Baby Fair Expo (14-16 Oct)

I went to my first Baby Fair expo on 14 Oct, organized by Baby Market. Each baby fair I researched on always claimed that they are the “biggest”. The recent one I went to claimed to be the “No. 1 Biggest Baby Fair in South East Asia with the Best Offers voted by Mummies and carrying 1000+ Brands, 150,000+ Maternity & Baby Products; all products on offer. The fair was held in Expo Hall 5, over 14-16 Oct. What I liked about the website is that you get to add items to your “Starbuy Wishlist” and have day to day updates on deals, which can also be found on the downloadable e-Magazine.

As I stayed in Jurong and I don’t have a car, it took me a long time to reach there. (I think the organizers could consider holding some of such Fairs in the warehouses in Jurong Area to cater to the mummies living in the west.) There were many brands but the fair was not organized in terms of the type of products. For example, I was looking for Strollers but I needed to jump from booth to booth which were not next to each other.

In this Fair, my husband and I were very targeted, we were looking for a few items:

1) Baby Carrier: 

My husband did his research and he liked i-Angel Miracle. As we were going to Korea, we thought it will be cheaper in Korea since it is a Korean Brand. The fair offered it at S$225, on the other hand GMarket Korea was selling it at 190,000₩ (SGD currently has weak currency rate and hence it ends up $5 more expensive to buy in Korea - S$230). Being really targeted, we didn’t even explore other Baby Carriers such as ErgoBaby, Baby Bjorn, Tula, Babasling. We bought straight away at the first booth we went to that sold i-Angel.

There are some criteria which my husband based his choice on

• Suitability for Newborn
• Carrying positions – Feeding position, Face-to-face, Front-facing, All cover, Back carrying

• Weight-distribution with the waist belt and it being ergonomically comfortable for both the parents and the baby (as it prevents post-birth hip dysplasia)

“ The optimal position for babies, when being carried, is to have their thighs supported and their hips and knees bent (flexed). For healthy hips, the legs should be allowed to spread apart naturally and for freedom of movement to occur. Having seen the i-Angel baby carrier in use, I was impressed to see the baby well supported in a comfortable, seated position with appropriate support at the thighs in all possible positions of use. His position mimicked what we’d hope to see naturally with the hips spread and bent, knees bent and movement still able to occur. It is great to see a baby carrier allow for safe and comfortable carrying of the baby whilst maintaining a healthy position for the developing hips.” - Lucy Llewellyn-Stanton, Senior Paediatric Physiotherapist

• Adjustment

• Material – 100% Cotton, with a mesh material for baby to feel pleasant even in a humid and hot environment like Singapore
• Comes with a Hip Seat, Hip Seat Carrier, Sleeping Hood, Spit Cloth, Side Pouch
• Design & Colour – we chose “Powder Blue” as it looked nice regardless if Mom or Dad carries, and also neutral to the baby gender. Although I like the pastel pink too, I think my husband may end up carrying the baby more frequently than I do. ^^

2) Breast Pump :

My husband is really good at doing his online research. He liked Spectra S2 Pump most. Not because Spectra is also a Korean Brand, but because of the features. However, we did not buy it at the Baby Fair as we didn’t like the way the distributor marked up the price by bundling with a lot of random items that we didn’t need. While they claimed that those are “Free Gifts”, they have in fact factored in the prices. For example Spectra S2, during the fair they were selling at S$348, on the other hand GMarket Korea was selling it at 148,000₩ (S$179) with various optional add-ons which at most costs $200+. I approached the sales lady at the fair and she said they couldn’t de-bundle the “Free gifts”, which made me feel they were kind of scamming the buyers, by marking up and forcing people to “pay extra” for the so-called “Free gifts”, which included random stuff like VCool Bag, Adaptor, Nursing Bra, Breastpumping Talks, etc (which they claimed was worth $200).

I have read about how some mummies compared different breast pumps such as Avent, Medela, Pigeon, etc. My sister has tried both Avent and Medela, and she swore by Medela as Avent was not able to provide a good latch on.

Lists of Blogs that review on the various Pumps:

• Mummy’s Little Black Book: http://mlbb.com.sg/which-electric-pump-to-buy/
• The Pumping Mommy: http://thepumpingmommy.com/spectra-s1-vs-spectra-s2-what-is-the-difference
• Living with low milk supply: http://livingwithlowmilksupply.com/spectra-breast-pump-reviews

What makes Spectra Pump so amazingly good are the following features:

• Max Suction Limit of 300mmHg with 12 different suction levels and cycle speed: 

Many other pumps offer lower suction limit of 250mmHg and with limited choices in levels. A wider range and more choices means that mummies will be able to find the most suitable suction level for their own comfort and increasing/maintaining a high efficiency of milk supply.

• Unique suction : 

Suction is a science on its own. Sometimes you wonder why some mummies are able to produce lots of milk and some mummies’ breasts feel painful or discomfort after a short while of pumping. It is not just about the suction pressure but also how the suction was done. Just like how a baby does it, Spectra pumps don’t create suction, they actually suckle. There is a beginning phase of sucking which vibrates the nipple before a long and deep suction once the baby fully latches on. There is also a stimulating let-down reflex when the milk flow slows down before it picks up again. 

• Quiet pump (nearly silent) :  

I don’t know how you feel when you hear someone breast pumping. The sound it makes can be irritating for others or maybe even “stimulating”.  I wouldn’t want my family or colleagues to know that I am pumping during the middle of the night or when I am desk pumping. 

• Closed system : 

A few other pumps probably also provide this feature. Basically a closed system means it prevents back flow and hence milk will not contact with the pump motor and resulting the need to clean thoroughly after every pump and causing the pump to spoil more easily. 

• Optional Dual pumping : 

To save time, some mothers prefer the ability to pump both breasts at the same time. But most often, it affects the suction pressure when dual pumping is provided. 

• Night light : 

Useful when you are pumping at night and you do not want to turn on the lights to figure out the options.

Differences between S1, S2, M1, S9+ is the portability and features. S1 has both power adapter and built-in battery; S2 only provides power adapter but is about 110 grams lighter and cheaper. S9+ and M1 are the more portable ranges, weighing 300 grams and 500 grams respectively and uses portable rechargeable battery. As S9+ and M1 are meant for personal use and not hospital grade, the pump motors may be less durable. But in terms of suction levels and cycle speed, S9+ and M1 also provides a variety. 

More info about Spectra S2 pump can be found in this link :

http://ai.esmplus.com/cmshopping/english/01_breastpump/S2.jpg

I love the pinkish colour of S2. I am just so girly, isnt it?

3) Milk Bottle :
We were looking for a baby bottle which helps reduce colic. Colic is common among babies and it causes discomfort for babies resulting in endless crying. If babies cry at least 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, and tend to clench their fists or draw their knees up to their tummy, there is a chance that the baby has some digestive or feeding problem including swallowing air/trapped wind.

"How an internal vent works is that it allows the air to enter and directs it to the area above the liquid, keeping the air and the liquid separate. Because there is no vacuum to inhibit the flow of liquid, babies can feed at their own pace. Traditional and restrictively vented bottles tend to develop vacuums when babies feed from them because babies need to suck progressively harder to get any liquid from them. Babies seal their lips to the teat when they nurse, but as the vacuum increases they ingest air through a weakened teat seal. Air enters the bottle through the vent in the teat and aerates the formula; this air is ingested"

Although there are a few brands such as Tommy Tippee, Philips Avent, we ended up buying Dr Brown’s bottle. I understand that the differences aren’t much. It just boils down to what your baby likes. (Try-and-error approach)

4) Stroller : 

We visited a few booths that carried varies brands, such as Cosatto, Graco, Peg-Perego, Aprica, Maclaren, Maxi-Cosi, Capella, Quinny, Nuna, Inglesina. We spent a lot more time with brands that provide reversible and light weight strollers such as Aprica, Capella, Combi etc. However, we did not buy any as we needed more time to do our research. I will probably have a separate blog post on this.