Diaper Shopping and More at thelittleonesinmylife - tlo.com.sg

Hello hello! Ooooooohhhhhh....

I've been privileged to be given an opportunity to make a sponsored $50 purchase at thelittleonesinmylife. Can you believe it? My very first sponsored post!!! Anyway, here's my review of the entire experience.

Let's start off with some background...

thelittleonesinmylife is an online shop that specializes in good quality baby products from Korea.

The lovely thing about this online shop is that the owner, mummy of 3, Audrey, personally sources for the best products from Korea and has tried out the products on all 3 children of hers before she actually brings in those which she thinks are the best. I have previously bought several items, most worthy of note being good quality teethers, baby feeding utensils, breastmilk and milk powder storage bags from tlo.com.sg. I was first attracted to the great value for money as she sells good quality disposable milk bags at very very affordable prices. I have also ordered personalized wet bags from her. Audrey is an avid seamstress and she does beautiful customizable baby blankets, taggies, buckwheat husk pillows, key tags, wet bags, cloth bags and even soft toys like teddy bears. More sewing products can be found at TLO Audrey's Sewing Madness' Facebook Page. As her showroom is at Kovan, which is very near my house, I always opt for self-collect instead of delivery. thelittleonesinmylife provides various delivery options from the typical normal mail by Singpost (free for orders above $15, for example) to registered post to courier (various prices available for different shipping options on the website).

Here's a list of baby items I have previously bought from thelittleonesinmylife:

• Teethers (Made of good quality materials and includes a clip for the teether to be clipped onto baby's clothes so it won't drop and get dirty)
• Breastmilk Bags (Look out for special deals during Baby Market fairs!)
• Spectra Breastpump and Parts (Spectra S1 or M1 is the best pumps I have tried thus far - way better and cheaper than my Medela PISA)
• Bamboo Washable Breast Pads (I've been using since baby number 2! Still very resilient, can withstand high temperature washing and is environmentally friendly)
• Javalock Wet Wipe Covers (I even use these covers for my make-up remover wipes. I hate those sticky tape things that don't work after a while. I love Javalock for all wet wipes packets, be it for kids or for my own use.)
• Milk Powder Bags (For travelling - just pack them all in the luggage, use and throw.)
• Diapers (What I bought for this sponsored purchase!)
• Silicon feeding spoons with case (BPA free. Not featured on website. I bought from her showroom.)
• Feeding silicon teat and cloth mesh (BPA free. Not featured on website. I bought from her showroom. Great for feeding in the early weaning months.)
• Wet bags (Not featured on website though. I bought from her showroom. I bought one customized with name sewn for a friend and a few for my own kids. Really cheap and good quality. I think she sewed them herself! I'm not sure. Just guessing.

If I were to have another baby again (I don't think that will happen, haha), here are some items I wish to have, or I feel are great investments for any new parent:

• Haenim UV Sterilizer (Wow, I should have bought this long long ago! This would have made sterilizing anything a breeze! Plus it keeps everything dry. Although it's pricey, I can foresee how incredibly useful this gadget will be, especially for parents who have to deal with baby thrush, HFMD, frequent colds, or simply who just want to keep things clean, dry and hygienic. Sadly, I only discovered this product like much much much later, when Timothy had already turned 1. If only I had this sterilizer back when I tandem-fed my first two children and thrush happened. If only I had this sterilizer when the two girls had HFMD. Hot washing is so troublesome and steam sterilizers makes and keeps everything wet, which I really hate because wet breast pump parts are no good for breast pumps at all! If I were gonna have another baby, I would buy this for sure, and I'd be happily dry-sterilizing everything I want and need to have sterilized!)
• Yelly Mat (This is a super tempting luxury item. I still wish I had it! I am pretty sure ALL MY KIDS will have lots of fun being entertained by this play mat, and it'll be great for an infant to hang out on from immobile to toddling stages. Watch this video to see how it works. But I already have a very good quality play mat that cost $120 back in 2009. It's still in great shape after 6 years. For those who want to indulge in a talking and musical play mat, try this. Look out for special deals. The discount code at the end of this post is a fabulous deal for you if you're gonna get this mat!)
• Uinlui Sugarcane Utensils (Yup, you didn't read wrongly. It's sugarcane alright. And nope, they don't taste like sugarcane! They're made of eco-friendly, baby-friendly, non-toxic and resilient sugarcane. I can't buy any more utensils because my kitchen drawers and cabinets are bursting. I have too many plates and bowls and kiddie forks and spoons. I had a Skip Hop craze back then and after the fad died, it's back to the usual metal spoons for the kids. I *might* just get the bowls... maybe... but JD will kill me. Haha.)

thelittleonesinmylife also often has booths at reputable baby fairs like Baby Market so I have friends who actually do pre-orders and collect at the baby fairs (usually at Singapore Expo) because there are often very good deals during fairs and my friends like to shop at such baby fairs anyway. Why do I say reputable? It's because apparently there is a frequently occurring baby expo fair that sells fake products. I was incensed to find that out and am careful to only go for the reputable ones that sell genuine products. Baby Market so far has been quite good. I would recommend that.

Anyway, back to my sponsored experience...

I was so excited to be given a $50 voucher to purchase something and blog about my experience at tlo.com.sg. I was so tempted to get the Yelly Mat. After some deliberation and intense browsing through the website, I thought it would be a better idea to buy something we haven't tried before, yet will be useful and will allow me to write a review about. Eventually, I chose 2 sets of Happy Blossom Diaper Pants (XL84) for $30 each set. Each set includes 4 packs that total 84 diapers. That works out to be about $0.36 per piece. I always compare diaper prices using the per piece price. I am currently paying about $0.47 per piece (tape) and $0.52 per piece (pants). I buy GOO.N diapers. $30 for 84 diapers? That's a steal! I am gonna continue with Happy Blossom since it's so much better value for money, is of superb quality, has wetness indicator (GOO.N doesn't)... and diaper PANTS lor! PANTS, I repeat. Diaper pants in the market aren't cheap. Go check out Merries diaper pants at NTUC. And Huggies diaper pants are itchy and scratchy. Mamy Poko is so thick, it's terrible for Singapore's crazy hot weather. Pampers are toxic, I feel, or rather, my kid's butt feels. My kids cannot wear Pampers lah. Only Tiffany could tolerate Pampers but both Stephy and Timmy couldn't. We have been trying Happy Blossom for almost a month now. BOTH Timothy and Stephany react fine with Happy Blossom diaper pants. Woohoo! I am so happy with Happy Blossom!

Here are some pics featuring only Timmy as Stephy refuses to have any picture taken with her diaper on. She doesn't want anyone to know that she wears diapers at night just in case and anyway she is daytime toilet-trained since 2 so really... SHHHHH. It's a secret ok!

HAPPY TIMMY IN HAPPY BLOSSOM DIAPER PANTS!

First time wearing the new Happy Blossom diaper pants.

Perfect fit! He is maybe 11kg or so and is wearing the new XL diaper pants.

Waseh. Nice or not?

I love the wetness indicator that comes with the Happy Blossom diaper pants.
The GOO.N diaper pants that we have been using have no wetness indicator.
On the left: Dry - 3 Faint yellow lines
On the right: Wet - 3 Clear blue lines

Okay, I am quite particular about the thickness of diapers, especially with Singapore's hot weather.
This picture shows the increase in thickness after about 4 hours of daytime wearing.
Not bad right?

Okay, now... the Diaper Rash History. I have to explain a bit about my EPIC battle with diaper rash and how the right diapers made such a huge difference in getting the rash to go...

For both Stephany and Timothy, I have been buying GOO.N diaper pants. Expensive stuff okay. Both kids prefer diaper pants. Stephy is toilet-trained for daytime since 2 years of age and during sleep, she is usually dry, but she does have accidents every now and then. She hates the washing and waking from nighttime accidents, so she still has her diaper on at night, just in case. She absolutely cannot stand tape-diapers so we always buy diaper pants for her. It is also easy for her to remove and change by herself at night when she does have an accident. Yes, I won't even know it because she just does it herself. Yep, the magic of diaper PANTS. Haha. Timmy usually wears diaper pants when we go out. He wears tape diapers at home. GOO.N diapers are fantastic on Stephy's ultra-sensitive skin. She is eczema prone and has never had a good reaction to any other diaper in the market. We have tried Pampers (major rash!), Huggies (bad rash), Merries (still had rash that wouldn't go), Mamy Poko (rash rash rash, plus thick and hot), Petpet (only a few pieces my sister-in-law let me try), Bumwear Cloth diapers (very hot and very bad for thrush, trust me, cos cannot wash in hot water), etc. She could only take to GOO.N relatively well. Even until today, it was the one and only diaper brand that did not cause any diaper rash. So we stuck to it, even for Timmy when he was born. In the hospital, Timmy was given Huggies Newborn diapers (standard issue for Mount Elizabeth Hospital in 2014). When he came home, he had a bit of diaper rash, as expected, since I have fought the diaper rash battle with the first two kids. We switched diapers to GOO.N and voila! Problem solved. I must also clarify that I barely use wet wipes. Only for poopy diapers, I will use 1-2 wipes to clean up the excess poop and off we rinse at the basin with mild soap (Mustela Body Wash) and water. It was the same way of cleaning poopy messes for all 3 kids. I also use a thin layer of good quality diaper creams. It was always a matter of trial and error. What worked for one kid may not work for another. I have tried all kinds of diaper creams in the market... from the cheaper and milder ones like Drapolene to the atas ones, organic ones, those imported from the US (iHerb of course), paediatrician prescribed ones... in the end, it all depends on what works for each child and each of them reacted differently to different diaper creams! Here are what worked best for each of my kids:

1. Tiffany used Desitin Creamy. The zinc oxide worked wonders!
2. Stephany could only take Cavilon Durable Barrier Cream because of her super sensitive, eczematous, thin and weak skin. She was allergic to zinc oxide and we had to give away all the Desitin Creamy that we had stocked up before she was born!
3. Timothy who has the thickest and least sensitive skin of all used Bepanthen. He also didn't react well to anything with zinc oxide. I really don't understand why because I thought zinc oxide was the best thing for diaper rash but it didn't work for both Steph and Tim.

TODAY, all three kids do not use any diaper creams. Only Timmy has a thin layer of Bepanthen for night time since I let him wear the diaper the whole night through and it is usually soaked by the next morning. And also, buy already must finish using right?

Alright. I have come to the end of my super cheong hei review. But that's not all, folks. Cos there is a discount for all you readers out there!

Audrey has given all of you a unique discount code for your purchase from tlo.com.sg. Just key in: PrisKek

You will get 15% off with a minimum purchase of $88.

This code is valid till 31 May 2016.

If I were you, I'd get the Yelly Mat. That one can entertain and last for ages. Or if I were a new parent-to-be with plans to have more kids, I'd get the Haenim UV Sterilizer. But then, since I love Happy Blossom so much, I will get more Happy Blossom diapers!

15% off leh! Let's go shopping!

Tandem Nursing 1

I wrote this 4.5 years ago... It was saved as a draft. Just decided to post it today:

"People ask me why I do it. It's very uncommon in Singapore. Baby Stephany is now exactly 3 weeks old. It's really been crazy. Ever since Stephany arrived, Tiffany, my 2 year old toddler, has been wanting to nurse like mad. Before Stephany was born, Tiffany was down to 1-2 nursings only at night. And this was all in her own time. I didn't push for her to reduce nursings. It all happened very naturally. Now, she drinks wayyyyy more than her younger sister does. So, think about that. At night, it is really impossibly crazy for me to deal with the two nursing 'babies' at the same time. It seems like they already have a connection with each other. As soon as Stephany wakes to nurse, Tiffany wakes too. And if Tiffany wakes to nurse, Stephany does so too. Did they plan this together? Why don't they both plan to sleep for 5 hours in a row so that Mother Cow can get some much needed rest?

So. Why did I choose to tandem nurse in a society where even nursing itself is frowned upon by the elderly and those who 'know better'? Like I've mentioned - it is for that special bond I am hoping to forge between sisters, that special inexplicable connection that only two nursing buddies will feel for each other."

UPDATE:
Stephany quit nursing at 9 months old. She self-weaned. I still tandem-nursed though. This time it is with no. 3 and no. 1. Yes, no. 1 started nursing again when her little brother was born. She had self-weaned previously when the wells dried up. Now that I have milk again, she wanted to nurse again. Why not? But she only gets her turn after Timothy is done. Still nursing the two big babies. One is 19 months old and the other is 6 years old! Will let them decide when they want to stop.

Recipe for Strawberry Chocolate Tart (Eggless)

Strawberry Chocolate Tart 330g Oreo Cookies 110g butter (melted) Blend cookies and butter then freeze Break into small pieces: 200g milk chocolate 100g bittersweet chocolate Heat a few minutes over medium-low heat to warm: 200g Heavy Cream Pour warm heavy cream over chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Stir until you get a chocolate ganache. Pour ganache into Tart base. Place strawberries and chopped nuts on top. Refrigerate for min. 2 hrs or overnight.

Talking Tiffany

List of words Tiffany can articulate (finally got it compiled):
Daddy, Papa, Mummy, Mama, Yeye (grandpa), Gugu (paternal aunt), Ah Ma (grandma), Ah Yi (maternal aunt), Kor Kor (elder bro), cheh cheh (elder sis), Didi (younger bro), Meimei (younger Sis), apple, pear, orange, peach, blueberry (but she says boobear), cookie, no (unfortunately, she learnt to refuse before learning to say Yes), baby, bubbles, bear, horse (she goes HHHHOr), moo (cow), ouou (dog), mehhh (cat), baabaa (sheep), oooh-ooh-aah-ahh (monkey), arrrh (crow), gagaga (duck), guaguagua (frog), more (literally, when she wants more of something) and momo (bf milk). There might be something I've missed out. Oh well.

Breast is Best

'Breast is BEST.' Have you heard this phrase repeated in books you read during pregnancy, on websites you surfed before you delivered, and during antenatal classes - an introductory preview to what your little bundle of joy really is about? Well, it can't be more true, but it also can't be all that easy...

Before I delivered, I read all about natural deliveries and how your newborn baby can suckle immediately once delivered. I even saw this scene on YouTube videos. I was sure I was going to deliver naturally and have my baby feeding naturally straight after birth. My OBGYN was Dr Kek Lee Phin, and she knew what I wanted, but she also warned that my arthritic condition may impede natural delivery and having an epidural may also not be possible. Yet, I just so badly wished for a natural delivery that I almost expected it. I also thought that I'll start breastfeeding immediately after birth.

Yes, you guessed it. Things didn't go my way. I was in labour for 26 hours. Dr Kek tried her best to help make my dream natural delivery possible and she explained each development every step along the way. After 25 hours, my cervix was only 2.5cm dilated and she knew if I didn't deliver soon, my baby would be in distress. Eventually I needed an emergency C-section. The anaesthetist's assessment was that it had to be done under General Anaesthesia because of my arthritic condition. I was promptly wheeled into the operating theatre and baby Tiffany was delivered in less than an hour, at 1747h on 21st July 2009.

Late in the evening, when I woke up, I didn't see my baby. All I saw were my friends and relatives. I drifted off again. I didn't know how long had passed but nurses came in with baby Tiffany and started to help me initiate breastfeeding in a side-lying position. Tiffany seemed to have latched on and she looked like she was nursing so I thought, "Hey, this is easy." Little did I know that Tiffany wasn't latched on properly nor getting any colostrum or milk from me! Nobody said I was not going to have milk! I thought milk just appears once the baby is delivered. How ignorant I was! The nurses then handed me some pamphlets and in it, I read that for some, milk doesn't come in till 3-5 days after delivery. I freaked out when I found out that Tiffany wasn't getting anything despite suckling and crying so hard. I think the hormones were also surging at that time so I was frantic and fearful.

Thankfully, the doctors, the lactation consultants and nurses of Mt Elizabeth Hospital held my hands throughout the entire trying phase.

Dr Kek prescribed some medication to stimulate my milk producing hormones, and she also prescribed rest and relaxation. She asked me to reduce visitations, darken the room, listen to classical music and to sleep as much as possible. She kept encouraging me to eat nutritious food and to drink lots of water and soup. I guess her surgical skills were pretty good as on the very next day after the surgery, I was up and about, attending breastfeeding classes and walking to and from the nursery. I could very quickly start breastfeeding with the cradle hold. The quick recovery with no complications at all made it a lot easier for me to focus on breastfeeding.

Dr Irene Chan, Tiffany's paediatrician, constantly updated and assured me of the health of my little starved infant and she encouraged me to perservere for the sake of giving Tiffany the best. She even shared her personal experiences with me and listened patiently to me as I broke down and cried in despair (I'm sure I had the blues then.) With Tiffany under her care, I was always assured that she was doing okay without the first few days of milk.

The lactation consultants (LCs) were also going many extra miles to encourage and help me establish breastfeeding. The first thing they worked on was the latch. Tiffany has a very small mouth so latching on correctly wasn't easy at all. The LCs came to my room at almost every feeding just to see if I needed help. The nurses also helped me almost at every feeding and encouraged me to keep trying, giving me invaluable tips which worked. After the 3rd day, I still wasn't getting any milk, not even a single drop of colostrum! I was so envious of the mothers who had droplets of milk flowing just at the sound of their babies' cries. I attended breastfeeding classes religiously and worked on the latch. One of the staff nurses invited me to use the classroom to view a video by Dr Jack Newman to learn more about the correct latching technique. Although I was extremely tired, I asked the nurses to wake me when it was time at night to nurse. And during those wee hours of the night, the nurses would accompany me till Tiffany latched on properly before leaving and they always gently encouraged me to keep going. I always remember how comforting the nurses were when I was so fearful and tired then. That happened almost every 2-4 hours. One LC, Guat Choo was her name, was particularly candid and skilled. She tried to brighten things up with her chirpy disposition and she helped me to get my very first drop of colostrum. She was very skilled. She pressed and massaged my breast and nipples until eventually, my colostrum started flowing. Sure, it hurt, but it was only through pain that I gained my very first drop of colostrum! I was also taught how to use the breast pumps and I pumped when my baby was too tired to suckle because of jaundice. On day 5, my milk came in and I was the happiest mother on earth! Every drop I pumped was so precious. I almost couldn't bear to wash the milk bottles. Every drop Tiffany had was the result of perseverence, sweat and tears.

Back then, I felt that breastfeeding was the hardest thing to do. Hearing my baby's cries and knowing that I couldn't nourish her with my inadequate supply of colostrum and milk was especially hard for me. But I am very thankful for the tremendous help I had received. In retrospect, the pro-breastfeeding culture at MEH could probably be what had helped me to eventually give Tiffany the very BEST.

12 months on, I'm still breastfeeding Tiffany. She absolutely loves to breastfeed. Not only is it a source of nutrition, during difficult periods like illnesses, vaccinations and teething, it is also her source of comfort. I love cuddling her while she feeds and lying together with her as she nurses every day. I have also saved A LOT of money as I have not spent a single cent on formula milk. I don't have to wash any bottles now as I feed her directly every day. When she accidentally bumps her knee, breastfeeding comforts her. After her injections, she's rewarded with breast milk. When she wakes at night with a fever burning, breastfeeding helps her to feel better. I thoroughly enjoy the breastfeeding relationship I have with her and I don't intend to stop unless she wants to. In the meantime, let me savour this beautiful gift from God and enjoy breastfeeding for as long as Tiffany wants it! 

Mozzie Bites!

Oh no there's a dreadful mosquito in the house.
I'm so 'sway', I got bitten thrice.
Wonder why it finds my blood so nice.
Heng Tiff wasn't bitten, not once not twice.

Ahh! Here comes another irritating bite.
Right on the previous mosquito bite site.
It's itchy, it's scratchy, it's driving me nuts.
Wait till I find it, I'll whack out its guts!

TWG @ ION Orchard

So I was saying the other day that I fantasized going downtown to have tea and cake at TWG.

Well... I did it! My lovely colleague and friend, Jeya (actually she's Kavitha but for some bizarre reason, everyone calls her by the shortened version of her father's name, Jeyamalar) invited me to bring Tiffy put on an outing. It was hard with a baby who has naptimes to follow but we made it there.

Well, we still had to queue, as expected, despite the fact that it was a weekday afternoon. Don't these people have to work?! When we finally got in, we crammed into a little table between two other tables. Soon after we ordered, my precious little baby needed to nap. Ahh, that makes the entire tea time all the more enjoyable.

With Tiffy in my sling (cos the pram had to be parked somewhere else), I had the most delicious tea and cake and finger sandwiches. They don't sound like a lot but we paid $30 each for the tea set. I liked Jeya's tea. It was Sakura something. I had my favourite bergamot infused Earl Grey Buddha tea.

Mmm mmm!