(2012/06) Jun 2012

[ssmilezz]

Week 35 Checkup

Went for my checkup today. Baby is still head down and seems to be lower than 2 weeks ago. She's now 2.9kg! Put on 400g since 2 weeks ago. I put on 1kg over last 2 weeks. Total weigh gain at 15kg now. Hehe. Just need to continue to maintain my weigh. I asked abt the size of baby's head. Worried that might be too big but gynae says ok still.

My visits will be weekly now. Did my swab test today and settled my pre registration. One less thing to settle!

 

[nattan]

Chris, haha.. ya maybe pregnancy hormones But anyway he apologised. I think it's a case of chicken and duck talk. I told him our argument could have been avoided if he just replied a simple yes or no, then he said he's sorry cos he's busy

My belly button also popped out leh, but it's ok... no pain whatsoever.

Ssmilezz, your hubby so funny... called it a 3rd nipple?! Haha.. Ya... looks like one..

I don't feel particularly hungry but I've been snacking on chocs.. Very bad... must try to curb myself from eating too much not just cos of the sugar and fats but the caffeine as well...

I think my baby's weight will probably be similar to yours... it's a good weight. I prefer my baby to be 3+kg when delivered. A bit scared of a tiny, fragile baby...

BTW, re coconut juice, I found this on Gmarket.. http://list.gmarket.com.sg/item/12-CANS-WONG-COCO-ALL-NATURAL/401519901

Thinking of ordering since they can do delivery for min $20 purchase and it's less than $1 a can and no sugar added also.

 

[prisann]

I been eating happily these couple of week.
I don't really control my diet. From 33wk to 35wk , I gain 3kg.
Don't wanna weigh myself now..
I eat quite sinful food which r high in sugar like ice cream and cakes, but I eat in moderate la.

Talk about food, I feel like eating now again.. Help!!

 

[nattan]

Just ordered my coconut juice from Gmarket. After $2 coupon discount, only $21.80 and got free delivery to my doorstep. Each can is about $0.90 only.

I also read that you can continue to drink it after delivery. As it's high in electrolyte, it's like a natural sports drink, so can drink to rehydrate yourself for breastfeeding. Of course, if you are planning on drinking the red dates tea through out confinement, this coconut juice can be drunk after the 1 mth confinement period.

 

[christine77sg]

haha, smilez ur hubby is so creative, lik jul's hubby. Bt my button is in really bad condition. I hv gotta press it dwn if i m too full or too gassy, or if i laugh too hard, cough or sneeze. The only time tat its nt painful is whn i m lyin dwn.

Anthr mummy has popped. I m gettin really nervous. Thers stil lots of things to b done.

 

[fr0stie]

Taking abt mc, my boss (she given birth last yr) told me that any gynE mc from week 36 onwards is not counted means company cannot recognize it as sick leave. So if preg unwell it has to be annual leave or maternity leave.. (cos ml can start one month ahead of edd) Wah sianz! If she dont say, nobody will know right? Hr policy also din say so..

 

[blissedsher]

Hi to all mum to be!
I am a silent reader here and recently I asked for opinion on cl that back out last minute .. Just to share that I have given birth !thanks for all yr opinions when I felt like I was slipping into depression !!

 

[charmaine1978]

Hi shermine, u need a cl? I can ask if my cl can recommend someone.

 

[charmaine1978]

Tanny, is that true, they nvr say also. I asked and they say nvr mind. I better go back see my leave status.

 

[hopecg]

chris
i wished i can join u as SAHM.. haha.. but gonna be tough in the pockets should i really opt to do that..

jul
hw long npl u wanted? my workplace also can max give 6 mths to be more secured in getting same position back..

guess those mummies whose edd falls on first wk of june are slowly popping! haha! so exciting la!!

 

[blissedsher]

Hi Charmaine thanks ! But I manage to find one but it's 9-6 only .. Guess have to make do with it ..

 

[ryan_mummy]

nattan: will be ordering from gmarket later today.
but can abit more ley chey.. need to finish. then try not to eat the pulp.. it's heaty.
my bottle i usually split to 2 drinking sessions. perhaps i'll pour the can into bottles for better storage.

ML
I'll be taking 4months straight. Co dun allow split cause they say cause more trouble to dept..
I haven't ask about HL or MC prior to birth. But my co follow MOM rules very strictly. so unless MOM states, I should be able to take HL/MC prior to birth.

so far 2 ppl popped

See who's next

Today my feet swell so badly i have to wear casual slippers to work. Can't even fit into my fitflop..
Early morning already woke up with swollen legs. Though I elevate at night. I think it's all the coffee I've been drinking each day

But that's the only drink that can relieve my constipation. Dunno how manz...

Breakfast
Hb bought egg mayo sandwich for me. Then I ate Mcds egg muffin meal for the Hello Kitty Bear.. haha
Not full yet

 

[jol82ene]

@Shermine, Congrates

SAHM: I feel more comfortable spending own money. SAHM isn't easy, kiddos to all who are going to be.

Sianz having a meeting this evening, only starting at 8pm. Worse still I am staying at Jurong and working at Bedok. Haiz.
But I glad that I am meeting you all tommorow. Ermmm can I have someone's number? Shouldn't be difficult to spot the group but just in case. PM me ok

 

[groovy2009]

shermine, congrats!

 

[nattan]

Morning mummies... rainy morning. I got a bad headache and baby was kicking me so much last night I didn't get to sleep till almost 2am, so decided to take half day to rest at home. Back to work after lunch.

Congrats Shermine!

Boy or girl? Have a good rest!

Petrina, didn't know not suppose to eat the pulp? But those in the can are usually very tiny pieces, I think it's ok la.. If not, you can use a sieve to strain out the juice into a bottle. Why do you need to split into 2 sessions to finish? I can finish drinking in 1 session..cos it's tasty... hehe..

Re swollen feet, I don't think is caused by drinking coffee cos it's a diuretic so you will not be retaining so much fluids. Anyway how many cups do you drink per day? I usually have 2.

 

[asrias]

Groovy: Oops, I must be mistaken, dunno why I keep thinking that we have the same gynea. haha

Petrina: My feet also swelled =( Its one size bigger now. I hope it will go down when i return to work, else my whole cupboard of shoes cannot wear liao.

SAHM: yah I also feel more comfortable spending my own money. Coz hubby cannot complain that I spend money on shopping and bags. whahahah... Anyway, with a car, I can't afford not to work also, cos then hubby have to eat air liao and that just paying the monthly fixed commitments.

 

[asrias]

Nattan: Wow 2 cups of coffee a day? I tot the max is 1? Now even if occassionally I do drink one cup i also feel guilty. haha. And I realised I can't drink coffee/tea after 4pm liao, coz at night is super wide eye.

 

[nattan]

Asrias, I also hope my feet will go back to normal after delivery, but then again, I also need new shoes, so more reason to shop after birth to treat myself..heheh..

Re coffee, it's safe to have up to 2 cups of instant coffee a day or 1 filtered cup (brewed). I usually drink quite a bit before getting pregnant and whatever I drink doesn't really affect me. Guess it's cos I've been drinking since I was 9 years old My mum also drank yakun coffee everyday when she had me.

 

[ryan_mummy]

nattan: my coffee shld be considered brewed. from MCDS. 1 cup each morning to start my intestines.. hehe..
I stopped coffee or switched to decaf since pregnancy. but after 3rd trimester because abit hard to go toilet. so last mth i restarted my daily coffee dose.
I am also a very coffee person. Even late night drink I also no effect.

Dunno y my feet swell so badly. I drink coconut water daily too. so i supposed the goodness of it can wipe out water retention since we pee very often, cleansing our system.

Nattan: dunno whether the Wong COCO is 1 coconut per can or how many. now still early, cause COCOMAX say per bottle is 2.5 coconuts. so that's way too many to drink in 1 seating. So i'll split half bottle per day. though i'll very much like to finish all

 

[adellez]

Confinement Herb List


Herbs Amount
Hong Zhao (seedless) 3kg
Dried Longans 3kg
Hei Zhao 300g
Bei Qi 300g
Dang Gui 150g
Gou Qi 1 pkt
Dang Sheng 300g
Du Zhong 50g
Bao Sheng 100g
Huai Shan 200g
Hai Yu Zhu 300g
Tian Ma 100g
Chuang Xiong 20g

Herbal Pills + Bathing
Jing Feng Shan 1 btl
Shu He Wan 1 big pkt
Da Feng Ai 1 box

Wines
Bai Mi Jiu 2 btl
Shao Xin Jiu 1 btl
Jiang Jui 1 btl

Condiments
Hei Mu Er 100g
Hei Dou 1 pkt
Dong Du 1 pkt
Jiang 600g
Ma You 2 btl
Hu Jiao Fen For cooking purpose
Hu Jiao Li For cooking purpose
Light Soya SauceFor cooking purpose
Corn Flour For cooking purpose
Dark Soya Sauce For cooking purpose

 

[irisse]

SAHM : I will be a SAHM. In fact, I have already stop working ever since pregnant. We feel that nurturing baby ourselves is quite important especially in the first few years which is why we decide that I will be a SAHM.

I don't think it will be easy when Baby is born because I will be looking after baby myself after the CL leaves. No maid, so also have to do housework myself. But lucky hubby said will review what kind of help I will need when baby is here. Hubby will give me some allowance to cover my monthly bills and expenses. If we do not splurge unnecessary, I guess it should be manageable to live on one income. Afterall, most of the older generation also live on one income and can bring us up well.

 

[hopecg]

cassandra
haha.. older generation also din believe much in getting the kids into all the activities either.. eg singkids, music classes, phonics, art etc.. a bulk of my salary goes into all these stuff for #1.. =( but i'm for the idea to expose him as much as possible, probably not gonna excel in any, but at least he had the chance to try his hands on all these.. of cos, if can be SAHM and still be able to afford all these will be great

shermine
can share your experience w ur cl? i'm thinking of having one short term 9-6 too.. to coach my helper abt basic bb caregiving..

 

[nattan]

Petrina, the cocomax drink is how many ML? I think if it's also the same quantity as the Wong Coco one, then it's roughly the same number of coconuts.

Cassandra, great to know that you're a sahm. It's not easy like you said, but with careful planning it's possible. Jiayou!

 

[jol82ene]

Oh! I am so glad that you all are talking about COFFEE I was debating with myself if I should go to the coffees hop to get a local coffee. Missed it so much. I have been taking latte to curb my cravings. Ok ok I am going to get one kopi now. Cheers!

 

[groovy2009]

cassandra, older generation, their flat prices is much cheaper than us if compare to their salary . I bought in 2009

For me, if I'm not working, cannot pay for our flat.

 

[irisse]

Children enrichment: I always hear parents spending quite alot on children enrichment courses. How much do you ladies roughly spend each month?

I m thinking to send baby to Shichida and music class. My SIL operates a art studio, so art classes should be cheaper hopefully....

 

[ryan_mummy]

Nattan: same ML. so if WCC is just as concentrated, means same bah. dun drink whole can in a seating.. too cooling liao.

Cassandra: I wanna be a SAHM too.. aww.. lucky u have ur hb's mental/physical support.
don't worry abt chores and child rearing. it will come naturally

When i was SAHM for #1 for 3yrs, the only thing I had to deal with was mental stress from a screaming toddler after he turned 1yo.. haha
all the constant watching to prevent falls, dangerous cupboards, items in the mouth etc..
Babies slp most of the time. if u TBF, u have nothing to wash for bottles/fm etc.
so u mainly need to handle laundry, basic home cleaning. prioritize your things, if u can't handle everything in the day, wait till ur hb is back before doing cleaning.
if u r ok, u can buy a dryer so that u dun need to worry abt laundry. since u can put in washing machine then transfer to dryer then keep in cupboard already.
The real test comes after baby turns 1.

Enrichment
My boy started N1 in 2011, born 2008. prior to that, he nvr attended any classes. I self-taught him everything I can. Via dvd, self-created cards, whiteboard..
in 2012, we started him on BERRIES due to lack of mandrain speech skills cause our whole family speak english only.
Till now, he is only on BERRIES chinese class once a week. $$120 per mth.
We will only start him on piano in 2013 if he shows great n constant interest. I won't start him on classes to satisfy my own dreams

He attends his usual N2 daily 3hrs class in Maris Stella Kindy which will progress to K1/2.

Groovy: We are moving to Bt Panjang so that our mthly installment will be covered by HB's CPF contribution. Currently our combined salary can buy flat in HV which is across the street from our current flat. So it's considered a downgrade for us, location wise.

We are planning around 1 income. So currently all my income is being saved for rainy days in future in case nxt yr i intend to resign after CNY 2013. If these few mths we can survive on 1 income, my hb will allow me to resign. If these few mths, I fail the spending tests, then no SAHM for me..

 

[groovy2009]

tanny, that's quite terrible. What if you really sick (flu) then must take annual leave because of that..

Your boss is very strict..

 

[bluesapphire]

<font color="0077aa">cassandra, at one point i spent $500 per month on enrichments for my gal - $300 for shichida and $200 for growing up gifted. i stopped gug after 2 terms as i decided it was not necessary since she was attending infant care. right now only $300 for shichida. come jul, will add another $120 for music class.

petrina, how do u find maris stella kindy so far? i like the campus and the timing but everytime i called to enquire on 2010 babies intake, they always say not open yet.</font>

 

[fleurfleur]

Tanny:
Thanks for the update. Oh dear! But usually company also will not know when our EDD is and our gynae has never issued any official letter indicating that. So i feel its also kind of debatable. If the company doesn't check on this ... it shld be ok right? I thought MC is entitlement?

 

[ryan_mummy]

sapphire: it's good, he learns phonics and good chinese there. initially i felt he didn't learn much cause i taught him way too much. if she is learning too much now, then you won't find they teach her anything.
They only open for N2, K1, K2.
my boy is born in 2008. so urs will be intake for 2014.
where do u stay? since ur girl is in full day, how do u intend to put her in half day school?

 

[snowdoll]

coffee: i stopped drinking coffee since pregnant, at most only take one sip. miss my kopi siew dai and latte loh...dats what i would first drink after i have given birth...we can drink during confinement right??

mc: i also think that it is an entitlement leh. why would the company be so strict. I did not tell my boss yet, would be a last minute thing, just say gynae asked me to stay at home to rest.

 

[christine77sg]

bein sahm
luckily house n car is fully paid for, for nw. Otherwise wil b difficult for us too. Bt hubby nd to buy a new car for his wk nex yr n i also nd to change car in 2-3yrs time. So gettin abit worry, esp w today coe. Haiz. For my family, its abit difficult to calculate or plan financially cos hubby doesnt earn fix income. Bt lucky thing is hubby doesnt spend much. So we try to save as much as possible whn we hv the $. Bein sahm cn save abit on enrichment cos we hv more interaction time w the kids. Lik petrina, cn self teach.

 

[fr0stie]

Sick due to flu (mc given by gp) is ok. What my boss meant is the mc given by gynae (cannot b for flu) (prob for bed rest) will not be recognised by co/ not counted.. Means if gynae give u 2 weeks of mc or hl for bed rest anytime from week 36 to wk 40, my company say u must takeas maternity leave or annual leave for the 2 weeks. So neow! Mom got say we cannot take mc or hl by gynae before we deliver meh? Also dunno my boss is cheating me a not... She say she took annual leave when she had to go on bed rest before we deliver last yr wor.

 

[ryan_mummy]

tanny: if ur co pay for ur medical bills, then maybe u just go GP and ask for MC saying your feet hurts. not baby based MC. Back pain n such.. GP will be liberal with MCs if u look pathetic enough

 

[bluesapphire]

<font color="0077aa">petrina, nice to hear good reviews. i stay at farrer road. very near to maris stella kindy. i like that it is a catholic kindy too. my father in law shd be able to look aft my gal for half day when she goes to N1. i'll probably call again aft CNY next yr. hopefully they dun tell me it's full by then.</font>

 

[nattan]

Decided to take leave today. Too tired already since being kept awake by the baby's samba till 2am...

Re enrichment courses, I won't let my son start till he's 3 or 4 and express some interest in a particular area, be it art, music or sports. Like Petrina, my hubby and I won't be imposing our dreams or expectations on him. Just let him develop his interests and potential freely. And if we can, we'll coach him ourselves cos it's also a form of bonding.

 

[ryan_mummy]

sapphire: N1 is next yr, MS only take in N2..
i can suggest a nice N1 2hr school for u near my block - Holland Ave Blk 11.
BEK Playgroup for N1.
U need to register in MS next Jan for 2014 intake to reserve a slot for AM sessions.

 

[jul_04]

Harlow

Just saw my gynae n all measurements are normal n average. Baby's 2.6kg. Baby not engaged so she doesn't think i'm in danger of popping soon.

Did my strep b swab test but we decided not to do VE. No pt putting myself thru it hehe

 

[hopecg]

petrina
how does transport work for your #1 at maris stella? takes school bus? you send and pick-up?

i think it's a good idea to plan around 1 income first to see if able to do SAHM.. somehow it didn't occur to me, cos it has always been two.. but haha.. i've stepped in too deep and have been working around dual incomes, so it's really impossible for me to stop work at the moment.. =/

nattan
haha.. it was ard 1yo that we see #1 liking music, as it is able to grab his attention fast and he starts drumming his fingers and clapping to the beat.. for shichida, there wasn't much of an interest shown prior to class as in we can't tell.. but cos he wasn't attending any playgrp then, we thought to let him have a regular social interaction to be more socially aware since he's the only kid at home then..

 

[bluesapphire]

<font color="0077aa">petrina, thanks! i have actually got a space for my gal at pat's schoolhouse starting next Jan. but i thought good to have a second option in case i dun like pat's or when the 2nd child comes along and the fees are too much for me to bear. ;p</font>

 

[prettibride]

need some inputs from mummies here

called up a few childcare but most are fully booked for infant care. my headache now is after my ML, should i leave my baby at home with maid and MIL come over to help watch over? I dun feel comfortable leaving my baby with them cos maid is outsider and MIL havn't been handling babies for so long and her knowledge is those traditional type. But I definitely need to return to work after 3 months..or request from company to work part-time.

Anyone will be leaving their baby with maid alone or in-laws?

 

[higgledy82]

Good afternoon mummies!

Thanks for the information on the Glucose Test!

Congrats to Sel &amp; certainly hope that everything went smoothly.

Re: Coffee. My colleague totally stopped having coffee or tea when she was preggy. I never like to drink coffee / tea except for bubble tea with pearls. I wont drink if there is no pearls. Up till now, I have not drank milk. But my gynae also mentioned to have 1 to 2 cups of coffee/tea is fine.

Tanny: My SIL's company also do not recognise MC from gynae, only from GP. I guess it depends on the company's policy?

Prettibride: My baby will be taken care by my MIL only. I dont even have a CL since they dont like additional person in the flat &amp; we dont have a maid. My MIL is in her 60s. I guess sometimes, you just have to open 1 eye &amp; close 1 eye. I will take 8 weeks from my maternity leave 1st. Balance 8 will leave till later, partly do not wish to be out of touch at work &amp; also, the longer stay with baby, the more that you wont bear to leave baby to go work. I am also hoping for the next balance 8 weeks, whenever baby is sick ** touch wood! or my MIL cannot cope, then I can take.

Can I check for those who go for c section, we can only wear those loop pads w/o undies? I am very curious that how to change the pad as definitely heavy flow &amp; it feels weird to keep asking the nurse to help to change?

 

[nattan]

Hopecg, yeah I agree social interaction is important that's why despite hubby's reluctance I said we should put our son in a childcare after 18 mths. Before that, if hubby can cope with the baby and his work, baby can stay home. However, when I think back, both me and hubby never attended playgroups or childcare till we we're about 5 or 6. We're always at home with our mum or grandma so it's not like children cannot pick up social skills at a slightly older age.

Prettibride, if your maid can be trained to look after a baby then getting MIL to come and keep an eye is ok. If both she and MIL don't know how to care for the baby then, it's not a good idea. Alternatively, you can see if there're any nannies available near your place? Some neighbours might be full time nannies and advertise around the area.

 

[ryan_mummy]

hopecg: ya. my #1 takes school bus.
for music wise, #1 has been pestering us for piano lessons for the past 6mths. but we dun wanna put him till he can really sit down and listen to instructions.
we sent him to art class for a term, though he did very well, we pulled him out since he didn't quite enjoy it.

Sapphire: Pat's really exp. haha
abit overrated IMO. anyway u consider MS for N2. but i'd suggest not changing school since she'll get used to classmates, teachers n environment.

Prettibride: i'll be leaving #2 with MIL for the first time ever after 4mths ML. she nvr handled babies other than her own. my #1 was taken care by her from 3yo.
So i have the same worry abt handling babies for MIL. but you have to trust her if you are gonna use her.
I nvr trust maids. You need ur MIL. Rather she look after than IFC. once ur baby is in IFC, you'll be spending alot of time taking AL/CL due to baby being sick n stuffs.
Many of my friends have no choice, so IFC. if u have someone, anyone at all is better than IFC. Unless the person isn't able-ed.

1) Lay down the ground rules.
2) If u BF, supply everything in simple manner for her to grasp. Eg - my MIL dunno how to use electrical appliances. So i allow her to boil bottles over stove instead of sterilizer.
3) Buy BPA free bottles to be safe.
4) Get many bottles and store BM in exact portion per feed so she need not measure amount. best is per 50ml/100ml. So if baby needs a 2nd bottle, she can just pluck it from the fridge and heat up. can't finish, throw.
5) Instruct carefully and make sure she gets it way before ur ML ends. Give her enough opportunity to handle baby all by herself by leaving the house perhaps after ur confinement mth.
6) Latch baby only in the night and start on bottle immediately after 3wks or so **after supply has been established**
This is to avoid bottle battle between baby &amp; MIL after u go back to work.
Many old fashioned folks use this excuse to insist on FM - baby rejecting milk etc..

 

[fleurfleur]

Tanny:
I don't see that rule in the MOM website. It only states that employee is entitled to take 4 weeks before EDD of ML. Unless your company really so chao and neow to indicate in their policy then really no choice.

Actually the ironic thing is i find it easier to get mc from GP then from gynae.

Prettibride: My baby will be left alone with my husband's in laws

hahaha aka as my mum. Is there anything you are concerned about?
My mum also no experience in handling babies since i was born. Don't worry i am sure the motherly instincts will be re-activated. Just need to be more patient and print instructions for her.
If you are very concerned can install camera.

 

[bluesapphire]

<font color="0077aa">petrina, if everything goes well, i will prob just keep her at pat's. but it's always good to have a second option. ;p

prettibride, which area are u looking at for IFC? i registered a space for #2 the moment i learnt of my pregnancy. maybe u can put ur name on waitlist while meanwhile, make do with maid + mil? i am pro-IFC actually, but it also really depends on each child's immunity system. i was lucky my #1 did not fall sick as often. her PD nurse couldn't believe she attended IFC from her medical records.</font>

 

[fleurfleur]

its only 3+ and i am feeling so bored!
Some days its fine at work and other days its a torture!
I pray hard that i can be able to find another better job next year

 

[ssmilezz]

Hi Ladies!
 
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
 
I have been noticing this tingly feeling in my fingers for the past weeks. Seems like I have developed the carpal tunnel syndrome. Feet are also looking a bit more swollen then usual.

Is water retention really a sign that body is getting ready for birth?
 
VE
 
I asked my gynae if she will be doing any VE for me. She said she doesn’t practice doing that unless I’m overdue. If not, she rather let things happen naturally rather than checking and irritating my cervix.
 
Think my hub is getting more and more kan cheong given that my visits will be weekly now. Gynae commented that he seems more nervous and worried than me and he is helping to do the worrying for both of us so she said I can relax since he’s worried enough for two of us. She told me to work as long as I can tahan. Maybe take leave only 1.5 – 1 week before EDD if possible.
 
Should we typically call the clinic first if we think we may be in labor? Cos my gynae keeps stressing that we should call her first and not rush to the hospital.

 

[nattan]

Ssmilezz, I never heard that water retention is a sign of getting ready for birth. Maybe you just need to drink more water to get rid of the water retention.

Yes, should call the doctor when you're having the first signs of labour ie bloody show, water bag burst, etc. If your contractions are getting more regular then go to hospital. Cos what happened to my boss was that for her #1, she went in to hospital too soon and the doc wanted to send her home. She felt it was troublesome, so opted to induce.

Haha.. guys will usually be more kan cheong cos they dunno what's happening. My friend told me, some guys are so traumatised by the birth experience, they cannot "perform" after that. So, pls check if your hubby can take it and whatever it is, don't let him look down there when you're pushing the baby out