Last few weeks of pregnancy (37th week - 15 Dec)

The EDD is usually calculated based on 280 days = 40 weeks = 9 months 6 days. Statistically, the mean period to deliver is 280.6 days with a standard deviation 9.7 days. Assuming 270 days, Gabriella's date of arrival may possibly be 26 Dec.

Last few weeks... Just Waiting

1) Finding the right sleeping position is a challenge. It helps if you have a variety of pillows, both soft and hard. You will also feel warm all the time and tend to use the Fan or AC or even sleep on the floor.

2) Walking become a little more tiring and I tend to look like a penguin these days. Luckily, I do not have swollen feet (which is apparently quite common among many pregnant ladies.

3) I particularly enjoy the baby kicks. By now, your gynae would have told you to count the baby movements between 9am to 9pm. Each day, there should be at least 10. Gabriella makes really cute movements in the tummy. Sometimes it is like a wriggle, sometimes a series of hiccups, and often just plain boxing.

4) Bowel movement is not as smooth as I wish it will be. Though I am on the nipperstudy and my nutrition sample include probiotics, and I take homemade yoghurt, papaya and banana to assist in my bowels, the frequency of passing motion is at best once every 3 days. 

5) On the other hand, I experience frequent urination. My sleep is often disrupted by the urge to go toilet. And if I am out, I try not to hold my bladder so as to avoid uncontrollable leak when I sneeze.

6) Shopping and more Shopping. I have bought pretty much a long list of items, such as thermometer, swaddle, bib, co-sleeper, waterproof blanket, sebamed bath, wet wipes, bottle warmer, Coon diapers, nursing clothes, beansprout husk dream pillow, etc. 

7) We took a while to set up the baby bumper bed which we bought and carried over from Korea. Looks really cute in our room. We bought this bumper bed from a company called Geum B. It looks really sweet in our room. One common concern shared by my dad and friends is that "Isn't the bed too low? Will it be too strenuous to carry the baby in and out, up and down?" Maybe it will be, maybe it will not. I won't know till I tried it. But I do like the fact that this bumper bed will be the playpen and bed for Gabriella till she probably outgrow it. In fact, the bumper bed is so huge that my husband could snuggle inside. 

8) I have also prepared the hospital delivery bag. I was told that I just needed my identity card, hospital paperwork, a set of going home outfit for both mother and baby, toiletries (optional), marriage certificate (if you plan to register the baby's name at the hospital).

Black Friday Sale (Bought my stroller at best deal ever)

I have been waiting for a while for a good deal from department stores and nothing beats online deals. Qoo10 had a Black Friday Sale which gave $100 for minimum $600 purchase. The stroller Combi Mega Ride was selling at Baby Gallery on Qoo10 for $503 (below retail price of $559). On top of that, Baby Gallery was giving out $35 voucher for minimum $500 purchase from its shop). Together with the Black Friday cart voucher of $100, I got myself a new Stroller for only $368. That equates to a saving of $191 from retail price (34% off). I will prob not get such a deal anywhere else. Most places at most provide 20% discount. 

What's even more amazing is that I received a call from Baby Gallery almost immediately after I checked out my Qoo10 cart, to arrange for delivery. And I had it delivered free to my house the next day, which came in a huge box. The service standard is amazing. Of course, the stroller is beautifully new, untouched and clean without dust. I love the stroller a lot. I hope my baby girl Gabriella will like sitting on it. 

DIY Prenatal photoshoot

Sungsoo and I took some prenatal photos while I was still 31 weeks pregnant. We went to my sis's condo The Vision, next to West Coast Park. The photos turn out rather well. :)

You may have guessed what G stands for. G = Girl = Gabriella

In search of a stroller (Aprica, Capella, Combi)

Choosing a stroller seems harder than choosing a baby carrier. Maybe because the prices range widely. A reasonable stroller can range from $100 to more than a $1000. Designs and features range widely too across different brands and models, as they cater to a wide range of requirements.

Having researched a fair bit, I have narrowed my search to 3 main brands: Aprica, Combi and Capella, mainly because they have models that provide reasonable light-weight, reversibility, single hand folding, full canopy, full reclining seat, etc.

In terms of weight, I think my threshold is max 7.5kg. I find anything more than that heavy for me to carry. As we do not have a car and we are not planning to get one, I think it is important that the stroller is light and easy to fold and carried up the public transport (in particular buses). However, being light, it should not compromise on sturdiness. It should still feel safe and not flimsy and unstable. I was advised by my sister to have one with a reversible handle so that the baby could either face outwards or towards me.

I like Aprica Solaria and Optia for the design and lightweight but both are very expensive (>$850) and look small and narrow. Same for the cheaper version Aprica Karoon Plus High Seat and Luxuna Light. While they state that the strollers are for newborn to 15 kg (3 years old), I think it can only comfortably only fit up 2 years old baby. I roughly checked carousell and I noticed a few sellers of Aprica only used their Aprica strollers for <10 times and indicated that their kid prefered to be carried instead of be in the stroller. That made me wonder if babies find the strollers too small for them. Aprica can be found in Robinsons and Takashimaya.

Capella has 2 more recent models for 2016, namely Coni Mini S230L and Adonis Travel S705T, which both are selling below $400 (with discount). Coni Mini and Adonis Travel are wider than Aprica and are able suitable for newborn to 18kg (4 years old). I think both can comfortably fit a toddler up to 3 years old. Coni Mini seems narrower than Adonis Travel, and does not come with the perforated seat cushion which is essential for hot humid weather. Adonis Travel on the other hand is too heavy, which is 8.6kg, which exceeded my threshold. Capella can be found in Kiddy Palace and Isetan for those who live in the west.

Combi has a really light model Combi Mega Ride (6.8kg) which is sturdy and yet is suitable for 1st month up till 48 months. It is rather spacious and I have read other blogs whose toddler really likes sitting in it. The newer version of Mega Ride is Mega Ride Deluxe which is almost the same as the previous model but it comes with an additional handbrake. The weight is 7.6 kg which is still alright, but the price is $220 more expensive. Hence, I am still targeting to get Combi Mega Ride. But I noticed that Takashimaya is already not carrying this model. Robinsons doesn't carry Combi, but Isetan does.

I noticed that there is some price fixation across all retailers as I did my research with various department stores and online shops. Do not expect the prices to vary much. The best rates I have seen so far is during the 11.11 Online Sale from Lazada. You could also get it from Qoo10 which you can utilize the voucher which seller gives ($35 off for items more than $500). But I hope that Department stores will still offer some deals closer to Christmas, or online sale during Black Friday. My last bet is to visit the SuperMom Baby Fair which will be held on 17-19 Feb 2017 at MBS, a month after my baby's EDD.

Update of my purchase
In the end, I got myself a Combi Mega Ride during Black Friday Sale. I wrote a separate post for this. Click here.

Making own Matsoni yogurt and Kefir Cheese

After having tasted homemade yogurt at my mother-in-law's, I no longer find the off-the-shelf yogurts tasty. In fact, those pff-the-shelf yogurts are too sweet and not effective. I tried to bring home some from Korea but the yogurt culture died along the way. I wasn't able to make my own yogurt for a days and my craving grew. So, I went on carousell (https://carousell.com/sl_teo) and found this really nice lady that sells Milk Kefir grains, Matsoni Yogurt and others. Not only she provided me with the Matsoni Yogurt and Milk Kefir grains which I wanted, she also provided me with very detailed instructions and recipes. 

Matsoni Yogurt: 

• I placed 2 tablespoon of yogurt and added 500ml of full fat milk (here I used Marigold Fresh Milk Pasteurized) in a glass sealed container. (It is important not to use any metal spoon. Plastic and Wooden utensils are fine.)
• You could cover the container with a paper towel and secure with rubber band and leave on the table for 14-16 hours. But I used a air-tight glass container and it still worked well. In fact, I left my culture for only 9 hours overnight and it was done. What I got was a creamy smooth yogurt. 

Milk Kefir :

• I placed a few grains of kefir and added 250ml of full fat milk (here I used Marigold Fresh Milk Pasteurized) in a glass sealed container. 
• Similarly as above, I used an air-tight container and no metal utensils were used.
• For Milk Kefir, it takes much longer to set. One should see enough liquid pockets (whey). If there isn't enough, one should wait a few hours longer. It usually take a full day for my Kefir to completely separately. 
• After which, separate the Milk Kefir using a paper coffee filter by placing the mug in the fridge while it separates. The Milk Kefir will thicken to form Kefir cheese and you will also get the Whey.
• The whey could be used the next morning and mixed with juice and drank straight away, or blend it with berries to make smoothies. 
• The kefir cheese could be made into cheese balls and soaked into olive oil to be kept for a longer period, and can be used to make pasta salad.

What are the health benefits of homemade yogurt? Like most yogurt, it has abundance of good bacteria in this yogurt, such as lactobacillus and thermophilus, which makes it a rich probiotic source. Being mesophillic, it requires very minimal effort to prepare.

What are the health benefits of kefir? Compared to many other yogurt which usually has only 3-5 kinds of beneficial bacterial, Kefir has 36-40 healthy beneficial bacterial. Kefir is easier to digest, has anti-bacterial properties and helps vital organs. While most yogurt are thermophilic, Kefir is mesophillic. There are 2 types of Kefir - Milk Kefir and Water Kefir. Milk kefir has more nutrition, which comes naturally from the milk, while water kefir is less fattening. Milk kefir is also good for lactose intolerant because the bacteria processes the lactose, making it 99% lactose free. People who wants to lose weight will prefer Water Kefir, as it also has low glycemic index (GI), which means it releases glucose to the bloodstream at a relatively slower rate making one feel full for a longer time, and therefore not crave for food. 

Kefir separates into whey and curds. Whey contains many important minerals and source of amino acids, great source of electrolytes, regenerates intestinal flora, maintain proper pH in our gut, and acts as natural antiseptic. ^^