I'm 26 weeks pregnant today and I've got most of the stuff I need for the babies. I must say it took me the longest time to even step foot into a Mothercare or even touch a onesie because I did not know when it was not 'pantang' anymore and deemed 'safe' to start getting things for the babies.
I used to think that 'pantang' was a very Asian thing but in the West it's just called being superstitious. You know, don't walk under ladders, throw salt over your left shoulder if you've spilled it, black cats that cross your path means that bad luck is going to fall upon you, etc. But when exactly is it deemed safe to start buying things for your baby?
My mother-in-law said that I shouldn't buy a single thing for the babies, but to make a list of things I need so that once the babies are born I can send someone to go out and buy it. Erm...if she saw the amount of things I have for the babies now, she'd definitely freak out. My mother on the other hand has bought an Ikea bag full of baby clothes and I've had to tell her to stop. Even I haven't bought a single piece of clothing for the babies.
It (the pantang) all started (or ended) when I attended my first Mother/Baby Expo in Mid Valley about 2 months ago. I was thinking to myself, should I go? If I go should I buy? If I buy will I be jinxing it? So I asked my mom and she was like, "Stop being such a pain and just go and buy!" So I drew up a list of things that I needed and visited each and every booth at the expo, then I went to hubby's office to think about whether I really needed it, did some research online and went back and bought small things like baby wipes, 2 bags of MamyPoko, breast pads, maternity pads, reusable baby diapers (because they were really cheap!), 2 nursing bras and a twins breastfeeding pillow (only because I haven't seen it anywhere else and it was pretty cheap!). After I got all the things I thought, not bad, I have a small starter kit for the babies.
Then I left things to simmer for awhile and a couple of weeks ago I made a super detailed list of everything I needed and said I need to get things done before I get too big and heavy to walk around! So we allocated each weekend for specific things and in 3 weeks we've managed to get almost everything we need for the babies.
It's not easy though, starting the research. Which stroller/car seat/breast pump/milk bottle and the list goes on and on and on. In fact it can get pretty intimidating, which is why I think the earlier you start the better. Because when you have time on your hands, chances are you won't panic and stress out and impulse buy. Take your time, ask around and always look for something that will last till your baby is at least 2-3 years old. I must say that because we are going to have two babies at the same time, it has pushed me to be more careful with what we buy.
Oh well, what I've come to learn is not to worry about what other people think. You create your destiny and the worst thing you can do is make limiting decisions for yourself. Don't focus on the negative and don't use words like must or have to because you are setting expectations for yourself and we all know what happens when we have expectations. Just take each day as it comes and enjoy every second of it. The only person who knows best is you because you know deep in your gut whether things are ok or not and if you feel calm and surrender yourself to the universe you can relax and enjoy the ride with your hands in the air and the wind in your face.
I used to think that 'pantang' was a very Asian thing but in the West it's just called being superstitious. You know, don't walk under ladders, throw salt over your left shoulder if you've spilled it, black cats that cross your path means that bad luck is going to fall upon you, etc. But when exactly is it deemed safe to start buying things for your baby?
My mother-in-law said that I shouldn't buy a single thing for the babies, but to make a list of things I need so that once the babies are born I can send someone to go out and buy it. Erm...if she saw the amount of things I have for the babies now, she'd definitely freak out. My mother on the other hand has bought an Ikea bag full of baby clothes and I've had to tell her to stop. Even I haven't bought a single piece of clothing for the babies.
It (the pantang) all started (or ended) when I attended my first Mother/Baby Expo in Mid Valley about 2 months ago. I was thinking to myself, should I go? If I go should I buy? If I buy will I be jinxing it? So I asked my mom and she was like, "Stop being such a pain and just go and buy!" So I drew up a list of things that I needed and visited each and every booth at the expo, then I went to hubby's office to think about whether I really needed it, did some research online and went back and bought small things like baby wipes, 2 bags of MamyPoko, breast pads, maternity pads, reusable baby diapers (because they were really cheap!), 2 nursing bras and a twins breastfeeding pillow (only because I haven't seen it anywhere else and it was pretty cheap!). After I got all the things I thought, not bad, I have a small starter kit for the babies.
Then I left things to simmer for awhile and a couple of weeks ago I made a super detailed list of everything I needed and said I need to get things done before I get too big and heavy to walk around! So we allocated each weekend for specific things and in 3 weeks we've managed to get almost everything we need for the babies.
It's not easy though, starting the research. Which stroller/car seat/breast pump/milk bottle and the list goes on and on and on. In fact it can get pretty intimidating, which is why I think the earlier you start the better. Because when you have time on your hands, chances are you won't panic and stress out and impulse buy. Take your time, ask around and always look for something that will last till your baby is at least 2-3 years old. I must say that because we are going to have two babies at the same time, it has pushed me to be more careful with what we buy.
Oh well, what I've come to learn is not to worry about what other people think. You create your destiny and the worst thing you can do is make limiting decisions for yourself. Don't focus on the negative and don't use words like must or have to because you are setting expectations for yourself and we all know what happens when we have expectations. Just take each day as it comes and enjoy every second of it. The only person who knows best is you because you know deep in your gut whether things are ok or not and if you feel calm and surrender yourself to the universe you can relax and enjoy the ride with your hands in the air and the wind in your face.
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