We are not wired to be parents.

When we were born, we were looked after by our family. When our parents took care of us, it was easy to enjoy life and be selfish about own needs. My parents were the traditional type, they said we could only date after 18 years old. Dating is rarely a successful deal at the first try and many of us go through a few relationships in order to find someone suitable and settle down. That took a few years for most of us.

I always think that diapers are very much overpriced but super necessary. Ask me to use reusable diapers and wash the poop and urine every day, I will not do it, I would rather pay for disposable diapers. However, as with all things, they should be made cheaper because we change diapers so frequently at every 2 to 3 hours. I blogged about it previously that Huggies Total Protection Silver Pants is one of the cheapest and bought them from MyCK stores for my elder daugher.

These days, I am busy teaching my daughters all kinds of things. I corrected my elder daughter's pronunciation, questioned her on alphabets and quizzed her on colours. The different types of transportation, why lizards can climb on walls and how there are no monsters in the world, those are just some questions parents have to answer every day. For the younger daughter, she is just learning to walk and feed herself but you can see she is eager to grow faster so as to run and play with her sister.

They always say the first is the toughest and most difficult for everything. The first love, the first kiss, the first pregnancy, the first labor, the first child.

I dismissed it previously as a ploy to get me to give birth to more babies.

This is not such a hot topic because only 1 out of my many friends went for it. Most would-be parents would see the sales promoters in clinics or being shoved a brochure on this issue. Let us find out in depth what cord blood bank really is and you can decide if you really need it for your child.

3 out of 4 mothers gained weight after a year of giving birth.

There are several factors contributing to weight gain but the main thing is a lifestyle change. During pregnancy, we are used to having several snacks as we get hungry often. We can't work out much so we are used to these few months of sedentary lifestyle and higher consumption. Not just that, with a baby coming along and having to breastfeed, it's not easy to find time to keep fit. Coupled with stress and lack of sleep, no wonder mothers are gaining weight after pregnancy!

Well, we do really need to change that if you care about your figure and looks.

It's not just for superficial reasons. You also feel good and confident if you are in control of your weight. You can even go back to wearing your pre-pregnancy clothes and that is definitely a morale booster. Your partner will be very happy too.

Some say each pregnancy made a woman aged by 10 years and that's very true. The lack of  rest, high stress and pain endured followed by our physical body changes means we need to put in more effort to look normal. Especially if you look at mothers during confinement, you would have guessed I am my husband's mother, particularly infuriating when he has such a baby face.

That is why we women cannot afford to be lazy.

Most people are confused over going to private or government gynaecologists and hospitals for delivery and I hope this post will clear all your confusion. It is just nice that my friend happens to go through the subsidized route so I can take a look at her bill.

The shocking thing is the difference in price.

This time round, I decided to stay at 2 bedders in Mount Alvernia because my husband will not be staying with me overnight. That was the main reason why I took up a 1 bedder ward. Now. he has to take care of my toddler daughter so I am all alone in the hospital. To have someone's company seems acceptable to me and I can save some money in the meantime.

As your pregnancy approaches week 37 and above, your tummy is getting exponentially bigger and heavier. Getting out of bed is tougher still, and the pressure pressing on the pelvic serves to remind you on the big baby bump.

It's the waiting game.

I kept telling myself the longer it is, the better it is for my baby, as her body will be more developed. I need to remind myself that this physical torture is only temporary. 9 months out of my whole life is nothing, let alone another few more weeks. However, the sleepless nights and constant strain on my back and body is quite a torture.

My first labour was induced as my gynaecologist was going overseas but not my second time round. This time I waited it out, when baby is ready she will come out.

For my first month of confinement, I went with a confinement nanny and I mentioned that confinement meals are more delicious from my first pregnancy. For my second month post delivery, I tried out Tian Wei Signature because I have no time to cook as I have to start working on my own business and still take care of my baby.

It seems just like yesterday when I graduated from university. 

Planning for retirement starts young

Post natal massage is a therapeutic time for me and I was really looking forward to it. For my second pregnancy, I tried out PNSG (Postnatal Massage Singapore) to see if the massage through an agency is really better than those freelance ones.

Cannot talk and laugh ah!

PEM confinement review

Are you a first time parents or intending to start a family soon? Is your household finances a big issue in your mind and you have some questions on how much it cost to expand your family?

I used to buy Nestle Nan Optipro formula milk before I realised how expensive it is when I did my comparison of formula milk prices. Due to freebies and discounts, I signed up with Nestle Baby Club and also Similac Baby Club.

Of course, everyone hates to pay taxes. It's money that seems like an unnecessary burden. I am not entirely clear how the tax collection system works in other countries but I am very impressed with how the Singapore system is. No joke on their efficiency and these are the little things the citizens sometimes take for granted.

I could have just stuck with my old job.

It is indeed the safer option to continue getting a regular income, continue working the same old job scope. People like to ask me if I have enough to feed my family and yet, start on a business. Many know that doing a start-up takes time, money and effort. Due to these reasons, many of them use children as an excuse not to venture out, to avoid risk and failure.

After the first child, there will be many asking if you would want a second child. It's common to stop at 2 but nowadays, I have lots of friends who only have one kid. That led me to ask them why they did not want another child. These are the reasons:

Some friends see me as 'unemployed'. Others see me as taking a break from corporate world, and they kept on asking when I am going back for interviews and trying to recommend available jobs to me. A few think I am resting at home, possibly slacking and shaking my legs.