Baby Essentials

Since the start of my son's diaper rash, I have been particularly careful with the toiletries that are used on him. Also, he has been suffering from blocked nose when he sniffs in talc powder.

So which toiletries are suitable for him?

1) Powder Type

My favourite powder: Bumble Bee Organic Talc-free Powder

2) Shampoo and Bath

Currently using Johnson Baby Toe-to-toe Wash, Calfornia Baby Calming Bodywash and Shampoo and Gaia Shampoo

3) Nappy Rash Wash

Herbal Remedy: Soak a chamomile tea bag in warm water and pat onto the baby bum area. It works and my baby's bum smells good too. lol

4)Daily Must-haves

Special mention: Gaia Soothing lotion has verstaile uses. Can be used as a barrier cream, soothe redness and itchness and even my plies!

We have undergone a lot of trial and errors to test which products are suitable for our baby who has sensitive skin. We are certainly glad that we have found the almost perfect products and remedies to handle the simple day grooming. As for unusual skin disorder like the pus-filled sore which has tortured our baby, it is advisable to see the specialist. Have fun shopping for your baby!

Progress with Nappy Rash

Finally I found the antidote to my son's nappy rash.

I tried a lot of different ointment and solution and only products which contains calendula works. Seems like this miracle flower "calendula" does possess great healing power.

First I tried Drapolene cream which was too mild and did not work well on my son's red bum which was caused by nappy rashes. Then I tried Desitin cream which worked well but was too strong for my son's sensitive skin. The rashes disappeared but his skin became hard and red again. Then I tried a GAIA soothing lotion which contained organic calendula and other organic herbs. It worked wonder and the redness had completely disappeared. I have yet to tried Calfornia baby calendula cream and guess it should work pretty well too as I am currently using their wash to bath my son.

A lot of trial and errors have to be attempted before we can find the right solutions to heal and cure our baby's skin disorder or illness. Sad to say the pus-filled sore which originated as a nappy rash has not been cure yet. Well, we shall perserve to fight this irritating sore which has tortured our baby for so many weeks. Will keep you all posted about our battle progress.

Never Underestimate Nappy Rash

My son caught nappy rash after the 1st week of his birth. Initially, it was just a red bum that was caused by nappy liner. We actually overlooked it and left the wet, washable diaper on and the result was a big, fierce looking like pimple with pus.

My father immediately asked me to send Issac for a check up in the 2nd week. The doctor was not pleased as it was a terrible infection and we had to wash his bum with an antiseptic wash and apply with an anti-fungi cream. Also, we had to send Issac for his check up regularly.

Every weekly check up is a painful experience as the doctor will use a thick-looking needle to poke the boil so that the pus can be released and Issac will cry madly in pain. It is really painful to watch Issac crying in mad and yet we are not able to alleviate his pain.

Now we are monitoring his bum till now. The regular changing of wet diaper and cleaning up have become a routine for us. Never underestimate the power of nappy rash!

Losing Weight during the First 3 Weeks of Confinement

From a petite built of 48 kg, my weight shot up to 65 kg during my pregnancy. After delivering my son, my weight was reduced to 60 kg. The 5 kg comprised of my son’s weight of 2.5kg upon delivery and the amniotic fluid, placenta and blood totaled to another 2.5kg.

During my 2nd week of confinement, I have a Malay lady who massaged and wrapped me for a week. Yesterday, I went for my medical check up yesterday and I got another 3 kg off my scale. I guess the massage certainly made wonders. My massage lady was quite pleased with my progress as my womb was still in tact and I did not suffer from much blood clog. She shared with me that I should be able to go back to my figure shortly. Sounds good.

In total, I have lost 8 kg for 2.5 weeks but I’m still lagging behind my pre-pregnancy weight of 48kg. My gynae assured me that I will gain back my figure after 3 months. But she advised me to maintain a weight of 50kg instead as I can afford to be slightly heavier for my height.

Though I only left 9kg more to lose, I’m starting to get impatient as I want to be able to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes by my son’s 1st month. Guess this goal cannot be achieved at such short deadline. Gosh, the flabby abs and muscle did look disgusting to me.

Well, I already planned a series of activities to whip me into shape before I start work in November. For my diet, I cannot really alter much as I am still breastfeeding. I can only ensure my snacks are non-fattening and yet healthy and fulfilling. By the way, I have never been slim throughout my life. I have to work hard to keep fit and lean since my 20s. I strongly adhere to the belief of “No pain, no gain”.

Do keep a look out for my next post on the type of activities which I have decided to make me lose inches.

Diet During First 3 weeks of confinement

From the point that I can discharge from the hospital on 26 July, my diet has been particularly strict. Furthermore, I am breastfeeding. Hence, there are a lot of don’ts for food. Let me share with you my list of food taboo.

No processed meat - Contain high nitrate content which is no good for baby's development
No chicken (for the first 14 days) - To speed up healing of stitches
Minimal ginger - To minimize the occurrence of jaundice
No alcohol - self-explanatory
No fruits (except apples and pears) - Cause wind in the stomach
Avoid cooling type of vegetables e.g. chinese cabbage, bean sprouts - Cause wind in the stomach
Avoid coffee - Caffeine
Avoid peanut butter - Fear of allergy
No seafood(except certain type of fish) - To speed up healing of stitches, fear of allegy

This list may not be comprehensive and varied from individuals.

So far, I have been consuming the following as part of my confinement diet
Meat: Lean pork, eggs, pig liver, pig kidney
Seafood: Certain type of fish e.g. pomfret, cord fish, seaweed, fungus
Vegetables: Spinach, long beans, broccoli, cauliflower, figs, tomatoes, oats
Fruits: Apples and pears
Dairy products: Milk, cheese

It is certainly restrictive as I usually adopt a high-protein and high-fibre kind of diet. Since my list of food taboo is long, eating has become a meaningless activity for me. Currently, I am just fueling to ensure my baby get the most nutrients from my breast milk.

Let me share with you what my daily diet is made up of.
Weekdays:
Breakfast: 2 slices of wholemeal bread + nutella spread/omelette
1 glass of milk
Snack: 3 pcs of wholemeal crackers + 1 slice of Kraft cheese
1 glass of milo
Lunch: Chinese dishes with rice that are prepared by my mother
Usually comprise of white rice, soup, vegetable and fish
Snack: 1 bowl of oatmeal
Dinner: Chinese dishes with rice that are prepared by my mother
Usually comprise of white rice, soup, vegetable and fish

Weekends
Breakfast: an apple + outside food which my mother will buy from the market
Snack: 3 pcs of wholemeal crackers + 1 slice of Kraft cheese
1 glass of milo
Lunch: Chinese dishes with rice that are prepared by my mother
Usually comprise of white rice, soup, vegetable and fish
Snack: 1 bowl of oatmeal
Dinner: Chinese dishes with rice that are prepared by my mother
Usually comprise of white rice, soup, vegetable and fish


If you ask me if I have any cravings, yes I do! The first time which I would like is coffee. I have been living without a cuppa for almost a year (since my pregnancy started). I would love to have sashmi too! But well, guess this can wait till I stop breast feeding. For now, I will just eat to live and feed. sigh~

Arrival of Baby Issac Chan

On 24th July, a Friday, it was preparation for work as usual. After my bath, I settled down to my usual breakfast of wholemeal bread with nutella spread and milk at 7.30am. However, I was surprised to find tiny bits of red discharge about 1 cm each. I was rather paranoid and went around the whole house, informing everyone of my experience from the restroom. My mother advised me to check again and cautioned me that my baby may be due perhaps. I did my 2nd and 3rd round of checks and decided to visit my gynae instead of setting off for work.

I quickly messaged my boss and cancelled my evening appointment with my ex-colleague. I went to wake my husband who was having a slight fever that day. He stared at me in disbelief when I told him that baby may be due that day. He was stilling in daze and not waking up. I called up the clinic and informed the nurses that I would be going down for a check up due to my red discharge. My mum forced me to gulp down a bottle of Brand Essence of Chicken just in case.

By the time we hailed a cab, it was 8.00am. There was a terrible morning jam traveling on the PIE. We reached the Gleneagles Medical Center at 9.15am. Fortunately, there was no queue in the clinic. My gynae, Dr Tanny Chan, examined me and informed me that I had dilated 1 cm and could be admitted into the delivery ward right away. My husband and I stared at each other in bewilderment. I never thought I was going to deliver on 24th July. We expected baby to come around National Day week. My gynae reaffirmed me that my dilation has grown to 1.5cm at 9.35cm but baby was not engaged yet so natural delivery was not confirmed. I grew worried upon hearing this news.

When I reached the delivery ward with my husband and mother, my gynae informed me that my dilation has become 2 cm. I was rather amazed at the speed of my dilation though I could not feel the contraction. I was put on a water drip to speed up my dilation and contraction. My gynae helped me burst my water bag.

Initially, the contraction was quite mild and I could sing my way through. I was singing non-stop to distract myself from the pain while my husband was zzz. Actually, I was feeling more hungary than pain so I requested for milo from the nurse at 10.30am. Then I requested for food from my gynae who unwillingly gave me a piece of toast and a cup of water at 11.30am. My baby’s heartbeat was normal till then. I rejected any form of drugs and laughing gas to relieve the pain. I was still feeling quite relaxed and smiling at my gynae and nurses. I could still take a lot of deep breathe and sing my way through the pain.

When my gynae came in at 1.30pm, my dilation has grown to 4cm. She informed me that they would increase the dosage of the water dip to speed up the dilation. Initially, I just discard the implication of this piece of information. I did not realize my contraction will be speed up tremendously as a result of increasing the water dip intensity. My contraction became so frequent that I could hardly take a few min of breather. I also feel like passing out my bowels and surrendered to the pain at 2.30pm. I just wanted epidural as the laughing gas did not work anymore for me. My husband called for the nurses to convey this instruction to them immediately. At 3.00pm, my gynae came to examine me before giving me epidural.

This time, Dr Chan informed me that it was too late for the drugs as I had dilated 8 cm and the baby was about to come out. It was really a shocking moment as my dilation has increased from 4 cm to 8 cm within half an hour. The next time I could recall was pushing for 4 rounds and the baby was out by 3.38pm.

I only heaved a sigh of relief the moment I heard baby cried. I have no clue when my placenta was delivered as my attention was focused on my newborn who was being cleaned up by the nurses. I also could not recall the extent to which I was being stitched. My attention was completely focused on my baby who was placed in my lap for nursing shortly after. My hubby and I were eagerly examining the little baby who was lerched on my left breast. We were happily fondling the little fingers, feet and toes of our son. Our baby, our son, Issac, has finally arrived! Though we have no camera to capture this magical moment, deep in our hearts we will forever remember the birth of our son.

We love you, Issac. Welcome to our life!