Almost Ready!

So I am officially full term - 38 weeks pregnant! Technically, I could go into labor at anytime now, and my baby would be just fine, God willing. Oh man...I couldn't believe that it's almost 10 months now that I'm carrying a life inside me! If the baby hasn't come out in another 2 weeks time, that means I am pregnant for exactly 10 months! - Wow, that's like almost a year!! A year of being tired all the timeeee! tskk T_T

Anyway... being pregnant has made me read a lot. Which is weird because I don't really like to read actually. Heee. From a fiction Shopaholic & Baby book, to reading some shopping catalogues on what products to get, to what happens to the body when you're pregnant, to breastfeeding tips and to birthing stories, etc. I have yet to read what happens after the baby is born though.. Still kinda clueless on the baby care and needs! - Some may call me obsessed or OCD or something (as I heard), but I am a first time mom..so it's only natural to want everything the best for my precious little one! So I gotta educate myself and READ!

Some of my pregnancy reads

Since the day I found out I was pregnant, I have been watching a lot of birthing and labor video until today! Some may find these videos disturbing or scary to watch, but I really do think that labor is a beautiful process. It's such a natural and a miracle thing, though I know it hurts SOOOO bad! - Otherwise, in Islam, it wouldn't be called as mati syahid, if we die from giving birth, right? It must be thaaaaatttttt hurt! But the rewards from Allah are hugeeee! Anyhow, I trust Allah and I know His creation is perfect! We women are designed to give birth and we could handle the pain, inshaallah. So which is why after watching a lotttttt of labor videos, I have decided to go completely natural.  I have written my birth plan and planning to give it to my doctor for my next visit to Prince Court. - I want completely natural labor, with no pain relief, no inducing drugs, no epidural, no laughing gas whatsoever, and I want to delay the clamping of the cord and have a skin-to-skin moment right after the birth. Well...you get the picture - COMPLETELY NATURAL! Thank God that PCMC is a baby-friendly hospital so they will respect my decision and support this I guess?

At first, I wanted to have a water birth actually. Somehow I can imagine that I would be more comfortable and confident when I'm in water (I spent most of my nights during this pregnancy, bathing and sitting in warm water for 1 to 2 hour, as it helps to keep me calm and happy).

This is how I spend my sweet me-time! Sitting in the tub for an hour or two!

^_^

But too bad, PCMC didn't have that option, and my husband didn't want to change hospitals and doctors after 8 months of being with the same doctor when I said I wanted to change hospital. Well, I guess I will have a water birth for my second child, maybe? hehe.

Anyway, so I have been listening to some Hypnobirthing audio, and I have read some of the methods, hoping that when the day comes, I will be in control, relax and calm. But I know... we can only plan, but Allah is the best of planners. As much as I want my labor to happen exactly like how I plan and want it to be, I know that it is not up to me, so whatever that is going to happen on that day, it's fate I guess. So, saya berserah, redha and tawakal :)  

Antenatal class/Parent Craft class that was held at Prince Court, 2 weeks ago! 

(I hope we will still be able to go to a Hypnobirthing class that I signed up, this coming Saturday!)

I still haven't finish reading this awesome book by Gina Yong. We went to her breastfeeding class a couple of months ago, and we're so glad we went for it! Seriously, after going to her class I learned a lot about breastfeeding and I hope I can breastfeed my baby exclusively!

Right now...I am still enjoying every bit of my pregnancy (Read: Eat a lot and Sleep! hehe) but also preparing mentally and physically for my labor. I have done packing my hospital bag...and put them near the door instead of inside the car because we haven't decide which car to take with us on that day..

Here are our things! If you want to know what are the stuff I bring, you may view my Instagram, or you may read this Baby Checklist I did a few weeks ago, and look under the Hospital Checklist

I have also been asked if I have a confinement lady or a nanny and help to take care of me after the labor. Well, since my mom is not well, I decided to berpantang on my own and hire a confinement lady that will be staying with us for 5 weeks. My sweet mother-in-law has offered to stay at her house and she can take care of me like she did with her daughter/my sister-in-law - She just gave birth, 2 months ago, so the gap between my baby and her baby is not much. So I don't want to susahkan dia lagi. Hence I decided to berpantang sendiri.. :)

The first few days, I will be taken care by a nurse, then after that, the confinement lady will take care of me for the rest of my pantang for 40 days. She will be cooking healthy, clean meals for me, giving me a postnatal massage, bertungku, bertangas, mandi herba, and all those traditional pantang stuff, and also she will help take care of the baby as well. Basically everything that a postnatal woman needs, will be taken care of! I really hope I can get back in shape and shrink to size S as fast as I can with her taking care of me for a month! hehe

Okay...the baby is kicking for food. We both are really hungry, so I guess I better eat something and stop writing now! Will write more inshaallah! :)


XOXO,
Shazzy.