It is one month after using mimos pillow for didi’s plagiocephaly. Time for a quick review!
First day on mimos, he was 5 months old. After a month, Didi liking his mimos!
Sometimes he will roll out of the pillow when falling asleep but thankfully he is able to sleep on it most of the time.
Active baby!
I still try to reposition him although mimos website said it is not needed. But even if he is sleeping on his flat side, I’m not so worried as the pillow helps to spread the pressure evenly (used to sleep late cause I’d reposition him after he slept).
Physically, we don’t see much improvement except it is less pointy at the back. But I am so glad that it isn’t worsening! 😌Went to the orthotist two days back and his plagio measurement has decreased from 14 to 13mm (0mm is a perfect round head). Yay! 🤩Which means the pillow has helped to correct 1 mm!🥳🤩
Slight improvement of 1mm!
I wasn’t hoping for major correction and was just praying that it will not get worse while we wait for the helmet to be ready.
So yep, money well spent!😀 Another one more week of mimos pillow before he starts wearing helmet.
There are tons of baby products out there that look so cute. As parents, we love to buy things for our kids and sometimes they end up as white elephant.
I’m a minimalist even though it is hard to continue this lifestyle after the kids are born. To achieve the minimalism in me, I always ask myself “do I/ baby really NEED this?”
A newborn baby has few needs, eat, shit and sleep. So my shopping list revolve around these 3.
Eat
I believe in fed is best and not overly stress myself with exclusively breastfeeding the baby. For the first few days when baby had jaundice and I couldn’t supply him with enough milk, I chose formula.
1. Water dispenser
If you are formula feeding, get a water dispenser that comes with instant varying temperatures such as 37 deg C, 50 deg C etc. No more guessing how much hot water to add to room temperature water. My husband thanked me for this purchase. Parenthood made easy!
A water dispenser with instant varying temperatures is excellent for making formula!
2. Spectra double breast pump
Spectra heavy duty hospital grade breast pump
I learnt from my first breastfeeding experience, a hospital grade breast pump is a must as it clears milk better. Get a double pump to save time and pump both breasts simultaneously.
3. Haakaa silicone pump
Haakaa silicone pump on the right
This haakaa silicone pump is good for catching letdown when baby is latching on one side as every liquid gold is so precious!
4. My Breastfriend nursing pillow
Still on breastfeeding, this breastfeeding pillow was a wonderful support for my newborn and helped me to have better breastfeeding posture.
Baby soon outgrow it at 2 months old so getting a second hand item is cost saving.
Baby struggled less when nursing with this pillow. Photo credit: Mums & babes
5. UV steriliser
UV steriliser
I used steam steriliser for first child but hated how it always leaked water onto my kitchen counter top. Decided to invest in UV steriliser this time! It doubles as a storage for the bottles! That said, steam steriliser seems to be less harsh on the plastics as I noticed the teats broke more easily with UV than steam.
It’s a personal choice to get steam or UV steriliser but having one is a must! The conventional way of boiling bottles is too troublesome!
Poop
6. Bidet bottle
Didi had frequent pooping (3 poops in less than 10min) that resulted in bad diaper rash. It was so bad that we could see his flash. Hence we had to wash his butt instead of using wet wipe every time he pooped. It was so troublesome to bring him to the sink and this bidet bottle was a life saver!
Adjustable angle and pressure for baby’s delicate bum
Sleep
7. Zipper swaddle
This zip swaddle from love to dream allowed baby to self soothe as he can access his hands. It is also very convenient to change diaper when he is sleeping as I do not need to remove him from the swaddle (can unzip from bottom) unlike the common cloth swaddle.
The snug fitting also helped him to sleep longer and better.
Ok there you go! These are my 7 most commonly used items besides the other essentials like bath soap, bath tub, milk bottles, cot and so on. Hope this article helps in your planning for baby items shopping.
Decided to do a review on the eczema creams I have tried for baby A as it was really heartbreaking seeing him scratch and suffer in pain. Hope this review will be useful for anyone battling with eczema.
Baby A’s skin got better overtime, after we had success with some of the creams we tried.
Lush Dream Cream
“Light, cooling and easily absorbed into the skin, the combination of calming chamomile, organic, extra virgin olive oil and creamy, Fair Trade, organic cocoa butter quickly soothes and softens.”
I decided to try this out as after reading the viral post. Did a quick google and found that this has received so many good reviews from those with eczema.
I got the self-preserving version as I wanted less chemicals for my baby. The cream feels greasy but absorbs rather quickly on the skin. Hence it leaves only a slight sticky feeling. It is not viscous or watery but the consistency is like a smooth whipped cream. Though not watery, it will flow out and make a mess when the tub topples. It is value for money as I just need a little amount to apply for the whole body.
I really like the strong smell of rose water, lavender essential oil and oats which is rather relaxing.
The downside? The tub container is not hygienic nor travel friendly. I also didn’t like how the tub is all greasy since I use the same hands to close the tub after applying on my LO’s body. I’ve now transferred the cream into a pump bottle.
So does it really stop eczema flare up? Sadly, it did not prevent my baby’s severe flare up but it is a very good daily moisturiser as I noticed that my baby’s skin became more dry and patchy after I stopped using this.
Would I
repurchase? Likely as a daily moisturiser since it is value for money and keeps
my baby’s skin moist.
Ingredients: “Oat Milk, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Rose Water, Glycerine, Fair-trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Tincture of Benzoin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Citronellol, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume.*Occurs naturally in essential oils”
2. Ceradan Skin Barrier Repair Cream
“Backed by research which shows that skin’s ceramide is reduced by 30% to 50% in atopic dermatitis, Ceradan Skin Barrier Repair Cream is a hypoallergenic moisturiser which has a ceramide-dominant formula to replenish ceramide and strengthen skin barrier in eczema-prone skin. It uses a 3:1:1 ratio of intercellular physiological lipids such as ceramide, cholesterol and free fatty acids for optimal hydration and reparation in dry and sensitive skin.”
I have seen two different PDs when my baby has severe flare ups and both prescribed Ceradan. Ceradan works wonder for both times and managed to calm the angry skin. He did not have any flare up afterwards and the dry flaky skin became soft and well moisturised.
Ceradan is
very thick but it is not greasy and absorbs on skin very well. I don’t feel any
stickiness but when I wash my hands after applying Ceradan on his body, it
takes me lots of water and soap to get the creamy texture off my hands. I
believe that this is good as it forms a protective skin barrier. It is also
fragrant-free and paraben-free.
Wow, this
seems the perfect cream for his eczema! The drawback? It is the priciest eczema
cream among all the creams I have tried so far. That said, since the cream is
very thick, I just need to use a little amount to cover his entire body. Another
negative point is that the cream is not easily available in supermarket or
department stores.
Would I repurchase? Definitely a yes for flare ups since it is the most effective cream so far.
“Formulated with naturally active Triple Oat Complex plus ceramides, this unique lotion works to soothe your baby’s dry, itchy skin, and is clinically proven suitable for eczema prone skin.”
I cannot
really say how effective this is when it comes to tackling very angry red
rashes as my baby did not have another severe flare up (touch wood!) However, I
did use it when he had minor heat rash and it was able to clear the rashes and
kept the skin well moisturised.
I really like the consistency as it is not greasy and absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving the skin feeling soft and smooth (though a little sticky). I tried all the creams on my own skin and this is the best in terms of texture. It made my skin feel really soft and easy to wash off. This is the cream I enjoyed most putting on my baby’s body so far.
The smell
of the cream is pleasant with a slight oatmeal smell.
Would I
repurchase? Very likely since it is relatively effective but cheaper than
Ceradan.
4. Cetaphil Baby Daily Lotion (not the Eczema range)
“This gentle baby lotion is designed to soothe and nourish, while moisturizing and protecting your baby’s skin from dryness. It is specially formulated with soothing organic calendula extract, derived from the marigold flower and used for centuries to soothe dry, sensitive skin.”
I got this free together with Cetaphil body wash. This is not the eczema series but I thought of giving it a try.
The first drop I squeezed out from the bottle, I hated it. I hated the smell and the texture. It has a strong chemical fragrant smell and the texture is very runny yet leaves stickiness feeling on my hands.
That said,
I have no chance to try it on very angry red rashes so I cannot say much on its
effectiveness and it is also unfair to review on eczema skin since it is just a
normal daily lotion.
Would I
repurchase? Definitely no since I do not like the added fragrant. I want as
little chemicals on my baby as possible.
Clinically proven to strengthen and repair the skin’s moisture barrier Makes skin less sensitive Hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic Free from preservatives, perfumes and colourants
Many mummies recommend this for their eczema baby so decided to give it a try.
The texture is very runny and thin so I need to apply quite a lot for the body. It absorbs well with no sticky feeling and does not have any fragrant. I find that the lotion is not rich enough to provide adequate moisture for my baby’s skin. Due to the hot weather, baby A keeps scratching his neck and this lotion does not seem to calm or soothe his itchiness. The area remains dry and patchy.
I really like the pump bottle though, it is super convenient especially during diaper changing. The fluid texture also allows me to apply on baby easily.
Would I repurchase? I’m sitting on the fence because the pump bottle is really convenient to use especially now diaper changing is a struggle. Good as a maintenance lotion but not so for angry eczema skin.
Ok I admit, I first asked for the free samples cause I like free stuff. But I soon realised the importance of these samples when baby A rejected certain brand of cereal and also developed diaper rash with a new diaper brand we tried. I have also later heard from my friend that her son has severe constipation from certain brand of formula.
So I embarked on my journey in requesting for free samples. Hope this post will be useful!
Nestle is really generous in its free sample pack. I like the thick insulator bag and the organic instant cereal! They even collaborate with Merries to give diaper sample.
Not sure if I applied the right one as I received maternal milk powder instead. 😂 It comes with a useful maternity backpack though I don’t like the colour and find that its volume is insufficient. I find the items not useful for baby at all. There are two small hankie and one magnetic photo frame not shown in the picture.
Didn’t like the yogurt flavour milk.
What's inside the sample pack?
Purple pink maternity backpack
Maternity milk powder in strawberry yogurt flavour 400g
I like S-26 the most! They are very generous in giving a large tin (900g). I also like their food grinder container that comes with a spoon. Very useful for on the go feeding! It also comes with a waterproof wet bag which is good for childcare or swimming trip!
Useful snack box and wet bag!
What's inside the sample pack?
S-26 stage 2 formula 900g
Food grinder container with spoon
Wet bag
They are also very kind to remember that my baby just turned one and sent this stage 3 sample.
200g of stage 3 formula, a cute lion towel, a book for bath time and a $10 discount voucher.
Nothing fanciful but I appreciate the stage 2 formula tin. Useful when I wean off breastmilk. Unfortunately my son didn’t like Friso and often cannot finish the milk.
My son likes Dumex Mamil Gold the best. He drinks the fastest when it is Dumex and when I tasted it, it was a little sweet. A check on the nutritional facts show that it contains a trace amount of sucrose.
Comes with a 400g tin, sippy cup and a $5 discount voucher
It comes with friso $5 discount voucher and a voucher to redeem a large tin Aptamil stage 2 formula (900g). The items are generally quite useful, really love the big tin of formula and the brown rice.
Very generous! Thank you NTUC! 🙂
2. NLB library Books
Love all their books! Thank you NLB! 🙂
For this, you have to personally go to any library and apply a library card for baby (bring birth cert along). After borrowing 6 books, then will you be eligible to redeem the free books.
Nursery Rhyme flip chart which I rarely use as singing songs to him as been rather impromptu.
Love the 3 books given by NLB especially the book “I Can”. The illustrations in the book is very localised. I like to read this book to baby before or after we been to the location featured in the book. I also like how it has a heartwarming ending.
Apparently, NLB also made the effort to give different books in different year. 👍🏼 These 3 books suit different ages:
“I love you baby” suits newborn to 1 year old for its short content and sensory touch (with different materials in the book)
“I can” suits 1 year to 3 years old toddlers. My 1.5 year old boy loves to imitate the actions on the book!
“Guess how much I love you” suits slightly older toddlers from 2 years old and above as the story is longer and requires more concentration. However, I started this book at 1.5 year old and just read the parts he is interested in.
Baby keeps having runny nose after entering infant care. Although the essential oil helps, at least now never escalate to bronchitis nor difficulty sleeping (touch wood!), the mucus is still very annoying to me.
Husband didn’t want to get the aspirator as it is not cheap but I decided to splurge on lollababy instead of manual one as I don’t want to risk sucking in his germs. Thankfully it worked well and baby struggles less than when I use tissue to clean his nose.
Look at the mucus sucked out in just one session! It is important to clear the mucus as otherwise it may become phlegm and escalates to cough and other respiratory issues.
Of course, baby does struggles a bit but it is so therapeutic to see all the mucus being sucked out. Sorry if this sounds gross but I think you’d understand if you’re a mum!
There are 3 sizes of silicone tips, 0-3 months, power suction and long reach. It is gentle enough for newborn and I’m using power suction and long reach. It runs on two AA batteries and is not too noisy. Most importantly, I like that it is easy to remove and wash.
Usually I will spray sterimar into his nostrils to loosen the mucus so that it is easier to suck out.
Got it at 15% discount (current GSS promotion) in mothercare outlet. You can also get it on their website here. If I’m not wrong, they have good promotions during babyfair but I can’t wait for that. I need to suck out his mucus!
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