Hello! I never thought I would get around to posting this. Being a new parent is exhausting. There’s so much to learn and my breast feeding experience hasn’t been all cotton candy and marshmallows, but more on that later. This post is all about CBB’s birth!

12 May midnight

We check in at Mount Alvernia’s delivery suite where I was to undergo inducement (I see the term ‘induction’ being used and accepted every where, but I refuse to use it LOL). There were 4-5 couples who arrived at about the same time. The nurse later told us that a total of 15 couples checked in that day to induce (not spontaneous) because the next day was FRIDAY THE 13TH can you believe that. I was strapped to a CTG machine to monitor baby’s heartbeat and movement, along with my contractions. Still in the mood for some selfies.

1am

The nurse inserts the first pill, hopefully to dilate my cervix, which was still a stubborn 0.5cm at 39+4 weeks. For the clueless, the cervix has to be opened to 10cm before we can start pushing the baby out. I spend the rest of the night watching breastfeeding videos on channel 17 and SBC’s 奇缘 re-run at 3am. Haha.

4am

I was taken off the CTG machine and told to sleep, and then put on it again around 6am.

7am

My doctor arrived to check on my dilation and contractions. He asked me how I felt, to which I answered, ok leh. He was quite disappointed and said he was hoping I would say I was in a lot of pain cos it would mean the contractions were starting. He then glanced at the CTG machine and was surprised that I was having strong contractions every 5 minutes. ‘You don’t feel anything?’ ‘Erm, just normal period cramps lor.’ He checked my dilation and it was still 0.5cm. He was supposed to insert a second pill, but because the cervical dilation and contractions didn’t happen concurrently (I only had contractions but no dilation), he was worried that doing so might place more stress on my baby. He wanted to monitor me for 3-4 hours to see if I would go into labour on my own. If that fails, we were given the option to wait till night to insert the second pill (which I didn’t want, as cbb’s water level was already low), or decide to go for c-section that afternoon.

11am

No luck! My cervix wouldn’t budge – it was still at 0.5cm. We decided to go for c-sect with epidural. We’ll see our princess soon!

12pm

Wheeled to the operating theatre where I was given epidural. The process was a pain but it wasn’t the needle that was painful. The anesthetist had me curl up and bend towards him so he could feel my spine, and that was the most painful part. After the injection, he immediately asked (shouted at) me, ‘Your left leg feels funny now right?’ ‘Err, no, it still feels the same.’ ‘It feels numb right!! Now, now!” ‘I can still move my toes…..’ Super buay tahan him. Overall epi pain scale: 2/10

12.40pm

My gynae begins preparing me for the c-sect. Before I knew it, like literally less than 2 minutes later, he popped his head over and said, ‘I’m done! Waiting for your hubby to come in only.’ ‘WHAT? That’s like 2 minutes! Or less!’ Super incredible! I didn’t feel anything, maybe a light tug. The hubby was ushered in. (p.s: husbands can only go into the OT if you opt for epi, not GA, and mine was only allowed in the moment baby is ready to be tugged out from the uterus. And the c-sect recovery was ONLY bad on the first and second day. I was already walking on the second day morning (although I was cursing and swearing), but by the third day, the pain is nothing.

12.50pm

CBB is here! HELLOOOOO!

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When Jason showed me the photos when I was lying there while my doc stitched me up in 5 minutes, my first thought, apart from being relieved that cbb is well, was OMG WHAT HAVE I GIVEN BIRTH TO?! SHE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE HIM, RIGHT DOWN TO THE HAIRSTYLE WTF:

Luckily, in a matter of hours she has turned into a beautiful little baby GIRL who actually still morphs into Jasonette sometimes (my team mate gave her this incredible name):

We spent the next 4D3N in the hospital – we chose single ward as we didn’t want to disturb others, and so we could have more privacy. Best decision ever. Oh, and if you’re going to have your baby soon, treasure your hospital stay. I assure you, there’s not going to be days like these anymore, not till in the faraway future. And here I share two photos that I sneakily took of my husband admiring his baby girl :) The sweetest photos yet.

On 15 May, cbb’s actual estimated date of delivery, we were discharged and could go home! CBB’s first photo at home:

Thanks for being with me throughout my pregnancy journey. More posts to come soon, I hope! As soon as I try to figure out my way through this whole new mom business. And breast feeding, especially breast feeding! I update more often on my Facebook page, so like me there if you haven’t!

Whether you’re DIY-ing your own confinement or hiring a confinement lady, one thing that you can’t miss out on for a traditional confinement is the herbal soups.

As a noob living with two unmarried aunts with no mom or mom-in-law for help, I decided to remove the hassle of reading up and mixing-and-matching my own confinement herbs by turning to the experts. My convenient one-stop shop for confinement herbs is Lao Ban Niang, a traditional Chinese medicine retailer with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. Their physical stores are in Albert Centre, but you can also shop and order from their online store. Browse their confinement sets here.

I’m trying out their 30-days Confinement Herbal Soup Package, which comes in a nifty carry box with each day’s herbs packed neatly and labelled individually. For this particular package, you also get two boxes of Sheng Hua Tang (生化汤) on top of the 30-day herbs. I thought it’s very reasonably priced as compared to other similar sets in the market. What I really like about this convenient package is that I just need to deal with one box of pre-packed herbs a day, without worrying about the quantity to include in my soup. Simply remove daily box from fridge, empty contents into pot, add meat/veg, top with water and cook.

Plus, the essential thing for me is that each box comes with printed and easy-to-understand instructions on how to use the herbs. It’s not like they just sell you the herbs and provide verbal information which you’ll probably forget after some time. I was impressed with the accompanying details: Steps on how to cook the herbs, which box to take for Day 1 to Day 30, the individual components of herbs and what they do for your body (down to the weight in grams!) and even separate instructions to follow depending on whether yours is a natural or c-sect delivery. So if you gave birth naturally, follow instructions for ‘Natural Childbirth’. If you gave birth via c-sect, follow instructions for ‘Cesarean Section’. There’s no confusion. And yes, instructions are in both English and Chinese.

A sample of the quality herbs that are included in the 30-day package (also in English):

It’s really easy to prepare the soups. You can either cook on the stove top or use your slow cooker. What I did:

1. Rinse herbs and add into slow cooker.
2. Add choice of meat (pork ribs, lean meat, veggie based or fish based soups are all ok – chicken/black chicken can be added after the first week)
3. Add water and cook for 3-4 hours on auto-shift or 7 hours on low.

And my piping hot soup is ready! I have it for both lunch and dinner and get one component of confinement food out of the way. And I repeat step 1-3 for the next day.

I’m very thankful that I’m well taken care of during my confinement period even when I don’t come from a very traditional family. Convenient confinement packages like these take the pain and confusion out of confinement so I can focus more on my baby girl!

To get your own confinement herb packages, visit Lao Ban Niang at their physical stores or browse their online store. Free delivery in SG with orders over $150.

Disclaimer: I was offered a 30-days Confinement Herbal Soup Package for review purposes. No monetary payment was received. All opinions and comments on my blog are my own and always will be.

(This photo is misleading. My daughter’s double eyelids are now gone. LOL!)

I’ve been trying to avoid sharing my final hospital bill because many people don’t understand that bills can vary by A LOT (like thousands), depending on your gynae charges, delivery/room type and whether you take up all the optional tests or decide on none. You really must know what you’re comparing. It’s better to understand what makes up the bill and how much you can claim from medisave (it differs based on delivery procedure) so you can do your own calculations. But I’ve got toooo many requests, so I think you’d be interested in this. Please treat this as a sample only. If you do take this bill as reference, please read the details below as to what extras I paid for.

#ChuaBeeBee and I were discharged on 15 May 2016. We opted for express checkout so we didn’t have to spend time at the business office before we left – the final bill was sent to us about 1-2 weeks after we went home.

This bill is for C-section with epidural – 4D3N stay in a single ward. But take note that as I tried for inducement but failed, I was also charged for the usage of labour ward/CTG monitoring before I underwent c-section in the operating theatre. If yours is a straightforward c-section, you won’t be charged these components.

Your bill will differ depending on consumables and your own doctor’s charges.

Mummy’s bill: $10630.11 (hospital charges + gynae + anesthetist charges)
Baby’s bill: $1456.98 (hospital charges + paediatrician charges)
Total bill: $12087.09

Claimable medisave (mummy): $4400 (check your claim amount here, according to your delivery procedure and number of days stayed)
Claimable medisave (baby): $1339.48

Total cash component: $6347.61

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Note: Apart from Mount A’s maternity package prices (refer to table in blog link), we also paid extra for things like baby’s hearing test, jaundice blood test and metabolic test, plus my CTG monitoring charges, physiotherapy compression socks, abdominal binder, painkillers and companion fee. Note: the two ‘Doctor Operation Fee’ entries are for my gynae and the anaesthetist who administered my epidural.

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Catch up on my other 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
Pregnancy: Tips for changing your gynae at Week 35
Pregnancy: When you wrist hurts like nobody’s business (All about De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis)
How to bake your own chunky chocolate lactation cookies
Pregnancy: Week 39 – Low amniotic fluid and an eviction notice!
[Baby] Chua Bee Bee’s birth story: Failed inducement and a c-section :)
Baby: 30-Day DIY Confinement Herbs with Lao Ban Niang

Plus, 10% off all GAIA Natural Baby products + free gift still ongoing. Click here for details. Use my code at checkout:

I’ve been researching on belly wraps ever since Chua Bee Bee was baking, and have even ordered those cheap ones from Taobao for RMB20-25 (SGD5 thereabouts). Hehe. But when they arrived, I realised there’s no way I could fit into their L or even XL size (they’re reallyyyy tiny, maybe XS/S). The material also has very minimal stretch and is tough and rough to the touch.

So when I got an opportunity to review Shrinkx Belly and Shrinkx Hips Ultra from My Miracle Baby, I jumped at the chance! I packed these along with me in my hospital bag, not knowing if I will be undergoing natural delivery or a c-section. But it didn’t matter because Shrinkx Belly and Shrinkx Hips Ultra can be used even with c-section. I asked the nurse if I can use Shrinkx Belly in place of the hospital abdominal binder and after looking at my binder, she said ok!

About Shrinkx Belly

Shrinkx Belly is a post-partum belly wrap with customised triple compression. Most other binders only have one layer of velcro, just wrap around and that’s it. Shrinkx Belly has the usual wraparound and a second and third loop so you can even further tighten (and customise) how tight you want to wrap, with no discomfort.

With a c-section, I first used it on my lower abs, around my wound. When I got home and the wound started getting better, I used it on my upper tummy to keep the fats in while using Shrinkx Hips Ultra on the bottom. Post-op, I couldn’t tighten the wrap as much as I wanted, as the tighter it is, the more it ‘ate’ into my wound. But I could adjust the fitting to my circumstances. It works great with a c-section (approved by gynae!), but I think it will be really perfect if you hadn’t undergone a surgery cos you don’t have to factor in additional pain. With a pre-pregnancy waist of 30″, I got size S/M and it fit me comfortably. To get the best results, start wearing the Shrinkx Belly belly band immediately after delivery and wear the band as much as possible during the day and night. For sizing guide and how-to-wear instructions, visit this page.

About Shrinkx Hips Ultra

The Shrinkx Hips Ultra postnatal compression belt helps moms get back their pre-pregnancy hips after delivery. It is the first and only wrap clinically proven to narrow hips after delivery. This binder has no stretch, so wearing it around your hips could take some getting used to.

How does it work? The hormone ‘Relaxin’ stays in our system up to 8 weeks after delivery – this hormone loosens pelvic joints and ligaments for childbirth. Wearing Shrinkx Hips during this time gently guides hips back to their pre-pregnancy position, or smaller. With a pre-pregnancy hip size of 40.5″, I got size M/L. 95% of moms returned to their pre-pregnancy hip size.. I hope I don’t fall in the 5%! For sizing guide and how-to-wear instructions, visit this page.

Is it working?

At the time of writing, I’m 3 weeks + into wearing both Shrinkx Belly and Shrinkx Hips Ultra and have seen a 2-inch decrease in waist size and a 1 inch decrease in hip size. I have to confess that I haven’t been very diligent but I’m happy with the results so far. (edit 10 June: I started my post-natal massage one week after I prepared this post, and my waist dropped another 3.5″ in five days! I wear the cloth binder for six hours daily and then take it off during shower. After that, it’s Shrinkx Belly and Shrinkx Hips Ultra all the way until the next massage session the next day afternoon.)

FAQs

1. When can I start wearing Shrinkx Belly?

Start wearing the Shrinkx Belly postpartum belly band immediately after delivery and wear the band as much as possible during the day and night. Make sure the wrap fits tightly around your waist use the side straps to customise compression on the front of the abdomen.

2. Can Shrinkx Belly be worn after c-section?

Yes but wait to start wearing until you can do so comfortably.

3. What is the fabric content of Shrinkx Belly?

Shrinkx Belly uses a lightweight, latex free mesh fabric that is made of 80% Nylon and 20% Spandex

4. Can I wash the Shrinkx Belly band?

Yes but be sure to hand wash in cold water and lay flat to dry.

5. What is the difference between Shrinkx Belly and Shrinkx Hips?

Shrinkx Belly is a postpartum BELLY wrap to help you lose inches off your belly and waist. Shrinkx Hips is a postpartum HIP wrap designed exclusively to narrow hips after childbirth.

6. Can you wear Shrinkx Belly and Shrinkx Hips together?

Since both products work on different parts of the body you can absolutely wear them at the same time. Remember due to the hormone Relaxin, you only have 8 weeks after delivery to take advantage of narrowing your hips.

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Disclaimer: I received a set of Shrinkx Belly and Shrinkx Hips Ultra for review purposes and received no monetary payment for this review. All opinions and comments on my blog are my own and always will be. Get yours (and all your other baby stuff) from My Miracle Baby today!

If you’re following me on Facebook, you would know it hasn’t exactly been a bed of roses for me when it comes to breastfeeding:

Although it’s tiring, I’m not complaining. Every bit of breast milk is better than none. To build my supply, I pump every three hours throughout the day for 30 minutes each time, with a 1-hr power pump replacing one of my normal sessions. Essentially, I spend 4.5 hours pumping daily. Add that to the time needed for washing up and bottle feeding, plus an occasional direct latching snuck in between, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out being a mom, like my friend Pearlyn says, “is a champion’s job”.

If there’s one thing making my breastfeeding journey a lot better, it’s that I’ve got the sterilising part taken care of. Yes, taken care of. All I need to do is push a button. I don’t need to bother with boiling water, nor do I need to figure out storage problems or deal with water droplets if I use a steam steriliser. I get my bottles and pump parts thoroughly dry as soon as they finish sterilising. The rest of the time, they’re stored neatly and hygienically in my trusty HANIL UV Sterilizer until I need to use them. Truly, I can’t even start to imagine how I could have managed, especially initially, without my HANIL.

About HANIL
HANIL is a leading manufacturer and top recognised brand in Korea with 50 years of history. The premium medical-grade sterilisation of its UV Sterilizer kills 99.97% bacteria. All HANIL Sterilizers are 100% Made in Korea.

Can you tell me more about Ultraviolet (UV) light and how it kills bacteria?
UV light was discovered more than 100 years ago, with applications in hospitals, food processing facilities, water treatment plants, laboratories and many other places where sanitisation and purification is crucial. A type of UV light, UV-C, breaks the molecular bonds within micro-organismal DNA and destroys them. This disrupts vital cellular function, effectively killing bacteria.

Does it use a lot of electricity?
This was one of my concerns too.. but you’d be surprised that the power consumption is just 50W!

There are a few UV Steriliser brands in the market. Why did you choose HANIL?
When it comes to sterilisation for my baby, I choose tested and proven quality. Especially when unlike boiling or steaming, we can’t see UV light with our own eyes. Apart from being internationally-certified by ISO-accredited facilities around the world (in Korea, Japan, USA), HANIL is also the only UV Sterilizer in Singapore that is tested and certified by PSB Singapore. The peace of mind is major!

Why I love it
This product is a God-send. I love it because it can hold so many items, is easy to use (my 77-year-old aunt uses it with no problems!), solves my storage problems (seriously if you use a steam steriliser, after using where you gonna put alllll the items? there are so many bottles and parts!), is 100% safe and can also sterilise other things like baby toys, remote control, cutlery, nail clippers… the list goes on. The drying function also prevents mould accumulation, something that steam sterilisers cannot offer. After pumping, I just wash my pump parts and bottles, place them straight in the cabinet, press a button and walk away!

How to use
It’s super easy. Simply plug in the power, press down the ON/OFF disc right at the top to start:

There are four buttons – one for each function. After washing your bottles/pacifiers/teats/pump parts as usual with water and baby cleanser, just place in the sterilizer and press ‘Auto’ for complete sterilisation and drying:

Yup, there is no need to wipe or dry first before placing the items into the cabinet. Your baby bottles will all come out fresh, clean and dry:

Other functions include ‘Sterilization’ (to just sterilise without drying, which is perfectly ok too! takes just 10 minutes), “Clean” (clean the machine periodically) and “Storage” (when you use this function, the machine automatically goes to “Sterilization” and “Clean” mode every two hours).

Watch this video to know more:

PROMOTION CODE!

Exclusively at www.gaia.com.sg, purchase HANIL UV Sterilizer Dryer at a special price of $369 (U.P. $399), and receive complimentary GAIA organic ‘Joyful Baby’ skincare bundle*!

(*Joyful Baby skincare bundle comprises of GAIA Natural Baby Hair & Body Wash 200ml + GAIA Natural Baby Moisturiser 250ml; worth $41.80)

Enter promo code “bpantry” upon checking out at GAIA e-store. Code valid till 17 September 2016. Click here to buy.

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Disclaimer: I was offered a unit of HANIL UV Sterilizer for review purposes. No monetary payment was received. All opinions and comments on my blog are my own and always will be.

Why settle for run-of-the-mill baby shower catering like everyone else when you can have pretty decor like this?

And it’s not just about looking pretty. The food at Elsie’s Kitchen is delicious with a unique set-up too. All I did was tell them I wanted more cakes and pastries (I myself wanna eat la I deprived whole confinement month) and left everything else to them. When they proposed the menu, my eyes lit up when I saw there’s going to be a DIY laksa station plus a dessert table with the most gorgeous chocolate tarts and cupcakes, complete with strawberry, fudge and carrot cake squares!

I got to know about Elsie’s Kitchen back at my ex-company. The food was always better received by colleagues as compared to other halal caterers. When I started looking around for caterers for my baby girl’s full month celebration, Elsie’s Kitchen came to mind immediately. I already knew the food was good. Only thing was I wasn’t sure if they do thematic set ups (I want pretty pretty decor but I was too tired to do everything myself).. but yes they do! All I did was tell them I was looking for a turquoise theme and they took over everything from there. Look at this wonderful set-up they did for us! Totally knocked our socks off.

Food-wise, we had a total of ten main dishes including the DIY laksa station.. there was also the dessert table with yummiest pastries assortment imaginable:

DIY Laksa Station

Thai Pineapple Rice

Luo Han Zhai and Braised Egg Beancurd

Large Oats Prawn and Sambal Sotong

Elsie’s Signature Otah. Mad love!

Honey Shrimp Wanton

Indonesian Ayam Panggang

Thai Tapioca with Coconut Milk

As you can see, their creative team really spared no effort in making #ChuaBeeBee’s party a smashing success. Everybody was like, “Why your decoration so special de?!!!! I also want!”

If you’re clueless or too tired to think of what you want, leave everything to them. They will propose suitable themes and settle the customisation of the food menu, decor and logistics like the table skirting and floral arrangements. The thematic decor you see here is priced at $200 onwards. The package also comes with a lovely complimentary diaper cake:

Thank you Elsie’s Kitchen for doing this for us. Contact them to customise your buffet menu and decor based on your requirements and budget!

CBB says ‘Hi!’

Elsie’s Kitchen
http://www.elsiekitchen.com.sg/
www.facebook.com/elsiekitchen/
sales@elsieskitchen.com.sg

OMG finally a recipe post! Sorry for the lack of cooking-related posts. I function nowadays on a 3-hour block directly dependent on how long Chua Bee Bee sleeps, and generally, she’s been waking up pretty consistently every 3 hours. She’s also quite a sweet baby who can lie down next to me and do her own thing as I pump. She also loves to coo at my soft toys and go ‘Aber Aber’ like she’s calling her own name. LOL. I’m damn exhausted but my day is now manageable, I think. And they say things really do get better. I hope I don’t jinx myself!

But on days when she has her growth spurts (which is like NOW, week 6!) and/or can’t poop, then my life gets turned upside down.. sometimes when she wanna latch she jumps on my boob, other times she scrunches her face and xian qi my nipple.. what does she want? I’ve never played a bigger guessing game in my life. Oh and she is SUCH A light sleeper, every one in the household is like treading on thin ice all the time. She can be woken up by the crinkling of potato chip wrappers (yes I eat them). How to deal with this? Suck it up?

So forgive me when cooking is the last thing I wanna do right now. I did cook this soup at 4am today but that’s because I got up earlier to pump and I figured there’s no way I would have to cook this otherwise. I pestered my mum for her recipe and she texted me the works in Chinese. But you know ‘old people’, they don’t do specifics. Like her instructions called for ‘a bag of fish bones’ (Me: ‘How big your bag? Can agar how many grams? What kind of fish bones?’) and ‘one onion and garlic each’ (Me: ‘What you mean by one garlic? One whole bulb? One clove?’) and ‘add how many pax water’ (Me: ‘Uh-huh and that means….’)

This recipe is reproduced after my yong xin liang ku back-and-forth messages with my mum to get the instructions cleared up. Use garoupa fish bones cos they’re not fishy. The soup’s really yummy. Although I hope that this will help boost my milk supply, you don’t actually need a reason to cook it!

When I was pregnant with Chua Bee Bee and about to pop, my team mate asked excitedly if I’ve got the parties and photoshoots planned and ready. “Err… I’m not planning any of these things,” I told her. Her jaw almost dropped to the floor. “How could you not create these memories?” she said, almost accusingly. “She’s only a baby once!”

You know what? She’s right. So I began looking up newborn photography in Singapore and came across Orange Studios, a boutique photography studio focused on newborn, maternity, kids and family photography. Orange Studios is run by Ryan and Wini, a husband-and-wife team who are really good at what they do.

The shoot was done with CBB was just a teeny weeny 11-day old. I’m really glad I did the shoot because she will only look like this, once. Just one month on, her features have changed so much.. she’s no longer tanned, no longer has flaky skin, her eyes are now bigger, and she’s certainly much more expressive and chubby. She looks like a totally different baby now!

We had the shoot at my place early morning at 9am. While Ryan took care of the technical aspects, Wini was busy coaxing CBB. Ok, Ryan was also coaxing her but it was obvious who she prefers more! LOL! In no time, although she was awake most of the shoot, she hardly fussed nor let out any signs of discomfort.. CBB just guai guai sit there let them “manipulate”, although sometimes she also looks very wei qu, like so:

LOL!

Once the shoot was over, Ryan and Wini got back to us within the week for the photos selection. Since we opted for the shoot to be at our place instead of their studio, the selection process was also completed at the comfort of our own home.

The photos turned out lovely and the turnaround was super fast. It was a great experience.. I hope you like these memories as much as we do!

Family portrait!

Him and his mini-me

I’m the calefare

To arrange your own photos session, contact:

Orange Studios
Website: http://orangestudios.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orangestudios.sg/
Contact: +65 8606 6950 or send them a message!

Now that CBB is out, my love for cooking has increased exponentially. Why? Because whatever time I spend in the kitchen now is luxury. I mean, I do have some other bit of me-time throughout the day, but those 30-minute sessions alone with my Medela don’t count.

Many of you know that I order my groceries weekly from sgvegetables.com. I used to plan menus weekly so I know exactly what to cook, but nowadays plans get thwarted by cries for milk, clean diapers, hugs and comfort. So when I found a tiny pocket of time to cook, I jumped at the chance. With the thick bee hoon I ordered over the weekend, I decided to cook Jason’s favourite XO sauce noodles.

He loves everything with XO sauce, but XO sauce alone is not enough. I always find XO sauce on its own lacking in flavour.. ironic as it may sound, but to me XO sauce tastes quite boring despite its premium ingredients. One secret ingredient I like to add to my XO sauce dishes is crispy shrimp floss. I got mine from Yue Hwa, but you can also use any other shrimp floss or even fish floss. It’s a really good booster to savoury dishes. Try it!

[Advertorial]

I don’t know about you, but many of the promised non-toxic non-stick pans I’ve used in recent years ended up sticking very badly. I’ve been looking around for a good non-stick pan that will err, stick around for a bit… and I think I’ve found it!

My elderly aunts have been using non-stick pans ever since they (the pans, not the aunts) came into the market. The two old ladies love them and it’s not hard to see why. Non-stick pans promise easy and effortless cooking, but many in the market have synthetically-coated surfaces not particularly great for our health.

So when I discovered that Corningware – the brand you and I are all familiar with – has launched their new Retroflam cookware, I was interested to find out more. The new non-stick cookware is made in Korea from cast aluminium, black titanium and sparkling pearl ceramic coating, and its material means it is free from unwanted chemical emissions. Seems to be just what I was looking for! My aunts have been die-hard fans of Corningware for the past 50 years, so imagine their delight when I told them the brand now has their own non-stick range.

Some of its features at a glance

1. Completely even heat distribution across the base

Familiar with your pan being hotter at one area as compared to the other and you end up with uneven cooking? With Retroflam, hot spots become a thing of the past. No matter whether you place your fish at the sides or in the center, the specially-designed radiating grooves on the base ensures that heat is evenly distributed. This results in food cooked just right with no surface drying, no charring and no pan residue.

2. Made of five layers of quality materials

Each Retroflam cookware is cast as one entire piece from quality aluminium with no glued edges. The cast aluminium core is an excellent heat conductor, ensuring that your food gets cooked just the way you want it. The surrounding black base titanium is a strong, non-toxic, non-porous, nonreactive, non-allergenic, biocompatible metal good enough for medical purposes. Sparkling pearl ceramic coating, which seals the cookware interiors and exteriors, ensures a perfect non-toxic surface highly resistant to heat with superior non-stick performance.

3. Free from toxic chemicals like PFOA, cadmium and lead

Retroflam’s pearl ceramic coating will emit no chemical discharge even under extreme heat of up to 400 degrees Celsius, so cook and eat with peace of mind! Plus the coating makes the pans easier to wash and clean.

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My experience

I tested out the 24cm Casserole Pot and 24cm Fry Pan to make Pan Fried Chinese Dumplings, aka Guo Tie or Pot-stickers! After the dumplings are wrapped, I first used the Casserole Pot to boil them before crisping up the bottom in the Fry Pan.

I was surprised at how fast the water started boiling. I must say the aluminium core is such an excellent heat conductor that I could start cooking the dumplings in no time at all. Once the water boils, throw in the dumplings and wait for them to float, then continue cooking for 2-3 minutes till done.

If you prefer a healthier choice, you can stop here and enjoy your boiled dumplings without frying them into pot-stickers. Each parcel is moist and juicy and they’re incredible easy to make. Resist the temptation to over-stuff the filling or they’ll be difficult to wrap.

Emerald Green is such a gorgeous colour… I’ve never seen a more attractive pot in my life, serious. The sparkling effect makes it look like jewellery instead of a casserole pot:

Once the dumplings are boiled, remove them and drain off the surface water. Heat up some oil in the Fry Pan to crisp up the bottom.

Perfectly done to a golden brown:

I love it that even after frying 20 dumplings, the pan was still smooth without any charred bits. All it took for me to clean up was to use a piece of kitchen paper to wipe away the leftover oil, followed by a gentle wash under the tap. No residue, no need to scrape away anything!

Red Ruby or Emerald Green, I can’t decide which colour I like more!

I’ve taken the easy way out for this recipe by opting for store-bough dumping skins. Of course, you can make your own but with the baby almost taking over my life these days/from now on, I think my decision was very intelligent. LOL. Look in the chiller section in the supermarkets. These smaller round, white dumpling skins (Taiwan Dumpling Skin – Jiao Zi Pi) are usually right next to the yellow wonton skins. Serve with lots of vinegar and julienned ginger. Recipe below.

Where to buy

Corningware Retroflam (available in Ruby Red & Emerald Green) ranges from $109 to $189 and can be found at major department stores:

• BHG
• Courts
• Metro
• OG
• Robinsons
• Tangs
• Takashimaya

*Super good deal promotional bundles until September 2016*:

• 30cm Wok Pan with glass lid @ S$169 with FREE! 18cm Saucepan with glass lid
• 24cm Casserole with die-cast aluminium lid @ S$189 with FREE! 18cm Saucepan with glass lid
• Super Value Full Set (original value of over S$630) @ S$379: 1) 30cm Wok Pan with glass lid 2) 24cm Casserole with die-cast aluminium lid 3) 24cm Fry Pan with no lid 4) 18cm Saucepan with glass lid and 5) FREE! Corningware casserole (1 litre)

Recipe

Pan-fried Chinese Dumplings (budgetpantry.com)
Serves 4-5

What you need:

200g napa cabbage, finely chopped
2-3 stalks chives or spring onions, finely chopped
300g minced pork (better with some fat)
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine (hua tiao jiu)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Half teaspoon salt
30 dumpling wrappers (jiao zi skin)
Water to boil dumplings
Oil for frying
Julienned ginger and Chinese vinegar to serve

Steps:

Mix everything except the oil and dumpling wrappers together to form the filling.

Fill each wrapper with 1 tablespoon thereabouts of filling in the center. Fold the wrapper into half, then pinch the sides together and pleat to enclose. This website helped me a lot when I was just learning to wrap dumplings. Repeat till filling is used up.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the dumplings till done, about 2-3 minutes after they start to float. Remove and drain.

In the Retroflam frying pan, heat up 2 tablespoons of oil on medium flame. Place the dumplings bottom-down and fry till golden brown.

Serve with julienned ginger and a vinegar dip.

My favourite online grocery store, SGVegetables recently passed me some new products to try. One of them is this Taste And Tastes Fried Chicken Powder, which is raved to taste super yummy! How real is this? I was going to find out!

All of you know I kind of NEVER deep fry stuff at home, and when I do, it’d better be worth it. After trying this powder, I say, IT IS very worth it!! You know what after deep frying I still air fried them to force out the oil. You can skip this step of course. The powder is yummy either way. I say ‘powder is yummy’ because I not only used it to coat chicken wings and drumlets, I also fried mushrooms with them. Soooo good! And as I’m typing this, I realise that I still have pregnancy brain. Why couldn’t I have just air fried the chicken instead of deep fry?! Of course I ccould have.. see this crispy curry fried chicken that I cooked in my air fryer.

I found this video on Taste and Tastes Facebook page that shows you just how beautiful the fried chicken turned out to be:

Taste and Tastes Fried Chicken Powder from Ipoh can be bought on SGVegetables.com. Only $3 a packet. Buy and try! While you’re at it, order the famous Hand Flower Brand Soy Sauce too:

If you’ve been checking out baby fairs recently, you would have noticed a new name in the breast pump market: GaksiMil from Korea.

Today I’m reviewing the GaksiMil G1, a hospital grade double electric breast pump which is pretty popular in Korea and starting to gain exposure here.

What I like

Hospital Grade
It is a hospital grade pump which means it is super efficiency in power and speed.

High Massage and Milking Pressure but still very comfortable
The suction is stronger than many breast pumps in the market, with a high massage pressure of up to 250mmHg and high milking pressure of up to 440mmHg. Amazingly, my nips didn’t feel like they were going to die and each pump still felt very comfortable.

54 combinations of pressure and frequency control
With nine suction cycles and six levels of pressure control, I can play around with the combinations to find the best customised settings for me.

It’s really quiet
Quietest breast pump with lower than 45dB. This means I don’t wake CBB up when I pump in the middle of the night. Watch a video of the pump in action below.

100% Prevention of Back Flow of Breast Milk Into the Motor
There’s nothing I dislike more than having milk or condensation in the tubings. With the back flow protector, I don’t have this problem.

Easy to operate
There’s nothing really fancy about the pump, with simple buttons and a very basic LED display. My brain now cannot deal with very complicated machinery.

Accessories for the G1

My experience

All of you know that I am a super low supply mom. When trying out this pump, I worried if I would get less yield than my already-low sessions. Then it would mean one pump session kinda wasted cos it is very troublesome to switch pumps if this new one doesn’t work as well as my existing one. When using the G1, I’m happy to report that although my yield didn’t increase, it was on par with the pump I was using.

I like it that it is really quiet when pumping. I found a video on youtube that demonstrates how quiet it is even as you increase the levels:

I wish that it came with a rechargeable battery though. But then then again, this pump is bulky at 1.15kg and 24.4cm across, so maybe you wouldn’t want to lug it everywhere. Consider the GaksiMil Sense for a truly portable experience. Here’s a video of all the GaksiMil breast pumps available. It’s showing GaksiMil Sense as an example but it’s a introduction video which also mentions the G1 towards the end:

Final verdict
I would use this as my spare pump and have no problem switching to this when my current pump dies. I hope it can be more portable and lighter, although its weight is probably a direct result of the powerful motor within. One more thing: the bottles screw on tight and sturdy.. no chances of them suddenly dropping off while pumping!

Where to buy
GaksiMil G1 is available on My Miracle Baby with a 1-year warranty. While you’re there, check out all the GaksiMil breast pumps and other quality baby products too (I super love the Fedora strollers and carseats!). Enjoy FREE delivery within Singapore for orders S$45.00 and above.

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Disclaimer: I received the GaksiMil G1 for review purposes and received no monetary payment for this review. All opinions and comments on my blog are my own unless you bribe me with a lot of money, cash only. But until now I haven’t accepted any bribes yet which is worth trading my 良心 for to say something is good when it sucks. Unless you really got a lot of cash to spare, like A LOT, 收买我吧.

In the twinkling of an eye, CBB is now 14 weeks old. Where did the time go? From a tiny, sleepy baby to a chubby chuckling babe.. her transformation is just amazing. If you’re following me on Facebook, thank you for going through these times with me! It’s so miraculous, this whole thing, almost as miraculous as the fact that moms are X-men descendants who don’t need sleep at all.

Just went for her third month jab at the polyclinic last week. She now measures 6.1kg and 64cm. Are babies superheroes too? They grow so fast! These days, I sometimes wake up and find CBB in a position like she wanna dance ballet. She’s starting to learn to flip! And I’ve noticed her neck muscles are now stronger. She can hold her head quite steadily although she still hates tummy time. And because she has hated tummy time from the start (I tried putting her on her tummy at 1-month plus but she screams bloody murder after .2 seconds), it caught me by surprise the other day when she lifted her head, complete with sound effects (“eh! ehhhhh!!”), when I placed her on her tummy. See her super wei qu look:

“I’m gonna try to do it..!! Look Mom…… I can!”

When I placed her sideways, she also tried her best to flip to her tummy and succeeded after much effort. I was so happy, and I could tell she was too!

Deciding to get a proper playmat

I was using a flimsy activity gym “mat” during her tummy time, which shifts like nobody’s business when she tries to get up. This type of mat does nothing to help her develop her fine motor skills because every time her hands and legs slip, her confidence level goes down a notch and she thinks she can’t do it. Observing this for a few times, I decided that I needed a better quality, sturdy and proper playmat to support her as she grows and explores.

What I look for when deciding on a playmat

There are a few things that are really important to me and Dwinguler playmats meet all these criteria and more:

– Safe and 100% non-toxic
As CBB will be spending lots of time on the playmat, it has to be 100% non-toxic and manufactured by a reliable source. Known as LG Hausys or LG Prime in Korea, Dwinguler playmats are certified by Swiss standards to be free of toxic substances and it has also met the stringent EN71 European Toy Safety Standards. See their certifications here.

Spot my babe!

– Anti-slip with firm cushioning
I compare playmats to shoes. Have you tried walking long distances in shoes with no cushion? Or tried running in your flats? Compare that with jogging in proper running shoes. Which is more comfortable? The lack of cushioning places immense pressure on your soles.. imagine if it was your baby on all fours with no cushion or support. Made of multiple foam layers which protect CBB from tumbles and falls, my Dwinguler playmat is very sturdy (稳固) and embossed for better grip. Its comfortable cushioning is perfect for CBB to roll about as she practises those flips and I don’t have to worry about her feeling uncomfortable at any time.

– Educational and engaging
You know sometimes I really don’t know what to play or do with CBB that I wish she can self-entertain. I mean she does that alot already, but sometimes she just looks really bored and this mom don’t know what to say to her. LOL. Dwinguler playmats are double-sided with vibrant colours and patterns, all designed to capture a child’s curiosity. My playmat is the Masai Mara design with safari animal images on one side, and the alphabet and numbers on the other. The engaging prints make it easier for me the clueless mom to introduce CBB to colours, and help her identify animals and learn about numbers as she grows older.

– It grows with her
A quality playmat isn’t cheap, so it’s a given that we hope for it to last as long as possible. My Dwinguler playmat is suitable for babies and children up to 7 years old, supporting CBB every step of the way as she learns to flip, crawl, walk and yep, fall. You really get your money’s worth!

– Waterproof and easy to clean
With kids, having a waterproof playmat is a no-brainer. Dwinguler’s plus point is that it is super easy to clean.. just wipe with lukewarm or warm water. If you like, you can add a drop or two of baby’s shampoo into the water. Remember not to use Dettol as its chemicals are too strong and may corrode the mat’s surface.

Where to buy

Dwinguler playmats are available in over 40 locations island-wide in Singapore, such as Mothercare and Mums & Babes outlets. For a full list of retailers, visit: http://dwinguler.com.sg/retailers.html

Mine is a size L playmat in Masai Mara design. More info about the sizes:

Small: 1.4m x 1.0m x 11mm
Medium: 1.9m x 1.3m x 11mm
Large: 2.3m x 1.4m x 15mm

Go on over to the website for details.

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Disclaimer: I received a Dwinguler Playmat for review purposes and received no monetary payment for this review. All opinions and comments on my blog are my own unless you bribe me with a lot of money, cash only. But until now I haven’t accepted any bribes yet which is worth trading my 良心 for to say something is good when it sucks. Unless you really got a lot of cash to spare, like A LOT, 收买我吧.

Living in Singapore has given us the luxury to grow up with food from different ethnic groups. One of my favourite cuisines has got to be Peranakan food. Oh, and since I’m at it, I’ve noticed many people, English teachers included, using phrases like “one of the most delicious pie I’ve eaten” or “one of the best cafe in Singapore” and it really bothers me. “One of the most delicious pieS” because this pie is ONE pie out of the MANY delicious pies you’ve eaten. “One of the best cafes” because it is one of the MANY cafes that’s really good.

Reading it is like having a phantom itch, an itch that can’t be found and can’t be scratched. It is nightmare.

If you’ve been using it wrong all along, then at least you know now! If you’re that kind who come and say I look down on people’s English and think I’m perfect (I’m hardly), then go away la, you super narrow minded and taking it the wrong way.

Sorry for the rant. It’s one of those things that I have to get off my chest before I can give you the recipe for Ayam Pongteh.

Back to the chicken. With CBB being more predictable nowadays, I’m starting to find some time for cooking. It helps that I love cooking stews and braises, where ingredient preparation usually takes 10-15 minutes and the dish cooks by itself on the stove or slow cooker. It’s the case with Ayam Pongteh.

I first tried this soy-bean based chicken stew at a good friend’s place when I was in university. Her mom is a really good cook. That afternoon, she prepared a feast of Nyonya favourites like Bakwan Kepiting (pork and crab meat balls), Jiew Hu Char (vegetables fried with shredded cuttlefish), Kuih Pie Tee (crispy shells filled with jicama) and Ayam Pongteh (chicken and potato stew cooked with fermented soy beans). I found myself almost scrapping the pot of Ayam Pongteh at the dinner table. Before I left, I asked auntie for her recipe. How could I not?

Years later, this is the first time I’m cooking this dish with the recipe I scribbled in my old note book. It is important to use fresh small shallots for this dish and not those pre-peeled/vacuum sealed ones. Please also don’t substitute shallots with red onions! I love cooking with aromatics but hate preparing them. I hope someone invents a garlic and shallot peeling machine which give us the options of “slice”, “chop”, “pound” with the push of a button. Then I will get to cook (and eat!) this dish more often!

peranakan

The adorable May babies celebrated their 100 days this month! I have a guest post from one of the May mummies who attended the Maygical 2016 100 days Baby Bash. Thank you to all the sponsors for the event!

By Isabelle Tan

More than 150 parents made their way to Manulife building at Bras Brasah road where our Maygical 2016 100 days Baby Bash was held. The place was teeming with excitement as parents from all zones (North, Central, East, South and West) interacted with one another as well as with some of the sponsors who made their way down on 6 August.

One of the things that struck me as a first-time mummy was that it was really well-planned and organised — the moment we reached the place, we were ushered to collect our goodie bags (worth more than $300!) and to fill up a lucky draw ticket. A movie screening area was set aside for parents with older children.. how thoughtful! A photo booth was set up by Ezane Photography pre-event. We took our first family photo before having our lunch in the next room. Thank you Mannapot Catering for filling our tummies!

Making our way to lunch, we were greeted by representatives from Young Living, who showed us how essential oils could help build up our baby’s immunity system and how we could incorporate these essential oils into our own daily living. Didn’t know that essential oils come with so many health benefits, and they smelled really lovely too!

Speaking of scents, we couldn’t resist but help ourselves to the wonderful bakes by Singapore Lactation Bakes (SLB) which had such nicely presented mini-muffins and cookies for sampling. Founder of SLB, Joanna Goy, was also sharing with us mummies, both during her presentation and at her booth, on strategies to boost milk supply. Apparently, some mommies had more milk after sampling her cookies (made from organic products) and I must say those lactation cookies do taste very good. We also received samples of Mama Tea, a nursing tea from Taiwan which is said to be milk boosters too. The tea was highly raved about by the mummies who tried it.

The event promptly started at 12.45pm with a talk by theAsianparent. Parents flocked to the sharing session, eager to take in the advice from experts like lactation consultant, Sister Kang from Mount Alvernia Hospital, who addressed many queries on breastfeeding.

Joanna from SLB shared about lactation cookies and her breastfeeding journey with her two children. My husband was intrigued by the sharing session by International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) which covered baby massage and how we can communicate our love for our baby via baby massage. His takeaway for the session? A song on finger massage which made me smile.

The main highlight of the event was our photo-taking session where our babies, clad in customised rompers by Toddley Thoughts, laid on playmats sponsored by Puku. The little ones were so adorable that excited parents, us included, rushed to snap pictures of them. They looked so cute in their “uniforms” and I guess that was why the official photographer had to get us to contain our over-zealousness so that we could have proper “official” shots taken of them. Caution: Babies galore!

The event went by in a whirl and we ended the baby bash with the lucky draw! I was one lucky mama and I walked away with a BeBeSup hamper. Other lucky mamas won prizes from other sponsors. Our sponsors were just super — every mummy who stayed till the end of the event went home with something!

The event officially ended at 5pm with smiling parents and exhausted committee members (yep I am one of them).

In order not to miss any sponsors (for both the goodie bag and prizes), I shall list them here in no order of merit. On behalf of participants of Maygical 100day bash, we would like to thank:

Manulife Singapore — Blue Sky Impact, Sister Kang, IAIM Singapore, Toddley Thoughts, ParentTown, BeyondPictures Singapore, Ezane Photography, Baby Sensory Singapore, Mustela Singapore, Tommee Tippee Singapore, Bebesup Singapore, Young Living Singapore, MiGung 365º Singapore, GoFresh, GOO.N Singapore, Puku Singapore, Singapore Lactation Bakes, Bio-home Malaysia, TheAsianParent, BABYLOVE Breastmilk Jewellery Keepsake, Pupsik Studio, SuperMom Baby Fair 2016 – Biggest Grandest Fair of the Year, Giftatot Made Real, Lillebaby Singapore, Ashlié Label, Bellamy’s Organic Singapore, Little Bubbs, Four Cow Farm Singapore – 100% Natural Baby Skincare, Gymboree Play & Music Singapore, Philips Avent, Huggies, Pixel Party, Pigeon Singapore, Kindermusik With Love studios Pte. Ltd., Bud Cosmetics Sucre Délices, 10 10 Mother & Child Singapore, HOMESOY PoliMedica, Mary Had A Little Lamb SG, Mama Tea Singapore, Giggles The Ebullient Bunch, The New Age Parents, Max Clyne At Work Photography Services, Little Splashes Swim School, Beauty.Mums & Babies, TruLife MAM, Singapore Kokadi Singapore, Naturel Pororo Park Singapore, Petite Romance + Pearly Sprouts, Fluff Mail, SmartParents — Parenting Made Easy, Manna Pot Catering Pte Ltd, Ana B Beads, Biconi Love, Tinkle Fobs and Bepanthen Baby.

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Note: Thank you to Mummy Isabelle Tan for contributing this post!

After four long years, we have finally gotten the keys to our BTO flat! *throws confetti*

We first balloted for the BTO in April 2012. At that time we only knew we were not young anymore and just wanna faster get a home. Coincidentally a new premium BTO – Skyline – was coming up in Bukit Batok, two streets away from my aunt’s place. Sounded perfect! So off we went to submit our application. Imagine our joy when our first ballot attempt was successful.. we were invited for flat selection but all the top floor units with balcony were taken up. The tallest block goes up to 38 storeys! Standing high indeed. But when it came to our turn, the only unit left that comes with a balcony was at a super low level. Yes quite FML thinking back but it’s ok, if got fire we jump down also won’t die.

So we waited! You know some BTOs complete way ahead of time like 1-2 years ahead. Or at least a few months ahead. Ours? Totally on the dot according to the estimated completed date. So we waited a total of 4.5 years for this.. plus we were also one of the last few to collect our keys.

We made an appointment with the HDB officer last Friday at 2.30pm. Took a number and waited. And took some selfies since baby girl was in a good mood!

Pardon my ugly roots. I will fix it.. when.. I dunno..

With her favourite person in the world.

CBB was super smiley that day.. she knew we were taking our keys or what?! Haha. The HDB customer service officer explained a few items to us, like the dos and don’ts of renovation, plus confirmed some money matters, like how much bank loan we took and the tenure, etc. The only thing we paid that day was a $55 conservancy charge (haven’t even move in have to pay already wtf). Our law firm settled everything else for us in the form of cheque. And within 20 minutes, tada!

(The eyebags are real.)

We also went one level up to open our SP services account. Just take the escalator in the middle of the main lobby and SP services is at your left as you reach level 2. SP Services didn’t collect any money from us that day.

From just dating to married, from er ren shi jie to now with cbb, our flat is finally ready! Quite surreal! Michelle my da sao picked us up and off we went to the new place! I’m gonna be sharing photos of our flat first, followed by the beautiful surroundings.

Super love the tuquoise tinted full length windows and the shiny tiles:

Our super tiny balcony (with cigarette butt somemore who is the culprit confess!):

The kitchen (we’re gonna hack the walls) and service yard:

Bomb shelter:

The passageway leading to the rooms:

Bedroom 1 and 2 and the common toilet:

The main bedroom (sorry not enough space to stand to take good photo) and toilet:

My first thought upon stepping in was: Need to be so small ma?! Yes the flat is smaller than I imagined but I guess that’s the case for all new BTOs now. We also decided to engage an interior designer since I honestly can’t manage with cbb still so little and I’m going back to work really soon.

After meeting with a handful of ID firms, we decided to go with Space Atelier. Their designs are fresh and contemporary, the quotation is reasonable and we are very impressed with their service and portfolio on Qanvast. Looking forward to receiving the 3D drawings. Hope everything goes smoothly!

Next step would be to do the defects check (our ID did this together with us). I stayed home with cbb that day cos of the dust and all, but Jason said the number of defects was ok and not overwhelming. I’m super in love with our surroundings!

View from our balcony:

Linkway from block to garden/greenary/playground:

Kena photobombed by my nephew Aegon.

Can’t wait to set up our new home! It is empty for now but it is already slowly filling up with love :) Hope we don’t exceed our budget when it comes to spending for appliances and furniture. If you wish to feature your product or know of anywhere I can get good deals, get in touch with me. Watch this space as I share our home renovation journey!

*scroll down for info on tea session and special promo!*

In less than a month, I will be going back to work and cbb will be going to infant care. Short of quitting my job, we decided that placing her in infant care is the next best thing for her in our situation.

Before giving birth, we went to a few centres to see their environment. There’s an infant care right next to my block but the area is small and the centre has 20+ babies (the teacher couldn’t even tell me an exact number). We then went to another one further away which has a lower enrollment but the space allocated to the infants is so small with very little sunlight. The entire school is quite old and cluttered – I was worried about ventilation issues. Luckily for us, I knew our search was over when we went to visit MapleBear at Bukit Batok.

About MapleBear

MapleBear Singapore is headed by MapleBear Global Schools located in Vancouver, Canada. Its curriculum has been developed by Canadian teaching experts and refined for local children by Singapore’s childcare education expert, Mrs Patricia Koh (founder of Pat’s Schoolhouse). I like it that they focus a lot on bilingual immersion and the way children acquire knowledge – through sensory experiences and exploration instead of simply via textbooks.

Although located all throughout Singapore, not all MapleBear centres offer infant care services. MapleBear Bukit Batok is one of them and caters to infants and children from two months to six years old (infant care to K2). Find out more about MapleBear Bukit Batok and their programmes here.

What made me decide on MapleBear Bukit Batok?

1. Spacious, bright and well-ventilated environment

No other childcare centres that I’ve visited comes close to MapleBear Bukit Batok in terms of size. Space is extremely important to me because a more spacious centre means better ventilation and a reduced likelihood of cbb contracting airborne viruses and HFMD. Although children falling sick in childcare centres is inevitable as compared to home, the centre is doing all it can to ensure the babies and children thrive in a clean environment. This centre is huge, with large spaces for learning, discovering and play.

Taking every child’s health seriously, teachers are actively practicing basic hygiene and sanitisation. Rashes check and temperature taking are also conducted for every visitor who enters. The school has invested in quality air purifiers and an automatic disinfection system to conduct daily sanitising and cleaning of the furniture and equipment.

2. Excellent teacher-children ratio

The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) requires that childcare centres keep to a certain teacher to children ratio. For infant care, it is 1:5 (i.e., one teacher to a maximum of five infants). MapleBear Bukit Batok adheres to and even surpasses this minimum requirement by having a 1:3 ratio for infants below 17 months and a 1:4 ratio for toddlers between 18 and 24 months. The ratio is also lower for their playgroup, nursery and kindergarten classes, meaning more teachers are around to care for cbb even as she progresses through the curriculum all the way up to K2. This is one major consideration for me as she’s only gonna be four months old when she enrolls, so the more attention there is on her, the better.

3. Experienced teachers with infant care certification and well thought-out curriculum

One of the first questions I asked the principal during the school tour was, “What is the profile of your teachers?” I’ve gone on to meet them before cbb starts school, and I’m getting a really good vibe. Not only do the teachers have appropriate infant care certifications, they are also very experienced in taking care of babies. I’ve also interacted with the English and Chinese teachers from the higher level classes (cbb is eventually going to graduate from infant care!), and they’re bubbly, engaging and sincere.. I have no doubt that lessons and daily activities are going to be fun and enriching. The timetable for daily activities for infants includes motor skills activities, music appreciation, sensorial development and interaction. And although the curriculum runs from 7am to 7pm, parents can drop off and pick up their child at any time of the day.

4. Good facilities for care and play

The centre is incredibly well equipped. For the infant care section, there is a clean and neat area where teachers bathe the babies. Close to it is the fridge where you can store breast milk and a steriliser for baby’s bottles. There’s even an outdoor area/balcony for babies and a water and sandplay area for older kids.

Here’s what the infant’s room and its surrounding area look like, complete with a play yard and rockers/bouncers and cots:

For older children, the school is equipped with fun and creative classrooms, a music and dance room and different activity corners to support early learning and help them develop both academically and physically.

5. Age-appropriate menu planned by the Health Promotion Board

Apart from learning, nutrition is extremely important for kids. Even at infant level, the menu is planned by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) so I can be assured that cbb is eating well even at school. I intend to continue with giving milk fully until six months, and then the school will help introduce a variety of food going forward. All ingredients are included in the school fees and I don’t have to worry about preparation at all. The centre has a dedicated auntie who takes care of the children’s daily meals. Take a look at the sample menu which is catered to age. Like at six months, babies are given a variety of pureed/blended food and at seven to nine months, they are introduced to baby cereal which has more texture.

6. Daily communication records and live updates (coming soon)

Having my baby girl away from me isn’t easy at all. To alleviate feelings of separation anxiety, the school has a communication handbook for me to be in the know about cbb’s day and progress in school. They’re also working on an application which allows parents to receive photos and live updates – I’m really looking forward to it… maybe I can stop constantly wondering how cbb’s day has been?

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Although it’s hard to no longer be with her 24/7, at least I know that she’ll be in good hands. Placing her in school will give her the opportunity to learn something from the professionals.. I admit that I kinda suck in reading to her or showing her flash cards. I know the teachers will do a better job than me! Interacting with other babies will also open up her little world. I guess I really have to let go!

MapleBear Bukit Batok invites you to a tea session on 18 Sept, Sunday, 10am – 12pm. Tour the school and find out more about MapleBear from their staff and education ambassador, Ms Patricia Koh. RSVP via phone or email (info below) by 15 Sept so you don’t miss out. Plus, quote “budgetpantry” to enjoy a special promotion upon enrollment!

Maple Bear Bukit Batok
15 Bukit Batok St 22
#02-01, Propell Building
Singapore 659586
(right next to Bukit Batok Swimming Complex and the new Skyline residences)

To RSVP for the tea session or for further enquiries, please fill in this contact form or give them a call at (+65) 6901 0272. Don’t forget to say “Hi!” if you see me at the school picking up cbb!

We were over at Mom’s on Saturday for a visit and she decided to entice me with fluffy and crusty cornmeal bread rolls she baked the day before. I was just starting to cut down on my rice and breads.. 妈,这是对的吗?!!!

The planned 2-hour visit stretched till 8pm that night cos she enthusiastically took out all her barang barang and started to give me a step-by-step tutorial there and then! Seriously I never expected the steps to be so simple.. all you need is time for the dough to rise. Baking in the oven took all of 15 minutes. So technically you spend an afternoon producing this but only spend maybe half an hour for the work?

We used a total of 500g flour (400g bread flour, 100g plain flour). Mom also added wholemeal (the grain, not the flour) but it’s entirely optional. You can add chia seeds if you want and that’s what I’m gonna do when I bake it again. For the crispy crusty effect on the surface, dust some cornmeal (also widely sold as corn ‘polenta’) on top just before sending the bread rolls into the oven. Reminds me of English muffins, which are also dusted with cornmeal before baking. Delicious!

p/s- There are two types of cornmeal/polenta: the fine powdery type or the coarser type also called corn grits from brands like Bob’s Red Mill. Use the powdery type – we got it from Phoon Huat. But if you can only find the coarser ones, just grind them further in the food processor till fine. Here’s the label of what we used (Mom repacked this into a container):

The beautiful thing about this recipe is that once you get the base right, you can start adding your favourite ingredients like chocolate chips, raisins, oats, etc etc. I prefer mine just like this, served with cold butter or kiap-ed with roast beef (true story. mom made some roast beef that day to go with the rolls LOL)

Mom packed about 15 rolls for me to take back home.. they were still soft after 4 days. To get the crispy/crusty surface again, preheat your oven or airfryer to 180C, switch off the oven, and toast the rolls using the residual heat for 5 minutes. Watch the video (yes that’s cbb fussing at the end.. she wouldn’t even let me take a video in peace lol!):

This recipe yields 20-25 bread rolls (about 40-45g dough per roll). Of course you can shape them however you want! Enjoy with cold butter or jam (with a cup of coffee!), or make ham and egg rolls with them. Have fun!

The husband suddenly decided to eat at home on Saturday and told me just “随便吃 lor”. He must be joking how can I just let him anyhow eat? As long as he watches cbb I will be happy to cook a feast for him. I miss cooking! Happy that I can cook in peace, I decided to cook something new.

Pasta is the fastest, but aglio olio and carbonara are too boring. I had some delicious chunky otah in the fridge.. I had to make otah pasta! Never would I have thought using otah as the sauce base could taste so amazing. Thank you to Otah-soh of BBQBOYS‘s for recommending it to me!

For a fuss-free meal, all you need: chunky otah, pasta (I used linguine), coconut milk (you can use the light version) and garlic. I didn’t have prawns if not I would have added them. I only used sliced fishcake, and fried up some crispy ikan bilis as topping and it is already woww. Some bouncy squid sounds delicious too.

For the otah, get those muar types which are thicker and fleshier. You don’t have to get them fresh. Frozen ones from the supermarket will do too. If you have some finely chopped laksa leaves, sprinkling a little on top will make this dish even more interesting. Chili padi is optional although if you can take the heat, add it! This wowed me today cos it’s so easy and delicious.. the hubby gave it 10 points!

Throughout my pregnancy till now as Amber is approaching five months old, I’m really thankful for a group of unsung heroes also known as “Fast and Furious West Mummies”! Why fast and furious? Because our whatsapp messages can reach thousands in a day, that’s why!

When I first discovered I was pregnant, I joined a Facebook group for May 2016 expectant mothers. That progressed into joining the whatsapp group for the west zone.. I remember it was Krayon (“her husband called colour pencil”) who added me into the chat group along with many mummies. I think when I joined, the chat group had 20+ mummies? And now it’s like 50-60.

Being my first pregnancy, I was really clueless over everything. I also didn’t have mom support unlike most people. Seeing fellow ftms asking the same clueless questions as me made me feel safe, like I wasn’t alone, and it was ok to be blur. Apart from newbies, there are experienced mummies in the group who answered all our basic-to-the-core questions patiently.. be it about breastfeeding and sterilising breast pumps before we popped, to handling screaming colicky babies in the first 1-2 months, to now giving pointers about introducing solids.. this well of information is endless. The oldies and newbies learnt together and found support in one another.. we really can talk about everything!

I recall the days all of us hadn’t given birth yet and our EDD was nearing. Excitement exploded when Jamie was the first to give birth, followed by Chew Yen and Sophia. They gave birth end April. I remember us sharing tips on how to induce labour naturally when our EDD was near and there was no sign of baby yet.. I really did those squats dilligently! LOL. It was also from this group that mummies introduced my eventual gynae to me, and I am eternally grateful.

The mummies had a few meet ups but I couldn’t join those times. Finally this month, cbb went for her first mass playdate! I thought it would be fun for her, but poor girl was so terrified, the theme of the day was literally “CRY ALL THE WAYYYY”!! I guess she wasn’t used to being in an enclosed area with strangers coming up to say hi and looking her in the face.. and the chatter can get overwhelming for her little ears. I feel sorry for the kind mummies and daddies who tried means to make her smile, and all they got in return was an instant crinkling of her face and even louder cries. Cbb was ok on a few occasions when there weren’t as many babies. I hope the next time we meet, she will be all smiles!

Not all the mummies could make it for our playdate, but it was nice to see the ones who could. Thank you Agnes for hosting us and for everyone who brought food, drinks and playmats!

Ok so here, pictures! Little girl was already acting up in the car ride. Err probably cos I made her wear the silly hat. She hates having ANYTHING on her head.

“Put the silly hat on me again and I will……. resign to my fate.”

Xin Lan, Cath, Mayvin, Krayon, Beth and Joyce!

Someone’s husband cut Agnes away from the previous pic so here she is! Chew Yen looking like she’s photobombing.. hahaha.

Jamie, her hubby and cutie-pie Chloe!

Dewi and cheeky Lana!

Otah-soh Jennifer, Joyce and Agnes. Jennifer and Joyce’s babies were also born on the same day as cbb!

Cath and Seth.. thank you Cath for sharing what you know with us ftms. Her #1 is such a sweetie!

Krayon, her hubby and Kedric. The most beautiful family photo of the day goes to them!

Amelene, her funny hubby and Elliot. Cbb cried the loudest when Elliot was trying to be friendly and touched her hand. Wish I had recorded her face. Damn funny I swear.

Wow can find one pic with cbb not crying. Must buy 4D.

Lana and Lucas (the babies I mean..)

“Hi…. wanna be friends?

Shanni and Savier! One of the two original Michelin babies *wink*. The other is Queenie of course!

Shiang Min and Mayvin with their hubbies and babies Ash and Clyde!

Clyde and his doppelganger Lana. They REALLY look alike and nooo they’re not related!

Smiley Chloe 笑笑公主!

Baby Zach and Queenie!

Band of brothers.

And then it was time for the GROUP PICS ON THE PLAYMAT OMFG ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE. HAHAHAHA! Spot my crying babe!

Can’t see her? Nah here.

So yup, it’s true. She really cried all the way! And on the way home…….

SULK.

Hahaha! It was really fun meeting all my 最熟悉的陌生人s. Till the next one!