May 2016

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May 2016 | S$5.00

www.motherhood.com.sg

The No. 1 Choice for Mothers!

D I G I T A L E D I T I O N EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL CONTESTS

Mum’s the One! It’s time to get pampered

INSIDE!

Hello, World! Amazing birth stories Bringing home baby – what you need to know

Top 10 Ways to Encourage Creativity

Time to Roll

Kiddie gyms that get your child moving now!

Tots, Tears and Temper Tantrums Put a stop to this habit now

Keep ‘em Clean

Protect your little ones from HFMD

Shop the Best Deals Just a Click Away!

MummyL ves .motherhood.com.sg

CONTENTS

May 2016

bump + beyond 12 The ABCs of Pregnancy

Do you know how the letters ‘X’ and ‘Y’ play a part in the conception of your baby? From Braxton Hicks to varicose veins, it’s time to get familiar with your ABCs all over again.

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16 Ease the Quease

Nausea and mild vomiting are common symptoms in early pregnancy but you don't have to suffer any longer! It’s time you try these morning sickness treatments.

19 Diary 20 Your Birth Stories

Hello baby! Mother’s Day is just around the corner and these mums share their amazing birth stories – the day they could call themselves mum.

24 You’re a Mum! Now What?

Baby’s home and you may have waited for this day for what may have seemed like the longest time, but now what? Here’s what you can expect in the first few months with a brand new baby.

26 Real Life: Surviving Oesophageal Atresia: Baby Yujia

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33-month-old Xie Yujia was born with a rare birth condition – her gullet is not connected to her stomach as part of her food pipe is missing. The name for this condition is “oesophageal atresia”.

28 Body & Mind: Bleeding During Pregnancy

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It is usually not a cause for concern but how do you know when you should see you gynaecologist?

new mum's buyers guide 33 Fun with Furniture

Wouldn’t you say that decorating (or redecorating) is always fun? Whether you are thinking of giving your little one’s room an overhaul, or simply adding a few pieces of essential furniture, here’s what you can look out for.

early years 42 Preventing HFMD

With HFMD present all year round in Singapore, how can you ensure your child is kept safe?

46 TV: Am I Doing it Right?

As far as you may try not to let your little one watch TV, the tube can sometimes come in handy when you need to get lunch started or when you need to reply to a quick email. But what impact does the media have on kids? MH speaks to the experts.

48 Kiddie Gyms

Tumbling around is lots of fun for kids, especially with the many gyms available. But what is it all about?

52 The Crying Game

It is amazing how your little tot can turn on the waterworks when she doesn’t get her way. While it is perfectly normal, here’s how you can put a stop to this habit.

the zone 08 The Shelf 09 Watch this Space 10 Know: What’s Happening? 11 Tech Mums 40 Fab Finds

Want to share your feedback on a product you love that’s listed in Motherhood? Click on this icon to let us know!

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62 modern mums 70 When Life Gives You Lemons Who would have thought that this little fruit would have so many uses? From freshening up your home to keeping your bath spotless, MH fills you in.

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style sense

71 More Time for What Matters MH shares the best tips to find time for what you love.

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74 We Love… Stop and Smell the Flowers 76 Life's Simple Pleasures

Mummies, if you have yet to do so, it's time to take a time out and get pampered.

56 special

feature

experts say 45 Health Matters 59 Mind Your Manners 65 First Classroom

juniors

in every issue

60 We Try, You Try: Have Some Serious Fun!

06 Ed Says

In the very academically driven world that is Singapore, many neglect to consider that physical development – especially in babies and toddlers, are also critical in ensuring coordination, brain development and integration.

62 Busy Bees and Social Butterflies

MH explores the child that is a social butterfly versus a busy bee and provides advice on how you can nurture both.

66 Say it with Words: An Activity Guide

Teach your child to read with our activity guide to phonics.

67 10 Ways to Encourage Independent, Creative Play

It’s amazing where a child’s imagination can take them – climbing up on the sofa so they can just reach the beanstalk or having a camp out with their toys under the dining table. Want to do more to encourage their creativity? Here’s how.

80 Babes & Bubs 86 Subscription

BUMP+BEYOND

Surviving Oesophageal Atresia: Baby Yujia 33-month-old Xie Yujia was born with a rare birth condition – her gullet is not connected to her stomach as part of her food pipe is missing. The name for this condition is “oesophageal atresia”. WORDS CHRISTEL GERALYN GOMES

A

t almost three years of

With all of that to deal with, it wasn’t

More Bad News

age, Yujia has never yet

easy for parents Jamie and Wen

When their surgical team finally

had the joy of tasting a

Long to watch their beloved daughter

emerged, Jamie was met with a grim

meal. Instead, she is still

struggle with surgery after surgery, and

doctor who called the surgery “very

complication after complication.

challenging”. Heart sinking, Jamie was

fed a liquid diet through a hole that has been surgically made in her intestine. Yujia suffers from oesophageal atresia.

The First Surgery

stomach” in surgery, which Jamie knew,

Yujia’s doctor first diagnosed her with

was not good news. “Pulling it means

the condition when she choked on her

you bring the stomach up, so there’s

own saliva two days after birth. Surgery

risk of tearing and then infection…

Atresia comes in different forms and

was scheduled the very next day to

which was what happened to Yujia in

the term simply means that a body

rectify the problem but to everyone’s

the end,” she said.

passage such as the oesophagus,

dismay, her doctors found that the

rectum, ear canal or even the passage

gap was too wide to be fixed only after

and exhausting as Yujia battled the

between the liver and small intestine is

opening her up.

infection caused by the leakage.

What is Oesophageal Atresia?

abnormally closed or absent. Oesophageal atresia is when

The plan then was to allow time for Yujia to grow before next attempting

The next two weeks were tedious

Meanwhile, Jamie simply wanted to bring her daughter home.

the gullet is disrupted or formed

to connect her oesophagus to her

abnormally. Yujia’s atresia is of the

stomach. They waited for five months

Of Tubes and Tears

“long-gap” variety, which means the

before their medical team decided it

“I was very anxious…too anxious and

gap between the two blind pouches

was time to try again. Full of hope,

overconfident. In the end I realised

that mark the ends of the incomplete

Jamie and Wen Long waited 12 anxious

bringing her home meant she had to

food pipe are very far apart, making

hours for their baby to come out of

be on a feeding machine all the time. I

joining them together surgically tricky

surgery, when the surgery was initially

just wanted to bring her home, I didn’t

and rife with complications.

expected to take only four to five.

think of all the other things… taking

Along with atresia came a whole host of other associated medical problems. Yujia had microcephaly, echogenic kidneys (cysts in her kidneys), cardiac defects and also a tear in her left retina.

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soon told that they had to “pull the

Click here to read more! • DIGITAL EDITION • MAY 2016

care of her was worse than being an ICU nurse.” Eventually Yujia had to be brought back to the hospital for a while to recuperate where she was tested for gastric reflux, which was found to be present. A new treatment plan was needed to fix Yujia’s biggest problem: she still can’t eat normally.

IMAGES COURTESY OF BERNICE WONG

REAL LIFE

EARLY YEARS

TV: Am I Doing this Right? As far as you may try not to let your little one watch TV, the tube can sometimes come in handy when you need to get lunch started or when you need to reply to a quick email. But what impact does the media have on kids? MH speaks to the experts. WORDS DR NICOLA DAVIES

I

n today’s world, it is a stark reality

risks. A perplexing question faced by

project? Perhaps your child is only three

that many families must work –

mothers of the 21st century is: “I’m

years old and needs constant attention.

both mother and father. Family

busy at this moment in time, so what

An easy solution? Turn on the television.

life must be balanced with professional

can I do with my child…can I let them

This is a simple solution, yet a source

goals. Another reality of the modern

watch television?”

of much anxiety for many parents.

world is technology. Television,

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TV can be enriching and educational,

computers, tablets and mobile devices

Why am I Feeling Guilty?

permeate our daily life. They add great

Have you come home from work a little

young child. So, for a mother who is

convenience and command great

late, picked the kids up from daycare

concerned about the true impact of TV

multi-tasking ability, but there are

and still need to cook dinner, or finish a

on their child, let’s explore some options

• DIGITAL EDITION • MAY 2016

and decidedly impressionistic to a

Click here to read more!

EARLY YEARS

It is amazing how your little tot can turn on the waterworks when she doesn’t get her way. While it is perfectly normal, here’s how you can put a stop to this habit. WORDS SUE-ANN BAUMGÄRTEL

THE CRYING GAME 52

Click here to read more! • DIGITAL EDITION • MAY 2016

JUNIORS

Ten Ways to Encourage Independent, Creative Play It’s amazing where a child’s imagination can take them – climbing up on the sofa so they can just reach the beanstalk or having a camp out with their toys under the dining table. Want to do more to encourage their creativity? Here’s how. WORDS MING E. WONG

M

any parents lament that kids

numb the brain and muscles. We need

make the time now and then. It’s great for

today spend too much time

play that encourages concentration,

bonding – believe you me, the time when

watching TV or playing on

imagination and creativity, and where the

they don’t want to hang out with you will

the computer. You see kids on the train

kids are more a producer of ideas rather

come soon enough! If you don’t have

and at food courts totally attached to their

than a consumer.

the time to play with them continuously,

e-devices. Nobody runs wild in kampongs

To get them started, kids need

at least promise you’ll check in now and

or explores monsoon drains anymore.

three important things – somewhere

then. Also, give them playmates by joining

While we can’t or perhaps don’t want to

safe to play, something to play with

a play group or inviting other kids around.

go back to those days, e-devices aren’t

and someone to play with. Ideally, you

the only way to play. In fact, they can

should be one of their playmates, so

Make sure that you more or less have what you will need handy at home. For

Click here to read more! MAY 2016 • DIGITAL EDITION •

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MODERN MUMS

01 02

03

Let these blooms add a little colour to your every day.

Stop and Smell

Flowers

the

05 04 06

01 Emerson Satchel $389 Fossil 02 Marc Jacobs Daisy $148 (100ml) TANGS At Tang Plaza 03 Dolce & Gabbana $295 Optical 88 @ ION Orchard 04 Hydrangea Turnlock Handbag $255 Cath Kidston 05 Melissa Harmonic Garden IV $95 MDreams 06 Melissa Harmonic + Alexandre Herchcovitch $125 MDreams

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Click here to read more! • DIGITAL EDITION • MAY 2016

MODERN MUMS

Life’s Simple Pleasures Mummies, if you have yet to do so, it’s time to take a time out and get pampered. No idea where to start? MH gives you some ideas.

M

ummies, listen up! Your days don’t just have to be filled with mummy and work duties. Doesn’t a massage right about now sound good? Well, why not make an

appointment? Don’t just think about it...do it…because we all need a little pampering every now and then.

Hands On! Nothing beats a nice relaxing massage to ease all your tension away. Book yourself a room on your own or with your bestie and get ready to be pampered. Think scented candles, soothing music, and low lights. Whether you need to relax or reenergise or simply take time out, a massage can do wonders for your body and mind. Pregnant mummies, you don’t have to feel left out. There are

Call it a Girl’s Night

many places that offer massages for mums-to-be. And we all know

Make a date with the girls and let the

that expectant mummies all need a little pampering especially when

fun begin! Whether you choose to have

the aches set in. Studies have also shown that not only do massages

a night in with a movie marathon and

feel good, it can reduce anxiety, decrease symptoms of depression

popcorn, or to treat yourselves to a fancy

as well as relieve aches and pains. But when deciding on where to

dinner and drinks and then to a little bit of

go for your massage, be sure to find a massage therapist who is

dancing or maybe it’s as simple at getting

certified in prenatal massage.

a slice of cake together, it doesn’t matter. Just be sure to have fun with the girls

To Try!

whatever you choose to do.

Here’s an exclusive spa treatment – the Baby and You massage promises to ease away tension while keeping you feeling nurtured

Visit!

and supported at this very special time in your life. Be assured that

Be amazed by an impressive array of

the oils used to nourish and care for your skin is safe for both you

delectable creations from French tearoom

and your baby. You’re just a phonecall away from getting pampered

,Angelina. For a tea date that you won’t

just the way you deserve.

soon forget, try Angelina’s signature hot chocolate – the L’Africain as well as the Le Mont-Blanc.

The Spa

ntal Mandarin Orie 33 35 85 68 Tel: oriental.com www.mandarin

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• DIGITAL EDITION • MAY 2016

Angelina

Capitol Piazza 6384 0481 paris.fr/en www.angelina-

Click here to read more!