Pregnant Daddy

Understanding your baby, Priscilla Dunstan

2012-02-08T10:27:00.000+08:00

I am sure that everyone of us have had our fustrations of not understanding what our baby actually wants. Now, here comes Priscilla Dunstan who have in a way managed to decipher baby languages. Attached is a video which strongly i urge all mummys and daddys to watch!

Pregnant Daddy is back! Armed with knowledge and thirsting to share!

2012-02-08T10:19:00.000+08:00

Hello dearest bloggers! It has been a while since i last blog. 3 years and counting, my daughter have grown so much and she's now in her second year of nursery. There are so many things to share based on what i have learnt during my 3 years of tough training as a daddy. Alot of trials and error, but i am proud to say that i have survived it well. My lovely wife will be delivering our second child around March this year and we have definitely prepared well this time for her arrival. Attached is a checklist which i got from my gynae's advertising vendor, i added some more information based on the experience i had with my first child. Hope this helps! Do stay tuned for more posts, this time with more informative stuff for both 1st timers and experienced parents who are willing to share their experiences. See ya!

Teething...

2009-05-23T18:17:00.002+08:00

I guess every parents should have encounter this horror of teething...which is the impending high fever!!! It was a restless battle every day. I mean, looking at your children not feeling well is already a heart pain. Plus their endless cries is devastating!! Sometimes their temperature could drop for a while and then back to 40 degrees before you can even heave a sigh of relief.. Did i mention that children just hate to take their medicine!? I tasted it myself, it was sweet and frankly speaking... i quite like it... but my girl would squirm even at the sight of it. hell, i even had to force it down her throat with a syringe!!! Kudos to someone for coming up with such an idea.

Sleeping... with her blocked nose and coughing. i can gurantee you that you wont sleep untill they sleep.. and that will be a challenge unless you can sing your lullabies well...

Thanks to my daughter though... come to think of it, it seems nice and comforting knowing that you will always be there come rain or shine to hold her tightly when she needs it the most.. that sure makes my father's day worthwhile...

My 3 months with baby

2008-12-18T20:48:00.002+08:00

Our little girl is beginning to notice daddy's and mummy's voice. I tried to experiment a few times where i stopped talking or singing. She stopped smiling, but once i spoke a few words, she smiles again!

What to expect of a 3 month old baby??

- We notice that she sometimes refuses to drink! It can be only 30ml or maximum to 90ml. Her previous amount was about 150ml. Worried that she may be under eating, we increased the feed to every 3 hours. It helped sometimes, but her low feed still continues. Funny thing was when i was feeding while she was half asleep, she drank the whole bottle of 160ml. Any mums or dads ever encounter such problems? Thinking that this might not be serious, i decided to observe for a while ;>
- Her hands are getting touchy touchy. She likes touching the toys presented to her and sometimes she would talk in her baby language endlessly to them.
- Start cleaning your toys! Our baby keeps biting them.
- Even her mittens needs to be cleaned. Got one advice from my relatives. To separate baby clothes and clean with baby friendly detergent. You never know what she could be eating with her mittens.
- Her laughter gets louder, even the slightest movement or funny face made by you can make the baby laugh!!

The reason to smile for every single day...

2008-11-24T20:38:00.002+08:00

My two months with baby!

2008-11-15T10:08:00.010+08:00

I guess its been a long time since i blogged, just in case you're wondering. I was having my exams the past few weeks. But since its over now, im back to my pregnant daddy status! Having a baby around sure adds in alot of motivation while im tired from studying or a long hectic day from work. My 2nd month with the baby was fruitful!

Fifth Week:

Increased in amount of milk been fed. She sure can drink! Had a little minor hiccups when she had diarrohea. Her stool was of liquid form and streaks of blood could be seen. As first time parents, we were definitly shocked. Therefore we brought her to see the doctor and his advice was:

1. Signs of Blood: Could be due to tear while baby was passing motion while squeezing too "hard". We were told to observe if there was any increase in blood. ( Well, it didnt. So we were glad it was just a minor tear)

2. Diarohhea could be caused by: Family member having it! Yes, diarrhoea is contagious! Or cleaning of bottles was not done thoroughly. We do have nieces and nephews at my mum's place and they were reported to have diarrhoea. So i guess they must have spread it to her..

3. Not to panic: Its normal for babies to have diarrhoea, but if it lasts for 3 or more days. Its advisable to see the specialist.

Sixth Week - Eighth Week

Crying seen to be getting less annoying. Maybe we were getting used to it... Baby is smiling more often, and cooing sounds can be heard whenever she wants attention. Her clothes are getting more fitting as she grows bigger everyday. We had fun dressing her up!

Her sleep routine ia getting better. Night times are prolonged and sometimes she can even sleep through the night! We were wondering whether we should wake her up for feeding, as we were worried that she might be hungry. But we waited for her to wake up automatically instead as we believed that she needs ample sleep and plus the fact that we need the sleep too. :>

Her hands and legs movement are getting more active and sometimes she will unknowingly grasp our fingers with her tiny little hand.

Her head is still soft at this particular moment of time. If you look hard enough, you can even see the top part of her head is moving like a heart pumping in motion!

I guess being a parent has its advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes you my lose sleep or even feel restless from all the late nights of feeding and baby handling (especially cleaning the poop). But whenever you see the baby smiling when she sees you or when you are talking to her. It felt like you have drank 10 bottles or red bull!

Are we really safe from harm?

2008-10-26T08:27:00.003+08:00

Just when i was reading the newspaper this morning. Reports of more contanimated products were surfaced again. What has happened to our society? What degraded the ethics of the businessmen to carry out such underhand methods? Don't they ever think about the health and safety concerns that may impact our people or even their own families!?

Horrible pictures of newborns being diagnosed of kidney stones, were subjected to painful needle injections. Although they might not know what is happening. They still can feel the bloody pain! Their crys of help, their tears. These are signs to tell their loved ones of the pain they are going through...

The world is not safe anymore. Not only are we defending ourselves from natural disasters. But humans as well...

My one month with baby!

2008-10-01T23:17:00.004+08:00

My 1^st feeding. Prepare for some serious handling!

Time does pass fast! It only seemed like yesterday, when we were in the labour room. My words of encouragement to persuade my wife on pushing harder and the arrival of our new born right in front of our eyes. All these significant events have zipped past and will always be embedded in our memories! I would like to give my 2 cents worth of the development of baby during the one month of intense training and sleepless nights. Hope my advice could help some daddys out who is still battling with your child on "feeding" issues.

First week

I would believe this is where the baby starts to mark her environment. Crying is her way of saying she is hungry. My take is if you are breast feeding; do take note that breast milk is still not available until the 3^rd day (for first mothers). Maybe you could try partial feeding, 1 time formula and the other time breast feed. Let the baby suckle the mother's nipple even if there's no milk (Mothers: do not worry, there will be milk eventually). This is to let the baby bond with the mother. You might notice the baby to be a bit yellowish in skin colour, my advice is to see the doctor if it gets too yellowish. They will conduct a blood test to check its level. If worse comes to worse, baby will be hospitalised to be "sun tanned". This is to lower her risk of jaundice.

Second week

This is where the endless crying begins!! You can expect to be woken up at least 3 times. I was woken at least every 2 hours. There are a few reasons for her crying, I have compiled a few.

Baby Hungry!
Wet Diaper Changing time.
Passing motion and she feels uncomfortable with the shit sticking to her skin, I don't blame her for that!
She need to be burped.
She wants to be carried.

There will be rashes on her face. Its normal, don't worry. Apply some cream prescribed by doctor it you want to play safe.
Her buttocks will start to develop rashes. Try to avoid this by minimising the cleaning of the buttock using wet tissue wipes. Use wet cotton instead. Apply moisturizing cream(safe for baby).
Her umbilical cord will start to peel off, handle with care. Try not to force it to come off. You wouldn't want the cord to be infected.A little bleeding might be seen due to poor handling. Apply antiseptic prescribed by doctor to clean the cord.
Baby will start to drink about 40ml of milk. (Formula), hard to gauge for breast feeding though (Any suggestions?)

Third week

I experience frequent crying. But this is where the parents start to improve on handling the baby. We start to carry well, feed well and even clean the shit well (Did it within 2 mins!). Tip: Burping is very important. If baby doesn't burps after a feed, its guarantee that she won't sleep well and if she won't sleep well.... good luck to you!
Prepare for full month celebration or they call it the baby shower.

Fourth week

Full month celebration!!! This is the time where relatives and friends visit. If possible, decide in advance what kind of gifts you would want. You never know that you might get the same gift. I prefer vouchers on baby shops or on the local supermarket. Buying diapers and Formula milk is not cheap!
Baby will start to gain weight and you might notice frequent smiling.
The eyes will start to browse around. Try singing or talking to your baby. This is the time for them to bond with you!

Well, these are what I observed for the 1^st month. Maybe yours could be different. I hope my advice helps. More to come! Do watch out for my blog for the 2^nd month!

Top 10 must have while feeding!!

2008-09-27T21:50:00.003+08:00

Invest in a good feeding bottle, preferably those that can prevent colic and provides good measurement of volume in OZ or litres.

A small napkin. Rather than using tissue to wrap around the baby's neck. Tissues wastage is not good.

A mini fan. Babies tend to sweat while drinking their milk. If they feel hot, you will definitely have a difficult time feeding them as they will fidget around to be more comfortable.

Cup warmer. Babies do not finish their milk at one go, they need to be burped most of the time. Cup warmer prevents the milk from getting cold.

Another set of baby's clothes. Babies squirt milk like nobody's business! It's better to be prepared!

Your
own set of extra clothes. Trust me, it's gonna be messy!

A glass of plain water. This is to rinse the baby's mouth after feeding that is full of milk. If left alone, their mouth would be dry. The next thing that will happen is definitely crying!

A set of notepad and pen to keep track of the feeding time and amount drank.

Good Sitting posture! Try to sit as comfortable as possible, feeding will take a while.

Last but not least, Patience! A hectic mother or father does not improve the situation if the baby is crying while feeding. Take note that babies cry because they are uncomfortable. This is their way of communicating. How would you feel if I speak in a different language which you do not understand...?

Compiled by Pregnant Daddy,
Other suggestions are welcome

The joy of having babies!!

2008-09-26T00:48:00.004+08:00

Although our baby cries evey night. She is plainly just seeking our attention. She maybe hungry, she may need a diaper change, she could be hot or she could be cold. She needs some burping or she needs to be held. Whatever it is she needs, we will always be there to help. We do feel fustrated at times, but whenever she smiles. Even the volcano lava will stop running and die out...

A perfect gift

2008-09-21T23:08:00.003+08:00

Got this gift from my daughter's full month celebration. I don't know about you but i goto say this is the nicest dress i ever seen. Even though my princess may not be wearing it at the mean time. But I do hope she gets to wear it during Chinese New Year.

When daddys talk about babies...

2008-09-10T00:16:00.003+08:00

I was chatting with my friends this evening. Who majority were all daddys. Our topic wasnt on the ever-changing economy or newest cars on the road and neither was it the hot babes on channel 5. It was the do's and don'ts of handling your precious baby. I find it quite strange in the first place as it doesnt fit the picture when we were discussing topics on babies. 5 grown man, for gods sake! We were talking as if we were experts on baby handling!!!

Each of us gave great advices on how to handle the baby when she's crying. How to feed her correctly and even how to change their diapers without making a mess(it seems that men do make a mess while changing the diapers)!

To tell you the truth, i felt a sense of belonging. Its like Daddy becoming a Mummy, for a day....

28th August 2008

2008-09-03T22:17:00.002+08:00

Today marked the beginning of a new life! Our baby princess is finally here. After so much complications we had during the pregnancy, she's finally out safe and sound!! It was really a hectic day and to tell you the truth, she wasnt even due on this day at all.

It began when my wife felt that something wasnt right with our baby. She seemed to be less active and wasnt moving much. Seems like mother instinct was right. We decided to inform our gynae and we found out that her heart beat was getting slower..

My wife had no choice but to induce the birth. Throughout the whole night, she was in estreem pain. And when the baby was out. Her umbilical cord was so twisted that it actually preveted her from breathing normally. Thank god we got her out, else we couldnt guarantee her safety if we were to delay the birth.

I guess this marks my journey towards fatherhood and possible many sleepness nights. But deep down, i was anticipating for this day to come anyway...

We finally came up with a name!!

2008-08-10T09:08:00.004+08:00

A name gives you an identity, it tells you who you really are. I guess everyone in this world would had felt a tingling sensation whenever you call yourself by your name. I know i do, it always gives me the creeps. I tried changing my tone while calling my own name. But it only gets creepier.

I read from a recent article on a girl from Australia who wanted to change her name as her previous name given from her parents was ridiculous. They call her "Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii"?! I mean its special... but i guess it has crossed the line of sanity. As parents, they are certainly causing a great impact towards her self-esteem.

So i belive giving a name for your child really takes alot of effort and time to get it right. My wife and i debates most of the time on choosing the name for our child who is due soon, as a matter of fact, this coming September! Our focus was to get a name that has a particular meaning to it. But trust me, it took us 4 months to decide and achieve a common censensus. Im not telling yet, deciding to keep the suspense till she is born... One thing for sure, we are definetly not calling her "Talula Does the Hula From Singapore"...

The meaning of true friends...

2008-07-25T21:02:00.002+08:00

I was drove to tears on this video... a lion and his 2 human friends whom they have not met for many years...

Approaching due date

2008-07-23T20:39:00.003+08:00

I don't know whether to feel excited or panic as the day draws near to our baby's due date. My fear is my work commitment as getting local leave is not very easy and work seems to pile up every approaching day. Although i feel a slight bit of stress, i try to complement such situations to my benefit by being positive all the time. More work means that time will pass faster and baby's due date will eventually come nearer! i can't wait to touch her tiny fingers and her chubby face... while my wife on the other hand, is still calm and collected. I guess she's the stronger one in the household.

The lastest trip to the gynae was educational as he told us what to prepare for and what the mother will have to expect..and his que was that we have to start preparing for the check in items. Sitting like obedient school children, we listened to his advice. If only things were easier if theres a list for us to follow... i guess maybe i could form a list so that anyone reading my blog can know what to do.Hmmm... stay tune for my next posting then!

"Violent" in Children Textbooks

2008-07-06T19:55:00.003+08:00

I was browsing a particular book meant for primary 3 students few days ago and was shocked from the violent images being potrayed! The intent of the book was to help primary 3 students on improving their written composition.

I would not like to tarnish the reputation of the publisher but to let parents know that, it is better to browse the contents of the book first before you decide to purchase the book. You wouldnt know what your children would have been reading.

The images drawn include a man falling off a motorcycle and bled to death, a girl fell down and her face landed on pieces of broken glasses!! Theres more to it...and i really don't want elaborate more...A word of caution to all parents!!And they say the movies are violent!

Big is Beautiful!!

2008-06-24T20:04:00.002+08:00

My wife is beginning to feel that she is growing fatter! Her self esteem on her body has grown weary and she has never stopped looking at the mirror or comparing her perfect figure during her wedding days. All i get now are complaints of how to shed all those fats once she's given birth.

What i would like to elaborate is this... i understand how that feels, i do complain about my six packs forming a union.Even though its nothing compared to what the women are experiencing. But i find my wife sexy in a way that she is carrying our child...nothing in the world can beat that. If anyone should feel insecure, it should be the men! So, all the pregnant ladies out there, don't feel sad about your figure, we men love you the way you are. Enbrace the love and get set for a new life in the family. A happy mommy, makes a happy baby!A sulking mommy, makes a ...well you get what i mean...

Father's Day, i'm celebrating it!

2008-06-14T20:00:00.003+08:00

Even though my princess is not due for the next two months nor is she able to call me "daddy" at this particular moment. Im still gonna enjoy this very special day. Cause im a daddy to be!!Haha!I may sound abit anxious but who cares, as long as im happy. Any day is also a father's day...

Happy Father's Day!!

This site is a must visit!!!

2008-06-11T19:52:00.003+08:00

Babies miniatures made from clay!!!
http://www.camilleallen.com/index.htm

I really have to say, these are great works of art. They really look like real!

Countdown...

2008-06-09T20:16:00.003+08:00

As the days goes by, i can't help but wonder...how our little princess would turn out. Would she grow up to be our pride and joy or be the rebellious type and always the opposition party in the family? Carefully touching my wife's growing tummy, i felt her tiny heartbeats and her relentless kicking. Is she telling us something? or is she just playing? Well, We will never know. But as we countdown for each passing days, our love for her will never fade... 27 weeks and 4 days....

Me, the younger days

2008-06-01T21:23:00.002+08:00

Me in the sarong 8 mths old...this explains why i am always the lazy one in the house

My grandma was keeping some of our baby photos and yet all this time i thought they were lost... As she was asking how my wife was coming along with the pregnancy, she recalled that she had a few photos of me when i was a baby. What surprised me was that she didnt keep these photos in her drawers or cupboards... but they were with her the all time wherever she goes... i am not talking about a few photos, but 2 albums! I guess she really missed the times when me and my brother were under her care many years ago...

Love you till the end

2008-05-26T19:38:00.003+08:00

A dedication to my wonderful wife, just wanna tell her i will always love her and our baby princess!

Got the music while watching "P.S I Love U", starry Gerald Butler ( King Leonidas from "300") and Hillary swank! Fell in love with it while listening to the music... Great movie for couples to watch... as it is telling us that we should always cherish our loved ones, you never know when they will leave you...Hope you guys enjoy the music like we do.

And this one is with the lyrics, practice it and sing it for your love ones!!!

24 weeks pregnant!!

2008-05-15T21:52:00.002+08:00

We are half way through the journey! She's kicking vigorously now! Looks like shes running out of space... no more somersaults!

Hows the baby coming along on the 24th Week

The baby's crown-to-rump length is around 8.4 inches and will weigh around 1.2 pounds. The uterus can easily be felt 1.5 to 2 inches above your bellybutton. The baby does not appear to have much room in the uterus anymore, but as your pregnancy progresses, space gets much tighter! Because your uterus is expanding and putting a great amount of pressure on your abdomen, you might get stretch marks. Many pregnant women experience backaches, bladder problems, sore feet and fatigue that affect their daily routines. You might also have some nasal stuffiness or nosebleeds.

A gift from my wife's sis

2008-05-04T19:52:00.003+08:00

I like the designs, very cute! Will be going window shopping often now, since theres 4 months to go. Lots of things to prepare! I belive internet should have a list of stuff that i can refer on. Let me check it out and see whether i can share with everyone in my next post