(2006/09) SEPTEMBER 2006 MTB

hi peachie

store for 21 years !! that will be $250 x 21 = $5250 and whow knows they will change the cost ?

ya still need to get insurance for our kids leh ... raising a kid is really not easy ...
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yep yep... and that's excluding the $1K extraction fee, not barring any future costs increases. Once you start banking, even if they inform you that the annual fee will be raised, u also bo bian...
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That is at least $6K plus in total.

Health insurance I intend to get once baby is born. Just a safety net. Other forms of insurance like education, life policies etc can wait. Haiz, costs all stack up once the kid comes.... I have friends who spend $1K plus a month sending their 9 month old baby to the Shinchida training method school (and there is a long waiting list to get inside)... My eyes almost popped out when I heard that. No wonder money is never enough for a lot of people these days.
 
peachie

wah 1K+ just for the course ? hmm sometimes I wonder if we can do it at home .... i know there are lotsa such home kits for the mothers .. need to chk it out ..

my agent from Prudential says there is a 15% on the 1st year premium if I sign up for my kid insurance before she turns 3 mths old ... so v keen to do it fast to save the $.
 
Good morning girls!!!

Speaking of finance, how are you going to save up for your kids? Share ley? I currently only save $100 per month for long term saving plan. Think it's not enough. I'm not so fond of these savings plans b'cos must minus administrative fees, service charge and other hidden cost. So in the end, when there's an emergency and need to to withdraw, we don't get our full money back. What a waste!

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hi melissa

i agree with u to a certain extent. Imagine u save aside $100 for your kids till the year of 21. Compare the rates from the bank and the returns from the insurance and you will see a difference.

Quote u one example:

Prudential PruEduSave saving plans:
$360.34 per month, when kid turns 21, she will get $138,800.

in POSB Bank:
The interest is about 0.25%.

assuming u put in the same amount of $360.34 every month in this account, u will get
360.34 x 12 mth x 21 years x 1.25% = $113,507.1 in total...

but of cos this calculation is a bit pessimistic as the interest rate is different for the next subsequent amount.

i am not sure if my calc is right .. gals can verify ?

i guess but no choice but to diligently set aside this sum of $ for our kids .. as I would want them to be independent when they are of age 21 ... my savings for meant for retirement mah ...
 
Hi ilovebabies,

I also intend to DIY.
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our generation dun even have such fanciful stuffs.... we all still turn out fine what. I read somewhere that the best way to stimulate a child is through play, play and more play. I think the education system and work life is stressful enough. No point stressing the poor kid further by depriving him/her of a real childhood. Toys like Lego and puzzles can be quite stimulating. Or bring kid out to the zoo or botanical gardens.... To me it's far better than all the Shinchida method plus speech training schools put together.

Dunno lah... It's just my personal viewpoint. Each to their own way of educating. By the way, the 15% discount on the premium sounds good! Is that for health or life policy?

Hi Melissa,

Hehe, I haven't thought of how to save up either.... Money seems to grow wings and disappear most of the time for me. Maybe save more by cooking at home (instead of eating out), cut down on holidays, scrap the car and use public transport, use hand-me-downs for the kid since kid will outgrow clothes quickly. Anyway, the above are easier said than done.... I know can save by doing so, but ask me to put into action, I dun think I can.... haiz. Mebbe that's why I am always cash-strapped.
 
ilovebabies,
Interesting.. true interest rates fluctuates all the time! And thanks for bringing up about retirement savings.. i totally forgot about that!! Doh!!

maybe can keep SAYE account and just keep saving until our kid is 21 yrs old? heehee just a thought.
 
hi peachie

I think the 15% discount does applies to most of the plans for kids .. if I din remember wrongly ..
I checked the website, it does not indicate this discount but it was told to me by my agent.

ya peachie's method is viable esp on using public transport and cutting down on holidays ... but I guess with a kid around, it is more conv to own a car. Probably gotta travel earlier in the morning to cut down on ERP charges... anyway public transport cost is going up and never coming down ...
 
hi melissa

no problem ..
ya i thnk any savings plan is viable as long as you feel comfortable abt it. Dont worry, kids also earn money during CNY and birthdays mah .. eheh ...
 
ilovebabies...think ur calculation not very correct leh...should be * 1.0025, not *1.25
So in fact, u will only get $91,032.xxx

Haiz, money is always tough to save
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bb weighs 0.747kg today.

gynae told me it's slightly bigger as she only expected 0.6kg.

im now in 24wk 4days.

i looked at the chart at http://www.babycenter.com/general/fetaldevelopment/pregnancy/1290794.html

wk24 - 0.6kg
wk25 - 0.66kg

but from the other chart at http://www.americanpregnancy.org/duringpregnancy/week25.htm

my bb's weight seems normal.

im having gestational diabetes so im rather worried bb will get too big.

but on the other hand, the way they calculated the weight is based on the calculation of bb's limbs and waistline. gynae said my bb's limbs are rather long. so it could be the long limbs tt add to the measurement of weight??

just share w me if ur bb happen to weight ard 0.7kg+ during wk24-25 or ur bb oso hv rather long limbs. thks.
 
edksd...wow, ur bb sounds big at 24wks. I read some websites that estimated bb weight ard 24wks is about 600-680g...urs is close to 750 already!
Interesting...how did ur gynae tell u about the waist? All my gynae told me is the bb head circumference only
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I am visiting the gynae tmr...will definitely ask the gynae about these measurements, then i will let u know...i am 25wk
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Hi edksd,

My baby weighs almost 800g at 23wks 4days. If you think yours is big, wait till u seen mine.
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Dun know whether to be happy or worried. My gynea also suspects that I have gestational diabetes as my urine test have been showing elevated levels of glucose for the past 3 visits, and the blood test I did at week 15 also shows the same. Worse still I have family history of diabetes (my dad is diabetic).

My gynea wants me to do a detailed blood glucose screening which takes 3 hours to complete on my next visit. Basically I am supposed to fast for 12 hours, take blood sample, then wait 1 hour. Then I take a glucose drink that is supposed to be very sweet, then take another blood sample. Then I wait another hour and take another blood sample. Sitting at the clinic for 3 full hours and drawing so much blood really scares me leh.
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But not doing the test doesn't seem to be the option. My gynea warned that gestational diabetes in the 3rd trimester will mean that I have to watch my diet carefully, or baby will pile on too much fats and I have problem delivering. In very severe cases may even lead to sudden fetal death syndrome in the final few weeks of the pregnancy, which got me even more worried....

I have been testing myself with urine test sticks everyday, and it seems that my glucose level is really slightly elevated. Me really getting worried. Anyone here gone for the detailed test before, or in the same boat? Can share share?
 
Wah...peachie, i tot edksd's bb is big...yours is so much bigger! When is your next visit? Don worry so much. I am sure everything will be fine for you.

Hhmm, now i am starting to be worried about the weight of my bb liao. Hope my gynae will be able to tell me tmr.
 
Hi Bena,

My next visit is on 24 June. Really seems a long time away. Haiz.... Bo bian, can only try to cut down on sweet stuffs in the meantime, which is pretty difficult cos I have a sweet tooth. I love muffins, scones, cookiee, cakes, milo, ice-cream etc.
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hi bena, i duno how my gynae measure bb's waistline. i saw from the screen showing the cross section of bb's waist -> showing a circle, then just measure the circumference of the circle.

heavier weight is still ok as long as it's the mass tt's heavy not the size tt's big. i dun wish to hv problem getting bb out during delivery.
 
Peachie, yeah, each visit seems a long long wait. Think better to cut down on sweet stuffs for the time being. I used to have a sweet tooth also...but every since i got preg, i totally reject sweet stuffs, especially chocs...very funny lor...all of a sudden, the crave just disappeared just like that...just don feel like eating it. Instead, i crave for spicy & sour food
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edksd, oic. Interesting. Will check out my gynae tmr.
 
hi peachie, i went thru tt 3 hrs glucose blood test when i failed my urine test once. tt was during my wk 9 or 10 i think.

will ur hubby be accompanying u? can go outside walk walk or go to the nursery to see newborn bb or read some magazines. time flies v fast, dun worry.

once detected gestational diabetes, u've to control ur diet. mainly eating healthily and eating more smaller meals. tt's what ive been doing since wk 9 or 10.

if not controllable by diet, hv to take insulin jab. tt was what i was most worried abt. but luckily during these 14wks+, glucose level is controlled thru the diet.

but still gynae doesnt rule out tt it may go haywired when i go into 3rd trimester. so im oso keeping fingers crossed. try to be even more disciplined.
 
besides tt im oso hoping my weight gain wont be too much. according to the antenatal class, for overweight pple like me, the weight gain shld be ard 6-9kg only.

i lost 3 kgs during the 1st trimester. and from then put on 2kg only so far. another 16wks to go. hope not to exceed the 6kg mark.
 
Hi edksd,

Thanks. You managed to stay so disciplined for so long.... really impressed!
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oh no, still need to take insulin jabs if the diabetes is not controlled ah? I think I will faint when that happens.

Maybe I will try to schedule the 3 hours test earlier. If I have gestational diabetes, better start controlling earlier than later.
 
hi bena, yes basically it's to reduce carbo intake.

hi peachie, for the sake of bb and myself, i really hv to do it. if i dun help myself, who else will and who else can?

i agree tt u schedule the test early or u start controlling now. we're not eating less, just tt eating more healthily and cautiously.
 
Hi peachie,

nice meeting you on sunday.

I had to take that glucose test also.. when i was ~16 weeks, as i had high blood glucose from the blood test then..

Try to control your diet by cutting down high carbohydrate foods like white rice/ white bread/ white sugar stuff (go for half your usual servings). Go for cheese, lots of vegetables, wholemeal & low sugared breads (sunshine got a bread like this), still take lean meats. Add in more high fibre food too like oats, coarse rice..

It helps if you reduce your food intake at each meal. you can eat more frequently, but the amount is small.


Avoid drinks which is sweet.. plain water is best. Oh yes, also, avoid fruit juice. Take the fruit better then drinking fruit juice.. reason is fruit juice may contain more then 1 say, orange, but if you consume the fruit, you only eat max. 1 orange..

Take heart ok? I went through this for 2 weeks before my 12 hr fasting to test if i got G.D, but i pass the test after controlling my food intake..

It really taught me to watch what i eat and read every food label..

Riushiki & Joon,
my original EDD is also 4th Sept! Now, my EDD change to 31st Aug.. who knows? we may deliver at the same time siah!
 
edksd

My baby is 804g at week 24, my gynae said it is normal weight. But saw from those baby websites, seem like quite big leh, I also dunno???
 
hi jasmine, how come ur edd changed? in the first place did u know when u conceived or u just based it on the 1st day of the last period?
 
hi yuna,

are u bigger sized or average sized or smaller sized in person?

hmm... i oso duno why different gynae says different thing.

but for me, ive gestational diabetes so im sure my gynae is extra careful w my bb weight gain and my weight gain.
 
hi peachie, oso take note tt although fruits are high in fibre, some are oso high in sugar. for eg. if u take apple, take 1. if u take grapes, u can only take abt 8 pcs coz grapes are higher in sugar so cannot take too many at one time.

it's really no kick in eating only 8pcs of grapes :p but no choice. so when u pple mention abt durian, i dun even think abt it.
 
Hi Jasmine,

Nice meeting you on Sunday too!
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Thanks for all the sharing, esp from yourself and edksd. Really helps. I am taking loads of fruit juice everyday. One glass of orange juice in the morning, one cup of orange mix with starfruit during lunch, and another glass of orange juice when I get home. Thanks for the info... Will stop drinking so much.

And edksd, one of my fav ice-cream flavour is durian ice cream... Will always have some from Venetia whenever I pop by Compass Point. Must be eating all the wrong stuffs, that's why baby so big.

I bulged from 44.5kgs (pre-pregnancy) to 54kgs at last count! I think I will bust the 60kg mark by the time I give birth. Getting worried now. Maybe I should exercise more.

I just called the gynea clinic and scheduled the glucose test on next Monday morning. Better watch my diet these few days....
 
joon,
hehe..is not mi who say u sound like ikea promoter leh...but u do sound like wallpaper promoter..keke..
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daisybuttons,
u are fast to point out tt...keke
 
hi peachie

my colleague also have the gestational diabetes prob during her pregnancy. as what the rest mentioned, cut down those high carbo food intake .. and remember, u have to stop eating the yellow color noodle.. in hokkien, we called it "sek mee" .. got it ? that means u can only take mee hoon or kuay teow ...

be v careful lor .. we still have 3 mths more .... so gotta refrain a bit

edksd

my bb's weight was 709g at 24 weeks also but gynae also mentioned it is normal, thus my EDD did not change.
 
edksd,
i go for my 24-wk check up tomorrow. will compare baby's weight with yours. today i checked my weight on my own scale. still only 61kg. last check at 20 weeks also 61kg. i don't put on weight? anyway my pre-pregnancy weight was 57kg and i lost 3kg during my 1st trimester. so i guess i'm putting on minimal weight. i am only 1.58m tall.

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hi peachie

btw, whenever u take the glucose test, did u take notice of the food or drink u consume prior to the test ? my chkup is usually in the afternoon, and I will conscientously tell myself to eat food that is not high in sugar. Sometimes I do drink MILO during lunch but I will not drink it if i have to do the test.
 
peachie,
all the best for the glucose test! As the rest said, juz watch what you eat loh. Avoid sweet stuff including too much fruit juice. btw, heard that too much orange/orange juice will give bb lots of phlegm later... not sure if true, but i avoid taking too much orange after hearing so many pp say it.

i've a colleague who also went thru' the glucose test. Her results were only marginal, so only needed to watch diet. She did it religiously, and even managed to control her weight gain to a total of approx. 12kg (she's average weight b4 pregnancy). So don't worry, it can be done!
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edksd,

yah, is from my baby's size.. 4th sept is from my last menstrual cycle.. 31st aug is from baby's size since week 9.. until now, still maintaining to Aug 31st based on baby's size..

peachie,
jia you ok? i managed to control my weight.. my pre-pregnancy weight is 44, now i weigh 50kg in my week 29. so far so good..
 
Hi ilovebabies, Melissa, puppylove, edksd and Jasmine,

Thanks for all the good wishes and handy advice! I truly truly appreciate it.
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I always drink orange juice (supposed to be pure juice by Florida Natural) in the morning with my breakfast, then come office where I will test myself. That's when the glucose detector will ALWAYS change from yellow to greenish in colour. Sigh.... Maybe I stop the orange juice and see... Should start drinking plain water with my breakfast.

You gals are truly amazing.... managed to control your weight gain. Should be more disciplined going forward.

Okie, me knocking off soon! Finished my work at last. I am really hungry, so is baby, I guess. He started kicking away half an hour ago....
 
Hi peachie,
Thanx for the idea of getting someone else to wash the car seat cushion
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We have a hand-me-down and I was going to wash it myself! Will bring it to the cleaners now.

I went for the diabetes test in my 24th wk (i'm now 28 wks). It's true, it's such a horrible wait and the glucose drink is TERRIBLE!
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You know what the worst thing was? I got the flu from the hospital becoz I was there the entire morning, with all those germs flying about. If you do go, my advice is, at least 2 days before and after, pump up ur vitamin C intake. And when you wait in between the blood tests, LEAVE THE HOSPITAL! Go to a coffeeshop or something. The hospital is a breeding place for germs. :p All the best for ur test next week!
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Hi ilovebabies, yup, raising a kid is not easy, or cheap! As it is, my baby is still inside and we've spent so much $$$$$ already :p And u're right about CNY... I'm going visiting with a vengeance man! Try and recoop my losses over the past 3 childless yrs! Pity I don't have twins, haha.

Hi edksd, at my last visit (24wks) my baby was 698g, so don't worry
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In fact, I'd rather a bigger baby than a smaller one... at least I know he's growing alright!
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Hi forgetmenot, oops sorry, mistaken identity! My eyesight not exactly that fantastic eh?! ;)

Just share a bit of info here since the talk has been about weight control. I weigh myself every morning and record it. 2 visits ago, my gynae said I should slow down my weight gain, so I decided to do this. I find it helpful becoz every week I know exactly how much I've put on (recommended weight gain per week is 0.5kg) and whether it's too much, too fast. If it is, I just eat carefully for the next week. So far, this close monitoring has helped me control my weight gain.
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Morning All!

Peachie, i think maybe u should cut down on the juice...i also heard from frds that too much orange will lead to bb having cough easily next time. Same goes foro ribena. I also cut down on drinking orange...maybe u can drink milk or soya milk instead of orange for breakfast?

Heheh...i am a total goner when it comes to controlling weight. Each visit to the gynae, the nurse first sentence to me will be "you put on weight again hor" *grin* so far, i already put on 14kg liao. Reckon today's visit will not be any different :p
 
Morning ladies, if any of u are looking to get a 2nd hand car seat, I know of a lady who's selling her 9-mth old Maxi Cosi Cabrio (black) for $150. (can bargain I think!
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) Let me know if u're interested.

Hi ilovebabies, do you know the name of the company that you mentioned? (the one that doesn't charge for cord-blood banking, but would use ur baby's cord blood if someone needs it) Thanx
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Morning Bena!
Have a great visit today!
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Don't worry about the weight gain, it's better to be heavier AND HAPPIER than lighter, but always worried about it! You seem like a happy mummy, so that's fabulous
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Your baby will be happy too
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Hi Joon,

Yeah, i try to stay happy and positive and don bother about the weight gain (try...but it's difficult, hehe :p)
 
Hi Joon,

No probs! I am also the lazy type.... when I saw that the laudromat at Compass Point (located beside the B1 carpark entrance) washes stroller cushions, I just told my hubby "mai tu liao" (aka dun wait already). hehe.... but must ask around. Not all laudromats wash such stuffs. My husband brought the stroller cushion to the laudromat below his office first, and they refused to wash it. So got to look around. I guess SengKang is full of young families, so there is a demand for such services there.

Thanks for the great advice on leaving the hospital... Will do so.
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Just found out that my gynea's nurse will be going on a short trip over this weekend. So the diabetes test is now rescheduled to next Tues. Thought it is a great idea! Now I can schedule my hospital tour on next Tues.... One stone kills 2 birds. From 9-12pm, I wait around for the test. At 12pm, I go for the hospital tour (which takes 45mins).... So a half day leave settles everything.

Hehe, I got married in Sept 2002, which means I have been childless for the past 4 Chinese New Years!!! Next year will start visiting with a vengeance too!

Hi Bena,

I switched to plain water this morning. Reached the office at 8am, got greedy and popped downstairs for a cup of soyabean (without sugar). So far so good! All the best for your gynea visit today too!
 
hi joon

haha that's a good one leh .. visiting with a vengeance ... i like that ;)
btw do u know the Laudromat at CP washes car seat ? I intend to wash mine myself until I saw ur post ....

hey peachie, same leh .. I got married in 2002 also .. wah imagine the amt of ang baos i have given out ! anyway good luck for your test !

talking about weight gain (again!), though I am trying to control myself such as the intake of durians ahahh... but I think I am still not discipline enough to weigh myself so regularly ...

but hor now that I am in my 3rd tri oredi... I cant eat durians liao as the bb may be very heaty.
But my sis caution that we shld not try to EAT LESS as it maybe harmful to the baby's growth. So ladies, do it with caution ok ?

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hahaha! ya, all of us next year will be visiting relatives, friends, strangers (!!) like there's no tomorrow... pity none of us having twins ya? otherwise can recoop losses twice as fast!

yes yes, ilovebabies is right, now's not the time to diet, just eat wisely. my friend was ordered bed rest in her last 2 months becoz she was not gaining enough... she was quite miserable...

so peachie, how's the result of ur glucose test this morning, minus the OJ?

ilovebabies, according to peachie (who washed her stroller seat there) i think they shld also wash car seat covers yes? doesn't seem that much different actually. hmm...
 
Morning ladies!

Yo E-ling,
u around? your desitin cream arrived liaoz and is with me... can check your hotmail please? let me know how to pass to you hor?

peachie,
soyabean is good and still nice if taken hot and without sugar. be good girl yah?

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hey joon

that time my friend was not gaining much weight also, and the dr ordered her to see him everyweek just to monitor her weight. hmm dunno to be happy or sad that the weight gain is little ahhaha... dilemma ...

ya I hope the laudromat does wash that .. maybe will chk it since i go CP quite often. So u gals staying at SK too ah ? ;)

btw, in my family, if the couple has only 1 kid, the kid will get a much bigger ang bao compare to couple with >1 kid.
ahaahha so I am expecting more next year from my relatives ...
 
I took a whole of 15 mins to go thru what i've missed over the past few days! wow!!! i could see you all busy decorating rooms, buying stuff, and of coz, EATING!

Haaa..guess we all just want to recop our losses very fast for the next coming Chinese New Year huh..

I have been watching World Cup.. so now, trying to stay awake during working hours. Sigh! Seems like a misery to wake up every morning.. and oh, i am beginning to feel heavy already.....
 


oh talking about soya bean

according to the nutrition in MAH, she says soya bean milk bought from mkt is no good. She recommended brands like NutriSoy from supermarket. I just bought two packets of it, with HIGH CALCIUM and LOW SUGAR. yummy ....
 

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