22 Weeks, August 10th, 2008

Baby is now 22 weeks in my womb..About 18 weeks to go. My baby has been practising martial arts all the time especially when I was lying quietly on the bed at night. It's so amazing to feel when 'he' is moving around and kicking in my belly. He is so active. Perhaps, like his daddy..haha...

Yesterday I went for 2nd check-up at Bagan Specialist, Butterworth. I was attended a blood test. The nurse took 2 'bottle' samples of my blood. It was a little hurt but I do not know why this is the first time I did not feel nervous to have blood test. Perhaps, baby had given me the strength to face this. I also feel that I have been becoming more mature than before. That's the power of a mummy. Hehe...

Oh ya, from the last check-up during week 20th, I have been gaining about 3 kg. I was weighted 46.5kg during my first visit and now I am 49.3kg. Wow..Only about 2 weeks and I gained 3kg! Doctor said it is common to have speeding weight gain in this 2 months because the baby is growing fast. Hmm...I can see that from my belly. Hehe..Baby is growing each day and I consume a lot of food everyday. Double to triple from what I usually eat because I always feel hungry... XD

After the check-up, we went to search for confinement centre around Raja Uda area as one of the confinement centre in Kulim was fully booked in Dec. It seems like a lot of Dec babies. Hehe...
I planned to stay in confinement centre after giving birth because the nanny nowadays costs more than RM2k and the nanny only taking care of mummy n baby not included doing household stuff. So, it's not worth to hire a nanny now since we still need to provide meals to her and not guarantee that she will fulfil her role efficiently. In another way round, confinement centre provides everything that mummy n baby needs for the whole month. So, it would be more convenient.

The 1st confinement centre we went to is a 3-storey shoplot. It's called Riko Confinement Centre. We rejected this place because the mummy's room at 2nd floor and the baby's room at 3rd floor. The staircase is quite high. It's not so convenient. The mummy's room has one double bed, a cupboard, a tv and air-conditioned but there is no window in the room since it is a shop. No fresh air. Only face 4 walls. I feel like staying in a prison. Not to stay 1 or 2 days..I have to stay there for 30 days..so it's like...urgh...I don't like this place.

Plus, the baby's room. Oh no...pity the babies there. They slept in the incubators and windows facing the main road outside were widely opened. The dust could come in all the time as the main road is the busiest road with all the cars passing by. That lady told us they open the windows just because the babies just have their bath and they turned off the AC. But who knows this...You know where the baby bath at? In the big SINK. There is a water heater on top of the sink. Imagine a sink bigger a little than u wash your dishes...that's the place..oh no...I think a proper bathroom would be better than a sink. Since the sink might be slippery for the babies. One more negative comment is the nanny. They hired young indian nanies. I do not think they have much experience because I saw one of the nanny puts a baby down in the incubator so fast. Just like dropping a doll. As soon as she puts the baby down, she turned the baby's body backward and turned the head just like that..oh no...the baby is so fragile and you know what..she hitted the baby's back so rude till the baby cried out. Maybe she wanted to help the baby burp but I don't think that's the way. Imagine......till the baby cried out. Walao...terrible...see also feel pityful.

Although this centre seems neat with 15 mummy's room but.... NEGATIVE RATING!
It costs RM 3680 for a month and provides this kind of services. Not worth at all.

NEXT, Shallom Confinement Centre. It was recommended by the boss of the 'dim sum' restaurant. His wife had her confinement here earlier. It is a double storey terrace house. Of course, the air and environment would be better than a shoplot. There is 2-sharing room, 3-sharing room and also single room. I chose single room because it would be more convenient. Hehe..I don't like to share room with others. The baby's room is nice. Air-conditioned and baby sleeps in the baby's bed. Not like the earlier centre, sleeps in the incubator *sigh*. The babies were sleeping when we went to take a look. All sleeps deeply. Hehe *so cute*. That's the best place for my baby. Hehe.

It costs RM 3550 for single room, RM 3300 for 2-sharing room and RM 3100 for 3-sharing room. It includes everything of baby needs (clothes, diapers, milk powder, milk bottles and etc.). We do not need to bring anything for baby during our stay except a pair of clothes when baby ready to go back home after 30 days. For mummy, 5 meals a day will be provided and tea bath ready. So, I will feel like staying in hotel for 30 days without doing anything. Hehee.... =p
The owner of the house is a Christian. She is very kind. I believe a Christian has more love. Hehe..She has 11 years of experience of being a nanny. I saw some babies already few months old were also there. She said she also provides day and night care services for those working mummy.

So, that's the place for me and baby for the first month =)