Pregnancy
Swaddling My Baby to Sleep (or not?) – A Complete Guide
Swaddling is one of the most common newborn sleep questions — should you do it, how do you do it properly, and when do you need to stop? Here’s a full breakdown. Why Swaddle in the First Place? A few genuine benefits behind the practice: Helps baby feel snug and secure, similar to the closeness…
Read MorePostpartum Doula vs. Birth Doula vs. Confinement Nanny — What’s the Difference?
In Singapore, “doula” is usually understood to mean a birth doula, while postpartum support is usually associated with a confinement nanny. But the term “postpartum doula” is often unheard of, and gets misunderstood as something similar to a birth doula, or an unfamiliar, slightly confusing third option for some form of confinement nanny. It’s neither.…
Read MoreWhat a Confinement Nanny Can (and Can’t) Help With for Breastfeeding
The practice of confinement traces back to the traditional practice of “zuo yue zi” (坐月子, “sitting the month”) — a structured postpartum recovery period centered on the mother’s physical healing. A confinement nanny “yue sao” (月嫂) traditionally takes over newborn care, household tasks, and the preparation of warming, nourishing confinement meals, so a new mother’s…
Read MorePostpartum Care Options in Singapore
Once baby arrives, one of the biggest practical decisions a family faces is who helps look after mother and newborn during the postpartum period — and in Singapore, there’s genuinely more than one path. Broadly, families choose between four options: a live-in confinement nanny, help from mum or mum-in-law, a stay-out nanny or postpartum doula,…
Read MorePrivate vs. Group Antenatal Class in Singapore
If you’re pregnant and starting to look into antenatal classes, you’ve probably noticed there are two very different paths: a group class — whether run by a hospital or an independent provider — or a private, one-on-one class at home. Both cover similar ground — labour, breastfeeding, newborn care — but the experience of each…
Read MoreThe Ways Mothers and Fathers Say “I Love You”
Fathers and Mothers express themselves differently, but they love their children and their family all the same. Here’s some different ways mothers say “I love you” to their babies: Puts up with weight gain, dry skin, endless puking or hunger pangs, and more while carrying her baby Spends 6 hours a day having her nipples…
Read MoreHow to Make Padsicles
Wait, what? What are Padsicles? It is very common when giving birth naturally, that a tear occurs in the perineum. In Singapore, most gynaes also perform episiotomies to help the baby come out more easily and/or to control the “shape” of the tear. This wound naturally hurts quite a lot in the first week after…
Read MoreDo I need to do Confinement?
In Singapore, regardless of race, unless you have no Asian blood in you, it is almost a given to be expected to do at least 4 weeks of “confinement” post-partum. What is it? It entails many practices meant to keep both baby and mother indoors during the period of confinement to protect them from ill…
Read MoreWhy I Follow Routines from Day 1
There is no right or wrong way to do motherhood – everyone has different preferences and lifestyles. This post is to share the way I prefer for my personal and family’s lifestyle, which is to follow rather strict routines when we welcome a new baby into our family and continue to maintain loose routines as…
Read MoreHow to Choose a Pram
When it comes to prams or strollers, there are SO MANY options out there and there is NO such thing as THE “perfect” pram. This is because every family’s lifestyle is different and so different prams or strollers meet different needs. To simplify your decision-making process, here are the main considerations when choosing one, and…
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