Baby Shower Treats

By my besties, among those ladies that I will love till the end of my life.

Thank YOU.

Wordless Wednesday

Minggu Tiga Puluh Dua

Dah minggu ke 32. Kalau dibahagi empat secara langsung, sudah 8 bulan. Tapi kalau ikut kiraan hari (1 bulan bersamaan 30 hari), baru 7 1/2 bulan.

Selak-selak kad rekod antenatal bayi dalam perut sekarang, terpikir pula nak buat perbandingan rekod antara budak berdua ni. Boleh buat anggaran berapa berat bayi yang akan lahir, juga berat emaknya setelah cukup tempoh untuk melahirkan. So, here we go.

Kesimpulan awal yang boleh saya buat sekarang ini adalah :

1) Berat bayi dijangkakan lebih dari 3.12kg jika bayi dilahirkan pada tarikh jangka lahir atau lewat. Ini juga memberi maksud Mommy bayi perlu berusaha lebih sewaktu melahirkan (pertama kali akan melahirkan bayi secara normal, jika diizinkan Allah) atau boleh juga berusaha supaya bayi dilahirkan awal 1 atau 2 minggu dari tarikh jangka lahir.

2) Berat Mommy bayi juga dijangkakan lebih dari 60kg, tidak kira lah sama ada Mommy bayi akan melahirkan bayi lebih awal, pada atau lewat dari tarikh jangka lahir. Ini juga memberi maksud Mommy bayi perlu berusaha lebih untuk menurunkan berat badan ke tahap yang diinginkan (45kg ke bawah).

Kedua-dua kesimpulan di atas membuatkan saya rasa berdebar-debar!

Hai bayi!

Confinement Lady in Melaka

Dimangkinkan oleh permintaan seorang rakan blogger dan Twitter saya, Puan Ayin (yang kini mula membuka tempahan online untuk cookies, kek, biskut dan lain-lain juga), lalu saya telah memaksa kakak saya untuk menyenaraikan hasil kaji selidik beliau selama lewat beberapa minggu ini. Masih belum ada testimonial peribadi dari kakak saya, memandangkan beliau masih belum bersalin, namun begitu, beliau telah membuat perjanjian dengan Kak Sania untuk perkhidmatan selepas bersalin dengan mengubah sedikit harga mengikut perkhidmatan yang diperlukan, setelah mendapat persetujuan kedua-dua pihak.

Ini adalah hasil daripada senarai yang berjaya dihubungi oleh kakak saya; ada juga yang tidak menjawab panggilan atau tidak membalas mesej (mungkin sedang sibuk mengurut). Anda juga mungkin boleh meng-Google berkenaan "tukang urut selepas bersalin di Melaka" atau kata kunci yang seakan dengannya, dan mendapatkan lebih banyak maklumat untuk lebih banyak perbandingan.

Sila kelik gambar untuk lebih jelas

Fun Info : In Japan, most women stay in the hospital for 4 to 7 days after vaginal delivery, and about 10 days after caesarean section, (also c-section, caesarian section, cesarean section, caesar, etc). Source and more reading, here.

Of Pregnancy & Related Things So Far

Before I knew it, I'm now officially in my 3rd trimester. May be it's the same as before, but this time I feel heavier even it's only 28 weeks. Pinggang cepat sakit kalau duduk lama, tidur terlentang dah rasa mengah, punggung cepat sengal kalau banyak berjalan, kaki kanan dan kiri bergilir-gilir rasa lenguh kalau banyak buat kerja rumah. May be age is also one of the contributing factors. Being pregnant in 20s and 30s give you different experience.

On preparation progress, so far we are doing a bit slow. We already bought a few of baby items, considering some of Eirsa's are still usable. But we have yet to rearrange the third room, giving space for the confinement lady, that will stay with us for 3 weeks. And of course for Mak, whom will also stay with us 1+ week prior to the confinement lady. And I tell you, only 1/2 of the third room area is visible. And of course, prior to clearing up the third room, we have to bring in Eirsa and her sister's wardrobe for better and permanent rearrangement.

Haih.. Quite some stuffs to be done, like my sister (who is awaiting for labor of her 4th child, the first girl!) said, "Tak kira anak ke berapa pun, semua nak kena pakai duit, semua nak kena ada masa mengemas." Hope Allah helps me with the financial and my stamina.

Despite those necessities, we are also planning to bring Eirsa to another trip, before we could call for any vacation off, for at least 6 months. Planned to go to Cameron Highlands in January 2012, but the weather seems not cooperating. I mean high lands + raining = high potential of landslides. We are only left with window in January 2012, since December 2011 is definitely not a good time to go for a vacation (school break = crowded + more expensive) while February 2012 would be considered as quite late. Perhaps we could work out for some other places where Eirsa could have her fun time.

Oh ye. I managed to made room of small portion in my wardrobe by giving away some stuffs to Kak Chik (office cleaner) and the gang. Some of my old kebayas, kurungs, shirts and t-shirts that could no longer accommodate my fat, were all given away. Some even unworn. My mother-in-law joined the small cause too, ended up we gave 2 big bags of apparels to Kak Chik and the gang. They were so happy with our small contributions and also more rooms for my new clothes (which I planned to buy after my confinement period). Win-win situation. Alhamdulillah..

1/3 of those give-aways.

Fun Info : Colostrum is produced at around week 24. More very good information on pregnancy and birth, here (they also have a simple quiz!).

Wordless Wednesday

Second Half of the Term

Inspired by the latest Hana Fedora's blog post, I wrote this post instantly.

This is my third pregnancy and inshaAllah my second child. So far the growth and development is good. Baby is actively kicking, making me feel I'm never alone whenever I actually am.

I have started calculating budget for the whole pre, during and post labor. And I tell you, at the first draft (calculation that considered all factors including emotional and leisure factor), the spreadsheet auto-sum showed some kind of 5 figure result!

Somehow, after striking-through some items, battling with my ala-tapi-kalau-ada-kan-best feelings of most moms, I still need sejengkal-tinggi-note-RM10. Reason being :

1) The latest scan result showed that my uri (placenta) is still at the lower level of my womb. Yes, it is still early, I still have 11 weeks to do a lot of walking and praying for the placenta to sit at its proper place that would allow me to have normal delivery (despite of the utmost scary feeling of mine that I have to endure the worst pain in my life). But Dr. Asmah's concern is that it is afraid that the placenta is attached to the previous caesarian incision and that I have no other but to undergo another caesarian. And that will cause me additional RM3000-RM4000 cost, on top of the panel sponsored portion. Yup. A LOT.

2) We need to get Eirsa's new wardrobe (to be shared with her adik) and bed, as hers would be handed over to the new baby. And we are talking about around a total of RM1500 or if possible and our-taste-could-tolerate, cheaper, here.

3) InshaAllah, we'll be getting assistance from a confinement lady, I've already booked her for 3 weeks that will cost us RM1350 in total. I'll have my confinement days here in KL, Mak will be imported from kampung, to take care of me during the first 1-2 weeks after labor.

4) And all the small small but must stuffs, in which kalau dihimpunkan mau boleh jadi RM1000+ juga lah.

So yes, there's still a lot to spend this time but inshaAllah, new baby also brings in rezq. God's plans are always theee best.

Note : I was quite a regular at Mybbstore when Eirsa was still a baby, especially when they are having whole-store sale. Now they are having one, from 1-31 October 2011 and inshaAllah we could have some good bargains there.

"Dah scan ke? Anak lelaki ke perempuan?"

Dah. Belum.

Maksud saya, belum tahu lagi jantina, walaupun dah scan beberapa kali. Saya perlu di-scan beberapa kali sebab nak pastikan kandungan sihat memandangkan 4 bulan pertama kesihatan saya teruk.

Tapi mak saya dah buat keputusan yang dia berkehendakkan anak perempuan juga untuk saya kali ini.

"Mak rasa kau dapat perempuan kali ni pun bagus. Boleh dak Eirsa tu ada kawan main. Tiap-tiap pagi mak doakan kau dapat anak perempuan."

"....................................."

Hmm.. Rata-rata yang kata lagi bagus dapat anak lelaki, sebab sekarang dah ada anak perempuan. Ada sepasang kan seronok! (Er.. Apa yang seronok?) Ada yang kata dapat seorang lagi perempuan pun ok gak, baju-baju Eirsa adik dia boleh pakai semula, jimat. Tapi saya rasa justifikasi tersirat mak saya pula dia nak menambah cucu perempuan, sebab sekarang ini hanya ada 1 cucu perempuan antara kesemua 6 orang cucunya.

Saya? Saya tak kisah, mana-mana yang Allah nak beri, ada baiknya. Semua yang dijadikan Allah ada hikmahNya. Ok la ok la. Jawapan artis macam ni pon kadang-kadang meloyakan juga. Bunyi positif yang dibuat-buat, padahal dalam hati berbunga-bunga nak anak lelaki. Saya harap dapat lelaki, betul, supaya dapat sepasang, supaya dapat rasa karenah yang lain-lain, supaya anak lelaki boleh geng dengan mommy dan Eirsa boleh geng dengan papa (whatever...).

Oh! Macam mana pula dengan gerak hati? Jawab saya, saya ni baruuuuww je baik dari morning sickenss, baruuuuuww nak memikmati pagi-pagi yang damai. Lalu, masih belum ada gerak hati. Kadang-kadang gerak hati pun tak boleh pakai, gerak hati pun boleh jadi lalang, cenderung mengikut keinginan.

Eh. Tapi ada juga beberapa perkara yang boleh dijadikan klu bagi teka-teki kita (saya?) ini. 

1) Saya kurang gemar berdandan.

2) Saya kurang rajin membaca, walaupun ada masa. Tapi bukan lah gila membaca sangat pun waktu tidak mengandung, tetapi kali ini baca dua tiga muka surat pun dah malas. Saya lebih suka main game di iPhone 3GS (RIP Mr. Steve Paul Jobs), to be exact Sudoku. I could go crazy playing this draining 50% of the battery in couple of hours. But not reading.

3) Peratusan sikap ber-shopping online saya menurun sebanyak 60%. Saya lebih berkira hendak membeli sekiranya tidak melihat sendiri barang itu. Tapi kalau dah belek sampai jurujual rasa meluat pun belum tentu saya beli. Mood beli belah saya terjelepuk jatuh longkang.
4) Mulut saya lebih laser, yakni kurang bertapis kalau bercakap.
5) Bayi saya sudah aktif dan saya sudah boleh rasa pergerakan bayi seawal 16 minggu. Lalu, malam-malam saya kini sudah biasa dengan tumbuk sepak terajang dari dalam perut. 

Jawapan saya untuk teka-teki ini adalah bayi lelaki, memandangkan beberapa perkara yang sama berlaku pada kawan baik saya. Bagaimana dengan jawapan anda?

Fun Information : Baby's gender is determined immediately upon fertilization; depends on either XX chromosome (girl) or XY chromosome (boy) carried by the successful sperm. Oh ye. Kakak saya juga mengandung, bayi batch 2011. Selepas 3 orang lelaki, inshaAllah kali ini beliau bakal menimang cahaya mata perempuan! Yippereeee!

Wordless Wednesday : Baby Bump

Things I Love About Pregnancy

It has been 16 weeks now, calculated from the first day of my last menses.

I don't really reach 4 months though, it's going to be in 1-2 weeks. Calculating in weeks made me forget how many months had passed by.

Alhamdulillah, getting better gradually I still sometimes find myself struggling with bloated stomach, fatigue (like most of the time after walking or even eating), the appetite is still so-so, and still menumpang at PIL's house. I've been back in the office since after long raya holiday but could make it the most of 3 of 5 working days. But all in all, this is much better than the past 2 months. *sujud*

And yes, second trimester is the most enjoyable time by expecting mothers, provided the morning sickness is gone or at least 50% gone. The stamina is gradually back in action, the belly is just nice to fit in some loose casual outfits and even maternity wear if some wished to, the feet are yet to swell, the weight is still bearable to be dragged to the shopping malls! But I don't know,  this time my shopping enthusiasm seems to 'jatuh longkang' and I had done no shopping for myself for the past 3 months, except for a pair of Raya wedges and a pair of Raya Diva bulky rings. And browsing through the online shopping websites made me tired.

As I had been going out more than the early pregnancy, I've also started to experience the blessings, the joys of being a pregnant lady. Some of them :

1) There's always an empty spot of car park. And most of them is near to the entrance. *grin*
2) Waiting made shorter for us, as out of sudden there's additional counter will be opened to cater for our needs! *grin*
3) Orang belanja makan. Er.. Ikut nasib la. ;)
4) Mengidam, berdoa dan inshaAllah lambat laun akan dapat. What happened was I had been salivating in my mind about mee kari during puasa. May be I had mentioned it to husband once but just kept it quiet after that since it is not easy to find mee kari during the day. Besides, our usual tapau spots were mostly closed and only opened with juadah berbuka which mostly offered nasi berlauk. And during hari raya, it was indeed a sweet coincidence where most of the close relatives' houses that I visited has mee kari as one of their menus! Hambik kau, kembung mee kari.
5) Generous MCs. I know, this should be number 1. *grin wider*

And I'm sure many of you would've experienced a lot of other unexpectedly lucky event and why don't you share with us? :)

For those expecting mothers, I would like to humbly share, anything that you are wishing for being it edible or inedible things, just have those wishes clearly kept in your mind, pray to God, (could may be ask it from your husband once or twice but doesn't really have to be pursued) be patience and redha. Kalau ada rezeki untuk kamu, inshaAllah akan sampai juga kepada kamu.

Note : I plan to read more about jaundice; the cause and the prevention and may be will share with you.

The Long Silence

You are absolutely right. It has been a month and 8 days since my last post. Alhamdulillah, here I am, still breathing.

Severe hyperemesis gravidarum, as diagnosed by the same gynaecologist that I visited when I was carrying Eirsa in my tummy. That was what kept me from blogging, most of the time from the sunshine and from my work. Series of sick leave, twice hospital admission and losing of 4 kg as of date, probably sounds more comprehendable, right? Not to mention daily vomittings without fail, nause, almost no appetite at all, super sensitive towards food odor, extreme tiredness, 24/7 bloated, seldom heartburn and low blood pressure, kept me close to my bed most of the time. Yet, thank Allah for still keeping me alive and making the time flies without me noticing, until when the day came I forgot about our anniversary. Alhamdulillah.

Today marked the 12th week of my pregnancy. Oh yes, I am pregnant! My third pregnancy and inshaAllah our second child.

I detected or more accurately couldn't wait but really had to perform the self-test of pregnancy as early as 26 days after the first day of my last mens. The sign at the test kit was weak but positive (there were some signs that made me think I was pregnant). The result was verified by doctor, I managed to stay in good health until week 6 until the severe hyperemesis gravidarum paid me a visit. This was about the same experience I had during my second pregnancy eventhough I prayed hard that it is going to be better this time. Oh. It is better since the number of vomittings dailiy reduced and I lost only 4kg instead of 5kg previously! Alhamdulillah.. Alhamdulillah..

And Allah is the Greatest. May be it's still too early to conclude but since yesterday I slowly gained my appetite back. Very little improvement but motivating.

(continue typing while lying on my bed)

And this morning, it was a miracle that I didn't really vomit, more of the act to vomit but nothing really came out. And the nausea seems lessen a bit. Thank you, Allah.

And we could never thank my in-laws enough for helping us in taking care of Eirsa, which by the way is now super active, and myself. Could net imagine our hard days without them. Thank you Opah, Atuk and Uncle Pi. And of course my family, friends and colleagues.

And thank YOU for the suppport.

p/s : InshaAllah, will continue when I am in good condition to blog, which I hope soon. (ni pun sudah rasa pening).

Bismillah.

My last two pregnancies were not quite some smooth sailing. In fact it was tough. My first pregnancy lasted for only 7 weeks while my second pregnancy 'cost' me 5kg of weight loss during the first trimester, series of medical leaves, consistent brownish stain / discharge and twice hospital admissions. Yep, all during the first 3 months. But alhamdulillah, my baby (yeah, she is 2 already but she is still my baby) is now doing superb and that was 2+ years back.

So, this time around, early preparation I should take, with a lot of prayers.

P/S : More readings on folic acid for pregnancy (picking some) :

1) Kids Health

2) Baby Center

3) About.com (on miscarriage / pregnancy loss)