Bump Watch - Week 37

"Is it twins?" the checkout lady in the

supermarket asked me. The cheek of it!

This week marks an important milestone - the baby is now considered full-term and could arrive at any time. My reflexologist certainly thinks it will be earlier than later: "Prepare yourself" he said on Wednesday. "All the signs are there in the feet". As I had planned a girls' night in at our place on Saturday I asked him if I would make it as far as the weekend. "Oh yes" he said. "It's not that imminent".

This came as a relief, since I was convinced that if I planned an elaborate party I would end up cancelling it at the last minute for a mad dash to the hospital. As it happened, Friday's regular hospital check-up passed off uneventfully, and as Saturday came, I prepared salads to go with the takeaway pizzas I would order later and congratulated myself on a job well done.

At 6:45, with the girls due to arrive at 7pm, I just had time to sort out the music and switch on the table lamps, when ZZZZZ!!!!!! I gave myself an electric shock on the plug adaptor for the cursed 2-prong-plugged lamp. Baby's feet gave a massive kick to my ribs in a "Hey! What the hell's going on?" sort of way, and then - nothing. Oh god! Oh god! I thought, dashing for the computer to Google "can electric shock harm baby". The first hit which came up included the line "the fetuses died in 73% of cases, and there was only one normal pregnancy outcome".

So, convinced I had fried the baby with only three weeks to go, I went on what seemed like the longest taxi ride ever to the hospital (which is just five minutes away). Unlike my recent visit (the gastroenteritis episode), this time there was no attempt to take payment up-front and I was whisked straight through to triage where I had a series of sticky pads and wires applied all over my body, apparently to check my heart. Never mind me, I'm thinking, what about the baby?

Eventually the on-call gynae showed to do an ultrasound and thankfully Pob was very much alive and kicking. I bet The Prof, my obstetrician, was wetting himself when he got a call to tell him that his patient, who was absolutely fine yesterday, had electrocuted herself and did she need to bring forward her next appointment as a result? Yes, Prof said. And inwardly I laughed too, because on Friday, when he sent us away with a confident "see you in ten days", I said "I bet we see you sooner". However this wasn't exactly the scenario I had in mind...

Happy ending: the girls' party went ahead

rather later than expected!

Getting Carried Away: Baby Carriers

So the big stroller decision has been made, but stroller aside, there are times when you just want to pick up the baby and go. A baby carrier is a fantastic solution, not only allowing you to keep your hands free for housework or shopping, but also for soothing the baby (and even a bit of sneaky breast feeding!). As with most baby kit these days, the options are endless, but fortunately I was able to attend a baby carrier demonstration session led by Samantha Van Norman of SnugBugs, to get the lowdown.

Much like strollers, I found myself approaching the baby carrier decision with the view that there must be one ideal product out there to cover all the bases. Yet again, I was proved wrong! For a start, not all carriers are suitable from birth. Second, some are much more geared towards women than men, whether aesthetically or from a breast-feeding point of view. And then there’s the small matter of what the baby likes. You could spend a fortune only to find out that your little bundle of joy can’t stand being in the carrier.

Pouch Slings

One of the simplest carriers out there, the pouch sling is basically a hoop of fabric which goes from shoulder to waist. At around $50 or less, they are one of the cheapest carriers out there, and come in a large range of funky designs. At the demonstration I attended all of the babies loved these – several of them went straight off to sleep! On the downside, pouch slings are sized to fit the wearer not the baby, so may not be suitable for both parents. The designs tend to be more feminine anyway – Dom’s initial reaction was “I’m not wearing one of those!”

Ring Slings

Easily the most stylish option, these look fabulous. However several ladies in our demonstration group experienced trouble using them. First, the rings really need to be metal to allow the fabric to glide effectively for adjustment. Even then, these slings did not seem very easy to set up and one baby nearly fell right out! A case of style over substance in my opinion.

Wrap Slings

Essentially just a long length of fabric, wrap slings offer endless options for how to carry a baby. But as you can imagine, they are trickier to get to grips with and after a trial run with a plastic doll I just couldn’t see either me or Dom having the patience.

Baby Sling Safety

A final word on slings: the safety of baby slings was called into question earlier this year following the recall of 1m Slingrider slings due to 3 cases of suffocation. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission released a general warning about the dangers of baby slings, citing risks from the fabric pressing against the baby’s mouth and nose – and also from carrying the baby in a ‘C’ shaped position, whereby the head and chest are pressed together, leading to suffocation. When buying a sling, particularly the pouch kind, it is important to check the sizing. If the sling is too big, the baby could be swamped by fabric or slung too low beneath the breasts, both of which could contribute towards the suffocation risks described.

Mei Tai Carriers

The Asian version of the Baby Bjorn, the Mei Tai is an apron-like fabric carrier which fastens by tying long straps around the shoulder and waist Suitable from birth, they’re cheaper, more lightweight and foldable compared with the structured carriers, and are apparently quite good for a bit of covert breast-feeding. And unlike baby slings, the weight is evenly distributed across both shoulders.

Soft Structured Carriers

Perhaps the most popular type of baby carriers, these are more suitable for slightly older babies (3 months +), despite what the manufacturers might claim. (Remember a very small baby can’t support its head properly). The easy clip-on buckles and choice of neutral designs make them more ‘Dad friendly’ and many can be worn on the front or back, giving more flexibility.

Baby Bjorn leads the way when it comes to structured carriers, but at a price. Also, Baby Bjorn makes the baby hang from its groin area, which is not ideal. The Ergo carrier, on the other hand, allows the baby to hang from its bum – bum down, knees bent up – a more natural position for a baby. As for the debate of outward or inward baby facing options, we were advised that while you might think that a baby being able to look at its surroundings is a plus, the downside is that they can get over-stimulated. If the baby is facing you it will be calmer, easier to soothe and settle to sleep.

http://www.snugbugs.com.sg/

In Pursuit of the Holy Grail: Choosing the right Stroller

Of all the baby equipment we bought, the thing we found most difficult to choose was the stroller. Just step into Mothercare and you can be instantly turned off by the vast selection, not to mention the prices. I felt a bit like Indiana Jones on the Last Crusade, trying to pick the Holy Grail. Should I go for something cheap and simple, or will it just fall apart? Or should I go for the all-bells-and-whistles option with cup holders, hydraulic suspension and rear-view mirrors, only to find it won’t fit through my front door? Clearly, if you’re going to spend the best part of $500 – or up to $2000 on a fancy travel system you’d better make damn sure that it’s suitable for your needs.

In our case, we don’t have a car so we get around using taxis, buses and trains. Now there’s no legal requirement to use a car seat in Singapore – and some mothers told me they managed simply using a baby carrier and a lightweight stroller – but when you’ve seen the way people drive here I think a car seat is still worth considering! Of course, a car seat in isolation is not very portable when you don’t own a car. I can’t imagine lugging a car seat with a baby in it around Vivo City on a weekend, put it that way! So this brings me to the thorny issue of travel systems. Travel systems offer the flexibility of having a car seat and a stroller which are compatible, so the car seat can be easily clipped into the stroller or the car without disturbing the bambino. Or at least that’s the theory.

In reality, I found that most travel systems are enormous, cumbersome things with wheels the size of dustbin lids and a chassis made for a body-builder. It’s all very well if you have a car, but after seeing someone in the taxi queue at Vivo City trying to shoehorn their Quinny Zap into the boot of a cab, I could see this was not the way forward. Fortunately there are some lightweight travel systems out there – and here’s the one we bought, the Graco Ultima + Travel System. The stroller part of this is quite light and can be collapsed with one hand and the car seat straps in easily using the rear adult seatbelt, making it ideal for taxi hopping. And between the car seat and the stroller it’s suitable from birth to 3 years.

Tips for buying a stroller:

• Consider your lifestyle. Where will you travel with the baby and how will you get there? Do you have a car or do you rely on public transport?
• Consider your environment: Are you living in an urban environment with forgiving terrain or in a rural area where you need more ‘off-road’ capability?
• Consider the climate. Does the stroller offer enough warmth/air circulation? Is there a rain cover and how easy is this to install? Is there an adequate sun shade?
• Ask for a demonstration and be sure to test the stroller thoroughly in the shop. How easy is the stroller to steer, collapse and carry with one hand?
• Check the age limits and seat adjustment options. Is the stroller suitable from birth? How does the seat adjust for different ages? Is there an option for the baby to face you during the early months?
• Check the wheels and brakes. Are they effective and easy to operate? Bear in mind that fancy wheels (those with elaborate bearings or inflatable tyres) might attract problems. (Punctures aside, one friend found her stroller came to a halt after the wheel bearings jammed up with grit). On the other hand, solid wheels might slide rather than roll on shiny surfaces, so be sure to check.
• Measure the stroller, both open and folded, to check that it will fit well into your car and your home. (Strollers tend to look smaller in the shop!).
• Check out the shopping basket. It might sound a bit vain and girly, but you do need somewhere to stash your baby bag and I found several strollers where the shopping basket was incredibly small or had a bar running through the middle of it.
• However much research you put into buying a stroller, accept that you may end up buying more than one. For this reason I chose not to blow the bank on our stroller. The fact is, babies grow and needs change. Most people I know with children ended up buying a more lightweight stroller once the baby got a bit older. Quite simply, when it comes to strollers, there are always pros and cons. In stroller world, there is no such thing as the Holy Grail.

Graco stockists (Singapore): Aprisin http://www.aprisin.com.sg/store/index.php?main_page=index

Bump Watch - Week 33

Me with birthday girl Gen at Wala Wala

Week 33 is upon us, as is the shocking realisation that there are only 7 weeks to go - and possibly less if you consider the family history of early arrivals. Fortunately project baby is well under control by now and we could pretty much get by if Pob made an early appearance. We have the cot, a swinging crib and a growing collection of baby clothes thanks to new friend, Jess, who has a little boy and lives a couple of floors down.

We are also in the process of hiring a live-in maid (more on that soon!), which means I have a small project on the go to clear out the bomb room (AKA the maid's bedroom). Also this week, we had our second pre-natal meeting with our doula, Jennie, to finalise plans for the birth.

The main concern at my last hospital appointment was the breech position of the baby. I spent the last week trying out the tips for turning a breech baby, including lying head down on an ironing board propped against the sofa (a horrible vomit-inducing position) and kneeling on the floor with my bum in the air.

This morning we went for my regular check-up at the hospital and I was hoping and praying that the baby had turned. It seemed I wasn't the only one. "So, has the baby turned?" my obstetrician asked. "You tell me!" I said, but I wasn't hopeful. I explained that I was feeling the same sort of movements in the same sort of places, with one new and strange pointy lump on my left side.

So the Prof felt my belly and I was quite shocked that for the first time, he could not figure out which way round the baby was. "Where's the baby's head?" he puzzled. Meanwhile I'm lying there thinking oh my god, I'm sure the baby had a head before - and what on earth is that strange pointy thing on the left?! Has Pob somehow morphed into an alien life-form?

An ultrasound revealed the answers. "Ah, excellent!" the Prof broke into a smile as he waved the ultrasound gun over my belly. In fact the baby had turned and the reason Prof couldn't feel the head is that it was buried very deep inside. And as for the odd pointy thing on my side? A foot? A hand? Or maybe a stray elbow? No. It was a bloody fibroid all along!