Mummynista!

Many friends and acquaintances I know are actually pretty skeptical about giving birth in Jakarta due to the lack of medical know-hows and emergency infrastructure locally. Hubby G and I decided to deliver in Jakarta after much consideration. (You may want to read about it here: Deciding To Give Birth in Singapore or Jakarta ) Couple of blog readers have been asking me about my childbirth experience in Jakarta and hubby G is also constantly pestering me to record the birth experience so that we won't forget in the future.(Birth amnesia is real~~ I am starting to forget details of my delivery with my first child) And also, for the sake of anyone like myself who's frantically trying to research about delivering in Jakarta; for those who has tried googling for e.g 'delivering in Jakarta', 'giving birth in Jakarta', 'experience childbirth Jakarta', 'natural birth jakarta', 'expat giving birth Jakarta', etc and yet got not much information i...

A tough dilemma isn't it? Giving birth in Jakarta or Singapore has its pros and cons. We know of many expats and affluent Indonesians moms would fly down to Singapore to have their delivery there. After all Singapore's healthcare is unarguably one of the best of the region and the entire country runs efficiently. The price difference between delivering in Singapore's hospitals and the prestigious hospitals here in Jakarta is not that huge either; and of course Singapore's hospitals are definitely way better maintained so it does seem like a very attractive idea to deliver in Singapore. There's couple of considerations when hubby G and I were debating to give birth in Jakarta or Singapore. 1. Medical Care. How comfortable and confident we feel about the local hospital facilities? 2. Logistics. If I were to give birth in Singapore, it means I have to be there a month before I am due and only be able to fly back a month after I deliver. Plus minus..I ...

Are you looking for a gynaecologist/obstetrician in Jakarta? Perhaps you may find this post useful for your research or contemplation on which gynae you should go to. The moment the pregnancy stick indicated that I was pregnant, hubby G and I were eager to find a Gynaecologist/Obstetrician in Jakarta to confirm the results. The first place we thought of finding a gynae for me was Jakarta Women and Child Clinic as we have been taking our toddler to the paediatrician there and we were quite happy with there (Read about our experience with JWCC's paediatrician  here -  Part 1: Finding a Pediatrician in Jakarta ). *Warning*  This is going to be a lengthy post so please bear with me. I found there's a lack of information on gynaecology care and childbirth in Jakarta so I thought a post on our experience would probably help other moms like myself. **All written below are also based on my own experience and personal thoughts, and it could be subjective to different individ...

The joys of pregnancy does not just stop at morning sickness. 2nd trimester arrives and say hello to Mr Backache! Oh you didn't experience either morning sickness nor backaches? Go away! You shouldn't even be reading this post..Just kidding! On a more serious note, most pregnant women like myself will start to feel aches around the body once 2nd trimester hits. The increased weight from the belly adds more pressure to our backs as well as legs, hence the aches begin. And for me, the need to gag into the toilet bowl at least twice a day causes my neck and shoulders to ache too. Yes I know, I feel like I've aged fifty years being pregnant. However as much as we need the comforts of a massage, one can't just step into any massage place now. Firstly we can't lie face down anymore...duh! Hence we need massages that are tailored for us while we lie sideways which means options are kind of limited. I decided to check with my good friend once again, Mr Google and ta...

Image Credit: Photodisc/Getty Images   Nausea? Puking? Food Aversions? Loss of appetite? Welcome to the club. I would like to think that we who experience these revolting symptoms of morning sickness as a highly privileged club- noble and sacrificial mothers-to-be. Not saying that women who breezed through pregnancy are not, it is just a good positive reinforcement to have when we are running to the nearest bathroom every couple of minutes (for the ones who got it real bad). And if you need more encouragement like I did!! - Nausea has long been known to be a sign of a healthy pregnancy; it's been linked to a lower miscarriage risk and a lower risk of heart malformations in the fetus. Read more:   http://www.ctvnews.ca/study-links-morning-sickness-to-brighter-kids-1.392315#ixzz2wtLuxi00 - The more severe the morning sickness is for the mom, the higher the IQ is for the child  Read more: Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina ( http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Ru...

You Can Now Notify Your Facebook Friends When You’re Expecting August 13, 2012  by  Lauren Indvik Like Tweet +1 Share Pin It Share Facebook  is making easier to tell your friends you’re expecting. The social network  rolled out  a new “Life Event” for Timeline Thursday, enabling you and other future parents to announce that you are “Expecting a Baby.” You can list the gender, due date, second parent, location (probably best to leave that one blank) and story. You can also attach a photo to the announcement (cue obligatory ultrasound photo). Besides highlighting key life moments on your Timeline, the benefit of Life Event updates is that they reach so much more of your Facebook network than a typical status update. Life Events that are categorized as “Celebrations” — a category that includes engagements, weddings and births — are prioritized in the News Feed and are frequently highlighted in the top right-hand rail alongside birthdays, up...

Worried That Your Husband Might Cheat During Your Pregnancy? Fret Not..Your Relationship Can Emerge Stronger During Your Pregnancy. Asians have couple of weird perceptions, one of which is that a woman's pregnancy usually put a toll on the relationship or drive partners to "cheat" outside. I would quite proudly say that my pregnancy had brought my husband and I closer and more intimate than ever. It has helped to reinforce the relationship and allowed us to 'synchronise' as a team.  I suspect that a lot of people tend to forget that even during pregnancy, couples need to bond and the relationship needs to continue being nourished. For most pregnant women, especially for those who suffer severe pregnancy symptoms like myself, will find a dip in your libido and also discomfort with certain intimacy. That is perfectly normal and will fluctuate along the pregnancy. The physical aspect of the relationship is nevertheless important but the emotional aspect i...

Thinking of an all natural birth? You are not the only mad one. " Ladies, I've decided." I announced abruptly a couple of weeks ago during lunch. All three of my buddies cum colleagues stopped in in their tracks; and put down the burgers that I sort of coerced them to eat because of my unusual craving. "I'm going for an Au Naturale birth." I said in a very determined tone. Mitch, who opted for elective caesarean when she had her son, looked at me wide-eyed and exclaimed, " You mean without epidural?" " Yes without epidural." I sounded somewhat proud with myself. Fung, as her usual no-nonsense self, asked bluntly, " So what's your treshold of pain?" Without hesitation, I replied, " Very bad." --- SO WHY OPT FOR A NATURAL BIRTH WITHOUT EPIDURAL? --- Pros of Natural Birth (With or Without Epidural) 1. Ability to move freely during labour 2. Reduced risk of blood loss or other complications af...

And a big thank you and hug to hubby for a very sweet push gift:) I wonder how many women(who actually went through pregnancy and childbirth) would say that it is an easy task. Now that I am going through pregnancy the very first time, and passing through all the different stages of discomfort from morning sickness, merlioning (puking), backaches, migraine, leg swelling, you name it...  I would say every pregnant woman or mom deserves a gift especially from their husbands or partners ! It is not bribery. The gift does not need to be extravagant. It is the thought behind that counts. It is letting the female know that "hey I appreciate you bringing this life to earth and going through all the hardwork!"  It is all about appreciation and the benefit of receiving a physical gift is that you get to keep it as a sentimental token. You know like showing your children and grandchildren in the future...beaming as you tell them,  " Grandpapa gave this to me when...

PREGNANCY GLOW? SERIOUSLY... I think media has painted such an unrealistic expectation of pregnancy. Perhaps I should be thankful or grateful that I have been getting quite a number of compliments on how well I look during my pregnancy. However that doesn't ease any of the numerous discomfort that I am feeling. Once my back was aching so much and I was in so much misery that even a compliment from my big boss makes me feel like throwing a pan at him. I know he's just trying to be sweet and cheer up this grouchy pregnant lady's day..ah well.. when a pregger feels bad, she's all grumpy. Pregnancy changed my entire perspective on women or rather mothers and also increased my respect/admiration for pregnant working moms. I am currently at my 34 weeks, still working however finding it gradually tougher to last past half the day. I am definitely looking forward to my maternity leave in three weeks' time. I really wonder how some women managed to work all the ...