3 weeks

2 Weeks old

Nathanael has been feeding really well.  It had been 2 weeks and since the last we weighed him he had gained a healthy 400 grams from 3.48kg to 3.85kg. On day 5 i noted that he was already strong enough to lift his head slightly and as such i knew we had to settle the c procedure quickly to minimise his pain.  Now that 2 weeks have passed, he is now able to recognise me and demands that i cuddle him instead of anyone else. According to mimi's observation,  he doesn't like to wear his booties and each time he will attempt to kick it off some how.

He loves his Bath Time, and particularly loves to swim the breaststroke lol! He likes the fact that we have a camera in our face and will stare at the black object with curiosity. He will not hesitate to protest in his boyish cries when he gets too overwhelmed by all the shots.

He tends to sleep through a wet napkin, but won't hesitate to complain when he gets woken up by a thoroughly soaking wet napkin in a manner as though we have forgotten about him.

He poops in huge quantities and loves to keep mimi busy by pooping  straight after his bath.. well he must be thinking that his individualism his been diminished and needed to enhance his own boyish scent post bath lol.

He has this distinctive sweet smelling scent that makes it hard for me to put him down..a certain baby scent that cannot be musk over by any baby product. 

He tends to hicupp quite a bit..or when he hasnt finished his business.  And burps in such a loud and outlandish but satisfied manner it never fails to bring a smile to our faces!

Love you so much baby! And we thank God for blessing us with your arrival!

Pork Knuckle in Sweetened Black Vinegar 猪脚醋

Pork Knuckle in Sweetened Black Vinegar 猪脚醋

This is a popular Chinese confinement food. The Chinese believe that the body is "cold" after giving birth so we need to consume a lot of "heaty" food like ginger and sesame oil after childbirth. Since it is so tasty and appetising, many people enjoy this dish even though they are not going through confinement.

The key to this dish is to use the best ingredients you can get. Ginger is traditionally known to dispel postpartum body 'wind', get rid of the 'cold' and improve blood circulation. If your body is not taken care of properly after birth, it may lead to rheumatism or inexplicable aches and pains in the future, that's why ginger is consumed a lot during confinement. I used Wentong ginger, which gong gong mentioned was the best type of ginger around.  It is apparently more pungent and gives a different flavour to the dish. The amount of ginger added in this dish depends on how spicy you want the dish to be. As for black vinegar, it is to help purify the blood and cleanse the arteries. The black vinegar in this dish helps to dissolve the calcium content in the pork bones, which results in a calcium-rich sauce.

Prep time: 15 mins 
Cook time: 2 hr 

Ingredients: 
1 whole pork knuckle (about 2.2 kg) - chopped into chunks
2-3 tbs sesame oil
800 g ginger - peeled and sliced
1 bulb garlic - peeled and crushed
4 cups sweetened black vinegar
A few hard-boiled eggs - shelled (optional)

Directions: 
*Blanch pork knuckle.
[Place pork into a pot, add enough water to cover. Bring to boil. Once water comes to a boil, remove from heat, drain and wash with cold water.]

*In a large pot, heat up sesame oil.

*Add ginger and fry until fragrant.

*Add garlic and fry until fragrant.

*Pour in all the vinegar and bring to boil then lower heat to simmer for about 30 mins.

*Add in pork knuckle, bring to boil then lower heat to simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs or until tender.

*Season to taste.

Postnatal Massage

The postnatal wrap is known as the bengkung. Traditionally, it is a long strip of cloth up to 15 metres long that is tightly wrapped around the belly from above the pelvis to just below the bust. Other variations of the bengkung include a wrap that is tied together with cloth strips on either side, and a corset with interlocking strips.

it's important to choose a good-quality bengkung that won't unravel or come loose in the course of the day. It should be worn at all times, day and night (though some mums say they could only stand to wear them for a few hours a day). 

The correct way to put it on is to start at the bottom, working your way up to cover your torso and tying it off just under the breast. 

Personally i felt that the traditional wrap can also help flatten the tummy, reduce weight and tone the body;protect the internal organs; tighten the abdomen and other parts of the body that have sagged or lost their muscle tone after childbirth; promote good posture that will aid in breastfeeding.

Been wearing it since 1 week post delivery and my tummy had shrunk significantly.  Best to wrap immediately after birth to aid recovery if one can.  Compared to my previous pregnancy,  dr mentioned that my womb is slightly prolapsed and the wrap will help provide support to the abdomen. I was amazed that dr watt a western trained doctor also believe in effects of bengkung and encouraged me to go for postnatal madsages.

Compared to the previous masseurs which I've hired,  the one that my dad's friend recommended was the best. She uses traditional oils and fragrant the beddings with geranium essential oils,  transforming the atmosphere to a relaxed mode. She uses firming masque followed by traditional herbs tapal ("ta piow") on the tummy, it gives off a warmth feeling to keep the abdomen warm. And for the head,  she will massage with peppermint oils and apply a strip of traditional herb called paeles ( "pi-leh" ) on the forehead to relieve headaches. She will leave the ginger cream and oils at my place and encourage me to use it after shower.  How generous.

All the herbs and wrap can be purchased from Joo Chiat Complex which houses a number of malay traditional stores.

Her charges are $75per 1.5 hour slot.  She has package discount as well. This masseur allows one to feed the baby whenever he cries.  She usually arrives at 3pm and leaves around 6pm as a result of intermittent feeding. However she  doesn't charge you the extra hours. 

Name: Emma
Tel: +65 94284522

Thank you Card & Doctors' profile

We Made a thank you card for doctor Watt añd doctor Joyce using recycled paper and ribbons.  Kids spent the evening clipping and pasting the borders to enhance the appeal. I must say the end product looks really wonderful! 

Thought I'll list down the profile of the doctors for future reference.

Profile of Gynae

Dr Watt Wing Fong is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. Her area of practice include general obstetrics and gynaecology, with special interest in medical disorders in pregnancy.

Dr Watt is a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, UK, and also a Fellow of the Singapore College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. She was previously a clinical tutor for the National University of singapore.

Profile of Paediatric Surgeon

Dr Joyce Chua obtained her basic medical degree from the National University of Singapore in 1998. She completed her basic surgical training in Singapore and became a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh in 2001. Dr Chua went on to pursue a 5-year advanced surgical training program in Paediatric Surgery with the Department of Paediatric Surgery at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Dr Chua had also spent time working in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and completed a Fellowship in Paediatric Surgical Oncology under the tutelage of Dr Michael LaQuaglia, a paediatric oncology surgeon at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York in 2008.

Prior to joining Raffles Hospital, Dr Chua enjoyed an active paediatric surgical practice in KK Hospital, where she managed a wide spectrum of neonatal and paediatric surgical conditions and was privileged to touch many young lives. In 2014, Dr Chua was awarded the Singapore Health Quality Service STAR Award in recognition of her dedication to the care of sick children and their families.

In addition to general neonatal and paediatric surgery, Dr Chua is passionate about Paediatric Oncology and Haematology practice.

Her unique skill sets have allowed her to dedicate part of her practice to the care of children with cancers, implementing several initiatives to better meet the surgical needs of these children In 2011, Dr Chua won a Merit Award at the SingHealth Quality Convention for her work in reducing premature removals of central venous access devices placed in children receiving chemotherapy. An active member of the Paediatric Oncology Group, Singapore, Dr Chua remains active in paediatric oncology research.

Breast milk jaundice

Did the 2 weeks billicheck and nathanael's jaundice level had gone up from 13.6 to 15.

Doctor Joyce decided to recommend a direct and indirect blood test.  I was pretty skeptical or either that complacent since the kids were all down with breastmilk jaundice instead of liver malfunction.  Anyway we just went with the flow and allowed the doctor to collect blood and urine samples.

This little boy peed about 4 to 5 times during the process. Doctor said it's normal reflex given that the plasti ring is still intact. Today I learnt that pouring cold water on the penis will cause it to leak. .. Common reflex according to the doc.

We loved doctor joyce as she is so personable and she quickly became everyone's best friend. Sharing childcare experience and details regarding her family and how she wanted to pay tribute to lky last night after a surgery at 2am but was told to return home as queue will last at least 7 hours.  Her husband who is a civil servant had to take turns to man the area and told her that public had been advised not to go down to the site. .. and she even gave me her hp no so I can whats app  her on baby's condition.  What dedication!  How can anyone not like her?  And she treats your baby like her own! Such a wonderful doctor!  We are glad we proceeded with the procedure at RH despite the price tag!

By the time I finished this entry.. hospital called to inform that the results are out and his condition was not serious. . Breastmilk jaundice just like the rest of his siblings.

Day 7 C

Nathanael underwent circumcision today at Raffles hospital with Doctor Joyce chua.  We noted the vast difference between seeing a specialist versus a pediatric surgeon.  Doctor Joyce is such a patient and wonderful surgeon who explains the entire procedure with precision and being a mother herself her behaviour towards the little one was more than the cursory treatment provided by a doctor.  Nathanael pooped and she brought warm water with cotton balls to clean.  When he peed on his clothing, she chided her nurse to get a replacement blanket and clothing from the nursery.  I have never seen such a dedicated surgeon who goes beyond her call of duty to care for her patients.  Her actions provided reassurance that my son will be in good hands. She told us that the US has more or less toned down this practice  due to non insurance cover and as such it's no longer offered free by  health care providers. She shared her experiences at Kkh and US. Her no nonsense and candid nature allowed me to put my trust in her. She dont seem tired of repeating the medications and procedure to both chris and I who arrived later to drive us home.

The process went well with baby appearing at the recuperation area asleep.  She said she was surprised he managed to sleep through the procedure despite not given a GA. I am glad that he didn't go through the trauma of pain at this tender age of 7 day old.  Thank God baby is ok. We are so blessed by Him!

Day 6 - Present opening

Present opening ceremony for the kids! As nathanael is a SG50 baby we've received quite a number of additional gifts from the hospital and their sponsors as well as hampers from both Chris and my company. I am currently overwhelmed with diaper bags.. total of 5 diaper bags! Happy to give some away!

Of all the gifts, the ones from the kids were the most impressive!  Natalie prepared a special toy meal set for di di and drew him loads of pictures. Nathan set aside a tray of "toys for boys" and cant wait to play with him. Everyday both kiddos will demand to carry didi and kiss him on the feet and stroke his "softy" head and smell his hair. They will then pretend to faint from intoxication of baby's  sweet scent. How cute!

The Big Brother

We were discharged on day 3. Prior to our arrival we were told that Nathan had been supervising the helper over the preparation of Nathanael's bed. He told mimi to straighten the baby cot beddings and place the bolster apart so that there is a gap in between for his dearest didi to lie in. Such thoughtfulness and dedication displayed out of love by an elder brother at age 3.5 yrs.

He was also the first to spot a pair of canary birds believed to be a couple who flew through our front door and circled the house.  Kids and their gong gong were hopping with excitement and followed them around until the female bird exited from the kitchen window.  Not sure what attracted them into the house, we reckon that it bodes well since they came from nowhere and they look like such a lovely couple.  Too bad there wasn't time for Gong gong to take a shot. Else we could show it to didi when he grows up!

Following which every morning and night, dearest big brother will greet him and plant a kiss on his little foot and head.. bid farewell when he leaves for school.  With the arrival of a baby,  Nathan has grown to show consideration and responsibility,  making sure that he covers his mouth when he coughs and washes his hands before touching his younger brother. He will draw beautiful portraits of his little brother using various methods ie sketch, collage, painting etc.. I am so proud of him!