if that is also one of the contributing factors that has made his skin very soft or what. But I also manage his eczema by avoiding the things that could trigger his eczema which are dairy products, eggs, hot weather/places, food that contain MSG, processed foods, making him stress, and avoiding people from kissing him too much or him touching dirty stuff like dust or unwashed/uncleaned items, etc.. And most importantly, cut his fingernails often! Do not let your eczema baby scratch the part where they have the redness. It'll become worse! >_<

So far this method works for me. At least his eczema is controllable for now... I'm still waiting for the day to come when his eczema is completely gone from his body and he can eat anything and berjemur tengah panas! LOL. They said it'll be gone in time. Maybe when he's a bit older he'll outgrow it I guess... So in the mean time, I'll just avoid the things that could trigger it and also I would just continue with what I'm doing now. But at least when there's redness, I am not that paranoid as much as I did back then. Mak dah relax sikit...haha

My baby today at 18 months old!

^__^

I hope this helps. Don't worry too much mommies. I understand you can't stand the pain...looking at your innocent child crying, screaming and scratching. But inshaallah it'll get better in time. I'm sharing all these to let you know that there's HOPE! And your baby WILL get better inshaallah!
Hugs!


P/s: Feel free to share this with mommies who have eczema babies!


XOXO,
Shazzy.