(2008/02) Feb 2008 MTBs

<font color="ff0000">Kueh Lapis - another 3 slots open</font>

Another 6 orders came in from office, so I have 3 available slots to make up batch of 9. Self collect at my home at Katong on 11Feb.

Anyone else keen pls PM me! Thanks!
 


good morning mummies,
took a public bus this morning, realised that those ppl who are not moving to the rear/stuck near the exit are the students.
what happens to students nowadays? why can't they be more considerate? or is it anything wrong in the education system?
 
XY - be careful on the bus with students, sometimes they can be quite rough (not that they really mean it). i think the ks syndrome to get off the bus easier doesn't apply to adults as well..keke..i have met students who gave up seats to me b4, so i think not all inconsiderate
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XY, I experienced that all the time when going to CGH cos it's near ITE East. The students don't even want to move upstairs lor even though double decker bus. None of them has ever given me a seat before. Hiaz. :p
 
errm...kids nowadays...hehe i dunno how to describe. sorry, but i blame it on the parents lor!

i can only say that we must make sure that as parents ourselves, we inculcate the right values so that our kids dun turn out the same way
biggrin.gif
 
those mummies using ameda lactaline pump, do u have any reviews? i was thinking of getting a 2nd hand dual pump..hmm..never used a dual pump before, do you have to hold both funnels together, or most of u using the pumping pal handsfree?
 
qingling/pauline,
i am still ok on the bus cos i board earlier than those students, can have a seat.
just that during the time that refuse to move in, ppl can't board the bus. then the bus driver got to spend some time to ask them to move in at each bus stop. very irritating..
there was a time met a student on the MRT, occupied the 'Reserved Seat' and eating burger and drinking softdrinks.
hb carrying C and the student ignored our presence and continue eating..
*shake head*


garfield,
i tend to think that's due to the education system because why all the students behave this way?
not 1 or 2 student, but is whole gang of the students..
generally, i see that younger students behaves better. the most problematic kind are those secondary schools one.



re: pump
qingling,
Ameda (price ~$350) is a worthwhile and good dual pump. But the suction is a bit strong. However, the TMC WongBB did mentioned to my friend that she saw lots of patients with blocked ducts problem are those using Ameda.
Medela PIS Advanced (price ~$400 bought from US, not sure about current selling price) that i used. It has the stimulation mode that i think helps to establish the milk flow.
Medela FreeStyle (price ~$600 spree from US). It's similar to PIS Advanced but a lighter and portable version.
Avent ISIS Duo (price ~$700). Heard it's not bad either, but expensive.

For the handsfree, i shared before that i used the nursing bra as a handsfree. Just slot the funnel/flange into the opening of the nursing bra, then clip the front cover of nursing bra. It works well for me.
 
XY - i have the medela mini electric pump (single), also the medela swing (also single). was thinking selling the mini electric and get the dual pump - i wonder if it saves more time with the dual pump? i used to pump 30-45 mins with the single pump.
 
qingling,
i have a dual pump, but not ameda. can ask bkkgal i think she used ameda. errm...a bit challenging to hold both funnels lah. i use the pumping pal handsfree. worthwhile investment!
 
qingling,
it depends on the breast actually. i've got a medela harmony (single manual) and PIS advanced.
it took me 25 minutes for single manual and 10 minutes for double auto. so, for me, dual pump saves time.
however, i've got a friend got the Avent ISIS Duo and it makes no difference to her when using it as single or dual. End up she prefers to use it as single pump.
 
i think parents play the biggest role in influencing children's values, not the school. if parents themselves are not considerate - i think the children will grow up thinking that it's the "normal" thing to do.
 
ok - thanks mummy for input, i will surf ard some more since got time..duno when's the next bb fair coming up, if medela got good deals for the PIS (so ex
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)

i have a silly idea though in order not to spend so much on a dual pump, maybe i could get a second hand swing again? haha..then 2 single pump = 1 dual pump..hohoho
 
Fried Crabsticks
I finally made it but I did a few trials.
1. Microwave on high for 2 - 3 mins
2. Bake at 160C for 30 - 40 mins
3. Deep fry with oil in microwave

I still prefer (1) as no oil used but the crabstick were all stuck together.
 
PUMP:

i see u all so hardworking (last time) on pumping..makes me feel very guilty. haha. i borrow AMEDA from my cousin before..but feel like a cow and not much yield. THEN AGAIN, i never had overwhelming supply so....

i think mood matters a lot and i was very mang-zhang a lot. Perhaps IF and WHEN i do have no. 2, will make it a point to be more relaxed if i wanna breastfeed.

CRABSTICKS:
Reena, consider combining (1) and (2)?
 
lezy - my yield wasn't high also, just did the best i could. The point with getting a dual pump is because is i leak 1 side while pumping the other when using the single pump..wat a waste..haha..

i saw 1 mummy selling the medela swing for $120, price still negotiable, maybe i should just get another of that, so i have 2 swings as which can be used at the same time?
 
gar,
agree with you in the way that parents teaches the value. however, i think school must have already some moral education class. why they will still think that's the 'normal' way to do?
i start having doubts in the education system here after talking to my friend yesterday. in my previous secondary school, we did not produced super high quality scholars. yet majority of my classmates loves to study, loves to pursue knowledge etc. our teachers not only teach us things in the text book, they also encourage us to find out more related information that's out of the text book. E.g., for chinese, we learn the poems, learned the background, learned about the moral behind, learned how to be a good person... that's when i started to be able to differentiate the good and the bad, what should do and what should not do.
ok ok.. enough complaining.. thanks for the 'listening'.
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qingling,
getting a second hand swing is not a bad idea! at least you can have the flexibility to bring 1 pump out whenever your bag is heavy.


reena,
do you put oil for (1) and (2)?
 
qingling,
me same as you. the other side will leak while pumping. my leaking is serious, sometimes can reach 60 ml!!
what i do is to get a spare funnel + bottle and attach to my nursing bra to collect.
happy.gif


if you are closing shop after this, i think no point spending another few more hundreds to get a pump. can make do with the 2nd hand swing.
happy.gif
 
I did the microwave for ikan bilis, workable but with the crabstick, it will still crisp but the ends turned slightly charred. No oil used for microwaving.

For baking, I made 2 batches, 1 without and 1 sprinkled with oil. Makes no difference, all stuck onto parchment paper. Uneven browning.

Deep frying in oil yields most even result but super oily.

My family loves this snack so I'm going to experiment again.
 
Reena,Xiaoyun,

So many Chinese cracker cooking! sounds so yummy!

Pauline,
How's your blocked ducts? Can massage yourself or your hubby do it?

So painful last time, my hubby helped to massage with towels from boiling water. I feel it's more painful than giving birth.
 
xy,
hehe...not complaining lah. i also have the same thoughts.

based on what i know - moral education is not really what it used to be. and hor, kids nowadays don't really "respect" authority as they used to. they are thought to question and challenge right? so i don't think they will just take what is taught in textbooks as seriously lor.

i do not have faith in the SG education system - and I am a big critic. the KPIs that principals are given are purely academic or ECA type of achievements. i know it is tough to put a KPI for moral development, but in the absence of which, ends up being last on the list of priorities.

don't start me on SG education system - i am one of those that could possibly migrate becos i think it's so screwed up.
 
hi moms,
wahh..thread moving fast, i can't keep up. sorry if i missed some posts...

Xiaoyun, SJCK is St. James Church Kindergarten.
Genice, I think i will transfer K to SJCK next yr - cheaper than Pats. If I put 2 to Pats, will be BROKE! Yeah, for #2, we were told to bring BC down IMMEDIATELY to secure a place. Hb now ks - will do as told by the registrar. We want the 2 girls to go to the same kindy mah.

Qingling, the agency I used is called Froggies. No Myanmar maids. Recently, I renewed maid's work permit, the lady told me standard of Filipino maids dropping. She recommended to me Indon cos nowadays it's mandatory for Indons to pass basic spoken english test. That means in terms of lang, filipinos and indons have level playing field (except for the reading/writing). I don't know abt MMR maids - sis' PIL has one now - very jialat cos cannot speak/understand much English - in the end, only do general housework, can't care for the old folks.

Ameda pump
I used ameda for 1 yr with K. Bought from Moms in Mind - not bad, they delivered to me. I got it cos fren said it's not so noisy like the Medela. The pump suction is ok, not as strong as Medela, but some pp with sensitive nipples will like it. The only problem is if you oversterilise, the bottles can wear out fast. I had some probs with the motor but this occured during warranty period, so it was easily settled. I think if you want to buy 2nd hand, dun buy Ameda 2nd hand - may be prone to probs.

As for handsfree, I used the mumsfairy handsfree set - it was a major turning point for me in my bf career! With the handsfree, my yield went UP UP UP! Highly recommended. keke.

My plan is to use the Ameda until it dies on me and then see if can get a good deal with the Medela freestyle. I tried almost all the Medelas and found Medela suction to be stronger than Ameda.

You can go and try breast pumps at this place called breastfeeding mothers' support group. It's a non profit org that supports bf-ing. The ladies there are very helpful and they have pumps that members donate to them so that other moms can go and try before buying. They also provide tips, counselling and talks on bf-ing. They also sell BN pumps too. here's the site: http://www.breastfeeding.org.sg/home/index.php

Arrowroot chips
Was in Chinatown one night - some stall selling arrowroot chips, 3 bottles for $25!! very expensive. But tastes nice.

Oh yeah, I was MIA for a while cos gynae wanted to induce me today but luckily BP went down and dilation is progressing quite nicely (2.5 cm today), so she didn't detain me. She said wait for weekend, maybe got some action. *phew*
 
Porn for New Moms
I saw that too, Lezy! keke. $24+ at Kino - lots of pics of hunky, cute guys doing things like changing diapers, cooking, laundry....ahhh, dreamworld for moms! But for $24+, I had 2nd thots of buying the book for hubs.
 
Where to buy cheap(er) milk powder?
I found to my horror that a 1.8 kg tin of Mamil Gold at NTUC is selling for $46.90. I'm so behind cos like 9 months ago there was a promotion at COld Storage, 1 tin for $38 so I bought a dozen and since then never paid attention to milk powder price.

Remembered u mommies talking abt those traditional chinese medical halls selling for less. Can someone tell me where again? I need to stock up for K before this muffin arrives.
 
Breastpump
I used Medela during DD1's time, super noisy, sounds like grass cutter cutting grass :p

DS2 - I bought Ameda as I've heard so much good reviews. I used Avent Isis Manual at home then so I don't have to lug the pump to and fro work.

DD3 - A very kind friend bought me the Avent ISIS IQ Duo as a gift but I didn't have a chance to use it as I turned sahm and nursed direct.
 
Iso,
Just read your posting about your friend's Ameda. How long has she used the pump before lending to you? If it's of acceptable condition, then it's a steal for her that you are paying 75%.
 
clover
any normal books for thomas at popular? i.e. not board books. hee.

qingling
i have the pumping pal - i find it convenient and quite amazing that it can hold up BUT the neck strap is damn uncomfortable. i mean they have a short padding thing but the 2 strings (on each side) cut into the sides of my neck neck, so end up i put a towel or something along my neck. why didn't they make it more comfy??

pumps
i used ameda, plus medela swing. also tried medela electric duo which was super noisy. i think the older generation medelas cannot make it, ameda would be much better compared to them. but the new generation medelas like the swing, PIS and freestyle look so much nicer and more comfy than ameda with the soft fit shields.

but ameda is more comparable to the PIS range, so i think for half the price it's a really good deal! (i think it's like S$700+?)
 
Tubao, thanks. I am not better cos today right side blocked. Agree, more painful than giving birth cos at least that one is one off n can give epidural. Just told hubby off on this actually cos I feel that he doesn't give me enough moral support.
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pumps,
i only tried two before - avent isis manual and PIS advanced.

i really like the avent manual, i find that i yield more compared to the medela PISA. but it takes too long in the office, so i swapped to the medela. agree the medela is very noisy...but after a while i kind of tuned out already la....
 
pauline *hugs* jia you okie!!

hmm...since we are talking about pumps, wondering if it may be a pump issue - i heard some pumps are better than others at clearing blocked ducts. for me - the avent manual does wonders maybe you want to give it a try?
 
garfield/reena
yes, i swear by avent manual too. it's my one and only pump for my two kids. quite durable considering it can last me for few years (with more than 2 yrs' usage).
 
arrowroot chips: I can get 1 for RM 15, so it's about SGD 6.50 to $7. anyone interested pm me by today, cuz sister coming to sg tmr liao

XY: you know in msia we all take Moral studies and even took it for O level. ( at least my previous school took it seriously) , but my hubby told me that Singapore school doesn’t place importance in moral class, teacher rather teach science/maths during moral lesson. True that parents plays an important role but I personally feel that moral study in sch is very important too. I think this is the defect in SG’s education system. So we got to work harder teaching morals/values to our kids ourself liao.
 
Reena, I am angry that he doesn't have a single comforting word/gesture for me. It is so frustrating and heartache trying to BF bearing the pain and I feel even worse hearing the baby cry helplessly cos there is no letdown and she is still hungry. I can't even rely on EBM cos she will continue to cry and at most take 5-10ml from the bottle when the maid feeds her.

I need someone to help me carry and comfort the baby in between latches but he goes to shower. After shower, when I'm trying to pump and massage, he is in front of his laptop. Even a shoulder massage from him is good cos I had a super stiff neck and my fingers and shoulders hurt from bending over trying to press the lumps and massage for over 1 hr. Ask him to help massage, he press until so painful. When I scream in pain, he can only say I think you need to go see LC tomorrow. So matter of factly without showing any concern or sympathy. That's when I flare up.

I know got to ask for help because men are blur. But I can't be asking for help every single time mah, he also needs to be more 'auto' and try to help/support mah. It is not as if he is not aware of my situation. I had 13-14 episodes when BF no. 1 leh. Even if your wife has a cold or flu, you will show some concern right? Somemore, blocked ducts is such a painful 'ailment'. I try to massage myself even though it's so painful and I'm so tired cos I wanted to save money for him leh cos seeing LC is more expensive than buying 1 tin of FM.

Ok, to be fair, he will help to massage when I ask him and drive me to TMC LC if I have appt and he can knock off work earlier lar. But it's not enough for me lor, or am I being too demanding?

Gar, exactly, even a reassuring hug or kind word from him will go a long way. But my hubby is so ' mu tou' lor.
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Oops, I sold all my pumps at a loss including the avent manual to 'raise capital' to get the freestyle. :p
 
reena,
thanks for sharing.
i dun have microwave at home. so no choice got to stick to deep frying.
watched those cooking program that they double fry things with the 2nd deep frying with higher temp to make things less oily.
have you tried and does it work?


gar,
happy.gif



bkk,
good that BP is in control. have you taken the reunion dinner? I think you are going to have a cow baby.
happy.gif

i tried the minimart near my place for milk powder, it's 10% cheaper than NTUC. but can't find Mamil Gold stage 3 though. Not all chinese medical halls selling milk powders, at least the one near my place doesn't. sorry, in the end i didn't help much. :p
worst come to the worst, go to Giant to stock up as they are giving $20 voucher for every $200 spend on Citibank credit card. Equivalent to 10% discount.


iso,
me can't stand the medela eletric duo/mini electric too. 1 mummy shared the lactation room with me used this one, super noisy.


pauline,
can understand your frustration over the blocked ducts + 'blur' hb issues.
guys are blur one la, i already gave up the hope that hb will 'auto' do things for me. anything i need help, i just 'shout' for it.
for your prolonged interval not latching/pumping, if you anticipate it, can you use the cold cabbage method? since your supply is good, no harm reduce it a little if can reduce the chance of getting blocked duct?


tong,
in fact, i didn't have anymore moral education class in secondary school. only primary school.
but then, my teachers taught us lots of 'zuo4 ren2 de dao4 li3' whenever necessary. i missed them.. secondary school days were the happiest time
 
XY, sigh, I don't dare to use cold cabbage lor cos for I still have '阴影' from no. 1's super low supply days. When she was 4-6mths, I had such a super hard time trying to TBF cos I can only pump 125ml every 4 hrs after taking fenugreek, domperidone etc while she was drinking 130-150ml. :p This time, I am pumping about 200ml every 3-4 hrs if I don't latch at all. But Mei Mei has a much bigger appetite than RaeAnne, I'm not surprised if she's already drinking more than 100ml since it's direct latch and should be more than pumping.

I shout and shout for help until frustrated liao lor. Everyday come back home, it's how's RaeAnne? How's the baby? But never show any concern for the wife. :p
 
pauline,
he didn't ask how's wife cos he thought that the wife will tell him automatically mah. remember? he's the 'mu tou' kind.. :p
sometimes they are quite poorthing too. worked for whole day liao, come back still need to do a 2nd shift.
 
XY, ya true but he work outside, I work at home leh. I'm also stressed. Work less stressful than SAHM cos everyday don't know what to expect with the no. 1 and no. 2. Somemore, everyday got to spotcheck my blur maid.

Yesterday, she wore Raelynn's romper the wrong side with the 2 big tags in front irritating her neck. I didn't find out until I was BFing her cos she was swaddled. Tell her off still argue with me. Put soup ladle on the raw meat plate. If I never check, the whole family will get diarrhoea. :p
 
pauline,
agree that SAHM is much more stressful than working. but guys just can't understand it unless they stay at home 1 week alone with kids themselves.
probably it makes you feel better by thinking that guys have less threshold of stress level.
my hb always need his CAVE time to do things that I thought wasting time, e.g., play game, mahjong. if i forbid him doing that for a period of time, i can slowly sense his crankiness. it makes both of us frustrated.
now, what i can do is to tease him on his low threshold level but give him some time to hide in his CAVE. when he feels happier, he will be more 'auto'.
happy.gif
 
XY, ya lor, I think my hubby will only auto for things that he can handle eg. changing diaper, distract no. 1 etc, things that he thinks he can't help eg. clear my blocked ducts. He'll just switch off and hide in his cave. :p

Too bad my caves are outside the house eg. spa, hair spa, beauty salon, shopping centre etc. ;P
 
Even if guys stay at home, I think they will not pick up those little things that matter (to us) like putting soup ladle on raw meat plate or baby wearing clothes wrong. To them it;s like, "huh, whats the big deal?" Sometimes when i tell hb abt maid issue, i can so see how his mind is going, ---"why is this impt after my long day at work?" and this makes me feel so small!!! aarggh.
 
XY
MIL said reunion dinner will be usual steamboat for them and confinement food for me
sad.gif
so sad, cannot eat the good stuff.

Yeah, definitely a cow baby.
 
Need advice.

Anyone read any good books on dealing with separation anxiety lately? Most pregnancy books deal with the topic as a last chapter in the books.

K has been going from bad to worse with this school thing, even after 3 weeks. Dunno is it because she senses that the time is near for my delivery or wat...but lately, she has been clinging to her grandparents and saying that she doesn't me or hb
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She won't allow my mom or MIL to go home after the end of the day, insist that they sleep with her, put her to bed and even she doesn't want to stay in Kate kate's house.
 
XY, why no moral class in sec? Oh you studied in SG issit? Moral is still a compulsory subject for SPM.

Pauline, jiayou, understand your frustration. I can tell u my hubby is a mu tou too, so you are not alone ok.
 
hubby...

is like that one. i married him for his loyalness/faithfulness and these attributes is cuz he mu-tou.

when i expect him to also be funny and witty and etc like other guys/hubbies, then it's abit unreasonable.

it's like your hubby marrying u cuz u have a great character/kind (but no perfect model figure) but then after getting married, he want u to go on diet and be super slim...sure u will feel like it's not reasonable right?

mu tou hubbies..no choice one...u have to open ur mouth and tell them exactly what u want them to do. everyday also must say.

consolation is....if u everyday persist n say nicely, i think after awhile, they get used to it/proficent at it, they will do it automatically. but it takes time..and it depends on whether they are proficient at it.

Some things they NOT proficient, ask them forever also no use one. Have to assign them something else. at least - that's true for my hubby.
 

Bkkgal ya lor, when I told hubby about it. He still joke n say if we die we will sue her. Duh, if my gals suffer because of her carelessness, no amount of money is worth it right? :p

lezy, I know where u r coming from. But I thought I married a snag who will open doors for me, walk behind me, write cards n draw cartoons for me. Sian lor to see him morph into a mu you after marriage. ;p
 

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