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)

Breastfeeding - the ugly truth

I know, I know...I haven't properly introduce my second princess, I haven't update on the birth story but this story on breastfeeding deserves to be told first.

I expected breastfeeding to be painful (I experienced it during Sara, and I gave up, remember?). What I didn't expect was the pain to last this long. I'm on my last day of confinement and I'm NOT jumping with joy because breastfeeding is STILL PAINFUL.

This time around, I really prepared myself. I rubbed lanolin (Medela Purelan) on my nipple from the very first day. The problem is, even by then, my nipples are already in pain. From the first moment my baby latch on me, I could feel the pain.

Day 1 - Still in hospital, all nurses come and help me to breastfeed but even they don't quite understand how I can be in sooo much pain and why my nipple was such in a bad state.

Day 2 - was discharged. Kept on breastfeeding my baby. The pain was excruciating. I put hot oil on my back, popped painkillers to help alleviate the pain.

Day 3 - my confinement lady arrived, and even she was flabbergasted with my nipple and breastfeeding problem. Everyone thought it was because my milk hasn't come in yet and the baby was suckling too hard.

Day 5 - called another masseur, she came and help and sure enough, my milk has come in but due to the condition of the nipple, I suffered from blocked ducts. (Oh, I've tried pumping, using 3 different pumps : Spectra, Avent and Ameda Lactaline but NOTHING works)

Day 6 - called susuibu.com, asked for help and thankfully there was this one volunteer who lived nearby my house and came to help me. She taught me how to get a good latch and proper positioning.

Day 7-24 - Still in constant pain. No matter what I do, the pain won't dissipate. Asked for help from a dear friend to buy me a nipple shield and I think I've tried about every remedy suggested. Had engorgement and almost fainted, I was feverish and was fatigued all the time. But still, I kept breastfeeding my baby. Its like I have to choose between two types of pain : The sharp, burning pain from the nipple or the whole body pain of engorgement. From time to time, I had to express my milk using hand express until my hands went numb. Oh, there was this one time I felt excruciating pain and had to release my baby using my pinkie finger and suddenly I saw blood gushing out from my nipple and on my baby's mouth. Oy, the trauma was indescribable.

Day 25 - engorgement got sooo bad, had to call the masseur again, she helped cleared up the blocked ducts and suggested I go see a lactation consultant.

Day 27 - went to a lactation consultant (LC) and got to the root of the problem. MY BABY HAS TONGUE-TIE!!!! I won't go into details but tongue-tied baby have difficulties to extend their tongue past the lower gumline, therefore making it VERY painful everytime she breastfed. And for the first time throughout my painful breastfeeding journey, I cried. Haha. The LC referred me to another LC who is also a pediatrician for more thorough assessment. And oh, Sara also have tongue-tied, that's why breastfeeding her was soooo painful (Thank god I have that cleared up, because I always have this sense of guilt everytime I look at her and knowing that I failed to breastfeed her)

Day 28 - Got all ready to meet Dr Koe, only to be informed that she will be on leave for the entire week. Oh, just my luck :(

Day 32 - Went to Dr Koe's clinic, had to go through the worst traffic jam ever at MEX highway (Yeah, I never expected traffic jam would occur in MEX highway either!!) and had to wait for almost three hours at Dr Koe's clinic because apparently, she is the go-to doctor for problems in breastfeeding. She diagnosed my baby with tongue-tie and asked me whether I want to do the frenotomy procedure (snipping a bit of your baby's "tie" under the tongue. The procedure is not dangerous and even safer than circumcision, so I said yes. I had actually read up all I can about the procedure so I felt confident and safe)

Day 33-40 - I don't expect the nipple pain to magically disappear, but it has been a week and I finally figured that my baby has developed a habit when breastfeeding. She doesn't know that now she can extend her tongue to cup the lower areola and therefore, she did what she always do, grazed my nipple EVERYTIME she fed. Oh my. I had to go back to Kuantan for my sis-in-law wedding and can you imagine going to a kenduri with your breast (nipple) in constant pain. I got so stressed out, even the quality of my milk dropped and they became sooo thin, like plain water. So, the baby got hungry and started demanding to be fed every half an hour. Went to another LC in Kuantan and she suggested I take Shaklee to boost my milk and make it more thick, thus helping the baby to not get hungry every so often. I also tried pumping using Medela Swing and amazingly, I managed to express my milk. But, the pain to my nipple is still there. HUWAAAA!!!

Day 44 (today) - yeah, still in pain. We'll just see how this goes, okay? In the meantime, do pray that I get better, please...

P/S - will update on the baby and the birth story once I feel better. Just a note to those with bf problems as well, please do get professional help before its too late..

And oh, the ONLY silver lining in my dark breastfeeding cloud is I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight. And that is just within the first 20 days. Guess pain really can make you lose weight :)

Easy Peasy Chocolate Cake in 5 minutes (and that includes the cooking time!)

I'm not a big fan of cake. So even though I bake cakes on what use to be a daily occasion, I seldom eat my own cakes.

When the craving to suddenly eat something chocolaty kicks in, I remembered seeing the recipe for chocolate mug cake (baked in microwave) in few websites/blogs. And I'm always game for an easy recipe, especially those which does not involve having to haul up my mixer and whatnot ;p

After tweaking here and there, the most perfect recipe for me is :

1) 4 tablespoon of flour + a teenie weenie pinch of soda bicarbonate
(can substitute for self-raising flour if you have those)
2) 2 tablespoon of sugar
3) 3 tablespoon of cocoa powder
4) 1 egg
5) 2 tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk
6) 3 tablespoon of coffee (preferably with creamer)
(I usually use 3-in-1 nescafe)
7) 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil

The method is soooooo easy, even my two-year-old can do it. Dump item 1,2 and 3 together. Give it a good stir. And then dump item 4 until 7, giving it a good stir after each item. Set microwave on high, and pop the mug/bowl in the microwave for two minutes, and voila...your chocolate cake is ready. Top with ice cream, ganache, nuts and serve warm...yummmeeeehhhh...

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.

Set Asas Pengurusan Uri

I am fairly sure that every Muslim knows that placenta (uri) have to be managed properly, so I will not blog about that here...however, what I wanted to share is : Did you know that nowadays people sell a set specifically to manage the uri (the Islamic way?). The first thing that popped into my mind is "Why didn't they do this sooner?" Hehe...

Anyway, I bought mine at mypermatahati.com at RM35.00 only. Inside the set is salt, tamarind, a clay pot, white cloth and latex glove. All the necessary things to help us dispose and manage the uri properly.

On a side note, a friend in the office who have the same due date as mine have already given birth...and looking at the maternity ticker above, I have less than 20 days!

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.

Mother-Daughter Drama Episode 4 - Up to you lah

It has been a while since our last drama episode. Owh, trust me, it was not because the lack of drama between me and Sara, it was more because of my procrastination habit.

Last 4-5 months (I think), I had just came back home from work in a bad mood with all the crappy nonsense in the office. I wanted to bathe Sara, I took her pyjamas, opened her clothes, and bathe her. No drama. Yet.

She's such a chatterbox in the bathroom and we always enjoy our bath session. Then, I dried her and started to put on the clothes that I took out earlier. She started whining "Yaya don't want to wear this one, want to wear another one". I conceded "Okay, which one?"

She showed me another set of pjs, but when I started to put on the clothes to her, the former scene ensues. Repeat three times. Now, can you imagine my frustration and anger at that time? I threw all her clothes on the bed, and told her "Up to you lah Sara, choose whatever you want, Mummy don't care"

I guess she can hear the strain in my voice, and knows that I'm already at my limit, so she did the next best thing. She cried, on top of her lung. Resulting in of course everybody coming in the room and asking what went wrong (which of course added to my annoyance..hehe)

Since that, the phrase "Up to you lah" has always been extra sensitive to her. If she gets really stubborn and we say "Up to you lah" to her, she'll immediately apologized "Sowwy, sowwy mummy, yaya don't want mummy to angry yaya. Sowwy mummy. Don't say up to you. Sowwy mummy" Hihi, it's funny and heartbreakingly sweet at the same time.

Last week, we went outing together and as usual, she insisted to sit with me at the shotgun position. Its getting hard adjusting to her chubby body (18kgs, 97cm) and mummy's growing tummy. So, I said to her "Sara sit in front la ye, babah drive, Sara sit beside babah. Mummy sit at the back ye?" And she pleaded "No lah, mummy sit with yaya la. Yaya want to sit with mummy. Pleeeaaassseee".

I tried negotiating "Okay, we sit at the back together, nak?" She replied "We sit in front la. Yaya hot, nak aircond". After several minutes of coaxing, she suddenly looked up to me, and said with a very strained voice "Up to you la mummy, want to sit at the back ke, want to sit in front ke" *___*

And guess what I did? I succumbed, I sat in front with her. I swear I can see the glint of amusement in her eyes afterward. Gosh, to think that I am being psyched and manipulated by a two-year-old. I blame it on the pregnancy hormones! ;p

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 :)

Selamat Hari Raya...Maaf Zahir Batin

Back when I was pregnant with Sara, I have no motivation whatsoever to celebrate Raya. I was 7months plus during that time (same as now) and I was sooooo big. I didn't even wear baju kurung/kaftan/dress, instead I just lazed around the house wearing my baju kelawar. Soooo not phat, I know :p

But, this time, considering that I have another toddler who even though doesn't really understand the concept of raya and whatnot, I feel like I'm being selfish if I didn't celebrate raya properly. So, I bought a kaftan, baju melayu for hubby and loads of baju raya for the little kid.

Early morning of hari raya, I bathed Sara and explained to her that this morning we have to "salam" everybody, say Selamat Hari Raya and seek forgiveness for any wrongdoings. So, that is what she did. I didn't explain the part where people would give her angpow, and she should politely accept it and say thank you.

The first person Sara "salam" was her Totok and Nenek, she said "Selamat Hawi Waye" and kissed them both. When they gave her the angpow, she got curious and asked "What is this?". I quickly reply "Angpow. Got money inside". Then she proceeded to "salam" me and hubby. Hubby handed her the angpow, and she took it. But, when she "salam" my sisters and they gave her the angpow as well, she immediately said "Hey, some more? Yaya got already-lah. See, Yaya got two already. Why give some more?" and everybody burst into laughter.

We went back to Kuantan shortly after the salam session in my house. We thought it would be a smooth sailing journey because the holiday was pretty long, and who goes back hometown on pagi raya anyway, right? NOT! The road was congested by people who took the opportunity of the long holiday to go to Genting. Gahhhh!!!

We stopped over at Temerloh and went beraya to hubby's side of the family and continue to Kuantan later in the evening. Our Raya was pretty relaxed, but even then, I felt soooo tired and lethargic...To top that off, I have never felt sooo huge, I was sweating like a p*g (Kuantan is soooo hot!), and my face was sooooooo round. Several attempts to look phat ended up in me looking fat *cries*

Anyway, I hope it is still not too late to wish everybody "Selamat Hari Raya" and I sincerely apologize for any wrongdoings that I may have commit whether direct or indirectly to any of you. I only took two decent pics; one with the whole family and another with my sisters and cousin. I totally forgot to take a picture of my family (with hubby and Sara). Oh well...

Selamat Hari Raya

Maaf Zahir Batin

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

Tips on how to stop your child from using pacifier

I am not supporting nor rejecting the idea of using pacifier. My motto in raising my kid is work with what you've got. :)

As for Sara, she was on pacifier as early as five days old (I think) and no, I am NOT proud of the fact.I know that kids regularly on the pacifier will tend to develop dental deformities, so we have from time to time try to avoid excessive usage.
Sara has always call her pacifier nu-nu, and she'll motion for her pacifier using her index finger to her mouth EVERY TIME she wanted to sleep. So, what we did was take out her pacifier as soon as she falls asleep.


As she grows older, and able to talk, she'll always ask for her nu-nu when she wants to sleep. BUT, when she reached towards two-years-old, she began to demand for her nu-nu every time she felt neglected by people around her.

For example, when I was watching TV instead of playing with her, she'll walk up to the kitchen, and start to ask for her nu-nu. So, I casually suggested to my mom to start depriving her of the pacifier, gradually.

Little did I know that my mom was also having the same thought, which is to stop her from using the pacifier altogether.

So, what we did was: first, we stopped giving her pacifier by her demand. When she wanted to sleep, we gave her the pacifier, but after 10 minutes of sucking, if she's still not sleeping, we'd take out the pacifier and played with her until she's really sleepy.

Secondly, we'd take out her pacifier the minute she falls asleep (as opposed to taking it out when she has dozed off completely). Sometimes she would wake up, but judging from varying degree of crying (mild meaning she can get back to sleep, screaming meaning I-want-my-nunu-back); we either give it back or just cuddle her until she falls right back to sleep.

However, the two ways doesn't really diminish her need for pacifier. They were just means to train her and decrease her need to depend on the pacifier.

One day, my mom decided to go cold-turkey. She secretly cut the tip of the pacifier and put a black thread inside the pacifier. So, it looks as if there's "worm" inside the pacifier. (Sara is really scared of worms ;p)

She took one look at her pacifier, and say "Nenek, got worm" and together, they threw the pacifier in the dustbin. Later that day, when she wanted to sleep and asked for her nu-nu, my mom reminded her that her nu-nu got worm and its in the dustbin. She must've been really sleepy because she dozed off after that.

During night time, she asked for her nu-nu again, and this time, she pulled my dad's hand to the dustbin and demanded that my dad take back her nu-nu. "Wash first, ok?" she said. Haha.

My dad took the nu-nu and brought her to the kitchen and they wash the nu-nu together. "But, the worm cannot come out-la, Yaya" my dad said. She's dissatisfied, but didn't cry. I take that as a good sign.

She came running to me and asked me to buy her new nu-nu and I said okay. I also told her that "Only baby can get nu-nu, Sara big girl already, Sara kan kakak. No more nu-nu okay?" She seemed to understand and didn't press further.

Luckily for us, starting from that moment on, she'd never scream/shout asking for her pacifier. Don't get me wrong, she did cry and we have had some sleepless nights and our patience are almost running thin. But, we persevered and the result; no more pacifier for the little girl.

Priceless moments...

Mummy, come take picture of Yaya..

Ok, Yaya pretend to watch Barney, mummy take picture okay?



Umm...Yaya pretend to laugh, Mummy take picture okay?




And then, Yaya pretend to become angry, Mummy take picture okay?



Yaya do funny face, Mummy take picture okay?




Yaya smile like cute girl, Mummy take picture okay?

And all the pictures are blurry because I was laughing sooo hard entertaining my cheeky little kid :)

Children's Playground Ethics.

First off, if your child is below 3 years, kindly assist him/her to play. I've seen a father who suddenly came into the playground area shouting "Who pushed him? Who pushed him??!!" upon seeing his son falling down and crying. Dude, seriously, no point blaming others, if you don't want your child to fall, be with him. DUH! (and yes, the child looked no more than 2 years old)

Do not let your child climb the slide from below. Ask them to go through the stairs. I don't really mind if the child is alone, I understand that children have their own imagination and sense of adventure. What makes me tick is when the parents is there, letting their child climb the slide when obviously, a queue is starting to form at the top of the slide consisting of children trying to CORRECTLY go down the slide (including my child).

I once said to a boy (indirectly to his father, who was just standing not two feet away) "Abang, bagi adik turun dulu gelongsor ni boleh?" because my child is trying to slide down (like a normal person do), instead of trying to climb up the slide (like the boy was trying to do).

Of course, he didn't understand me, and almost fall off in his attempt to climb the slide, all the while the father was watching him, and DOING NOTHING.

So, I did the next mature thing to do. I told my child gently, "Sara, don't do like abang ok. Next time you want to climb the slide, use the stairs. Don't be selfish like abang, ok?".

The father instantly looked at me. And immediately coax his son to climb through the stairs. Luckily, he did still have some ounce of shame.

From my observation, the parents are always there in the playground area, standing nearby the child at every time (which is good thing) but more often than not, the parents (especially the father) just stood there watching. I get the whole "letting your child test his ability" thing, believe me, I do. But, when your child is dangling upside down from the stairs, its really a good time to interfere, no?

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...