[PreLoved] RECARO Car Seat

[PRELOVED] RECARO CAR SEAT

Bought in 2009

Very rarely used and still in good condition (see to believe!)

For child age 3+ (weight 13kg+)

Letting go at RM1100 (negotiable) - Bought at RM1600

Rating: 9/10

Interested? Please email or sms Mona at 012-2584589

Actual Photos:

[PRELOVED] ESPRIT TWIN STROLLER (SOLD!)

[PRELOVED] ESPRIT TWIN STROLLER (SOLD!)

Bought in 2010

Rarely used and still in good condition

Letting go at RM300 (Bought at RM700)

Rating: 8/10

Interested? Please email zur1471@yahoo.com or sms Mona at 012-2584589

Actual Photos:

[PreLoved] Peg Perego Stroller/Pram

[PRELOVED] PEG PEREGO STROLLER/PRAM

Bought in 2007

Very rarely used and still in good condition (see to believe!)

Letting go at RM1300 (negotiable) - Bought at RM2500

Rating: 9/10

Interested? Please email zur1471@yahoo.com or sms Mona at 012-2584589

Actual Photos:

[PreLoved] MEDELA Swing Breastpump and City Style Breastpump Bag (SOLD!)

Preloved MEDELA Swing Breastpump and CityStyle Breastpump Bag (SOLD!)

The Medela Swing Breastpump includes:

+ the Swing motor (replaces in March 2010)

+ new breastshield

+ medela membrane

+ adaptor

+ nylon casing to put pump

+ 1 Medela bottle

Condition: 9/10

Letting go at RM450!! (Bought at RM790)

(Medela Swing Breastpump Set Only)

Actual photos:

Actual Box

Actual Pack

For more info on this product, please click here.

The CityStyle bag includes:

+ 1 bag to fit breastpump and accessories

+ 1 storage bag for icepack which can fit 4 bottles

+ 1 icepack

Condition: 9/10

Letting go at RM150!! (Bought at: RM249)

(CityStyle Bag Set Only)

Actual Photo:

Actual Bag

For more info on this product, please click here.

BUY BOTH SET (BREASTPUMP SET + CITYSTYLE BAG SET) = RM550 ONLY!

Interested? Please email lana.mahbob@gmail.com or sms Lana at 019-2399669.

SNUGG Babywearing

I was randomly browsing the net for mommies' blogs to read, my way of killing time on my lazy Friday and look what i've stumbled upon?!

 

This pretty mei-tai is creatively handmade by one WAHM (i supposed is her initial :)) and sold under her online shop called SNUGG. I fell in love with her collections almost instantly! My favourite being this one:

Isn't that just pretty?? 

And the fact that it is made by a MALAYSIAN, oh wow! I just couldn't describe how proud i feel at the moment. Congrats WAHM! Do keep up the good work! :)

Do visit the website for more creative creations by SNUGG. Besides mei-tai they also have ringsling baby carrier, pouch sling, diaper clutch, 

And here's sharing some benefits of babywearing with you guys :)

From wikipedia:

• Mothers' progesterone (mothering hormone) is increased through physical contact with the infant, leading to a more intimate maternal bond, easier breastfeeding and better care, thus lowering the incidence of postpartum depression and psychosomatic illness.
• Infants who are carried are calmer because all of their primal/survival needs are met. The caregiver can be seen, heard, smelled, touched, tasted, provide feeding and the motion necessary for continuing neural development, gastrointestinal and respiratory health and to establish balance (inner ear development) and muscle tone is constant.
• Infants are more organized. Parental rhythms (walking, heartbeat, etc.) have balancing and soothing effects on infants.
• Infants are "humanized" earlier by developing socially. Babies are closer to people and can study facial expressions, learn languages faster and be familiar with body language.
• Independence is established earlier.
• Attachment between child and caregiver is more secure.
• Decreases risk of positional plagiocephaly ("flat head syndrome") caused by extended time spent in a car seat and by sleeping on the back. Sleeping on the back is recommended to decrease the risk of SIDS. Cranial distortion resulting from non-vehicular time in car seats has shown to be more severe than in children who develop plagiocephaly from back-lying on a mattress. Concern over plagiocephaly has also led the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend that infants “should spend minimal time in car seats (when not a passenger in a vehicle) or other seating that maintains supine positioning. None of the babywearing positions require infants to lie supine while being carried. Infants can even be worn while they sleep, also decreasing sleeping time spent in a supine position.

Studies of parent-child attachment, parental satisfaction and infant crying all point to babywearing as an ideal solution for most parents to provide an optimum environment for attachment between parent and child. Baby carriers and slings help increase the number of hours of day an infant is held, and there is an inverse relationship between the number of hours spend crying and the number of hours a child is held in a given day. Even 3 hours per day of babywearing reduces infant crying significantly, and at 13 months, babies who have been in soft carriers regularly are significantly more likely to be securely attached than babies who are carried in hard carriers.

Have a blissful weekend, mommies! :)

Baby's Development (Birth to 3 months)

Wonder what's your baby up to at this stage? Here we share some guidelines from MumCentreMalaysia for your leisure reading :)

At 1 month

The first month is a wonderful period of discovery — discovering your baby’s likes and dislikes, your child discovering new sensations and sounds, and the both of you discovering each other

What your child might do

Physically and mentally • Moves head from side to side • Gazes at human faces • Can focus on objects up to about 12 inches away (without seeing details) • Blinks at bright lights • May follow an object with gaze but loses it after a while • Likes contrasting colors and patterns • Has strong reflexes • Brings hands to face • Turns towards familiar voices and sounds • Likes skin contact with closest caregivers • May smile at familiar faces Language and emotions • Responds to loud sounds • Cries if over or under-stimulated • Makes small cooing noises Feeding • If breast-fed: Most breastfed babies feed ‘on demand’, i.e. whenever hungry • If formula-fed: A one-month-old will usually drink about three to four ounces of milk per feeding (about 18 to 32 ounces a day) • May pass stools at least three times a day Sleep Your baby may have more established sleep-wake patterns, sleeping every two to three hours, awaking to feed then going to sleep again. Remember to place baby on his/ her back for bedtime! Your baby should be sleeping for at least 16 to 18 hours a day. However, some newborns tend to be more wakeful than others and this is perfectly normal. Ideal toys for this age • Child-safe music boxes • Child-safe activity mirrors • Stuffed toys (without sharp and/ or metal parts) Useful tips Give baby some tummy time so that he/ she can look at the world in a different way. Also, it’s never too early to begin reading to your child. Use a steady tone — but keep it expressive, low and comforting — to help strengthen the bond between you.

 At 2 months

You may begin noticing more dramatic changes in your baby, especially in gross-motor skills and how he/she responds to you. Be ready to snap these first, responsive smiles! What your child might do

Physically and mentally • Briefly lifts head • Smiles directly at familiar faces • Imitates facial expressions • Shows obvious liking for visual stimulation • Kicks and waves arms when excited • Begins unclenching fists • Correctly locates frontal sounds • Personality traits start becoming more obvious • May begin learning the relationship between cause and effect • May briefly hold a rattle Language and emotions • Gurgles and squeals when happy • Shows emotions more easily • May repeat vowel noises like “ooh” and “aah” Feeding • If breast-fed: May nurse at least once every three hours. Your breasts should feel softer after each feeding • If formula-fed: From now till the next few months, baby may drink about four to six ounces of milk per feeding (about 23 to 32 ounces a day) • May pass stools less often than during the first month Sleep Your baby should now be able to sleep for longer stretches in the night. Ideal toys for this age • Floor gyms (with kicking toys) • Activity mats Useful tips If you are a working mum, allow baby to spend more time with other caregivers such as the grandparents or babysitter. This allows them to establish a bond with baby before the end of your confinement period.

At 3 months

Has it been three months already? Your baby is now probably much more awake and alert than he/ she has ever been before this. Now is also a great “hands-on” time for play and learning!

For more parenting articles/tips, please visit MumCentreMalaysia's website.

How to protect your child's teeth?

[From: Parenthots website]

If your child insists on having sweets, then give your child the whole box of chocolates to eat at one go.

This is the advice from a consultant in dentistry for children. A bit radical perhaps, but the truth is if you allow your child to snack all day instead of eating sweets at one go, it would be like bathing the child's teeth in acid round the clock, and this can only lead to dental decay.

Datuk Dr Low Teong, consultant orthodontist, consultant in dentistry for children and dental surgeon, says diet, regular checkups and good oral hygiene practices will help children maintain good teeth.

Even if they brush their teeth three times a day, but snack on chocolates, sweets and biscuits all day long, there is a high risk of cavities developing.

“Dental decay is a very simple process. When you take sugar, the bacteria in the mouth will act on the sugar and produce acid. The acid will demineralise your tooth. When you have a meal, the acid level will go up. When you stop eating, even assuming you don't brush, the saliva will clean off the acid and it will go back to the normal pH and nothing will happen. Even if there's a little bit of demineralisation, there is a natural process of remineralisation.

“But if you keep snacking on sweet things then you are literally bathing your teeth in acid around the clock.

“Therefore, what you eat is very important.

“The solution is not to give up sweets completely. I always tell my patients that a kid that grows up without sweets hasn't grown up naturally. If you have a box of chocolates, after dinner, give them the whole box. Let them finish it then encourage them to go and brush their teeth. So that they are not continuously taking the sweets all day long,” he says.

Another big problem is the nursing bottle syndrome where a child is sucking on a bottle all day long. This is very damaging to the child's teeth if there is a sweet drink or even milk in the bottle, because even formula milk has got some sugar in it. It is the equivalent of sucking on a sweet all day.

Many years ago, the pacifier was considered detrimental to a child's teeth development. This myth has been debunked today.

Dr Low explains: “When I was a dental student, we had a whole chapter on it. But now, nobody cares because we now believe that if your teeth are not destined to stick forward, after you stop the pacifier they will return back to the right position. If your teeth are destined to go forward, whether you use the pacifier or not, or suck the thumb or not, it will go forward.

“Parents don't need to be worried about this.”

He emphasises the importance of diet, regular checkups and good oral hygiene practices. Although the number of children with dental problems seems to be reducing compared to 30 years ago, Dr Low says it is nonetheless important for parents to supervise their children and keep an eye on them when they brush their teeth because often children will do a quick job when brushing their own teeth.

He advises parents to bring their children in for checkups every six months. In fact, Dr Low says it is best to establish a family dentist concept.

That means, when the parents go for their checkups, they would bring the children along just to familiarise the children with the idea of visiting the dentist instead of only going to the dentist when the child is in pain. If you only take your child to the dentist when there is a problem, then the child will associate the dentist with pain and will not want to go for regular checkups.
 

“We always tell parents that the worst time to bring a child to a dentist is when they are in pain. Because they already know something terrible is going to happen. That is what creates a lot of bad adult patients. Then you have adults who are still scared to see the dentist.”

Any dentist will do for regular checkups. Dr Low informs that parents don't necessarily have to find a consultant who specialises in dentistry for children.

Below are some common questions answered by Dr Low on dental issues and children:

When should a child start brushing their teeth?

“Ideally they should start brushing the minute they know how to handle a toothbrush.

“Nowadays children are quite clever; they're learning to use the toothbrush early. But they may not do it as well so we always recommend that the parents either help them through it or take a wet towel to clean their teeth if they're still small.”

What type of toothbrush should they use?

“Ideally, get a soft brush. This is not just for children; it applies to adults too. When you rub two surfaces together one will wear out. If you use a hard brush, the brush will stay in tact, the tooth will wear away. If you use a soft brush your tooth will remain in tact, but the brush will wear away.

“And, it's cheaper to wear away the brush instead of the tooth!”

When should a child start using toothpaste?

“The general norm is at the age of two onwards. By that time all the baby teeth would all be there. Any earlier, we normally recommend to parents to use a wet towel and clean the teeth. Usually we recommend using toothpaste the size of a pea because you don't need a lot. A little bit is sufficient.

“Actually, the toothpaste is just to make the brushing process much more pleasant. Otherwise if you just brush with a toothbrush it's quite a boring exercise. The flavour of the toothpaste makes it pleasant. It needs to be toothpaste with fluoride. The colourful toothpastes are fine for children.”

What type of toothpaste?

“Any fluoride toothpaste is fine.”

When do the permanent teeth usually start to come out?

“At the age of six to seven the front teeth of the permanent set will start to come out and followed by those at the back until they are about 12 years old. After 12, then the other teeth, farther back, will come out.”

Do you have to help the baby teeth fall if the permanent teeth are coming up?

“You don't have to shake the baby tooth to make it fall out when the permanent tooth is coming up. Generally, the baby teeth will drop off by themselves. It's just a matter of time. But if the baby tooth is causing pain, then we suggest extracting it. Nowadays, extraction is very simple. But if there are no problems, leave it there. It will drop off by itself.

“The baby teeth do not cause the permanent teeth to grow crooked. If the teeth are going to grow crooked, they will already be growing crooked. It's got nothing to do with the baby tooth. The permanent teeth are just directly below the baby teeth. Taking out the baby tooth may not necessarily result in that tooth growing straight or in the right position.”

If the child has a tooth which is chipped, broken or decaying, do you need to see the dentist?

“One of the main functions of the first set or the primary teeth is to maintain the space for the permanent teeth to develop underneath it. So if you lose any of the baby teeth, especially the back ones, what happens is the teeth at the back tend to move towards the front of the mouth. Teeth naturally want to move forward on their own. So if there are no teeth there, the others will naturally move forward.

“Eventually when the permanent teeth are due to come out, the space is lost. Of course there are exceptions to that. That's why preserving the primary teeth is very important to maintain the space and for the permanent teeth to come out properly and aligned. Of course, the second reason why we would treat the primary teeth is if they are in pain, they cannot eat, or if there is abscess or an infection.

“If there is a chip and there's no pain, you still should come in to get it seen to and perhaps we will round off the edges because it might be very sharp. A chip can lead to other problems. It could affect the permanent teeth forming underneath. So, it's good to have it treated.”

What do you do if the child has sensitive teeth?

“Children should not have sensitive teeth. If it is painful, it can mean one of two things – there's a decay or there's a gum infection.

“So, then it would be painful when they brush. That is usually the case. But we don't get this often.”

If the child needs braces, what is the best age to have them treated?

“The best age is when all the permanent teeth are there. That means they don't have any more of their baby teeth. That's the best age – 12 or 13. But there are provisions to that. Sometimes we do treat them much younger than that. For example, if their lower teeth are in front of the upper teeth. We'd like to correct those cases when they are young.

“Sometimes we also have children coming in at nine years old and their front teeth are really sticking out and they love outdoor sports. If they fall, those teeth will chip or break. For those cases, we do treat them much younger.

“But by and large, if the child is quite happy and it's not really a problem, we leave them until they are 12 or 13.

“You can still put on braces when you're an adult. It's not really more painful. It's just that it takes a little longer. If you get your braces done when you're about 12-15, you're still growing then so the growth factor helps the treatment a lot. But once you stop growing you have to actually physically move the teeth along so the process takes a little longer.

“Braces are used for aesthetic reasons. That is the usual reason why people use braces. But there are also people who get braces done for functional purposes – sometimes, because of the jaw, the teeth are in the wrong position and they can't eat properly. Sometimes they might have lost a tooth a long time ago and the other teeth next to it have bent inside. Now they want to do something to replace that so we get it upright and do a replacement.

“By and large, appearance is the main reason why people come in to have their teeth corrected.”

Is it safe for children to have tooth whitening done?

“We don't recommend whitening of teeth for children, not until they become adults. Teeth comes in a range of shades. Where does the teeth derive its colour from? Mainly from the dentine underneath. So when the enamel is thicker the teeth are whiter. When the enamel is thinner, the teeth are a bit more yellow. That's basically what happens.

“I personally would not recommend whitener for children for the simple reason of who decides whether they like the colour of their teeth or not? The mother. But the child may not mind the colour. In fact, to be honest some of the perceived darker shades are quite nice.

“But if the child wants to do it then of course we will do it for them. Whitening is very safe because the whitener just bleaches the unlined dentine. But not many children ask for it.”

Is it okay for children to use sealants?

“Sealants are fantastic. We have been recommending sealants for years. Obviously when the permanent teeth first come out, especially when the surface is very irregular, a lot of food tends to collect between the teeth and that's when the decay starts. Once you apply a sealant you reduce the risk tremendously.”

Is it okay for a child to floss?

“Flossing is always good but the problem is in getting a kid to floss. It's not easy. But if you do it, it's good. These are good oral hygiene procedures – flossing, brushing.

“If the child can use it, then at any age they can start flossing.

“Of course, if they are young and the teeth are in good contact they may not have much food getting stuck.”

Can children or teenagers get implants?

“Implants for children and teenagers – it's not frequently done but if the need arises, it can be done. If they get an implant done when they are too young, some of the teeth will be shorter and some will be longer. But it's usually not done at a very early age.

“But I think in this day and age it's not necessary to replace teeth anymore. If they don't lose their teeth they don't have to replace them.”

For more parenting tips and articles, please visit Parenthots website here.

Preschool Learning Environment Best for your Child

Finding a preschool for your kids? Here's some guidlines you may follow to ensure your kids get the best out of it. 

[From: MumCentreMalaysia website]

Being a mum involves a lot of knowledge and discovery. We learned about our baby’s nap schedule, swaddling and making baby food. During toddler years, we studied managing tantrums, setting limit, child-proofing equipment and potty-training. And now, come the preschool ages, we are beginning to feel that we really have mastered quite a bit of motherhood business.

Mums are picky in all ways. That’s why choosing the right preschool is so crucial. It compels a lot of thinking and decision making. One should understand the mightiness of preschool education, be it private, public, parochial or home schools. It is important to choose the right school for our children for them to get a positive impression about preschool learning.

Take a glance on a few tips for choosing a perfect preschool for our children:

Make a survey about the preschool. 

Ask your friends, relatives and family members about your prospect preschools. Word of mouth is applicable in this case. Nothing beats the experience of people you know and trust. Their stories and experiences will give you a better idea of what kind of preschool to choose for your children. 

Observe preschool’s environment.

Make a plan on visiting the potential preschools. Often times, we are fooled by ads most schools make. They present a lot of things that make us think they are the perfect preschools for our children. It’s best to personally visit the school so you will see how staffs work and how children behave while on visit. Read its school policies and regulations so you will be guided how they run the school.

Check preschool curriculum.

Obviously, your goal on sending your child to school is to help him develop socio-psychology. A quality preschool education should have opportunities for learning through play such as outdoor activities and other extra-curricular events. Preschool should have a good balance of academic pursuits and more creative activities.

Open communication of parents and teachers.

Effective preschooler’s school should also have a good system for parents to communicate with teachers. It is important for parents to know how their children get along with the other children or how they behave in their daily class.
Make sure your child has good and happy experiences at preschool. It helps him easily adapt to school life.

Your children will discover a lot of things through preschool education. Here, they become exposed to numbers, letters, colors and shapes. And most especially, they learn how to socialize with other children at their age. So, choose the best preschool for your children now!

For more parenting articles, please visit MumCentreMalaysia website.

Flea Market @ Fabulous Mom TTDI

[From: Fabulous Mom's Facebook page]

Fabulous Mom is organising a flea market for all! This is exciting we must say! What's more exciting is that they're calling out for anyone interested to take a booth for rental. Here's a few details of the flea market for your info:

Date: 6th February 2010 (Saturday) from 10am to 6pm (Rain or shine!)

Venue: Fabulous Mom Boutique @ 136B, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, 60000, Kuala Lumpur

Spaces: They provide a table measuring 3 feet x 2 feet and 2 chairs for each stall. Bring your own deco/table cloth to beautify your space.

Cost: Individual: RM50 per table per day. Business owner: RM80 per table per day.

Closing date: All application forms and all other necessary documents and/or photos must reach us by 30 January, 2010. Application can be sent via email or postal mail. For email application, please email to info@fabulousmom.com

Selection criteria: Fabulous Mom Sdn Bhd will inform you if application is successful. Approval is not based on first come first serve basis but is based on the uniqueness of the products, stall concept and our preferred selection.

Please email info@fabulousmom.com to obtain the application/registration form. For more info, please visit their facebook page.

If you're not selling anything, how about buying something? :D 

So do mark you calendar, mommies! We already did! Yay!

Bad for Foetus (Pregnant Mothers Please Read).

[From: The Star, 20th January 2010 - www.thestar.com.my]

Medication consumed by an expectant mother can be passed on to the foetus. 

EVERYONE gets ill at some time or other. Sometimes, the condition is self-limiting and requires no medicine. At other times, medicine is required.

The pregnant woman’s circulation is intricately linked to that of the developing foetus’, through the placenta. Just like how the necessary nutrients for foetal development cross the placenta and get into the foetal circulation, medicine consumed by the pregnant woman will be passed on to the foetus.

The effect of a medicine on the developing foetus depends on the medicine itself and the stage of pregnancy. In general, most pregnant women are aware of the need to avoid taking non-essential medicine. Yet they are not spared from illnesses and minor ailments.

Pregnancy is divided into three trimesters lasting about 13.3 weeks each. Foetal development is at its maximum in the first trimester. Medicine taken during this time can lead to foetal malformations or birth defects. If the defect is substantial, it would result in a miscarriage.

The foetus grows during the second and third trimesters with the development of the foetal nervous system in the first trimester continuing into the second. Medicine taken during the second trimester can affect the foetal nervous system and foetal growth. The latter could lead to low birth weight.

Medicine taken in the last trimester can remain in the newborn’s body. The baby may not be able to deal with medicine in the same manner the mother can. This can lead to complications like breathing difficulties in the newborn.

Medicine taken by a pregnant woman can also affect the environment in her uterus. For example, some medicines lead to uterine contractions which can affect the blood supply to the developing foetus.

The maximal impact of medicine is often in the first trimester. Some are risky if taken in the first trimester but may be safe in the second or third trimesters. Others are safe in the first trimester but risky in the second or third trimesters. In general, the risks are least in the second trimester.

Safety

Before a prescription medicine is marketed, it is first tested in animals, including pregnant animals, to detect any problems. Then it is given to humans in clinical trials to check its effectiveness and efficacy for various conditions, and to identify any side effects.

Although tests of medicines in animals can identify potential problems, they do not always predict its effects on humans.

As a general rule, pharmaceutical companies do not carry out clinical trials in pregnant women because it is unethical to do so. This results in few medicines being licensed for use in pregnant women.

Once a medicine is marketed, its effect in pregnancy is monitored in various ways:

· Adverse event reports – Pharmaceutical companies, doctors and researchers are required to report any adverse events to regulatory bodies, such as the Drug Control Authority in Malaysia.

· Pregnancy registries – Some pharmaceutical companies conduct special studies called pregnancy registries. Pregnant women who have taken certain medication are recruited and their babies are compared after birth to the babies of women who did not take the medicine.

· Research that identify risk factors for birth defects and problems with medicine in pregnancy.

Information about the safety of medicine in pregnancy is usually obtained from practical experience. When a medicine has been used extensively for several years without reports of adverse effects on pregnancies, it can be concluded that it is not harmful. Information is also available from the accidental consumption of medicine by pregnant women and animal studies. Some of the former may not know they are pregnant. It is in this manner that some prescription and over-the-counter medicines are known to be safe and others, harmful.

However, there is still insufficient information about the safety of many medicine in pregnancy. When medicine is taken during pregnancy, the benefits and risks have to be considered. If the benefits to the pregnant woman are greater than the risks to the foetus, then the medicine may be consumed. If the risks to the foetus are substantial, alternative treatments have to be considered.

Sometimes, a pregnant woman has to take medicine to reduce the likelihood of harm to herself and/or the foetus. The conditions include high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes mellitus, fits (epilepsy), asthma, blood clots in the veins or lungs (thromboembolism) and certain infections. When treating these conditions, the doctor will prescribe medicine that is the most appropriate and safe for the pregnant woman.

Dietary supplements and herbal products

Many dietary supplements and herbal products are produced from natural compounds. This has led many people to believe that they are harmless and safer than prescribed medicines, especially with the marketing strategies of some companies.

It must be remembered that the regulatory requirements for dietary supplements and herbal products, if any, are considerably less stringent than that of prescribed medicines. Furthermore, most of these products have not been subjected to animal studies or human clinical trials. As such, any woman who is pregnant or intends to get pregnant is advised to consult the doctor before taking such products.

Folic acid is the only medicine available over the counter that is important to take, prior to and during pregnancy. It is used by the body to make new cells. If a woman has sufficient folic acid in the body before she gets pregnant, some major defects of the foetal brain and spine called neural tube defects (NTD) can be prevented. A dose of 400mg should be taken daily by every woman intending to get pregnant and for the first trimester. If a woman or her spouse has spina bifida or a previous child was born with NTD, a higher daily dose of 5mg is recommended.

Minor ailments

The only way to minimise risks to the foetus is to avoid consuming all non-essential medicine, particularly in the first trimester. Consult the doctor or pharmacist before consuming any medicine, including dietary supplements and herbal products, during pregnancy.

This does not mean that pregnant women have to put up with minor pregnancy ailments. There are medicines that are safe to use in pregnancy. They will be discussed in the next article.

There are a number of essentials to remember for pregnant women:

• In general, avoid all non-essential medicine.
• Consult the doctor or pharmacist before consuming any medicine.
• Some medicine sold over the counter are harmful to the foetus.
• Dietary supplements and herbal products are not necessarily safe. Consult the doctor or pharmacist before consuming any.
• Contact the doctor or pharmacist immediately if there are any unusual effects experienced after consumption of a medicine.

Dr Milton Lum is member of the board of Medical Defence Malaysia. This article is not intended to replace, dictate or define evaluation by a qualified doctor. The views expressed do not represent that of any organisation the writer is associated with.

Events for pregnant mothers @ DEMC and Pantai Hospital Ampang

[From: Mingguan Malaysia, 17th January 2010]

Event 1

What: Antenatal Class - talks by DEMC specialist in relations to pregnancy and birth process

Who: Darul Ehsan Medical Centre (DEMC), Shah Alam

Where: Orchid Room, Hotel Concorde Shah Alam

When: 24th January 2010 (Sunday) - 8.30am to 5pm

Fee: RM120 per couple

Registration and enquiries: Marketing & PR Department 017-9606164 (Din) or 012-6699422 (Nadia) 

Event 2

What: Pregnant mother programme - breastfeeding techniques, diet & nutritions, normal & abnormal birth, birth problem, etc.

Who & Where: Pantai Hospital Ampang

When: 6th February 2010 (Saturday) - 10.30am to 5pm

Fee: Free

Registration and enquiries: Ms. Malar 03-42892877

6 Cara Mudah Simulasi Bayi

[Dari: www.majalahpama.com.my]

Bayi yang masih kecil belajar mengenai pergerakan, komunikasi, sosial dan persekitarannya dengan cara bermain. Untuk dua tiga bulan pertama kehidupannya, bayi anda akan belajar dengan anda. 

Perkara pertama bayi anda akan belajar ialah sentuhan, bunyi suara dan mimik muka yang anda lakukan kepadanya. Malah anda juga boleh menggalakkan stimulasi dengan senyuman, bunyi yang lembut dan sentuhan. Stimulasi ini merupakan ‘senaman’ kesihatan buat bayi anda yang masih kecil.

Aktiviti menukar pakaian
Sewaktu menukar pakaian atau lampin dan waktu dimandikan, anda boleh berbual mesra dengannya. Sambil menyalin pakaian gunakan perkataan indah untuk merangsang minda bayi seperti “ cantiknya anak mama” dan “wanginya anak mama”. Sambil itu bermainlah dengan jarinya. Jarinya boleh dicium dan kedua tangannya ditepuk supaya mindanya terangsang serta berasa gembira.

 

Mainan ringkas
Dalam beberapa minggu bayi anda boleh diperkenalkan kepada beberapa barang permainan yang ringkas yang mempunyai bunyi dan boleh di sentuh. Permainan itu seperti rattles, permainan lembut dan anak patung yang mempunyai melodi yang lembut.

Berbual mesra
Cakap dengan bayi anda. Bahasa digunakan ibu bapa setiap hari dapat membentuk minda bayi membentuk bahasanya. Ibu bapa perlulah faham mereka seharusnya memberikan perhatian terhadap perkembangan bahasa bayi dan membantunya dengan berbual mesra.

Sentuhan kasih sayang
Apabila bayi asyik memerhatikan wajah ibunya, lakukan sesuatu untuk menarik minatnya. Cuba menyanyi, menunjukkan senyuman gembira atau mencium tubuh bayinya itu. Senyuman dan suara anda ketika bercakap dengannya akan membuatkan dia merasa selesa dan selamat. Ini kerana suara dan sentuhan anda dia sudah biasa didengari akan membuatkan dia berasa selamat dan selesa.

Ketika menyusukan bayi, ibu jangan hanya memandang wajah bayi. Sebaliknya ungkapkan kata-kata manis untuk merangsang bayi. Perkataan seperti “anak mama comel’ dan “anak mama sayang” boleh digunakan bagi tujuan itu. 

Waktu tidur
Apabila bayi menangis atau menguap, ini memberi tanda waktu untuk tidur sudah tiba.  Bayi yang berusia lebih kurang 3 bulan memerlukan waktu tidur hampir lebih kurang 20 jam sehari. Jangan abaikan waktu tidurnya ini. Jadikan ia waktu yang berkualiti. Wujudkan persekitaran bilik yang nyaman untuk bayi tidur dengan selesa. 

Untuk lebih artikel mengenai keibubapaan, bayi dan kanak-kanak, sila lawati www.majalahpama.com.my.

Got 10 Seconds?

[From: Young Parents Singapore Magazine - www.youngparents.com.sg]

Not spending enough time with your kids? Almost every working mum (and dad!) feels the guilt. Before you dash off to the office, how about a touch-up that'll bring a glow to Pumpkin's face - and yours - in 10 seconds flat?

Funny smacks

Before darling gets out of the car and just a second after your goodbye kiss, say something like: "Oh, you get 10 kisses today!" Quickly plant the spontaneous smacks all over his face - and maybe one of the tum-tum, too - and hear him giggle.

Have and hold

Give your sweetie a 10-second tight bear hug, A few gentle strokes on his back reaffirm love, security and understanding in the simplest, most heart-warming way.

Present a smile

It can be a cartoon pencil or 3D sticker. Whatever that something small you get for Kiddo on your way home, hide it. When he's asleep, stick a Post-it-note in it that say something like "Surprise! With love and many kind words for today. Love, Mummy" and stash it in his pencil case.

Jar of sweets

Not of gummy bears but a jar of positive mummy thoughts you wrote on small slips of paper. Perhaps "You have a gift for music and I love that about you" or "Thank you for doing your best at school". Fish one out every once in a while and press it in your child's palm just before you dash the door.

Music moves

Turn off the morning show on the radio. Sing and dance to a song that you and your child love.

Say and snuggle

You don't always have to be an authority figure. Bonding with Junior by getting him to snuggle up to you - and opening up with a confession that you've had a bad day or that you need a hug - takes tension and fear out of anyone.

Weaning & Nutritions

[From: www.babyambrosia.com]

Weaning to Solids

The benefits of breast-feeding for both you and your baby are not only to nurture the mother-child relationship. It helps build immunity and can help in cutting down the risk of developing breast cancer. Breast feeding (up to the age of 6 months) may also delay the development of allergic disease in high-risk infants (those with a family history of allergies). The ideal is to breast-feed (or bottle-feed) your baby up to the age of 6 months, and then introduce solid foods gradually as a supplement to their milk until the age of 1 year. However some babies are extra hungry! If this is the case for your child, weaning can begin from 4 months.

[picture from www.babyambrosia.com]

How To Wean?

Breast milk is the ideal food for infants up to the age of 4 to 6 months. Formula milk is the best substitute for breast milk. A baby should never be given cow’s milk as a substitute of either of these as it does not contain the balance of vital minerals and vitamins needed in those first months. From 4 to 6 months it becomes important to start introducing ‘solid’ foods. As your baby grows, she requires more iron and other nutrients than breast milk alone can provide. However, weaning off breast milk can be a challenging task!

Weaning has to be a gradual process of introducing different flavours and textures to allow your baby time to adapt and accept solids as he/she learns to chew and swallow. Introducing a variety of individual flavours and textures (such as apples, pumpkins, carrots) gives your child the opportunity to differentiate between tastes and subsequently helps in recognizing each flavour. It also allows you to identify any foods that your child may potentially have an allergic reaction to.

For stage by stage weaning guide, please visit www.babyambrosia.com.

Do's and don'ts when decorating the nursery

[From www.parenthots.com.my]

We have been brainwashed to think that baby girls must be surrounded with light pink and baby boys are normally in light blue. Often, if we're not sure yet whether it's a boy or a girl, then we go with yellow when painting the walls of the nursery.

Forget everything you've been brainwashed into believing.

According to celebrity designer and TV host Eric Leong, newborns, whether they are boys or girls, should be in a light pink room.

“From newborn to three years old, light pink will help them develop their brain. The light pink will help their brain to develop, they will be very active and and it will make them happy, too. Blue and yellow are not as effective. In colour therapy it represents unconditional love. So, babies when they look at this colour will feel happy and loved.

“However, after they reach three years of age, the advice is to paint the walls according to the child's gender. So, if you have a boy, then you paint the walls in baby blue. If it's a girl, you can maintain the walls in that baby pink or you can use lilac. Why after three years? This is because studies have found that after three is when the children develop their own character. So, if you maintain the baby pink, then the girl will become very girly and the boy will be a bit effeminate, too,” says Leong.

However, for soft furnishings like the curtains, comforter and bedsheet, strong colours can be used as long as it's not too much.

Leong explains that the soft pastel colours on the walls will help baby to relax while the strong colours will get their attention and help them develop their brain.

He warns against using too many strong primary colours in the nursery or children's room.

“For kids' rooms we don't use too many strong primary colours because if you have a hyperactive child and you have lots of primary colours in the room, the child will be more active.

“We also don't use white for the nursery or children's room because it's too pale and not fun. Usually we don't use white, black or grey. One of the big mistakes parents make is using dark blue for the baby boy's room. For boys aged three and above it should be baby blue or sky blue not dark blue. Sky blue also happens to be the colour of the year for 2010.

“Painting little pictures on the wall is fine but it takes up a lot of time and it's okay provided the parent is an artist or they can draw very well.

“Otherwise, just get wallpaper. But don't put it over the four walls, just one wall which is the feature wall. So you have the play area near the feature wall and can play with your child there.”

Three zones

Leong advises dividing up the space in the nursery or children's room into three areas, for sleep, play and study.

The sleeping zone is where the colour scheme needs to be very soft. The play zone is supposed to be very fun so you can have wallpaper on the wall or use strong colours or even have cartoon characters on the wall.

The play zone needs to be an empty space with no furniture where you can put toys for the baby or toddler to play with.

“The study area is very important because from young you can train them to read books. The study area is usually near the window so that you get the daylight coming in. You can make the study area near the window and put a small table there.”

Leong says by having different zones in the room, the children will learn to differentiate the sleep and study areas from the play area.

For storage in the nursery or child's room, Leong says it doesn't need a separate area and can be integrated into the play or study areas.

Open shelving

For toys and books, he recommends open shelving instead of closed cupboards, wardrobes or drawers. This way the child can see his toys or books and easily reach for them. Don't forget to make the open shelving unit a short one though for easy access.

This way the child learns to be more independent instead of constantly asking an adult to get a toy or book for him. Also, for children it is often a case of out of sight, out of mind. So, if they see their toys and books, they will play with them or read them. If you have these locked up in a closed cupboard, they won't remember they have those books or toys and won't use them.

Leong recommends open shelves rather than boxes because he says often with big boxes, the toys at the bottom of the box are forgotten and not played with.

“Besides having a good environment with different areas in the children's room, we must also train them to tidy up. So, after they've played, get them to put the toys and books back on the shelves. So, from young they are trained to clean up after themselves.”

Floor and lights

As for the flooring in the nursery or children's room Leong says laminated floorboards are a good choice.

“They are easy to install, not so expensive and easy to maintain. Even if the children use crayons to draw on the floor, you can clean it easily. Because it is laminated, the surface is easy to clean. And laminated floors feel warm too compared to tiles, marble or granite.

“Carpets are a no-no for the baby's room or children's room because of the dust.”

How about the lighting?

Leong says parents should get a few night lights for the nursery because babies don't like total darkness.

“Even if you don't want to have a night light, you can have one little table light in a corner of the room so they will see some reflection on the wall. Then the entire room will have very soft lighting.

“For the ceiling light, I would say get warm lighting for them to relax. In the day time you can open the windows and pull back the curtains to get the daylight in.

“For the study area in the children's room, you need daylight such as fluorescent lighting in case they want to study at night. So you need two types of lights for the children's room – one is warm for atmosphere and for them to relax and the other is daylight for them to study or read.

“Studies show that if you expose yourself under daylight or fluorescent lighting one or two hours before you sleep, chances are high that you will have trouble falling asleep. Warm light, on the other hand, prepares you for sleep.”

Conclusion

With those tips, you're all prepared to paint and decorate your baby's room and you won't have to repaint it or redo it until they turn three years old.

After three, Leong advises parents to involve the children in the small decisions in designing their room.

“By making small decisions, they will feel a sense of belonging to their room. Involve them in the simple decisions such as what cartoon characters to have on their wall; not the major decisions because at that age they are still too small to decide. Always remind them that this is their decision so they will feel confident.”

For more parenting articles, please visit www.parenthots.com.my.