Friday 24 August 2018

Baby carrier: Do's and Dont's


Baba wearing Kawthar :)
Baby carrier was in my MUST-HAVE list for baby gears. I listed it that way before Kawthar was born and I still think it is. I bring it everywhere I go and its super helpful to my life til now 😃 If you fancy of having one, I suggest you to follow FB group Malaysian Babywearers (MBW). Despite me being a silent reader, I learnt a lot from the group. 

Zaman dulu orang buat sendiri DIY je baby carrier ni. Mereka guna kain batik lepas. Tapi sekarang, macam-macam jenis baby carrier di pasaran. However, please read on the guidelines first before buying one. Sebab jenis baby carrier ni banyak dan kena periksa kesesuaiannya untuk badan bayi dan pemakai.

Types of baby carriers:

1) Wrap
2) Ring sling
3) Pouch
4) Soft structured carrier (SSC)
5) Mei Tai

Personally, I have tried ring sling, Ergobaby SSC, Jumpsac SSC, Lennylamb SSC and also DIY kain batik sling. So much fun in trying all those! But first, what are the DO's and DONT's before getting one?


Image result for ring slingRelated image
  Ring Sling (Babywrap)            Mei Tai (Diddymos)

THE DO's

1) Ensure the baby carrier is ergonomic

- In other words, the design must be safe and provide comfort for babies. Examples of non-ergonomic ones are hip carrier, crotch carrier and front-facing carrier. Tapi macam biasa dan ok je nampak orang pakai hip carrier kan? 

Asalnya hip carrier ni orang cipta untuk menyenangkan parents dukung anak. Macam gambar bawah ni, parent biasanya akan peluk badan anak. Like we always carry our child but with support underneath. But then it evolves to ones with shoulder straps and all, which means the baby carrier holds the child completely. This design is dangerous for baby's growing bones. Other non-ergonomic carriers can also cause hip dysplasia which is joint dislocation. As for front-facing carriers like Ergobaby 360, the brand itself advises the wearer to limit the front-facing time period (15 mins, maybe?) since its not an ergonomic position.


 Hip carrier with straps     


Image result for hip carrier icon
Hip Carrier 
                                                                                                      
2) Check the age suitability

- Do take note that not all baby carriers are suitable for all ages. Read instructions carefully, do not just rely on salesperson's statement. Most SSC baby carriers (with no inserts) are suitable for 4 months and above due to stronger back bones. Newborns are advised to use wraps, ring sling or kain batik lepas. My first baby carrier was SSC Ergobaby Adapt which suits from 3.2kg-20kg. Kawthar was 3.4kg when she was born hence eligible to use it. I didn't prefer SSC with an infant insert as it seems hot and stuffy for Malaysia weather.
Image result for ergobaby adapt age
           Transitions in Ergobaby Adapt

Examples of SSC baby carriers that can be used from newborn are LennyUp, Ergobaby Adapt, Tula FTG, Kinderpack infant, Tugeda Ideal, Kokadi Flip, Babyvibes Start and Emeibaby. 

3) Try out before buying

- My mistake was that I didn't try on myself before buying my Ergobaby Adapt - it suits my husband but not me. It's hard to tell whether one suits you or not unless you try it on you. Since everyone has different body structure hence the preference. Apart from that, some may opt for SSC because its quick to handle while some may feel wraps are more comfy. Choosing type of carrier that suits you best is important. 

You can either go to baby shops to try or rent from individuals. Even when buying online, its advisable to survey offline beforehand. You'll be surprised to find out some babies like one over another!

THE DONT's

1) Use fake carriers 

Please please don't go for cheap fake ones. Its better to go for second hand authentic or DIY baby carriers. Be very careful when buying one as there are so many fake baby carriers sold online. Most commonly found are Ergo and Beco. Some claimed that they can sell way cheaper because its taken directly from factory..which are lies. You can detect the authenticity by comparing with original one like in this site.
Image result for buckle baby carriers
Buckles have specifications too
Pernah juga dengar orang cakap, ala baby carrier je pun..kena original juga? Yaaaa wajib! Baby carrier yang tak original ni ada kemungkinan masalah dengan buckle, jahitan tidak kuat, strap yang tidak sesuai dan lain2. Your baby's safety can be compromised. There were cases of baby falling off the carrier due to broken buckles (made of cheap materials). Do not take this risk. Kalau tak mampu beli yang baru mahal, pilih jenama tempatan yang murah (Tugeda, Jumpsac etc) atau boleh sahaja DIY guna kain batik lepas untuk buat sling yang cantik. Boleh tengok di Youtube. Saya pernah DIY, maid nenek saya dari Indonesia ajar. Dia suka kendong Kawthar guna cara tu..kemas tau 😊

2) Buy unapproved carriers

There are experts in MBW group who checked the quality of stitching, fabrics and materials used for a carrier. They have their own standard guidelines for safety. Among  unapproved carriers are Andrea, Sweet Cherry SSC, Mak Yang,Raku-Raku, Suppori, Emme Wrap, Geo SSC, Manjaku Happy, Kgroo ssc. Some may not be in the list because the company has not sent the carrier prototype for quality checking. You can see full list here.

Be cautious and do double check, ok? 

Kawthar in JumpSac
Kami jarang pakai stroller semasa Kawthar bawah 10 bulan. Bila dia dah mula makin berat, barulah kami pakai stroller. Tapi baby carrier tetap bawa kemana-mana. Sesetengah tempat tak stroller-friendly ataupun guna bila nak do a quick shopping. Many more circumstances. 

My husband and I enjoy babywearing so much. Women can also learn to breastfeed when wearing one. I hope you'll get to enjoy it too.

Till then,
MommyBel.
xxx. 

Tuesday 21 August 2018

Which baby’s thermometer to choose?

I have never thought I would need a thermometer at home UNTIL I have a baby of my own. 

I hate to sound pressuring ugh but yes its a must-have item. Fever for a small child isn’t like adults’. We have to keep monitoring every one hour to keep the temperature as low as possible. Babies can get seizure when their body is too hot. If a baby is below 3 months old, fever is alarming and needs hospital visit. 

Mula-mula dulu, sebelum bersalin saya beli termometer jenis yang letak di bawah ketiak. Jenis ni murah, sesuai la dengan bajet kami. Tapi makin lama pakai, makin geram pula rasa. Nak dapat reading tu lama juga. Dengan baby nangis gerak2 lagi, hilang pula reading. Dahla screen gelap. Bila malam2 waktu crucial untuk periksa suhu, kena buka lampu lain pula. Bila buka lampu bilik, baby terganggu dan nangis pula!  Dramatis sangat. Walau bagaimanapun, kami guna hampir setahun juga sampai bateri habis 😂 

Thermometer has few types:

1) Digital thermometers (oral, rectal, axillary)
2) Electronic ear thermometer 
3) Forehead thermometers
4) Plastic “fever” strip thermometers
5) Pacifier thermometer
6) Glass and mercury thermometers

We then opted for head & ear thermometer! It was undoubtedly the best decision we made. Yes, it can be used for both head and ear. It basically solved all the problems.

REVIEW MEDISANA HEAD & EAR THERMOMETER 



Price: Rm 120-160
Available: Pharmacy and online shops

Best features: 
✅Fast detection (0.5sec! 😤)
✅For ear &head (surface)
✅Backlight ⚡️
✅Show last reading 
✅Store up to 30 readings 
✅Have green & red lights to alert if temperature is too high (although you definitely should know the border)
✅Small and portable 
✅Auto shut off
✅Warranty up to 3 years

Cons:
👎 Expensive

Lepas dah guna termometer baru ni, rasa macam rugi pula tak beli dari awal. Senang guna dan tak leceh. Klik sekali keluar reading..tak perlu loading sebelum guna. Baby pun tak mengelak. Personally, saya suka guna di telinga. 

If you can find other brands with similar features (especially the first 3), you may as well go for it. Thermometer is considered as an electrical appliance hence the warranty. There are actually cheaper ones which are from China on Shopee or Lazada. Ear thermometers are usually more expensive hence the difference in price. Example of forehead (only) thermometer as in below picture, sold as low as Rm 30.


Image result for thermometer forehead

                                        Famous forehead thermometer 

Some have good reviews but my concern was on the warranty hence it wasn’t my preference. This type of thermometer usually doesn't come with warranty. However, having one of these would definitely be better than none.

Keep for next child, maybe? But hey, choice is always in our hands. Never be affected :)

Till then,
MommyBel



Sunday 19 August 2018

Preparation for Newborns 2.0

Despite the excitement and fun, parents really need to carefully do the budget. There will be more things to spend on after baby is born so you may want to avoid regrets after lavish spending. After having been through that period, I could say I was satisfied with most of the products but had few items-I-regretted-buying 😅 My humble advice is if the products is not in the list, do a thorough search and ask people around!

Items with ** are GOOD-TO-HAVE. The rest is MUST-HAVE. 




BABY’s FEEDING & NURSERY


Image result for cute breast pumpImage result for nursing cover

                              Breast Pump                                           Nursing Cover

For feeding section, the needs are vary accordingly. So, I don't put any ** in this section. Housewife mothers may not need much apparatus as working mothers do. During my confinement period, my baby was hospitalized for 2 weeks and I had to leave her for long hours sometimes due to exams I was facing. So, I tried to be well prepared beforehand. I had to send pumped milk to hospital daily and needed to ensure there’s always adequate stock. Mummy’s milk is always the best so only opt for formula milk when necessary.

Breast pump sekarang tak mahal macam zaman dulu. Dulu orang beli jenis manual sebab jenis automatik mahal. Jenis manual ni penat tau nak tekan2. Harga pun berlainan berdasarkan keperluan. Jika bekerja, eloklah berbelanja tinggi sedikit untuk breast pump yang lebih berkualiti sebab itu akan jadi macam kawan baik mummy. Saya target pakai sebulan+ sahaja jadi saya beli jenis murah, jenama Real Bubee. As long as it serves the purpose, I didn’t mind.


Bedding set ni saya letak good-to-have sebab benda ni memang comel tapi bukanlah satu keperluan. Selalunya 1 set ada tilam/nest, bantal, selimut dan bolster. Bayi tak perlukan bantal dan selimut, tilam sudah cukup. Kena hati2 bila guna bantal dan selimut sebab ada kes baby lemas bila bantal dan selimut tutup muka (sebab tangan selalu gerak2).


BABY's DIAPERING & EXTRA


Image result for carseat pinkImage result for baby carrier white

                                    Carseat                                     Baby carrier (wrap)

Carseat sangat penting ya! Walaupun Malaysia tiada lagi undang2 yang mewajibkan penggunaanya, parents perlu ada kesedaran letak anak dalam carseat. Kadar kematian dalam kemalangan yang membabitkan kanak2 agak tinggi di Malaysia. Harga paling murah untuk carseat yang elok dan certified adalah Rm300. Boleh follow FB group Malaysian Carseat Support Group untuk gali lebih banyak ilmu lagi.

Untuk bayi kecil, saya lebih suka pakai baby carrier berbanding stroller. Mudah dan cepat. Diaper bag pula kalau ada beg jenis yang banyak compartment, boleh saja guna. Dan ini antara hadiah yang selalu orang bagi. Kawthar dulu ada 4 diaper bag!


Clothes detergent for babies exists because babies have sensitive skin. It is usually plant based. Some normal detergents could be too irritative for their skin. I still use baby's detergent and wash Kawthar's clothes separately with mine eventhough she's 1+ year old now.


That's all for a simple guide on preparing for newborns. Hope it helps!


Till then,

MommyBel
XXX

:sweat_smile:

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