Sunday, November 1, 2009

Diva Cup - Giveaway Contest WINNER

The winner for Diva Cup Giveaway Contest is Kendra!

Congratulations to you! Please email me at info@mummyknowsbestshop.com to provide me with your mailing address and the size that you require.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Diva Cup - Giveaway Contest!

Guess you know by now that I am a big 'GREEN' fan... from Eco-friendly toys that are BPA free to using of 'Green' products like cloth diapers... and venturing on to 'GREENER' things like Reusuable Feminine Menstrual Pads... things which people, especially ladies in Singapore and Asia, seldom hear off...

Guess which product is "GREENEST" at the momnet on Mummy Knows Best's plate??? It's... (drum-roll)....
The revolutionary DIVA CUP...

'The menstrual cup was first developed in the 1930’s. Then it was made from rubber latex (an allergen for many). Millions were sold in those first years by multiple companies.'
Why switch to Diva Cup?
'Landfills are over-taxed with feminine hygiene products. In 2000, over 55.9 million women (in the U.S. alone) were monthly users of disposable feminine hygiene products that are “dumped” into the environment each year. Great resources of energy are used in the manufacture of these products. In addition, the additives and surfactants they contain pollute rivers, streams, and oceans.'

Start of Diva Cup
'Thus, over 15 years ago, Francine recognized the need for an alternative to unreliable disposable tampons and pads and found a company offering menstrual cups. She and her daughter, Carinne, singlehandedly resurrected the 75 year old menstrual cup concept by reintroducing this product to the world market when it was virtually unknown. They sold this rubber/latex version for 10 years.

In 2003, drawing on their experience and expert knowledge about the menstrual cup category, they developed a modern redesign, made from soft, top-quality silicone, to meet the needs of today’s woman. They launched their own company, Diva International. Their revolutionary concept, The DivaCup, is patent-pending and ISO certified. Today, The DivaCup is the preferred choice.

The DivaCup Team has over 38 years of combined experience in natural feminine hygiene alternatives. Their passion is to provide women an environmentally responsible, convenient and reliable alternative to tampons and pads.

“Not every woman can afford a hybrid car nor easily convert their home to solar power. Yet, by choosing to use a menstrual cup instead of disposable tampons and pads, any woman is able to make an environmentally responsible choice each month. This is no small matter. In the U.S. alone, billions of tampons and pads are dumped into landfills and the environment each year.” Carinne Chambers

“With all the state-of-the-art conveniences Western society has developed, it baffles us why outdated feminine products are still being used. We believe that reusable menstrual cups are the next generation of feminine hygiene because they are the most environmentally responsible choice. They are also the most convenient and reliable option available and are not linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome.” Francine Chambers.'
Product Description
It is
  • Latex-free, plastic-free and BPA-free
  • No dyes, colors or additives
  • Comfortable, reliable
  • Worn for up to 12 hours
  • Clean, convenient, easy-to-use

Model 1: for women under 30 years old who have never had childbirth or c-sections.
Model 2: for women who have had vaginal childbirth or c-sections; and for women who are 30 years old and over.

*****************************************************

Mummy Knows Best Diva Cup GIVEAWAY!

Great News! Mummy Knows Best is proud to be chosen by Diva Cup to conduct this giveaway. The gal who gives the BEST COMMENT on this post below on why you would like to try a Diva Cup WINS.

It can be something funny, serious, or informative plea for Diva Cup. Mummy Knows Best will choose 10 of the best comment and will draw lots to pick the lucky winner. She will receive a Diva Cup FREE!

For those who enter the contest and join www.twitter.com/divacup or the Mummy Knows Best Facebook page or the Diva Cup facebook page and write about the contest on their Facebook or Twitter page, you can get an extra entry into the contest for each tool you use. So START NOW!

The contest will end on 31th October midnight. Winner will be choosen and announced on the 1st November 2009.

Keep your entries coming.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Health Guide #1 - Homeopath/Naturopath

Gosh, i am sick of being sick... since my 2nd pregnancy, i was down with Bronchitis, took anti-biotics cos was coughing out blood... went to take Chinese medication which really helped alot... but i was constantly down with cough and cold again after delivery... doc said that i am having sensitive nose, down with sinus, something which i didnt have before before my 2nd pregnancy... Doc said homones changes etc etc etc...
Having been taking Chinese medication since bb was 3 weeks old... cough and cold come on and off... nasal spray didnt work... moreover it has steriods in them... didnt wanna use them incase it gets into the breastmilk cos i was breastfeeding... Chinese medication helped lots... but each time as i 'almost' recover, i caught the bug again...

perhaps cos i am really tired due to lack of sleep, lack of rest, work, 2 kids in 4 years etc etc etc etc... i know something is not right... cos i am ultra forgetful... lack of energy... of course, i can blame it on my lack of exercise etc etc etc...

Then i happen to meet Dana who is a Homeopath/Naturopath while going for Young Living Essential Oils talk at her place... decided to get a consultation with her... cos i am a firm believer of natural medication...

My first consultation with Dana was GREAT! what she said makes sense... :P i am a very skeptical person (those who knows me)... Body is too acidic.. builds up the mucus etc etc etc.. and the best part of it all is that she understands and appreciate the fact that i m breastfeeding... and i would still like to breastfeed... anyhow, she recommended some supplements to me.. and i really love the fact that these are VEGAN... cos i am a strict vegetarian... she is a mother of 2 with 1 bb on the way, but she is still so energetic... :)

Have been taking the supplements & flaxseed oil for the past few days, and am feeling better... her recommendation is to rebuild my body slowly before taking further steps... baby steps initially... :)

If you have a persisting condition and would like to check out natural healing methods, Dana is the lady to look for.

check out her website at www.BalancedLivingAsia.com or contact her at +65 6762-8029. View her biography here.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Lunapads - Reusable Feminine Pads

Well... i did a write up on "Why Choose Reusable Feminine Pads?" before... and I was carrying Fuzzi Bunz and Happy Heiny's Reusable Pantyliners and Pads on Mummy Knows Best...

Now, i am very happy to say that Lunapads are in TOWN!!! in Singapore... well, coming soon at least... it will be arriving end October...

I have received samples of Lunapads and i am very excited cos the quality is so good... Also, Singapore's Lian He Wan Bao has picked up the launch of Lunapads in Singapore. Read here...

Of course, there are negative comments by the local O&B but i guess these mainly stems from the fact that they are MEN and might not know the actual products...
ladies of yesteryears use cloth pads for ages before disposable pads came about... thus, do they have the medical equipment to steralise pads then? No... just common sense...

there will be a giveaway on Lunapads... stay tune...

Check out www.mummyknowsbestshop.com for more details.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Parenting Guide #3 - Baby Food for Constipation

MIL highly recommend Sweet Potato Porridge if your bb is constipated. Alternatively, banana, papaya is good... Apples work on my sons as well.

Biotta (Organic) juices like Digestive Juice, Buess Juice work on my DS1 as well. Both kids and adults can drink it.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Parenting Guide #2 - Poo

Baby's poo initially is meconium... at least for 3-5 days of his initial life... thereafter, if you are breastfeeding your bb entirely, it should be of mustard colour and watery in nature... Do not panic and think that bb has a diarrhoea...

When bb starts on semi-solids or solids, the poo will change... just like R2's did yesterday... MIL started him on porridge and thus, his poo hardens...

Parenting Guide #1 - Baby Food

R2 is getting cuter... :) cute smile... same as Rossi... But Ryan is slimmer cos he doesnt wanna drink from the bottle (yes, still!)...

R2 is currently eating Brown Rice gruel... MIL bought brown rice powder mixed with Si Shen from a chinese medical hall in bedok... Reason for this rather than normal pre-grind ones sold in NTUC etc is cos this is fresher.... he likes it... MIL adds breastmilk to the gruel...

MIL has began to cook porridge and feed R2 this week.... Apparently he loves it lots... hehehe... Porridge with potato/carrots, or cauliflower, or pumpkin (those Aussie ones)...

will start him on some fruits this week...

Hmmm, wonder if it is my imagination... but seems that R2 has been calling me "mama"... lol... not once but a few times...

Monday, August 17, 2009

Ross' Shichida Method classes

Disclaimer: I do not represent Shichida Method nor is advertising for them. I am purely a very satisfied SM parent.

Something happened over the weekend that makes me wonder if Shichida Method is really working great for Ross (well, for those who dunno, Ross is my 3 and half years old son)...

Painting works are ongoing at my flat and there are lots of painting equipment that are left around the neighbourhood. Ross asked us what was going on and we told him. Out of the blue, i asked him what colour will the flat be painted? GREEN - he replied very confidently...

And... gosh... guess what... i forgot about the entire episode till my MIL reminded me yesterday... the painters have started to paint the exterior and the part near the windows are painted..... GREEN!

is it the ESP that is always taught in Shichida classes that is at work? who knows? :P i only know that Ross likes Shichida classes and that's enough...

and yes, will be registering Ryan (well, my 2nd son who is 6 mths old) for SM soon... cos the waiting list is super duper long...

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Pregnancy Guide #7 - Chinese Soup for Pregnancy

Update:

Yesterday, MIL cooked black beans soup. But this time round, she added some of the bigger types of red beans. Both are organic and the beans are boiled in a slow cooker. One good thing abt organic beans is that they turn soft quite fast and it’s really nice.. i know that some people dislike black beans cos of the texture of the soup. However, you can try to add red beans to it… HTH

***

This section is not about Chinese Tonic Soup but rather types of Chinese soups which are good for pregnancy…

My MIL swears by Black beans soup… Ross’ legs are very strong and she attributed it to the loads of black bean soup that i drank when i was preggy… Well, according to her black beans soup is good for replishing of blood etc…

In fact, during confinement, she added black beans into my longan drink… even for babies, you can use the soup to cook porridge for the bb…

Pregnancy Guide #6 - Chinese Tonic Soup

My MIL swears by brewing Chinese Tonic Soup called ‘Ba Zhen’ which literally means Eight Treasures during my first 3 months of pregnancy with Ross. There are eight types of herbs and the chinese medical hall usual sells them in a packet. However, this time round as i was sick for most of my first trimester, yesterday’s brew was just the 2nd one that i had.

Ba Zhen is good for ladies with painful monthly menstrual cramps as well. With regards to pregnancy, it serves as a tonic for helping with the pregnancy. However, during first trimester, you will have to ask the medical hall uncle to lessen the dosage of 1 of the herbs inside the package. Tried to ask MIL what is that particular herb, she cant pronounced it in Chinese

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Review - Kitz products

My hubby told me to share this with others.

He has very sensitive skin... and is prone to rashes.... But after using Kitz 468 Shampoo and Body Gel, his condition is improving....

Also, for me personally, i have been using Kitz 328 for laundry and honestly, it has been great... u know sometimes when we wash our clothes, the perfume smell still lingers? Kitz 328 is able to deordorise the clothes.

For me the best part abt kitz products is that i do not have to get separate products for bb. All the products can be used for both kids and adults.

Kitz products are 100% all natural

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Pregnancy Guide #5 - Books for Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Each time any of my friends tell me that they are pregnant, i will usually share with them or give them 2 books as gifts. 1 is a pregnancy book which i swear by and the other is a fantastic Breastfeeding Guide that i really like.

Pregnancy Book -
by Marie Morgan

This book is extremely good for those who are considering natural birth. I will write more about natural birth in another post. Ginny of Four Trimesters teaches antenatal Hypnobirthing classes.

Breastfeeding Book -

by Janet Tamaro

This book is excellent for mummies considering to breastfeed. The author is very knowledgable and able to write a guide which is both humorous and informative. I re-read this book for my DS2 while nursing him.]

Both books can be bought at Kinokuniya.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Review - The Shichida Method

Well, R1 is a student of The Shichida Method. He has been there since he was 26 months young. And after attending the class for more than a year, we are very happy with the classes and he is still enjoying each and every class.

The teachers (Teacher Claudia and Teacher Dilah) were very nice and very good teachers.

Please read more reviews and updates on R1's Shichida classes on my personal blog -
http://blessedmummy.wordpress.com/

Review - Kitz 100% All Natural Household Products


I am really happy to have found Kitz products. It's all by pure chance that i was informed of this product by a fellow mummy in the Singapore Motherhood Forum. =P I wanted to get a stroller for R2 and she was trying to sell hers. Thus, we chatted about strollers and then... about barrier creams etc... as her kids has enzema and sensitive skin like R1 and R2, she tried the Hand Rub Sanitizer from Kitz at Sakae Sushi and fall in love with the products.

Kitz products are made of 100% botanical natural plant extracts thus are both gentle on the skin (even babies' skin) but tough on bacteria, grease and grime. Once you use it, you will fall in love with it like i did.

Kitz products are CFC-free, Chemical-Free, Alcohol-Free, Eco-friendly, Preservative-free and dye-free!

The Kitz 468 shampoo and body gel is lovely. Both adults and even infants can use it. Thus, i no longer have to buy 4 different products - adult shampoo, adult body wash, baby shampoo and baby body wash.

The Hand Rub Sanitizer is great for kids as well. Many a times, i do not allow R1 to use sanitizers cos it's made of chemicals and kids love to put their hands into their mouth. BUT Kitz HRS is made from 100% plant extracts and thus are great for kids.

The Kitz 328 multi-purpose detergent can be used for mopping of floors, laundry, washing of toilets, washing of burnt pots/pans. It basically Disinfects, Deodorizes, Degreases, Decarbonizes, Destroys Fungus (anti-fungus & anti-bacterial) and Discourages houseflies, ants & cockroaches. It's a wonderful product.

The 178 Dish Washing detergent is God-send! cos i no longer have to get a separate detergent for the washing of baby bottles and trust me the separate detergent isnt cheap. 178 is gentle enough to be used on baby items yet tough on stains on pots and pans. AND it also functions as a hand soap! it has a great mandarin fragrance as well. :)

The Kitz Aero 10 is a air freshner cum air disinfectant. It is used on board SQ flights to deordorize and disinfect the toilets. It is also used to wash wine and drinks stains of passengers. This can be sprayed directly into the duct of car's aircon and our house airconditioning. Daikin even list this is part of their airconditioning accessories. As this product is water-based, it can be left in the car without the fear of it exploding under extreme high temperatures. You can also use it to spray on yourself after you return from a meal in the foodcourt so that the food smell is deordorised.

Last but not least is the Kitz Swift! This product is excellent to be used directly on kids' toys, kitchen, office tables etc to disinfect without the need to clean again with water. As it is 100% plant based, you do not have to worry that it's not good for the kids. You can also put this into a small spray bottle and carry out with you to spray onto toilet seats to disinfect. Tired of using expensive baby wet wipes? Use this to spray onto yr baby's bum and wipe off with a normal tissue. This can disinfect yr baby's bum and prevent nappy rashes! (this product will be in stock next month as new packaging is being worked out!)

Now you know why i am excited? :P Cos all the above allows me to buy less products yet cleans and disinfect effectively... moreover some products are available in 5 litres pack thus it's very economcial... User-friendl, Eco-Friendly yet Wallet-Friendly... :)

Kitz products can be found in http://www.mummyknowsbestshop.com

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Health Updates

Disclaimer: the write up below is entirely the personal thoughts of the author and deemed as replacement for medical advice.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R1 recovered... Me on the road to recovery... But DH fall sick during the weekend, MIL, SIL and helper are the next few to fall ill... ANNNDDD...

Guess what? R2, who had recovered, fall ill again... sighz... this R2 huh... super duper sensitive boy... anyway, will have to bring him to Yu Guo again...

Yest, as i was still having a mild cold, i went to see Dr Tan at Yu Guo, he told me not to worry too much abt H1N1 cos its another type of flu. Yu Guo sells herbs that you can boil to prevent H1N1, if you are there do get a couple of packets... Also, apparently, Tamiflu which is used in the treatment of H1N1 has bad side effects on kids. Kids who take Tamiflu might have higher risk of depression and suicidal in the future.

Perhaps, perhaps this is not THE drug for the treatment of H1N1... Perhaps, perhaps Chinese Medication might be a better answer... however, in the age of science etc, usage of Chinese treatment is deemed as slow, ineffective etc... But isnt natural drugs better than synthetic ones?

Food for thoughts...

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Why Choose Reusable Cloth Feminine/Menstrual Pads?

Ever recall the first time that we have our menses? The first product that our own mothers passed to us is “Disposable Pads” from brands like Kotex and Whisper. While in fact, most of our mothers started off with ‘Reusable Feminine Cloths” for their monthly cycle.

Why then the shift away from these reusable cloths? This is due to the fact that women are ‘reeducated' that menstruation is our own ‘dirty secrets'. We should never ever have any leaks as others will know and it is unsightly etc. It may seems that disposable pads is leak-proof and we can change less frequently, but is this a pro or con?

BUT wait! Have you ever wonder what chemicals are there in the disposable pads? What makes the pads super duper absorbent? Has anyone of us done any research on this? Or has the convenience of the disposable pads masks the problems that they cause?

Pause and think about it. Though using reusable feminine/menstrual pads requires a change of our mindset, lifestyle and some getting use to, the benefits are abundant as can be seen from the list below.

Benefits of Reusable Cloth Feminine/Menstrual Pads:

  • Very Much Cheaper in the long-run
  • Environmentally friendly
  • No harsh chemicals used
  • Reduce the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome
  • More comfortable, reduce allergies and thrush
  • More frequent change of pads
  • Cute Colours & Prints

The investment of reusable feminine/menstrual pads might seem to be costly at first.
However, consider this: An average woman menstruate for a period of 35 years. You will use at least 12 maxi pads during each cycle and this works out to be about 144 used disposable sanitary pads a year. Thus, you will buy about at least 7 to 8 packets of 20 pieces of disposable pads each year. Each pack costs about $5 minimum and some are more expensive. In a year, you would have spent $40 on disposable pads. And this is JUST for maxi pads. What about panty liners etc? Some even uses tampons which are more expensive.
On the other hand, if you use reusable feminine/menstrual pads, it is a one time cost. On average, these pads will last about 3 years (depending on frequency of usage and care).
Thus, over time, you will definitely save $ if you switch to reusable pads.


Environmentally Friendly

Stop the increasing number of waste that goes into the landfill by switching to reusable feminine/menstrual pads. Worse still, the waste might be sent to the incinerator.

Imagine the disposable pads with whole load of chemicals in them and when these are burnt, where are the chemicals being released to? Moreover, when reusable pads are used, less resources are being used and you are definitely helping the environment and making the world a better place for our descendents.



No Harsh Chemicals

These reusable pads are non-toxic while disposables and tampons are usually made of chemicals which might cause harm to your body such as cancer, headaches or even Toxic Shock Syndrome.

According to the Village Voice, in 1992, a Congressional subcommittee had come across an exchange of memos between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists. These memos reported the discovery of trace levels of dioxins-carcinogenic compounds which are created through the chlorine bleaching of wood pulp as well as the manufacture of rayon. Rayon is generally used in tampons and wood pulp in pads for absorbency.

Thus, have you ever wonder why is the disposable pad able to last for 3 to 4 hours without leaks? Why is it super absorbent? The answer is the harsh chemicals in these pads. Usage of these pads for at 60 days annually at close contact to your most intimate part, you do not know what you are in for. Moreover, some of us use panty liners daily which might cause more problems than helping us in our hygiene needs.



Reduce the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is rare but it can be a fatal disease. In the 1970s and 1980s, more than 50 women had died and more than 1000 people suffered during an outbreak of TSS in US. Then, TSS was caused by synthetic fibers like the viscous rayon, which is still being used today. These fibers amplified the toxins of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Even though the risk of TSS can be lowered by using 100% cotton, most of the cotton crop in the United States is drenched in pesticides and not to mention genetically engineered.

And in 2001, a 13-year-old British girl died of tampon-related TSS after using tampons for the very first time throughout her period. It is also more common in younger people whose immune system is less mature.




More comfortable, reduce allergies and thrush

Reusable pads are also softer on your skin and they allow natural airflow and this can help prevent thrush, vaginal rashes and related problems. Despite their ‘white' appearance, disposable pads are actually not sterile. In fact, the synthetics and plastics in the disposable pads create a humid microclimate in this warm, damp area, in which germs and fungal infections such as thrush can easily breed.

Usually, when women develop problems such as thrush, vaginitis or soreness, doctors and health specialists advise them to wear cotton underwear. But, without thinking, you often continue to use your usual brand of feminine hygiene product or panty liner made from synthetic and plastic ingredients.

Many women suffering from skin allergies, irritation, soreness and itching, find their symptoms are worse during their period because of the synthetic nature of their choice of feminine hygiene product.




More frequent change of pads

Ever use a disposable sanitary pad for more than 3 to 4 hours? I am sure many of us will answer with a big YES! Perhaps this is due to our heavy workload or the effectiveness of the super absorbent chemicals in the pads. But ask yourself this – should we actually use the disposable pads for that long a time without changing into a new one?

Reusable pads allow us to feel the wetness of our monthly cycle and change the pads and therefore better hygiene. Thus, this will allow us to do so.




Cute Colours and Prints

Disposables are a dead boring whitish colour. Why not brighten up your menstruation cycle with coloured reusable feminine/menstrual pads instead?


Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Pregnancy Guide #4 - Tummy shows earlier during 2nd Pregnancy

First Written on 7 July 2008 on blessedmummy.wordpress.com

I was amazed at my friend's K tummy when she was 3 months preggie with her 2nd child... cos her tummy was quite big, as if she was 4 or 5 months pregnant....


Now that it's my turn, i was more amazed that my tummy started to show at 6 weeks! gosh, you can just see the tummy sticking out... and it scares the hell of me.... i didnt put on alot of weight at all... but the tummy is just getting bigger... :(


I asked around, my gynae to the salesgal at the maternity shop that i used to patronised when i was expecting Ross told me the same thing... cos after #1, your tummy is already stretched, thus future pregnancy, you will start to show earlier and this is normal and i should not panic...


BUT with the chinese belief that one should not tell others abt the pregnancy till after 1st trimester, this inconvenience is really affecting me, cos my normal working tops will have to be 'cold storaged' very very soon! only those that are stretchable can be worn... my bottoms cant be buttoned up unless i breathe in... :P


I have bought a couple of tops and 4 maternity pants... but will have to bring the pants for alteration... sighz... have gone thru the old maternity tops and bottoms... some were really worn out... some just dun like them anymore... ehhehe... but ok, wont be too many... with the GSS, makes sense to buy the pants...


To those 2nd time mummies, dun be shocked if your tummy starts showing soon after you discovered you are preggie! it's normal!

Pregnancy Guide #3 - Cramps during early pregnancy

Cramping just a few days after a positive result

As soon as a healthy egg has been fertilised, and makes its way down the Fallopian tube to the uterus, the blood supply to the uterus increases dramatically. Even at this early stage, it starts to increase in size, and this can cause cramps very similar to those you may get just before your period. Don't panic! Cramping and funny pains may be felt all the way through your pregnancy. This tends to be because the uterus doesn't just float there in your abdomen, it's held in place by connective tissue that all has to stretch to accommodate your expanding baby. Don't forget that your entire lower abdomen gets completely rearranged by all this - and who knows where the ovaries end up! Curling up with a hot water bottle can help.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Pregnancy Guide #2 - List of things to get for Newborn and First time Mummies

Latest Update on 2 July 2009
Note: if you have any questions etc, do not hestitate to email me at info@mummyknowsbestshop.com
I am more than willing to provide advise...

DISCLAIMER:
this list meant as an info... please do not follow it rigourously... i have found that lots of things that i bought initially are not needed and i ended up having to sell them away... those that i have strikeoff means that i have gotten them for #2...
Gotten this list from somewhere when i was preggy with Ross... will give some comments with it...

Checklist of Purchases

Baby’s Room
Baby Cot - I co-sleep with bb during early months cos it's easier to breast-feed, thus didnt get one till bb was older... With R2, MIL used it during the day. Cos our room is very hot in the noon and she dun like the helper to sit on our bed. At night, R2 slept with me on the bed and we are planning to put everyone in the same room...

Musical mobiles/ Merry-go-round - good to get one... get yr friends etc to get 1 for you... can make it yrself too...

Mattress (3" or 4")

Blanket - get a thin cotton one for singapore weather... otherwise, in aircon room, something like a grobag may be good! Grobag is too hot for singapore weather, that's what i heard from a salesgal... others of thinner material will be great!

Bumper - u need this when bb start to poke their heads thru the cot...

Pillow/bolster case - gotten the infant position bolster and pillow from Robinsons... Babysafe i think...

Bedsheets

Mattress protector

Changing table (optional) - didnt get this lah... any bed or flat surface will do...

Cupboard/Chest of Drawers - might get another one if Ross' one is still not emptied by Jan 09...

Clothes for baby
Mittens/Bootees - i have gotten mittens and bb socks instead...

Cloth Diapers (Traditional white ones, can also be use to wrap baby) - those white traditional ones, MIL reminded me that bb has to be wrapped during 1st month... thus, these diaper clothes are the best in our weather... You can also get a product called 'Swaddle Me' to swaddle the bb when you are going out. Not advisable to use this at home cos the cloth is quite thick.

Cloth Diapers (in replacement for disposable diapers) - Me gotten this when Ross was born... SAVE $, environmentally friendly... easy to use... visit www.mummyknowsbestshop.com for cloth diapers.... Ryan is using more of cloth diapers and i even use it at night...

Disposable Diapers (IF you are not keen on Cloth diapers) - Do not save on disposables when bb is young cos their skin is very sensitive. Use Pampers Newborn. I have yet to try Mamy Poko Newborn but that should be fine too. Nepia is also another good brand to use. For Nepia sizes smaller than M, please call them directly to order and send to home FOC for purchases of 4 packets.

Nappy liners - dun really need if using disposables...

Blouse/shirts - long and short sleeves - for newborns, best buy those with buttons in front or strings...

Suits - pants and long shirts

Rompers - good for going out... cos prevent wind from getting into their tummy... Ross' old ones... mothercare has the best rompers for newborns and bb... pricy but worth it... do not get all white cos if not u will be stressed with the food stains...

Handkerchiefs (get plenty of them)

Face towels - get good quality ones...

Baby bathing
Baby wipes - for going out... ONLY

Cotton wool - for cleanning of bum with water at home
Bath tub - highly recommend Munckin rubber ducky tub...

Anti-slip mat - dun need lah... unless yr hands cant handle the bb...

Bath towel - hmm, might get new ones cos ross will still be using his...

Bath sponge (optional, small cotton handkerchief would suffice)
Baby soap/bath lotion - Love aromababy... pricy but sighz... still think it's good...
Baby shampoo - Aromababy

Baby powder with puff - Aromababy

Laundry for Baby Clothes
Buckets with lids

Basket for baby laundry

Nappy/clothes detergent/softener - we like to use pigeon brand soap powder

Clothes hanger for drying mittens/booties/handkerchiefs

Feeding Baby
Milk bottles (big+small) + teats - for breastfeeding mummies, the small 4oz bottles will do... get glass ones if possible... but note that some of nutrients from breastmilk tends to stick to the glass surface... pros and cons... I honestly prefer BPA-free bottles... but cos of R2 problems with bottles, my advise is not to get too many first. just get at most 2 first and see how the bb responded to that brand before going out to buy more... for R1, i didnt even get any during his first month... this is to force me to breastfeed him! :P

Bottle scrub brush

Warmer cum carrier bag

Thermometer (to use when baby is unwell) - get the ear ones cos they are faster... but remember this type is not very accurate...

Large pan/pot (for sterilising)

Tongs (to handle hot bottles)
Electric Steam Steriliser (Pigeon/Avent) - Ross' old one is still going strong... otherwise, 1 bb gift to request from friends, colleagues is steam sterilier... esp good if you are steralising yr pumps...

Milk containers

Bags/milk bottles to store expressed breastmilk - I love Medela milk bags but they are more pricy... get from www.mummyknowsbestshop.com

Misc
Thermometer - Ear Themometer is very convenient... but apparantly not accurate...

Nail clippers - i gotten the pigeon scissors one for nails instead...

Anti-nappy rash cream (Drapolene) - Aromababy barrier balm is very good for bb with sensitive skin like Ross

Oil for wind (Ru Yi or ‘White Tree Oil’) - Godsend!

Ziplock bags for checkups and outings.

Woodward’s Gripe Water - concern regarding alcohol content... we give millenium from Excel instead...

Polythene bag for soiled diapers

Care of the Umbilical Cord Stump

Sterile swab applicators

Sterile cotton swabs - get from hospital pharmacy... before discharging...
Sterile container for cord spirit - think the hospital will provide a bottle...

Cord spirit

Accessories
Playpen - never had one... we gotten a playmat instead... from Small Small world

Stair/door gates (If you want to separate your baby & pets)

Rubber protectors for bedroom doors

Highchair - highly recommend Graco highchair, pricy but stable... ikea is cheap and good too, just that it's very light...

Stroller - different stage needs different stroller... newborns need those that can be flat.... but these are heavy... thus, then they are older, get maclaren ones, light and not ex...

Pram

Car seats - even if you do not have a car, this is good for bringing newborns around... those with a handle

SLING - very good for breastfeeding, cotton sateen ones from MIM, have a cotton sateen and silk one for dinners...

Toys & Playstuff
Rattle - useful... washing ross old ones...

Mirror

Baby gym - dun really need lah... if have, of course good

Mummy Care
Maternity Dress/top/bottom

Pyjamas with front opening for breast feeding - for hospital stay

Breast pump - good investment... for frequent use, medela pump in style or ameda lactina... those who need advises on breastpumps please email me for more details...

Anti Stretchmark creams - currently using palmer's organic cocoa...

Nursing bras
Maternity bras - Mummyknowsbest is stocking up on some great nursing and maternity bras... stay tune...

Nipple cream for crack nipples

Nursing pads

Disposible cotton panties - get cotton ones for confinement...

Cotton panties (larger size when reach later stage of pregnancy)

Sanitary pads - 1 pack of maternity one will do... the rest of the time, just use normal ones...

Panty liners

Bedroom slippers - good to have... otherwise, just use socks...

Other optional items
Plastic bowl/ container, 10-12 inch diameter for both baby and mother

Electrical HotFlask (autoboil), quick access to boiling water

Thermoflask without autoboil, for mum’s drinking water

Claypot or double boil claypot for mum’s confinement soup

Claypot or earthenware for cooking pig’s trotters in ginger and black vinegar

2 pails for mum’s bathing and face cleansing.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Pregnancy Guide #1 - What food to avoid during Pregnancy?

Extracted from http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleid=917

During pregnancy, it's important to eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet, in order to provide your baby with the nutrients it needs to grow. Your diet should also give you energy for the changes taking place in your body.


However, there are certain foods you shouldn't eat whilst pregnant to avoid exposing yourself to the risk of food poisoning, or because they can be potentially dangerous to your unborn baby.


Listeria
Listeriosis is a rare, flu-like illness, which can be contracted from food that contains listeria bacteria. Although rare in the UK, listeriosis can cause stillbirth, miscarriage, or severe illness in newborn babies.


You should avoid foods where high levels of listeria are occasionally found. These foods may include:
soft and blue-veined cheese, such as Camembert, Brie and Stilton. (There is no risk of listeria associated with hard cheese such as cheddar, cottage cheese or processed cheese),
pâté (any type, including vegetable), certain prepared salads such as potato salad and coleslaw, and ready-prepared meals or re-heated food, unless they are piping hot all the way through.

Salmonella
Salmonella is a bacteria that causes a type of food poisoning. Salmonella is found in unpasteurised milk, raw eggs and raw egg products, raw poultry and raw meat. Although salmonella food poisoning is unlikely to harm your baby, it is advisable to take precautions to avoid foods that may contain salmonella. The steps outlined below will reduce your risk of getting salmonella.

Avoid food containing raw or partially cooked eggs, such as homemade mayonnaise, and some mousses and sauces. You should only eat eggs if they are cooked until both the white and the yolk are solid.


Avoid unpasteurised dairy products.


Cook all meat and poultry thoroughly, and take particular care with products made from minced meat, such as sausages and burgers. Make sure these are cooked until they are piping hot all the way through and no pink meat is left.


Take particular care with meat at barbeques, parties and buffets. Bacteria breed quickly on food that is left uncovered in a warm environment.


Make sure that raw meat does not come into contact with other food (for example in the fridge), particularly food that is already cooked or that will be eaten raw.


Always wash your hands after handling raw meat.


Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite found in cat faeces. It can also be present in raw or undercooked meat, and in soil left on unwashed fruit and vegetables. Although rare, the infection can occasionally be passed to the unborn baby, which can cause serious problems.

To reduce the risk of toxoplasmosis, you should avoid the following foods:

  • unwashed raw fruit and vegetables,
  • raw or undercooked meat, and
  • unpasteurised goats' milk or goats' cheese.


To avoid contact with soil or faeces that might contain the toxoplasmosis parasite, it's important to wear gloves if you are gardening or changing a cat litter tray. If possible, ask someone else to do it for you.


Vitamin A
If you're pregnant you should make sure you don't have too much vitamin A. Although you need some vitamin A in your diet, having too much could mean that levels build up in your body and harm your unborn baby.


Eating a normal, well-balanced diet should give you all the vitamin A your body needs. Avoid liver or liver products such as pâté, as liver contains high levels of vitamin A. You should also check with your doctor before taking any high-dose multivitamins or cod liver oil supplements, as these may also contain vitamin A.


Fish
Oily fish is good for your health, but you need to limit the amount that you eat because it contains pollutants, such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).


If you're pregnant, you should eat no more than two portions of oily fish a week. Oily fish includes fresh tuna (not canned tuna, which doesn't count as oily fish), mackerel, sardines and trout.


There are a few types of fish that you should avoid eating while pregnant, and some others that you should limit the amount you eat.


Limit the amount of tuna you eat because it contains a high level of mercury which can have a damaging effect on your baby's developing nervous system. You shouldn't eat more than one tuna steak, or four medium-sized tins (about 140g per can) of tuna a week. This works out at about six rounds of tuna sandwiches or three tuna salads.


Avoid eating shark, swordfish and marlin as these fish also contain a high level of mercury. You should also avoid eating raw shellfish when you're pregnant. This will reduce your chances of getting food poisoning which can be particularly unpleasant when you're pregnant.


Alcohol
The Department of Health advises that pregnant women, and women who are trying to conceive, should avoid drinking alcohol and should not get drunk. Heavy drinking, during pregnancy, is associated with low birth weight, and other, more serious birth defects.


However, if you do decide to drink alcohol while you are pregnant, you should limit the amount that you drink. The Department of Health and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists advise that pregnant women should not drink more than 1-2 units of alcohol once or twice a week. Binge drinking (drinking several units of alcohol in one session) should be avoided.


Caffeine
You should limit the amount of caffeine you have each day. Caffeine affects the way your body absorbs iron, which is very important for your baby's development. High levels of caffeine can result in a baby having a low birth weight, or even miscarriage.
Caffeine occurs naturally in a range of foods, such as coffee, tea and chocolate, and it's also added to some soft drinks and 'energy' drinks. It's important not to have more than 300mg of caffeine a day. 300mg is roughly equivalent to either:

  • three mugs of instant coffee,
  • three cups of brewed coffee,
  • six cups of tea,
  • eight cans of regular cola

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Why Choose Cloth Diapering?

Hectic lifestyle these days resulted in lots of parents opting for disposable products for "Use & Throw" is the motto of many people in the 21st century. Are you one of them then? Well, I WAS. I used to have this mentality too. But that was history for intensive research has changed this "Use & Throw" attitude. With the great leap in awareness of environmental damages that this attitude can cost humans, I have learn there are alternatives - which are environmentally friendly, baby friendly and cash friendly - to leave our future generations with a better planet to live in.


Benefits of Cloth diapers

Very much cheaper in the long-run

In recent years, there are many studies out there that compare the costs of using disposable diapers vs cloth diapers. Most of the studies agree that using home laundered cloth diapers is definitely much cheaper than buying of disposable diapers.

How much can we save?

From a newborn baby to a 3 year old toddler, base on an average of 8 disposable diapers a day, this kid would have used 8760 disposable diapers. An average quality disposable diaper costs a minimum of $0.25, thus, by the end of 3 years, you would have spent $2190. Not including the money spent on petrol or bus rides to the supermarket to get the disposable diapers, diaper rash cream that you have to buy etc. You would have spent more than $2190 and yet you are just ‘donating’ this amount away to the landfills.

However, if you are using cloth diapers, base on a comfortable set of 25 diapers to be used for 3 years and an average of $34 per diaper, you will have to spend an initial ‘investment’ of $850 (before bulk purchase discount). Let us round it up to $900, inclusive of bulk discount, buying of nappy liners and additional inserts and accessories. You would have saved $1290. A GREAT saving! Of course, you could argue that you spent money on utility bill for water is needed and electricity if you are using the washing machine. However, with the high efficiency of washing machine, the amount of money that you spend on water and electrical bill is still lesser than using of disposable diapers. Moreover, if great care is used on the cloth diapers, these diapers can be passed down to subsequent child or to be resold to other parents.

Initial costs of cloth diapers may seem to be huge amount of money and daunting to some while costs of disposable diapers are usually hidden in groceries bills. If you have the time and try to do your sums, you will realize that lots of savings are associated mainly with cloth diapering.

Environmentally friendly

Imagine an average baby uses about 8000 disposable diapers during her/her first 3 years of life. While another cloth diapering baby uses about 25 cloth diapers for the same duration and most likely these 25 cloth diapers can be used for another child.

Consider this. The resources used to manufacture 8000 disposable diapers is definitely far greater than that of 25 cloth diapers even when laundering of these cloth diapers are taken into consideration. Moreover, it is a known fact that each disposable diaper takes about 500 years to degrade in a landfill. Imagine the leakage of chemical byproducts from these disposable diapers in the landfill to our water sources. Can you? I can’t even bear to think of that.

No harsh chemicals used

Have you ever wonder what makes the disposable diapers so ‘ultra-absorbent’? The answer is the chemical called sodium polyacrylate which absorbs up to 100 times its weight in water. Thus, if you are very observant, you would have notice that there are beads of clear gel on the genitals of your baby after each diaper change. This chemical was used in tampons prior to 1985. However, it was removed after it is linked to toxic shock syndrome. Till today, no study has been done to see if there are any long term effects of such chemical on baby’s skin almost 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for at least 2 to 3 years.

All of us parents should be very concern with the type of chemicals that the baby is in contact with. However, most of the time we are only duly concern with those that is in contact with the baby’s mouth but not baby’s skin. One type of chemicals, Dioxin, is used in the process of manufacturing of disposable diapers. It is a by product of the paper bleaching process and traces of it might be in the disposable diapers themselves. EPA has listed Dioxin as the most toxic of cancer-related chemicals.

Also, disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) which is a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans.

More comfortable

Which material feels more comfortable on your own bum? Cloth or cotton with chemical and gel-like substance? Just because babies can’t talk doesn’t mean that they are comfortable in disposable diapers. Even with cotton-like disposable diapers, these are still less ‘breathable’ than cloth diapers and may result in diaper rash on your precious baby’s bum.

Less Diaper Rash

Not surprising, since most of the disposable diapers are made from synthetic material and chemicals. According to Procter & Gamble’s studies, the occurrence of diaper rash increases from 7.1% to 61% with the increased usage of disposable diapers.

Most people have this mistaken impression that the more absorbent the diaper is, the less likely that the baby will get diaper rash. In recent years, the disposable diapers are getting more and more absorbent, so much so that most parents are not changing their babies’ diapers often enough.

When babies are exposed to moisture for long period of time and together with friction, bacteria and ammonia build up, diaper rash will result. Disposable diapers cause diaper rash as the super absorbent gel in it ‘attracts’ natural moisture from the baby’s skin and combined with less frequent diaper change, irritation will result.

Less allergies

Baby’s skin is extremely sensitive. Many babies are allergic to the chemicals in disposable diapers. However, cloth diapers would eliminate this worry since there are no chemicals in them.

More frequent change of baby’s nappy

As cloth diapers allow the care giver to have a better gauge of the baby’s output, it also results in more frequent change of baby’s nappy. Moreover, as cloth diapers also allows the children to feel the wetness, they tend to ‘complain’ when they are wet thus resulting in frequent changes as well. It is definitely much better to change the baby’s nappy more frequently as the babies are not exposed to their own poo especially for long period of time.

Potty-train friendly

Why? This is because cloth diapers allow the baby to feel its wetness while super absorbent disposable diapers do not. Thus, studies have shown that for children who use cloth diapers, the average age of potty-trained is 2 while that of disposable diapers is 2 and a half.

Easy to clean up baby’s poo

Super absorbent disposable diapers make it difficult to clean up baby’s poo because it ‘pulls’ all the moisture from the baby’s bum while cloth diaper does not. Thus, it is much easier to clean up the baby’s poo when he or she is using cloth diaper.

Convenient

Ever forgot to replenish your disposable supplies and had a mad rush to the nearest supermarket before it close for the night? I did. Cloth diapers are very convenient compared to the usage of disposable diapers. Once you have washed them, it’s there for the baby for the next use. Moreover, with aplix or snaps fasternings, they are definitely more convenient than traditional cloth diapers with safety pins etc.

Gives baby better cushioning of their bum

Cloth diapers can even offer cushion to the baby’s bum if they had a fall etc.

Cute Colours & Prints

Why dress your baby in boring disposable diapers? Cloth diapers are available in very cute prints and colours. It is amazing world of cloth diapers in the market today. There is a cloth diaper to suit each set of cloths that you choose for your little precious. Why wait to start cloth diapering?

Stands out in a sea of babies

A baby in cloth diaper will definitely stand out among the rest of the babies as cloth diapers comes in a wide array of colours and lovely prints. So be different and start cloth diapering now!

Resale value

Disposable diapers are to be ‘use & throw’ and for ONE time use only while cloth diapers have some sort of resale value in them.


Thursday, June 25, 2009

The GSS - Medela Pump & Save Milkbags

The Great Singapore Sale is NOW ON!

Medela Milkbags 50 pieces per box
Usual Price - $49.90
Sale Price - $45.90 per box
If you purchase > 2 boxes,
free $10 NTUC voucher
+ free $10 MummyKnowsBest voucher (for next purchase)
+ free normal local postage
***WHILE STOCK LAST!***