theAsianparent | Your one stop guide to being a parent

Hey there unicorns! I've been getting some questions on how I managed to go through my pregnancy smoothly? Well, honestly speaking I had a lot of help from other experienced parents on answering my question. But I mean, how many parents are there are within my circle? After doing a little research, I found that there's an app where you can ask questions and read on how to eat, sleep, breath and live as a parent. Being a first-time mom myself, I would have to say that the app has done wonders for me on preparing myself for motherhood from the transitions of pregnancy to how to handle a baby. Thus, in today's post, I'll be sharing with you some perks on why this is a great app for you to have on your device.

theAsianparent app has been with me since I was 3 months pregnant and im happy to share with you that they have successfully guided a community of new parents and current parents in Malaysia. They started with the app in early January 2019 and now has successfully gained positive feedback from the community. This app does not only allow you to communicate with other parents but also has tons of tips on living your life as a parent. To celebrate the official launch of the app, they had Doctors from Sunway Velocity Medical Centre to answer some tough questions, and also some sponsors who sponsored the event namely MeBooks Asia, Fitlicious, Waka Waka, Grab and Photobook.

I honestly believe that every parent should have this app on their devices. Other than helping you find solutions during your pregnancy, confinement, or while youre breastfeeding, it also shares with you some interesting information on how to raise a child and so much more! theAsianparent happens to be the largest parenting portal in South East Asia and currently has 25 million users actively using the app. As a mother now, I also got to share some of my advice on how I survived my pregnancy too. That definitely burns some time for me during my confinement period. hehe.

theAsianparent IS NOW IN 12 COUNTRIES

Despite being a newly launched app, they have expanded up to 12 countries which includes Malaysia as one of them. Can you imagine how big that is? With 12 major Asian countries being on the app, only god knows how many parents are on board with the app. With an app that has been designed to help parents in Asia, the app has tons of valuable information for parents from all walks of life to learn and educate themselves on how to be a good parent as the app guides you through till your child is up to 6 years old.

12 TOPICS TO CHOOSE FROM

So, with so much information in mind, the app offers 12 categories of options for you to focus on so that the content is customized based on your interest. The topics that the app offers is Preschooler, Bigger Kids, Random Talk, Toddler, Just Mums, Just Dads, Recipe Sharing, Breastfeeding, Baby, Buy & Sell, Pregnancy and Trying to Conceive. The current topics that im on would be on 'Just Mums', 'Breastfeeding', 'Recipe Sharing' and 'Baby' as my little one is currently at 1 month old and the tips that they offer are very beneficial to me.

INTERESTING FEATURES ON THE APP

Now, you must be wondering what makes the app so interesting? Well, other than it being a guide for you to learn and grow, its also filled with details on food and nutrition that is categorized under pregnancy, confinement, baby and breastfeeding. I found this feature really cool as it guided me through my confinement period pretty well by letting me know what I should eat and what I should avoid for optimal recovery within a shorter period of time. With that, the app gave me confidence in what I can enjoy while I was pregnant and currently helping me out through confinement too.

Moreover, my favorite part of all would be the forum filled with a community of parents sharing tips and tricks on how to parent. There's also articles that you can read if youre looking to educate yourself more on parenting too. There's also a section where you can ask and get answers from a specialist from Sunway Velocity Medical Centre and DoctorsOnCall for further understandings on diseases, vaccinations, and symtoms for yourself and your child. With that, I feel that it's a relief to know that I can always turn to the app for quick answers.

OH! And before I forget, there is also a section where you can answer questions posted by other parents and you'll be rewarded with points! Other than answering questions, you will also be rewarded for answering polls within the app. What can you do with these points? Well, once you've collected enough points, you can redeem gifts through theAsianparent app by using your points which the app is currently offering vouchers/credits from ShopBack, iflix and Boost.

Need help with your newborn baby? Oh yes, theAsianparent has just the thing to help you with your situation. The app offers you a checklist on milestones for you to freely use to guide you through being a first-time parent. You won't have to google your way to find out what's normal and what's not, as the app clearly created a checklist for you to check and monitor your baby's development. I've been pretty active on this on a weekly basis and it's nice to see that the checklist matches my baby's development.

IN IT TO WIN IT

Other than all that I've mentioned, if you love joining contests, you'd love this feature on the app too! theAsianparent has a section where you can join and participate in contests and possibly you might win big depending on what contest you join. From my experience of being on the app, I've seen the prizes offering electronics, diaper bags, a party voucher and so much more! There are different task for different prizes, so who knows if you have a lucky star in your pocket and you just might win.

So what are you waiting for? Download the app on your mobile now if you haven't already. I hope this post was beneficial for you to understand why this app has helped me a lot with adapting to my newborn, and I only wish the same for all new parents too. The app is available via iOS and Android users, and all you need to do is go to your search bar and type 'theAsianparent'. Alternatively, I've included the links for you directly at the end of this post (youre welcome).

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theAsianparent

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Smucker's Sugar Free Jam | Easy Snack Recipes

Todays feature, Smucker's! One of my favourite Jam's of all time!

Im a morning person, and being a morning person also means that i enjoy having breakfast! On some days when i have the whole day off, i like to take my time in the kitchen while i prepare breakfast. On other days when I'm a little tied up with time, i'd like to prepare myself with a quick healthy nutritious breakfast with Smucker's Jam. I've been purchasing Smucker's very often, but little that i know that they have a Sugar Free range! A great way to cut down on the sugar while keeping my diet as nutritious as possible even when I'm rushing.

Which is your pick?

Ingredients list is  definitely sugar free

Loving the signature jar cap

Having a baby now, i find it necessary to look into Sugar Free options as its important for kids to eat something that would provide them with the right amount of energy with a nutritional options, such as Smucker's Sugar Free jam! Hehe. But for now, since I'm in need of getting back to shape, i'll be enjoying the Smucker's Sugar Free Jam for myself while i lose a few kg's after my post-partum delivery. It doesn't sound that bad when you have to cut down on sugar, but still get to enjoy the goodness of having toast/pancakes/waffles with jam.

Smucker's Sugar Free Jam comes in 3 variants

In case you're not aware, Smucker's is an American jam and I'm here to share with you four easy-peasy nutritious snacks featuring its Smucker's Sugar Free range that wouldn't take up so much of your precious time. With 3 yummy variants being available, namely Strawberry Preserves, Orange Marmalade and Concord Grape Jam, there are tons of ways to be creative for a quick snack to keep your tummy at ease. Who knew that all you need is only 10 minutes to prep yourself with a quick snack. Ready for some life hacks? Check out the 4 Easy Peasy treats that you can prepare at home for yourself or your family.

PB&J Sandwich

First up would be the classic PB&J sandwich. All you need is white/whole wheat bread, peanut butter and Smucker's Sugar Free Concord Grape Jam. Starting off with the bread,(optional) you can trim the edges of the bread slices, then cut out the bread in the centre into shapes using a cookie cutter. Then, spread peanut butter evenly onto bread slices and spoon jam evenly onto centre of peanut butter spreading gently into a 2 inch circle. And tadaa, you got yourself a PB&J Sandwich that looks appetizing.

Fresh Fruit Pitas with Smucker's Sugar Free Jam

To make your self a fresh fruit Pita, you would need a cup of cold reduced fat milk, one package of instant sugar free chocolate pudding and pie filling, half a cup of reduced fat sour cream or yogurt, half a cup of Smucker's strawberry preserves, 8 mini sized whole wheat pita pockets and 4 cups of fresh fruit (can be banana's, strawberries, blueberries and etc). Start mixing the milk and pudding for 2 minutes, stir in sour cream/ yogurt and jam until well combined. Then cut open across top of pita and fill it with fruits. Enjoy it with the sauce you've just made!

Crunchy Orange Carrot Rice Cake

For this, you'll need 1 plain rice cake, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of Smucker's Sugar Free Orange Marmalade, 1 tablespoon of shreaded carrot and 1 tablespoon of raisins. So, once you have all the ingredients, spread the rice cake with peanut butter, then combine it with orange marmalade and carrot. Top it up with raisins and enjoy!

Strawberry Cheesecake Snack

For this quick snack, all you need is 1 tablespoon of Smucker's Sugar Free Strawberry Preserves, 1 tablespoon reduced fat cream cheese, 4 wheat crackers, 1 medium strawberry cut in quarters for garnish. Blend the jam and cream cheese together then spread the mixture onto 4 graham crackers. Top it with fresh strawberries, and you'll have Strawberry Cheesecake in your mouth in no time!

I'll add in some photos of my creations soon! (So watch this space)

Play around with different flavours of jam to create a whole different variety if you're feeling adventurous with these recipes. Trust me, its fun to make for the kids too! The  Sugar Free range is available in major retail outlets nationwide at a recommended price of RM10.28 for a jar containing 361g of jam. Personally i simply enjoy this as it is on toast, but feel free to get creative, cause why not? *wink

1 month with Mikayla Medina | 1 month of Parenting

25th August - Mikayla's birth date

Believe it or not, it has been a month already that I've become a mom! I gave birth to the most adorable baby on the 25th of August 2019, and a month has past and is see my baby growing chubbier. I never really wanted to write about my baby in my blog, but these moments are just too precious to not be recorded, so if this topic isn't for you, please skip to another post that I have to offer, but as of now, I'll be talking about my 1 month with my little munchkin, and how im adapting to being a first time parent.

Post-partum Delivery Recovery 

14th September 2019 - 2 weeks plus post-delivery

The first month is pretty tough cause everything that I had to go through all seems new to me. From breastfeeding my baby to realizing that some parts of my body that I never knew could hurt that bad. So, coming home from the hospital, I had a confinement lady to take care of me for 2 weeks and honestly that was helpful for me to adapt to motherhood. Food was served, I had a sauna session followed by traditional treatments by Malay traditions and also followed by a body massage to remove 'wind' from the body. The first week was crazy cause I was totally disabled as every movement I made was accompanied by pain, but my body improved after about 3 massages from the confinement lady and I was already able to move around after 10 days postpartum delivery.

With the confinement lady, CL Yaya from Dr Bidan

Once I got a hang of moving around without over-stretching certain parts (stitched area) of the body, I had some moments of accidentally stretching it anyway and yes, that added on to another 2 days of recovery till im back to an 'ok' state. Mostly my movements were slow till I reached week 3. After week 3, my body was more cooperative and I was already moving in a pretty good speed. In terms of food, I was diligent for the first 2 weeks with a strict diet, but after that, I had some cheats of having eaten out meals cause I got sick of the bland food. HEHE. People usually tell me that the effects may hit me later, but honestly, I believe that as long as instincts in moderation it's fine and it really depends on your body's speed in recovery.

20th September - Nané came to visit too!

19th September - Spending time with her Inik

Now that it's been a month, how do I feel you may wonder? As im typing now, I guess I do still feel a little tired since im adapting to a new sleeping routine of waking up at least 4 times in the middle of the night to feed the baby, but thank god im at home and on confinement, so I manage to get some shut-eye when the baby sleeps as well. A little hard to keep up with her sleeping schedule, but we make do with what is possible. Hehe. My back still hurts, but im assuming it's my body adjusting to the weight it used to carry and now readapting to my body post-partum to delivery. Other than that? I've just started having food outside (with precautions) and so far so good. Not in a state that I can exercise yet but we're getting there!

Motherhood with Mikayla Medina

16th September - Mikayla at 23 Days Old

Okay enough about me, how am I adapting to being a mother to my baby girl, Mikayla? First 2 weeks was rough cause I wasn't able to move much. But now that im moving more and feeling less pain, I'd say im doing pretty good! She's been on direct feeding for the past 1 month, and she has definitely gotten fatter from the 1st day she entered the world (and heavier too). I've somehow roughly gotten use to a pattern of newborns and that's a good thing. You see, there are a few things that you need to be aware of a newborn, her signals are important and as of now, I notice that she makes different sounds for different reasons such as when she's sleepy, she needs to poop/burp, she's uncomfortable and just plain seeking for attention. Hehe

Mikayla with Daddy worried about the Jaundice readings

3rd September - We both struggled to get your Jaundice cleared

My poor baby. 1 night under UV light

She has been sleeping on the bed with us cause breastfeeding is way easier to reach to her when she gets hungry at night, but we're planning to set her up in her cot sometime next week in hopes she wouldn't be so fussy about the change. We're lucky that she doesn't really cry at midnight as she only gives us signals of hunger and diaper change at night that sounds really cute. In mommy's progress, I've gotten used to bathing her in a bathtub and im pretty good at burping her too (self praise much). haha. Showering her may be tricky, but we got the bathtub stand with the bathtub, so its at a level where I don't need to bend down too much since I have this annoying back pain. We stick to a routine of bathing her in the morning, and im glad that she loves bath time! Thank god I got the hang of that.

29th August 2019 -  Mikayla at 4 days old

6th September - Mikayla at 12 days old

Diaper changing with Petpet as her choice. (It was my preffered diaper too when i was a baby)

In terms of pooping and diaper change, sometimes shes calm when she poops, but when the bigger poop comes to attack, man, she will cry her heart out for a few seconds till the poop is out. haha. She has this funny way of making her face turn super red just because she needs to poop, but we both know that poop ain't gonna come out when shes that tense. Still figuring out how to calm her down when she needs to poop, but diaper changing now seems to be pretty relaxing cause she knows she likes a clean diaper.

25th September 2019 - Mikayla at 1-month-old

To conclude my first month of parenting, i would have to say the top achievements that I've learned to adapt would be to shower her when she wakes up, diaper changing without freaking her out, tummy time is playtime, if all goes chaos means she just needs to burp, and basically the bond that we have grown even greater. The first day after delivery was a little awkward cause as a first-time mom, I had to take some time to think that im now a mom and also trying to fix the equations of wondering how was I carrying her for almost 9 whole months? Now, I feel like she's a part of me and it really does feel like youre seeing your heart outside of your body. Fragile and precious.

Happy 1-month-old baby girl! <3

OH! And some of you may be wondering if post-partum depression is real? Honestly speaking I think it does kick in after delivery, but I would consider my depression as the 'i am aware' that it's normal that some hormones may make you feel depressed. How I managed to handle it is basically to include her to be a part of my daily activities. Yes, because she's now here, I won't get my carefree life back, but what's wrong with being carefree when im with her? Its all in the mindset, and hitting the 1-month timeline, I'd say the depression subsided. That's all for now, cause duty calls! Will update my 2 months experience when we hit 2! xx

JOYLEE's Ipump | The Intelligent Breast Pump

Catchng JOYLEE's launch recently at KLCC

Being a mother now, i finally understand what kind of struggles a breastfeeding mom goes through. Other than ensuring you provide enough milk for your newborn, dealing with your breast feeling engorged is a different scenario. Also if youre planning to feed your baby via bottle, then getting yourself a breast pump is necessary. As much as i enjoy direct latching my baby, I'm expecting that there will be times that i wont be able to be with her (eg: working, attending meetings), thus, I'm definitely planning to pump and make sure that i have enough milk for my baby, which bring us to our topic of introducing JOYLEE's Intelligent Breast Pump.

JOYLEE's Booth during the Expo

The official launch of JOYLEE's Breast Pump

Presenting to you the intelligent breast pump

As we all know, Breast milk is the best choice for the baby and has been encouraged to have full breastfeeding until the baby is 6 months old and it goes on till they are 2 years old. This will ensure that the  baby gets the best nutrients as breast milk usually contains sufficient nutrients for the baby to grow. Especially in the earlier month, colostrum in breast milk can strengthen the baby's immune system and protect the baby from infections such as diarrhea, colds, bronchitis and pneumonia and also prevent allergy problems such as asthma and eczema too.

The set includes a charger, the pump, and ready to feed bottle with teat

Since im currently commited to breastfeeding, did you know that breastfeeding can help shrink the uterus and restore it to its original size to reduce postpartum bleeding? It has been roughly 3 weeks that im breastfeeding now and suryou'reprisingly, i've stopped bleeding! YAY! Now, going back to topic, JOYLEE has all these breastfeeding benefits in mind and has decided to introduce a modern, intelligent, convenient and comfortable breast pump, the Ipump for modern mobile milk pumps for moms.

A closer look at JOYLEE's Breast Pump

The JOYLEE Intelligent Breast Pump features a control button that controls the suction based on the mothers comfort. There are 27 types of suction and each session will be recorded and displayed on the display screen. It's designed to be safe, clean and has a dual function where you can switch your pumping session to massages at any time. With a stop and resume button, you can pause when you need to get some work done, and continue anytime. With this Intelligent Breast Pump, you wont have to worry about milk stock because the JOYLEE Intelligent Breast Pump is designed to be comfortable and safe to use anywhere with long life battery for mom's who are always on the go. 

Compact and definitely easy to bring around wherever you go

A closer look at their fuctional buttons

Other than its basic features, the breast sphere of the breast pump has been designed in such a way that it prevents the breast from sagging as the sphere itself provides protection and comfort without prolonging by pulling the nipple longer. It is also designed with silicon valves to prevent contamination due to overflow and back-flow of breast milk. The massage program is beneficial to increase milk production in 1 minute making it practical for any mom who is breastfeeding.

Now available on www.joylee.co

With the JOYLEE Ipump being recently launched, it can be purchased online at www.joylee.co for only RM487, which includes a JOYLEE Breast Pump, with PPSU made milk bottle, a Milk Breast Cooler bag (worth RM149), a nursing cover (worth RM129), and a JOYLEE Ice Pack (worth RM15). This makes a great gift for a new mom and personally speaking, it has a very nice modern touch to it too for millennial moms. For more details on JOYLEE Ipump, feel free to head over to their website or social

JOYLEE

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