The Kao Kids Archives - Page 26 of 36

Invites & Tryouts Product Reviews The Kao Kids

The sakura blossoms here, too!

July 1, 2013

The heat’s back with such a vengeance the kids are begging to take their clothes off. They are smelly, sweaty and sticky all the time.

I’m not so keen to be blasting the a/c in the house even in this heat. I’d much prefer the kids sit in a tub and cool down with water. So it was timely that Pigeon sent the Kao kids their new Pigeon Sakura Baby Toiletries to keep their skin enriched with natural Sakura extract in this unbearable weather. The cherry blossom, also known as the Sakura flower, is said to bring about a whole host of benefits. The natural Sakura extract helps combat skin roughness, refreshes and moisturises even the most sensitive of skins and contains anti-inflammatory properties.

Bath time is always fun time, and the kids are loving the new Pigeon Sakura Babycare range of products. They are mild and gentle, and smell awesomely refreshing. Best of all, they do not contain harsh chemicals like parabens, sulphates and colouring agents.

I’ve not yet seen the cherry blossom, but if this is how it smells, I am so going to head to Japan sooner than later to see and smell the beautiful Sakura for myself. Till then, I’m going to be stealing these toiletries from the kids to use so I can smell refreshingly good like them in this crazy heat!

To learn more about their products, visit www.pigeon.com.sg.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Rise & Shine. We received the Pigeon Sakura Baby Toiletries Set for the purpose of this review. All opinions here are Motherkao’s own.

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Invites & Tryouts Milestones and growing up Product Reviews The Kao Kids

Perfectly diapered by Drypers

June 27, 2013

I know exactly what I want in a diaper and what a diaper at each stage of my baby’s growth must do. As a mother who’s birthed three children in four years and changed at least 9657 diapers for all three kids put together (and still counting), I think I qualify somewhat as a diaper expert here.

Here is my very own list of what I think the perfect diaper must possess.

If you asked me if I’ve found the diaper of all diapers that has all of the above 10 qualities, I have.

Before that, I’ve tried diaper brands of almost every kind in the market and requested for samples at every opportunity. In my first stint as a newbie mother, I was perpetually in search of the perfect diaper that would meet the diapering needs of my baby as he grew. When Ben did the explosive poop on me and the diaper leaked, I switched brands in the hope of finding something that’s leak-proof from poop bombs. When he started getting nappy rash, I started searching for something that could keep his skin dry and moisturised at the same time. When my baby started to flip and crawl around like Speedy Gonzales on the loose, I was on the hunt again for comfortable yet absorbent pull-ups. When he finally slept through the night, I needed diapers that could last him through at least 10 hours and not have him waddle in a pool of pee.

The search didn’t stop even when I thought I’ve found a good brand to stick with. I discovered what worked for Ben might not work for Becks, and what works for the either of them might not work for Nat. We’re talking particularly about the way each child’s skin takes to the material of the diaper and the cutting and sizing fit for the shape of his or her bum here. With every new addition to the family, the search for “the one” for each child begins all over again.

Ever since Drypers launched a new and improved Drypers Wee Wee DRY and Drypers DryPantz, the search is officially over. Both the Wee Wee DRY and DryPantz are the variants of the multi-tasking disposable diaper, fully capable of delivering #1 to #9, and also #10, with its value for money in each pack, on my list.

As of now, Ben is fully toilet-trained in the day, so he doesn’t require diapers at all. Becks is toilet-trained (finally). After more misses than hits, we’ve finally gotten off to a good start this year. I still make her wear her Drypers DryPantz when she goes out, simply because I hate having to bring her to public toilets. Even I hold pee in as much as I can when we’re out. I like it that the Drypers DryPantz can hold a lot of her pee and I usually don’t have to change it for many hours.

It also fits her snugly and doesn’t leave ugly elastic band marks on her waist. Best of all, she moves with ease in her Drypers DryPantz. Her fitting pull-ups have never given way even when she rolled and tumbled during gym classes or played wildly at playgrounds.

It comes with a cute kangaroo design too, which is always a welcoming thing to look at when you have to diaper a child. Unlike other brands which says plainly “front” and “back” to indicate how to wear the pull-up (and which requires a child to be able to read), the DryPantz does a no-brainer with this, so Becks can easily put this on on her own:

As for Nat, well, he is just happy to be naked.

I’m kidding. He wears whatever’s available to him most of the the time. Because the Drypers DryPantz costs a little more than the Drypers Wee Wee DRY, his pull-ups are usually reserved for going out.

At night, all three kids wear their disposable diapers to bed. My toilet-training philosophy for the night is simple: Show me the first dry diaper in the morning, and we will begin. Until then, diapers please! It used to be that we were set on a particular brand to be used as night diapers because the whole world said it was the best in the market that keeps baby dry through the night.

Until we put the new improved Drypers Wee Wee DRY to the test.

Along the way, we’ve had a few incidents, and I initially thought that Drypers Wee Wee DRY Zip Dry Core™’s claim to absorb and lock urine doesn’t hold water (couldn’t resist the pun here). I was on the verge of switching back to everybody-says-it’s-best-for-night brand, when I realised that the wet beds usually happen when the kids had a little more milk or water than the usual the night before. So now, I just make all of them empty their bladder after their milk feed before diapering them, and I’m happy to say, Drypers Wee Wee DRY hasn’t failed us one bit as our night diaper.

So yay, I’m breathing easy now that I’ve found what I want in a diaper for ALL three kids. I’m glad Drypers made all the improvements to their diapers cos’ thanks to that, I don’t have to keep switching brands to try and asking for samples everywhere I go. Got better things to do, you know. Like watching my babies walk around in cute diapered bums.

Disclosure: We’ve been regular users of Drypers since June 2012. Becks and Nat received four packs of Drypers DryPantz and four packs of Drypers Wee Wee DRY respectively for the purpose of this review, and Motherkao was compensated to put these diapers on for them. All opinions here are Motherkao’s own.

This is the first in a series of sponsored conversations on behalf of Drypers Singapore.

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Getting all sentimental now Milestones and growing up Nat Kao

Letter to my littlest #6

June 26, 2013

To my dearest Nat,

It was worth the wait, baby love. You finally uttered the sweetest sound I’ll ever hear in my entire existence. Totally worth waiting for, after 16 months.

‘Mmmm-maa-maa’, you now say when you see me, and when you’re looking for me. It’s music to my ears.

I make you say this to me every day. Close to 10 times in any given day. I love the way you drag the ‘Mmm’ and say ‘Mmmm-maa-maa’.

At 16 months, you’re the most responsive toddler we’ve ever had. I don’t remember Ben and Becks being like that. Perhaps it’s because you watch kor kor and jie jie every day and imitate their every move. You can jump lifting both legs off the floor (and that’s really fast). You can crash onto the mat from the sofa’s height, and then tumble and roll (that’s really the craziest daredevil stunt you can pull on us). You can indicate where you’re hurting when you fall, “say” sorry and express remorse, and even tell us what you want to eat and what you don’t want to, with the sounds you make. You shake and nod and babble non stop in gibberish we do not understand. It makes you soooo funny.

You’re the resident clown and comedian, and the king of total randomness. I’ll be reading to all three of you and you would walk away suddenly only to return with a basket over your head. You’ll gladly carry Becks’ bags, wrap yourself in a towel and take off your clothes. Yes, all for no reason. You take the cane and bombombom me like a gun because you saw your brother do it with his huge paper roll. You smile for the camera by tilting your head to one side just because I say ‘cheese’ this way. When I tell you I love you, you frantically blink your eyes (Eye love you, geddit?) and wait for my laughter and nonstop smothering of kisses with anticipation.

You love to make us laugh. You love to make me laugh.

And the more I laugh, the more I fall in love with you.

Loving you so much,

Mama

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Becks Kao Ben Kao Family life as we know it The darndest kid quotes and antics Thunderstorm days

Out of the mouths of babes

June 25, 2013

The prayers that were said during the haze crisis, by Ben and Becks:

18 June: The haze descended and PSI hit 155. We rushed out to buy one of the last 6 units of air cleaners at Courts Tampines before confining ourselves at home.

“Dear Heavenly Father, make the haze go away. We want to go out and have fun.”

19 June: PSI soared from 190 to 290 in less than an hour, and all of us watching TV thought we read a typo. Who would have known that this was the beginning of bonker-dom indoors? The scramble for the N95 masks begins.

“Dear Lord Jesus, it’s very hazy outside our window and we have to close the windows now. We pray the haze will go away. Amen.”

20 June: PSI went way past the hazardous level to 371. Smoke got in our eyes.

“Dear Lord, send a GIANT pour of rain to wash away all this haze here and the fires in Indonesia. We want to go out and play!”

21 June: PSI hit 400 and we never knew it could be soooo bad. Choking on smog already. *Cough cough*

“Dear Heavenly Father, if You can’t send rain, can you send the wind to blow this smokiness and smell away?”

(Ben also asked God if he could kill the bad people in Indonesia. I laughed very hard for a few seconds, then told him I’m glad he’s not God.)

22 June: The skies miraculously cleared. We start to see blue again. Breathing better now too. We headed out for Baskin Robbins and bubble tea.

“Thank you, Jesus, for a beautiful day. You sent a big wind to blow all our haze away! It’s nice we can go out today. Amen.”

23 June: Our skies are clear for two days running, and the worst seems to be over. Indonesia has begun cloud-seeding, we hear. But the PM2.5 concentrations are still high, so we’re not taking our chances.

“Dear Heavenly Father, we pray for a big rain to wash away the haze particles we cannot see. Mama says after a huge rain washes all the little things away, we can go to the zoo or Bird Park or Sentosa. Can you send us a huge rain? “

24 June: Visibility has returned but there sometimes is that lingering burning smell. Or has the stench of smog lodged itself permanently in my nose?

“Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the wind that is blowing everything away. Do you know there’s no rain so we cannot go to the zoo? There’s only wind, so we go to the library. Thank you, God, for a beautiful day that we can go out, but we still haven’t go zoo, you know?”

– Tonight’s prayer by Becks, who clearly prefers the zoo to the library

The National Environment Agency said the improved air quality is due to a change in wind direction over Singapore, from south-westerly to southerly since Saturday night.

I say our good God hears our prayers and answers them.

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Going Out! Invites & Tryouts Reviews The Kao Kids

Fun at Happy Willow

June 22, 2013

The kids are big fans of indoor playgyms although I’ve always insisted that they do more outdoor than indoor play, because a bit of sun is always good for them (and also because it’s free and bringing 3 to an indoor playground costs a bomb). But with the haze shrouding our skies, we’ve deserted all parks, promenades and playgrounds and have taken to hiding indoors.

Earlier this month, we were invited to Happy Willow at Fusionpolis to check out their playgym. Needless to say, the kids were excited and didn’t even mind being dragged out of bed at 8 in the morning to travel from northeast where we lived, all the way to the west. We took the circle line from Bishan to one-north, and arrived at the playgym all ready to play by 10 in the morning.

The experience

When we arrived there, Ben was a little disappointed. He’s always loved exploring huge spaces and his favourite has got to be the new Kidz Amaze at Safra Toa Payoh. The size of the play structure at Happy Willow didn’t wow him much, but I didn’t mind it being small actually. Although it wasn’t jaw-dropping, the place felt cosy and welcoming enough for the kids to plunge right into play. Without the need for adult company (yay!).

Off they went to explore!

The kids checked out the entire place all by themselves and didn’t bug me to climb up and down the play structure with them, and I could happily plonk myself onto one of those couches outside the Kids’ Den that were bidding me invitingly to come rest thy exhausted self. Nat also fell asleep when we arrived, so I was just glad to be sitting around, watching the kids play, and catching up with other mom bloggers who were also there that day.

Comfortable sofas and chairs for the adults to chill

The playgym also has a small toddler’s turf which had some stacking blocks, a small ball pit and those big semi-circle cushions. Not much to engage the littler ones, I must say. When Nat awoke, he spent a few minutes there and was bored quite quickly. He preferred the bigger ball pool with the slide at the kids’ play area, and wanted to spend time playing with Ben and Becks there.

At the bigger (and better) ball pool

When Ben and Becks were done with the playgym, they zipped over to the pretend-play area where they did some cooking, gardening and mega-bloking. And when they were done with that, they hopped to the reading corner which had a nice tuft of artificial grass and interesting collection of children’s books. After reading (or rather, trying to read) some books there, they explored the art materials at the tables in the reading room, and spent some time playing with stencils and colouring away.

Becks playing with Mega Bloks, gardening and colouring

The reading corner: there was even a storytelling session that day we were there!

And after they were done with all these, they went back to the playgym again for another round of fun.

What we liked

I liked that Happy Willow is a play area with activity “booths” of sorts to keep the kids constantly entertained despite its size. The kids were always up to something new – Let’s go colour now! Let’s go ride the rocking bull! Let’s play supermarket! Let’s make pizza! Let’s go back to the slide again! Let’s go colour one more picture! – and it was difficult to call it a day. We stayed there the entire morning, and even had our takeaway lunch (from Pastamania upstairs) there. The folks from Happy Willow were too kind – they took our orders, collected our packed lunch and allowed us to eat in so the kids could continue playing (my kids were zipping in and out of the playgym after every mouthful of pasta).

We finally left when the little one was too cranky to be playing at 3 in the afternoon. All in all, it was a fun day out worth getting up early for!

More details:

Happy Willow is located at 1 Fusionopolis Way, Fusionopolis, Connexis Tower, #B1-06, Singapore 138632
Admission fees: $18 per child (2 years old & above) and $10 per child (9 months – less than 2 years old) for Weekdays 3-hour play; $18 per child (2 years old & above) and $10 per child (9 months – less than 2 years old) for Weekends (Sat, Sun & PH) 2-hour play
Like Happy Willow’s FB page to stay updated on their storytelling and craft sessions and promotions

Disclosure: The Kao kids and I were invited by Happy Willow to have some indoor fun this holidays for the purpose of this review. All opinions here are my own.

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Going Out! Motherkao loves... The Kao Kids

Cloudy with a chance of smog balls

June 21, 2013

I’m glad we did our staycation at Marina Bay Sands on Father’s Day before everything in our polluted air hit the hazardous level.

Last Sunday which was Father’s Day, the skies were somewhat clear, and the view of the Marina skyline was still unmarred by the haze from our super huge deluxe room and the infinity pool. Which had an awesomely breathtaking view.

We finally jumped into the infinity pool, and on the 57th floor, we waddled, laughed and played. We swam and we swam – after lunch when we checked in, after dinner in the cool of the night, and after breakfast before checking out. When we left the pool that Monday morning, the smog was beginning to shroud the skies and the burning smell was starting to intensify. Any later than Monday and we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy our staycation at all!

I’m really thankful that we had a good time last week. Now can we please have our blue skies back. It’s just not right to be spending our June holidays this way.

P/S: Our MBS staycation was complimentary when we bought an expresso machine from Philips Saeco. We were not compensated in any way, and this is not a review.

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Food, glorious food! Invites & Tryouts Motherkao loves... Product Reviews The Kao Kids

Rockin’ the kitchen with the all new Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor

June 20, 2013

I’m a big fan girl of the Naked Chef, and I’ve been one happy girl these days spending time in the kitchen with him.

Mr Jamie O in da’house!

Well, ok, not exactly him, but close enough.

The all new Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor

Ever since the Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor came into my life, it’s found a permanent spot in the kitchen and in my heart. I can’t even start describing how awed I am by this cool kitchen tool. It is truly, in the words of Mark Bittman, a “virtuoso one man band”.

Since it came, it has allowed me to finally chop onions without tearing, dice shallots and garlic like a pro, shred potatoes finely to make rosti, mince pork, shrimps and water chestnuts to make ngoh hiang, juice oranges without my arm muscles getting knotted up, serve homemade sorbet and cake pops for dessert (much to my kids’ delight) and transform egg whites into meringues in seconds.

(clockwise) Diced onions and water chestnut for pork rolls, frozen banana ice cream, balloon beaten eggwhites for meringue, thinly stripped potatoes for rosti, and minced beef and shallots for meatballs

Specially designed by the man himself and developed by Philips, the new range of Jamie Oliver electric kitchen tools ranging from the food processor to the hand blender is meant to be easy to use so food preparation becomes effortless, and to be shown off – yes, you heard that right, shown off! – with its pretty splash of cornflower blue.

When I first got the huge box, I must admit I was a little overwhelmed unpacking the various individual accessories that came with the 3.4L food processor. I’m someone who is easily plagued by the disease called gadget-phobia, but I’m here to tell you this dude is really easy to figure out, easy to clean, and delivers in every aspect. So take my word for it if I say it’s really, really idiot-proof. If I can do it, anyone can too.

Looks daunting but it’s really easy to assemble and figure out!

And the best thing is, the kids are now welcome in the kitchen.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve chased Ben and Becks out when I’m trying to whip up a meal, but these days, I’m roping them to help pulse and throw ingredients in because this food processor is safe even for my little ones to use. Talk about being designed for busy parents!

Ben and Becks helping me shred potatoes and make strawberry & blueberry sorbet

Just how safe is it? For one, the Philips Jamie Oliver food processor has a sturdy base with four very powerful yet easy-to-release suction feet to help keep the tool fixed on the table top.

Very strong suction from these feet, I say!

In addition to that, it also has a safety function that locks the lid in place before it can be turned on to pulse. I found that out when I couldn’t turn it on a couple of times, and realised that it was because I hadn’t secured the cover properly. Same thing happened when I first used the citrus juicer. For a while, I thought my machine went wonky!

Safety lock feature: I’m pretty sure they were designed with busy parents (who would rope in their kids for food prep) in mind!

I also like the fact that it only has two pulse speeds (just 1, and 2!) and that just simplifies everything and keeps the kids out of mischief. Imagine one that has speeds from 1 to 10. I can so imagine my kids trying out every single speed on the dial just to see what it’s like to pulse their Oreos or juice their oranges. I wouldn’t be sending them too near such a machine, that’s for sure!

Juicing their own orange, and having fun!

Juicing oranges, and having fun!

With this new tool in the house, and extra pairs of hands to help, it’s been a breeze churning out tasty treats. Ben and Becks are always asking, “What are we going to have today with the white monster-machine?“, and I find myself looking forward to rummaging the fridge and larder to throw random things in to make snacks and treats of every kind. This is a monster-machine, alright. With it, we could really make almost anything we want – from scratch with little fuss! And we’re having so much fun while at it.

The Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor impresses with its effectiveness, simplicity and affordability. If this is as close to Jamie O as I can get, this fan girl’s definitely not complaining!

Keep life simple with the PHILIPS | Jamie Oliver range which includes a food processor (S$268), handblender (S$128) and blender (S$108). Available at leading electronics and departmental stores.

Disclosure: I received this dude for the purpose of writing this review. This post is the first in a series of sponsored conversations on behalf of Philips Singapore. All opinions are my own.

P/S: I say it’s safe but I never let my children go unsupervised in the kitchen. Just so you know. Please do the same!

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Going Out! Invites & Tryouts The Kao Kids

Meeting Barney & Friends

June 11, 2013

Regular readers of this blog will know that my kids don’t watch regular tv programming.

So whenever we’re invited to Meet and Greet sessions and live shows at malls, my kids usually go, “Huh? Who?” We usually still accept the invites because we love the electrifying atmosphere at live shows, and it always turns out to be a fun day out for all of us. But we usually don’t go as fans.

There was once we were at T3 and it happened that the Strawberry Shortcake folks were staging their live show. Ben and Becks saw the performers on stage and went, “Who are these girls with funny hats?” I think those children around stared at them for the longest time with utter disbelief.

So when I received an invitation by City Square Mall to catch Barney and his friends live, and to do a Meet and Greet after the show, I asked the kids, “Hey, wanna go meet Barney?”, and they were all “Yay, yay, yes! Meet Barney!”

You see, everybody knows the purple dinosaur. Even these kids who’s not watched a single episode of Barney at home. He’s everywhere. On their friends’ shoes, bags, water bottles, stationery, and clothes. Sometimes, the teachers in kindy play them Barney videos (and other programmes like Mother Goose, Veggie Tales and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) at the assembly room while waiting for all the other children to arrive before starting praise and worship, and daily prayers. So thanks to their friends who are fans and their teachers, my children who don’t watch kids’ channels at home now know who Barney is and actually can’t wait to meet him.

Last Friday, we were at City Square Mall to catch the Barney Live Show. When we arrived at 3.45pm for the 4pm show, this was what we saw:

So many Barney fans!

I didn’t know the SOP for catching live shows was to queue up 1 to 2 hours before the starting time so you can chope a seat in the front. We were thankful we were specially ushered to a cordoned off corner where we needn’t jostle with every ~~crazy~~ Barney fan present, and were told we would be the very first family to go give Barney and his friends hi-fives. Which explains why most of my shots were taken from this angle.

Watching Barney & Friends Live

When the purple and green tyrannosaurus (yes, he is a T-Rex! A friendly, monotoothed one!) appeared, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The cheers and squeals were similar to those fan girls screaming at a K-pop concert. The little Barney fans were ecstatic! They sang with Barney, Baby Bop and BJ, belting out familiar tunes together with Barney as he sang and danced his crowd favourites.

It’s Barney, everybody’s favourite purple dinosaur!

And what were my kids doing? Watching the live show, of course. They were stunned, in fact! Some girls a few feet away were singing at the top of their voices, the kids in front were jiving and grooving, and everyone around seemed to know every single Barney song and dance. Ben and Becks didn’t, but it didn’t matter. They were soaking up the atmosphere, nonetheless.

Watching the show

Occasionally, they would turn around to ask me if there was a person hiding inside those costumes. These are my kids for you – they were more concerned if the Barney they would stand next to later was a real dinosaur or a fake one.

Despite knowing full well that there were people inside those costumes, they were still kinda freaked out when we had a photo taken with Barney, Baby Bop and BJ. Which explains the looks on their faces.

Looking a little worried here: are they real, or not, Ma?

When we walked around the mall later that evening after the show, Ben and Becks asked if they could watch the live show a second time, when they saw people starting to fill out the space at the atrium for the 7pm show. That to me was a clear sign that they enjoyed the show, and wanted to experience it again.

I told them I had a better idea.

We headed home and I got their father to download Barney vids to the computer which was then synced to the tv. The kids finally watched Barney & Friends on tv at home, learned those familiar tunes (If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops is my personal favourite now, hurhurhur) and are now officially fans!

Barney’s on TV at home!

How do I know? Becks is loving the Barney water bottle from her goodie bag from City Square Mall, and taking more water than she’s ever done after Barney came along, and Ben’s asking for more Barney on tv now!

Thank you, City Square Mall, for inviting us to be part of yet another exciting live show!

More details:

City Square Mall is Singapore’s first eco-mall, and is located at the junction of Serangoon Road and Kitchener Road. This Great Singapore Sale, redeem an exclusive pass for the Meet & Greet session with Barney & Friends with a minimum spending of $50, and sing and dance along with Barney, Baby Bop and BJ at the Level 1 Atrium at 4pm & 7pm (Tue-Fri); 1pm, 4pm & 7pm (Sat & Sun) from 7 to 16 June.

Disclosure: The Kao kids and I were given media passes to the Meet and Greet session with Barney & Friends. All opinions here are Motherkao’s own.

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Becks Kao Getting all sentimental now Milestones and growing up

Before you turn three

June 10, 2013

Dearest Becky,

I need to tell you a couple of things before you turn three.

You’re Mama and Dada’s beautiful princess. I know we don’t tell you enough that you’re beautiful.

But you are. Every day. Even in your tantrums. Even in your tears. Even if you refuse to wear a dress for the longest time now, and pretend that you’re a boy. You’re beautiful, my love. At one year, at two, and before you turn three.

You’re precious to us, so very precious. I know we don’t tell you enough how precious you are to us.

But you really are. We cannot imagine our lives without you. You’re not sandwiched between two brothers. You’re not the middle child. You’re you, and you’re the only little girl we’ll ever have in our lives. You’re precious, my dear. From the day you were conceived, till right now before you turn three, and always.

It hasn’t been that easy, this Terrible Two thing, and we’ve learned so much about you this year. We’ve watched you blossom into a confident little girl who speaks her mind, laughs a lot and plays with much abandonment. You’re without a care in the world, yet you can be so focused when you set your mind on something. I pray you will always set your mind on loving, laughing and living strong, like what you are doing now, before you turn three.

Before you turn three, can I just say that I love you so much, and I will miss the little you that was two – all giggly, random and funny? I don’t know what three would bring, and there’s still a month more before it comes. But I know we’re going to grow deeper in love with you.

With all the love in my heart and more,

Mama

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Fatherkao loves... Invites & Tryouts Product Reviews The Kao Kids What to Expect... As a Mother

Be a breastfeeding dad [A post for fathers]

June 7, 2013

Postpartum. Day 1 to 30.

The hormones are raging and she’s on the verge of slipping into those scarily depressing postnatal blues. A fragile little thing is rooting all the time and suckling at her breast round the clock.

She gets no rest.

Overactive let-down. Engorgement. Blocked ducts. Mastitis. These are the “good” problems if she has more than enough milk.

Poor latch. Nipple pain. Cranky, whiny baby. The problems when she doesn’t have enough.

The first 30 days postpartum, she’s likely to be thinking: How can I ever do this, this thing called breastfeeding?

Enter the valiant knight in shining armour. She calls him the husband. How he supports her during this trying period will be the key to her breastfeeding success.

~~~

Dads, you can be a support to a nursing mother (must be your wife, yes?!) in very practical ways. You can show her you are with her in this, besides saying, “I love you, honey, you can do it” so that she finds the strength to persevere in the days of breastfeeding madness.

Here’s how.

Be a breastfeeding dad in FOUR simple ways:

1. Help with the little things

Sitting close to her while she’s nursing, putting your arms around her just so she knows she can count on you for support, giving her neck and shoulders a good rub, bringing her a glass of water or propping her tired legs up on a footstool are just some of the little acts of love you can do to show that you’re emotionally and mentally with her in this. You can also take over with a bottle feed once or twice a day, so she gets a break, and you get to bond with the baby. And do you know, by being around to massage the baby while she is nursing, you can stimulate the baby’s physical and mental development too?

So dads, jump in when you can. Pays great dividends in the long run.

2. Shoo fly, don’t bother me

Your wife doesn’t need an audience to tell her whether she can or cannot breastfeed. Sometimes, the older folks would come by with their well-meaning advice. And sometimes, you have to play the villain by telling the confinement lady and the aunty-mom folks to shut their nagging up. Most importantly, as a couple, whether you choose to breastfeed or bottlefeed, be at peace with your decision and shut your ears out to the world who may have a hundred and one things to say to you.

I’m very appreciative of the fact that my husband put his foot down and told everyone who had a comment to make (especially my first confinement lady, gawd’ she’s a nagger alright!) during my first few weeks of struggling that he’d appreciate it if they let us handle the challenge by ourselves (nicely, of course). Well meaning or not, it’s our baby, and we certainly don’t need the extra stress from anyone else.

3. Invest in a good breastpump

If you see her having trouble nursing during those first few weeks after giving birth, it pays to get a good electric breastpump for her. Especially if baby isn’t able to nurse enough for her to build up her milk supply. Selecting a good one will help keep her milk flowing and prevent plugged ducts or an infection.

I recommend getting one that is fully automatic, has adjustable suction levels to prevent nipple discomfort and is designed to mimic a baby’s sucking patterns, like the Philips AVENT single (or double) electric Comfort breastpump, which allows her to sit more comfortably with no need to lean forward, gently stimulates natural let down and milk flow, and lets her choose from 3 pumping settings to be at her most comfortable.

The single electric Comfort breastpump

4. Send encouragement her way

Yes, I did say that little kind acts are better than “I love you, hun, you can do it” but it’s nice to hear some positive words from you once in a while. So please, please, go tell your wife, the mother of your child, that she’s still babe in your eyes and oh-so-sexy, cos’ well, it sure feels like crap to be nothing but a 24/7 milk machine and still looking five months preggers.

Most importantly, if you were to show the slightest sign of giving up too, you could be negatively affecting your exhausted postpartum wife to do her best for your baby. Sorry dude, in this mega project called ‘Breastfeeding Baby’, you’d have to be the stable one to encourage her to continue with the gig until everything is established.

I was very blessed to have a breastfeeding dad in the house who would be involved in every possible way so that I always have someone to count on for support, and not feel that I was in this all by myself.

Fatherkao, the breastfeeding dad, with Ben, Becks and Nat (clockwise)

He’s bought me breast shields (first in M size, then L, then XL – imagine his embarrassment when he kept returning to the store), read up and bought me my first breastpump (preloved, from a forum – imagine his embarrassment collecting it), asked female colleagues (who are mothers) how to help boost my milk supply (the Chinese will tell you soup, soup and more soup), made countless trips to the pharmacy to get fenugreek, nipple cream and lanolin ointment, and the market to get green papayas for soup every week during the confinement period.

This breastfeeding dad in our house also bought me a whole array of breastfeeding accessories ranging from the nursing pillow to the nursing poncho and all the different brands of breastpads, in addition to doing the four things mentioned above, three times in a row. Because of him, our three kids have had Mama’s elixir of milky goodness for almost 30 months put together.

Most fathers feel that breastfeeding is between mother and child. It doesn’t have to be so. It can involve you. Yes, dad, you. Together, as a family, you can conquer this and make postpartum days a lot easier to bear. And you don’t even need to wear fake boobs.

This story was brought to you by Philips AVENT. Philips AVENT is committed to helping parents give their babies the best start in life, with breastfeeding accessories that help along the way. Every Philips AVENT product is designed with mom and child in mind, and is intuitive, reponsive and easy to use. Their premium quality products support a mother’s choice to breastfeed, bottle feed or do both, by giving her the assurance that they are flexible and designed to support her and her baby.

To look out for more to come from Philips AVENT: www.philips.com.sg/avent

Disclosure: I reviewed the single electric Comfort breastpump and Natural range feeding bottles in earlier posts. This post is part of a series of sponsored conversations by Philips AVENT.

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