Retrospective Wisdom: Week 1

"There isn't a baby to speak of this week. However your body is shedding its uterine lining in preparation for a new cycle. An egg is finishing up the process of ripening this week, but it won't be released from its home in your ovary until ovulation occurs more than a week from now." - excerpt from The Complete Illustrated Pregnancy Companion by Robin Elise Weiss with Dr. Marcello Pietrantoni.

I am the woman with irregular periods made worse by previously stressful job with long hours and arduous travels...hardly surprising that I was completely oblivious to the fact that I was in week 1 of my pregnancy! I was probably so busy with my new job at Petronas to even count from my last cycle which started on Father's Day in June 2009.

The family planning Z and I discussed centred around "let's try for a baby before I hit 35 to lessen the chance of Down's Syndrome" and seeing how difficult it has been for some happily married childless friends, we agreed to "start after the wedding and pray hard to Allah for His blessings".

That was pretty much it. We discussed it, agreed upon the policy and got on with the programme. So, when you test positive for pregnancy, chances are it is already week 4 or 6!

 

**Retrospective Wisdom: Trying for number two is so tough compared to my first pregnancy. I really must pray harder. I did a count, 80% of my pregger buddies in 2010 now have presented their firstborns with siblings respectively - bless!!**

An update as of 27 October 2012: Allah is so kind and prayers are truly miraculous! We are now pregnant with number two - syukur alhamdulillah! This time, I knew for sure that my LMP is 17 September 2012.

Retrospective Wisdom: Week 2

"At this point of your cycle, your baby is still not formed. However, you have a follicle with a ripening egg that is getting ready to be released. Once the egg is released, you have ovulated! During ovulation, the egg has approximately 24 hours in which to be fertilised by sperm. This makes knowing when you ovulate crucial to getting pregnant. It goes without saying that having sex this week is optimal for conception." - excerpt from The Complete Illustrated Pregnancy Companion by Robin Elise Weiss with Dr. Marcello Pietrantoni.
 

Sign of ovulation can be as simple as a cramping feeling. We did not know any better at that time but we were on our honeymoon. Enough said.

 

**Retrospective Wisdom: Trying for the second one is much tougher for us. Totally different set of circumstances and bodily functions! For one, I am still breastfeeding. Having said that, I truly submit to His timing for He knows best when we are all ready to receive His hadiah.**

Retrospective Wisdom: Week 3

"After a long arduous journey, the egg and sperm have joined. As the cells that are your baby begin to divide, you are blissfully unaware of what is going on in your body. While you may be hoping that these cells are rapidly dividing and heading toward your uterus, you have no way of knowing." - excerpt from The Complete Illustrated Pregnancy Companion by Robin Elise Weiss with Dr. Marcello Pietrantoni.

So true about not knowing!

During the honeymoon, I noticed that my sense of smell went from good to acutely sensitive. Every solat prayer invited hay fever like runny nose and teary eyes so I blamed it on the flowering pots of orchids and gardenias that we had purchased from the nursery in Cameron Highlands. We had them moved from inside the room to the balcony, but still the runny nose and teary eyes did not stop.

I also grew lethargic quickly and took naps almost every afternoon during the honeymoon. We just thought that all the driving around and activity filled days were wearing me out, so I had a really good whole body massage! So indulgent, totally relaxing and rejuvenating for the soul.

Well, little did we know...we had a busy lil one in the making!

**Retrospective Wisdom: If one is already trying for conception, and is within the two week wait, just relax! It really helps not to watch the clock...(and I should be taking my own advice here now that we think we may be ready to receive Allah's blessings of another hadiah).**

Recipe: Longan & Red Dates Tea

Expressed breast milk stored by freezing at -18C in Avent VIA cups. Takes 48 hours to thaw out 5 to 6 oz in the fridge set at 0C.

Syukur Alhamdulillah!

 

Red dates tea -  sweet, warm drink increased my breastmilk supply and improved overall vitality. I drink this daily during confinement, and still occasionally do when my energy is low.

 

 

Kudos to "Nyoya Flavours - A Complete Guide to Penang Straits Chinese Cuisine". Editing and Food Styling by Julie Wong; Main Recipe Contributor & Tester by Debbie Teoh and Food Photography by Bonnie Yap & Yap Chee Hong. New Edition Copies available at Popular & Kinokuniya.

If I may just reproduce the drink recipe here for the benefit of breastfeeding mothers and new mothers, simply because I have greatly benefitted from this recipe and keep having to email them to friends and readers alike:

"150 g dried longan

50 g pitted red dates, halved

50 g tong sam, cut into 3cm (1 inch) length

2 litres water

1. Wash and drain longan, dates and tong sam then place into a medium sized pot with the water.

2. Bring to rapid boil then simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Taken throughout the confinement month to substitute for drinking water, this pleasant drink helps the new mother in maintaining general well-being, and is said to increase the flow of milk in a breastfeeding mother. Tong sam, available from chinese medical halls, is also known as "poor man's ginseng" and plays a role in enhancing blood circulation."

I had mine boiled in the morning and kept warm in a thermos flask, sipped preciously throughout the day. On hot days, I have had supplies of more than 2 litres in hand!

Confession: I used to be able to express 2 to 3 oz in the early days of breastfeeding (those crazy, stressful days of not being totally sure if I was producing sufficiently to meet demand) but by 6th week, the yield had increased in tandem with The Little Girl's increase of appetite. Now with Bean, I am able to express 5 to 6 oz every 6 hourly *sujud to Allah in thanksgiving!*

Tip #1: My tong sam was purchased from a medical hall in One Utama and Pavilion called Eternal Cash Medical Hall. Tong sam is a type of "radix codonopsis" plant root.

Tip #2: I use the IKEA Stabil 3L pot with pasta boil insert to keep the ingredients boiling or simmering but simpler to strain by just lifting the insert when ready. Just be sure to use a metal strainer when carefully pouring hot liquid out of the pot into a thermos flask.

Tip #3: Red Date Tea Extract claiming to be 5x more potent is now available from Moon's (Daveleen (M) Sdn. Bhd. at No. 43, Jalan SS2/3, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Tel: +6037877800 www.moms2b.com ) Read also Falling in Love with Confinement by Peiling Goh. Personally, I have not ordered any products from this company as they are not certified halal so I cannot vouch for its potency, taste etc. However, some of the dishes suggested during confinement are simple to cook and delicious (I always replace pork dishes with halal cuts of chicken).

**now excuse me while I answer a milk-call**

 

Retrospective Wisdom: Week 4

"This is the first week that you are sure that your baby is in there, though what is going on is still very hard to see. Even with high-tech ultrasound equipment, you would be lucky to see the gestational sac - the small bubble where your baby is busy forming and growing this week. Using a transvaginal ultrasound, which is an ultrasound done from inside your vagina is your only hope of seeing it at this point in pregnancy.

In that gestational sac, you will also have a yolk sac forming. This will help feed your baby until the placenta has fully formed around the end of the first trimester.

At the end of week 4, the chorionic villi are completely formed. These are finger-like projections of placental tissue. they contain the same genetic material as your baby and can be helpful later for genetic testing." - excerpt from The Complete Illustrated Pregnancy Companion by Robin Elise Weiss with Dr. Marcello Pietrantoni.

I had reported to work at Petronas the week before and was so pre-occupied with the lovely job I had that I did not notice anything different about the changes that were going on in my body. Besides, we were preparing for the coming month of Ramadhan and I was excited about my first time fasting as a Muslimah!

On 10 August 2009, I noticed that my period was already late by about 2 weeks so after work, I went home and did a routine urine test using home test kit for pregnancy. This turned out positive. My heart leaped with joy!

Being home alone (Z was on his way home and I did not want to ring him while he was driving), I went into a somewhat crazy mode of "this is too good to be true!" so I did another urine test using another brand of home test kit for pregnancy. This turned out positive too!

By the time Z walked into The Apartment, I could not contain the happiness anymore and blurted almost too loudly "We're pregnant!!". He was a little shocked but overjoyed and started to celebrated in his collected and calm ways.

Just to be triple sure, we did the last test for the evening together. After dinner, during solat Isya', we gave our thanksgiving to Allah for His gift and prayed for a safe pregnancy.

Personally, I felt deeply grateful to Allah for this new journey!

 

**Retrospective Wisdom: Testing with different brands of home pregnancy test kit is normal. Go indulge!** 

Retrospective Wisdom: Week 5

"One way to measure a baby this size is called crown to rump (CRL). from the crown, or top of your baby's head, to the bottom (rump), your baby measures about 1.5 to 2.5 milimetres by the end of this week. Very small, but very busy.

A couple of major milestones happen this week. Your baby's heart begins to beat and the neural folds (the folds of tissue that become the brain and spinal cord) are fusing. This means that you can almost begin to differentiate the head from the tail (a vestige that reabsorbs into the body as the baby becomes a fetus). However even with ultrasound, you still may not see as much as you'd like." - excerpt from The Complete Illustrated Pregnancy Companion by Robin Elise Weiss with Dr. Marcello Pietrantoni.

I had just adjusted to working life at Petronas and liking the portfolio I was managing when a life changing incident shifted my priorities. Part of my routine duties include going to the lubricant blending plant in Malacca to resolve legal matters and issues.

On 18 August 2009, I drove Bebe to Malacca for one of such meetings. Upon arrival, I went to the water closet before the start of what was to be an all day meeting. What I saw that morning shocked and rocked me to my inner core.

Blood!

Immediately, I texted my GP (had yet to select an Ob-Gyn!) for advice. He replied that I was to remain calm and go to the nearest ER at any good private hospital near by. The nearest good private hospital is located in Malacca town, another good 40 minutes' drive away!

Not wanting to cause another delay to an already late tender issue for the lubricant plant's expansion, I sat down to chair the meeting and tried to remain calm whilst praying hard that everything would be alright for the lil life that was growing within me.

The meeting ended at 6pm and I drove back to KL in the thunderstorm. Z agreed with me that any good private hospital in KL would be better than in Malacca, especially if I were to be admitted.

The nearest private hospital to The Apartment is Gleneagles Ampang. After a quick dinner and solat isya', we drove to Gleneagles Ampang and was made to wait 3 hours before the Medical Officer saw me. It was the peak of Swine Flu too and we had to sit there uncomfortably at the not-so-ER wearing masks!

The Medical Officer "dismissed" that the slight bleeding could be caused by implantation bleeding and I was given a steroid injection to stabilise the fetus. A referral and appointment to the Ob-Gyn was made for the following morning.

The following morning at the ObGyn's office, I was made to wait another 3 hours for a transvaginal ultrasound. We saw Jr's gestational sac and a beating dot a.k.a. the heart.

Thankful that everything was alright, I was so deeply moved that an auto-assessment of what is really important to me in my life kickstarted. Career versus Baby. The plans for me to be based out of Europe for a few months in my professional capacity kind of flew out of the window of my Petronas Tower 1 office as I could not imagine coping with my first pregnancy alone in Italy. Forget the joy of working. Forget all the handbags and shoes designers. Forget all the beautiful sites to visit with Z.

By the way, I swore not to return to Gleneagles Ampang if I could simply because I did not enjoy the long wait!

 

**Retrospective Wisdom: When Allah presents an opportunity, He may also present another opportunity. What you choose is your trust in Him that He will Provide.**

Retrospective Wisdom: Week 6

"From the crown to rump, your baby measures about 4 to 6 milimetres. Still very small but working very hard, including a beating heart!

Your baby's heart is circulating blood through its tiny body though the heart is still a bulge in the front of the body. It will eventually move into the chest cavity. The cells that will become your baby's stomach, liver, lungs and pancreas are also present. In other big news, at the end of this week, the upper and lower limb buds will appear. Your baby is also working on developing its inner ear and larynx.

The placenta is working too. It is getting ready to take over the production of hormones from the corpus luteum, which is a spot on the ovary where you ovulated. Though this won't happen for about another six weeks, plans are in place now.

An ultrasound at this point would reveal a fetal pole with a heartbeat in 86 per cent of the cases and 100 per cent would see a yolk sac. If your midwife or doctor doesn't see what they think they should, you may not be as far along in your pregnancy as you had believed. You will most likely be asked to repeat the transvaginal ultrasound in a few weeks." - excerpt from The Complete Illustrated Pregnancy Companion by Robin Elise Weiss with Dr. Marcello Pietrantoni.

It was beginning of my most lethargic days coupled with inability to keep any food or liquid down. Morning sickness for me was an all day sickness. Needless to say, I was on medical leave on most days, spent in bed and the only place I went to was probably the sink! Demands of a full time job were totally against the grain of this pregnancy, sadly. PukeFest was the most apt title for the week.

After obtaining a few referrals and word of mouth, we decided to "test" Dr Haris Hamzah at Sime Darby Subang Medical Centre and found him to be a suitable and qualified Ob-Gyn. The ultrasound scan of Jr confirmed the pregnancy, well being of a growing fetus and estimated due date.

We broke the news to Mama and Dada over dinner at Penang Village in KLCC. They were gladly surprised at the speed we conceived Jr during the honeymoon too but thankful nonetheless! With Kakak's 5th baby to arrive in January 2010 and Junior following suit in April 2010, the grandparents were really busy...

Measurements taken by Dr. Haris Hamzah on 22 August 2009:

CRL: 4.8 milimetres

 

**Retrospective Wisdom: Staying in bed with morning sickness is NOT wrong. NOT lazy. It is a blessing in disguise. Read all the books that you have always wanted to and listen to all the soothing music you have forgotten about in years gone by - there is no time after the baby arrives!**