Experience a Personal Touch at Danai Cresenvale

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Are you a new mum searching for a confinement centre that can cater to the needs of you and your baby? As a new mother, it is crucial to have access to quality care to ensure a smooth transition to motherhood. At Danai Cresenvale Postnatal Haven Confinement Centre, we provide top-notch postnatal care for mothers and newborns in a comfortable and luxurious setting.

We offer private rooms to make your confinement stay as pleasant as possible. You can opt to have your baby room with you or in the nursery while being taken care of by our trained medical team, as well as having your spouse stay with you. This can help you to not only feel more at home, but also be able to bond with your new baby together. 

We even provide personalised assistance when it comes to feeding your baby. As a breastfeeding-friendly facility, we can help you to establish a proper rhythm and routine to ensure that you are comfortable and not stressed during feeding time. This also includes making it easy for you to pump your breastmilk, which will then be stored within our breastmilk refrigerator. At times when you’re too tired, we will help you feed your baby with the stored breastmilk. 

Our confinement centre offers various other services like personal daily meals prepared by our in-house chef. Our healthy meals are prepared fresh daily with carefully planned menus to accommodate your preferences. We also have vegetarian meals to cater for vegetarian mummies. All recipes are by the centre’s very own dietitian, thus ensuring that all mummies get the nutrients they need for them to heal properly during their confinement period.

Being a new parent can be both exciting and stressful for a new mother. How you respond in an emergency is critical. Ideally, you should be able to react quickly and effectively in any emergency and avoid placing your child’s life in danger. That is why at Danai Cresenvale, we hold CPR classes for new mummies. Our trained medical staff will guide and show all new mummies the correct way to perform CPR on infants,  and importantly, what to do and not to do during emergencies. With this training, a new mother can gain the skills they need to save their infant if the need arises.

Not forgetting, we also offer personalised postnatal massages that can be arranged to suit your schedule. We can arrange for professional masseurs to be at Cresenvale at a time of your convenience to administer a relaxing and invigorating confinement massage to facilitate your body’s healing and recovery. Our professional and experienced team is specially trained to provide personalised care and support throughout your stay with us. We prioritise the health and wellbeing of both mother and baby, adhering to strict safety protocols and maintaining a clean and hygienic environment to ensure comfort and peace of mind. Contact us to find out more.

Have You Heard About Parent-and-Child Dates?

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Parents are always looking for ways to spend quality time with their children. One way to do so is via parent-and-child dates. A family with more than one young child, especially, may find it harder to have one-on-one time with each child. However, taking the time regularly to really connect with each child will go a long way in tending to their heart. Caring for their carnal needs and health is important but so is caring for their spiritual and mental health. Taking each child on special dates is one way to purposefully stay in tune with all of your child’s needs. If you’re looking for some fun one-on-one date ideas, look no further! 

  1. Have a picnic in your backyard or at a nearby park
  2. Go on a nature walk together and see who can find the most interesting rocks, leaves or flowers
  3. Head to the bookstore and pick out a few books to read together. Make it extra fun by reading in silly voices or acting out the story
  4. Go to the zoo and name all the animals 
  5. Build a fort out of blankets and pillows and have a movie marathon inside it
  6. Do a parent-child cooking class together
  7. Go for a ice-cream or milkshake
  8. Have a water gun battle
  9. Give each other manicures or pedicures
  10. Go on a bike ride together 

Be sure to put away your phone, turn off the TV and really focus on your child during your date. No matter what you choose to do, the important thing is that you are spending quality time with your child and showing them that they are important to you.

Benefits of ‘Dating’ Your Children

While every parent-child relationship is different, most children generally crave attention and quality time with their parents. In today’s world, it can be hard to find the time to truly connect with our children. We are often pulled in many different directions and our children can easily get lost in the shuffle. Here are the benefits of going on dates with your kids:

Improved Communication

Children need individual attention. It gives them time and space to communicate away from other distractions (and siblings) and it lets them know you care about their contributions to the family.

Better Behaviour

Having a tough time with your child’s behaviour? It often comes down to them wanting to be seen and needing attention. When you’re one-on-one with your kids, it’s so much easier to acknowledge their positive attributes personally. 

Happier Parents

Going on dates with your children also helps you, the parents. This is an opportunity for you to feel more connected with each child and each other, as well. 

Make it Happen!

It’s not an easy thing to carve out time for dates with your children, but you should seize the opportunities when you can, or it might soon be too late. Children grow up so fast. Here are a few thoughts on how you can make it work.

Alternating dates with each parent

Each parent can take one child on a date at a different time. For example, mummy can take one child on a date in the morning while daddy takes another in the afternoon. Switch next month!

Finding a sitter so both parents can go

It’s not always realistic but if both you and your partner have a chance to take one child out together, that’s even better. They will absolutely love spending time with just mummy and daddy.

Let the child pick the activities

You’d be surprised at how happy they can be with a simple outing.

Have suggestions ready if they can’t decide

No one wants choosing a fun activity to turn into a stressful experience. If your children have a tough time making decisions, offer a couple of suggestions and let them choose. This keeps them involved in the process while limiting their anxiety over making a decision. 

Start planning now and make your dates special, memorable and fun!

Top Tips for Managing Fussy Eaters

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It’s natural to worry whether your young child is getting enough food if they refuse to eat sometimes.

However, it’s perfectly normal for toddlers to refuse to eat or even taste new foods. Do not worry about what your child eats in a day or if they do not eat everything at mealtimes. It’s more helpful to think about what they eat over a week.

If your child is active, gains weight and seems well, then they’re getting enough to eat. As long as your child eats some food from the four main food groups (fruits and vegetables; potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates; dairy or dairy alternatives; and beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins) you do not have to worry. 

Gradually introduce other foods and keep going back to the foods your child did not like before. Children’s tastes change. One day they’ll hate something, but a month later they may love it. Keep offering a variety of foods – it may take lots of attempts before your child accepts some foods.

Tips for parents of young fussy eaters:

  • Give your child the same food as the rest of the family, but remember not to add salt to their food.
  • Try to eat with them as often as you can. The best way for your child to learn to eat and enjoy new foods is to copy you.
  • Give small portions and praise your child for eating, even if they only eat a little. If your child rejects the food, do not force them to eat it. Just take the food away without saying anything.
  • Try to stay calm, even if it’s very frustrating. Try offering the food again another time. Do not wait until your child is too hungry or tired to eat. 
  • Your child may be a slow eater, so be patient.
  • Do not give your child too many snacks between meals. Two healthy snacks a day is plenty.
  • Do not use food as a reward. Your child may start to think of sweets as nice and vegetables as nasty. Instead, you could reward them with a trip to the park or promise to play a game with them.
  • Make mealtimes enjoyable and not just about eating. Sit down and chat about other things. 

The transition from milk to solids is a big change for your child. Not only are they swapping the comfort of the breast or bottle for textured solids, but they are also entering a new world of high chairs, bibs, spoons and messes.Some will take more easily to the process, gobbling up new tastes, but there are no prizes for the child (or their mum) who eats the most at a certain age.

Many mums of older children who are now excellent eaters will tell you how tricky weaning was for them. Some toddlers will be more fussy than others. But also remember that your baby is learning to chew, swallow and deal with different tastes, which are big new skills to develop.

Screen-Free Toddler Activities while Mum is Busy

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As mums, we often find that there are times where we need to get things done, but our toddlers or little ones may want to be held or demand one-to-one attention. While screens are a typical go-to to distract children so you can check off a chore or two, research has shown that this can actually hinder their development.

The good news is that you do not have to depend on screens. Children are naturally curious and will latch on to an activity in the right conditions. This is where, as a parent, you can help this happen.

Start by choosing ideas that target your child’s personal interests, gather the supplies they need, then let them be. Your child will need chunks of time and permission to make a mess. Look for ways to control chaos without limiting creativity, like painting on the patio. Then don’t disturb them – not even with a “Good job!” comment. Children learn best through trial and error.

However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to get involved. Your role is to help get things started, then sit back and watch the magic begin! Here are some screen-free ideas to help keep your little one busy while you get your own work done.

1. SENSORY BINS
Sensory bins are easy to put together with large bins, coloured rice, kinetic sand, scoops and toys. They will keep your toddler entertained for ages and you can easily switch out the toys periodically or prepare different themed bins ready to go.

2. NO OR LITTLE MESS ARTPut your toddler in a high chair with something they can safely make art with, such as non-toxic finger paints or toddler-friendly crayons, along with some paper, and just let them go wild!

3. PLAY-DOH
It doesn’t get much easier than pulling out a few tubs of Play-Doh and plopping them onto the table for an easy toddler activity! You can also whip up your own dough easily so your child will have abundant access to knead and sculpt as they please.

4. COLOURING PAGES
This is a classic activity for a reason. Just have a handful of colouring books and/or printouts at arm’s reach for a quick grab-and-go activity.

5. ALONE TIME PRACTICE
This is a big one. Kids don’t come into the world being able to play on their own; it’s a learned skill that most kids have a hard time with. Start with a five-minute timer and explain to your child that they get to start learning a new skill. Up the timer as they are able to play on their own until they can self-entertain for at least 30 minutes.

Not only are these activities screen-free, but they are also great in helping with the development of your child’s motor skills, imagination and more.

However, please remember that the activities are not meant to be a replacement for parental supervision. Always make sure that someone has an eye on your child at all times.

Bonding with Baby to Boost Their Brain Development

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Early childhood is a time of tremendous brain development. The young developing brain literally changes shape and size in response to everything encountered in the early years. New environments, life experiences, caretakers and relationships can all affect the way complex brain circuits are wired. This network of synaptic connections will ultimately determine brain function and the development of behaviour. Even if those early “conversations” with your newborn may seem a little one-sided at first, you’re building your baby’s brain by recognising, acknowledging and responding to their cues. 

This rapid brain growth is key to physiological and behavioural functions and capacities, including physical abilities, early language skills, learning and memory, and emotional development. The period between birth to the age of two – often called the first 1,000 days – is particularly crucial.

Substantial brain growth occurs in utero, and at birth babies’ brains are just over a quarter the size of the adult brain. By the first year, the brain has already more than doubled in volume, and it reaches 80% of adult size by the age of two!

Prenatal

Before birth, certainly by the second trimester, many parts of your baby’s hearing system are functional. There is evidence that sound recognition and learning occur in utero. For example, newborns tend to prefer their mother’s voice to a stranger’s, their mother’s native language to another language, and even a story that had been read along during gestation compared to a new story. So do take the time to talk, read and even sing to your baby during this time. 

Neonatal

After birth, repeated skin-to-skin contact stimulates many physiological changes in both mother and newborn that help establish bonding immediately and in the longer term. Skin-to-skin care promotes the release of maternal oxytocin, a hormone that plays a role in social interaction and bonding by countering stress responses and promoting growth.

Infancy (0-2 years)

Consistent affectionate touch from a parent has established benefits for the infant including regulating stress responses and immune function and promoting psychosocial development and secure attachment. For young infants, simple games such as copycat, peekaboo and naming objects can help them to focus attention, use working memory, build language connections, develop self-control and build trust in the adult.

Early Childhood (2-5 years)

Spending meaningful time with a young child in a way that involves their growing interest helps promote bonding. A good example is shared book reading. This experience can be enhanced if the parent and child review the book content together with questions, answers and comments. As children are read to, they begin to strengthen their language skills. For example, if they repeatedly hear a word pronounced, their brains will register that pronunciation.

Although each child develops at their own cognitive rate, the best way to ensure your child’s brain power is off to a good start is by meeting their needs and giving them endless amounts of love. Your love alone has the power to fuel your child’s early learning and brain development! However, take heed that developmental milestones are something to be aware of, but not obsessed over. Don’t forget that every child learns at their own rate!

The Importance Of Confinement Care For Newborns

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Before being born, every need of a baby is adequately met inside their mummy’s womb. The baby is well-fed, snugly cradled in a secure environment and soothed by her gentle movements throughout the day. While space is limited, the baby sleeps comfortably in a curled-up position in the warmth of the womb. 

The lives of newborns completely change when they enter the world. They are virtually helpless and entirely dependent on their parents for love and care. There are now strange shapes and sounds, as well as bright lights surrounding them. The mummy, on the other hand, requires adequate rest and relaxation in order to properly recuperate and rejuvenate her body, as well as to enjoy and nurture a strong bond with her new bundle of joy.

While mummies take their much needed rest during this significant period, babies need care and attention. Danai Cresenvale Postnatal Haven provides newborn and growing babies professional baby care services like no other, ensuring that your bundle of joy is well taken care of right from the start. We have a dedicated professional team for baby care, and we offer round-the-clock baby care services, not just during the confinement care period, but also after that, until your baby is two years old, on an hourly, daily or monthly basis. 

 Furthermore, we ensure that your baby will be cared for and nurtured by the same professional nursing team every time so that both the nursing team and your baby can get more familiar and establish a strong bond with each other after every visit.  

As the health of a newborn is of concern and needs to be monitored, there will be weekly doctor visits to ensure that your baby is safe and healthy all the time. Additionally, we will provide an exclusive Free Dietetic Consultation when your baby is six months old. The consultation will be comprehensive and include advice on the necessary dietetic requirements and how to start a proper solid food journey for your baby. 

In ensuring that your baby receives excellent quality care we use products from the award-winning brand, Offspring, for baby’s essentials. These include super absorbent diapers, skincare essentials, biodegradable baby wipes and many more that are mindfully made from ingredients as natural as possible. 

Visit www.danaicresenvale.com to find out more and to reserve a space for your baby. Get a wonderful babycare experience today!

Qualities That Make Confinement Centres Better Than Nannies

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There’s no denying that childbirth is gruelling and can take a toll on a mother’s body. In Asia and Southeast Asia, most mothers go through a traditional practice called the confinement period, after the delivery of a baby. 

Confinement is a traditional post-natal practice for mothers, and it includes care practices relating to traditional health beliefs, taboos, rules, prohibitions and other proscriptions. Beginning immediately after birth, confinement is a period of adjustment and care for both mother and baby. Its purpose is to support new mothers, allowing them to recuperate and rejuvenate physically and emotionally, and helping them transition into motherhood. 

Modern confinement practices offer a choice of hiring a confinement nanny or heading to a confinement centre during this period. This is a common question for all mummies: confinement centre or confinement nanny? Here are some thing you should consider when making your decision:

Traditional Practices

Confinement nannies or confinement ladies are usually older women who adhere to more traditional confinement practices such as no washing hair for 30 days, no showering or no drinking plain water. The list of traditional beliefs go on and on, and each confinement nanny might have a different view as well. 

Most confinement centres also believe in traditional dietary restrictions or practices but those are backed by science in order to help the new mummies to rejuvenate and nourish themselves back to health. They usually adopt a more modern approach to care for a mother’s wellbeing. Confinement centres place more emphasis on nutrition to nourish the body and allow the body to rest and recuperate. Some confinement centres even have facilities like a hair salon, spa treatments and massage room to pamper mothers.

Food

The right type of confinement food to eat after having a baby is important. At confinement centres, you will usually find an extensive confinement menu cooked in dedicated kitchens by qualified chefs. As special consideration is made during the development of the confinement menu, you can be assured that you will receive wholesome meals with carefully selected ingredients to aid in your recovery. 

While a confinement nanny is expected to prepare meals for you, you will still need to prepare raw ingredients to cook. This means that someone in your household will need to source these raw ingredients on your behalf. 

Convenience & 24-Hour Care
Usually a confinement nanny will stay in the same room as your baby to handle night feedings and settle your baby after each feed. They will also bathe your baby and change dirty diapers. However, confinement nannies are usually not trained professionally and their practices are usually based on their experience only. 

In most confinement centres, everything for your newborn is provided for – diapers, clothings, bath products, swaddles and more. At reputable confinement centres, babies will usually be taken care of by qualified nurses. With 24-hour care from qualified and experienced nurses, you can be sure that you and your baby will be in great hands. Each baby cot in the nursery area is also equipped with a baby surveillance camera, which allows the parents to monitor their baby through their smartphone on-the-go. The centre also employs its own private security guard around-the-clock to provide a secure, stress-free environment for the parents and the baby.

Housekeeping

In a confinement centre, you will not need to worry about housekeeping. Most confinement centres even provide clothes and uniforms or laundry services, so you do not have to worry about dirty laundry. This way, you can focus on your recuperation and not get distracted by household chores. 

On the other hand, there are some confinement nannies who would only do basic chores like cleaning the kitchen and washing baby’s clothes. You or your spouse will need to settle all other household chores.

Support and Help

A confinement nanny can be a wonderful confidant, who’s there for you at any time. However, not all confinement nannies have gone through the training needed to support the postnatal needs of a mother, especially if you are breastfeeding. We’ve all heard of horror stories where confinement nannies insist on only bottle feeding and overfeeding the baby, or those who cause more grief with practices that stress an already emotional mother. 

Most confinement centres, on the other hand, provide lactation consultation to help mothers with their breastfeeding issues along the way. They have a breastfeeding support group to share knowledge and experiences, so that when you go home, you can happily breastfeed your babies with ease.
If you still can’t decide, come check out Danai Cresenvale and discover how we can make a difference in your postnatal experience.

A Luxurious Confinement Experience At The Right Confinement Centre

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Women deserve the best that life can offer, and a good confinement centre is definitely a great start for your motherhood journey.

While pregnancy is an incredible experience, it can be hard on your body. In order for you to bounce back to your daily routine after giving birth, adequate rest and recuperation is needed. This is because your body goes through tremendous changes: mentally, physically and emotionally. 

A confinement centre may be the way to go to ensure that you are well taken care of during your postpartum period. Here are some things to consider in your quest for the best confinement centre for your needs:

  1. Skilled & Qualified Professionals 

Are the people at the confinement centre properly trained and knowledgeable? A professional team that includes nurses, doctors and other support staff will give you better peace of mind by providing you with proper support and making sure that your every need is taken care of.

  1. Value-added Services 

While it is essential to get adequate rest, doing nothing else for an entire month can get extremely boring. Some confinement centres will offer fun, interesting and/or informative programmes for new mums, such as childcare and breastfeeding classes, slimming packages and baby photography.

  1. Professional Security

Confinement centres need to provide a safe and comfortable environment for new mummies and their babies. One that offers 24/7 CCTV monitoring and intercom services will assure you of the safety and security of both you and your baby at all times. 

  1. Custom Diet Plans 

Getting enough nutrients is essential for lactation and also for you to recuperate faster. However, different individuals may have different nutritional needs. A confinement centre with a dedicated dietitian will have the ability to provide new mums with healthy meals catered to your unique dietary needs and physique. 

Just a few seemingly simple details can make your confinement experience a luxurious one. Make Danai Cresenvale your stop. Let us make your postpartum journey a memorable one, simply because you deserve it. Visit us today at www.danaicresenvale.com for more info!

Postpartum Care for Mothers: What Can Fathers Do To Make It Easier?

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There are many tips available to help new mums get through their postpartum period, but do new dads know what to do during this time? After the arrival of their little ones, many dads are often clueless as to how they can pitch in to care for their wives and newborns. 

With their hormones fluctuating, a new mum can be a bundle of emotions. An important thing that you can do as her partner is to be her source of comfort and reassure her that she is not alone. This will help to give her a sense of relief and calm her down. Taking the lead when it comes to household chores and taking turns caring for your new baby will also provide her with more time to rest, relax and recover. 

Pregnancy and childbirth stress a woman’s body, and this ordeal will continue through the postpartum recovery period, which goes on for around six weeks after childbirth. During this time, new mothers will still experience a lot of changes in their physique. Nutritional meals help to ease the healing process of the new mums. As a new dad, you can ensure that your wife follows a healthy diet that can help her to recuperate faster. 

However, it is understandable that, as a new dad, you may find it difficult to meet the needs of both the new mum and newborn. To avoid the stress, consider booking a confinement centre that will see to the needs of your wife and baby. This way, you can concentrate on enjoying quality family time together with your latest addition. 

A confinement package with Danai Cresenvale may be the perfect way to  facilitate your wife’s postpartum recovery. Danai Cresenvale’s comprehensive packages include round-the-clock babycare, healthy confinement diets and professional support for your wife and newborn. What’s more, you don’t have to worry about being separated from your family. There are family rooms available so you can choose to stay with your growing family, too. 

Welcoming a newborn can be both exciting and taxing. A confinement centre is the way to go if you want to help your wife to recover more easily. For more info, visit www.danaicresenvale.com.

10 Questions To Hash Out When Having A Baby

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10 Questions To Hash Out When Having A Baby

First, congratulations on your decision to have a little one! Growing a new human being is an arduous process. What’s more, you’ll have well-meaning relatives and friends bombarding you with different thoughts, opinions and advice. Hence, it’s understandable if you’re feeling overwhelmed. 

Not sure about what you should know about pregnancy and how to prepare for your baby’s arrival? Consider asking yourself:  

1. How should my pregnancy diet be

During pregnancy, you need to consume a diet rich in protein and calcium to ensure the proper growth of your baby. Avoid alcohol and overconsumption of caffeine as these may cause complications. Drink more water than usual; this helps in your digestion, the formation of your amniotic fluid, the circulation of nutrients throughout your body and your excretion processes.

2. Who can accompany me during my labour and postpartum period?

This could be your partner, children, relatives, or even friends. Most hospitals and confinement centres allow new mums to choose who they wish to have with them throughout their labour and postnatal period.

3. Where do I wish to give birth?

Pregnant women have a variety of alternatives to select from, including maternity hospitals, birth centres, and even home birth services. However, no matter which option you choose, you should make sure that there is a skilled birth attendant involved and your needs and preferences are met. 

4. What typically happens in the labour ward or birth centres?

Your gynaecologist would have examined your medical condition to determine which birth process is ideal for you based on your medical history and preference. During labour, medical staff will assist you at every stage of the delivery process

5. Can I walk and move around during labour?

During labour, you can walk about and move around as much as you like. You can pick the positions that are most comfortable for you after talking to your doctor.

6. Are there any cultural and religious beliefs that I would want to follow?

Most mums are usually sensitive when it comes to fulfilling a tradition or a religious ceremony after giving birth. Mother-friendly confinement centres or hospitals can satisfy your demands if you notify them ahead of time.

7. What is an ideal diet for lactating mothers?

It is necessary to take in extra calories if you are breastfeeding. A new mother undergoes heavy menstruation, which may lead to iron deficiency. Hence, it is ideal for lactating mothers to eat food rich in iron and calcium. Breast milk contains high calcium and lack of calcium in your diet may cause a decrease in bone mass. 

8. How much rest is needed after childbirth before resuming daily activities?

Women would require at least 12 weeks to recuperate entirely from delivery. One can return to everyday activities as soon as four weeks after delivery, but they must be careful not to overwork their bodies. You’ll need adequate rest throughout your recovery phase to ensure that the muscles and ligaments that support the uterus regain strength.

9. Are confinements necessary after childbirth ?

Confinements aid in the recovery of new mothers. They provide an avenue for the new mums to obtain the rest and nutrition that they need, and help to rebalance their bodies and minds.

10.What to expect in confinement centres ?

Confinement centres provide new mums with a personal space that caters to all their postpartum care needs, ranging from tailored confinement meals and maternity care to childcare counselling. This gives new mums the opportunity to bounce back healthier and be better prepared to care for their newborns. 

It is totally normal to receive contradicting opinions from people around you. Do not take stress and make decisions based on your own comfort and needs.