Outings

We went to the zoo the other day, yes, a 7-months old is a bit young for it and most of the time, our baby is either sleeping or feeding in her pram. We saw some seaseals, a hippo, elephant, zebra...etc, she didn't seem to comprehend much but was an experience. After the trip, I think next time for any outings, I'll take the baby carrier, I had a trial on the ergo carrier and it was good, it's more comfortable than the other ones that I got from Farmers which keeps falling down from my shoulders, and easier than the sling I got from trademe. I think it'll last longer than the other ones as well, it's well worth it. I also bought the bubba wrap, but I'm not very good at tying knots and my baby keeps sliding down for some reason.

She's a bit cranky these days, maybe the teething pain, and have a little problem sleeping too, the plunket nurse recommended just leave her crying to sleep, stay beside her but no eye contact to distract her to play, and wait until she get to sleep. I also pat her lightly to try help her to get to sleep. Just found a book called Teeth are Not for Biting [Board book] which is funny book to let baby learn to deal with sad, cranky feelings.

Reading to her is a good idea too, there're some free downloadable story books here, like Cinderalla, tortoise & the hare, sleeping beauty...etc.

6 months

Couldn't believe time flies, when I look at my last post, it was September! Was busy all these months with the baby, housework, looking for part time work...etc. I'm really enjoying motherhood now, as the baby is starting to learn things and I was more used to the routine and what to expect. She's well and picking up new things every day, it's delighted to see that.

About feeding, she seems to be less keen on milk and more keen on solids, I was doing her puree apple, carrot, banana and spinach. The plunket nurse suggest to add vegetables to help her digest better.

Still puzzling as the day care centre I'd like her to join is still on waiting list until April, still struggling to find time for work.

Found something good to start at 6 months: Tips for promoting speech & language development

Planning for the next child

Heard that the best time to have a second kid is either with an age difference of 3 years or 1 & a half year, and it's harder when 2 kids are 2 years apart as they'll both be demanding. If having an age difference between 1 and a half year, pretty much we'll need to get pregnant when our daughter is between 6 months to one year old.

As I'm breatfeeding, I've been trying to keep my healthy eating, but not eating as much as when I was pregnant, as I'd like to lose some weight and my appetite doesn't seem to be as big. Will take Elevit again for the folic acid.

My husband was dreaming to have a boy, we don't really mind the gender for our next child, but I guess we could try to maximise the opportunity. There are many ways we could try:

- the old wives tale like facing the pillow north

- IVF and others described in the about.com site

- time the ovulation, boys will conceive closer to ovulation (when ovary release egg), as sperm for male live shorter

To test which days is ovulation, one way I heard before is to measure the temperature first thing in the morning when awake, our body temperature will rise at ovulation. The Clearblue Digital Ovulation Tests will test the exact day, like a pregnancy test paper, through urine.
Signs of ovulation

But I found it quite troublesome, having to measure my temperature every morning and sometimes my period didn't come on time! The day this month might be different from the next. The Maybe Baby Saliva Ovulation Reusable test kit test the estrogen (the hormone that release at the time of ovulation) level through Saliva, I think I'll give this a go, it's simple, not as expensive as reusable, and it makes sense.


More Useful Resources:

Getting Pregnant FAQ



ClearBlue Ovulaton test FAQ

Good Deal online

Elevit Tablets 100's - Our Price $71.95 NZ$71.95

Post-Natal Depression

Went shopping for some clothes and found that I have up 2 sizes, oh no..., but I'm confident that with regular exercises I'll soon be back to my normal size.

Many friends asked if I have post-natal depression, usually my answer is a quick 'no', I've got my family to support me and the baby is healthy, can't think of anything to complain. However when a friend mentioned that her sister suffers from post-natal depression, and always worries, thinks that she can't cope, and not used to the lost of personal time...etc, I started to realise, yes, I have thought the same way too during my first month. And quite often got into arguments with everyone in the family, felt the lost of freedom and couldn't handle the baby. In addition to that, back pain, tiredness, lost of confidence in my figure, worried that my husband was having an affair because of that, got super sensitive when there's a txt to his phone.

As the baby started to sleep through the night, and I get more sleep and get to know more about what her cries mean, the worries ease a bit. Have found The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands LP on my shelf, I actually bought this book by mistake before I got pregnant as I didn't think I needed that, we were having a perfect relationship with our own careers. After having the baby, everything in the book seems to set in, all of the problems that the women have in the book are my problems at the moment! Lots of arguments, resenting him on not helping to take care of the baby, not doing the housework, too busy to take care of the housework and the baby than myself, especially my looks, wearing lousy pj all the time and no time to go shopping. And he goes out more, and I resent him more and more arguments.

I think finding this book on the shelf is a blessing. It answers a lot of my doubts ,and have solutions for a long lasting marriage. I have the audiobook on my ipod as well, and the author Dr. Laura's funny expression makes me laugh at my problems. I'm interested in listening to her radio shows as there're so many good stories to learn from. Dr. Laura has a new book, The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage,I think I'm going to get it as well.

I believe it's important for children to grow up in a happy family, I remember being unhappy as a teenager seeing my parents argued all the time, and strangely enough, children seem to blame themselves for parents' divorce. I certainly want my daughter to grow up in a happy family and know that she's loved no matter what, my goal is to bring her up into a happy and strong person.

Newborn memories

My baby is 3 months now and seems to lost her baby face, she looks more like a young child now, however, there're many newborn memories that I'll never forget for the rest of my life, like her tiny head moving left and right searching for the mouth while breastfeeding, now she knows where to go. Also, I'll never forget the tiny face smiling after suckling on the nipple, turning her mouth down before starting to cry, giggle when she was sleeping. All those were enjoyable memories for the whole family.

Now that things become more predicable with the baby, it's time my maternity leave payment ends and start to figure out how to make it financially, and who'll take care of the baby if I go back to work. The sample schedule from babycenter gives me some idea if I still want to breastfeed and work. Need to do a test run with my breast pump, and need to stock up some pads and storage bottle or vacuum bags as well.


Bought a manual pump but never figure out how to use it, and friends recommend to try an electric one, and it works! And later find out that when pumping one breast, the other one will go as well, so need a pair of breast shells. Should have got a duo pump, and it saves a lot of time too!

With the high interest rate, petrol and food prices at the moment, I think I'll need to get back to work, but the problem is that the child care centers around my area are all full, except if I want to fit in the part time slot that they have available, and I'll have to look for a job to fit in those part time hours. The other thing is the cost, it'll take away a big part of the part time salary.

The plus side with day care is that we don't need to worry about playing with my baby, they've got all the toys and trained professional to teach and also other children to play with, which is good for her social & mental development, I think.

Support for 1st time parent

We're pretty lucky in NZ I think, once my baby arrived, there's a midwife or nurse to follow up every few days after birth and every 3 weeks up to 3 months. The Well Child book that records the baby's growth and immunisations. There's also a lot of information, courses from plunket and local groups which are offered for free.

There are also coffee groups, new mums groups, pram walking groups offered by Plunket or other organisations. Playgroup offer free sessions at childcare centres around the country for parents, they have session usually grouped with similar aged children so the parents can exchange tips while the children play with all the facilities the centres has. It's a good way to try the centre before using them. I am on a waiting list for a child care centre for next March, I went there on my last month of pregnancy and was quite surprise for a 10 month waiting list! It seems we really have a shortage of early childhood teacher and centres.

There are certainly a lot of choices of early childhood centres, but which one is good? I found a really good site by the Ministry of Education, they have an Education Review Office that generate reports on all registered centres in NZ on a yearly basis, it's a good way to do some research at home before visiting. I have visited a few centres, some has 5 different areas for children from age 0-5, while some only seperate them into 3 groups, some centres has good security that only parents can access, and some you can walk right through without any reception. I'll probably join the sessions offered by Playcentre when I get the time and confidence to take my baby in the car by myself, she cried at times when the car stopped at the traffic light, can't imagine if there wasn't someone sitting next to her.

I'm starting to connect more to my baby now, I found that sometimes I start to miss her when I don't see her for an hour or so when I'm in the study. I enjoy lying in bed side by side with her, looking at the ceiling and talking to her (she coos and ah after I speak, sounds like she's agreeing); watching her smile after feed; wiggle her arms & legs when she plays in the play gym.

After reading some articles in the La Leche League website, it seems normal now that she wants to feed every hour, or only for 5 minutes, or wants feed an hour after she just had a big meal. As it's the same with me as well, I might need a drink of water an hour after my mains, sometimes some snacks, afternoon tea..etc, why ask my baby why she need to feed so much!

There are two main 'theories' to childcare, the baby-on-demand where the parents act according to what the baby needs, or parent-on-demand where the parents have set routines for the baby. Which one is better? I guess it depends on the parents and the baby's character. There were days that I simply don't have time to take a shower, have a proper meal just because the baby needed to be fed or put to sleep or cry...etc. But is it really the way, I thought? So I re-set my priorities, the baby certainly is important, but things like personal hygiene, some free time to handle household matters are also important.

Infant learning & development

Best day of the week: baby slept after each feed, or happily play with whatever I arranged, be it a play gym, an out of tone song that I sang or little games. Burp her after hearing she said 'eh', and gave a loud long burp.

Worst day of the week: sitting on my bed feeding, burping then feeding again, and she cried once I put her down. Keep crying & I couldn't find out any reasons, and stopped crying once her father or anyone hold her, cried again when passed back to me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Besides feeding, sleeping and changing nappies, baby seems to have more awake time and will cry when she's bored and need someone to cuddle or play/talk with.

A friend gifted Your Baby and Toddler from Birth to 3 Years: A Step-by-Step Guide to Your Child's Development, has a step-by step guide to child's development from birth, shows some activities that I can play with my baby. Now she's 5 weeks, activities from the book that help develop her skills:

- Talk to him from different places in the room and watch how he tries to locate the sound

- Repeat the same song a few times, babies' memory is developing, although only short-term at the moment

- Tickle the palm of her hand and fingertips with anything soft or furry in texture

- Emotional & Social development, babies at this stage love any kind of interactions. Talking & responding (cooing) to her, smile with her.

- from Your Self-Confident Baby: How to Encourage Your Child's Natural Abilities— From the Very Start, talking to her and tell her what you're doing helps build her language skills and shows her respect. For example, tell her when you're changing her, "Now, I'm going to lift your legs up and take the nappy away...etc"

- Active movement from SPARC has free videos to show activities from infant up to pre-schoolers


Learning from birth - a good resource from Team Up


More games ideas:

Games to Play with Babies


Creative Play for Your Baby: Steiner Waldorf Expertise and Toy Projects for 3 Months-2 Years

Nursary Rhymes Lyrics


Baby gym resources:

MyGym
Jumping Beans, NZ
KindyRock

Nursing Marathon

After talking with a friend about my shortage of milk supply and had to top up with formula, she said she also had the same problem, but she insisted not to top up with formula as it'll further diminishes the milk supply, and after a few days of nursing practically every hour, her supply was good for her baby. So I tried the same approach, had my bedside table with books and music, and nipple cream ready, I choose Lansinoh nipple cream as it's safe for baby and no need to remove before nursing. The last 2 days was fine, nursing every hour, sometimes baby sucked for 5 minutes and dose off, I reduce the bottle from every feed before to only 2 at night.

Some more tips from everyone that care & What to Expect the First Year, by the way, it's really a good book, clears up all my queries:

- Try to burb baby between breast, as sometimes they're not really full with air bubbles inside, and will need to nurse again very soon
- Feed according to your baby's need, instead of the clock or feeding schedule
- Eat healthy food (Eating for Two: Recipes for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women)& drink plenty of fluid
- Position baby well so he/she's not only sucking on the nipples which causes sore nipples
- For sore nipples, after each feed, squeeze a little breastmilk and pat around the nipple and apply nipple cream
- Sometimes crying doesn't mean a baby's hungry, maybe they just need a cuddle, try to calm her or put her back to sleep before offering a feed
- Wake baby to finish feeding, at least 15 minutes on one breast or until breast is soft.

There are more info on the la leche league website.

Got a new bottle of Bio-oil, glad to see my tummy is getting smaller, and hopefully the stretch mark will go soon.


Our little angel also got a blocked nose, my mum noticed it first and asked why she's breathing through her mouth. So we got a nasal aspirator for her.

I went out for a walk today and all those parents with toddlers caught my eyes, holding them and chasing around them when they pick up, throw & touch everything. I thought, being a new mum is a 24/7 hour job, and I admire mums that need to take care of more than 1 kid. To my mum, and all the mums, I salute you, you've all done a great job.

Welcome to Motherhood

Crying baby, sleepless nights, sore nipples, sore back, numb fingers all seems to be motherhood at the moment, my baby seems to demand feed more often now, nursing her seems to be never-ending. At the first week, I feel like I can handle it, as she'd slept for 5-6 hours after each feed and she only made 2 sounds, from watching the Dunstan Baby languages, it's either hungry or needs to change, and when she cries, the technique in The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer works! The white noise works like magic.

But this week, everything is different, she cries & cries, and I don't understand the language anymore, check her nappies, burp her..etc, nothing works! But she calms down almost every time I feed her, maybe that's why I'm always feeding and have sore nipples. And the white noise doesn't work anymore when she's still hungry after nursing her for an hour, and I need to go sterize the bottle to mix up some formula.

Some said that I don't need to feed her every time, sometimes maybe all she needs is a cuddle, someone to talk to her, play with her or just a random cry before sleep. I'll keep working hard to understand my baby more, although sometimes get frustrated especially when my body is so sore, so tired and cannot calm her down, at that time, I just put my baby down or hand it to someone else and have a break. There're of course good days too, like today, after feeding her, she's sleeping so peacefully now, which is a such a blessing to watch.

Getting back into shape

It's easier to update my blog while baby is sleeping, and baby monitor is the greatest invention ever, I can hear her & know her movement while in another room. The midwife said it'll take up to 3 months to get back into shape, and she recommended 2 exercises, the pelvic floor muscle (kegel exercise) and the abdominal exercise. There's a secret from Michelle Moss, the author of Pregnancy without pounds & Mommy without pounds to tummy exercise:

When it comes to flat abs, though, you really need to know the secret. For example, if you're thinking that you can just do situps every night - uh-uh!

The key to a flat tummy is training (and connecting to) your core. In fact, it's your deep abdominal muscle (transverse abdominus), and not your rectus abdominal (the 6 pack!), that will help you regain (or get) a flat stomach.
So forget the situps and rather start with this great exercise...

Heel Drag...
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Set your core by pulling your belly button in towards your spine (with a neutral spine, no pelvic tilt, and relaxed buttocks).
- Slowly slide one heel along the floor keeping your heel in contact with the floor at all times and then slowly return the leg back to starting position.
- Repeat 4 times each leg.

There's a video & audio program Fit Yummy Mummy , bascially a system on getting back a flat tummy, on nutrition and time management skills.

Still hunting for good breastfeeding bra, here's some tips.

My baby has arrived!

Finally we met our baby, it was such a delight. Almost 13 hours of contraction and 2 hours of labour, now that she's almost 1 week old, I seem to forget all those hard work and felt so blessed that she's here. I had an episomy as baby was not in the correct position (maybe I prefered to sleep on my right or other reasons) and had to use the vaccum. The head shape came out a bit funny but now it's getting better.

For the first week, it was hectic. Trying to heal from the wound and handle all these new things to me, luckily I had many help from the midwife & mostly my family. The hospital encourages breastfeeding, and for the first 5 days, I haven't got much, and the baby was sucking hard and I felt so painful. Cracked and sore nipples was a must.

I haven't got enough milk so have to top up with formula, my baby is drinking soy-based formula, but just found out an article from the Ministry of Health, maybe need to change to a cow's milk-based.

Some recommend me to feed baby with water if feeding on formula, but the midwife recommends not to, and also found an article: Drinking water may harm babies.

A friend's advise of using disposable nappies for the first month is really useful, as I'm so tired, really haven't got enough time to add extra stress of washing & drying to the schedule.

Week 39

Going to the midwife today, the beginning of the 39th week, it's pretty much just waiting now, and people from the antenatal group started to send baby arrival announcements, it's getting exciting to see all the cute babies coming. And friends also called to see if the baby is here yet. Everyone seems to be happy and very caring and friendly when they see your big tummy. I'm glad the baby can bring them joy.

Was reading some articles on child's mind development, and 2 names come up: Daniel J. Siegel & Rudolf Steiner, both do extensive research on infant's whole body (mind, body & spirit) development. I'm quite surprised to find out that at the early stage for infants (0-3 months or up to 1 year), relationship development is a lot more important than physical development. I've been thinking of what toys to buy to get my baby started to learn about the world, like the playgym, different colours/ textures, different kinds of music...etc. On Daniel Coleman's website, he mentions the importance of having a care-giver in a child care centre that have an emotional connection with our child, in order to have a healthy development.

Siegel's article mentioned that from birth, the infant is learning about their 'self', oh, gonna be late for my midwife appointment, will write more later....

Some good news: Dark Chocolate is good for the third trimester

Got this from babycenter:

Dark Chocolate could help ward off a serious complication known as preeclampsia, a condition that will affect our health and the baby, usually detected by high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine, the following is a quote from the article.

Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is rich in a chemical called theobromine, which stimulates the heart, relaxes smooth muscle and dilates blood vessels, and has been used to treat chest pain, high blood pressure, and hardening of the arteries, Dr. Elizabeth W. Triche of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and colleagues write.

Only 2 more weeks to go, getting excited and nervous, glad that the pregnancy is finally over, but not sure what would happen during labour. The back pain, gronin pain, leg cramps and other pain that comes with it will finish soon! Also the extra time I guess, will be so busy with the baby, getting What to expect in the First year , they're selling cheaper than anywhere else, had a look at the book in the bookstore, it goes through everything month to month, I guess it'll be really helpful especially for me, with no experience with children nor baby, I don't even know what age go to kindergarten, that's how bad I am. :-)

baby story video, quite interesting to watch
http://tlc.discovery.com/beyond/index.html?playerId=203711705&categoryId=566566872&lineupId=151749457

Week 37 of pregnancy

Time seem to fly, can't believe it's already 37 weeks, my baby is 'officially' full term, only 3 more weeks (more or less) to go. Emotionally, I want to meet my baby sooner, and get rid of the back pain, carpal tunnel, leg cramps....anything that comes in the third trimester out the way, but on the other hand, I don't feel I'm ready yet. My hospital bag is not packed, and although have briefly read the stages of labour, still feel a bit not sure what will happen. I guess it's just the uncertainty that cause the worries.

Have jotted down some notes from Pregnancy without pounds to remind me of an easy labour:

- Let go of the idea that labour is painful
- Deep Breath, this will give oxygen to the baby
- Breath out to RELAX during pain
- Connect to your body, listen to your body
- Each contraction is one step closer to meeting my baby
- Don't strain your face when pushing
- Don't have any expectation (eg. natural birth), nothing but delivering a healthy baby matters
- Leave your dignity on the way into the labour room and pick it up when you're out, midwives/ doctors have seen it all



Hypnosis for a Joyful Pregnancy and Pain-Free Labor and Delivery

Also some ideas for the boredom at babycentre

Nappy Expo

A friend just send me a website about a Nappy Expo: http://www.thenappynetwork.org.nz as I still haven't decided whether to use cloth or disposable nappies. Have asked for some advices, cloth nappies seem to be a more environmental & economical option, some cloth nappies can last up to 2 years old, it's good value for money. One friend suggested to use disposable for the first 6 months, as newborn normally uses around 6-8 a day, and said I'd rather spent more time resting than washing nappies, especially in the first few months. And having seen that the weather is not very good lately, it'll be hard to dry the cloth nappies too, as we don't have a dryer.

Feeling so itching on the stomach last night, and found out this morning I have stretch marks all over, no....!!! My advice, girls, we can't be lazy once we reach the third trimester, the tummy will grow so big so fast, have to apply oil every single day! I'm putting Bio oil every day now, hopefully can make the mark less obvious later. All the best for your pregnancy & take care.

Epiderm Professional Strength Microdermabrasion Treatment Kit 60gm NZ$89.95

More on infant education

Wow, this is powerful...

"Every time you gently hold a baby who has been fussing, you are teaching her that the world is a safe place to be.

Every time you feed her when she has been crying, you are teaching her that she can get her needs met by letting others know what she wants.

When you respond to her needs quickly and sensitively, she gradually learns how to comfort herself.

When you talk with her as you change her diaper or put her in the car seat, you build on the language capacity her brain is programmed to develop."

- from the childhood affirmation program


Talking about responding to baby's need quickly & sensitively, I think of the Dunstan Baby lanuguge (also on Opera), I watched it with my mum & her friend and it's really useful. It's for 0-3 months infants based on the sound they made on their reflexes, total of 5 sounds for different needs. The author Prisilla pretty much can pick up what the baby need (even not her own baby) instantly and settle the baby instantly. That's amazing. I found watching the baby's body language gives me a clue too. Video sampler on youtube.

My mum's friend just had a grand-daughter and said that her grand-daughter has 7 different sounds, she could even distinguish between when the baby wants milk or wants water! Good ear! Also pick up some tips from her as well:

- only put the baby to sleep when it needs to ('owh' - tiredness), never hold her and swing her to sleep, otherwise he/she won't sleep unless you hold her.

- wrap baby or put him/her in the cot when he/she feels tired, so that he/she associate the cot to sleep

Every little pieces started to come together and started to make sense now, I was so confused at some of the concept in antenatal class and other classes I've attended. The class about raising independent baby said the same thing, the Gerber approach (Your Self-Confident Baby: How to Encourage Your Child's Natural Abilities— From the Very Start) says that to watch the baby's signal and attend to their needs instead of according to ours, for example feed them when they're hungry ('neh', hey I'm getting good at this) rather than according to our schedule (need to feed the baby every 2 hours or need to go out so better feed the baby first)

The baby will be more likely to raise to be independent individuals by the Gerber approach or the 'respect the baby's needs' approach.

Also recommended in the antenatal class, The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer, have some settling techniques, the 5s:

- Swaddling
- Side or Stomach
- Shhhh
- Swinging
- Sucking

More on infant education

Wow, this is powerful...



"Every time you gently hold a baby who has been fussing, you are teaching her that the world is a safe place to be.



Every time you feed her when she has been crying, you are teaching her that she can get her needs met by letting others know what she wants.



When you respond to her needs quickly and sensitively, she gradually learns how to comfort herself.



When you talk with her as you change her diaper or put her in the car seat, you build on the language capacity her brain is programmed to develop."



from the childhood affirmation program





Talking about responding to baby's need quickly & sensitively, I think of the Dunstan Baby lanuguge (also on Opera), I watched it with my mum & her friend and it's really useful. It's for 0-3 months infant based on the sound they made on their reflexes, total of 5 sounds for different needs. The author pretty much can pick up what the baby need (even not her own) instantly and settle the baby instantly. That's amazing. I found watching the baby's body language gives me a clue too. Video sampler on youtube.



My mum's friend's just had a grand-daughter and said that her grand-daughter has 7 different sounds, she could even distinguish between when the baby wants milk or wants water! Good ear! Also pick up some tips from her as well:



- only put the baby to sleep when it needs to ('owh' - tiredness), never hold her and swing her to sleep, otherwise he/she won't sleep unless you hold her.



- wrap baby or put him/her in the cot when he/she feels tired, so that he/she associate the cot to sleep



Every little pieces started to come together and started to make sense now, I was so confused at some of the concept in antenatal class and other classes I've attend. The class about raising independent baby said the same thing, the Gerber approach (Your Self-Confident Baby: How to Encourage Your Child's Natural Abilities— From the Very Start)says that to watch the baby's signal and attend to their needs instead of according to ours, for example feed them when they're hungry ('neh', hey I'm getting good at this) rather than according to our schedule (need to feed the baby every 2 hours or need to go out so better feed the baby first)



The baby will be more likely to raise to be independent individuals by the Gerber approach or the 'respect the baby's needs' approach.



Also recommended in the antenatal class, The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer, have some settling techniques, the 5s:



- Swaddling

- Side or Stomach

- Shhhh

- Swinging

- Sucking

Play and learning for infants

Just been to a talk about play in early childhood, it presents a lot of ideas and set me thinking. It was interesting to find out something about child's play that maybe I need to change some mindset about playing & educating.

I've learned:

- Play as a response to life
- Play is a child's way to understand their surroundings, body, relationships, feeling and developing ideas
- A lot of toys may not be necessary for the child to learn
- Adults is better to let the children play amongst themselves rather than supervising
- Adults don't need to teach everytime the child pick up a toy, the children will learn by playing
- Play promotes creativity


Online infant game

Learning, playing & your newborn


Some ways to play & stimulate learning for the baby, as in the above website:

- Gentle caresses, sing with a soothing lullaby
- smile, poke out tongue, making different face expressions
- put baby on their tummy to strength neck/shoulder, always supervise & be ready to help.
- put on sothing music, hold the baby and sway to the tune

Preparing for the baby

Just finished my antenatal class, this week basically is preparing for my new baby & labour, reading other's birth stories, and reviewing the labour process in What to Expect When You're Expecting, chatted with some friends, we all agree that this is really a good book, I'm planning to get their second book too for my baby's 1st year.




Birth Stories Revisit

ohbaby birth stories

Home birth, NZ

With some ads, but some collection on birth stories

A blog on NZ birth stories

US Childbirth org

Have also signed up for the Plunket PEPE course, "Your New Baby", after ringing several nearby plunkets with answering machine, I finally found a number that can go directly to the one who's responsible for the course, it's 09 849 5609 (also need to leave a message, but they reply quite promptly) and also for the car seat if you don't want to get an answering machine, the number is 09 623 8357.

Also a good week to start shopping, and can exercise at the same time, however, after shopping around, finally found that the bargains are all online!

Baby Shopping list for this week:

Baby massage oil/ gel

Bath Toys


Shampoos & baby lotion

Baby Wipes

Bottles

Teats

Bottle Brush

Bottle Warmer

Pacifier

Sterilizer

Breast Shields

Expressor

Baby Brush & Comb

Will check trademe for other larger items, a good website with article on the price and what to look for when shopping for baby stuff, like safety standards, whether to choose cloth or disposable nappies and what to look for & price...etc:

kiwifamilies.co.nz

Newborn budgeting & safety

Up to week 31 now, start reading & learning more about newborn, as I can imagine I won't have much time to read when the baby is born.

There's a useful budget calculator from babycenter.

And a lot of safety issue:
- Sleep the baby on its back on a firm mattress, never on a soft pillow to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Prepare the nursery to be fire-safe, install fire alarm
- Floor is clear of wires...etc that could trip you over, use a night light
- Secure unstable furniture, hanging picutres or decorations
- Make sure change table have a saftey strap
- use layer outfit or a one piece outfit for sleeping rather than a blanket which the baby could trap in

Finally bought Pregnancy without pounds, as I'm up to 31 weeks and have already gain 13kg of my original weight, and it'll keep going during the third trimester. I'd really like to get back into shape or even better to impress after birth. And my back pain is killing me, I can't turn at night. It also show some techniques to decrease labour pain, skincare, prevent stretch marks, sagging breast..etc.

Muscle pain

My tummy is getting bigger and my back is hurting a lot, can't seem to turn when I'm sleeping. I went for reflexology (as the accupuntuist recommend not to get treatment in late pregnancy) last week and it gets better, and this week I went for a pregnancy massage and it's a little bit better, I think I'll need a massage everyday. And my groning is hurting as well, especially in the morning after a full night's sleep, the midwife said it's because the baby and the uterus has put pressure downwards so it's normal. With all these pain, the Braxton Hicks seems to be nothing uncomfortable at all.

I found walking quite helpful to the muscle pain, the groning pain seem to disappear if I walk more. Also some yoga pose & stretching are helpful to release the tension as well.

Also reading a book on back pain, they recommend massage, exercise, relaxation, rest and by chiropractor and all sorts. But one thing interesting that I've never thought of is that the best way to stop back pain is to prevent it from happening. But how to prevent back pain? By using correct posture in everyday activities. It's easy to say that to lift with bended knees, not to drag heavy things when climbing up a stairs/ ladder, use the whole body's weight or kneeding instead of bending when doing the garden...etc. But am I really aware of my posture when doing housework and at work? I guess no, maybe that's what gets added on the back pain.

Pregnancy Stress

Have been having bad dreams lately, I guess it's the worry that we won't be able make it financially, and won't be able to cope with a newborn. And all the rumours heard about the staff's attitude in Auckland Hospital and many untrained student working there.

That stress eases a bit after attending the prenatal class. Jotted down some points to remind myself:

- We naturally know how to take care of our baby, just follow our gut feeling & connect with the baby
- Delegate and don't be afraid to ask for help, kindly accept help from others
- Learn to say no if work is overload, hey pregnant women got all the right to have a relaxed life!
- Go shopping for some new clothes, buy something for yourself, you're worth it!
- Muscle ache (stress in the body) will cause stress, go for a massage or ask my partner to do a massage with relaxing oil or even just baby oil.

Talking about shoppping, just been to Egg Maternity, they're doing a sale at the moment and their outfit is nice and comfortable, the pants have a support system for the tummy which I like. Should also start to shop for some baby clothes, car seat and brest pad....etc for the hospital.

Gestational diabetes glucose test

Phew, my midwife called me for the result of my 2-hour glucose tolerance (GTT) test, luckily she said,'only calling to inform you that you're ok.' I was so worried as we had diabetes in the family and the chance is quite high that diabetes is "in my gene."

Luckily it's over, as gestational diabetes will store too much sugar in the bloodstream and might cause an oversize baby that are too big for natural birth. Not sure if it's the psyllium fibre and Weet-bix I took the night before or other factor. After testing for the 1-hour glucose test and found that my blood sugar level is too high, I started reading more about diabetes before my 2-hour test.

I learned that any food that digest quickly, like anything made from white flour: white bread, pasta or sugar or carbohydrates...etc will cause the blood sugar level to spike. Anything that digest slowly is good, like Weet-bix (97% Whole Grain Wheat) or high fibre food like beans.

I also learned to read the label, a lot of food that name "Wholegrain" was actually made from wheat flour and not really wholegrain. I'm quite surprise to find that most food on NZ supermarket shelves are not the real thing. A lot of them contain less than 15% wholegrain but with the name 'healthy wholegrain' on it. I don't usually eat Weet-bix and this NZ favorite is actually the only thing I could find that contain real fibre.

Changing the diet and regular exercise will help with diabetes and I tried to walk half an hour a day during my lunch break. At first, I didn't know we have to book for the 2-hour glucose test, I took a morning off work and went to my usual Diagnostic Medlab (GTT instruction) and they said I need to book! Then went off to another one nearby and said the same thing but gave me an earlier day. But I can't take another day off, luckily called the one in Ellerslie and they had the drink available. The experience there was so nice, the nurse was so professional, I didn't even feel a thing when she inserted the needle. And she advised me I had 10 minutes to finish the bottle, instead of 'drink it and come back in an hour, and don't eat or drink and do any exercise during that hour' with the one I went for the first test.

Who knows? Maybe because I sip the drink slower for the second time, or had a comfy sofa to sit on or didn't have any breakfast or even the Weet-bix or psyllium fibre that I took the night before or the exercise or eating less sugar that make me ok for the second test, maybe not. But I'm glad that I don't need to go to the doctor every week to monitor my blood sugar level.

Week 28 - life as usual

Busy busy at work, now to week 28, the past few weeks seems to past so quickly. My friend told me to keep my job until 2 weeks before due date, just to have some activities. And more exercises will help ease with labour. I'll keep this in mind and try to walk whenever I get a chance. However I'm planning to take my maternity leave 1 month before the due date.

Notice more leg cramps, heard that caffeine will actually intensify leg cramps, ok, guess will have to cut down on the decaf mocha then! :-) Everything as normal, a lot more kicking and starting to go to the midwife every 2 weeks from next visit.

Pregnancy music

It's now week 27, my tummy is getting so big that whenever people see me, they'll say, it's really getting big now. And glad that people know that I'm pregnancy instead of that 'you've gain a bit of weight or not?' look. Starting to find it hard to balance. And trying to play some classical music for my baby. It's interesting, sometimes when he/she is kicking so hard, when I play the music, he/she seems to slow down a bit. But sometimes when he/she's not moving (sleeping maybe), when I play the music, he/she will wake up. :-)

Also starting to collect relaxing music for my labour & breastfeeding after birth as suggesting in What to Expect When You're Expecting. It's quite funny, I'll try to pick the cheapest or the product on special in a supermarket, but for these kind of things, I just buy it without question. Maybe it's just human nature of wanting the best for our children.

Some of my collection for the baby:

Quick Recipe

Just found this on the web for some quick recipe:

http://www.kidspot.com.au/recipe-finder-kidspot.asp

I also found pre-preparing all the food during the weekend helpful as we need to work during the week and it's so tiring to have to prepare to cook, it's much easier to have everything ready and just simply re-heat or fry/bake...etc.

Other useful links:
New Parent's Survival Guide

Pregnancy Photo Gallery
Patrick Bellett - Nelson Street, Auckland
Stephanie Creagh
Sonia Gilchrist
Jo Frances - 1/2 price when mentioned BabyWebNZ
ImageMe
Designer Portraits - will do make up & hair as well, & a complimentary sitting with baby before 3 months
Amanda Haynes - specialising in maturnity (Christchurch based)

Birth Announcement

Reading more on how to communicate and raise babies through the Pikler approach, the approach encourages letting

Pregnancy worries

Had a stomach pain this morning around 7am again plus a leg cramp. I found that most of the cramps happen in the morning, don’t know if it’s relating to the birth time?

Seeing my tummy getting bigger, I’m starting to worry about the financial and the bringing up of my baby as I have no idea or previous experience. For maternity leave, the government paid a maximum of around $325/week for 14 weeks, if I choose to stay with my baby for the first year (which my mum recommends and she said she regretted that she had missed out a lot), I’d have to depend on my partner or find some extra income while working at home. And with the baby, there will be a lot of extra costs, especially if we want the best for our children, who don’t? I am really worried.

Besides the financial, there’s also how to take care of the baby, to bath, things to be aware of, education & making sure its going to be a good person…etc. When I talked to my friend who's baby's almost due last month, she told me lots of worries, and I said to her the child will take care of itself, or if you are religious, 'God will take care of him/her' I was worry free, but this week, I have the same worries!

There was an introduction session last week for a course called babyfirst offered by elementa, I'm glad I attended as it gave me some relieves and confidence that I can do it. The instructor/mentor Maureen was really nice, and she showed us a method of bringing up more independent children. I remember her saying there's no perfect parents, we're all trying our best possible way to raise our children. That really gives me power, as I would want to be a perfect mother in front of my child, to cook nice, healthy food, provide a happy, perfect household, showing them to be a good citizen to the community and always with a smiling kind face. "It's ok to tell your baby you're upset at times, because we're all human and have ups & downs. It's ok to tell the baby that you're upset and you'll go outside to take a breath." What Maureen said really takes a lot of stress away from me.

Also from the bounty pregnancy booklet, it says, ".... you'd think that babies couldn't manage without endless frilly accessories. But babies need their basic needs met - to eat, be kept clean and warm, and to be loved. And that needn't cost a fortune." I can certainly give my baby food (I'm planning to breastfeed, maybe some nursing pads or even expressor), certainly can love my baby with my whole heart + lots more, and sure I can provide a bath and heater! :-)

Connecting with the baby

Just reading my weekly update from baby center, things as per normal & points to remember for week 24 is to keep hydrated & remember to exercise to keep circulations, this will prevent the feet and ankle swelling. Try to put the legs up when sitting. And if swelling in the hands and face, called midwife immediately.

Babycenter also recommends to write a letter to the baby, share your feeling and hopes, or put together a memeory box for the baby, this will help the transition into motherhood and will be treasure for the baby in the future.

I'm reading Deepak Chopra's Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives: How to Use Meditation, Yoga and Other Techniques to Give Your Child the Perfect Start in Life, I quite agree to the idea of connecting with the baby from now, he suggests to be more in tune with our senses, eg. sight, sound, hearing, taste and touch, as this could influence the baby. He suggests to be aware of what images, sounds & tastes that plesures you or horrify you.

As I'm feeling more and more of the kicking now, I tend to touch my tummy whenever it kicks, Deepak also suggests talking to the baby while touching the tummy and baby will get a soothing feeling with your voice. Sometimes I also play some classical music, at times it'd quiet down and sometimes it'd start moving around (dancing maybe?)

My other concern (or worry) is baby crying in the future and I won't be able to calm it down, this I can imagine will be stressful for the family and any visitors as well. I feel lucky to find this website: the dunstan baby language website. Apprently it was on Oprah before, but I missed it, it was a system to communicate with the baby.

Simply put, when a baby cries, there's only certain needs that he/she wants satisified: hunger, boring, sleeping, wind or wet diapers...etc, and babies will express those needs through 5 different types of sound (it was discovered by Priscilla who had a photographic memory for sound so I believe she could pick up sounds that other didn't):

neh - hungry
owh - sleepy
eh - need to burp
eairth - lower wind
heh - wet/hot/dry/cold

If we're able to recognise the sound and attend to the needs accordingly, we'll have a happy baby! I'm planning to buy the system, but just a glimpse on the notes which is free.

Cause of cramping during second trimester

Starting from week 21, I had a cramping on my stomach, sometimes followed by diarrhoea and sometimes didn't, and for a few days, it only happens in the morning for about 20-30 seconds. I went to the GP, she gave me some sachet powder to drink and said it'll settle in a few days.

I also suspected that it's the Braxton Hicks Contractions, from What to Expect When You're Expecting, it describe as a 'practice' contraction, and it's a tightening of the uterus, beginning at the top and gradually spreading downwards and usuallly last about 15-30 seconds. It usually starts after the 20th week and may felt earlier and more intense in women who have had a previous pregnancy.

It's a good chance to use it as a practice of the breath & relaxation techniques, also to relieve the discomfort, try changing our position - lying down or getting up and walking around..etc. Hopefully it's not an indication of premature labour, the book also have a section on prelabour, false labour & real labour.

Birth Stories

For me, I'd like to read more of other people's experiences on labour so to know what to expect, I found the following birth stories online:


ohbaby birth stories

Home birth, NZ

With some ads, but some collection on birth stories

A blog on NZ birth stories

US Childbirth org

Exercise

I guess my second major worry is a long hard labour & tearing during labour, after searching around, I found there are 2 ways that could minimise the chance or prevent this:

1. By exercise & relaxation techniques (by reading birth stories, I found women using breathing techniques or hynobirthing usually have an easier labour)
2. Birth by caesarean

Unless it's necessary for the saftey of the baby, I'll assume that I'll have a natural birth, so exercise is the answer for me. And exercise is good to knock off those extra pounds after birth if I don't gain so much now.

Yoga, stretching, walking or swimming seem to be some mild exercises for pregnancy. The main thing is to keep it slow and stop once you feel tired. Exercise during the second trimester and slack off to mild stretching during the third.

** Risky exercises to avoid:

- Any exercise that put you flat on your back after the fourth month or
- pull on the abodomen (such as full sits up and double leg lifts) or
- force air into the vagina (upside-down bicycling) or
- bending over backwards or
- stretch the inner thigh muscles or
- bringing the knee to chest while kneeling on all fours
- jumping, bouncing, or jerky movements


Some exercises that make a good routine:

- Shoulder stretch
- Standing leg stretch (to ease leg cramps)
- Kegel exercise (to prevent tearing & urine leaking)
- Pelvic tilt (to strengthen the back)
- Dromedary Droop
- Leg lifts

Kegel - firmly tense the muscles (it's the muscle that stop the flow of urine midstream when you're on the toliet) arond the vagina and anus, hold for as long as you can (working up to eight to ten seconds), then slowly release the muscle and relax. In Deepak Chopra's Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives: How to Use Meditation, Yoga and Other Techniques to Give Your Child the Perfect Start in Life, he even recommmends to do 100 every day to prevent tearing. Try a combination of quick ones & long ones. The book also recommends stretching the perineum a few weeks before the due date.

Also more exercise for easier labour, in Pregnancy without pounds, there're some core exercises that make labour easier.

Highly recommended:

Stretch Marks can be prevented?

I believe many women, including me is worry about getting stretch marks. Can it actually be prevented? I found myself scratching my stomach at times because it's itchy, and I heard that this is because the stomach is stretching, and we could avoid stretch marks by keeping our stomach moisturised. I'm using Bio oil at the moment, and heard some friends are using cocoa butter. What's better? We could get it cheaper online than the retail pharmacy (even with the postage), I get my elevit & Bio oil through Pharmacy Direct now. I guess as long as it's a good moisturiser, safe, and make sure it's not some herbs & essential oil that cannot be used during pregnancy, which induce contraction.

Oils to avoid during pregnancy:

Anise
Bay
Basil
Camphor
Caraway
Carrot
Cedarwood
Cinnamon
Clary Sage
Clove
Comfrey
Cypress
Fennel
Hyssop
Jasmine
Juniper
Marjoram
Mugwort
Myrrh
Nutmeg
Oregano
Pennyroyal Peppermint
Rosemary
Sage
Sassafras
Tansy
Thuja
Thyme
Wintergreen
Wormwood
Yarrow

Oils to avoid in first trimester: Chamomile, Frankincense, Geranium, Melissa, Rose
Source: http://www.earthyfamily.com/arom-caution.htm

Also:
Herbs to Avoid during pregnancy



Also, keep the weight gain steady, about 1/2 a kilo every week from the 4th month to the 8th month, the recommendation is to aim at gaining 11-15 kilos throughout the whole pregnancy.

Really good book that answers all my questions:

All about sex....

Predict the Sex of the baby & Sex during Pregnancy

There certainly are a lot of myths about whether sex is safe for the pregnancy or not. Sometimes we are a bit shy to ask clear questions. Sometimes sex is not recommended if there were previous miscarrigaes or premature labour. No sex? What about orgasam, not intercourse? Is it still ok? Is oral sex ok?

The following is an article I found on parentingweekly.com about things to watch out for:

"There is a tendency for both expectant mothers and fathers to cut back on sex once they've achieved pregnancy (especially if getting pregnant has been a challenge instead of a surprise)... With a normal pregnancy, you can keep doing it right up until your water breaks. Make sure to check with your doctor or midwife first if you're having any problems, such as placenta previa or bleeding, or if you have a history of miscarriage.

Some women report that sex during pregnancy is the best they've ever had while others admit that it's not what it once was. The heightened pleasure is usually attributed to increased blood flow to the pelvic area, also known as engorgement of the genitals. If you find that sex has become particularly enjoyable during pregnancy it may be because you finally feel free from worries about conception and contraception, and are feeling sexier than ever. But if you find yourself on the other end of the spectrum and sex is not as appealing, this can be due to several factors. The same engorgement that can push some women over the threshold of ecstasy can give other women an uncomfortable feeling of fullness after having sex and some women may feel abdominal cramping during or after sex. It may just be that you're tired or too nauseated to have sex or even care about it, especially in the first trimester. Things should pick up once you're past the first trimester and the second trimester is often marked by a resurging libido.

Your libido may wane again in the third trimester, as impending labor and delivery - and your belly - loom large. By this point, some women just simply feel unattractive. Ironically, your partner's sex drive may actually increase as your pregnancy progresses, as he's drawn to your more curvaceous and feminine body. But some partners do experience a decreased libido if he's overly concerned for your health and that of your baby, or if he's apprehensive about becoming a father, that he'll hurt the baby, or if he's feeling self-conscious about making love in the presence of the unborn child.

Here are the most common myths about having sex during pregnancy:

Myth #1 - Sex will hurt the baby

Sex is not harmful for your baby. In fact, in most cases, the motion of having sex will rock your little one off to sleep. The thick mucus plug that seals the cervix will prevent your partner's penis from ever coming into contact with the baby and helps guard against infection, while the amniotic sac and strong uterine muscles also protect your baby. You may notice that your baby is very active after your orgasm and this is because of your pounding heart, not because your baby knows what is happening or feels pain.

Myth #2 - My belly will be in the way and I'll never be comfortable

Playing with alternative positions (you on top, sitting in your partner's lap, or a side-by-side spoon position) may be just the thing to send you over the top during love making. As the old saying goes, "Where there's a will, there's a way." With a little experimenting, you and your partner are sure to find a position and technique that works for both of you. In fact, some women experience their first orgasm while having sex during their pregnancy. This can be attributed to engorgement of the genitals with more sensitive nerve endings and oxytocin, the hormone that maintains your pregnancy, which is known to spark the libido.

Myth #3 - Having sex will cause premature labor

There is no medical evidence that the act of having sex causes labor. However, stimulating your breasts can speed up the production of oxytocin which can cause contractions when you are near your due date. As your pregnancy progresses, you will discover that you will have all sorts of contractions without going into labor. However, your doctor or midwife may limit your sexual activity if your pregnancy is considered high risk or if you have a history of premature labor, early cervical dilation, placenta previa, premature rupture of the membranes or vaginal bleeding.

Myth #4 - Oral sex is a no-no

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about having sex during pregnancy. Standard oral sex will not harm you or your baby and many couples consider it a nice substitute if intercourse is deemed too risky or it's just too uncomfortable. Just make sure your partner avoids blowing air into your vagina, as blowing hard could cause an air embolism (obstruction of a blood vessel) which could potentially kill you and your baby.

Your pregnancy is a wonderful opportunity to have close and loving sexual experiences with your partner. Get creative - you both might just discover a side to yourselves that you didn't know existed before. Pregnancy is a time when many couples open doors and find new and exciting ways to be intimate with one another beyond just the act of having sex."

Sources: http://www.parentingweekly.com/pregnancy/pregnancy_health_fitness/sex_during.htm


Sex of the baby
I found some interesting sites to predict the sex of the baby, but just for fun.

Chinese Calendar

Boy or Girl Quiz

Baby gender prediction

Baby Gender Prediction


Sex Selection Techniques - before Pregnancy

I sometimes crave chips, rich chocolate ice-cream.
My stomach is round, low (I checked with someone as I might be bias)
The baby is quite active & I didn't have a lot of morning sickness in the 1st trimester. (No vomitting)

Let’s find out how many of them are true when the baby is out. :-)

Maternity Leave

In NZ, we're entitled to up to 14 weeks paid parental leave and up to a total of 52 weeks extended leave if qualified (usually need to work in a company for 1 year before the due date) and this is also transferrable to our parnter. IRD has a defintion.

Department of Labour has a calculator that work out your entitlement for both employee, self-employed and the partner if you wish to transferred the leave. It also tells you the last date to inform your employer of taking maternity leave and a format of the letter to employer.

Nutrition

There's certainly a lot of food a pregnant woman can't eat: coffee, tea, alcohol, medium rare steak, fried eggs (semi-raw), soft cheese such as brie, cream, ice-cream, smoked food, pre-prepare salad, everything has to be cooked fresh & fully cooked, less sugar...etc And there's a lot of activities to be avoided, like running, dancing (with jerky movement), no bending to pick up things, cannot life heavy things, have to sleep on our sides.

At first I thought, really? Life will be a bit hard! But later when I think about it, let's think of this as a good chance to switch to a more healthy diet. And it'll be worth it, I could sacrifice anything for our baby. I enjoyed helping people but it's the first time in my life I feel that myself is not important anymore. The things I have or don't have, achieve or not achieve doesn't seem to matter anymore. I feel the most important thing now is to make the people around me happpy and fulfilling.

Some info on daily nutritional requirement:

Calcium - 1200mg/ day (about 4 cups of milk)
If you suffer from Leg Cramps, there might be due to lack of calcium

Folate or folic acid - 500mg/day
Food that contain folate:
- Green lefty vegetables
- Wholegrain breads and cereals
- Peas and dried beans

Fibre
- Vegetable & whole grain & bran

Iron - 25-36mg
For supporting this increase in blood volume for yourself and your baby

Protein - 55gm - 85gm
For the development of your baby and to the development of your breast tissue in preparation for breastfeeding.


Water - plenty
Water can help flush the bladder & prevent urinary infection
Also dehydration can cause problems with the development of the baby

Bottomline is that the baby will take nutrition from you no matter what, so it's better to take enough so our body won't have any problems later on.

The key is to eat for 'Quality', not Quantity as the old saying we're eating for two. Eating too much calories only makes it harder to lose after birth.

I'm taking a vitamins & minerals by elevit, which has a bit of every mineral & vitamins essential for pregnancy.

Hospital Bag

Some idea taken from different sources:

For Labour

A comfortable, loose fitting nightie or T-shirt that you can wear through labour and give birth in. You should expect that this may get covered in the fluids from delivery.
A water bottle/sweets/glucose tablets.
Any snacks or drinks you would like to have on hand.
Your Huggies Birth Plan
Lip balm
Warm socks (your feet may get very cold during labour). You should be prepared to throw these away after the delivery.
Massage equipment – oils, creams.
Heat pack
Camera and video camera (ask before you start taking video footage)
CD’s to play during the birth of your baby.
Drinks and snacks for your partner.
Your Huggies Announcement Contact List
Phone cards and coins for making calls. Check with the hospital staff before using a mobile phone.
Make-up and hair brush for immediately after the birth if you would like to touch up for the initial photos.
And a bottle of champagne.

For Hospital
Most women stay in hospital for around 3-4 days after a vaginal delivery and 5-6 days after a caesarean section.

3 easy to open night clothes (for breastfeeding)
3 nursing bras / plenty of nursing pads
Breast pads
Dressing gown or robe
Slippers
Toiletries and make-up kit.
Plenty of underwear, or disposable paper pants.
2-3 packs of maternity sanitary pads
A copy of your Hospital Stay Plan
Print outs of your Announcement Contact List, envelopes and stamps.
Day clothes and an outfit for leaving the hospital.
You will also need to have an outfit for your baby to leave hospital. This should include a singlet, socks or bootees, outer garment, cardigan (dependent on the weather) and a blanket for in the car.
Baby car seat

http://www.ohbaby.co.nz/article.aspx?ContentID=231

Pregnancy Week by Week guide

I signed up many sites that offer baby information, and there's 2 sites I'm constantly visiting as they have loads of information and a week-by-week guide on how the baby is developing each week. It'll tell me what week my baby is in when I entered the Expected Due Date. Also some specials and draws for baby products:

Huggies Club
Baby Center (this is a US site, also have one in Australia, so the specials won't work in NZ, however the info is pretty useful)
baby-gaga - Forum, stroller guide & baby tickers
(you can also get your own ticker for your email or webpage)

This is my baby's development ticker:



It is just amazing how from week 8 of just a york with a tiny heart beat, growing to something that has hands and feets, it's so cute, I very much enjoy going for my ultrasound scans. One was just done just over 18 weeks, it's truly amazing.

Since everywhere is on sale now, I've printed a shopping list from babycity.co.nz to see what will be needed, although it's about 5 months away, it's good to start looking around to get an idea on what's available in the market.

Baby shopping list

If you have any good information on baby shopping, please share with us on the comments section, thanks.

On the Half Way Mark - 20 weeks

I'm now on my 20 weeks of pregnancy, a bit bored and can't wait to meet my baby. After going through the 1st 3 months of nauseaness, unwell and panic, now my energy level is back, get more time and energy to do more researching and reading. After talking to friends, I think it's a good idea to share what I've found to prepare myself to be the best mum for my baby.

Being 33 and had a couple of miscarriages, I'm very panic at the first few months of pregnancy, I really wish this baby could stay. So I tried to find every information I could, what to eat, what not to eat, to do...etc to prevent a miscarriage this time.

I even pray every day, after the previous miscarriages, I really believe that life is not controlled by us and we cannot make it happen if it's meant to be. Someone with family members that have a life threatening disease would know what I mean. A dear friend of mine has been diagnoised cancer recently and all we could do is to support her and do our best to let her feel the less pain possible, but we could not assure that she'll live for any amount of time, although modern medicine is so advance.

I was really sad about the miscarriages & was very nervous about this pregnancy in the first 3 months as one more miscarriage I'll need to be refered to a specialist. After talking to several people and by reading, as the doctor said, miscarriages is pretty commmon (1 in 5 or something in all pregnancy) and nature has its way to create a healty baby, it's not anyone's fault for the miscarriage. I learnt not to blame myself for the loss, and my partner asked me not to read too much if it makes me worry about this pregnancy, just let it be.

Info on miscarriage

Anyway, back to my boredom, I'll post things that I found on the internet & by talking with friends. Hopefully will better prepare myself to be a good mum this time.