Mummynista!

Many friends and acquaintances I know are actually pretty skeptical about giving birth in Jakarta due to the lack of medical know-hows and emergency infrastructure locally. Hubby G and I decided to deliver in Jakarta after much consideration. (You may want to read about it here: Deciding To Give Birth in Singapore or Jakarta ) Couple of blog readers have been asking me about my childbirth experience in Jakarta and hubby G is also constantly pestering me to record the birth experience so that we won't forget in the future.(Birth amnesia is real~~ I am starting to forget details of my delivery with my first child) And also, for the sake of anyone like myself who's frantically trying to research about delivering in Jakarta; for those who has tried googling for e.g 'delivering in Jakarta', 'giving birth in Jakarta', 'experience childbirth Jakarta', 'natural birth jakarta', 'expat giving birth Jakarta', etc and yet got not much information i...

The Jakarta Women and Child Clinic (JWCC) Alex was sick few weeks ago when he turned one, hence we weren't able to get him his one year vaccination back in Singapore. We went to Kinder Clinic in Paragon where Dr Kenny Ee is practising. He was Alex' PD since childbirth and has been under his excellent care for the past year. I told Dr Ee that we were moving to Jakarta and he recommended the Jakarta Women & Children Clinic which is a subsidiary of Kinder Clinic and a Pediatrician called Dr Lineus. The procedures are pretty similar to Singapore's; Register at the counter, get baby's height and weight measured and wait for your turn. We asked for Dr Lineus as he was recommended by Dr Ee; he can speak very good english for an Indonesian therefore communication wasn't a problem. He checked Alex quite thoroughly too and asked about his development. He isn't as friendly as Dr Ee and Alex didn't take to him as he did with his former PD so we are probab...

My baby tiger Alexander is currently 4.5 months old and on partial breastfeeding supplemented by formula and solids. Yes Alex started on solids at 4 months old as his pediatrician gave a go ahead. I have also returned back to work for a month and returned to my pre-pregnancy figure(almost). I thought it would help some moms by posting various tips that I picked up the last few months: How to increase breastmilk 1. Use a double pump (would recommend Medela's double pump) When I first gave birth, I was using Medela's swing, a single pump. It was a good pump but it was not fast enough and also tiring for me. I got the double pump and seriously it reduces my stress of producing enough milk. Firstly I got almost twice the amount of milk by using the double pump (increased from 200ml to 400ml in total) each pump. I pump 4 times throughout the whole day- 9am, 2pm,6pm,10pm and slept through the night. Not a problem at all. However you got to keep your pumping routine reg...

Lil Alexander is turning 2 months in a week's time! I know most asian parents avoid taking their young infants out, I however brought baby out when he was only 3 days old. Kudos to moms who persevered  and stayed home throughout the whole confinement or avoided taking baby out for the first 3 months! Feeling all cooped up, I bring baby out on average twice a week and during this time, I realized how important it is to visit baby friendly places.  After trial and error from my own experience and frantic attempts,  below is a list of notes I've compiled to make your life as a parent cool and easier! Top 4 Things to Note (to make your life easier!)  When You Take Your Baby Out Tip 1: Always know/take note where the diaper changing stations are located To avoid the frenzy, do arm yourself with the knowledge of where the diaper changing stations are especially if you know that you are going to be in that location for a while. The diap...

List of Diaper Changing Stations in Singapore Malls: Taken from Baby Centre: (with additional comments on the ones I've tried) 1. BHG Bugis 230 Victoria Street, Level 3 Pros: Cons: • Spacious layout, with ample room for strollers. • Two nursing cubicles. • Separate diapering station. • Hot water available. • Wash basin available. • Bench and chairs for waiting dads/siblings. • Nursing cubicles only have curtains, no lockable doors. Su Huay says: "I felt like I had stumbled upon a gem with this nursing room, since the mall is off the usual Orchard path. It's spacious, so there’s lots of room for strollers. There is enough seating for dads as they wait." Mummynista's view: The changing stations are indeed huge however it looks a little rundown and dirty. Perhaps I am being slightly particular, I don't feel secure changing my baby's diapers there even if I place a mat on top of the station. However one just have to make do with i...