Post Delivery & Breastfeeding Update

It has been more than 2 weeks since I have given birth to Calysta. She's doing great! And so I am! Although it's really tiring to take care a newborn day and night but looking at her face, I just can't stop falling in love again and again.. Smelling her hair is my favorite thing to do now

As much as a new baby brought joy & happiness to our family, of course there are some challenges too, one of them is breastfeeding.. It's seriously a big business! Calysta has been on total breastfeeding/direct latching with no bottles or formula. She's literally on my boobs 24/7 & there's no fixed timing yet when she's gonna eat. She eats whenever she wants!
She's fed every 1.5-3 hours and there is certain timing she wants to be fed all the time.. Other mothers call it cluster feeding. It's like feeding her for 2-3 hours non stop for a few minutes and during feeding, she sleeps for 15 minutes or less then she wakes up again and latches on again for a few minutes and the cycle goes on and on for many hours.. She has a few times of cluster feeding in a day, sometimes day & night and I'm seriously really tired! I haven't slept for 3 hours straight yet!

Other mums may think breastfeeding with direct latching is so easy because there's no need to wash bottles, no need to pump & sterilize and more bonding time with the baby but everything comes with a price too!
The problem I'm having with direct latching apart from having sore nipples is engorgement and there's a need to pump to relieve some level of engorgement. Calysta is taking one breast at a time and she can't finish the other breast and this is why I still have to pump at least once or twice a day when I feel really full. The other problem is Calysta seems unable to handle fast flow milk from my breasts, therefore it leads to frustration, crying and pulling off from the breasts. Yes it takes efforts to latch her on again! Even I can latch her on again, there will be so much milk leaking from her mouth that literally wetting all my shirt and her shirt.. It's really stressful sometimes! Of course there is certain timing, she can control the milk flow well! She can control my fast milk flow and thus less fussiness during midnight feeding. To me, midnight feeding is the best and more relaxing although I feel tired & sleepy. The milk leaking makes me wonder if she's getting enough milk or not but looking at her diaper outputs, I think she's doing just fine! Just that mommy is too afraid she's getting not enough!

Calysta at 2 weeks old plus only nurses for averagely 5-10 minutes and most of the time, she feels contented! At first, it worried me if she's getting enough but as long as she's producing more than 10 wet diapers and 3-4 soiled diapers, I think she's doing fine! Perhaps my fast milk flow makes her an efficient nurser :)

Seriously breastfeeding direct latching is not easy at all, it can be really stressful especially when your newborn is fussy or crying during feeding! And when I don't know what to do facing certain situation, luckily I have lactation consultant support to advise & encourage me to carry on. (So far I have engaged lactation consultant twice and she came for home visit once), lactation consultant really helped! I would say it's much more challenging than exclusive pumping. I hope things will get better after the 1st month. Many times, I feel like giving up, just pump combined with formula and feed the baby! That's it, easy! But deep inside, I don't want to give up yet! I have faith in breastfeeding & I know it's going to get better & better as time passes by! All I need is encouragement :) luckily my husband has been very supportive :)

Breastfeeding really helped me to slim down my belly fast & I'm glad to say that my belly is back to pre-pregnancy belly and it's even flatter than before I got pregnant with Calysta.. Weight loss wise, I have lost 10 kg and I have about 7-8 kg more of baby weight to lose :) I believe I'm reaching that target fast due to breastfeeding :)

I'm lucky that I don't experience postnatal depression (touchwood I won't!) with this baby.. I'm pretty much calm & relaxed emotionally. Of course there was once I shed tears because of breastfeeding frustration but luckily lactation consultant came in time to help me! :) silly me I know!

I'm still doing my confinement and I have a confinement lady who helps in cooking & washing baby's clothes.. So far I'm ok with Chinese confinement, I can bear with whatever foods they want me to eat but one thing they can't restrict me, it's my hygiene! (meaning there's no way I don't take a bath or wash hair for 30 days, it's simply madness!) I shower twice a day and wash my hair whenever I like to!

I will update more again next time, hopefully after Calysta's full moon :)

2 week + post delivery belly ~ breastfeeding works like magic!

I manage to keep 120 ml of breast milk in my deep freezer every day. It's time to build the stash slowly, one pack by one pack!

Why are you so tiny, Calysta?

Baby Calysta is here! Labor & Birth Story!

She's finally here! This post is written a little late as I'm still adjusting to my new role as a second time mom and also my breastfeeding routine with my newborn. Total breastfeeding is really tiring, will write a post on it later on when I have more time because she's literally on my boobs 24/7 and I can't do other things anymore, let alone spending one on one time with EJ but I hope I can adjust to my new routine soon and things will get better as time passes by :)

Back to my labor story, I have given birth to baby Calysta on 11th December 2014, evening time at exactly 40 weeks, yes her due date 11/12/14 ~ she came in time!

It was a natural birth with epidural but no induction at all. I thought I would be getting induction as I was reaching 40 weeks with no signs of labor but she gave me a big surprise on her due date!

A few days before I had her, I had mild period cramps that came to me irregularly and also pressure pains like needles poking sensation in my v area & also anal area.. Night time the needles poking sensation was stronger but there were no other signs, so I ignored it.. Baby was moving well, so I was happy!

Friday, 12th dec, I was supposed to come for my last appointment (past due date appointment) to plan for induction as this baby was kind of overcooked inside my womb but things happened differently!

One day before my planned induction, exactly I was 40 weeks & I was due that day, 11th December, I woke up with brown spotting.. It was the show, the same show I had when I was about to give birth to EJ

I ignored the spotting for a while and 1 hour later, the brown spotting becoming light period blood and so I knew it, it's baby time!! Big relief! Finally it happened after a long wait!

My husband & I went to Thomson Medical Centre at 11.30am & I got my self checked.. Small contractions detected but I wasn't dilated yet.. So I figured out I would be getting another induction (EJ was born naturally via induction) and I waited for my gynae to come to make his decision

Gynae came and decided to stretch my cervix to get me dilated, it's also another term for membrane sweep. He told me it can be very uncomfortable, so he asked me to take a deep breath & relax my muscle while he did the procedure.. I never knew it was so damn painful! He inserted his whole fist and an equipment (not sure what was that) inside me and I screamed like a mad woman in the observation room.. I guess other women in labor from other rooms must be terrified to hear such a loud scream from one mad lady hahaaa.. Seriously I never felt such a painful process in my life before.. I felt like my organ was being separated inside out and I just couldn't describe the pain level.. I kept on screaming and screaming until gynae finished the procedure.. My tears just streamed down, it was so embarrassing to cry like that in front of a nurse and a doctor.. And my husband wasn't around when Gynae  did that.. He was having his lunch!

"Sorry for that.." Gynae patted me to calm me down (seriously, so embarrassing!) painful procedure to stretch cervix was finally done!

At 12pm plus, I was dilated to 3cm.. Labor started and so were contractions getting stronger & more painful

Nurse inserted something to help me to clear my bowel movement and within 10 minutes, I rushed to the toilet, did my business & suddenly a big gush of blood came out and flooded the whole hospital floor.. It was a big mess and super scary, just like a horror movie! Blood all over my thighs. I wasn't sure why I bled like that but in every child birth, bleeding is always my kind of thing!

1pm plus, contractions were painful but bearable, I told nurse I didn't need epidural yet

2pm plus, cervix checked again & dilated to 3.5cm.. Contractions were painful & I screamed a little and requested for epidural. My initial plan was not to use epidural, instead to try on laughing gas first, the reason was epidural gave me a chronic backache when I had EJ, so I hesitated this option. However, the cervix check traumatized me so much and so the contractions, it was already painful at 3.5 cm dilation and I couldn't imagine how painful would it be at 9 cm, so I chose epidural again!

3pm plus, epidural injected and this time, epidural experience was so pleasant.. The dose admitted on me wasn't high but it relieved my pain to a total zero, I could still feel my legs and move it!

I got really scared around this time because Calysta's heartbeat showed not a good sign, she was distressed, her heartbeat dropped from 150 to 70 then jumped up high again. I was really scared if something might have happened to her, so my gynae requested nurse to put oxygen on me and monitor for a little while and if things didn't improve immediately, he needed to perform emergency C-Section on me and it really scared me a lot but luckily after being put on oxygen for a while, Calysta's heartbeat was back to normal! Relief!
4.30pm, cervix was checked again and hooray, dilated to 5cm.. I asked my gynae how come my water bag hasn't broken or anything.. He told my water level was low and already broken without me knowing it.. It was perhaps a small gush I didn't even notice

After that, I was being transferred to a birthing room and waited there with my husband, no more cervix check until...

6pm plus, epidural was still good, I could still pretty much feel my legs and move both legs and I told my husband I felt something coming out, a pressure in my v and anal area.. I could feel baby's coming.. I called nurse to come immediately.. My cervix was checked and I was dilated to 9cm.. That was fast!

4.5 hours of labor only! Real fast!

Nurse told me not to push, but to wait for my gynae to come.. Pressure was getting stronger but there was still no pain due to the epidural admitted earlier

6.30pm, Gynae came and asked me to push, I pushed twice but gynae told me every time I pushed, baby's head was hitting my cervix wall, so he recommended assisted delivery via vacuum.. He inserted the vacuum and asked me to push.. I pushed hard twice and I felt a big painless pressure coming out from my belly.. The feeling was kind of funny, it felt like one of my internal organs was being pushed out literally

6.40pm Calysta Avalyn Lim was born! 49 cm & 3.2 kg. A healthy baby girl! I heard her loud cry and the feeling having her placed on my chest was just simply amazing.. It was like all kind of mixed feelings.. Relief, happy, contented and confused (I still can't believe how fast she was delivered)

After that placenta was being delivered naturally and at 7pm plus, I started nursing her for the first time.. She nursed like a pro!

Everything was well after that except I was having super painful sensation and pressure, like needles poking all over my v and anal area and I requested painkiller that night.

At about 4am next morning, I was shivering and down with fever.. Fever lasted until the next day which was so unpleasant.. I seriously hated the effect of epidural but luckily I was getting better the day I was discharged from the hospital

Calysta has been on total breastfeeding, direct latching since day 1 and she's fed on demand, no pumping at the moment.. She's really natural when it comes to nursing but of course breastfeeding isn't easy and it can be really tiring.. Anyway talk about it in my later post

Monitoring for contractions

At birthing room

Holding her for the first time, the feeling was just simply amazing!

 

I'm officially a mother of 2 now! 2 under 2!! Can't believe that!

Thank you everyone for your well wishes :) we are recovering very well!

P/S: Baby Calysta is 1 week old tomorrow ^^


~Netty~

40 weeks pregnant tomorrow!

I'm just a day from my due date 11/12 tomorrow and I'm still pregnant! I can't believe I can stay pregnant for this long seriously!!

I thought I should have given birth in early December at 38 or 39 weeks plus since this is my second pregnancy & I have been carrying this baby girl very low since the 28th week, plus my risk of having premature labor, so passing through the 40th week mark is just unbelievable!

No labor signs so far except mild period cramps on and off, very irregular and not every day!

Moving towards the 40th week mark is seriously crazy and I think I have over analyzed everything. A little cramp, I would be like "labor? today? tonight?" I seriously can wait & do not want to rush her arrival but my concern is if she doesn't come by this Friday (1 day past my due date), doctor is inducing me! Induction lengthens labor process & when things don't go smoothly, I would end up in c-sec which honestly terrifies me!

I know how painful it is the recovery from c-sec, the wound would take long to heal! For the first one week, moving around and bending down is hell! And when the wound does get better, here comes itchiness and the temptation to scratch. I have never delivered via c-sec before (my first child was born naturally), but I had operation before to remove my ovarian cysts a few years back! So yeah I know how uncomfortable the recovery from c-sec! And I pray hard I will just deliver normally ~ even I have to deliver via induction.

Another concern is she was already 3.4 kg at 39 weeks and I wonder how heavy is she now at 40 weeks. Delivering a big baby carries risk of having c-sec as well. And finally my last concern is I heard over-baked baby (although rare) tends to poop in mommy's womb and that can result in having dangerous lung infection **touchwood** pray hard, both of us will be safe! *pray*

So Baby Cal, get ready for your eviction date! hahahaa... Mommy knows how comfortable you are inside my womb, but you are getting evicted soon for staying the way too long! Plus the whole family has been waiting for your arrival! So, please corporate, ok?

And now, I'm just trying to relax as much as possible and thinking every 'extra' day is a blessing in disguise, a blessing for me to rest & sleep more before the baby comes! And also a blessing for me to spend more fun time with my son :)

Sweet moments with my 19 month old son ~ these pictures were not purposely taken, he just had the moments when he wanted to be around my belly, touching his sister and playing with her :) And these pictures turned out to be beautiful just like the real maternity photos :)

 Baby bump compilation ~ my bump was always small until I hit 31 weeks ~ I just popped!

Brought my son to see Christmas lights & he enjoyed it so much!

Our family photo of 3 before becoming "4"

I'm so looking forward to see Calysta in person, wonder if she will look like me or my husband. Wonder if she will have my eyes or her daddy's, wonder if she will have wavy hair like her brother, EJ or straight like my husband. Will she have full hair or born half bald like her brother?

We will most likely to see her end of this week, wish me a smooth normal delivery!

Brother's love to his unborn sister

My super precious pregnant moment with my son & my unborn (due anytime) daughter! I feel like this kind of moment is so beautiful that I just wish to freeze the time :D And soon there won't be such moment anymore (I will be no longer pregnant very soon!)

This post is also one of my most emo posts! Sorry for being too emo here!

My 19 month old baby boy has been so sweet today. He has been showing so much love to his unborn sister. He just can't keep his hands off my belly :) He keeps lifting my shirt up, rubbing my 39 week pregnant belly, laying his head on my belly, interacting, playing & communicating (using his baby language) with his soon-to-be-born sister, Calysta. He also smiles at my belly (not sure what he sees inside!)

The myth said baby can see their unborn sibling and can interact with the sibling where our normal adult eyes can't see anything except movements/kicks. But baby can! Baby can see what's going on inside his pregnant mommy's belly ~ it's like brother-sister spiritual connection that no one can ever see! And I believe that myth now!

He has been lifting up my shirt & rubbing my belly for so many times today ~ in fact it's like all the time! And he's so happy doing that! I'm guessing, they are playing together happily! And only they know what's going on! It's like little secret these 2 babies share! :)

Besides, EJ keeps guiding my hands to lift up my shirt & directing my hands to rub my belly which is so strange to me, nevertheless too sweet! He has also been asking me to open for him Mothercare catalogue page by page over and over again and he seems to be fascinated by that maternity catalogue showcasing pregnant mommies and newborn babies.. It's like he understands what's going on with his mommy and from that moment, he keeps wanting to rub my belly & to interact with the baby inside my belly. Strange but sweet, isn't? One of the strangest things he has ever done!

EJ is truly one sweet little boy despite his naughtiness, bad temper and picky eating habit. I just feel I'm so blessed and lucky to have him in my life. He brings so much joys and happiness to me and my husband and I'm sure he's going to be one caring & loving brother to his sister. Calysta will be so lucky to have EJ as her brother. They are perfect match ~ even before Calysta is born!

I'm so grateful for everything ~ my life and my kids! Last year, in 2013, late April, I gave birth to EJ and he has been my greatest blessing in life and this year, 2014, early December, another blessing will be entering my life & enriching my motherhood journey ~ I just can't ask or more!

I fell pregnant when EJ was 10 months old and I have been stressing on how challenging life would be to take care 2 under 2 under one roof and how to take care a newborn when taking care EJ itself is still pretty much like taking care a baby (he can't sleep through the night yet & requests for milk twice a night!) I can't imagine how on earth am I supposed to pump milk, feed a newborn and a toddler at the same time and change their diapers in the middle of the night and how am I supposed to soothe 2 babies to sleep? (EJ needs to be carried to sleep)

But today, I see the new light of motherhood, EJ opens my eyes by showing so much love to his sister. I realize that motherhood is not just about thinking the challenges ahead and how to tackle it but rather to enjoy the current moment and savoring the sweet life of being a mother and not to think too much about the future and challenges. It's rather to appreciate every single sweet moment I have with my kids and that matters more than anything else!

And I'm one lucky mommy to experience this beautiful moment in my last pregnancy (most likely) of my son caring & loving his sister before she's even born

Pictures say a thousand words!

 

EJ "I just can't keep my hands off my sister, mommy!"

EJ "There is no way I can let her go & I promise to protect her with all my strengths, heart & soul when she's born. There shall be no men will ever harm her..."

EJ "Hello Calysta! I'm your big brother who will protect you all the time, just come to this world whenever you are ready, don't be afraid!" p/s: look at the last pic at the bottom right, Calysta is reacting to EJ's love by kicking the right side of my belly. Look how her leg is poking out of my right belly :D !

 My sunshine and he will always be my sunshine, mommy loves you EJ!

Video of EJ showing his love to his unborn sister, Calysta!

Week 39 pregnancy update & I'm ready!!!

39 weeks pregnant! I'm done baking! Finally, I made it to 39 weeks!

This second pregnancy has been a smooth sailing pregnancy with manageable morning sickness, no itchiness on my skin (only once or twice and that was not even serious, just a little scratch here and there and I was fine in the next day), no soreness or achiness in my joints, knees, wrists, back, etc (even if I had, it was occasionally). I can pretty much do anything I want from carrying my toddler to walking far for long. I can also sleep very well, 7-8 hours at night and nap for 1-2 hours in the afternoon. I can eat well, no weird craving or whatever. My appetite is good too. I experienced heartburn but it was occasionally too. No complaints at all for this pregnancy! I feel comfortable and great!

Other than low amniotic fluid scare at 24 weeks and premature labor risk scare at 28 weeks (that put me under bed rest for weeks), it has been so smooth that I can't ask for more, I just feel super grateful!

This also could be my last pregnancy post because I'm popping out this baby anytime  now and today I went to my 39th week prenatal appointment. I gained 1 kg in 2 weeks time and total weight gain for my 2nd pregnancy is 17 kg which is not that bad because I gained crazy 25 kg during my 1st pregnancy. Surprisingly, I have always thought Baby Cal was a small baby (she was always measured 2 weeks behind) but today she surprised me! At 39 weeks, she's already 3.4 kg. She gained 700 grams in 2 weeks time. She was 2.7 kg at 37 weeks! She's measuring exactly 39 weeks and she's pretty tall too, measuring 34.9 cm from head to bottom, so I guess it's about 50 cm + from head to toes. Pretty much the same size as EJ when I gave birth to him at 39 weeks plus :)

Water level is good too! And I got my admission letter today!

I mentioned to my doctor that for the past 2 days, I have been having this feeling like I'm about to have bowel movement all the time & also the feeling of period is about to come, mild period cramps on and off. However, no contractions so far! He said it's normal to have bowel movement feeling because baby's head pressing down there, he has no concern at all! He just asked me to wait for my natural labor or if I haven't popped by 12th December (overdue), then he will need to induce me! He also asked if I would prefer to get induced now if I can't wait? I said no, thank you! I prefer the natural labor when there's no medical reason to be induced, why would I?

My first child was induced due to bleeding at 39 weeks and it took me 12 hours to have him, so I hope this time round, I will have easy, fast and smooth natural labor! :)

Actually if you ask me if I feel nervous? I would say yes, a little nervous for labor and delivery but I'm pretty much relaxed about it and I don't think too much! Labor is temporary but I'm nervous about having a baby, taking care a newborn and breastfeeding because I know how challenging it can be! Raising a child well is a long term commitment! Labor is nothing!

Having said that, I'm so looking forward to meet her, always wonder how she looks like in person :)

On the way back home, I was just thinking how am I going to miss this pregnancy, miss my round belly, miss her kicks and movements. I'm going to miss having a baby bump once I'm no longer pregnant! I always think baby bump is beautiful and so is pregnancy itself! And I have been thinking if I should have #3, my last baby after this, I quickly shut off this feeling! And I'm back to reality! As much as I enjoy baby bump and pregnancy, but raising another human being isn't easy! It takes a whole village to raise 1 or 2 kids and 3 kids? I just don't dare to think about it! I believe in quality life & I want to give the best for my kids, if I can't guarantee that quality life, why would I want to have #3? Number 3 deserves the same as #1 and #2 too! So far I'm happy with 2 kids, 1 boy and 1 girl! Number 3? Will think think and think about it! :)

As this could be my last pregnancy and in few days time or maximum 1 week, I will be no longer pregnant, and I should enjoy my last a few days of pregnancy as much as possible. I will eat whatever I want and I will rub my belly as much as possible if I want too! :P I will just enjoy my last pregnant moments without rushing or worrying anything :)

Baby bump at 39 weeks :)

Wish me a smooth delivery! Labor? Come on, bring it on! I'm ready! :)

p/s: next update could be my labor & birth story, looking forward?

Week 38 Pregnancy Update, What motherhood taught me!

Hi all..

I'm currently 38.5 weeks pregnant. It's getting so so close now. How crazy isn't thinking I'm going to pop a baby anytime now :D 

As my due date is getting so close now, I have this weird feeling (not sure if other second time mums can relate)  it's like having a strong separation anxiety with my first born. I feel like every moment I spend with my son is extremely precious, much more precious than before and I feel like that precious time is getting shorter & shorter.. The connection with him is just getting stronger & I'm afraid of losing what I'm currently holding tight once the new baby is out and I'm afraid things between us will change. Never knew the transition from 1st time mum to 2nd time mum can be that difficult. Nevertheless, I hope the relationship with first child remains strong & will never ever change even though I'm having a new baby :)

At this stage, I'm doing pretty okay ~ no complaints so far except a little backache here and there and soreness in my V area (not sure why too!)

 

My super round belly ~ it's so wide! Left and right side of my belly are equally swollen! And I think my popped out belly button looks funny! :D

Highlights at 38 weeks:

1) Leaking Colostrum ~ I wake up every morning with yellowish dry skin on my nipples I suspect as colostrum and I'm right ~ the other day, I tried to press gently my right nipple and a tiny drop of super yellow liquid came out but funnily on my left nipple, there was only a drop of transparent liquid. I guess left boob is not ready to produce colostrum yet.

I can tell that milk production will kick in more quickly in the 2nd birth than the 1st one. I remember day 1 after I gave birth to EJ, I had to press my nipples really hard (until it really hurt) to see a tiny drop of colostrum. So I just hope breastfeeding will be easier & more natural this time round :)

I have also started applying nipple cream twice a day, kind of nourishing it before the real breastfeeding kicks in :) So I won't face dry, cracked, painful nipples during direct latching for the first time!

2) Coffee ~ I just have craving for a cup of coffee in the morning & yes I have it! I know that drinking caffeine during pregnancy is not good but I guess one cup in the morning won't be that harmful, right? I used to drink a cup of coffee in the morning before I got pregnant & coffee never failed to wake me up but during pregnancy, coffee has no effect on me at all. I still feel tired & sleepy!

Pregnancy craving does change! Last week I craved for chocolate & I had to eat a bar every day and this week's craving is coffee!!

3) Watching movie is no longer fun ~ Yesterday I watched hunger games part 2 with my husband thinking this is our last movie before the baby is here but turned out I didn't enjoy my movie at all. My back was so sore from sitting down for 2 hours without pillow support & worst part was I needed to go to loo every 30 minutes. So annoying!

4) Braxton Hick Contractions are getting stronger and more frequently ~ sometimes I think I'm in labor but nope, I'm not! The tightening can be really strong although not painful but it's really uncomfortable and it can come many times in one hour time, especially when I walk, bend down or stand up.

5) Nesting Part 3 is done ~ I'm done! That's it! Nesting is a serious business! My whole body is very sore now ~ everywhere especially my back. Seriously that's it! Baby Cal, just come whenever you're ready!

6) Baby Movements & Kicks ~ Everywhere! but her favorite spot is my right ribs! She loves the right side of my belly so much & most of her movements are on my right side! Occasionally, she's on my left but most of the time, right is her all the time favo!

7) Talking to her every night ~ Yes, I do talk to her every night before I go to bed. What do I talk?

"Cal Cal (Calysta's nickname), when you're born, please be a good girl, latch on and breastfeed well. Give your mommy plenty of rest & sleep, so she can take a good care of you & produce you plenty of milk. Please don't be cranky at night, do sleep through the night, be an easy going baby and most importantly, be healthy and happy all the time!

I talk the same to her every single night! And that's my wish for her!

I made my own reflections! As a second time mum & as a mum who has been through motherhood for the past 19 months, motherhood has taught me many things I didn't know before nor I didn't expect it to be.. And I really think it's good to sit down, reflect, write down and perhaps make changes about it? I'm someone who prefers to pour the content of my heart through writing and here are my 10 reflections as a mum who has been going through motherhood for the past 1.5 years and here are things motherhood taught me:

1) A mum can be very protective

Even simple things like "Do the germs get into my child and make him sick if he touches dirty shoes?", "Why didn't you wipe his hand with anti bacterial wipes?", "Oh no, that stranger auntie is touching him again, will he get germs or something?" Sounds familiar? A little simple thing can make a mum paranoid and extra protective!

2) A mum needs to be & stays strong

She has too! Who else can wake up every one hour to check her child's temperature when he's having fever? Who else can monitor her child so timely to make sure his medications are taken on time? Who else can rush to the hospital back and forth and do everything it takes to ensure the child is happy & healthy? Who else can be that strong to watch a sick child vomiting his medication, crying his lungs out, yet never give up, but to stay strong and repeating the process over and over again?

3) A mum is a decision maker

A strong decision maker on her children! Not dad nor other family members! Mum decides what's the best for her child and mum's natural instinct is really that strong & accurate and so her decision is mostly the best for her child's well being. Most of the time, she will be very careful, do lots of researches before making that decision!

4) A mum is from Venus & a dad is from Mars

A mum loves to rant and share about her day being a mother to her man without wanting a solution sometimes but man tends to take woman's sharing as complaints and he wants to find parenting solutions for his woman, but at the end, finding solutions for his woman can interrupt his concentration at work, thus affecting his work performance. And eventually, it affects the relationship between man and his woman. I came far to learn about this, ranting to your man is not a solution but it's the root of every family problem. Parenting is not only about the relationship between you and your child but it's also about you and your husband.

5) A mum sacrifices everything

Her sleep, her beauty, her career, her youth, her health, her time, her hobbies, things she wants. And her children are always her top priority. A mum sacrifices with no regret at all!

6) A mum needs to learn to block unnecessary comments

Comments about how you raise your child is getting more hurtful when you are a mother yourself.

Does this sound familiar?

"Your milk supply is low, just top up with formula milk!"
"Your milk is too watery, no wonder baby doesn't like it!"
"Don't you worry about your child?"
"Don't you care about your child?"
"Why did you feed him that?"
"Don't take this, it's not good for your child!"
"Your child should...." "Your child shouldn't.."

Seriously, when those unnecessary comments come from your family members, it sucks 100 times more than comments you receive from strangers if you know what I mean? And it's quite a trick to ignore & block those unnecessary comments without getting upset or angry! Motherhood does teach a woman to grow up and to be more mature in handling problems like this!

7) The world doesn't always revolve around us and our children

Sometimes, it's not all about us and our children, selfishly we want the best for our children without thinking about others or our actions towards others but we are not the center of this world, we are PART of this world! Many things we just can't change! Our entire lives don't just revolve around our children, there must be a balance of everything I believe!

8) Children are forgiving

This is what I learned from my 19 month old son.  I was angry with him, so I scolded him and I screamed! 10 minutes later, he acted like nothing happened ~ he gave me his biggest smile and hugged me! Can we learn from our children to be that forgiving?

9) And so, mum feels guilty but moves on fast!

Because children are so forgiving and thus we feel guilty screaming at them, isn't? A mum's voice can be loud & fierce but her heart will remain soft for her children.

10) And this shall pass too!

Everything will pass too! I have been through the period when my child:

"Went on food strike"
"Had sleeping terrors ~ waking up & crying non stop"
"Had fever more than 39.8 degree"
"Had bacterial infections"
"Was sick for 2 weeks and I had to force feed him medications with so much heart breaks"
"Refused to nurse"
"Was crying & couldn't sleep because he had bad flu & cough"
"Wasn't well yet I received unnecessary comments that added more pressure than I already had" 

But every single thing I mentioned above passed too! And every single thing will be back to normal! Amazingly, despite things I went through, I'm still enjoying being a mum!

Motherhood is simply awesome!

~38.5 weeks and counting, so see you soon labor ward!~

Week 37 Her Face + My favorite baby online shops

37 weeks pregnant! Officially Full Term!!

Yesterday I went to my prenatal check-up at TMC and I'd say it was the best visit ever! No queue (not many people in the clinic) and the best thing was Calysta finally showed her face to me, she had been quite shy to show her face, been hiding her face against the wall of my uterus (is it a right term "uterus wall"?) and I thought she wouldn't show me at all and I would have to wait until she's born! But yesterday she gave me a big surprise, the first time ever Calysta showed her face to me, although ultrasound scan was not that clear but I roughly knew how she would look like when she's born. I have been imagining her face for the longest period ever!

She looks like EJ when he was a newborn, she has her daddy's nose!

At 37 weeks, Calysta is pretty tiny, she's only measuring 35 weeks, which is 2 weeks behind but doctor has no concern at all as she's gaining weight and she's doing fine as well (Heartbeat & water level are both good!) From week 34 to week 37, she only gained 300 grams. She's currently 2.7 kg and 31 cm (from top to bottom), not sure her exact length from head to toes! Compared to EJ, she was much lighter, EJ was almost 3.1 kg at 37 weeks. I'm sure baby boy is bigger than baby girl!

Doctor said it's anytime now and I did ask him if he needed to write me an admission letter and surprisingly he said "no need"!, advised me just come to L&D when I have contractions or any pains!

From week 34 to week 37, I gained 1 kg only which I was very surprised!. I used to gain 3-4 kg every month in my third trimester (funnily, I only gained 1-1.5 kg every month in my second trimester) but for the past three weeks, I gained just 1 kg (Calysta gained 300 grams, so mine would actually be 700 grams weight gain) I really think it's due to high stress level I experienced for the past three weeks, EJ was sick for a couple of weeks and during that time, I didn't have enough sleep, too stressed out& didn't have appetite to eat! But I'm grateful though, that it's only 1 kg of weight gain, hahahaaa...

This 2nd pregnancy has been a smooth sailing pregnancy and I couldn't ask for more. I have been so grateful! I can eat, sleep & walk well! Physically I feel good too, no soreness or itchiness or whatever!

However, the funny thing is how different emotional feeling can be between 1st & 2nd pregnancy. 1st pregnancy, I couldn't wait him to come out and every day was so slow but 2nd pregnancy, time flies so fast and I CAN wait her to come out (although sometimes, I'm too curious how she looks like and can't wait to see her face!) because I need more time & it will never be enough to spend my precious time with my son before she's here...

Ready or not, she's coming soon! Too soon!

Me & Baby Girl, not sure she will look like me or not!

 

Closer look, she's placing her hand in front of her chin!

Baby bump at 37 weeks!

And btw, just want to share my top 5 favorite baby online shops in Singapore and I hope this can help fellow mommies (especially first time mums) I have been buying baby stuff online since EJ was a newborn because it's so convenient.

TWO advises, please choose the reliable shop that offers FREE home delivery in the next day (for certain amount of purchases) and please pay by PayPal for fast transaction!

I have been buying regularly from these shops (for both babies, EJ & Calysta) and they are:

1) BabyOnline ~ http://www.babyonline.com.sg/

Good service, free home delivery for certain amount of purchases, fast delivery. I bought sleeping bags (quite many of it), Thermos Food Jar and some stuff I can't remember.

2) Pupsik Studio ~ http://www.pupsikstudio.com/

Good service, fast delivery, free home delivery for certain amount of purchases. I bought baby slings & baby carriers (very good offer!), baby toys, nasal aspirator, Aden Anais Muslin Swaddle, baby swaddle, Aveeno Baby Eczema Cream (very good!), Baby crib mobile and a few more! They offer good deals and varieties too!

3) Agape Babies ~ http://www.agapebabies.com/

Good service, fast delivery, free home delivery for certain amount of purchases. The best purchase I've ever made is California Baby. I only use organic baby shower gel & shampoo and I find that this website offers so so much cheaper organic baby bath range comparing to retail shops like Watsons, etc.. I have been stocking California baby bath range from them. I also bought card milestones and fever patch from this website too! Good deals and varieties too!

4) The Groovy Giraffe ~ http://www.thegroovygiraffe.com/

This one is an online book store, my son loves books and I have been buying so many baby books from this website. I prefer to buy baby books in bulk, more convenient and I don't have to worry heavy loads as they offer free home delivery for certain amount of purchases. Good service but delivery will take a few days time which I don't mind (books are not that urgent!)

5) BingBling ~ http://www.bingbling.com.sg/

This one is mostly selling products related to breastfeeding. Reliable, cheap, original & good service! But it doesn't offer free home delivery unfortunately but I'm still happy with this website, even though I have to top up for courier, but the price + courier is still much cheaper than retail shops like Mothercare or Mums & Babes. I love Medela products and this shop offers a wide range of Medela products in a much cheaper price!

Others:

1) Q0010 Singapore ~ http://www.qoo10.sg/

I can find anything everything cheap in this website! But the thing is I need to find a reliable seller and read reviews from other buyers before buying. Please use Paypal for easy transaction! I tried bank transfer before but I faced some horrible problems, order cancelled, wrote a complaint letter, checked here and there, re-ordered and finally got back my stuff after so many weeks of waiting. So for this website I will only use PayPal!

I bought quite many cheap baby stuff from this website from clothes, socks to breastfeeding positioner. My best purchase would be Zojirushi Food Jar (this one can keep baby food warm for more than 7 hours and it's the best!). Selling at $40 from this website (authentic one) where retail costs around $70-$80. Many of the baby stuff in this website cost half retail price! Good offer but delivery will take a little longer and most importantly, must read reviews before buying!

I hope this helps new mommies in buying baby products online!

BABY CALYSTA IS COMING SOON! Oh gosh, can't believe it, I'm going to be a mother of two soon!

~Netty~

Preggers Maternity Pantyhose Review

(Sponsored Review)
 
I received a pair of Preggers Maternity Pantyhose from Spring Maternity Singapore last month and I have been wearing this 10-15mmHg* gradient compression hosiery for quite a while. Preggers Maternity Pantyhose is designed to improve circulation, prevent swelling and energize tired legs and feet during pregnancy.

This product features true gradient compression and is designed for everyday wear by expecting mums.

6 facts about Preggers 10-15mmHG* Gradient Compression Hosiery you may not know:
 
1) True gradient compression delivers a controlled amount of pressure greatest at the ankle and gradually decreases towards the top of the stocking to promote better blood flow
 
2) Built-in tummy support panel provides a sense of stability for active mommas and can be worn folded under belly and unfolded to cover belly
 
3) Super soft material is breathable and provides shaping support
 
4) Toe is reinforced for durability and rounded for comfortable fit
 
5) Micro-Cool process creates a wicking effect so moisture evaporates from the skin quickly providing a comfortable coolness
 
6) Smooth seams that will not dig into tummy or show under clothes
 
I'm currently in my ninth month of pregnancy, 36 weeks plus. In my last month of pregnancy, my days have becoming crazily hectic. Not only I need to set up a prefect nursery for my little princess who is coming to the world in 2-3 weeks time but I have been running back and forth to the hospital for my son's health reviews & my own doctor appointments.

Running errands in final stage of pregnancy can be really tiring, especially when I was required to sit or stand for long periods of time. Besides, it's pretty normal for me to feel discomforts of swelling or fatigue during pregnancy. I believe that is also part of a pregnancy a woman needs to go through (lucky you if you have never experience any of the discomforts!!) However, after being introduced to Preggers Maternity Pantyhose by Spring Maternity (thank you!!) (I didn't know previously there's such a maternity pantyhose product) I realized I could actually do something about my tired achy legs. Something CAN be done! And I don't have to suffer from tired & achy legs in my final trimester! So, here I am trying the product I didn't know existed previously and hoping it helps to energize my legs :)

My legs are not veiny (that's one good thing!) I can barely see veins running through my legs but at 36 weeks plus pregnant, I can no longer running away from the unfortunate typical pregnancy symptoms such as 1) Tired and achy legs 2) Swollen legs

As you can see from my picture below, my calves are swollen! Absolutely not a pretty sight! I believe my swollen calves are caused by water retention in my late pregnancy. Pretty much I woke up in the morning with swollen legs especially the night before, I had a long walk, swollen calves, ankles and feet became worse.

Not only that (sorry the picture below is a little gross to see!), my feet were so swollen and so my ankles! Can you see the blue veins popping out of my feet?

Thanks to Spring Maternity, I had a chance to try Preggers Maternity Pantyhose to improve my poor circulation, prevent swelling and energize my tired legs and feet during this final stage of pregnancy.
 

Preggers Maternity Pantyhose is very comfortable to wear on daily basis. The material doesn't make me feel warm, although pregnancy itself has already made me feel so warm, thanks to pregnancy hormones! But having to wear this for the whole day, I don't feel extra warm at all! The material is so airy, breathable and super soft. Therefore, I feel like wearing nothing!

Besides, I also feel more comfortable walking/standing up for a long time. It does help in relieving me from tired legs when I need to walk/stand up for a long time. At the end of the day, I can see the difference between long walk with Preggers Maternity Pantyhose VS long walk without. Long walk without is certainly more tiring and thus, more swelling in the next morning!

Another benefit I like from Preggers Maternity Pantyhose is built-in tummy support. In late pregnancy, especially when my baby's head already down & engaged, most of the time, my belly feels extra heavy! I just feel uncomfortable walking with heavy belly and often I feel Braxton Hicks Contractions (those fake contractions preparing woman body for labor) that come along when I have my long walk. Heavy belly + tightening can be agonizing and intolerable. I have been thinking to buy maternity belt to solve this problem but fortunately, Preggers Maternity Pantyhose was being introduced to me before buying expensive maternity belt that I will no longer be using it after my baby is born!

Preggers Maternity Pantyhose Built-in tummy support is indeed a belly support. I'm impressed with this tummy support! The material is not only comfortable & breathable but the design of this built-in tummy support provides me the sense of stability. It feels like wearing maternity belt to support my heavy belly! In fact it's like all in one product, not only supporting my belly but providing my legs with better blood flow! Unlike other built in tummy support maternity wear, this one doesn't slide down my hips at all. Not even once after so many hours of wearing. It's really that fit & stable!
 

After wearing Preggers Maternity Pantyhose for a week, I can certainly see visible improvements to my current legs conditions.

1) My legs are less tired now and I can walk longer and farther. I feel good even I have to stand up for half an hour or walk for an hour! Leg cramps & soreness lessen with Preggers!

2) My tired legs and feet are energized. No longer feeling sore legs and feet waking up in the morning. Therefore, I'm no longer needing to worry the impact from the long walk-the day before in the next morning! 

3) Swollen calves, ankles and feet are improved! I don't see it that swollen anymore. I believe Preggers Maternity Pantyhose does improve my poor circulation. The compression does promote better blood flow!

Can you see it's less swollen now?

 Now I feel more confident wearing short dress. I'm happy to see my normal legs back :) No longer needing to hide my swollen legs/feet/ankles under long maxi dress anymore!! :)

It's so easy to pair Preggers with my pre-pregnancy clothes. I can absolutely pair it with my short pre-pregnancy dresses. I'm a tall girl but pretty slim and I'm lucky enough to be able to fit into almost all my pre-pregnancy dresses except dresses are getting too short due to my growing & expanding belly size and most of the time, I don't have the confidence to wear short dresses. I'm afraid of exposing too much skin in pregnancy, I just feel awkward!

And with Preggers Maternity Pantyhose, I'm no longer afraid of wearing my pre-pregnancy dresses I can fit into. I'm no longer needing to worry if my dresses are too short and inappropriate in comparison with my big belly. Now, I can totally rock my short dresses out and be a fashionable pregnant mum back!

Preggers Maternity Pantyhose is so versatile and I can see myself wearing it with everything from dresses, shorts to skirts.

#OOTD (Outfit of The Day) in Preggers, black color pantyhose with light color floral dress (contrast color) makes my legs extra long and my legs appear slimmer too (how great isn't when every part of my body looks fat except my legs??) Wearing black color pantyhose is another way of showing off mile long legs in a classy way :) Agree??

For more information, check out Spring Maternity website at http://www.springmaternity.com/

Thank you for reading my review with Preggers

Wish me a super smooth delivery in 2-3 weeks time!

~Netty~

Week 36 Pregnancy #2 Update with Baby Calysta

I'm in my ninth month of pregnancy!

A little over 36 weeks now, that means 1 more week to the official full term and another 2-3 more weeks before she's here with us! I can't wait & I feel nervous too!

The emotional feeling I'm currently experiencing being a second time mum is I feel like in my ninth month of my pregnancy, every moment I spend with baby boy is too precious but short.. The time will finally come when he's not going to be the only one in my heart.. I feel guilty because I'm soon going to be shared. I'm nervous and wonder how on earth I could love my 2nd child as much as I love him.. I didn't touch my belly as much as I touched EJ when I was pregnant with him, I didn't talk to her as much as I was pregnant with EJ and I didn't read to her either but I read to EJ when he was in my belly.. But I know things will change when she's finally here, I will fall in love over and over again :)

Pregnancy is so far so good, I don't have any complaints at all :) I can eat well, I can walk well & I can actually sleep well (so far I can sleep like a baby, wake up twice or more to pee but I can sleep back soundly) BUT for the past one week, it was terrible.. I didn't sleep well at all, not because of the pregnancy causing me sleepless nights but it was my 18 month old boy...

My 18 month old was sick and diagnosed with walking pneumonia caused by mycoplasma bacterial. He was having high fever, nausea with vomiting, cough, flu & cold and for the past one week, I was so worried and couldn't sleep at all (I had to wake up every hour to check his temperature). I was so scared! This thing + pregnancy hormones + pressure I received from the old folks when my baby boy was sick just broke me down. I kept on crying & crying (I know it's silly but who can blame a hormonal pregnant woman?) And I just felt so upset! One whole week of upsetness!

My baby boy is currently recovering & he's doing pretty good now (still under observation but absolutely so much better) and so my mood is! I'm feeling better too! At least, I can smile & laugh now, no longer a sad cloud!

Anyway, life isn't always smooth, isn't? Although I have comfortable pregnancy #2 but there's nothing can stop me from being sad & upset, right?

I'm grateful that my joints, back, wrists, knees are not sore or painful at all (it was painful during my first pregnancy at 36 weeks) and most importantly, I'm still comfortable being my self, the 36 week pregnant me! :)

I noticed at 36 weeks pregnant, Braxton hicks contractions come more frequently now but it lasts for 1 second only. Not painful but uncomfortable. The feeling is like tightening in my belly and this contractions are only noticeable to me when I stand up or walk. I can't feel it when I sit down!

Baby Cal's movements & kicks are still pretty much the same pattern, she still loves her favorite spot which is on my right side and she loves to hang around my right ribs. Luckily when she's around my ribs, it doesn't hurt at all.. I just felt like someone is poking & shifting my right arm :) I can also feel her legs/arms/elbows/ankles/don't-know-what-it's poking out of my skin and it felt funny & sharp :)

Talking about craving, it's weird that I started to love chocolate bar with almonds so much.. And it started at 35 weeks pregnant. Chocolate is now my comfort food! I have never loved or appreciated chocolates like the way I appreciate it now.. I just have craving for chocolates! Before I got pregnant and before 35 weeks of pregnancy, chocolates were never in my mind but now, I just can't stop thinking of chocolates (almost) all the time =.=' Girl's craving?

Next appointment is next week at 37 weeks and I'm curious how much she has grown! and how much I have grown too, arghh!

After shedding so much tears this week (Silly me, it's not even that big pressure!) I think it's time to be happy back, what else can bring happiness to a woman except retail therapy? I bought this super pretty pom pom dress for Calysta. Normally, pom pom dress can cause itchiness & discomfort but this one is super soft & comfortable, so Calysta will definitely look lovely in this dress (this size is for 6 months old). She already has so many dresses and this should be the last piece I bought! (although I doubt so! Retail therapy for baby girl is indeed a therapy!)

Baby bump comparison at 36 weeks.. 1st pregnancy/baby boy vs 2nd pregnancy/baby girl.. I can't see the difference though, both baby bumps are pretty much the same shape but I think baby boy was a little higher, fuller & sharper.. And baby girl is a little lower and rounder :)

 Here's my round bump at 36 weeks!

Almost there & the countdown really begins now!