For my husband, our stay felt like a vacation at PCMC. For me, yes it did as well, minus the contractions and the aftermath of giving birth: sheer exhaustion. That's why people say you need all the energy before going into labour.

My view for the 3 nights I was in the hospital

At PCMC, the baby is hardly in the nursery except for the routine morning care/jabs/check-ups/etc. The baby is basically in the room with you throughout your stay in the hospital.

Here's a quick run-through on what to expect next:

1. Breastfeeding

As soon as you're wheeled into your room from the labour room, the nurse will ask you to breastfeed the baby. They will guide you on how to hold the baby and how to breastfeed correctly. Breastfeeding shouldn't hurt or anything, it should be a wonderful experience.

I had hardly handled any newborns before being pregnant myself, but I guess when it comes to your own child, it comes naturally. I was more confident than I thought I would be.

Body milk supply will be low early on (for the first week or so), which is very normal. It's not even milk perse, but what is called colostrum. Once supply turns into actual milk, the baby's stool should be changing in color from green-ish to yellow/golden.

Hubby helping with feeding time at 4am. Hehehe.

2. Post-birth Bleeding

It will be similar to a heavy flow period at first. It will subside within the first month after giving birth. After all, Aunty P did not stop by for 9 months!  

3. Diaper-Changing

Next, you will learn to change your baby's diapers. I was being kinda spoilt because I called the nurse in for that each time. I was very exhausted, I decided to let myself off the hook for the first few days in the hospital.

4. Crying

Your nights will never be the same again.

The nurse will tell you to feed the baby every 4 hours. But some babies ignore this rule, and want to be breastfed on demand which literally means any time.

Since having the baby, I have deleted all my alarms in my mobile as I can now count on the baby for that. Hehehehehe. Sleep deprivation and being zombified are synonym to becoming parents. Now I really understand how it feels!

5. Monitoring

Nurses will be monitoring you round the clock, checking your blood pressure and temperature level.

6. Doctor's Rounds

The gynae will conduct his/her daily check-up on you in your room to ask on your condition as well as the newly-allocated paediatrician to check on the baby. It is also during the first 2 weeks that the baby is monitored for jaundice.

7. Brief session with the physiotherapist

The physiotherapist will teach you how to do simple pelvic exercises (kegel exercises), to be done during the 6 weeks before the first post-natal follow-up with the gynae. This is to prevent what is called, a uterine prolapse.

8. F&B

The food is not all that bad either but there are certain things on the menu your confinement lady will not agree to.

Two different types of medication will be given to be consumed after meals. One, a painkiller for any post-labour pain and two, a liquid medication to soften stool.

Pancakes for breakfast

Steamed fish with rice for lunch

9. First check-up with the paediatrician

About a week after delivery, the baby's first check-up with the paediatrician will be scheduled. This will be a quick consultation session, before the next check-up in 6 weeks time.

Quick tip (for those delivering at private hospitals): I've heard that if you open a pregnancy book (buku merah) at a government clinic (klinik kesihatan's and the likes), there will be a designated nurse who will come by your house after your due date, regardless whether you went for follow-ups or not. This will be very helpful as the nurse can assist with handling and caring for the baby, as well as checking the little one for jaundice.

Probably the one and only time I am able to get out during confinement period!

10. Confinement

For Malays, the 44-day house arrest begins. Okay, not house arrest but a duration with many, many restrictions. Having not gone through this before, confinement was a whole new realm for me.

It's all in the name of healing, so don't deny yourself that right. :-)

(i) Restricted dietary plan - Food intake must be monitored and restricted to certain foods, to help with the recovery process, mostly internally.

(ii) Physical movement must be reduced - This is very important as too much abrupt movement or heavy lifting could cause bleeding which will see your re-admission to the hospital.

(iii) In-house confinement care - Depending on your preference, you can choose to be in the care of a confinement lady for any length of time or even acquire for one to stay in with you.

She will literally bring the spa to your doorstep; I absolutely love it. Here's her typical routine:

For the baby
1. Bathing
2. Bertungku and light application of ointment (minyak urut) - A super mini and super cute tungku is used. One of the functions of this practice is to prevent baby flatulence.

For the mother
1. Sauna - To sweat out the toxins in your body.
2. Tangas
3. Herbal Bath
4. Massage Therapy (berurut) - Provides absolute relief to the body / Body Scrub (lulur) - Leaves your skin baby-smooth!
5. Bertungku - To 'position' your uterus back into place.
6. Application of a homemade herbal paste called param, pilis and tapel on the body, forehead and stomach respectively. The function of the tapel is to get your stomach into its original look and color. (The area tends to get blackish after being stretched during pregnancy.)
7. Wearing of the bengkung (traditional waistband) - To help you get back in shape, especially in the abdominal area.
8. Jamu - Confinement's version of a healthy juice to boost energy and help recover. Not my cup of tea, but they say it's good for you!

After each session, you just wanna sing and I paraphrase, "What a feeling!!!".

As I'm writing this, it's been a little over a week since the delivery of my baby girl. While it's still fresh in my memory, I thought I should get this penned down now...

...at least the crux of what I remember on what went down.

But let's rewind a little.

❤️ Prenatal Check-ups 

I had chosen to be with Dr. Seri Suniza, a very reputable gynae at Prince Court Medical Centre (PCMC) who's highly sought after. It took a while for me to see her for the first appointment after making a booking, but the wait was worth it. She is simply amazing. She's a super friendly doctor who not only acts as your gynae but makes it a point to get to know you and your spouse. Apart from having the needed medical skills and knowledge, Dr. Seri puts your mind in a positive place, is always reassuring and gets you pumped up for THE day. She will quickly fend off any baseless notions of pregnancy and childbirth out there to be replaced with legitimate medical advice. I looked forward to each consultation with her and Alhamdulillah, my pregnancy was smooth sailing and uneventful.

❤️ Prenatal Class 

PCMC conducts prenatal classes for couples once every two months. Being first-time parents, I insisted that hubby and I attend. Running from morning til afternoon, the itinerary involved talks on topics like diet, labour, pain management and baby care. The talks were brief (about an hour each), but served as a good eye-opener, especially for those in it for the first time.

Learning the proper exercises for pregnant women and breathing techniques for labour

❤️ Labour Prep Session  

Nearing your due date, you may also have a private session for labour prep. Again, being first-time parents, this was a must! We were introduced to Neng, a physiotherapist at PCMC's Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Department.

The session, which lasted for two hours, started in the labour room -- an unoccupied one of course. I was at my 38th week when we had the session, a stage where I could have already gone into labour! Hubby and I had already seen one of the labour rooms, upon request during our last check-up. You know, to get the 'feel'. The labour room looks just like any other room in the maternity ward, with a television, bathroom, sofa bed, etc. but added with the necessary medical equipment for labour and for the baby.

Neng explained what labour is and touched a little on hypnobirthing which involves the psychological 'warfare' of the mother. I've termed it 'warfare' because, if you look it up, it means the employment of a weapon to influence the mind of the enemy.

Got some cool jargons there.

In this context, the enemy is the fear of going into labour and the weapon is the mother's state of mind. The state of mind can affect the outcome of labour and childbirth. Personally, I really do think hypnobirthing can help ease and in some way reduce labour pain. Pain is inevitable, but there's a way to handle it.

Not the labour room, but where the session continued at.

She told us what the labour process would entail and the different types of pain relief available. With all the ongoing debate about the pros and cons of the epidural, Neng emphasised that instead of pre-opting to avoid it at all costs because of its presumed side effects, the mother should first take into account the welfare of the baby. Yes, mothers who do not take epidural are given the salute, but if the administration of epidural would help the mother bring the baby safely into this world, what more is there to consider?

My birth plan consisted of my openness of taking the epidural, if necessary. I could not say for sure at the time, since I had no clue as to how labour pain would feel like.

She also taught us pre-labour exercises and the correct breathing techniques for labour. Hubby was tested for this, because he would have to help me apply the correct breathing technique during the different stages of labour.

The session was absolutely helpful, giving the hubby and I a clearer picture of what was to happen. Thank you, Neng!

❤️ The Night of 17 February

I experienced one of the signs of labour - slight bleeding. It was like the start of Aunty P's monthly cycle.

It's not a definitive sign of labour as compared to having your water break or having regular, consistent contractions. I was already feeling contractions prior, but in an irregular pattern, which is normal hence no need for alarm. While water breaking indicates that labour is imminent within a certain amount of hours, bleeding or having bloody show indicate that the cervix is preparing itself for the birth of the baby but labour does not necessarily happen immediately after that. It could take days even.

I remember our physiotherapist telling us that if my water breaks, there is no need to rush but it was definitely time to make a trip to the hospital. Once it breaks, going back to sleep is a no-no, at least until you are in the care of the hospital.

As it was during the night, I had already showered and was ready to go. Took my time to do some last-minute things (even though I was so nervous), in the event that I had to be admitted that night. At this time, I was not feeling a regular pattern of contractions but the surges were getting stronger.

Bleeding at 39 weeks, I became a 'fast lane' or priority patient upon arriving at the Emergency Department. I was wheeled into the labour room not long after for the nurses to strap me to the CTG machine. The machine monitors the baby's heartbeat as well as the mother's pattern and level of contractions. Each time I experienced a contraction, the numbers went up.

So how does contractions feel like?

That was a big question mark throughout my pregnancy, until I felt it myself. People have described it as amplified period cramps, which is true. I would also illustrate it as heightened diarrhea but coupled with a strong compression of the muscles in the stomach area. For me, my stomach literally lifted itself up during a strong contraction, or at least it seemed that way. If you're reading this, don't be terrified! It's nothing you can't bear. Your body was designed for this. It's a natural process.

*Cue hynobirthing thoughts!*

Upon checking the readings of the CTG machine, the nurse could see that the baby's heartbeat was fine and that my contractions were regular! So next, she had to conduct a vaginal examination (VE) or internal pelvic exam to check whether there's any dilation.

"Okay, takde laluan lagi," the nurse said.
"Boleh balik rumah, tapi kalau ada sakit-sakit lagi, datang je terus ke hospital."

There was no dilation yet which meant I was not in labour! Back home we went.

❤️ That Night Still...

We reached home at about 1:00am.

My contractions became stronger and more regular. I thought it would only last through the night and subside in the morning as how it did at times before.

But it kept going.
I could not sleep through the whole night.

❤️ The Next Day

❤️ It's Showtime! 

One of the popular occasions during pregnancy (whilst nearing the due date) is to hold a baby shower. It's not a must-do but it sure is fun when you have a strong driving force in party planning. ;-)

I had mine last month. It was nothing too elaborate but more of a 'food fest' for friends, courtesy of the husband too.

Although just an eating spree, party decorations was in order! Most of the materials were bought from Spotlight (an AMAZING and ALLURING household store) and of course, Balloon Buzz. Others were bought from a souvenir shop in the vicinity of my place of stay.

:: Finding a Suitable Venue ::

This would of course, depend on your budget and number of guests. Mine was an intimate do and a cafe called Toran Coffee in Shah Alam (IG @torancoffee) was selected because of its exquisite food!

Toran Coffee, Seksyen 13 Shah Alam

:: Coming Up with a Theme ::

Like planning for any other event, the theme must be identified before going berserk over party shopping. For this baby shower, the theme was pink and princess.

Materials purchased:

Disposable plastic tablecover from Balloon Buzz

Helium-packed balloons from Balloon Buzz. Five were adequate, placed in the corner.

Jazzy tableware for eating desserts

Reusable cardboard cake stand from Spotlight (RM20.00)

Cheap party bags from the local souvenir shop (RM0.60/piece)

Clear plastic gift packs to be filled with an edible treat, so that guests don't leave empty-handed!

An illustration done on the night before, to get a preview of how the table setting will look like. Printed napkin and DIY coaster made from felt material bought from Spotlight. Table mat is made from wrapping paper. Notice how NOT EVERYTHING is just glaring pink or printed polka dots? Get the right combination of designs to achieve a pleasant look.

The best-tasting salmon by far (seriously), coupled with awesome gravy from Toran Coffee

Cringe cringe cringe! They are so adorably made! (Red velvet flavour inside)

So we've got a bottle of milk, a teddy bear, a crying baby, a happy baby...

They also make sugar cookies according to your theme! They look too precious to get a bite out of them!

Cupcake and sugar cookies for everyone!

Impressive work from Jem Cakes and Cookies

How the cupcakes look on the cake stand. Prettyyyy!!

Devilish chocolate is the flavour inside. Tastes sinful as it sounds! Hehe.

A close-up look

Yes, a Princess is on her way...!

Just love the bassinet stroller as the 'icing' on top! Meticulously made.

Fruits in cones! However, even though we used these McD-like ice cream cones which are round based, stability was still an issue. I recommend getting some sort of stand that could give better support to these fruity treats.