My Birth Preference

I'm about 4 weeks+ away from my due date, so it's only natural for my nerves to be twitching and my heart racing - anxiously awaiting labor and birth day of my little munchkin.

At this point, I'm quite certain of my birth preference (I much prefer the term "birth preference" than "birth plan"), after all a "plan" implies that you have control over your labor and delivery and it's usually circumstances that determine how labor and deliver go.

In terms of preparation, I believe I've prepared all I could in the early stages of my pregnancy and found out all I needed to know and expect for when "labor day" comes. Books are definitely one way (I have have bought tons of them), but for labor, videos I felt are still the best way to know and see what actually happens. Thanks to YouTube, I have seen the "real deal" experiences and as traumatic as many of them may be, I still feel that it's the most beautiful experience in the world. 
  

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MY BIRTH PREFERENCE

My birth preference would be natural delivery, with epidural assistance, of course. I know my limits - I have low tolerance when it comes to pain! I have spoken to many friends who have been through labor and seen the videos to know that if I wanted to go with the natural way, epidural would be the best way to go.

However, I am aware that there could be complications and if the need really arises for interventions which may become necessary to be explained to me and in such a way that both Kevin and I understand what is happening, and why it has become a necessity. Regardless, I want the environment to be as calm and supportive as it can be under whatever the circumstance.

Hence, I'm still amazed that I have numerous female friends who actually opt for natural delivery without epidural and they live to tell the tale. I really salute them and although a part of me (deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down x1000) would like to say "Challenge, accepted!", the voice inside my head (which sounds so much like my husband's) is screaming "Don't try to be a hero. Go with epidural, woman!".

My birth partner:
- My husband** will be my primary birth partner, of course, and he should be present throughout the entire process. However, since he's been experiencing more of the pregnancy symptoms than I have, perhaps I should get the hospital to standby a bed for him next to me, just in case he goes into labor as well. Hmmm, it that happens, he would need to go caesarean for sure - no choice! *devilish grin*   
- My mom and mother-in-law can be present as well, if they choose to be since the hospital allows for it (yeap, I checked!).
- I would also like to have one more person - preferably one of my female cousins - to be in the room for photography/videography reasons. I'm hoping my cousin (who's studying to be a doctor) will do it as it will also be giving her first-hand experience of watching real-life labor/delivery :) 

**Hmmm, then again, I'm not sure for when the labor pain strikes if I really, really want him there as I won't be able to control my emotions and may just start hating him at that point in time for being the reason of giving me this pain in the first place. We'll see ~ drama, drama, drama - and I wonder why the little munchkin inside me is already such a drama queen!

Positions for labor and birth:
- I would definitely prefer to remain lying upright in bed with my back propped with pillows for for as long as possible and be involved throughout the labor/delivery process. 
- Lying on my side could be an option, but I don't think I would be comfortable in that position. Same goes with standing or squatting. Not my thang.

Pain relief:
- Let's stick to the "plan" - epidural, please!

Assisted birth:
- If the need arises, I am open to what my Ob/Gyn recommends at that point in time as much as I'd like to avoid forceps or vacuum delivery. 

Third stage (delivery of the placenta):
- I would prefer to have a natural third stage without any injection to speed up the delivery of the placenta.
- My husband, who will be my birth partner, will be the one to cut the umbilical cord.

Skin-to-skin contact:
- I would like to have my baby to be placed directly onto my arms straight after birth. She does not necessarily need to be cleaned up before she is handed to me.

Feeding baby: 
- Breastfeeding is my ultimate and only preference. No formula, unless of course there are "technical" issues that cannot be avoided. Even then, no Anmum please!

All in all, I'm planning for a peaceful and normal delivery. If for some reason things go off track, Kevin and I will accept them together and and move ahead with whatever needs to happen. We'll be way too excited to meet our little girl at that point that I'm confident that we can bring her into this world together.

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Pregnant Me doing my part for the GE 2013

Today is Malaysia's 13th General Election!!! So excited and proud to see our election day featured on the Google Doodle first thing this morning :)

I, of course, used the same strategy I did 5 years ago... Instead of flocking the polling center at an ungodly hour so early in the morning, I went at 3.45pm as I know that's when the crowd and chaos would have cleared out. Plus, I'm pregnant and the last thing I want is to stand in line waiting in the heat and I try my best to avoid crowds as much as possible.

And the strategy worked yet again. I was in and out of Sekolah Kebangsaan Bayan Baru within 5 minutes!!! 

No queue whatsoever - and, most importantly, the end justifies the means - I did my part in casting my vote with two big "X" (one for Parliament; one for State Assembly Representative) for my area! :) No hassle there ~ easy-peasy!

The only hassle was having my left index finger swabbed with blue indelible ink (apparently, a necessary act to prevent double voting). Hate it cos whatever ink stain that remains from just a quick water wash, it smudges even when you wash your hand and if you're not careful, like me, you'll have ink stains all over your face too. *comot*

 Water wash/rinsing with soap didn't do much in removing the indelible ink...

 ... Thankfully, when I got home, dipping my finger in Clorox got most of the ink off!

Yeah, it's about time for dinner and medicine for pregnant me while following the General Election results on TV!  

Will there be change??!!?? Well, let's watch and find out together-gether...

 

35 Weeks Pregnant

At exactly 35 weeks today, with just 5 more weeks to go, IT FINALLY HAPPENED!!!

I finally feel EXHAUSTED, HUGE and just TOO DAMN PREGNANT to do anything. 

It's also the first time I ever felt like I had to drag myself out of bed (belly and all) on a Saturday morning for our weekly date with our little munchkin at the hospital for the usual 4D ultrasound and checkup. Same goes for Kevin too! We both just felt so drained for some reason this morning, but we still made it to the hospital in the morning... which was of course super crowded!

As of today (Week 35 - Day 1), the little munchkin's fetal stats are: 

- Heartbeat: 140bpm 

- CRL: ~34cm

- Weight: ~2.7kg

She's gonna be like mommy and daddy - with thick hair :)

Looks like she's trying hard to open her eyes...

At the visit, I expressed my concern to my Ob/Gyn about having a big baby, especially since my little munchkin is growing much faster these days and I can feel the pull in my stomach weighing me down... and, not forgetting, the pressure/strain on my back! 

Nevertheless, my Ob/Gyn says it's nothing to worry about as baby is pretty average in size and flashed me her growth chart (and her stats are aligned with the standard growth scale). Phew!!! That is good to hear and see :) In fact, my Ob/Gyn estimates her weight to be about 3.5kg at 40 weeks.

Good news is that she remains in head-down position again today... Yippee!!! (She's been head-down since the past couple of weeks.) I guess she is currently in "Ready, Get Set" mode, but mommy keeps reminding her "No go, no go yet"... it's not time yet. At least let us hit 36 weeks before she starts prepping for the "Go". So far, she seems to be listening to mommy and has not stepped further into "engaged" mode yet... Good girl! :)

Hide & Seek / Peekaboo with Daddy ~ from inside the womb!

Playtime with daddy has been going on since the early weeks when we could first her light flutters and movement. Yet, we are still amazed as to how playful our little "cupcake" is as she expects plenty of attention from us just for her and her alone ~ from inside the womb!

She finds ways to connect with Kevin practically every night (cos that's the only time she hears his voice and knows they can have some quality time I guess - she plays and hears mommy all the time throughout the day) and adapts to circumstances to make their play time something that daddy would look forward to every night. 

And what does mommy do during this time - one might ask??? Nothing!!! Mommy has no role whatsoever during this father-daughter bonding, aside from lying still in bed while they do their daily thing.

During the first and second trimester, her play date with daddy is just heart-meltingly cute! She would lift her head up from inside my belly so as there is a big bulge on one side of my belly as soon as she hears daddy's voice in the room. If neither my husband or I notices this, she will shake mommy so that mommy alerts daddy that she's waiting to play "hide and seek". To which, Daddy will have to rub the bulge, as if to say "I found you" and as soon as he finds her, she disappears again (making mommy's belly symmetrical again), repositions herself and then re-submerges at another spot. To which daddy has to find and tap her again. This will go on until she, and only she, is tired and stops the game... Believe me, it sometimes lasts more than an hour!
  
Once third trimester kicked in, the dynamics of their nightly "hide and seek" game changed as she's much bigger now and is spread across my belly. Hence, she has limited space to move about freely (as she used to) to appear, disappear and reappear. Yet, she still manages to find a new mode to play "peekaboo" with daddy - yes, via mommy's belly button!!!

She somehow finds a way to push my belly button out to announce "It's play time with daddy" and expects daddy to caress and talk to her every night. She will bring it back down and allow daddy some time to anxiously await her move to push my belly button back up. It's not as dramatic as the "hide and seek" game, but it's still just as cute as mommy watches the two of them do their nightly father-daughter bonding.

 

She is after all, as my husband keeps reminding me, "daddy's little girl"!!!

The Light at the End of the Rainbow

Kevin and I are about to have a baby and become first-time parents, so naturally our maternal/paternal instincts have gradually started kicking in months back (and even more now that we're already into Week 34), in excitement of ensuring that our new born will have a healthier living (and breathing) space.

Our condo on the 17th floor overlooks a fantastic view of hill greenery from our balcony as well as master bedroom (and we get to enjoy cool, strong breeze in the evenings/night, although I still resort to aircon during bedtime) and we also an awesome view of the skyline from two other rooms.

Unfortunately for us, there is now construction happening by the hillside overlooking our balcony and the dust, debris, dirt... OMG! it's just dusty, dusty, dusty all the time!

Lucky for us, a friend recommended us for a product demo which she had just been introduced to recently knowing that we are soon-to-be parents, and most importantly, to ensure that our baby would be breathing cleaner air. Of course we agreed to the demo and over the weekend the representative came to unveil the product to us - no obligations to purchase, just to see the benefits of the product through a real-life demonstration at our home.

Anyhoo, there was not much convincing required after the Rainbow Cleaning System demo for Kevin and I to make our decision. It's what I've always wanted - convenient, low maintenance (no need for changing of filter etc. as the basic ingredient required is water) and it definitely meets my all-in-one home cleaning/vacuuming and air cleansing needs.

 

It's a definite YES for us, although it is on a pricey end (we took the credit card instalment option of course), but we see it as a good long-term investment. 

Following are shots of the dirt, dust mite, dead skin and filth collected by Rainbow at our home from just the one demo (mind you, we had a maid come in to clean and changed our bedsheet that had been dry-cleaned just three days before the demo day):

 Dirt trapped on a cloth, during the demo session, just from vacuuming the floor of our living room.

 Tada! This is just from vacuuming our living and dining room furniture and floor. Yuck!

 Here's what Rainbow sucked up from our master bedroom floor and bed. Double yuck!!

... and we just had our bedsheets changed to a fresh set from the dry cleaners 3 days prior to the demo day.
 

Rainbow managed to also kill off many insects (like this one) as a result of water-washing our living room air.

And the rest, as they say, is history as we lived "rainbowly" ever after!

34 Weeks Pregnant

We're back at the hospital again today, and this time, the little one brewing in my belly went with a full stomach. So, there was no "drama queen" attitude and she faced the camera during the 4D ultrasound.

Before we get to her fetal updates... Every few weeks once, we will meet this Arab couple (the wife is pregnant with their 4th; and they will bring along their three boys.) at the hospital. They go to the same Ob/Gyn as us, so we'll be waiting at the front of the clinic about the same time. 

This works well for our little fetus as she, as we believe it, somehow likes the youngest of the three boys (he's probably 3 years old and the "naughtiest" of the lot ~ yes, of course she would be attracted to "bad boys"). Anyways, like previous occasions, the youngest of the three boys will always come close and sit next to me, even though there are plenty of empty seats elsewhere, including next to my husband. But he always conveniently chooses the one that's next to me, unless that's not available, the it would be the seat directly opposite of me and mumble some "small talk" (to which my little one will kick and respond to - I know, I feel the kicks in response to his small talk). After that, he will just look at my belly, look at me and then smile the biggest, happiest smile. It's so heart-melting and he's so cute! This usually follows with a shy and manja kinda look, as if he is communication (or perhaps "courting") the little one in my belly. Oh, believe me, my hubby notices this too and sometimes gives the innocent little boy hard stares, but he ignores and continues to keep making eyes at me and my belly :) Way to go baby, already fishing from inside the womb and eying a "Persian prince"? :)

As of today (Week 34 - Day 1), the little munchkin's fetal stats are:
- Heartbeat: 129bpm

- CRL: ~32cm 

- Weight: ~2.4kg

 

 

Wakey wakey, sleepy head! Why do you like to keep falling asleep before your usual afternoon nap?

We want to see more action darlin'... The active action that we feel during the nights...

 

At this angle, daddy noticed her nose coming into shape like mommy's *hidung kembang*. Hahaha.

My Ob/Gyn also passed me my letter of admittance to the hospital for labor/delivery today to keep in the event baby decides to come before Week 40 (or as early as Week 36). Kinda early, but better to have the letter in my hand in advance. Another thing to add to my hospital bag... Oh, which reminds me I have to finish packing my hospital bag soon...

Little Miss Territorial

An unbelievable incident happened this weekend...

My hubby, Kevin and I had just gone shopping for some baby stuff and I decided to buy "Philips Avent 2-in-1 combined steamer-blender" at the store since it was at 25% discount. Yeah, I know, I know, I know... It's still way too early since the baby is not even born yet and I'm already months ahead thinking and worrying about her solid food intake.

Anyhoo, we live in a condo (high up on the 17th floor) - therefore, our elevator ride up or down is usually filled with many people. Hence, when we were making our way back to our condo, after we were done with some shopping for baby of course, there was a lady and her daughter (should be no older than 2 years old) who also took the elevator up with us. The lady pressed 16th floor, which meant that we have company in the lift as they lived one floor below us.

Kevin was carrying the combined steamer-blender in a bag. I guess the box was transparent enough for the little girl to see through and recognize the item or a picture of the baby eating pureed food on the box cover. Once she made the association, I guess she was excited and kept pointing to the bag my husband was carrying shouting "Baby, baby, baby" again and again.

I guess at that point, the lady felt it necessary to explain to us that she also has the product at home and her daughter seems to recognize it. Hence, her sudden outburst of excitement.

Throughout the conversation the lady was having with me, I noticed the little girl's excitement suddenly stopped as her eyes stared directly at my bulging belly. No more shouting and pointing. She had a sulked look on her face (the kind where a kid gets when they have just been scolded by someone for doing something wrong) as her eyes stayed glued to my belly for at least another 20 seconds. Then she bowed her head (as if in shame) and looked down at the floor, turned to face her mother (with her back at me) almost in tears.

The little girl's mother was still talking to me and did not notice the sudden change in her daughter's behavior at all, but both Kevin and I did.

And as soon as they both got out of the elevator on the 16th floor, Kevin and I were like "Wow! Did what I think happen just happened? Was that her doing from inside the womb?". 

So, what do you think happened???