“But they are so slippery!” From comedians to male but also some female friends – this and the concern of how to safely bathe a new born baby was one of the main comments I received when expecting my first baby. Participating in the “Mama Papa Class” in Japan might have been the best way…
Are you doing your pre-natal yoga, drinking your raspberry tea, doing your stretches, etc.? Are you wondering if there is more that you can do to prepare for a fast and easy delivery of your baby? Good news: There is! A hayflower steam bath. Sorry, the baths are way less glamorous than in the picture…
Throughout my pregnancy people would often say to me “But isn’t it scary to have a baby in a foreign country?” I have had all three of my daughters in Japan. Therefore, a pregnancy in Japan is the norm to me and I hope my experience can put other expecting mommas-to-be at ease. During my…
Jealousy? Tantrums? A hurt newborn? Who doesn’t want to avoid these from their toddler as they are bringing a new baby home. When I was preparing for my first management role I also looked into change management and its theory again. There’s the common perception that humans don’t like change but that it can be…
Are you pregnant and still considering your birth plan? Do you want to have a natural birth but are not yet feeling 100% confident about it? Do you worry about what will happen during labour? Hypnobabies offers a complete birth education course to prepare you for it both mentally and physically so that you can…
Taxes – the one thing no one likes but we all have to do. If you’re like me, you have never spent too much attention to your taxes unless for the obligatory year end tax filing. As an employee of a Japanese company the attention became even less as they are handling all tax payments…
There are many different forms of financial support for the pregnancy, birth and baby journey. I have been seeing many different articles and posts talking about some or the other. However, I have not seen a complete list with all the benefits my family is receiving. My experience is based on having two babies as…
Every mother wants to provide her baby with her breastmilk, also called the ‘human gold’, and not waste a single drop of it. Are you going back to work while you are still breast feeding and don’t want to switch to formula? Are you looking for the right product for your breastfeeding journey? Are you…
Both of my daughters were born in Japan. Working in HR you would think I knew the ins and outs of the process on going on maternity leave. But both times, I struggled with the application and filing process – from finding the right forms to submission deadlines to approval stamps. And the filing for…
Becoming a mom is a huge step in life that brings with it a lot of change. It’s already a lot to handle when you are in your home and passport country but even more so when you’ve moved to a different country. Add to this being in an intercultural relationship and you will find…