Diy confinement

Even though the nanny has left,  i have every intention to continue with my confinement till 40 days. Many would do confinement for only a month, but I wanted to be kiasu this time round. However, i didn't bother about those herbal baths and not touching water after a month. Singapore's weather is just too warm! Prior to birth,  I've sorted things out and got stuff ready except that i didn't anticipate that the nanny would leave earlier.  You see,  I've made arrangements for confinement food delivery and fortunately the owner of Yeyeah delights was nice enough to entertain my requests.  In fact,  throughout our liaison, she has been prompt and patient on her replies.  This despite the fact that Grace,, a mother of three, herself was also having her confinement!  Salute this woman for her tenacity in tending her business.

And so, i managed to get my confinement food delivery to commence slightly earlier. The food are all recommended by their TCM physician cooked and blast freeze. delivery was done every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I was initially skeptical as i had thought food from refrigerator meant "wind". A no no for confinement ladies.  I certainly wouldn't want to fart non stop n make the hubs feel that pur bedroom smells like shit again (yes was expelling gas like mad when i had the nanny's food and she claimed it was good as i was dispelling wind). Anyhows, Grace assured me that it was fine and TCM endorsed thus i decided to try it out. No regrets.  The food was delicious! Not to mention, balanced too. A meat,  a veg, a soup and if coz the all important longan water. i especially love their soups! Very tasty and you can certainly see and taste the amount of effort and ingredients that went into it. Solid tasting. Compared to the previous caterer I've used (Chilli padi), yeyeah's food was not oily and their meats were, well, meaty. You see, back then,  Chilli padi had chicken in their menu and it was all oil and bones! All went well till one day, the container holding the longan water gave way in transit and they included kidney, something which I've informed i don't take,  in my menu.  As part of their service recovery,  they offered me a replacement meal.  How nice. 

Here are some of the stuff which was delivered to me. You can see that they offer a large variety of dishes:

 

I like that they state the nutrition information. 

Something which drew me to take up their package was that they were the only caterer who uses brown rice. In my attempt to be a tad healthier, brown rice is certainly a good start.

 

 

Ahhh...soup! glorious soup!! This is one of my favourites! Green papaya with fish! I used to hate this soup when cooked with fish, but they did it in such a way i didn't feel that it was too fishy. In fact, i found myself asking for more at the end of the day. Unfortunately, I can't seem to replicate the taste at home, thus am still sticking with the pork ribs version.

 

 

Another favourite of mine: Pumpkin soup. It's not your typical western pumpkin soup which is thick and creamy, never is it the typical Chinese pumpkin soup where the pumpkin is chopped up and not blended like in this case.    

 

Look at how generous the portions are

 

 

  

Another way to faciliate my DIY confinement was to prepare pre-packed soup packs. Bought them from Chong Hoe Medical Hall at Serangoon Gardens. I usually pick up my dried organic supplies from this shop and chanced upon this. Awesome idea! But extremely expensive in my opinion. One soup pack on the average costs $38. I took only two week's supply. 

 

  Despite being expensive, the quality of ingredients was truly high. 

Half the time however i don't know what I'm drinking. They all look the same! haha..But it's so convenient. Just soak the herbs in water for 15minutes and pop them into the slow cooker or stove if you have the time to watch over.

 

The other pack which i bought was the tea packs. Many chided me for doing so as they said it's so easy to boil the longan red dates tea. Yes Of coz i do know it's easy. But this isn't simply about longan and red or black dates...look at the variety they have! (see above and below pictures). In fact, I bought a week's supply of these and every single day it was a different concoction!

 

 

After two week's of home delivery (lunch only mind you), I was on my own once again. Thankfully there's mom to buy me fresh produce like fish and thankfully we've got a relatively small but sufficient supermarket down by our block. I was able to whip up a decent meal to continue my attempt at staying healthy. 

Tried making the nanny's marmite chicken but kindof failed. Not gonna be defeated! If she can do it, so can i!

 

The flasks of longan red dates tea as well as rice tea （米茶）for my daily consumption

 

 

Ahhhh...lastly, who can forget. The king of fruits-- Lui Lian!!! YUMZZZ!!! compliments from the uncle who is a durian lover. Apparently, this is a very nutritious fruit during confinement. And since they say confinement ladies are supposed to be immune towards heatiness, I'm attacking the durians by the dozens! hahha ok, not quite!

 

What I ate during confinement

 So the nanny has left. Despite having a bad impression over her naggy ways, she left a deep print in the kitchen. One reason why we decided to engage her was due to the fact that she was a Cantonese. I knew she will cook stuff to my liking as I'm Canton too. And we Cantonese are known to whip up great dishes. At least the older generations..i'm still working on it! 

Really miss her meals. Every meal was a feast and it was such luxury to have 3 dishes and a soup as opposed to when I did my first confinement (done by the mil), i only had a dish and plain rice. Yup, And i thought I was the most blessed daughter-in-law on earth. Moving forward, meals are definitely going to be a challenge. Cooking is not going to be easy with a toddler hankering for attention and an infant, well, wailing for some reason every 15minutes. That apart, how am I to visit the market with two in tow? Research has pointed me to a certain website which delivers fresh fish/ seafood to your doorstep though -- SongFish Pte Ltd. It's getting me really excited as they've got lobsters, scallops, crayfish and of course fish! But delivery is only free if you spend above $150. not difficult if i get a couple of lobsters, but it's definitely not a long term plan and my fridge might not be able to hold that kind of quantity. Anyone living in the East, wanting to spree on fish? haha..new generation of auntiness!

Anyhoots, here's to share what I had for confinement:

 

Ginger Ginger Ginger. That's what they believe will rid wind from the tummy. Especially after a csec, the woman is thought to have heaps of wind in the womb. Thankfully this time i wasn't forced to eat the ginger! The nanny said having the taste in the dishes is good enough. Phew. Indeed after almost every meal, I was a farting machine gun! The hub commented the bedroom smelt perpetually of shit! haha

 

During confinement, not all vegetables could be consumed. The "cooling" ones like melons and kang kong just to name a few, should be avoided. Safe ones would be Kai lan, potato leaves which is believed to be a breastmilk booster and spinach which is iron-fortified are known to be good.

The top left dish is marmite chicken. Not quite a confinement dish but the nanny thought it'd be nice to add variety. N yums! it gets my thumbs up! Note to self: need to try the recipe some time. 

 

 

URGH! should have avoided those broccoli! Apparently, apart from legumes, broccoli is another lethal vegetable which causes gas! I was farting till no end  even the little one was farting like a machine gun!

On most days, the soup would be brown or black. Finally i see a clear soup! I honestly don't know what i'm drinking mostly, but i suppose they are all good for me!

 

 

This has got to be my FAVOURITE!!! Congee for breakfast! Cantonese style! Love the sticky texture as opposed to the watery Teochew type. According to my MIL though, that confinement ladies aren't suppose to eat porridge as it contains "wind". Utter rubbish says the nanny. Yeah, says the mommy! :P. there was smashed ginger in it, so i guess i'm pretty safe. Also, according to some old foggies, salt/ soya sauce (dark or light) are a no no. I've always wondered why. With dark/ light soya sauce, i reckon it is due to darkening of the scar should you have a csec. A bottle of chicken essence was also a must in the morning. I hate the taste, but since it's supposedly good, I had better pinch the nose and gulp it down. however, some believe that it will keep the infant awake if the mommy breastfeeds. Again, no scientific proof. The TCM physician did advise against it though. Reason being the commercial ones ain't pure and they probably added preservatives. Best to DIY.

 

 

i'm suppose to finish all these?? Peanut soup with pig's trotters. Another milk booster. I'm not a fan of pig's trotters but soup, i'll gladly drink. And Cantonese soups are Da Bomb! By the way, some old foggies warns against eating fish during confinement too. I don't get this. Fish = Omega = good no? According to the nanny, who is pretty open minded when it comes to food, it's due to the fact that those old stuck in the mud, unscientific fools as she calls, thinks by eating fish, you will get your erm vagina area to stink.

 

 

Pig's stomach soup. Another essential during confinement it seems. Maybe because of the pepper it warms the womb and rids wind. Other than that, my TCM physician actually urge me not to take any innards. Reason being, innards are dirty, contains heaps of weird bacteria. Thankfully, i'm not a fan. Another important dish not featured here, is the vinegar pigs trotters. Again, I'm not a fan of vinegar or pig's trotters, but forced myself to eat a little of the lean meat when she cooked. The hub took all the rest! haha..i think he enjoyed the confinement food more than I did. Anyways, some believe that vinegar helps clean the blood but my physician warns against it, stating that it may thin the blood and blood is very important to a woman. Well, everything in moderation i say.

 

 

The food at the hospital were a far cry from the homecooked food. The vegetables were bland but well, they score points for presentation. :)

 

 

I thought something soupy for breakfast will make my tummy happy. I was wrong! The soup was so tasteless I could have sworn they simply placed macaroni in hot water and served! I was also told by my physician that one should not take carrots as it will cancel out any nutrients the mommy has taken.

 

 

Tea time was however something I looked forward to. Their pastries were pretty nice in my opinion. Nothing fancy.

 

 

YUCKS! the most tasteless porridge ever! n watermelon for fruits? I thought it's considered a "coolin" fruit? Once again, if you have to take fruits, take the unrefrigerated ones. Durian is known to be one of the most nutritious fruit, but it shouldn't be taken in the early part of confinement.

 

AHhhhh this is what i call dessert!! Friend G visited and as if telepathy, she bought me these mini cupcakes from Twelve cupcakes. Aint' a big fan of sweet stuff but somehow, these little minis were a big welcome after all the boring plain stuff!   

Hope the above items didn't leave you salivating! Happy Weekend! :)

Same same but different

Many people have told me that Big and Small K look alike.  Well I certainly agree that when their eyes are closed,  the resemblence is scarily high!  However,  when their eyes are opened,  haha the difference is significant.  Small K's eyes are,  well, smaller. Quite contrary to what I was looking at most of the time during my pregnancy : Big K. I guess he has to choose the recessive gene from the father.  Another difference is their skin. Small K is definitely fairer. I attribute this to the fact that I drank quite a bit of soya bean (which might explain why he's so phlegmy whilst Big K isn't) and I stalked famous blogger,  Xiaxue's son's ang mo son - Dash, on Instagram, during my pregnancy.

SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT? 

maternity shots with bun no.2

Back then with no.1 in the tum tum, I did studio maternity shots. it is once in a lifetime-- that was my excuse to the hubs who insist he could do a similar job. But trust him to do anything and I would have popped before he even took a decent shot of me.

This time round,  budget's very tight as I've engaged a confinement nanny and investing in more herbs in hope to do a better confinement than previous.  It is said that confinement is the time when all the bad stuff can be reversed. True or not,  I'm not sure but definitely worth a shot!

Anyhoots, with no professional shots, I've taken some pretty good shots of myself.  Who says being pregnant has to he frumpy?

During the early stages......

See how things are progressing.....

I'm definitely looking more and more like a whale these days. Note to self: need a haircut soon! Need to be a pretty whale still!

healthy food for pregnant mums

Now, if you think that i have been lazy in the kitchen due to the lack of food post of late, bite your tongue and think again! i have been up to my neck with work (read: peak period), trying to get organised, looking after the lil one, partial homeschooling and on weekends rushing hm from work to cook.  so yeah, i hv been hell busy.

However, that's no excuse for ill treating my tummy.  especially important when one is pregnant. so no matter how tired I am,  I make it a point to cook nutritious foods especially on weekends (mind you, I do work on Saturdays too)

here's what's cooking in Wong's kitchen:

beetroot carrot soup ; spinach (great source of iron ( with baby silver fish and ginger chicken cubes. 

Beetroot is really great and I've discovered it a tad late. It's high in iron, contains loads of Vitamin C, improves the health of the liver, has the capability of purifying the blood during pregnancy thus reducing defects of birth, diminishes blood pressure (not that i need any of that), increases physical stamina for pregnant moms, packs carbs, Vitamins A and B, soluble fiber and protein and last but not least, folic acid which helps in fetal development -- especially important in the initial stages.

Soups are a must, especially since for this pregnancy I didn't get much, if any at all, soup from the mil. Cordyceps are known to be good for immunity. It's extremely expensive. A few short strands can set you back by SGD300-500! So as a substitute, I used Cordyceps Militaris which is a cultured fungus that has similar properties I suppose. It has anti-inflammation, anti-aging properties, relieves insomnia, strengthens one's lungs and benefits the kidneys. I simply slow cooked it with some huai shan, red dates and wolfberries. Everyone loved it!

Blackbean is said to have heaps of folate. I hope I'm not too late in this game! It is also a good source of fiber and protien. Pan fried herb salmon. a good source of omega. really hope i m not lacking in that department coz throughout this pregnancy, i have been adverse towards fish! lastly stewed chicken with carrots and mushrooms. the gravy is just divine! slurps.

A spread for two plus one and a half. Steamed chicken with red dates (careful not to add dang gui as this is a no-no for pregnant women) and wolfberries together with cordyceps chicken soup take centre stage. Other supporting dishes include fried fish, spinach and onion egg. Special mention that i have been using either brown rice/ black rice / quinoa in replacement of white rice as these are known to be super grains. Healthy much? :)

So there, i hope the above will inspire you to step into the kitchen and whip up something healthy :)

My Frivolous Baby Picks

We live in a time of intense social connectedness. While others are splashing news of their bun in the oven all over FB, I'm not. ok, i try not to. Well, even when I do, it's subtle. Not that I'm not excited, on the contrary, I'm high beyond words. But somehow, I just want to keep it low profile. Given my nature, it's pretty tough. It hadn't been an easy start. Nauseousness, dizzy spells and vomitting episodes were far too many. All the way till wk 15. only there after did things start to mellow down. Or so I thought! 2nd Trimester should be my honeymoon period and I should probably be taking a babymoon (something which i didn't when I had No. 1) but a terrible virus hit me over CNY and that rendered me moody, nauseous, sneezy and all the works. finally when things started to clear and I'm all good, I found myself moving into the 3rd tri fast and furious!! OMG! where has all the time gone?

I am suddenly hit by the realization that much has to be done! AHHH! This is a period of transition and I don't know what to expect in a couple more months. Well, instead of stressing over such stuff, I turned my attention to something more pleasant. I've been trying to come up with my want list and checking on inventory. For No. 1, we've relied a whole lot on hand-me-downs. Love them, but that limited what i could buy. It's a fix. One should try to save, yet one wants to buy! It's a woman's thing perhaps. Somehow, because it's my 2nd time, many expect me to be a tad experienced (and thrifty) and are not handing things down. A great excuse to expand on my want list! So here's to share my frivolous wants which is subjected highly to financial and hubby's approval. Chances are, I'm not getting 99% of them. :(

MONITOR

Always in View baby Monitor

For any parent that drives with your little one in the car, you know how important it is to be able to see them while you are driving. This new baby car monitor from Infanttech Solutions is an innovative way to help you keep an eye on your little one while in the car. Rather than having to turn around to check on baby (which I did all the time for No.1) or try to get the perfect angle with the car mirrors, this wireless system makes it easy for parents to have their baby in view at all times. Simply attach the stuffed animal, which has a camera in it, to the backseat of the car and then attach the monitor to your windshield. It works both during the day and at night and has to be manually turned off after each use as an added safety feature to help parents remember that baby is in the car. If I had known of this product earlier, I probably wouldn't have gone nuts or counted from one to 300 just by driving to the nearest shopping mall.

Samsung Baby Touch Monitor

We'll definitely be needing one of these fancy gadgets for no. 2 as we intend to put the lil one in a separate room and sleep train asap! we were epic failures when it comes to sleep training for Lil K so hopefully things are set right for no. 2 right from the start!. I highly recommend getting a baby video monitor - it will bring you more peace of mind than you can imagine.I recommend purchasing a monitor that has a "mute" button feature. We didn't have this as we co-sleep with Lil K since she was a baby. Bad move. But honestly not much of a choice given that we only have two bedrooms. With the new addition coming, the hub has given me an ultimatum -- to spruce up my study (which looks like Popular Bookstore) and make way for at least a crib, or for him to throw all my books away. hmm. as opposed to the other option i offered to him which was to buy another house, I suppose i'll have to give in. It has a "mute"button. If you are interested in a WiFi Baby Video , the WiFi Baby 2.0 is a great option, but is complicated to set-up. With the WiFi Baby 2.0, you will be able to view the video stream from your iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, or PC (you can also use the WiFi Baby 2.0 as a Nanny-Cam, and record video and audio). Sounds good and I'm sure the hub who is a techie will be more than willing to set it up.

CARRIERS

These inventions are Godsent! I mean seriously, when you have absolutely no time for chores or even to take a leak, or that the baby is oh-so-cranky, these stuff truly helps! Ok, technically, we don't need these. We've already got our trusty Ergo, which if we were to use for an infant, I'll need to get an insert, as well as our sling from Pupsik Studio. These two served us very well during the initial insane periods but hey, it doesn't hurt to shop around again right? teehee

Manduca Baby Carrier 

Ergobaby 4 Position 360 Carrier

I've always loved my Ergobaby carrier and have used it with Lil K, but I've also always wanted the option to carry her forward-facing. Well Ergobaby has now granted this wish so that baby can face forward in an ergonomic seated position! The new Ergobaby 4 Position 360 Carrier will let you carry your little one four different ways, including forward, towards you, on your back, and on your hip. 

ErgoBaby Wrap

We tried the pupsik sling and the traditional sarong sling with Lil K. Pupsik worked for a while. It made that skin to skin contact feel so nice, and I was still able to do things around the house. Ergobaby will release their new Wrap which features a 4D stretch material that allows the wrap to fit comfortably for both mom and baby without becoming loose once mom ties it on her. Sounds awesome!

ADEN & ANAIS

Muslin Wraps

With its semi-sheer weave, these 100 percent muslin cotton blankets give opaque cover but are wonderfully breathable too, so your baby can be completely wrapped up without getting overheated. With those cute prints, these Muslin wraps are indeed quite irresistable!

SLEEPING AIDS

Aden & Anais Bamboo Sleeping bag

Did I hear BAMBOO? Luxurious!! But a sleeping bag is probably a must-try since I had such bad luck with sleep training for Lil K.

Stokke Sleepi Natural Crib System

A crib is an investment, so why not shop for one you and baby can get a few year's use out of? The Stokke Sleepi works as crib from 6 months to 2 years and then easily converts to a toddler bed you can use until age 4. The elegant design is totally baby-friendly, so don't have to worry about pointy edges. But the price is a little hard to stomach. So i think i can only dream. Afterall, honestly, I don't even know if the lil one will take to a crib, plus, we do have a Graco Playpen at home which is so convenient to move around!

Cocoonababy

Not sure if this actually work but ANYTHING to get the baby to sleep!

Fisher-Price Newborn Rock 'N Play Sleeper

Many refer to the Fisher-Price Deluxe Newborn Rock 'N Play Sleeper as the "Magic Cradle." It's easy to bring from room to room, and easy to fold-up and bring with you on the go.  Fisher-Price now has a vibrating edition of the wonderful Rock 'N Play Sleeper - the Fisher-Price Deluxe Newborn Vibrating Rock n' Play Sleeper. Still considering as I've the traditional netted rocker from Mothercare. In fact, I've 3 hovering in various houses. It's only flaw, is that it is manual. But yet again, I'm a little concern that the newborn will be so used to the automated rocker that he needs to be rocked each time he naps. 

FEEDING

Medela Pump in Style Advanced

If you are planning to breastfeed and is still in search for the right pump, look no further! Why moms love it: Masterfully effective and efficient, this beauty makes pumping as hassle-free as possible. Moms gushed about its ease of use and durability — though it's expensive, you can use it for your next baby, too. Medela obviously has breast pumps down: The brand's Symphony and Freestyle models came in second and third among many moms. Thankfully for me, we've got a hand me down which served us well previously! Time to get the motors serviced!

Bottles

We've been using Avent and Nuk for Lil K, but am inspired to try the below:

Playtex Bottles

Dr Brown bottles

FUN STUFF

Kick and Play Piano Baby Gym

The Fisher-Price Discover 'n Grow Kick and Play Piano Gym is amazing is my favorite baby gym because of it's dangling mirror (babies love mirrors because they love looking at themselves), but it's main asset is its kickable piano that babies LOVE - it plays music and lights up....very entertaining. Another great thing about this baby gym is that you can level up the piano as baby grows and starts sitting.  

Soothe and Glow Seahorse Baby Soother

The Fisher-Price Soothe and Glow Seahorse Baby Soother  is the technical name for this toy, but I call it "Magic Seahorse" because it's works like magic at calming your baby to sleep. However, I did briefly read somewhere that it was rumoured to be recalled due to the mechanism catching fire! hmmm wonder how true was that.

PLAYMATS

ok i technically do not need this as I've one at home. Ours boasts a series of alphabet and animals. Educational. Colourful, but a little too clashing with the deco of my house. But too much of such kiddy stuff around really doesn't do the house good asthetically.

Alzipmat - Color Folder Mat (Vivid)

It's FOLDABLE! need i say more?

Playspot Floor Tiles from Skip Hop

Pwetty!

Picture Books to Make and Print

This i gotto Have! Eventually! I love taking pictures of my kid -- and I've got a stack of digital photo albums to prove it. But what to do with all of those random snaps? Create a personalized, drawn-from-your-own-life alphabet book for the kid with PROJECTalphabet.com. 

First book of names : An Excellent Book for keepsake for the lil ones!

https://pinholepress.com

HIGH CHAIRS

these probably can wait. But no harm penning them down. We've got a handmedown Ikea High chair like everyone else...but....

Stokke Tripp Trapp

Yamatoya SukusukuES high chair 

DIAPERS & STUFF 

highly recommended by mummies around

• Mamy Pokko
• Merries
• Goon (oh my favourite when Lil K was young..but in the long run it's pretty heavy on the pocket)
• Johnshon Wipes

That kindof wraps things up for now. I hope you find this list exhaustive! Do share with me what are your favourite baby picks and what were your hits and misses! I'd love to hear! 

PS: I don't know what in the world is wrong with the html in this post. everything seems to keep jumping around as I typed! Retyped thrice and still the alignment etc went off. Hope you are still able to decipher what I'm writing! Technology: a Blessing or a bane?