If you have been to baby fair, chances are you are approached by some promoters from private cord blood bank. Like any parent, I wanted the best for my child and was tempted to sign up for cord blood storage despite the high cost involved. After all, there is no U-turn once you missed the only one chance to store.
Cord blood is blood from the umbilical cord. After the umbilical cord separates from your child, the doctor will extract the cord blood for processing, freezing and storage.
After doing my own research, these are the reasons why I decided to not store privately.
1. Chances of using the cord blood is extremely low
The low rate of use for privately banked cord blood is mainly because of the second point…
2. Patient’s own cord blood is likely unsuitable for own use
The cord blood is mainly used for blood related diseases like leukaemia. However, this also means that is is likely the patient is unable to use his/her own cord blood since the blood may already carry the genetic abnormality that causes the blood or immune system to fail in the first place.
Hence, cord blood stored in the public bank has a higher chance of being used (2.2 per cent).
3. More research needed to expand the use of cord blood
The low rate of use also means that there are not many diseases that can use the cord blood. Most diseases involved blood cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma.
4. Private banks may have poorer quality cord blood
Public banks are highly regulated. Private banks on the other hand may not meet stringent requirements, which can cause stored cord blood to be of lesser quality. Thus, the stored blood might not be useful after all.
“In order to meet international requirement for a life-saving cord blood transplant, all collected Cord Blood Units (CBUs) will be evaluated for volume of blood, cell count, cell viability, and infectious disease amongst other panel of testing requirements. These will ensure only samples of the highest quality are banked” ~SCBB
5. I can potentially help others and my child
Donating cord blood to public bank means I can potentially help others. The more people donate, the larger the community of cord blood available and thus higher chance of finding a right match.
And *touch wood* if my child ever needs cord blood, he has the priority to receive cord blood from the public bank too. And if his own cord blood is still available and is suitable, he can also withdraw for personal use.
Therefore, I decided to donate his cord blood to SCBB and used the money saved to buy a more comprehensive insurance coverage for baby.
Do note that SCBB’s requirement for donation is quite stringent, has to meet even higher cell count than private banks so if the blood is found unsuitable for storage, it will be used for research purposes unless otherwise requested by donor. They also offer private banking services at lower fees than private banks in the event that the cord blood does not meet donation requirement and the parents still want to store.
For my second baby, I would choose delayed cord clamping and also donate to SCBB (hopefully the cell counts are good even after the delayed clamping).
You’ve just gotten a double line for pregnancy test! If you have been trying for a baby, CONGRATULATIONS! You’re about to embark on the most exciting, rewarding and joyous journey ever (albeit an extremely exhausting one)!
After the excitement is over, you might be thinking: “okay the sh*t is real. What do I do next?”
Here, I’ve compiled some easy to read pointers for first-time mums-to-be!
First Trimester
Obstetrician and gynecologist
The immediate thing to do next is to research for your preferred obstetrician and gynecologist. I am writing based on Singapore context.
You have basically two options: Private gynae or KK Hospital subsidised. For private gynae, do note their hospital for delivery as some mums have a preferred hospital to deliver that the gynae do not practice in. For KK Hospital, subsidised consultation can be as cheap as around $30 (if eligible for subsidy) but you will be assigned a different gynae for every prenatal consultation. Most of my friends who went for KKH subsidised route eventually convert to private KKH patient (meaning you get to choose your preferred KKH gynae to deliver but that means you no longer enjoy any subsidy the moment you convert).
I wanted to save some cash by choosing the KKH subsidised route since healthcare in Singapore is generally good across all hospitals but the husband said that I can only save about $1000-2000 if I eventually convert to KKH private patient during delivery (as I am sure I do not want a random gynae during delivery) hence he said no point saving that few bucks.
I have thus decided to go full private in Mt Alvernia (Mt A) or Thomson Medical Centre (TMC).
After weeks of reading on reviews written by mums, here’s the top few gynae in Singapore who practiced in Mt A or TMC.
Mt Alvernia (female gynae): Dr Goh Shen Li (S L Goh Women’s Clinic is a Obstetrician & Gynaecologist), Dr Chua Yang (A Clinic for Women), Dr Joycelyn Wong (ACJ Women’s Clinic Pte Ltd), Dr Caroline Khi (ACJ Women’s Clinic Pte Ltd)
Mt Alvernia (male gynae): Dr Adrian Tan (ACJ Women’s Clinic Pte Ltd), Dr Phua Soo Mear (Gynae Health Clinic for Women)
TMC (female gynae): Dr WK Tan (WC Cheng and Associates), Dr Adeline Wong (Adelina Women’s Clinic)
TMC (male gynae): Dr Benjamin Tham (WC Cheng and Associates), Dr Paul Tseng (TLC Gynaecology Practice), Dr Adrian Woodworth (Thomson Women’s Clinic)
Reviews stated that: Dr Paul Tseng is rather expensive but he is super pro natural; Dr Adrian Woodworth is very affordable but he is super fast in consultation and does not answer much questions.
Highly recommend to try out for one consultation to see if you are comfortable with the gynae before getting the prenatal package (if any)!
Supplement
There is no need for any multi-vitamin or additional supplement other than folic acid as baby has its own nutrients from the yolk sac during first trimester. It is cheaper the get folic acid from pharmacy than from private gynae’s clinic.
Down syndrome test
The gynae you have chosen will advise you on the down syndrome test to take. There are basically two types: OSCAR vs NIPT Harmony blood test.
The main differences? Cost vs accuracy. OSCAR is about $480 (including 20 weeks detailed scan) with 90% accuracy but NIPT Harmony test is about $800-1200 (depending on service provider) with 99% accuracy and can also test for gender.
Both tests are done at around week 11-12. So it would be best to see a gynae before week 12 so that he/she can better advise you on the test.
Diet/ lifestyle changes
There are some food and activities pregnant women should avoid. Most gynae would recommend avoiding raw food (including half boiled eggs, sashimi etc), caffeine drinks (max 1 cup a day), alcohol, and cigarettes. My gynae also asked me to avoid high mercury seafood (tuna, swordfish, shark, lobster, mackerel, stingray) and bird’s nest as the latter might lead to childhood asthma in the baby.
source: babyment
She is also very safe and advised me to only walk, swim or easy zen yoga (no hot yoga) for the exercises that I can do.
Pregnancy app/ books
I like to be an informed mum hence I try to read as much as I can before I pop. I like this baby app that keep tracks of my baby growth: “Baby Centre”. I also enjoyed reading this book “Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy”
Love reading this book.
Start thinking if you want a maternity insurance
In my first pregnancy, I was busy with work and family matters so didn’t research more on insurance. By the time I enquired at 33 weeks, I have already missed the deadline to purchase the insurance.
That said, I researched early for my second pregnancy and decided not to have it as the premium is rather high and the coverage is mainly for very complicated pregnancies (which the pay out can only cover a fraction of these cost due to the complications). What I wanted was also more for baby’s coverage in case of NICU charges during the first 14 days where we are not able to buy any insurance for him yet. There is no hospital coverage for baby, only cash benefit if baby is warded (about $100 a day while the premium cost $1600. Hence I decided not to go ahead).
Do speak to your insurance agent as different people have different needs. Sgbudgetbabe sums up the maternity insurance in Singapore well.
Second Trimester
Hopefully the morning sickness (if any) has subsided by now. But if it hasn’t, here is a consoling news to read! 🙂
Supplement
We are losing calcium to the growing baby hence it is important to take 1000mg of calcium every day (about 2 glasses of milk). I also take prenatal multi-vitamin and fish oil every day. Depending on your health conditions, gynae will be able to give you better advise on the supplement and diet to take.
I prefer to buy my multi-vitamin and calcium for pharmacies as they are cheaper than from clinic unless you can get at subsidised KKH rate.
Been taking this for my second pregnancy.
Shopping for pregnancy/ baby items!
Here comes the most exciting part! Retail therapy! Towards the end of the second trimester, I had to get loose clothings or pregnancy outfits. I try to buy loose clothings instead of pregnancy outfits so that I can wear after birth. Some of the must-buy items are: nursing bra (even if there is no intention to breastfeed, the breasts would expand and will not fit current bras anyway), stretch marks oil (if you are vain like me) and pregnancy shorts/pants (with expandable waistline).
Bra extension usually comes free with my online nursing bra purchases.I like this type of expandable waist shorts.
Personally, I prefer to shop online such as shopee, qoo10, taobao or ezbuy as they are usually cheaper than retail shops. The same model of nursing bra I saw on qoo10 costs about $5 each whereas at babyfair is selling for $10 and retail shops about $30!
I did not buy many baby clothings as baby outgrows clothings very quickly. Some items that I gotten were baby cot and mattress, baby carrier, bottles & sterilizer and baby pram (gift). You may refer to this blog post for more comprehensive breakdown on newborn items to get.
Hospital Tours
If your private gynae can deliver in more than one hospitals, it is time to book the hospital. You may decide after going on a hospital tour. Hospital tours also provide some free gifts and samples!
Hospital tour to see what type type of ward your prefer…
Prenatal classes
I don’t find the hospital prenatal classes useful because during delivery, nobody really remembers all the lessons taught among the excruciating pain. It is good for bonding between the couple though, as my husband is now more prepared for the challenges ahead.
I enjoyed the prenatal yoga classes though! The deep breathing exercises certainly help during the delivery for me.
If you need help during confinement, it is time to book your nanny as the good ones get taken really fast! The average cost is $2800 to $3200. There are private nannies and confinement agencies but I personally prefer word of mouth recommendation as I have heard many bad reviews about agencies.
Discuss your birth plan with gynae
As mentioned, I didn’t do much research for my first pregnancy and did not discuss any birth plan with my gynae except my preference to have natural birth without epidural. On hindsight, it is better to have a more comprehensive plan, such as whether you want a doula or not. Read more about my birth experience here.
Decide on what you want to do with your child’s cord blood and your own placenta
There were lots of private cord blood banks at babyfairs and I was tempted to sign up. As parents, we always want the best for our kids and knowing that this is a once in a life-time chance to store the cord blood, I did quite a lot of research on it.
When the promoters were not able to give me satisfied answers, I decided not to go ahead with the cord blood storage but donate his cord blood to Singapore Cord Blood Bank. You have to contact SCBB by around week 34 as you need to sign some forms. Also do note that if you are storing or donating cord blood, you are unlikely to have delayed cord clamping. I will write more about cord blood storing in another post.
As for placenta, there are some people who consume their own placenta after making it into pills. I am sitting on the fence for this but decided to just discard the placenta after my gynae strongly discouraged me from consuming.
Last chance to buy maternity insurance
Reminder! Last chance to buy maternity insurance (by around week 32 depending on the company) if you are getting any.
Third Trimester
Shopping for more baby items!
I wasn’t confident that I would be able to breastfeed succesfully hence I only purchased the breastpump a month before I pop. It was a good decision as it turns out online purchase is much much cheaper than during baby fair!
Pack for hospital bag
During the hospital tour, you will probably receive a pamphlet with information on what to pack for labour. This is the list of items I packed:
Lavender essential oil and socks for labour (labour ward is quite cold)
Discharge home clothes (I prefer to wear their hospital gown during stay since I might stain with blood and milk)
Sanitary pads
Breast pump (I didn’t use as I was learning to latch)
Skin care set
Toiletries (prefer to use mine)
Makeup
Handphone charger
Disposable underwear
Nursing bra
Slipper
Marriage certificate if you want to register birth certificate at the hospital
Baby clothes, mittens and booties (2 sets)
Swaddle
Car seat
Rest well for the labour!
Lastly, rest well and take the last bump shot! All the best! 🙂
How do you protect your LO and family from bacteria and virus?🤒🤧😷
I have a 3 steps process to protect my family of which the fundamental belief is prevention is better than cure.
1) Supplements
When baby A was below 1, I gave him daily DHA and probiotics as I’m worried that my breastmilk do no have enough DHA since I’m not a frequent fish and meat eater. I chose @kindernurture probiotics as it has 10 strains of probiotics, unlike some more popular brands that have 1 or 2 strains only. After he turns one, I continued to give him probiotics with immunped vitamic C since his formula contains DHA already. 👶🏻👶🏻👶🏻
Supplements for the baby.
As for the adults, fish oil, calcium, vitamin C and pine bark antioxidant are the 4 main supplements I prepare for the hubby. I do not eat calcium as I consume enough milk.
Supplements for the adults.
2) Essential oils
These are the top 5 most frequently used oils in the family.
Some of the frequently used essential oils.
-RC is good for his cough and phlegm 🗣🗣🗣while eucalyptus is good in clearing his blocked nose. 👃🏼👃🏼 -I use thieves as his hand sanitiser and immunity booster by dapping on his soles. 🦶🏼🦶🏼🦶🏼 -Purification is used in diffuser for cleansing the air especially when someone at home is ill. 🤒🤒🤒 -Lavender is used in diffuser to calm down a crying baby due to discomfort from sickness. It helps him to sleep better and longer. 😴😴😴
3) Cleaning equipment
Thanks to my OCD nature, I have all these stocks in the house. I’m shocked to see that all the hand sanitiser, spray and even Dettol antiseptic solution are out of stock in fairprice!🙀🙀🙀
For baby toys and baby items, I use thieves spray to clean as it is less harsh to the skin. I also DIY natural hand sanitiser for his little hands and feet. 👐🏼👐🏼
This formula has worked for the family as baby does not fall ill as often as before I started this. The husband has also never taken more than 3 MC in the past 10 years (touch wood and fingers crossed!)
Some researchers claimed that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. I’m not sure if it is really 21 days but this covid-19 lockdown is indeed the best opportunity for us to reflect on our lives, learn new skills (if you are the lucky ones who can work from home and do not need to look after crying babies/ toddlers) or form new healthy habits.
Well for me, I have to manage my toddler, pregnancy, full-time job and housework. There were days where I was guilty of spamming TV cartoons and nursery rhymes just so the husband and I can do our work especially when we have live conferences.
That said, I am not complaining at all. In fact I love spending time at home with my son. Exhausting but yet rewarding. I don’t know if I ever have another chance to spend time with him 24/7 so I am cherishing every moment.
Although I am not the lucky ones who have the time to learn a new skill, this lockdown has taught me 3 valuable lessons in life.
1. We don’t really need all the junks in our lives
Staying at home is the best time to declutter. Using small pockets of time, I KonMari-ed many clothes, accessories, shoes, books, CDs and what not. Throwing those in excellent condition seems to be very wasteful and thus I listed them on Carousell while packing the rest and hopefully can do a flea market when this covid-19 is gone.
Only SOME of the accessories that I KonMari-ed. Most of them are brand new items!
It is not easy to let go of some items, especially when they have been a part of you. I was a big fan of Ayumi Hamasaki during my teenage years but decided to make space for the next chapter of my life (my two sons). I spent a lot of my pocket money collecting everything that has Ayumi on it, from her official CDs, DVDs to fashion magazines and keychains. I don’t regret buying them as they were fond memories and am thankful that her music provided me with strength during my lost teenage years. It was hard to say goodbye to her items but saying “thank you” to them in the kon-marie way helps a lot.
I felt so good after the declutter, as if I have just cleansed my mind and soul.
2. Save up for every day, not just for rainy days
Many people are reviewing their spending habits during this lockdown as they are faced with job uncertainties and potential economic crisis. Yet, there is another group of people who are very bored at home and end up spending more money online.
I am in a few mummies group chat and am appalled by the frequency of online shopping some mums are having. Of course it is perfectly fine to have some retail therapy but on a daily basis? I gotta think twice, especially if the shopping expenses are eating into my savings and investments.
Many mums are also not investment savvy. They do not invest in shares, bonds or commodities, probably only covering themselves with basic insurance and normal bank savings accounts.
Which brings me to my first point, do we really need so many tangible items in our lives? My 1 year overseas exchange stint has taught me that I can live with just 2 luggages. Do I really need to buy so many toys and books for my sons? Would that give them a head start in life? Would that bring more happiness for them in future?
I have reached a conclusion that the best gifts I can give to my children are:
Quality time together
Secured financial life
Healthy and active parents
While I do not want my sons to grow up in a pampered and affluent lifestyle, I would not want them to be a sandwich generation like I am. Growing up, it wasn’t easy to self-sponsor my own university fees and sourcing for various scholarships to sponsor my overseas exchange. I also face with elderly parent with no retirement savings and poor health. Thus, I am determined to be financially independent since young. I set myself a goal to accumulate SGD 100,000 before I turned 30.
Estimated 200 pieces of clothes in my wardrobe. If a piece cost an average of $30, then I had spent $6000 on clothings for the past 10 years! I don’t even wear most of them!My spendthrift days….
It wasn’t easy and I made mistakes. I was once a spendthrift and bought many unnecessary stuff (which led to the massive KonMari). Yet, I am thankful that I was disciplined in my savings and managed to reach my goal before 27 (I did not strike the lottery and am not a high flyer). I will probably write a post on how I achieved that, if anyone is interested.
Teaching my son financial literacy is one of the most important life lessons.
After the birth of my first son, I have religiously saved and invested his ang baos (cash gifts) and have since accumulated SGD20,000 during these 20 months. This is not a huge amount but with continued effort and the magic compound interest effect, I think this would suffice for his tertiary education fees.
Saving up during normal days also allowed me to have the ability to invest in good and under valued companies during this economic downturn. It will be too late to start saving only during tough times!
3. Know what you can control
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
I have many friends who are complaining about the lockdown and how working from home is so difficult. The conversations are often filled with complains and negativity. Such thinking is so toxic and draining. We could have better spent our time making positive actions and outcomes.
In this lockdown, I have learnt to complain less and appreciate the finer things in life. This can be achieved if we know what we cannot control and hence focus on areas where we have control in. For example, we cannot control when the covid-19 will be gone or when the lockdown will be lifted. But we can definitely control our attitude towards these unprecedented events. A positive attitude will eventually lead to positive actions and outcomes.
Baby often made a mess at home. Try to see the positive side: an opportunity to teach him how to do housework!
Let’s appreciate how this lockdown enables us to have more time for self and family, be thankful if we have a roof above our head and grateful if we are still healthy and alive.
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.
mamakeng.com 