Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Back to Work

will  be going back to work tomorrow.

after three months off work, my mind has gotten rusty on the academic and doctor-ish stuff. will do a recap with the house officers as my mentors  tomorrow. hihi.
baby sarah, take care
Harris dear, do take a good care of your little sis while i'm gone.

will be missing you both awfully much tomorrow morning :(

Saturday, November 17, 2012

making home and home made cooking


Confinement leave is really a blessing. though i have to waste a total of 40 days at home .
But thanks to my  three months leave, I have learnt about  new passion. cooking and baking! this hobby has been rather viral i guess. everyone is suddenly into it. i'm not a cooking type really, and apparently my husband is ok with that ( thank God). but i can see he really lightened up when i cooked or baked for him.the signs were very subtle but having been with him for 4  years, i  can detect it well :P
broccopoulet oregano soup - made when my maid was on leave

salmon pasta - a bit dry . should have made it creamier

Raclette - with russet potato, baby carrot, salami, mashed potato, frankfurter (wish we had merguez instead) 


ahh this is my favourite - egg benedict!


Salmon risotto - got inspired after watching masterchef 

chocolate pavlova - the meringue collapsed in half , cream wasn't whipped enough, but the taste was heavenly good!

this is my version of  turkey and egg sandwich

and my favourite drink - le creme chocolat :) 
we are also busy renovating  our new house in Kota SAS.  so far we are only installing kitchen cabinets, grills, curtains,  electrical appliances, and grass in the backyard .will buy some basic furnitures after everything above is completely done.
and oh , we painted our kids' room too ! can hardly wait to move in. well, it's probably will just be a weekend home for now. am thinking of making it as a guest house as well, since we're not staying there all the time.

Harris' room - stars made by 80%  mommy 20%  papa

Sarah's room- too tired to do murals - perhaps will resort to stickers, later
sneak peak to our 90% completed kitchen - so looking forward to play with these toys! wait for more foods;)

Monday, October 08, 2012

newborn photoshoot







What to do when you are bound to confine at home for 40 days?  baby-caming!
Sneak peek of Sarah's newborn photo-shoot at Ummu Harris studio ;-)


Monday, October 01, 2012

latest gadget

Husband bought me a new toy! it's a freestyle y'all.been longing for this since i began to indulge in the breastfeeding world. now it's mine. 

I used spectra 3 during my breastfeeding adventure with Harris. It was good but the minus point is , that it's quite bulky. I was approached somewhere last year by a hospital staff asking me regarding good breast pumps with affordable price. i recommended spectra 3 to her, she wanted to have a look. So I showed her. Then she asked me: do you mind selling yours to me?  I was quite taken aback initially as I didn't see it coming ( thought she'd want me to buy for her a new one) . But i agreed anyway :p mainly because I want a good reason to buy this one below  for my next baby. hihi.       


May little Sarah benefit from this investment Inshaallah.       
             
The newly arrived parcel
my freestyle debut - 4 oz in 10 minutes while breastfeeding at home.. interesting!

Sarah @ Day 7 of life - home photoshoot


Sunday, September 30, 2012

The birth of Sarah

Our second angel has landed on earth. Praises be to God.

I was admitted at 35 week 6 days for premature contraction which turned out to be a false labour. ever since, my Braxton Hicks became more frequent though still irregular. This went on uneventful  until the night of 19/09/2012 .

At around 9.30 p.m , I felt a sudden unprovoked leak. couldn't be urinary incontinence as i just came out from the bathroom. Then it hit me ; has the time come? is it now? By the time the second surge came out, it was enough to convince me. My water just broke.

I told my husband. He then quickly packed our stuff to go to the hospital. we have packed most of the stuff, just needed a final add-ons  here and there. by 10.15 p.m., we arrived in KSH.  I came here as I have booked my obstetrician, Dr Suraya ( the same doctor who delivered Harris). When we arrived at the registration counter, they brought us to the labour room. Only then they told us there were no more room left. I was quite surprised and disappointed at that time as I had called earlier before reaching there to inform them that I was on my way and was in labour .If I were to deliver there, the labour room itself would be my room.  Abrupt decision had to be made then.

i told the nurse to proceed with the CTG and to check my cervical dilatation. The CTG was fine and os was about 3 cm effaced but station was still high. After discussion with my husband and my parents, We decided to find another centre, and the choice was Darul Makmur Medical Centre.

It was about 10 to 15 minutes drive between the two hospitals, and it was raining heavily. Alhamdulillah we managed to arrive there safely. We were also joined by my parents and the co-owner of the hospital later ( I sometimes do locum at his other clinic).  By 11 pm, I was in  their labour room . Contraction had become more regular but still very mild.

My attending obstetrician was there within 5 minutes, It was Dr Roziah. The initial CTG was reactive. Liquour was gushing out like water hose every time i felt stronger contraction. I requested for epidural again this time. it was successful after two attempts. I received a spinal bolus too. Immediately after the procedure , my body was itching all over.  When the anaesthetist saw me scratching, he immediately told me that it was a common side effect of the fentanyl - the opioid used in the epidural cocktail - apparently if you happen to have it you just have to bear with it as anti histamine won't work to stop the pruritus. Pitocin was initiated right after the epidural procedure.

Things were fine until 3.30 a.m. (  i could pose for pictures,chatting with hubby, the doctors and nurses casually, reciting surah Maryam (Mary) via iQuran Pro on my phone almost pain free) . The fentanyl infusion kept on beeping signifying there was interruption with the flow.  Pitocin concentration was increased gradually every hour.  At that point, My baby's CTG  began to look less desirable.initially it showed good baseline variability  but with no obvious acceleration within 20 minutes, then it slowly got worse. there were a few type 1 decelerations  which became more apparent overtime.The last few decelarations even had saw-toothed appearance  with significant bradycardia each time (saw toothed or sinusoidal decelaration as i remember from my O&G days, might signify abruptio placenta). Only God knows how terrified I was then, though outwardly i tried to look as composed as i could manage. my pitocin concentration was reduced back to half and i tried changing my position from supine to right lateral  position, and alhamdulillah it worked. The CTG became reactive again and i was able to avoid surgery :) It could be the hyperstimulation from the pitocin or it could also be due to significantly reduced venous return as the CTG change was almost immediate by changing position.

By this time, I am pretty sure that the epidural infusion had failed. i felt the contraction pain which was already strong. i cringed silently, my fingers gripped my husband's so firmly each time. through out the labour, i recited prophet Yunus' (Jonah) doa' while he was inside the whale repeatedly ( my grandma kept on reminding me to do this  since the false labour ).

By 4.55 a.m. I had the urge to bear down. the doctor checked my opening and told me I was all set to push my baby out. tears suddenly streamed down. it's not the pain that triggered it I swear - but mixed feeling of  fear, joy, hopelessness, and doubts  over my own self confidence.

I gathered all energy left within, held my two legs without being told, breathed long and deep, and began to push. it was really agonising when the baby's head had crowned but you couldn't push at that time as there was no contraction.It was not easy. I needed all the moral support i could get  from the people around me and i was very lucky as they were really encouraging and soft spoken.  Husband was at my head, hugging, kissing my forehead and wiping my tears. Retrospectively, I  feel sorry for some moms who had traumatising experiences in the labour room, being scolded by the staffs for not pushing properly or for feeling hopeless. It would be the last thing you need to hear at that time. personally, i fell that positive encouragement was really vital and it does help.After 10 minutes battling, with one final push ( which was accompanied by a scream - but only during that last push :p)  , My second baby was born (at 5.05 am 20th of September  2012 ).

They put her on my chest. I dried and stimulated her myself with minimal help. My first thought when I saw her - she looks like a newborn Harris, only bigger.  It was so surreal. I was so mesmerised by her that I forgot that my placenta was still inside. haha. but they didn't need me to push that hard to bring it out :P
I reluctantly handed her to the staff for further nursing care. She experienced mild transient tachypnoea due to hypothermia ( the labour room was chilly cold at  5 o clock in the morning).She was put  under the radiant warmer and was given headbox oxygen for a while as a supportive care. She was fine after five minutes.

We were discharged home the same day. I was a bit anxious to go home as I wasn't sure of Harris' acceptance towards this new addition to our family. But Alhamdulillah, he adjusted himself to this new environment rather immediately. he was very welcoming and loving towards his little sister, and he doesn't mind me nursing or holding her, though once in a while when the baby was not on my lap, he'd come to me, hugging, cuddling and kissing me as if he's been longing to that the whole day. thank you Harris for being considerate and understanding.  I love you just as much.

We name our little baby, Sarah :)

Insyaallah, you'll be a well nurtured and honourable woman both in this world and hereafter. May both of you - my children - be  among the solehiin (the pious) . amiin.

je t'aime mes petits bonheur

Sarah's little foot

Day 10 of life

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Sunday, September 09, 2012

Baby jeers

last two weeks - at 35 week 6 days of pregnancy age ( on August 26th 2012) -  I was actually admitted for premature contraction. I have been having Brixton Hick's  since late 33th week but on that particular day the contractions were very regular, as frequent as  every 10 minutes.

CTG was reactive with mild contraction  about 3-4 within that half an hour.  I thought I was going into labour the next day. fortunately I wasn't. Hence I was discharged after overnight observation in ward, MC for 1 week and  back to work at 37 week :)

now at 37 week 6 days, still no signs of labour. did another scan at about 37 week 2 days during appointment with HOD of O&G dept. little B's estimated weight is about 3 Kg , both by clinical palpation and by scan.

May Allah ease  the birthing process and grant us miraculous, meaningful and blessed  life ahead. Inshaallah.

Anne Gedde's work piece

Friday, August 31, 2012

Phil & Teds explorer



preparation for baby number two - get a tandem pushchair :p

Thursday, August 23, 2012

My second pregnancy

i think it's high time i should sum up about my current being for the past 9 months. Pregnant encore.
i confirmed my suspicion of conceiving baby number 2 when my POA ( period of amennorhea) was about 5 week +

25th january 2012 pic taken at 8.15 am in the mo oncall room :) 
it's a mixed feeling all over again. is it too soon? are we ready for family member number four? but very excited all the same !

this pregnancy , i feel a bit different compared to the previous one. within the first trimester I was nauseous almost everyday and had two emetic episodes ( I had none when I was with Harris). 2nd trimester, I was easily breathless by 21st week.NYHA class 2 gradually escalated to 3 overtime  i supposed.  diaphragmatic splinting was rather early.

Baby started kicking at about 17 weeks. more or less the same like the first one in term of timing.

On-calls ( though never exceeded 5 per month ) were so tiring and by 30th week and above it had begun to take its toll on my well being significantly. I stopped doing calls by 32 weeks.the Post call  effect during the  last on-call i did was horrible. I could barely walk, gasping for air and every muscle attached to my bones was aching. 

Legs cramp was ( still is) a norm in the morning. really torturing. Couldn't lie on my back for more than 30 seconds due to the pressure effect on the lumbar vertebrae.

baby began to drop down by 33 week. therefore I could breathe better after that! but then the urinary frequency and stress incontinence worsens.

I did antenatal sonography for 6 times already so far. the last one was a 3D scan at KSH ( 6,11,17,24,30, 32 week) - well, there is no need for  such  frequent scans really ( once every trimester would suffice) but i just wanna have a peep at my baby ;-)

Braxton Hicks contractions began at about 33th week.

now at 35 week plus, fundal height correlates  well with gestational age, baby is in cephalic presentation, already 1/5th engaged , fetal limbs facing right, spine on the left. Sometimes, baby is kicking so hard that her fetal parts are visible and palpable  per abdomen.


I hope everything would turn out well. Mommy is soo looking forward to meet you in a month time little b ;) muahx


getting on my nerve

haiihh. you think you are the elitists. when you are just simply  hard core supporters like those on the other side. when people commented against your ridiculous generalisation about something, you said they are already non salvageable and not up to par to your level of thinking in debating such matters.
you  think you know politics like the back of your hands?  then think again. because from most of this bunch of self claimed elitists' written statements , all I can deduct is, you are exactly as shortsighted as those you go against if not worse.  basically, you are blinded by your political belief to see reasoning even if you are plainly at fault.
yeah, i have been patient too long and  now  have gotten too annoyed to ignore when they keep on posting stupid and illogical statuses.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Reflection

salam o dear valued guests of blog bliss.

Ramadhan mubarak to those who are observing it . May this month bring us enormous and unexpected blessings inshaallah.

blessed life. do we live one? Only God knows. when you are tried with crisis you began to question whether this is merely a trial or it's a sign that your life is not blessed? perhaps because of your previous deeds. i have no answer to that.  but one thing i'm sure of, we should turn to God nevertheless,regardless  which one is the cause :)


Wednesday, May 02, 2012

little beau in 3 months

18 months old

19 months

19 months with his Chinese attire

20 months old!


he's growing up so fast. he speaks in words and jargon equally alot , he can imitate songs and rhymes, he can count, and he is expecting a new sibling soon :-)

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Saturday, January 07, 2012

racletting again!



and it was soo fulfilling. had a new year dinner with my close pals last night at chez moi and it was awesome. we have chefs amongst us who can cook better than the masterchef participants ( exaggerate  giler) . anyway, got the opportunity to eat raclette again ( thanks to izy who bought the cheese) last night and encore, this evening with husband.  
this year's resolution : 

1. MRCPCh part 1 
2. NEW home (hopefully)
3. Wish to start a business ( yo yo je haha) 
4. New work place? in or out? hmm:)
5. Better Servant to Allah, better wife to husband, better mom to son, better me for family, better doctor, better friend.

Insyaallah. how about you?