I am suffering from bad heartburn since last two weeks and it get worst only last Saturday until I can't fall asleep until 3a.m. Have been struggling for remedies to cure it naturally (without any chemical intake) but in the end I just doze off due to too tiredness.
I read from few websites about pregnancy and free online remedies but I did not try all of them as some are too complicated for D-I-Y. Now I am in the 8mth-pregnancy stage and patiently waiting to complete it.
If you have any best (chemical-free) remedies for heart-burn, kindly update me.
Thanks a bunch (^_^)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Pelvic Floor Exercise
How to do Kegel exercises
It takes diligence to identify your pelvic floor muscles and learn how to contract and relax them. Here are some pointers:
Find the right muscles
To make sure you know how to contract your pelvic floor muscles, try to stop the flow of urine while you're going to the bathroom. If you succeed, you've got the basic move. Or try another technique: Insert a finger inside your vagina and try to squeeze the surrounding muscles. You should be able to feel your vagina tighten and your pelvic floor move upward. Then relax your muscles and feel your pelvic floor move down to the starting position. As your muscles become stronger — and you become more experienced with the exercises — this movement will be more pronounced.
But don't make a habit of starting and stopping your urine stream. Doing Kegel exercises with a full bladder or while emptying your bladder can actually weaken the muscles. It can also lead to incomplete emptying of the bladder, which increases your risk of a urinary tract infection.
If you're having trouble finding the right muscles, don't be embarrassed to ask for help. Your doctor or other health care provider can give you important feedback so that you learn to isolate and exercise the correct muscles.
Perfect your technique
Once you've identified your pelvic floor muscles, empty your bladder and sit or lie down. Then:
* Contract your pelvic floor muscles.
* Hold the contraction for three seconds then relax for three seconds.
* Repeat 10 times.
* Once you've perfected three-second muscle contractions, try it for four seconds at a time, alternating muscle contractions with a four-second rest period.
* Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions.
To get the maximum benefit, focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles or isolating your pelvic floor muscles. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks. Also, try not to hold your breath. Just relax, breathe freely and focus on tightening the muscles around your vagina and rectum.
Repeat three times a day
Perform a set of 10 Kegel exercises three times a day. The exercises will get easier the more often you do them. You might make a practice of fitting in a set every time you do a routine task, such as checking e-mail or commuting to work.
Vary your technique with one of these methods:
* Try sets of mini-Kegels. Count quickly to 10 or 20, contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles each time you say a number.
* Visualize an elevator. Slow down the exercises, gradually contracting and releasing your pelvic floor muscles one at a time. As you contract, visualize an elevator traveling up four floors. At each floor, contract your muscles a little more until you reach maximum contraction at the fourth floor. Hold the contraction and then slowly release the tension as you visualize the elevator returning to the ground floor. Repeat 10 times.
Biofeedback training
If you have trouble doing Kegel exercises, biofeedback training may help. In a biofeedback session, a nurse, therapist or technician will either insert a small monitoring probe into your vagina or place adhesive electrodes on the skin outside your vagina or rectal area. When you contract your pelvic floor muscles, you'll see a measurement on a monitor that lets you know whether you've successfully contracted the right muscles. You'll also be able to see how long you hold the contraction.
Another technique uses electrical stimulation to help you feel the muscles contract. The procedure is painless, although you'll experience a buzzing feeling as a small electrical current is applied to your pelvic floor muscles, making them contract. Once you feel this sensation a few times, you'll probably be able to duplicate the exercise on your own. Because simpler methods work for most women, this technique is rarely used.
When to expect results
If you do your Kegel exercises faithfully, you can expect to see some results, such as less frequent urine leakage, within about eight to 12 weeks. Your improvement may be dramatic — or, at the very least, you may keep your problems from worsening. As with other forms of physical activity, you need to make Kegel exercises a lifelong practice to reap lifelong rewards.
(Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com)
It takes diligence to identify your pelvic floor muscles and learn how to contract and relax them. Here are some pointers:
Find the right muscles
To make sure you know how to contract your pelvic floor muscles, try to stop the flow of urine while you're going to the bathroom. If you succeed, you've got the basic move. Or try another technique: Insert a finger inside your vagina and try to squeeze the surrounding muscles. You should be able to feel your vagina tighten and your pelvic floor move upward. Then relax your muscles and feel your pelvic floor move down to the starting position. As your muscles become stronger — and you become more experienced with the exercises — this movement will be more pronounced.
But don't make a habit of starting and stopping your urine stream. Doing Kegel exercises with a full bladder or while emptying your bladder can actually weaken the muscles. It can also lead to incomplete emptying of the bladder, which increases your risk of a urinary tract infection.
If you're having trouble finding the right muscles, don't be embarrassed to ask for help. Your doctor or other health care provider can give you important feedback so that you learn to isolate and exercise the correct muscles.
Perfect your technique
Once you've identified your pelvic floor muscles, empty your bladder and sit or lie down. Then:
* Contract your pelvic floor muscles.
* Hold the contraction for three seconds then relax for three seconds.
* Repeat 10 times.
* Once you've perfected three-second muscle contractions, try it for four seconds at a time, alternating muscle contractions with a four-second rest period.
* Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions.
To get the maximum benefit, focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles or isolating your pelvic floor muscles. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks. Also, try not to hold your breath. Just relax, breathe freely and focus on tightening the muscles around your vagina and rectum.
Repeat three times a day
Perform a set of 10 Kegel exercises three times a day. The exercises will get easier the more often you do them. You might make a practice of fitting in a set every time you do a routine task, such as checking e-mail or commuting to work.
Vary your technique with one of these methods:
* Try sets of mini-Kegels. Count quickly to 10 or 20, contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles each time you say a number.
* Visualize an elevator. Slow down the exercises, gradually contracting and releasing your pelvic floor muscles one at a time. As you contract, visualize an elevator traveling up four floors. At each floor, contract your muscles a little more until you reach maximum contraction at the fourth floor. Hold the contraction and then slowly release the tension as you visualize the elevator returning to the ground floor. Repeat 10 times.
Biofeedback training
If you have trouble doing Kegel exercises, biofeedback training may help. In a biofeedback session, a nurse, therapist or technician will either insert a small monitoring probe into your vagina or place adhesive electrodes on the skin outside your vagina or rectal area. When you contract your pelvic floor muscles, you'll see a measurement on a monitor that lets you know whether you've successfully contracted the right muscles. You'll also be able to see how long you hold the contraction.
Another technique uses electrical stimulation to help you feel the muscles contract. The procedure is painless, although you'll experience a buzzing feeling as a small electrical current is applied to your pelvic floor muscles, making them contract. Once you feel this sensation a few times, you'll probably be able to duplicate the exercise on your own. Because simpler methods work for most women, this technique is rarely used.
When to expect results
If you do your Kegel exercises faithfully, you can expect to see some results, such as less frequent urine leakage, within about eight to 12 weeks. Your improvement may be dramatic — or, at the very least, you may keep your problems from worsening. As with other forms of physical activity, you need to make Kegel exercises a lifelong practice to reap lifelong rewards.
(Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com)
Tips for Sleepless Nites
Here are some tips to help you cope with sleeping problems during pregnancy:
• Surround yourself with pillows; everyday pillows or oversized ones
• Keep your room temperature at comfortable level. If you are too warm you will find it difficult to relax and sleep
• Sleep on your side with your legs and knees bent. Tuck a pillow under your abdomen and another one between your knees. Tuck one underneath your hip to remove the pressure off your hip
• Don't exercise too close to bedtime as it may actually keep your awake
• Don't eat heavy meal within 2-3 hours of going to bed as this will cause your metabolism to go into overdrive
• Skip the midnight snack if heartburn and indigestion are causing you grief
• Stretch your calves to prevent middle of the night cramps
• Drink a cup of warm milk
• Have a warm bath
• Practice relaxation breathing in bed
• Go do something else rather than tossing and turning in bed. Hit the sack once again when you start to feel tired.
• Surround yourself with pillows; everyday pillows or oversized ones
• Keep your room temperature at comfortable level. If you are too warm you will find it difficult to relax and sleep
• Sleep on your side with your legs and knees bent. Tuck a pillow under your abdomen and another one between your knees. Tuck one underneath your hip to remove the pressure off your hip
• Don't exercise too close to bedtime as it may actually keep your awake
• Don't eat heavy meal within 2-3 hours of going to bed as this will cause your metabolism to go into overdrive
• Skip the midnight snack if heartburn and indigestion are causing you grief
• Stretch your calves to prevent middle of the night cramps
• Drink a cup of warm milk
• Have a warm bath
• Practice relaxation breathing in bed
• Go do something else rather than tossing and turning in bed. Hit the sack once again when you start to feel tired.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Boy or Girl...
Is this really a matter?
Typical Chinese-in-laws would always wanted to have a grandson as the first one but do they know that it is beyond our control somehow. It is cracking my head now as my baby is mature enough for me to find out the gender. Why should I putting so much unnecessary pressure to myself and my baby? *LOL*
I am somewhat not brave enough to know, indeed it does not really a matter for me to find out the gender at all. I am more concern about the health.
At this time being I just prepare clothings and baby accessories that's for unisex, and Calvin and I have few boy names and few names for girl as well. So I think we both are prepared for the new comer and that should be fine for him and I.
Do you foreseen any problem if it is a girl and not a boy? Arghh... what so big deal, huh? *LMAO*
Typical Chinese-in-laws would always wanted to have a grandson as the first one but do they know that it is beyond our control somehow. It is cracking my head now as my baby is mature enough for me to find out the gender. Why should I putting so much unnecessary pressure to myself and my baby? *LOL*
I am somewhat not brave enough to know, indeed it does not really a matter for me to find out the gender at all. I am more concern about the health.
At this time being I just prepare clothings and baby accessories that's for unisex, and Calvin and I have few boy names and few names for girl as well. So I think we both are prepared for the new comer and that should be fine for him and I.
Do you foreseen any problem if it is a girl and not a boy? Arghh... what so big deal, huh? *LMAO*
Calcium During Pregnancy
The recent milk powder / dairy product dilemmas really frighten me. I have been avoiding milk since then but I am very worry about my pregnancy without calcium intake. *big sigh*
Why at this time?
Looking for alternative to replace milk for calcium. Any better suggestion from you to me? I am not so much worry about myself but my baby. Do not really know what will happen to him/her if I have not enough calcium intake during pregnancy. :'(
Why at this time?
Looking for alternative to replace milk for calcium. Any better suggestion from you to me? I am not so much worry about myself but my baby. Do not really know what will happen to him/her if I have not enough calcium intake during pregnancy. :'(
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Never to a Stranger!!
Parents used to remind their kids not to talk to stranger, however today in this so insecure / dangerous country (like Malaysia), we ought to tell those kids not to even listen to stranger. I have stories to share here about listening to a stranger at shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur.
1) This girl is being stopped by two youngsters about 20. They are both asking for direction in Suria KLCC for about few minutes. The victim did not realize what actually had happened until she 'awake' after half an hour time. She found that she had actually lost her mobile phone and her gold necklace.
2) A girl is waiting for her friend on a busy road nearby a bus station. Suddenly a man came by and talk to her (asking for direction and such). This man make lotza body language (with his hands moving around here and there) while talking to the girl and as usual we always look up at the other party while talking to them. Within minutes, the girl was completely hypnotized by that man. She follows the man and as they were walking down the street her friend saw her passing by just right in front of her. As she does not respond her friend when she smile at her, her friend sense something is not right. Immediately she pick up her mobile phone and start calling her. That girl is "awake" when her phone rang and her friend had saved her day.
3) Another girl, doing her shopping at Mid Valley Mega Mall. While she was walking towards Coffee Bean, an Indian man stopped her and chat for about a minute with her. He was just complimenting her appearance and life (which is totally does not makes sense). This girl smell a strong fragrant from the man body which give her a signal that something is not right. She quickly turn away and ignore that man and went straight to Coffee Bean. As she was sitting at a table, she felt very dizzy for about 1/2 an hour. She believes the smell of the man's body is the "weapon" he used to hypnotize her. She's lucky!
But, how many lucky stars that we have with us? And are those stars be with us always? Do not just depends on luck, we have to be educated and be smart too. I still remember my teacher once told me "it is only 10% of luck and 90% of preparation for success".
This message should be forwarded and made known to all children and also old parents. For these "con men / women" are not aiming only on kids, they "attack" old and especially non-educated old citizens.
*With Love & Care*
1) This girl is being stopped by two youngsters about 20. They are both asking for direction in Suria KLCC for about few minutes. The victim did not realize what actually had happened until she 'awake' after half an hour time. She found that she had actually lost her mobile phone and her gold necklace.
2) A girl is waiting for her friend on a busy road nearby a bus station. Suddenly a man came by and talk to her (asking for direction and such). This man make lotza body language (with his hands moving around here and there) while talking to the girl and as usual we always look up at the other party while talking to them. Within minutes, the girl was completely hypnotized by that man. She follows the man and as they were walking down the street her friend saw her passing by just right in front of her. As she does not respond her friend when she smile at her, her friend sense something is not right. Immediately she pick up her mobile phone and start calling her. That girl is "awake" when her phone rang and her friend had saved her day.
3) Another girl, doing her shopping at Mid Valley Mega Mall. While she was walking towards Coffee Bean, an Indian man stopped her and chat for about a minute with her. He was just complimenting her appearance and life (which is totally does not makes sense). This girl smell a strong fragrant from the man body which give her a signal that something is not right. She quickly turn away and ignore that man and went straight to Coffee Bean. As she was sitting at a table, she felt very dizzy for about 1/2 an hour. She believes the smell of the man's body is the "weapon" he used to hypnotize her. She's lucky!
But, how many lucky stars that we have with us? And are those stars be with us always? Do not just depends on luck, we have to be educated and be smart too. I still remember my teacher once told me "it is only 10% of luck and 90% of preparation for success".
This message should be forwarded and made known to all children and also old parents. For these "con men / women" are not aiming only on kids, they "attack" old and especially non-educated old citizens.
*With Love & Care*
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Naming Your Baby
This task sounds a little difficult to some people, especially to multilingual parents. The Chinese says "it is not that worst to have a bad life than bearing an unlucky name".
Naming our babies indeed is part of parenting which is more likely should be done by babies' parents. However, many times (especially Chinese) babies name is given by their grandparents and somehow sometimes they pay to some Master to do it. Why? Just to make sure their baby is bearing a lucky name which will leads them to a good life later (emmm... are you sure?). Well, it depends on how superstitious you are.
Besides unlucky name, we ought to put aside funny names too. At first Calvin and I wanted to name our baby girl Dorothy but it sounds like "tow lock tay" in Cantonese which means "drag to the floor" (see?). Then I thought to name her Deborah however again it sounds funny when you pronounce it with Cantonese slang "deck ball lie" which means "super boob" (omg!). *LMAO* What a joke?
I came across a few English names which sound weird, unlucky or funny when you call them with others slang; like:-
- Susan (in Cantonese... 'sway sun' = bad saint).
- Richard (in Cantonese... 'look chart' = d*ck).
- Peter (in Hokkien... 'pee tiao' = lie down).
- Elizabeth (in Cantonese... 'eee lay see fart' = examining your a**).
- Marcus (in Malay... 'markas' = headquaters);
and not least,
- Ben (in Hokkien... 'beng' = someone who speaks local slang mixed with English and Malay such as Manglish or Singlish and is often stereotypically portrayed to be anti-intellectual, superficial and materialistic and shallow).
In fact, all the above so called weird / unlucky / funny names are "inverted" by Beng. *LOL*
*fainted*
Naming our babies indeed is part of parenting which is more likely should be done by babies' parents. However, many times (especially Chinese) babies name is given by their grandparents and somehow sometimes they pay to some Master to do it. Why? Just to make sure their baby is bearing a lucky name which will leads them to a good life later (emmm... are you sure?). Well, it depends on how superstitious you are.
Besides unlucky name, we ought to put aside funny names too. At first Calvin and I wanted to name our baby girl Dorothy but it sounds like "tow lock tay" in Cantonese which means "drag to the floor" (see?). Then I thought to name her Deborah however again it sounds funny when you pronounce it with Cantonese slang "deck ball lie" which means "super boob" (omg!). *LMAO* What a joke?
I came across a few English names which sound weird, unlucky or funny when you call them with others slang; like:-
- Susan (in Cantonese... 'sway sun' = bad saint).
- Richard (in Cantonese... 'look chart' = d*ck).
- Peter (in Hokkien... 'pee tiao' = lie down).
- Elizabeth (in Cantonese... 'eee lay see fart' = examining your a**).
- Marcus (in Malay... 'markas' = headquaters);
and not least,
- Ben (in Hokkien... 'beng' = someone who speaks local slang mixed with English and Malay such as Manglish or Singlish and is often stereotypically portrayed to be anti-intellectual, superficial and materialistic and shallow).
In fact, all the above so called weird / unlucky / funny names are "inverted" by Beng. *LOL*
*fainted*
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
High BP during Pregnancy
I was shocked when my doctor (normal GP) told me that I should not have such BP (blood pressure) reading during pregnancy, 130/90. Somehow he told me mine is not at alarming stage but have to monitor closely.
A normal BP reading is 120(systolic)/80(diastolic) and for pregnant lady her BP should be lower than this (due to hormone change). There are 4 types of hypertension occur in pregnancy which are Preeclampsia, Gestational Hypertension, Chronic Hypertension and Chronic Hypertension with Preeclampsia. To know more about this, click here (http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1222.asp)
Myself is a quite sensitive person, I do take every single words people comment about me and sometimes seriously and sometimes not so seriously *LOL*. However, I guess I am a little bit more worry than I should for this 130/90 reading. It is actually not an alarming stage which is so serious. My sis says she also encountered this during her last pregnancy and it is actually a normal thing.
My advice to myself and you (especially a first-time mother) is "Do not be too worry until the alarm bell rings" *hehehe* just sit back and relax. The following are 2 websites I found about:
- How to manage high BP during pregnancy? >> http://www.doctorndtv.com/FAQ/detailfaq.asp?id=3246
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy >> http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/hbp_preg.htm
A normal BP reading is 120(systolic)/80(diastolic) and for pregnant lady her BP should be lower than this (due to hormone change). There are 4 types of hypertension occur in pregnancy which are Preeclampsia, Gestational Hypertension, Chronic Hypertension and Chronic Hypertension with Preeclampsia. To know more about this, click here (http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1222.asp)
Myself is a quite sensitive person, I do take every single words people comment about me and sometimes seriously and sometimes not so seriously *LOL*. However, I guess I am a little bit more worry than I should for this 130/90 reading. It is actually not an alarming stage which is so serious. My sis says she also encountered this during her last pregnancy and it is actually a normal thing.
My advice to myself and you (especially a first-time mother) is "Do not be too worry until the alarm bell rings" *hehehe* just sit back and relax. The following are 2 websites I found about:
- How to manage high BP during pregnancy? >> http://www.doctorndtv.com/FAQ/detailfaq.asp?id=3246
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy >> http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/hbp_preg.htm
Thursday, July 31, 2008
No Oranges During Pregnancy?
Guess what? My first lesson during my early pregnancy is "do not eat so many oranges" from my mother-in-law.
I was about to cry-out-loud when she warns me so and I could not say much as she's "mother". According to her, and she got that from her friend, eating too many oranges will make my baby turns "orange" or "yellow" when born. Huh?? *fainted*
What a great joke as our starter of this blogging? *LOL* However, the only thing sound reasonable about eating oranges during pregnancy I heard from Carol Hoh is it will cause phlegm in the newborn. The best advice is still "do not eat anything extremely much though they are well-known to be good for health".
Cheers all and don't forget to write your comment ya?
I'm 3mths pregnant now! *hehehe*
I was about to cry-out-loud when she warns me so and I could not say much as she's "mother". According to her, and she got that from her friend, eating too many oranges will make my baby turns "orange" or "yellow" when born. Huh?? *fainted*
What a great joke as our starter of this blogging? *LOL* However, the only thing sound reasonable about eating oranges during pregnancy I heard from Carol Hoh is it will cause phlegm in the newborn. The best advice is still "do not eat anything extremely much though they are well-known to be good for health".
Cheers all and don't forget to write your comment ya?
I'm 3mths pregnant now! *hehehe*
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