My recent birth experience

It's my 40th day of confinement today, so far so good.
Baby is growing healthily.
Mommy, on the other hand, has yet to get her bikini body back.
(like she ever had any, before.. still, a girl can dream.. haha)

Delivery Room at UMSC

I was due to deliver on the 10th of April 2012.
But as you all know, the baby's head has engaged since 22nd March.
I have been given medical leave by my obstetrician since then, due to the increasing thigh cramps caused by the pressure of the lowered baby's head.
Apart from it transforming me into a penguin, I still drop by at the office now and then, handling several meetings and handing over tasks to my colleagues and staffs.

Aishah after a few hours of birth

So anyway, from 22nd March, the waiting game began.
I was like a time bomb, but without the exact time to blow off and no detonator exist either.
At first it was fun to get to work from home, but after a week, I get bored.
I had several plans in my head on what to do during my leave, but with my condition of walking slower than a turtle and not to mention the pain down under, bed rested seamed to be the most comfortable solution for me.

Big brother Amin was the most excited

After the second week of leave, and still no sign of delivering anytime soon, my obstetrician, Prof Siti, ordered me to walk a lot as it will help to ignite the birthing cue.
Or else, she will induced me herself.
Errkk!
Being the scardy cat that I am,I tried dragging my self (and my mom!) around.. to the Giant supermarket, to the Pasar Tani, to the Ikea etc

Lots of love from Aunt cz22 all the way from Maryland

People said that you should get used to giving birth after your first child, but I would say that's a complete bs, ok!
I'm still feeling scared.
Still feeling anxious.
Still feeling the suspense.
Just like the very first pregnancy.
Starting all over again.
No such thing as highly experienced.  No such thing as dejavu.
But the one thing I can get used to, is the contraction feeling.
This time, I know when I'm about to deliver.

Lots of hugs from Aunt Ani

Around 10pm on the 4th April 2012, I felt the contraction.
And I'm sure of it.
Just like my first and second delivery, I did not experienced the water-broke, neither bleeding.
But instead, I felt like a jolt of current going right up my spine and about to snap my backbone!
Yes, my contraction was at the back of me.. not in front like most women felt.
That night, it was at about an hour apart, and hardly noticeable.
I told hubby, pack your stuffs, I'm gonna deliver tomorrow.
I woke up at 2am, feeling the contraction coming in at 40 minutes apart.
Still bearable, and I continued sleeping, with handphone set as a stop watch clasp in my hand.
But by 5am, I can no longer dozed off, as the contraction started to get stronger coming in at 20 minutes apart.
Hubby looking at how well I was handling myself, took me for granted and dozed off till 8am!
Men!

By 8am, the contraction has reached my "oh-shit-this-is-it" radar.
Got ourselves ready and head out of the house at 9am.
Straight to McD.
Hey, a mommy still needs to eat, ok.
Managed to munch the pancakes while gripping the chair as the contraction hit me every 15 minutes.

Reached the hospital later at 10am.
Straight to the delivery room.
Monitored the contraction, took laughing gas and fell asleep on and off.

Bundle of joy from Aunt Azleen, Aisha, Ibi and Uncle Bear

As time passes, the contraction grew stronger and the laughing gas started to become useless to me.

Hubby been monitoring the contraction % level and at one point I heard him asking me do I feel like pushing now.
Which coincidentally at that particular time, the contraction was excruciating and I did feel like pushing already.
I inhale as much as laughing gas that I can hoping to relief the pain.
After a while I felt someone pulled the gas away from me.
Which by reflex, I grabbed the hand back and pulled the gas towards my nose.
Then I heard Prof Siti's voice "Hoiii, it's time to push, and you still want the gas?!"
Slowly opened my eyes, there she (Prof Siti) was all ready with surgical mask and robe and gloves, with two nurses positioning my legs onto the stand.
"On the next contraction, I want you to push!"
Whhaaatttttt ? Now? Bismillah..

Alhamdulillah, the baby came out safely with three pushes.

Hello cutest

As she was saying hello to the world, I continued inhaling the gas whilst Prof sow back whatever that needed sowing.
Ouch.
And that's the beginning of Aishah as our new family member.

Welcome Jelita Junior

Date : 05-April-2012
Time : 15:27 hrs
Weight : 3.015 kg
Length : 49.5 cm

Mayday! Mayday! Lockdown mode!

Woke up this morning with major thigh cramps and the 'oh-my-god-why-suddenly-it's-damn-hard-to-walk' feeling.

Panic attacked!
Is this it?
But no, I'm not having any back pain / contraction yet.
Nope, didn't wet the bed.
And nope, no blood stained on the panty liner, either.
So, whats with all this pain?
Went to freshen up, changed to day clothes and off we go to the nearest clinic.

Got a laugh out of the doctor.
"The baby has lockdown!"
Yup, her head is already engaged.
But there's no telling when she will come out.
I'm now at 37 weeks and officially on medical leave as I can no longer work with all this lower body ache and besides, I am currently walking slower than the turtle.

Wish me luck!

And that reminds me, I seriously need to pack the hospital bag!

Just to share with you..

We went for detail scanning last week.
We here means I took all three boys with me, yes, counting hubby too.

Set the appoinment with Dr. Idora at Pantai Hospital.
My gynea is Prof Siti at UMSC, but I opt for Dr. Idora because UMSC charges RM280 for detail scanning, and according to my good friend, Hazrin, Dr. Idora charges RM150.

In case you didn't know, detail scanning here meaning the 2D, 3D and 4D ultrasound scan.
2D is the normal ultrasound look.
3D is this feature looking.
4D includes view of the blood flows.
Here's the sample of the 3D scan.
We couldn't get a clearer view because baby kept swimming around, kicking here and there.
Must be annoyed at the probe pressing the belly.

I was so eager to bring the boys to show them what's the "thing" inside mommy's big belly.
As they have been asking me about it for sometime.
But, Hazrin forgot to warn me about this crucial fact.
Coincidentally, there were trucks and trains and legos neatly placed at the corner of Dr. Idora's room!
Whatttttttt!
So, my boys were only able to focus for the first 90 seconds, of the entire half hour trip!
Huh, so much for the commotion!

Anyway, insyaAllah, I will be delivering a baby GIRL in this upcoming April.

Hubby is aesthetic.
He said now my mom will not bother him anymore.
He claimed that he has delivered his goals.
As my mom kept pestering for a granddaughter, for the past year.
Me on the other hand, am very grateful for this blessing.
Seriously, I don't mind the gender.
Coz from what I am experiencing right now, healthy child (and mommy, and birth), matters most!

Good baby!

After more than two weeks of precautions, it's follow up time to the gynea.
And great news, all placenta is now located above the baby-sac.
Hoorayyy!!

My dearest baby has helped push the placenta "tail" upwards.
Alhamdulillah.
Good baby!

But of course, still need to pray a lot because the womb is like a pool area where the baby-sac and placenta can swim around happily.. hehe.. 

(pics googled from the net)

Low Lying Placenta

So now we know why I bleed almost once in two weeks.
Went to Prof Siti this afternoon, and she discovered that a portion of my placenta actually lying below the sac.

I have been bleeding quite regularly during this pregnancy.
It's like I can easily bleed after a 4 hours traveling back to hometown..
After taking the staircase to 2 floors down from my office just because I hate waiting for the lift..
Even after a weekend of window shopping, walking around the mall with hubby and kids!

Although I'm already at 16 weeks, Prof said that I have to be extra careful.
It's not in the placenta previa stage yet, because my placenta is not all located at the bottom.
Mostly is above the baby-sac, but they're like partially circling the sac at the moment.
Like a "C" shape.
Prof called the lower part of the placenta, the "tail" and that's what's currently placed below the baby-sac.
And that "tail" may have been the cause for the regular bleeding.
I didn't bleed excessively, just a spot or two or three, of fresh red blood.

Prof said that there's no medicine to push it up.
No massage allowed either.
Just pray, pray and pray that it'll go up and the baby sac helps push it up too as it grows.

As for now, no heavy lifting.
No going up and down the stairs even for just one floor.
And no window shopping around the mall to my heart's content.
Unless if hubby willing to push me with the wheelchair, that is.. hehe..

(pics googled from the net)

11weeks 1day

Hi all..
First and foremost, thanks to all the wonderful wishes.
Special thanks to those texting and emailing me.. sooo sweet of u!

And again, so sorry for the lack of updates.
I'm not in the pink of health lately,.
The backpain.
The legpain.
The nausea.
The ever so sensitive nose.
The ever so tasteless tastebuds.
The lack of appetite.
The inconsistent digestion.
And many many more things that I am experiencing right now.

Ohh.. this pregnancy has started to take it's toll on me.
Unlike some people, mine started much later in the first trimester.
Not sure until when this will last.
Hope it's not too long.
Coz I get exhausted too quickly now.
Haven't got to do anything much lately as I get sleepy by 9pm.

Enough about the ramblings.
Here's the baby pics snapped during our recent follow up with Prof Siti.
The + sign on the left is the butt, on the right is the head.
Can you see the arm above the head, there?
Baby waived and said "Hi" to all.

Have a great weekend, my friends!!

I've got a BUN in the oven !

And I am not talking about this, or any kind of food either.

Hiyeee alls..
Hope you had a wonderful Eid and holidays with your loved ones.
Been meaning to update this before the Eid, but well, you know the drill..
So, here's the chronology event.

16th August 2011
Went to the panel clinic at work to check on myself because I was seriously late for my female-hormone 'cycle' which is big-a-deal to me considering that I am always on time, if you know what I mean.
And I've forgotten the last time I've had my period.
Was it June?
And Hunn said he never had an 'accident' before.
Dr.H ruled out that the urine pregnancy test result was negative.
And she said I could just be late in cycle because of the change in diet - since it was the middle of the fasting month by the way.

22nd August 2011
Went to the panel clinic at work, again, because another week has passed by and there's no sign of period or whatsoever, but coincidentally later the evening I did had a one-drop of blood on my panty liner.
Again, Dr.H ruled out that the urine test result as negative.
And sent me home with a urinal medication, in case if I might be having some infection in my urine as there was traces of blood.
Sigh..

24th August 2011 - 9am
That's it!
I'm going to another panel clinic, this time near our housing area.
Because there's still not a single blood apart from that one and only tiny drop, two days ago.
I pee for the urine test. 
Dr.N examined it using the same test strip as Dr.H at the office panel clinic.
But happily announcing it as positive!
WTH??
It is the same exact test strip used before, ok!
I knew it, there's something wrong with Dr.H and the way she's analysing the test strip.
Because I did see the 2 lines myself, by she kept telling me that it was negative because the second line was not that dark..?? Duhhh?? Seriously, she needs to have her eyes checked!
Anyway, since Dr.N has an ultrasound machine in the clinic, she straight away told me to lie down and to proceed with scan to be sure.
Indeed, she saw the sac, shaped like a half filled balloon, but after a few minutes of pressing and rolling the probe onto my lower belly part she apologizes to the fact that she couldn't find any heartbeat, at all.
Gasp.
Dr. N said that it could have been a missed abortion.
Gasp.
Meaning that when the embryo or fetus has died, but a miscarriage has not yet occurred.
It is also referred to as delayed or missed miscarriage.
She said my body might be late in 'discharging' it and immediately issued me a referral letter for me to go to a hospital gynae to get it 'flushed' out accordingly.
Gasp.
Yup.
There was absolutely nothing that I can say, or possibly described how I felt at that time.

Hubby having kept my gynae mobile number, Prof Siti, immediately gave her a call to set for an urgent appointment at 2pm.
We're not gonna delay this any longer.
After all, Eid was just around the corner.
Ohh.. bare in mind that both my parents were performing umrah at mecca and it's just me, hubby and friends at work worried sick after seeing me getting my medical GL- guarantee letter for the missed abortion gynae appointment.


24th August 2011 - 2pm
Met Prof Siti at UMSC.
She read the referral letter and said, "Hmm.. wait.. let ME do the scan"
Using the UMSC larger looking ultrasound machine and probe and screen.
And wallaaa!
There's the heartbeat.
Beating strong and fast.
And Prof Siti continued to blab about how precious life is and how hard people to get pregnant, and yet there's still many clinic doctors easily summarises for missed abortion.

So, ta-daaaa!
Here's the video of the bun cooking inside my oven, at the moment.
See the heartbeat??
It's like flickering very fast at the bottom of the sac.


Did you know that at 8 weeks old, the sac is actually the size of a tennis ball?
No wonder I feel fat throughout this fasting month.. huh!
And so much for hubby claiming never been in an 'accident'.. pffttt !
A good one, that is!
Bwahahaha!

(pics googled from the net, and the video is my very first video ever uploaded on youtube just for you!!)