Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby

Every 7th day of Chinese New Year (also called ‘Ren Ri’ ; 人日), Ah-mm will tell me to go and buy 7 types of vegetables for her to cook 七样菜. 人日 is literally ‘human day’. According to Chinese legend, 女媧 created different animals on different days. Humans were created on the 7th day after she created the world, so Ren Ri is also known as everyone’s birthday. Don’t be surprised if a Chinese wishes you ‘Happy Birthday’ on this day!

Some markets will pre-pack the 7 assorted vegetables for you so you don’t end up with big bunches of everything. This year, I ordered my 7 vegetables from SGVegetables.com. Saves me the trouble of going to the market with my big tummy! Ah-mm says there’s no hard and fast rule as to which vegetables go into the dish, but she insists on having Chinese leeks (大蒜), pronounced ‘da suan’, which sounds like calculating (money).She also always got some 春菜 (mustard greens) but it’s kinda hard to find. My 7 types of vegetables this year:

1. Chinese leeks (red leeks)
2. Spring onions
3. Chives
4. Celery
5. Cabbage
6. Puay Leng (Chinese spinach)
7. Xiao Bai Cai

You can add in some meat slices like lean pork, but I added bak gwa this year hehe. Slice the bak gwa into strips and fry them together with the leeks, chives and celery in the beginning, so that the entire wok has the smokey fragrance of bak gwa. But watch the fire to prevent burning. I like them a bit charred though!

For seasonings, I simply added a bit of mushroom powder. You can add some chicken seasoning powder or light soy sauce if you don’t have mushroom seasoning. Enjoy your birthday today and I wish health and happiness for everyone!

CNY dish: 七样菜 Stir Fried 7 Vegetables (budgetpantry.com)
Serves: 4-6 as part of a Chinese meal

What you need:

6 stalks Chinese leek
2 sprigs spring onion
4-5 stalks chives
4 stalks celery
8 leaves napa cabbage
Handful of Chinese spinach
3 bunches xiao bai cai
1.5 slice bak kwa, cut into strips
5 cloves sliced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 tablespoon mushroom seasoning

(note: above is agaration. you can simply use a handful of each type of vegetable)

Steps:

Chop the vegetables into 1-inch length thereabouts.

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry the garlic, leeks, chives, celery and bak kwa for a few minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables on high heat.

Sprinkle in the mushroom seasoning, mix well and dish up. If you have some fried garlic, you can also sprinkle some on top before serving.

Feeling baby’s movements (Week 15-19)

These four weeks felt like forever because it’s the longest we’ve gone without seeing Chua Bee Bee. How is she? Is she well? Is everything developing correctly? Week 15 was also when I started bugging Aishah incessantly, “How would I know if the baby is ok?” You won’t know. You just got to have faith. I guess this period of limbo is really “no news is good news”.

But in Week 15, I started feeling butterflies in my tummy. The feeling is like a butterfly landing on your tummy and then quickly flying away. I didn’t know those could be Chua Bee Bee moving – her movements were like a whisper. The next week, I started feeling “muscle twitches”. With real muscle twitches though, they’re normally at the same place, but these twitches were all over the place on my lower abdomen. I read that these sensations were called “quickening”.

By Week 18, I was sure I was feeling my baby move. I could feel little kicks, not every day, but most days. What a cute feeling!

20-week anomaly scan

We were so looking forward to this scan, just before Christmas. We could finally see our kid after more than a month! Jason went for the scan with me this time cos he didn’t want to miss out on looking at Chua Bee Bee close up. He missed the 12-week scan as I thought it would just take five minutes so I told him I could go alone. The scan took about 45 minutes. The sonographer measured the head, the abdomen, the limbs, the spine, and looked out for baby’s brain, internal organs, genitalia, hands and feet, and even counted her tiny fingers and toes! She explained what everything was as she scanned – I was beginning to think she had some super power. How to see on that screen and some more have to come up with a detailed report to the doctor stating if everything has developed normally?

Chua Bee Bee was now 15 cm long from head to her bum, and 25 cm from head to toe! Her arms and legs measured longer than average, her chin and nose looked sharp (yes can see!), and everything appeared great. One scene I will never forget is when I felt and SAW her kicking me on the screen. Look at this scan of her foot in the air. You can even see her tiny toes! Isn’t she photogenic!

And then you can see her tiny hands. The sonographer searched for both hands and counted her little fingers:

And here are her feet. We took the longest to find her feet cos they were squashed somewhere underneath and she wouldn’t budge! I was asked to empty my bladder and come back to the room so that there’s a chance the little girl will shift positions. And FINALLY, we see her little feet and counted all her cute toes:

The sonographer also measured the length of her forearm and her thigh bone. Both were around the 80th percentile. Long limbs like her dad! Sure taller than me.

And her head circumference:

The rest of the scan pics I can’t make out what they are LOL. If you’re a mom going for your 20-week scan soon, enjoy it! Here are Chua Bee Bee’s measurements if you’re interested (she was 19W5D at time of scan):

Gestational diabetes scare (Week 21)!
I got a scare when I peed on the urine test stick at Dr Koh’s clinic and saw that my glucose level has skyrocketed. Having always taken care of my health, I have NEVER seen such crazy levels before. At my 12-week blood test, I was having borderline LOW blood sugar. At at the previous month’s visit, my glucose level was also normal. How could it be at 21 weeks, my blood sugar was so high? Dr Koh said not to worry as the spike was probably due to me eating breakfast within 3 hours before this and that we will take the test again next visit. But all I had was my unsweetened soya milk, albeit less than an hour ago. I knew I had let myself go with all the cookies and cakes, bubble tea, ribena, large packets of rice and noodles and potato chips and ice cream. And this needed to stop. I had no doubt that with my dietary changes, my levels will return to normal by the next visit. And sure enough, they did!

The good news is Dr Koh said our little girl is growing well and she has put on another 40g and now weighed 354g!

Overnight a big tummy (Week 24)

Over the past three weeks, we have been setting aside time at night talking to Chua Bee Bee and feeling her move. Jason could already feel her kicking his face as he kissed my tummy. I realise that she is most active at night, around 10.30 pm to 11.30 pm. Her kicks assure me that she is doing well. I love feeling those kicks and wish she would just kick me all day long!

This same week, my tummy grew OVERNIGHT. Impossible as it might sound, it really did. I was already showing before this, but because I am fatter, you can’t really tell if I’m fat or pregnant. Nobody gives up their seats on the bus or MRT for me! On Sunday, I began feeling stretching, pulling aches, similar to what I felt at Week 15. As the uterus expands to accommodate the baby, your ligaments will stretch and you will feel mild aches or light cramps. I read that this is normal. What I didn’t read is that I was “rewarded” with a round, firm belly immediately the next day! I was doing my usual thing, lying on the bed and putting my hands on my lower belly to wait for the bub to kick, and realised in amazement how round I have become. What is happening to me?

Me and my tummy at 24 weeks!

Next:
Deciding on a hospital

Previous posts:
Pregnancy: The big reveal!
Pregnancy: The first trimester scans… I saw an empty womb on my first scan
Pregnancy: The second trimester – harmony test and gender reveal!

[5 x $80 grocery credit GIVEAWAY in collaboration with SGVegetables.com. Details on my Facebook page.]

I’ve been wanting to own a handheld blender since forever, so I can make soups like this effortlessly! The last time I made a smooth, creamy soup was in 2014, when I cooked my Tomato and Bacon Cream Soup. I didn’t have a handheld blender then, so it was a tedious process of cooking the soup over the stove top, then transferring it in 2-3 batches to my blender/food processor, then returning it to the stove to heat.

I’m SO GLAD this is a thing of the past. Ever since my brother bought me a $39.90 handheld blender (he bought it so I could make him his low carb Cauliflower Shepherd’s Pie), I’ve been thinking of ways to put it to good use. What better dish to cook than an ‘ang moh’ soup?

It’s really easy to make this. Some recipes call for the pumpkin to be roasted till soft (about 50 minutes), then added to a pre-cooked base of onions and stock, before being pureed till smooth. This recipe skips the roasting step but still manages to extract so much flavour from the sweet pumpkins. All I did was sauteed some yellow onions, garlic, celery and carrots in olive oil, then add the chopped pumpkin straight to the pot, followed by a bit of cumin and a litre of chicken stock, before pureeing till smooth. To balance the sweetness of the soup, a pinch of salt is added at the end. Note: I’ve never liked carton chicken stock like Swanson’s because I find it wayyy too salty, so I always either use Woh Hup’s concentrated chicken stock or a bullion cube dissolved in hot water.

To improve the aesthetics of the soup, you could add a drizzle of cooking cream or crème fraîche on top, but it really isn’t necessary. I topped it with roasted pumpkin seeds (waste nothing!) and a dash of coarse black pepper. The entire dish took me about 40 minutes start to finish, including prep time and cleaning up. And with less than 80 calories per serving, you won’t regret making this! Bon Appétit!

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$400 (5 x $80) grocery credit giveaway
Giveaway ongoing NOW with my favourite online fresh food store, http://www.sgvegetables.com. They’re one of the firsts to launch an online fresh food grocery service before all the big guys came out. But you know me, I always go back to supporting local small businesses. Details over on my Facebook page! Remember to create an account with them to double your chances of winning!

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Homemade Pumpkin Soup (budgetpantry.com)
Serves: 4
Cost per serving: $2.05

What you need:
1 kg pumpkin, peeled, deseeded (reserve seeds) and chopped into cubes
1 medium carrot, chopped into cubes
1 stalk celery, chopped into cubes
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 flat teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoon concentrated chicken stock dissolved in 1.2 litres water (or you could use one chicken/vegetable bullion cube)
Pinch of salt
Pumpkin seeds, as topping
Dash of coarse black pepper

Steps:

In a large saucepan, heat up the olive oil and sauteed onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the chopped celery and carrots. Fry for a few minutes then add the cumin.

Follow with chopped pumpkin and stock. Simmer for 20 minutes till vegetables are soft. In the meantime, roast the pumpkin seeds on a flat baking dish in a 170C oven for 10 minutes. Set aside when done.

When the vegetables are tender, add salt to taste (a pinch will do) and allow to cool slightly, then blend till smooth with a hand blender. You can also use a blender or food processor. Add some hot water if it’s too thick. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds and a dash of black pepper before serving.

How much I spent:

$7.60 for pumpkin
$0.30 for carrot
$0.30 for onion
Everything else from my pantry

Oh what chubby cheeks you have!

At close to 30 weeks now, I’m into my final trimester! At my week 27 appointment, Chua Bee Bee measured 1.1kg and is growing well. But the scans at my gynae’s clinic were getting a tad boring cos he can only scan Chua Bee Bee’s head since she’s getting so big. So all I was seeing at every scan was a round shape on the screen. Like a typical first-time parent willing to spend on unnecessary things, I decided to look around for somewhere to do a 4D scan!

Where to do a 4D scan in Singapore

I checked out Raffles Hospital and Thomson Medical Centre, but both places require a doctor’s referral and cost around $390. Too troublesome for me to go back to my gynae for a referral and the available appointment slots are ages away. By then, Chua Bee Bee would be too big to ‘qualify’ for the scan! I googled and found Radlink Diagnostics which didn’t need a doctor’s referral and cost $364 nett. Still expensive, but I really wanted to see what she is up to inside my tummy!

Oh, a word about itchiness

I went for my dermatologist appointment at KK Hospital in the morning to check out my super itchy legs. I was getting paranoid because three weeks ago I started itching crazily without a rash on my soles and palms. The itch was so bad, I was even woken up by the itch. Too much google landed me on the ICP Care website (previously known as ‘Itchymoms.com’) which provides detailed info on Intraheptic Cholestasis of Pregnancy, a rare liver condition specific to pregnancy which interferes with the flow of bile. Left untreated, your baby could be at risk if not delivered by 37 weeks. I had to insist that my gynea give me a blood test to rule out the condition. I can’t believe that he laughed in my face like it was nothing and told me to stay off the internet! He also didn’t know what cholestasis is and kept asking if I’m referring to fatty liver. I’m not. I swear I’m not going back to him if we decide to have a second baby. The liver function tests came back normal (and he didn’t test my bile acids!) but I was still itching like mad. Turned out that the itching is eczema-related. After the KKH appointment, I went to Orchard to eat Yong Tau Foo at Lucky Plaza before going for a random hair cut (too much time to kill and I was missing my bangs!) before going to Radlink at Paragon for Chua Bee Bee’s scan at 4pm.

Love my haircut. And love the sun!

Err at Hilton Hotel’s toilet. Can’t really see the bump cos of the slim cutting of the dress ($17 from Qoo10), but my tummy is now quite big!

The 4D scan at Radlink Diagnostics

4pm finally arrived! I met Jason at Paragon and off to see Chua Bee Bee we went! Radlink Diagnostics is located at Paragon Medical Centre. Just go through Paragon’s main entrance, walk till the end and take the lift at Lobby E. It’s on the 8th floor.

The sonographer emphasised that the success of the scan depended on Chua Bee Bee’s position. To capture a 3D image, there can’t be any blockage on top of the her face, meaning the coast must be clear. She can’t be too close to the top or sides of the womb and can’t be facing inwards. This was the first image we saw:

Apa la, Chua Bee Bee! Both her feet were extended over and above her head, directly on top of her face, and her hand was right in front of her mouth! Couldn’t really see anything clear but we could make out her chubby cheeks, part of her nose and a bit of her lips. She’s so cute even like this!

In the next minute, she moved her hands and we could see her chubby cheeks clearly! Her hand is now just below her chin. My first thought was Chua Bee Bee your nose need to be so big or not LOLOLOL! Mummy still love you ok your have 福气 nose is the cutest! The thing/shadow you see by the left side of her face is her foot.. either she’s too tall or she has incredibly flexible joints. The sonographer said that at this time, the baby’s joints are not fully developed yet, so they’re able to do crazy yoga poses in their water balloons (amniotic sac).

We had no luck for almost half and hour. It took A LOT of coaxing, walking, emptying the bladder, talking and turning to get her to change positions. Even so, we weren’t so lucky. 4pm is her nap time! We switched to 2D view and captured this:

Chua Bee Bee yawning and pouting! This is seriously the sweetest video I’ve ever seen of my baby girl! Because her feet were blocking her face, we couldn’t see the yawning in 3D view, but we were able to see it in 2D. We also saw her sucking the back of her hand and sticking out her tongue but that video wasn’t recorded.

The sonographer had me lie on my right side in the hope of getting Chua Bee Bee to move her feet and hand out of the way, but she wouldn’t budge! In the rare occasion that she did, yeah la, she turned too. But she turned to face my placenta so there was no way we could see her face. I tried walking around in the room to try and wake her up, and finally we managed to get some shots:

This pic looks like she’s smiling with her mouth open but it’s actually her so close to the roof of my womb that her lips are pressed flat against it, so we can’t see any shape or structure. But I think her chin looks quite sharp!

This is one of the clearer pictures :) Both her hands are framing her face and she’s still sound asleep. I’m so in loveeeeee……

And this! You can see her lips so clearly here.. I think they look full and sexy and so shiny! Her feet are still by the left side of her face…..

There are lots more other pictures and videos (all given to us in a cd) but these are really the best ones. The whole session lasted about an hour. Your baby needs to be between 26-28 weeks in order to do the scan. Chua Bee Bee was 29 weeks 3 days so I guess a little ‘overage’ doesn’t matter. Other places might have different requirements. We left Radlink $364 poorer but incredibly happy! We could now put a face to all the jelly dances and flying kicks. Can’t wait to see you, our baby girl!

Next:
Deciding on a hospital

Previous posts:
Pregnancy: The big reveal!
Pregnancy: The first trimester scans… I saw an empty womb on my first scan
Pregnancy: The second trimester – harmony test and gender reveal!
Pregnancy: The second trimester – 20-week anomaly scan + gestational diabetes scare

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You would have known by now that I love eating eggplants. They’re great grilled, baked, deep fried or airfried, in a low-carb lasagna, yong tau foo and stir-fries. I’ve featured it many times in my lunch boxes grilled and topped with tuna and egg, but one of the best ways to eat this is in this dish: Eggplant with garlic minced meat gravy 鱼香茄子.

Restaurants or zi-char stalls cook this by deep frying the eggplant in hot oil to quickly get them soft and melty. You can achieve the same by doing a shallow-fry in your wok, but it is more time-consuming. By nature, eggplant absorbs oil easily, so I turn down the heat and just add about two tablespoons of olive oil for 2 eggplants. Still relatively ‘oily’ by my standards but way better than deep frying.

If I can eat rice freely, I will totally wallop 2-3 bowls of rice with this! The minced meat and garlic gravy matches so well with the soft and melty eggplant! And the sliced chilli and spring onions lift the flavour to another level. I used big red cut chilli for this as the aunt can’t really take spice cos of her gastritis. I would have used chilli padi! If using chilli padi, chop them really fine and fry together with the garlic and ginger.

Eggplant with Garlic Minced Meat Gravy 鱼香茄子 (budgetpantry.com)
Serves: 3-4 as part of a Chinese meal
Total cost per serving: $1.05

What you need:

2 long eggplants/brinjals, sliced into 3″ x 1″ length
200g minced meat (chicken or pork)
2 big red chilli, seeds removed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Half tablespoon chopped ginger
1 stalk spring onion, chopped into 1″ length (separate white and green sections)
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil
Water and 1 teaspoon salt (for soaking the eggplants)

Seasonings
1 tablespoon chilli bean paste
Half tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cooking wine
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water

Steps:

Soak the sliced eggplants (no need to remove skin) in salt water for 15 minutes. Remove and drain.

Heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place eggplants flesh side down and let it cook under low heat until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Use a pair of chopsticks to rotate eggplant, making sure each side is cooked and soft. Remove from wok and set aside.

In the same wok, heat up the remaining teaspoon of oil and fry garlic, ginger, white part of spring onion and red chilli till fragrant. Add the seasonings and mix well. Add some water if too dry. Mix in the spring onions, do a final toss and serve hot with rice.

How much I spent:

$1.20 for eggplant
$3 for minced chicken (you can use pork)
Everything else from my pantry

I can’t believe that I’m now close to 31 weeks pregnant! Wasn’t it just a while ago that Chua Bee Bee measured just 1mm big? If you’re new to my blog (hello!), read about Chua Bee Bee and her week-by-week growth in my first trimester.

Deciding on a hospital wasn’t so difficult for me. I only had two choices: Thomson Medical Centre or Mount Alvernia as my gynae only delivers in these two hospitals. After listening to first-hand experiences from friends who had recently given birth, and reading online reviews, the choice was clear: It’s going to be Mount Alvernia.

I’m going break up this post into two sections: 1) Estimate bill size & how much cash to pay and 2) Maternity Tour

Part 1: Estimate Bill Size & how much cash to pay

Your total hospital bill will generally be made up of four components:

1. Hospital’s Maternity Package
2. Gynae’s fee
3. Anesthetist fee (for epidural or GA)
4. Baby’s bill (including Pediatrician fee)

Hospital’s Maternity Package

How much you pay depends on the room you choose and whether you stay 3D2N or 4D3N. I’m going to use myself as an example. My ideal is having a normal delivery with epidural in a single room, so for the first component of my bill, i.e., 1. Hospital’s Maternity Package, I will be paying $3491.41 including GST. Note: as of today 5 March 2016, their 4-bedded rooms are closed till further notice.

What is included and not included in the package? (Take note of the box at the bottom stating the consumables and services not included – these are added costs on top of the amount stated in the maternity packages chart above – but not everyone will need them. Err they will also charge you for extra pads so bring your own, syringe to collect colostrum if you’re breastfeeding etc. As long as it’s something not included in package, you’ll be charged.)

Gynae’s fee and Anesthetist fee
This will depend on your gynae so check with him/her. For me, my gynae charges $1200 for normal vaginal delivery. I’m not so sure about the anesthetist fee but from what I’ve read, it’s around $1200 to $1350.

Baby’s bill (including Pediatrician fee)
According to a sample given to me by the Business Office, the total baby’s bill is around $1500.

How much maximum can I claim from medisave?

Refer to the maternity packages chart above. Again using my 3D2N example, I can claim:

a) For mummy’s bill (me): $1650 + $450 = $2100
b) For baby’s bill (not stated above): $900 ($450 per day for 2 days if doctor decides that there is a ‘diagnosis’ for baby resulting in split of mummy’s and baby’s bill)

Total medisave that can be claimed: $3000

Note: According to the business office, whether the bill is split into mummy’s bill and baby’s bill depends on your baby’s condition and your doctor. If everything is well and baby is fine without any extra care or observation, the bill will normally be under mummy’s name, i.e., the max you can claim is $2100. If your doctor has a ‘diagnosis’ for baby (how he determines this you have to check with him – for eg baby needs to be admitted for phototherapy), resulting in baby having his/her own bill, you can claim $2100 max for yourself and $450 a day for your baby. For more info as to in what circumstances the bill will be split, ask your doctor. For general billing enquiries, call Mt. Alvernia’s business office at 6347 6601.

Soooo….. how much cash do I have to pay?

Upon admission, medisave paying patients pay full package price of the selected maternity package by cash, nets or credit card (for me, it’ll be $3491.41). Non-medisave paying patients will pay the full package price + $800.

Upon discharge, you pay the remaining components [gynae’s fee + anesthetist fee + baby fee] minus [estimated claimable medisave amount].

I’m using an example of a maximum claim (that is, baby needs to be ‘admitted’ for other procedures like phototherapy etc). Upon discharge, I will pay [$1200 gynae’s fee + $1350 anesthetist fee + $1500 baby’s fee] minus [$3000 estimated claimable medisave] = $1050

So at this point, I would have already paid $3491.41 + $1050 = $4541.41 by cash, nets or credit

A final bill will be sent to me 2-4 weeks later informing me of the balance to pay (if any). This is in the event that I had used any other consumables during my stay like rental of breast pump ($21.40), formula milk bottles if needed ($1 per bottle) and other surcharges and tests not included in the maternity package.

Disclaimer: This is a rough guide and does not represent the actual amount you have to fork out. For financial counselling or detailed explanations, please approach Mt Alvernia’s business office.

Part 2: Maternity Tour

Here’s their tour schedule:

Monday to Friday: 2.30pm to 3.30pm
Saturday: 10am to 11am and 12pm to 1pm
No tours on Sundays and public holidays

We met up at the Patient Liaison Centre in the main lobby where we went through some slides of generic and useful information before going on the tour. We also got a goodie bag with these items:

Our first stop was the Parentcraft Centre at level 2.

Each mummy is entitled to one complimentary session at the Parentcraft Centre. Sessions include breastfeeding talk and consultation, bathing your baby, bottle feeding and weaning, baby massage class and etc. Next, we went to St. Michael’s Ward:

This is the Single Room at St Michael’s Ward. The only difference between the St. Michael’s Single Room and a regular single room is that St Michael’s single room has an iPad-controlled room lighting (?!) and wheelchair-friendly bathroom. Other amenities are the same as the single wards, which cost about a hundred dollars cheaper.

We then went on over to Our Lady’s Ward at level 3 to view their regular single room and 2-bedded rooms:

The single room comes with a personal dressing table and sofa armchair which can be converted into a bed. If you choose a single room (likewise for St. Michael’s Single), your husband/companion can stay over for a fee of $80.25 per night, inclusive of meals. There’s also a fridge right in your room. Here’s what the bathroom looks like:

Our Lady’s Ward also houses the Family Suite and Super Deluxe Room. We didn’t get to view the rooms but if you’re interested, you can view them on the Mt. A website.

Here’s the 2-bedded room. Each bed has its own TV but there’s no fridge in the room, and of course the bathroom is shared. It actually looks quite spacious and comfortable. And now for the delivery suite:

Your husband can accompany you to the delivery suite regardless of which maternity package you choose. If he is overseas and unable to to make it, then one other companion may take his place. My first reaction when I stepped into the suite: COLD! Bring a cardigan with you. The delivery suite is equipped with an arm chair, CD player, bathroom and various pain management tools like gym balls, floor mat or aromatherapy. Let the nurses know if you need any of these. If you’re banking your baby’s cord blood, remember to hand over the cord blood collection kit to the nurses.

Oh and I wasn’t allowed any photos of the babies in the nursery, but in case you’re curious what the free bath tub and ‘maternity bag’ look like…

One last thing to add: If you opted for normal delivery at admission but for some reason have to go for last minute emergency c-sect, you will be moved to the operating theatre from the delivery suite. Package-wise, you simply pay the c-sect package (refer to maternity packages chart above) + the delivery suite fee (around $300+) + consumables (around $100+) and the charges for CTG machine (the machine to monitor your contractions) which sorry I don’t know how much.

I hope this post was able to clear some of your doubts for $$ matters and the types of rooms available at Mount Alvernia Hospital. Again, please note that this is intended to be a rough guide and your total bill may (will!) vary. Information correct as of 5 March 2016. I take no responsibilities if any info has changed by the time you deliver! Wishing every mummy a safe and healthy delivery. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I will try my best to answer. Follow me on my Facebook Page for more baby tips and updates!

Some of you ask me if I still cook as often since I’m now 31 weeks. YES I’m still cooking! Cook as often but not so elaborate la. I still prepare my lunchbox for work and come home to cook dinner for Jason, myself and sometimes Ah-mm and 88.

Mealtimes are simple for me. Sometimes when I’m settling dinner alone I don’t really go for the taste and just blanch some veggies and fill up on some protein. But then again I love the taste of plain boiled vegetables over stir fry. I can eat a whole head (or two!) of plain broccoli. You ask me to add some oyster sauce I might not want to eat.

So today is one of those days where you just want to get dinner over and done with. I decided to flake some airfried salmon and cook sambal fried rice for Jason. And then after that I can quickly lie down and see #ChuaBeeBee do her jelly dance! She is now VERY active and my tummy is constantly vibrating. Sometimes her kicks and crazy wriggles actually feel painful. But move all you want ok CBB. You can do whatever you want as long as you are healthy and keep moving.

I love this recipe because dinner can be ready in 15 minutes. It helps if you have an airfryer, if not, you can pan fry the salmon till 80% done, then flake with a fork – the same you do if you airfry. Jason polished off the whole plate and kept saying it’s delicious. The sambal chilli I used is Taho Sambal Belacan, which I got from the provision store opposite my place. I’ve seen it in wet market stalls and Giant.. it’s one of the best, if not the best bottled sambal belacan available. I love their entire range of chilli.. their extra hot chilli sauce with lemon is powwwwwww!

If time is a constraint for you when it comes to meal-planning, try this! One dish settled with no lack of nutrition.

Salmon Sambal Fried Rice (budgetpantry.com)
Serves: 2
Total cost per serving: $2.10

What you need:

200g salmon fillet
2 servings cooked rice, best if overnight (if not, scoop out on a plate and refrigerate till ready to use)
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons edamame beans/frozen mixed vegetables
1 sprig spring onions, chopped
1.5 teaspoons Taho sambal belacan (or more to taste – it’s spicy!)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Steak seasoning/cajun powder/old bay seasoning and 1 teaspoon sugar (to season salmon)

Steps:

Preheat airfryer to 180C. When orange light disappears, airfry seasoned salmon fillet skin side up for 6 minutes till 80% done. Flake with a fork and cut skin into smaller pieces. Set aside for later use.

Heat up your wok on high flame, add the oil, wait for a few minutes and fry garlic till fragrant. Add the beans/mixed vegetables. Fry for a minute then add the salmon flakes. Cook till just turning firm.

Add all the rice and stir fry quickly to combine. Follow with the light soy sauce and sambal chilli. Mix well. Make some space in the middle of the wok and crack the eggs. Allow to set for 30 seconds then combine with all the rice. Keep tossing to keep things going. Add the chopped spring onions.

Continue frying on high heat till rice grains dance inside the wok. Off the flame and eat immediately.

How much I spent:

$3.60 for salmon fillet (I used frozen)
$0.60 for eggs
Everything else from my pantry

Simple sandwich dinner for Sunday night! You can also make this at night to assemble for breakfast the next day. Yums! I love Delifrance’s chicken mayonnaise croissant, but from $3.90 a piece since my school days (yeah yeah way more than 10 years ago), it’s now double the price. How to eat? $7+ I can feed my family of four if I make it myself at home.

To make this, the basic ingredients are: chicken inner fillet (or you can use a whole piece of chicken breast), mayo, salt and pepper. To increase the flavour, I also like to add some concentrated chicken stock (I use Woh Hup) to the boiling water plus add some finely chopped yellow onions in the mix but it’s optional.

I recommend you eat this chilled for maximum taste! Have it in sandwiches, baguette or croissant, along with lettuce and sliced tomatoes. I hope you enjoy this!

Chicken Mayonnaise Sandwich Filling (budgetpantry.com)
Serves 2
Total cost per serving: $1.05
What you need:

6 pieces chicken inner fillet (you can use a piece of chicken breast)
1 teaspoon of Woh Hup concentrated chicken stock
Enough water to boil the chicken
4-5 tablespoons mayonnaise
Pinch of salt
Dash of white pepper
3-4 pieces of lettuce
1 tomato
1 tablespoon of chopped yellow onions (optional)
Spring onion and bacon bits (optional)
Bread of your choice

Steps:

Boil water in a pot and add the concentrated chicken stock. Add all the chicken and boil till cooked. Reserve 2 tablespoons of stock. Set aside and shred chicken by hand when it’s cool enough to handle.

In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken and mayo. Mix well and add the reserved chicken stock bit by bit, depending on the consistency you like. Add the onions (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Chill for an hour.

Spoon chicken filling into preferred bread and assemble with lettuce, tomatoes. Garnish with spring onions and bacon bits if you like.

How much I spent:

$1.80 for chicken fillet (I use frozen)
$0.30 for tomato
Everything else from my pantry

(Punch in offer code “chuabeebee10″ for 10% OFF + gift! Info below!)

When it comes to choosing baby skincare, I make sure I choose the best I can afford. My baby’s discomfort isn’t worth the few dollars I save on products that I will be using directly on her skin. Faced with a multitude of baby skincare and bathing products in the market, I eventually decided on a trusted brand: GAIA.

I was concerned about harsh ingredients which may cause skin irritation and rashes. And I am even more concerned because Jason has always had an eczema problem. When I was growing up, I, too had bouts of unexplained skin itchiness, but they weren’t bad enough to warrant medication.

When KKH’s head of Dermatology Service told me that eczema can be genetically-passed down (I saw him for my extreme itchiness around 29 weeks), I started looking around for natural and organic baby products. I needed something that is suitable for sensitive skin, eczema-friendly and kinder on Chua Bee Bee. So glad I found GAIA Natural Baby! Their tried-and-tested products are winners of multiple prestigious awards voted by mothers throughout the years. Click on the image to view the entire GAIA Natural Baby range:

These are some of the GAIA products that I’ve chosen for my baby girl:

1. GAIA Natural Baby Hair & Body Wash, 500ml (with fitted pump)

I love big bottles! One bottle like this could last us months as we only need a few drops per bath. The best part is that you only need one product to cleanse baby’s hair, scalp and skin. Use it on your newborn, toddler and even the whole family! Also available in 200ml bottle. (Link)

2. GAIA Natural Baby Sleeptime Bath Wash, 500ml (with fitted pump)

I’m looking forward to using this to help Chua Bee Bee settle into a daily routine. With a calming blend of lavender and ylang ylang pure essential oils, babies should recognise the scent as a sleep association when used before bedtime. Also available in 250ml bottle. (Link)

3. GAIA Natural Baby Powder, 100g

Talc-free and made of cornstarch powder, GAIA Natural Baby Powder keeps baby’s skin drier for longer and reduces nappy rash. I’ve ordered extra bottles for my whole family and tossed the other popular baby powder we used to use! One of the few talc-free organic baby powder brands around. (Link)

4. GAIA Natural Baby Moisturiser, 250ml

Winner of ‘Favourite Organic Moisturiser’ in the CozyCot Parenting Awards, this is free from mineral oil and ingredients such as petrochemicals that may cause itchiness and irritation. Can’t wait to use this on my chubby baby to keep her skin and little bottom soft and smooth! (Link)

5. GAIA Natural Baby Massage Oil, 125ml

Parent-craft nurses tell me that infant massage is a great way to bond with baby and this cold-pressed sweet almond oil is just perfect to use! The best part? No oily residue and smells really good too.. I’m using on my pregnant belly now! (Link)

6. GAIA Bamboo Baby Wipes, 240pcs Value Pack

Winner of ‘Best Organic Baby Wipes’ in the Mother & Baby Awards! Bamboo is 60% more absorbent than cotton, so these wipes are thick, incredibly soft, doesn’t tear easily and you end up using fewer pieces as a result. Most importantly, it doesn’t irritate baby’s skin as it’s 100% organic, free from alcohol, petrochemicals, soaps, bleach, chlorine, sulphates and paraben preservatives. (Link)

7. GAIA Pure Pregnancy Nipple Balm, 40g

Ok this is for me! Moms-to-be can already use this during pregnancy to prepare for breastfeeding. When baby is born, apply after every feed to condition nipples for latching. It’s made from pure, edible organic oils, including sunflower and avocado, so there is no need to rinse before feeding. (Link)

**********EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT CODE**********

Enjoy 10% OFF any GAIA range when you punch in my code “chuabeebee10” at checkout. No minimum purchase. PLUS, receive a Creamy Cleanser (125ml) for ladies (worth $22.90) when you purchase $80 and above. Valid on http://www.gaia.com.sg till 1 July 2016. ‘LIKE’ my Facebook page to be updated on more baby offers coming your way.

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Disclaimer: I received GAIA Natural Baby products for Chua Bee Bee and decided to blog about them as I believe in the brand. No monetary payment was received. All opinions and comments on my blog are my own and always will be.

Me and #ChuaBeeBee at 33 weeks! Come read our journey together:

(Advertorial)

I’ve been wanting to make these crispy cheesy chicken roll-ups since forever. I’m finally getting to it!

What’s better than slicing into hot, crispy chicken to reveal a savoury, cheesy, melty filling? I decided to stuff these gems with baby spinach and Perfect Italiano’s Mozzarella and Parmesan Grated Cheese for that awesome stretchy texture and yummy cheesy taste. I added green chili padi to it for extra oomph – they’re not really spicy. If I could find Jalapenos, I would use them!

To make these, all you need to do is: sauté baby spinach till wilted then combine with sour cream, garlic powder, dill, salt, Perfect Italiano Mozzarella and Parmesan Grated Cheese, then spread the mixture on chicken breast. Roll up and dip in egg, flour and breadcrumbs. Fry till golden. Savour!

These were done in 30 minutes from start to finish. I’m a fan of simple, no-frills recipe which calls for minimal ingredients. It’s a bonus that Perfect Italiano’s cheeses pack so much punch that very little seasoning is needed to flavour your dish.

I like to combine both their Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese into a dish because they complement each other so well. Perfect Italiano’s Mozzarella Grated Cheese is mild flavoured and has a stretchy nature. It melts wonderfully to create the savoury texture my family loves. The Parmesan Grated Cheese has a sharp and savoury taste which balances the Mozzarella perfectly. I usually do a 1:3 Parmesan to Mozzarella ratio in my recipes.

Perfect Italiano cooking cheese is available in leading supermarkets. Whether you try this recipe or come up with your own creation, remember to share it with me by hashtagging #perfectitalianosg. If you need more recipe inspirations, go on over to the Perfect Italiano’s website to browse their amazing recipe library. They have a great collection of easy-to-follow recipes to inspire you all-year round.

Crispy Cheesy Chicken Roll-ups with Perfect Italiano (budgetpantry.com)

What you need:

4 large chicken breasts
200g baby spinach
150g Perfect Italiano Mozzarella Grated Cheese
50g Perfect Italiano Parmesan Grated Cheese
200ml sour cream
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 chilli padi, chopped
Half teaspoon salt
Sprinkle of dill
Sprinkle of black pepper
Oil for frying

To coat:
2 eggs, whisked
Self-raising flour
Japanese panko

Steps:

Heat up half a tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic. Sauté the spinach till wilted. When cooled, squeeze out excess water with kitchen paper and set aside.

Combine the sour cream, Perfect Italiano Mozzarella Grated Cheese and Perfect Italiano Parmesan Grated Cheese.

Add a sprinkle of dill and half teaspoon salt.

Mix well, and combine with the earlier spinach. I added chopped green chilli but you can skip it if you don’t take heat.

Flatten each piece of chicken breast with a food mallet or the back of your knife. Season with black pepper and salt. Spread the cheese mixture on the surface and roll up, tucking in the edges as you go along. Dip in flour, then egg, and finally in panko. Repeat until all chicken breasts are rolled up.

In a frying pan, heat up about a centimeter of oil, enough to shallow fry the chicken breasts. When oil is hot, place each chicken breast carefully into the pan and fry, untouched, for 3 minutes each side, till crust is golden. Be sure not to miss the sides. Serve hot with your preferred sides.

Food Related Sponsorship
Disclaimer: This is a special post brought to you by IKEA. All ideas and comments are my own.

I’m very excited that IKEA has started selling responsibly-farmed seafood in its Swedish Food Market. Whenever I go to IKEA, it’s a must for me to order the poached salmon cos I adore the fresh and clean flavour with absolutely no fishy taste. Now I can buy good quality and sustainable frozen salmon to cook at home!

I picked up some salmon fillet (SG$20.80 for four pieces) from IKEA last weekend. Even before I was pregnant, I ate a lot of salmon cooked in a variety of ways. Now that I am 35 weeks, salmon features in many of my daily meals because it is a good source of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids. And most importantly, salmon fillets are easy to handle – just defrost overnight in the chiller, season lightly and airfry or oven-bake for a convenient and delicious meal.

I decided to sprinkle these with cajun seasoning, and airfry them for 5 minutes so that the flesh remains moist and flaky. Salmon done just-right is absolutely creamy and delectable.. please don’t overcook them! Of course, you may also oven bake or pan fry these over the stove top.

I completed the meal with some blanched asparagus, IKEA’s mashed potatoes (SG$3) and their tangy lemon and dill sauce (SG$3.90):

READ MORE…

The salmon that’s sold at IKEA meets the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)’s certification for responsibly-sourced fish. Products carrying the ASC label comes from farms that limit their impacts on the environment and the community. Follow IKEA’s food journey and learn how they strive to take better care of our planet: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_SG/this-is-ikea/people-and-planet/energy-and-resources/#food

IKEA Cook-Off: Cajun Salmon in Lemon Dill Sauce (budgetpantry.com)
Serves 4

What you need:

4 pieces IKEA Salmon Fillet
1 packet IKEA Lemon Dill Sauce
1 packet IKEA Mashed Potatoes
Sprinkle of cajun seasoning
20 spears large asparagus, woody ends removed
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, quartered
(Optional) Cooked edamame beans

Steps:

Thaw salmon, mashed potatoes and lemon dill sauce in the chiller over night.

Bring a pot of water to boil and add salt and asparagus. Cook till tender, about 3 minutes, then flash dip in cold water to stop the cooking process.

Clean and dry with kitchen paper. Sprinkle cajun seasoning and airfry in preheated AF at 180C for 5 minutes. Pan fry or oven bake if you don’t have an airfryer.

Meanwhile, heat up mashed potatoes and lemon dill sauce separately in sauce pan.

Assemble: Lay the asparagus by the side of the plate. Spoon mashed potatoes in the centre. Top with a piece of salmon and a spoonful of lemon dill sauce. Sprinkle edamame beans if using. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

Char Kway Teow.. the dish that I used to eat a maximum of once a year, if not once every two years. I remember when I first met Jason, I had quite a culture shock knowing that he had CKT once every two weeks or once a month. Same for Laksa. It has never occurred to me that anyone can eat these so frequently, until the girls and I were discussing this one night at Ru’s place, and then I realised I am the “weird” one. They all felt it is ok to eat Char Kway Teow once every two weeks.

The conclusion that night was: most people have never been morbidly obese (I was 95kg at my peak when I was just 16!), never had to make drastic changes to their diet, and so aren’t that mindful about what goes into their bodies.

That said, Char Kway Teow is a glorious dish. Whenever I do eat Char Kway Teow outside, I make sure I eat it with lots of crispy pork lard. What’s the point right, without lard? When cooking this at home this afternoon, I left out the lard because I didn’t want my family to eat all these unhealthy stuff. Char Kway Teow can still be delicious and “less unhealthy” with less oil and a smaller portion.

This is a picture of the dark soy sauce that I used, available from NTUC. You can also use Hainanese Chicken Rice Dark Soy Sauce.

I made this version without chilli cos the aunt’s stomach is very sensitive to spiciness. You can add some sambal to your liking plus fresh cockles if that’s your thing (clean them thoroughly, soak in some water, drain and add in together with the spring onions). Cook your Char Kway Teow at home.. control how much oil you add, include more greens and it can still be a not-so-sinful meal!

A point to note- this recipe is for 2 servings. If you want to cook for more people, don’t double the ingredients and fry everything together but instead fry in batches of two plates each. Don’t distribute the love, it’s just not the same ;) Concentrate on one batch at a time!

Singapore Fried Kway Teow 炒粿条 (budgetpantry.com)
Serves 2

What you need:

150g Kway Teow
150g round yellow noodles
1 fishcake, sliced
1 chinese sausage, coating removed, then sliced diagonally (see tips below)
A big handful of beansprouts
A big handful of leafy green vegetables, sectioned
2 eggs
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoon oil

Mix together the following seasonings:
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (use thicker dark sauce, not the runny type. I got a pic of what I used above.)
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 flat tablespoon sugar
A dash of pepper

Steps:

Prepare the chinese sausage. Soak whole sausage in hot water for 10 minutes, then snip off the tip to “open” up the casing. Remove casing and slice diagonally (thinly).

In a colander, pour boiling water over kway teow and noodles, then run under tap water to loosen. Drain and set aside.

Heat wok til it smokes. Add oil and swirl around wok. Add the chinese sausage and very quickly add the garlic (chinese sausage burns very quickly), leafy vegetables and fishcake. Saute for a minute. Add kway teow noodles followed by the seasonings.

Work quickly to coat all the kway teow noodles and ingredients with the seasonings. Cook for 30 seconds and add bean sprouts.

Clear some space in your wok and crack the eggs. Using your frying ladle, break the yolks and scoop noodles over the eggs.

After about 10 seconds, combine the egg with the rest of the noodles and all other ingredients in the wok. Give it a final stir and eat immediately.

*at any point if the wok is too hot or dry, add some sprinkling of water around the perimeter.

How much I spent:

$1.50 for noodles
$2.00 for chinese sausage
$0.70 for fish cake
$0.10 for bean sprouts
Everything else from my pantry

If you’re following my Facebook page, you would have known that I have changed my gynae. If you’re (just about to be) in the same boat as me, hopefully this post will help you!

Different women have different needs when it comes to a gynae. Some can live with doctors who spare them all the details and don’t mind if a consultation takes 2-3 minutes. Some prefer doctors who empathise and give information even if the baby is doing well.

I know that my previous gynae is a competent surgeon when it comes to ovarian cysts. But I don’t get the one thing I need when I’m with him: assurance. I don’t feel assured when he always seems rushed during our checkups (his clinic is always FULL of people), doesn’t give me straightforward answers and brushes me off (even laughed in my face) when I bring up a concern. I’m sick of hearing, “Is there bleeding? Everything is normal if no bleeding.” I had already made up my mind not to go back to him if I decide to have a second baby, but news over the past week made me feel unsafe if I continued staying on with him, for reasons you can google (if you know who I was seeing). I don’t want regrets, and I would have more fear if I had stayed on as compared to switching. So I decided to do it.

Thankfully, we managed to find a gynae who will take us in this last lap. Sorry I have to keep his identity secret because I don’t want to hai him to be swarmed by last-minute requests. Thank you to my May Mummies Group for recommending him!

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If you’re looking for a new gynae with about a month to go, act fast. Here are some tips:

1. Talk to people you trust
This is the time to ask around! Ask your siblings or close friends, or mummy groups for recommendations. I really recommend that as much as possible, talk to people of the same wavelength as you. If you are a super detailed type and you ask someone who prefers the doctor to spare all the details, then I don’t think you will find chemistry with your new gynae. BUT then again, at this last minute, you gotta keep your options open although there will still be doctors who will take you in.

2. Narrow down your choice
Out of the recommendations you’ve gathered, look for online reviews and consider these factors:

Which hospital is the gynae delivering at?
If the hospital is top priority to you and if the gynae doesn’t deliver at the hospital you want, strike him/her off the list. That’s what happened with us. We really wanted my 2nd sis-in-law’s gynae (cos my brother is super ngeow and he only has good things to say about him) but he only delivers at TMC.

Are the new doctor’s fees within your budget?
Changing a new gynae will set us back an extra thousand or two, taking into account the now ala carte consultation fees we gotta pay per visit, a higher delivery fee (my prev gynae was kind of below market rate) and the forfeit of consultation package. We didn’t really think too much of the extra to spend if it wasn’t too excessive, as long as there’s ‘feel’ with the new doctor and we got to deliver at the hospital of our choice.

Where is the clinic location? What about the consultation hours?
If you stay at Clementi, would travelling to Tampines for consultation be too much, no matter how good the gynae is? And if there’s no night clinic, would you be ok taking leave? Although with a month to go, you’ll probably see him 2-3 times max, but that’s something to consider too.

3. Call the clinic
Once you’ve decided on your preferred gynae, call the clinic immediately! Tell them your pregnancy situation and ask if the gynae will take you. The clinic nurse never asked why I wanted to switch – she simply asked how far along I am and if my pregnancy has been ok so far. Best to say someone recommended you! Ask when you can expect a call back. In the meantime, decide which gynae is your second choice. You gotta make arrangements if your preferred doctor can’t slot you in.

4. Confirm the charges
If the new gynae agrees to take you, congratulations! Confirm the ala carte consultation charges, delivery charges and doctor’s daily fees again so you don’t get a shock when the bill comes.

5. Prepare all your medical reports
I hope you’ve kept copies of your blood tests and baby scans! Get these ready and bring them along to the clinic on your first visit: the first trimester blood test, the 12th week scan, your OSCAR/Harmony test, 20th week detailed scan, GBS swab test (if you’re that far along) and so on.

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And here’s a quick update on Chua Bee Bee!

At her 35+2 scan on Tuesday, she weighed 2.55kg with a steady fetal heart rate of 158 bpm. She’s putting on weight well and of a good size. She’s also in a head-down position, with her back to my belly, facing my spine. Doctor said this is the perfect position for birth although not the best for 3D scans. Haha. My amniotic fluid level is great, my blood pressure is super and urine dip-test is all clear. Her activity level is “PARTY MODE”. LOL. Here are her most recent scans:

Head down, facing my spine!

The culprit kicking me all day!

I have put on a grand total of 11kg ever since I discovered I got pregnant! The majority was from my first trimester when I went carb crazy and put on 5kg. From Week 12 to now, I’ve put on 6 kg. Not too bad, I think, but I must say that I was overweight when I got pregnant, so my leeway for weight gain is smaller than most people. I target to lose 20kg after giving birth ;)

At 36 weeks, I’m a week to what’s considered full-term. Feel so heavy and difficult to sleep. And in case you’re wondering, yes I still cook every day!

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Previous pregnancy posts:

Pregnancy: The big reveal!
Pregnancy: The first trimester scans… I saw an empty womb on my first scan
Pregnancy: The second trimester – harmony test and gender reveal!
Pregnancy: The second trimester – 20-week anomaly scan + gestational diabetes scare
Pregnancy: The third trimester 4D scan – I saw Chua Bee Bee’s cute little face!
Pregnancy: Mount Alvernia Hospital – Maternity Tour & Estimated Bill Size 2016
Pregnancy: Bellybuds! Playing music for your baby in the womb
FY2016 Budget: Is the government giving us an extra $3K into the Child Development Account?
Pregnancy: Why I’m choosing GAIA Natural Baby Organic Skincare for #ChuaBeeBee

Here’s another version of my oyster sauce chicken! This time it’s with lots of dark sauce gravy (my niece loves this) so you can slurp it up with rice. Sorry for the less-than-fabulous pictures under poor lighting conditions!

My big tummy nowadays means I prefer to settle dinner using my slow cooker. Just prep everything the night before, add water and turn on the slow cooker on before leaving for work. Remember to cook this on low so the chicken doesn’t end up tough. Contrary to belief, meat doesn’t necessarily get more tender the longer you cook it! Overcook it on high, and the the ‘boiling’ water will overcook the meat. Same goes for cooking soup over the stove top. Simmer instead of boil for long hours to get the meat soft and tender.

Slow-Cooked Oyster Sauce Chicken and Potatoes (with lots of gravy!)
(budgetpantry.com)
Serves 5
Total cost per serving: $1.60

What you need:

20 pieces mid joint wings
4 medium potatoes
1 large carrot
2 medium red onions
1 knob ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
White pepper to serve
2 tablespoons cornflour dissolved in 4 tablespoons water (optional but recommended)

Steps:

Peel and chop potatoes, carrots and onions. Layer at the bottom of your slow cooker.

Place in the mid joint wings, then snuggle the knob of ginger in the middle. Top with oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and sugar.

Fill with boiling water till water level just barely covers the chicken. Cook on low for 7 hours.

(Optional but recommended) To thicken the gravy, ladle chicken in a pot and bring to boil (you can do this in batches if your pot is not big enough). Lower flame, then add in the cornstarch slurry. Cook till gravy thickens. Add a dash of white pepper before serving.

How much I spent:

$6 for mid joint wings
$1.20 for potatoes
$0.30 for carrot
$0.50 for onions
Everything else from my pantry

If you could name just ONE pregnancy pain, what would it be? For me, my painful wrist wins hands down.

It all started around week 30. That was when I noticed my fingers and hands feeling numb and tight after a night’s sleep. I ignored it and put it down to water retention. When the swelling got worse a week or two l later, I started googling for possible causes. I landed on a page that told me I could have carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a build-up of fluid in your wrist tissues, affecting a median nerve which in turn affects your hands and fingers, causing numbness and a tingling feeling. The condition is usually worse in your dominant hand, as is in my case. My left hand didn’t feel as bad as my right, and overall, although it was annoying, the pain was still tolerable.

My fingers looked like this guy’s but I’m not smiling.

Fast forward another two weeks. That was when I woke up with EXCRUCIATING pain in my right wrist. It wasn’t just the Michelin fingers anymore. The pain in my thumb and wrist was out of control. Every move I made with my right hand was incredible torture. I couldn’t even use my toothbrush or unscrew a bottle cap and it hurt to type cos my hands would be at an angle. And when I abruptly angled my wrist by accident, or when I’m hooking my bra (tmi), the pain was like I was being run over by a truck. I assumed this, of course.

I told myself to tahan cos according to online articles, carpal tunnel should go away after delivery. Just a few weeks more! But no, although I could stand the ache in my fingers and hands, the pain in my thumbs and wrists (yes, my left wrist was starting to act up) was just too extreme to ignore. I bought a soft wrist guard from Guardian which helped for a bit, but the relief didn’t last long.

The pain was so bad that I knew I had to seek help. Thankfully, someone cancelled an appointment at NUH’s hand and reconstructive centre and there was a slot in two days. I saw Emeritus Professor Robert Pho, who is the most assuring, gentle and kindest doctor I’ve ever met. He diagnosed my primary complaint as De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis, since my pain points were really my thumbs and wrists.

Carpal tunnel syndrome was a secondary diagnosis. Here’s some info about De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis (click to read):

The medical officer who was next to the Prof suggested a steroid injection which got rubbished promptly. “Non-invasive procedures. Unless absolute.” OMG SO MAN! My then-gynae said it was ok though. Dr Pho ordered a custom splint which basically forces me to keep my wrist straight. The soft, heated plastic is moulded to my hand and becomes hard plastic when cooled:

When wearing the splint, I couldn’t feel pain since I can’t move. I was supposed to wear this for five weeks BUT of course, when conditions improved, I stopped wearing it. LOL. That’s why I’ll never recover fully fml. At least now it doesn’t hurt that bad. Pain scale of 2/10 as compared to 9.5/10 before wearing the hard splint! The cost of the splint was about $90 and consultation was $130 thereabouts as a private patient. If you get a referral and wish to know subsidised rates (and don’t mind the waiting time), refer to this page.

I thought the pain will go away with delivery. My hopes were dashed when the Dr Pho said it could worsen on the contrary, since I would be carrying Chua Bee Bee. If it gets worse, I’ll be making an appointment to see a TCM specialist.. many mummy readers said TCM worked for them so fingers crossed, literally!

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