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…

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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,…

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Chances are, when you think of “sleep training”, you think of “cry it out”. Are they the same thing? Not quite. “Cry it out” is another name for Extinction, which is one specific method under “limited caregiver assistance” — one of two broad approaches to baby sleep. This post covers exactly that: limited-assistance approaches, and…

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With so many brands and models of electric breast pumps out there today, it can be quite confusing how to go about picking one. While googling for “best breast pump singapore”, choosing what your friends use or reading reviews might be some good ways to go about deciding, this post aims to  help break down…

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We understand cloth diapering can seem very daunting, especially how there seem to be SO MANY different systems, brands and materials out there. Fret not! Here’s the 101: All cloth diapers require 2 things: (i) A waterproof outer cover (also called the “cover” or “shell“) (ii) An absorbent inner layer (also called the “diaper“, or…

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The word “ergonomic” comes up very often in discussions involving baby carriers, wraps and babywearing. However, not many parents actually understand what it means. Very simply, an ergonomic baby carrier designed to provide the best support and comfort to both the wearer and the baby. For the baby, an ergonomic baby carrier must properly and…

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Milk bottle teats usually come in different sizes and are usually labelled with either S, M, L, XL, level 1-4 or 0-3m, 3-6m, 6-9m and >9m. However, there is no fixed or “right” time to change teat sizes. Some babies are content using newborn-sized flow throughout their feeding days, while more aggressive eaters may advance…

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Your baby is usually born with stores of energy, and hence can survive without feeding for the first few days after birth. However a mother usually produces the ideal nourishment for her newborn immediately after giving birth, called colostrum. Colostrum is a yellow sticky liquid which is full of antibodies, vitamins and minerals, so it…

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The most important skill to learn when breastfeeding a baby is to ensure the baby gets a deep latch. But it’s often easier said than done. My favourite way of teaching this is the hamburger analogy. Huh?? Well, imagine you want to eat a very big and tall hamburger. And want to be able to…

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