What do you remember most about Sundays as a child?
I remember lazy days at home where Mum would occasionally do a mini spring clean of the house followed by a late soupy lunch that consisted of thick chicken broth filled with various vegetables and some meatballs thrown in.
On some evenings we would take a stroll or bike at the local lake where my brother and I would try out the various exercise routines littered along the jogging path.
Other days we would have our favorite Japanese at Bangsar Shopping Centre or brunch yumcha at the Shangrila Hotel. Dinners would generally be at our favorite steak place Jakes.
I never really gave these events much thought until recently.
Tomorrow we plan to take P to the playground then relax at home with a nice home cooked dinner. Sounds like any other given Sunday.
The thing is, as parents we don't just love, plan, educate, guide and provide for our children. We create memories that last a lifetime!
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Lack of Knowledge Regarding Childbirth Options
Pregnant women show an amazing lack of knowledge about childbirth options, study shows
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
June 14, 2011
Fewer pregnant women and their partners are attending prenatal education classes these days and appear to be quietly following whatever advice the doctor or midwife recommends, researchers said Monday.
Doctors, led by Dr. Michael Klein of the Child & Family Research Institute and University of British Columbia, surveyed 1,318 healthy pregnant women. They found many seemingly unprepared to make their own decisions regarding childbirth options, such as whether to have natural childbirth or a Cesarean section.
RELATED
Birth: U.S. home births increase 20% from 2004 to 2008
More women should have choice of vaginal birth after C-section, panel says
Women today appear to turn childbirth decisions over to their doctors, study finds.
Caesarean sections are a major factor in pregnancy-related deaths, report finds
Fewer than 30% of the women, all first-time mothers, said they had attended prenatal childbirth classes. Many said they used the Internet or books to become informed about childbirth. Still, a shockingly high number could not answer basic questions regarding the pros, cons or safety issues associated with epidurals, episiotomies, Cesareans and other childbirth options. The women who were receiving obstetrical care from midwives tended to be more informed about their options compared with women receiving care from a medical doctor.
"[E]ven late in pregnancy, many women reported uncertainty about benefits and risks of common procedures used in childbirth," Klein said in a news release. "This is worrisome because a lack of knowledge affects their ability to engage in informed discussions with their caregivers."
The study was published in the June issue of Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada.
The type of provider mattered greatly in terms of what kind of care women received. The researchers published a related study in May in the journal Birth that showed younger obstetricians were much more likely to favor the routine use of epidurals and expressed more concerns about the safety of vaginal birth compared with older obstetricians. The younger obstetricians seemed to view C-sections as the preferred option for childbirth, the authors noted. In the United States, efforts have begun to reduce C-section rates. About one-third of all U.S. women have a surgical birth.
Above article from The LA Times.
Although we now have access to a greater wealth of knowledge via technology it is quite alarming as to how little education a lot of pregnant mothers have. Many place full faith in their doctors and immediately opt for a C-section due to the pain.
Unless you really need a C-sec do not! Personally, if you aren't ready to face the pain of labour you aren't ready to have a child. (Prolly will get shot for that comment!) Read up on all the other options available. You will be pleasantly surprised!
By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times
June 14, 2011
Fewer pregnant women and their partners are attending prenatal education classes these days and appear to be quietly following whatever advice the doctor or midwife recommends, researchers said Monday.
Doctors, led by Dr. Michael Klein of the Child & Family Research Institute and University of British Columbia, surveyed 1,318 healthy pregnant women. They found many seemingly unprepared to make their own decisions regarding childbirth options, such as whether to have natural childbirth or a Cesarean section.
RELATED
Birth: U.S. home births increase 20% from 2004 to 2008
More women should have choice of vaginal birth after C-section, panel says
Women today appear to turn childbirth decisions over to their doctors, study finds.
Caesarean sections are a major factor in pregnancy-related deaths, report finds
Fewer than 30% of the women, all first-time mothers, said they had attended prenatal childbirth classes. Many said they used the Internet or books to become informed about childbirth. Still, a shockingly high number could not answer basic questions regarding the pros, cons or safety issues associated with epidurals, episiotomies, Cesareans and other childbirth options. The women who were receiving obstetrical care from midwives tended to be more informed about their options compared with women receiving care from a medical doctor.
"[E]ven late in pregnancy, many women reported uncertainty about benefits and risks of common procedures used in childbirth," Klein said in a news release. "This is worrisome because a lack of knowledge affects their ability to engage in informed discussions with their caregivers."
The study was published in the June issue of Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada.
The type of provider mattered greatly in terms of what kind of care women received. The researchers published a related study in May in the journal Birth that showed younger obstetricians were much more likely to favor the routine use of epidurals and expressed more concerns about the safety of vaginal birth compared with older obstetricians. The younger obstetricians seemed to view C-sections as the preferred option for childbirth, the authors noted. In the United States, efforts have begun to reduce C-section rates. About one-third of all U.S. women have a surgical birth.
Above article from The LA Times.
Although we now have access to a greater wealth of knowledge via technology it is quite alarming as to how little education a lot of pregnant mothers have. Many place full faith in their doctors and immediately opt for a C-section due to the pain.
Unless you really need a C-sec do not! Personally, if you aren't ready to face the pain of labour you aren't ready to have a child. (Prolly will get shot for that comment!) Read up on all the other options available. You will be pleasantly surprised!
Potty Training
Recently I have started P on a new routine, which is potty training.
Actually, looking back now, P could have been potty trained earlier but I was just plain lazy!
It has been 3 weeks and each morning I promptly place him on his potty, encourage him with the usual sounds of "shhhh shhhhh" and "mmmm mmmmm" then viola within 5 minutes he would have done his deed. Honestly, don't know why I didn't start it earlier! Would have saved me all the dirty nappies!
Although, for now I am stuck as to how I would know when he needs to pee. It's not like he can tell me yet. I did get some potty training underwear that we have yet to try out.
I need tips badly!
Or am I being too optimistic trying to fully potty train a 1 year old? Hmmmm.....
Actually, looking back now, P could have been potty trained earlier but I was just plain lazy!
It has been 3 weeks and each morning I promptly place him on his potty, encourage him with the usual sounds of "shhhh shhhhh" and "mmmm mmmmm" then viola within 5 minutes he would have done his deed. Honestly, don't know why I didn't start it earlier! Would have saved me all the dirty nappies!
Although, for now I am stuck as to how I would know when he needs to pee. It's not like he can tell me yet. I did get some potty training underwear that we have yet to try out.
I need tips badly!
Or am I being too optimistic trying to fully potty train a 1 year old? Hmmmm.....
Monday, 6 June 2011
The Global Generation - Home
I was laying in bed one lazy Sunday afternoon and I thought about Ps life. Simple things like what would he look like as he grew older, would he be a noble, honest, strong and determined man, if he would ever remember how attached he was to me as a baby. And then I realized that P is in a rather unique situation. I look at his friends who are of various nationalities and of mixed races. The next generation is so global, so mixed and mashed that the lines of nationalities and races are no longer an issue.
Take P for example. In essence he is a Chinese Australian/Indonesian but he has a Malaysian born Australian mother married to an Indonesian living in Jakarta. Pretty complicated right? Then I look to his playgroup friends and they are a huge concoction of mixed Caucasian with South American, Japanese, Indonesian, Indian, Thai, and plenty more. Majority of them are typical nomadic expatriate families who love travelling and being stationed in various countries.
How do these children grow up I wonder? Where would they call home?
As for P, how Chinese or Australian or Indonesian will he be?
Then I look at my own life. Brought up in an English speaking household where neither parent or my brother can read or write Mandarin. The only thing Chinese we may have in our daily lives would be eating rice and drinking soup for dinner. Aren't we all a confused bunch calling ourselves Chinese with nothing much to show for besides our skin colour.
Perhaps the main question of being so global is where would we call home?
How do we define home? Would home be a house that has fond memories? A city where majority of our lives were spent? Where our family reside? A place where we have decided to start a family? Or simply somewhere we find ourselves most happy at?
I still call Sydney home simply because it is where I am most comfortable and of course where my family are. Jakarta, is a semi-home of sorts, struggling with the love-hate relationship this city offers.
I do wonder how and where P will wind up. Will he be confused? Or would he seize the opportunities set before him and utilize it fully given his unique situation.
But above all, I pray and hope that he finds home in us, his family.
Take P for example. In essence he is a Chinese Australian/Indonesian but he has a Malaysian born Australian mother married to an Indonesian living in Jakarta. Pretty complicated right? Then I look to his playgroup friends and they are a huge concoction of mixed Caucasian with South American, Japanese, Indonesian, Indian, Thai, and plenty more. Majority of them are typical nomadic expatriate families who love travelling and being stationed in various countries.
How do these children grow up I wonder? Where would they call home?
As for P, how Chinese or Australian or Indonesian will he be?
Then I look at my own life. Brought up in an English speaking household where neither parent or my brother can read or write Mandarin. The only thing Chinese we may have in our daily lives would be eating rice and drinking soup for dinner. Aren't we all a confused bunch calling ourselves Chinese with nothing much to show for besides our skin colour.
Perhaps the main question of being so global is where would we call home?
How do we define home? Would home be a house that has fond memories? A city where majority of our lives were spent? Where our family reside? A place where we have decided to start a family? Or simply somewhere we find ourselves most happy at?
I still call Sydney home simply because it is where I am most comfortable and of course where my family are. Jakarta, is a semi-home of sorts, struggling with the love-hate relationship this city offers.
I do wonder how and where P will wind up. Will he be confused? Or would he seize the opportunities set before him and utilize it fully given his unique situation.
But above all, I pray and hope that he finds home in us, his family.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Trials & Tribulations of Feeding a Baby
Anyone who has a baby will identify with feeding time. It can be the most joyous, painful, patience testing, jubilant and frustrating time all in one.
P has always been an ok eater. When I started him on solids he would lap it all up within 10minutes. Purees were so easy and simply to make, I didn't have to bother about cooking daily and all I had to do was bring down a bottle or two from the freezer.
Now that he is almost 1, feeding him can truly test my patience. There are days where he polishes everything off on his plate and others where he's more interested in throwing out his feeding utensils.
I do however, have realized something. He gobbles down finger food within minutes.
Then I started reading about Baby Led Weaning.
Although I do find it quite scary to give a 6 month old finger foods, I looked back and remember that I did give P some baby biscuits and rusks which he happily lapped up.
Do babies hate being spoon fed that much?
I am torn between allowing him the freedom to explore and eat as he pleases. The mum in me screams what would happen to his "balanced diet", but the other me reckons he will grow to eat on his own and no baby has ever starved itself. The Chinese mum in me believes that he needs his bowl of nutritious double boiled soup daily!
To prevent further stress about P obtaining wholesome food I have now decided that, he eats however much he eats with that bowl of soup of course as long as he sits in his highchair and doesn't watch tv or run around during mealtimes. If he fusses at mealtimes and clamps his mouth shut that would mean the end of mealtime.
Look at it this way, if I were to strap a healthy mobile adult to a chair and force feed him/her neither of us would be happy jan. Perhaps, it is time we learnt to respect our babies as individuals. Sometimes we do forget that our child is his/her own person since they aren't able to vocalize what they want.
Now, if only I can fully wean P off breastfeeding! It may be the best for him but it truly is taking a toll on me. I need tips!
P has always been an ok eater. When I started him on solids he would lap it all up within 10minutes. Purees were so easy and simply to make, I didn't have to bother about cooking daily and all I had to do was bring down a bottle or two from the freezer.
Now that he is almost 1, feeding him can truly test my patience. There are days where he polishes everything off on his plate and others where he's more interested in throwing out his feeding utensils.
I do however, have realized something. He gobbles down finger food within minutes.
Then I started reading about Baby Led Weaning.
Although I do find it quite scary to give a 6 month old finger foods, I looked back and remember that I did give P some baby biscuits and rusks which he happily lapped up.
Do babies hate being spoon fed that much?
I am torn between allowing him the freedom to explore and eat as he pleases. The mum in me screams what would happen to his "balanced diet", but the other me reckons he will grow to eat on his own and no baby has ever starved itself. The Chinese mum in me believes that he needs his bowl of nutritious double boiled soup daily!
To prevent further stress about P obtaining wholesome food I have now decided that, he eats however much he eats with that bowl of soup of course as long as he sits in his highchair and doesn't watch tv or run around during mealtimes. If he fusses at mealtimes and clamps his mouth shut that would mean the end of mealtime.
Look at it this way, if I were to strap a healthy mobile adult to a chair and force feed him/her neither of us would be happy jan. Perhaps, it is time we learnt to respect our babies as individuals. Sometimes we do forget that our child is his/her own person since they aren't able to vocalize what they want.
Now, if only I can fully wean P off breastfeeding! It may be the best for him but it truly is taking a toll on me. I need tips!
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Parenthood Quotes
Got these from Readers Digest May 2011 issue.
"If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much." Jackie Kennedy Onassis
"We spend the first 12 months of our children's lives teaching them to walk and talk, and the next 12 years telling them to sit down and shut up" Phyllis Diller
And my personal favourite,
"Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you." H. Jackson Brown, Jr
"If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much." Jackie Kennedy Onassis
"We spend the first 12 months of our children's lives teaching them to walk and talk, and the next 12 years telling them to sit down and shut up" Phyllis Diller
And my personal favourite,
"Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you." H. Jackson Brown, Jr
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Ps milestones
I ought to use this space to record Ps milestones since I have a bad habit of keeping a journal.
At 11.5 months he is:-
Approximately 10.5kgs and 75cm.
Has 3 meals a day with snacks in between. (yogurt, fruit, biscuits & bread) Able to eat adult food that has been cut up.
Has 4 teeth upper jaw, 2 lower jaw with another 2 sprouting. They are almost cut since I can see the white lines.
An expert at saying and waving bye to practically everyone!
He waves his hand to indicate no-no.
Can kiss-bye.
Points to nose and mouth when asked.
Gives very big wet slobbery kisses when asked.
His vocabulary includes; bird, duck, papa, mama, ball, apple and bye.
Loves to be read to. Knows how to pick the book he wants and hands them to us.
For the past 2-3 months he has been watching the same Hi-5 DVD!
Tries to self feed but gets frustrated with utensils so uses his hands.
Drinks water from straws and sippy cups.
Avid crawler.
Knows how to climb up the stairs but not down. Partly my fault since I've never taught him how to climb down backwards.
Cruises along furniture.
Yesterday at playgroup took 3 independent steps in the ball pit!
Today at playgroup pushed toddle truck along while walking, without an adult behind him!
Naps been cut down to one big 2-3 hours sleep in the arvo.
Weaning for the past month. Still a battle to accept formula but it's much better now. Let's see where we will be at next month.
Separation anxiety at it's peak!
It amazes me how a little baby is able to learn and grow so quickly within the first year. Just 5 months ago all he did was have milk, sleep and tummy time. Now he's grown into a little man.
At 11.5 months he is:-
Approximately 10.5kgs and 75cm.
Has 3 meals a day with snacks in between. (yogurt, fruit, biscuits & bread) Able to eat adult food that has been cut up.
Has 4 teeth upper jaw, 2 lower jaw with another 2 sprouting. They are almost cut since I can see the white lines.
An expert at saying and waving bye to practically everyone!
He waves his hand to indicate no-no.
Can kiss-bye.
Points to nose and mouth when asked.
Gives very big wet slobbery kisses when asked.
His vocabulary includes; bird, duck, papa, mama, ball, apple and bye.
Loves to be read to. Knows how to pick the book he wants and hands them to us.
For the past 2-3 months he has been watching the same Hi-5 DVD!
Tries to self feed but gets frustrated with utensils so uses his hands.
Drinks water from straws and sippy cups.
Avid crawler.
Knows how to climb up the stairs but not down. Partly my fault since I've never taught him how to climb down backwards.
Cruises along furniture.
Yesterday at playgroup took 3 independent steps in the ball pit!
Today at playgroup pushed toddle truck along while walking, without an adult behind him!
Naps been cut down to one big 2-3 hours sleep in the arvo.
Weaning for the past month. Still a battle to accept formula but it's much better now. Let's see where we will be at next month.
Separation anxiety at it's peak!
It amazes me how a little baby is able to learn and grow so quickly within the first year. Just 5 months ago all he did was have milk, sleep and tummy time. Now he's grown into a little man.
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