#BabyDjourney-the hospital part 1

Assalamualaikum and Hi!

We have decided to change hospital. Well, finally I do.

We started off with a small private clinic (Shinko Sanae Women's Clinic) for monthly checkup.

This is the same clinic we went when I was carrying Lily. The clinic was ok. No waiting time, which is A's ultimate preference in everything. This is what happened when one has been 'japonized'. 

University Hospital

Then, when it's time to choose hospital for delivery, I decided to do it at the University Hospital where I work. I don't have concrete reason for this decision other than most of my friends (whom are also foreigners) gave birth at this hospital. I think they chose this hospital mainly due to familiarity and for the chance that english-speaking doctors can be found here since it is university hospital. 

'A' however was against the idea and keep looking for other hospital while I proceeded my monthly check-up at this University Hospital. I admit, the check-up consumed more time and..surprisingly they cost me a lot also. I didn't remember spending that much for a monthly check-up given that we are already given vouchers for every check-ups. I will be whining during every sessions for the waiting time as well as ...the bill. But, I need to stick to this hospital as this hospital is used to entertaining foreigners with different needs. Last time, Lily was delivered at a private hospital and I was not taken care well in terms of food. So, I basically was starving most of the time. 

One of the reason 'A' really dislikes this hospital is because university hospital is usually much more expensive than the private ones. It is somehow opposite to what we know back in KL. We asked our friends who had experience delivering here, and all of them was charged with astounding amount in addition to the government allowance (government provides 42,000yen). I was worried of course, if I need to pay such an amount while we know we are capable ('A' is very fluent in Japanese) to go to other hospital for a piece of mind in regards of the bill. But, I was still adamant to stay just cause...oh, they can provide muslim-friendly meal #priority .

One day, 'A' called me at work, asking me if I can leave early that day. He said he wants to bring me for a visit to a private delivery hospital. I was half reluctant but I agreed anyway just cause..I always excited when he asked me out😅 I just like spending time with him even it is for a minute. #topiktersasar . 

Masaoka Hospital, Naka-ku

Apparently 'A' booked a private tour for me. There are several types of rooms in this hospital. And the cheapest one already looking 100x better than my previous hospital or University hospital private room for a fact. Sigh... 'A' really played it nasty this time. He knows I will say "yes" immediately after just...looking at their waiting area. Lol xp. And I said..'do I need to see more?' after just the first room they show (the cheapest range 😑). We stopped before the suite. I mean..the normal room already too much..I felt like calling my baby 'Louis' already, given all the french vibes all around me. You see..french everything but the people..so Japanese. So polite..how can I not feeling like the freaking Mary Antoinette. 

Don't believe me?? See if for yourself.

For more, you can visit their website https://www.masaoka-hp.com/

What do you think after I've seen all this? Sigh..the easiest decision I've ever made in my life. Nak pilih baju online pun lagi susah or fikir nak masak apa for dinner pun lagiiii susah 😩

Wait..I haven't finished about this hospital yet. The best part is yet to share..at least for my keepsake 😃

Till the next post! XOXO

I want epidural!!

Assalamualaikum and Hi!

I just came back from routine check-up for week 28. Currently, I'm at the 2-week interval prenatal check-up. And this time I chose University hospital (where I work) for the delivery and check up. This way, it is easier for me to manage work and the pregnancy at the same time.

First labor not a pleasant one for me. I've never experienced such pain. My delivery obviously wasn't the joyous one. I wasn't given any pain-reliever name it gas ke, apetah lagi epidural. So I thought it was my fault for not discussing about that with my doctor prior to the delivery.

This time, I determined to have a painless delivery. So, I've been chanting the word epidural to my husband to make sure that he gets what I want and eventually will understand what it's all about. 

Anyway, finally today we were asked about the birth plan. Before the nurse started talking on this point at all, I immediately cut her and asked about epidural..or any options for painless delivery. Story short, there are no options for painless delivery in Japan. There is epidural, but it is only offered to patients with heart or brain condition. My doctor also tell me the same story and..not trying to give me other options that can address my concern, i.e. pain.

I google a little on the article about epidural in Japan. The story is about the same. I really want to know why they don't practice epidural, from the scientific point of view. So far, what I found was about the healing process of mom with epidural vs epi-free. It seems that epi-free mom heals faster. But, my friends who mostly got their epidural, are really fine...mentally and physically. So, what makes Japan against the wide-spread use of epidural like Malaysia? What is the consideration they take for their policy in this matter? Why Malaysia is so lenient about it? 

Do you guys have any idea?

hMPV

Assalamualaikum and Hi!

Before 2018 left us, I should record this one of the most significant event that happened this year. 

Lily was hospitalized for 8 days!! 

A few days after we were back from KL and HK trip, I received a call from the school telling me that Lily had a fever. That was something that was actually...em..anticipated. That's what happened when you send your kid to a daycare. They will first busy fighting all kinds of germs they will pick up around the school. Lily was fresh to the school..it was just 3 days she was there. 

As I was also very new at my workplace, I decided to send Lily to the daycare for sick kids nearby the campus. It was not easy to leave your sick child there actually. But, I try to be strong and expecting her to be strong as well. She was there for the whole week. 

That weekend suddenly she develop severe cough. As a mother, you can sense that's something not normal with the cough. We didn't have any cough medicine at home that time. So, I asked my husband to drop by the emergency and get Lily diagnosed so we can get her cough medicine. Lily cough was so terrible, that I can see her body could not handle it. She was struggling to get one cough settle. I was hoping that it was just me too overly concern over a cough.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that this is all happened during Ramadhan. Around 6pm, 'A' called and tell me that they were not allowed to leave, that Lily needs to be hospitalized that instant. I was so surprised and scared. I'm scared for Lily. I just hope that it wasn't that bad. So, I quickly packing; the food for breaking fast, clothes for 3 days, etc. I had to go to to the hospital by a taxi.

When I arrived, Lily and 'A' were still at the waiting room, with Lily's condition was really bad. I didn't remember she left home looking that miserable and sad. Sick kids, they don't just need medical attention..affections are part of the medication actually. Knowing Lily, she loves to be hugged..it was more when she was not feeling good. 

She was diagnosed with hMPV (human metapneumovirus). Actually this virus could infect anyone especially children under 5 years old. Usually the symptoms are just mild, like when you got cold. But due to the situation that Lily must have gotten it when her immune system was already weak (she had a fever while contracting the virus), so the symptoms were worse. Since this event, I refused to send Lily to the sick kids daycare despite of whatever my colleagues are talking about me. 

Worse symptoms of hMPV was pneumonia. In this case, Lily's lungs' pipe were swollen. As a result, she had difficulty breathing, thus the terrible cough. Her blood oxygen level was constantly at the distressing level that the she was required to stay in an oxygen-saturated chamber during the whole stay. She's also refused to eat which made me really worried. Doctor said it was normal as eating will only torture her breathing. She also refused milk. I think I spent all the hours trying to make her eat something. 

The oxygen-saturated chamber. Most of the time, I was in there as well hugging her to her comfort. 

It was also tricky to ask her to stay in the chamber. The first few days, she was so sick that she hadn't moved much. So, it was ok. Later on, she wanted to be active, that was difficult..to entertain her by not letting her out. So, we had to resort to ipad. One of the occasion she get tablet-time.

The oxygen monitor that was tucked on her toes all the time..

I had to think about our break-fast menu. Difference when a mom prepared the food vs the daddy😅

At first, the doctor said Lily will have to stay for 3 days. Then it stretched to 5, then 8.. Actually the doctor wanted us to stay even longer. But, after a lot of doa and..negotiation with the doctor, we finally were released on the following Sunday. I still had to take 2 days holiday following that. It's the protocol that the daycare required. And no, I wouldn't send Lily to that germ-infested sick kids nursery for her to 'recover'. Alhamdulillah, she was much better and happier to be home. Hospital is indeed a stressful place to be in. Even children knew that. 

See you in the next post! Bye 💕

2018 resolutions

Assalamualaikum and Hi!

If I can give you one advice in life, that's would probably..to have a goal.

If you feel like your life is lost and messy, try start with having a goal for a day. 

Then slowly, you make a goal for that week, then a month, and so on..

I'd like to share with you today the importance to have a yearly goal.

Having a clear goal in a year, will help you focus and when the time comes, the year ends, you won't feel like you have wasted your time in this world. Believe me, we don't have much time.

Anyway, I'm glad I jotted down my resolutions earlier this year.

I was shy to share this with you. But, I think I'll appreciate this in years to come :) 

When I write my 2018 resolution. I feel everything I aimed for was so hard to get. For the job, as a foreigner with no Japanese language capability, the odd for me to get a job is probably zero. But, with a lot of doa, the job came looking for me. Syukur syukur alhamdulillah...syukur sangat atas rezeki. 

The second resolution is to get pregnant. Again, something that is not within my power. Pregnancy doesn't come easy to me. I was once in the ttc community until Allah s.w.t answered our prayers 3 years ago. We tried many times for this one also. But we never put so much hope given our history. 

But alhamdulillah..Allah s.w.t answered our prayers and my second resolution in now partially fulfilled. Can you please include us in your doa so everything will go on smoothly.

The third resolution was more about my career. During the 2 years hiatus from my work, I did some study and I found that the scientific world has so much advancing than the time when I left. I feel that in order to understand what these people are talking about, I need to embark myself in other field. To familiarize myself with other techniques and field. Alhamdulillah..when I got accepted into the job, I was required to work with genome editing team. A field that is so hot now. Although right now, I'm technically banished from the group, I still am thankful for the short time I get to learn from them. It's enough that I feel I can start again by myself if I'm given the chance to pick up this field again later on in life.

I feel so content to be able to have clear goal this year..and of course to have fulfilled most of it. You can say that maybe it's my luck or it's already written. But, maybe to have it written for you, you must write it down first. If you still don't have resolutions for this coming year, I recommend you to take some time, and think about it. Maybe you will see some magic taking place within the next 365 days 😉

Pregnancy hives..is it real?

Assalamualaikum and Hi!

I was so quick to think that getting a job that's much better than my dream job in here is the best thing that happened to me in the year 2018. Then, after just 1 month, the thought changed and suddenly I felt at my lowest for a few months.

Then, a miracle happened. 

If you read my previous post, I bet you can guess what I mean:)

Anyway, here, I'd like to write the chronology of how I realized there's a miracle inside of me.

It was Saturday. It's gonna be a long weekend, where people here called it 'sanrenkyu', i.e. a 3-days weekend. I don't know if it's my luck, I've always need medical attention during weekends like this. When most of small clinics are closed, and we will have to go to emergency instead. I've always trapped in a situation that it's not too urgent to go to emergency and yet..I need medical attention right away. Like, allergy reaction or previously, I suffered a terrible food poisoning. I had to wait the next morning and had my husband looked for the clinic that's opened on that day. Usually one clinic will be opened on that public holiday on rotation. Imagine the people flocking..

Anyway, it was Saturday 5pm, when I started to feel so itchy on my legs. It was so itchy, the kind of that doesn't go away even after you scratch it hard. Then when I look closely, I realized that..I was having hives. I could see the hives like climbing up my legs. It was so nasty, I swear it was the nastiest hives I've ever had. Then I looked at the clock. It shows 5pm. Allergy clinic had just closed and so did the other clinics!  OMG...I do not think I can live a second more with hives this terrible.

Being the calm half of the house, my husband walked to the nearby pharmacy with us on tow. He showed the pharmacist my nasty hives, I was immediately given a tube of topical cream special for hives. Aaa..i thought they'd never sell anything like this on the shelf.

Anyway, the hives went away after I applied the cream..so much relief.

Then, when I'm about to go to bed, the hives appear again. And again, I can see they try to climb up my body. Again, I slather my whole legs with the cream. 

Source

At 3am, Sunday, I was awoken by the itchiness again. The hives was much nastier than before. Now they are up on my scalp and my whole body. I started to have bad thought that this could lead to anaphylactic shock! So, my husband googled and call around to find out which emergency will accept a case like this. We finally directed to the Hiroshima City Citizen Hospital and waited for 2 hours to see a doctor despite of scarce number of patients. The doctor seemed to annoy to entertain my case. 3 hours of waiting from the time the hives appear, the bumps were already less visible. But, I was still so itchy. The doctor gave me two small tablets of anti-histamine. That's what usually happened. If you go to emergency, they will only give you medicine enough for the days until clinics will open again.

I immediately took the meds and finally had some sleep.

I woke up..the hives still there. sigh..

Then while feeling frustrated, I googled 'pregnancy hives'.  I don't know where I got the idea to google that. Maybe I was hoping to get pregnant, plus the hives. 

As a result, pregnancy hives is real even though it was not understood how it happened or proven if the hives is actually related to the pregnancy at all. But many mothers experienced this, although most of them reported to experience hives at the later stage of pregnancy.

That Monday early in the morning, I told 'A' about my theory. He wasn't really excited to agree with me. That's just how he is. Whenever news like this, he doesn't want to show me his true feelings. But I could read hime well already. Especially when he was committed to get the pregnancy test kit first thing. 'A' is synonym with procrastination when it comes to my request for chores...usually. But, this one he was so quick to take action. How can you not read that so easily.

I was supposed to get my period on that Sunday. So, technically, I was just missed my period..emm..less than 24 hour. I did the test anyway because I need to go to the clinic to get more anti-histamine. The hives...still came and go by that time. 

I did the test...and the result was positive.

'A' didn't believe it..he said wait for another 10 minutes..he thought one of the double lines could be disappeared. Usually people wait longer if...there's no double lines 😏

We went to the clinic that was opened that Monday. I showed the doctor my hives and told her about my fresh pregnancy. I also asked her about 'pregnancy hives'. The doctor is very veteran. Her clinic's system is also..I should say..ancient. But she is very motherly and welcoming. The clinic is actually part of her house. What a life to live isnt it??I'd love to work at my home one day :)

Anyway, she said she never heard about pregnancy hives and advised me not to take any anti-histamine😣 unless I really cannot tahan. That was after she ransacked her 'filing system' for drug looking for one that's suitable with early pregnancy. She found none that are 100% safe. 

So, I lived with on-and-off hives for almost 3 months. That's the whole first trimester. It was at its worst in the morning. Probably that was when the pregnancy hormone is at the most high/concentrated. Thankfully, the hives got so much better as time went by. During their last days, they only stayed for a few minutes before disappear and left red maps all over the skin. 

Putting this lonnggg hives story aside, the point is, that is how the tiny human inside of me is telling me that he/she is there :) So early you want to let us know you are there. I think he/she just want us to know early so mommy can take proper precautions as early as possible. Baiklah, sayang :)

Anyway, does any of you get similar experience? 

Do you think pregnancy hives is real?? 

Let me know what you think.

Till then, bye 💕

2018..in summary

Assalamualaikum and Hi!

It's been a while. I know. Sometimes when I feel like I should write this moment down, there goes instagram and facebook, which can also plays like a blog. However, after a while you realized that..they are only half like a blog. Unless if you like that kind of daily journal. Important memories and thoughts are still better to be written in a full journal.

Anyway, we are going to enter 2019 in 11 days. So much happened this year and I don't feel the memories that distant yet. The year 2018 is not an uneventful ones like the two years as a housewife. Being a housewife to an infant and later a toddler, there are not much major things happening, thus the years felt a little draggy and forgettable. But, I swear, 2 years as a full time mother plays a big role to the development of my daughter's personality. For that, I feel grateful.

Before I forgot, here's the list of major events of 2018, that I don't want want future self to forget easily:

1) January- Still a housewife. 

Our oshogatsu (new year)'s trip was spent around Kansai area. I loved group trip like this. It was so happening and Lily was very happy to be surrounded by kakak and abang :) 

We also went around Nagoya and spent a whole day in Nagoya Port Aquarium. I don't think our visit would be as fun as this one because now we have Lily. It's like, her smile is all that matters now that she's here, in this world.

The annual Malaysian in Hiroshima soubetsukai (farewell party). I don't like being the one who's always being left behind. When will be my turn to be the one who leave >,<

2) February- Got a job offer. A rather surprise job offer and the offer was too good to turn down.

Spent a day in Kurashiki. First, it was for strawberry picking (my favorite winter activity). Then, we did some city walk and later shopping a little at their city outlet. Glad that we made time to go around the canal area. Because a few months later, flood hit most part of Hiroshima and Okayama. This canal was also affected. At least we've been here before it was ruined by the flood.

3) March- Dedicated to find a new house, spent time with Lily to the max. Counting days to the day I'll become a working mom. Something that I vision myself when I grow up. Looking for Lily's school. We are so excited as finally we can afford to send Lily to school. 

Sakura came a tiny bit early this year. Global warming it seems.

Our family at the Shukkein Garden. A beautiful Japanese Garden right in the middle of city centre.

This month, we also busy for a house hunting. Had not much time to really do the hunting though. Found one house, good location, nice interior (well, I can tolerate), then this house it is! 

4) April- Journey as a working mom started. I was so enthusiastic. Life was so hectic as Lily's daycare required a 10minutes drive and no food was provided. Therefore, I had to wake up very early to prepare bentou for 3 people. Our bentou were easy as I could always packed our dinner leftovers. But, I didn't dare to pack leftovers for Lily. I always made her food fresh. Other than that, I had to make sure to pack her morning and afternoon snacks. I was often had to pick her up pass her dinner time. So, on such days, I had to also pack her dinner. It was hectic, but I like it. That's probably because I longed for busy days after 2 years of slow-paced kind of days. I was given 2 years to 'rest' but I still could not fit into that tai-tai life, it seems. 

How can I forgot. April is the month of me becoming a mother...this this beautiful little girl :)
Lily's second birthday!

she was born on a beautiful day like this. Where the land was painted with pink sakura all over. So, as long as we live in this country (and your birthday fell on weekend), we will do a small birthday picnic for you ;). That's Hiroshima castle.

I think this was me on the second day working. I still couldnt be able to put even a drop of make up. Too hectic a morning..

We moved house..helped by our fellow Malaysian family :) Aa..what a tiring month!

This month also marks the month we moved into our new house. After 5 years living in the previous apartment which we really loved (the reason why we keep postponing the idea of moving, despite of the space isn't meant for a family with a child). The new apartment is just 10 minutes away from my workplace. I could just go home for lunch if I wanted to. 

5) May- Back in KL for a while during golden week. As usual, A's style, always last minute ticket purchase. We could only get ticket from Fukuoka by Cathay Pacific. 

This year's Malaysia's labor day was utilized by us to invite our friends and family to Lily's 2nd birthday party :) 

Lily struggling with the heat.

I forgot about the flying experience. But I remember we chose to transit in Hong Kong for 2 nights. hehe..So, we had 1 full day. Can you guess where we went? Of course..Disneyland. I have to admit, I'm a Disneyland junkie. But to much disappointment, there were many attractions closed that day. So sad. But, we did't go all out like we used to be when we were young..and child-less. This time, we followed Lily's pace. We thought she was probably exhausted from her KL trip. She was a bit cranky. Plus, the weather was too hot for her. 

Lily's first Disneyland experience. She wasnt familiar with Disney character. That's one of the reasons she didn't seem to enjoy the trip. But now, she already know who's Mickey, Minnie and others, and even asked daddy to go to the Disneyland :)

This month also, we received a good news from the daycare at my workplace. Suddenly, they can accommodate Lily for the full year. So, Lily moved to the in-campus daycare this month. 

Lily's current daycare which located in the campus where I work. Alhamdulillah...Allah swt eased my mommyhood journey. This daycare provided food, snacks according to her 'allergy' list. I put 'allergy' because Lily doesn't have any real allergy to food that we know of. It's just there because we requested for muslim-friendly food and they are happy to obliged.

My first Mother's day card and flower :)

I have to say, the month of May has been so eventful to us. After just been 1 week in the daycare, Lily fell sick. She was infected with many kinds of viruses back to back. One of the virus was so nasty that she required hospitalization for more than a week during fasting month. I will post about this in another entry. 

The ward where we stayed for 8 days. 

6) June- One of the saddest month for me in terms of work. Everything got turned upside down due to you know..backstabbing. It was a month that I wish to not remember..

7) July- My health deteriorated. It was because I found myself...pregnant :) Great month with a mixed feeling. 

The first time we met you :)

The great Hiroshima flood happened in this month. I should put special entry about that.

8) August- Long holidays happened this month. But, our family didn't go anywhere because I was sick most of the time, that when I don't have to go to work, all I wanted to do was lie down and just sleep. I was nauseous all the time and tired.

9) September-  I'm still sick and miserable. Most days I was left alone with Lily. A was mostly out of town. I don't remember how I went through all that time while being sick.

10) October- The birth month of so many people including myself. I felt a little better in terms of health. 

A's small birthday do. With Lily around, dah macam 10 orang guests :')

We finally went for a short trip to Kobe. It was fun, or too much fun for Lily. Will review about the little 'paradise' that we brought Lily to in Kobe.

Part of that little paradise for Lily. Anpanman museum😂

11) November- Everyone seems to be waiting in autumn, when usually the autumn passed by us so quickly. The peak of autumn arrived rather late this year. My in laws troop came to visit but autumn was still raw although it was already middle of Nov. 

I felt like myself again!

Lily with her granny..jalan-jalan tengok daun.

Flew to KL with Lily on tow for a job interview. Doakan :)

12) December- Filled with hope and the feeling of grateful. 

Overall, I call the year of 2018 as the year of 'rizq'. Yes, there were challenges after when I already feeling like at the top of the world. The test did stressed me out. Threw me off balance. But then Allah s.w.t gave me the biggest rizq of all..inshaAllah, with His will, my family will expand. Conception wasn't always easy for me. So, the joy of becoming a mother one more time is not something small to us. 

I am still not happy at work. But, I think this feeling is given to me on purpose. So, I can see my priority more clearly. So that I come to work, and at the same time cannot wait to be home again..Yes, I think this is all make sense.

Ok, I'm already feeling hungry now. I'll see you in the next post. The momentum is still here, I am very confident that this will not be the last post. 

InshaAllah..

See you!

Have a great day everyone!

TOS_cookingclass: Hijiki Salad

Assalamualaikum and Hi!

Anyway, since I am currently living in Japan, I have the access to the finest ingredients there are to make a decent, straight Japanese food. No hybrid2 one, but of course with a little tweak so that they are permissible to us, muslim. 

Of course you can always google it away. But my version is gonna be altered so that all the haram ingredients will be omitted without compromising the taste 😉

Especially for those who have plans to change their lifestyle by including Japanese food in daily basis, I recommend you to follow me closely 😉

Ok, let's start with our first menu 😀

Hijiki Salad

For the first class, I'd like to share with you, how to make hijiki salad. I especially choose this one to be the first as it is one of my ultimate favourite of Japanese cuisine 😋

By the way, hijiki is a kind of very tiny black seaweed. So, since they are another kind of seaweed, this food will certainly loaded with iron. More about hijiki, you can google it (of course) or click here . 

Hijiki salad preparation by yours truly 💅

Lastly, as impressive the health benefits may sound, we have to always eat everything in moderation :)