First Time Mom: My Birth Experience

Hi everyone! After a while of silence, I'm back again - as a new mummy! I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on the 2nd of February 2019 and currently undergoing my confinement period (sighs, lol).

I've been meaning to share my birthing experience with my readers because as a first time mummy, the birthing experience can be an overwhelming one.

After four months of checking up at PPUM, the day finally arrived. My expected due date was supposed to be on the 31st of January so I was already sort of naturally prepared (well, I didn't really know what to prepare. I just knew I was due to deliver soon). 31st Jan came, yet no signs of birth. That morning, I thought I was not going to deliver that day so the night before I spent the night playing League until Subuh (BAD IDEA).

This is a heavily-pregnant me enjoying my ice-cream

After Subuh I was craving for roti canai Melayu so we went to get some and came back around 8am to sleep. At 11am I woke up and felt ~wet~ (get used to the nasty descriptions, please) and suspected that my water was leaking. FYI, not all water breaking is like what you see in the movies when the water breaks and everybody panics to get themselves to the hospital lol. I did my last minute packing and off we went to the hospital.

When I arrived and explained to the nurse of what I suspected, the nurse immediately admitted me (... so drastic). Everything became surreal and frankly quite depressing then. Most of the time I was not allowed to have my phone. When I was admitted, I was told to strip myself of all belongings and my husband was not allowed to be in the ward with me. I wasn't mentally prepared to be alone! And not having my phone made my time in the ward worse. In the ward, the doctor checked me and confirmed that my water was leaking but I wasn't dilated at all (means I'm not in active labour yet) and soon I was admitted as a patient for realz.

First day admitted T_T

Thank God, I was allowed to have my phone, bags and see my husband. FYI, husbands are only allowed to see you only during visiting hours T_T (I cried internally when he had to go back). Mind you, visiting hours are really, really short at government hospitals.

Hours went by and a few nurses and doctors came to check me, yet I was no where near dilated! The next day, doctors came in again and I was hoping I would be dilated by a few centimeters but NO - I WAS STILL NOT DILATED AT ALL. I was told that if my dilation doesn't progress I would have to be induced the next day. I've heard stories and I did NOT want to be induced.

Next day came and that morning a doctor came to check. Guess what, I WAS STILL NOT DILATED. Lol. My baby didn't want to part with my body I guess. So, like it or not, I had to be induced. I was sent to another ward where 3 other expectant mothers stayed for induction. There again, I had to part with my belongings including my phone. I've never felt more depressed and lonely in my life lol. More doctors came to check me and I was left to wait for more than another day. That's what, 48 hours of just waiting?

Oh, being induced wasn't so bad lol. After being induced, a few hours or so this really lovely doctor came to check me but I was only ONE FREAKIN CENTIMETERS DILATED. 😑 I've already planned to get an epidural for my birth so I needed to be at least 4cm dilated to have it. To my horror, I was told that there is an epidural administration limit to patients. Only two patients in labour at a time can have it. I was so, so scared I wouldn't get it. My ward was just next to the labour room and the whole time I could hear women groaning and screaming in pain.

Somehow after another day of agonizing period of waiting I was barely dilated at 4cm. They told me that I would be moved to the labour room (so... it begins, I thought). Again, I didn't have anything with me except a bottle of water. How did I go 3 days without my phone? The great news was the doctors told me that I was given priority to an epidural because I wasn't dilating! YASSS.

So first thing they did when I was moved to the labour room was administer the epidural. The only thing that hurt during the process was when the doctor pushed the little tubes in my spine. But after all that was done, omg... heaven. I couldn't feel a single del of pain and I could even sleep. But when the epidural wore off, WORST PAIN EVER. Oh, by this time my husband could accompany me YAYZ. I was ugly-crying whenever the pain kicked in. It was the worst pain I've ever felt. Whenever the anesthesiologist came to top up my epidural, I was elated.

Again, I went through the same process of doctors and nurses coming to check - only this time it was more frequent. Every four hours the doctors would come to check my dilation and still I was NOT progressing until the next day. It was more than 2 days since my water leaked and my dilation stayed at 5cm. The next morning, the doctor did one last check and told the nurses that I was progressing poorly and turned off the epidural and IV machines. She finally decided that I had to go for a C-Sect and briefed me about what to expect as well as elaborated the pros and risks of a C-Sect. Not like I had a choice anyway.

After half an hour of painful waiting, I was wheeled off to the surgery room and administered stronger dosage of epidural. Every time they administer epidural into my body, I would shiver uncontrollably - it's one of the reactions from taking it. During the whole time of surgery I was shivering crazily to the point of cramping. I couldn't feel them cutting me although I could feel pressure. It didn't hurt up to that point. However, I did not expect them to push my abdomen so hard to get the baby out! When they finally pulled my baby out, I was so, so relieved and teared up a little. That time, I still couldn't see my baby until I was stitched up and placed outside of the surgery room. I was still shivering so hard but the epidural was wearing off and I was in SO MUCH PAIN. But when I held my baby, the pain seem to fade a bit. The moment I've been waiting all my life has finally come - I finally have a child I can call my own.

After the surgery, I still couldn't go back for the next 3 days because of the surgery. For two days I was in great pain. During this time, doctors and nurses came to check me and my baby consistently. I was forced by the doctors to walk and take care of my baby myself after the second day though I was in pain. By the third day, the doctors gave me the okay to be discharged! YASS.

So that is my labour story. I will do another entry on my review on PPUM services if I'm not lazy. Hehe. Thanks for reading!

Kenduri Nikah + Sanding Cantik bawah RM50,000 di KL

Hiiiii harini rasa macam nak blog dalam bahasa Melayu pulak. Okay la tak nak buang masa, seperti yang ditulis di tajuk atas i nak bagitau sikit-sikit pengalaman I masa prepare nak kahwin dulu tanpa pertolongan parents I.

Ok la secara jujur, sememangnya RM50,000 ni hasil perkongsian I and suami. Kiteorg berdua usaha kumpul duit masing-masing sampai dapat duit banyak tu. Kiteorg tak mintak pun sesen duit parents sebab tak nak dorang keluarkan duit. Mungkin akan ada yang akan cakap "Buat apa aku nak baca kenduri bajet RM50,000? Aku nak cari tips yang murah." Hehe. Kalau boleh I memang nak buat murah, tapi I sedar I nak majlis I lawa, so kena la realistik kan? XD

Oh, btw harga yang I letak dalam ni semua adalah harga yang telah dibundarkan. Tapi masih mengikuti bajet RM50,000.

Cerita dia bermula di sekolah, I memang seorang yang suka pelan untuk masa depan. Masa I habis STPM dulu, I dipanggil semula ke sekolah untuk menjadi guru ganti dorang bayar I RM10,000 lump sum lepas habis contract 6 bulan dengan dorang. Duit tu I langsung tak sentuh and simpan dalam duit for many, many years dengan niat nak kawen. Duit selebihnya, I simpan dari masa I study sikit-sikit and start kumpul lebih lepas dah dapat kerja. Sebelum I grad lagi dah I cari and dapat kerja.

Step 1: Venue (RM25,500)

Ni tips kalau korang nak dapat mur-mur - TOLONG LA PERGI KE EXPO PENGANTIN. Sana, korang boleh dapat banyak promosi. Tapi satu kelemahan Expo Pengantin adalah, korang kena book promosi tu dalam masa expo tersebut. So, sediakan la duit dalam akaun boleh transfer je.

Dekat expo ni la korang boleh cari venue sekali dengan full pakej makanan, pelayan, meja/kerusi, pelamin, photographer, baju sewa dll. Masa tu pun korang boleh testing makanan terus. Kalau sedap & murah why not ambik je kan? Korang nak perfect cemana lagi? Kena rebut tau, takut tarikh yang korang nak kawen tu tak free pulak. Satu lagi kalau korang memang dah set nak buat baju sendiri atau pilih photographer sendiri boleh nego dengan orang yang promo di booth untuk tolak dari harga pakej. Lagi jimat sebenarnya kalau korang ambik terus full pakej sebab korang takyah pikir dorang setelkan. Masa I pegi expo dulu I ambik pakej venue Zarlith Event Management yang muat 1000 pax. Total pakej berharga RM28,000 gitu. Tolak photog and baju, dapat dalam RM25,500. Makanan pun sedap, ramai yang puji. Lebih dari cukup sebab kami tak jemput ramai orang. Ni adalah kos yang paling mahal dalam bajet kiteorang. So bayaran paling mahal dah setel.

Btw, nak tempah venue ni nanti ada bayaran deposit. Mahal jugak I tak ingat. Tapi I tak kira dalam bajet sebab dapat balik duit tu. Jadi nak kawen nanti simpan lebihan duit untuk segala deposit yang tak terjangka.

Ni pelamin Zarlith. Cantik kan? Murah pulak tu.

Step 2: Photographer (RM5,600)

Ni kiteorg gedik nak photographer yang power, tapi ambik jugak kat expo yang sama. Kiteorg ambik pakej photographer Atelier Porto. Harga pakej RM5,599. Pakej ni termasuk gambar dan video nikah, sanding, album + pendrive, fast edit (nikah video untuk disiarkan hari sanding sebab sanding sehari selepas nikah), outdoor photoshoot dan 2 frame besar. Walaupun mahal, kiteorg nak kualiti gambar terbaik so kena spend lebih sikit.

Step 3: Kad Kawen (RM1,800)

Part ni best sebab masa I pegi expo kawen tu ada banyak company yang buat pakej kad kawen + banyak lagi benda. Pakej kad kawen I ambik dengan Clamour Printing ni termasuk 1000 kad kawen, photobooth (best gila ok), guestbook, kotak doorgift dan bunting kawen. Murah gila. Ramai gila suka photobooth. Kad kawen I pun cantik, cuma tak boleh design sendiri. Dorang ada template sendiri walaupun dekat expo tu kata boleh design sendiri for free. Nak design sendiri kena tambah extra payment rupanya. Hmm redho je la.

Step 5: Doorgift (RM900)

Doorgift ni I cari kat Facebook. I ambik dengan Kay Gifts KL. Dorang ada bagi brochure dengan jenis-jenis doorgift. I suka chocolate so I ambik pakej kotak choc 4 pieces dengan kotak doorgift sekali. Dalam pakej tu dia bagi sekali 2 bunting untuk sanding nanti. Sekotak coklat tu RM1.80. Kiteorang just beli 500 kotak je sebab nak jimat& kami pun tak jemput ramai dalam 500 pax. Bagi kiteorg doorgift ni tak penting sangat so siapa yang tak dapat tu tak dapat la. Haha.

Step 4: Baju Nikah + Sanding (RM6,400)

Baju nikah pun I tak ambik sewa sebab I jenis nak simpan baju. Baju nikah I dah set nak buat dekat butik Gerbera di TTDI. Kain nikah beli dekat Gulati's tapi I tak recommend la kalau nak beli kain yang murah. Gulati's and Jakel memang mahal tapi kain-kain dia memang cantik. Tapi I rasa banyak lagi tempat korang boleh dapat murah. Kain baju nikah and veil I beli je dah dalam RM2000 (ikut meter jugak).Tempah buat baju dengan Gerbera pulak dalam RM1,300. So total spent untuk baju nikah je dah RM3,300. Shawl nikah beli kat Aidijuma di Kelantan dalam harga RM20. Baju nikah laki pulak beli kat Jakel and tempah buat kat Jakel jugak. Total baju nikah laki adalah dalam RM200. Sampin pun beli kat Jakel berharga RM400. Tu pun kira yang paling murah kat situ... err~~~. Songkok RM30 & setel baju nikah. Crown pulak I beli dekat Inamorata.my berharga RM89.

Baju nikah I and husband

Untuk sanding, I nak honour keturunan India so I pilih nak buat Baju Lengha. Kain I beli dekat Tilak's Saree House kat Masjid India berharga dalam RM800. Tempah buat baju di kedai yang sama dalam RM200. So total dalam RM1,000. Lagi murah dari kain nikah lol. Shawl sanding beli kat booth The Curve je harga RM10. OMG nak cari kain shawl sama kaler dgn baju masa tu memang payah gila. Nasib baik jumpa yang sebijik pada harga murah. Baju sanding suami pulak beli kain and tempah buat di Masjid Jamek, total RM1500. Kain tempah dari India okay. Murah tak murah.

Baju sanding I and suami

Step 5: Cincin (RM2,000)

Cincin ni kiteorang beli lambat sebab I jenis tak pakai barang kemas so cincin bukan keutamaan. Bajet cincin kami berdua adalah kurang RM1000 seorang. Tapi jangan harap dapat cincin cantik kalau bajet kurang daripada tu haha. Cincin I husband yang belikan harga RM1,500. Cincin I beli untuk husband dalam RM400. Total dalam RM2000 so kira ikut bajet la kan.  Hehe.

Cincin nikah

Step 6: Kasut Kawen (RM700)

Kasut nikah I beli jenama Zang Toi yang I beli dekat mall The Gardens, harga dalam RM200. Kasut sanding I beli dekat Christy Ng harga dalam RM200 jugak. Husband I beli kasut offer kat Parkson dalam RM250 - yang ni dia guna untuk nikah and sanding. Alaa nikah kat masjid nanti pun kena bukak. Hehe. So dia tak kisah. Cuma I gedik sikit nak beli jugak.

Step 7: Emcee (RM1000)

Emcee sebenarnya tak perlu pun sebab memang ada dalam pakej venue. I nakkan emcee yang berbahasa Inggeris sebab kebanyakkan family members and kawan I and husband bukan Melayu. Emcee professional ni pun kawan uni kiteorang, so senang nak setel. Dia ni kira macam planner majlis sekali sebab pelan untuk sanding dia yang buat. Senang hidup I.

Step 8: Nikah (RM250)

Nikah murah je uolls. Nikah kiteorg buat dekat Masjid Besi, Putrajaya. Nak tempah tempat nikah kena bayar dalam RM100 je. Bayaran selebihnya adalah bayaran-bayaran nak setel borang dalam RM100 lebih jugak. Total lebih kurang RM250.

I pilih Masjid Besi sebab tak pening fikir pasal cantik ke tak cantik venue nikah dalam gambar. Sah-sah cantik XD

Step 9: Jamuan selepas nikah (RM2,500)

Jamuan lepas nikah ni kiteorg buat tak besar pun, hanya untuk jemputan-jemputan nikah je. Total dalam 40 orang. Memandangkan takde dewan makan kerusi meja dalam masjid, kiteorg tempah restoren kedai Arab dekat dgn masjid, Balqis Restaurant. Kedai ni memang sedap gila, owner pun baik. Cuma owner dia slow sikit reply mesej. Korang boleh bagitau bajet sekepala nanti dia akan adjust makanan berdasarkan bajet korang. Kiteorg letak RM30 sekepala untuk 30 orang mula-mula. Tapi taktau pulak krew photog pun join makan lol. Dengan tambahan ahli keluarga lain yang datang. Total dalam RM2,500 jugak habiskan untuk jamuan tu. Tapi alhamdulillah semua orang suka makanan and kami pun anggap sedekah je. So takpela spend banyak tu.


Step 10: Inai & Mekap (RM380)

Inai ni kalau takde pun takpe. I yang gedik pulak nak inai putih untuk nikah dan inai merah untuk sanding. Orang buat inai ni pun I cari kat IG je. Alhamdulillah okay sangat-sangat. Inai merah I tahan 3 bulan kot. Cantik pun cantik. Inai putih ni lagi mahal daripada inai merah, sebab tu I bayar mahal sikit untuk inai. Tapi ikut korang, lagi simple design inai, lagi murah. Tak perlu pun buat inai putih. Korang paham-paham je la perangai I kan? Okay, mekap pulak sebab I pun reti mekap, I buat mekap sendiri. Barang-barang kosmetik pulak I beli lama dah cuma memang simpan untuk nikah & sanding. So I tak masukkan dalam bajet kawen.

Inai putih untuk nikah

Inai merah untuk sanding

I rasa tu je la kot yang kiteorg belanjakan untuk kawen. Sebenarnya dalam barang-barang yang I mention kat atas tu boleh je nak kurangkan. Dia jadi mahal sebab I yang gedik-gedik nak tambah. Contoh kalau korang ambik pakej venue sekali dengan baju sanding, emcee and photog dah save dah. Baju nikah pun banyak yang dah RTW and murah-murah. Banyak je cara untuk korang kurangkan kos tapi kalau berkemampuan tambah la apa-apa yang korang nak.

Ok tu je la kot. Panjang pulak cerita. Harap-harap membantu.

First Time Underarm Waxing at Strip, Mid Valley

Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I visited this old, dusty blog.

I used to love reading blogs and attempted a few writings here and there but never published them because I got bored halfway. LOL BUT. I am back and determined to post at least one today. So here goes the first one.

Well, as the title goes I'm gonna be talking about my first time underarm waxing. I'm 27 - is it a bit late to jump on the bandwagon? Anyway, I suddenly just the urge to have my underarms waxed lately. I did contemplate waxing ~down south~ but I'm 7 months pregnant currently and thought maybe it would be a bad idea to do it since my skin is more sensitive now, supposedly.

To be safe, I booked an appointment with Strip. Numbers to call/whatsapp as per stated below. I'm always a chicken to talk to people on the phone so I really, really appreciated that they provided a Whatsapp number as an option to book an appointment.

 

Photo courtesy of http://www.strip-my.com/

The person on Whatsapp was quick with her replies as well, another thing I appreciated. All you need to do is to let them know your preferred outlet, treatment, date, time and your name. I booked my appointment for a Saturday at 5pm (I booked a day before the appointment day).

On the day itself, I arrived at their outlet in Mid Valley 5 minutes late (oops!). It was like a maze trying to find this place, let me tell you that. The outlet is small and hidden away at Mid Valley's dodgiest mezzanine floor (I think that's what it's called). To save you some time, just go straight to Daiso (at level 3) enter and climb the stairs to Daiso's second floor, get out of the outlet and you will see Strip on the left side of Daiso.

 

Photo courtesy of http://www.trackpacking.com/v/index/50b9b29de4b05d0a8dcb6d79

Photo above:

Yellow Arrow pointing to the lower floor of Daiso

Red Arrow pointing to the balcony of the mezzanine floor aka dodgy floor

I entered and was greeted by 3 receptionists (I'm guessing they were the pro waxers - is that what you call them? >.<) and was taken to a private room where a bed (?) was waiting for me. Oh ya, before that you need to sign a paper which I think was their Waxing Consent Form or something, I didn't really read it through, though.

In the room I was told to strip down and put on this purple cover over myself and lie down on the bed. The waxer then came in and started preparing the wax for me. It was all pretty straightforward after that and I wasn't really as nervous as I thought I would be. The waxer was really lovely the whole time and we chatted about life LOL. The wax smelled like chocolate (yum!) and felt slightly hot (not unbearable) on my skin. It felt nice.

She waited a few seconds then waxed my underarms off like it was nothing. And to be honest, it was literally harmless! Why have I not done this earlier? The only part that hurt was probably during the "cleaning up" of whatever is left with tweezers but it wasn't so painful. My baby was kicking the whole time though, I think she was just playing in there haha.

The session ended in, like, 20 minutes? I patted myself a bit for being a brave girl when she left the room lol, put on my clothes and went to the counter to pay. The whole thing costs RM38 which is not bad, I guess.

The other girl was suggesting me to have a Brazillian wax since I will be giving birth soon and I thought, is it really necessary?

When I went out of the outlet I started contemplating the Brazillian wax. I mean, it would be nice not to have to shave with a razor in one hand and a mirror in the other (I can't even see my, ehem, ~vuhjayjay~ now. I'm huge!) and it would be courteous of me not to show any form of jungle whatsoever to the nurses and doctors who will be catching this baby down below.  The more I think of it, the more I want to do it. I'll probably regret that decision right before I actually get it done but I think the end result will be worth it.

All in all: 5/5 star ratings from me for Strip and my first time waxing.

 

Check out their website at http://www.strip-my.com/

Share with me your waxing experience, especially Brazillian and especially if you're pregnant!

Master's Life

Yes, as you can tell I am doing Master's now. I know right. I can't believe it myself. Me? Ivana?? Doing Masters?? Like wth. I guess part of me wanted to do it willingly, the other half was because of my dad. He wants me to do it. Like, really want to. So here I am. Stuck in Master's life. It's not just that, I am stuck in the working life too. My life is a mess right now. When my life is a mess, it means I'm all over the place. Here, there and everywhere my brain and thinking goes.

In my lifetime, there were three points in life when I felt like a total mess:

SPM years

First year of degree

NOW

I just can't wait for Master's to finish. Just finish already ugh.