Postpartum

After birth, I was still okay, happy, and chirpy while in SJMC for 5 days (needed to stay longer as Baby Isaac had jaundice and needed to be under phototherapy). I thought I wont get the postpartum blues. I thought I was strong.

How wrong I was.

In less then 1 week after being discharged from the hospital during my confinement at home, I started feeling really down and moody. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't even wanna take a look at the baby. I only wanted to be alone in my room. Sometimes I cry for no reason. 

Thank God for me I acknowledged that I am getting into postpartum blues. Even family members and my husband can see it. It was that obvious. 

I am now entering into week 2 on my confinement and things are looking pretty upbeat at the moment. I still get the blues especially in the evenings but I am trying to manage and overcome it. My parents encouraged me to talk to Dr Delilah and see if she can prescribed some hormonal tablets to balance up my system and prevent it from getting worse. 

I really hope that this phase would pass over soon because I don't want to be stuck in this situation. 

And for those new mummies out there, postpartum blues is very common and I urge you to talk about it with your husband and family members. It is something very normal as our hormones are imbalance at the moment. Get yourself surrounded by loved ones. Don't lock yourself up because it can lead to depression. 

Love;

Mummy Geri

My Birth Story - Baby Isaac Lee

Baby Isaac Lee

Baby Isaac Lee was delivered on the 17th November 2012 at 1:20pm. Mummy had to go through 25 hours of labor with excruciating contraction pain in the final hour when Mummy was pushing the baby out. Am still   in the hospital as the baby has slight jaundice and needs to be put under photo-therapy.

Seeing and cuddling Baby Isaac in my arms now makes it all worth it. And here is my birth story :)

- 16th November 2012 -

8:30am:

The day when I was to be induced. Took a nice long shower and washed my hair. Me, Bear, and my parents had our breakfast in a nearby mamak stall. Thank God for that because I was to fast during my long hours of labor, which I totally didn't expect.

9:30am - 11:00am:

Admitted ourselves into the labor ward and changed into my hospital gown. Was given enema to move my bowels. A light meal of porridge was served. A vaginal examination (VE) was done - meaning the midwives will jab their fingers down there and go all the way up the cervix to check for dilation. I couldn't even take the pain and discomfort so they kinda abandon plan and said that I definitely need epidural, which I totally agree. 

The labor ward in SJMC

11:30am - 12:30pm:

Was induced via insertation of pill in the vagina. And waited for contraction to start. It didn't and the midwives wanted to start me on drip to further induce. I was already quite scared at this point because I can't stand needles. And they took 4 tries trying to poke that drip needle because they couldn't find my vein. It was horrid. 

2:00pm:

Dr Delilah came in to check on me and was kinda agitated on why was I not on the drip yet. She inserted the drip herself in one try. 

2:30 - 4:00pm:

Start to feel the contraction pain which is once in every 2 minutes. Requested for an epidural first at 4:00pm because I was too chicken to go through the full force of contraction pain.

Epidural machine

4:30pm:

The anesthesiologist came in an administered the epidural. Truth be told, I was terrified because I know that a small tube will be inserted to my backbone where painkiller will be pumped into my system to numb the area below my waist. However, the procedure was pretty painless and the anesthesiologist was very gentle. Really nothing to be scared about. 

5:00pm:

The effect of epidural starts to kick in and I was pretty relax by now. So I sent Francis down for his lunch. He was pretty famished by then.

7:00pm:

The midwives did VE and I was 3cm dilated. Dr Delilah came and broke my waterbag by inserting a long thong-like scissors into my vagina all the way up to the cervix to poke. This will speed up contraction much significantly. Thank God I don't feel anything. Everytime when the VE is done, the midwives will also insert a catheter to drain out my urine (because of the epidural, I am unable to feel the urge to pee.) 

- 17th November 2012 -

2:00am:

Only 6 cm dilated. By now, I was already mentally very tired and extremely hungry. Sucked on sweets which Francis got my dad to buy and took sips of water. You are not allowed to eat or drink anything when on epidural because you may end up vomiting. Sent Francis downstairs to our single ward room to sleep for a bit as he was getting very uncomfortable sitting on the chair in the labor room.

3:00am:

Suddenly there was a beep in the baby's heart machine - seems like the baby was in distressed. I was so worried for the little one as I was in labor for so long and the waterbag has been broken for some time. Turns out that I was having low grade of fever and the midwives quickly gave me panadol and injected antibiotic intravenously. By now, my BP has also dropped and Dr Delilah instructed for the induce to be temporarily removed to stabilized by BP.  

6:30am:

I was 7cm dilated. Extremely slow progress so I was put back on the induce drip. By now, I was crying to myself because it was really tiring and I was mentally very exhausted. It was made worse with me having no food or water for hours, which makes me physically very tired as well.

9:00am:

Dilated to 9cm. Was getting very excited because I only had 1 more cm to go before I can push the baby out. And I knew the end is very near after the long waiting hours.

Really tired

11:00am:

Finally dilated to a full 10cm and the midwives asked to switched off the epidural so that I would know when to push with the contraction pain. I was extremely terrified because of the on-coming pain.

11:30am - 12:30pm:

Started to feel mild contractions as the epidural begins to wear off. I was asked to start pushing. By now, the baby's head has crown. Dr Delilah was suppose to come in at 12:00pm to assist in the delivery but she was held up in the OT and subsequently with another natural delivery.

Machine to monitor baby heart rate and contraction.

12:30pm - 1:00pm:

By now I felt the full-blown contraction and I had stopped pushing. I screamed, teared, and wanted to give up with every contraction pain. It was so bad I wanted to die (not being drama about it ok). The midwives had to quickly called Dr Delilah and informed that the patient was in distressed. I screamed for the epidural to be switched on again. It was done but only half-dose. It brought no pain-relieve whatsoever for me. 

1:00pm:

I was still screaming in pain when the Dr came in. Somehow despite the pain, I was relieved to see her because I knew that I was in safe hands. She quickly assisted me to help vacuum the baby out and instructed me to push when the contraction came. In the moment of confusion and daze, a few midwives had to hold my legs down. I was given a towel to bite to stop myself from screaming. My drip was pulled off from the commotion. 

1:20pm:

By God's grace and enabling, despite the pain I managed to push baby Isaac out with Dr Delilah's help and it was the most beautiful thing ever. She put him on my tummy and then instructed Francis to cut the umbilical cord. The minute the baby was out, I was almost going in and out of consciousness from the pain and tiredness. From now, everything was a blur. I knew that the placenta was pushed out. I knew Dr Delilah was stitching me up but yet I felt nothing. I knew that they took the baby to be weigh and warmed up under the heater but I just couldn't respond to his cries.  

Baby Isaac straight from the oven

After everything was done and I was cleaned up, I was allowed in the room by myself with the lights shut off the rest and sleep. 

3:00pm:

Once my energy was regained, I was wiped and sponged down. Thereafter, was transported back to the normal single ward. Food was served which I chomped down gladly. Around this time was when I had a good look at baby Isaac. 

There was such overflowing joy and love for the baby that all the pain that I had endured earlier was totally forgotten. 

Love;

Mummy Geri

Reflection

Accordingly, tomorrow is suppose to be the day that I am to deliver my baby bear. And if nothing happens, I am to go into SDMC to be induced the following day. So either way, we will be seeing the baby bear by this week.

 

To me, it still feels surreal to the point that I can't believe that I am to be a mother. At age 28. Mother to a child. Wow. Amazing.

 

Surreal #1:

After carrying him for 9 months, we finally get to see, touch, and smell the baby. I really wonder how he will look like.

 

Surreal #2:

I can't believe it. I am about to give birth. Something that have plague me with fear since young. But yet, at this point in time, I am still surprisingly calm about it.

 

Surreal #3:

Will we be good parents? How am I to handle being promoted to be a mother? Will I be a good one? How will I know what to do?

 

Surreal #4:

Am I really prepared???

 

Like what all first-time mummies would tell me, no one is ever prepared to be a mother no matter how mch they read about it, ask people about it, or prepare themselves mentally about it. Maternal instinct will kick in naturally and eventually you will know what to do.

 

Well, I guess I will know when the time comes.

Which will be very soon.

 

p/s: I have a feeling the baby bear will come on the dot tomorrow. Just a hunch.

 

Love;

Mummy Geri  

I May Be Induced

Coming 40 weeks

I am 2 days to the EDD and there is still no signs of labor :(. My baby is so stubborn. Yesterday, during my final checkup with Dr Delaila, she had advised that I should be induced if I past the EDD. Reason being: 

(1) Baby is full-term. No point in waiting longer.

(2) Water in the amniotic sac is getting lesser and lesser.

(3) To avoid a situation of the fetal being in distress in the womb.

(4) To avoid Meconium Aspiration Syndrome.

Well, the Dr knows best right? 

And so, we had scheduled for an induced labor on Nov 16 (Friday) in the morning at 8-9am. Dr Delilah was very accommodating, she immediately called SDMC and booked a labor room for me. She further explained the entire procedure to me in detail and asked me not to worry too much as I can still go through the normal delivery process.

A pill will be inserted into the vagina to stimulate contraction, the waterbag will be poked and burst, and if dilation/contraction doesn't take place, I will be put on drips to heightened the process. :( 

It is kinda sad because I don't want to be induced. Being induce is to initiate the contraction artificially. And because of the "artificial" initiation of contraction - the labor tend to be more painful as your uterus is suddenly put into work at overtime speed. 

But looks like I don't have a choice isn't it? 

Braxton Hicks

I've been getting Braxton Hicks pretty often nowadays. I guess it's normal when I am so close to my due date and my the baby is getting bigger in my tummy.

Always wondered how does a Braxton Hicks felt like because I can't tell the difference between that or the movement of the baby. Well, now I know. Basically, it's a mild contraction where your tummy tightens and then releases itself like a spasm. Imagine you clenching and opening your fists. Yeah, the movement is something like that. 

Is it painful? 

At this point I won't say that it is. Just that it can get uncomfortable - it's like you are having a cramp. For me, when Braxton Hicks happens, I would need to stop whatever that I am doing and hold onto my tummy to ease the " feeling of tightness". It comes and goes randomly and usually lasts for about a couple of seconds.

Well.. I guess the time is almost coming for me to see the baby bear huh? 

Love;

Mummy Geri

Week 39 : Still No Signs Yet

In case some of you who don't know, that is how Week 39 looks like. I assume that most mummies would have delivered by then and won't know how a bump at Week 39 looks like. 

During my recent checkup yesterday, the Dr was saying that although baby bear is already engaged, he still seems pretty "far up" - meaning he has not gone further down the cervix. In view of that, the Dr opines that my delivery may be exactly on the expected due date i.e. Nov 15 or later. 

Looks like our dear baby bear here is getting a tad to comfy inside mummy's tummy. 

I am still pestering talking to the boy everyday to come out and see us when the time is right so that mummy will not need to be induced. I hope he is listening inside there. :)

Dr Delilah assured me to not be so kan cheong and that I should enjoy my leave time off now. I should relax and do the things I love. Sleep as much as I can. Because when the baby comes along, I will be severely deprived of all those items. And having quiet time by myself or with the hubby would be a something of a luxury. 

So yup ... there are no signs or symptoms yet that points to delivery being anytime soon. I shall take Dr Delilah's advise and enjoy my time whilst I still can. :)

But one thing's for sure when the time comes, I will definitely miss the little one kicking inside my tummy. 

Waiting Anxiously;

Mummy Geri

The Waiting Game ...

is no fun! -.-"

I am sitting at home doing nothing except to wait for signs of labour. My friend today had send me a prayer link which I love a lot and this will be my mantra prayer until I deliver. She's due the same time as me. :)

"Father, as I look forward to delivery of my sweet baby, having enjoyed a blessed pregnancy of full duration, I thank You in advance for Your word, Your blessings, Your peace, Your presence, and Your divine intervention. I pray and confess that my body and my baby will cooperate with perfect, supernatural delivery, that there will be no problems of any kind. I also believe and declare that my labor and delivery will be quick, short, easy, and painless. I believe and declare that I'll have time to get to the proper place with proper help. 

Baby, in Jesus' name, you move and place yourself in perfect position for birth: head first, not breech and face down. You rotate properly as God intended you to. I command the umbilical cord to be in proper position as well. Body, you function perfectly during this time. I have perfect peace and am relaxed. All fear must go and stay gone for I have God, who is perfect love and casts of fear. My body will not be tense, but relax, at peace. I speak specifically to all the parts of my body to come in line with God's Word and Will.   

Father, I believe that at the proper time for delivery my water will break and my uterus will do its job and begin to contract and push my baby down the birth canal and out into our loving arms and lives. I command my cervix to dilate fully to 10cm, to be elastic and stretch. To the uterus, vagina, perineum, vulva as well as my cervix, you relax, be elastic and stretch without causing pain or any complications. Accommodate the birth of my baby. Furthermore, I declare in Jesus' name that I will not tear or need an episiotomy. Father, pain is under the curse of the Law, and your Word says that Jesus bore our pain, so I rebuke all pain and will not tolerate pain. I will have a short, easy, pain free delivery in Jesus' name." 

AAAAAMMMMEEEENNNNNN ~! :)

Love;

Mummy Geri

Pregnancy Update : Week 38 (Anytime Now!!)

During my last check-up on the 31st Dec, Dr Delaila has uttered the magic words:

"Your baby is already engaged." 

And so my next question to her was :

"When can I go on leave?"

:D

And that explains why I am bumming around doing at home at this point in time. Free 1 week of leave~!! Honestly, I only wanted to go off next week but due to some idiotic people issues, I decided to take the rest that is needed as advised by Dr Delaila. 

According to the Dr, I will be early but only a couple of days - however she did caution that since the baby is already engaged, I better be prepared to welcome our bundle of joy anytime. She asked me to pack my bags and make sure it is with me at all times just in case. She also asked me to watch out for signs of labor and just get enough rest at home because I won't be getting any when baby bear comes along.

Do I feel any different, now that I am so close to the finish line? 

(1) Since the baby is engaged, whenever he moves it kinda "jabs" at my bladder and "down-there", so it can be uncomfortable.

(2) I do feel some mild contractions pretty often now. How can I tell? It is when my stomach suddenly tightens to almost like a spasm kinda feeling. And then the spasm is released. This is confirmed by Dr when I did my last ultrasound scan and she could feel my muscles tightening.

(3) Walking is now a chore because I feel the weight of the baby and it feels as though he is gonna "drop off" anytime.

(4) The baby's movement is quite prominent and can usually catch me offguard. 

(5) I get hungry very fast and very often. My portions has been increased as well. Take for instance yesterday's dinner, I had Maggie soup, char siew pau, and roti bakar. My appetite is insane! -.-"

(6) Backache is my constant companion now. And I do get heartburns occasionally.

(7) The toilet is my favourite place. Can't keep my bladder in for long now.

(8) Can still sleep well because I am used to sleeping on my side. 

(9) Can't bend down or is flexible anymore as the tummy gets in the way.

(10) I get very tired and worn out easily.

Other than the above, it is quite "business as usual" for me. No significant changes or symptoms yet. So, yes at this point in time it is a waiting game.

I keep going to the toilet to check if my waterbag has leak.

And I am waiting very anxiously. 

Love;

Mummy Geri

Pregnancy Update : Week 37 (I am full-term now!)

Note: Will upload my 37 weeks baby bump when I get back home later. 

Or in other words, my pregnancy has reached its F.U.L.L  T.E.R.M.

Which means like or not ready or not the baby bear will make an appearance very very soon (or loosely translated to : a.n.y.t.i.m.e.).

(Actually technically, at this point in time I am almost 38 weeks)

As of my last checkup with Dr Delaila two weeks back, the baby bear has not engaged yet although he is sitting at a pretty low position - which explains why I need to rush to the toilet almost every 30 minutes to pee due to the pressure. On second thought, I guess it could be because Mummy is short petite hence the torso area is short so the baby bear is too cramped up inside. Or maybe he has long limbs and tall like Daddy.

I shall go with the second reason. *denial*

I have been asking around (via FB) on whether if it is common for babies to make an appearance earlier than the expected due date (EDD). And yes, based on some experienced mummies, they do. Some say 2 weeks in advance and most of them 1 week in advance. Which means according to my EDD which is Nov 15, it could be either this week or the next.

0_o" 

No wonder people in the office and even my big boss keep on asking me on why am I still around and not going off on leave already. Yes, I am an employee contoh - hardworking like that. *ahem* I want that promotion next year~!!

Physically, I am still able albeit walking a little like a penguin now. Stamina has gone down by notches and I would need to catch my breath after a long short walk or even standing up for too long. I am still driving myself around. Can still concentrate on my work although I do doze off once a while. Am still attending meetings. Heck, I am even joining my team's karaoke session this Friday! 

Staying home alone for the next few days also is ok for me.

Yes, I am independent like that. :)

Well of course, my hospital bag is on-the-go with me all the time la.. just in case. 

All of the baby stuff and necessities have already been bought and set-up - except for a few bottles that I haven't got to washing yet. Oh.. and I need to prepare the bedding for the cot too. 

Honestly, I am quite surprised at myself at handling the impending child-birth pretty calmly. From young I always had a fear of this moment because I am terrified of hospitals and needles and everything that is related to it (I had an open eye surgery when I was a toddler - will further elaborate on another blog post). I guess it's the preparation of the antenatal class, talking to friends, and in general anticipating for the arrival of the baby bear outweighs the fear. Of course, knowing exactly how I want to manage the pain (i.e. epidural all the way) also helps a lot. 

I guess ultimately the trick is to take everything with a laugh and a smile. Stay positive, and I will be able to go through childbirth without any problems. Of course, trusting and focusing on God is also very crucial as well.

Actually, I am more concern about taking care of the baby, the late nights, the breastfeeding, whether if we will be good parents etc.

And we've finally came to an agreement on the baby's name - managed to convince bear to deviate away from his list of Man U player names *roll eyes*. Choosing a nice and not too common name with a good meaning is pretty tough. It is an important duty of the parents to not come up with a stupid funny name or risk your child being taunted and made fun of for the rest of his/her life. Ohh.. such burden! His Chinese name will be determined by my father-in-law - yes, I may be open-minded, but certain Chinese customary must be followed and this is one of it. 

So yeah ... we've about 16 days to go and Mummy can't wait to see you Baby I (oh.. that's a hint!). Am already constantly imagining on how you would look like already. Such exciting times ahead!!

Love;

Mummy Geri

Review : Antenatal Class with Jenlia

In my opinion,  antenatal class is extremely important especially for first time parents as we do not know what to expect. It is better to learn from the expert than go around listening to hear-says from other people because their "advises" could be wrong - although they meant well I am sure. 

Truthfully, we didn't do any research on which classes to attend. We selected Jenlia based on good recommendation from friends who had attended their class and naturally because their classes are conducted in SDMC where I am going to give birth at. 

Jenlia charges RM350 per couple and there are 4 classes which are conducted on Fridays (7:30pm) and Saturdays (2:30pm). Each session lasts about 3 hours. The educators are qualified midwives who had garnered their experience from UK. Both me and Bear had thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and we found them very useful. 

Here are my thoughts on the sessions: 

Session 1

Recognizing derivations from normal progression in pregnancy.

Preparation for parenthood.

Relaxation technique.

Antenatal exercise. 

--> This session was pretty easy-going and light. It is a very basic class on what to expect and what to look out for during your pregnancy and into the first few months with the arrival of the new baby. I have forgotten how to do the antenatal exercise actually. 

Session 2
Importance of early breastfeeding. 
Steps to successful breastfeeding.
Care of self post-csect.
Signs of labor.
Admission procedures.

--> I totally love this session especially on the topic of breastfeeding because I know it is not easy. It is good to be mentally prepared and learn the correct techniques to ensure that I won't give up too easily when the time comes to breastfeed. Also, knowing what are the signs of labor and admission procedures keeps us on our toes to look out for symptoms and not panic when the time comes when the baby bear arrives. 

 Session 3

Tour of labor suite.

Husband's role during labor and delivery.

Preparation for normal labor and delivery.

Normal labor and delivery process.

Pain management.

Breathing techniques.

--> Touring of the labor suite was very interesting. Looking at the suite, my fear of giving birth somewhat was lifted off a little because it looks pretty cozy. It doesn't feel cold and scary like in the operating theater. Secondly was on pain management. I have pretty made up my mind that epidural is the way to go the minute I can use it to completely take away the pain (yes, I am wussy like that). We were thought on how to handle labor and the actual birth, when to push, what to expect, and what is the role of the husband (not to stand there and look pretty ok). We were also shown a video of an actual child birth using epidural - and seriously, this session overall really calmed me down a lot. There is not so much fear of childbirth anymore. I also forgot the breathing techniques.. I hope my husband still remembers them. 

Session 4
Care and support for mothers during puerperium .
The newborn - what to expect in the first few months.
Meeting the needs of your newborn.

--> Informative on post-birth care for the mothers and basic 101 care for a newborn like bathing, swaddling, sleeping position etc.

The subject matter which are being thought are very basic and is only an overview, which is good enough as a headstart. Typically, you are encourage to join an antenatal class about 2 months before your due date. 

Love;

Mummy Geri

Giving Up

Taking the plunge and choosing to be a mother at a young age (28 year old) takes a lot of sacrifice from the part of the woman. There are so much to give up. So much of sacrifices to be made. So much of commitments. 

And mind you, I am speaking from experience. I am already feeling that I am missing out so much on life in general being pregnant (and the baby is not even here yet). While I love being pregnant and expecting the little one, sometimes I couldn't help but sit back and think if it is all well worth the things that I have gave up or is giving up for. 

Yes, unfortunately I feel that sometimes I am flying solo - trying to cope and comprehend all of these. It can get overwhelming. And men being men can lack the attentiveness. To them, life goes on as usual. No, it is not business as usual. Why does a woman has to give up so much whereas the men can resume their own lives as it was before?

I feel I lack support sometimes. :(

Take for instance the following situation : 

(1) I have not been going out socializing with my colleagues/friends.

Because they will end up inevitably drinking and smoking and I don't intend to be the party-popper. Trust me, I LOVE hanging out for after-office drinks (or occasional clubs) but I have to sacrifice that because I am pregnant. And this will continue on even after I give birth because I intend to breastfeed. Eventually, I stop getting invites altogether. 

(2) I don't work late anymore. 

Not because I can't, but because I get tire out easily. And I have to eat dinner on time instead of calling for fast-food delivery. Plus, I don't feel safe driving by myself late in the evening in the current rainy weather these days. I don't even want to think if my career progression will be affected due to the pregnancy or not. I have learn to set aside my work commitments and learn to prioritize - a huge sacrifice when I am at the peak of my career, trying to climb the corporate ladder.

(3) I can't go out and entertain my clients.

This is the part of my job which I love but have to decline each time because I can't drink. 

(4) I can't go to the gym in my free time. 

Due to obvious reasons.

And when my activities are limited, I do get back home early (and by early I meant around 8:30pm) - what do I get? I stare at the four walls of my condo. Or hang out with my parents if they are free. All I am asking for is that it would be nice that I am being assured of the things that I am giving up is well worth it. All I want is for an emotional pillar and support. 

All I want is to have someone to come back to at home. To talk to. To communicate. To share the excitement. 

Is that so much to ask for? 

Why Did I Choose SDMC to Give Birth?

No.. I have not given birth yet. But I am due really soon (about 3 weeks from now assuming that I don't go into early labor). I've been asked by some friends on why did I choose SJMC SDMC as my preferred choice to deliver my first baby given that it is not that near to my house compared to the other hospitals like Assunta or Pantai Bangsar. 

After talking and consulting my friends who are now mummies, I am convinced that I've made a correct choice based on the following reasons.

(1) My Gynecology Dr Delaila.

She is the best ever. She is God-sent. And I heart her a lot. Also, I trust no one to deliver my baby bear but her. Of course, she is also based in SDMC :)

(2) Pro-Breastfeeding.

Very very important. I need a hospital that supports breastfeeding 100%. In SDMC, they have designated lactation consultants who will attend to you immediately after you give birth to assist first-time mummies, making sure that the baby latch-on correctly and to answer any queries that you may have on breastfeeding.

I've asked around and apparently the nurses are also very supportive of breastfeeding. They will make it a point to bring your baby to you every two hourly for him/her to direct latch onto your breast to stimulate milk supply. 

From one of my friend's recently not-so-good experience in TMC in another hospital,  the nurses just chuck the baby to her and left her there alone to figure out on what to do. She is like me a first-timer too. Sheesh .. bad bad service!

(3) Nurses / Medical Personnel. 

Overall feedback on the nurses are good. Gentle, patient, and caring. I have two friends in fact who recently gave birth in TMC another private hospital who said that the nurses are clueless on what to do during the delivery. That is real bad! 

(4) Facilities.

Top-notch facilities. They even have Dome, Subway, and 1901 Hotdog! Need I say more? 

(5) Labor Ward. 

During our antenatal class, we had a tour of the labor ward and I have to say that it was far from what I imagine it to be (always thought that it would look like an operating theater). The room is like your standard single room in the hospital, only bigger. Fully-equipped with the necessary medical equipment, TV, lazy chair for your husband, and in general .. somewhat.. pleasant and not too menacing and scary.

(6) Choosing the Best - Because I Can.

Naturally, giving birth in SDMC is not exactly cheap (what is the standard package price anyway?). During my pre-admission, I have enquired on the estimated cost and assuming if there is no C-Sect, the cost would come to approximately RM4,500 - RM5,000. I am pretty blessed because out of it my company is subsidizing RM3,000. On top of it, my company further subsidized on the room for RM168/night. *hallelujah*

And so, that concludes why SDMC is my choice. Of course, the "actual review" can only be done after I've given birth la. So wait for it ok ... that is if I have the time still when the baby bear comes along la.

Love;

Mummy Geri

The Wish List : Push Present

From Wiki: A push present (also known as a "push gift", "baby mama gift", or "baby bauble") is a present a father gives a mother to mark the occasion of her giving birth to their child. In practice the present may be given before or after the birth, or even in the delivery room. 

(The other rest if not important, so it need not be highlighted. And yes, there is a reason too on why certain words are in bold. :p)

No la.. joking only. This is just my wishlist. I will not impose on my hubby to get me anything. After all, we have been spending a lot on the arrival of baby bear, and of course more $$ will be spent on the delivery charges and to raise up the boy.

Yes, I am an understanding wife like that. I know.

Maybe if my husband don't get anything for me, I shall go and reward myself with a gift instead. 

Or maybe if he reads my blog, he will pandai-pandai know what to do. 

Or maybe he can co-sponsor my present.

Here are my push-present wish list in no particular order of preference :

(1) (More) Bling-Bling. 

Girl's best friend. Need I say more? :)

Source : Google

(2) A trip. 
I would love to visit any of the YTL's resort - be it Pangkor, Cameron, or Tangjung Jara. Basically just soak in the high-class 5-star ambiance and ultimately enjoy their much talked about award winning spa session.  *ahhh bliss ...*

I don't mind a trip to Maldives too.

After all, it is a fair request right given that I've been carrying the baby bear for 9 months and to suffer go through the labor and birth. High time for a good relaxation and rejuvenation session. :)

YTL Pangkor Laut Resort

(3) Watch.
Need to constantly be on the look-out for time, therefore I need a watch that has precise and good mechanism.

Ok.. that's a stupid reason. :p

I just want a nice automatic watch - preferably with a little bit of diamonds. :)

The classic Omega Constellation

That's all.
Not asking for too much right? :p

p/s: I'm only about 3 weeks plus to the delivery and I still have not pack my hospital bag yet! I am such a procrastinator.  :s

Love;
Mummy Geri

Food Escapade in Sydney (and Melbourne)

Here are the food places (in my opinion) worth mentioning in Sydney - and to some extent Melbourne since we stopped by there for a while during our recent trip to Sydney in August. They are in no particular order:

(1) Cafe Inniene, Bourke Street Melbourne. 

The cafe was just a stone's throw away from the place where we stayed in Melbourne, Causeway Inn on the Mall, so naturally we dropped by there for breakfast. It was among the cheapest there as well. I like that dining was al-fresco because the weather was fantastic (cooling). I had their breakfast set and chai latte. It was yummy-licious! :)

(2) Bratwurst Shop,Queen Victoria Market Melbourne.  

OMG! This was SO GOOD!! They use french loaf, and the humongous sausage was so juicy! Top that up with cheese, sauerkraut, lots of mustard and chili sauce - it's a perfect combination.

(3) Ying Thai, Melbourne

Good Thai food. Full stop. 

(4) San Churro, Lygon Street Melbourne.

Ultimate comfort food. Lightly battered, sprinkled with powdered icing, and dipped in chocolate. Hmmm~

(5) Schnitz, CBD Melbourne.

Schnitzels are actually breaded cutlet made with boneless meat. To me, it was pretty much like your normal fast-food joint . So really nothing much to comment here. 

(6) Pancakes on the Rocks, Sydney.

I don't think this place needs introduction. The pancakes were fluffy and out of this world. So so good. :)

(7) Lindt Chocolate Cafe, Cockle Bay Wharf Sydney.

Honestly I am not a chocolate fan, so I don't have much to comment. However, the raspberry ice-cream  coupled with the thick dark chocolate poured over it was heavenly. Of course, the view over-looking Darling Harbor adds to the entire ambiance too.

(8) Fish Market, Sydney.
I really don't know what is the hype about this place. The seafood platter was so-so. In terms of freshness, it was so-so also.

(9) Chat Thai, Sydney.

In my opinion, they serve the best Thai food!! Reasonable pricing too. It was so good, we went back there twice! Must go!

(10) Pho An, Bankstown Sydney.

Aside from the Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle) in Springvale Melbourne, this place serves the awesome~st most authentic Pho ever! This is because the place is a Vietnamese community and the beef that they used are Australian beef which are tender. The place is out of the way from CBD. We were quite blessed cos Bear's uncle drove us there. :)

(11) Some restaurant near Blue Mountain, Sydney (forgot the name).

The food was bleh and very expensive too ... only consolation was that the pumpkin soup was really delicious. 

(12) Harry's Cafe de Wheels, Wooloomooloo Sydney.

True to the hype, the hotdogs and pies were really good. Just be prepared to get real messy! Must try! 

(13) Clipper's Cafe, Glebe, Sydney.

Their chai latte is the best~est that I have ever tried!!!! You need to sieve the spices yourself. Soooooooooo good~! Must try their baked egg with tomato sauce and lamb sausage as well. Awesome breakfast place. Just a caution though, it could get pretty packed over the weekends with students from UTS. 

(14) Hurricane's Grill, Bondi Beach, Sydney

Must must must must go!!! EAT THE PORK RIBS AND NOTHING ELSE!! Please make reservations or you will have to wait like mad.

That concludes our makan escapades in Sydney (and Melbourne).
You hungry yet?

Love;
Mummy Geri

Pregnancy Update : Week 35 (We are Almost There!)

During my last check-up with Dr Delilah on 8 Oct, she mentioned that my baby bear is lying head down a bit low and she reckoned that I may have an early delivery. 

0_o" 

I think she saw my panicked face and quickly added that it will be at most 1 - 1 1/2 weeks earlier. Which means around the first week of November. Which means it would be about 3 weeks from now.

0_0"

And then she went on the schedule my next check-up earlier on the 19 Oct in the afternoon. She suspects that by then my baby would be engaged.

Source: Baby Center

-.-"

My Level of Readiness: 

Wahlau ... too much of information to absorb in that one night of checkup. My hospital bag also haven't packed yet. I've been procrastinating. Good thing is that my baby cot has been set-up and most of the clothing and bedding has been washed. Only thing left are the bottles, sterilizer,  breast pumps etc. And Bear would be travelling too sometime in October, I hope I don't go into labour when he's not around. :(

Need to schedule my wax appointment before delivery too!!

Pregnancy: 
Am beginning to miss my pregnancy severely. :( Aside from that, everything is going on track. Praise God for that. Just that sometimes I feel a bit of a backache and the muscle just beneath my breast feels sore from baby bear's constant moving and kicking.

In the next check-up, Dr Delilah will do a vagina swab test to see if I have Group B Strep (read more here) which is a type of bacteria that invades your vagina and may be infected  onto your baby upon delivery. If that happens, for the first 12 hours after birth, your baby will be closely monitored for fear of infection. This could lead to death of the baby.

So pray for me ya ... that my test will turn out negative. :)

Baby: 
The little bear has been having a field time kicking mummy pretty hard. I also understand - the space in my uterus is getting a little cramped up. Sometimes the movement is so vigorous, it almost felt like a spasm! Oh ya, from the scan Dr Delilah said that my baby bear has a nice sharp nose (just like mummy!) :)

Birth Plan:
Nothing too extreme or gung-ho. Dr Delilah has given me a letter meant for pre-admission procedures in SJMC.

I would like to have the following:
- Normal vaginal birth.
- Epidural to be given as soon as I can (usually dilated up to 2-3cm).
- If can, no episiotomy.
- If can, no vacuum or forceps.
- I would want my hubby to be there.
- I would want to bring my pillow busuk in also.
-Just be positive, with no expectations... and relax.

So yeap, ready or not .. the baby bear is gonna make an appearance soon :)

Love;
Mummy Geri

Review : Maternity Portrait with Keep Gallery Kids

I have been toying with the idea on whether if I should go for a proper maternity portrait  My concern is that it could be a waste of money. Secondly, the photos will inevitably end up collecting dust (just like my pre-wedding pictures). 

So based on the two reasons above, I was pretty set on not taking any maternity pictures. Until about a couple of weeks back when I saw two friends who did it, and they looked amazing with their baby bump! And my mum has been asking me to do it to celebrate my pregnancy.

And with that, I created an excuse decided to go for it! Capturing the moment when I am still young and my boobs is not sagging yet with no stretched marks - it was the perfect opportunity. How I managed to con Bear to do it is an entirely different story altogether. He ended up being a willing party anyway cos I paid for the package. :p   

So, as usual I turned to my trusted Google and started searching. Honestly, I didn't want to spend too much because really capturing my maternity portrait was purely just for the fun of it. So, if it was too expensive I was prepared to let go of the whole idea altogether.

FYI, photographers are charging on an average of RM500 - RM1,200 (including newborn portraiture) for maternity photography. Most are timed at 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours per session with a restriction of two change of clothes. 

I chanced upon Keep Gallery Kids (same people who runs Keep Gallery Wedding Studio in SS2) and they are running a promotion. Keep Gallery Kids is quite a newly set-up studio and they are based in 1U Old Wing (near Popular, opposite Honeypot). 

Their package comprises of :

- 20 poses edited and returned in softcopy.

- 1 big photo plus frame.

- Makeup and hairstyling for both mummy and daddy.

- 2 hours session.

- Allowed to change into any amount of clothes.

- They also provide clothes (but I didn't like them).
- Only studio sessions available.

All for the price of RM299/=

What a bargain!

FYI, they do have another awesome package which is priced at RM1,500 and you can go for as many sessions as you like for maternity, newborn, and family photography all the way until your child is 2 years old. All photos will be returned back to you.

No. I decided to not push my luck with Bear didn't take up the offer in case if you are wondering.

And here's my unbiased verdict on Keep Gallery Kids.

Pros: 
- Value-for-money.
- Very friendly and accommodating.
- Make-up is done very nicely.

Cons: 
Because the set-up is relatively new, the photographer was not very professional in the sense that she needed to refer to previous clients' poses for inspiration. Further, you would have to tell her exactly what concept that you have in mind.

Some of the un-edited pictures didn't turn out good - for e.g. Bear's face is blocked by the shadow of my face, my skin tone is blended with the background (I am very fair), the lighting is not done properly hence me looking very fair and ghostly pale.

................................................................................

Truth be told, honestly after seeing the un-edited pictures I was disappointed. And was silently consoling myself that I only had to fork out RM299 (if it was anything more I would have probably freaked out). I mean I kind of knew that the outcome would be somewhat like that judging from the photo session.

My second consolation is that picking out 20 photos was a breeze.

So anyway .... my saving grace was that the staff and the photographer was really polite, pleasant and accommodating. She edited some of the pictures on the spot and assured me that the final outcome after the touch-ups would turn out good. She even went to the extent of emailing me all the chosen pictures for my consent before finalizing them.

And surprise.. surprise! It did turn out good. In fact, it turned out damn good! The photos are so natural and classy - I loved it!

You be the judge! :)

My conclusion is, if you wanna do a maternity portrait just for the fun of it, then just go ahead with Keep Gallery Kids because they are relatively cheap. However, do lower down your expectations. Else, if you really want a "professional" one, then please find another one - Keep Gallery Kids is not for you.

Love;
Mummy Geri