Baby R wasn't very happy on the flight and was finding it hard to fall asleep when she was tired. Maybe it was the unfamiliar environment, the loud plane.
She continued to cry until I finally gave her a bottle of milk, then realised that maybe she was finding it hard to settle because she had only half of her feed before takeoff and needed a good volume of milk in her tummy to settle. I tried as hard as I could to keep her to her feed play sleep routine on the plane. She only allowed herself to be put down on the bassinet once for 20 mins and was carried by me the whole time otherwise. Partway she did let one of the air stewardess to carry and the mum sitting next to me to carry so I could use the toilet and wolf down my meal. Thank you to the flight attendants on singapore airlines for being so attentive to me and my baby.
Lessons learnt?
Be thick- skinned and ask for help
Bring extra bottles because baby might not nurse on the boobs. I'll try the pacifier next time too, except I'm not sure if she'll take it.
Have your bag next to you for easy access of feeds, toys, nappies
Apologise and thank people around you profusely.
Bring alot of patience and energy together with you on the flight!
What was your first experience with flying with your infant?
Monday, August 26, 2013
Infant air travel -part1
So I bravely decided to bring baby R onto the plane to make a trip to singapore at 5& 1/2 months. On my own. I thought I had read up on every tip possible to prepare myself. Still the ride was unpleasant.
We got to the airport in a taxi without a carseat which was somewhat scary. This was the first time we had travelled without a carseat. I had decided to use the baby bjorn.
I had already done Internet checkin so had the benefit of a shorter queue. I had also packed very lightly, so only had 1checkin luggage (about 10kg), and a hand carry (about 7kg). Went to clear customs (the queue was short) and I got spotted by the customs officer and was allowed to 'jump' queue.
Because it was about time for a feed, I gave baby R one boob to nurse, thinking to give her the other boob at take off to nurse from to relieve air pressure on the ears. There was a parents room near the departure lounge. (2star). Going to the toilet was difficult with the baby bjorn. We hang around the departure lounge and got spotted by an airport officer to go to the waiting lounge for early boarding with the other passengers needing wheelchair assistance and other families with infants. The other family with infant had a pram that the airport staff packed away prior to boarding. The husband of that family offered to carry my bag, but I was managing ok.
When we got on, we got given an infant belt to attach to the adult seat belt. I had requested a bassinet so we couldn't put our bags under our seat at the beginning. Baby R was very tired at this point because I kept disrupting her attempts to sleep . She played on my lap while waiting for the other passengers to board. She became quite inconsolable upon takeoff and won't latch on the boobs to nurse. She ended up crying at the top of her lungs and sucking her fingers to help with ear pressure (I hope it helped, anyway). There was an Asian man who sat beside me who was probably very uncomfortable when I flashed my boobs and so changed seats with his wife after takeoff. I was so glad of that because the wife was so helpful throughout the flight.
We got to the airport in a taxi without a carseat which was somewhat scary. This was the first time we had travelled without a carseat. I had decided to use the baby bjorn.
I had already done Internet checkin so had the benefit of a shorter queue. I had also packed very lightly, so only had 1checkin luggage (about 10kg), and a hand carry (about 7kg). Went to clear customs (the queue was short) and I got spotted by the customs officer and was allowed to 'jump' queue.
Because it was about time for a feed, I gave baby R one boob to nurse, thinking to give her the other boob at take off to nurse from to relieve air pressure on the ears. There was a parents room near the departure lounge. (2star). Going to the toilet was difficult with the baby bjorn. We hang around the departure lounge and got spotted by an airport officer to go to the waiting lounge for early boarding with the other passengers needing wheelchair assistance and other families with infants. The other family with infant had a pram that the airport staff packed away prior to boarding. The husband of that family offered to carry my bag, but I was managing ok.
When we got on, we got given an infant belt to attach to the adult seat belt. I had requested a bassinet so we couldn't put our bags under our seat at the beginning. Baby R was very tired at this point because I kept disrupting her attempts to sleep . She played on my lap while waiting for the other passengers to board. She became quite inconsolable upon takeoff and won't latch on the boobs to nurse. She ended up crying at the top of her lungs and sucking her fingers to help with ear pressure (I hope it helped, anyway). There was an Asian man who sat beside me who was probably very uncomfortable when I flashed my boobs and so changed seats with his wife after takeoff. I was so glad of that because the wife was so helpful throughout the flight.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Happy 3rd month, Baby RT!
3rd month is when she is officially an infant and no longer a newborn. End of 4th trimester. Had to go out shopping for larger sized clothes and pack away the smaller newborn clothes.
Brain on Fire: My month of madness
by Susannah Cahalan.
on her personal experience of NMDA encephalitis. Most of her experience I had probably gleaned from the many patients whom I'd come into contact with suffering from delirium.
The most poignant learning point was that, as a neurologist, not to give up on searching for a diagnosis.
on her personal experience of NMDA encephalitis. Most of her experience I had probably gleaned from the many patients whom I'd come into contact with suffering from delirium.
The most poignant learning point was that, as a neurologist, not to give up on searching for a diagnosis.
Myer Melbourne parents room
Used the Myer Melbourne parents room on Saturday.
It was on level 3 where the children's clothes were sold. Large-ish room. 2 parent child toilets. 2 cubicles for privacy of breastfeeding. 10 single armchairs to sit and feed (formula/ breast). 2 nappy change areas. sink. microwave. quite clean. I think I'll give it a 4star.
QV shopping centre had recently renovated its toilets on ground floor. 2 baby change toilets, of which there is a plastic chair that you could sit in to breast feed in private if desperate. No separate door/ cubicle for the toilet though. Felt and smelt like you were breast feeding in the toilet still. There was a microwave in the baby change room though. 2star.
It was on level 3 where the children's clothes were sold. Large-ish room. 2 parent child toilets. 2 cubicles for privacy of breastfeeding. 10 single armchairs to sit and feed (formula/ breast). 2 nappy change areas. sink. microwave. quite clean. I think I'll give it a 4star.
QV shopping centre had recently renovated its toilets on ground floor. 2 baby change toilets, of which there is a plastic chair that you could sit in to breast feed in private if desperate. No separate door/ cubicle for the toilet though. Felt and smelt like you were breast feeding in the toilet still. There was a microwave in the baby change room though. 2star.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
homemade red bean paste
Monday, May 27, 2013
Baby J full moon celebrations
Our first trip to Melbourne was to Baby J's full moon celebrations. We weren't sure how Baby A was going to take it. She did alright though. Slept in the car seat there and back. Cried a little on the way back. I realised how hard it is to photograph children! Y said I was the only person who probably took blurred photos with a dslr camera. In the whole midst of taking other people's photos, we didn't take any of ourselves. Yish.
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| J and Baby A -- i thought this shot was very well taken! |
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| C and his lovely 2 girls |
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| T and her 6 month old baby girl |
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| Baby J who was asleep for most of his celebrations |
Is she doing it yet?
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| looking at faces and smiling |
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| sitting supported |
pancakes
still exploring new recipes. I thought it'll be nice to make pancakes but had always bought the store bought premix, added water, shake and panfry them. Found an easy online recipe. Turned out not too sweet at all :)
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| pancake stack |
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| added my own homemade red bean paste to the pancake. Yum. |
Baby Blessing Ceremony
We went down to Federation Square on the 18th May 2013 for the Baby Blessing Ceremony as part of Buddha's Day Celebration organised by BLIA (Victoria). Buddha's Day is a yearly event to celebrate Vesak Day (Buddha's birth, enlighenment, life) in Melbourne.
There were alot of babies. The ceremony started off with the Venerables chanting homage then the Heart Sutra. Then everyone lined up to be blessed by the Venerables. There was a souvenir of wrist rosary (child size) and a certificate of participation for the child. Balloons were also given out and pictures taken.
There were alot of babies. The ceremony started off with the Venerables chanting homage then the Heart Sutra. Then everyone lined up to be blessed by the Venerables. There was a souvenir of wrist rosary (child size) and a certificate of participation for the child. Balloons were also given out and pictures taken.
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| Blessing by the Venerables |
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| Wrist rosary. Baby was really tired by now |
toys
It was sunny the other day so the toys decided to have a dunk in the pail and have a sunbath. Bub can now put the toys in her mouth.
Westfield Geelong parents room
located just outside myers on the first floor probably deserves a rating of 5 stars for parents room.
I ventured in yesterday and the room was as big as the neighbouring female toilets. Has a sink, filtered water tap, microwave, a 2 seater couch, a toddler play area with a TV (childproof lock), 2 cubicles each with an armchair and a side table for breast feeding and a curtain (like in fitting rooms in clothes stores), nappy change table with hand sanitiser on the wall, and a parent and child toilet. The parent room was well lit and clean and no nappy smell at all. The door was a sliding door with a control button mechanism so it doesn't open all the time when someone walks pass.
Great job, Westfield Geelong!
I ventured in yesterday and the room was as big as the neighbouring female toilets. Has a sink, filtered water tap, microwave, a 2 seater couch, a toddler play area with a TV (childproof lock), 2 cubicles each with an armchair and a side table for breast feeding and a curtain (like in fitting rooms in clothes stores), nappy change table with hand sanitiser on the wall, and a parent and child toilet. The parent room was well lit and clean and no nappy smell at all. The door was a sliding door with a control button mechanism so it doesn't open all the time when someone walks pass.
Great job, Westfield Geelong!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Baby care rooms in melbourne
https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/babycare is a list of baby care rooms compiled by Australia breastfeeding association. Not updated and highly inadequate.
Interesting how one develops a blind spot when the issue does not apply to you.
We made a trip down to federation square to join in the Buddha's day celebration, specifically the baby blessing ceremony (nb, babies abound!).
Bub then cries frantically to be fed. There is a baby change room near the male, female, disabled toilets near the atruim but nowhere to feed bub. All I need is a seat, a clean quiet private room, clearly marked to feed bub. Sure I'm 'allowed' to feed bub anywhere, but I'm not comfortable. And not everyone out there is comfortable to watch us or walk by us. Our last resort was going to be in the car in the carpark (I had stashed my nursing pillow there before we left home).
We ended up in the change/ store room of the volunteers organizing Buddhas day because I knew some of them. Crisis averted.
I reckon I should compile a better list of available rooms.
Do you know where these nursing mothers rooms are? What would you like in these rooms?
Interesting how one develops a blind spot when the issue does not apply to you.
We made a trip down to federation square to join in the Buddha's day celebration, specifically the baby blessing ceremony (nb, babies abound!).
Bub then cries frantically to be fed. There is a baby change room near the male, female, disabled toilets near the atruim but nowhere to feed bub. All I need is a seat, a clean quiet private room, clearly marked to feed bub. Sure I'm 'allowed' to feed bub anywhere, but I'm not comfortable. And not everyone out there is comfortable to watch us or walk by us. Our last resort was going to be in the car in the carpark (I had stashed my nursing pillow there before we left home).
We ended up in the change/ store room of the volunteers organizing Buddhas day because I knew some of them. Crisis averted.
I reckon I should compile a better list of available rooms.
Do you know where these nursing mothers rooms are? What would you like in these rooms?
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Cool business idea
Here is a really cool business idea: mamatongsoup.com
For those living in USA and wanting to enjoy some of the benefits of the chinese confinement foods, here's a business that would send prepackaged soups to you. Great for baby shower gifts too!
She links us to www.thechinesesouplady.com to a family in hongkong who have put up so many soup recipes and actually tell you what those chinese herbal ingredients are and for. Very informative!
For those living in USA and wanting to enjoy some of the benefits of the chinese confinement foods, here's a business that would send prepackaged soups to you. Great for baby shower gifts too!
She links us to www.thechinesesouplady.com to a family in hongkong who have put up so many soup recipes and actually tell you what those chinese herbal ingredients are and for. Very informative!
Firsts... box of infant nappies
photobooks
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Tomato fried rice
was trying out the new camera to see if i get better food photographs :) this was lunch.
New camera!
Hubby bought a camera (second hand), but new to us. Now we can take better pictures! We decided that a professional photo shoot for a newborn was too expensive, and that money was probably better spent on a new camera.
I never could capture her feet in good detail with the other cameras that we've got. Now I get to keep a picture of her tiny feet! She's growing up so quickly now. She's managed to turn from her tummy to her back today. Another milestone!
Monday, April 29, 2013
first month celebration
I think I was keen to get out of the house 4 weeks post partum, so what better way than to organise a first month birthday celebration for bub? CK kindly allowed us to host the event at his house as it was bigger.
so... dyed some eggs red using a recipe i found online...
I only did 1 hard boiled egg per person, wasn't so sure how the red fresh eggs would go down, so decided to combine them with easter chocolate eggs (we were in easter period). i wanted them to be all red foil wrapped chocolate eggs (but they were sold in multi colors per pack), we couldn't find any red colored foil, so hubby bought these red paper streamers instead (which is incredibly hard to wrap around an egg). So gave some gold eggs mixed with the red eggs... (one needed to give an odd number of eggs for girls, and an even number of eggs for boys)
I baked a blueberry shortcake from my trusty baking book. Gave up trying to make ang koo kueh (they had to have the patterns for a girl and can be round and plain for a boy) -- sounded like a malaysian adaptation from the nyonya culture.
We did cut a short length of hair at the back.
more cooking
got this easy mini frittata recipe from woolworths magazine. i didn't have enough eggs but it turned out ok.
and this recipe from a cookbook: noodle w sesame sauce and garlic, topped w bean sprouts and red capsicum. tasted yummy too.
sultana bun
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Baby RT
This is her favourite pose. Asleep on our chests. (mouth open, drooling. I only realised that saliva production is turned on from 6-8weeks after birth, and they don't know how to swallow all the saliva yet, so they seem to drool alot more during this period).
And this is her learning how to hold her head up better. Doing well, little one!
Borobudur temple (Yogjarkarta, Indonesia)
We went to the Borobudur temple for the first leg of our honeymoon because I've always wanted to visit this UNESCO site. It was amazing. We took our time to look at almost every stone relief.
Stupas at the top. It wasn't a hard climb.
an example of the stone carvings.
We did do the sunrise tour but it was really cloudy, so the pictures didn't turn out amazing. Ah well, it was all luck, I guess. We stayed at the Manohara Hotel which was within the Borobudur compound itself and made going to the sunrise tour really easy. The food was of a great quality at the hotel and the staff was friendly and the place was clean. Definitely recommended!
Almond cookies
recipe from kelly siew's blog. it works!
Kelly and I used to go to medical school together. Glad to know that she is doing well! Go Girl!
Monday, April 22, 2013
The google baby generation
Thank you all those mummy bloggers out there. You've made me laugh and taught me many things (not sure if they are right or wrong). The ' google baby generation' is my term to describe this generation of newbie parents seeking out answers to their various questions via the Internet and the google search engine. We are faced w so many new issues as we become parents, and I'm really thankful that someone had asked the question, had laughed about it and had more questions at the end...
Kellymom.com is one great resource that I turned to for breastfeeding...
Kellymom.com is one great resource that I turned to for breastfeeding...
Friday, April 19, 2013
Long absence
Didn't realise how long I had neglected the blog!
We've done the 3 weddings (I survived!), organised the clinical exam for 2012 (success!), fell pregnant (how the body changed!) and had baby A (who is amazing and makes me so sleep deprived), did a year of neurology training while being pregnant (which on retrospect, being pregnant does affect my work performance. I think I was in denial and thought that it won't).
Now while boob feeding bub, I've got my handy iPad around, there's time to update and explore new things w and for baby A. She's 7 weeks old now. Now to venture into the world of parenthood
We've done the 3 weddings (I survived!), organised the clinical exam for 2012 (success!), fell pregnant (how the body changed!) and had baby A (who is amazing and makes me so sleep deprived), did a year of neurology training while being pregnant (which on retrospect, being pregnant does affect my work performance. I think I was in denial and thought that it won't).
Now while boob feeding bub, I've got my handy iPad around, there's time to update and explore new things w and for baby A. She's 7 weeks old now. Now to venture into the world of parenthood
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