1. Take a break and relax (put your feet’s up and read a book or a magazine)
2. Chill Out (try Meditation and positive visualization)
3. Participate in antenatal yoga classes (there you can learn new relaxing techniques and breathing techniques that will help you during labor).
4. Get ready for the birth
5. Enjoy the time with your partner
6. Eat well
7. Exercise as long as it is safe for you and the baby
8. Ask your employer if you can avoid rush ours specially during your commuting
9. Always sit down if you are traveling with public transport
10. Laugh a lot
11. Go for a spa (make sure the spa is adequate for pregnant mothers)
12. If your bump is already to big to cut your toenails – go for regular pedicures
13. Prepare financially for the changes that occur when you have a baby. (It is not necessary to buy everything! Make a list and prioritize. Some items you can borrow from family or friends that have already older children).

As a home-maker, a woman bears the heavy burden of raising children, managing the household and ensuring her family’s overall wellbeing. With this in mind, the least the government should do is ensure the full recovery of a woman’s physical, emotional and mental state after delivering a child.

Many Southeast Asian nations have moved forward along with the Recommendation of the ILO Convention 103 – Maternity Protection Convention (Revised), 1952. The revised Convention 183 of 2000 considered 7 maternity protections;

Sign up now and support the initiative by the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) to increase the existing paid maternity leave from 60 to 90 days.

Sign the petition!!!

Food cravings during pregnancy are normal, although there is no widely accepted explanation for why they occur. According to WebMD, almost two-thirds of all pregnant women have some type of food craving.

If you develop a sudden urge for a certain food, go ahead and indulge your craving if it provides energy or an essential nutrient to you and the baby. But, if your craving persists and prevents you from getting other essential nutrients in your diet, try to create more of a balance in your daily diet during pregnancy.

Be aware that during pregnancy, your taste for certain foods may change and you may suddenly dislike foods you were fond of before you became pregnant.

Non-Food Cravings:

Some women feel strong urges to eat non-food items such as ice, laundry starch, dirt, clay, chalk, ashes, or paint chips. This is called pica, and it may be associated with an iron deficiency, such as anemia.

Do not give in to these non-food cravings. They can be harmful to both you and your baby. Tell your gynecologist if you have these non-food cravings and ask for advice.

There are also nutrition advisors that can help and advice you on how to maintain a healthy and balanced nutrition and gaining weight properly.

The twins are on semi solids since they were 6 months+..they had 3 meals. Breakfast (at 9-9.30 am: 2 tablespoon of rusks biscuits mix with water / youghurt)..lunch (12 – 1.00: 2 tablespoon of mashed rice+soups or grinded macaroni or prepared cereals)..and dinner (5.30-6.00pm: 2 table spoon of prepared / instant cereals). I leave at home around 28-30oz of EBM everyday to be consumed while i’m at work..their weight currently 8.3kg (Twin 1) and 8 kg (Twin 2)

So my concern is are they really hungry or something else?

Really appreciate your help.

Thank you.

Dear Yanti,

Thanks for your updated information. From the information provided, your twins are doing well with good weight gain. The 30 oz of milk i guess is to be shared by the two of them. If that is the case, I suggest increasing the amount of semisolids at each meal to eliminate the possibility of hunger. If after increasing the amount of solids, they are still waking up, then we may have to gradually eliminate the night feeds . When you are confident that they are no hungry, you can follow the steps in Asian parenting today on page 258/259 to eliminate the night feeds.

All the best,

Jennifer

The age difference between her three-year-old son and the new baby would be ideal. She would be off work at the same time as her pregnant friends.

But something held Ms. Henderson back from telling the car salesman, her co-workers, or her closest friends, for that matter. It was so early — she was just four and a half weeks along. And within days of taking a pregnancy test, she was not pregnant any longer. By the time she visited her doctor, she had lost the baby.

“My husband said, ‘You were never really pregnant, were you?” said Ms. Henderson, 32, who asked that her real name not be used because of fear her pregnancy plans will affect her career. “If I wasn’t actively trying to get pregnant, I would have chalked it up to not feeling good.”

This is the other side of the thin blue line. At least one in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage, according to experts.

Years ago, many women miscarried before they knew they were pregnant, but the latest generation of pregnancy tests predict positive outcomes within days of conception.

But those early days are also when most pregnancy losses occur.

The risk of losing a pregnancy also rises as a woman ages. More Canadian women than ever are giving birth to their first children after they reach the age of 30. Women now grapple with the grief and confusion of an unexpected, inexplicable loss that previous generations may not have even registered, thinking their pregnancy losses were simply late periods, or not even noticing at all. The earliest pregnancy losses are often referred to as a chemical pregnancy, a missed miscarriage, or a blighted ovum. Regardless of the terminology, the outcome is the same: Couples who wanted to be pregnant are pregnant no longer. There is no baby to grieve, nothing to bury.

“People have a tendency to forget that this is a real loss. This is not a trivial matter,” said Anne Rosberger, director of the Bereavement and Loss Center of New York.

“These pregnancy losses and the feelings that go with them are certainly felt. People think it’s something that is like a blip on your life’s radar screen, an insignificant blip. But to you, it’s not. You have been waiting for this child. All these ‘unhad’ babies are precious. They are real. They are real to those parents.”

Technology exacerbates the problem. With ultrasounds available for women just a few weeks pregnant, the emotional attachment to a pregnancy can begin almost instantly. Seeing images of the baby developing inside makes the experience seem real, even before a baby’s tiny heartbeat can be detected.

Andrea Colman, an interior designer and mother of four in Holland Landing, Ont., has been pregnant nine times. Her most recent pregnancy loss was two years ago, shortly after she and her current husband began in vitro fertilization treatments. She was only eight weeks along when she miscarried.

With each miscarriage, Ms. Colman says she lost a bit of her soul. When she was in her 20s, her first husband would say they were so young, they should simply try to have another baby. Yet it was not another baby she wanted; she wanted the baby she had lost.

“When you miscarry before three months, you end up carrying that load by yourself because you didn’t tell anybody about the pregnancy,” she said. “Until you start telling people you’ve had a miscarriage, you don’t realize how many people have had them.”

Research has found valid reasons that parents are reluctant to talk about their losses; their feelings are often unappreciated or misunderstood by friends and family.

A recent study in the journal Women’s Health & Urban Life found the support offered to grieving women varies depending on how far along their pregnancies had progressed.

The researchers quizzed a group of female university students on their perceptions of perinatal losses. They viewed stillbirth as a more significant loss than miscarriage.

“When individuals do not view perinatal loss as a real life loss and instead view it as, for example, a routine procedure or failed conception, it is likely they will not have much empathy for the woman who experienced the loss and, in turn provide little support,” the researchers note. “It is likely that individuals provide varying types and amounts of support based on the meaning they attach to the loss.”

Tina Smith, a hospital worker who lives near Toronto, feels as though she is carrying around a shameful secret. For her, comfort comes from a “forget-me-not” necklace she ordered online. The pendant features a pearl, amethyst and ruby, the birthstones for the months of conception, due date and the pregnancy loss.

It was over by the time Ms. Smith went for her first ultrasound at nine weeks. After having six ultrasounds in the space of a week, Ms. Smith, who was then 39, learned that the baby had died.

“I’d lost the baby five weeks earlier and didn’t know,” said Ms. Smith, who also asked that her real name not be used. “I felt almost stupid, in a way, because I didn’t know, which is ridiculous. How, logically, could I know?”

Many of those pregnancies are still in such early days that women may have not yet revealed their news to anyone other than their spouses, making their grief all the more isolating. It is precisely

the fear of losing a pregnancy that keeps many parents from sharing their news during the first trimester. When Ms. Henderson miscarried, she simply told her boss that she was not feeling well — to have been completely honest would have tipped him to a possible maternity leave in her future.

She turned to an online message board for support, as more and more women are doing. The Internet provides some measure of anonymity, as well as an instant community of people experiencing similar losses. On message boards for parents and boards devoted to young women, the topic is so common that it often has its own category as a conversation thread.

“The thing I learned with what I went through is that from the moment you pee on the stick you’re a mom,” one woman wrote. “When you got that positive you imagined a life and what you’re mourning is not a ‘chemical pregnancy,’ but the loss of the vision you had for how your family was going to evolve.”

Many women say the best therapy for them will be holding a newborn baby in their arms. Despite their losses, they are still trying.

(National Post, March 2010)

My boy is a healthy 10 mths old weighing approx 12 kg. After I wrote to you in Oct 2009, he was able to sleep through the night (and I thought I would have a peaceful sleep, too) until he turned 9 mths old. My boy is having a hard-time falling to sleep and been crying alot in his sleep.

He is now able to push himself up in a standing position via the cot railing and everytime when he ‘wakes’ up and cry, he will lift his head up and pulled himself up to stand by the cot looking for me or my husband, crying very loudly (as if someone has given him a smack at the buttock).

He sleeps around 10.15pm (due to the tossing, climbing up & down in the cot). We do have the normal bedtime routine from feeding him milk, wipe him, change him, read a book and then to his cot. He will be doing his usual truants for abt 45 mins before he really lies down & sleep. He would normally sleep from 10.15pm – 5.00am (occasionally waking up and cry but will fall back to sleep with his soother). By 5.00am, he would then cry very loudly while standing up in his cot.

The only thing that can keep him quiet is his milk. Even after feeding him, and by the time I put him back to his cot, he will cry again. What is going on with my boy? My husband said it is the phase he is going through ie. separation anxiety, which I don’t think so. I am depriving from sleep as every single sound he made, I would just jump out from my bed to have a look at him.

Please advise.

Thanks so much!!

Jessica

Dear Jessica,

Baby sleep can be affected by a few factors and one of them is when a baby develops new skills.  It maybe just learning to pull himself up and stand or just learning to walk. When he sleeps, his brain is still practising his newly learned skills.

My suggestion is to continue with your bedtime routine. If your baby has had a very busy and exciting day, do ensure he has sufficient time to unwind. You may want to consider a winding down period before bed time. This will help him to be ready for bed and can settle down easier.

If you are sure that he is not hungry when he wakes up in the night, I would suggest that you lie him down when he wake  and stand up. Try to avoid eye contact or talk to him. The message we are trying to send to him is that he needs to lie down so that he can settle himself to sleep again. This may be a very long and tiring process but it will work. You may have to initially lie him down again and again but with time, he will get up standing less and less.

I understand how anxious and tiring this whole episode must be for both you and your husband but staying calm will not only help you but also your baby.

All the best!

Jennifer

Currently I am 16 days into my confinement and my confinement lady prepared black chicken essence boiled with dan gui.  From the chinese herb shop, the owner advised me that we should take dan gui only after my menses end, and if i take now, my menses will be irregular. I hope you can advise me if I should take it. My confinement lady is quite insistent that I take it cause she said i only have 28 days to ‘bu’ and my menses can be as long as a month. Thanks for your kind help.

Kind Regards,

Noelle Chee

Hi Noelle

It is true that you should only start taking dong quai after you have stopped bleeding therefore the best time to take it is during the last 2 weeks of your confinement. Dong quai has anticoagulant and anti-platelet effects which may increase the risk of bleeding and this may be unsafe for your baby if you are breast feeding.

Kind regards

Cecilia

Preeclampsia is a serious condition that affects 5 -10% of pregnant women. Women with preeclampsia have high blood pressure and protein in their urine. It usually starts after the 20th week, but can occur any time during the second half of pregnancy. If left untreated, it can lead to a more dangerous condition called eclampsia or toxemia of pregnancy. Eclampsia causes seizures and can lead to a coma or death in the mother.

Preeclampsia is a medical condition where hypertension arises in pregnancy (pregnancy-induced hypertension) in association with significant amounts of protein in the urine. Preeclampsia refers to a set of symptoms rather than any causative factor, and there are many different causes for the condition. It appears likely that there are substances from the placenta that can cause endothelial dysfunction  in the maternal blood vessels of susceptible women. While blood pressure elevation is the most visible sign of the disease, it involves generalized damage to the maternal endothelium, kidneys, and liver, with the release of  vasoconstrictive  factors being secondary to the original damage.

Preeclampsia may develop from 20 weeks gestation (it is considered early onset before 32 weeks, which is associated with increased morbidity). Its progress differs among patients; most cases are diagnosed pre-term. Preeclampsia may also occur up to six weeks post-partum.

What are the symptoms?

• Swelling in your hands and feet
• Severe headache
• Problems with vision
• Confusion
• Pain in the upper part of your abdomen
• Quick weight gain (fluid retention)

How is it diagnosed?

At every prenatal appointment, your doctor will take your blood pressure and perform a urine test. If your blood pressure is high, the doctor will watch you closely for the rest of pregnancy.

High blood pressure alone is not enough to diagnose preeclampsia. It is usually diagnosed when high blood pressure is accompanied by a large amount of protein in the urine.

You may be diagnosed with preeclampsia if you have swelling, extra protein in your urine and one of the high blood pressure.

Who is at risk?

• Experts do not know why some pregnant women get preeclampsia.
• Who is at a greater risk?
• Woman younger than 20 years old or older than 35
• First pregnancy
• Pregnant with multiples
• Have high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, blood-clotting disorders, lupus or other conditions before pregnancy
• Preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy
• Family history of preeclampsia
• Overweight
• African-American ethnicity

How is it treated?

Preeclampsia affects all the organs in your body and can be dangerous for both you and your baby. The only “cure” for it is delivery. Once the baby is born, women usually are free of the condition. Luckily, it can often be managed well until your baby is mature enough to be born.

If you were diagnosed with high blood pressure but not preeclampsia, both you and your baby should be closely monitored for the rest of the pregnancy. What starts as simple high blood pressure can quickly turn into preeclampsia with little or no warning.

The main goal of treatment is to protect your health and that of your baby. Preeclampsia can cause serious organ damage and even death. It affects many organs in the body. It puts added stress on the kidneys, which causes protein to build up in the urine. In severe cases, it can cause damage to the mother’s kidneys, heart, brain, liver and eyes.

The second goal is to deliver your baby as close to term as possible. A doctor will try to balance these goals to get the best possible outcome for both mother and baby.

Treatment is based on how severe of the disorder is and how far along in the pregnancy you are. You are less likely to have problems if you develop mild preeclampsia at 37 weeks or later. The risks are higher for women diagnosed with preeclampsia before 37 weeks.

If preeclampsia is mild, your doctor may recommend:

• Reduced activity or bed rest, which may help lower blood pressure
• Frequent blood pressure and urine testing
• Tests to check your baby’s condition, such as nonstress testing, fetal heart monitoring and ultrasound

If Preeclampsia becomes severe:

You may be admitted to the hospital. There you will rest and be monitored closely to try to keep you healthy until your baby is mature enough for birth (usually by the 34th week of pregnancy). You may be given:

• Medications to control your blood pressure
• Anti-seizure medication to prevent seizures (eclampsia)
• If your blood pressure stays too high, the doctor may need to act quickly to deliver the baby. At this stage you may be given:
• Medication to induce labour
• Corticosteroid medication to help mature your baby’s lungs if it is earlier than the 34th week of pregnancy
• You may be able to have a vaginal birth, but in some cases, a caesarean section is needed. A baby who is born prematurely may have problems and need to spend time in intensive care. Still, this may be safer than spending more time in the uterus.

Your blood pressure will continue to be monitored after delivery. For most women with preeclampsia, blood pressure returns to normal within a week or two after delivery.

How will it affect my baby?

Many women with preeclampsia give birth to healthy babies.

Babies born to moms who have preeclampsia often have to be delivered early. Pre-mature babies are at-risk for various health issues, including low birth weight and long-term disabilities. The earlier your baby has to be delivered, the greater the risk for complications.

But, if you have post pregnancy weight to lose, here are a few guidelines that will help make the transition back to your pre-pregnancy weight, easier.

Have realistic expectations. Recently, celebrities have astonished the world with how quickly they lose their baby weight. Unfortunately, these women are sending the wrong message to women everywhere and creating unrealistic expectations. Not only is it very, very difficult to lose weight that rapidly, but it’s also not healthy. As with any weight loss program, you need to lose the fat/weight properly and healthily.

• Drink plenty of water:  drinking water is healthy, especially, during a post-pregnancy weight loss program.
• Exercise:  creating a healthy exercise program is one of the keys to getting that baby fat off your body. Many experts suggest that walking is one of the best exercises that a new mother can do. Go for walks with your baby. You exercise while your baby get some fresh air. Make sure your baby is dressed properly for the walk and is protected from the sun.  Have in mind that you should avoid strenuous exercise for 6 weeks after the birth of your child.
• Diet. Create a healthy diet for yourself. Eating plenty of vegetables, good carbs and low fat protein is the best thing for post-pregnancy weight loss.
• Breastfeed your baby. Breastfeeding also helps you to loose weight.

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My favorite shopping place to go with my baby/toddler is …

I like to go there because…

1 …

2 …

3 …

HOW?

1. Tell us where your favourite shopping place with your baby / toddler is.
2. Tell us 3 reasons why you like to go there.
3. Post your entry on the BaiBoo Facebook Group DISCUSSION BOARD – Contest – My favourite shopping place.
4. Maximum 200 words.

PRIZE:

8 gift bags from Eucerin worth RM 50.

RULES & REGULATIONS:

1. This contest is only open to members of the BaiBoo Facebook Group.
2. To participate you have to write your favourite shopping place and point out 3 reasons why you like to shop there.
3. Entries with less than 3 reasons will be declassified.
4. Only 1 entry per member.
5. The entry must be a post published within the contest period in the discussion board. Post on the general Wall of the Baiboo Group will not be considered.
6. Post from non group members will not be considered.
7. Posts copied from the internet will not be considered.
8. The contest period is from 1^st March – 19^th March 2010.
9. 8 winning entries will be selected and announced in the Webpage and in the BaiBoo Facebook Group on March 24^th .
10. The winners will be invited to collect the prize from BaiBoo’s office in Kuala Lumpur.
11. If you have any questions write us an e-mail to: info@baiboo.com.my