Khaleef’s Ear Operation : Alhamdulillah Done

no, not an accident, terrible illness or anything too serious, alhamduilllah. just a small problem he’s been having since he was little.

khaleef has always had a problem with his left ear. there’s a perforation (a small hole) in his left eardrum which slightly affects his hearing, and affects his freedom to swim without earplugs or soak in the bathtub. whenever he has a cold and runny nose, there would be discharge coming out of his ear.

as he reached 8 years old (old enough to endure the op), his doc suggested this operation to fix his eardrum.

 

* * *

 

BEFORE

operation was done at medcare hospital. right before being wheeled into the operation theater. khaleef already in deep sleep. the operation took about 2 hours, under the abled hands of egyptian ear doctor dr. naggar who is super awesome.

 

* * *

 

AFTER

‘looks bad with the bandage but actually it’s just an incision behind his left ear to cover a hole in his eardrum. alhamdulillah, surgery went well, khaleef is recovering well and has awesome appetite and sense of humor. first words after he woke up from anaesthesia : “where am i? did I magically appear here?” may Allah continue to protect you my boy!’ – at medcare hospital.

 

with the awesome egyption ear doctor – dr naggar.

 

I’m so glad that we found dr. naggar to take care of khaleef’s ear. he’s great with kids, and I love his calm demeanor and the soft tone in his voice as he speaks. he explains things very clearly. and very comforting too. a doctor should always be comforting! ye lah, nak bercakap dengan orang sakit dan ahli keluarga yang kerisauan kan, mesti lah pandai menenangkan org.

khaleef looks sad over here but really, he’s in high spirit, he’s excited that his ear is fixed, and he’s actually enjoying his stay at the hospital!

 

here’s khaleef enjoying the ‘hospital food’ that looks like a superb dish from an arab or pakistan restaurant! it’s very delicious, really; I could write a whole review on it! haha. black pepper lamb with steamed broccoli, hot veggie soup and fresh steamed rice. with a side dessert of caramel pudding. amik kau! alhamdulillah khaleef has good appetite despite his ear being opened up just few hours earlier!

 

second day – bandage off. ear looks fine. as it’s supposed to be. he said he’s frankenstein because you can see the black stitching clearly at the back of his ear. at the time of writing, his stitch wound is completely gone – as if he didn’t have any operation at all. good job, dr. naggar! a real artwork! haha.

 

* * *

 

khaleef in good spirits before leaving the hospital room. we had a pleasant stay – the medcare hospital staff were all nice and helpful, and the room is so comfy.

 

all the single rooms were full, but alhamdulillah we got this single room at the waiting area with a sliding door – no in-room bathroom but we still got the room all to ourselves, and that’s good enough.

 

mak sleeps here. medcare hospital staff provided fluffy pillows and blankets. comfy enough for mak!

 

our *awesome* view. ooOoo. haha. the medcare hospital is only 2 storeys high, so this is as good as it gets ok. gile best orang yang stay belakang hospital. senang je kalau apa-apa hal.

 

* * *

 

at the time of writing, we had already gone to see dr. naggar for a follow-up, and he said that khaleef’s ear recovered as expected. the stitch healed well. through the microscope he could see NO MORE perforation, and khaleef is expected to be up and about and down and under in the water with no problem; for at least another 3 weeks just to be sure.

alhamdulillah!

Kazim Fell Down : Broke 3 Teeth! The Best Care @ Ipoh Specialist Hosp

before you freak out, this is an old story. happened last ramadhan in ipoh. he’s absolutely fine now. but this story needed to be told so that years from now, teenage kazim can look back on his younger days and say, “man, it was wild! did that really happened to me?” alhamdulillah, it was nothing more serious than that, and today his lips show no sign of ever being stitched up!

 

kazim at the emergency ward at ipoh specialist hospital, waiting for dato’ dr r. gunasegaran. it was nearly midnight

 

it happened last ramadhan in ipoh, kat rumah abah. the chronology of events :

1. that night kazim fell down the stairs, blood all over his lips as he has broken 3 teeth
2. I discovered a white thingy on his lower lip – a freakin TOOTH is embedded INSIDE his lower lip! (I cannot imagine the pain for my little kazim)
3. quickly called my eldest sis yong, crying, asking her to help drive us to to ipoh specialist hospital
4. yong waited for us, as we waited for the doctor (who will stitch up kazim’s lips) to come
5. dato’ dr gunasegaran came and checked. took out the embedded tooth, and said kazim needs to stay the night – tomorrow they will do the stitching
6. yong drove back to abah’s house, took my phone charger, extra clothes and anything I needed and came back (THANKS SO MUCH YONG!!! for everything!)
7. my elder nephews haiqal and haqeem slept at atok’s house to temankan khaleef and kahfi
8. didn’t sleep a wink – spent the WHOLE night whatsapp-ing with mr khairul who is still in dubai at the time (THANKS FOR YOUR COMFORT HONEY!). but alhamdulillah, so relieved to watch kazim able to sleep so soundly

 

I love the setting for the pediatric ward at ipoh specialist hospital. so cute and welcoming for kids not feeling well. you’ll see later pictures of the whole children’s ward – simply adorable!

 

 

kazim is, officially – one tough cookie.

he did not cry AT ALL at the hospital despite waiting while there’s a TOOTH embedded in his lower lip! he only cried when dato’ dr gunasegaran took the tooth out from his lip. after that, it was all fine and he was back to normal eventhough there’s a BIG cut on his lip after the tooth is taken out. tak sakit ke si kazim ni!

once he’s tucked in, I let him watch bugs bunny and he easily slept after a few minutes. senang je. my baby kazim was really tough!

 

that’s where I sat the whole night. like I wrote – I didn’t sleep; couldn’t sleep. I spent the whole night whatsapp-ing with mr. khairul who was still in dubai at the time. I just need the comfort. I only slept an hour after subuh prayer. the stitching would be at 8am the next morning. it got really cold in the middle of the night – thank goodness for blankets!

 

since I didn’t plan to stay the night, and it was really kelam-kabut, I didn’t think of bringing any food for sahur. the very nice nurse at the children’s ward gave me a cup of milo and this packet of butter crackers for sahur. alhamdulillah.

 

the next morning at 8pm kazim was wheeled to the operation theater.

 

dato’ dr gunasegaran explained to me beforehand – anesthetic would be applied, and then the stitching will be done by him.

it was an overwhelming nervousness and fear for my little one seeing him in the little hospital gown, helplessly limp in that baby cot. berdoa so that Allah protect kazim.

again, my tough and cool little kazim simply lie quietly while waiting for the surgeon. you can see the swollen lips. my heart sank seeing him like this, but he was the one who helped me relax since he didn’t show fear, or merengek-rengek. HE was the one so relaxed. so proud of him!

 

my little cool kazim

 

to me this was the worst ‘accident’ that has ever happened to any of my boys; but at the back of my mind I can’t help thinking, while saying countless alhamdulillah – this was actually just a small cut on the lips – imagine all those mothers accompanying their children because of broken legs, accidents that made them loose their eye-sight, or melecur burn, or terminal illness like cancer. may Allah grant strength and patience to all these courageous mothers. 

I can only say alhamdulillah again and again, because kazim only lost 3 teeth!

 

alhamdulillah stitching done smoothly. kazim got some adorable transparent balloons from the awesome staff at the operation theater

 

ipoh specialist hospital is the best. I thought that the staff at the children’s ward were extra nice because it’s a ward for children and they need to be a cheerful place for their little patients.

however, when I went to the operation theater, the staff over there were also cheerful and friendly eventhough it’s very early in the morning, and it’s a serious place where surgery takes place. such a commendable group of staff. and such a positive atmosphere surrounding the patients.

every hospital staff should emulate this kind of attitude! patients coming to seek treatment are already in pain physically and emotionally, and it’s this kind of positive attitude and warm reception that make the difference – big or small.

 

* * *

 

here are some of the pictures I took of the children’s ward at ipoh specialist hospital. so cute and welcoming!

 

the staff information counter is in the form of a fort of a castle. lovely!

 

an aquarium with of course, nemo

 

fantastic colorful mural on the wall

 

LOVE the ceiling – trees on walls that ‘grow’ high up to the ceiling

 

a section for boys, or girls who likes autobots and voltron!

 

the place they keep the fire extinguisher was elaborated into THIS!

 

* * *

 

 

this was taken a few days after the stitch-up. you can see that the lower lip was still swollen, and hints of dried blood too. kazim was supposed to eat nothing but porridge or nestum – something soft and mushy but my tough little kazim demanded koko krunch. he gobbled them up carefully but surely, avoiding the stitch, and he was as brave as he can be.

at the time of writing, you can’t even see any sign of stitches. the broken teeth are still there – the dentist told me that the remaining teeth in the upper gum would fall off naturally in due time.

thank you dato’ dr gunasegaran for your kindness and expertise. thank you to my eldest sis yong and abah for all your help throughout this ordeal. thank you to tok li and wan cik for visiting your grandnephew at the hospital. thank you mr khairul for being there with me in spirit and in whatsapp. hihi. thank you ALL!

alhamdulillah!

Khaleef Fever : Admitted at ‘Short-Stay Unit’

it started with a phone call from the school doc. khaleef vomited in the library. temperature - 39. lembik, monyok, groggy. i was shocked. this morning before school he was perfectly fine.

when i asked, khaleef told me he felt dizzy during storytelling at the library. he tried many times to lie down on the carpet during the session. when it’s over, they stood up ready to make paper crocs and that’s when he vomited. my poor baby boy!

mr. khairul picked him up from school, and we brought him to medcare hospital. doc said he needs drip. so he was admitted to the 'short stay unit'.

 

 

my brave boy! he didn't cry or complain at all when the nurse poked the needle into his tiny hand. he just squinted, tahan sakit and said, "i just breathe in and stay calm." it also helped that the nurses were so good with kids. they eased him, and talked him through the process.

and it’s so nice that they have those adorable patches with bears on them! cute!

 

 

drip, drip, drip.

we didn't expect him to be admitted for half a day, so i regret not bringing a book or something for khaleef, and for me too! usually i have a dr seuss pocket book stashed in my bag! so geram. but the silver lining is we just talked and talked and talked which was just so lovely…

i’m home with them all the time, but the TIME is usually spent on homeworks, reading, and NAGGING! sure we talk; a few minutes here, a few minutes there – but there i was, realizing that it’s been so long since i sit for hours with just my khaleef, doing nothing but talk – from the meaningful to the downright nonsensical stuff!

 

 

a couple more hours through and from the way he was constantly talking, it’s obvious he was getting so much better. next temperature check : 37, and goin down! we talked some more and played games like 20 questions, spelling bee and many other word games.

 

 

ok. when you see him in this pose, you know he's all better already. and he’s well enough to know he’s bored. haha. dah la he got 2-day off from school. partay time!

by the end of the session, his temperature is at 36+ degrees. yay! got his medicine and he's discharged. that was khaleef’s day at the ‘short stay unit’ in medcare!

most importantly, at the time of writing, he’s already up and about. his appetite is great and he’s jumping and rolling around with his brothers. he’s fine. alhamdulillah!

 

* * *

 

snippets of my conversation with khaleef that’s often amusing…

 

khaleef : mak, why are they taking my blood?

me : they want to check your blood.

khaleef : *suddenly so excited* mak! they have CSI in this hospital?!!

How to Donate Blood in Dubai

gulfnews dot com (uae’s major newspaper) ran a how-to on blood donation today. have you ever donated blood before?

i NEARLY did, when there was a blood donation drive at my school one day. the clinic/hospital personnel were stationed at one of the classrooms, and students who were interested were asked to register, then answer few questions to see if they’re fit enough to donate blood.

a few of my friends and i did register, and were just waiting for our turn to donate. we were offered some biscuits and tea. we munched, took sips – and left! i changed my mind at the last minute! adoi!

was it the needles?

* * *

anyway, i could probably ‘redeem’ myself after reading this article – here’s my chance to donate! in dubai, you can go to these two places to donate blood :

Blood Donation Centre (BDC), Al Wasl Hospital (kazim was born here!)
Call: 04 2192331
Time: Sun- Thurs 7:30am - 6:00pm

Al Baraha Hospital
Call: 2710000

* * *

here’s the do’s and don’ts for blood donors :

Those who can donate blood should:

• Be residents of the UAE (yup!)
• Be between the ages of 17 and 60 (turned 31 years old last june!)
• Have a minimum weight of 45kg (ehem ehem, for me & the poor alat penimbang to know and for you guys to never find out!)
• Not have donated blood in the last 90 days (never ever had!)
• Not be suffering from any infectious diseases, influenza or taking antibiotics (alhamdulillah, none at the moment)

Those who can never donate their blood are:

• Hepatitis B and C patients
• HIV positive patients
• Diabetics who are insulin or pill dependent. However, those who can control sugar levels through diet and exercise can donate
• Alcoholics and drug addicts

Temporary deferrals (people who are unable to donate NOW, but can, at a later time) on people who:

• Are taking antibiotics
• Not feeling well due to fever
• Have smoked or consumed alcohol in the last 72 hours
• Have had tattoos or ear piercing done in the present year
• Pregnant women
• Anaemic patients who can replenish their haemoglobin can come back for donation later

When you visit a camp for donation, you should have:

• Had plenty of fluids (gluk gluk gluk!)
• Eaten nutritious food (nasi mandi? hihi)
• Had a good night's sleep (ZZzzz)
• Refrained from smoking or drinking (another good reason to quit it, honey! *wink*)

At the centre, they'll register you as a donor, take a quick medical history, do a medical examination, get you to donate and finally provide you with a place for brief rest and some refreshments to replenish your energy.

The process:

• An area on your arm will be cleansed
• A brand new sterile needle will be inserted, which will feel like a quick pinch
• The actual donation takes about 8-10 minutes, during which you’d be seated comfortably
• Refrained from smoking or drinking (another good reason to quit it, honey! *wink*)

After donation

• You must continue to lie on the bed with your feet raised above the level of your body for ten minutes
• Leave the bandage on for four hours
• Drink extra fluids for the next three days, especially the first four hours after donation
• Have a protein-rich diet and rest, which means not taking extra stress of work or driving

sources from gulfnews.com, click here to read more.

hihi

* * *

i am A+. when i delivered khaleef, i was given a credit-card-size blood-type card from sunway hospital to be put in my wallet. senang kalo ape-ape hal, they simply look at the card to know which blood to give me in case of emergency – but i lost it when i lost my wallet few years back!

sayang betui!

do you know your blood type?

* * *

why should i donate blood? the feeling of knowing you will save a life? the feeling of knowing that if you or your loved ones need blood, it will be available?

one fine day, i must!

what’s your experience?

Breast Milk Jaundice?

kazim's eyes are yellowish. not too yellowish to be worried about, but it wasn't totally clear white - so it must be something.

*sad*

so this morning we took kazim to see the doc.

the doc asked a few questions :

• blood test done on baby? yes.
• any abnormalities detected? no.
• been breastfeeding him exclusively? yes.
• from day one? yes.
• mother's blood type? A+
• baby vomitting? just a little when i don't burp him enough.
• did the doc check him before discharging you from hospital? you mean after birth? yes, doc checked and everything was fine.

the doc then diagnosed - breast milk jaundice!

kazim getting comfy at the clinic

what's jaundice, really?

• jaundice refers to the yellow color of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by excess bilirubin in the blood
• bilirubin is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells
• bilirubin is a yellow pigment that is created as the body gets rid of old red blood cells
• normally, the liver helps break down bilirubin so that it can be removed from the body in the stool.

jaundice occurs when bilirubin builds up faster than a newborn's liver can break it down and pass it from the body.

why?

• babies make more bilirubin than adults do since they have more turnover of red blood cells
• baby's liver is still developing so may not yet be able to remove adequate bilirubin from the blood.

when to bring your baby to the doctor?

• jaundice is noted during the first 24 hours of life
• the yellow color deepens, getting more intense
• your baby develops a fever over 37.8° celsius
• if your child starts to look or act sick

kazim DOES NOT have ANY of these symptoms, alhamdulillah. cuma mata dia ade sikit yellowish and not clear white. he doesn't have fever at all, and he is feeding well, gaining weight and mata tu tak nampak pun makin kuning atau teruk. tu sebab doc cakap might be just breast milk jaundice.

what is breast milk jaundice?

breast milk jaundice is a type of jaundice in an otherwise healthy, breast-fed baby. it develops after the first week of life and continues up to the sixth week of life.

it is probably caused by factors in the breast milk, which block certain proteins in the liver that break down bilirubin.

don't be confused with 'breastfeeding jaundice', which occurs when the baby is NOT getting enough breast milk.

* * *

this nice nurse at the clinic used this device to determine the level of jaundice in kazim's skin. she pressed the small part against kazim's skin, and a checked the reading.

it said 5.

and she said it's a normal number for a normal, healthy baby. if there's jaundice, the reading would have read something like 14!

hmm, so since kazim is just '5' - kira ok sangat la kan?!

* * *

bapak sayangggg kazim!

the doc suggested i alternate breast milk with formula for 48 hours, then come back after one week to see whether he's still showing any signs of jaundice.

i wasn't too happy with this, since i want to breastfeed him exclusively. i found a few articles from the net - some say that it is a way to cure breast milk jaundice, while there's one article that said it's totally unnecessary! click here for that article.

then how?

what do you think dear mommies?

Free Stuff for Baby Kazim

everybody loves free stuff, eh?

when i gave birth to the boys, i do look forward to what i'd be getting as complimentary from the hospital. saje seronok!

i gave birth to khaleef at sunway hospital. i received a bath towel, and a big box of baby toiletries. nearly five years later, i still have the bath-towel, and i still use the big box to put cotton balls.

with kahfi at dubai hospital, i got sample tubes of nursing cream for bf-ing mothers, and the sudocrem rash-healing cream.

recently with kazim at al-wasl hospital, i got few boxes of breast pad, AND this cool yellow diaper pouch that looks more like a tool-kit!


it's johnsons so the items included were all from that brand - baby wipes, baby oil, shampoo and shower cream. i added the pampers so that it'll be a complete package for me to bring along when with kazim.

i love it because it's so handy, and it's in my favorite color - yellow!


see, it opens up into a flat plastic mat to place your baby as you change his/her diaper. cute kan? when you're done, just fold it up and toss it in the stroller, or even inside your huge handbag!

i like!

* * *

i'm doing a post on these hospital freebies because i recently read in gulfnews that a hospital in abu dhabi is giving away 700 FREE baby car seats to babies born there, starting this june.

free car seats?! best gile!

this is their effort to create awareness for safety in the car for babies, and they want the babies to leave the hospital in their brand new, FREE car seats!

sigh - imagine if baby kazim waited two more months, and we drove an hour to abu dhabi to deliver him there - we'd be coming back to dubai with kazim in a brand new car seat! hihi.

well, read the full story here.

Kazim's 3 Birth Certificates

i don't know about other countries - but here in the uae, malaysian babies born here will have THREE birth certificates!

1. the first official one in arabic
2. then you'll get the translated one in english
3. finally, one in bahasa malaysia

kazim got his arabic birth certificate yesterday! yay! he's officially a uae-born baby! the steps are very simple - to find out how, just click on the this link here, where i wrote about how kahfi got his arabic birth cert.

you have to go to the hospital where your baby was born in (for arabic), and then to al-baraha hosp (for the english one), and finally to malaysian consulate (to get the BM version) - to get the three birth certificates.

pay around 120dhs (equal to 120rm more or less) for all the procedures, and you're good!

the next step is to make kazim's passport ASAP (kalo tak, tak balik malaysia!), and when we get that, to apply for his resident visa (kalo tak, jadi pendatang plak kat dubai!).

* * *

sigh. it felt like only yesterday when we made these items for kahfi...

Welcoming Baby Kazim Khairul

hello world!

introducing the latest addition to the kay klan - little kazim khairul!

'kazim' means 'the calm one' or penenang in arabic and how apt it was - he made little noise when he cries, hardly high-pitched or loud wailing. just low, sad-sounding cries when he needs something.

truly a calm one!

born 1st day of april, 2010 at 1.30pm in the what is said to be the best maternity hospital in dubai, the al-wasl hospital. he was 2.9kg when he was born, the heaviest of my 3 kays!

alhamdulillah, the delivery went smoothly, my husband on my side, and little kazim came out perfect - with 10 fingers and 10 toes!

our lil kazim khairul

the contraction pain i felt from 4am in the morning that 1st of april was truly THE contraction pain - i noticed some blood discharge around 9-10am, and that's when we decided it's really time to take our packed bags and head on to the hospital.

we're truly lucky to have a few families ready to take care of khaleef and kahfi while mr. khairul tend to me at the hospital. ye la since baby kazim tak saba-saba nak klua sebelum opah dia datang, sape nak jaga abang-abang dia?

thanks so much for your open arms, my dear friend fauziah and kak linda. however, since they had to go back to malaysia around this time, it was kak zaida's family who took the boys in. with their 3 girls and a boy, the house looks set to receive another 2 boys! memang meriah lah! we are forever grateful at your generosity and loving care abg imran and kak zaida!


because of them, mr. khairul got to be my side through the entire experience. holding hands, encouraging words and silly jokes, hugs and caresses - the whole works!

the nurse said i was super-cool - dilating 7cm and still i haven't scream a sound! cool, eh? the only time i was actually vocal was during the last contraction pain - the one when baby kazim finally pushed himself out!

with the extreme pain and awfully groggy from the laughing gas, i was in a world of my own - where the only thing i was thinking about is getting the baby out. the voices on my left and right were just floating sounds, muffled but audible enough for me to follow.

i remember the nurse asked me not to push yet. gile ke! i remember the nurse asking me to wait for the doc. i remember then the doc asked me to push. then asked me to stop. then asked me to push slowly. then asked me to breathe. then told me if i push too hard i'm gonna have a stitch down there. fine! just get the baby out!

i remember too mr. khairul reciting a quranic surah while caressing my hair back. all the while still guiding me and telling me that everything is fine and i was doing things perfectly well. it was absolutely helpful. i loved his touches, and i loved the ultra-calmness in his voice. thanks, honey!

after one more push, kazim was out - head, shoulder and thigh! a perfect lil boy, our 3rd baby kay! without washing, the nurse placed him on my chest - for the first skin-to-skin contact between mom and baby for a whole hour.

kazim's first documented smile!

the nurse who took my particulars was an iranian, the doc who checked my dilation was from pakistan, the nurse who took care of me during my labor pains was a philipino, the doc and nurse who helped delivered kazim were from kerala, india and the nurse who bathe kazim the next day was from somalia.

what an international scene! and they're all super nice, helpful and really made the painful labor more bearable.

that's what we got delivering at a hospital in dubai. it's truly an enriching experience talking to people of different backgrounds and experience. priceless!


alhamdulillah, the doctor found both baby kazim and i in acceptable health, and was discharged the very next day! yay! while in the hospital i can choose to have the local meal (arab food), philipino diet, or indian. and i choose indian food lah. hihi.

so it was capati and curry chicken for dinner, and this pancake-with-onion and tomatoes thingy for breakfast. nyum.

erm, speaking of food - it's time for lunch. wife of mr. khairul's mckk senior kak muna came by last night to drop off a few 'lauk pantang' - this ikan masin in kuah asam jawa, fish curry and otak-otak. thanks so much, kak muna!

..and i can't wait to munch and lunch, so see you guys in the next post, for further adventures of mom of three boys!

Baby's Comin? What to Pack for Hosp?

my due date is drawing near. eventhough it's my third pregnancy, it's hard to ignore the the anxiety and suspense!

yesterday i packed my little mickey mouse luggage bag for must-bring stuff to the hospital. this is my list, cross-reference to the one made by my dear friend kak arin. i remember she put up a list of important items to bring to the hospital once you're experiencing labor pains. read her full list here!

kain batik
this was first on her list, which never would cross my mind! twice pregnant, and during both times i just relied on the cutesy hospital gown (bright yellow with little pink and blue flowers tau! hihi). she reasoned well - kain batik does provide the most comfort especially if we go through surgery. i'll just add this in, just in case!

speaking of comfort, don't forget a pair of thick socks! air-cond hospital sejuk! also, bring along a comfy top and pants/abaya that you'll wear when you're discharged from the hospital.

breastfeeding bra
also an important must-bring to facilitate breastfeeding. in addition of course all your necessary undergarments. i brought along breast pads as well. and while you're at it, don't forget the nipple gel to keep your nipple from cracking!

pads
yes! definitely! like kak arin stated, hospitals do provide their own maternity pads, but some women are just comfortable wearing a brand their used to - well, we wear it every month! so i bought the normal sanitary pads - a super-long-with-wings! ha, kalau bocor jugak tak tau lah!

toiletries
kak arin listed it all - tooth brush, colgate, powder, shower cream - "..kang pas mandi tak berseri lak muka." she added. hihi.

snacks
kak arin listed milo and biscuits as 'standby' snacks - and i agree. imagine getting up to breastfeed few times in the night, and feeling a grumbling in your tummy, with nothing to eat! a few bite of biscuits or bread and a hot drink would be very handy!

some hospital provides a lot of meals from breakfast to supper so you'll feel full by the end of the day. however, remember that this hospital bag is all for the just-in-cases!

handphone, extra top-up card and charger
oh-so-very-important! not only to spread the good news, but also to communicate with your other half! both times, the first on our must-call-first list are my eldest sister yong, and mr. khairul's parents to inform them of a safe and sound delivery.

extra top-ups is of course always, always useful - even if you ended up not using it. especially now that i'm in dubai, i'm sure i'll be needing more than a 100dhs just for phonecalls to malaysia!

and once you have your handphone, and extra credit too - it'd be so awfully frustrating to forget the handphone charger! hp ade, credit berlambak tapi tak boleh call pulak, receive pun tak boleh! so remember these 3 items that go together!

reading material
another important item for me. very. both times alhamdulillah we managed to get a private room with my own tv - but curling up with a good book while breastfeeding my baby is so satisfying! hihi.

knowing this, both times after delivery, mr. khairul would surprise me with a new terry pratchett book because he knows that's what i would like to have with me to pass the time. a paperback is better since it's lighter and easier to flip, while holding the baby with your other hand!

my personal choice would be a light reading from the 'reduced shakespeare company' (hillarious!) or any 'agatha christie'. my favorite of course would be any 'terry pratchett' - his story is always funny and witty - easy reading!

camera and battery charger
with facebook picture file and many moms having blogs - a picture of your newborn is almost mandatory - that not having it makes you a misfit, an outcast - people will look at you funny - "haaa? tak amik gamba satu pun?" so this is another of my must-bring!

however, during these times, a handphone camera would be adequate - click, and send mms to anyone you like. in fact, right after he came out, it was just a click, and kahfi's babyface is engraved in my handphone at 10 mins old!

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how about stuff for your little newborn?

newborn clothings, booties and mittens, including barut
so far, i never brought barut - pasal baby kecik sangat, nak barut pun takut-takut! haha. but i do bring a few newborn clothings - a few old ones from khaleef and kahfi, and one brand new. why few olds and one new?

the baby can wear the old ones while in the hospital. newborns are usually tightly wrapped around with the hospital napkins and blankets anyway, so the guests coming to visit won't see the cute hello kitty or thomas and friends on your baby's rompers anyway! hihi.

the brand new one - is for when the baby is finally discharged from the hospital, and on the way home. it's a special occasion, it's an auspicious day! so the baby needs to look his/her best! hihi.

so far, i never had to use the old clothes, because the hospital provide the baby clothings during my stay at the hospital, but i find that the brand new baby clothes really 'festive' when the time comes!

blanket and towel
yes, to wrap the baby when the time comes to bring him/her home, or to be used while in the hospital.

pampers
newborn ones! yes, hospital do provide their own, but again, sometimes you're just comfortable knowing you have a brand that you trust and have been using.

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my dear friend kak arin also pushed a little reminder for dads because he is our partner in crime, our PA, our driver, our midwife - our pillar of strength! check out her list here.

packing - check! mommies better do this - dads usually have no ideas what goes where and kept where so it's safe to do this yourself!

handphone - check! it's best if you remember YOUR handphone and charger, and he remembers HIS handphone plus making sure it's fully charged with a lot of credit!

minyak kereta - this is one that i never thought of but equally important, right? what if you're in the middle of labor, pain and all - and the car won't start or you had to endure a stop at a nearby gas station - tensen!

kena kuat - yes, mr. khairul is alhamdulillah, strong both physically and emotionally. he let me squeeze his hand as hard as i needed to.

plus, to make me feel at ease during the painful labor, he made stupid jokes about the day we met and how he fell in love (ok, ramai-ramai say awwww.. haha)

he was so emotionally strong that i remember dia casually bersembang dengan doc lagi while he's stitching me up - with all the blood and gore! ceh!

berdoa - this part that kak arin wrote make me sebak. isk isk. you can click the link and read what she wrote in her own words.

cool bapak with his first-born khaleef

this is another interesting list i found in the net. click here for full list.

bring a little piece of home
dads can help make the hospital room a little friendlier and warm with family pictures. i remember when i was in painful labor with khaleef, mr. khairul took out a picture of me and mak which i always kept in my handbag and placed it on my side. that was really one of his sweetest moments! love you!

distract mom
again, back to mr. khairul's 'talent' for bad comic timing haha - during the labor pain, he would reminisce the first time he saw me, and how he fell in love - and he added his story with silly jokes - yes, it distracted me from the pain, even for a little while!

provide focus
everytime the contraction pain peaked, obviously my grasp of his hand tightened. mr. khairul would just coach me through it, telling me that eventhough he can't feel the pain, but he knew when the pain heightened and subsided from the way i held his hand. from there he could just follow my experience, while helping me go through it!

relax
kalao bapak pun gelabah, maknye yang nak beranak tu triple gelabah! good for me, mr. khairul is one relaxed dude (walaupun gelabah kat dalam!).

take the abuse
this is a funny one - imagine wife in labor, and the husband asking where she put the handphone charger. when the wife lashes at the husband, husbands must remember it's not intentional - it's the contraction pain speaking! honey, sorry in advance, ye? hihi.

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well, that's about it. anything else i'm forgetting? do share! and while you're at it, doakan semua ok for me on my delivery date ya! i repeat - 3rd pregnancy and i'm still very, very nervous!