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Update (sort-of!)

November 2, 2009 at 12:41 pm | In pregnancy | 2 Comments

i’m really getting bad at this. i’m blaming it on micro-blogging. it is easier to blog in 140 characters or less, especially if you feel you don’t really have much to say.

hmm. i’ve taken my leave and now the real countdown begins! the past few weeks, i have not been able to sleep well! i suppose its just a way of the body trying to get use of the impending sleepless nights. my nausea has also made a comeback along with occasional but manageable gastric pains. it is now harder to keep my food down, luckily it was not as bad during raya!

now that its november, when family and friends ask when I am due, the answer is next month! and if it was like AH, it might even be this month! oh let it be next month, i still have a lot of things to do- work wise and preparing for the new arrival! obviously baby and mummy bags are not prepared. i have not even quite decided where to give birth!! we bought a new furniture or two to accommodate no.2’s things but i have yet to unpack AH’s newborn clothes, breastpump and whatnots.

oh, did i mention i’m also having sleepless nights thinking about labour? yups. that’s one of the reason of the sleepless nights.

when i’m being asked if there are any differences between no. 1 and no. 2 pregnancies, i think there are. for instance, my nausea is much longer and ‘hard-core’ this time round. well, actually that is the one big difference that i can think of. few people have commented that i look better this time round (THANKS GUYS ;p This could only mean that I look horrible the first time round but no one said to my face :p) and I seem to carry my tummy well. In one of my bosses words, ‘masa ko betian dulu, banar2 usul mu macam nda terkabir’. Or one of my friend’s, ‘larab sama lusuh usul mu’. Gee, thankssss :p

i was always told that each pregnancy will always be different for everyone, so i’m no different. the same goes for labour, which is the exact reason why i stay up at night worrying! please pray for a fast and safe delivery for me!

definitely an all over the place post. pretty much sums up what is going through my head, especially on the pregnant and preparation for the arrival of no.2 fronts. i will save an update on AH for another post. here’s hoping for a good week for everyone! xx

End of Ramadhan

September 19, 2009 at 8:40 pm | In baby AH, pregnancy | Leave a Comment

The moon has not been sighted so Hari Raya in Brunei will fall on Monday, 21st September 2009.

A little part of me was hoping that the moon would be sighted. The past couple of days have been hard on me. My gastric paid a little visit and so did more headaches but knowing me, I refused to break my fast and tried to sleep it off. Evenings are sometime spent throwing up whatever I had for sungkai. So tonight, I am telling myself it’s just another day. Plus its a Sunday, so I can hopefully rest it off. I have no plans to join do anymore shopping but who knows :p

Besides looking forward to raya, I am actually looking forward towards my long leave more. Have planned a trip or two (haha) and since it has been awhile since I was last on the plane (May! No thanks to H1N1 and my boss refusing to send me anywhere due to me being preggers), I am definitely looking forward to eat and shop elsewhere. Yaayness! Am going to try to make full use of it since I will not be having any more leave until ML. Of course, I am also hoping I don’t get called back from leave (no chance of that though. asal saja kana ganti cuti ku. har har har.)

Hmm. On AH’s front, he is picking up more words but is also speaking German or Chinese, as we like to call it. His favourite word is still NDA. We have seem to noticed that he doesn’t like to be corrected or taught words and he would just speak whatever he wants (understandable or otherwise) when he feels like it. Apparently, my youngest brother was like this when he was a toddler too! It is funny though when he starts saying random words though ‘cos being a mummy, not only I would be feeling proud but sometimes wonder what other words he knows but refusing to say it infront of us!

Of course he is still as cheeky as ever, never failing to make us laugh with his cheeky smiles. He also likes to do housework! He will insist on helping even when we told him not to. He has mastered the art of switching on the dvd player, putting on the dvd and playing it! The only thing he has not mastered is switching the tv to AV mode. haha. Biartia dulu, we still want to have control over the tv :p

On the pregnancy front, we are still not so sure of the gender since we have been getting contradicting results/ predictions. Look like I am going to stick to buying neutral colours for now until we’re absolutely sure. Can’t really abuse the Brunei Grand Sale then. My GTT is on Thursday and I don’t know if that is a good idea or not. Haha. Just have to remind myself not to go overboard with raya goodies until after the test. Hoho.

I guess this is a lengthy post besides being all over the place. Will try to do a proper raya post soon. I have to clear my memory card and make sure camera batteries are full too. Oh, I’m also disappointed that my shipping has not yet arrived. It is in Singapore now, which means it would arrive in Brunei tomorrow but there will be no customs clearance till Wednesday. Booooooo.

Enjoy the last day of 1430 Ramadhan, dolls! If I don’t get to do a raya post in the next couple of days, I would like to wish Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir & Batin, especially if any of my writings have offended you before.

Till we meet again Ramadhan, insya Allah!

Natural Factor’s Fenugreek is Halal

August 25, 2009 at 1:50 pm | In breastfeeding | 2 Comments

In reference to this post, I popped by the shop today just to see if there have any other brands of fenugreek supplements.

With the arrival of number 2 soon, insya Allah, I have been thinking of ways to get my supply of fenugreek supplements. I thought of getting them online but prices seem to be steep, considering I took constant supply of it before. Besides that, there’s the issue of having it cleared by the Customs/ MoH, especially if I was going to buy ‘em in bulk. Also, we’re planning a family trip soon, so I thought maybe I can stock ‘em up and bring at least 6 months supply home. But again, it may need to be cleared by Customs/ MoH as well.

Anyways, I asked the lady at the Mall if they the capsule is made of vegetable gelatine or bovine or procine (we knew what the answer was but i was just testing :p). She told me it was made of bovine gelatine. Asked if they had alternative fenugreek supplements, which are Halal. That’s when she told me that Natural Factor’s Fenugreek is actually Halal! Not convinced, I told her that I was told previously that the capsules are made of bovine gelatine.This was when she explained that they actually have certificates saying that the capsules used are Halal and Kosher certified! Told her to show the certificates to me and it’s true, ladies. The capsules may be made of bovine gelatine but its Halal.

They received the memo on April 22, 2009 (I called then on April 7, 2009). The Halal certificate was dated 1st Jan 2009 (expiring Dec 2010) and so was the Kosher certificate. I presume that they are renewed each year (or 2 years). I’m guessing that either they were really waiting for the manufacturer to work on the certificate when I called in April or they only started working on it then. Regardless, I am now happy that it is Halal, which means I don’t have to rack my brain on how to get my supply once No. 2 arrives, insya Allah.

Besides that, if you’re breastfeeding during this Ramadhan and is worried about depleting supply, give fenugreek supplements a try, if you haven’t already.

Oh, btw, the Halal certificate is for the capsules, which we were concerned about. The content is obviously fenugreek. Hehe.

Marhaban Ya Ramadhan

August 23, 2009 at 10:44 am | In breastfeeding | 3 Comments

Alhamdullilah, I managed to get through the first day of puasa. I felt a tad bit dehydrated but it was nothing a nap or two could not cure. I have also set 2 other daily goals besides getting through puasa and so far, Alhamdullilah, I am on track.

I was initially hoping for a full puasa again but I have to go to the clinic next week and was told not to fast. Oh well. I just hope its only for a day.

Past couple of days, I have been asked on how I managed to fast and breastfeed at the same time last year. One obvious answer is too make sure you have plenty to eat and drink. I made sure I had rice for sungkai and sahur, plus I had at least 3 kurma for each meal too. I have to admit my supply did deteriorate, especially towards the end of Ramadhan but you just have to make sure you try your hardest to maintain supply.

Supplements also helped. I took Natural Factor’s fenugreek before I knew it was made of gelatine and that helped too. You can find alternatives in the form of different permissible brands or protein shakes or Anmum Lacta or its like. Another way to ensure your supply does not deteriorate by much is t continue to pump. Probably the best times to do this is early in the morning after sahur and when you come back from work. Unless of course, you have to work till late, maybe express once during midday can help, insyaAllah.

Other than that, one has to be positive. Regardless of whether you’re fasting or not, if you keep on thinking I will never have enough, you will NOT have enough. If you’re positive, your brain will send signals to the Bs to produce enough. If you’re not, then your Bs may not just produce enough. Of course, do not forget to pray that you are given strength, patience and ability to continue to bf your baby albeit it being Ramadhan.

Oh, there is of course the exit clause of which you can break your fast if you do not feel well when bfing your baby. Asal saja bayar balik

I hope this helps you one way or another.

At that juncture, wishing all my Muslim family, friends and reader a happy and blessed Ramadhan. Maaf Zahir & Batin

Again.

August 3, 2009 at 4:34 pm | In pregnancy | Leave a Comment

Nauseous. Headaches. Throwing Up.

Yes, still. Or more like, again.

July already!

July 10, 2009 at 11:52 am | In AH's mummy, baby AH, pregnancy | 1 Comment

It definitely has been awhile since I last blogged, let alone a proper post. So many things have happened in the past couple of weeks!

If it has not been obvious (haha!), I am now 18 weeks preggers and is still nursing morning sickness, or more like all day sickness. It has been quite bad that I have been prescribed nauseous and gastric pills, or as I like to call it- my happy pills. There are of course times, when even taking those pills make no difference. My nurse told me that it should’ve subsided when I turned 15 weeks like it did when I was pregnant with AH but now, at 18 weeks, I still feel nauseous and throws up at least twice a day.

Whilst my nurse reminded me through my medical notes that I, too, had morning sickness with AH, I did not have to be admitted to the hospital and neither was I on happy pills. I have also gone on medical leave more now (at 4 months), than I did when I was with preggers with AH for the whole 9 months. Oh, have I mentioned that I am still off chocolates and beef? Yes, still. Although not as bad with chocolates anymore but for beef, even the sight of it is enough to make me feel nauseous. Trips to McDs are spent eating chicken or Filet O Fish. How sad is that? No Double Cheeseburgers for me yet

Also, recently, a colleague was tested +ve for H1N1. I was sent to the screening centre as I had spent most of the day before with her and my condition meant that I did not have to wait for a temperature before going to the clinic. We had a meeting till almost 9pm and I sent her home too. Alhamdullilah, I was tested -ve a day after I tested but workwise, our whole unit was shut down as some had to be quarantined. I was worried sick prior to knowing the results as I was worried of infecting my son, IF I was tested +ve.

There have been many discussions, online and IRL, on how we should treat this virus. Many are worried but many, too, are nonchalant. Many said that it is just like a normal flu but as it has been told, it might be deadly to those with underlying chronic illnesses. This is where I put my foot down to those who seem to think that it is just a mild and we should not be worried about it. Say if you have it mild, you might infect someone who has an underlying illness. It might not kill you but it might kill others. So stop being selfish! Be responsible. My colleague hates going to the clinic or the hospital but when she had the flu, she thought she should just go to the clinic, especially since she is sitting next to a pregnant woman.

Besides that, I am still unsure where we as a country is heading on treating the virus. How long are going to try to contain this virus? Or are we going to mitigate it? I think last year we were still filling in forms and had our temp scanned at the airport, right? How long after the bird flu hoo-haa was this? (Do correct me if I am wrong though.) I wonder when will we be able to travel safely (relatively) again.

Enough of that. Hehe.

On AH front, he has been testing my patience a lot lately. He has been very manja and cries when things don’t go his way. Due to the virus, we have not been taking AH out a lot and I think this has ’stresses’ him out. Haha. He is such a social boy and he has probably been craving for activities. When we took him to my Nini’s doa selamat couple of nights ago, he chased his kakas around the house trying to play with them. He was also enjoying the attention he received from my cousins. Besides not being able to go out, my mum thinks he is just being manja because he knows he will have an adek soon. I like to think he is just a mini-me. Manja, whiny and a crybaby. LOL. Definitely takes well after me. Hahahaha.

I think this is a lenghty post already and should make up for my lack os posts lately. Haha. I need to rest now as one of my girlfriends is getting married this afternoon! Weeeeeeeeee! I know we will be in tears, like we always will.

Already?

June 20, 2009 at 5:22 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

I swear I have been feeling it lately.

But, already? Is it not too early? Or am I just imagining?

Protected: Part 2

June 8, 2009 at 9:31 pm | In Uncategorized | Enter your password to view comments

Eeeks!

June 2, 2009 at 8:59 pm | In Uncategorized | 1 Comment

2 weeks since I last posted?

The long weekend is now well behind us and I had a great time spending most of it with the girls! I just hope we got away with a lot of things. Har har har. Now comes the real thing- the actual weddings! We are marrying off 3 of our girlfriends in the next 3 months. Have to remind myself to keep my weight in check so I don’t look like a bloated whale in the photos! Heeee.

I don’t have much to report except that, Alhamdullilah, I have completely wean AH of my Bs. There are times when he would ask for ’em but it would be a quick 2 seconds before he realised that he is not getting anything out of ‘em. My poor baby! I wished I had all the time in the world to get him off the bottle too but I guess that’s a luxury I cannot afford at the moment. Owell. I guess this is also why I have not been blogging much. I don’t really know how to share FM experiences :S

Note to self: Mesti find other ideas to blog about.

And oh, congratulations to plenty of my blogging and non-blogging friends, who seem to be getting pregnant by the minute. It is definitely a fertile year as someone has said. Hee-hee.

I am going to head off to bed soon (It’s only 9pm and I have only arrived home from work at 730pm!!). Physically and mentally exhausted!! If only I could have the reflexology the girls had yesterday instead of the mani/ pedi. Hee-hee.

Avent BPA-free Bottles in Brunei!

May 15, 2009 at 11:45 am | In baby products, feeding | 3 Comments

If you have been looking for bpa-free Avent bottles, you can now get them in Brunei!

I have been googling them and looking for ways to order it from the States but there are limited websites selling them and some are out of stock. Tried to look for them in KL and Brisbane too but tak ada.

Saw the 9oz and 4oz ones at Hua Ho TB last night, going at about 48.90 and 41.90 for a box of 2 each. Quite pricy, i think, but at least you do not have to change your bottles every 3 – 6 months in fear of breaking the plastic! Hehe.

I’m pretty much sure that all the shops where you have been getting your Avent supplies will sell the bottles ‘cos if I’m not mistaken, the Jln Tutong shop supplies all the Avent in Brunei except for Mothercare (which get their supplies direct from the UK, I was told).

Good luck!