(2012/10) Oct 2012

Joanna, maybe i share with you what my gynae said about amnio. She said to do or not to do invasive test is all up to individual parent, even 2 parents facing same oscar result will make different decisions.

Some are religious or strongly feel a baby has to be carried to full term so no screening even needed. Others screen to be prepared but won't terminate cos of reasons stated earlier. Most will want to make use of modern medicine to help us decide and prepare ourselves.

She suggested asking ourselves what is our tolerance for the unknown, can we accept the assurance but not definite answer that a screening provides, esp borderline case? or are we the type who need full certainty? Then how badly we want to be assured vs the risk of m/c for the test. She shared with me that she herself is very gancheong and wanted full assurance during her pregnancy so the risk of m/c to her is v v low compared to her risk/insecurity of not knowing the answer until baby is born.

My own boss (a doctor) shared with me his view that medical advances are God's gift to us so might as well use it.

Their views helped me a little, hopefully can provide some insight to those mummies and daddies who are torn about their decision.
 


Joanna, dun feel stress ok? Sigh this OSCAR thingee is such a pain in the ass... so thats why sometimes i dunnoe if technology is helping or harming us ;) I m sure in the olden days hor, alot of mommies will also "fail" their oscar one but becos they have no tech to detect, they dunnoe, they proceed to give birth n the child is fine, so they are spared the torture of worrying for like 6 more months lor
 
ANG ZAO (RED GLUTINOUS RICE WINE) CHICKEN - DRY VERSION
Ingredients:
* Chicken - cut into small serving pcs
* Ang Zao - 2 tbsp, including both the 渣 and 酒. Can add slightly more if u like
* Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
* Old ginger - slightly smashed
* Salt and Sugar - to taste

Method:
1. Heat sesame oil in wok on medium fire
2. Put in old ginger and fry till fragrant
3. Add in ang zao and stir fry for a few minutes till fragrant. Ensure it is not burnt, keep stirring the ang zao.
4. Add in chicken and stir fry for a few minutes.
5. Add in a little water (amt depends on how much gravy u prefer) and cover wok till the chicken is cooked
6. Add in salt and sugar to individual taste
7. Serve hot with plain white rice
 
<font color="0000ff">Meredith</font> - I agree with Raspy. OSCAR has alot of false positives. Consult your Gynae &amp; discuss with your HB what are the options. Keep positive thoughts, come here &amp; chat, it would be easier for you to tide through.

<font color="0000ff">Jo</font> - (1) FA scan = 20th week scan = Fetal Assessement, BB's vital organs are checked to ensure normalities (2) Most usually dont jump into doing Amnio test for no reason because it puts you at higher risk for miscarriage, although it is more accurate - btw, Amnio means "Chou Yan Sui" (3) OSCAR scan is like your regular ultrasound, just that the machine could be better/clearer?
 
ANG ZAO (RED GLUTINOUS RICE WINE) CHICKEN MEE SUA - SOUP VERSION
Ingredients:
* Chicken - cut into small serving pcs
* Ang Zao - 1.5 rice bowl amt, including both the 渣 and 酒. Can add slightly more if u like
* Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
* Old ginger - slightly smashed
* Salt and Sugar - to taste
* Hard boiled eggs - amt up to you

Method:
1. Heat sesame oil in wok on medium fire
2. Put in old ginger and fry till fragrant
3. Add in ang zao and stir fry for a few minutes till fragrant. Ensure it is not burnt, keep stirring the ang zao.
4. Add in chicken and stir fry for a few minutes.
5. Add in 1.5 litres water (amt depends on how much soup u prefer)
6. Cover wok and turn up to high fire till the soup boils
7. Turn down to low heat and let the soup simmer for 1-1.5 hrs. Ensure that the soup does not dry out
8. Add in salt and sugar to individual taste
9. Serve hot with plain white rice or mee sua (vermicelli)

For Mee Sua:
- Boil a separate small pot of hot water
- Put in the mee sua and cook for 2-3 minutes till cooked
- Place the mee sua in a big bowl and pour the ang zao soup, chicken and hard boiled egg over the mee sua
- Serve while dish is hot

Note: This recipe is probably enough for 2-3 adults servings for mee sua. I usually cook such amt to last for 2 meals, just keep the remaining amt in a thermal pot to keep warm and reheat when eating later.
 
Melody: what's ur FB name? So that it's easier for Novembaby to search for u with both info
happy.gif
 
<font color="0000ff">Serenelm</font> - I think my HB would love you for sharing the sesame oil chicken with old ginger - he super duper duper love it, haha! You're making me drool over your meesua recipe too *gulps*
 
Serenelm. Thank you so much! I'm already thinking about pork with old ginger. I had a strange craving since yesterday night. Perhaps I should convince my mum to just cook it one of these days.

Please add me on facebook too. My username is valerie.tan.ce

Thank you!
 
Ccharis: As I was typing, I was alrdy craving for the food. In fact, i just cooked the Ang Zao Mee Sua for my family on Sunday nite. Heehee :p
 
Mummies, for the Sesame Oil chicken recipe, if not cooking this recipe during confinement period, can even add a little oyster sauce to make it more tasty. I dun use oyster sauce during confinement cos dunno allowed to or not
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Serenelm, thanks for sharing the recipes. They look yummy. For confinement, I think some mummies will avoid seafood to prevent wound infection, so oyster sauce are sometime avoid. By the way, where to get hong zao?
 
<font color="0000ff">Raspy</font> - Hong Zao as in Red Dates? You can get nice, fresher &amp; plump ones at Fu Lu Shou complex, B1, the store is at the corner (dont remember the name) but their plastic bag is yellow with a red dragon. I always go there because I used to buy dried deer tendons for my dogs to chew on, hehe... Stuffs are fresh (maybe because it's always super crowded too).
 
My sisters usually make it for me (we're Fu Zhou dialect group, so the recipe was passed down by my grandma but I haven't learnt how to do it). I've seen ppl selling it on Internet forums (but not sure if they're nice) and there's a shop ard Beach Road area that sells it, not cheap thou (abt $15 for a bottle), i haven't bought any from them b4. But I can't recall the street name now, the next time I go, I'll note down the name and post here. I usually go there to buy my Fu Zhou fish balls every now and then.

For Oyster sauce, I usually use the vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce, oso dunno if that's allowed
happy.gif
 
Thanks ccharis. My mum also drove to the simalu there to buy the big red dates during my confinement. They are really huge and fresh and definitely cheaper compared to those neighbour store. Do you stay near there?

I wanted to ask serenelm, where to buy those Ang zao (hong zao) in her recipe.
 
...... so MALU, hahah! As for that red wine, wait, I ever read someone's blog &amp; saw the recipe before, if you cant find, I can try to see if I can still recall the blogsite or not.
I stay in River Valley so its considered close, but HB hateeeeeeees to drive there cause of parking... So everytime go, I must make sure I prep the shoplist &amp; sweep everything...
 
Ccharis: Yah I agree that the parking there is terrible. Usually my hubby will park at the underground car park opposite OG, beneath those colorful HDB blocks.
 
Ccharis, no malu la.. we all share together. And its my mistake too, should type ang zao. But really, the red dates are good from there. I think we'll definitely go there once before I pop to buy big bags of the dates. For confinement, my mum also bought those black dates and honey dates. Im not sure how to use them, but I think your CL will help you with it. My CL was so amazed at the size of my red dates. hehee.. its a good lobang, considering for the same price, the red dates from the normal stores are so small and look not so fresh.

serenelm, wow.. your family can make the ang zao. I remember for my confinement, I didnt had any of these. Infact, I skipped all the alcohol stuff as I was afraid of passing to bb via bfing and I was also quite fussy on food. Hence, really didnt do my confinement properly and can feel body weaker. So this time round, must really 'bu' back.
 
Melody> wow amazing, yr gal can do san zi jing at 14 mths! so smart!

Meredith> do u hv any family history which might affect poor results? like ping xue etc? if not, as some of the mummies said, it might be false results. my gynae told me Oscar test is only 90% accurate for D/S, so he asked me to Nifty test which is 99% accurate but i didnt choose that test though, i'm not sure whether its available in Sin though (http://birth.bgi-health.com/bhc/introduction-of-nifty/) i hv friend who did the amino test and turned out results ok, she told me she was given bed rest for 2days though, as it does have a m/c risk.

ccharis> thanks for updating my info. i just came back from my NT test, can u help me to update bb gender as boy, thanks!
 
<font color="0077aa">serene</font>
Your recipes making me drool! I love sesame oil chicken and I like to make my own too as outside ones are too oily. Do you think we can eat them now? I like it that it warms me up, but read somewhere that we should avoid sesame oil?

<font color="0077aa">raspy</font>
I read before someone on the forum selling homemade hong zao, i think these are nicer. But I remembered NTUC and Cold storage sells the Hong Zao Paste. Must search abit. haha
 
dear ladies, i am actually from the Dec 2012 thread but I have been spotting for 3 weeks (I am 7 weeks now) and on the max 3 times progesterone jabs and 3 times 2 tablet progesterone supplement already. My next scan is this sat but I am quite worried. As you ladies are ahead of us "seniors" can anyone share if you have had spotting and is now safe in 2nd trimester? Thanks in advance.
 
Melody, i agree with you that modern medical advances have its pros and certainly cons! My mother had 3 kids without any screening or ultrascan and all turn out fine. Me #1 only, have to fret this and that, to test or not to test. More decisions! Was just telling my husband this a few days ago haha.

Serene, omg... love you to bits for the recipe! My mother can make but getting a recipe from her is impossible as she cooks by experience aka agaration. I can try making one of these weekends cos I love sesame chicken and ang zhao chicken!
 
reineluv, I see. Maybe need to do some research now. Cause I guess homemade ones need time to make.

mummychua, Don't worry too much. I don't have spotting myself, but I ever heard of some people spotting all the way to delivery and their baby are born healthy. Its important to stay happy as baby can feel us. Cheer up!
 
Lil Olive> i have spotting for both pregnancy. i was on the an tai yao for both time, and spotting was on and off, but u really have to walk lesser, rest more, do not carry heavy things, once u see spotting go back to gynae. try to rest and sleep more for this period of time. i was on the an tai yao 3times a day, for total 20days as gynae said its better to insert past wk8.
 
Mummychua
I spotted the whole of first tri. From positive hpt till 13 weeks, my boy is 17 mths liao. Just bedrest and don't walk too much. U can try glutinous rice with lotus root. Boil till soft. Eat one small bowl twice a day. Didn't work for me but heard from other ladies that it works for them.

Ladies
Your recipes are making me drool. Am happy today that my ms seems to be subsiding and finally have energy to do activities with my boy. Although still coughing my lungs out.

Confinement food:
There is a book on cOnfinement recipes from popular. Quite good. I used it for my first preg. It tells u the purpose of each of the ingredient. I go search to see if I can find the title
 
<font color="0000ff">Meredith:</font> <font color="aa00aa">My Oscar my clinic took 4 tube of blood wow.. Yr only 2 ah..</font>

<font color="aa00aa">This wk busy training temp gal.. No much time to online.. And so slpy.. </font>
 
<font color="0000ff">Raspy</font> - Ya, now that I got CL, I am so relieved and happy. I can do a proper confinement then, I can free my time &amp; start looking for jamu massage lady too, yay! I wondered if I should go get the dates myself (since thats the only thing I know) or should I leave that for CL to buy too, cause she did tell me that I can let her know what I prefer, then she go get the herbs but like what you say loh, worried she dunno which stall then come back with those scrawny dates &amp; longans, hahaha!

Oh! Btw I've got some questions RE: CL to ALL.
Please enlighten me...

(1) How and What do they eat? Same confinement food as us, or? In any case, do we need to provide them food (since we're paying premium for their confinement services already).

(2) Is it considered normal, that the CL would ownself go to the wet market every couple of days to get fresh food to cook for you, or someone in the family would be assigned to the marketing? I'm asking because my to-be-CL lady said she prefer to go herself (or someone send her there) so that she can pick out the fresh stuffs for me, sounds sweet thou... but wanna know if there's more to it boh, hahaha!

(3) What is a reasonable amount of welcome and depart angmo money?

(4) Is it also normal for her to cook (not confinement meal) for the family - because she offered me!

(5)Anything I need to know &amp; be aware of?
 
gosh the thread is going so fast today..


Lil Olive: hi babe is normal.. i am on the jab 2 times every week and taking the pills 3 times a day.i think will last u until 13 week because i am still taking the pill but my last injection was yesterday.i guess is normal dun worry okay =)


ccharis: ahh thanks for the super detail explaination. Oh i know that as detailed testing duno gt this word called FA hehehe okok i learn something new for today...

Melody: hmm yeah really such a pain hor hehehe.. but i noted that oscar is new in the market for maybe 2 years onli.. for the past mummies they had been doing triple testing but accuracy is onli 70% but i thought perhaps both test can be done just that Oscar is 90% or 99% lor..

Quinny: hmm yeah but is really hard to make decision lor.. i am just praying that oscar results turn out fine and i dun have to stress anymore.. ti gong po pi..

Wah so fast u all into confinement dishes hahaha drooling liow...
 
ccharis> my CL will take some of the same food as what i eat but as confinement food might be too heaty and they eat till sian, they might not eat all dishes and cook 1 more dish, they will definitely not eat those "expensive" dish for u, eg chicken boil with martell etc..by right when she go to buy veg etc from wet market i think she will buy her share also cos it wont cost alot if she just eat abit from there. i think u can decide whether yr hubby bring her go once a week to wet market/supermarket OR let her go herself or yr hubby buy for her the things she need cos sometimes fresh meat/fish cannot buy over a week. I think i gave around $12-20 for welcome and depart ang bao money as u said we pay for the service so i'm unwilling to give a lot..but also cannot be too stingy cos 1st happy she happy she will take care of u &amp; baby. I employed the CL to HK, so i did bring her out "shop" before her last day to buy something back for her family and she gave a full mth ang bao to my son also. For my case, my CL did cook for my hubby share (same dishes). Usually CL are experienced so they should know what to do but u need to teach her how to use yr washing machine/stove/where u put yr stuff etc..and if u dont like yr bb to drink water u must tell her cos some CL will feed bb water etc...
 
ccharis, this is to answer ur question from my view.

(1) How and What do they eat? Same confinement food as us, or? In any case, do we need to provide them food (since we're paying premium for their confinement services already).
They usually eat wat u eat, but those expensive food like fish or the (pig) kidney u can choose not to let them eat.

(2) Is it considered normal, that the CL would ownself go to the wet market every couple of days to get fresh food to cook for you, or someone in the family would be assigned to the marketing? I'm asking because my to-be-CL lady said she prefer to go herself (or someone send her there) so that she can pick out the fresh stuffs for me, sounds sweet thou... but wanna know if there's more to it boh, hahaha!
if in your family got ppl go do the marketing she can dun go de... but if no wan can help like u are not staying with parent, they will hv to go themselve.

(3) What is a reasonable amount of welcome and depart angmo money?
that time i give $28 (2 packet) for welcome and go home.

(4) Is it also normal for her to cook (not confinement meal) for the family - because she offered me!
if they offer, just let her cook lor... but ask if they charge extra money. some CL will ask for extra money to cook for the family de.

(5)Anything I need to know &amp; be aware of?
make sure they dun wash their clothes togehter with ur bb clothes... that happen to my 1st CL... when i know she wash her clothes together with my boy clothes i almost faint!!!
 
<font color="0000ff">Mummywong10</font> - When you mentioned you brought her out to buy stuffs for her to bring back to family may I ask if you pay or she pay herself? Sorry for my question, I've absolutely no experience at all, was discussing with my HB how much to bao for her, he said S$168 and I was complaining too little then we agreed at maybe S$300 for welcome (actually we divided down to the no. of days, so thats like S$10/day - also double as allowance for her lah). S$168 if her service is good, otherwise S$88 bucks for departure. Geez!!! THANK God I asked!!!

<font color="0000ff">Felicia</font> - Thanks! Wahsei, I cant imagine if we really pao her S$300 leh, I think she would laugh until her teeth drop loh! Really thank God for you peeps! Phew...
 
ccharis> she paid for herself the stuff she buy, but my hubby think hao lai hao qu, so my hubby know she want to buy lao po bing and bought few boxes for her as gift. wah yr $168/300 is too much liao! if u want a nice number, $18/28/38 is ok. Oh my mum said must give a red pkt on full mth day also when she helped my bb to cut nail/hair etc. i think i just gave a small red pkt (its for gd luck).
 
Raspy: for alcohol stuff during confinement, I'm okie wif it as I think most alcohol would be gone by the time the food is cooked, unless excessive amts were used. But I did avoid too much ginger initially as my babies all had jaundice for quite a while.

Reineluv: eating sesame oil now should be fine. If u worry, maybe can use half sesame oil and half light olive oil. I do that sometimes too on normal days.
And yes, homemade ang zao is definitely nicer than those sold in supermarkets cos they're usually too bland or 薄. Not tasty enough. Homemade ones take abt 1 mth to do, so if ordering, at least need to order 1 mth in advance.

Quinny: you're welcome! I cook by agaraction too cos learnt that from my mom too. But I do try to remember the basic ingredients quantity.

ML: My sis oso previously bought me a book on confinement dishes from Popular bookstore. Quite nice recipes inside.

Namie: We're having a boy but still can't decide on names cos my hubby prefers rhyming names for all our boys... Gerald, Darryl etc... As u can see, we're running out of rhyming names
sad.gif


So ladies, the name for ur first child is very impt, esp if u're planning on rhyming names or same-alphabet names for ur subsequent kids in future. We didn't think that far ahead, now we're running into a dead end for names.
 
Yes, suddenly I wanna dig a hole &amp; hide my head inside. I think if we really give S$300/168 then she might immediately ask me when am I giving birth to #2, hahahah! I'll be having her for 28 days only cause she is packed back-to-back, but thanks for the advice, I would take note to bless the person that cut for BB too.
 
Joanna: Can eat durian but not too much. Cos of high sugar content. Scared that baby will grow too big too fast, then difficult for normal delivery. Oso worry abt mummies getting gestational diabetes.
I love durians too but am limiting myself to occasional treats only
happy.gif
 
Ccharis: u'll become her super VIP client, put on priority list for future births. Heehee :p
Seriously, I think my sil gave a welcome Angbao of $68 and then a departure Angbao of $48. Give more at beginning, hopefully she'll give better service. So it really depends on ur comfort level. but the confinement lady did give an Angbao to her baby b4 she left.
 

Hey serenelm, I can think of 1: Harold! hehe unless u tell me thats the name of ur #3. My Fb name is Mindy Fang

My throat is like so irritaing loh! The I have to crave for sweet n sour groupa n salted egg prawns so ate those for lunch... sigh think my throaat will get worse
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mummywong: Yah my girl's memory is quite gd n i dun like to force her. This san zi jing dvd my SIL bought from HK one. I still tell my SIL too early for her to learn at 14 mths but my gal ask the maid to play for her during breakfast for 3 days in a row, 1 day as she was painting, i hear her memorising the first 5 stanzas of the san zi jing like a song, i almost fainted! I tested her furthur n realised she actually knew quite a few verses more than that. haha so funny....

OSCAR: mummies dun fret so much even if results not gd ok? Look ard u! The odds are for us, not against us! How many normal children are there and how many normal human beings are there ard us on the streets versus those with trisomy probs?
 
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