Baby Sleep Basics

Typical sleep patterns at this age

Newborns sleep a lot — typically 14 to 18 hours a day during the first week and 12 to 16 hours a day by the time they're a month old. But most babies don't stay asleep for more than two to four hours at a time, day or night, during the first few weeks of life.

The result? Lots of sleep for your baby and a very irregular — and tiring — schedule for you. Your job is to respond to your newborn's cues, so you'll probably be up several times during the night to change, feed, and comfort him.

What's going on
Baby sleep cycles are far shorter than those of adults, and babies spend more time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is thought to be necessary for the extraordinary development happening in their brain. REM sleep is lighter than non-REM sleep, and more easily disrupted.

All this unpredictability is a necessary phase for your baby and it doesn't last long — though it may seem like an eternity when you're sleep-deprived.

What's next
At 6 to 8 weeks of age, most babies begin to sleep for shorter periods during the day and longer periods at night, though most continue to wake up to feed during the night. They also have shorter periods of REM sleep, and longer periods of deep, non-REM sleep.

Somewhere between 3 and 6 months, experts say, most babies are capable of sleeping through the night. They're not talking about eight hours, though — they generally mean a stretch of five or six hours.

Some infants sleep for a long stretch at night as early as 6 weeks, but many babies don't reach that milestone until they're 5 or 6 months old and some continue to wake up at night into toddlerhood. You can help your baby get there sooner, if that's your goal, by teaching him good sleep habits from the start.

How you can establish good sleep habits

Here are some tips for helping your baby settle down to sleep:

Learn the signs that mean he's tired.
For the first six to eight weeks, most babies aren't able to stay up much longer than two hours at a time. If you wait longer than that to put your baby down, he may be overtired and have trouble falling asleep.

Watch your baby for signs that he's tired. Is he rubbing his eyes, pulling on his ear, or developing faint dark circles under his eyes? If you spot these or any other signs of sleepiness, try putting him down to sleep. You'll soon develop a sixth sense about your baby's daily rhythms and patterns, and you'll know instinctively when he's ready for a nap.

Begin to teach him the difference between day and night.
Some infants are night owls (something you may have gotten a hint of during pregnancy) and will be wide awake just when you want to hit the hay. For the first few days you won't be able to do much about this. But once your baby is about 2 weeks old, you can start teaching him to distinguish night from day.

When he's alert and awake during the day, interact with him as much as you can, keep the house and his room light and bright, and don't worry about minimizing regular daytime noises like the phone, TV, or dishwasher. If he tends to sleep through feedings, wake him up.

At night, don't play with him when he wakes up. Keep the lights and noise level low, and don't spend too much time talking to him. Before long he should begin to figure out that nighttime is for sleeping.

Consider starting a bedtime routine.
It's never too early to start trying to follow a bedtime routine. It can be something as simple as getting your baby changed for bed, singing a lullaby, and giving him a kiss goodnight.

Give him a chance to fall asleep on his own.
By the time he's 6 to 8 weeks old, you can start giving your baby a chance to fall asleep on his own. How? Put him down when he's sleepy but still awake, suggests Jodi Mindell, associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Sleeping Through the Night.

Mindell advises against rocking or nursing your baby to sleep, even at this young age. "Parents think that what they do this early doesn't have an effect," she says, "but it does. Babies are learning their sleep habits. If you rock your child to sleep every night for the first eight weeks, why would he expect anything different later on?"

Not everyone agrees with this strategy, however. Some parents choose to rock or nurse their babies to sleep because they believe it's normal and natural, because they enjoy it and their baby is thriving and sleeping well, or simply because nothing else seems to work.

(www.parenthood.com)

How much sleep does your child need?

As a new parent, that's probably one of your biggest questions. Below are some general guidelines as to how many hours of sleep the average child requires at various ages. Of course, every child is different — some need up to two hours more or less sleep than others.

Age	Nighttime Sleep	Daytime Sleep *	Total Sleep
1 month	8 1/2	7 (3)	15 1/2
3 months	10	5 (3)	15
6 months	11	3 1/4 (2)	14 1/4
9 months	11	3 (2)	14
12 months	11 1/4	2 1/2 (2)	13 3/4
18 months	11 1/4	2 1/4 (1)	13 1/2
2 years	11	2 (1)	13
3 years	10 1/2	1 1/2 (1)	12
* number of naps in parentheses

Keep in mind that most children need lots of sleep. Often, says BabyCenter sleep expert Jodi Mindell, author of Sleeping Through the Night, if a child has poor sleep habits or refuses to go to bed before 11 at night, his parents will think that he just doesn't need a lot of sleep. That's probably not true — in fact, it's likely that such a child is actually sleep-deprived. To see whether your child falls into that camp, ask yourself these questions:

• Does your child fall asleep almost every time he's in a car?

• Do you have to wake your child almost every morning?

• Does your child seem cranky, irritable, or overtired during the day?

• On some nights, does your child seem to crash much earlier than his usual bedtime?

If you answered "yes" to any of these, your child may be getting less sleep than he needs. To change this pattern, you'll need to help him develop good sleep habits and set an appropriate bedtime. "Then he'll get all the sleep he needs to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed," Mindell says.


Eventually your child will stop napping and start doing all of his sleeping at night. Preschoolers and young elementary school students still need up to ten or 11 hours of sleep a night, but that amount will gradually diminish. By the time he's a teenager, your child will need only about nine or ten hours of shut-eye per night.


(Mia Fichita memang kurang tidur...mlm hari..oklah..dlm 9 hours, but siang hari, hardly 4 hours. That's why makin kurus....risaunya)


-www.parenthood.com-

I have to admit

I have to admit.
I'm NOT a superwoman.
I have to accept my limitations, my weaknesses.
I can't force myself to do the things that I can't do;
to accomplish the things that I can't even start;
to take on responsibility that I can't bear.

I have to admit.
After more than 30 years living in this world,
enjoying all the bounties from God;
I am just a slave of Him,
who constantly hope for His Blessings and Love to keep going on.

I have to admit.
I've got nothing to complain.
Allah has blessed and trusted me with three children;
to nurture them to be the successful, pious believing man and women.
I have a very caring and loving family,
who always support me to go through the painstaking obstacles.
I've been privileged
to enjoy the company and care from my better half

I have to admit.
Life is not a bed of roses.
Happiness and sadness fluctuate every now and then.
There is no short cut to success.
The journey of life is absolutely a never-ending story
of laughs, smiles and tears.

I have to admit.
I'm not a superwoman.
This oft-cheerful lady needs a break,
needs a shoulder to cry on,
needs spending some time in solace
in order to move on.


-ummuwafi, 16th December 2008-

Which reading stage is your child in?

Learning to read is a process that can take years, and although each child learns at his own pace, most progress through four basic reading stages. Read the descriptions that follow to find the one that best describes your child. Then put that information to use with our stage-specific reading articles that offer tips on how to choose great books, master reading skills, and more.

Signs of a Pre-Reader

Your child is probably a pre-reader, also called a pre-emergent reader, if he does most of the following:

• Plays with books as toys but doesn't yet understand that they contain stories.

• Has been exposed to books and enjoys hearing them, but doesn't yet comprehend that the pages contain words that correspond to a story.

• Is attracted to the bright colors and illustrations found in books, but doesn't understand that the pictures depict a story.

• Can't identify any words or letters on the pages.

Rough age guideline for a pre-reader: 2 to 4 years old

Signs of a Beginning Reader

Your child is probably a beginning reader, also known as an emerging reader, if he does most of the following:

• Needs pictures on each page to help tell the story.

• Has trouble answering questions about the story.

• Memorizes books and tries to read them again and again.

• Reads aloud unexpressively and doesn't stop for punctuation.

• Comes across an unknown word and is able to sound out the beginning, but then makes up the rest or skips over it.

Rough age guideline for a beginning reader: 4 to 6 years old

Signs of an Intermediate Reader

Your child is probably an intermediate reader, also known as a developing reader, if he does most of the following:

• Reads smoothly most of the time with few mistakes but must stop sometimes to sound out words.

• Uses pictures as well as context clues from the rest of the sentence to figure out the meaning of a story.

• Comes across an unknown word, sounds it out, and can usually figure out the meaning based on context.

• Can answer simple questions about the story.

• Reads aloud expressively sometimes and pauses for most punctuation.

• Enjoys new books, reading easier ones independently and more difficult ones with an older child or adult.

Rough age guideline for an intermediate reader: 6 to 8 years old

"Grasp the Cup of Life with both hands and drink deeply....
savour every drop and look forward for more".

5-week-old's development

Head's up!

Your baby's neck muscles are getting stronger, which allows her to hold her head up for short periods. She can support it for a few moments while lying on her stomach, for example, and she can probably turn it from side to side. She may be able to hold her head up when she's in a car seat or front carrier.

The first real smiles

Smiling happens at about the same time in all cultures, so get ready for your baby to reward all your loving care with a beaming, toothless, just-for-you smile. This will probably make your heart melt, even if you've just had your worst night yet.

Sound asleep

Your baby may start sleeping longer at night (maybe four to six hours) sometime between 6 weeks and 6 months of age. It's a broad range, and much depends on your baby's development and your behavior.

Most sleep experts suggest putting your baby to bed while she's still awake, but drowsy. This will help her learn to fall asleep on her own, a skill that will come in handy for you both when she wakes in the wee hours of the night. You can help your baby reach that milestone sooner rather than later by establishing healthy sleep habits from the start, such as a bedtime routine with a calming bath, a baby massage, or a bedtime story.

Remember, your baby is an individual

All babies are unique and meet milestones at their own pace. Developmental guidelines simply show what your baby has the potential to accomplish — if not right now, then soon. If your baby was premature, keep in mind that kids born early usually need a bit more time to meet their milestones. If you have any questions at all about your baby's development, ask your healthcare provider.

My long-lost hobby

Sebenarnya, sejak kecil lagi, Mama Mia mmg hantu buku. Masa kecil2 dulu...sanggup tak tidur siang dan jug malam kalau dah mula baca story books. Akan tetapi, kalau buku sekolah...jgn haraplah setekun itu. Waktu kecil2..buku cerita siri Enid Blyton, Amelia Jane, Hardy Boys, The Famous Five, dan mcm2 lagi buku cerita English yg dibaca. Kebetulan...makcik2 di Singapore manjakan Mama Mia, cos Mama Mia adalah first anak sedara mereka....so selalulah diorang belikan buku2 cerita pelbagi jenis.

Bila masuk sekolah menengah...masih lagi hobby utama ialah baca buku cerita. Mula2..bacalah buku2 untuk teens..lama2 start baca novel English yg tebal2. Mata Mama Mia nie jadi rabun pun sebab baca stroy books..suka baca dlm gelap (cos curi2 baca waktu mlm bila org lain dah tidur) or membaca sambil baring di atas katil.

Lama kelamaan, after SPM, Mama Mia dah tak sempat nak baca story books or novels lagi. Especially time blajar matriculation for medic dulu...nak tidur dan makan pun semput2 cari masa...buku medic dahlah tebal2 kena baca....so...memang takder masa. Then time gi oversea sambung blaja pun...lagilah takder masa nak baca novels. Sebab time blajar di negara org dulu, Mama Mia sgt active dlm persatuan pelajar Malaysia....dan masa tak gi kampus dihabiskan dgn aktiviti2 sosial, study groups ataupun mencuba resepi yg diblaja dpd kwn2 daripada negeri lain. Maklumlah..tak pandai masak. Time pergi oversea dulu pun umur baru 18 tahun...

Bila balik dari belajar, umur baru 22...tapi Mama Mia terus sambung blajar Masters. So lama kelamaan hobby membaca novel dah terbantut habissss. Bila kahwin umur 24 thn, dan terus dpt anak....Mama Mia still ada hobby membaca...tapi bhn2 bacaan dah tak mcm dulu. Berbeza. Sejak kawin dan ada anak, Mama Mia cuma baca parenting magazines, books dan ap2 saja yg berkenaan parenting, health . No more novels. Nak beli novels pun mcm dh mula berkira...lokek..cos satu novel boleh beli 5 bulan punya parenting magazine. heheh. Ataupun dah dpt sebualan diapers anak!

Sungguh tak disangka...bila bersalinkan Fichita nie...Mama Mia berpeluang membaca novel2 cinta semula. Semuanya secara tak sengaja. Tak sangka juga adik2 Mama Mia yg remaja ada banyak novel yg dipinjam dari library dan rakan2nya. Apatah lagi...dua minggu pertama dlm berpantang..Mama Mia pulun baca novel2 cinta .....hehhe, sambil menyusukan Fichita.....dapatlah baca 4 buah novel dlm masa dua minggu tu. Lagipun time tu Mama Mia tak nak sentuh buku2 pelajaran, sebab taknak mengusutkan fikiran....nak berehatlah.....

Seronok baca novel . Hobby yg dah lama tak dilakukan. Sejak baca novel2 cinta nie...rasa mcm dah mula "jiwang" sikit. (sayang pulak Papa outstation ..) Selama nie Mama Mia tak sedar...Mama Mia dah byk berubah. Bak kata org.bila dah lama kawin...kdg2 kita mula take things for granted , especially sejak kerja dlm bidang akademik dan blajar semula...bila dua2 suami isteri dlm bidang akademik, satu bidang yg serius dan selalu memerah otak, tanpa disedari, kehidupan lama-kelamaan jadi semakin serius dan "too logical". Time breakfast, berbual pasal seminar, time tea time, berbual pasal meeting dan bengkel2, time dinner bercerita pasal idea baru or paper baru yg akan ditulis, time rehat before tidur pulak bertukar2 pendapat pasal isu terkini yg perlu difikirkan dan digarapi. heheh. Yg penting semuanya academic lah!


Hmmm.... sebenarnya sesekali mmg perlu gak baca novel2 cinta nie...just to help us to bring back the "jiwang" part of ourselves. Tapi lepas nie rasanya tak der masa lah nak baca novel...buku2 rujukan study ni pun tak habis nak baca!

Baby Milestones

Basic Milestones of Infant Development

During the first year, each child’s cognitive, hearing, language, visual and motor skills develop differently and can vary by several months. The following is a general outline of basic milestones. If your child does not demonstrate most of these age-appropriate activities in the general time frames outlined here, discuss your concerns with your child’s doctor.

Cognitive Skills
1 to 3 months – Cries for comfort or feeding. Anticipates that distress will be followed by comfort. Makes associations (for example, crying results in being held or fed).

4 to 7 months – Finds partially hidden objects. Explores with hands and mouth. Struggles to get objects that are out of reach. Understands that he can cause things to happen.

8 to 12 months – Understands concept of “in” and “out.” Is anxious around strangers. Associates mental images with words and pictures. Remembers where a toy is when it’s hidden under something.

Verbal and Hearing Skills
1 to 3 months – Grunts, coos, squeals and makes other noises. Cries when put down. Cries differently for different needs. Draws out vowel sounds, such as “aaah” or “oooh.” Smiles at the sound of your voice. Turns head toward the direction of sound. Identifies a person by his or her voice, even if that person is in another room.

4 to 7 months – Responds to own name. Begins to respond to “no.” Distinguishes emotions by tone of voice. Responds to sound by making sound. Babbles chains of consonants.

8 to 12 months – Responds to and uses simple verbal requests. Says “dada” and “mama.” Tries to imitate words.

Visual Skills
1 to 3 months – Watches faces intently. Follows moving objects. Recognizes familiar objects and people 8 to 12 inches away. Starts using hands and eyes in coordination.

4 to 7 months – Has full color vision. Can see things at a distance. Can track moving objects.

8 to 12 months – Sees small objects. Can spot the tiniest crumb on the rug. Has an increasingly good sense of spatial relationships – for example, what is up and down, inside and outside.

Motor Skills
1 to 3 months – Stretches legs out and kicks when lying on stomach or back. Opens and shuts hands. Brings hand to mouth. Takes swipes at dangling objects with hands.

4 to 7 months – Transfers object from hand to hand, and can bring it to her mouth. Uses her fingers and thumbs together in a claw-like grip. Lying on her back, she can grab her feet and toes and bring them to her mouth.

8 to 12 months – Uses a pincer grasp. Bangs two objects together. Takes items out of container. Pokes with index finger.

Learning to Walk
The time frame for learning to walk varies from child to child. The information below outlines basic progress.

4 to 6 months – Rolls in both directions when on stomach. Gets to sitting position without assistance.

6 to 9 months – Crawls forward on belly. Creeps on hands and knees.

8 to 10 months – Pulls self up to standing position, usually holding on to furniture. Stands momentarily without support.

12 to 18 months – Walks two or three steps without support.

Co-sleeping with your baby

Keeping It Safe

Some recommendations for parents to follow when co-sleeping:

• Infants should sleep on their backs on firm, clean surfaces, in the absence of smoke, under light, comfortable blanketing, and their heads should never be covered.
• The bed should not have any stuffed animals or pillows around the infant and an infant should never be placed to sleep on top of a pillow.
• Infants should never sleep on couches or sofas, with or without adults, because they can slip down into the crevice or get wedged against the back of a couch. They also should not sleep on beanbags or waterbeds.
• Avoid crevices between mattress and wall or mattress and side rail. Avoid side rails, headboards and footboards that have slats that could entrap your baby's head.
• Infants 1 year old or younger should not sleep with other children.
• Parents on sedatives, medications, drugs or who have consumed alcohol or those who are excessively unable to arouse because of sleep disorders should not co-sleep on the same surface with the infant. This is also true if your partner has or takes no responsibility for the baby.
• Mothers with excessively long hair should tie it up to prevent infant entanglement around the infant's neck.
• Extremely obese persons, who may not feel where exactly or how close their infant is, may wish to have the infant sleep alongside but on a different surface.
• Avoid putting your bed near curtains or blinds that have dangling strings that could strangle your baby.

www.parenthood.com

My Life is Great...(!??)

Just a quick glance at Fichita's round, chubby face early in the morning can bring me a smile ! What a great gift from Allah, I always say to myself, purposely to remind myself to be thankful to Him and accept my life the way it is.

Since Fichita was born about a month ago, I have to accept that my life will be undergoing a tremendous change; something I really hate to happen in my life. The first two weeks was a smooth sailing parenting. I guess what I heard about "u will have an easily managed baby if u've gone through a hard delivery" from few friends is really wrong as it comes to the third and fourth week. My patience and skills of parenting were totally challenged during the fourth week after Fichita coming to my life. She started to become cranky and demanded total attention from me. With the two assignments (30 pages each) that have been bothering me and to be submitted by the end of December, I guess no one could be more stressful and exhausted than I am right now.

Thanks so much to my mom, my sisters and other family members for the continous support and sincere help. Still, I must confess that the last two weeks of my life had been a nightmare! Fichita turns out to be a colicky baby, having difficulties with her sleeping routine and is a very 'manja" type baby, who loves cuddling and baby-wearing. I had to juggle the round the clock nursing and writing up my assignment. Hmm....isn't that great??

My two months maternity leave is in fact not a leave that ought to be enjoyed happily, and to be spent as quality times with my newborn. My routine starts with nursing /breastfeeding Fichita, cleaning her, and then grab a bite for my breakfast, if she falls asleep, quickly switch on the laptop, then nursing her again, ........ bla bla bla. I even find it hard to rest or even clean up myself! Consequently, I've become really stress out.

People may think Fichita is the one who makes my life soooo hectic. But actually, it's the assignments and the study that really give me a headache. Having said that, I'm thankful to Allah for HIs blessings and really hope I can get through this challenging period with patience and success. If anyone asks me how my life is...I will answer..."MY LIFE IS GREAT!!??".

The Day...The unforgettable

Baru sekarang Mama Mia berpeluang nak menulis dlm blog. Fichita yg kuat menyusu...paling lama Mama Mia "lega" semasa Fichita tidur ialah sejam setengah saja. Tapi di akhir zaman nie..apa sangatlah yg boleh dibuat dlm masa sejam setengah. Ditambah dgn term paper yg perlu disiapkan dan dihantar akhir December nie....Mama Mia sentiasa mengejar waktu. Baru 3 minggu dilahirkan di muka bumi ini, Fichita terpaksa menemani Mama Mia di depan laptop sambil membasahkan tekaknya dan mengisi perut yg kelaparan. Nak buat mcm mana..terpaksalah my dear...sebab berazam nak breastfeed Fichita selama dan sebanyak mungkin...Mama Mia dan Fichita terpaksalah berkorban!


Kalau tak silap...latest post dlm blog ni ialah pada 8 november, 2 hari before Fichita lahir. So for the sake of kenang-kenangan untuk anak2 especially Fichita sendiri bila dewasa kelak...Mama Mia nak outline kan chronology kelahiran Fichita serba sedikit.

8 Nov 08 - Mama Mia semakin risau sebab dah 3 hari overdue. Fikiran tak tentu hala...so Papa brought us to his parents house and we also visited his elder sister, who delivered a baby girl on 6th November. Bila tgk wajah baby yg cute..rasa bertambah stress memikirkan bilalah agaknya baby nak keluar. Everybody kept on telling me sabar dan relax...but deep down in my heart...rasa stress dan risau bukan sebab baby tak keluar lagi..tapi sebab perasaan tak sedap hati yg melanda sejak dari awal pregnancy. Perasaan takut tak panjang umur, or tak dpt melahirkan dgn selamat.

Petang..Papa ajak gi jusco, window shopping. Hehe...he's not the type yg rajin "membuang masa" window shopping. Papa lebih rela mengadap laptop tulis artikel baru or membaca buku2 di bookshelf kat living room tu. Tapi, he did it purposely to make me happy and to give me an opportunity to exercise, so that I could deliver the baby soon.

Singgah kat Harvey Norman...sempat pulak beli washing machine baru. Dah terlanjur ada good bargain. After Maghrib..dah rasa letih dan sakit pinggang. Tapi tak nak mengharap...

9 Nov 08 - Since balik dari my in-laws house, sakit pinggang tak reda. Tapi hati ini still mengatakan...janganlah nak berharap..two days ago time round satu Alamanda pun sakit pinggang sampai ke malam..tapi bila tido jer dah hilang. So most probably tonite will be the same.

Pukul 3 pagi...terbangun dari tidur. Pinggang rasa mcm lenguh dan sakit sikit2. Tapi rupanya dah ada "show". Tapi masih ragu2 lagi...betul ke nie? Is it the time? Berdebar2 pulak rasanya. Takut pun ada...tapi teruskan berzikir dan berdoa...moga selamat dan dipermudahkan.

Sempat informed Papa. Tapi suh Papa tidor semula...cos rasanya lama lagi nie.

At 8 am...Chichi ada ihtifal (graduation day) kat sekolah. Dia dapat medal for highest achievement in Islamic Studies (mcm tak percaya jer...) Mama Mia tak pergi..Papa pun just duduk sejam kat dewan tu then balik rumah. (biasalah..manalah Papa suka..for him, another "buang masa" ) No contraction....no bleeding, but the backache has started to become more intense. Mama Mia malas nak gi hospital, cos masih awal lagi. Kemas rumah..kemas bag untuk ke hospital...dan apa2 yg patut before ke hospital nanti.

After picking Chichi up from school around 1 pm, we went to have our lunch at a restaurant and then..straight away went to the hospital. We reached the emergency room for delivery at 2.15pm. The contraction was every 15 minutes. But still, the pain was bearable. Since I was only 2cm dilated, I was admitted to the ward at 3 pm.

At 5 pm, I started to feel very bored. Papa suggested that we take a walk at the hospital's park . So, wearing the ward's "pink" outfit, Papa, Mama Mia, Afafita and Wafitos went out for some fresh air. Doktor pun pesan..kalau nak cepat bersalin... banyakkan berjalan. The contraction was 10 minutes away.

At 8 pm, Papa and the kids went home. Kesian the kids...dari petang temankan Mama Mia di hospital...lagipun they need to eat and clean up themselves. Papa pun dah letih gak nampaknya. So, after they left, Mama was alone! Sedihnya...rasa mcm nak nangis...sebab perasaan takut tak selamat dan takut tak dpt jumpa all the lovely faces of those I love datang semula mengganggu. Kesakitan contraction tak seberapa..tapi kesedihan dan kerisauan yg ditanggung sejak awal mengandung bertandang semula di hati. Ya Allah..selamatkan daku..panjangkanlah usiaku..anak2ku masih memerlukanku.

At 9 pm..the doctor did a checkup. The contration was 5 minutes away, but still the cervix was 3 cm dilated. What a slow progress. Doctor pun dah mula berkerut muka...pelik dan pening. It was gravida 3, maksudnya kandungan ketiga..supposed to be easier and faster. Mama Mia bertambahlah runsing. Mulut tak henti berkumat kamit berdoa dan berzikir...teringat tips dari finie , suh banyakkan baca yasin bila start contraction. In fact..since last week lagi, every day Mama Mia dah start baca Yasin pagi dan malam. Ya Allah...apalah dugaanMu ini. Berilah daku kekuatan dan Inayah.

Mama Mia habiskan masa sejak ptg tadi dgn berjalan dan buat 'ward round' mcm doctor pulak. berjalan tak henti..cuma rest dlm 2,3 minit jer then teruskan berjalan. All the nurses siap ckp, "Puan nie kuat betul, tahan sakit, masih boleh jln2".

10 nov 08, - At 1 am, the doctor came again. This time around the contraction was quite intense, but I was still 3 cm dilatet! Ya Allah! Dah sepuluh jam kat hospital...contrction dah jadi tiap 4 minit pun masih 3 cm jer. Doctor pun pecahkan air ketuban.....then kenalah masuk ke labor room. Sakitnya. Tapi masih blh tanggung...

At 2 am, I called Papa to inform him my progress. Asked him to come over. Alhamdulillah, my parents in law spent the nite at my house to look after the kids. So, no more worries. I was sent to the labor room. The contraction has became so strong that I became speechless. The moment I saw hubby waiting for me at the labor room, I felt so sad. Terfikir...dpt ke lagi tgk dia lepas nie? rasa mcm nak luahkan mcm2 kat hubby, nak minta keredhaan dia...takut tak sempat lagi after this. terbayang semua salah silap yg pernah buat kat hubby dan segala kebaikan dia. hehe.

Sakitnya tak terkata. Midwife bagi gas for pain relief...disedut every time rasa contraction. Tapi, tak berkesan jugak.

At 3 am, the contraction had reached level 5. The doctor explained to me that my contraction was very strong and had reached the peak, but there is still no progress in my cervix dilation. Muka MO tu dah berkerut2. Mcm petanda negatif jer. Midwives dan doktor asyik sok-sek-sok-sek jer...discussing bout my case. Kesakitan pun dah sampai tahap gaban...tiap kali contraction, sakitnya dari hujung kaki sampai ke tengkuk. Tak pernah rasa sakit bersalin sebegini teruk. Time Afafita dan Wafitos dulu, alhamdulillah, sakitnya bearable dan kejap jer. Bersalin pun agak mudah....sekali push jer.

At 3.30 am, bukaan pintu rahim masih 3-4 cm saja. Air dah dua botol tapi masih "jalan" tak bukak lagi. To make matter worse, baby's heartbeat dropped during the contraction, and of course, it's not good. Kalau dibiarkan, kemungkinan baby boleh lemas. So, the doctor start contact the pakar bedah , to prepare for an emergency c-section kalau perlu.

Sakitnya tak terkata. Time tu dah tak ingat apa...even hubby yg setia di sebelah berdoa dan bagi moral support pun dah tak heran. Yang tergambar di kepala....apa akan jadi...yg terfikir di otak, selamatkah Mama Mia? Hanya berharap rahmah Allah dan bertawasul, berharap Allah masih memberi peluang untuk Mama Mia merasai nikmat hidup dan peluang untuk menjaga dan mendidik anak2. Masih banyak dosa2 yg blm sempat bertaubat...masih byk amanah yg blm tertunai. Takutnya....

Doktor pun kosongkan pundi kencing menggunakan satu alat...sakit jgn ckplah. Dulu, tak pernah kena procedure2 mcm nie.

At 4 am, the doctor "seluk" lagi time final vaginal examination. Tetiba...muka doctor berkerut. Terus doktor kelam kabut ckp ngan midwives (ada 3 org): "Dah 8 cm!! Cepat, prepare for delivery." Mama Mia pun mcm tak percaya. Doctor pun geleng kepala...dlm masa setengah jam jer..terus pintu rahim terbuka. Dlm masa 27 minit lepas tu, dgn 3 kali push (sebab kepala Fichita besar dan rangka pun besar), alhamdulillah selamat melahirkan Fichita.

Memang kuasa Allah dan pertolongan Allah. Sebenarnya tak sangka dpt melahirkan Fichita secara normal. Mama Mia sebenarnya dah pasrah dan putus asa. Dah tak kisah apa saja yg doktor nak buat, asal cepat selesai jer.

Selepas Fichita keluar...rasa insaf dan syahdu sgt. Syukur...Allah masih beri peluang meneruskan hidup. Inilah kelahiran yg paling dramatik dan penuh gdn suspense. Dan paling sakit! Mudah2an menjadi kaffarah untuk menebus dosa2 selama ini.

Kelahiran yg dinanti....

In the labor room....the first touch

Fichita dear....day 1

Fichita..day 3

alhamdulillah...Fichita selamat dilahirkan secara normal pada 10 november, 4.27 a.m. Berat 3.61kg, 51 cm panjang.....

Update..

Alhamdulillah...after more than three weeks...Mama Mia berpeluang juga mencuri2 waktu untuk menjenguk blog dan melayari internet. Rasanya mcm dah bersawang jer "rumah" Mama mia nie...rindu nak jenguk blog rakan2 dan kenalan di alam maya nie.

Niat hati nak tulis panjang lebar..dan sebanyak mungkin..nak merakam perasaan yg bercampur baur dan segala aktiviti dan events yg berlaku selama ketiadaan Mama Mia selama 3 minggu....tapi apakan daya..si Fichita (my new bundle of joy) yg comel nie tak boleh berenggang ngan Mama Mia. Sokmolah nak berkepit...nak menyusu. Setakat nie, alhamdulillh...masih lagi fully breasfeed. Ini juga bermakna Mama Mia sgt kesuntukan masa...banyak masa dihabiskan bersama si comel Fichita yg lahir pada 10 November yg lalu di Putrajaya.

Alamak....dah nangis dah...tak sempat Mama mia nak sambung cerita. Next timelah update.....