My kids are sleep trained - Using Gina Ford's method.

Over these few years, I have questions from friends and mothers on the following questions:

How are my kids able to to sleep early?
How are my kids able to sleep by themselves?
How come they are energized and happy?

My well rested happy kids.

I shared with them the importance of a proper routine and effectiveness of sleep training.

Every kid is different.  I have friends who has children whom are able to sleep soundly on their own since when they are babies without any form of training. My kids were the opposite of what you called sleeping angels.

My first baby was not able to sleep unless she had a pacifier in her mouth and needed to be carried till she fell asleep. The challenge was how to “lock” the pacifier in her mouth so that she wouldn’t cry in the middle of the night looking for her pacifier. We even tied a pacifier to her bib but she was not able to find it anywhere.  Imagine waking up in the middle of the night several times to put on the pacifier. This continued for 6 months and we literally had enough. Oh yes, you can say we should be more patient and wait till baby learn how to sleep on their own. But day after day, this sleeping issue literally drained off my energy. I was like a zombie going to work and coming back home and prayed that she would be able to sleep on her own soon.

Finally, I decided to find solutions. I came across Gina Ford’s sleeping training books and read up to understand how it works. Before conducting any form of sleep training, we need to create and follow a routine for our baby. This is extremely crucial because babies might have some form of crying during sleep training and with proper routine, we can be sure that our baby is not crying because of hunger. Please read up here on how to create a suitable routine and the steps for sleep training.

You can also buy the book from Amazon. Click here: The Complete Sleep Guide For Contented Babies & Toddlers

What about our second baby? Oh mine! He was worse when it comes to sleeping. I’m not too sure whether is it because he is a boy. He is not using any means to sleep soundly. We tried pacifier, bouncer, and even the traditional “yao lan” - swinging basket or cloth. It just doesn’t work. With the “yao lan”, he slept like 30 mins the most. I was really worried that the lack of sleep might impact his development. So I decided to sleep train him at 4 months ago but I was worried whether it is safe to sleep train at such a young age. So we seek advice from SG sleep nanny, Zoe Chu. She advised that it is ok and she gave the same advice about routine and also be consistent on where he sleep. I decided that the cot is the one, no more bouncer, no more "yao lan".

Sleeping on his own since 4 months old. Sleeping pose like mama. :P

To our great surprise, after a routine was set, my boy took only 3 days to sleep on his own with crying mostly on the first day. Yes, on his own. :) His sister took around 5 days. I was so proud of myself. So is it possible to sleep train a baby at 4 months old. The answer is definitely yes! However, do bear in mind that you have to be determined to follow through the sleep training and don’t jump into holding up the baby just because she is crying.

Follow the plan, and be a little hard-hearted and you will see the benefits. If not, the training will take even longer. My girl took 5 days because we could not bear hear her cries (especially my hubby) and we held her up straight away. Thus our first day failed. On the second day, I asked my hubby to have a cup of coffee, in fact OUT of the house when I was sleep training her. No one was at home except the baby and I. The second day she cried even longer because she knew we would picked her up. Some of you might be wondering “WAH! Just let her cry forever? Don’t go in at all? Wah!”. No, this sleep training method allows parents to go into the room after a certain time and gave a quick verbal assurance. Believe me it is definitely tough for the first two days but you will see the improvements and the light to the tunnel. Here are the 8 biggest sleep mistakes new parents make and how to avoid.

My kids are now 4 and 6 and they are still following a routine and are still sleeping at 7.30 p.m and latest at 8 p.m. Some may wondering whether are they able to sleep anywhere or only at their cots?

Kids slept in the car. They can sleep anywhere now.

My little boy had a long nap in the plane. Smart use of my shawl to cover the seat.

Well, though the sleep training emphasizes on consistency on the time and sleeping location, but when children are able to sleep on their own, things get flexible. We moved houses twice (3 different locations) and now in Mumbai. Our kids have no problem adapting to new sleeping environment. Thus, learning how to sleep on their own is so so important. It is a important life skill for our little ones. With enough sleep, they are energized and happy, and able to absorb and discover new learning every day. Even the teachers commented that they are pretty flexible in adapting to new school environments.

Going to sleep now in my bedroom with my Elly Elephant.

Cheers,
Deariebear mommie

DIY Sushi using Atomy Organic Olive Oil Grilled Laver

Lavers are known as seaweed. They are sea vegetables and are forms of algae that grow in the sea. We particularly love this organic seaweed from Atomy. It comes with a package of 6 Packets. Each packet has big pieces in it.

7 Surprising Health Benefits of Eating Seaweed

• Contains Iodine and Tyrosine, Which Support Thyroid Function. ...
• Good Source of Vitamins and Minerals. ...
• Contains a Variety of Protective Antioxidants. ...
• Provides Fiber and Polysaccharides That Can Support Your Gut Health. ...
• May Help You Lose Weight by Delaying Hunger and Reducing Weight. ...
• May Reduce Heart Disease Risk.

We have been eating this seaweed for years and hadn’t stop since. 

Please let me know if you wish to know how to buy this seaweed. 

Have fun making DIY sushi at home :)

Cheers,

Deariebear Mommie

Breastfeeding tips from experienced mother of three

This is my first blog post on getting one of my best buddies, Sophia to share her experiences on breastfeeding. She is a very experienced mother of three and she breastfeeds her children for many years ever since her first child. Often, I will ask her about tips about motherhood, what kind of food is good for baby since she's a wife of a TCM doctor. :P

Question 1: How old are your children?

Answer: "My three girls are 5 years old, 3 years old and 9 months old."

Question 2: Why did you decide to breastfeed your daughter?

Answer: "When I delivered my first girl, i attended the hospital's breastfeeding class and learnt that bf is really benefical for both mother and baby so i decided to give it a go. I bf my first child till 2yrs plus and stop because expecting 2nd child and likewise bf her till 2yrs plus cos expecting 3rd child."

Question 3: What are some challenges you faced, especially when you first started? How did you overcome them?

Answer: "For the first week of bfing my first newborn i was very stressed up as my milk supply was very little and I was very worried that my baby would go hungry...I cried everyday together with my baby."

"My husband played an important role to help me overcome these challenges. He consoled me to relax my mind and most imptly 'stop crying' as my mood will in turn affect my milk supply. Soon, with my mind at ease and drinking a lot of hot soups, I was able to express 60ml each side on my 2nd week of confinement."

Question 4: Any recipe for success to breastfeed so many kids?

Answer: "No secret recipe to success. Just relax and be patient."

Question 5: Where or how did you get help on breastfeeding?

Answer: "To get help on breastfeeding, i first attended the bf class provided by hospital, then read the related brochures and magazines given and also join some online mummy's forums to read about their experiences on bf."

Question 6: Why do you like breastfeeding?

Answer: "I simply adore bf because of these reasons:

a)It helps us save up a lot of money. I dun have to buy formula, bottles, sterilizer..etc

b) Bf gives me an excuse to treat myself to better food..ie splurge on more expensive cod fish etc.. because if i eat well, so will the baby.

c) It is convenient and hassle-free as i can latch on anytime, anywhere i go and my diaper bag is so much lighter.

d) It gives me a time to relax and regain my sanity. Taking care of 3 young kids alone with no helper can be quite insane. Bf is the time i can stop doing my chores for a short break to check FB, emails and do some online shopping!

e) Lastly i feel that bf benefits my children as it did boost their immunity."

Question 7: Do you ever nurse your daughter in public? If so, do you mind sharing your experience?

Answer: "I do nurse my babies in public with a nursing shawl. However I would prefer to go to places with nursing room facilities as my babies dun like to be covered by a cloth when feeding, they would struggle and cry and the situation might get quite embarrassing in public. I would choose to nurse in the car if I cant find a nursing room."

Question 8. What are some tips you’d like to share with other moms who are thinking about breastfeeding?

Answer: "Some tips which work for me: Relax your mind, eat more(ditch that diet plan!), drink lots of hot soups and enjoy that personal bonding session with your baby."

Question 9: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience breastfeeding?

Answer: "If all doesn't work out and you can't breastfeed, do not blame yourself...Formula is fine too. Me, myself and I am pretty sure most mummies here also grew up well drinking formula right? Hence relax, take a step back and embrace the joy of motherhood ya! :)"

Hope the above tips from our Mommie Sophia will come in handy for new mothers :)

Thank you once again, Mommie Sophie.

Cheers,
Deariebear Mommie

Baby is allergic to mosquito bites

Recently Baby Claire will get red raised bumps when she came back from outdoor activities.

Red raised bumps from mosquito bites

It started with a really really small red spot, and when we thought it will go away, it grew bigger and raised up with a bump. This happened to her arm. I suspected it was due to mosquito bites because I was bitten too, but her red spot would become something like in the 3rd picture below if not taken good care of will result in blisters, and definitely leave a scar. Baby Claire currently had a scar on her leg because of that. *sob sob*...

How do I know it is the same thing? Baby Claire had this on her leg and they had the same symptoms. After when it become a raised bump, we did not apply any form of medication *bad mummy, sob sob!*, and in the next hour, it resulted in blisters. And yes, we panicked and brought her see a family doctor. The doctor gave us a iodine which disinfected the wound. Doctor said that the wound will worsen if we apply any form of oilment on the blisters. Thus, we diligently applied the iodine on the blisters after she bathed in the morning and at night. Sadly, though the wound recovered. It has now left a scar on her leg. Not too sure it is because of the iodine?

Blisters formed from the mosquito bite

A pediatrician said that perhaps Baby Claire's skin is dry and we should try to apply moisturizer on her skin to improve her skin protection, and he gave us this bottle Cetaphil "Restoraderm". However, Claire started to grow heat rashes after applying it. Somehow, the California Baby "Calendula" cream seems to works better.

Cetaphil Restoraderm

California Baby Calendula

Symptoms:

• started with a small red spot, which later grows into big raised bump
• become blisters at the last stage

Advices

• Put on mosquito patches when going outdoor which are prone to bites
• Apply mopiko if bites occur
• Apply iodine if blisters occur but I'm not too sure whether it will result in scars
• Apply moisturizers to protect baby skins. Doc said bites on dry skins is worse due to the fact that the skin is weaker

I have yet to put her on mosquito patches for all outdoor. I should do it more often since her reaction to bites is so severe. 

Cheers,

Deariebear Mommie

Baby Skin Issues - Roseola or in Singapore terms "fake measles" or in Chinese "假麻疹"

Are you a new mommie or daddy? Wonder what are those red spots on your little baby's body?

I decided to write down a few posts with pictures for new mothers like me who are unsure what exactly that my kid was suffering, and after seeing those pictures would have a slight idea what is it about and what is it called.

When Baby Claire was 7 days after her one year old birthday celebration, she started to have very high fever for around 3 days, and on the 4th day, her face started to have red rashes, and slowly all over her body. Justin Papa and I panicked! What the hell is that??

We took her to see a pediatrician and he suspected that she was suffering from Roseola or in Singapore terms "fake measles" or in Chinese "假麻疹". I was like huh? What is that? We were asked to monitor her condition, and as long her fever did not rose up again, her rashes will slowly go away after a few days. As advised by the doctor, drink more water, and wear light clothing. Magically, the rashes subsided, and we heaved a sigh of relief. Parents, please take note that if the fever comes back again, and it is high again, it is better to re-visit the doctor again.

Actually after reading up online, Roseola seems to be more common than we know, and this normally occurs to children under 2 years old.  "It is caused by two human herpesviruses, HHV-6 (Human herpesvirus 6) and HHV-7, which are sometimes referred to collectively as Roseolovirus." from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseola

Symptoms:

• High Fever for a 3 days, and 4th day started to have rushes started from her face, then onto her whole body
• Rashes will totally subside after 4 or 5 days

Advices:

• Drink a lot of fluid
• Need a lot of rest especially baby was just recovered from fever
• Bring the child to see doctor again if fever never subside even after the rashes appeared
• Wear light clothing

I will be sharing about the next skin problem next week which Baby Claire frequently encountered, the bites!

Cheers,

Deariebear Mommie

Homemade Salmon Patties for your toddler

Are you worried when your baby or toddler does not want to eat any fishes? Baby Claire will throw away her slices of fishes onto the floor like some kind of rubbish (Yes, she has this very bad habit of throwing food that she don't like onto the floor!).

Fishes such as salmon are not exactly cheap. A piece can easily cost $10 at the wet market. However, what worries me most is whether she will have enough omega 3 which is important for her brain development.

Google, being one of my good friend came to my mind. I researched recipes from annabel karmel and many others and finally decided to try Jamie Oliver's Fish Cakes recipe because it seem the easiest with the least amount of ingredients. I just need something that I can prepare quickly and check Baby Claire's reaction to this new recipe. The result is YUM YUM!! YUMMY! Even Justin Papa found it delicious!

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt (optional if you find that too much salt is bad for your kids)

Dashes of Grounded black pepper

300 gram of russet or other mealy potatoes

450 gram of fresh salmon fillet, skin on (You can remove the skin after you have steamed them)

2 tablespoon olive oil

A small bunch Fresh parsley or a few tablespoons of ready-parsely from the shelves

1 tablespoon of flour for the fish, and more extra for dusting

1 beaten egg

2 lemons 

How to cook them? Here we go!

You can use a steamer that can steam more than one food at a go which means you can steam the potato and the salmon at one go :)

And here we have, the nutritious yummy fish patties which Baby Claire and Justin Papa love to eat. I actually made quite a few for freezing. Save time and money for a working mother is very important! 

Do you have any recipes to share with us? Let me know and we can share with our community of new parents :)

Cheers,

Deariebearmommie

Claire is suffering from Yan Zhen

Hello everyone :)

This blog was lifeless for about 2 years plus. I guess life was kinda stagnant for us after a big milestone passed, our wedding honeymoon at Europe.On 30th Dec 2012, life changed after our baby Claire came into our life. I will talk more about it in another post. :)

For this very first post, it will be good to update my friends about little Claire's eye condition.About 2 weeks ago, I spotted a very very tiny red dot at her left eye lid. I even asked my father-in-law, who is one of the main carer, "Ah Pa, did u see something red here?" He replied "no leh, where got"? After a few days,  her eye became swollen, (pic). My mother-in-law said something must have bitten her, or was she allergic to egg? Immediately, we stopped feeding her egg, and rushed to see a pediatrician.

Our pediatrician said, "oh, she has a 眼针 (Yan Zhen), or our saying Zhen Yan." It was due to blocked sweat duct which caused bacteria infection. I then recalled we don't really clean her eye lids. Being first time parents, we are pretty anxious and kinda guilty too.

The doc gave us a antibiotic cream to apply on her eyelid. We will need to use a warm damp cloth to dap her eyelid first before application so the pores will be open and absorb the cream.

After a week, we noticed that there's a pus in her eye but overall her eye has reduced its swell. But this still kept us worried so Justin Papa and father-in-law brought her to see another pediatrician and gave another cream which will stay longer after application.

Today, the pus seems gone but there's still a tiny swollen thingy which I wonder is the pus still there? Let's see whether it will disappear. Now we are sure to clean her eye lids during her baths. We leant the hard way :( Poor Claire, Mama and papa are still learning.

 By the way, this is the cream that she is using for those who are interested to know :)

Cheers,

Deariebear Mommie