Review on FPP Putrajaya Hospital

I'm trying my best to be neutral here. However, this review is based on my experience and my humble opinion only.

I have really high hopes upon checking in at the hospital. I dreamt of a single room where hubby and me could spend hours admiring our newborn baby and visitors can come and go as they please.

Well, that did not happen. First of all, the single room were not available anymore. I had to share a room with another patient (luckily, she's a wonderful roommate) BUT, I had to pay the normal room fee which is RM300 per night. I was pissed, but thank god this happen while I was still pregnant, so I took a deep breath, don't want to put too much stress on myself and just said okay.

The room was exactly like the normal ward, except that it was carpeted instead of the usual tiles. There was not much space and it felt stuffy at times. And, visitors still have to abide by the visiting hours which is 12.00pm to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm.

As for the service, it was great. The nurses were great and Dr Hamidah was a dream doctor. I'm really amazed by her stamina and energy because she had like 11 cases per day, and to top that off, she had been on-call since the day before. For a tiny little person that she is, she sure can carry a lot of responsibility.

Dr Hamidah explained every procedure to me. That is one more noticeable difference between the normal public service (which I experience giving birth to Sara) and this FPP thingy.

One more large difference is that, normal public service requires the patient to go to a special common room for any procedure (yes, including the painful dilation checking). Well, for FPP, you don't even have to move. The nurses and doctors will come to you :)

Upon checking out, I estimated my bill would be less than 2k, as I didn't require any extra procedure (no epidural, no vacuum etc..). BUT, my bill amounted to RM2,054.20. The two things that I was most dissatisfied was the charge on "consultation fee (after-office hours)" RM360 and "obstetrical procedures spontaneous vertex" RM600. I mean, I was in the ward for two days; why do you have to visit me outside of the normal office hours and charge that to my account? And, I was already charged on the labour room, ward, lab, medicines and consultation, surely the procedure of giving birth itself is already covered right?

My roommate, who had a c-sect, had a bill of RM3,500 which I think was a very reasonable price for the procedure. But, whatever it is, I think the service was well worth it and I'd recommend FPP for those who wanted to deliver in public hospital. And it does state on the bill that the charge is not final, so I guess I could have argued about the charged if I wanted to, which I don't.

Adelya Qasdina - The Birth Story

Okay, now that I think I am in a better state of mind (but still experiencing the sharp piercing pain from breastfeeding), I am finally ready to tell this chapter of my life story.

My labor experience was a beautiful one. I had what they would call a precipitate labor (very rapid labor. Oh, it comes with its own set of risks but thankfully, I didn't know about it beforehand).

"Short, Fast Labor (Precipitate Labor)

A precipitate labor is normally very short, lasting less than three hours. A precipitate labor has its own special problems and challenges. The duration of the labor may appeal to you, but you may not notice the signs of the labor in the latent phase thereby missing the early signs of labor. Suddenly, you will be thrown into active, hard labor without time to prepare psychologically. The first noticeable contractions can be long and crushingly intense, and accompanied by feelings of panic and confusion."

On 19th October 2011, I had to check myself in the hospital because I had not yet show any sign of delivery. Since I had diabetes, the doctor does not allow me to past my due date; which is 20th October 2011.

So, at 6.00am, 20th October 2011, I was induced. Nothing new there (because I experienced that with Sara) BUT, it did felt a little bit painful. I had two rounds of check-ups using the CTG machine, and my contractions are progressing. Great, that means I won't have to be induced for the second time.

At 2.30pm, Dr Hamidah came and my dilation was only at 3cm, so she asked me casually "Do you want to give birth today? I can help you if you do, but it will be a little painful". Hmm, well, okay doc, bring it on. She did the membrane sweep and yeah, it was painful. It did struck my mind that I was completely aware and alert of all the pain I'm feeling this time around. Back then, with Sara, I was blissfully ignorant.

The nurse told me that they would wheel me to the labour room at 3.30pm. I bathe, perform solat, recite a bit of Quran and walk around the ward to speed up my dilation.

3.40pm - reached the labour room and was attached to the CTG machine for 20 minutes. A doctor came and explained to me that I had to decide whether I'm going to take the epidural injection or not. I told her that the pain is still bearable, but I might change my mind if the pain gets worse. Hehe. She told me I had to decide there and then because my dilation was at 4cm and they had to book the doctor early. I politely decline. I have nothing against taking the epidural injection but the thought of having to poke a big-ass needle in between my spine is much more scarier than facing the contraction pain.

4.00 - 5.15pm - I drifted in and out of sleep. Oh, I did take the ethonox gas. Twice. Doesn't make much difference though. I think (for Muslim) you're better off reciting the "doa Nabi Yusof". At 5.15pm, the doctor thought that I might need another induction, so they hook me to the drip and injected painkillers on my hip. (Hey, that rhymes ;p)

-- What goes on from here onwards is really embarrassing for me. I, err...lost my cool (to put it mildly) but in my defence precipitate labour does cause panic and confusion (as explained in the orange font above ;p)--

5.30pm - Suddenly, I feel like something moved in my stomach, sort of like something fell down from my tummy to my uterus. And after that, came the excruciating pain. Whoa, this is not normal. I screamed to hubby "Get the nurse!!" and I was thrashing in the bed from the pain. (It was sooo embarrassing, I was literally thrashing and almost took out all the drips and machine they put on me).

The nurse came in and because I was that hysterical, she had to scream at me "PUAN! SABAR! JANGAN MACAM NI! TENGOK SAYA!". I remember thinking, if this is not the time yet, I want epidural. Now. The nurse checked my dilation and her face changes. She rushed out to call the doctor and everything, everyone moved sooo fast.

The nurse grabbed a hold of my hand "PUAN! TENGOK SAYA OK. KITA BUAT SAMA-SAMA. BILA SAYA CAKAP PUSH, PUAN TARIK NAFAS, DAGU SENTUH KE DADA, PUSH SEKUAT HATI." I was like, oh, its time? Now? I'm really giving birth?

I pushed twice, and the third time, the baby came out at exactly 5.45pm. And because there was no drugs on me this time (the painkiller have not yet taken effect), I was fully alert and aware of everything. I saw the baby came out, I can hear the suction thingy that they use on the baby and then they took the baby away (don't ask me, I really don't know why).

The doctor then told me that my baby came out with her fists first (like knocking the door) and she weighed 3.05kgs. She told me to relax my body because she's taking out the placenta. (hmm, I thought the placenta came out with the baby?) She pressed and massage the top bit of my tummy and the placenta safely came out.

I had first degree tear and there were stitches. But, it was not very painful (as compared to the contractions I felt earlier). And then, my baby was delivered back to me. And I fed her for the first time. And it hurts like hell. But, thank god that the painkillers have started to take effect so I was more sleepy than in pain.

The nurse came to check on me and she told me she's sorry for screaming at me. She said even she was panicked to see me "lost control" like that. Tee hee. I also said that I was sorry for losing it. And I thank her for grabbing a hold of the situation, even if it means screaming at me. See, who said that public nurses are grumpy? I think negative perception towards government/public hospitals are overrated.

So, there you have it...the story of how I lost my cool and delivered a beautiful bundle of joy. I think she looks exactly like her sister, but with much thicker and longer hair :)

Oh, when my hubby wheeled Dina to meet the rest of my family waiting outside the labor room, I can hear Sara screaming "Hey, I want to see my sister!" (because she was short and everybody else is blocking her view ;p)

Second appointment as FPP in Hospital Putrajaya

My second appointment wih Dr Hamidah went well. Although I did have to wait for a while since she's performing an operation.

Its true what pinkertonic and ryyhan said, she'll spend more time with you once you reach towards the end of you pregnancy. She perform the ultrasound scan and Alhamdulillah, everything appears to be in good condition. Dr Hamidah said that it appears that this baby is gonna be slightly smaller than Sara (Yes!! Tak sia-sia control makan).

She also said that this time, they are not going to allow post-date (meaning : if I still haven't give birth by 19th October, I'd have to get induced) and I am somewhat relieved by that. Part of the reason I'm totally okay with being induced is that I'm having difficulty to even walk nowadays. I get tired easily and even walking has become quite a chore.

I gained only 300gm for this past two weeks (What?? Yeah, I don't believe it either). Haha. Probably due to the fact that I haven't been able to eat properly for the last 5 days (remember the annoying wisdom tooth that decided to show up?)

This is latest picture of me (of my tummy actually, my face is too wide nowadays, it would take up the whole desktop ;p) at nine months. Slightly smaller than my previous pregnancy, I must say *pats shoulder* :)

Oh, the other day I totally made a fool of myself...you know how they say that when you're pregnant you have this baby brain (the tendency to become forgetful, fuzzy memories)...hihi...well, they are true (for me at least).

I parked my car in front of a Shell kiosk, locked the door and went inside to buy the chocolate I promised for Sara. I paid for the chocolate and went outside, pressed my car key and CONFIDENTLY opened the car door. I remember thinking "Hmm, the car door handle looks different today"

As I was about to enter the car, I noticed that not only the handle was different, the whole interior was different too. I took a step back and errr....no wonder everything looks different, it was a silver Perodua Myvi while yours truly is driving a silver Hyundai Getz.

Since there are quite a few people around the car (and maybe the owner too *gasp*), I avoid any kind of eye contact and sheepishly said "Oops, tersalah pulak.." and with the tiny shred of dignity I have left, I walked to my car, start the engine and drove away from the embarrassing scene.

Here's a picture of a Myvi door handle and Getz door handle. Even a blind man can feel the difference (and I have been driving my Getz for more than 5 years!!)

On the left is Myvi and the green one is Getz. Image googled.

The pain that woke me up!

I am a very deep sleeper. Fortunately for me, Sara has always been a good sleeper too. I am not the one known to wake up from sleep for whatever reason (my mom always said that a bomb can go off and I'd still be sleeping soundly). Even when I was having contraction during Sara's birth, I drifted in and out of sleep.

However, last two night, when I was soundly sleeping, something woke me up. That something is the excruciating pain on the right side of my jaw (Oh, hi there my lovely wisdom tooth). I grabbed my handphone, and fervently wished that it was already 4 or 5 am. Instead, it was only 1 am. Gaahhhh!!! How am I suppose to deal with this pain for another 7 hours?

I tossed and turned, drank water and try the "its-all-in-your-mind" therapy. Pfftt. Nothing seems to work. And when nothing works, what do you do? Turn to Him, of course. I perform solat sunat and felt calmer afterward. The pain does not magically subside, but it became manageable.

I took the whole day off yesterday and thought of going to the clinic, but I'm sure they'll only give me some painkillers and antibiotics (which I'm not planning on consuming, since I'm afraid it might affect the baby). BUT, I might go today if the condition got worse.

Having your wisdom tooth appear towards the end of your pregnancy is NOT FUN! It does however, take my mind away from the impending delivery.

Perineal Massage

Note : This is going to be a slightly "uncomfortable" topic, so may I suggest to those who have low tolerance of human anatomy, particularly in the "southern region" to please kindly leave this page ;p

I've heard about perineal massage from Suzie's blog. I followed the link back to Diah's blog and reading her experience, I'm sold. (she popped out a 4.1kg baby without the need for episiotomy).

Back during my first pregnancy, I somewhat shy away reading all the related material on the actual giving birth procedure because the more I read, the more I felt nervous, scared and all those negative feelings. This time, I'm proud to say that I am more open in reading the related material BUT I still haven't had the guts to look at the pictures/videos of people giving birth.

Okay, enough babbling...here is some info on perineal massage (copied from here)

What is perineal massage?

Perineal massage is the gentle stretching and massaging of the perineum (skin between the anus and vagina) during the last few weeks of pregnancy. This has been shown to reduce the incidence of episiotomy and perineal tears during childbirth.

Why does perineal massage work?

Perineal massage does not "lengthen" the tissues of the perineum. However, it does increase the stretch in two ways.

First, perineal massage is done with a cold pressed oil, which lubricates the tissue making it softer, more supple and improving is flexibility. This makes it easier for the tissues to stretch as the baby is born.

Second, perineal massage familiarizes the mother with the stretching sensations she will feel as the baby is born. This helps her learn to keep her perineal area relaxed during the stretching of crowning which can help prevent tears.

How do I do it?

Perineal massage can be done by the mother or her partner. The mother should be in a comfortable place, sitting or reclining in a way that gives access to the skin around the vagina. It can be done for up to 10 minutes a day during the last four weeks of pregnancy.

• Wash hands thoroughly. Ensure there are no sharp or long nails that may scratch the mother.
• Locate the perineum, directly below the vagina. It is the skin between the vagina and the anus. Apply some cold pressed and pure oil (such as olive oil) to this skin.
• Place the thumbs at the base of the vagina, allowing them the slide inside the vagina (to about the first joint) moving some oil with them.
• Using gentle but firm pressure, move the thumbs from the base of the vagina up the side walls as if you were making a "U".
• Return the thumbs to the base of the vagina, and repeat procedure.
• As the mother becomes more comfortable with the stretch, you may increase the amount you stretch the skin.

As for me, I've started doing the perineal massage two weeks ago and am hoping for the best (please...no more episiotomy). BUT, the thing with routine and me, we seldom see eye to eye. I've only done this massage for four times...(probably the same amount as applying anti-stretchmark cream on my tummy throughout these 9 months).

Note to self : Kalau tau je, tapi pemalas nak buat, tak guna ok!!
Self answered back : ok, ok...lepas ni tiap-tiap malam buat..

Air selusuh

* Disclaimer : I got this information from an ustaz at my office. For fear of misunderstanding or miscommunication, I'm going to directly "copy-paste" the instruction. This is for my future reference and also to whoever reads my blog and wishes to make their own air selusuh.

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim...

Selusuh ialah nama bagi bahan khusus yang disediakan untuk memudahkan kelahiran bayi juga meringankan penderitaan ibu. Selusuh terdiri daripada air dan minyak yang disebut sebagai air selusuh dan juga minyak selusuh. Adakalanya kedua bahan ini digunakan secara bersama dengan ditambah dengan buah kurma (seelok-eloknya kurma Nabi iaitu ajwah)

Air selusuh dibuat (jika dapat) menggunakan air zam-zam. Minyak selusuh pula dibuat sendiri menggunakan kelapa tua yang belum kering kulitnya (kelapa hijau). Kelapa diparut dan diperah santannya tanpa ditambah air. Toskan santan tersebut didalam bekas selama lebih kurang 3 hingga 4 jam. Kemudian saring kepala (bahagian atas) santan menggunakan sudu bagi mengasingkan pati-patinya yang telah terkumpul di dasar bekas tadi.

Masak santan berkenaan menggunakan kuali dengan api perlahan. Sentiasa kacau santan bagi mengelakkannya menjadi berketul. Masak sehingga pecah minyak dan kacau hingga bentuk tahi minyak bertukar menjadi kuning keemasan (lebih kepada kehitaman sebenarnya tapi bukan hangus). Setelah itu sejukkan minyak dan asingkan daripada tahinya. Tuang minyak ke dalam gelas kaca (kalau dapat gelas tidak berwarna dan putih jernih). Simpan minyak dalam suhu bilik selama lebih kurang seminggu atau lebih agar pati-pati tahi minyak akan mendap ke bawah gelas. Setelah itu anda akan dapati minyak yang warnanya keemas-emasan dan jernih. Pindahkan minyak (saringkan) yang jernih bersih itu ke dalam bekas kaca yang lain dan kini mulakan dengan amalan-amalan di bawah:

1. Minyak dan air zam-zam di bawa bersama ketika solat hajat. (letak di hadapan sebelah kanan);

2. Setelah selesai solat hajat, bacakan doa-doa ini (mengikut kadar dan bilangan yang digemari) ke atas air dan minyak tadi:

Surah Al-fatihah

Surah al-Hasyr ayat 21-24

Selawat Syifa

Doa 1

Doa 2

3. Simpan (air dan minyak) di tempat yang selamat

4. Sementara menunggu saat sakit nak bersalin, suami dan isteri hendaklah sentiasa solat hajat mohon dipermudahkan proses kelahiran anak yang ditunggu-tunggu. Banyakkan membaca al-Quran terutama surah Maryam, Yusuf dan Luqman. Setelah masuk minggu yang terakhir (sebelum due), berikan isteri minum air selusuh (sahaja, tidak termasuk minyak) sekali sehari selepas solat fardhu subuh.

5. Apabila isteri merasakan sakit nak bersalin, minum air selusuh, makan 1-3 biji buah kurma dan telan sesudu minyak selusuh. Sabarlah menunggu saat kelahiran dengan perasaan yakin dan tawakkal kepada Allah...

First Appointment as FPP in Hospital Putrajaya

This FPP thing is really great. I get treated even better than when I went for my appointment in K*J. I spent less than 2 hours (and the first 45 minutes was spent looking for parking...hmm, maybe the Hospital should consider special parking space for FPP *kidding*).

I walked up straight to the counter; explained that I'm an FPP and have an appointment scheduled with Dr. Hamidah and I was immediately ushered to another counter to complete the registration and pay RM110 (new case and registration fee).

I was asked to go directly to the obgyn counter and when I gave the nurse my card, she immediately asked me to weigh myself and took my blood pressure. Wow, no waiting? Hehe... On a side note, I gained 2.5kgs in two weeks!! I blame the Raya foods ;p

And then, I went to have my urine checked, and again...no queue? What? Is this really the same hospital where I spent almost 8 hours last two weeks?

I was politely asked to have a seat and wait for my turn to see the doctor as she was swamped with appointments today. I sat for a good 15 minutes and my name was called. Now, this is where it gets tricky.

I went to the hospital with a full tummy, hence a very good mood. I am a patient with a normal pregnancy case, and I myself didn't have anything extraordinary to ask. So, when I entered the room and the Doctor is still examining the other patient and at the same time, asking me conditions about my health, it doesn't bug me as much as it should. Maybe it did piss off the other patient, but I was somewhat okay with it.

The doctor asked me to go to a different room for ultrasound scan and I lie down on the bed for 3 minutes before the doctor came. She performed the scan, and told me everything looks good, the baby's head is where it is supposed to be, and at 36 weeks, my baby weighs 2.8kg. *Sigh* Guess she's gonna be huge like her big sister...

All in all, I wasn't disappointed nor was I delighted by the FPP service. For RM110 (new case + registration), it was okay. Although I do have to admit my opinion may differ if I went there hoping for some one-on-one time with my gynae. Or if I went there with an empty stomach. These days, my mood is in exact correlation with the amount of food I consume. Full stomach = happy me.

Full Paying Patient (FPP) in Hospital Putrajaya

*Disclaimer : The information below is based on the brochure distributed by the Hospital and from the inquiry counter and solely from my own understanding. Please go directly to the hospital for more accurate information.


After some hard contemplating (private vs government hospital), I've decided to try my luck at Hospital Putrajaya. Again. But this time, as a full paying patient. I was made to understand that a full paying patient is entitled to the same privilege as the private hospital.

Frankly, I have nothing against government hospital, I had a really nice experience during my first pregnancy and labour. Its just that government hospitals does not allow spouse/parents to spend the night at the hospital (and I was in sooooo much pain after the labour, I can't bear going through that again without anybody present this time).

Okay, before I got sidetracked, below is the information on FPP for birth/delivery in Hospital Putrajaya:

1) Registration fee for a new case (first time visit) is RM10 and the consultation fee is RM100.

2) Subsequent and follow-up visits are charged at RM60.

* Both fees are not inclusive of treatments and medications

3) There are four OBGYN specialists in Hospital Putrajaya (and the patient can choose whomever they want subject to the specialist availability). There are two female doctors (Dr. Noraihan, Dr Hamidah) and two male doctors (Dr. Hazim, Dr. Azmi). As for me, I made an appointment with Dr Hamidah this 20th (will update on the outcome).

4) All FPP need to pay downpayment of RM3,000 the day they are admitted. The total amount of bills will be updated regularly to the patient and the excess fee (should there be any) will be returned to the patient (by cash) during discharge. I asked around and the rate for normal delivery is quite cheap (RM1,000 to RM1,900 - depending on extra medication/procedure such as induce, epidural, vacuum etc..etc). As for c-sect, the rate is also quite competitive and can go as low as RM1,200 (if the operation is smooth).

5) The actual charge is RM250 per hour for the operation theatre (for c-sect delivery) and RM250 for birth in the normal delivery room.

6) The room for FPP is at level 5 and is charged at RM300 per day. Again, I asked around, and they said that the room is super nice, similar to a hotel suite. At RM300 per night, the room better be super nice, right?

I think that's all I have for now. Hope this information helps. I will write more review after my first appointment with Dr Hamidah. Should anybody wishes to get more info, you can call 03-8312 4315 or email to fpp@hpj.gov.my

Pregnancy update : I'm only slightly diabetic

Remember when I said I had to went for a fortnightly Blood Sugar Profile (BSP) check-ups? Well, my last two visits revealed an alarming result, so I was referred to the hospital. I grudgingly went and confidently give my fingertip to the nurse in charge.

I was surprised when she took out the big syringe, and immediately asked "Err, I thought you can just poke my finger to get a few drops of blood. What's the syringe for?" She replied "Oh, that's the procedure for clinic. Here, in the hospital, we draw the blood from the vein in your hand to yield a more accurate result." *__*

I was like, accurate my *ss. I hated needles, and really scared of drawing blood. And this procedure have to be done 4 times a day every two weeks. Nooooo!!!!! And, the first two times was really painful. I'm not exaggerating, I've got proof. See this:



Luckily the last two times did not hurt as much, but still...I can see some of my friends rolling their eyes at my whining, but what to do...I'm really scared of needles. Its on top of "things that I am scared of" list, along with cats and cable cars and rollercoasters.

The next day, I went again for review and was told that my readings are normal, and with proper diet (read : control), I wouldn't have to be induced early at 38 weeks nor do I have to undergo the insulin injection. Yeay!

The gruesome bruising, the 4 times blood draw, the agonizing 8-hour wait to meet the doctor was soooo totally worth it :)

Fasting during pregnancy

During my first pregnancy, I missed seven days of fasting. I usually throw up around 10am, and depending how I feel in the next half an hour, I'd either break my fast or continue fasting. Usually, it will also depend on whether my good friend, who was also pregnant at that time feels. She was my partner in crime, we'd go and buy McDonalds at the drive-through and eat it in the car, under a tree of some random housing area. Hehe.

This time, I still do vomit from time to time, but I have better self-control (or maybe because this time, I no longer have my partner in crime ;p), I still haven't missed puasa except for a couple of days I have to go through with my BSP checkup at the clinic. I am also spared from the stomach cramps I usually get when I'm hungry, Alhamdulillah...

I didn't do anything differently though. Still the same routine. I'm the type of person that have to wake up for sahur EVERYDAY. And I eat more during sahur than berbuka. I usually have rice, one glass of teh tarik, one glass of pomegranate juice, one glass of plain water, half-boiled eggs, some leftover kuihs and dates for sahur.

With only 5 days left in Ramadhan, here's to hoping I can fast throughout and may my fast is acceptable to the Lord Almighty. Amin...

*__*

Hi blog...

Hee, I'm surprised I can even remember my own username and password (did have to try twice, cause I forgot my password..teehee..) I guess I have to ask Mr.Firefox to remember my password from now on..

Usual excuse for not blogging in err..two months : yep, busy (read : lazy). But, I'm still baking though, and I recently discovered that leaoven (the one that produces edible image) is located very near to my house. Yeay! So, those who would like to order their cakes with edible images are welcomed to do so (sample as pic below)


As for the baby in my tummy, I'm loving my second trimester. And, its a girl. Yeay! Secretly, I am wishing for another girl, so imagine my joy when my secret wish turns out to be true. However, the bad news is, I have diabetes this time around. I was told that it is caused by the hormonal change in the body and with proper diet, it will most likely to go away after the pregnancy. Which I pray so hard to be true.

Sara has slowly beginning to accept that she's going to have a rival sister soon. Before this, she kept insisting that she's the baby, and the thing growing in mummy's tummy is kakak. Hehe. Last week, we brought her along for the 3d/4d scan and I think she's beginning to really understand that "Mummy got baby inside Mummy's stomach". But, she still refuses to call the baby "Baby". Instead, she calls the baby "Adik" and she calls herself "Baby".

The 3d/4d scan that I went was at PJ Women Specialist and Family Clinic at SS2. I bought the service from www.kasihkusayangku.com for RM100 and I'm really pleased throughout the whole experience. Everything looks good, and my baby kept yawning and at one point, she even sucked her toe. She even opened her eyes (probably out of anger because we were disturbing her rest). Here's a video of the miracle in my womb :

Sara has been really wonderful as of late. She understands that I can no longer carry her (she's already 18kgs++) and she's very quick to apologize if she does something wrong. I don't know why, but lately I've been feeling rather emotional when it comes to her. I'd get mad if I hear my husband raise his voice to her, and she too, have grown somewhat clingy-er to me. Here's a few photos of Sara I couldn't resist to share.

She looks like a five-year-old instead of two and a half, kan?

Err, she insisted to be swaddled like the baby?

Luckily we were all fasting this day. If not, we'd eat her KFC thighs :)

Oh, did I mention she's really reliable these days?
Yep, up to the extent where I can ask her to mop the floor ;p

The first tiny movement :)

Even though I complaint a lot (the stomach cramps, the frequent toilet visit, the nausea all day, etc)...

All of that is worthwhile when you felt the first tiny movement of the baby inside you. It was as if the baby was telling me...

"Hey mummy...I'm here...can't wait to meet you..."

And I would reply "Yeah, me too..."

Sometimes, the baby would get a little bit naughty and poked and turned inside me so hard, I feel like being tickled.

And, what surprises me most is that I can feel the movement quite early. I remembered the first time I felt the fluttering in my tummy was when I was only 13 weeks pregnant. During my first pregnancy, it was exactly 16 weeks that I felt the baby's first movement.

The first tiny movement of this baby have the ability to bring me wayyyy up in the sky and can sometimes brought tears of joy to my eyes. But, there are always things can bring me plummeting down back to earth. For example:-

This is the most recent photo of me; pregnant at 4 months. So "healthy", I know.


And, the blunt honesty of the first child. "Mummy so fat la" she told me yesterday. Grrrr...

Hi... *sheepish smile*

Hi there, my dear blog. I've been neglecting you, I know. But I have a good reason. I was ermm...busy..not with work, but with myself. You know...I was busy entertaining myself. We do that, you know. A pregnant lady must put aside some time for herself, and herself only.

Okay, I've run out of excuses, so yeah, I was lazy. Seems like my finger can only move the mouse to bloghop and reading stories about other people but too lazy to actually type something.

Hmm, its been so long, I don't even know where to start. Oh, the trip to Bandung. It was a disaster the first day. I puked all the contents in my stomach, which resulted in both my hubby and sister to forbid me from drinking "jus alpukat" (avocado juice). I think they got really grossed out by...I think I got to stop telling stories about that. Just typing those words make me nauseous and feel like vomiting.

I didn't really shop that much in Bandung. I only bought 4 shirts/blouse for myself and clothes for Sara (a lot!) and 3 pairs of baby clothes. I suck at shopping, especially when I have to deal with the constant drowsiness. Okay, enough about Bandung. Moving on to something else...

Oh, my aunt got into an accident two weeks ago. Apparently, my uncle (who was driving at the time) hit another car that was already in an accident. Its kinda hilarious, I mean there was this unfortunate car who was maybe driving a tad too fast, and swerve to the side of the road. The driver must be thinking, luckily I am okay, the car is okay and I didn't hit into any other vehicle. Then, BAM! My uncle came and hit the car as it was repositioning itself to drive away.

When we went and visit my aunt, she was in soooo much pain, even the doctors and nurses didn't know what to make of it. Turns out, she broke two of her ribs during the collision. No wonder she couldn't even sit up straight and her oxygen level was quite low. Everything is okay now, she has been discharged and is now at home, recuperating.

Okay, my favourite topic....Adlyna Qaisara. She is such a chatterbox, and can talk for hours. And the great thing is, we can actually understand what she's trying to tell us. For example, she got this really great story that goes like this "One day, kakak and me. Kakak got red bicyle. Yaya don't know how to cycle. Kakak cycle so very fast. And then, abang want to play. Kakak said "No!. Cannot. Abang cannot play". Naughty kakak didn't let abang play. Then, kakak go away. Suddenly, got dog. Dog chase kakak. Kakak cry. Pity kakak". Tee hee hee...

She also can sing a lot of songs now, and the two songs she can sing perfectly is "Twinkle twinkle little star" and Barney's "I love you". She learned quite a lot from the Barney video she insisted on watching every night. On that note, I really think that Barney is a positive influence on kid, since it preaches about happiness, and the concept of sharing. Although Sara's concept of sharing is slightly distorted whereby she will quickly finish her food/drink and goes to the person who still have food/drink and persuade sweetly "We share okay. Barney said we must share. Okay?" Hehe, nobody ever refused her ;)

Sometimes, she announces out of the blue "Yaya looovvveeee Mummy. Yaya love Nenek. Yaya love Totok. Yaya love Babah. Yaya love Tashu. Yaya love Ingah. Yaya love everybody!" And that is why she gets away with little naughty things.

P/S - I intend to end this post with a preggy picture of me, but can't find a camera and I am secretly ashamed to post a picture of me, since I look like 6 months pregnant, as opposed to 4 months.

Pregnancy Woes #2 : I can't travel!!

I don't usually get motion sickness, I am usually a healthy-as-a-horse kind of traveler, be it by land, sea or air transport. But, yeah, being pregnant changes EVERYTHING.



I still remember back in my first pregnancy (when I was about seven months along), I was required to go to Johore for a short seminar. Along the trip, I was okay. No throwing up. Everything was good. During dinner, I've started to feel a bit nauseated. Still okay. BUT, later that night, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't understand what my body is trying to tell me. I feel like vomiting and the stomach pain was soooo severe, I ended up sleeping in the bathroom. I lay flat on the floor for a few hours, and then I slept in the bathtub while soaking in the hot water.



So, two days ago, my office mates and I went to Port Dickson (which is just 30km from my house). I requested to sit in the front passenger seat, and I started to feel nauseated within the first ten minutes. You know the feeling you get when you are about to get sick? The shivers like you're cold but you're also sweating at the same time? I tried to sleep it off, hoping the nausea will go away. We stopped for snack in one of the mamak restaurant along the way, and I immediately go to the toilet and well, lets just say that the breakfast I ate in the morning had safely abandon my stomach. Eugh! I still feel lightheaded after that but still bearable. We arrived back home at 2pm, and I was excused from working throughout the day. Yeay, right?



NOT! I tried getting some nap/sleep in the evening but for some reason, I still feel queasy, so no sleeping. During the night, the same thing happened! I feel like crapping and vomiting at the same time and since I don't have a bathtub at my house, sleeping in the bathroom does not sound like a solution this time. The feeling comes and go as they please, and finally, I fell asleep at four am. Whew!



Well, that's it guys. I will not be traveling anytime soon. The silver lining in this story? I hope the baby inside my tummy is well and healthy and not at all affected by the mummy's sickness. On another note, how la to go to bandung next month???

Pregnancy Woes #1 : Constipation

I'm fairly sure that most pregnant mommies in one time or another experience the difficulty to pass motion during their pregnancy. As for me, yup...comes in the full package. :( I've eaten lots of fibers (from fruits and veggies) and lots of water. I even chewed my food religiously (which I seldom do, too impatient) but the crap just wouldn't leave me....

From various reading, I was made to understand that constipation is not uncommon during pregnancy and is caused by the hormonal change in the body (higher level of progesterone). As a side effect of the increase in progesterone, food digestion will be slower; feces get harden; hence the difficulty to pass motion.

If possible, I do not want to take laxative to aid the process (as I've read that the active chemicals may harm the mommy and the baby) but, if nothing is happening in these few days, I'm gonna give it a go. Cannot tahan anymore :)

I thought I'd be pretty much ace any pregnancy difficulty that comes around this time (what with having been through this before) but, yeah, all the pregnancy woes can still baffles me at times. I'm thankful, really I am but how I wish nine months would just fly by...

* pics from here

There's a bun in the oven ;)

After months of trying, we're finally pregnant. Alhamdulillah :)


Before making the test, I had the usual soreness of breasts, shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate. But, I thought I am in THAT time of the month. So, when the period didn't came, I got myself checked and the result is as you can see above. After months of single line, finally we've got ourselves a double line. Yeay!

I am ecstatic, up to a point where I almost forgot that pregnancy for me comes in its full "glory". Now, I'm at 8 weeks and boy oh boy...I have to eat constantly (every two hours) or I get bloated and sick. Getting sick and running to the toilet is almost an everyday occurrence, but this time the nausea attack is on the evening. I guess I have an evening sickness :)

I am soooo lethargic all the time, its a miracle I am able to drag myself to work everyday. I think that my boss and colleague are starting to hate me a little bit, but I can't help it. I am completely useless during my first trimester (hmm, that may apply throughout my pregnancy, if truth be told ;p) I sincerely thought that I would be able to control myself better this time (hormones or not, most of the time, its mind over matter) BUT, I'm just too lazy? tired?

Although it has only been two months, my tummy is starting to show. Haha, from food, not from the teeny baby I have inside ;p I haven't got myself scanned yet (will be doing that sometime next week) but I'm hoping everything will be okay. If the baby decides to pop out on the expected due date, baby and mummy may be sharing birthdays :)

* on a side note, so far, I am still able to take orders for RVC and cupcakes.