Surviving Winter

Winter kali ni mama buat lebih banyak preparation berbanding tahun2 yang sudah.. Masa first winter (2010/11) Z di Ireland, Alhamdulillah x de sebarang masalah. Ingat lagi, first tima Z tiba di airport dublin, it was snowing heavily! Bayangkanlah, daripada lahir di Malaysia (Kedah to be specific) yang panas berdengung tu, terus ke Dublin yg tengah heavily snow. Sampai2 jer terus mama bawak Z ke GP for consultation. He was only 3.5 months at that time. Alhamdulillah we manage to went through the whole winter successfully. Nak kata sebab immune kuat from breastmilk pun tak juga, sebab Z dah start formula at that time..

First winter (frozen Ireland)

Second time winter (2011/12) pun mama ingat ada la sekali dua jer yang Z sakit n it wasnt that bad.. But last year (2012/13) was the worst. Combination of school and also his bowel obstruction perhaps. Sekolah memang banyak virus. Setiap hari ada jer kawan2 Z yg hingus merembes. Blom lagi masuk bab winter bugs. Aduihaiii.. Seram mama ingat kisah setahun yang lalu.

2nd winter (it was snowing kat luar tu..)

For that reason, mama take few *additional steps to control the situation. Tu pun Z kena jugak cold yang teruk haritu. I blame myself jugak, planning dh ada, lambat benar nk implementasinya.. Mama oo mama.. Dah sakit baru nak carik penawar..

1. Probiotics - to improve immune system.

Rasanya Z started probiotics since he was 1 yr kot. Mama bagi infant pre+probiotics (1billion CFU). Then changed to prebiotics around 20 months (acacia gum advised by Dr Halim), but still add probiotics occasionally. Tapi skrg tukar balik ke probiotics, mama x nampak sgt pun kesan prebiotic tu plus it quite difficult to give it to Z. For probiotics, normally mama bagi 1 capsule per day (4billion CFU). But for winter mama bagi 2 caps. Sejak2 bagi 2 capsule la Z terus baik from his cold.

Udo's Choice - Junior Blend

2. Sambucus (Black Elderberry)

To fight cold n flu. Basically to support immune system jugak. rich in vitamin C and Zinc. Mama baru tahu jer pasal nih from DS Ireland Forum. 1 sudu jer sehari. Ni mama order online, x jumpa pulak dekat pharmacy. Z dah kena cold haritu baru sampai. But since then mama bagi ler sesudu tiap2 pagi sebelum pegi sekolah. Rasanya manis. So, senang jer nak bagi Z makan.. :)

3. Vitamin D3 - Pun untuk immune system (Vit D deficiency could increase the risk of viral infection)

Di Ireland nih memang all babies are recommended to take extra VitD3 supplement. Cuaca kat sini mendung sepanjang zaman, susah nak dapat matahari. Masa Z admitted to hospital early last year, paed tu nasihatkan suruh Z ambik extra vit D. Sebab kulit Z yang gelap tu memerlukan more Vit D than white people (Hihihi). She recommended 400IU, and to increase during winter (anak mat saleh perlu 200IU jer). So now mama bagi 800IU = 2 drops. Campur jer dlm cereal Z pagi2 tu..

4. Humidifier

Winter jer, mesti kena pasang heater. Last year memang buka heater most of the time, and I think that contribute a lot to Z's poor health state. Extract from wikipedia

In winter, when cold outside air is heated indoors, the humidity may drop as low as 10-20%. This low humidity can cause adverse health effects, by drying out mucous membranes such as the lining of the nose and throat, and can cause respiratory distress.

Lama jugak mama dok survey which type of humidifier nk beli. Finally down to 2 choices, Vicks Warm Humidifier and Cool Mist (ultrasonic) humidifier. Memang nak beli yang kecik jer sebab rumah pun kecik jer kan.. but tak sure sangat whats the different between cool and warm humidifier nih. Most review cakap sama jer benefit, except cool mist tu safer la (plus quiet). So mama pun order this one from Amazon mid November, tapi boleh lost in post pulak.. Z dah sakit haritu baru sampai. Haiyoo semua nak sampai lambat kan..

Kecik jer, but enough for 8 hrs sleep.

Anyhoo, masa Z demam tu papa n mama bergilir2 mengasap/steam (boiled water letak dalam besen + vicks, then halakan asap ke arah Z). Sebabkan cuaca terlampau sejuk, 7-8 minit sekali kena masak air baru. (Yes! cepat giler sejuk!). So mama decided to go and buy the warm humidifier jugak. Padehal masa tu cool mist tu baru jer guna sehari. Nasib baik ada jual di Argos. And we never look back!

Bulky in size

Tido malam Z terus lena since pakai humidifier nih. Kalau tak 2-3 kali jugak bangun sebab tak boleh bernafas n batuk2. Lepas Z baik mama pulak sakit kan.. Amazingly, mama pun tido lena tiap malam. Walaupun demam teruk di siang hari, dengan hingus meleleh, berkahak, blocked nose, sakit kepala, semua ada.. But bila balik jer rumah, malam terus rasa ok sikit. Kalau tak, nak tido malam lagi la worst. But not anymore. Siang jer sakit la balik (sebab mama still pegi keja).. Since then, memang tetiap malam ler pasang Vicks Humidifier nih :).

But I do prefer the cool mist humidifier though.. Quiet operation, but produced a lot of mist. Bilik rasa fresh n nyaman jer.. Cantik kiut miut pulak tu ;)

Masa cuti panjang haritu, siang memang tak pasang heater so ok lagi la.. my plan is, bila dh snow nanti siang pun kena la pasang heater kan. And we can use the cool mist humidifier tu siang2 hari. satu letak kat ruang tamu, satu letak kat tempat tido.. bende dah beli pun kan...(self justification jer nih) hehehe.. ruang tamu mama dah letak air purifier (from vicks jugak), but thats to clean the air jer.. I normally keep it on during weekend. Tak per, winter kita pasang humidifier jer la..(papa kata mama hoarder, kihkihkih)

Anyway, Alhamdulillah.. Sejak 3 mgu lepas, Z memang bebas dari sebarang penyakit. Hingus pun tak de. Batuk pun tak.. Semoga kesihatan Z berterusan baik.. Amin..Ya Allah.. Amin... 3 months lagi nih before winter end.. Jan/Feb is always the worst. Tu pun kat Ireland nih selalunya sampai bulan May pun masih sejuk sangat lagi...Kita berusaha jer lah kan, InsyaAllah semoga Z terhindar dari virus2 jahat.

*In addition to his regular multiviatamin, supplements & healthy foods intake