Fashionista Mommy Adventures: Six Months Later

Or should I say almost seven months later...

This is definitely one of my favorite shots, a photo of me, hubs and Alexa at Normah Medical Specialist taken by Farhah. Thank you for sharing the photo with us. Alexa's about three days old then. 

This is what I've learnt so far as a mommy:

1. To be patient

Alexa getting her head shaved when she was about three and a half months old. She does have her tantrums once in a while and usually I'd tell her, "Yes, Alexa, I know that it's very, very tough being a little person and unable to convey a message on what's wrong but if it makes you feel better, then cry you must. Let mummy give you a hug to make you feel better."

This is a MUST! Being a mommy is definitely a challenge, as one of my old schoolmates, Alex mentioned during our mini reunion dinner (only five turned up for this mini reunion), raising a child is challenging but it'll get better sooner or later. I've learnt that it takes awhile to get used to the oh so many things in mommyhood i.e. the fussing, crying (though normally I do find that Alexa is one of the most unfussy baby ever!), whimpering (usually when she's sleepy) and especially when you're in a hurry and there's like a million things to settle. So I've learnt to take a deep breath, smile and laugh and take it as one of the experiences that I'm sure I'm going to miss when she's older.

2. To be alert

One of the things that I didn't know before motherhood is that there's plenty of cues that a baby can send out to alert mommies of the many things that they need/ want and if you're alert of those signals, it really makes it easier for you meet the needs and wants of the baby before they need to cry/ wail to get your attention.

Alexa at about five days old. During the early days I couldn't sleep well for fear that I wouldn't hear her crying (when she needed to feed etc). She used to wake up every one and a half or two hours for a feed then. Those days are long past now and I am extremely confident in my ability to wake up at her slightest whimper (although I have caught myself waking up to Alexa lying on me due to me falling asleep soon as she's latched on to feed). 

In Alexa's case, usually she'd stare at my boobies (she is breastfed after all) to hint that she'd like to breastfeed (because if she's full she would be preoccupied with playing and exploring her surroundings). If staring doesn't alert me, then she'd let out a whimper (and if she's in my arms, usually she'd bang her head at my boobies). Usually by that time I'd be ready to feed her so she does not have to resort to crying/ wailing to get me to feed her. 

Me nursing Alexa at Dubai Restaurant in Itaewon, Seoul. A nursing cover/ poncho is definitely a must-bring item for us. It's not only useful for times like these, it also doubles as a blanket for Alexa or a shoulder wrap for me when it's cold. 

3. I can't DO everything

Although I do breastfeed Alexa, she has stopped exclusive breastfeeding since she's about five months old. And since then she has to be supplemented with formula (during the day) although she's breastfed whenever she's with me (i.e. during the night or weekends and public holidays when I'm with her). I find it to be rather challenging to find a suitable time to pump (I am in the teaching line therefore it is definitely not possible for me to pump when teaching in class) and sometimes due to work demands and lack of time at most I can pump a maximum of three times a day and minimum of once a day (and on some days when it's really hectic, I can't even find the time to pump at all). Initially I was really, really stressed out by the fact that my supply has dropped (due to stress, failing to pump on schedule and dehydration) and I can't supply enough to Alexa but now I've rather accepted the fact that sometimes I can't pump and sometimes I can. I reckon it's better to enjoy the moment as it is and breastfeed as long as possible.

4. Make the most out of what I have

There's too many things to do in life and sometimes we do feel as if we're in a rush (this semester is one of the most stressful semester I've ever experienced due to a heavy teaching load i.e. 20 hours of teaching and updates in the syllabus due to changes in the current financial environment in Malaysia) so on busier days I actually spend only ONE HOUR with Alexa (excluding her sleeping hours) and this makes me really disappointed but then again, I try to make the most of the time that I have with her and ensure that she gets my full attention within the time that we're able to spend together.

In case you're wondering, that ONE HOUR period consists of 30 MINUTES in the morning where I'd wake her up to give her a bath (this is usually where I'd sing or talk to her) followed by grooming where I'd give her a little massage while putting some baby oil (on her head/ hair), baby lotion (all over her body), baby balm (on her bum) and aromatic oil (minyak telon/ minyak yuyi or minyak kayu putih) for her tummy and back. The other 30 MINUTES usually happens when I come back late from work (she's already bathed by the maid then) and we spend time playing together (usually she'd be on her tummy and I'd either be on my tummy too or sometimes she'd be sitting in my lap and I'd be reading a book to her).

Another one of my favorite moments is when Alexa got to accompany us for Eid-ul Adh prayers. She's about five months old then. Am trying to slot in more times for me to recite the Quran with her on my lap, Inshaa Allah.

5. Be thankful

This is us with Alexa on the ERL back from Kuala Lumpur when she was 4 months old. 

This is among the things that I constantly remind myself about. I am definitely thankful for what Allah has given to me, Alexa is an absolutely wonderful gift (despite the hectic schedule, lack of sleep, waking up several times in the middle of night for feeding during her first month or so, lack of rest etc.) I definitely cherish this moment and if possible would like to treasure for as long as I can.

6. Having a good support system is important

Hubs and Alexa during breakfast at Hilton Hotel, Kuching. We decided to check in to the hotel to join in the fun during Regatta (an annual boat race event in Kuching). Alexa is about 3 months and a week old then. 

Having people to help out is really, really important as it can get taxing (especially if you're a first time mom or maybe more so when you have more children later on) so having people around you to help out is definitely useful. We do have a maid at home that helps out with the cooking and cleaning and my grandma, my mom and in laws (sometimes) do help out in looking after Alexa during the day (and the night when we need to attend dinner functions or simply go out for a date night). This enables us to take time off from the baby and focus on what is most important in the family, us. I do believe that in order for a family to be strong the parents (or parent if you're a single mother or father) must be able to show love, patience, strength and stability to the child.

If you need support in bringing up your child or maybe there's a question that's on your mind, you can join this amazing mummy support group that I joined on Facebook, click [here]. There's plenty of questions, discussions even sales and purchase made in the group and the best part is, they're all trying their best to cope with motherhood too.

The great-grandmother and her great-granddaughter. Alexa is about six months and three weeks old when this photo was taken. Granny (with the help of our maid of course) looks after her during the day when I'm at work. 

As a mom of an almost seven months old baby, this are the things that I have found out:

1. Preparing for a baby is definitely a good thing

Having the nine months to prepare for the baby's arrival and reading books on What to Expect When You're Expecting (this one helped me during my pregnancy), French Children don't Throw Food and Brain Rules for Baby really helped me handle certain things with Alexa.

Among the things that I learnt from the book is on training her to sleep. What we did was to train her brain to recognize day and night (this training started right after we came back from the hospital). When she sleeps during the day I'd make sure that the room is bright and when it's night time we'd switch off the lights at around 8.30 pm and just relied on a night light. Even when she wakes up for her night feeds, the room is still in darkness (except for the night light). So now whenever we want her to sleep, usually between 8.30 pm to 10 pm (sometimes we do get home late and Alexa is a light sleeper so she'd wake up when we carry her to bed) we'd put her under the covers and switch off the lights. The best part is, she'd be out in minutes after switching off the lights! However, I do have to remind myself that consistency is the key to success therefore I must make sure that she's in bed latest by 10 pm and if I want to settle some work/ chores, I have to do them in the dark with the help of the night light or should I need some light I do the work in the living room or dining room instead.

2. Babies are a blank canvas

A baby develops the habits that you impart to them therefore it is good to teach them good habits. Like when teaching Alexa to use the car seat, it took us a good two weeks to get her used to being in a car seat when she's in the car. This training started when she's about two months old (about a month before I had to start work). We'd put her in the car seat and I'd send hubs to work (about 10 - 15 minutes drive away). When she was first in the car seat, she cried her eyes out and wailed so loudly that I had to stop by the side of the road and calm her down before continuing to drive back home. This occurred for several days (her crying and me having to stop by the side of the road). About a week later she did kinda get used to having to sit in the car seat but not for long (usually for about 10 minutes or so before starting to cry). However the crying was not as loud as when we first started training her in the car seat therefore we decided to just drive back home (and at the same time talk to her/ hold her hand etc). We succeeded almost two weeks later and from then on she's in the car seat whenever we're in the car.

Hubs putting Alexa in the car seat. She's almost two months old here. The uneven patch of hair is due to her mom (that's me) shaving her hair unevenly when she was about a month old. 

Here she is peacefully sleeping during one of the car rides. She's about two months and a half here. 

Here's Alexa at six months old all relaxed in the car seat. This was not taken in the car but actually at a restaurant where we decided to bring the car seat out and let her sit in it while we have breakfast. 

3. Baby gadgets/ gears are a good thing

Among the things that I've bought in helping me out are a sterilizer, bottle warmer and now a steamer and blender (all from Philips). I am still using the sterilizer especially for my breast pump and milk storage bottles a few times a week and the bottle warmer is now used for warming her food daily (her food is prepared twice a week and refrigerated). I recently bought the steamer and blender after she turned six months and am using it several times a week to prepare her food (I have to be honest here that it's not me using it but the maid). I've stopped using the manual pump and have since replaced it with an electric double pump which I've been bringing to work daily.

Here's Alexa at six months in a bumbo seat (it was given to her as a present by my cousins during my confinement) complete with a washable plastic bib getting ready for her solids. The bumbo seat has been really great (she hated it first but got used to it later) in helping us during her meal times and we even let her join us in the kitchen (where we plop the bumbo seat on the kitchen table) when I cook and during our mealtimes. 

The stroller, diaper bag and car seat (we have two car seats so we haven't really used the one that we bought but am using another that was given as a gift to us) is permanently left/ installed in the car and we use it whenever we're out. I'll post a review on all those later as my blogging time is rather limited now due to me having to juggle between work and focusing on the baby (and also spending time with hubs). Hubs did mention that he's grateful we did not get an expensive diaper bag (and I agree with what he says) because the diaper bag is among one of the most well used (hint: abused) items in my baby gear.

Alexa sleeping in the stroller when she was about three weeks old. One of the features on the stroller that we feel is very important is its ability to fully recline and so far we're really happy with the performance of this Esprit Sun Plus 11 stroller.

4. Be prepared to change/ adapt to circumstances

Alexa at six months and three weeks in the shopping trolley. Oh how time flies when you're having fun!

There are some things that goes on as we planned (like using the car seat and stroller whenever we're out) and some did not happened as planned. Among one of them is the baby cot (we bought Graco Pack n Play as Alexa's baby cot and later play pen) which we did not use as much as we hoped to. Although we initially planned on Alexa sleeping in the playpen, which we did practice in the early days (she slept in the bassinet in the first month or so because she's super tiny and we're afraid that we might accidentally squish her), however we find that we enjoyed co-sleeping with her more than letting her sleep in her own cot. Therefore she's co-sleeping with us (for now) and is only left in the playpen when we're in the shower/ toilet (so she does use the playpen daily, just not for sleep though).

Here's Alexa at six months and a half during one of the rare afternoons when I'm at home. So I let her in the baby cot while I try to complete marking my students' papers. 

She complained (cried) about an hour and a half later so I decided to let her join me and play next to me instead. And no, I did not get much work done that afternoon. But I did enjoy having her as company. 

5. Don't sweat the small stuff

 

You know that a baby's development (weight and size) are plotted on a graph whenever you go the clinic right? Don't worry if your baby is less or more than the national average. Alexa is petite for her age, currently (at seven months) she's only weighing roughly about 7 kilos (she was born weighing 3.05 kilos) and a lot of people have commenting how small she is. As Dr. Jack Newman (and Alexa's pediatrician) mentioned, as long as she's feeding well, pooping and peeing (for breastfeeding mommies who are unsure of how much milk they're producing, wet diapers = plenty of milk) well, despite the lack of weight gain or size, as long as she's well fed, she's alright. However, should you notice frequent than usual poops, increase in temperature (fever), lack of interest in eating, or anything of concern, bring her to the doctor immediately.

 

So motherhood is all about being flexible and being able to do it in your own way and imprinting to your young ones the habits and experiences that they'll bring with them when they're older. Yes I do have people coming up to me and commenting (negatively) on certain things that I do (specifically bringing a three-month old baby to Seoul and also letting a six-month old sit in the trolley). Those comments I do take with a pinch of salt. If needed, I'll amend my actions accordingly (like taking her out of the trolley about a minute later). I do have moments where I need some space, and I do take a breather once in a while (same thing applies to hubs too) but what I find to be most important is to cherish the moments as and when they come (like enjoying having Alexa next to me when I sleep or getting to play with her and get her up in giggles).

Looking forward to her seventh-month birthday tomorrow and many more future birthdays to come.

To love and positivity.

 

 

xoxo Mrs Fashionista

Fashionista's Review: Philips Avent Sterilizer 3-in-1 Electric Steam Sterilizer

This is the one item that hub's colleague, Sharina said is an absolute must-buy in terms of baby gadget. Although initially after I bought the sterilizer, I seem to be doing a lot of direct latch to the baby (i.e. feeding the baby directly from the breast) I began to question my purchase. However, now that the baby is almost 3 months old (time definitely flies) and feeding both from the breast and also from the bottle, the sterilizer is definitely a godsend.

There are several different types of sterilizer from Avent (and they cost differently too) but we decided to settle on this one because we can simply put all of the baby bottles etc into the sterilizer, make sure that the base is filled with about 100 ml of water and press the blue button to start sterilizing.

Here's a photo of how the sterilizer looks like. 

It's called 3-in-1 because there are three ways in which you can use this sterilizer, but normally I use it with both top and bottom parts. What made me question my purchase in the initial days post birth was that you can actually sterilize all your baby bottles etc by putting them in a container and pouring hot water into it. Now that the number of items needing to be sterilized have increased (I normally sterilize three 4 oz baby bottles with teats and all, a manual breast pump and seven Avent via cups for me to put my expressed milk) I find that using the sterilizer is really a convenient way of helping me make sure that all the items that needs to be sterilized gets sterilized. Do take note that in order to make sure that your bottles and such gets sterilized, you need to make sure that there's enough room for the steam to reach the insides of your bottle/ teat/ bottle cap if your stacking them in the sterilizer.

I usually use the sterilizer once every two or three days (after one round of using all the baby bottles etc). My preferred time would be at night before I go to bed at night because that would ensure that I have the bottles all sterilized and ready for use the next morning and the sterilizer and the bottles in it has cooled down (I did once open the top of the sterilizer post a sterilizing session and almost scalded my hand). I decided on Philips Avent simply because I am using their bottles and pump but I am sure that other sterilizers would also be able to do the job with the same level of efficiency.

To mummies out there who are contemplating on whether to get a sterilizer or not (whether your breastfeeding or bottle feeding), a sterilizer will definitely be a time saver. Unless of course, you decide to direct latch your baby all the way. To find out more on this product, you can go directly to Philip Avent's website [here].

xoxo Mrs Fashionista

Fashonista's Review: Washable Breast Pads

In the duration of me being a mom, which is not very long though, roughly about two months and seven days to be exact, I have been fortunate enough to experience breastfeeding (if you've been reading my blog for a while you might have realized that) and breastfeeding comes with (whether you like it or not) leaky breasts. Definitely you would need leaky breasts to be able to breastfeed, otherwise, where would the milk come from, right? To manage leaky breasts, you need to have nursing pads (these comes in two types, disposable and washable) to make sure you don't embarrass yourself in public. I've come to read that later on (which means more than two months of breastfeeding, I presume), your breasts will be more efficient at producing milk, thus leading to less leaky breasts. However, I have yet to experience this efficiency, so I have come to depend on nursing pads to help me manage the let down (this is the term for the leaks that breastfeeding women experience, by the way) and here's my review of the three (fortunately or unfortunately I don't have and need that many) washable breast pads that I have.

Oh, I almost forgot, if you're uncomfortable at me mentioning breasts over and over again, maybe you should stop reading this post (as this is a review on nursing pads there's certainly going to be frequent mentions of the breast in this post).

The first one is Pureen washable nursing pads. These retail for somewhere around RM11 per pair. If you're in Kuching, I bought these at Teck Kong Trading in Tabuan Jaya, it's very near to my home thus the reason for me buying these is simply because it's convenient for me to do so. It only comes in one color, white. The nursing pad has different fabrics on different sides, one side is waterproof (this side of the pad faces your bra) and the other is cotton (this side should face your breast). After using this pad for about a month (I stopped using it once I experienced less let down, I think due to my milk production is getting more efficient), I would have to say that I don't recommend this pad to moms out there. The reason for this is because I find that the breast pads are not that comfortable to use. For one thing, when there's let down, your pads would absorb whatever leakage from your breasts. Unfortunately, this would cause the pad to stick to your nipples thus making it quite sticky and if you are experiencing nipple sore due to breastfeeding it would hurt (not much but it's noticeable) when you're removing the pads from your breasts. And another thing, the breast pads are flat in nature (if you've noticed, a woman's breasts are not flat in nature), thus the pads do not rest comfortably underneath the bra (the pads are unable to mold itself naturally to the breast). So if you're wearing a flimsy bra like the nursing sleep bra, the irregular shape of the pad is quite noticeable underneath your t-shirt.

Following that, I decided to try another brand, Autumnz washable breast pads. These pads comes in four colors, glorious graphite, natural nude, pure white and sugar pink (I don't know why they need to overdo the names of the breast pad colors, I would have preferred grey, cream, white and pink but maybe that's just me). I bought these online (I forgot which store unfortunately) and these are priced at RM15.90 for three pairs. The pads have different fabrics on different sides, one is lace (which faces your bra) and the other is soft cotton (to be used facing the breast). To tell you honestly, I really recommend these pads as they are really soft and comfy, it's contoured to fit the breast and the best part is, it's not sticky even after a let down (psst, it's even cheaper than Pureen). Unfortunately, it doesn't hold well, meaning I do find that sometimes there are milk stains on my shirt despite me wearing a nursing pad. This usually occurs when I've positioned the nursing pad too high up; due to gravity, the milk flow downwards and is not absorbed by the pad, or sometimes because there's too much milk leaking out and the pad is unable to absorb them all. Despite the occasional leakage, this is still my preferred breast pad. 

The last pad that I bought is Philips Avent comfort breast shell. I bought these for RM72 from Little Kids because they offer free shipping on orders above RM100 (if you've purchased as many things online as I have, you might be tempted to save on shipping costs as they could add up to be quite a lot). The reason for me buying this is that it has two functions, it can collect let down when you pump or it can also be used as a breast pad (do note that you are supposed to throw away any milk that is collected when you are using the shell as a breast pad). Unfortunately I only used this shell a couple of times and since then have never used it again. The reason being is that because it is waterproof and non-absorbent, breast milk will pool in the breast shell after a let down and if you are not careful (or just plain clumsy like me), spillage might occur when you're removing the breast shell from your bra. After using it twice and spilling the milk both times I decided to stop using it. And another thing, the shape of the shell is quite noticeable underneath my shirt so I wasn't comfortable with that either. So, I don't recommend this to moms as a breast pad, but as a milk collector when you're pumping, maybe yes, it's quite handy (although I don't use it as a milk collector).

Unfortunately my experience is limited to these three because since I've gotten Autumnz's breast pads, I'm happy with them that I don't need to buy any more pads. Initially I wore the pads night and day (changing them whenever they're soaked or at the very least twice a day). However one month after giving birth, I don't experience as much leakage as I did before, so I only wear the pads whenever I go out to town. That could also contribute to me not needing that many pads. And oh, I almost forgot, all three pads wash easily and dry easily.

Happy shopping peeps!


xoxo Mrs Fashionista

PS: I am not affiliated with Autumnz in any way nor do I earn commission when you buy any Autumnz washable breast pads.

Fashionista's Review: Philips Avent Natural Manual Breast Pump

Being a mom is not easy, I guess any mom would have told you that. That's why people invented gadgets, to help aid moms (especially when the baby's crying and the mom is frantic and on the edge of becoming slightly cuckoo, just kidding!). 

As mentioned in my previous post, I bought a Philips Avent Natural Manual Breast Pump. I chose Philips Avent's Natural range because of this video, and the reason for a manual pump is because I'm not sure on my ability to breastfeed. As of now, I am breastfeeding half of the time and the other half, I have to resort to  formula milk (I'm not able to fully breastfeed due to cracked and sore nipples; overusing thy nipples is not a good thing peeps!). 

So here's my review on the pump:

Philips Avent has several different ranges of baby bottles and pumps to choose from, so to distinguish between the Natural range and the other ranges, the box for the Natural range is color coded in purple. 

Inside the box you'll find the manual pump, a small 4 oz bottle complete with the teat and bottle cover. 

What I like most about the pump is that it's very convenient to use, just put the pump onto the breast (strategically positioning thy nipples in the middle opening of the pump) and pump away (make sure there's adequate pressure on the breast to ensure vacuum so that the breast pump can do its job perfectly). It's very handy and small, thus making my job easier and you don't need extra effort to pump. Usually I'll just pump for 15 minutes per breast and I'll get about 40 - 60 ml of milk letdown. 

Washing and cleaning is also very easy;

Here's the dismantled pump after I've washed the parts. Getting the parts apart is also very easy, you can just pull them gently off (it takes less than a minute to get them off), wash them then sterilize them in the sterilizer.

However, before you go running to the next baby-mommy store to purchase the breast pump, there are some things that you need to know:

1. The bottle should not be placed too tightly to the pump. I don't know why but this causes the milk to trickle down to the bottle opening and trickle out (instead of into the bottle). Just turn the bottle gently to lock it to the pump. If you notice milk dripping out from the bottle/ pump, that means the bottle is too tightly locked to the pump. Loosen it then continue pumping.

2. You have to be sitting with your back straight (no slouching!) to ensure that milk drops into the bottle (otherwise your milk will be going wherever gravity intended them to). I found out about this the hard way and discovered my clothes drenched with my own breast milk. It was rather disappointing to see your milk being collected by your shirt rather than in the bottle. What made it even more disappointing is that I was only able to pump 10 ml per breast at that time *sigh*.

Overall I'm quite satisfied with my purchase. Am definitely thinking about getting Philip Avent's Double Electric Breast Pump by the end of the month (I must make sure that I'm really committed to breastfeeding so I'm giving myself a few more weeks of manual pumping as a test). 

So I pump about three times a day (if I'm able to, but if not, then at least a minimum of once a day) other than direct latch (when the nipple is not sore) about once or twice a day and followed by formula milk several times a day. Usually the pumped milk is depleted almost immediately; total pump is about 80 ml (left and right breast) and the baby usually takes about 60 - 90 ml of formula per feeding session so, the next feeding session will most probably have to rely on formula.

So for those who are expecting and thinking about breastfeeding, I'd definitely recommend Philips Avent Natural range breast pumps and bottles. Baby Alexa is also adjusting well to the bottle and so far there's no indication that she prefers the bottle over her mum's au naturel nipple =). 

xoxo Mrs Fashionista

Baby Gear

Almost everyone that I meet or talk to says that baby gears are expensive. And I'm inclined to agree with that. But then again, that might not be true in some manner. This is because, how expensive or cheap those items are depends on what you're buying. So if you're buying an expensive brand, it's only logical that you expect the price tag to go with it. And vice versa. So this was our plan in buying baby items (you might agree or disagree with our methods and that's entirely fine with us) and what we did to minimize cost.

Among the first items that we bought for the baby was a stroller. And why you might ask? Well, we know that we'll be bringing the baby for a trip by the end of August, thus a stroller is one of our priorities in ensuring that we'll have our hands free from carrying the baby and also making sure that the baby will be able to get his or her beauty sleep wherever we are. Thus a stroller (complete with a washable stroller pad for stains etc.) was one of the things we knew that we need to have. So our requirements for a stroller is that it must be light enough that it can be checked in when travelling but also sturdy enough to hold the weight of the baby.

We bought the Esprit Sun Plus 11 in black at Parkson, tHe Spring during Christmas Sale last year. We decided on this one because it's an umbrella stroller (it can be folded easily and packed at the back of the car or checked in at the airport) and the weight is roughly about 7 kg, so it's not too heavy to be carried around. For this one we saved RM180 (from the 20% discount that was being offered we saved RM100 and also RM80 from using Parkson Vouchers).

The second item that we bought was the Graco Pack n Play. We didn't get Esprit this time (we found the Esprit playpen to be slightly flimsy) because we wanted a playpen that could be used by the baby to sleep in the first few months (or if possible the first year) before upgrading the baby to a toddler bed. And another reason for having a playpen is because it's small enough to be included in our room (for us to keep an eye on the baby) and it's versatile enough to be packed and carried to wherever we want it to. We bought this at Poppies, tHe Spring during the recent Chinese New Year sale and saved RM100.

Knowing how reckless and dangerous drivers in Kuching can be (I've experienced and seen too many accidents on the road) made us decide that the baby would be safer in a car seat rather than on our laps. We decided on an Aldo convertible car seat that is able to accommodate newborns as well as toddlers thus we chose this one as it can recline (for newborns) and can be used up until the child is 4 years old. Got this on a sale from an online shop called Little Whiz and decided to visit the shop when we were in KL and save on shipping costs, so total savings for car seat RM105 (RM60 discount for the car seat itself and RM45 for shipping costs).

One thing that we did wrong in buying baby stuffs is assuming that baby cribs are manufactured with the same dimensions (I assure you, there are plenty of sizes to choose from) and also assuming that any mattress is able to fit your crib or playpen. It was quite difficult for me to find a mattress for our playpen (I had to survey 4 or 5 stores to finally be able to find one that fits) and by the time I found and bought one (from Anakku), apparently the one I bought was too thick for an infant *duh*. So I had to go out and buy another. Bought this Bumble bee latex mattress at Mummycare, One Jaya. No savings for this one (it was the last piece and considering that it would be more expensive if I bought it online; most online shops charge at least RM70 for shipping costs, I decided on buying it there and then). However, the best part about this mattress is that it has a 5 year warranty so I am definitely glad that I made the purchase.

Initially, I wasn't too concerned with the baby's pillow or mattress. I thought that the baby, being a baby, would be sleeping anywhere and everywhere he or she wants to. However, my opinion changed when I went to visit my friend Farhah who told me that her baby likes the latex pillow better than the normal cutesy baby pillow (that I also had planned to buy for my baby). That's when I decided on getting a latex pillow and mattress for the baby. Might as well go with something that the baby would like (hopefully) rather than having to buy another set of pillow and mattresses. This BabyLove latex pillow was the only latex infant pillow available at the store and I bought this at Sweet Babies (nearby KPJ, Stutong; it's an excellent store that sells baby products by the way) and saved about RM6 (the owner did say they were on sale) for the pillow.

The weird thing about me in buying baby gear is that I was really obsessive about the baby's diaper bag. I felt that the diaper bag would be a very important accessory to the baby (because it goes wherever the baby goes) and it's really important for me to make sure that I got the right bag (or else I'll just be looking for another one then another one then another one until I'm satisfied) and besides, if you really know me, you'd know that I'm the kind of person who likes bags and backpacks and luggage (I definitely have a bag fetish). For me, there are two conditions that must be met in getting a diaper bag: (1) it must not be too feminine for hubs to carry and (2) it must come with a changing mat (so that we could change the baby's diaper with comfort wherever we are). I finally found this Fisher Price diaper bag from Lelong.com.my which fits both my requirements and it also has a baby wipes window at the side of the bag (definitely an added bonus). I don't know the price of this bag at other stores so I assume no savings were made here.

I also bought a Fisher Price diaper caddy online from this Facebook store called BabyCute Collections. I bought it for its practicality (we live in a two-storey house and during confinement, a confinement lady will be helping out to tend to me and the baby; the baby will most probably be bathed downstairs rather than in our own bathroom), having a diaper caddy will help me bring only what the baby needs for its bath time and also for vanity reasons (this bag is super cute and cheerful). No savings earned for this one either as I don't know how much it'd cost if bought offline.

I bought both the Philips Avent Natural range breast pump and bottles at an online store called Little Kids during one of its sale promotions (the store seems to be having a promotion every month so don't worry if you've missed one). I initially wasn't sure on what to get but finally settled on Avent based on the feedback and reviews that were available online (that's not entirely true, I actually loved their Natural range advert and was convinced by the video review by moms in the UK). I have decided to settle on a manual pump as a way to assess how committed I am to breastfeeding once the baby is here and if I think that I'd be better off with an electric pump, then I'll make the upgrade when the time comes. Since there was a sale I'd saved RM120 on this one.

Bought the Philips Avent Natural range Newborn Starter Set during the same sale and also saved about RM120 on this one. However, I was informed by the doctor to exclusively breastfeed for the first two months or so (and not rely on the bottle if possible) so this is among the things that I'd wished I had asked the doctor first before buying. Since I have made the purchase, I guess I have to keep the bottles and use it when the time comes.

This is among one of the last gear that I bought, there was a special promotion for this Philips Avent 3-in-1 sterilizer at Metrojaya a few weeks ago and decided to go ahead and get the sterilizer (even though I'm not sure when I'll start using the bottles) and saved about RM70 for this one.

So, total savings on baby gear *drumroll please* RM701. And this is not inclusive of baby clothes (we haven't bought much because we're not sure how big the baby would be when he or she comes out), diapers, toiletries etc. We're hoping to start the baby on cloths diaper (optimistically hoping to save costs and help the environment in the long run) by the second month but we'll see how that goes (hopefully I'll be able to manage my time well enough so that I can accomplish cloth-diapering the baby).

If you're wondering about other gears like the baby bath tub, bath mat and waterproof mat for the mattress, disposable diapers, toiletries and all those baby stuff, we decided to get them from Teck Kong (arguably the cheapest departmental store in Kuching). The same brand being sold in Parkson is also available at Teck Kong at a cheaper price, so why not go to a store closer to home. For those who do not know where is Teck Kong, there are two stores in Kuching; one in Tabuan Jaya and another in Batu Kawa.

So far so good eh?

I only have a few more baby gears to go (one is the Philips Avent bottle warmer) which I haven't bought yet as my breastfeeding skills is something I'd like to establish first and maybe the milk storage cups (if I have milk to store that is).

So do you think I'm too ambitious? I have a feeling that you may be right so I'll promise to try my best and take it one day at a time. Baby steps to motherhood, right?

Leave me your comments, Mommies =).


xoxo Mrs Fashionista