Monday 22 February 2016

Caring for my baby with Pampers Baby Dry.

Advertorial

Giving my baby the best in every possible ways within my means..

hoping she would grow up healthily and happily..
Mothers-to-be and new mothers face one common problem. That is, "What suitable products to get for my baby?" I was in that confused state too, overwhelmed by the huge selections of baby products. One thing I was very concerned about was the type of diaper for my baby. Diapers play an important part during babies' growing years, at least for their first two to almost three years (depending on individual's development progress) where wearing them are inevitable. I strongly believes that a good diaper is essential for the healthy development of a baby because quality diaper equates to more sleep, more movements and less chances of having skin irritations. That translates to a generally happier baby who can focus on learning and exploring. So, what is my best bet for diaper choice?

It got to be PAMPERS BABY DRY!


You probably would think this is an advertorial, of course I would promote Pampers as much as I can. But as a mother myself, I may be able to empathise with mothers too. We want to provide the best for our babies in every possible ways within our means. I sincerely hope to share every goodness I get to know with all loving mothers. 

Before that, I would like to share my past experiences on diapers...

It was not a hit on target on diapers, there were many trials and errors before I finally found the perfect suitable fit for her. The first baby diaper which Liv used was Brand X, the one which is widely used in local hospitals. Just one day old, Liv had mild red rash at her nappy area. Many babies have swollen genitals during the first few days of birth so as a first time mother, I presumed that was the cause. I continued using the starter pack of X which was given to Liv to use at home even though I had a pack of newborn diapers, Brand Y ready for her. As soon as Liv wet her diaper each time, her bottom started becoming red. Brand X was not even damped with her urine! Again, I thought it was normal for the redness to come and go, that it should probably subside in a few days time. I could still remember two days after returning home from hospital, Liv had to go back to the hospital again to check for jaundice as she had a slightly higher level of bilirubin levels upon discharge. We were out for barely four hours and she was already crying so badly. It turned out to be a bad painful looking rash around her nappy area. I realised I've made a grave mistake! The redness she had been having was far from being normal, it had been causing irritations to her bottom all these while! Poor girl! We finally swopped her to Brand Y diapers. Nappy rash never happened again since then.

Seems like problem solved isn't it? NOT YET! There was this issue that bothered husband and I although Brand Y provided good comfort wear and Liv had zero negative reactions to it. Brand Y is said to be superb in absorbency but because Liv has always been a heavy wetter, she had wet her pants on many occasions when I changed her. Friends who swear by Brand Y for their babies suggested that I could change Liv's diapers more frequently and initially, I did. But because babies use many diapers each day and everyday. And the fact that Brand Y is slightly pricier than many diaper brands in the market, I felt the need to look for a better and affordable alternative.

So, the third diaper, Brand Z came along. It was recommended by my confinement nanny. At that time, it made sense to believe her since she over a decade of experience with babies. Brand Z provided good absorbency (occasionally leakage but that was fine), good breathability and has a wetness indicator sign. There was one thing I didn't like about Brand Z. The sides of the diaper is a little too rough for babies' tender skin, it sometimes causes abrasions to the inner folds of Liv's thighs. Nevertheless, I felt it was a better choice among the three brands and make do with it until Pampers gave me a chance to discover the ideal diaper for my baby. Pampers has since became my most trusted diaper brand.


So why did I choose Pampers?


Initially, I was skeptical about trying Pampers on Liv because I have had quite a handful of negative experiences with different brands of diapers. Pampers Baby Dry diapers appeared to be thin and  I wasn't sure if they are absorbent enough for a heavy wetter like Liv. Since Pampers are the leading brand for diapers, I decided to go ahead and give them a try. They must be good with something in order to be ranked world's number one, isn't it? And yes! Pampers Baby Dry is incredibly awesome! Liv had her very first try on Pampers Baby Dry one night and the next morning when I gave her a fresh diaper change, I was amazed by how highly absorbent it was. The diaper was heavily soaked with a night of pee but I could feel no moist against Liv's skin, her bottom was kept unbelievably smooth and dry! She used to get restless in bed on some nights when her diapers were too wet against her skin and the fact that she co-sleeps with me, I got woken up by her several times a night. I realised she has been sleeping well through the night since day one after switching her to Pampers. No more tossing and turning nor waking from sleep due to discomfort. A well rested baby is a happy baby and a well rested mother is a happy mother too! Thanks to Pampers Baby Dry, Liv's sleep is not compromised, she gets quality sleep that she needs. She is an even happier and alert baby now, always eager to explore her surroundings. As for me, I am more attuned to her needs and less temperamental.

Superior dryness allows Liv to have better sleep..

She is well-rested...

more alert...

Eager to learn new things..

and HAPPY!

Well, I cannot recall the number of times I cried along with Liv when she developed diaper rash. It really broke my heart to see her cried badly, her high pitched cries sounded so painful. I felt like an inferior mother who was unable to take good care of my baby. It pained me to see her all sullen and cranky each time she experienced diaper rash. These frustrations which she and I were facing were finally over when we were first introduced to Pampers Baby Dry. Its soft touch layer effectively absorbs wetness away from Liv's skin and keeps her dry all the time. It is like a barrier between Liv's skin and her urine. It prevents moist and stickiness. Her bottom is always smooth to touch! And the best part is that I never have to worry about any sorts of skin irritations she may experience again.

Less worries..


More bonding..

Another plus point of Pampers Baby Dry is it's cottony cover. So far the softest diaper among all diapers I've tried on Liv. I'm pretty sure she loves them because she is VERY agile now! Its important for babies to roam around as much as possible because I believe that's when they master the fundamental movements and move with confidence and control on their own. In order for our cutie pies to want to take their first move, we need to first provide them with a comfortable wear so they feel unrestricted with their movements. Liv is now moving around so much that I consider following behind her as a workout. :p I could see that she is at ease while she crawls and walks, practically all of her movements are so carefree!

Moving around..
Climbing up and down..

Lastly, getting Liv to change ain't easy job. It looks more like a wrestling match than a diaper change session. She squirms and never stays still! I needed to tape and re-tape the diaper sides over and over again to make sure they are wore properly and comfortably for her. Sometimes I re-taped the sides so often that the sides are torn. When I first gotten my first pack of Pampers Baby Dry, I was excited to know that it comes with stretchy tape sides. They are such an easy wear! It allows me to adjust to Liv's waist fit with a breeze. Always "right on target" while still providing maximum comfort around her waist! 


I personally feel that Pampers is more than just a diaper maker. Its diapers are thoughtfully designed, taking into considerations on all aspects of a baby's needs and growth. It makes me feel that they too, care for my baby's healthy development like I do.. Liv's healthy development is my number one concern and I am happy to have found Pampers.

Liv has been using Pampers Baby Dry for more than two months now. No diaper rash, no leaky diapers, and no fuss diaper change! She is definitely one bubbly baby now!


Pampers Baby Dry is my trusted diaper choice. So is Liv's! :D



*This article can also be found on Singapore's leading digital parenting magazine, Asianparent. 
Click on the link below to visit the page:

Saturday 6 February 2016

Two Mothers In One Home: You And Your In-Law.

Photo courtesy of grandparents.about.com

It's been more than a year that Lisa* is living under one roof with her in laws after she got married to her husband. Things looked perfectly fine and harmonious in the family. Frequent family dining, plenty of conversations etc. As a new addition to the family, Lisa was very well taken care of by his husband's family too, they treated her like one of them. It was indeed one big happy family. It wasn't as much of the same as before since the birth of Lisa's first baby girl though. For instance, there are two mothers instead of one in the house. Lisa is one, her mother in law is the other. They have never bickered over anything but this changed when baby arrived in the family. This cute little baby girl is the love of Lisa's life (besides her husband) and is also the precious princess of her grandmother. That was when problems started arising and how "The Clash of the  Mothers" began. Both Lisa and her mother in law wants to shower baby girl with love and care in THIER OWN WAYS.

Man are made uniquely different. That said, mothers are unique individuals too. Because of the indifferences in caring and loving Lisa's baby, there were many times Lisa and her mother in law got into "friendly" disagreements. They did not raise their voices, it was more like a "try to keep the smile" while they debated. But deep down, both of them weren't exactly happy. Neither of them were to blame, It just happened that the two caring mothers are loving the same baby...under one roof.

Lisa was very determined right from the start to raise her baby the way she wants. Well, it did not turn out the way she wanted it to be. Somewhere, somehow, her ways just get interfered with. Living under the same roof, no one want things to turn ugly in the family, Lisa too, longed for peace in the family. Thus, she does not know how to make it clear to her mother in law in the nicest way so that she will fully return Lisa her rights to raise her own baby and still not be offended.

Lisa perfectly understands that everything her mother in law has done for her baby was good. They were acts of love to her baby but she couldn't help having occasional meltdown. Her mother in law's presence around her baby makes Lisa nervous. People said anxiety and moodiness are part of baby blues and they will go away when the body feels better from childbirth. They never really go away In Lisa's case. The intensity of her anxiety level pretty much fluctuates like a roller coaster. Her baby is one year of age now and she is still tensed. She has never stopped worrying..

When baby was on total milk feedings, she was worried that her baby was being overfed or underfed.

When baby first started crawling, she was worried that her baby got placed in the baby walker all the time to "learn walk and skip crawling".

When baby looked at adults' food in curiosity before she hits 6 months mark, she was worried that her baby was fed with food. (Lisa's worry was valid, being extra careful wasn't overreacting because what if her baby really did had a food allergy and she was fed with it?) 

And when baby first started solid food, she was even worried that her baby was fed with all sorts of food.

The list just goes on and on and on... 

Most of the time, Lisa gets her say over her baby. But as long as there are two mothers in the same house, she has never been in full control as a role of a mother. The two mothers in the house have 2 complete different set of ways on caring for babies. Lisa believes its never too early to allow her baby to start being independent. While on the other hand, her mother in law believes she needs to "do it all" for baby because she is very young to understand independency. Lisa has lost count of the times she had bury her head in her pillow and cried behind closed door. No one really is able to sympathise with her, perhaps except for the mothers' support group she is in where some mothers are facing the same complicated issue as her. Her relationship with her husband suffered too. Poor middleman husband comes home from a long day at work and find Lisa all sullen on many days. They communicated, they argued and then made up with each other, only to start the same cycle over again the next day.

It excites Lisa to know that she and her husband's home is finally going to be ready in a few more months to come. She loves the joy and unity in the family, she loves her extended family. But its time to return everyone in the family their deserved space (literally) and freedom. There are blurred boundaries while staying under one roof, where it can be easy for each other to butt into one another's life unknowingly. There is no right or wrong to stay together with in laws under one roof, but Lisa believes the family ties will be strong or if not, stronger when they live close but not too close together...