Overcoming the challenges of life with a newborn

You thought having the baby was the hardest part? Just wait until those sleepless nights, lack of time and an overwhelming amount of laundry starts to take its toll. During the first few weeks after birth, there are many physical, social and psychological changes that a woman must adapt to. That along with the fact that newborns are unpredictable and have no schedule or routine, can’t communicate to express their needs, and have very little care or concern about anyone’s problems has made mommying a newborn to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. This isn’t meant to scare you but just to give you a small dose of reality. Here’s the good thing, women before you have gone through this and have shared their wisdom so you can learn from their mistakes. I have been through it four times and am currently doing my fifth round Mashallah. I’d like to say that managing a newborn got easier with subsequent pregnancies, but the reality is that every child is different and so are the situations and environment around that newborn, which makes each newborn experience just as difficult as the first. But, having had five babies, I’ve learned a few things over the years. One of those things is the fact that every problem has a solution, sometimes multiple solutions.Continue reading “Overcoming the challenges of life with a newborn”

Getting Ready for Ramadan 2019

Growing up in South Florida, we had very little connection to Islam outside of our home. Ramadan was the exception. It was the one month during the entire year when we as kids felt excited and happy to be muslims. Being in a non-muslim majority community, fasting during school hours was an added burden, but the excitement that filled the air, it made it an easy task to accomplish. Continue reading “Getting Ready for Ramadan 2019”

99 Names of Allah Memory Game Review

When Faithful Kids Games sent us this beautiful memory card game set with the 99 names of Allah, I was a little skeptical  since the kids are older and I didn’t know if they would enjoy a memory card game. BUT they loved it! Yesterday, when the babies were asleep , the older three enjoyed a couple rounds of the memory game. I eventually had to request them to stop playing once Baby Z woke up. (Which goes to show you how much they were enjoying)

There are 3 colors indicating the level of difficulty. The easier to remember names are in the green cards. So, that’s the level we played. The youngest started. If a player made a match, they kept going until they mismatched. When this happened, it was the next player’s turn… and until finally, all the cards were matched.

Every time they would flip over a card, I asked them to read the name – once they become familiar with the names on the green deck, I’ll have them start reading and familiarizing themselves with the meaning inshallah. When the game finishes … I asked them to read out the names that they matched.

Overall verdict  inshallah we will definitely be adding this to our Islamic homeschool eventually, but for now the kids want to keep it in their games collection, either way works for me, so I’m not arguing.

The game can be purchased directly through the vendor, faithfulkids.net or on Amazon, linked below.

Labor Advice for Expectant Moms from #MomsOfInstagram

When it comes to labor advice, who better to give it then other moms who have already gone through it.

After having 5 kids, and 5 labor experiences, each of which have been very different from the others, I have learned that you can never have too much labor advice. It’s nice to hear about and learn from the experiences of other moms.

This list is by no means intended to replace the advice of a medical professional.

Similar advices are grouped by their category.

  1. Take it easy. Get all the help. Lactation help ASAP if thinking of BF. | @thatfancyfamilylife
  2. Always be early for hospital no matter how far you are with dilation. | @ammiaurammar
  3. Wait till your dilated a little bit more at your home then go. | @jellyfi6717
  4. Eat whatever you want before you go to the hospital to the deliver the baby | @bushranahmed
  5. Speak up for yourself! And make sure your significant other knows what you want. | @saleenasoban
  6. Based on several mama friends, know when to time your med/epidural. | @veil_in_motion

Pack your Bags

@sufiyanehad2228- Pack your bags well in advance and your hubby shoud be aware of every minute

@mamainscrubs- Pack a hospital bag 2 months in advance in case of early labor.

@sumaya1990- Definately have a baby bag ready with all the essentials. You can’t plan everything, everyone has their own experience.

@minaghazihum- Pack your bag properly. Having your essentials makes this transition easy and beautiful as it should be.

@ammara402- Prepare a bag in time. Only comfy clothes for yourself.

Plan for the Unexpected

@alauqaili- Be flexible. It hardly every goes as you plan or imagine.

@zanaibworld- Always pray for the best but be prepared for absolutely anything.

@mumsthewordpk- Take it as it comes. We go in with a birth plan, but it’s okay if things don’t go as planned.

Don’t Stress, Stay Calm

@homebaker_ayesha- Try the breathing technique. It helps a lot.

@salma717- Relax!!! Everything will happen when its time. Stress is not good for labor.

@farheen_sattar- Make sure you have a very relaxed and enjoy the time away from your home.

@nidasiddiq3- Just keep calm and Dua!

If you would like to add to this list, please leave a comment below.

How to Prepare Older Siblings for a New Baby

For non- first time parents, welcoming a new baby brings with it a lot of mixed emotions. The excitement of the baby also comes with fear or anxiety about how the arrival of new baby will affect the older child or children. Parents often fear that this new situation can bring about jealousy and other negative feelings in the older siblings.

We have been blessed to have had this opportunity four times in the course of our five pregnancies. Alhamdulillah. We have also been blessed to have had a fairly smooth transition each time, and we are anticipating this time to be no different inshallah as we wait for the arrival of our newest addition.

Having said that, let me assure you that all of this did not happen just by chance. In fact, we planned and worked towards creating and ensuring that smooth transition for our family each time we were blessed with a new baby.

These are our tried and tested methods for helping older siblings prepare for a new baby.Continue reading “How to Prepare Older Siblings for a New Baby”

Packing your Labor & Delivery Hospital Bag

In the past 4 pregnancies, I have always packed my hospital bag last minute, right as I am about to leave for the hospital. This time, I was determined to be prepared early.

We ended up packing at week 36. By my standards, that’s really good! I packed three small bags, a carry-on size bag for me and my hubby, the camera bag, and a small shoulder bag for the baby’s clothes.Continue reading “Packing your Labor & Delivery Hospital Bag”

7 Activities for an Indoor Relay Race

Looking for a fun and easy way to keep kids entertainment during school breaks? An indoor relay race is the perfect indoor activity for a cold winter day or any other time when you want to stay indoors.

Everything I needed to set up this indoor activity was purchased from either the dollar store, created at home, or used from around the house.

Before starting the race, explain to the kids that although this is a relay race, it’s more about enjoying the race than winning. I feel it’s extremely important to stress that to kids. By explaining this ahead of time, I was able to prevent the waterworks. In fact, the kids actually helped each other upon completing their stations.Continue reading “7 Activities for an Indoor Relay Race”

Baby Essentials: What you really need

Having four kids and a fifth on the way, I’ve gone through my share of baby STUFF both essential must-haves and the not so must-have luxury items. I take pride in the fact that I’m a fairly simple person and don’t like a lot of clutter. That being said, you will probably find lists circulating around the internet that are a lot more comprehensive. I just found that those baby items that do not serve a long-term purpose are not worth it. Also, here in south Florida, it rarely gets cold, so the list below does not include any winter clothing.

Here is what I think are the bare essentials for breastfeeding babies, plus a few optional items.Continue reading “Baby Essentials: What you really need”