Baby Name Selection

It is important to have a good name selection for baby as it help to balance the 5 elements in the bazi. I find this website quite useful as it calculate the score of the name.

I have engaged Natural Geomancy Consultancy for my baby Chinese name selection. The charges is $128.

Here are the contact details:
Tel: 62999119
7500A Beach Road 
#16-303 The Plaza
Singapore 199591

You make the bank transfer and forward the personal data ie DOB, time of birth, place of birth and surname to natgeocy@singnet.com.sg. 

They will send you the name details for your selection.

They will schedule you to meet the Master Chiang (waiting time is about 2weeks), the appointment will take approximately 1/2 hour.

It is best that you bring along your own pen and paper to jot down notes as Master Chiang will rattle off. It is also advised that you prepare list of questions to ask Master Chiang eg things to take note of, luck period, education, health, suitable career choices, wealth luck etc.

Hospitalisation Plan for Baby

I came across an article by bumblebeemum on hospitalization cost. As a new mum, I have heard from my colleagues children fall sick easily and it is important to get a hospitalization plan or get your children covered under the company medical plan. Else, the medical bills will take you back financially.

As I shared in my previous post, you can redeem Great Eastern SG50 Gift Pack. The gift pack includes a insurance voucher gift (worth S$108 in value) which can be used to purchase a SupremeHealth A Plus Plan ("Insurance Voucher") for all newborns. You can view more info about the Health plan here. Unfortunately, you can't purchase the plan online, you will need to meet up with the Insurance agent and you can only buy 15days after the baby is born.

We are also planning to get a Savings/ Endowment Plan for baby University fees. The hubby advises to get a plan where premium is to be paid for 20 years and the plan to be under parent's name. Else, when the plan matures, we fear baby might not be able to handle such a big sum of money given her young age. Instead of using it for her education fees, she buys a car/ go travelling. I will share more on the plan once we have done our comparison among the various insurance companies.

A few of our friends recommend that for baby vaccinations, growth monitoring and development progress, we can do it at polyclinics. If you have an appointment and you are punctual, the waiting time is quite fast. Some of the vaccines are FOC or you can use Child Development Account (CDA) account to pay for enhanced vaccinations. More info is avail here.

Love,
Sherlyn

Feeling thankful and things they did not tell you about pregnancy

As I looked back at my pregnancy, I feel very blessed and thankful. I felt uncertain and a little fearful when I learnt about my pregnancy cos I wasn't sure if I was ready for parenthood. I wasn't sure if I'm ready to give up my lifestyle eg frequent traveling, new food hunt hopping and movies. However, the thought of a little life growing inside me, I knew I am going to be a better person so as to set good example to my child. 

I am really thankful for:

• not have any morning sickness or nauseousness throughout my pregnancy. 
• a very supportive hubby who would fetch me whenever he can, massage my legs frequently even when he's deep asleep whenever I scream out loud due to the sudden leg cramps, attend pre-natal classes with me and try to be home early to spend more time with me. 
• my mum who cook delicious and nutritious meal for us every Sunday when we visited her. Even though she's still working at 69years old and earning a menial salary, she splurge on bird nest for us and ensure Hubby and I drink a bottle each week.
• my in-laws for making sure I am well fed at home.
• my SIL, friends and colleagues for handing us lots of baby stuff ie clothes, play pen, baby cot, car seat, bumper etc so we can save a lot of money.
• my helpers as they make sure I get a personal bowl of hot soup when I am having dinner.
• my boss for being very supportive and understanding.
• my colleagues for being kind and always ask about my condition and look out for me.
• kind strangers who gave up their seats to me, offer help eg carry my shopping bags, ask me to be careful about wet floor etc.
• my gynae Dr TM Chua and the nurses at Jurong Women Clinic for taking care of my well-being for the last 8months.
• all the companies for the generous free samples for baby and mummy. 
• the recent house purchase. I strongly believe that our prayers to Guan Yin Ma were answered as we did find a house that we like the best after 1 year of viewings and the purchase transaction was quite smooth even though the price was above our budget. My BIL mentioned before if the house is meant to be yours, the purchase process will be smooth and we won't meet so many hurdles. I hope my baby will grow up in a nice and good environment. My nephew and niece can always come often to enjoy the condo facilities. All the kiddos will remain close when they grow up.
• my baby for being healthy and strong cos every little kick inside me makes me feel very happy.

Here are some things which they did not tell you about pregnancy which I learnt along the way:
1) I find I have lesser pubic hair :)

2) Skin darkening from the brown line around the navel, armpit and nipples. After my week 35, I develop big red patches on my thighs, back of buttocks.

3) frequent gum bleeding

4) thick dried nose mucus which contain blood traces sometimes.

5) thick vaginal discharge

6) I develop red itchy bumps around my tummy and chest area when I was at week 39, it itch like crazy and affect my sleep. I read that it's called PUPPP ie Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy. Doctor prescribe me betnovate cream 0.025% to help ease the itch. I find that having cold instead of warm showers help ease the itch.

The rashes disappear after the 2nd day of delivery.

7) I thought I was the few fortunate people that does not have water retention. Around week 35, my left feet started to swell more than my right and then I realised I could no longer wear my wedding band easily on my ring finger. The leg swelling seem to go away in the morning.

Very upset that I still can't wear my wedding band 4th day after delivery. Think I have water retention coz my fingers hurt even while I try bending it. Hope I can wear it very soon.

8) tailbone ache, frequent leg cramps and I can't breathe if I'm sleeping upright. I went for my first pre-natal massage at Jamu Wellness Jurong Point but was disappointed they did not massage the ankle or pressure points at the soles. I learnt that we cannot do foot reflexology during pregnancy as it might induce contraction.

9) you seem to be more clumsy with your bump ie lose your center of gravity while putting on panty, drop things more easily and you don't really feel like picking up during your 3rd trimester.

10) Temperature seem to be very hot. I can perspire in an air-con room. I set the aircon to 24deg, on the fan but I still feel very warm. My hubby was freezing away and he keep fidgeting with the aircon controller every night, he will be ticked off by me coz I will complain I can't breathe and there is no air circulation.

11) I have intense craving for iced milk tea, cakes and chocolates. I hope my weight gain is due to my baby and not these junk food.

12) Weight gain seem to stabilise during the last few weeks of pregnancy. When I did my final ultrascan, my baby is approximately 2.9-3 kg.

Baby was 2.96kg when she was born. :)

My Virgin Brazilian Waxing Experience @ Strip

pic credit: http://www.strip.com.sg/
 
I was in my 39weeks and I heard that most mums will go for brazilian waxing in preparation for labour. I don't know my vagina will be seen by how many people and I will be dead embarrassed if down there is untidy and bushy. If you are have C-section, I heard that the nurses/ doctors will shave the pubic hair for you when you are delivering your baby. It can be embarrassing as they could be males but when you are already at that stage, it might not even bother you anymore. As your tummy is getting too big, it is almost impossible for you to upkeep yourself.

I googled online if it is ok for late pregnancy to have brazilian wax as the skin might be more sensitive than usual. Anyway, my tolerance for pain is quite high, I went ahead to book an appointment with Strip @ Cathy outlet. My therapist was Elle.

During registration, I was asked to sign 2 forms, one of the form was to declare existing medical conditions, the other was Consent to use of personal data. I was passed a hygiene pack that I am to pass to my therapist. Elle opened the hygiene pack and passed me the wipe to clean myself with. After which, there was a towel for me to cover my lower body. Elle was quite professional and the whole process was quick and not embarrassing at all. I saw there were 2 type of wax- chocolate and strawberry pink colour. Saw that Elle was using pink wax most of the time. Elle applied the warm wax on the skin and then I felt the stripping effect which was swift and fast. When Elle was doing certain areas, she will ask me to take a deep breath as it was supposed to be painful spots.

The whole treatment process took about 10 mins. Elle told me each waxing can last up till 5weeks. Elle is quite thorough, she informed me that there could be some stubborn hair that can't be removed and I think she removed some using tweezer. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being not pain and 10 most painful), I would rate the pain factor as 3-4.

You can view Strip service package here and they are offering 35% discount if you are a first time customer with them. Strip also has package, if you sign up on that day, the treatment will be waived off.

I was told not to take hot showers and to exfoliate area from day 4 onwards. Today is already my 5th day after my waxing, so far so good, no bumps, inflammation or redness.
I will consider signing up with them on my next visit. I was informed that if I'm having natural delivery, I can only start waxing after 3months and 6 months for c-section.

Love,
Sherlyn

Free OhBabynMe.com Membership and Welcome kit

Received a phone call from OhBabynMe.com earlier. I have forgotten I have signed up for their free membership on their website some time ago.

They have a welcome kit which has to be personally collected at their office. The Welcome Kit consist of:

1x Similac mum 900g

1x Similac mum insulating bag

1x Similac milk powder container

1x $10 Shopping E-Voucher to use at OhBabynMe.com

Feeling very thankful to all the generous companies for all the free samples, gifts for mummy and baby.

Love,
Sherlyn

Newborn Essentials Checklist- budget

Edit on 30 Aug 2015 in blue.

I am getting anxious as my EDD is closer and I have just start preparing for baby stuff. Here are some newborn essentials checklist which you might find useful. It does not include outdoor items like pram, car seat etc.

Clothes
Handkerchief (Danrol)
Mittens & Booties   
Short Sleeve Shirts and Pants- 6sets
Pyjamas- 2 sets
Rompers (it can be quite challenging for NB to put on Rompers, would recommend when they are bigger once their neck are stronger)
Parenting hack
Cap (bought from Taobao), here's the link

Bathing
Baby Shampoo (Kodomos)
Baby Bath (Kodomos). I use Sebamed Bubble Bath when my baby had flaking skin
Brush & Comb set (Pigeon)
Infant Nail scissors (Pigeon)- the salesperson recommend that newborn cannot use nail clipper, I nearly made a blunder.
2 small bowls (for cleaning eyes and buttock)
Bath Sponge (NUK) Wash Cloth is good enough, bath sponge is too coarse for baby's delicate skin

Bamboo Towels (Moo Moo Kow)
Laundry Detergent (Pureen/ Kodomos). Get the powder form as it make clothes smell nicer
Changing Pad (Moo Moo Kow) 
Bath tub (non-slip)- Ikea

Breastfeeding
Breast Pump (Spectra S2+)
Breast Pads (Pigeon Honeycomb)
Nipple Cream (Medela/ Lasinoh)
Breast milk Storage Bags (PUR)
Feeding bottles 4-6 
Nursing bib

Everyday
Steam Sterilizer (Pigeon Rapid Steam Sterilizer)
Bottle Warmer (Pigeon)
Bottle Sponge Brush (Puku)
Bottle Cleaner (Pureen)
Diaper (Huggies/ MamyPoko). I got a few packs of KCA initially coz it was cheap. However, the fit is not good and usually leaks.
Diaper Cream (Desitin Blue)
Baby Wipes (Organic Story EcoForest)
Cotton Wool Ball (Pigeon/ Mothercare as the size is bigger)  Get Watson Facial cotton, it's cheap and good.
Cotton Swab regular (Daiso) and thin size (Pigeon)
Cooling Plaster (Pigeon)

Sleeping
Blanket (Danrol)
Swaddle (Summer Time)
Bean Pillow (Puku)
Play Pen- passed down from my SIL
Mattress Cover (Baby Safe). I have read online that it is essential to get a new mattress for each baby as there are unknown reasons for cot death. It will also give you peace of mind.
Pillow (baby does not need pillow)
Waterproof Mattress Protector (ordered from Taobao), here's the link

Hope you find the list useful.

Love,
Sherlyn

Shopping for #Bumptham at the Baby Fair

Hi Everyone
As mentioned in my previous post, I will share my loots for #bumptham at the recent Mummy Market baby fair at Expo.

1) Fiffy Baby Clothes (3sets for $20). I have bought 6 sets.

2) Fiffy Mittens and Boots (1 pack consist of 3sets for $7). I have bought 2 packs.

3) Puku Bean Pillow- $15

4) Puku Sponge Bottle Brush- $5. This came with replacement brush.

5) Babysafe Playpen Mat Cover- $28

6) KCA Diapers (4 packs at $42)
Wanted to get Mamy Poko due to many recommendations by mommies in forums, I had checked the price at NTUC. There is no savings except you will get a packet of wet wipes when you buy 2 packs.

As newborn required a lot of diapers, KCA was the cheapest diaper in the fair and the quality seem not bad. Hence, decided to give this brand a try.

7) Organic Story EcoForest 22 Baby Wipes. 70 sheets, 10 packs per carton (3 cartons at $86.70)
This works out to be $2.89 per pack and is selling like hot cakes. Ordered 3 cartons as it came with free delivery, delivery will be in 2 weeks time.

8) Moo Moo Kow Bamboo Towel- 3 for $39. Usual price 1 for $39.

9) Moo Moo Kow Changing Pad- 2 for $26. Usual price 1 for $26.

10) Bio Oil 60ml- $12 (usual price $15.50)

11) Medela Purelan 100 Nipple Cream- $15.44

Wanted to get Lasinoh as it was highly recommended by many mummies in forums but I could not locate the booths.

12) SwaddleMe x2- $15 each

Kiddy Palace and Mothercare is selling about $23.90 and $24.90 respectively.

Got another swaddle from another stall at $8. Quality is equally good.

13) Pureen Anti Bacterial Liquid Detergent with Softener (x2) and Liquid Cleanser for Feeding Bottles, Nipples & Vegetables(x1)- $25.50

14) Danrol Wash cloth (pack of 8)- 2 packs for $10

15) Danrol Blanket- $16

16) Carters Snap Up Pyjamas- $10 each. I have bought 2 sets.

17) Lots of Fruits tit-bits
Saw the bag that the snacks are from Wel.B Snacks. The snacks does not contain any sugar and it is vacuumed freeze. 

Would highly recommend the following:
a) Freeze-dried strawberry (6packs for $10)

b) Nu Snacks Fruit Chewy (6packs for $10)

c) Assorted Fruit Chips (8 packs for $10)

Despite the savings at the baby fair, the carpark charges amounted close to $20. We were stuck at the carpark for about an hour due to faulty gantry.

I am currently in my week 33, the next baby fair will only be in Jul. Till then.

Love,
Sherlyn

Surviving a Baby Fair in Singapore

Hi Everyone
Visiting a baby fair is very exciting, it requires proper planning, very energy exhausting. Here are some tips I've picked up on how to survive a baby fair:

pic credit: http://www.mummysmarket.com.sg/

1) Plan/ do research. 
a) Plan out the list of things you need to buy. Not all items are cheaper at the fair eg NTUC was selling Mamy Poko diapers the same price at the fair. The fair was giving out wet wipes for every 2 packets of diapers purchased. Imagine you lugging the cartons of diapers home, you wouldn't save on the taxi fare/ carpark charges.


b) You wouldn't save a lot on normal brands like Kodomo, Tollyjoy, Pureen etc. The massive savings are for premium brands like Mustela, California Baby etc

c) Some of the star/ must buy items are baby wipes, diapers, milk powder, baby cot, car seats, strollers.

d) Breast pump: eg Spectra breast pump, saw the ones on sale were the old models (S1/S2) and is more expensive. Hence, must do homework!

2) Bring a big bag/ luggage/ trolley so it's easier to put all your shopping together.

3) Usually, the organiser will provide floor plan/ guide. For better time efficiency and organisation, mark all the stalls you want to visit on the floor plan.

4) Go early around 11plus to 2pm or evenings around 6plus, it is less crowded. It is easier to browse and make payment. I have visited the fair on the last day previously, most of the items were out of stock.

5) Bring a bottle of water and wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes.

6) Bring plenty of cash for faster payment.

7) Be thick-skinned eg some stores have bulk buy at cheaper price, I approached a mummy if she want to share with me as I do not require so much. Hence, there's savings for both of us.

8) Some stores eg baby wipes, diapers offer free delivery with minimum purchase. 

9) When buying diapers, do buy in a variety of sizes as babies outgrow very fast.

10) Leave your kids at home. My friend brought her 2 kids along with her has to leave early as the child was getting cranky.

11) Tag team with your husband eg I went to grab the stuff while he waits around with the loots.

12) There's a tendency to go overboard on shopping/ buy stuff you might not even need. Hence, exert control.

13) Check the items thoroughly for defects, you won't be able to exchange.

Hope you find these tips useful. Probably I'll share what I've bought at the baby fair in my next post.

Love,
Sherlyn

Online Shopping for Little #Bumptham

Hi everyone
I shall share my recent online purchase for our #bumptham. Online shopping for #bumptham is so addictive, I can spend many hours browsing the webpages and you can really go out of control coz everything seem so cute and cheap.


From Taobao
1) Growth Chart Wall Decal, RMB8.80
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z09.2.9.9.ku55p7&id=25648660019&_u=pumksi5ed9c

Review: received the Taobao items on 26 Mar. Print quality is very good and the decal is really huge. Definitely worth the buy.
  I read that flash cards stimulate infant right brain. Flash cards is very limited and quite expensive in Singapore.

2) Black & White Flash Cards, RMB19.90
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z09.2.9.24.ku55p7&id=40984836192&_u=pumksi583d1

3) Flash Cards, RMB16 for 10 books
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z09.2.9.93.ku55p7&id=39245239712&_u=pumksi5408d

Review: Items 2-3 were from same supplier, it came bubble-wrapped. The paper were rather on the thin side. 2 of the books had defects, 1 had the protective layer of the cover peeled off and another ring bind was broken. Considering the books are so cheap, definitely worth the buy!

4) Hanging Flash Cards, RMB37.50
http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=40134583699&spm=a1z09.2.9.61.ku55p7&_u=pumksi52ccb

Review: Item was wrapped with cupboard, however the corners were slightly dented. I find this a bit pricey, hope baby will enjoy looking at it.

From Carters
I got the items during their flash sale where they had additional 30% off their clearance items with US$6 flat shipping. As Carters do not ship to Singapore, I had use 65daigou as shipping agent. Their shipping charges is $4.50 for every 500g, you can visit https://www.65daigou.com/China/ShipForMe for more info.

1) 3-Piece Bodysuit & Short Se, US$11.99
http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-sets/V_121D238.html?dwvar_V__121D238_size=12M&dwvar_V__121D238_color=Color#cgid=carters-baby-girl-clearance&startRow=0&sz=all&navID=header&start=18

2) 2-Piece Dress & Cardigan Se, US$8.99
http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-dresses/VC_121D212.html?dwvar_VC__121D212_size=12M&dwvar_VC__121D212_color=Pink#cgid=carters-baby-girl-clearance&startRow=0&sz=all&navID=header&start=57

3) 2-Piece Dress & Romper Set, US$13.99
http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-dresses/V_118A096.html?dwvar_V__118A096_size=12M&dwvar_V__118A096_color=Color#cgid=carters-baby-girl-clearance&startRow=0&sz=all&navID=header&start=3

4) Appliqué Snap-Up Romper, US$5.99
http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-one-pieces/VC_118A034.html?dwvar_VC__118A034_size=12M&dwvar_VC__118A034_color=Pink#cgid=carters-baby-girl-clearance&startRow=0&sz=all&navID=header&start=11

5) 4-Piece Take-Me-Home Se, US$12.99
http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-sets/V_121C618.html?dwvar_V__121C618_color=Color&dwvar_V__121C618_size=6M#cgid=carters-baby-girl-clearance&startRow=0&sz=all&navID=header&start=131

Review: Have collected my items from 65daigou at neighbourhood pickup. I'm very pleased with the shipping service. As the Carters package is 0.76kg, my shipping charges is only SGD$9. 

65Daigou is also very prompt in their email reply eg when I checked the domestic shipment from Carters to 65Daigou warehouse, the items were undelivered as the office was closed and the package was transferred to the local post office. I emailed 65Daigou to check if they will arrange someone to collect from local post office. In USA, unlike Singapore, the local post office will make 3 more attempts to deliver the package before returning to sender.

All the items are very lovely, good quality and workmanship. Looks like I will be ordering many more stuff from Carters.

I shall review the items once I received them. Thanks for reading!

Love, 
Sherlyn