Klinik Kesihatan Ibu & Anak - Maternal Concerns (Instincts) With Regards To Your Child

We are always looking for ways and means to save money and spend less even on important things like healthcare for our children. So going to KKIA for free medical check ups and immunisation is a no brainer for us. If you are pregnant or have recently delivered your baby and want to know how we saved a whole lot of cash on medical fees for our little Murtabak, you can read my KKIA posting to get an idea of how you can get yourself or your little one registered asap and start saving money on medical expenses.

However today I wanted to write about my recent experience when I took our little Murtabak for his 5 month check up. Both he and Chapati have been sick over the last few weeks. They were both phlegmy with running nose and cough. So it was rather tiring as it was difficult for them to rest well. I will usually request to see the doctor everytime I go for his KKIA check up if I have any doubt at all about his physical condition. Even though Chapati is only 2.5 years old, I have already forgotten a lot of things.

Catching some Zzzzz...while waiting for his turn

So as usual the clinic was packed with people and it took quite a while for someone to see us. When we were called and I sat down. I was very surprised that the nurse did not even bother to look at him and just continue to fill in the booklet. She asked me one or two questions (which I can't even remember what they were) and when I started to describe to her that he had been unwell and still is, she turned to me, her expression incredulous and said in Malay that there was nothing wrong with him. Mind you at this point, he didn't even bother to check him. I repeated again quietly that he had an on going couch and was phlegm, to which she once again said that there was completely nothing wrong with him and continued to write in the booklet.

I was of course a little annoyed that she was not even interested to hear what I had to say, so I raised my voice a little more and told to her that he was sick. She then put her palm on his chest and once again said that there was nothing wrong with him. At this point I was way past annoyed and told her directly that he was sick and I wanted to see the doctor. She then purposely asked me to come back after lunch because the doctor is going out for lunch now. I told her to her face, that it was not yet lunch time and I know for a fact that doctor is upstairs and would like to see. She was not happy I could tell and I did not want to cause a scene so I asked her if she was also going to give him his immunisation jab. She told me to come back after lunch since I wanted to see the doctor. I then asked her if she could jab him first before I go and see the doctor and she finally agreed. Honestly I was nervous about her giving him a jab, as I didn't want her to take out her unkindness and unprofessional behaviour on a baby that can't defend himself, what's more MY baby. So I was very watchful and decided to tell hubby aloud in her presence so that other people in the clinic can hear and hopefully shame her into doing the right thing. Although I can only hope and pray that the medicine jab she gave him was the correct and suitable one.

We then went to see Doctor Tharini and when I shared with her what I experienced I am so glad that she affirmed me. Little Murtabak did have a phelgmy chest! She specifically mentioned that when dealing with babies or children who cannot communicate, maternal concerns are very important in being able to treat a child. The mother or father is the caregiver and will be able to tell if there are changes in the conditions of the child. So I wasn't crazy after all and it only strengthened my resolve to be more assertive when it comes to healthcare for my child. This is coupled with our experience with the doctor when he was jaundiced during the first 12 hours of his birth. A child being unwell doesn't necessarily present itself with a fever. A middle ear infection could start and they still don't have a fever until it gets worse. (This is from a doctor, not just my quack advice...)

Chapati happy to be able eat lunch...finally...after a long restless wait

Anyway, while it is very good to be able to save a lot of money going to our government hospitals and clinics for medical attention. I have learnt that it is really easy for them to overlook something due to their workload and numerous patients. Please ask and ask and ask (nicely of course) to understand more, no matter how the nurses or doctors react/respond to you. You never want to regret that you allowed someone else to brush off your concerns when it could turn out to be something more serious. You have nothing to lose after all, if it is really nothing, thank them profusely and praise them for being a conscientious and exceptional healthcare provider!




Do you think that the trade off between price and care at government hospitals/clinics worth it? Or would you still prefer to go to private healthcare? 

My Confinement Stay Review (Part 3) - Food

DISCLAIMER: Please do note that this is my personal experience. I understand that everyone has different expectations and therefore different experiences. Please do ensure that you do your own due diligence. Please visit the center and ask the questions which are important to you. I am happy to share if anyone has specific questions. Please do connect with me on themummynotebook@gmail.com




I finally get to sit down and finish my third installment about my stay at Yuan Yuan Confinement Retreat Center for my one month confinement after the birth of our little Murtabak. I decided to break this review down to bite size posts so that I could cover my stay in more details as I have been getting requests/emails and comments from my blog readers on specific areas. You can read my earlier reviews when I first checked in for some tips if you are going to stay in a confinement center. I also detailed some information on the location and facilities of the center. Now I am going to review the food and finally my last posting will be about general care for both baby and Mummy.

Food

Part of the general practices during  post natal period of confinement and one of the biggest part of it is the food that we new mothers eat. This is supposed to help us recover from the rigours of pregnancy, labour and birth. In our Chinese culture, there is literally a soup/food that can help to replenish any kind of deficiency! :) All about food we are...

So since diet is so important during this period, I thought that food deserved a whole section of its own! Personally for me, I love confinement food like the rice wine chicken/pork/kidney, vinegar pork trotters and soups! I am really a soup person, I can have soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner and still drink soup for a snack. So you can imagine my delight when confinement consists of drinking soup everyday for lunch and dinner! Heavenly! After all when we eat well, we provide the best quality breast milk for our precious little one! My little Murtabak!

Slightly over a week old and so clever to smile!

Hubby was very kind to upgrade my food package for an additional RM 500 to the VIP food package. He wanted to make sure that I get better types of fish and I also could make requests for the food that I want (within reason of course!) So after a few days of eating this is my experience. I arrived at the center around 3 something in the afternoon as we only checked out of the hospital at 2 pm. They were very flexible and gave me a snack and told me that dinner would be prepared very soon.

This was my very first meal. Ginger chicken with soy sauce.

My first supper of hot Milo and a really yummy peach/pineapple cake! 

My first two days or so I was on the non VIP food package, however I must say that the quality of food was pretty good value! The only exception was breakfast on my 3rd day of stay. I was really surprised that they would serve processed meat and chicken nuggets!! Suffice to say, I didn't finish my breakfast and only ate the bread and eggs. I shared with them that I would not prefer to eat processed meat for the time being. Once again they were very accommodating and took my feedback positively.

English breakfast? Ham, chicken nuggets and eggs?? Bacon I would have appreciated more and definitely eaten. ;)

Soups

I shared with them my love of soups and straightaway they asked if I would like a bigger bowl of soup at every meal. I said yes! So from then on, I would get a larger bowl of soup compared to the other mummies. Sigh, forgot to take a bowl size comparison but believe me the size of my bowl was way bigger than the other mummies and fuller too!

On top of that, everyday I would  get a special double boiled nutritious soup to help me in my recovery.

My supper of cake, double boiled soup and a cup of black sesame drink

Rice  

I love the rice that they serve at Yuan Yuan, the white rice is very fragrant and cooked very well. Not to soft and not to hard. It is just right. I am glad that they provide us with good quality rice. The only drawback is that I prefer to eat brown rice but that option is not available. Hopefully in the near future, the option for brown rice will become available for mummies who want a healthier option. As for me, I didn't mind eating white rice but I was so scared of putting on weight that I told them I wanted a really small portion of rice. Once again they were happy to accommodate my request.

Hahaha, size comparison for you on the rice vs vegetables portion. Vegetables wins hands down!

One more comparison against the rest of the food served. 

Vegetables

Once again I am very much a vegetables and fruit person. I can eat fruits and vegetables all day! They were happy to adjust my vegetable portion just like my soup portion. So I ate quite a lot of vegetables during my confinement. Needless to say I had no problems with constipation. :) Some of my favourites are in the pictures below.

Meat/Fish

Everyday they would give us a serving of either chicken, pork or fish. I must say that as far as I can remember, I would get fish for one meal nearly every day. I really enjoyed the meals as it was so wholesome! It was also tasty and they were willing to adjust to my tastebuds. On occasion I would get tau foo and egg dishes which I really love to eat. They also have other interesting dishes like this fried mushroom and chicken wanton. Delicious!

Scallops, Tau Foo and Mince Pork dish. Double Yummy! :) 

Fish Paste 

The different types of fish cooked in different ways. 

Afternoon Tea and Supper

I would usually get a drink with special bread/buns/cake or tong sui (sweet dessert)

Sweet potato and ginger soup 

Light and fluffy cheesecake

Breakfast

Every morning they will ensure that you get a glass of black sesame drink which is so invigorating in the morning. I very often woke up hungry and gulping down a hot cup of wholesome black sesame drink was very satisfying. Sometimes, I would even request for an additional serving of black sesame. You could choose between having fried noodles, soup noodles or bread for breakfast.

Fried Mee Hoon and Hot Black Sesame Drink

Cantonese Style Fried Noodles

On the whole I enjoyed the food during my stay although I must say that different people have different taste buds. I know a couple of Mummies there who didn't seem as happy with the food as I was but then again, it's hard to please everybody. Honestly though, the food was good quality and it was always served fresh and hot. 

They were also very generous in terms of the serving size and on and off they would serve the Mummies with little special treats. I got the ultimate! Double boiled birds nest! 

Special treat of Bird's Nest Soup! So generous of Mr Lee. Thank you.

My favourite meal - rice wine pork and kidney with ladies fingers cooked with ginger. Yummy!

The Good:
Wholesome and flavourful dishes
Good variety, however they were more than happy to accommodate my request for one rice wine dish everyday! Yum!
Able to adjust for taste, ie. more or less salty
Able to adjust for portion size
Just in case you feel hungry at anytime (pretty rare considering how much and how often you eat during confinement) there is Milo and snacks like biscuits and bread available 24/7. 


The Bad:
No fruits. I am a fruit a lover so I had my parents and hubby bring fruit over for me every other day.


Tip:

If limited by budget and you end up staying in the shared room, request for the VIP food upgrade. It is definitely worth it!
Share with them your food preferences from the very beginning. It will help them to plan your meals.
In the event you get hungry outside of the 5 feeding times, don't hesitate to ask the helpers there for a hot cup of Milo and some snacks. (Depending on what's available.)


I have one last posting to review their general care and phew I am done! Thank you for bearing with me so far. It has taken me quite a while to finish my posting. Later!



Update: 30th December 2016

The center has been rebranded to Culture Romance Confinement Retreat Center. You can reach them on their Facebook page at @cultureromance