(2009/07) July 2009 MTBs

coolkero

the market rate for a confinement lady is about 2.2k (first baby, add 200 for 2nd or more babies with no maid) if its introduced by friends and 3k if you were to get from the agency.
massage ladies that i am not sure coz i did not use it and don think that we will be able to have the budget for it this round either.

coz i calculated the total cost that would be spent during the delivery and the confinement month (this was what i spent on my boy a year ago). total cost is about $12k (within the month):p hubby almost fainted on seeing this, heheh then he was saying that 'oh my we are doing this all over again?' (oh and this is not including all the baby stuff that needs to be gotten.)
delivery (single bedded) $6k
confinement lady $2.4k
food during confinement $2.5k
full month $1k
 


poshicon,
it will be a tough and sad choice to be in the position to decide regarding DS. some couples are against abortion, and will keep the baby no matter what happen. i hope that god bless all of us here and we dun have to make such decision.

elijah'smummy,
wah i didn't realized the total cost so much for hospital and first month expenses, hehehe. i was considering having a maid vs. confinement lady. but most probably will settle for confinement lady for now. will have to sit down and discuss with my ATM, hehehehe.

btw, questions questions, wat brand milk bottles u guys use and why? i heard from a friend a while ago that milk plastic bottles are not safe, so now i'm confused. she switched to glass bottles, but i havent seen glass bottles. are all these news true???
 
coolkero

heheh ya neither did i then. but then i wanted to find out the cost then so i kept all the receipts and noted down all our expenses for that month. at that end of the month i did a tally and almost fainted when i saw that total amount spent. (my confinement lady actually mentioned that we were very frugal already with this amount! i only used 1/2 bottle of dom, 1/2 bottle of martel, and 5 bottles of yellow wine. seems that some other mothers use 4-5 bottles of dom, 8-9 bottles of martel, and 20 bottles of yellow wine. heheh that to me sounds like nuts!)

what you prob heard is about the bpa stuff rumor that has been going around. well i actually shipped in all my bottles from the states for my boy. hahah i got tones of them! the brand that i am using is avent bpa free (they are a light honey brown in color compared to the normal avent that can be found in sg. so i am thinking to use the new unopened ones for my #2. i wont dare to use glass bottles as i find that if we are not careful will break the bottles then its even worse for baby. other brands that you can check out are dr brown's and playtex as they also have bpa free bottles. can check out the first few years store at paragon, or isetan at scotts, they carry come of these brands.

oh maybe you can also wait a while more as there was news that avent will be bring the bpa free bottles and stuff to singapore too.

also the chance of having that bpa problem only happens when the bottles are in contact with heat that are more then 100dc and cause this toxin found in all the older versions of baby bottles to leak out into baby's milk or fluid.
 
oh ya, for glass bottles, you can check out the pigeon range, saw some of these glass bottles at carrefour, isetan scotts and ntuc toa payoh
 
elijah'smummy
if we engage confinement lady, still need to spend so much on confinement food? for my 1st one, i ordered confinement food from catering company. spent abt $1.5k. quite nice food. this time round, thinking of getting a confinement lady, but also trying to find out the cost. seems like a bit out of budget. wonder if $2k is workable.
 
coolkero,
u can also get glass bottles from NUK.
alternatively, if u r scared of the toxin, then change the plastic every few mths. i think it must be prolong use of the same bottle that will cause the release of the toxin. just like those mineral bottles. not advised to recycle them for long term. got to dispose after a few times usage.
 
baby ethan

not too sure about the cost of the food. but that was the bills given to me by my dad and that confinement lady as they were the one's doing the marketing for me.

the food that my dad bought was (this is the total for 1 month)
55kg of baby fish(nieo her)@$9.50/kg (bought by my dad)
25kg of ginger @$4/kg
19kg of lemongrass @$3.5/kg
27kg of pork
30kg of chicken
50kg of mixed green vegs
19bottles of homemade sesame oil @$9/bottle
mixture of seasonings (this is coz i normally don cook at home so i don have any seasonings at home)
mixture of herbs (total was about $750)(bought by my dad from his friend - actual market cost was $1.2k. i found out the cost coz i went to the medicinal hall near my place and asked for the price)
4kg of charcoal (the confinement lady cooked all my soups out of the house with a charcoal cooker, the soups were drool some!)
 
elijah'smummy
wow...that's a whole lot of food. no wonder u spend so much. yr confinement lady is a malaysian? r u getting her back again?
 
babyethan

yaps she is malaysian, and yaps i am getting her back. hahah missed all her cooking. i really pigged out on her cooking during my confinement! heheh she was like cooking 7 times a day

the meals that i had
breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, afternoon snack, dinner, supper. hahah thankfully i did not really gain any weight after my confinement that my mum was actually commenting where did all the food that i was consuming going to.

hehhe another good thing about her was that i actually managed to taste korean, japanese, thai, and vietnamese confinement food.
happy.gif
now me and hubby have already a written list of foods that we want her to cook for us when she is her!
 
elijah'smummy
lucky you... she sounds really good at cooking. with so much time spent on cooking, she can still hv time to help take care of baby?
 
babyethan

i really don know how she does it but yaps. i really did not need to think about baby at all. in fact she baths baby in the morning and then wipes him down 2 in the day.
diaper changes was rather constant. heheh she even had time to do housework, wash all our clothes, clean the whole 3-room flat, and iron hubby's clothes.....etc. hahah cleaner then even my mum's maid!
 
Re: CL

My CL is $1800. Also Malaysian...

My friend is hiring one from an agency. Also $1800.

Elijah's Mummy
Think your CL is one super CL, that's why charge so much. hahhaa, can do so much and cook international cuisine somemore.
 
mashy

heheh coz her sons are caterers in malaysia. heheh then she also helps out there.

really which agency? the one that i saw is Ateam amahs. their price is 3k! wah so diff!
 
Re:Tummy Pains

Hi Mummies,
Just saw this on Discovery Home and Health "Pregnancies for dummies". There are ligaments on either side of the uterus, stretching from top of the uterus to the pelvis. The sudden sharp pain is due to the ligaments being stretched and pain will last till about 24 weeks into the pregnancy....

haha, went for long walk at the botanical gardens and the husband took me for a swim today. So nice to feel 'light' and exercise like normal... Can't even jog these days cos nagging back pain
 
Hi lamagier, u managed to get maternity swim wear? I oso wan to swim but dunno can fit into the normal swim wear anot...
 
elijah'smummy, thanks for the info on bpa free bottles n massage lady, will look out for the avent bpa free bottles first, cos scared glass break. aiyoh this news kinda scary cos my older daughter use avent last time, dunno got affect her or not...hmmmmm. btw the price of the massage lady from website sounds reasonable, my last time massage lady was horrible, suppose to be 1h massage, by the last few times, she is gone in 1/2 hour, and she didn't come in 7 days, dragged for a month cos she is always not free, ggrrr...bad experience.

babyethan, i think ur suggestion good, change the plastic bottles once in a while. btw which confinement food u cater from? got website??

been feeling tired lately, dunno if got energy to clean up house before chinese new year, this is the first chinese new year that i'm not organized. i need to declutter the house, oh dear. are of you busy planning for cny????
 
oh yah,

the avent via range is the only avent bpa free range that i see in sg currently. not sure if the rest will be coming in soon. but you can have a look. oh also look out for their bap free pumps, and sterilizers as those are the latest in on their England site.
 
Hi Kitty,
I'm using my 1 piece swimsuit now, should be able to tahan for another 2 months. Haha, when it cannot fit, I will wear back my beach bikini or maybe get a tankini. Cos I just bought the 1 piece to go swimming with colleagues not too long ago, don't want to spend another $70 again.

Hi coolkero,
My place not big so I start to clean a bit here and there every weekend. The husband also quite nice, help me do most of the work also =)

Haha, today I'm 12 weeks liao. Just announce pregnancy to my in-laws =)
 
Finally got my blood test result for DS,ratio 1:10K so pretty safe..hb was worried at first as both of us are oredi in 30s and being the 1st kid , we just hope everything will be alright.

Been having rashes around my abdomen, shoulder and forearm , legs.. applying moisturiser every now and then but the itch is really irritating!! Think i pop by my gynae to purchase the lotion to ease the rash..he had forgotten to give me during the last visit when i shown it to him.. Wonder if this is cause by heat cos i've been feeling hot rather than cold like the rest of you..

As for confinement food, wonder what will my MIL cooked..heard frm my hb that she cooked red wine chicken and mince meat w ginger almost everyday for my SIL during the confinement..sigh.. i just have to tahan for the month since no there will be no CL for me..
 
Coolkero & Elijah'smummy,

Really do hope don't need to make such decison abt DS.

Elijah'smummy,

Thanks for the info and article on the avent bottles. My 2 yr old gal uses Avent since newborn. Like Avent bottles cause it's a trusted for anti-colic and easy to wash.
Will continue use till the new BPA plastic bottles release.
Will get it for my next child to use.

I know there's a brand called Bfree bottle which is BPA free. Selling at major stores and pharmaplus. V ex le! 1 for $19.85. Hope Avent be cheaper.
 
Coolkero, sorry for the late reply, I haven't logged in all weekend!
Our due dates are the same, so exciting! How have you been feeling? My next scan in 4 Feb, can hardly wait for it!
happy.gif
 
Re: Milk Bottles
Mummies, its exciting to read so much abt the milk bottles. My #1 is using avent n i intend to use it for this bb too. Its a must to change e milk bottles frequently. Not only that, if we were to sterilise the milk bottles via e old method.... which is soak them in a pot of boiling water. temp of e water cnt be too high, i.e. not boiling.. just slightly warm will do n cnt soak too long.

Re: Massage lady
I am also sourcing for a gd massage lady for massage after birth. Havent check out the link that elijah posted.

Btw, is yr tummy getting obvious? mine is getting obvious n my appeptite has increased recently... bad sigh coz it means putting on more weight. ;p
 
my tummy is very obvious liao... everyday i got people in office asking if i'm preg...keke.

now that MS is slowly going off, my appetite has improved. N definitely have put on weight. now i see my photos, i look so round... hehe
 
Hi Kitty,
My in-laws didn't really show much response. Think the fact that they will become ah-gong and ah-ma hasn't sunk it yet. I asked the husband last nite if he's ready to have someone called him Papa, then he suddenly stunned into silence for a short while =p

Hi MrsC,
Congrats on the good results. Hope mine will be good too...

Hi Babyethane,
Maybe cos it's your 2nd one. Read that 2nd one will show faster cos skin around stomach area not as taut.
 
Elijah's mum

I also dunno which agency, i'll ask her to see. So far from what i heard, the average rates are from $1800 to $2200.

Re; Avent
I'm not intending to use Avent this time round. Had bad experience the previous round. At first the bottles were doing fine. But the later ones that i bought all leaked. even brand new ones! So give up on them already.
 
Morning ladies...

My tummy not obvious yet although is my 2nd one. I really hope that somebody can notice my little tummy and give up their seats to me, really very very sick standing while taking bus/mrt.
sad.gif
 
Hi Yen,
Can understand your sentiments. That's why I carry medicated balm wherever I go. But then people see you not well, applying medicated balm, then keep staring and never offer their seat too.

The other day got lady with small preggy tummy standing in front of me, but I was very bad MS and really sick, didn't give up seat to her. I guess that's the worst part about being in first trimester. Being in the worst trimester (MS, fatigue and all the bad stuff) and tummy not big enough for people to show you some courtesy and consideration.
 
Though mine is getting obvious, no one gives up seats to me. sigh! hate taking train now during peak hrs. mbe ppl thought i have big tummy. ;p
 
Hi Dawnnie
Thanks for your assurance. I will take a step at a time and try not to worry too much.

Hi Hopper
Same school of thots too. I thot mayb if do it later, test will be clearer as bb will be bigger and any defects will be more prominent. At that time when Dr Loh suggested I take the cvs test, I was already 14 weeks plus 2 days. So decided to opt for amnio test instead.

I heard that if you are having a gal, the position will tends to be higher (nearer to chest area), whereas for boy, the tummy will be lower. Is it true?
 
Lamagier and Yen, a lot of people just are so inconsiderate and selfish lah. I think one of the worst times was when I saw a heavily pregnant woman carrying her toddler in her arms enter the train carriage. No one offered her a seat, even though it was obvious that she was uncomfortable and tired.

I joke to my friends that my new superpower will be the ability to make an entire train carriage go to 'sleep' the moment I enter it. Ha ha!
 
sheryl

haha, that's true sometimes leh. When i was in a train, sometimes i'll wonder if that person is preg or just fat leh. Scared later i give up seat for her and turned out she's just fat, she'll feel insulted and scold me how?
 
Re:breast pump

for my #1, I used AVENT ISIS IQ DUO, I love it so much, it's easy to use and easy to get let down, I bf my gal till she's 1 years old then my menses came and supply dropped so much, so stopped pump at office but only do night bf at home. but one thing bad about AVENT DUO is that it's easy to spoil, so it's very imp to have the local warranty, else when spoil it's so wasted.It broke 2 times during the 9 months, but with warranty, it's free of charge while they give u exchange of the spoil part.
 
hi sunnyduck, i'm going for my first trimester test (oscar and blood test) on 19jan. maybe because it's my second, my waistline expanded faster during the first month. my hubby joke that i should wear a tshirt that say "i'm not fat, i'm pregnant"...hehehehe, but this time round, feeling tired is my main complain this trimester. how about u???

lamagier, wat's ur inlaws reaction when u tell them the good news? u have a good hubby who help u out. mine has been helping out entertaining my princess, good bonding also, now he just realized how hard our jobs are, especially in asking my 5 year old to do homework.

babyethan, thanks for the confinement food website, will check it out.

mrsc, can share ur experience about the oscar test, izit just scan and blood test? do u know the results straight away??? so how to determine if u need amnio or not? izit based on the ratio?
 
Hi Katherine

No, the doctor did not ask me to do it but I'm over 35 and read about the test. There is a possibility of miscarriage according to the gynae. I'm still considering about the test.
 
Hi Coolkero, you're lucky to have hubby help you out with #1, especially if you're feeling tired these days. I have occasional backaches (think I need to change the way I usually stand/walk) and fatigue, and I'm also hungry quite often. Never thought I'd say this but it can be so tiresome having to eat so often, especially when I have no appetite but still feel hungry! Now that the 2nd trimester is approaching, I am starting to feel a bit more energetic. Got a slight bump and need to go clothes shopping soon...

All the best for your oscar test!
 
Hi cool kero,

Told them separately. Fil was a bit confused, then told me not to shift furniture around, don't nail things to wall, don't tell friends and not-so-close relatives cos pregnancy not stable yet (thing he didn't register that I'm 3 months preggy).

Mil also took a few seconds to register the news then told me to eat more. Then told me eat bak kwa, take tibits home... Sil was the most excited. She later told me mil don't dare to look too happy cos scare "pan-tang"

Think they still need time to absorb the news, Cos only my sil ask me if know the baby gender... in-laws still too shock to remember to ask =p

I told the hubby to imagine a toddler walking around calling him papa. He only can imagine kid trying to press on his keyboard and disturb him while he play computer game.....

Your hubby really considerate and patient, give you time and space to rest...

Hi Sunnyduck,
Same thing here. Don't know why no appetite, no cravings, but somehow body automatically keep telling me to eat. Don't know if I should be discipline and control to prevent excessive weight gain or just eat so baby can get whatever he/she wants.... .
 
Lamagier, sometimes I feel like I have no choice, must really eat! The body's signal is so strong it is very hard to ignore, it feels like I have a gaping hole inside me. I try to eat healthy, sometimes a glass of low-fat milk or some fruit or a granola bar. But when the appetite really hits, I sometimes eat every 2hrs, quite scary! Luckily doc says weight gain so far has been slow and steady, so I'm just trying not to eat too much junk food, which is hard esp during CNY! :p
 
HI Sunnyduck,
You're much healthier. I'm binging on sweets and tibits. I told my hubby I'll 'eat him poor' then he has to hire a fork lift to lift me out from bed =p
 
Hi Elijah's mum,

Thanks for the offer but i stay at the west side unfortunately and my HB is not willing to have CL. Think will need to save a bit on the $ as times will be bad this year and hb's job not very stable (manufacturing industry), he mentioned that there will be a possibility of shorter work week which mean pay cut.. sigh..

Coolkero,

I did both blood and NT scan for DS Test.Blood test will take like 1 week to know the result. As for scan, my gynae told me instantly as i did the scan at his clinic. He provide me the report and scan photo on the same day itself. Usually the ratio is 1:10000 to be consider norm, if it hit 1:100/200, there is a possibility of risk. The gynae will tell you if you are of high risk or not and check if you are ready to do amnio test if there is high risk.Some mummies here took the DS test by sonographer instead of gynae thus you might need to wait for your gynae to interpret the result, i think.

Talking about seats, i do agree that our tummies have to be very obvious before anyone will let the seat to us. Otherwise they will consider it as fat tummy rather than pregnant. I'm considering to take premium bus or private bus service. Does anyone here have any lobang from the west to Fullerton area?
 
I'm actually craving for potato! hopefully i can control myself not to gorge too much cos it's carbo.. and i'm looking forward to CNY cos can eat good food!
 


Hi Mrs C,

Does doc ong gives u some calcium and vitamins supplements?


Now my morning sickness is not as bad as before,but the problem was that,whenever I ate the calcium and vitamins supplement,my nausea feeling comes back,and I dont feel very well..
Do u have this kind of feeling?


Or do mummies here have this feeling as well?
 
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