Cordyceps Chicken Tonic Soup

as we progress into 2nd trimester its the time to start drinking Chinese Herbs & Tonic Soup. got a pass-down recipe from daddy's cousin and we happily go Herb shopping at 正中平 ZTP


Things to buy

Cordyceps (Dong Cong Xia Cao) 冬虫夏草
  

Codonopsis Root ( Dang Shen ) 黨參  

American Ginseng (Pao Shen) 泡参
    

Red Dates ( Hong Zao) 紅棗

        
Astragalus Root (Bei Qi) 北茂  

Wolfberry (Gou Qi Zi) 枸杞子 

Recipe for 虫草鸡汤 - 1 serving        

• Cordyceps - 5 to 6 pieces
• Codonopsis Root- 1 piece
• American Ginseng - 10 slices
• Red Dates - 3 to 5 pices
• Wolfberry - 10 pieces
• Astragalus Root - 1 strip
• Black Chicken Drumlet - 1 piece

1. Rinse all the herbs
2. Wash & remove the chicken skin & fat
3. Put all ingredients with 2 bowl of water and cook using slow cooker for around 2 hours.
4. Season with abit of salt

Just need to drink the soup once a week.
Main purpose of tonic soup is to replenish the 'qi' for mummy that will in-turn nourish the blood and strengthening the body  improving the well being of mummy. Healthy Mummy = Healthy Baby

*Please seek your doctor advice before drinking tonic soup although its for general well-being, you may not be suitable if you have any pregnancy complications

Prenatal DHA

start googling about Prenatal DHA since the last visit with Dr Phua and also during the SuperMom fair saw the Nordic Naturals booth, realise many sg mummy taking this brand too.

Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA

• Small, easy-to-swallow soft gels
• In great-tasting strawberry or unflavored for sensitive palates
• Supports brain, eye, and nervous system function in developing babies
• Supports a healthy pregnancy
• Immunity and mood support for moms throughout all stages of pregnancy. 

As the official omega-3 of the American Pregnancy Association, Prenatal DHA is the ideal supplement before and during pregnancy, providing safe and effective omega-3 nutrition for both moms and babies. With 480 mg DHA per serving, Prenatal DHA generously fulfills international recommendations for daily DHA intake. Plus, we’ve added 400 I.U. of natural vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), for strong bones and mood support.

Directions: Two soft gels daily, with food, or as directed by your health care professional or pharmacist

Ingredients:

The official distributor in Singapore is VitaKids Pte Ltd, and its available at their physical store at Forum the Shopping Mall, Paragon, Westgate, Novena Square and Marina Square. Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA  is also available at:

• Guardian @ $83.52 (500 mg, 180 soft gels)
• Pupsikstudio.com @ $45.90 (500 mg, 90 soft gels)
• Agapebabies.com @ $49.20 (500 mg, 90 soft gels)

And the cheapest deal i found is iHerb @ $57.88*  (500 mg, 180 soft gels)
*Note price fluctuate as iHerb is based on USD

Shipping cost around $6 with delivery by SingPost if you order only 1 bottle.

Top-up your order to $60 or more and enjoy free DHL Express shipping On top of the savings you also get 10% Loyalty Credit^ so its extra savings.

^Loyalty credit equals to 10% of the final shopping cart price, excluding shipping charges, and is available to be used toward your next order once your current (last) order has shipped. Loyalty credits expire 60 days after your last purchase with iHerb.

First time purchase mummy can use my referral link below to save $5 on your first order.  http://www.iherb.com/iherb-brands?rcode=KSB856

Before you checkout remember to sign up for ShopBack.

ShopBack helps you get the best deals and discounts on 300+ stores, plus Cashback! Cashback is really just "getting cash back" - When you spend online through ShopBack, we give you a portion of your purchase back as Cashback. This means extra, unlimited savings whenever you shop online!


For new iHerb customer you can get Up to 5% Cashback

How to use:

1. Go to Shopback and create a new account
2. Search for 'iHerb' in the search bar
3. Click on the iHerb “SHOP NOW” button to be redirected to sg.iHerb.com
4. Register for a new account at sg.iHerb.com with the same email address that you use with ShopBack.
5. Checkout your purchase
6. Forward your iHerb Order Confirmation Email to iherb@shopback.com.

Cashback will be credited to your ShopBack account within 2 days from forwarding your email. Once you accumulate a minimum of $10.00 “Redeemable” Cashback in your ShopBack account, you can select cash out for deposited into your selected bank account.

3rd Antenatal Consultation

its been a month since the last visit our Baby J at Week 13

Baby is now the size of an egg & we can see the fetus form now Another step into 2nd trimester... on the hindsight first trimester pass in a blink, other than feeling very sleepy every single day and painful breasts I don't have much of early pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness or vomiting/ nausea (thou my sense of smell gets sharper). may my hormones continue to cooperate *pray hard*   Back to the consultation visit, Dr Phua also analyse with us the blood test result taken last month. All is good except he reminded me to take my Hep B jab after giving birth as my last vaccination was a good decade back.

Also started on my supplements this month was prescribed - Mega Prenatal Multivitamin & Mineral Supplement

There is incremental demand for vitamins and minerals in pregnancy. Prenatal is a multivitamin and mineral supplement targeted towards pregnant and lactating woman. In Prenatal, folic acid supports the expanding blood volume, the growth of maternal and fetal tissues and decreases the risk of neural tube defects. Iron helps to reduce the risk of Iron deficiency anemia. Calcium contributes to bone building and normal development and maintenance of teeth. Vitamin D facilitates body’s ability to absorb calcium. And Zinc helps to prevent congenital abnormalities. 

Each capsule of Prenatal contains :

• Vitamin A : 4000IU
• Vitamin D : 400IU
• Vitamin B1 : 2mg
• Vitamin B2 : 2mg
• Vitamin B6 : 2mg
• Vitamin B12 : 2mcg
• Vitamin C : 37.50mg
• Niacinamide : 10mg
• Calcium Pantothenate : 2mg
• Vitamin E : 1IU
• Iron (as Ferrous Sulphate) : 20mg
• Copper (as Copper Sulphate): 0.50mg
• Iodine (as Potassium lodide) : 0.05mg
• Magnesium (as Magnesium Sulphate) : 1mg
• Manganese (as Manganese Sulphate) : 0.10mg
• Potassium (as Potassium Sulphate) : 1mg
• Folic acid : 0.25mg
• Zinc (as Zinc Sulphate) : 0.15mg

Just need to take 1 capsule a day with meal The pill looks like this, in capsule form and measures approximately 1 inch in size so its still pretty easy to swallow

Dr Phua also ask if I want any DHA as its suppose to aid in brain development and makes the baby smarter. Then again he enforce not sufficient scientific studies to prove that it works and if I take fish regularly its not necessary, so its purely up to me if I want to consume. So I decide not to get first and do more homework.

One thing about Dr Phua is he always backed his advice with scientific reasons, when I ask him about can i do this and that (e.g. perm/ colour hair, manicure), should i eat this or that blah blah. To answer the Q on chemical treatment he say its not fully proven that such chemical process will directly affect the baby but it may still contain a risk, so its up to me the mummy how comfortable I am.

And so today's bill $105 inclusive of the multi-vitamin supplement that cost $13 for 1 month supply which i find its pretty reasonable.

Bird Nest

we all heard about fellow friends who consume bird nest during pregnancy so hubby also quickly went to get some from Hock Hua Tonic. We got the 'cleaned' version so there are lesser hair to be plucked from the bird nest. And it cost ahem $297 after member discount & store promo for a box of 1.75两

According to the internet sources and the sales guy, bird nest contain amino acids, sialic acid and proteins that are essential for healthy brain development. Also there are hearsay of giving birth to fair complexion and smooth skin baby.

But at the same time there are myth saying pregnant mummy taking bird nest increases the risk of asthma in the baby. Or some even saying its just luxury items of no significant benefit. 

Nevertheless, all foods should be consumed in moderation, so hubby cook it once a week for us.

How to cook

1. Pre-soak 1 piece of bird nest in water for a hour
2. Rinse and remove any visible impurities (e.g. feathers)
3. Boil in slow cooker with 1 soup bowl of water for 30 minutes (for chewy texture) up to 1 hours (for completely soft texture)
4. Add 2-3 red dates with desired amount of crystal rock sugar to taste
5. Stir and simmer for another 20 minutes
6. Bird nest soup can be served hot or cool down for chilling in the refrigerator

Above portion serve 1 mummy