Are you doing Water Delivery?

Here's an important question?

Before you get pregnant or you are now already pregnant, have you decided your delivery mode? If you have decided to do water delivery, then I would like to congratulate you for making this decision. Because, if you are doing water delivery, it will be a drug-free delivery.

Why is this important? Here are the advantages of doing water delivery. By the way, I'm not a gynae. so check out with your gynae first before making any decision. And also, not every gynae will support water delivery. I won't tell you the reason, you go and find out yourself.
Here are the advanatages of water deliver:

• Water is a natural pain-killer. It reduces the pressure on the body. That is why a pregnant lady can swim, but can't jog.
  
• When you deliver in the water, you are squatting. That means, the distance between the vaginal and the baby head is at the shortest. If you are lying down to push the baby, good luck to you. Do you realize that mother earth is not helping you? Instead, she is pulling your baby down. You will need to work extra hard to push it out.
• The water temperature will be warm. That means, it will be very soothing to you and the baby. When the baby is out of the mother's body, the little one is still in the water. The baby won't get a shock. He will still survive in the water because the umblical cord is still with him. You won't be surprise the baby can be in the water as long as you don't cut the cord.
• The water will also help to clean the baby although it will be fill with blood and anomic fluid, and any other stuffs that you may think of.
• Water delivery is natural birth. That means, you will recover very fast as compared to other mothers.
  
• Because you are squatting, your doctor will not do episiotomy. Anyway, it is good not to do it. A cut is a cut. It is considered a wound. Mother nature will know how to heal a natural wound, not something that is cut by foreign force.

After talking so much good thing about water delivery, here come's the bad news:

• Not every doctor believe or will do water delivery. You have to find a gynae who actually believes in it. Not many out there in Singapore.
• The hospital that you are engaging must have the facilities for you to do water delivery or believe in it.
  
• Lastly, you need a doula with you with you to do water delivery. This is a must.
  

So how now?

• There are 2 hospitals in Singapore that will do water delivery. They are Thompson Medical and Mount Alvernia Hospital. You have to check out these hospitals yourself and make your own decision.
  
• There are 2 only gynaes in Singapore that will do water delivery with you. They are Dr. Paul Tseng and Dr. FM Lai. You have to check out these 2 gentlemen and see who do you like.
  
• You need to engage a Doula to help you with the water delivery.

What are my recommendations? Actually, I don't have much recommendations. Just to share with you with my current experience.

• My wife and I was with another gynae at first. However, I'm someone who wants to do water delivery and the previous wasn't ready for it. So I switch to the current one. He is Dr. Paul Tseng and his office is at Thompson Medical Singapore. To find out more about him, just google Dr. Paul Tseng. I'm not promoting him. So you have to find his contact yourself.
• My wife will be delivering in Mount Alvernia because many of her friends delivered their babies there. Also, they have a private room for water delivery.
• You need to engage a doula who is experienced with water delivery. We are engaging parentlink.

Lastly, my baby due date is 1st Jan 09. I will update this blog again on my experience as a father doing water delivery with my wife.

If you need more information, I will be more than happy to reply you. Just put it in the comment section.

Happy Delivery.

Getting Pregnant

Have you and your wife working hard to conceive?

Well to put it simply, before you guys start trying, there is something you must really do. Forget about the doctor advice. That is, to test your quality first and this is very important.

Many doctors will tell you to try first. If it doesn't work, then let's check it out. I always wonder why such advice is given. Don't you think it is more important to check whether your raw material is good to go first before trying?

I have friends who had tried for one year with no result. Thereafter, went for checkout and the result showed either one quality was bad. Thus, they couldn't get any result. If they had knew it right from the start, his wife would have delivered by now.

Isn't that interesting? So, before you guys really want to start working on it, go for a checkup first.

Omega Fish Oil, Bio-C, Daily, Double X and EPO Plus for woman are good supplements to start with.

Wife 2nd scanned yesterday

Yesterday, wife had a scanned.

According to the doctor, the length of the baby showed that it is about 12th weeks old. However, according to the chart, it is about 11th week old.

I was able to see the baby clearly. I can see the head, eyes, mouth, hands and legs. Also, I can see the spine and the placenta.

Since the placenta is forming, I have to ensure she takes her Lecithin E regularly.

There will be no change in her supplements intake. Everything the same.

Refer to this link to find out what's she taking.

Recommended books for pregnancy

Optimum Nutrition Before, During and After Pregnancy:

• ISBN-10: 0749924691
• ISBN-13: 978-0749924690

The Natural Pregnancy Book: Herbs, Nutrition and Other Holistic Choices

• ISBN-10: 1587611783
• ISBN-13: 978-1587611780

My wife pregnancy: 8 weeks

Yesterday, went for scan and doctor everything is fine.

Starting from today onwards, she will be taking Double X in her supplementation regime.

This is how it should be taken: after breakfast/after lunch/after dinner/before sleep.

Bio-C: 3/4/3/4
Calcium/Magnesium: 1/1/1/1
Double X: 1/-/1/-
Iron Folic: 1/1/-/-
Lecithin E: -/-/7/8
Multi-carotene: 1/1/-/-
B-Complex: 3/3/3/3
Protein Powder: 2/-/1/-
Positrim: 1/-/-/-
Salmon Omega: 1/1/1/1
Children Chewable Multi-vit: 1/1/1/-

Is your wife crazy about apples during pregnancy?

Does your wife want to eat apple during pregnancy? If she does, it maybe a sign that the body is lacking of certain nutrients. The urge to eat certain food during pregnancy is a sign of certain nutrient deficiency.

For example, because my wife has been taking at least 3 scoops of protein powder per day, she doesn't have the urge to eat soya food or egg to get protein.

Now, let's study the apple. It contains at least 4 gram of dietary fiber. Also, rich in phyto-nutrients. High in potassium and it has about 16g of sugar. Check this link. Isn't that interesting? Thus, does your wife have any low blood sugar or low blood pressure problem? Or she doesn't have the habit of eating fruits before she was pregnant? Or does she have any constipation problem before she was pregnant? If your answer is yes, then, this maybe why the body is always asking for apple.

Try taking Double X and see how. Who knows, she may not want to eat apple anymore. However, there is one thing for sure, eating apple is good for the baby. Check this link too.

However, do remember to scrap away the wax coating on the apple before eating it. They are toxic. The apple itself already has a layer of natural wax. However, producers have put another layer to ensure its freshness. That is why organic apples always look dull but non-organic ones always look shiny.

Eating precautions during pregnancy

When a woman is pregnant, the following pre-cautions must be taken seriously:

• Drink only WTS water. Do not drink office container water. They are distilled. It will drain the mineral from the body and it will definitely affect you. Do not drink bottled water. You afraid there maybe chemical leakage from the plastic bottle.
• Install an air-purifier such as Atmosphere. It is important for the mother to stay healthy and breath in fresh air. Put it in your bedroom.
  
• Eat only cooked food. It must be fully cooked. Not raw or medium-well. No sushi. Eat only hard-boiled egg. No soft-boiled egg.
• No cold drinks.
• No caffeinated drinks.
• Do not eat cooling property food such cabbage, bittergourd and etc.
• If you are taking herbs or Chinese herbs, you need to consult your Chinese doctor.
• During pregnancy time, oil is very important to the baby development. Fast food or outside food use a lot of trans-fat and it is bad for the baby.
  
• Eat lots of small meals instead of 3 large meals. Remember, calorie restriction, optimal nutrition. Too much calorie means increase in blood sugar that may lead to Gestational Diabetes. After all, woman will not able to burn calories by doing exercises.
• Prepare lots of fruits around you. Eat raw fruits rather than drink fresh juices from hawker stall. During pregnancy time, your immune system will be weaken. The last thing you want to have is a bacterial infection. When you are not pregnant, drink fresh juices from hawker stall is fine even it is not so clean. However, during pregnancy time, this is different.
• No seafood with shells. Crabs, prawns and etc... are no no.
• Food that has a long shelf-life is a no no too. I believe you should know what I mean now. Your hot-dog, pink meat stuffs, luncheon meat, preserved vegetables and fruits are highly toxic.

Lastly, a balanced diet is ultra important for a pregnant mother. Whatever bad habit you have before must be corrected. If you don't take breakfast in the past, now you must have breakfast. If you like to skip meals in the past, now you must have regular meal. If you like to drink coffee or carbonated water in the past, now your only drink is clean filter water, not RO or distilled water.

Cheers

My wife pregnancy: 6 weeks

Just discover that my wife is pregnant. Hence, these are the supplements that I have put in place for her.

This is how it should be taken: after breakfast/after lunch/after dinner/before sleep.

Bio-C: 4/4/4/4
Calcium/Magnesium: 1/1/1/1
Iron Folic: 2/-/-/-
Lecithin E: -/-/8/8
B-Complex: 3/3/3/3
Protein Powder: 2/-/1/-
Positrim: 1/-/-/-
Salmon Omega: 1/1/1/-
Children Chewable Multi-vit: 1/1/1/-

After delivery, what's next?

Wow, at last the wait is over. Now you have a new family member to take care and he or she will become the centre of gravity in the family. If today is your first day at home, it is your opportunity to take lots of rest. Afterall, you have lost some blood. Your body needs time and nutrients to recuperate.

Here are some suggestions for you to become a Supermum and of course, have a super baby too.

• Breastfeed your baby. Breast your baby as long as you can. Whether it is one month, one year or longer. The longer you breastfeed your baby, the healthier this baby will be when he or she reaches their adult age. This is because you are giving the baby an opportunity to develop their internal organs fully. Furthermore, mother's milk is the best food for baby. It is easy to digest and contains all the essential nutrients for the baby to develop.
• Take warm food. Food that is cooked and is at least in room temperature.
  
• Also, take food that has mild warm properties. This is according to Chinese Medicine understanding.
  
• Drinks lots of water to hydrate yourself. Again, must be at room temperature.
  

Supplementations:

• Power Breakfast in the morning
  
• Double X: 1/-/1/-
• Salmon Fish Oil: 2/2/-/-
• Bio-C: 2/4/4/4
• Lecithin E: 2/4/4/4
• B-Complex: 1/3/3/6
• Multi-carotene: 3/3/3/3 (stop when skin turn orange)
• Protein Powder: -/-/-/2 (take your protein with the last dose of B and Cal at least one and half hour before sleep)
  
• Calcium Magnesium: -/-/-/2
• Nutri Bifidus: follow the packet instructions
• Positrim (drink it whenever you are hungry or you feel like it)

Did you have Natural Birth or Caesarean? What about 1 month?

Whether you have natural birth or Caesarean, you need special nutrients to revitalize your body. Of course, the nutritional requirements for both are different. By the way, this blog entry is for ladies and of course, if your wife is pregnant, this blog entry is important too.

And one more thing to note, because I'm a Chinese, hence, I believe certain types of foods are not suitable to take after giving birth.

1. Take only warm food. No cold food is allowed.
2. Take only warm water. It is best to drink clean water. No caffeinated drinks.
   
3. Take good protein rich food. Avoid simple carbohydrate food. You don't want to put on weight quickly.
   

If you have gone through Natural Birth, you would have lost a lots of blood. That means, lots of water soluble vitamins and minerals were lost. If you have Caesarean, beside losing lots of blood, your Liver would have worked extra hard trying to neutralize the anesthesia. If you have used epidural, your Liver is working harder.

Before recommending supplements, let's understand the need.

1. We need to repair damaged tissue.
2. If you have Caesarean, you want the scar to disappear as much as possible.
3. If you have Natural Birth, you may feel sore and it is important to get it heal asap.

Supplements:

Breakfast:

Take Power Breakfast every morning. Follow this link. I will encourage you to use soya milk instead of cow's milk. Fruits should be in room temperature.

After taking Power Breakfast, take 3 capsules of multi-carotene, 1 capsule of Omega Salmon Fish Oil and EPO Plus. Do not take EPO Plus when your menses arrive. Take 1 tablet of Milk Thistle.

Follow these for lunch, dinner and before sleep.

• Double X: -/1/1/-
• Multi-carotene: -/3/3/3 If skin turn orange, stop taking.
• Bio-C: -/4/4/4 If possible, take more than 4000mg per day.
• Lecithin E: -/4/4/4 If possible, take more than 16 tablets per day. It helps to heal the scar.
• Salmon Fish Oil: -/1/1/-
• EPO Plus: -/1/1/- Do not take when menses arrive.
• Protein Powder: -/2/2/-
• B-complex: -/6/6/-
• Calcium Magnesium: -/2/2/-
• Milk Thistle: -/1/1/1
  

Also, beside taking these supplements, take as much nutritious food as possible. I believe your mum will be cooking a lot of good stuffs for you. Making you eat as much as possible. Just remember, take only warm food. Anything from the fridge must be put outside.

By the way, do you know what is baby one month celebration? In the past, baby mortality rate is pretty high. If a baby can survive one month, the entire village will celebrate for the baby surviving the one month period. However, if you look at the current situation, baby will definitely survive the first month. On the contrary, can the mother survive one month? Nowadays, most mother tends to eat less during pregnancy, or they try not to eat or they don't take nutritious food at all. After delivery, they are pretty weak and we can almost certain most new-age mother doesn't have much milk for the baby. This will create future health challenges for the baby.

Lastly, if you are breast-feeding, your breast milk depends a lot on what you eat. And what you eat, will determine your baby's health. If you are not breast feeding, then your baby is lacking all the essential nutrients. Especially good bacterial. Hence, observe your diet closely. If you are the husband reading this blog, then, it is your responsibility to help your wife.

CHEERS!!!

to support this website.

Addicted to junk food? Blame Mum

Saw this article in the New Paper online. It was dated 17th August, 2007. It can be found at http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,138982,00.html?

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Mum's unhealthy eating habits during pregnancy and breastfeeding makes kids more prone to eating unhealthily, say scientists August 17, 2007

EVER wondered why you just can't resist ice cream, hamburgers, and doughnuts?

You might want to blame your mother for that.

New research done on rats has shown that children whose mothers eat junk food during pregnancy and breastfeeding may be more likely to overeat, choose an unhealthy diet and grow obese later in life, Reuters reported.

Previous studies have shown that children born to obese mothers are likely to be overweight, but the new findings are some of the first to look at what behaviours may be triggering unhealthy eating habits, the researchers said.

'It indicates there is a foetal programming for overeating,' said ProfNeil Stickland, a researcher at the Royal Veterinary College in London who worked on the study.

BEHAVIOUR PROGRAMMING

'The foetuses are getting used to this junk food during gestation,' he added in a telephone interview.

'It is not just genetics,' he said.

'We can show a direct link to what the mothers eat and how it affects the children.'

In the study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers took two group of pregnant rats and gave one a diet of junk food such as doughnuts, muffins and sweets and fed the other nutritional pellets.

Surprisingly, Prof Stickland said, there was no effect on birth weight.

But when the young rats were weaned, the team found that the rodents whose mothers ate junk food put on weight more quickly, had a taste for unhealthy food and gorged.

Studying rats has implications for humans because the mechanisms controlling appetite are similar in many species, Prof Stickland said.

The study also attempts to better understand what drives appetite, a process controlled by brain centres that respond to signals telling us when we are hungry and when we are full.

The research indicated that the young rats may be overindulging because as they eat more, the 'pleasure centres' in the brain stimulated by sugary foods need increased amounts of food to reach the same level of satisfaction.

'Exposure to a maternal junk food diet during their foetal and suckling life might help explain why some individuals might find it harder than others to control their junk food intake even when given access to healthier foods later in life,' Dr Stephanie Bayol, a researcher at the Royal Veterinary College who led the study, said in a statement.

Prof Stickland added: 'Future mothers should be aware that pregnancy and lactation are not the time to over-indulge on fatty and sugary treats on the assumption that they are 'eating for two'.'

However, Ms Fiona Ford, a research nutritionist from the University of Sheffield, told BBC News that in the absence of strong evidence that the same effect was present in humans, it would be wrong to make women feel guilty about eating some unhealthy snacks during pregnancy.

'A balanced diet is important during pregnancy,' she said.

'While this is interesting research, these mechanisms are so finely tuned that I don't think we understand them yet.'

Dr Atul Singham, from the Institute of Child Health in London, was equally sceptical about whether the study could apply to humans.

He said: 'This is what we are looking into - but at the moment there is no data in humans to support this, and obviously it is very difficult to carry out intervention studies such as these in pregnancy.'

What to take during pregnancy?

Yesterday, someone asked me what to take during pregnancy.

To answer this question, you can refer to my presentation slide on Lifecycle. Go to the slides starting from Pregnancy requirements. If not, you can click this online excel sheet. They are the same.

Other information:

• If always vomit, take 3 B-complex every hour.
• 2 weeks before delivery, take 4 calcium and magnesium tablets.
• During delivery day, take 32 or more lecithin E. According to LHF, he said take lots of calcium and magnesium. I will presume take 8 tablets instead of 4.
• Oh yes, do take Nutri Bifidus 3 times a day. This is essential if you are going to have natural birth. The good bacterial will be pass to your baby from the vaginal area.