(2012/06) Jun 2012

Cindy: $5.8k is if u pay full in advance. instead of yearly. then they kinda give u last 3yrs free storage means u pay 19years.
then u sign maybe this weekend at the smartkids expo, they will give u additional $200 capitaland vouchers.
so it works up to $5.6k total outlay. then u less the first payment and divide 21yrs u'll find out what's the cost per yr.
definitely cheaper than stemcord. that's y i m contemplating too.

But 1 CON that my hb dun like is cordlife store all blood in 1 building. there was an instance where there was blackout. so my hb worry that the back up generator not long lasting enough for the electricity to come back on.
sad.gif


Stemcord stores our blood in 2 buildings. means they split bags. in case of accidents. plus they also have back up generators.
it was this sole reason tat we signed with SC for #1.
But now i was thinking if accidents will happen within the 21yrs lah.. heng suay only...

Smilezz: for #1 i used bouncer. can adjust position too. but material was too warm. end up use a while each day only. i was planning on him sleeping in it during the day so he can differentiate between night n day. but he perspire.. so end up sleep in room with air con.

i didn't wear him in long sleeves n pants like old folks say cause he was sweating buckets! just wear tee, diapers and swaddle with cloth nappy.
In fact my boy nvr really wear pants at home from 1-3mths.

Gender
Groovy: tats wat i told my hb too.. gender can't change. no balls/penis means girl lah.. he still scared..
Smilez: whole cupboard of pink clothes n towels already.. haha
toys also in pink! rattle n music phone. Girl version of what we got for #1.
 


hi adeline,

how much do you pay inital upfront for the 10 years plan huh? understand that each mth deduction is $250 after an inital lump sum payment.

Petrina : totally agree with you on the CON. cos mi and hubby thinking hard cos half his frens din store and half store. one of his frens say when we donate to singpaore national cordblood bank, we can have chance to use it back if not taken by someone else. yeah another school of tot is that if the kid alreadly got deficiency in the blood then the cord blood is also contaminated alreadly. so still tinking. storing is jus like buying insurance. we might also want to see what the fair offers huh? issit true they always say best deals at fairs?
 
Breakfast beehoon sounds like a good idea for lunch... so bored of the food around here but I'm lazy to go out..
 
Sunbelle,

Its 3.8k which will be deducted from cda for the 10yr package, so by the 6th yr my husband and i will decide if we would want to upgrade it to the 21yr package so from there it will be dca deducted again. Cordlife will calculate the balance which needs to be deducted for the remaining 11yrs if we wish to sign on.
Unless you prefer to pay in cash monthly there yes the $250 deduction will come in place.
However i feel it would be best to sign a package rather then to pay a monthly installments as you might be able to negogiate for a good package with vouchers,perhaps. Those are my thoughts as i have a colleague who signed for her #1 with cordlife and she was able to get the old pricing of the package for her #2 as well.

I chose Cordlife because their technology is better in terms of collecting the blood count,are AABB accredited and gynaes at Gleneagles recommends it. However i believe it is best to speak to both Cordlife and Stemcord reps and to decide which gves you the sense of security.

Do let me know i can give you the contact of the lady who assisted us.I believe she will be at the Smart Baby fair on the 16th of Mar at Expo.
 
Anna, I had sore throat and flu last month too. Tried to resist taking medication but it got too bad and I was coughing so much my tummy hurt. Actually it's fine to take medication so long as it's considered safe for pregnant women. Don't anyhow self-medicate. I took a throat lozenge before consulting the doctor, then realised that it's not considered safe for pregnant women. Spat it out after sucking half of it :p So always check with your doctor. Get well soon!
 
Nattan: beehoon is delicious.. but my baby dun like. haha

wanted to eat kfc. in the end, U-Turn cause baby insisted on salad.. and cake... and ice cream!! hahaha
 
sunbelle: singapore cord bank can't return u if u need it and it's available cause they don't label name. so they will find u a suitable replacement under priority queue only.
cordblood is more suitable for siblings & parents. not for self. they will show u the percentage of success rates if u question further.
 
Petrina, I didn't get to eat beehoon in the end cos sold out! Had chicken and mushroom gongzaifan instead. After that I snacked on gummy sweets and Tolberone chocolate :X Hehe... Tonight might have to OT again... :p
 
i use cordlife cos it has a longer history. Bt if i m nt wrong, stemcord cn use twice while cordlife only once. Cordlife sy in case the kid cant use his own blood, thy wil try to match w one fr the national library. If i didnt rem wrongly. Tis sort of things i find thm vry complex. I jus decide n believe its the best choice lor. :p
 
Thanks mihoger for sharing =)

For NB, think i might just get one...I sort of remembered my #1 just using NB for one or two weeks, thereafter my CL changed to the S size for him.

Also, there will be half pack left from the hospital.

Is it too early to buy though? previously NTUC have a promo on the NB pampers diapers right, i wanted to go get the twin pack and my hb says i am crazy, so early go buy for what? so i missed that
 
Mihoger, S is for 4-8kg while NB is for up to 5kg. I don't think you'll be having a 4kg baby right... so NB would be a better size. Just buy enough for 1 month and then decide if you need to upgrade to a bigger size. BTW, this promo is by diapers.com.sg? The per unit price is almost the same as their carton promo size.
 
nattan : yup.. but i jus wanna stock up for S and buy NB for a month.. hahhaa.. kiasu mama!..
yea looks like is from diapers.com.sg..

buttercup : actually im going down NTUC tonight after dinner to see any promotion.. lol.. coz deals end at 9pm tonight.. but if the price is same as their carton promo than i no need so gan jiong le..
 
mihoger: $15.90 only worth to buy from M size onwards.
I think motherhood fair they will have the $14 S size again..
I bought from them during the baby carnival $14 per pk for S Size.
 
petrina : ooo.. thanks for the advise.. okok..den i no need so gan jiong to buy..

my mind is full of whatelse i need to buy even i have a checklist.. jus bought a flat.. so timing will be almost same as baby give birth.. too many things on my mind now.. baby/reno/move house..
 
mihoger, haha... I think diapers can buy last since baby's size is still changing. Like my boss' baby, the doctor estimated above 3kg, but in the end was smaller than expected, only 2+kg. Try to get sample sizes to let baby try out cos every baby is different so the cutting of the diaper also matters. Don't buy so many and then regret that they don't fit your baby. I managed to get some Goon diaper samples so will let the baby try out first before ordering. Also, hospital will provide some Pampers for baby to try. If the difference is a few dollars, I won't make a special trip to shop for better deals. The extra time spent and transport cost already negate whatever promo discounts :p
 
nattan : ya lor.. i collecting samples too.. lol..but toooo much raves on goon diaper.. hahhahah.. i was telling hubby im mad buy so much.. later baby come out chicken drumstick.. kekek.. cannot fit into the diapers..
 
Nattan, totally agree...
on the different cut and the fit for our baby. Some diapers brands my #1 tried kept getting leakage while they work fine for other babies....

btw, what do you all mean by the carton price?
 
Chris
Pigeon promo at taka fair
(steriliser + bottle warmer + 1 big bottle + 2 small bottle + 1 bottle of liquid cleanser + 1pack bb wipes + pacifier + brushes)
http://www.pigeon.com.sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=87:2012-03-takashimaya-atrium-baby-fair&catid=40:promotions&Itemid=22
Avent has similar promo but Avent bundle has 5 bottles and other freebies. You can get 1 of them if you need a sterilise. Pretty good bundle.

Petrina
Tks for sharing. Robinson deal does seem good. Happy shopping today!
 
petrina: icic.. thanks for the info! don't really know the use for cordlife.. shld find out more actually. but everytime go for the fair the stall will be so big and so many of those sales staff there.. stressed! like so intimidating selling insurance like that so hubby and i always say no thanks.....
but if can pay fully by CDA shld be alright ba.. anyone knows what other uses for CDA? we can't take the money out one right?
 
Cindy, you can use CDA for childcare/infant care too.

Re cordlife/stemcord, hope everyone is aware that the cord blood from a baby is only sufficient for a child up to certain age. Thereafter, it's not sufficient to depend on the baby's own cord blood, so a match from the cord blood bank is still needed to make up the shortfall. So paying for the storage up to adulthood is no guarantee of anything if you really need to use the cord blood (touch wood huh!).
 
Agree with nattan. 20 million cells r needed for per kg to create a new organ.
so if the child weighs 40kg, minimum blood needed is 800 million cells.
that is what attracted me to cordlife as they have better chance of squeezing out more cells as compared to stemcord.
 
moi

Hmm.. guess I don't spend enough at Robinsons to be on their list.

NB Diapers

I bought 6 packs of the 24-pack Pampers. I dun think it's a lot, coz looking at abt 8 pcs a day, this will last me, together with the hosp's leftovers, ard 3 weeks. Think mine won't upgrade so soon bah? Actually I can't remember for my #1 liao. I vaguely remember I used ard 100pcs of Huggies NB size, then had to send Hubs out to buy another 24pc NB size again.
 
Where else can I apply to get diapers samples?
happy.gif


Goon Diapers

There seems to be two versions for NB? One for the Jap mkt and another one local. Do u know what's the diff ?
 
my boy started with S size after finishing hospital supply which was abt 1 pack cause just b4 discharged, he had to use 1pc from new pack. so we kenna charged for that pack.
he was born 3.375kg.

Jul: ya. robinsons & JL same. u need to spend a minimum amount to constantly receive vouchers or information.
i think on a average, i spend abt $300 per mth at robinsons. even my mom don't receive.
I usually receive 2 pamphlets from JL. (robinsons black card & JL green member card)
now i only receive 1 set of mail cause my green card wasn't very much utilized by my MIL..
 
ssmilezz, usually all those baby fairs will pack some diaper samples in the goody bags ;) So just make sure you get the goody bag. Else, some brands offer samples if you email them. I think Huggies used to do that, but they stopped that. Another way, is buy 1 pack of different brands and share among friends who are going to be mummies
happy.gif


re Goon for NB, I also dunno what's the diff between Japan and local version.. maybe Japan version is smaller cutting?
 
Petrina

Both look good leh. But if pre-loved, can u check first before buying? Just worried that the first owner didn't take good
Care of their stuffs.

The first one with the snow globe looks more fun and entertaining.
happy.gif
.

Eh too bad not Pink! Haha cannot add to yr collection of pink stuffs.
 
smilez: yeah.. but i usually put towel on rocker as i did for #1. to prevent milk drips or wet poo or pee stains. so it's ok lah. hehe

my hb like the snow globe too! it's older model but we like tat it's more entertaining. since it's our #2, i m more inclined to buying preloved.. our first bouncer battery compartment eroded after 2yrs of non-usage.
then i tot we not having #2 in 2010. so i gave to my cousin who didn't mind. otherwise we won't be buying a new bouncer le..
sad.gif


Hb was rather upset as i gave away alot of things in 2010. almost whole wardrobe of #1 n toys were gone. luckily we having girl, otherwise he sure say waste $.
 
Petrina, can't see the 2nd one. Did you check out the Taka fair for similar items? I don't really like the idea of pre-loved unless they are very new.

BTW, anyone went for antenatal class already? I went for my 2nd one last weekend and wasn't too thrilled with the way the midwife told the class that there's only 1 way to deliver the baby, ie strapped to the delivery bed with legs propped up and opened wide. I know from books that there are other methods you can choose to labour and deliver. Does anybody else have any idea whether other hospitals allow mummies to give birth in the most comfortable positions for themselves? Eg I know that NUH allows you to labour in a water bath, but must get out for delivery.
 
petrina

Haha I'm the one quite upset coz Hubs gave away our Bumbo, changing table etc. He didn't want a #2 whereas I was more in favour of keep first inc case we still want.

Now that u mention it, I need to check if my Fisher Price rocker is still there! It's the 2nd one u posted. No 1 does look cuter though.
 
nattan: NUH water birth require u to hire a doula. tat was why i didn't want it. i wanted to try water birth but the costs deterred me eventually.

most pte hospitals will let u move ard b4 delivery (meaning during contractions).
not necessary strapped. but they will not allow u to use other positions once u r ready to push due to safety and hygiene reasons.

I rented toys b4. so i m open to the idea to preloved. but i m also very fussy so condition is very impt to me as well. for big items i will make sure there r no flaws b4 buying. so far i bought preloved pump & slings & pouches. all washable so i am ok.

Toys i have yet to try preloved purchase. my hb isn't open as he feel it's dirty. hehe
 
Nattan: My mom told me that ancient ppl gave birth standing. Hahaaha..... get some help from gravity.

Wong BB mentioned that before the actual delivery you can choose your most comfortable position be it lying, standing, kneeling on the bed against the pillows etc, but actual delivery should be lying on the bed ba
 
Hi mummies,

I am in a dilemma on breast pumps and need your kind assistance.

I am deciding on Medela PISA or Medela Freestyle.

I have heard feedbacks that PISA has a backflow problem that seems to frequently occur.

I have also heard feedback thats PISA suction is better then Freestyle, is that true?

Please do tell me more on your experiences for the above two types of pumps only.
It would mean a lot to me with your help.
Thank you in advance!
 
Gosh I think I'm starting to panick a little. It's less than 3 mths to EDD & I just realised that there's so much more to do. The most irksome tasks are to reorganise my kids' room, get the furniture, fans etc all installed & ready. Hiaz.. I hate home improvement projects.

The last time I only completed the home improvement at abt 35 weeks, major traumatised...
 
Adeline

I only used PISA so can only comment on that. Never had a backflow problem with my PISA. In fact, my main grouses are just that it's heavy & not very portable. But the suction is indeed very good. Could really 'wring' my boobs dry haha
 
nattan: taka only sell the #2 item. same price with 1 free gift which my boy already have.

Jul: haha. bumbo i rented. only used 2mths. i think the rental cost was abt half of purchase price. so it was kinda worth since i don't have to store or bother to resell it.
i bought leapfrog exercauser @ $179 then sold it @ $100 after using it for about 4mths.
for that item buying was more worth it since rental would have cost abt 3/4 purchase price.
then now i have headache cause i need to buy another exercauser! lol cause it was a very useful toy for me.
 
Baby weight
Mine is only 500g at 23 weeks. Don't think need to worry too much cos last 3 month will gain the most

Cot Mobile
I'm looking for Fisherprice mobile too. Haven't decide which to get

Diaper bag
Anyone bought already?

Clothes
I bought some from old navy and carter. Not buying anymore le. Waiting for pass down

3D/4D scan
I did my detail scan last check up. Can see my baby with big nose, lookalike eyebrows, fingers etc. Bought the cd/DVD but too bad she was sleep during the scan.

Diapers
I bought 8 packs of NB pampers at ntuc last month when there is a 1 for 1 discount.

Rocker
Don't plan to get a rocker cos I bought my combi day bed which can rock n adjust height.
 
Adeline: yes. i agree with Jul abt PISA.
i tried freestyle suction on my arms. comparing with PISA on my arms, i don't feel much power for freestyle. but it's compensation is it's very portable.
if u r really sensitive, freestyle will work. if u r like me & jul, haha. hardcore type then better get PISA to totally empty ur boobs.
 
Petrina, you mean during labour you can change positions, but when delivery, there's only 1 position? Is this the same in every hospital?

Originally I wanted to get a preloved pump for cost saving. But I read in a book that it's not advisable unless it's a hospital-grade pump cos bacterial and virus can hide in the motor parts that you cannot sterilise and may contaminate your milk. So I decided to get a new one. Hubby also said some things just cannot save money la.

Adeline, I have not tried any pump yet, but I probably will go for PISA too.

Jul, haha... I think the nesting instinct just kicked in... This weekend I went to Carrefour and saw the Toyogo stackable plastic cabinets and another brand. Slightly cheaper than the combi I wanted to get at Ikea. Now just wondering if it can fit in my bedroom cos the baby's cot is quite big and taking up so much space!
 
nattan: ya. even if u r on drip, u r allowed to move ard when the ctg is not on u. as long as u r able, they will allow.
some woman already wanna die kind.. so most hospital will not suggest moving ard. lol
 
Petrina

Yah, if pre loved items are in good condition. I guess it's fine.

Jul

Are bumbo seats good? Seems quite fun for the baby to sit up. But if your baby has thunder thighs, it's not going to last long. Hahaha. :D

I had to move all my stuffs out of our study room into our room and we have since converted that room into baby's room. When I say We I mean my hubby, cos I think he's the one hit badly with nesting instincts and has been hard at work packing and setting up items. Just built a set of drawers from Ikea last weekend so waiting for the cot to arrive this sat.

Nattan

I haven't and don't intend to go for pre natal lessons. Not sure what to expect but will go with the flow with advice from ppl around me and you guys here.

I have been reading the other threads and I see ppl Posting about how they are currently in labour etc etc. solid man, I dunno if I can check the forum during labour time. :p

Mattress

I don't have an extra bed at home so will need to get one for the CL. What type should we get? Those foldable form ones?
 
Petrina,Jul & Nattan : Thanks for sharing!!

Anyone else can share your experiences about the Medela PISA and Medela Freestyle??
 



Back
Top