Pregnancy, Second Trimester

Birth Classes

Dyan

Would anyone be kind enough to recommend me Birth Classes, preferably by a Muslim Doula etc?
NUH hold Antenatal Classes but i would prefer something more errr.. spiritual? How do i put it eh? Something that is not so clinical because i foresee the content at the Antenatal Class at NUH would be something i can get off from Google.

I was set on attending Yaqyn Birth Classes cos Rina went and gave good reviews but i was a little too late cos by the time i’ve decided to attend, Yaqyn has stopped all classes for this year as she is in her last trimester and giving birth anytime soon.

I didn’t wanna go too early, scared that both me & Rusly would kind of forget about the things we’ll learn at the classes. Was looking forward to classes in November / December.

Might be registering for the Breastfeeding Classes by Blessed Beginnings soon because i’m keen to breastfeed and would like to prepare myself mentally for that and maybe also cos i kind of needed the push? I’ve been reading how some new moms suffer from breastfeeding and give up halfway and i just needed to know how i can overcome all these.

I know some MTB think that these classes are not necessary because if other mothers can survive motherhood without going to these classes, then i should be able to. I can already conjure up images of people who would say that to me actually, but to each her own really. I think i’ll benefit from these classes and it’s a small price to pay for the knowledge i’ll acquire.

Pregnancy, Second Trimester

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

Dyan

No i did got into a tub and do a rub-a-dub-dub per se but i went for my 2nd pre-natal massage today!
i did my 1st pre-natal massage at 22 weeks because nobody would massage any pregnant woman if they are not at least 20 weeks.

My 1st pre-natal massage was done by Pre & Post Natal Massage and it was a home service.
Nothing to shout about so i didn’t blog about it. It wasn’t very bad but it wasn’t spectacular. I rate massage service by how relaxed i feel during and after the massage. If i fall asleep during the massage, then it’s good enough for me because i have very unusual sleeping pattern, i don’t fall asleep very easily.

During the 1st massage, i was tensed. Not sure if it’s because that was the 1st time i’m having a massage since i got pregnant so naturally i was paranoid if she was hurting the baby etc. Lol
Secondly, because it was done on my bed and my bed is quite low, it was a bit difficult for her to move around etc and i didn’t feel much relief after the massage. In fact i was aching all over. Macam kena langgar truck.
After she left my place, i slept and woke up aching all over again and i had subtle cramps. But they said it’s normal to feel like that after a massage cos of the blood-flow etc.

My massage today was done at Beauty Mum & Babies by Bodywork Clinic at Paragon. Location wise, it’s a convenient 20mins bus ride away from home. The place itself is ok lah. Not fancy-schmancy like some boutique spa. It felt more like a private clinic actually but quite comfortable and importantly, the aircon wasn’t blasting like nobody’s business. I hate it when the room is too cold during a massage especially cos you’re mostly naked and to have the aircon blasting on you is quite uncomfortable and i’ll end up shivering and that’s quite embarassing. Hahaha

My massage therapist, Alle asked which area i prefer to concentrate on and i told her mainly my lower back and my hips area. They were aching so bad! There’ll be days i can’t even roll over in bed because it was aching too bad.
So Alle concentrated on that area immediately and i fell asleep shortly.
The pressure was just nice. Usually, i would have requested for a harder pressure but Rusly told me to be mindful and not go overboard with the pressure. Partly also cos the lower back is quite sensitive for the baby especially if baby is facing the back.

With pre-natal massage, instead of lying flat on your tummy, you’ll be asked to lie down on your sides and they’ll have a long bolster for you to hug and place your legs on and they won’t touch your tummy at all.

Price-wise, i got a trial session from them at the Baby Fair at $39.00 only but the usual price is $150.00. Expensive i know.
But they were promoting a Pre-Natal package at $399 for 5 sessions and it’ll work out to be around $80.00 per session which is fine for me because that’s the average of what i usually pay for my monthly massage.

I’ve not really decided if i should take up the package. I did place a $50 deposit but if i decide not to take up the package, i just need to top up another $100 for 1 pre-natal massage session. According to them, i can do the massage till 37 weeks. So that’ll be a once-every 2 weeks massage session till i reach the full term. Very tempting if you ask me but not sure if i really really need it. if i do take up the package, i’ll take it as a pampering session before i give birth.

Ahhh.. decisions.. decisions.

Pregnancy, Second Trimester, Shopping Spree

Braving the Baby Fair II

Dyan

Wanted to draft this post earlier but was too busy to! For the past two weeks, i went to two baby fairs and have striked off almost 80% off the items on the Baby List. Alhamdulillah.. Kind of relieved because i think the exhaustion is setting in. I’m getting lazier to do stuff / go out especially with the weather.

Baby’s Market – 4th October 2014

The day we collected all our pre-orders. I insisted Rusly bring the delivery trolley and i wished i brought my luggage as well because we bought some other random small stuff as well. The 1st trip in, we went in with the trolley to carry all the bulky items and i really mean bulky!

photo (1)

We didn’t bring that supermarket trolley though. Only used it to transport the items from our void deck & back up to our place.
We didn’t bring back the Baby Cot as well cos it was quite bulky and wouldn’t fit the car and true enough, after filling up the back seat with all these, we wouldn’t have space for the baby cot! We added baby beddings etc to qualify for free shipping & installation instead and they mentioned they’ll deliver it in November although i’m trying to push it to December since we have not done up the nursery yet and also cos i don’t want them to install the baby cot too early and let it collect dust. Lol

Continue reading “Braving the Baby Fair II” →

Her, Him, Relationships, The Husband & Wife

and so we’re 3!

Dyan

3rd Anniversary

and we’re three today! Although i kept thinking it’s only been 2 years.
How did 3 years pass by so fast?

We did not plan anything for this year although we pretty much go for short trips on each Anniversary, this year is an exception because my husband is a pregnancy nazi. He is not ok with me taking flights during the pregnancy although i’m having a pretty normal pregnancy and i see pregnant women travelling for work & holidays all the time! I had to beg him to let me take a flight to KL this November because it’s less than an hour and it’s so close to home.

Yesterday, we were watching some Cooking/Travel Show and they were showing Tom Yam Goong at Krabi and i asked him if it’s okie if we go to Krabi for a short while on my birthday weekend (which is next week hahahahha) because i wanna eat that Tom Yam Goong at Ao Nang.

He gave me a death stare so i assumed that’s a no. I told him i was craving for Tom Yam Goong and he told me to cook it myself. Pffft.

They say pregnant women get everything they want. So not true!

and then i thought maybe we should go to Carousel and pig out but selfish me think it’s not worth it because i cannot eat Sashimi and Oysters and who the hell go to Carousel and not force-feed themselves with Sashimi & Oysters? Definitely not me! I think i’ll either be so sad i can’t eat sashimi & oysters when i’m there or i’ll just try my luck and eat them, and then get salmonella. Hahahahaha

So, it’ll be a stay home anniversary for us with him catching up on Suits on the ipad and me playing Frozen game on my iphone. How interesting. Lol

Pregnancy, Second Trimester

26 Weeks

Dyan

Insha Allah next week, we’ll bid adieu to the 2nd trimester and forge ahead to the third trimester.
Had my Glucose Test yesterday to detect Gestational Diabetes. It is not a compulsory test but Dr Citra ordered that for me and for a peace of mind and since it’s non-invasive, i figured why not?

I was required to fast from midnight till the test the next day. The test was scheduled at 9.05am but Dr Citra was available and she wanted to see me for updates and a short scan. Yay! Managed to see baby, so much bigger this time round. She was sucking on her thumb and we caught her having the hiccups! Lol

Finally did the 1st blood test at 10.05 am. I thought it’ll just be a prick on my fingers but turns out they had to draw out a tube of blood. After drawing out the 1st tube, i was required to drink a bottle of Glucose drink.

Click on picture for original image & post
Click on picture for original image & post

SO SWEET! It’s like drinking Orange Cordial with 20% water. Really sweet and concentrated.
But at that time i was really thirsty so manis pun telan je lah.

While drinking, one of the Lactation Consultant was making her rounds and randomly asked if i’m free to have a brief consultation on breastfeeding. Of course i said yes! It was quite an enriching session. Managed to ask her of my concerns, especially because i’m already leaking colostrum since 23 weeks or so. She reassured me that it’s fine and a good indication of good milk supply. Insha Allah. I really hope so! But she warned me not to try to pump or hand express it before birth because it will induce contractions.

Back to the Glucose test, i was supposed to finish up the glucose drink within 10 minutes and then go 2 hours without food and drinks until the next blood test. So i went to One@Kent Ridge at the Medical Centre and went shopping for basics at Uniqlo. Hee. Didn’t do too much shopping cos i was really hungry and sleepy, badan cam melayang2 so i went back to the Women’s Clinic to rest. Went back in promptly at 12.15pm to do the next blood test and the total bill was only $19.80. I don’t know why, but i was surprised! Because blood tests are usually quite expensive? I had to ask twice if it’s $19.80 or $90.80? Lol

Nurse told me they’ll call me if the test comes back abnormal and i’m hoping they won’t call me! Like really really, DON’T CALL ME ah please. I don’t know know why i’m paranoid over GD. Maybe because my mom had it during one of her pregnancies and also because i’m overweight.

Before i forget, baby been doing this rhythmic bumping lately and i thought it was one of her kicks and i was just wondering how come it happened so often and so rhythmic and then Dr Citra told me yesterday it was her having hiccups! HAHAHA So cute don’t know for what! Sometimes when it happens, i’ll stare at my bump and see it going up and down.

Weight-wise, i lost another 3 kg from the last visit. But i wasn’t too bothered about it already ah. Dr Citra said nothing to worry and that means i have lesser weight to lose post-natal. As long as baby is growing, i’m ok lah.

Next scan will be at 28 weeks for my growth scan and also to check on my amniotic fluid since it was classified as subjectively low during my 21st week scan. I’ve been drinking a lot of water since then so hopefully the situation is better now.

I think i’ll miss the 2nd trimester a lot and hopefully the 3rd trimester won’t be so awful.

Pregnancy, Second Trimester, Shopping Spree

Braving the Baby Fair

Dyan

Ahhhh the Baby Fair. I got so many warning from friends it’s gonna be chaotic and some of my friends  told me i’m crazy to even want go alone. With all the pushing and jostling. But it was surprisingly an ok experience for me.

Just a little background, in my previous job, my team organised huge job fairs at Suntec for three years. Each opening day, we get the same reaction. “Ributnya!!!” Really, the crowd is even worst than the baby fairs. The queue will snake from the Registration counter at level 1 to the taxi stand and then snake again at Level 5. That queue, is just to get in to the fair. The crowd in the fair itself, is another story. It was horrendous. I dread the job fairs and cannot wait to get over it. So when i went over to the Baby Fair and found out there’s no queue to get inside, i figured it’ll be quite a breeze lah actually. Not that bad.

But unlike the Job fairs, in baby fairs, u see people bringing in strollers. Some really monster strollers and i really don’t know for what! Those strollers take up a lot of space and some really brainless people have this habit of leaving their strollers at the entrance of the booth lah, kat tepi display booth lah. They leave the strollers everywhere!

However, a tip when you’re going to baby fairs, especially alone, bring a Luggage or those trolleys you go to market, that kind. God sent i tell u.
Unlike strollers, they are not bulky and you’re less likely to leave it anywhere because it contain your purchases. All i do is drag my luggage everywhere, buy everything i want and dump it inside and then keep on moving through the fair.

photo 1 (1)

photo 2 (1)What i did before the fair, print out the map and colour code the booths that i wanna check out. Print out the list of vendors available and i was ready to go! Believe it or not, i spent close to 5 hours at the fair because there were just so many stuff to look at and buy!
Queue for the payment counters were not bad. Most of the time, i only queue up for 5-10 mins max except for one counter at the NotTooBig booth, i queued for close to an hour because of the long queue!

Continue reading “Braving the Baby Fair” →

Pregnancy, Second Trimester, Shopping Spree

The Shopping List

Dyan

I’ve somehow compiled a list of stuff that i’ll be getting at the Baby Fair next week. I’m pretty much happy with the promotions going on at the Baby Fair and by sharing it here, maybe it’ll give you an idea of how much you can get some of the baby stuff at Baby Fairs? Because honestly, everything is so expensive and you need so many things and everything just adds up so being able to save a $50 here and there is already good enough!

Will be going on the Thursday Morning by myself to buy the smaller stuff and then again on Saturday to collect all the stuff we’ve pre-ordered and get the bulkier items since Rusly would be tagging along as well.

The Strategy: 
On Thursday, i’ll bring a luggage with me. Tak nampak auntie sangat because my luggage very cute, ok.
Because if i don’t bring a luggage, Rusly will get my in-laws to follow me so my father-in-law can help carry the stuff and that is so mean lah! Hahahaha. Bully orang tu seh. Partly also cos i love to shop alone. Yes i’m those weird ones who actually don’t mind going shopping or dining alone. I don’t wanna feel bad for making my in-laws going all over the expo hall with me, especially if it’s gonna get crowded.

On Saturday, i’ll make Rusly bring the trolley because we’ll need to transport back the baby cot, a carton of wet wipes and some other bulkier stuff like baby mattress & stroller etc. Not sure if we can fit the entire loot in our car but i tell you, sekecik2 nya kereta tu, banyak benda kita dah sumbat masok. So yakin boleh. Lol

So here’s what i’ve shortlisted so far and things i’ll be looking out for at the Baby Fair!
Continue reading “The Shopping List” →

Her, Reflections

Bliss. Blessed. Thankful?

Dyan

Was having a conversation with a friend yesterday and she commented on how blessed i must have felt now that my life is almost complete.
But no, i’ve never felt i’m blessed. Not that i’m ungrateful with the many good things that has been happening. I just feel that it’s not a word i’ll use on myself.

Thankful, maybe.
I’m thankful with what i have now. Thankful with what Allah has planned out for me.

Blessed is too big a word to describe me.

Growing up, i didn’t have much. I grew up with five other younger siblings. Being the eldest, i learned i have to share whatever i have. Sacrifice certain things in life just so my younger siblings can have a piece of the cake as well. We were not born with a silver spoon. Never had a birthday party exclusively done for me. Actually i really can’t remember if there was ever a birthday cake when i was young. But i was contented because i have sisters to play with and brothers to bully. Even if i always have to share my food with them.

Education-wise, i was never book-smart. I’ve always considered myself more street-smart than book-smart. Either way, there’s really nothing wrong. I wasn’t exactly interested in school so even though i managed to scrape through exams now & then, it was never my intention to further my studies. That and also because i know my parents would probably have to sell their souls to put me through endless tuition classes and with five other younger siblings, that is quite impossible.

But i know i’m always thinking out of the box hence the decision to set up The Card Maison at 23.
It wasn’t easy though. I had zero marketing knowledge. I was also not much of a risk taker. But i had ideas. Plenty of it. I’m always thinking of how to make money. It would be fair to say i was quite money-driven since young. Executing those ideas weren’t easy though but i was contented with having few orders each month. I was excited when i met my 1st client, i still remember where we met and how they looked like. I didn’t have much contacts in the wedding industry then. I was scared to network and stayed in my comfort zone for a very long time. But i learnt as i grow.
Fact: i will never refer myself as a CEO of The Card Maison or a Managing Director or any of that fancy titles. When people ask me what i do, i’ll them i run a home-based business. Because really that’s what i do. I run a business from home. Until i have an office of my own and manage staff of my own, i’ll never call myself a CEO.

Relationship-wise, i grew up having so many ex-boyfriends. Some that i have loved & lost. Some that i wish never did appear in my life.
Really, i was a train-wreck in relationships. I was needy & clingy and my life revolved around the men i love and then i met H, who i was in a relationship with for 5 years, had two girlfriends behind my back, got engaged with one and got married with the other one after that and all the time, i was left clueless. For all the shits i put up, being with him, it really did made me wake up for good. After that relationship with H, i was no longer a needy girlfriend. I couldn’t give a damn if my partner go MIA the entire day. I couldn’t care less. I became a tough cookie. Too tough that subsequently, i broke off my engagement with an ex-fiance, less than a year before the wedding, because i realized i didn’t care that much for him. I didn’t really love him. I couldn’t see myself with him in years to come. It came as a shock to everybody but it was the best decision i’ve made for that relationship. Today, i still think i wouldn’t be able to love him like he loved me. He was in fact one of the nicest partner i had. But i didn’t love him. I stayed with him because’s nice and faithful, unlike H. It was only after that, i met Rusly. It was a whirlwind romance. We fought a lot during the initial period because of our strong characters. But i love this man a lot. I also think i met Rusly at the right time. At that time, i was no longer needy. We wouldn’t have lasted, if he had met me earlier. So yes, my husband may not be better than yours, but i’m contented. I’m thankful i have him.

Life after marriage was surprisingly smooth. Yes we got our flat before the wedding and all but we had problem conceiving. We all know how hard it was for me to conceive. The many times i broke down and cry in the toilet because i refuse to let Rusly know how dissapointed i was. The time when i was told my tubes are blocked and that day on the hospital bed, i cried alone at night cos i’ll never have the chance to conceive naturally again cos both tubes were gone. I never did tell anybody i cried so hard at the hospital because i figured if i put up a brave front, then everybody won’t feel they’re treading on thin ice. But i was heartbroken. I felt like it was the greatest test from Him. But i was thankful to have survived the surgery. Thankful to know that IVF can help me & Rusly to conceive and so thankful when we finally got pregnant.

So yes, i wouldn’t exactly say i’m blessed cos nothing comes easy for me. So for all the good things He gave me, i’m thankful.
But i’m also always cautiously happy because i know, He can take it all back from me in a split second.

Bag-O-Love

Another Bag-Chat

Dyan

A friend shared this on Facebook and i find it quite interesting and true to a certain extent! Lol

How You’re Perceived Wearing These 12 Designer Brands

I think the article is only relevant for people who put thoughts in the bags they buy and the brands they want to carry. As i grow older, i realized i steer away from prints & monograms and go for clean, subtle designs & colours. I don’t have an indispensable income that allows me to buy a bag i love in every single colour so i tend to be quite safe & reserved in my bag choices.

I also feel that personal style should not be restricted to the bags u carry. I would wear a non-branded bag if it matches my OOTD for that day rather than wear clashing colours or prints.

Pregnancy, Second Trimester

24 Weeks

Dyan

6 months pregnant. Woaaah.
I think the 2nd trimester pass by really fast. Next month, i’ll be in the final trimester. Already?

Nothing much has changed except the bump is significantly bigger now and i have water retention particularly at my feet.
I didn’t realised it was water retention until i was told it was. I did notice at the end of the day usually, it hurts a bit when i walk longer distance but i thought it was just, you know, me getting heavier. Two weeks ago, we went to JB with the in-laws and my SIL brought us to Dr Soho for a foot spa therapy since i can’t go for foot reflexology and upon seeing my feet, the therapist asked “Are u pregnant?” U know it always amaze how some people can just know. Macam so skilled seh. So i asked her how did she figure that out since i was seated and my bump was not noticeable cos i covered it with a pillow and then she mentioned i have water retention on both feet.

Few days after that, i had my pre-natal massage and the masseuse also told me i’m having water retention already and told me to drink more fluids. So yes, more fluids again.

Baby is moving a lot more now and her moves are so much more noticeable now, especially during car rides! I have a feeling she loves car rides. Like the mummy. I’m also not sure how much she can hear but the other day, at a wedding, i was sitting down having my meal when the Bride & Groom leaves the reception with the Kompang guys and she was moving so violently inside. Suspect joget-joget and all.

Last saturday, we went to Baby Hyperstore & Baby Kingdom at Kaki Bukit since we had some errands to run at the east side so i figured we could go look at strollers as well. Saw Mommyandi there (hello you!) and i’ve never seen a place with that many strollers! I was overwhelmed and for a while all the strollers look the same! I gave Rusly a crash course on what i was looking out for and I realized i cannot handle any strollers above 7kg with one hand. So our stroller definitely have to be below 7kg.

Continue reading “24 Weeks” →