Baby Jae turned 1 month old on Wednesday, so it’s time to share his birth story with you while my memory is still fresh.

A quick update first: I’ve been taking care of the 2 boys by myself over the past few days. I messed things up quite a bit on the first day, ha! After that, things have been improving. It certainly helps that Jae LOVES to sleep, so it’s usually lights out for him by 7 to 8 p.m. Then I can spend some time with Vee and get things organised.

All right, here’s the birth story…

The Plan

My EDD was 10 Nov 2011. Since the second trimester, I’ve been communicating with Jae to arrive on 5 Nov 2011, which is a Saturday, followed by a public holiday on Monday.

The day came and nothing happened, so I celebrated my birthday in advance over the weekend. That 2 nights, I experienced slight cramps, but not regular enough to mean the real thing.

The REAL Thing

7 Nov 2011, 1p.m.: Mild contractions started after lunch. They were relatively regular, occurring at about 30 minutes interval. That day was my lunar birthday and my mum’s birthday. I’d a feeling that baby would arrive by the end of the day or the next.

3 to 5p.m.: I took an afternoon nap with Vee. Once awake, I felt the mild contractions again.

I downloaded the Contractions Monitor app on my iPod Touch. This way, I could simply press a button when contraction starts, and press it again when it ends. Then choose its strength, from “Very Mild” to “Very Strong”. The app even plots a chart showing the patterns of the contractions — hubby was impressed!

7.30p.m.: We’d dinner at home. Since the ob-gyn said I need to be admitted when there are 10 contractions within 1 hour, I waited for that time to come. Then suddenly, the contractions became rather strong and VERY frequent — I was pressing the button throughout dinner! And I realised there were already 10 contractions within 40 minutes!

Our original plan was to put Vee to bed, then go to the hospital. But I knew things couldn’t wait, so we decided to rush to the hospital first.

8.30p.m.: I caught a quick shower (cos who knows when the next shower time would be) and saw the “show”. Things were happening too fast beyond our expectations. We grabbed the hospital bag and left house. Great that the hospital is only 10 minutes away from home and there was no traffic jam.

9.15p.m.: Immediately, the nurse arranged for a penicillin injection because I’m a Group B Strep carrier. This is to protect baby during delivery.

The midwife checked and I was already 6-7 cm dilated. She estimated that baby would arrive within 2 hours. Fantastic, considering I spent 29 hours in the hospital for the first delivery.

I lied down inclined sideways and used deep breathing plus relaxation technique to manage every contraction. They were strong yet still manageable.

The ob-gyn reached and artificially burst my water bag to speed things up. The next contraction was EXTREMELY powerful and shocked me! I thought I’d the urge to push, but it was still too early.

Ob-gyn said that baby was very deeply engaged, but his face was facing front, so that could give me the false feeling to push. I mentally told baby to turn backwards.

Midwife suggested that I change from lying on my left to the right, and the following contraction was milder.

Then the super-powerful contractions came on again. Amazingly, baby has turned. This time, the midwife said that I could start pushing, so I did.

10.52p.m.: Within a few pushes, baby Jae was out. I was sooooo relieved and happy that I did it with no enema, no pain relief and no episiotomy. There was only a very slight tear and no blood loss like the first delivery.

Jae calmed down immediately and looked at me when the nurse passed him over. Priceless moment…

After Delivery

For 2 nights, I stayed with Jae in the hospital while hubby brought Vee home to rest. Breastfeeding this second time round is much easier since I know how to cradle the baby and latch him on correctly. And time flies, Jae’s already 1 month old. I’m looking forward to him growing up and playing with his brother.

Sharing time: What’s your birth story? Share your blog post link or write it out in the comments box.

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Baby Jae’s Birth Story. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Related posts:

1. Sharing Vee’s birth story with you
2. [Pregnancy] Hospital Bag Checklist for Delivery

After a long journey, baby #2 (a.k.a Baby Jae) finally arrived last Monday, on 7 November 2011! This day happens to be my lunar birthday, my mum’s birthday AND the eve of my birthday. This boy certainly knows how to choose a good date for himself. It’s wonderful that we’d be celebrating birthdays together every year.

Jae was delivered naturally and quickly within 1.5 hours of reaching the hospital. I’d share his birth story when there’s more time on hand.

In the meantime, we’ve established breastfeeding rather well and his jaundice level seems under control.

Vee’s still adjusting to his baby brother’s arrival and I’m trying my best to give him lots of hugs, kisses and assurance. He has been running a fever for the past 3 days, and is now down with a runny nose and cough. So he’s being kept a good distance away from Jae.

I’m grateful to hubby, my parents and the confinement lady for taking good care of the 2 boys while I rest as much as possible. In 3 weeks, I’d have to cope on my own during the day. Wish me luck!

“See” you again and take care too…

P.S. I’d be resting a lot until December, so replies to emails and comments would take much longer than usual. Thank you very much for your patience.

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At 38 weeks, I’m in the last lap of pregnancy, waiting for baby #2 to arrive. Obgyn predicts D-day to be this weekend, while we’re aiming for next weekend. Anyway, here are the final preparations that have been keeping us busy:

1. Washing, Laundry, Re-organisation

This was the most time-consuming part. Fortunately, Vee’s baby stuff have been kept rather neatly in the wardrobe, so it was easy to find them. (I love using these vacuum bags reviewed here.)

• Baby’s clothes and cloth diapers: All the fabric items were washed over many days, and I was so looking forward to sunny weather! I felt especially good washing the tiny cloth diapers because they’re soooo cute and of course, going to save us a big deal of money.
• The big items: It was hectic scrubbing out the wardrobes, changing table, cot, mini play-gym, rocker, infant car seat, and miscellaneous large items. Good chance to do spring cleaning and re-organise Vee’s items as well.
• My clothes: Then I dug out all my nursing wear, breast pads, cloth pads, and other essentials. Again, a good chance to tidy up my wardrobe.

2. Getting the Hospital Bag Ready

With a prior experience, I now know what would be provided at our chosen hospital. So this time, my hospital bag is very compact. For a full list of what to consider bringing, read my Hospital Bag Checklist for Delivery here.

Initially, I wanted to buy milkmaid tea and nipple butter only at the hospital, for convenience. Then when shopping at iherb.com, I realised that the prices were rock-bottom low! Immediately, I ordered 3 packs of the tea and 1 jar of the butter. Great that they arrived in time. Feel free to check them out here:

• Earth Mama Angel Baby, Organic Milkmaid Tea, 16 Tea Bags*: at USD3.96 (about RM12.64). In KL, it costs about RM40+.
• Earth Mama Angel Baby, Natural Nipple Butter, 2 fl oz (60 ml)*: at USD9.59 (about RM30.60). In KL, it costs about RM69.90.

3. Perineal Massage

During my previous pregnancy with Vee, my ob-gyn recommended that I do perineal massage from about week 36 onwards. This is to help prevent an episiotomy or tear. I diligently did it as a nightly routine. Though I’m petite while Vee was a relatively big 3.48kg baby, I avoided the need for an episiotomy (which is equivalent to a second degree tear).

Because Vee stretched one hand out during delivery, I’d a first degree tear, which was easily stitched up and healed quickly and painlessly.

This time, I bought Mothercare’s Perineal Gel again and have just started doing the massage. Hopefully, no tear this time round.

For details on how to do perineal massage, visit Perineal Massage: Your How-To Guide from iVillage here.

4. Discussion with Hubby and Briefing Him on Vee’s Routine

Since Vee has been solely taken care of by two of us, we know that it’d be drastic to simply hand him over to someone else when I’m in the hospital. It’s highly possible no one would be able to put this fussy sleeper down for a nap or bedtime at night.

And we certainly don’t want him to feel any tinge of being “abandoned” just because baby brother is arriving.

So for now, we’re likely to bring him to the hospital with a family member along. Then hubby could babywear him for a nap. At night, both of them can head home to rest and visit me again in the morning. I should be able to manage with the nurses’ help.

This toughest situation is if I deliver in the middle of the night. Then he’d have to wait with the family member outside the delivery room, until Daddy can pick him up.

5. Letting Vee Sleep Without Me

To help our fussy sleeper sleep more independently, I started eliminating body contact with him at nap and bedtime.

Previously, he needed me to put one hand on him until he fell asleep. Several weeks back, I began to limit this contact to 5 minutes. I count down to him as every minute passes, until finally “3, 2, 1, 0, Mummy’s hand is very tired and needs to recharge its battery.” I remove my hand and keep it to myself. Surprisingly, he accepted this excuse and hardly fussed! Since then, he has been able to fall asleep without any body contact.

At night, hubby introduced a new part to the bedtime routine by whistling his favourite songs to him. They’d lie down together and enjoy the short whistling session. I’d take this chance to leave the room to do my own things. Then hubby did the same 5-minute body contact finale. And Vee would fall asleep on his own. A great milestone for him indeed!

6. Getting Gifts for the Brothers

Many mums have practised gift exchange for their children when the newborn arrives, so we’re giving it a try too, hoping to give the brothers a good headstart in their sibling relationship.

Previously, Vee has helped to choose a Charlie Banana cloth diaper in a beautiful print for his brother, so that’s his gift. (Yup, I’d be reviewing this.)

Then today, I secretly bought Mega Bloks Thomas 3 in 1 Buildables: James On the Move* on behalf of his baby brother. Vee has been eyeing this little red train for the longest time, so I’m sure he’d be elated!

All right, that’s about all on what’s been keeping us busy. Coming up on Tuesday (provided I don’t pop so soon), there’d be a review and Giveaway on GroVia All-in-Two Cloth Diapers. Stay tuned!

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Disclosure: Mummy’s Reviews™ is a review site that receives compensation if readers make purchases from affiliate links (these are marked with an *). If we receive compensation from the companies whose products we review, this would be disclosed. These compensation help to maintain and grow Mummy’s Reviews™. We test each product thoroughly and give ratings according to our experience with it. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.

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Related posts:

1. [Pregnancy] Hospital Bag Checklist for Delivery
2. Review: Protect baby from radiation during pregnancy with The Belly Band
3. Baby Jae’s Birth Story

It’s been more than a month since my last post. The good news to share with you is: I’m finally 17 weeks pregnant with baby #2! He’s expected to arrive around 10 Nov 2011, which is very near my birthday. What a wonderful birthday present to expect. Oh, and did I mention “he”? Ha… he opened his legs really WIDE during the 12th week scan to show us clearly that he’s a boy.

The Journey to Pregnancy…

hasn’t been easy. I was actually pregnant last October with an EDD of June (that’s this month). However, even at the 6th week scan, my very sharp ob-gyn warned us of the large yolk sac, which was likely due to chromosomal defect. At the 8th week scan, it was confirmed that there was no fetal heartbeat, that is, a missed abortion or silent miscarriage occurred. I chose to induce the miscarriage at home through medicine. It was a challenging day. After that, I felt very relieved and regained my energy quickly.

After one menstrual cycle, we tried again for baby #2 and succeeded. Of course, we waited patiently until the 12th week scan showed a good chance that baby #2 would become a reality this year. Thank God for the blessing!

The First Trimester…

has been spent largely on the bed resting. As with the previous two pregnancies, I felt extremely sleepy and lethargic right from the start. This time round, at least I’d the energy to continue homeschooling and playing with Vee. That pretty much exhausted me out and I couldn’t stay awake long enough to write anything.

There were several nights when insomnia hit and I couldn’t fall asleep until 6 to 7a.m. This certainly made a me a grouchy mum. On most mornings (even now), Vee’s the one to drag me out of bed. Many times, I simply laid on the bed and let Vee play with a mountain of Lego blocks around me.

The good thing is there has been no nausea, unlike the first pregnancy when I vomited day and night for weeks. Being able to keep the food down means I started gaining weight early on.

I also begun delegating more tasks to hubby — bathing Vee and putting him to bed on most nights. This is an important period for him to bond with Daddy before baby brother arrives. Fortunately, Vee seems very attached to his new brother and talks to him a lot every day. It’s as if baby has already arrived — they’ve home lessons together, read books side by side, and Vee even tries to feed baby milk from my breasts! Yes, breastfeeding is very important to me, and I certainly need Vee’s support and co-operation in future.

The Second Trimester…

sees me gaining more energy again. We spent a short weekend at a nearby resort. Then I single-handedly brought Vee on a flight to Singapore for my first opportunity to vote in the May elections. Ha… everyone was concerned about a pregnant me handling Vee alone for the flights, yet I made it! He was very co-operative, and spending a week at my parents’ place allowed me to rest completely while the toddler was well-entertained.

Before backaches start to hit as my tummy grows bigger, we’re planning for more short getaways. Thinking back, I’m really glad to have travelled when being pregnant with Vee. While in my tummy, he visited Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Langkawi and Malacca. Then after he arrived, we only started travelling again when he was 9 months old because well… he was sooooo fussy about sleeping.

Looking Forward…

I’m clearing a lot of backlog of reviews and giveaways. While energy permits, I hope to share as much as I’ve learnt about parenting with you. Take care and you’d be hearing from me again soon.

Cheers,
MieVee

P.S. If you just had a baby or are expecting a baby this year, do leave a comment and share your good news too.

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If you’re pregnant or planning for a baby, then the enclosed Maternity Hospital Bag Checklist is just for you. Before delivering Vee, I prepared a detailed checklist so that I won’t miss out anything essential.

Fortunately I was prepared because the labour was long – 29 hours of contractions in the hospital before Vee finally arrived. Read on for my tips and download an extensive packing checklist at the end.

Tips for Preparing the Hospital Bag

1. Get the bag(s) ready by about 36 weeks, in case labour starts earlier than expected.
2. Consider splitting Mummy, baby and Daddy’s stuff into different bags so that each bag is lighter, smaller, and it’s easier to find the needed items.
3. Print the checklist: Stick page 1 on the wall for easy reference to know when’s the “real” labour. For other pages, stuff them into the relevant bags so that you can check off the items as they’re prepared.
4. Arrange for a tour with your chosen maternity hospital so that you’ve an idea of the size of the room and storage space. Ask the staff which items will be provided, so that you don’t need to bring them along.

The checklist is very extensive. You may not need all the items, so just pack what you think would be essential for your situation. Have a smooth delivery!

Download your Maternity Hospital Bag Checklist HERE (pdf).

Acknowledgements & Further References:

1. I got some of the packing ideas from an informative pre-natal class conducted by Ms Christine Choong at Mamalink (based in Kuala Lumpur). Christine is a professional lactation consultant, and her advice helped us with a great head start to breastfeeding Vee.
2. For more details on recognising the various stages of labour, I read Your Pregnancy Week by Week* by Professor Lesley Regan. We even brought the thick book to the hospital during delivery to figure out how far I’ve gone.

Sharing Time: Which are the must-have items in your hospital bag for delivery?

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Disclosure:
*: affiliate link to support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™

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P.S. Feel free to share the link to this page with your pregnant girl-friends.

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: [Pregnancy] Hospital Bag Checklist for Delivery. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Related posts:

1. [Pregnancy] Final preparations before baby #2 arrives
2. Sharing Vee’s birth story with you
3. Travelling with Baby: Tips and Packing Checklist

Here’s to share Vee’s birth story with you, just before he turns 2 years old in 9 days. I’d a natural delivery in a pro-breastfeeding Malaysian hospital, accepting epidural only after 20+ hours of contractions. If you’re expecting a baby (congratulations!), perhaps you can get a little idea of an actual birth experience.

The article “My Baby Valentine — A Birth Story” has been published as the feature story in the latest issue of Today’s Motherhood. Read it below or in the Feb/Mar 2011 issue, pages 12-13.

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Introduction

Two years ago, my son was born around Valentine’s Day. Here is a sharing of my birth story…

How It All Began

After my wedding, I shuttled frequently between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (where my husband was working). Several months later, I was surprised to discover my pregnancy. Suddenly, all-day sleepiness, indigestion and vomiting overwhelmed me, and I rested in Kuala Lumpur.

The expected delivery date (EDD) was 28 Feb 2009. My husband and I decided that if baby were to be born within one week of Valentine’s Day, his name would begin with “V”.

Throughout pregnancy, our baby grew well and we waited eagerly for D-day, hoping for a natural vaginal delivery with minimal medical intervention.

Show-Time

14 Feb 2009: My EDD was still two weeks away and “the show” occurred, right on Valentine’s Day. I went to the hospital for a check by the midwife. She said all was fine and I could rest at home. So no Valentine’s Day baby.

At night, I experienced a 1-minute cramp. Then nothing else. This was probably Braxton Hicks contractions. We were so looking forward to holding Baby Valentine in the next few days!

First Stage Latent Phase

16 Feb 2009, 8.05p.m.: We were watching a Hong Kong drama serial when I felt a minor cramp. One hour later, it happened again – this time slightly stronger. Then the cramps started coming in every 10 to 15 minutes.

My husband went to bed while I couldn’t sleep with the frequent cramps. Bad move as I still had a very long journey ahead!

17 Feb 2009, 3.a.m: For seven hours, I have managed the cramps with deep-breathing techniques learnt at antenatal classes. When the contractions reached about ten in an hour, I dragged my husband out of bed, and wanted to go to the hospital. He thought I was over-enthusiastic, told me to relax, and continued sleeping. I carried on managing the contractions and we finally reached the hospital at 6a.m.

6.40a.m.: The midwife checked me (ouch, that was so painful!) — I was 1.5cm dilated, contractions at 10 minutes interval.

Five hours later, I was STILL 1.5cm dilated! Things were progressing at a snail’s pace, so I was transferred from the labour ward to a normal ward.

Through the day, the contractions built up and lasted longer, up to 70 seconds at about 6 minutes interval. There was hardly any time to think about anything, as I was still managing the contractions with only deep-breathing exercises.

7p.m.: It has been 22 hours since the first contraction, and I was finally 3cm dilated, considered entering first stage active labour.

First Stage Active Phase

17 Feb 2009 11p.m.: Contractions were strong and regular, manageable with deep-breathing techniques. However, I was getting drained from lack of sleep and standing almost the entire day. It certainly didn’t help that I was only 3cm dilated and had seven more centimetres to go. So much effort yet so little progress. We decided to opt for epidural, so that we could catch some rest. It was a reluctant decision.

18 Feb 2009, 1.30a.m.: The epidural anaesthesia was administered. Soon after, I felt the numbness and no more contractions pain. What a relief! I probably dozed off immediately.

7a.m.: I was 5-6cm dilated. The ob-gyn broke my water bag and gave me an oxytocin drip to speed things up a little

Then, I started vomiting, possibly due to the side effects of epidural.

9.25a.m.: Ob-gyn checked me – 7cm dilation but baby was turning towards the back.

10.45a.m.: I vomitted again. Midwife examined me and said I was almost ready. Baby would be out in about 20 minutes. Finally, the time has arrived!

Second Stage

18 Feb 2009, 11.10a.m.: Midwife told me to start pushing and briefly explained how to do so. I gathered my energy and focused on my core abdominal muscles, learnt from Pilates classes. Within 12 minutes and three pushes, my Baby Valentine was delivered! He was born a hefty 3.48kg, considered huge for my petite size. No wonder I experienced severe backache during pregnancy.

After a brief cleaning up, the midwife passed my newborn to me. But just at that moment, I felt like vomiting, so hastily shoved the bundle back to her. What a way to start our bonding time.

During delivery, Vee stretched his arm out and gave me a first degree tear. While the ob-gyn stitched me up, I continued to bleed rather profusely. In the end, I lost about 1000ml of blood and became anaemic – a close shave from blood transfusion.

After Delivery

18 Feb 2009, 11.43a.m.: While the doctor was stitching me up, I tried to latch Vee onto my breasts for the first time and it was a steep learning curve. This was the start of our 18 months breastfeeding journey.

For two days in the hospital, I roomed in with baby as much as possible and breastfed him every 1 to 2 hours. He was colicky and impatient, while I learnt the ropes of cradling and latching him on correctly. Although my nipples became rather sore from the frequent feeds, by our discharge on the third day post-delivery, Vee was nursing happily up to 45 minutes for each feed.

Time flies and my Baby Valentine has grown into Toddler Valentino. I shall always cherish memories of my first labour experience.

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Sharing time: What’s your birth story? Share your blog post link or write it out in the comments box.

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1. Baby Jae’s Birth Story

Two months ago, Etonia (a physiotherapy centre for pregnant women, based in Singapore) invited me to review its BellyFit™ programme.

Before agreeing to the review, I thought about my existing concerns:

1. During pregnancy, I experienced severe aches on my left hip. It was so bad that I’d to wear a strong maternity support belt whenever I went outdoors. Climbing the stairs at home was a major torture.
2. This situation was probably worsened by my slightly curved spine (scoliosis).
3. After delivering Vee (a big baby for my petite size), my tummy muscles were overstretched. Even after reaching my pre-pregnancy weight quite easily with breastfeeding, it seemed impossible to regain a flat tummy. (I used to be a sports player with super-toned abs, and definitely miss those times.)

I seemed to be the perfect candidate to try out BellyFit™.

Before accepting the review, I read up on Etonia and its services. The educational background and professional experience of the physiotherapists (read their profiles here) convinced me that this is the right place to visit for help.

About BellyFit™ Programme

The 1-hour personal BellyFit™ assessment and exercise session is one of the services that Etonia provides. BellyFit™ offers tailored one-to-one session to assist in correcting pregnancy-related musculoskeletal problems (be it prenatal or postnatal) through specific exercises. Once the client is able to perform exercises well without substitutions and without pain, she will be recommended to join the BellyFit™ class. This BellyFit™ class is usually more for prenatal women; postnatal women are usually referred to the Core Fundamentals classes.

If the individual already has some form of pain, she will usually be treated first, before any commencement of the exercise session.

First Impressions

Even though I was in Kuala Lumpur, Cheryl (head of the Etonia division) efficiently confirmed the time and venue of my review session via email. My Singapore trip would be very short, I’d to arrange for someone to babysit Vee, and I could reserve only 1 time slot for the session. Thankfully, Cheryl could accommodate my time well and she started the session rather on time (I only had to wait for 5 minutes). She’s a very cheerful lady, who made me feel at ease on my first physiotherapy session.

The clinic at Novena Square is right in front of a lift, and easy to find. The treatment and exercise rooms are small and clean, just the right size for a personal session. Group classes are held at the larger clinics at Tras Street and Orchard.

My Experience with BellyFit™

(a) Explaining Common Pelvic Pains

Cheryl explained 2 common pelvic pains to me: PPP (Posterior Pelvic Pain) and SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction).  After that, I was quite certain that my severe ache during pregnancy was PPP. You may download the patient education brochures (in PDF format) at: PPP and SPD.

(b) Analysing My Concerns

Then, I described my concerns mentioned above to Cheryl. She checked my scoliosis curvature and overstretched tummy muscles. The gap between the muscles that meet over my tummy was still 3 fingers!!! In fact, after delivering Vee, my gap was almost 5 fingers and I’d to walk around with a tummy belt for support. This condition is known as diastasis rectus abdominus. To check your own tummy muscles, read the steps at babycenter.co.uk.

(c) Recommending Exercises

To target my overstretched tummy muscles, Cheryl recommended a few simple exercises and showed me clearly how to do them:

1. Kegel (pelvic floor exercise): She checked the way I do Kegel, and concluded that I could hold well up to 4 seconds. She suggested that I concentrate more on the horizontal muscles across the front of my uterus and target to hold up to 10 seconds.
2. Pelvic Tilts
3. Supine Marching

After practising the exercises at the clinic, my “gap” was down to 2-fingers width. Cheryl said this is due to my muscles being activated again. My goal is to reduce the gap to 1-finger width.

As for scoliosis, I’d to shift my weight more to the left, push my left hip down, and rotate my left side backwards. She corrected the way I walk, advising that I shift some of my body weight away from my right foot.

Just before the session ended, I told her that my knee joints tended to click when I move from a squatting to standing position. (This happened many times a day when taking care of Vee. Just think about potty-time, changing diapers, picking up trails of toys, etc.) She advised me to strengthen my thighs and use my thigh muscles instead. Otherwise, I could face degeneration of my knee joints.

(d) After the Session

For the past 2 months, I’ve been practising Kegel exercise, correcting my scoliosis alignment, putting my weight on both feet, and avoiding clicking of my knee joints. I certainly feel improvement in my Kegel, holding for longer than 4 seconds. The occasional aches on my knee joints are also gone.

Shortly after the session, I became unwell for many weeks, so did not practise the Pelvic Tilts and Supine Marching. From now on, I’d need to dedicate 10 minutes daily for the exercises. It’d take 4-6 weeks to see the results.

Conclusion

The session was very informative and professional, with effective follow-up exercises that I can easily repeat at home. I feel at ease under the care of a professional physiotherapist specialising in pre- and post-natal concerns. If I’d knew of BellyFit™ earlier, I’d have tried it during pregnancy and after delivering Vee. This would have alleviated my severe aches and improved my overstretched tummy muscles.

BellyFit™ sessions are priced at S$135 (personal), and S$300 for a set of 6 sessions. Each treatment session costs S$90. The rates are very reasonable since I used to pay S$100 per hour for private Pilates sessions.

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What I like about it:

• Detailed analysis of my concerns, with personalised actions to take
• Prudent recommendations — to let my body improve before trying more challenging exercises
• Clear and patient explanation

What can be improved:

• Overall, I was very satisfied with the professionalism of the session. If I’d to be extra picky, then perhaps start the session on time (I waited for only 5 minutes though), and set up a branch in Kuala Lumpur (where I’m residing now).

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Win Your Own

TWO (2) lucky subscribers will win a BellyFit™ personal class worth SGD135 each! Winners would attend the BellyFit™ class in one of Etonia’s clinics in Singapore (at Novena Square, Tras Street or Parkway Parade).

This is how to participate:

• Subscribe to Mummy’s Reviews™ in a reader or via email (existing subscribers counted)

• Send an email to me (MieVee [at] MummysReviews.com) with the following information:
  • Method of subscription: in a reader or via email
  • Your name
  • Your name in Facebook (to get extra entry mentioned below)
  • Visit Etonia and tell me (in your email) why you would like to win a free BellyFit™ class
  • If you are a new reader, mention how you got to know of this Giveaway
  • Blog / Website URL, if any (to get extra entries mentioned below, indicate URL of your exact post)

• To get EXTRA entries:
  • 1 extra entry: “Like” Mummy’s Reviews™ Facebook page (existing fans counted)
  • 1 extra entry (unlimited total): For each participant referred by you (e.g. through sharing the Giveaway on Facebook / Twitter / email)
  • 3 extra entries: Share this Giveaway on your blog / website

Other Information

• This Giveaway is open to subscribers who reside in Singapore.
• It will run until 31 December 2010.
• The usual Giveaway Terms apply.

Send in your entries now and good luck!

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Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own BellyFit™ class or treatment session, visit Etonia.

• Special Treat: 10% discount on physiotherapy treatment for pre- and post-natal women
• Discount Code: ETONIAJOY
• Validity Period: Until 31 January 2011

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Disclosure: I received a 1-hour personal BellyFit™ assessment and exercise session for review.

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When my pregnancy was in its sixth month, the pressure on the left side of my hip-bone became almost intolerable. Every attempt to shift from a standing to sitting position or vice versa was accompanied by excruciating pain and I knew that the pain would only worsen down the months as the baby grows bigger. My existing Woman-deare Maternity Belt no longer provided sufficient support and I looked for an upgrade.

My best friend recommended Mother World to me when we shopped at Jurong Point in Singapore. Since it is a Hong Kong company, I made a point to visit the store when travelling in Hong Kong during my pregnancy.

The large range of maternity clothes were on sale, so I bought a blouse, a dress, maternity briefs and a pre-natal support belt (at HKD269). The belt was my ultimate spine-saver and I never left home without it through the rest of my pregnancy. It is made up of two parts:

1. a large piece of fabric that covered my huge belly and the ends connected by Velcro tabs, and
2. an elastic band that wraps round the back; each end can be stuck onto the side of Part (1) using Velcro tabs.

The packaging states that it is made from polyester cotton and is suitable for bellies from 85cm to 115cm. Its unique two-piece structure supports the weight of the belly well and eases the pressure on the spine and hips. I have tried on various maternity belts and this seems to provide the most comfortable support, which is especially needed during late pregnancy.

The belt comes with small pieces of fabrics to protect the Velcro tabs when the belt is not in use and a pouch to keep it neatly. This belt has been a great investment and I would certainly use it during the next pregnancy well before any backache develops.

Pros:

• Large front piece can cover a huge belly
• Two-piece structure provides strong support
• Pouch keeps the belt neatly when not in use
• Absolute value-for-money

Cons: Cannot think of any

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Review: Mother World Pre-Natal Support Belt. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

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1. Review: Woman-deare Maternity Belt
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When I was shopping in Singapore during my fifth month of pregnancy, my back began to strain and I felt the need to get a pre-natal support belt. Therefore, I conveniently bought one when passing by EGG Maternity (Singapore) at Vivocity. It is a simple one-piece belt by Woman-deare and made in Taiwan, costing around S$50. One end of the belt has a Velcro tab that can be stuck on the rest of the belt’s surface.

It was useful for about a month until I needed a much stronger support and bought a better maternity belt.

Pros:

• Provides some relief in the early months of pregnancy
• Easy to use
• Easy to wash

Cons:

• Insufficient support for big bellies

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Review: Woman-deare Maternity Belt. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Related posts:

1. Review: Mother World Pre-Natal Support Belt