Beauty in the pot has been around for a while now, and it is only recently that I decided to try. Super lagger I am.
Monday, September 7, 2020
Beauty in the Pot - Is it worth it?
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Wakodo Lebens Milk - For pregnant and lactating mum
I have thought that I would never be able to drink powdered maternity milk because I hated the smell of it. Formula milk for babies always smell horrible to me as well.
And then I was introduced to Wakodo Lebens Mom's milk.
Back in November 2019 when holding events was still possible, I signed up for the "Ultimate Guide to preparing for pregnancy and baby" seminar organised by SuperMom. For $7 per couple to attend the seminar and to receive a goodie bag worth $50 after that, this sounds like a pretty good deal. I was only 8 weeks then, and a mummy with the smallest tummy there.
There were several partners during the event, and one of them was Wakodo Singapore. They let us sample their original milk and milk mixed with mango, both chilled. I felt that the taste was acceptable at that point, and that the idea to blend in mango to the milk is just awesome.
The vendor told us that some sample will be given in the goodie bag after the seminar and we all thought it would be in packets form. But one whole large tin of milk powder was given to us! (and also along with all these amazing gifts!)
After trying it again, I find the milk quite pleasant.
The taste of Wakodo milk is quite similar to that of low fat fresh milk. It is light, not that sweet and not overly creamy. I prefer to drink it warm instead of cold as it really helped with comforting my stomach from the heartburn that was constantly there in my later pregnancy.
The powder blends easily with water as well, and rarely do I find any clumps left over.
I also like how the milk container is designed. The lid is bent at half point, and there is a little flap there to scrap the milk powder flat. And whatever extra milk powder will drop right back into the tin nicely. No mess.
This milk is made in Japan, which is a bonus point for me haha. Japan products are generally quite a quality buy isn't it?
I am not sure if you can still find this milk at Isetan supermarket but you can purchase it online instead for convenience. I have purchased it from Lazada/Redmart, and Redmart really delivers fast.
Wakodo is also on Shopee currently, but this milk seems unavailable at the moment.
Friday, August 7, 2020
My Birth Story - Natural Delivery turned Emergency Csection
Our Little Eden
The Surprise
I heated up the green bean soup I daopao-ed home from my mum's place yesterday for breakfast. And while having my soup, I googled to find my answers. It could be that the waterbag broke, and I was waiting for the pain to set in before anything. Since it was a working day (thank goodness for work from home!), I quickly went to clear my emails first. And the next important thing was to pack my hospital bag! I was already intending to do so, but little did I know I ended up packing so last minute. My written to-bring-list has helped a lot. And I was still squatting and all to get my stuff ready.
The husband was also working from home and we decided to call the clinic after their lunch hours. The staff told me to get my things ready and come down for the doctor to check.
"Should I cut my nails?" I asked my husband.
He looked mildly irritated and replied me that he does not have much time before he had to come back home for his work. We needed to get to the clinic and come back as soon as possible. I showered, had my Hor Fun lunch, and we went down to Thomson Medical Centre. Everything felt normal, just having slight pain like menstrual cramps so far.
At the Clinic
We reached the clinic around 3pm, and waited for our turn after those patients with appointment. The gynae did a scan on my belly and things looked normal. The swab was put in twice into the vagina to check whether amniotic fluid was present. There was a combination of yellow and blue, and it was inconclusive of whether it was indeed amniotic fluid or just a large amount of vaginal discharge.She also did a physical check and when she pressed on the inside, I felt a rather intense menstrual cramp! 1 cm opening, she said. Due to a scheduled surgery at 4pm, she ordered me to do a cardiotocography to record the fetal heartbeat and uterine contractions, while waiting for her to get back. The heartbeat was good but the contractions were kind of non-existent.
I think the gynae may have done another type of swab test at this point, and the results showed 1 line (negative amniotic fluid). She advised that it may just a be a leak and not the real waterbag bursting. Actually, I really cannot remember what she said already. I know she said that we can go back and monitor and come back when a regular flow of fluid is observed.
It is Time
We decided to induce immediately rather than going back and then coming back. We were still aiming for a natural delivery and the doctor went through the procedures and risk involved again. It was really funny because my husband was entirely unprepared. See, I should have cut my nails!The Waiting Game
The medicine/pill to induce labour was given through the vagina at around 6.30pm. It was to be monitored for 2 hours. Later on, they also gave something like the liquid enema to make me clear my bowels, and I was to hold it as long as possible before letting it go. I guess this step is done to prevent any potential poo-ing during the actual pushing session. At about 11.30pm or so, my lower back was painful and 酸. And there I was hearing my neighboring mummies requesting for epidural, and wondering about the need for it, but it was still nowhere near the pain I was going to experience.My gynae came around midnight to check on me - cervix opened 1.5cm only. A large amount of fluid whooshed out this time. She said the membrane seemed to have broken already but the baby's head was blocking the entrance. And that was the start of the uncomfortable feeling of constant water flow down there, and you feel your butt all wet while laying on the absorbent pad. After I had 2 packets of biscuits and milo, I went to the toilet for the last time kiaping the pad in between to absorb the flow lol.
They had to start me on the drip to further induce labour as I was not in much pain at that point still. From this time onward, I was stuck to the bed. The needle was poked through the vein on the hand, and I must say it hurts a lot more than the usual blood drawing. My blood was also drawn from there for testing as we opted for cord blood donation. It was only recently that I completed the administrative procedures for donation and I did not even know what is the next step since we admitted 3 weeks earlier. We just informed the hospital about it, showed them the softcopy documents signed, and they provided the collection kit and settled the rest.
Pain started to kick in and the lower back begin to feel it worse. The urinal bowl was able to relieve some pain at first as I rolled my lower back against it. I was also sitting up and stretching the back, which I was later told that I should not. At this point, distraction and music still helped. At around 3.30am, the lower back pain and front abdominal pain intensified. I tried to reposition myself from time to time but the back was awfully sore. My husband also helped to massage my back to ease the pain.
At 6.30am, I decided to try the laughing gas after hearing the advice of the nurse on my pain relief options (Laughing gas, Injection, Epidural). Every time I feel the pain, I was to take in a deep breathe. I took 2 consecutive breaths generally as the 3rd breath made me feel like I was passing out soon. It makes you feel giddy with blurrish vision, like as if you were drunk.
At 7am, I decided on having the epidural. The pain was already 9 out of 10. Everything I learned through youtube on hypnobirthing and positive birth experience disappeared. I was shivering like crazy. The pain seemed to come every 1 minute or so and I did not even have any time to rest. The feeling is similar to having an extremely intense menstrual pain from the lower abdominal and back. Every time the surges came, I just wished it would go away.
The nurse checked, and guess what?
The dilation was still only 1.5cm!
I was hoping the epidural can help to relax my muscles and release the tension so I can open better.
The anaesthetist came walking in with a commanding but reassuring tone for me to follow her instructions. Husband stepped out of the room. The nurse helped me to hug my knees and curl up while lying on my side. And then suddenly, I was kind of forced to take in the laughing gas without any breaks. The pressure inside the mask seems much stronger, and I was struggling to break free for a normal breath. I could hear the anaesthetist explaining stuff but I don't know what. The voice repeated itself, until I passed out. I remember feeling the needle going into my spine twice but it was only the slightest pain. When I woke up, I did not even know how long I was asleep. Husband walked in and said it was only 10 minutes. Apparently, they have purposely made me "faint". I guess this took away the fear of needles at the spine and made the process quicker.
My whole body felt relaxed yet heavy, but there was still milder contraction pain on one side of the body. I fell asleep (yay!) and woke around 9am when my gynae came to check on me. She said my contractions were really good but...
Dilation was still stuck at 1.5cm. WHAT!?
We were given the option to wait longer for the epidural to kick in further or opt for emergency cesarean section straight away. We chose to wait but the deadline was up till 12pm as the waterbag has broken more than 24 hours already.
Around 10 plus, I woke up groggy with the whole body feeling very numbed, with no pain at all. My emotions suddenly overwhelmed me knowing the fact that my baby is coming out too soon. I miss having her to myself, and have yet to start my leave to truly enjoy the last of my pregnancy. 我好舍不得, even though my baby is actually coming out to see me for real. The side effect (epidural) of nausea started to kick in and I fell asleep.
And here she is, my Baby Girl
Many people were involved. I was pushed from the delivery room to the operating theatre. It was a lot brighter. Since they are operating on a different area, the nurse assisted with shaving again lol. I think the same anaesthetist was present too. She assured me that it will not be painful. I was kind of drowsy and numbed at this point. I only remembered that they tested whether I felt any pain with a sharp pinch at the area to be cut open. And then I may have felt some cuts across the skin, not too sure. The more significant thing I felt was the many hands/people pushing down on my abdomen area till I felt breathless. The shield was blocking so I could not see a thing. It just felt like a whole group being involved. It was not too long before my baby was out. I recall hearing my baby's cries. And I remember they put my baby to my face for 1 second kind.
It feels sad that I was that drowsy (think the epidural was doubled) and not in the right state to welcome my baby. But somehow I got a first photo with my baby that I don't remember taking (I was looking at the cam!). It was sent to my husband's phone number. He told me that the process was quick, only around 10 mins before baby was brought out. Even though he was dressed in full protective suit, he could not carry the baby yet as it was too cold for her on the outside of the womb. He was asked to check the baby's features, number of toes, fingers etc.
My baby was brought to us around 5pm that day. That was our first official meeting and we had the skin to skin session. I could not really see her face as she was laying on me, facing away from me. So I used my phone to look at her haha. It was tough to even shift her position as the wound would hurt.
I was only allowed to drink water a couple of hours later, and as no vomiting occurred, I could eat my porridge and soup dinner.
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Europe - Flying to Rome via Doha
We sure wanted to fly with Singapore Airlines on a 14 hours kind of flight, but $500 per pax extra could be used to spend on other things during the stay. So we went with Qatar at around $1k per pax, with transit at Doha. In a way, it was good for our aching butts to come down and stretch. We didn’t need to worry about the luggage since it was transferred to the next plane.
Doha airport is quite nice with many shops to explore. It does take a bit of time to get to your next boarding gate since they may be quite far apart. We had a 1 hr 45 minutes transit time which was kind of perfect for us given that you are not shopping around, and that there is no delays from the previous flight.
The airplane to Rome seems smaller and the darkness once again made it hard to watch my movie productively. Somehow, they do not seem to have the food they display on the menu as they were out of stock. There was no chicken and no pasta on the first flight, and then there was no more pancake the second time. So both of us ended up eating the same choice of food, which is something we don’t do since we want to try a variety. Their service was okay but definitely not impressive for a world’s best airline.
Ecce Roma Suites
Lunch/Tea at La Muccu Biricchina
This is where we had our first Italian coffee, the espresso, which was gone in just one mouthful. The pizza is delicious for the starving-me. The carbonara is interesting and different from what we are used to. It seems creamier but yet not too overwhelming. Spaghetti is also thicker. Overall, it was quite a satisfying meal.
Then we had some ice cream at Grezzo Raw chocolate. The hazelnut gelato is thick and creamy, but a little on the sweet side for me. And that little ball of dessert is like a large Ferrero Rocher. What is interesting is that the tables and chairs in this shop are all made of recycled materials. What surprises me is that they can still support our weight.
The Colosseum
We explored our way towards the Colosseum and there were many revamping/restoration works going on there. I got excited to see the first water refill station, and there is even sparkling water.
We were really intrigued by how the Korean tourists take photos of their friend at different angles. There will be 1 model doing the posing and all the other friends will just start snapping. And then the next model is up.
We passed the Arch of Constantine and Arch of Titus. Most of the time, I don't know where we were walking. It was just too tiring for me since we did not have enough sleep due to the night flight.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Japan - Mt Takao & the Most Yummy Soba
Breakfast buffet at Hotel Musse Ginza Meitetsu
After 1 hour of walking, we reached the top and enjoyed the view over some corn chips and 350 yen ice cream. Some people were really enjoying their picnic and wine at the seats. I would think that the toilet here would be rather old or dirty, but I was so wrong. The toilets in Japan are praiseworthy and so clean!
We took trail 4, which will pass the suspension bridge, for our way down . At the start, I noticed that the path looks narrow, and two people were walking along the edge of the steps. It already looks scary from the beginning. Little did I know that, most of the path will be like so near the edges. Any time you trip on the uneven ground or random branches, you might just fall over and be gone.
I guess this is the typical mountain climbing experience but I was not prepared at all. My boots felt too big on my feet and walking steadily on uneven ground was challenging. My sense of balance is really bad and I was dying inside. At some point, I almost tripped and the fear overcame me. And then I was crying, and the husband comforted me. Still, he could not hold me or anything because the path is too narrow. I walked on bravely and slowly, listening to his advice to step on flat surfaces as much as possible with each step.
We saw a number of elderly doing their hike like a pro. This is quite a normal activity for them I guess. There was a cute Japanese uncle who gave us visual instruction on how to walk so we don't accidentally trip on the roots of the trees.
And I was so relieved and happy when I reached the destination! Never want to do this again because my sense of balance really cannot make it. It was indeed a blessing in disguise that we missed out trail 3 because I think it will be similarly dangerous for me. At least I enjoyed walking up the peak! And we saw a faint view of Mt Fuji far away.
The going down part was quite funny. We stood there for awhile to observe how the chair lift works. Nobody was taking but the chairs just keep moving. The sign will interchange red and green to let you know when to go or stop. We stood there until we were told to walk, and then sit on the chair as it reaches our bums.
There is no seat belts or safety bar and we were going down! Take care of your belongings! It felt quite unsafe and terrifying at first, but fear not because they have netting below. It was an enjoyable ride down, and the styrofoam material on the seat prevents your butt from slipping down. They prohibit taking the chairlift after alcohol intake and you know why. Any crazy movement and you will just fall off.
Lunch/Tea at Takahashiya
Online reviews recommend to try the tororo soba at the mountain but I did not know which particular shop would be the best. I believe this shop would be it!
Their tororo soba is a must try and it has got to the best hot soba I have ever had! I tried the noodles before adding in the grated yam and raw quail egg, and it surprised me with the amazing taste. Light, yet very flavourful broth. The noodles are cooked to the right hardness as well. After stirring everything in, the taste is so delicious, with the gooey texture.
I have never liked SOBA as much as that day!
We also tried the duck and scallion soba which pales in comparison. The broth is hot while the soba is cold, so the end result is so so, and slightly salty. The red bean with mochi is also quite a surprise. There is a hint of saltiness in that bowl of sweet stuff, which is an interesting taste.
And like almost after our meal, we headed for Marutama ramen at Ryogoku. I would say the experience this time is bad. The staff did not seem very welcoming and I did not even enjoy the food. Marutama is quite localised and probably do not cater so well to foreigners. It's okay though, the one at Central would suffice. Quality is quite similar, in fact, less spicy.
Day 14 - 25 January 2019
We were headed home the next day, and our morning breakfast was at doutor coffee place. I must say it is an awesome place for breakfast. The sandwich is tasy and the bread is warm after being toasted. In a set, we get a drink with the sandwich. The royal milk tea is really bland though, compared to the bottled ones. The portion is a little small and I could fit another meal in!
In that cafe, I was overwhelmed with emotions from something that happened back in Singapore. Life could be so unpredictable. And the husband was giving me some life lessons. Never wait to do what you want in life. You never know when one day you can no longer do certain things. Treasure your love ones, treasure the present moment.
One thing for sure if you visit Japan, eat as many things as you can from 7/11. No regrets.