Isabella Oliver Review December 1, 2009

I was very impressed by Isabella Oliver , a UK brand,  because they seemed to the first company which “gets” it. That the working woman will still need to work and wear working clothes that are clean cut, well made when they are pregnant. It doesn’t change. Hence I recommended it to my cousin in the UK and she was very happy and bought about five different outfits. In fact, her friends love her clothes so much, that they were not pregnant, but bought the clothes too!

What I love most are their coats and their wraps which seem to really brings out the best in a pregnant mama. However, I do think that they could really still do better with the fit and also their pricing is really on the high side. I wish they would lower the price to about 20% lower.

So far I have the following:

Isabella Oliver Shirt Wrap Top

I received compliments whenever I wear this. However, I find that fold where the two material cross at the chest, tends to open out quite a bit to reveal more than what I wanted. I think the next time I have to wear a camisole or something to protect my own modesty. The shirt material was nice.

Isabella oliver Kimono Wrap Top

Ok. This wrap top when I put it on- I didn’t look a least bit like this model, but it still fitted quite nicely and stylishly. Plus points- the color was nice, it was formal and still stylish. And it looked “cool”. What I would like to see improved– I wish the sleeves were a little longer. I wished it had lining inside. I wish the price would be reduced somewhat to make it more affordable.

Isabella Midi Kimono wrap Dress

This dress was a great disappointment. The color shown here looks like a purplish blue color, but instead it was more like a dull blue. The material here also looked like it was made of some kind of silk like material, but it was actually polysester. And it looks very flimsy. The top was also very tight at the sides, but loose in the front. Maybe if I had ordered the bigger size it would have been better. But I just didn’t like the whole thing so I opted to return it.

Conclusion:

So would I buy it this brand again ? Hmm.. perhaps not. I think I am good for now.

Third Trimester– a little more uncomfortable December 1, 2009

So I am now 29 weeks pregnant, and feeling generally ok. Jack kicks alot harder now, so it feels as if he reallly is a real person. It’s quite fun that way, but try that when you are trying to sleep! He kicks I notice especially when i am hungry and at night when I am lying at my side. I guess he feels squashed.

I noticed that in the third trimester, my feet is getting more puffed up and I have started to put on the pounds. I have also begun to become more constipated. Not sure why.

Also, there is a line right in the middle of the tummy. It really looks strange. I hope it disappears after Jack comes…

Baby Gear Review: Finding the right infant Car Seat.. Maxi Cosi.. Peg Prego… Chicco Keyfit November 14, 2009

The most important thing a parent has to consider buying is the infant car seat. You have to install an infant car seat in the car when you go to the hospital to deliver, otherwise they actually won’t let you go home!!! ( I wonder whether I can walk home with the baby?)

After doing tons of research, I realize that there are essentially two types of car seats around.

1. The Infant Car Seat- that is suitable for age 0 to a max of 30 lbs

2. The Convertible car seat - that you can use if for longer time, whereby you have it rear facing first and then convert it later to front facing.

The reason why many moms prefer to get an infant car seat and then convert to the other car seat, is because for the infant car seat; you can detach it from the base and carry it around, so as not to wake the baby up if he is sleeping. ( Every mom’s nightmare is a baby who is awaken from his sleep).

For a comprehensive and safety list, you should check out this site: http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm

In looking for carseats, here was my list of criteria:

1. It had to be light – I have to climb up stairs to get to my house everyday.

2. It had to be safe

3. It had to look nice and not too plasticy.

4. It had to be easy to buckle and unbuckle.

5. It had to be as big as possible- this is because my hubbie is tall and I know I am going to end up with a big baby, so I want to maximize the use of the infant car seat.

6. It could not be older than manufactured in 2008 ( This is because I plan to reuse the same car seat for another child, and read that car seats have generally a lifespan of 5 years.)

Here is what I shortlisted:

1. Maxi Cosi Car Seat- $169

The "looker"

This was the coolest looking car seat and I was at first attracted to the bright colors. I also liked it because it could fit into alot of the cooler strollers like Bugaboo and Quinny.  It was also rated highly in Europe as a really safe car seat.  However, when I went to Lullaby Lane to test it out, I was strongly advised by the staff there NOT to get it.

Reasons Against:

1.  The handle bar was too thin and comfortable to carry around.

2. It wasn’t exactly the lightest of the carseats.

3. While reading Amazon reviews, everyone complained about how difficult it was to buckle the baby and I didn’t want to waste time fiddling with it.

4. It only fitted up to 22 lbs.

5. It was really hard to get the infant car seat out of the base because the attachement is on the sides of the car seat, whereas the other car seats like Graco it is at the back of the seat which is alot simpler.

2. Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Car Seat 30 $269

Peg Perrego Viago SIP

Priced at $269 for the bigger seat that fits up to 30 lbs, I was still considering this despite the price due to the beautiful style and  and colors. It is obviously made in Italy! For safety features, it also wins bonus points for providing side impact protection. Plus it is one of the few brands around that caters to a larger baby.

Reasons against:

1. It is still on the heavy side

2. The price.

3. Chicco Keyfit 30 $159

Chicco Keyfit30 Infant Car seat

Reading the reviews at elitecarseats.com, I chose this in the end because this car seat had alot of great reviews about safety and easy of use. Furthermore, the car seat did fit for a baby up to 30 lbs. Read the review on about.com on Chicco Car Seat. I bought it because it was cheaper than Peg Perego, and the moms at my local moms club recommended it. However, after I bought the car seat- I realized one major drawback….. there were not many strollers that could fit it. The ones on the website only recommend their own brand- Chicco strollers. And when I looked at the universal strollers/infant car seat carriers- they all mentioned- Graco, Peg Perego, Maxi Cosi, but no mention of Chicco!!

Then I googled and chanced upon a forum, where people said that the Chicco Car Seat fitted with the Maclaren Easy Traveler very well, so I felt a little cheated, but relieved. I bought one on craigslist and hopes it works out ok.

Medical News: Study Suggests Increased Risk of Birth Defects With UTI Treatments – in OB/Gyn, Pregnancy from MedPage Today November 10, 2009

Medical News: Study Suggests Increased Risk of Birth Defects With UTI Treatments – in OB/Gyn, Pregnancy from MedPage Today.

This news is scary. It was posted on CNN and all the major news feeds.

If you recall, I had bouts of  UTI before , and the urologist prescribed a low dosage of antibotics to prevent a miscarriage. I met an appointment with my Urologist, because I realized that the antibotics he had given me was nitrofurantoins- which is the one mentioned in the article. I was kinda surprised that he didn’t read the article, and gave some lame excuse that news like that show up all the time. Anyway, at least he  has changed the medications for me now to something else, and reminded me to drink lots of water during the day.

 

Baby Gear reviews November 10, 2009

I have reached almost obsession level in trying to get ready for the baby. That’s so much things to buy and such a steep learning curve too! Without experiencing being a mother first hand, it is hard to know what to get and what not to get. Anyway, I have done loads of research and I thought I would dedicate these two weeks to let moms to be benefit from what research I have done for the gear.

Stay Tuned……

Preparing for Motherhood.. the baby list November 3, 2009

So I have been told by my friend who has just given birth that it’s best to do all the shopping and preparing for the baby when you are in the second trimester, and not too heavy. This friend of mine was in bed rest for most of her third trimester, so needless to say it was really hard for her to get around and buy stuff.

I had really no clue what to buy and really didn’t want to clutter my house with so much stuff, so I asked my local mom’s club for advice. Their list was overwhelming. Here is what we gotten so far:
Our principal for buying was:
1. Do I really need it ?
2. Get from friends if possible, if not, buy second hand

1. Breast pump – bought from amazon.
2. Baby sling – bought from mom’s club member
3. Bjorn type carrier – bought from babies r us. for hubbie
4. 2 diaper bins ( to throw the used diapers)
5. Crib – for baby to sleep in and can be converted to toddler bed. -Craigslist.
6. Play Gym- from mothers club member ( for baby to stare at things when they lie down)
7. My brest friend – a pillow to help in breast feeding

I am still looking for:
1. The car seat and stroller
2. Baby monitor

Things I am not sure to get or not:
1. Baby swing?
2. Bouncer?

Expectations of Family… Learning October 14, 2009

I have been reflecting alot these past few months, and while the reality of becoming a mother and the responsibilities that comes with it is slowly sinking in; I have been thinking of expectations and looking at my two immediate role models: My mother and my mother in law.

My mother has always been there for my brothers and me. There was never any question in my head, if there were other things more important than her than us. She had her own business, but she always made sure that she came home early to make sure that we were ok. Till today, if I am back in Singapore, she would call to check if I had dinner plans, and if I didn’t, she would somehow buy some food home or meet me for dinner. She does that for my brothers and my Dad too. Her church work and her work occupied her time yes, but I have never in one moment had the thought that these were important to her than me.
Her life just evolved around her children and her husband. Period.

So I have come to an almost rude awakening, when I learnt how different my MIL is compared to my mum. Perhaps it is a difference in culture- My mum is chinese and my mil is White. Or perhaps it is personality. I think it is a bit of both, but somehow I suspect it is more the latter. My mil- her life evolves around herself. I am not saying this out of spite, or out of some crazy jealousy ; but by careful observations of her behavior through the recent years. I am still feeling disappointed ( if not I won’t be blogging this.) knowing this, but can I excuse her behavior because she is not aware of it?

My mil lives 1 and a half hours away from us, we hardly see each other , perhaps once every four months? She will keep in touch sometimes and then sometimes we won’t hear from her for long periods at a time. If you invite her over for dinner, she would be on this very restricted diet that allows for no salt, no spicy etc, that will make you cringe and think about eating out instead to make it easier. She brings her dog everywhere which in my opinion the most annoying and spoilt dog in the world. He barks nonstop and likes to hump at your leg. She brings the dog to my house even though she knows that I am allergic to fur, but she claims the dog doesn’t shed fur. Although this fact might be true, it is still pretty inconsiderate, isn’t it?

She is not so bad, there are so many good qualities about her. She is fun to hang around with, when she is relaxed, she is intelligent, sharp and have a great sense of humor. She is generous with her giving too. And she is genuine. But there are things that I puzzle over that I just don’t understand.

I don’t understand why she didn’t drop by to visit over the weekend when she came to Stanford shopping center to shop , and we live only ten minutes away. Was she so task oriented or was she afraid that she would disturb us?

I don’t understand why she asked us ( perhaps jokingly perhaps not) to move to Marin so that she can be near us and the grandchild when we have bought a house here and she is renting in Marin?

I don’t understand why she asked us what our plans were for the weekend, and say she would like to meet, and then when I tell her, she doesn’t reply except on the saturday to say she is not coming?

I can only conclude that she does that because she is self-centered and not aware of the effect that she has on others.
In the chinese culture, being accused of being selfish or self centred, is like committing a big crime, but perhaps in the western culture, it is almost a desired trait. I was horrified when a fellow MBA friend recommended the book ” Fountain Head” by Arand, because it extolled the virtues of being selfish. Being selfish, gets you ahead , makes you ambitious , and you are willing to pay the price because you ultimately get what you want. A politically correct way of saying that you are selfish, is to say that you are being true to yourself.

So unlike the chinese culture, where it is filled with obligations of what you ought to do and what you ought not to do. In the western world, it is more of what you want to do and not want to do. So at the very least, I know that if my MIL is doing something, it is because she wants to do it, not because she feels that she has to do it.

Still, I am struggling to accept her as she is. My hubbie has , he just shrugs it off and in a way because of how he was brought up, is so much more independent than me. I am learning that in order to accept her, I have to understand her more. I have to have empathy to understand her past, what she has been through and what she is like now. I have to also give her feedback – of course with alot of considerations of how she feels. I also need to learn to manage my own expectations of her.

Seeing a two week old baby October 5, 2009

Hubbie and I visited our neighbor and close friends who just had a baby. Usually in Singapore, we don’t see the baby until the baby is at least one month old because of the golden month custom whereby mothers are confined in their homes to rest for a month. But I guess my friends are not so traditional and so they welcomed us to visit their first child.

When I saw the baby, i cried out” Oh she is so small!” And indeed she was. There she was lying perpendicular to the length of the crib, with a little cap on and tightly wrapped up with a flannel cloth. She was breathing rather heavily , so you could see her tiny chest moving up and down. But her eyes were tightly shut so it looked like just two slits. Everything about her was just so delicate-her nose , her chin, her ears. Hubbie commented, oh she is so vulnerable.

I was still amazed at seeing this miracle of life- a new born baby after we got back from the visit. She looked so fragile and helpless. She couldn’t do anything on her own and needed all the love and feeding she could get. I held her while her father was preparing the milk and fed her a little. She really melted my heart, and i think my husband’s too.

God’s blessing of a prayer answered September 25, 2009

I was looking today at the past blog posts that I have written, and because I have the memory of a goldfish, I really couldn’t remember when I had the miscarriage. And when I read the blog entry , I realize that it was this year 09 Chinese new Year the day before. And my baby will be due on 14th Feburary, the first day of the new year.

What a glorious way to celebrate God’s goodness in my life! There is time for mourning , but also a time for rejoicing.

I am reminded of a song sung in church. IN HIS TIME

In His time, in His time,

He made all things beautiful in His time.

Lord please show me everyday,

as you are teaching me your way,

that you do just what you say

In his time. “

Do I have Gestational Diabetes? September 24, 2009

My mother has type 2 diabetes. My grandmother had type 2 diabetes. My great grandmother has type 2 diabetes. Does this mean that I have it too?

Gestational diabetes according to Google health, is defined as high blood sugar (diabetes) that starts or is first diagnosed during pregnancy.

Usually the doctors will ask to do a gluocose test when you are between 24th – 28th week of pregnancy. However, since I am considered a high risk patient, I was given the test at 17 weeks. I had to drink this fizzy orange flavour drink and then wait for 1 hour before taking a blood test. I hate the sight of blood, so imagine my fear when I saw that the nurse came with four empty tubes. Yuck.

Anyway, three weeks have past and nothing was said so I thought I was in the clear. However the doctor called me this morning and left a message to say that there was a higher sugar level than normal, and so I have to go for further gluocose test which will take three hours and it will then confirm if I have gestational diabetes or not.

I can hear my hubbie saying ” I told you so ” in my head already. Ok, time to take my diet and exercise more seriously.

To read more about Gestational diabetes, I found the following useful links:

1. http://www.babycenter.com/0_glucose-screening-and-glucose-tolerance-test_1483.bc?page=2

2. http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/pregnancy-diabetes

3. http://www.diabetes.org/gestational-diabetes.jsp