morning mummies and daddies
was at the taka fair yesterday but didn't had a chance to shop around much as my toddler was super hyper and i lost him a couple of times as i was asking the salesperson some stuff - looks like got to make another trip down.
nevertheless manage to stock up huggies diapers and pigeon wipes for my boy, it's surprisingly crowded at 4pm in the afternoon, even delivery also got to q.
saw quite a number of new brands of strollers in Singapore such as huack, i candy etc, and finally got choices for swing, 2 years ago, only fisherprice has swing, yesterday saw a couple of booths with swing - will prob check it out the next time.
just to share:
a swing is useful if you have a awake bb that is fretful - he will enjoy being elevated and swinging and playing with the toys and the music from as young as 3 mths. i bought a bouncer that vibrates and it totally didn't work to soothe bb, but the swing works marvels.
someone mentioned abt the fisherprice 4 in 1 package - it's really attractive but got to note the following:
1) ask if they have replacement for the fabric and the chair if it's faulty over time. the fabric will need to be washed and fisherprice fabric tends to wear out very fast. we had a jumperoo and swing from FP and after a few washes, the colour runs, so it looks faded.
2) a highchair with fabric may not be the best choice unless you have a helper to help you wash it every other day. babies are super messy when they first start to learn to eat. even my 24 mth tod still makes a mess when eating. those from ikea or jane activa ones which can be lug into the toilet and spray wash will be easiest to manage in the long run
for strollers wise, i will recommend peg perego, been using that for almost 2 years and despite rough use, it's still very steady, and although it;s heavier than combi, it's very stable and won't topple over, very important when bb grow bigger and starts to fidget in the stroller. and of course, it's sturdy enough that you can use it to ram inconsiderate pple in the mrt who refuse to give way at the exit
for those getting macalren, or strollers w/o a front bar, please buy the front bar -it makes it easier to carry the stroller and attach toys/sippy cups on it. also it aids bb when he wants to sit up as got something to hold on to, also for safety reason, in case bb gets out of the strap, there's something to block him from falling off. I've seen cases where bb fell out of the stroller becos he got hinself out of the strap, caregiver did not notice and the poor baby literally tumble off the stroller.
re: breastpumps
another pump worth considering is ameda which is similar to medela PIS/freestyle. ameda is about 300-400 plus, half the price of medela and is also a hospital grade pump. buy a double breast pump as it's half the time to pump, you would rather use the time saved to do other stuff than wait for it to finish pumping. esp if you plan to bf when you return to office. also when pumping only one breast at a time, the other breast will have let down, so you will find bm leaking from the other breast if you are not pumping both at the same time.
and for those who are not sure if bf is the best route for them, can consider to get a 2nd hand unit as breastpumps can be pricy.
i bought the BP and all bf-ing accessories, bf shawl etc etc, but in the end did not bf successfully as there's no milk production at all. luckily manage to sell off the breastpump at no loss, so this is a point worth considering.
re: sterilizer/bottles/wipes/detergent
so far, pigeon is the most popular brand chosen by most mummies. for sterilizer, pigeon has the biggest capacity - and is an empty container which mean you can out odd shapes items like breast pump parts, cups and containers.
for bottles wise, i actually prefer glass bottles - it's easier to feed younger bb as it's easier to balance and hold on to as compared to plastic bottles and doesn't need replacement. also easier to train bb to hold. when switch to plastic bottles later, i find bb will hold on to the lighter plastic bottles easily, as feedback by mummies friends also.
for wipes, there are cheaper brands such as carlson similar quality to pigeon, which is 3 packs for 5,6 as compared to pigeon $9.90, but the brand can be hard to find.
for detergents to wash bottles, pump parts and clothes, besides pigeon, there's pureen, kodomo which are cheaper for budget mums.
you will need lots of bb clothes detergent even before bb is born as need to wash hand me down clothes, new clothes, bedding etc.
get lots of antiseptic wipes or liquid as will need to wipe down all the new bb equipment such as cots, pram, carseat, swings, drawers etc before bb use it.
