On stretch mark..

Just to share with you an article on strecth mark that I found at http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/calendar/week22

And how's mom doing? Take a moment to think about this: your uterus has now stretched to such unholy proportions that it extends beyond your navel! The not-so-exciting part of this remarkable fact is that growth like this tends to leave stretch marks and can itch like nobody’s business. If you're genetically prone to get stretch marks (you are if you already have stretch marks elsewhere) it's unlikely you'll be able to completely prevent them during pregnancy.

Don’t get suckered into buying really expensive creams that supposedly make stretch marks ‘magically disappear.'Stretch marks are scars on your skin and won’t disappear with a topical cream .

But feel free to apply all the aloe-vera (and other anti-itch lotions) to alleviate the itching. In terms of preventing their appearance, cocoa butter-based creams and creams full of Vitamin E have a reputation for helping-- but there's still no guarantee that those pesky stretch marks won't show up despite your best creaming-up efforts.

Waiting in agony..

I'm going to be 38 weeks + 4 days tomorrow.. Any signs of her coming out? Nil, nothing, zilch! I am REALLY hoping that the baby would come out within this week but so far there is no indication of labour at all. My Braxton Hicks contraction is not getting any frequent and the baby's head has not yet engage. The anticipation is killing me, urgghh..

My tummy is so big that a lot of ppl at the hospital thought I am carrying a twin. I had difficulty in walking and jalan dah terkengkang-kengkang to support my big belly. Each day at my work place, rasa-rasanye nak berjalan dari clinik to surau in NICU, adalah 10 orang tegur " Tak bersalin lagi???? Uiii, besarnya perut, bila due???" I guess my lil girl ni extra shy, lagi ramai orang tanya lagi dia malu nak keluar..heheheh..

My ever increasing (not to mention very, very itchy) stretch mark is also driving me up the wall.. tak mampu dah nak tahan tgn ni dari menggaru. I'm cursed with having a very nice map on my skin and the very famous and expensive Bio Oil or Matern Programme Stretch Mark cream did not help at all. I guess it's all genetics..

I'm due to see my gynae at PMC, the very sweet Dr Idora this coming Saturday. Will I need IOL (induction of labour) or will I be subjected for C-section due to big baby? Let's see what she has to say ya.

Walking down the memory lane..

I never like animals! I’m not cruel or having anything against them but I just never like to have furry things in my house. The thought of having to feed them and manage their poo poo just doesn’t appeal to me. I must have inherrited this gene from who else, my dad of course.

I can still remember the last time our family had a pet was when I was around 4 or 5 years old living in our old rented house in Taman Kajang Jaya. We had 2 cats: Musa and Mahathir .. hahahaha.. both were named after Malaysian ministers (obviously) as my dad were into politics! I did not have vivid memory of Mahathir (I think he died quite young) but our family loved Musa. There’s nothing unusually special about him, he looked just like any regular Malaysian cat (no fluffy furs or what..), orange in color with some white spots.

What I could recall the most was when he got hit by a car and fractured his bones. We did not have a vet at the time (and don’t think we could afford bringing him to see one). My dad, acting like a orthopedic surgeon, tied his broken leg onto a stick to hold the bone in position and help him walk. We even gave him panadol to ease the pain (Did we overdose him and how do we know how much to give back then??) Anyways, he died not long after that and since then, our family did not own any more pets.

I will try my very best to dig in some old picture of mini me with Musa posing in front of our old house.. I'm sure it is hidden somewhere at my parents place in Bangi. I shall upload 'em in my blog once it is available..

In loving memory:

Musa and Mahathir.. passed in 1980s..

We missed you..

3rd trimester mayhem

At 37 weeks: catching a midnite movie..

Finally, I have reached into the final stage of the pregnancy, which is the most tiresome of all three. The baby is growing rapidly and I can feel her movements were getting less frequent but definitely stronger.

I became lethargic very easily during the day partly due to the sleepless nights that I had. I got up several times at night to empty my bladder. I always asked Ahmad the next morning, “Abang sedar tak berapa kali Mxx bangun pegi toilet?” and he said “Sedaaar, takkan la tak sedar…” Hmm.. funny, I could detect his hesitant reply and knew straight away the he was bluffing. How could he be awake when I can see him sleeping soundly and hear the sound of him snoring!

During this period, indigestion and reflux caused me to sleep upright and I barely can move and shift my sleeping position due to severe back pain. There are times that I had attacks of leg cramps which forced Ahmad to wake up in the middle of the night to give me a quick massage followed by an MC the next day. Do you think I should be taking double dose of calcium supplement?

Anyways, I’ve stopped doing oncall since 33 weeks as my pregnancy prevents me from berlari or jalan laju2, thus makes it difficult for me to attend to emergency cases immediately. I always turned up 1 hour LATE for work and luckily my colleagues understood that I’m moving extra slow :p

Towards the end of my pregnancy, my weight has increased dramatically! I don’t think I eat that much but I attributed the sudden rise due to water retention. My feet were swollen like an elephant that my size 6 hush puppies sandal became too tight for me to wear (and I normally put on size 5 shoes!). I woke up with a painful and stiff finger joints (thanks to Carpal Tunnel syndrome) that I felt like an old arthritic lady. I looked fat and I don’t feel attractive anymore.

My edematous feet, see.. my feet can't fit in..

How do I cope? I still go to work as usual (to kill the time), shop in the time of leisure, make full use of my hubby’s presence (to massage and do house chores) and wear make up to make me feel pretty again..

But deeply, I start to wish that the baby would come out and the pregnancy will be over soon!

Mayumiiii.. meow meow

Mayumi taking a nap.. posing maut, you!

The only person in the family who is a cat person would be my eldest sister, Kak Nunu and her son, Abe Muttaqi, as well as Eida my younger sis. Since Kak Nunu has her own house, having her own cat doesn’t really bother us until the latest one that she had, by the name: MAYUMI. Being a very busy businesswoman (goes for outstation a lot), this cat ends up spending most of his time at my parents house. Eida, who used to stay at my parents adored him and took care of him when he was young until recently when she left to work at Kota Kinabalu. Now the responsibility falls on my mom’s maid, Halimah.. hahahha.. She has to bath him once in 3 days with his Blueberry shampoo, make sure he is well fed and his poo poo sands are cleared and cleaned. I’m excused of this challenging task as handling cat’s poo poo is obviously dangerous for pregnant lady.

Mayumi is somewhat an adorable cat. We used to make sure that he stays in the house as not to mingle with 10 dirty stray cats outside our door. Being curious Lil Mayumi, he still tries to find any possible way of getting out and play (catching butterflies, eating grass (yup, I think he is more of herbivore) and trying to be friendly with The Strays). Ever so often, he even got himself into cat fight (I guess other cats are jealous of him) and got himself injured.. but that doesn’t stop him from going outside and enjoy the world..

My dad used to hate him. He will jump the minute he heard the sound of him and asked us to lock the cat in the kitchen. Once, my mom told me, my dad was having dinner alone and being almost blind (due to some medical condition) he could not see that Mayumi was actually curling on the dining table next to him. Fortunately, Mayumi doesn’t eat human food and only takes his usual friskies diet. My dad freaked out when he tak sengaja tersentuh the furry Mayumi!!! Shocked and angry, he quickly pushed him off the table, poor Mayumi, he was just keeping him company..

However, I noticed nowadays that my dad grew fond of him.. He’ll ask ‘Mayumi lapar? Dah makan?’ whenever he heard his meows. I was utterly surprised by his change.. My mom also loves him that sometimes she even brought him along to the wet market (of course he is left in the car!)..

Anyways, odd behaviour that Mayumi has is he likes to sleep during the day. Not take a short nap but REALLY doze off for 5-6 hours non stop especially in an airconditioned room. Is it some kind of illness or diurnal variation that a cat has? Luckily he doesn’t eat much or he’ll end up heavy and lazy just like his mate GARFIELD. Heheheh.. Whateva it is Mayumi.. we all lurve you!

Movie Nite..

Every weekend, as usual me and hubby had a date night aka movie night.. Our favourite place to go would be JJ Bukit Raja coz dekat,less traffic, ample parking space and the cinema is only on the 1st floor (tak payah jalan jauh2)..

Last weekend, I wanted to watch back-2-back movies, Inception and Knight and Day. My sister and friends gave good reviews on Knight and Day, action packed, kelakarlah and of course, ada Encik Tom Cruise and Cik Cameron Diaz! Unfortunately, the movie was not shown at Bukit Raja TGV and finally we decided to just settle with watching one movie: Inception..

Boy oh boy.. was I in for a BIG surprise... I bloody LURVE it!!! The movie was very dark and complicated that I was mentally exhausted after watching it. Drama after drama and action after action that it just blew my mind away. I should give standing ovation to the very handsome and talented Leo d Cap, that guy from 3rd Rock and Ellen Page, the Juno girl and the rest of the casts for their commendable performance.. Tabik tabik.. I was so into Inception that I don't think I was in for another movie for probably another week until my mind is free and well rested hhahah.. BTW, do u know that the director of this movie also directed The Dark Knight? No wonder the essence of both motion pictures were familiar.. mind boggling!

My verdict: 4.5 dandy stars

Anyways, since my baby still wants to hybernate in her mommy's womb, me and hubby decided to go for another movie 2 nights ago.. The Walt Disney's The Sorcerer's Stone.. All in all, it was so-so (magic collided with science = I'm confused!) , predictable storylines with no memorable scenes. I don't know why but I was particularly irritated with the boy who acted as the protege (see, I can't even remember the character's name!).. his voice and facial expression just annoyed me!! The only main attraction for the movie would be the suave Nicholas Cage! I won't recommmend this movie to anyone unless you're planning to treat your kids for some not-so-magical adventure (it's 13pG).

My verdict: 3 dandy stars

My ecstacy..

Too bad that today my hubby had to attend a full day course which left me all alone at home on a weekend! I took leave of absence for the last 2 days, on Thursday as I had an appointment with Dr Idora and yesterday due to leg cramps which occured more frequently as both my lower limbs are getting more swollen! I was full rested thus I decided to go out to The Curve, all alone shopping..

I can't stand all the attention that I received nowadays. People are giving me sorry/pitiful eyes as they saw me walking like a mother duck, terkedek-kedek with my very big tummy. Even the pump guy at a petrol station who helped me fill up the gas said, " Takpe ke kak, jalan2 dan drive kereta sorang2?" and my reply was, "Nak buat camana dik, kalau saya nak terberanak sekarang, awak hantar saya gi spital eh ;) ".... heheehe..

After the short pit stop at Petronas NKVE, I headed to the Curve and thank goodness, the road was still quite clear and there was ample parking space as I make a point to get out early to avoid all the congestion. I went directly to the 1st floor of the Curve where all the mother and baby shops were located, bought some stuffs (one of it was unplanned..) went down and hang out at Starbucks at the Borders, ordered hot chocolate and read some free gossip and parenting magazines..hahahha...

Before I headed home, I decided to drop by at my sister's house at Kota Damansara to see my nephews and niece and to have a chat. I had a cup of Kak Mar, her maid's signature Teh Tarik and went back home.

These are the things that I bought today:

1) 2 Fabulous Mom Jill nursing bra from Little Haven
- though I already have 5 Autumz bra (all are unpadded) , I've decided to try out Fabulous Mom's padded bra so as to avoid embarassment of having your 2 'things' showing and the discomfort of wearing nursing pads. It also comes in a pastel lilac colour, which I think looks rather cute :)

2) Mothercare bump and beyond soothing nipple cream
- I've been wanting to buy this cream since my mom, my sister and even my sister's maid been bugging me since earlier this week, telling me to apply it before the baby arrives. They said it is important to moisturize and soften your nipple to prevent from sore and cracked nipple later on as milk production will be minimal on the first few days. I already have Purelan gel 7gm (very small tube) which I got for free when I bought my Medela FS but unfortunately was left at my mom's place. So I decided to try this cream from Mothercare 100ml for RM 32 (+ additional 10% off) which is relatively cheap. The downside is I need to clean the breast before and after feeding, unlike Purelan that contained Linolin, which is safe for your baby and allows direct BF after using.

3) 2 pair of baby dress also from Mothercare priced RM 106 (+ additional 20% off). This is definitely an unplanned purchase and I have to come up with a reason for buying more baby clothes to my hubby.. He won't be happy with it as my shopaholic instinct always threw me off budget. He is the sane one and I should never be left alone at a shopping mall! But how can I resist all these cute baby wear????
4) 2 pyjama tops that I bought from Metrojaya sale, each for RM 13.90!! The good thing is the tops are front buttoned which I'm planning to wear at the hospital after the delivery.

5) My dad's medications.
- My mom called me last week and frantically asked me to buy my dad's medications for his hypertension and heart problem. My dad, with his gastric ulcer, could not tolerate Aspirin and can only take Clopidogrel.. and he specifically wants Plavix (a brand). It costs d' bomb with 14 tabs = RM 140!! I bought him the same medication before but different brand (obviously for its cheaper price but similar function) but my parents said it still caused him stomach discomfort.. erkkk?? I guess, I just have to comply to their request and get them the first class medication..
So I went to Alpha Pharmacy at Dataran Sunway and bought him 2 boxes of Plavix (1 box 14 tabs, 1 tablet/day) and 1 box of Felodipine (28 tablets, 1 tablet/day). Luckily the pharmacist on duty was actually working in the same hospital as me and we had quite a nice chat. I registered as a regular customer with the pharmacy which allows me to collect points and get a special price on certain medications. As a doctor, I also get discounted price, so in total, I paid RM 288 instead of RM 433!!

So, tomorrow I'm going back to Bangi to visit my parents and passed him his VERY expensive prescription drugs..

Packed and ready..

At 37 weeks + 5 days, I can go into labour any time now.. I'm just waiting for any cues such as contraction pain, leaking or show. So far, the baby in my tummy enjoys the environment in the womb too much that she hasn't given me any hint that she wants to come out and see the world.. yet. I've already prepared my luggage in case she suddenly decides to pop out and these are the things I've packed:-

For me:

1) Clothes
- 2 front button shirts for the ease of BF.
- 2 kain sarung though I'm no expert in wearing one.. hahaha..

2) Towel

3) Nursing bra and undies

4) A pair of slippers

5) Sanitary pads though I expect the hospital provides this for me but I'm sure I'll be more comfortable wearing my favourite brand.

6) 1 pair of socks

7) Toilettries
- tooth brush and tooth paste, soap, powder, deodorant and comb

8) Make up
- I want to look nice on discharged

9) Food
- should I bring some snacks? I probably don't have to bring one as PMC has Starbucks, 1901 hotdog and a cafetaria at the lobby.

10) Other stuffs such as magazines or books in case I'm bored

11) Doa mudah bersalin / Al-quran
- to help me stay calm through out the delivery process

12) Purelan cream to prevent cracked nipples

For the baby:

1) Newborn shirt and pants / body suit

2) A hat, booties and mittens

3) Receiving blanket

4) Diapers

5) Baby wipes and miniature toilettries

Other must haves:

1) Camera to record the historical event

2) Baby carrier for safety during our journey back home

What's for dinner?

I was on leave today as I had antenatal check up with Dr Idora at PMC in the afternoon. I've been wanting to have north indian cuisine since last week and today, my wish came true. After Ahmad came back from work, we headed straight to Passage Thru India located at Bukit Damansara.

This place was introduced by my ex-classmate when we had our mini reunion here few months ago. Though the menu appeared Greek to me, but I already know which dish to order.

For tonight's dinner, me and hubby had Briyani with Mutton, Chicken Tika, Palak Paneer (my favourite) and a cup of Indian coffee. The place is on the pricy side but it was totally worth it as the food were really yummy. If you decide to go there, please share your food as the servings are quite a lot for one person. Don't be surprised with the parking fee: RM 5 per entry!

I'm totally indicisive..

I totally couldn't decide between these two gorgeous dress for my baby girl's aqiqah. I've had a discussion with my mom earlier on and we plan to have her aqiqah when she is day 7 of life which is the most afdhal time. Me and hubby have scouted few shops and found these two baby gowns from Lovely Lace.. I have yet make up my mind on which one I'm gonna buy for her.

Can you help me to decide?

My worry..

I’m currently at 37 weeks + 2 days to be exact. Just came back to see my Gynae, Dr Idora at PMC and from her USG, my baby’s estimated weight is 3.5kg!

Will I be able to push the baby out from my uterus? I have not experience child birth before. I did asked her regarding the possibility of C-section and she said we wouldn’t know until I’m in labour. In the mean time, we should go for a trial of spontaneous vaginal delivery and opt for C-section if there is evidence of cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD).

I pray very hard that the labour process will be smooth and easy and the baby will come out cute and healthy.

Newborn essentials checklist

As much as I hate 3rd trimester, my only consolation would be going out for a SHOPPING SPREE!! I couldn’t get enough of buying for our lil princess that Ahmad and I started shopping as early as 27 weeks!! We have to get practically everything since we are first time parents. Now, I realized that baby’s stuff are very pricy and can cause quite a significant dent in my pocket.

Below is a newborn checklist which helps in making my shopping task much easier.

1) CLOTHING
How can I resist buying all the pretty pink and purple clothes for my lil girl?

• 2 hats – I bought 1 from Pumpkin Patch coz it was too darn cute and another hat which was included in an ‘8 piece set by Mothercare’ which I found at Reject Shop!
• 3 pairs of socks/booties
• 4 pants and shirts – I didn’t get that many as newborns usually put on wt and outgrow their clothing size very fast.
• 4 tummy binders
• 4 coveralls – to wear at night / during cold weather. Mothercare do sell 3 cute coveralls for a mere RM 100. To save more, I bought them during Mothercare sale for 30% + additional 10% off for VIP card holder.
• > 10 rompers – there are so many branded ones out there that are quite cheap (as they are rejected items or out of season) but still maintained their quality such as Gap, Osh Kosh and Carters. I tried to get variable sizes mostly for 3-6 months and 6-12 months.
• I had purchased a SUPER adorable dress from Mothercare that I plan to use as baju raya for my baby (is it too soon?). I also intend to buy a lacy gown from ‘Lovely Lace’ for my baby’s aqiqah later.
  
  (I’ll still be in my confinement period during Hari Raya, which explains why I shop everything beforehand hehehe)
  

2) BATH TIME

• 2 hooded towels – I need to buy everything in pairs (1 for use in case the other one ends up in the washing machine)
• Several washcloths – it usually comes in a pack of 3s or 5s
• Miniature baby toiletries – I'll probably get the bigger ones as a gift later..
• 1 pink baby tub
• 1 set of nail clippers and comb
• 1 bottle of baby lotion – I’m sure babies love to be massaged

3) FEEDING

• 1 quality breast pump – it was a BIG issue between me and my husband. We were short of $$ so initially I did not plan to get one. My sis promised to lend hers as she still had her 7 year old Medela mini electric BP. Unfortunately, it was already broken and after much consideration, I’ve decided to invest on the mother of all BP: The Medela free style (comes with 4 Medela storage bottles, City Style carrying bag, one ice pack and a cooler bag) which cost me a whopping 1.6K! I determine to exclusively BF my baby for at least the first 6 months and with my hectic schedule, the FS fits my need with its much talk-about advanced technology. We’ll see how my milk production later and I shall update you on this!

Anyways, I saw on E! recently that Kimora Lee Simmons (yes, the I’m a mom, a model and a moghul) is also using Medela FS!!!

• 3 BPA free bottles – There are too many brands to mention but I hope I’ll only start using it before I get back to work. Anyways, I bought Avent feeding bottles but I personally like Tommee Tippe’s decorative pink bottle. Don't you think they are really cute?

• 30 BPA free milk storage bottles. I purchased my Bumblee bee bottles online during www.enjoybreastfeed.com mid year sale. My friend (I took a lot of advice from them) did mention about milk storage bags as they are less space consuming.
• 1 bottle brush
• 1 bottle drying rack/wash rack
• 1 bottle warmer – I bought Little bean’s multi purpose warmer.. But my friend said it is much convenient not to mention faster, to just warm up your EBM in a bowl / cup filled with hot water.
• 2 bibs – to wear once the baby starts on bottle feeding as to avoid frequent change of outfit due to spill / regurgitation.
• 5 nursing bras – I only have Autumz Bamboo bra which I started wearing since my 3rd trimester, but my colleague did recommend tops from fabulous mom. I might purchase one in the future just to give it a try.
• Breast pads – disposable or washable? My friends (again..) said disposable ones are much easier unless you are wearing padded bra. I bought few boxes from Mothercare (1 box of 100s for RM 39, if I’m not mistaken..)
• __ formula milk – hopefully I don’t need to buy one

4) TRAVELLING ITEMS

• Stroller. I have been searching online and even asked the opinion of several sales assistance from different Mothercare stores on which stroller to buy. I need a sturdy one and at the same time reasonably priced. I love Quinny for it stylish appearance unfortunately it is way too bulky for my Honda Jazz. I was torn between these 2 brands: Mclaren or Peg Perego Classico. I finally settled for Mclaren Techno XT all black and thank god I saved almost 1K as it came as a present from my siblings for my baby. Thanks guys!

• 1 car seat but I bought 2, one for my husband’s car and one for my car. Since I spent quite a hefty amount of cash on this travel items, I shall trained my baby to stay quietly in the car seat and enjoy the scenery.. I’m keeping my fingers tightly crossed.
• 1 diaper bag
• 1 baby carrier (front or sling). I bought a cheap one coz I prefer my baby to enjoy the stroller and not the carrier.
• travel baby wipes case
• __ car seat cover (if cold out) (optional)
• __ umbrella stroller – I did not buy one coz I don’t find it useful unless you want to use the stroller outdoor (e.g during working out)

5) HEALTH

• 1 thermometer
• CPR guidelines – I think having a guideline alone is not practical unless you attend a CPR course and trained to perform one.
• Pediatrician – you must have your favourite pediatrician’ contact number in case of emergency. I probably don’t need one as pediatricians are my boss.
• Nasal aspirator
• Saline nasal drops
• Cotton gauze for use when cleaning umbilical stump and to clean her private area after she poops or shishi..
• Detergent for bottles and baby's clothes
  

6) FOR THE NURSERY

• Crib – I bought 2 sets. One set is placed at my mom’s house as I’m planning to spend my confinement time there and another one at home. It is up to you whether you should invest in this item. Some of my friends only used it for several months as their babies end up sleeping in between their Mommies and Daddies. I personally think that babies need to be trained to have their 40 winks in their own bed. Just like the Mat Sallehs where their lil ones spend the night in their own separate bed and room! I guess it’s easier said then done, especially when you are tired working moms and have to get up ever so often to nurse your small ones.
  

Few words of reminder, if you are too exhausted, DO NOT let your baby sleep next to you as it increased the risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)!

• Changing table – IKEA and few online stores do sell one with the price around RM 300! It is not my top priority thing to buy at the moment though…
• 1 trash can
• 1 nursing chair to avoid backache while BF your baby
• 1 monitor if you have a separate nursery room
• 1 crib mobile – probably only comes into use when the baby is > 3 months old (that’s when the time the eyes are able to focus)
• 1 nightlight
• At least 2 crib sheets – I bought plain pink sheets at IKEA, RM 39 for the price of 2 which I think is reasonably priced!
• 1 crib bumper, baby blankets and crib skirt – I get so excited to decorate our room as this is going to be our first born! So everything from the curtains to the beddings is either purple or pink!!
• 1 waterproof mattress cover – I bought one from Bumblee Bee for RM 37. My friend said the item is a must have to prevent leaking onto the mattress.
• 1 crib mattress
• Diaper stacker – is a must if you are an organized person (which I’m not!)

7) DIAPERING

• Diapers (either disposable or cloth)
• Several bungkus of baby wipes
• 1 tube of diaper cream to avoid nappy rash

8) OTHER ITEMS NICE TO HAVE WHEN BABY ARRIVES:

• Photo frame – I’ll probably get it as a present later
• 1 keepsake boxes and baby book – I bought one from MPH. It is obviously pink in colour and Ahmad and I document everything about my pregnancy, just like a journal but in a simpler presentation. We also keep the 3D and 4D USG CDs in the box.
• Books on baby care and post-pregnancy care - the book below was recommended to me by a close friend.. I bought one and went through the topics. I do think it is useful especially for clueless parent like me.

I hope you have found this checklist helpful especially for ppl like my husband and I, first time parents. I agree, baby products are quite costly, thus, you need to prioritize on things to buy. Do talk to your mom, sisters and friends.. They do offer great advice.

Happy shopping!!

2nd trimester bliss..

My friends told me that the 2nd trimester was the best stage of pregnancy.
I totally agreed because:

1) I felt most comfortable during this period

2) Symptoms of morning sickness subside by 12 weeks. I can eat and smell anything!

3) I felt energetic and able to be in charge of the ward again. I even travelled to Penang at 21 weeks and Kota Kinabalu at 24 weeks for 2 different medical courses!

At Golden Sands Resort, Penang

View of Mount K

4) My belly started to show and I looked forward to wearing all the stylish maternity clothes

5) I started to feel my baby’s 1st kick (or more like a flutter) at 21 weeks, but Ahmad could only appreciate it at 24 weeks as the baby is extra shy and quiet around her daddy..

6) People said I had this pregnancy glow (I was in the mood to apply make up and wear nice clothes). Even some of my nurses told me that I might be carrying a baby girl as I looked radiant and berseri-seri..

7) I passed my MRCPCH 1B exam! Yahooooo… rezeki anak la katakan…

8) I did detail scan at 22 weeks and discovered that the baby is growing well and healthy.

By the way, we are expecting a SHE!!!!!!!

Wow, I'm having a tiny lil princess in my belly..

1st trimester turmoil..

at 5 weeks POA

During this period I went through a lot! Apart from breast changes, headache and tiredness, I also had symptoms of hyperemesis including nausea and vomiting. I thought pregnant mothers are supposed to take nutritious, healthy diet for your ‘growing needs’ and here I was, not eating and was vomiting away. I wonder who coined the term MORNING sickness as all these symptoms mainly occurred at NIGHT!

With all these sufferings, I was still working regularly in the clinic and doing my 36 hours oncall as usual. I never took leave from work or MC except for once when I had severe upper respiratory infection, lost my voice and could not even get out from bed. On top of that, I also had to prepare myself, knowledge wise, for my MRCPCH 1B examination on 12/1/2010 and the exam itself costs me RM 1500, self paid!

I went to UMMC on my exam day feeling worried as I was definitely not mentally and physically ready. The exam extends from 5pm to 9pm and all the while, I had to endure feeling like more than 50 butterflies playing in my stomach and an excruciating headache that was killing me. I couldn’t even remember my answers to almost 100 questions and just pray that the exam would be over before I puke and humiliate myself in front of other candidates! Luckily I finished the exam uneventfully and drove back to Bukit Jelutong at around 10pm.

As soon as I arrived home, I greeted Ahmad who was lazing in front of the television, sprint my way straight to the loo and everything that I had for lunch came out from my mouth in a split second. From afar, I heard my husband said “ Mxx, camana exam?”.. and I wonder.. how can I answer when my mouth was still filled with vomit.. yuck!

New chapter in life

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Just like any other first time mommies, I was super excited when I discovered that a life is growing inside of me. I felt I was ready to face all the bodily changes that the pregnancy brings.. I was like.. “OKAY, BRING IT ON !”

My pregnancy calendar:
LMP: 3rd November 2009
EDD: 10th August 2010
(a day before Ramadhan month!)

Successful conception.. for the 2nd time

Since my pregnancy loss, Ms Flow never came to visit me. I wasn’t worry or anything as I thought it might be due to the miscarriage that my hormones went gaga for a while.. I don’t know why, but suddenly I had the urge to perform a pregnancy test (again, at work) just to be sure and grabbed a UPT kit from the labour room/PAC next door.. I was shocked to see the 2 distinct blue lines on the window that I even had to confirm with my nurses “Ya doctor, mmg confirm mengandung!!”

I couldn’t stop smiling and I was sure my nurses and housemen who did not know were confused with my weird elated mood and behaviour that week. As for Ahmad, he was excited to discover that I was pregnant again but he just sometimes couldn’t believe it and kept asking me “Are you sure?” and I said “Honey, I’m 100% positive!!”

To make sure that the previous problem doesn’t recur, my boss was kind enough to put me on light duty and be in charged of the clinic instead of the ward. I pray hard for a smooth pregnancy and the baby in my tummy will grow healthily. I will definitely look forward to what pregnancy holds: a unique and fascinating experience?!

My lost little one..

We have been married for 2 years and one of the commonest questions that we got was obviously “dah pregnant?” I was so sad (and angry at the same time) and thought who wouldn’t want a baby? Why do you have to ask this mean question to me? We have been trying for baby (VERY HARD, mind you) since we were officially man and wife and would definitely announced it to the world if we were expecting!

I was a bit worried as my ovulation test that I did several times show that I was not ovulating. Have I been having anovulatory cycle all this while and should I be taking clomid (at the same time trying really hard to remember Dr Noriah’s physiology lecture..)? I was anxious and did some blood tests as part of infertility work up and thank God they all turned out to be normal. Finally, I have come to the term that ‘it’s all God’s will, if we meant to be parents, then it will just happen naturally’..I just make sure that I eat healthily, stayed fit (does swimming on potato couch counts?) and stayed stress-free (I couldn’t be bothered to even remember on my LMP)..

Finally, in August 2009, I noticed that Ms Flow was unusually late and to my surprise, my UPT was weakly positive (but there was definitiely 2 lines there that it was able to be captured on camera).. I was super excited and told Ahmad immediately and obviously he was overjoyed by the happy news. Both of us can’t wait to be papa and mama.. yay..

Shortly after that, I was faced with a bad news. I had fresh painless PV bleed when I was about 5 weeks pregnant.. while I was doing my oncall! Was it stress? I went to see a friend of mine in OnG department straight away and TV scan showed that there was no intrauterine gestational sac.. Isk..Isk..Sedihnya.. She consoled me (..probably it was an implantation bleed..), prescribed duphaston and gave me a week off from work. I still bled (a lot, and not just spotting) for the next 1 week; my gut feeling told me that the pregnancy was not viable and my 2nd scan at 6 weeks confirmed my fear. I had a complete miscarriage. My heart was broken into pieces but I still remembered Ahmad kind words to me “ Takpe Mxx, kita cuba lagi ya.” Okay, sayang.. after this let’s go all out ya!

Greetings..

Welcome to my humble blog, my brand new home sweet home that my dear beloved husband created especially for me yesterday.. During this pregnancy, I kept on surfing the net and captivated by certain blogs especially the new-mommies blog.. I secretly have this desire of having my own space where I can write and whine about my day to day life. I guess he was tired of listening to my stories on other people’s life, and walla.. one weekend morning, he switched on the laptop and showed me this cute blog that he created overnight! (Hmm, no wonder he slept late last night, I seriously thought he was trying to finish up his office work, hmm cheeky abang :).

After much deliberation, discussion and renovation, we finally agreed on the name, template as well as the layout. I hope you guys and gals, the readers will enjoy reading and browsing through my simple blog (everyone has interesting stories to tell right?)

Okay, see you soon ;)