Aiyoh...why am i so blur?

So they say pregnancy really makes a mother-to-be more forgetful...
It really showed in me today.

Baked banana bread this morning...
Texture and everything turned out just right....

But realised that I forgot to put in sugar...
Now must eat it with honey....

sigh! :(

p/s: Told hubby about it and he says "Nevermind, failure is the mother of success ! Will get more bananas for tonite! Will bake together with you..." So sweet! :)

The banana bread that finally turned out alright!

Bambino's playmates

Its an exciting time. Lots of my good friends whom I grew up with are expecting their first child and they're all due in the couple of months ahead.

SS - due in early August
AK - due in mid Sep
YN - due in mid Oct
Myself - Bambino's due in end Nov

YN and SS are my family friends. Our parents were university mates and since we were very young, we've all had weekly gatherings to play tennis/table-tennis/mahjong. Out of all the kids, we're the only three girls and were therefore rather close. So, it was with sheer delight that we found ourselves pregnant in months apart one another. (We didn't purposefully plan it though!! haha!) !

AK is a very close church friend of mine and was the first to help "diagnose my pregnancy"!

I remembered when I shared with a few of them about expecting Bambino, we all got very excited and discussed how our children can be one another's playmates, and we can then all register our kids for primary one together, six years down the road!

Some of us were even saying how we can start our own enrichment classes, since we have a ready pool of kids...e.g. get YL to volunteer teaching them piano/guitar or giving them physics lessons. Talk about starting them young!

Anyhow, it was with great joy when I received YN's email yesterday announcing the arrival of SS's bundle of joy!! "Hi, just to let you know, SS has delivered this afternoon (2nd Aug), about 2pm. Baby Kih Shaw is 3.17kg and 50cm in length." YN was so considerate that she even emailed me a photo that she had snapped of Kih Shaw. Cute!! :)

So the first of the new generation has arrived!

Being the "youngest", Bambino has to wait for his turn to make his entrance into this world. But am sure that when the time comes, Bambino would be excited to meet all his new playmates! :)

Bambino talk

Just imagining what Bambino might be thinking ... :)

He's been more and more active these days...must be busy listening in on us and reacting to what we are saying! If only we can decipher what he is saying too! Just the other night, I was reading aloud a few Psalms from the Bible and found him to be kicking rather rhythmically...maybe he was saying "Amen" to the promises in the Bible!! :)

I came by this psychological experiment in a book titled "Baby Monthly" by Carol Pope published by BBC. The experiment indicated that "even before making an entrance into the world, babies listen in, learn and , even more surprisingly, remember what they have heard going on out there". Psychologist Anthony De Casper asked pregnant women to sing 'Mary had a Little Lamb' frequently in the fortnight before they expected to give birth. After the birth, the newborn babies were given a choice - through the sucking test. The babies were fitted with headphones through which they could hear a tape either of 'Mary had a Little Lamb' or another song sang by their mothers. They could switch the songs by changing the way they sucked on a special dummy or pacifier, which was wired up to a computer. By sucking faster or slower, the babies could change the tape. The babies voted with their sucks for their familiar womb song - 'Mary had a Little Lamb'!! :)

Wonder if Bambino will choose 《小白船》if he is subjected to similar tests when he has been borned? :)

Here's an interesting artical on "Fetal Psychology".

Musings... "chop chop"!

I was preparing some pork ribs that we bought from the chinese supermarket to make Bak Kut Teh. The pork ribs have not been chopped up and I had to manually chop them up. Holding the chopper high, I let the gravity help me as my hands brought it down heavily to try chop up the bones.

Suddenly, I wondered if my actions would actually affect bambino? As in, I often use the chopper and other knives to prepare meat before cooking dinner. It is purported that after the 22nd week, the fetus (Bambino) can now hear the sounds surrounding his nest aka "mummy's tummy", and even sometimes sense my actions. As such, does it also mean that he is well aware that I am chopping up meat? If so, would my actions subconciously imbue in him a sense of aggression?? I certainly hope not!!

Recently, we've stopped following UK's Big Brother because (1) its getting boring; and (2) its got too much swearing on the show and we don't want Bambino to be "affected" by it!! YL calls me a "paranoid" though, when in the occassional times that we watch the show, I would cover my tummy with a blanket hoping that Bambino doesn't "hear" whats going on in the show!!

Well, if the theory goes that listening to Mozart might inculcate a sense of liveliness and musicality in the baby in utero, surely, "exposing" him to bad stuffs on radio and tv or through the physical environment might result in negative influences too?

Food for thought... :)

Feeding Mozart to Bambino...

Flying the pregnant lady

I was re-reading what I've blogged yesterday, and I realised that I've forgotten to add a few things related to pregnancy and travelling. I am unashamed and would without any hesitation blame this "forgetfulness" on pregnancy! :)

Anyway, thought I will quickly jot them down before I forget them again!

A recap:

What the pregnant lady should note in her travels:

1. PRAY and entrust your journey to God.

2. Logically weigh the thrills of the trip against the "dangers/ inconveniences" that you might expose yourself to. Don't be overly worried or "Kan Chiong", BUT also don't be stupid and too "gungho" and over-exert yourself!

3. Drink lots of water. This is especially so if you are on long flights as apparantly, air humidity in the cabins of passenger aircraft is kept at only 8 per cent. But, do note that it also means that you might have to pee lots too. So, always be on a look-out for toilets when you travel and if you're flying, try to book an aisle seat if you are flying!

4. Whilst flying, wear Flight Socks to prevent the risk of circulatory problems such as Deep Vein Thrombosis DVT (blood clots), swollen ankles and tired aching leg which all pregnant women are more proned to.

5. Get hubby (your partner) to carry any heavy luggage if he is around.

6. Consider getting travel insurance.


Here's another thing to note:

Remember to check the relevant airline flying regulations regarding pregnant passengers before booking a flight! If not, even if you have a air ticket, you may find yourself barred from the flight!

Most airlines allow pregnant women to fly up to and including the 36th week, provided the pregnancy has been straightforward. Under IATA guidelines, pregnant women are allowed to fly in weeks 36 to 38 if the flying time does not exceed four hours. However, airlines normally refuse to fly pregnant women who have previously given birth prematurely (pre-term) or have had blood clots in the veins of their legs.

These factors also apply to the journey home, so if someone has travelled out during the seventh month of pregnancy, there is a risk that she may not be allowed to board the return flight if she is in the eighth or ninth month of her pregnancy at the time of the return journey!

This is Singapore Airline's policy on flying the pregnant ladies:
Expectant mothers in good health can be accepted for travel under the following conditions:
a) Normal Pregnancy: Mothers can be accepted up until the 35th week of pregnancy by providing private doctor certificate. If pregnancy is up to limiting dates, passenger should hold a certificate of fitness for travel.
b) Multiple Pregnancies (twins, triplets etc.): Mothers can be accepted up until the 32nd week of pregnancy.
c) If more than one month elapses between date of booking and date of departure, a new doctor's certificate is required and must be issued no more than three days outside departure date.

Currently, we aim to fly back to Singapore on SQ by end September. That means that I will probably be around my 32nd week of pregnancy. Don't think it should be a problem, but I better arm myself with a doctor's certificate, 'lest I get prevented from boarding the plane!!

Am I well-travelled, for a pregnant woman?

The first thing my mum told me when I told her that I was pregnanat was "Better scale down on all your travels!!"

However, I was told by my rather enlightened GP in UK as well as gynae in Singapore that its alright for a pregnant woman to travel as much as she wants to as long as she is not in any discomfort or has encountered any "spotting". Well, thank God, I do not fall into either category.
Medical research has also indicated that the 2nd trimester is the best time to fly as the mother-to-be feels the most "refreshed" (whatever that means).

Below is a brief record of my travels (on aeroplane) over the last 5 months:
a) from London to Amsterdam (4th- 5th week)
b) from Amsterdam to London (5th week)
c) from London to Singapore (6th week)
d) from Singapore to Hanoi (8th week)
e) from Hanoi to Singapore (8th week)
f) from Singapore to London (11th week)
g) from London to Austria (14th week)
h) from Austria to London (15th week)
i) from London to Venice (20th week)
j) from Venice to London (21st week)

Of course, I've also been travelling around UK. Took trains, long car-rides, and even sat on a small motorboat driven along the river at Henley-upon-Thames by both YL and my brother-in-law, BC!!

Well, I think I've indeed travelled quite a fair bit. However, it should be noted that these trips have often been done leisurely and are rather stress-free. Whats more, I've got YL who loves to travel and would willingly carry my heavy luggages (but actually, we often pack light)!

Our impression is that lots of pregant people in Europe fly. And lots of medical information that we've read also do not suggest any risk. The only consistent advice is to: (a) wear flight-socks when flying more than 4 hrs; (b) go for a 15 minute walk up and down the aisle per hour on the plane and (c) to drink adequate water. I myself had purchased a pair of flight socks. They do not come cheap, and cost me about GBP14 per pair!! They're pretty comfy, though.

Was also told that it might be worth getting travel insurance so that "in the worst case" scenario, the aircraft will not bill you for any emergency landing fee!

Still, my parents kept telling me to curb our travels. They are concerned that too much "hectic movements" would distress the baby or cause harm to the mother-to-be!

Well, on balance, I think that we should be, and have been responsible in assessing the various risks that we might expose ourselves to in our different trips, and then proceeding to take the necessary corresponding precautions. However, we believe that the most important thing is to pray and entrust ourselves in God.

Also, we claim God's promise in the Bible that "He who began the good work will be faithful to bring it to completion!" :)

p/s: Here's an interesting website on "The Pregnant Traveller"...useful tips!

Err...should we circumcise him?

After bible study meeting last night, whilst cooking our favourite instant noodles snack for supper, YL suddenly asked me, "Do you think we should circumcise 乐乐 after he is borned?"

I went, "Huh??" I've known about circumcision, but this has never crossed my mind. I supposed it was because before this, we didn't know whether we were expecting a boy or a girl, so it was irrelevant to think of the matter. But now that we know that 乐乐 is a boy, it is something for us to consider.

Bearing in mind that we just ended bible study not too long ago, I asked YL, "Is it something that God has put in your mind to consider?"

YL looked at me and smiled, "I think so!!"


Definition of circumcision: The word circumcision means “to cut around”. In male infants, circumcision is a surgical procedure to remove the skin covering the end of the penis, called the foreskin.


Circumcision is often a hotly contested issue, making unbiased facts hard to come by. This is what I found from the information on the internet:

Medical Research:

a) Some studies indicate that the risk of developing a urinary tract infection is higher for baby boys who are uncircumcised, about a 1 in 100 chance versus 1 in 1,000 for a circumcised infant.

b) In addition, while penile cancer is extremely rare (9 or 10 cases per year per 1 million men), uncircumcised men do get this cancer more often.

c) Some research also suggests that circumcised men may be at a reduced risk for developing syphilis and HIV infections, though obviously, behavior has a great deal more to do with who contracts sexually transmitted diseases.

d) Circumcision may protect a future wife from cervical cancer. In 1988 approximately 7,000 women died of this disease. There are some research which has cited that there was a significant decrease in cervical cancer when the male partner is circumcised. E.g. There was a medical report which indicated that among non-Jewish women whose husbands were uncircumcised, there was a 2,000 percent greater incidence of cervical cancer than in Jewish women.

e) On the con's side, as with any surgery, there are risks involved in circumcision such as bleeding, infection and improper healing. Although these complications might be rare and usually minor, some parents may feel that there’s no compelling reason to take a chance on a procedure they believe is unnecessary.


What it says in the bible: We've also read about circumcision in the bible. It is known as an operation that entered one into the covenant in Old Testament times. It was instituted by God (Gen. 17:10-14) and performed on the eighth day after birth (Luke 1:59). It was a sign of the covenant God made with Abraham (Gen. 17:12; Rom. 4:11). However, the physical operation is not practised in the New Testament. Instead, a circumcision of the heart of the Christian is taught (Rom. 2:29; Col. 2:11-12). Some people have argued that this is the "true circumcision" (Rom. 2:29).


My views (at the moment):
Intuitively, I thought that circumcision must be beneficial, since God has instituted it for the Jews. There are quite a few of the "laws" in the bible's Old Testament given to the Children of Israel, which I have often felt have beneficial consequences for their physical and emotional health. Therefore, I must confess that "conceptually", I am not averse to consider circumcising 乐乐.

Also, it helps that for medical reasons, YL himself was circumcised when he was young (not when he was an infant). So, circumcision is not exactly a vague fuzzy concept but an outcome, which I myself have "seen". And having been through all that surgical pain himself as a primary school kid, it says a lot when YL was the one to bring up the subject and was willing to consider that for his child.

What about the emotional feelings of a mother/mother-to-be on this matter?

I read an article by a Jewish mother herself, written from a "Jewish feminist perspective" which argued strongly against circumcision. The author wrote of how as a mother and facing pressures from the Jewish traditions, she has to repress her innate desire and wisdom to oppose circumcision. As a result, she said that "the screams of my babies remain imbedded in my bones and still haunt the edges of my mind"...

Its true, I saw some rather graphic images of the procedure on the internet (its too graphic for me to post on this journal site of mine) that really made me "shiver" in fear. Which mother wouldn't feel upset when her child is subjected to a surgery and screaming his lungs out in pain?? But I suppose the difference between myself and the jewish women is that I probably wouldn't need to witness the "event of circumcision". The surgery could, and probably would be carried out away from my sight. Still, I am his mother, and I need to be responsible and properly consider the pros and cons, as well as whether there is a need to circumcise 乐乐.

These are the following articles which we've found to have a sound biblical basis, but yet non-biased towards any specific decision:
a) What The Bible Teaches About Circumcision (a pastor's sermon) ; and
b) Circumcision? What you need to know before you decide.


Well, so will we or will we not? We are still unsure.

Whatever the outcome, I really hope that 乐乐 can at least take heart that we, as his parents, would have prayfully considered all aspects before deciding whether to subject him to the procedure... :)