Calling All Mummies

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

salam,

To any of my blog reader who is already a mummy, would any of you mind sharing your personal experience through first child pregnancy? How did you get through it? How was your diet? Do you take supplements? What kind of exercise do you do during the whole period of pregnancy? What kind of craving did you go through? What dua did you amal? Anything...

I would REALLY REALLY REALLY appreciate all you momma's sharing your point of view.

It would be a great deal of help, insyaAllah

As for what i'm going through, i just passed the 7 weeks milestone, Alhamdulillah...And boy, this is the most confusing time of my life. Anxiety & fear, my mind is so noisy, i couldn't stand it. I try to meditate & pray as much as possible to keep the negative thoughts out of my mind, although due to lack of experience really makes it hard. I've been reading 'Magical Child', and it help me convince to  have my baby at home. I'm hoping to deliver it in the comfort of our own home (my mom cringed everytime i mentioned about it, she's yet convinced~of course she's worried in any case of difficulties), She insist that i have the baby in the hospital, although i'm not sure i love the idea 'welcoming' my baby with glaring neon lights, cold spatula's, screaming nurses & doctors tensing the whole atmosphere. And most of all, i hate to think about the idea how babies are taken away to get 'prepared & cleaned' from mothers right after birth. Its absurd! Mother and child should be bonding right after birth, its not like the baby is 'dirty'. I'll elaborate more on natural birth on my next post, in the meantime, my mum is hoping i'll give this private hospital a chance and meet one of the doctor. My sister and couple of my friend gave birth at this particular private clinic, which according to my mum, is pretty "islamic". It happen to be known as a good hospital, although i could only be content if i could 'negotiate' with the doctor if they could deliver my baby as according to some of my preference. (is it possible?) Questions i would like to ask them would be:

1. Can i choose non-laying down position during labour?-Studies shows and through many testimonials by mothers who had delivered babies in the hospital & natural birth, that laying down position during labour are the hardest and bring most pain. The natural and best position during labour is when you allow gravity to help, during squat position.

2.  I know mothers can choose to take/not epidurals (pain-relief drug) during labour, but i wonder if it could be mother's choice to choose not to have episiotomy (a small cut made in the skin and muscle from entrance of vagina). -I hope nature can do its work and let the skin contract to the situation. Perineium masssage which is a prenatal massage of the perineum (the area around your vagina) which starts around 30+ weeks during pregnancy could increase the stretching ability of the area, decreasing the chance of episiotomy and/or natural tearing. Yes...Ow~

3. I would like to know if the doctor's would cut the umbilical chord, which i would appreciate if they don't and let it dry out thoroughly before it is cut.-studies shows the umbilical chord which hold reserved oxigen and blood supply for the baby, are usually cut too soon which contribute to lack of air supplied to the babies brain, which are mostly the main cause to mental deficiency. Let's hope the doctor would prioritize what the baby needs instead of to make their job easier. 

4. Would the child be taken away from me after labour. All 'cleaning' should commence in my arm after the child are calm in my skin for a certain period of time.-umbilical chord is long enough to allow the child to be cuddled in the arms of his/her mother for continuous bonding after birth. The child is not dirty, soaps are unnecessary. So is injections or drugs~ 

I have more questions, insyaAllah for me to prepare before my appointment with the hospital. But for now, i hope that it gives us more rights in the choices and taking responsibility in delivering our own baby. Natural birth has been done centuries before technologies are 'advanced', thus the difference of 10-15 minutes natural birth had been prolonged to almost 24 hours labour due to hospital-style birth makes you wonder, doesn't it? Well know i am pregnant, i'm starting to question who are we to outwit nature and God given strength? especially mothers...With healthy and balance diet and preparation, insyaAllah how can not nature perform its miracle? I really hope more voices out there can share their opinions here, this time, i'm breaking the wall...let me know what you think. Thank you.

Peace+ Love,
H