Vegetarianism: Egg Noodle Soup

One of those simple, less mess and easy to make one-pot dishes. Most importantly, the preparation time is very short. Hence, my love for one-pot dishes because of its simplicity yet nutritious and filling nature. I got the inspiration from a blog written by Minimalist Baker [1].

Everything is in one-pot alright. But of course, you don't throw all the ingredients in at one go (because some ingredients use shorter cooking time). All you have to do is to identify and drop in the ones that require longer cooking time earlier, then just keep adding on. It's that simple!

Another great thing about this dish is you get to be creative! The ingredients you add into your soup, the soup base or even the noodle you use can vary according to your liking! For example, you can use pasta, kway teow or even vermicelli instead of egg noodles. If you don't like vegetable stock soup base, you can change it to tom yam, curry, etc. If you like it more soupy, you can add more water. Else, use lesser water. You get what I mean, right?

Here are the ingredients I used for this round:
Egg noodle
6 vegetarian dumplings
3 mock chicken feet
Sliced tomatoes
Chye sim (greem vegetable)
Oyster mushrooms
Dried seaweed
1 egg
Half a scoop of mushroom granules seasoning
2 tbsp tom yum paste
1000ml water

Steps:

1. In 1000ml water, add mushroom granules seasoning, tom yum paste, sliced tomatoes, mock chicken feet and oyster mushroom. Bring to boil and simmer.
2. Add in egg noodles and cook till al dente or desired softness.
3. Add vegetarian dumpling and seaweed. Cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Add in chye sim and sesame oil. Cook until chye sim is crisp-tender.
5. Switch off the flame. Beat the egg and stir it in. 

If you like clear or less starchy soup, you can cook the egg noodles till al dente (drain it and put into soup bowl first) and soup mixture separately. Then add the soup mixture to the egg noodles before serving.

Oh! If you are pressing for time and you have a water air pot or hot water dispenser at home, use the boiled water from your air pot! That probably would save you 0
about 10 minutes.

Bon appetit!

Reference:

1. Minimalist Baker - One pot vegan pasta

Motherhood: 15 Things You Might Experience After Delivery

Based on my personal experience at 7th month postpartum, there are some things (intimate ones even) that I felt was different from before delivery of QW. Maybe, it is the effect of episiotomy[1]. Maybe, it is just psychological.

1. Wrinkled stomach: I actually have regained my pre-pregnancy weight. But the stomach is still all wrinkled up. I guess I should be more diligent in applying the firming cream. But I must say that all the exercises (I mean carrying QW around) is sort of helping it to firm up. 
2. Linea nigra: By 2nd trimester, my linea nigra[2] showed up. Well, they did mention that it will take several months before it fade. It is still visible now (albeit lighter in shade as compared to when I just delivered). I shall update this blog when it finally fades. 
3. User manuals: Interestingly, Health Promotion Board (HPB) attempts to provide some sort of a baby user manual. In case you did not know, HPB haas manuals for pregnancy and many other child-related topics under their section on Pregnancy and Parenting[3]. While all babies are different, the manuals are still nice to have.
4. Babies' cries decoder: On TV, they usually show a bubbly or laughing baby. If you have not taken care of a baby before and your contact is only limited to birthday parties or full month celebrations, the life of a baby can be summarised as follows: cry, milk, pee, shit, sleep and of course the entertaining moments. As parents, people will turn to you whenever your baby cries (as if you are some sort of a decoder). Strangers will give you the stare, while those who know you will ask questions like "Why is the baby crying?", or even provide advices such as "Baby is hungry, must be your breast milk too thin/not enough.". Please don't beat yourself up if you cannot decode their cries. Personally, I go by elimination: first check the diaper (because this is the easiest to see!), next try to breastfeed, then rock her (in case she was feeling uncomfortable), or bring out her toys to play with her. If all else fail, keep rocking and/or nursing as it might be her wonder week or she is going through a growth spurt. (See my post on Motherhood: Articles on Infant Sleep for more information on wonder weeks and growth spurts.)
5. Life in hospital after episiotomy: Pain of course!When the effects of the local anaesthesia wear off, pain will kick in. So, do take the pain killer if it is above your pain threshold. Some gynae (like mine) will require you to pass your stools before they discharge you. But with the pain going on down there and the cleaning to be done, that is really the last thing I want to deal with. This is the time when food (such as papaya, prunes, etc) which promotes smooth stools are life savers! The only thankful thing is that the stitches will dissolve by itself.
6. Episiotomy side effects: As embarrassing as it is to admit, I did notice diminished bladder control after childbirth. So, it is definitely time to do more Kegel exercise[4]. 
7. Prolapse[5]: This is a condition where organ slips out or falls down from its place. Uterine prolapse is common among women as they age because of a weakened pelvic floor (and especially if they delivered lager babies or had excessively pushing during labour). Solution? More kegel exercise again.
8. Hunger: Perhaps because of breast feeding, I feel hungry very often (especially after nursing QW). It is definitely because your body uses energy (calories) to make breast milk. Hence, follow your hunger cues and eat healthily if you are nursing too [6]!
9. Thirst: Similarly for thirst, just follow your thirst cues. It is very normal to feel thirsty easily. After all, breast milk has water content which of course comes from the water you drink. I can easily drink up to 3 litres of water when nursing (as compared to barely even drink 8 glasses of water last time). So, drink up!
10. Cramps after delivery: After delivery, the uterus will begin to contract back to its original size. And when you have letdown from breastfeeding, it intensifies the cramp. So, you might want to give the Malay massage a try. I felt that it helps to relief the cramp because you feel more relaxed, and also helps to expel the lochia.
11. Navel belly: It may never look the same again (I am not sure about this yet). It seems more hollowed in than before.
12. Areola: Hormones of course is the cause for the darkening of areola. It is for the benefit of the baby (who has blurry vision when born) so that they will be able to locate the nipple when they breastfeed[7].
13. Hair loss: Many will experience hair loss probably when the baby is around 4 months old. It may last until baby hits 7 or 8 months old. This loss is because there is a drop in the hormones which were secreted during pregnancy that prevented hair loss. Normally, new hair will grow before baby reach 1 years old.
14. Engorgement: Nobody told me the "starting of engine/breast" was more painful than labour contractions (at least it felt that way to me)! It started around 2nd or 3rd day after birth but luckily subsided around day 5.
15. Continue to look pregnant: The stomach area still seems to suggest that, well, I am pregnant. I get that questions a couple of times when I am out. And I am still waiting for it to return to its original size.

Are there more things that you have experienced after delivery which you don't mind sharing? Do share them!

References:

1. Babycenter - Episiotomy 
2. Babycenter - Linea Nigra
3. HPB - Pregnancy & Parenting resource page
4. Babycenter - Kegel exercise
5. Wikipedia - Prolapse
6. Babycenter - Diet for healthy breastfeeding mom
7. PregnancyCorner - Darkened areola
8. Babycentre - Your body after the birth

Motherhood: 15 Old Wives' Tales Involving Babies

Has anyone share their views regarding babies which you do not understand? Here are some of these old wives' tales which I heard over the months:

1. She looks like a boy, so your next baby will be a boy.
2. Don't let her hold her own legs. Or else, you will very get pregnant soon!
3. Look! She's blowing bubbles! It's going to rain soon.
4. She is chubby, so she must be formula fed.
5. Feed her solids, or else she cannot sit up because she lacks the strength.
6. Finger sucking will cause buck teeth.
7. If she do not lie on her ears properly, they will not stick closer to the head.
8. If she keep looking to the side, her eyes will permanently stay there.
9. Kissing her face too much will cause skin problem.
10. She keeps crying because you don't have enough breast milk.
11. Don't carry her too much. Or else, she will get used to it.
12. If you pick her up immediately when she cries, you will spoil her.
13. Don't rock/nurse her to sleep. Or else, she won't know how to sleep on her own.
14. If you drink milk, it will cause her to have phlegm.
15. Cover her when she has fever, so that she can sweat it out.

Some of them are definitely false not just based on my personal experience. Others, even if I want to put them to test such as point 3 regarding bubble blowing and weather, it does not seem convincing when Singapore has entered her Northeast monsoon season. Also, testing with a sample size of one baby is just not going to be convincing. The rest, maybe there are some truths in them (that's why they lasted until now?!).

Here are some which are false:

• Point 4 is false because QW is total breastfed! I am sure many breastfeeding mummies can testify to this as well!
• Since she was commented as being chubby, point 10 is also false. How else will she look chubby if I don't have enough breast milk? Logically speaking, there are many other reasons why babies cry (e.g. dirty diapers, too hot/cold, boredom, etc.) because their only mode of communication is to cry.
• Point 15 is false! Please don't cover your child when he/she is having fever! Instead, you should sponge them to help bring the temperature down and keep the room ventilated. I am pretty sure your paediatrician would have given similar advice. If the fever persist or is too high, do seek medical help.

Do you know of any other old wives' tales? 

Do you have evidence(s) to show whether the above are true or false? 

Do share them!

Motherhood: Articles on Infant Sleep

"Let her cry it out (CIO). She has excess energy that she needs to use up before she can fall asleep. That's what the experts say.", said my hubby one night in QW's early month when she often cried between 8pm to 11pm (of course not non-stop!). We referred to it as her witching hours.

Dr Richard Ferber theorised that babies will not learn to fall asleep on their own if they get used to being rock or nurse to sleep. Personally, I find the CIO method[1], also known as Ferber method[2], very heart wrenching and would prefer not to let QW goes through it. Hence, our decision to cuddle her when she cries.

I started to read up more on the No Tears method[3], and I am excited to share with you an article titled "Here are some lies people tell you about infant sleep"[4] written by Madeleine. I quote:

"You can't sell a solution if there isn't a problem, and in the past fifty years, we have increasingly categorized what amounts to normal, human infant sleep, as a problem need to be solved."

"There's a reason for all of it, I promise, even when we don't understand. It's not our job as parents to understand, it's just our job to parent. That's all."

"The thing is, the week after The Dark Time, Olive began crawling, started standing unassisted and popped out two teeth." 

When I read her quotes, it triggered my memory on what my Junior College (JC) mate shared with me once regarding growth spurts[5] and mental leaps[6]. It now seems logical to me that QW's crying is not without reason: it could be that she is experiencing growing pains, figuring out something, etc.

In her baby language, she is trying to reach out to us. Since we are not able to decipher (because I do not understand baby language!), the only thing left for us, parents, to do is to just be parents. That is, in this case, comfort her.

Which school do you believe? Whichever the case (sleep training or not), do not beat yourself over it. Happy parents = happy babies ;)

References:

1. Babycenter - Baby sleep training: Cry it out methods
2. Wikipedia - Ferber method
3. Babycenter - Baby sleep training: No tears methods
4. Sweet Madeleine - Here are some lies people tell you about infant sleep
5. Babycenter - Growth spurts
6. The wonder weeks - Mental leaps

Vegetarianism: Steamed Egg Cake (雞蛋糕)

My sis-in-law had been treating us to delicious cakes (oreo cheese cake, sponge cake, etc). Hence, my sudden the urge to try my hands at making cakes too. But the problem is we do not have the usual baking tools such as oven, mixer, etc. So, baked cakes are out for us.

Since we have a steamer, I googled for steamed cake and decided to try my hands at steamed egg cake[1] (especially after hubby asked whether I have been putting the steamer to good use :p). After tasting, hubby gave it a pretty good score :) Hence, I think I will be making it more often.

The recipe I used is great for us as it did not require baking tools such as mixer, oven, whisk, etc. I did some modification as I did not have condensed milk and all-purpose flour at that point in time. I added 2 more tbsp of sugar and 1 more tbsp of milk as compared to the original recipe, and used rice flour instead. 

Anyway, here are the ingredients I used:
2 eggs
5 tbsp sugar (you can choose to use lesser sugar if you want it to taste less sweet)
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp oil
75g rice flour
2 tsp baking powder

I followed the steps per recipe:

1. First, beat 2 eggs. Next, add in and mix well 5 tbsp sugar. Then, add in and mix well 3 tbsp milk. Finally, add in and mix well 2 tbsp oil.
2. Mix 75g rice flour with 2 tsp baking powder.
3. Stir the egg mixture to the flour mixture. 
4. Steam about 15 minutes.

You can do the toothpick test to test whether the cake requires longer steaming time. Just poke the toothpick where the peak of the cake is. If it comes out fairly clean, the cake is ready.

You may also prepare in bigger or smaller quantity by doing some simple mathematics. For example, if you use 4 eggs, then you will need 10 tbsp sugar, 6 tbsp milk, 4 tbsp oil, 150g flour and 4 tsp baking powder. Just make sure you keep the ingredients in proportion.

If you intend to store it, you can store it in a ziplock bag or container. It will last longer if you store it in the fridge. Just steam it again (or microwave) before consuming. I did not test how many days it can be stored (because hubby ate it within 2 days!). But, I think it should be good for a couple of days. Bon appetit!

PS: If you want the cake to have the crack effect, sprinkle sugar to make a cross[2].

References:

1. YouTube - Easy steamed egg cake recipe
2. Nasi Lemak Lover - Steamed egg cake's crack effect tips

Motherhood: Nursing/Baby Changing Room Guide

When we are out with QW, we always like to make sure we know where the nursing/baby changing room is located. Also, we like to know what facilities are offered in the room. It is always good to have these at the tip of our fingers to minimise QW's discomfort (which will then lead to her meltdown).

One of the nursing/baby changing room guide I refer to is written by Mad Psych Mum[1]. I like it that she shares her personal experience and gives you an idea on the room size. It is pretty easy to use as you can just click the name of the shopping mall and it will jump to the relevant section. The down side of it is that you got to be connected to the internet to access the information.

Screenshot of Mad Psych Mum's guide

Recently, my husband posted on my facebook wall another nursing room guide by Singapore Baby. There are 2 versions which the website offer: online[2] and offline[3]. It is interesting that it includes information on whether husbands are allowed in the nursing/baby changing room. That I feel is important because my husband is a faster diaper changer than I am!

The offline version is in table form, which makes it very easy on the eyes. The online version is a systematic listing of useful information similar to the offline version. In addition, it also indicates whether the nursing room is a good place for expressing milk. The only issue is both versions do not give you an idea on the room size, which makes it harder to guess whether we can all squeeze in with QW's stroller before we reach it.

Screenshot of Singapore Baby offline pdf 

Screenshot of Singapore Baby online version

Do you have a nursing/baby changing room guide which you find useful? Do share it!

References:

1. Mad Psych Mum - Nursing Room Review
2. Singapore Baby - Nursing Room Online Version
3. Singapore Baby - Nursing Room Offline pdf

Motherhood: Hospital Bag

[Caution: This post is going to be dry due to lack of photos]

Different hospitals will provide different items in their maternity bag (e.g. If you are admitted to TMC which gives homecoming baby wear, you can choose not bring along baby wear). So before you pack, do check with the nurses when you go for your hospital tour.

A month before my EDD (36 weeks), I had my hospital bag packed. Within my hospital bag, I have a labour pouch which contained items required for the delivery. I squeezed everything into one hand carry bag so as to minimise potential confusion.

The base list I used was from Mt A[1]. On top of that, I googled a few others websites before reaching this configuration:

Labour pouch:

1. Wallets (NRICs, loose change, credit card, etc)
2. Gynae's admission letter (Your gynae should give this to you later part of third trimester or nearer to your EDD.)
3. Prenatal checks receipts to claim Medisave
4. Camera (Mt A does not allow videography)
5. Handphones, Handphone chargers and power banks
6. Novel
7. Snacks
8. Sweaters
9. Socks
10. Keys (house key and car key)

Hospital bag - My Items:

1. Sleep wears: I choose pyjamas with front opening for ease of breastfeeding. You may find these at pasar malam or Chinatown complex.
2. Foot wears (socks and slippers)
3. Disposable panties
4. Nursing bras
5. Toiletries: toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, face products, body wash, etc. Mt A provided toiletries and face towel, but I brought my own due to personal preference.
6. Bath towel
7. Body lotion
8. Night-use extra long sanitary pads: Mt A provided 1 pack of Kotex maternity loop-pads. I brought my night wear sanitary pad as standby.
9. Homecoming clothes

Hubby's Items:

1. Toiletries
2. Bath towel
3. Disposable underwear
4. Sleep wears
5. Foot wears (socks and slippers)
6. Shaver
7. Homecoming clothes
8. Laptop, laptop charger and usb connector (to transfer photos)

QW's Items:

1. Receiving blanket with hood
2. Homecoming onesie (or romper)

What I did not bring but was on Mt A's suggested list:

1. Mittens and booties: I heard from my friends that they kept falling off and I did not think I would have much brain power left to take stock of them. In any case, QW seldom wear mittens because we believe in letting her explore her sense of touch.
2. Marriage certificate: QW's name was to be calculated based on her bazi (八字) after we got her birth details. Hence, we did not expect to register her name during our stay there.

Nice to have but I did not bring:

1. Breast pump: I was told by one of the lactation consultants that it would help to stimulate production of breast milk. You can always rent it from Mt A for $20 per day (rates subjected to Mt A's changes) if you left it out.
2. Birth plan[2]: Personally, I felt that nothing was more important than QW's safety. Hence, my birth plan was flexible. Do discuss your birth plan (especially pain management, type of assisted delivery, etc) beforehand with your gynae.
3. Breast pads: I did not expect to have over supply within my stay there. In any case, philips avent did include free breast pads in Mt A's maternity bag.
4. Nipple cream: Don't worry if you forget this. There is a free sample, albeit small amount, from philips avent in Mt A's maternity bag.
5. Stool softeners: I got some prunes thanks to my friendly bed-neighbour.
6. Belly binder
7. Cosmetics

References

1. Mt A - Hospital bag suggestions
2. Dumex - Birth plan
3. Singapore baby - Free printable maternity bag checklist
4. Babycenter - Hospital bag checklist

Travel: A Walk in Punggol Park

Brought QW out for some fresh air at Punggol Park[1], which is funnily located in Hougang.

QW playing in the playground
QW ootd: Pumpkin patch yellow romper

QW getting in touch with Mother Nature

Apart from the usual jogging/running/walking and cycling path, I will let photos do the talking on the facilities and activities that you can find in Punggol Park:

Playground (There are two swings in the behind too!)

Foot reflexology stone path

Restroom near the playground and foot reflexology stone path

Fitness corner

Took a picture of a man taking a picture of another drawing a picture :p

Pond

Parking rates

Car park

Wild Oats @ Punggol Park [3] 

Plaza area (Where activities such as tai chi takes place)

Inline skating at the plaza area

Woodball course

What I like about this town park are the rest benches and sheltered-areas which are quite closely scattered around the park. In case of sudden downpour, it is always great to have a sheltered-area within sight (especially with a baby in tow)!

For the record, I have not seen the water-sports activities (such as dragon boating) mentioned in their Wikipedia page taking place in the pond. But, my mum told me that she saw the dragon boating event before. Perhaps, I did not go at the right time?

I did see people fishing in the pond although Punggol Park does not seem to be on the list of designated fishing areas[4][5]. Do note that one may be fined if found not complying with the fishing guidelines observed in Singapore[6].

Also, I would not fly a kite there because my kite flying skill is not that great. I cannot find an open space which I deemed big enough to fly my kite such that it neither get stuck in the trees nor land the pond.

For a town park, it really does cater to young and old in the family. With it being connected to the Park Connector Network (PCN) and the opening of the PCN bike shop, also with the many HDBs and Condos which sprouted up around it, I think Punggol Park will get a lot more activities with days to come.

References:

1. NParks - Punggol Park
2. Wikipedia - Punggol Park
3. Wild Oats @ Punggol Park
4. Nparks - Designated fishing grounds
5. PUB - Fishing guidelines
6. Straits Times - PUB's effort against illegal fishing

[Slightly off-topic, I got to learn in Hualien, Taiwan, that bird nest fern (the fern in the 4th photo from the top which QW tried to touch) is edible! It is one of the aboriginal dish~ More on it in my future post on Hualien.]

Motherhood: Delivery of QW

[Caution: This post is going to be longer than the usual ones.]

QW's EDD was 16 Apr 2014. By mid Mar, my hospital bag was already on stand-by. She decided to make her appearance earlier, on 9 Apr 2014. That day began like any other pregnant days, except for a bit of very pale pink discharge and very brief menstrual cramp. Hence, I went to work as usual.

At around lunch time, I felt the cramp again. So, I started to make a mental note on the contraction timing. It was still quite inconsistent: varying from 15 to 45 minutes apart. I recalled my gynae saying to take things easy and wait for the contraction to be consistently 5 minutes apart before heading for Mt A. Hence, I did not alert my husband, who was still in a meeting. Towards my knock-off time at around 6pm, the contraction timing became a lot more consistent. About 20 minutes apart. As I had some loose ends to tie up, I stayed in office till about 7pm.

Around 12 midnight, the labour contraction was finally 5 minutes apart. Gave him a ring and he rushed back from his meeting. When he got home, I had already showered and double-checked the hospital bag. We were good to go! The drive to Mt A was a blur and he was the driver. I vaguely remembered that he took such a long way there that I thought I might just give birth in the car!!

When we reached Mt A delivery ward, the nurse got me to change into the hospital gown, strapped me up to all the gadgets (to check baby's heartbeat and my contractions), checked my progress and commented that I was 3 cm dilated. By the way, each delivery ward has its own attached toilet, a digital clock (handy noting when QW was delivered!) and the monitors.

After asking some typical questions (such as when the contractions started, how old I was, how many times had I delivered, who was my gynae, etc), she got me to clear my bowels (by injecting some fluids up my anus), and sent my husband off to clear the paperworks. While waiting for them to return, I whatsapp-ed our sisters the latest updates.

When the nurse next checked in on me, he asked for an estimated delivery time based on her experience (so as not to keep our sisters, who were there, waiting). She estimated that each cm of dilation would probably take 45 minutes (for 1st timers?) and told us to send our relatives home. Also, she told us to call for her when I felt like giving birth and walked off. In my mind I was thinking "Hello~ This is my 1st time. How would I know what giving birth feel like?!"
Anyways, we did a quick calculation. 45 minutes per cm meant that I would be stuck there for at least 6 more hours!? Oh my god!! The contractions were manageable, but starting to irritate me. Another thing that irritated me was the digital clock. More specifically, it was time. Every time I checked on it, time seemed to be crawling so ever slowly! How am I going to survive 6 more hours?!

Less than 2 hours after the nurse left me with my husband, I had the urge to pass motion (but I had already cleared my bowels!) and I had reached my pain threshold. By then, I only wanted one thing. EPIDURAL! So, I got my husband to get the nurse.

Upon checking my progress, she exclaimed, "9 cm!". With that, she got into a frenzy mode (and I guessed I was too late for epidural)! Very quickly, she called my gynae and asked him to be in asap. At that moment, I found it quite funny how things escalated so quickly. Luckily, we did not send our sisters off.

I remembered it took me 3 pushes (my gynae arrived on the 2nd push), and QW arrived! After that, I got the feeling of dying. Everything started to become very dark as I was going to black out. Wanted to bid goodbye to my husband and QW but the words would not form from my drained self. At the same time, the nurses were busy doing the routine checks on QW with my husband.

While my gynae was stitching me up, the laughing gas merely took the edge off the pain. Can I feel the pain? YES! I DO! I remembered twitching my legs because of it. You might say it is a kind of motor system response, but I tell you, the degree of twitching is proportional to the amount of pain I felt!

And what did my gynae tell my husband when he enquired (because he is forever so inquisitive especially when it concerns biology)? Gynae said,"Don't worry. She won't feel the pain because of the laughing gas." OH MAN~! I really wanted to tell him off in his face at that moment but I was way too sedated to say a thing!

"Take off your mask!", my gynae shouted after stitching me up. Maybe that was the effect of sniffing too much the laughing gas!? With much effort, I took it off and started feeling more alive. The nurses handed QW over to me for our skin-to-skin time and she breastfed immediately! After that, she was all wrapped up and ready for some photo shooting:

With my gynae, Dr. Koh CH

Our 1st we-fie! She smiled :D

Finally, we made our separate ways: us to my ward, and she to the nursery to get cleaned up before coming back for more breast milk =) The whole delivery took us about 2 hours from the time we got into the delivery ward. She had been kind to me =)

Motherhood: Reasons for Choosing Mount Alvernia Hospital

QW was delivered at Mount Alvernia Hospital (Mt A). Here are some reasons for making this choice:

1. Location: Living in the northeast region, hospitals on the west side of Singapore, such as NUH, are not within our consideration as they are too far from where we live. Mt A was also chosen because of its proximity to my gynaecologist's, Dr Koh CH, clinic.
2. Getting there: There are free shuttle bus serivces from Bishan MRT, Novena MRT and Macritchie resevoir. Hence, it is pretty convenient to get there even by public transport.
3. Car park: With the completion of its new multi-storey car park, parking is no longer an issue. I eliminated Thomson Medical Centre (TMC) right from beginning because the car park there is very small. Whenever I visit my friends there, I had difficulty getting a car park slot within its compound. Even when I tried to find a slot in the HDB car park opposite TMC, I usually have to wait quite sometime before I could get a slot.
4. Cost: Their maternity packages is one of the lowest among the private hospitals based on singaporemotherhood.com. 
5. Mother's recommendation: My two younger sisters are at least 7 years younger than me, both delivered at Mt A. I had fond memories of my mother's stay at Mt A. My mother also recommended Mt A because of the professional and caring staff, and delicious confinement food. I can ascertain that based on my personal experience.
   

   

   Yum yum~

   

   Papaya = no constipation and smooth stools for me. Yay!

6. Lactation consultant: The great thing about Mt A is you get to receive advise on breastfeeding from a lactation consultant for free every morning throughout your stay there. (Whereas TMC charged my friend from 2nd consultation onwards.) I did not get a visit from the famous Sister Kang, but my personal favourite is K. Sarasvathi. She was very clear in her explanation and even asked my husband about my progress after I transferred to single ward. 
   

Of course, there are some cons with Mt A. I chose single ward but was warded into a 4-bedder due to lack of availability. Eventually, I transferred to single ward when it became available. Here are some photos of the single ward:

View from the room I stayed in

Another cons is more prominent if you are quite a shopper and/or needed a break from staying in the room. As compared to KKH (which has a mini shopping street), Mt E and even TMC, Mt A is not close to shopping area.

Last but not least, a word of caution for those who plan to total breastfeed your baby. If your baby does not pass the 1st stool within 24-hr, the nurses there will suggest to give formula. Do make your stand clear to the nurses there. 

Crafts: Toilet Paper Origami

One of my hobbies is origami (折り紙) or Japanese art of paper folding. Hence when the Toilet Paper Origami (TPO) popped up in my Facebook News Feed, it caught my attention immediately.

Have you ever notice the toilet papers in hotels' rest rooms? Many upscale hotels have janitors who fold the toilet papers after cleaning. Hence, seeing such TPO reminded me of my hotel stays. That in turn gives me the feeling of being on a vacation/staycation.

I tried my hands at some of them:

Classical triangle fold

Pleat fold

Origami leaf

Origami tree

Origami bird

I guess if I want to recreate the feeling of being on vacation/staycation while enjoying the comfort of my home, I will fold a TPO ;)

By the way, it seems like the TPO diagrams are arranged in difficulty level: ranging from basic folds such as the Classic Triangle Fold (about 2 to 3 steps), to more complicated folds such as the Origami Bird (more than 10 steps).

Each fold would probably take you no more than 10 minutes (assuming that you have some experience with origami). Oh~ with Christmas just around the corner, you might want to consider folding the TPO tree to add a festive touch ;) So, do give them a try!

Reference:

1. Origami Resource Center - Toilet Paper Origami 

Travel: Free Things to do in Singapore

One of the many job descriptions that my entrepreneur husband, Richard, hold is a local tour agent (mostly in-bound). He is also the blogger of Singapore Local Tour[1]. With him around, I get to visit lots of interesting places for free. 

Recently, a post on TheSmartLocal.com titled 50 Fun & Free Things To Do In Singapore[2] caught my attention. It was written by my ex-band student Denise Bay and I think she did a great job!

With thanks to my husband, I actually did quite a number of the things on the list which she had written :) 

Sharing some photos of 2 places on her list that I had visited:

Kampong Lorong Buangkok (please bring insect repellent!):

Ion Sky (55th level of Ion Orchard):

Keep a look out for educational pointers on their glass panels!

After checking against her list, I still have about 15 things undone! Some of which, I probably will never get them done like Fish at Yishun Dam (because I am an OLV).

So, are you running out of ideas of free things to do in Sg? Visit my husband's Singapore Local Tour blog and read Denise's article to get some ideas! Do read it and give it a try!

References:

1. Singapore Local Tour
2. TheSmartLocal - 50 Fun & Free Things To Do In Singapore