Preface

Salam, may peace be with you...I am a BIRTH JUNKIE! And this is my space where I share with you relative information regarding pregnancy and childbirth. This is MY personal space where YOU are welcome to be. All information shared be it in writing or graphic, is MY PERSONAL SHARING based on MY best of knowledge and experience in life. Therefore, it can be changed at any point of time to make it relevant and current. Whatever actions or reactions that YOU may take after being here, are YOUR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY. May this space is blessed by The Creator to be the platform of enlightenment & self development; may waves of positive vibes reverberates far and wide In Syaa Allah!

Monday 26 December 2011

Happy Birth Day!

Preface

I wish to survive a good experience in my birthing and that is how it all started. Now...a so-called 'good' experience is very under-rated...as I went on to read more about gentle, unhindered and physiological births, for me it's a no-brainer...I just needed to convince my hubby to go along with my radically hippy (I hated to be associated with hippies when it comes to making informed and personal choices....but that's just my opinion =_=) planned homebirth/waterbirth. So, what gives? I just want to give the best start for my family especially my precious baby. Eventually my hubby relented after we went to a sharing session with the advocates of home birthers/parents from The Gentle Birthing Group Malaysia at Ibu House on my 20th weeks of pregnancy. And for him who had spent a good 8 years in Germany and also to have known a few midwives and the birth setting in Europe, he does believe in the benefits of unintervened births...

Interlude...

So the first step is to get ourselves educated before we can go on making informed personal choices for our birthing. We enrolled for a series of Hypnobirthing course with Madam Soo Wai Han of Hypnobirthing Malaysia and who's also one of the respected members of The Gentle Birthing Group Malaysia. It was just by chance that my gym buddy added me to the group not long after I e-mailed Sifoo (our endearment for Wai Han ^_^) to register for the course. I would say that is the best investment I have made in my entire life!

Which means after my 20th weeks of pregnancy I prepared or shall I say approached my birthing heads on. I read up as much as I can on birthing, hospital settings vs home settings, pros and cons of medical interventions and the risks involved so that I can hope for the best and prepare for the worst...
I skipped my obgyn's appointments but took extra care of myself-diet, health, relaxation, exercise/daily activities - it's all about taking the responsibility and accountability for my actions that will most likely affect the baby I carry in my womb...I also wanted to sharpen my intuition and imothering instinct that has been blessed by God The Master Planner onto us the human species for our survival on earth. It's the first step in being a parent, to care and protect our child from any harm, in the best way we can...I don't want to rely on the doctors to tell me what to do with myself or my child unless medical assistant is necessary...and that sentiment echoes my philosophy on birth - it is a daily part of life and our survival as human species and so it is a calculated risk which is not anymore dangerous or safer than any other activities we have...

The birthing day...
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve
Time : 2.30am

- another round of peeing and pooing with the first of a few birth show/release of mucous plug (for me it's something that looks like the clots at the beginning of my menses)
- some mild and irregular surges started...just went back on to sleep coz I know it's going to be along day ahead

Time : 7am

- started to prepare the room for birthing - cancelled plans to go last minute shopping for baby stuffs
- called mom and wai han just to update on the birth show and mild irregular surges/contractions
- the 3m X 1m inflatable pool that I bought from Toys R Us are already half pumped up and just waiting for my hubby to completely blow it up and fill with warm water...it's sittin right in front of my bathroom so hubby had 'engineered' a way to fill up the pool using syphon method to directly fill it up from the hot water panel.
- spend the day relaxing and talking to baby, bouncing on the gym ball, layed all the sheets/cloths/linens that I have washed, sterilized and kept aside to be a padding for 'emergency' dry birth (remember that we planned for a home waterbirth??? but this is where I place my tawakal - I can plan and prepare all I want but it is entirely up to God's Mercy to what is the best plan that He has already written out for me)
- darling husband setup the room with scented candles and soft amber lightings, he actually went out around 6pm to get snacks/meals for the 'birth party'...ordered Domino's pizza
- by the time he came back, my surges are already clockwork and he started to fill up the pool and also brought up his outdoor cooking stove to boil water

What's a clockwork surges looks like (for the benefit of 1st time moms) :-

7.00pm / 7.10pm / 7.20pm / 7.30pm / 7.38pm / 7.46pm / 7.56pm / 8.03pm / 8.13pm / 8.22pm / 8.31pm / 8.41pm / 8.46pm / 8.53pm / 9.00pm / 9.07pm / 9.13pm / 9.20pm / 9.27pm / 9.33pm / 9.38pm / 9.41pm / 9.45pm / 9.51pm / 9.56pm / 10.07pm / 10.13pm / 10.18pm / 10.25pm / 10.32pm / 10.42pm / 10.54pm / 11.01pm / 11.07pm / 11.14pm / 11.19pm / 11.28pm / 11.34pm / 11.41pm / 11.49pm / 11.57pm / 12.03am / 12.08pm / 12.14am / 12.22am / 12. 28am / 12.33am / 12.41am / 12.44am / 12.50am / 12.54am / 12.59am

So from 7pm to 1am the surges are getting into a regular pattern and getting intense by the next one...but for me it is still manageable and reminded me of my period cramps...I loaded up on fluids (plain water, air kelapa/coconut juice, raspberry leaf tea - which I steep my last stash and I got like a jug of it)...changed positions many times but as soon as the surges gets around 4mins apart that lasted about 30secs more or less I decided to get in the pool...it was such a relief but not entirely...at 1 am I got into my birth pool and actually (personally I felt like it had stalled my labor when it fact it actually makes a clearer path for a good progressive labor) thought I would be giving birth before dawn...the surges became some what further apart but the intensity level is a 9/10 score and 10 being the most intense...by 4am I was sooo spent to the point of madness (I was scared for my baby that he got stuck or something but I can still feel him moving and stretching inside me and I haven't had a spontaneous rupture of the membrane sac yet)...I get my hubby to call Wai Han and requested for her assistance...my hubby had been so wondeful the whole time and giving encouragements and just being helpful just let me order him at my whims and fancies...I was totally out of myself - very vocal (the part that I didn't expect at all) and intuitive and alert...

Christmas sunday

Wai Han came around 7am, and by then I was already out of the pool on the dry paddings feeling so lousy ( I have thoughts of my past sins, my mother, my ability to hit a home run with this birth etc). As soon as Wai Han arrived and we go through the surges together while she kneaded my lower back each time during the surges and also talk to baby and reciting positive birth affirmations, my spirit and enery level renewed...and this is when I started to rotate my hips clockwise while leaning on my dressing table. And boy do I vocalize...and I got the urge to pass motion which is overwhelming and from deep within that is sooo strong sometimes I can't control my hips rotation unless being reminded by Wai Han to focus on breathing down the baby/ J breathing taught in the Hypnobirthing course. The whole time my hubby was outside the room catching his breath but couldn't sleep coz he's sooo worried...

By 11am the urge to push is already at the brim...and my hubby came in just in time during the last hour of laboring to take awesome pictures of the crowning, just before 12pm on a Christmas Sunday. I felt the infamous ring-of-fire and from the mirror placed underneath and in between my legs, I can see the membrane sac bulging from my cervix/vagina...I touched it and true enough a sense determination overwhelmed me and suddenly I have a renewed sense of energy and very focus on my breathing long, deep hard and slow breath to avoid my perineum tearing and the opening unfolds slowly by the second...until another final surge Akashah bin Muaaz came swirling out and in one slippery swooshed into his Ayah's hands but he ended up in the landing pad because he's too slippery. My hubby cried and overjoyed with happiness of catching his own baby and I was too stunned to realized that my baby was born en caul (together with the membrane sac) and Wai Han reminded me too remove it over from his face and head...I actually expected for it to be awhile before his whole body came out, as I have watched from YouTube births...haha another poignant lesson to learn - never ever take up somebody elses birth as yours - OWN YOUR OWN BIRTHING ^_^

The after-birth

As soon as he gushed out and I removed the sac from over his face, I gave him a rub while my hubby is supporting me from behind still overwhelmed with positive emotions, my son Akashah gave a loud energetic cry, and he was visibly very pink and healthy...my hubby did actually counted his toes/fingers and checked for any birthmark...I was just elated to get to finally hold my baby which I carried full term and immediately after, we started to have skin-to-skin and eye-contact, he was breathing fine and I placed him over my abdomen and chest to do a breast crawl...he did halfway and just got mad LOL! already showing his character the little squirt...so I immediately brought him to nipple and breast fed him to get the contractions to birth the placenta. The umbilical cord was quite long and it was only tangled once around his body over his shoulders but was easily un-tangled...then after we moved to the bed to try getting me into uprigth position to assist the placenta out but nothing happened even though I felt the same strong surges and doing visualisation for the placenta to be expelled. Around 1.25pm-1.30pm decided to sit on the 'throne' and walla one strong urge and the placenta was out of the way...MasyaAllah syukur Alhamdulillah we survived the ordeal as a family...

Wai Han and hubby helped to clean up the mess and clear the pool...I ate the most delicious left over Hawaiian pizza and Secret Recipe cake together with a warm milo...Wai Han went back soon after and I am forever indebted to her for being able to be there and assist my birth.

As for my hubby, we have a very special relationship but now this bond is made even more special....we spent the whole day after the birth and the post birth just the three of us in our bedroom, admiring the 1st edition of Muaaz and Hayati branding... ^_^ It is still to me very surreal...I would definitely advocate gentle unhindered physiological birth to any family because it is a total paradigm shift and how you treat your family or any human being for that matter will profoundly change with this one magical birth...

Do contact me if you want a blow-by-blow personal recollection of my birthing experience or you can also join The Gentle Birthing Group Malaysia and also sign up for Madam Soo Wai Han's Hypnobithing Malaysia course.



Sunday 18 December 2011

A new chill out avenue - Nadi Annissa

I am so excited to share the link on this particular Non-Profit Muslimah Organization:

Nadi Annissa FB Page.

Nadi Annissa blogsite



Please click on the links above to check out the sites and spread the word about this place.

Birth Day Checklist

To do list for Ayah :

1) Get the marriage certificate from JAIS branch in Shah Alam

2) Ready the file to make a police report after the birth (with the KK book/prenatal checkup appointment card/ultrasound scan pics/marriage certificate copy)

3) Clean and sterilize the main area of the house (living and dining hall, office, kitchen, master bedroom and the bathroom, front porch)

4) Pump up the birth pool

5) Stock up on at least 2 weeks worth of groceries - bottled water/milk/eggs/ etc

6) Get baby's car seat

7) Get baby's closet / storage compartments

8) Get baby carrier

9) Service the MYVI

10) Get the new pass number for joint account from the home branch

11) Get another clothes dryer

12) Get the big shade/umbrella/plastic tent

For Me:

1) kain batik / sarong

2) survival kit - water, snacks for energy (chocolate, banana, miso soup etc)

3) birth ball

4) visualisation board to remind of relaxation and breathing techniques and cues/contact list

5) Ipod, laptops - background musics/positive birth affirmations

6) robe for the after birth

7) essential oils - Virgin Coconut Oil, frangipani, neroli and peppermint

Room ambience and birth kit:

1) dimmed lights/candles/lanterns (get the lanterns from mama's house)

2) dettol, dental floss

3) birth pool - get the pump ready, kettle to boil water

4) 2 pails/bucket (need to be scrubbed clean and sterilized) to carry water for filling up the pool

5) fish net (to scoop out poop)

6) sheets/cloth/towels/blankets/mattress sheet (sterilized and washed)

7) another pair/set of pillows

8) Charged up camera and videocam

9) Torch light

10) mirror to see the crowning

For baby Akasyah:

1) receiving blanket

2) romper and diaper set

3) Apgar Test Kit - measuring tape, weighing scale, cloth

4) immediate feeding via direct latch

5) wash cloth

Birth SOP:

Pre-labor/during labor:

Me:

-make myself COMFORTABLE and RELAX and focus on BREATHING

-hold it out as long as possible before going into the pool

Ayah:

-pump up the birth pool and get the water ready

-contact WH

-get mama to ready the meal after the birth

-get the snacks/water ready by my side

-do light touch massage, hugs and kisses

-get ready the towels/cloth/blanket

-get the music/birth affirmations playing in the background

-keep track of the time and surges apart and take notes

-ready with the positive and calming cues

-help with the birth of the placenta

Immediately after birth:

-breast crawl and direct latch to birth the placenta

-skin-to-skin/eye contact

-Azan and Iqamah (done by Ayah)

-bonding and doing the Apgar test (done by Ayah)

-take pictures

-inform mama and get the meal ready

-Ayah to clean up

Post birth (a few days after):

-The next 2 days or so can visit Dr Zaza and/or Dr Mediyati for overall health evaluation for me and baby.

-Ayah, in the meantime, can make the police report and register the birth at Puchong JPN.

-The weekend after the birth, mama will host a kenduri doa selamat and cukur jambul then immediately after that stay with her to start the berurut/berbengkung/bertangas for about 1 week. (contact Makcik Munah to confirm availability and the fees - MYR 500-600)

-During that week, Ayah is to get the whole house baby-proof and clean up thoroughly

-Get maternity bra/breast pump and bottle set at least a month before going back to work

A weekend parenting course - Powered by AlKauthar Institute

A weekend parenting course to build an Islamic home.

Monday 15th August, 2011

Salam Akasyah,


Ayah has been doing a great job in taking care of the both of us. At first, it feels like we both are struggling with some personal and financial issues. Ibu knows Ayah wants the best for his family and he must have felt like he's under alot of pressure and beyond any control of how things will work out in the near future. But Ibu believes strongly that Allah will take great care just like how He has helped me during my lowest points in life. Anyways, our family is there to lend a hand...

Don't worry as things will work out and just have faith that God knows best as He is the Master Planner of Destiny. All you have to do is be ready to come out anytime after Christmas and give Ibu and Ayah ample time to get ready for your arrival.

Lotsa luv n schweet tots,
Ibu





Sunday 7th August, 2011

Salam bebe ibu,

Ayah and Ibu has decided to look into the option of a gentle, unhindered physiological birth to welcome you into our arms.

We want the best experience for you and myself (and of course to be easy on Ayah's pocket ^_^)

So let the 3 of us work together and prepare ourselves to go through this beautiful jorney together. On another note, Ayah is featured in the Star Newspaper :

Would you go on a solo camping trip? The Star

Ibu and Ayah can't wait to be with you and for the next checkup please do cooperate and show us your 'weewee' as we are getting your stuff ready...

Lotsa luv n schweet tots,
Ibu

5th June, 2011

Salam bebe,

It's a peaceful Sunday. Next week we might be on the busy track again, Ayah and Ibu. Just an update, Ibu had just resigned from my existing post as an IT executive just a few days ago. Fortunately, because of you I received a much better job proposition and I might start in a couple of weeks time.

Ibu and Ayah went to see Dr. M last Friday. Ayah get to see you for the very first time on the ultrasound scan screen. In about 3 weeks time we will be seeing you again. From this checkup, your heart is beating fine and you've grown so much from the last time Ibu saw you. You've grown from slighly over a centimeter do about 4cm. You've done well!

You are now in your 11th week according to the scan machine and in a couple of weeks time we both would've passed our 3 months mark! We have had such a successful 1st trimester ^_^ That would mean you have been with us throughout our Kayak Tour. You are a strong survivor and a very loyal and good companion to me, in my best and worst of times.

Now that your heartbeat has been detected, the chances of losing you have greatly reduced and we hope we get to see you in due time.

Be good, stay active, play and sleep well. Just ignore Ibu's stress hormones nd let me just cry it out like good ol' times...

Like what the doctor said, " The baby is like a fruit, when it's ripe it'll come..."

Lotsa luv and schweet tots,
Ibu

Saturday 17 December 2011

Friday the 13th, May 2011

Salam anak Ibu,

I just came back from seeing Dr. Michaelsamy of Gleneagles Ampang...He's Nenna's (Ibu's mother) obgyn. He is the soft spoken and gentle doctor who delivered your uncle and aunts (Pak Lang, Mak Teh and Maksu) back when he served Tawakal Hospital.

Ibu scheduled a 4.30pm appointment as I want to make sure you are alright.

At this point of time, Ayah is very busy adjusting to his life back in Malaysia after a good 8 years or so in Germany. And it's only been a few months since he came back for good that Ayah and Ibu tied the knot at the end of February. Then, the both of us are busy juggling and balancing our new life together. In early April, Ayah decided to bring along Ibu on our special one-of-a-kind Honeymoon Kayak Tour. We spent a week kayaking in Tasik Kenyir and another week in Tasik Temenggor, without realizing that you were with us the whole time since the beginning of our honeymoon...and when we came back Ayah had to straightaway get busy with his online webshop ( http://www.footsteps.com.my/) where he sells travel and outdoor gears.

A week after we came back from the honeymoon, I missed my period and we found out about you!

So, Ibu was in Dr. M's office clinic. Finally I get to see you from the ultrasound scan screen. I get to see your heartbeat. Dr. M was really happy to be able to detect your heartbeat and he went on to let me know that you are most likely to arrive between Christmas and New Year. What do you reckon? Do you want to see us this year or the next? Ibu don't really mind as long as you are healthy and happy. As of this day's checkup, you are about 1cm in length and 7 weeks old according to the Naegele's Rule that he's using.

But by right, you are actually about 5 weeks. Ibu wants you to take it easy. We are deciding your name so when you are ready, please show your 'special part' so that we can pick a name for you! ^_^

Lotsa luv n schweet tots,
Ibu

















1st May 2011 (about 3 weeks or so after conception)

Sunday...
Salam anak Ibu,
This is my second note to you since the last time (about a month or so back in March)...it's been quite a while that I've written because this book (my bedside journal) fell behind Ayah's and Ibu's headboard.

Just so you know, this is a long weekend holiday as today is Labor Day (a special holiday or off day for people who go to work and earn a living depending on a monthly pay-cheque)...since the Public Holiday falls on a Sunday so the off day is brought forward to tomorrow so Ibu don't actually have to go to work...in fact I can prolong my leave until Tuesday as per Aunty Medi's instruction...
You see...last Thursday Ibu found some staining of blood on Ibu's underpants. That could mean 2 things:
1) I have some problems, or
2) You might be in trouble as you are in my tummy now...

So Ibu have to rest well and not move alot so that the both of us will be safe and healthy and can be together till end of gestation. As of now, you are most likely to be about 4 weeks or so and right now your development are as such:

1) heart is being formed
2) lungs are being formed
3) lips and fingers/toes are developing

I am so grateful and beyond happy to know of your existence the earliest possible. You are indeed God's gift to both Ayah and Ibu...We just can't wait to see you in due time... ^_^

Okay, so here's a list of Ibu's wishes for you:
1) Ibu wants you to be calm and happy in my womb - trust that I'll take care of your well being
2) Be active and and be happy
3) Listen intently whenever Ibu recite the surrahs from Quran, dua and singsong lullaby to you
4) Be grateful for the nutrients/food source that you are replenish with from God via Ayah - it's to keep both of us healthy, strong and safe from harm
5) Know that people love you and are waiting for your arrival. You being here makes so many people happy, especially Ayah and Ibu...
6) Be strong for me as I am for you...be my ever faithful companion in best and worst of times...
7) Ibu wants a gentle, unhindered physiological birth experience for the both of us....so please make sure you are always in the most optimal position for birth - Left Occiput Anterior (LOA) so we can both achieve a beautiful birth reunion...
Lotsa luv and schweet tots,
Ibu

23/03/2011 - Last Menstrual Period Start Date

[A day after my 29th birthday]


Salam anak ibu...Yesterday ibu punya ulang tahun ke-29! What a day it was...in the morning Ibu was anticipating you so much...Ibu went to the toilet and did the pregnancy test. But it showed me the negative result instead... :( But Ibu know that you are there in my belly.

So I went about my day feeling subdued. Had a talk with your Ayah. He's being really sweet and kind. Then Ibu made the mistake of taking papaya and milk combo in the morning...

I paid heavily for it. It was excruciatingly painful and I was down with tummy ache/acute abdominal cramping that I had to go and see Aunty Medi (Ibu and Ayah's preferred GP at Desa Pandan and our record goes way back since our high school years). She gave Ibu medicine to soothe my tummy ache and also a delicious home baked cupcake.

I just have a feeling that YOU are in me...(well at least half of you are already in me...just waiting for another half from Ayah to be combine...but let's leave that for later ^_^)

You are my best birthday gift Ever ever ever...can't wait to meet you.

Lotsa luv n schweet tots,

Ibu