Germs Galore

A big household is the most unhealthy equation, especially for a newborn. Dh had a month-long cough from the time JR was born. By the time JR was 1mth old, he was having a dry cough. It didn't seem to bother him and he had no problem nursing, so we were quite cool about it. I figured that he wouldn't be too friendly with medicine. We still brought him to the clinic just to make sure his airways & lungs were clear, but for added treatment, I decided to try TCM. The 医师 would check baby, then recommends the 推拿 treatment for the ailments he has. They also prescribe herbal packs 药包 for baby to use on his belly.

JR's cough ceased for several weeks, but a week ago, suddenly I heard him coughing in the early morning hours - again!!! *sigh*. He must have caught it from his brothers who were down with flu/fever over the weekend. I brought him to the GP who said once again, that his lungs were clear. So I brought him to 推 again. This time, the herbal packs specifically say for 感冒. He still is his active self, except for the cough and stuffy nose. He still has no problems nursing, thankfully!

Sadly though, the presence of his cough a week on, made me bring him this time to the pediatrician, only to have him tell me the same thing that the GP & the Yishi said. His lungs are clear and he'll be fine since he's fully breastfed. Oh well, thankfully after that, his cough started clearing. He's been alert, active, & nurses with no problems all this while. Shows how breastfeeding helps a young baby weather illness.

When his cough was phlegmy, we helped alleviate the coughing spells by putting him to sleep in an inclined position on a firm pillow. We also filled a sock with some rice grains and had that heated up a little and placed on his chest to help with any congestion.

We also put some Snuffle Babe Vapour Rub on the soles of his feet. Not sure if it's an "urban legend" or not, but it seems to help us when we have coughs, so since baby's feet are covered in his sleepsuit at night and he always wears socks during the day, we just add a dab on his soles for his comfort.

This is where I brought JR:

Traditional Chinese Tui Na Massage (suitable for infants and children):
Yu Guo Chinese Physician Acupuncture & Physiotherapy Pte Ltd
8-B Jalan Masjid #01-04 Kingston Terrace, Singapore 418929 Tel : 64474761 (Behind Kembagan Plaza, near Kembagan MRT. If driving, park at Kembagan Court).
Mon - Fri: (except Wed) 9:00 am - 12:30 pm, 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Sat: 9:00 am - 12:30 pm, 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Sun: 9:00 am - 12:30 pm (Closed on Wed & Public Holiday)

Pre/Post-Natal Massage

With an aging achy body that found this last pregnancy too taxing, I found prenatal massage to be such a respite. Time-out for full-body massages were rare, and I only managed these a few times, and loved going to Aramsa for my Prenatal massage. The ambience was great, the service & the therapist were excellent. But what I indulged in mostly were prenatal foot massages. These, I managed to fit in almost every week, sneaking in the time when my elder ones were in classes. It was superb for a relaxing half-hour nap too, which was so needed, since woe ..... I'd only managed to sleep like 2 or 3 nights each week this whole pregnancy(!).

Soon after birth, I had a few days of home postnatal massage, which I looked forward to each morning, after a night of getting up for night feeds and having my joints aching. Using a belly binder (from pharmacies) helped lots in supporting my lower back and weaker abs while I moved around caring for the newborn and the older children.

I also tried a service that was newly introduced to me. Too bad that I hadn't known of this earlier! It's a TCM Postnatal Home service from Idylls TCM Professional (Tel: 67410369/96727422 Ms Chua for booking). It includes TCM consultation, postnatal confinement cooking, and TCM postnatal massage. I tried this TCM massage in my 3rd week after birth. It was really really good, working on pressure points and was very effective for my aching body. The pricing was really reasonable too!