Journey into Parenthood Again

Part 1 
Yes again. The first journey was 8 years ago. And here I am, back to diaper duty. Finding some time to blog while watching Mandalorian.

Now our New Born (NB) is 4 months 2 weeks old. Obviously, many questions come about if you are an attentive reader:

1. 8 years is a decently long gap.

2. Why wait? Why 8 years.?

Many reasons, but in hindsight, having an elder brother who was just turning 8 when Baby K was born has its benefits. He is at an age where he can understand and appreciate having a baby sibling (though he initially was hoping for a baby brother who would be interested in superheroes). He has been and is super caring for his little sister after getting over that. And I think probably the lil sister will follow suit in his interest in superheroes.

8 years has also given us a time gap to re-look at things, be more open and an opportunity to be more informed on ‘babying’. Even hospitals have changed for the better, they are more pro mummy and baby, take more effort to encourage breast-feeding and rooming in. Yes, as short as 8 years ago, these things were rather un-common in many a private hospital, for example the policy to encourage rooming in with mummy was un-heard of (at least for me).

This time around we wanted to ensure that we were be better informed and and better understood birthing. See before this, the books we read were on how to care for the NB, not much on how to prepare for the birthing. Yes, most books cover what to do once the baby is discharged from the hospital, yet lack the much-needed info on preparing ourselves for birthing, what to do in the birthing ward, how to prepare for the delivery and what to do immediately after the delivery.

Antenatal classes do cover some aspects but are generally more to preparing for the post-natal, for example on breast feeding, which don’t get me wrong is equally important. But have you ever wondered how best to prepare yourself for one of the most eventful and memorable (and probably challenging) occasions in your life – yes, your child’s birth itself. To many of us, it has been regimented into us that basically child birth is:

1. Confirming the pregnancy via a home test kit
2. Going to the hospital where the doctor will either provide another test kit or directly do an ultrasound
3. Some additional steps that are useful and important in their own manner
   1. Register with your nearest Klinik Kesihatan to get a very comprehensive pre-natal care
   1. Get the little one in mummy’s tummy and mum insured for any pregnancy complications, congenital diseases or post-delivery complications. Click here for any queries
4. Getting to the hospital in time by recognizing the signs - membrane release [rupture of the amniotic sac (the water breaks)] or having surges
5. Differentiating Braxton hicks and real surges
6. Having your Birthing bag ready
7. Rushing to the hospital.
8. Handing over the process to the hospital, doctor and nurses.
9. If you are the adventurous hubby then you’ll be in the Birthing ward, and likely stay there and not pass out.
10. Likely decide or be encouraged to consider epidural or some sort of pain killer and then as can’t feel the surges (contraction), maybe consider to take oxytocin. Though less likely if you’re giving birth in a Government Hospital.
11. Be encouraged to consider Caesarean maybe.
12. Hopefully InsyaAllah all goes well. Baby is born, cord is clamped immediately (maybe doc takes stem cell if you opt for Stem Cell Storage)
13. Let you briefly look and hold the baby, perform any religious prayer (e.g. Azan)
14. They then quickly take baby away, then mummy and daddy wait anxiously.
15. After what seems for an eternity, bring baby back, nicely wrapped and cleaned.
16. Mummy breast feeds baby.
17. Take baby out and put in nursery.
18. Repeat 14-17 and maybe transfer to normal ward.

So is there a different way or approach to this? Yes, I have learnt and experienced a better way for our journey into parenthood, a gentler way if I may, which is Part 2.