Motherhood


My Baby Refuses to Drink Milk. What Can I Do?

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Baby J Drink Milk

As parents, we often worry ourselves, many times unnecessarily, over our kids. Are they drinking enough milk? Are they drinking enough water? Are they eating enough? What happens when strangers touch them? Are they developing at the right pace?

About 1.5 months ago, when Baby J was about 10 months old, he suddenly refused to drink milk during his waking hours. He would shove away the bottle, kick and scream, cry loudly. Whatever we did, he would refuse to drink. We had not changed his routine, nor his formula milk brand. He was taking Friso Gold Stage 2 at that time. (Check out this page for Friso’s formula milk samples, plus many others.) So from 10 months, Baby J would go to bed without milk, and the only time he would be willing to drink is when he’s up and groggy early in the morning. Continue Reading…


Baby J’s First Diarrhea and Our First Stay in Mount Alvernia Hospital

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Baby J Cot

tl;dr: Baby J had diarrhea and was warded in the Mount Alvernia Paediatric Ward. Mount Alvernia Hospital has single rooms for babies and toddlers which are very well-equipped. There is a steam steriliser for baby bottles, a bottle soap dispenser to wash our bottles in the bathroom, and a small play area. They are flexible in letting more than one companion stay in the single room without extra charge, as they understand parents may need an extra helping hand. This also comes, of course, with very warm and friendly nurses. However, these rooms are very limited especially during the weekends.

How It All Started and What We First Did

Three Mondays ago, Baby J started getting the runs. He was pooping every 3 to 4 hours, so we had to do at least 6-8 nappy changes in a day. There was no fever, no loss of appetite, and his activity level was still high. We could not figure what was causing the diarrhea, but it was causing him great discomfort in his bum area. He had angry red diaper rashes all over his bum, and would cry whenever we wiped him down. Continue Reading…


Sensory Play for Babies with Edible Paint

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Sensory Play for Babies with Edible Paint

Sensory play is an interesting concept I’ve recently come across. It involves little kids learning through play and invoking their five senses to promote development. Sometimes, it involves creating a mess. 😛 Once babies reach the crawling stage, they pretty much want to roam around and grab stuff. So I thought, why not let Baby J grab stuff and learn at the same time? Went to do some research, and found some ideas of safe sensory play for babies.

We created a gooey concoction of cornflour and water, and added food colouring. This made the mixture edible for babies who enjoy putting stuff into their mouths. The night before, I excitedly followed a recipe I found online to a tee, but found that the mixture remained liquid for a long time. I suspect it could be the climate as I had followed instructions from a sensory play event from the US. Had to improvise, and I would advise anyone trying to follow the following to improvise as well. Also, check out the pointers at the bottom! Continue Reading…


Our First Trip to Mount Alvernia 24-Hour Walk-In Clinic

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Sick Baby J

Two nights ago, at about 10.30pm, we made our maiden trip to Mount Alvernia 24-Hour Walk-In Clinic. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. Our trip totalled only 30 minutes.

That evening, Baby J started feeling warm to our touch. We took his temperature: 37.5 degrees Celsius. Ok, we thought, perhaps he’s teething. He seemed a little lethargic, so we let him nap for awhile before having our dinner. We’d go to Thomson Plaza almost every evening for our dinner because we are usually too busy to cook at home. Whenever we are there, Baby J would be very excited and scream a lot, to the amusement of many shoppers (and perhaps annoyance to some others). However, that evening, he was strangely quiet and sleepy. Continue Reading…




Why You Should Read Storybooks to Your Child

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Dad Reads Storybooks to Child

Whether you are a full-time working parent or a stay-at-home Mom/Dad, I believe you have a desire to forge a close bond with your child. One of the ways you can build this bond during their childhood years involves a bit of your time, effort and energy. It is manageable and achievable, so do take some time out of your busy schedule to commit to this activity: Reading storybooks to your child. Continue Reading…


5 Life Lessons Motherhood Has Taught Me

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Baby J 3 Months and I

Baby J is almost 6 months old now, and I feel like time is passing too quickly! He’s picking up new tricks every day, and he surprises all of us at home all the time with his cute little antics. As a new mother, I am constantly learning new things. Yes, it can be exhausting caring for a baby, doing milk pumps etc., but I know for sure that motherhood is a journey I will always cherish. Today, I am going to share 5 rather important life lessons that motherhood has taught me, and I’m sure many mothers are going to relate to. I have saved the best lesson for the last!

  1. Empathy Towards Others
    Just a couple of days ago, I encountered a mother teaching her autistic child how to buy drinks at a food court. The child was by herself with her mother watching from a short distance away, and I was just behind her in the queue. Continue Reading…