"C-section is a major surgery"

Well, I kinda need to keep saying that to myself.
Should probably say that to some of my family members as well! hahaha
Serves me right for braving a smile as I was wheeled out of the operating room, I guess.

So I gave birth to a not so little girl a little over a month ago -- explains why I haven't been updating this blog, yeah? It turned out to be a little bit of a drama, though. As you may have recalled, I was planning on a delivery as natural as possible. No thought of epidural, laughing gas or even getting induced.
All is already written, as I said to myself leading up to Nugget's birth. SO zen! *rolls eyes*

Check up at Week 40 involved CTG and an ultrasound. Nugget was fine and healthy, but still not engaged into my pelvis. The scan showed that her umbilical cord was near her neck but doctors could not confirm that it's around her neck, so there's no real reason to worry.
The doctor suggested that I get admitted that night and induce my labour anyway. Monkey and I were not crazy on the idea but Nugget was getting bigger by the day and thought perhaps we'll just see where this leads.
To be honest, I only agreed because Monkey had requested those days off and the idea that I might be in labour while he isn't around kinda worries me.

So we went home. Talked to family that we'll be "checking in" that night and that we'll update them if there is anything worth updating. While waiting to check in, Monkey made me walk around our apartment block and even took the stairs from LG4 to our apartment in fourth floor. That was torturous, but we had to try -- REALLY wasn't looking forward to getting induced!

Anyway, I hadn't felt any pain. No contractions to speak of. So we headed to Umra that night and so my labour story begins.
The nurse had asked me to change into my batik and wear a menstrual pad.
The doctor inserted the first Pitocin a little after 11PM. Nothing much happened after that. Monkey and I tried to get some sleep but every few hours we kept getting disturbed as the nurses were watching, monitoring my contractions and baby's heartbeat. Still nothing though. Baby was fine, my contractions were minimal.
So a little after six AM, the doctor came in again to insert the second Pitocin and only then I started to really feel the contractions.

At ten we saw the doctor. He saw the CTG results and did an ultrasound and told us he had no "good news" to tell us. Nugget was still in her previous position, nowhere near being engaged. CTG results were normal, nothing to be concerned about but he asked us to consider getting cesarian section.
We refused to decide then and gave ourselves time to see what happens.
At twelve I was hooked to a CTG machine again. The contractions had become stronger, uncomfortable but I wasn't in real pain. A doctor came in to check my opening and it was at 1-2cm but she said there is hope, we could try to wait it out for a few more hours and that's what we did.
At this time I haven't had anything to eat or drink since about 7, preparing for the possibility that I might have to get the C-sect anyway. So I was hooked to an IV; which had been the most unpleasant thing about the entire experience so far.

We went about with the day. Went back to my room to just chill and ride the contractions. My mom who had been there since morning went home to fetch some things and a little after lunch time Monkey brought his mom out for a meal after his brother dropped her off at the hospital.
So I was left all alone in my room.
Which was perfectly fine!
Until I needed to pee..

Because I had that IV tube, I tried to hold it in until I absolutely couldn't.. and as I got out of bed, I felt a balloon popped in me and a rush of water followed. At first I thought it was my pee and I failed to hold it in. hahhahaha! But it kept flowing and flowing that it made me think that the balloon was probably my amniotic fluid. So I grabbed the pole that had my bag of saline and manoeuvred myself into the toilet.
Slipped down my panties and hey-ho! My pad was soaked and it was green. Moss green. (Probably too gross to post a photo of it here, yeah?) So I threw my panties on the sink, peed and think of a million things;
Green -- not good!
Should I shout for the nurse?
Where the fuck is Monkey?!
And while I was cleaning after myself, Monkey and his mom came into the room so I shouted through the toilet door that my water broke.

Then I heard Monkey went back out, I came out from the loo and stood by my bed, not knowing what to do next. Monkey came back with a nurse who then saw the green soaked pad in the sink who then said something that sounded panicky. Not too long after that she came back saying that she called for the doctor and that I should lay back in bed.
The doctor came in, took a quick look at my pad and said that the baby has pooped inside. She checked my opening and there hadn't been any progress and said that we had no choice but go on the table.

This next part happened in a blur. I HATED the idea that I needed to be cut open.
Nurses came in and out. I got a Brazilian wax done for the "occasion" but a nurse came to shave me anyway. Then some lady came over with some papers for me to sign.
All the while Monkey and his mom were standing at a corner of the room pretty invisible to everyone but me.

Everyone was moving so fast. As I got changed, a nurse came along with a wheelchair then pushed me into the elevator leading to the floor with the labour rooms.
Monkey was not allowed into the operating room. So there I was, with my glasses handed to Monkey as it too was not allowed, half-blindly following whatever anyone had instructed me to do.

I was wheeled into a room where I was weighed, for the anaesthetic I assume.
Then walked into another room with the actual operating table. This part was an actual blur, literally but I remembered every bit pretty clearly. Not sure anyone would be interested to know how naked I felt in there, though so I think I'll just skip this part for another day. I must say that the anaesthecian did a fantastic job; I didn't feel the epidural going in at all!

Anyway, the whole thing was pretty fast. My water broke at 3 something, Nugget was born at half past four!
I was in a state of worry the whole time. It was not what I had anticipated. My right shoulder was somehow in a terrible pain and my everywhere else was freezing.

But I remembered Nugget's first cry. It was loud. It was clear. And the moment the doctor showed her to me I was swept with an overwhelming feeling of happiness.. and I was glad. It made no sense how one second I was worrying, then the very next second I was crying. I remembered even thinking, Why am I crying?! hahahahha
Then the doctor told me that the baby's umbilical cord was wrapped once around her neck.
It felt like I could cry again, mid-cry. I was so grateful that Nugget was safe.

Then I don't know what happened. The doctors had worked on me before closing me up, I assume but the next thing I know I was being wheeled out from the OR. Feeling really groggy, and saw my family's worried faces (my father's, in particular) and gave them a smile.

Damn, this entry is already too long.
Shall I continue some other time? There isn't much left to share except for the little bits in the hospital before I get discharged but you know how rambly I could get!

So that's it for now.
Believe it or not, I'd worked on this entry since three weeks ago! Having a baby really challenges your time management skills. Your time is no longer YOUR time.
At least my time anyway.

Mini watermelon baby.

Baby is staying put it seems. heehee.
Perhaps Nugget already understood the importance of keeping time, having flight attendants as parents.. bahahahha!
I'm getting a little anxious since Nugget's due date is just a week away. eeep!
I've been asked if I am ready..
Am I ready?

I'll be ready,
that's what I've been saying.
I've wrapped my head around the idea of PAIN. Absolutely no idea of how much pain, but I know there will be pain involved -- and honestly, talking or reading about them hasn't been helping much.
Every pregnancy is different. Every labour is different. You can read up on thousands of stories and yours may not be the same as any of them.
So, I'll be ready.
Whenever the baby is ready.. I'll be ready. Hopefully. hahahha!

Check-up in Hospital Umra since Week 37 had involved fifteen minutes session of cardiotocography (CTG). Basically the technician attached two circular thingamajig on my abdomen where one detects the baby's heartbeat while the other monitors my contraction -- which there had been none. hahahha!

The doctor had suggested that I take more walks and do some half squats since Nugget hasn't engaged into position. Not that it's crucial, some babies engages into the pelvis just before labour. So I'm not particularly worried.
But she did mention about the possibility of having my labour induced if Nugget refuses to come out even a couple of days post due date. sigh. I hope we wouldn't come to that.

I am really hoping for a delivery that is as natural as possible.
Honestly, some days I feel so zen about this whole thing.
Everything has been written, after all. Physically, there isn't much that I can do, right?

Really looking forward to meeting Nugget!
We are actually counting days, now.
..but my hospital bag is not even ready yet! HAHAHHA!

Swiss chard baby.

What is in Nugget's hospital bag?

So I got around to put together the hospital bag specifically for the baby. I decided to do a separate bag so no one had to rummage around one big bag to find one particular thing. Plus, I haven't bought everything that I wanted to bring for myself so I'll just sort Nugget's first.
It's nice to at least check one of the tasks off the list.

As previously discussed, since we bought the Doona carseat/stroller, we ended up getting the All Day Bag in Storm (Grey) as the diaper bag for Nugget.

The bag itself is actually quite roomy. I'd say it's like a small duffle bag that comes with a detachable insulated bottle case and a changing mat. There are two zippered compartment on the sides big enough to fit in a bottle. The zip in front and the top gives access to the main compartment. Then there's another zippered compartment on the back, wide enough to fit in a standard paperback.

So the first thing I packed were baby's changing necessities;
Changing mat -- which came with the bag
Newborn diapers -- it's probably too much, but I packed ten!
Wet wipes
Nappy sacks -- because I'm just extra.

I don't necessarily have a particular preference to Mothercare's products; I've never actually used any of them but I liked the look of the pack's closure, so that's why I got them in the first place. (Also, they were on sale when I got them!)

As for the diapers, there were two school of thought, if I may call it that. Some told me to just get any cheap brands as the baby will need to be changed every so often, while some told me to get a good brand to prevent leakage -- and having to change them every so often. hahahha!

So I got the ones by Mamy Poko. Naturally.
🙄

Moving on to textiles(?);
A receiving blanket -- soft enough, light enough to keep baby in a nice temperature (hopefully) where it won't be too warm or too cold.
Muslin swaddle -- to keep Nugget snug and tight! I have two here in case one got soiled, or I could use one as a nursing cover or to cover the carseat from the sun while in the car.
Washcloth -- a couple of them to wipe any possible mess.

As I've washed these prior to packing them, I've gotta say that IKEA's brand does NOT wash well. At all. I didn't mind much on the washcloths but the blanket came in a pack of three and they all shrunk into different sizes! hahahaha!
It was annoying and amusing at the same time..

And this is the part where I got SUPER extra, can't help myself;
Baby's clothes -- five pairs of them, because.. options!

Of course I'm hoping that we won't be in the hospital for too long that we'll need to use all five outfits.

As you can see, I've put each outfit into individual ziploc bags and took the time to draw on the bags to indicate what's in it. Yes. Totally extra.
But I figured that I won't be dressing Nugget for the first few times. Most probably it's going to be the nurses or Monkey or my mom, so I wouldn't want them to make a mess of things or get frustrated trying to find the right pair of top and bottom.

Since my sister in law gave birth a few weeks ago, I found out that nurses would prefer to dress babies in buttoned tops as they are just easier to get into. So I got a couple of basic white tops from Mothercare that are fastened with velcro! Sounds like a breeze, eh?

Seriously, I'm glad that I didn't start shopping for baby's clothes so early during the pregnancy..
Now that I've start, I don't think I can stop!!

Some random bits;
A pack of face tissues, because my mom said to just chuck one in.
A couple of ziploc bags -- to chuck soiled washcloths.. or something. It's not like they take much space anyway.
A hand sanitizer -- I reckon it'll be useful in some way or another.

I'd like to think I've got it all covered -- baby bag wise.
I've gone through a couple of checklists on the internet and the one Nina shared with me and I'm pretty sure it's all set. I've cross-checked with my mom and shown her what I have in the bag and apart from the facial tissues, she too can't think of anything else to add.

So yeah, I think baby bag is ready! Woop woop!

Romaine lettuce kid.

Checkup is once a week now.
The one I had on Thursday at Umra took fifty minutes. We took the usual; blood pressure, weight and urine test. I've officially gained TEN kilos since I got pregnant!
Did an ultrasound of the baby and the doctor estimated that Nugget will be about 3.1 to 3.3 kilos at birth!
😱

There I was lying in the bed with my belly out, eyes wide.. thinking that my siblings and I were less than 3 kilos when we were born and Kina's kids were also less than that.
The kind doctor reassured me that it's a normal weight, considering my height and Monkey's.
Also, when I told my sisters, Kina said that all her kids were born at least two weeks ahead of their due date. And yeah, my mom is petit.. just a wee over five feet.
Still.. got me nervous. I don't feel that big, though.

I won't be seeing my nurse at the health clinic for the time being. She said that if Umra is seeing me on the same week as our supposed appointment, I could just skip it since I'm planning to deliver in Umra anyway. She just reminded me that once I give birth, Monkey should come over to the clinic with the letter from the hospital and my pink book to inform them.
We'll talk more on that once we get to that point since I don't really know how's the flow for that one.

I am now suddenly freaking out over losing ten kilos after giving birth!
Yikes!
And I still have some weeks to go.. I will be putting on more weight, still.
Eeep!!
Okay, let's not dwell on this. I doubt it'll be good for me or the baby. We'll let future-W deal with it. Currrent-W is stressing over some other stupid things at the moment.

Like how I've been trying to be productive but always end up curling in bed.
Monkey had done such a good job around the house, cleaning and rearranging the household for my parents and soon, Nugget. He swept and mopped the floor, cleaned the bathroom, washed some previously-hidden kitchenware -- he's been.. incroyable.
All I'm supposed to do now is those tiny little things that I should be able to do, like wipe our old books and put them back in the bookshelf. haihh..

Monkey is on a long ass trip. The longest we've been apart since we got married. Mind you, it's only been two days and it already feels like weeks somehow! Pregnancy is making me extra clingy, perhaps. One more week before I get to see my main man.

Went to the baby expo in Midvalley on Saturday with Dida and my mom. Felt bad for dragging them along but I was SO grateful that they were there. We got there at noon and the crowd was murderous. I had a pretty short list of things to get since I'd went to get the bigger things during the expo in May.
So we got to the first booth, paid for what I'd wanted to get and the promoter said that I needed to wait for an hour -- which was fine, since I'd other booths to hit up so we'll come back.
Second booth had a short queue, which wasn't bad at all and the promoter was pretty attentive and helpful. Didn't take long at all.
Then at the third booth, things didn't make any sense at all.. The line was disorganised and so SO long! Dida said that I could go ahead and queue up, they don't mind waiting.
But I DO!

Told them I needed to cool off. I needed an ice blended.
So we made our way to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf! hahahhaha!

After the much needed lunch, I made my way back into the expo and queue up at that third booth but with a much calmer attitude. The magic of a caramel ice blended!
While I was in line, Dida had ditched our mom at one of the poles outside with my previous purchase while she offered to collect the item from the first booth.
Anyway, I am happy to say that I pretty much got everything that I think I need for the baby that day!
(Dida so kindly drove me to Mothercare in Subang Parade after we dropped off Mama at home so I could get some bits and bobs that I had set my heart on getting. FYI, the Mothercare store in The Curve and Midvalley Megamall are closed for renovation.. or something.)

As we are approaching August..
I should really start to assemble my hospital bag!
Aaahhhhh.. this is getting SO real by the minute!

Honeydew-sized baby.

We're at the homestretch of this pregnancy and I am having mixed feelings.
Doesn't help that my emotions have been all over the place for the past week.
I blame the stress; of having to do a LOT of things around the house before the baby's arrival.
The guilt of letting Monkey do most of the things around the house because I get so easily tired and sleepy lately.
I am in that nesting mode, but damn it I'd rather be napping than sorting out the rooms!

The smallest room now is a total mess. My parents had brought over the spare mattress from their home for when they're staying over so I've been trying to clear out my closet from the small room to move it into the middle room so they could use it later. Does that make sense, by the way?
Monkey and I have SO many clothes! It makes absolutely NO SENSE when we keep wearing the same things over and over anyway!
We really need to sort that out.

Then we also need to do some more shopping for the baby and my parents! I mean, my parents hadn't actually asked for anything, but they're going to stay over and help out without me actually asking, so the least I could do is prepare the rooms and their basic amenities.
As for the baby stuff.. Monkey will be outstation at the end of this month so I'll be flying solo (again!) to the baby expo. pfft! Not too crazy about that after the stupid incident where I fell near a staircase earlier this month.

It was embarrassing, really. I was in Bangsar, going down the short steps while looking around for my Uber and not holding on to the handrail. (I normally just.. don't -- bacterias, ick!) Then at the last step I somehow sort of lost my footing and fell to my knees! People were looking, but none came to help. Then again, I got up so fast and pretty much immediately saw my Uber and walked towards it. Kinda funny, kinda grateful. Kinda painful too where my knees got most of the impact and I somehow grazed the top of my foot.
I got a little worried for a while but Nugget kicked me as if nothing happened, so we're fine..

Monkey kinda banned me from going out alone after that. Not sure if he's serious but Dida approved of the ban. pfft!

Anyway, I'm at Week 35. Kinda nuts when I think about it! Where did all the time went?! To think that babies will be fine if they were born on the 36th week. Not sure if I'll be fine, though! Good God, I hope Nugget will let me enjoy the kicks for a couple more weeks. I really do feel that I will miss that the most. Even though it can get uncomfortable at times.
Funny thing is, Nugget really acts up when there's just me; kicking and stretching like there's no tomorrow. But as soon as Monkey or someone else puts their hand over my belly, Nugget will immediately stop! Or kick a little less.
Seriously.. this cheeky baby..

I am definitely feeling.. large.
Not fat, though. Although I have gained nine kilograms since I got pregnant! I pray that I'll be able to shed them off once Nugget is born.

Recently I went to get a 5D scan of the baby. Not that there's any NEED for it. To be honest, I feel like Nugget has been getting scanned so so much, it's really unnecessary. But I am extra.. I wanted a 5D print of the baby..
If/when I get pregnant again in the future, I'll probably have a scan for that first time when I find out, NT scan in week eleven or twelve, detailed scan around week twenty-four and then perhaps a 5D when the baby is around week thirty**. I mean, of course.. I've been getting so many scans throughout this pregnancy because I get my check-ups in two places. The government clinic had wanted to keep a close eye on me as I'd been a smoker while Umra's procedure basically scans patients in every visit.
I do hope that there really isn't any effect on the baby from getting so many ultrasounds!

**I got mine at Week 33. Personally, I went there to get a clear picture of Nugget's tiny face for the journal I'm writing. It's not advisable to go so late during the pregnancy as the baby will be too large and crammed in the womb, so you might not be able to see the baby's face clearly. I got mine alright. Then again Nugget was just about 2.5kg then.

I dread the idea of going back to work.
Still not missing it!
A friend (who isn't in the biz) wondered how I manage to not miss it even a bit. Told her that I miss the perks of shopping outside. And my own money, of course. heehee. But I don't miss the job. I really don't.
Don't get me wrong, the job isn't boring. But if I could find something else where I don't have to sit all day, be around my family more and still keep my livelihood as it was, I'll happily quit from being a cabin crew.

Anak tak lahir lagi, dah terkena dah syndrom mak mak..

I don't know..
Perhaps I'll change my mind once I hear Nugget's first cry. heh. I am SO looking forward to actually hold the baby and just bond.. but at the same time I'm afraid of not wanting to ever let 'em go.
I hope I'll be fine. I hope we'll all be fine..

I should probably start packing my hospital bag. Maybe I'll do that next week. I'm in no rush. I don't think Nugget is too.

I feel like I'm coming down with something. Just the other day I was thinking to myself that I'd been relatively healthy throughout this pregnancy. Not a single flu or sniffles. Well, I kinda sorta did sometime during the first trimester but it wasn't enough for me to consider even taking a Panadol and it probably lasted just two days. I do remember taking warm water with honey for a couple of times and felt fine after. Never sick enough to report to my nurse or doctor.
Anyway.. my point is, I've been feeling kinda crappy this past two days! Like.. the heck? I'd been so proud and impressed to the point that I wish I could've high-fived lil' Nugget! But I am currently having some sort of a sore throat and a little dry cough. Still not enough to report to my nurse or doctor, but it's uncomfortable.
Hoping it'll go away soon.

The Third Trimester.

Well. I suppose what's annoying about the third trimester is having to keep track of the baby's movements and kicks. Or at least there's a page in the pink book where expectant mothers are supposed to jot down baby's ten movements from 9 AM, and we should be alarmed if we couldn't feel those ten kicks in the span of twelve hours. (9 AM 'til 9 PM basically.)

But.. I mean.. during the fasting month.. I only fall asleep after suhur.. I can't be expected to wake up at nine just to count Nugget's kicks! huhuu..
It's fine, though.. Nugget basically kicks a little extra around 3 PM and 5 PM. Probably kicking me to get some food but it's fine.

I've been preferring sitting down or standing than laying down anywhere. Turning my body in any way was getting hard. Between the size of my belly and the aches and pains I've been having, turning to my side, or getting out of bed has been a feat.

Experienced my first swollen feet some nights ago. Thought to myself.. "this is it; goodbye tiny feet." (I'm a size UK 4, believe it or not.) Then I woke up the next day with my feet looking as normal as ever. Feels like it might be because I had been in the car for too long the previous day. Hubs and I had spent four hours lounging at his friend's house then spent three hours travelling back from Kuantan.
Swollen feet was alarming. It didn't feel like anything at all but they looked.. SO weird! Kinda reminded me of an elephant's foot! hahahahha!
I showed them to Monkey and he too was amused.

My ninth check up at the health clinic at Week 31(ish) took two hours. Got there a little after nine AM and spent most my time there just waiting for my number. It took almost an hour before I got my number called to get my Hb checked and my urine tested.

Took another fifty minutes before my nurse saw me and called me to come into the nurses' room -- and basically cut the queue, actually! hahahha! She said she didn't know the two ladies that are supposed to be ahead of me.. hahahha! Suppose it was unfair, but still it amused me.

Anyway, she reminded me to have a balanced diet and a little extra extra since my Hb hadn't increased since my last visit. As per normal, she then carried on with measuring the fundal height (she measured my belly to check the height of my uterus to see the foetal growth,) and checked on baby's heartbeat which came out normal.

Check up in Umra went on like every other check up except that they did a vaginal swab of my discharge to get them tested for any unwanted bacterias that could affect the baby.
Not sure if this gets done at the government health clinic (I'll check with my nurse the next time I see her, if I remember it!) but apparently it's quite a common test that gets done on an expectant mother as she gets closer to her due date.

I'm getting my check up every two weeks now that I've past Week 30 of pregnancy. Honestly I find it annoying to have to get to the clinic/hospital every so often! hahahha!
At least my visits are getting shorter though. Took just a little over an hour at the health clinic the other day. (Pretty sure because my "appointment" was set at ten AM anyways.) I was also really stoked that my Hb spiked since the last visit. Probably because Ramadhan was over so at least I've been eating normally again. (Hadn't really increased on those leafy greens, cockles and internal organs that were supposed to help with increasing the red blood cells! heehee)

Interestingly though, I'd gained 1.6 kg in the span of fifteen days! I mean, third trimester is really when the baby just gets beefed up before popping out, but 1.6! That seemed a LOT!

My check-ups just got really shorter these days. There isn't much to do once I get to see the doctor or nurse. My check up in Umra at Week 34 didn't even take half an hour! I got there at 11:35AM, paid our bill at 11:57! It was really quick. Just did the routine weight, BP and urine then have a little scan of the baby.

Then my most recent check-up at the health clinic took almost two hours -- because of the wait, really. Just like the previous check-up. We talked about baby's movements, my Hb; since it dropped again, nothing much. I feel like most times I'm there we'd chat about random little things that I observe around the clinic.
By the way, I forgot to ask my nurse about the vaginal swab in government clinics. *smacks forehead*

Note on third trimester:
1. It's annoying to track baby's movement, honestly. Annoying when you take it really seriously and truly jot down the time of baby's tenth movement. I honestly didn't start my time at 9:00 AM as I was supposed to, but I know my baby. Nugget's always most active around the same time so I wasn't worried.
Honestly I don't think it's TOO important to get your time "right" as long as you are aware of the baby's movement. You should know when the baby hadn't moved for a while or moving too too much. It's good that the baby is active, but there's that concern for their umbilical cord to get tangled around them if they moved too much.
2. As much as my Hb worries me, my nurse isn't too bothered it seemed. Said that my Hb seemed to be playing around the same numbers and it hadn't dropped to the point of "worry" just yet. She mentioned that a woman lost about 400 to 500 ml of blood during labour so if my Hb had dropped to anywhere around eight or nine, then we all should worry! hahaha

Alright, I don't think there will be a "second part" of my third trimester. I will still share some bits of what's left of this pregnancy, though. I'm just not going to compile it like I have done here and throughout this pregnancy series, if we could call it that.
Leave me a comment if you have any questions -- that you think I could answer. hahahaha

Oooh.. my feelings are all over the place right now!

What's In My Handbag?

-- pregnancy edition!

I've been ditching my trusted Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C for a slightly larger bag since probably March, I wanna say. With the amount of things that I was carrying -- or wanted to carry, my Mini M.A.C simply couldn't handle it.

So I began my quest, searching for the right sized bag that I wouldn't hate carrying. I had considered getting one of the diaper bags that I'd been reading up on, but they were way too big for pre-baby. I was very keen to get one of those Longchamp that had the shoulder strap, but hey.. I'm on unpaid leave so I shouldn't be spending Monkey's hard-earned cash willy-nilly! hahahha.

Then one day Mumu brought me out to Pyramid and we randomly went into the Converse store and saw this black PU leather shoulder bag.
It looked super simple. It has a pocket slip in front, and a zippered main compartment.

Didn't take long for me to decide to just get it. I knew I could fit my pink book in it somehow and that's good enough for me! The size was right, also it was on offer that day so I got it for RM90! bahhahaha I'm cheap!
Well, it suit its purpose and though carrying a Converse bag immediately reminds me of my time in high school, I have no complains!

So we'll start from what I have in the front pocket;

I've got my pink book -- which isn't there everyday, but it was on the day that I took the pictures for this entry. I have it in a clear plastic folder so it wouldn't get wet in case water gets to it somehow.
Then I have a hotel writing pad, in case I'd like to jot down some stuff. Shopping lists, most of the time.
That red thing is a bluetooth remote for taking photos with your phone. Not that I whip it out a lot but I've had plenty of times when I'm without it but wished that I had.
I've got an old, faded and tangled long necklace that I got from Lovisa.
A Dolly Dim Sum voucher that I should've used when I was there just few days ago with a friend, but forgotten that I had it with me.
A Shah Alam parking booklet so hubs and I don't get fined during our check-ups in Umra, and random.. SO random stirrers from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and fruit-fork thingamajig that I'd trashed as soon as I was done taking the pictures for this entry.

On to the things that are in the main compartment. Let's start with the "beauty" bits;

Monkey bought me a few packs of wet wipes in case I needed to wipe down toilet seats while I'm outside, and in that small Kate Spade jewellery pouch is where I keep the actual girly things.

That samurai thing is actually one of those stainless steel mirrors.
The non-make up bits are Soap & Glory anti-bacterial hand gel in the Sugar Crush scent, ReNu rewetting eyedrops, and another super random thing that I just happen to carry; a March Harriet minifigure from the Lego Batman Movie.
As for the actual make up, I am still carrying way too many lipsticks for one handbag! I've got Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Matte-Lip in Chocco Berry, Shu Uemura Supreme Matte lipstick in PK376, Maybelline Color Drama lipstick in Pink So Chic and NARS Matte Lip Pencil in Bahama, Provocative Red and Dragon Girl. Three of Nars.. Of course.

Practical things! My customised Touch 'N Go card that Dida made me and Nina a while back  heh. My extremely battered Rebecca Minkoff small purse where I keep my money. And two card holders from Fossil that holds my IDs, insurance card and bank cards while the one by Kate Spade holds my memberships and point cards.

Some bits that I can't categorise; I have a slim Lenovo powerbank that I've probably just used twice since I changed phones. I'm mostly carrying it in case Monkey needs to recharge his phone now. Then there's a hotel pen, my Rayban, a split cable for headphones.. in case I'm pulling a "Begin Again" scene with Monkey. hahahha!
A lighter!.. a force of habit. heh
And a foldable shopping bag I got for free from buying some Origins skincare. Well, my shopping bag changes every so often. Previously I was carrying one from Lululemon but I just had to threw that out after an incident I had carrying rendang from Dida's place. Tried to wash it, but that totally ruined the bag. It was upsetting.. I loved that bag!

Now on to the things that made this a pregnant lady's bag;

My Joseph Joseph water bottle because I'm supposed to drink three litres of water a day.. hah! I try.. I try.. (haven't succeeded as yet, unfortunately.)
A bag of Farley's Rusk cookies, because why not? I love the taste! hahahaha! A small ziploc bag of dates and raisins.. because basically, I'd hate to go hungry or thirsty.
Lastly, I have some back up Iberet because I HATE being outside then suddenly remember that I hadn't taken my supplements. Usually happens when Monkey and I were at his mom's place in Puncak Alam.

And that's all there is in my bag!
Sorry the photos are kinda crap. Could've taken them again but it was getting really warm on the balcony where I was taking these photos and I just couldn't stand it for too long. hahahha!

Pregnancy Woes

When I created this blog, I never meant it to be anything specific.
Not when I was still in school, not when I was crazy about my work, and not even now that I'm pregnant.
But I feel like I've been almost distant while I'd been writing about my pregnancy. Suppose it's mostly because in my mind, I had wanted to share "informations" instead of "feelings" so.. that's what happened.

So here's an entry where I'll yap and ramble random things about my pregnancy!
Beware!

This entry in particular will focus on my complaints while carrying this lil' bub.
(May sound negative, but helpful -- I swear!) You have no idea (or maybe you do?) how reassuring it is when you found someone else who shares the same problems as you do! hahahha

I'll say that my pregnancy hasn't been too hard so far. There were some bits of change and "woes" throughout, but I didn't get that typical morning sickness that people tend to talk about.
I did feel gassy through Weeks five 'til about eleven.
My skin had definitely changed, I was getting spots on my chin and cheeks. I also have tiny bumps all over my forehead that looks not too different from baby's heat rash.

Oh! Constipation! Apparently it's really common, and a real bitch. Constipation whilst pregnant is a real thing, folks!
And since I've been taking iron for supplement, my stool has turned black! That was.. amusing, when it first happened. More so when I had diarrhoea that one time. hahahha!

Then there's back pain while travelling for too long in the car. That lasted throughout the first trimester. Wasn't so bad as I entered the twelfth week somehow.
But constantly feeling like a walking heater.. that hasn't gone away unfortunately. Wish I could wear sleeveless all day everyday! Even cuddling with Monkey felt so uncomfortable some days.

Second trimester brought in some new hardship.
The gassiness went away, but I started getting posterior pelvic pain at around week twenty. I try SO hard to hold out 'til I really have to waddle but I'm afraid I started early in that area.
It felt like my butt cheeks were out of place.. like how sometimes when your arm feels sore but you could stretch it out and it feels fine -- but no matter how much you stretch, your butt cheeks still feels uncomfortable.

So uncomfortable that I rarely ever turn when I sleep. And the only way that I can walk comfortably is by waddling. It isn't cute. Then of course when I'd been sleeping on one side for a whole night, I'd wake up with an ache to that entire side! I just can't win.
Then not too long after that I experienced my first round ligament pain. That was a real "pain". Bearable, but really worrying when I first had it.

It'll happen when I'd make sudden moves or suddenly change my positions. The first time I had it, I was trying to get up from a reclining chair too fast. Then I keep getting it every once in a while if I'd been walking too fast or too long.
Uncomfortable and alarming, but no biggie!

By the end of second trimester, I experienced my first heartburn..
That was not fun.. at all! It literally felt like my chest was burning and it always came around at night when I was ready for bed. That was total shit. But that didn't last too long, I think! I had it for a few nights and it sort of just went away..
Kinda expecting it to come back in the third trimester.. but I'm not hoping. Not at all looking forward to it. Just expecting since I keep seeing it coming up in articles. sigh

My Ramadhan had been going well until I started getting gassy again. I keep forgetting that now my belly is growing bigger, my stomach gets pushed upwards. As the fasting month goes, I always end up falling asleep only after suhur and naturally, whatever that went in wants to come back up after a few hours of lying down.
Stupid.. and disgusting, I know. So my best solutions so far is to stay up even longer than I want to -- or put up several pillows under my head so at least my neck is higher than my chest.

[edit] Oh! I just remembered that there's that one time when I got a real bitch of a leg cramp in my left leg during my sleep. One that got me moaning loud enough that it woke Monkey up whom then helped me to try stretch that leg out. Bless him.
After that episode, I haven't gotten any leg cramps *knocks on wood* but I have had a few times when it had threaten to come back -- but I quickly changed my legs' positions, and saved myself from that pain.

Now as I enter the third trimester, I was introduced to pubic bone pain -- OH MY GOD!
It's probably the most uncomfortable thing I've experienced so far. It's a sharp pain on my pubic bone that feels like I had bikini wax on the same spot, several times in a short period of time! It stung and ached and moving around was torturous! It's like that pain I had on my butt had decided to move forward -- except worse.

This one was the worst yet. Basically it stings whenever I move my legs separately. Like when I'm trying to get out of bed, or put on pants, or get out of the car. I also have to walk real slowly..
It also made it painful to turn in bed. Basically having a good night's sleep is -- no amount of pillows could help me now.

I suppose I was sort of amused that my aches and pains keeps moving around and not stay for too long.. or happens at the same time. I am grateful for that at least.
I asked Kina if she had any pregnancy woes throughout her five pregnancies and apart from the first week of gassiness when she had first found out that she was pregnant, she had no such pain at all! Bitch. HAHHAHAHA!

Some of my friends had told me to drink milk to avoid any sort of bone related ailment but I have been drinking milk! Even manage to finish a tin of Enfamama!
I'm quite confident that my aches and pains weren't related to calcium deficiency. Perhaps my bones and ligaments in my pelvic area are just too good at loosening up and getting ready for the baby.
Just my pelvic area though. Personally I'm still nervous about being in labour.. while being so excited about holding Nugget in my arms!

Can't stop feeling amused everytime I feel the baby moves. I get a little out of breath sometimes but it's.. weird and magical at the same time.
I do feel blessed for this experience, despite all my complaints so far. I've been pretty emotional every now and then but Monkey's been great and really patient. He'll make a great dad, there's no doubt that Nugget will favour him more than me. sigh.

I think that's pretty much it from me when it comes to complaints.
I suppose there's Braxton Hicks contractions to look forward to. Well, who am I kidding? I am surely NOT looking forward to any sort of pain, but I am mentally preparing myself for what's coming in the next few weeks.

Just weeks to go from here. Where did all the time went?? I really am beginning to freak out..
I pray things will go on smoothly from here.. insyaAllah.

The Second Trimester. (Part 2)

Felt baby's kick as we were approaching Week 19.
April 1st, even. A joker, this one.
Wasn't too sure if it really was the baby but Nugget kicked again.. and again.

Got my first tetanus shot at Week 22.
It was uncomfortable. Can't remember the last time I got a shot, to actually feel the medicine going into your upper arm.. the sting.. it was unpleasant.

I wouldn't say that it was painful; it wasn't painful to me, but it stung and it felt hot on my arm. While some say they'd feel their arm go numb for a while after, my arm felt fine. But it was a bit itchy around the area where I got the shot for a few days.
Apart from that, the particular visit was uneventful. My nurse had wrote down in my book to come by at 09:00 but I was there at 08:30. Waited until 10:02 before my number was actually called!
I left the clinic at about 11:00.

My body was adjusting once again around this time. My bump was getting more noticeable, I was getting a little gassy again and some heartburn late at night. Then there's round ligament pain, which isn't funny at all. And my back.. or hip.. actually it's more like the bone on my butt was achy. I always thought pregnant women walked funny because they were adjusting to the size of their belly but I was beginning to think that like me, they've been walking funny because their butt cheeks were giving them discomfort!

I don't know if there's an exact name for that part of our body but it's not exactly the back, or the hips and it's definitely not the coccyx! It's more like the back part of the hips, perhaps quite parallel to the coccyx.
That's the best way I can describe it in words, unfortunately.
Anyway, they are uncomfortable, border-lining on painful to the point that when I sleep -- I rarely ever move! It's like my body knows that turning from one side to the other would cause me pain, so even in my sleep, I don't bother turning my body.
Which of course then led to one sore side once I wake up!

Coming up to Week 24, we had an appointment for a detailed scan at Umra.
This is when they do a 3D/4D scan of our lil' Nugget! Unfortunately government clinics does not offer this service as they don't have the equipment for it.
NOTE: If you have any concerns about your pregnancy at all, you may want to visit a private hospital or clinic to get an ultrasound at Week 12-14 for an NT Scan, then at Week 24 for a Detailed Scan where you get to look at baby's little fingers, their teeny tiny face, and if baby cooperates -- their gender too! Actually some can already see the baby's gender by Week 16, but it's clearer by Week 20 onwards.

About a month after my first tetanus shot, I got my second dose. Apparently you get it twice on your first pregnancy and only once if you've been pregnant before. This time it didn't burn as bad somehow. Still uncomfortable but a lot less unpleasant.
The rest of my check-ups were short and not special.

Well, except for the bit where I got lectured on the food I should be eating as my Hb dropped since my last check-up. My nurse also upped my iron dosage to two pills instead of one. She also measured my belly and checked on the baby's heartbeat.

This check-up at Week 27 took about an hour and half. I came in at 09:15, had my number called for the Hb and pee test at 09:22, saw my nurse at 09:45, got my shot at 10:36 then left the clinic at 10:40. That lecture really took a while..

By the end of second trimester, my belly was definitely getting bigger. I could feel Nugget getting bigger. Baby's kick was getting stronger. Its movement more recognisable.
I was approaching seven months of pregnancy after all!

Second trimester notes:
1. If the nurse gives you a certain time to come by, just follow it. I feel like the clinics are busiest at the first hour they are open. Then things sort of just calms down as the hours go by.
2. Perhaps I'm an extra parent, it's not exactly a requirement to get the Detailed Scan but as mentioned previously, any chance I get to see Nugget, I'm going to grab it! Getting one is not a bad thing. During my scan. the sonographer had focused on the baby's heart, checked on baby's digits, see baby's heart and if baby has a cleft lip.. it's a good thing.
3. The first two months of the second trimester was the BEST time to go anywhere and do anything. At least for me, that's when I was most comfortable with my body and I hadn't had any pregnancy woes to talk about.
I'd say it's the best time to start having a look at baby's stuff, stuff you might need once the baby arrives. If you prefer to survey for things, test them out in stores before actually committing to them, it's the right time to do so.

We're pretty much all caught up now!
The next pregnancy-entry will take a while from now on, so if this hasn't been your jam.. Rejoice!
I'll try and entertain you with some fluff in the next few entries and not totally abandon this blog. heh!

The Second Trimester. (Part 1)

I find having an app on my phone to keep up with my pregnancy really helps.
Honestly, who has the time to remember the actual weeks of their pregnancy?
I had started with Pregnancy+ by Health & Parenting, but I wasn't too keen with the features and navigation (even though it was still very useful!) so I am currently using the app by BabyCenter on my phone.

So, going into Week 13 was kinda.. weird.
First trimester was all about adjusting.
As the second trimester rolled in.. everything felt normal again.
I had worried about Nugget's well being throughout the first trimester. Thought I'd be over it as we get into the second trimester, but NOPE.
I was then worrying if I was still pregnant because I'd felt so NORMAL that I didn't feel like I was pregnant!
I know.. nothing can please me at this point.

But I loved that I got my strength back. I wasn't so starving the very second I wake up every morning. I've been getting more sleep as my body wouldn't wake me at 8am as it would throughout the first twelve weeks. And most importantly, I didn't feel as gassy as I have for the past many weeks!

My first check-up for the second trimester was at Week 15 with the Family Medicine Specialist.
As mentioned in a previous entry, I had this appointment because of my history as a smoker.
Didn't do much at this appointment, really. Just talked to the nice doctor who then did an ultrasound to make sure that the baby was progressing normally.

The week after was my appointment at the private hospital where they did another ultrasound -- as they do at every visit. Not really necessary -- really adds up to the bill if I'm being honest, but I LOVE seeing Nugget whenever I can, so no complaints there! heh.
At Week 16, it is the best time -- and last, that you can get a scan of the baby in full view. Anytime after that, the baby will be too big and you won't be able to get their full head to toe on the screen.

Then at Week 18 or 19 would be the time to get the glucose tolerance test (MGGT) done.
I was asked to start fasting from 10PM until my appointment at KKIA to get my blood drawn the next morning.

I got there at 07:40 and the numbers started getting called at 07:57. It was at 08:25 when my number was called to get my blood drawn for the 'fasting blood sugar' test. Then the nurse handed me a toxic-looking orange drink in a tall cup; about Starbucks' venti size, that I needed to finish. It was REALLY sweet. So much so that it actually stung my throat! Once I was done, the nurse asked me to come back to that room at 10:30.

While I was waiting to see my usual nurse, my stomach was really unhappy. There was like a storm in there. Probably shocked with that sickly sweet glucose drink after 10 hours of not having anything.
At 09:30 I got to see my nurse. We got the normal checks done (weight and BP) then chatted like normal. She asked if I'd felt the baby move, which I hadn't. She then asked me to lie on the bed as she went to measure my belly and checked for the baby's heartbeat! Then she restocked me with my supplements which were now three pills of iron, B complex and folic acid. (I reckon Iberet's better but they've run out of stock. Sad, I know.)
That meeting took about twenty minutes.

So I waited a while more. Expecting for my number to get called at 10:30 to get my blood drawn again after the 'modified glucose tolerance test', but it never did. I was getting restless and nervous by 10:45, knowing that this particular KKIA sends all their blood tests out at 11:00 (things you overheard over the multiple visits), so I went back to the "blood room" and the nurse said that they'd called my name earlier. *eyeroll*
Aaanyway, got my blood drawn a full syringe again then I was done at 10:51!

Things I learn in the fourth month;
1. You only get to see the specialist at the government clinic if you have a higher risk of pregnancy. Pro -- extra ultrasound! Con -- extra appointments. bleh!
2. Week 15 or 16 is THE BEST time to get your ultrasound printed out! Baby actually looks like a baby and not some undecipherable blob.
3. Glucose tests are done from Week 18 -- and that drink sucks!
4. The insides of my elbows were actually bruised for over ten days after getting my blood drawn! (Doesn't happen to everyone. My skin is just THAT sensitive.. and perhaps the nurse wasn't that good at drawing blood in the first place.)

5. If the nurse said to come back at a certain time, just come back -- I thought I was being a good girl, waiting so patiently for my number to get called. Turned out I was almost stupid, if I'd missed the cut-off time, I would have to do the MGGT all over again some other time! yikes!

The First Trimester. (Part 3)

So for my second prenatal checkup at Week 12, I got to the clinic at 07:45 but they only started to call the numbers at 08:04.
My number was called at 08:30 where the nurse pricked my finger to test my haemoglobin and asked me to pee in a cup. Since Monkey was with me this time around, she also did a rapid HIV test on him. They would've done the test had he been around on my first visit. Apparently it's a new requirement since the beginning of 2017 where they test the parents for HIV.
My number was called again at 08:50 into the room of nurses where I saw nurse Kavitha. (My previous nurse was actually 7 months pregnant when I first saw her, which is probably the reason why I had to change nurses.) I got myself weighed, we chatted a bit, she asked how I was getting along with Iberet, where I plan on having the baby and then she checked my tummy.

She then set my next two appointments in the next month. One for me to see the Family Medicine Specialist (FMS) because I have a higher risk of pregnancy; being a smoker, and another where I'll have to do the glucose tolerance test (MGTT).
I was done by 09:10 AM! Totally wasted our coins on the parking meter.

Since it was still early and we didn't have anything else planned, Monkey suggested that we check out Hospital Umra to see what's the procedure should we decide to deliver there.
We decided on Umra because we're familiar with Shah Alam and the traffic, plus my family is still there. We do have a few hospital choices, ones that are closer, but we figured that the traffic could turn scary so Umra seemed reasonable for the time being.

Unfortunately I don't have the timestamps for this visit except that I got there at 10:45 AM. Didn't take long to get my number called to the small room where they took my weight and blood pressure, but once that was done, the wait to see a doctor was quite long.
When we finally got to see her, she told us that since I am in my twelfth/thirteenth week, it was actually perfect timing for me to get the Nuchal Translucency (NT) scan. It is an ultrasound best done when the pregnancy is twelve to fourteen weeks, where the sonographer would focus and measure the liquid (space) at the back of the foetus' neck.
You can read more on NT scan here.

We waited for about an hour before my number was called. Monkey and I was getting irritated by then because we were both hungry and I personally was very nervous about the scan. I just couldn't stop worrying throughout my first trimester, really.
Then my number was called, and Monkey get to come with me. The technician did her thing and we get to see lil' Nugget wiggle about for the first time. That totally made our day. All the hours spent waiting was totally worth it!

So here's what I learn this time around;
1. If you like to keep your own record of the pregnancy, go ahead and get your prenatal check up at a government clinic. I've always liked to read and I knew I was going to blog and journal my experiences so having a record where I can always refer to really helps.
2. Most private clinic or hospitals does not have a book where you can take home with you. With my visits in Umra and Yan's Specialist Women's Clinic, they'd just handed me a small appointment card.
3. expecting fathers should be present for the first prenatal check-up for the rapid HIV test -- it's just a finger prick.
EDIT: it is a requirement if you're doing your check-up in KL, apparently. Selangor had no such requirement.
4. Haemoglobin (Hb), urine, weight and blood pressure check is pretty standard for every visit.
5. Prenatal check-ups for Malaysians are free at the government clinic (you don't even have to pay RM1) while my visits at Umra had costed over RM100 each time. (RM50 doctor's fee, RM60 for an ultrasound, RM179 for a detailed scan by a sonographer.)
6. The KKIA in Kuchai is quite small, I'd feel bad if Monkey comes with me for every visit because there aren't a lot of seats. I for one, am glad that we have two check-ups, one at the government's clinic where I don't have to pay for any of the tests done and the supplements that they gave me every month, while the other at the private hospital where Monkey gets to come in with me and experience everything together. Sure, there are expecting fathers at the KKIA as well, but I personally would feel bad if Monkey had to stand in a corner somewhere while we wait for our number and squeeze in the nurses' room. That's just me.

The First Trimester. (Part 2)

Week 8 drama.
Tuesday.
I woke up early and made my way alone to KKIA Kuchai since Monkey had to fly off somewhere.
Got there at 08:01 and waited until 08:52 when my number was finally called to a small window where a nurse poked my finger and placed a droplet of blood each on a test strip for HIV screening and another to measure my haemoglobin level.
She then asked me to pee in a cup.

I headed back to the waiting area until my number was called again at 09:15 into a room where there was a doctor and a nurse waiting to have a look at my teeth.
Apparently it's crucial to take care of your dental hygiene while being pregnant because the baby needs calcium, and if your teeth needs work anytime during the pregnancy, it could create stress on the baby.
I didn't have anything obviously wrong with my teeth so this part didn't take long, and I went back outside until my number was called again at 09:22 into the roomful of nurses.

That's when I first saw the pink book, the book where everything will be recorded on, all through my prenatal check ups. My nurse then, Nor Fatimah asked me to fill up the details on the front cover of the book while she fills up another pink book similar to the one I was working on.
She asked about my medical history, husband's history, if I have any allergy to any medication, if I'm on any drugs, and if I smoke.
Once that was done, I was sent to another room to get my blood drawn for a full work up.

At 09:50 my number was called again where I met up with my nurse and got physical. She took a look  and felt around my tummy and breasts. She advised to avoid using soap on the nipples to prevent them feeling dry. That was pretty weird to hear, but it made sense I suppose.
She then prescribed me with Iberet, which is a supplement that contained iron, B complex vitamins, vitamin C and folic acid. She advised me to take it with an empty stomach with juice so the contents of the pill could be fully absorbed. Either an empty stomach or two hours after -- and one hour before a meal.

She then wrote down my next appointment date in the pink book and asked me to wait outside to see the doctor.
NOTE: I found that different clinics provides different supplements. While I was prescribed with Iberet, a friend was prescribed with Zincofer from her KK and my sister was given Pramilet at her private clinic.

My number was finally called at 10:40 into the doctor's room (not the same doctor that did the dental check) where we talked a little and she proceeded to do an ultrasound over my lower belly.

This is the part that SUCKED.
This particular doctor took a long time trying to look for Nugget. The equipment was obviously unimpressive but her bedside manner was just as shit! She even called the nurse that was with her to try and look and despite me telling them that I'd just seen my insignificant dot and heard its hearbeat the week before, she wrote down "empty sac seen" in my pink book.
She then told me to go ahead and get another ultrasound at the private clinic that I went to immediately to confirm that I was still pregnant.

I was worried, but mostly angry at the doctor for her insensitivity. Is that how a doctor supposed to talk to an expecting mother? I told her that there was no bleeding or cramps and still she didn't say a single thing to make me feel any better. How can my baby jump out of my womb into thin air??
Anyway, she then gave me some kind of a referral letter for me to give the doctor at the private clinic also one of the pink books for my record and to bring in my future check-ups and send me off my way.

Then I took an Uber to that private OBGYN clinic in Sri Petaling to get another ultrasound. The nice doctor went on ahead and there it was.. my little Nugget, alive and well with a stronger heartbeat.
So that's how my very first check up went basically.
Came out from the clinic at about 11:30 AM and headed to Pizza Hut because I was starving!

That's pretty much how my first trimester went on, really. I woke up early morning feeling hungry. And gassy. It helped when I eat small portions every few hours. I hadn't heard people talked much about this, but I was a little constipated. Perhaps all these while I've always had coffee and cigarettes to help it move along, but since I stopped when I found out that I was pregnant, it's hard to have a bowel movement routine. Also, I get tired a little faster. Adjusting to the "situation" took a little while. For some time I was a little upset that my body didn't feel like mine. I suppose it's normal, but adjusting.. it wasn't easy.

Apart from that, though, my first trimester was quite easy. No queasiness.. no throwing up.. No obvious morning sickness, which I am very grateful of.
I wasn't craving for anything weird, but I was quite picky with food. Mostly because most things tasted really salty somehow. And funnily things tasted just as salty to Monkey as well!

I'll talk about my second prenatal check-up in Part 3.

The First Trimester. (Part 1)

So here's my story from Week 1 through Week 12 of my pregnancy.

Okay, not even from Week 1 since I found out about the pregnancy around Week 5 or 6! And I had meant to write about the entire trimester in one entry but I feel like it's going to be too long. Just too long!



First thing the doctor or nurse will ask you when you come in is;

When was the first day of your last period?



So it is really handy for you to have this information. I have an app on my phone called Clue that helps me keep track of my cycle. I do find it helpful, and especially so when it notifies me when my PMS is coming up!



Until they do an ultrasound of your belly, the doctor/nurse will use that last period date as an estimation of how far long you are in the pregnancy and your expected delivery date.

As mentioned in a previous post, a doctor from the airport clinic had confirmed that I was truly pregnant -- and that I was six weeks pregnant.



So there I was at six weeks. Went on Google to see when was the right time to get myself thoroughly checked and found that a majority of people said that the best time to get your first prenatal check up was between Week 8 and Week 12.



Okay. I had planned on going at Week 9; somewhere in the middle. heh!

Except that a week after my initial pregnancy confirmation, I had some bleeding. There was no cramps what so ever, and I wasn't bleeding heavily or anything. It wasn't bright, and it wasn't dark either.. A part of me thought that there was no cause to worry, but being my first pregnancy, I couldn't stop worrying!



So Monkey brought me to my first unofficial check up at a private OBGYN clinic where the first thing the doctor asked was;

Were you doing some strenuous activity? Heavy lifting? Sex?



Yeeaaaah..

So...



The doctor went on that the first trimester is where the pregnancy is really fragile. If the foetus is healthy, it'll stick. If there is something wrong with it (that it isn't healthy), our body will reject it and self-abort basically.

Slight bleeding in the beginning is common, apparently. But if they're followed by cramps, that's when you need to take caution.



The doctor then told me to lie down on the bed and proceeded with an ultrasound over my belly area.
We saw an almost insignificant dot inside of a small hollow inside my belly, and heard a murmur of a racing heartbeat.

He measured the dot and informed me that the foetus is six weeks old; a week later than what's initially estimated based on my last period alone.

He also prescribed me with Duphaston for a whole month that should help the foetus stick stronger.
He also advised Monkey and I to keep our pants on until the first trimester is over. (ha!)



So that's that.

A little over a week after that Monkey and I decided to just go ahead and get myself checked at a government health clinic.

This part was a little annoying. When I went on the Health Ministry official website to look for the nearest health clinic, it doesn't really say which clinic that I should go to. The website is really stupid, honestly I don't know if I was just dumb or everyone else was just like me and took a guess!



I actually whipped out Waze on my phone and typed up "klinik kesihatan" and it gave us two possible location. Being a Monday morning, I chose the one that was faster to get to and it was a Klinik Kesihatan Ibu Dan Anak (KKIA) in Kuchai.

It was a little over 8AM and the reception area on the ground floor was pretty empty. I told the nurse at the desk that it was my first time there and she asked where am I staying.
NOTE: Bring a bill or letter that is addressed to you (if your ID has a different address). They'd want to see it.
So the nurse told me to head on upstairs to the first floor and tell the nurse there that I'd like to "open a book". (bukak buku.)

I went upstairs, went into a roomful of parents with small children walking about, crying, then said to the nurse at the front desk that I'd like to open a book, and she pointed me in the direction of another room and said to talk to any of the nurses in there. Now, at this point Monkey and I couldn't understand why we didn't see any pregnant women around. Just a bunch of couples with children.

So I did what the nurse told me to do, went into the room and awkwardly looked around to see if any of the nurses in the room was available for me to talk to. Most of them were busy talking to patients (their parents, really) or writing up something in a pale blue book, until one of them saw me standing at the doorway and asked if I needed something.

I went up to her and said that I'd like to open a book. She asked me to take a seat and asked for my ID and asked for my current address (second time I had to procure my bank statement which has my address.) She proceeded to scribbling my details on a small piece of note paper and explained to me that this particular health clinic only attends to expecting mothers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. While she was jotting my details in a ledger of sort, she asked me to come back the next day early morning because the process of opening a book would take a while.
She then handed me the small piece of note that she was writing on (like an appointment sheet) to bring in the next day and I made my way home.

So here's what I learn that day;
1. The Health Ministry website is shit and useless.
2. I got lucky for picking out the right health clinic -- had I gone to the other one, we'd most likely have to make our way to this one because the zones really matter, it seemed.
3. different health clinics has different days for different patients. In Kuchai at least, Mondays are for children, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are for pregnant ladies.. and I have no clue what Thursdays and Fridays are for.
4. When in doubt, bring along your bill or letter with your mailing address on it.

Here is where I leave you, at the beginning of Week 8 and it's already too long!
I should talk about the itty bitty boring details of that first check-up in my next entry.

MY Pregnancy.

Thought I'd talk about my experiences with this first pregnancy.
I remember when I first found out, I wanted to know how to get on about it. Where and when to actually get an official test done and perhaps, share some random details that only I care about. So yeah, hopefully this entry would be of some help to others out there.

This entry is most probably going to be just me talking about random things leading up to finding out that I was pregnant.
Check back next time if you're interested to know about my first trimester.

So, a little back story,
WERE WE TRYING TO GET PREGNANT?

I had an IUD inserted a while back and I had been meaning to get it removed for months before finally having the time to go to the doctor's in September.
Anyway, he asked if I'm trying to get pregnant is why I'm having it removed.
I honestly don't know how to answer that question.
I mean, my husband and I are knocking boots, that's for sure. Were we consciously thinking about procreating everytime we do it? I for one definitely didn't. But we were fully aware that it could happen. We were in no rush, but we do want kids eventually.

FINDING OUT.

So my IUD was removed in September.
October's period came as per normal.
November's was late, so it did make me think, "is this it?' -- but it was just that.. a week late.
Kinda hit me then that perhaps I was trying after all. I was also getting worried if I may have passed my prime age to get pregnant. Being a flight attendant for the past seven years didn't help with the worry -- you know, radiation.. hard landings.. lack of exercise (not existent).. being a smoker..
I mean, I wasn't expecting to get pregnant immediately, let's be real. But I also hadn't anticipated feeling the way that I'd felt.
I had worried about being old and neglected to properly care for my body.

December, my period was even more late than it was in November. I was on a work trip with an especially difficult supervisor (whom was known for his laziness, and get this -- he knew that he's known for it! WTH!) and it was SO exhausting!
Didn't help that I had diarrhoea throughout that last day of the trip. (Still that supervisor didn't do all that much, the asshole!)
I was thinking of doing a home pregnancy test at new year's. I don't know, I just felt like what ever the result is would be a good ending to 2016, and a good start to 2017.
But as I got home to my empty apartment that night (Monkey was in Jeddah, arriving the next day), feeling crushed and all in all tired.. I grabbed one of those home pregnancy test kit (I'd stocked up some a few months leading up to this, hahaha!) and peed on the stick.

TWO LINES.

So....
The stick indicated that I was pregnant.
Then my mind was racing.. when do I tell the company?
Oh wait, HOW do I tell Monkey? When do I tell him?
We had planned on heading to Melaka for a wedding once he got back from flight. So the plan was for me to meet up with him at the airport, then we'll drive to our friend's place in Nilai, leave the car there and make our way to Melaka all four of us in their car.

The next day I got to the airport a little early and made my way to the clinic there before he arrived. The doctor asked when my last period was then I was asked to pee in a cup.
I suppose he knew the airlines' procedure when it comes to pregnancies so he wrote me a little note basically just saying that I'm how many weeks pregnant and my expected delivery date for me to hand to my HR department.

TO DECLARE OR NOT TO DECLARE?

Well, it didn't take long for me to tell Monkey. I had thought of maybe doing some elaborate scheme to let him know but I kinda needed his thoughts on when to declare my pregnancy to my company.
After Melaka I had one last flight of the year; a three days trip that didn't seem too hard. January roster had came out and I was on Delhi flight on the second.

Also, being a smoker -- a HEAVY smoker, I reckon it'd be weird if Monkey sees me not smoking. Or if I was smoking, I needed someone to keep me in check and remind me that I shouldn't be smoking!
So I told him in the car, just as we got to Nilai. SO not the way I'd imagined it, but my brain was thinking all sorts of things so I really needed his brain in on it.

IDEALLY..

I had wanted to quit smoking before we actually start "trying".
I had also wanted to clear my credit card debts and have a little bit money saved up. Maybe fly a few more months before I actually declare to my company, knowing that they'll put me on no pay leave once they knew.

But my previous trip was SO tiring -- may be caused by the supervisor or might be the pregnancy, the idea of another trip was kind of scary. And Delhi! Even if I was in perfect health, I am not too keen on flying that way.
I was scared of being exhausted, and Monkey insisted that I shouldn't risk the pregnancy.

So begins.. 2017.
My no pay leave.. The stay-at-home wife part of my life.

Twenty-plus weeks in today, and it's been a tad bumpy.. but not too bad.
We'll get into that in the coming entries.
I promise that I'll talk about check-ups in the next pregnancy entry.
Until then, thanks for stopping by!