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

A Family Medical Emergency

You realise just how fragile life is when a loved one who just a week ago seemed healthy and full of life is suddenly in ICU having just undergone an Aneursym Embolisation procedure. In simple terms, an "Interventional Radiologist guides a long tube called a catheter through a small incision in the groin up to the location of the aneurysm. Through the catheter, the radiologist places many soft platinum coils into the aneurysm. The coils are extremely small and soft. The body develops a blood clot around the coils. The packed coils and the blood clot effectively prevent blood from entering the aneurysm, essentially eliminating the risk of the aneurysm rupturing." (This is an excerpt from http://www.riainvision.com/)

A picture of what endovascular coiling looks like. Taken from www.brainaneurysm.com 

Yeah, my sister has a brain aneurysm! I kind of know what it is but really don't know exactly what it is. I knew that it had something to do with vessels in the brain and the horrors stories of people dying within minutes of a ruptured aneurysms came to mind. Since then I felt the driving need to really understand what it is and how my sister could come out of it alive and well.

Typing "aneurysm" into Google yielded 9.2 million hits. I just clicked on the first hit which was WebMd and they had a topic overview that was very helpful for a non-medical person like me. Copying a small the excerpt from the article:-

What is a brain aneurysm?

A brain (cerebral) aneurysm is a bulging, weak area in the wall of an artery that supplies blood to the brain. In most cases, a brain aneurysmcauses no symptoms and goes unnoticed. In rare cases, the brain aneurysm ruptures, releasing blood into the skull and causing a stroke.

When a brain aneurysm ruptures, the result is called a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Depending on the severity of the hemorrhage, brain damage or death may result.

You can read the full Topic Overview here.

This just happened last Thursday, my sister was on a scuba diving holiday with her family in Redang Island. For as long as I can remember she always had incidences of bad migraines causing her to become nauseous and vomit. But she would always feel better after some vomiting, downing some pain medication and going off to sleep. Little did we know that it was an indication of bigger things happening in her brain. Two days prior she was experiencing excruciating migraines that would not go away and caused her extreme discomfort and nausea. They were actually due to come home to KL that day but my brother-in-law found her slumped in the toilet. She had blacked out and on the way down she must have fell face first on her right side, as she had a terrible black eye, swelling and bruises on her face and all along her cheeks and chin. She also had petechiae all over her face and neck.

They then quickly called the doctor from the neighbouring resort and he immediately recommended that she be transferred to the Kuala Terrenganu Hospital as soon as possible. A speedboat was then arranged to transport her to the mainland and then by ambulance to the hospital. They did some test and found that there is bleeding in the subarachnoid space and most probably would require surgery. They did a CT scan and a angiogram. They found the aneurysm but thankfully it was not actively bleeding. However, the risk of a potential rupture was imminent. As with all aneurysms, it is a ticking time bomb that could go off at anytime causing irreversible damage!!

A cerebral angiogram was needed but they didn't have the necessary equipment in Kuala Terengganu. Hence, the doctor wrote out the transfer to KL General Hospital at about 4 in the afternoon. Unfortunately my brother in law was then informed that they would only be able to do the transfer at 8 pm due to the fact it was the fasting month and they had to break their fast at 7 something in the evening. It was really a shock and inconceivable that a life of a person was worth less than someone breaking their fast and getting something to eat. It really begs the question, could they not break their fast on the way? Surely our newly built fantastic and equipped highway could provide a place and food for them to appropriately break their fast during this holy month of Ramadan. Ironically, the virtues were just not seen at all...They waited from 4 pm till 8 pm and when nothing happened my brother-in-law had to go once again to ask if the transfer was happening and he was then told, that the people still had not completed their meal and would be back soon. The possible rescheduled timing was 9 pm. Once again more delays and what was worse, they could not even be bothered to inform anyone about the change of time. You could just be sitting there waiting for nothing! At 9 pm, my brother-in-law had to once again ask the nurses whether the transfer was happening or not only to receive the answer yes, BUT there are some paperwork that they had to completed before they go. The level of harebrained kooky competency was just staggering! This could have been done well before the transfer time! As it is, the transfer was already delay by one hour from the initial 8 pm timing. They could have asked for all this to be done when my brother-in-law first approached them at 8 pm! Of course this caused a further 45 minutes delay and it was about 9.45 pm when they left Kuala Terengganu. Can you imagine? First of all, the patient just sitting through 5.5 hours of pain and the unknown...just waiting..waiting...the anxiety and dread of every minute that passed for family members praying that the aneurysm not rupture...watching helplessly as she suffer the increasing pain in her head and neck due to the increasing pressure in her brain...It is incredible how some human beings can have so little compassion and empathy for another human being who is suffering and so much selfishness of "wanting to eat"...

The ambulance reached Kuala Lumpur at around 3 am and went straight to the ER. Once again in the usual crap of Malaysia hospital bureaucracy and the seemingly "tidak apa" (can't be bothered) attitude of "I have already seen so many people in worse conditions or dead" my sister was made to wait a mere 2 hours just to get a short of pain meds to help with the increasing pain that she was experiencing. What was worse, the people in the ER didn't see it fit to inform the receiving doctor that the patient had arrived. It was really frustrating and its making us angry. Another 11 hours later, they then wheeled her in to get the much needed cerebral angiogram. As my brother-in-law and sister are both physicians, we were very fortunate that they knew fellow doctors and surgeons at all levels to help speak to the appropriate people and discuss possible options.

This is a snapshot of her aneurysm

In our desperation, we started to look at options in private healthcare particularly in Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC) as someone had recommended a good Interventional Radiologist who is practicing there.  We hit another road block, do you know that is next to impossible to get the medical records, results of tests and whatever scans or x-rays that you have taken? We went on a bootless errand trying to procure the images and CD for a 2nd opinion, only to be told finally that we had to go to the medical records department to fill in a form, pay a sum of money and WAIT! I nearly strangled the doctor I was talking to and snapped back at him saying...wait for her aneurysm to burst? I then calmed down a little and ask where is the location of the medical records department so that I could apply to get the things that I needed? Take a guess what his answer was....of course! The famous "I DON'T KNOW." We needed the CT scan and angiogram CD for the consult.

But God is always in control and has the best plan for us. The short of the long story was that the doctors in the private sector had to assemble their own teams. In this case apart from the Interventional Radiologist, there was also the Neuro Surgery team (in case anything went wrong) and it would take some more time that we didn't have. So we decided to stay on in KLGH and wait for Dr Lau who was coming back from a convention in Singapore who could do the procedure. Lo and behold, he was actually her classmate back in medical school! The surgery was scheduled for Saturday afternoon. She was wheeled in at about 2 pm and it was successfully completed at 2.45 pm. 7 coils were inserted.

He is such a wonderful doctor as he treats all of his patients like his family. He was an extremely humble and down to earth person. Can you imagine that after the procedure he actually went to my brother-in-law and said "thank you for the opportunity to serve you and your family" What an incredible person! People like him really restores your faith in government healthcare!

At this time of writing, I am glad to say that she spent about 3 days in ICU and now been transferred to the ward to recuperate. She is able to walk and move about albeit slowly and carefully. The pain in her head has also reduced significantly.

We are so grateful for God's mercy and love shown to us through so many people who prayed in vigil with us for her healing and recovery. It was indeed a miracle how she condition did not deteriorate into something worse. The aneurysm was on one of the main arteries in her brain and God preserved her life. It was also a miracle how fast all the arrangements were made for her surgery.

I pray a blessing on Dr Lau and his family. Thank you for restoring our faith in the public health care system and thank you for saving my family. 

My last thoughts was of course on how much this procedure would have cost my sister if it happened to her in the US. I also thought about the potential cost we would have incurred had we transferred to SJMC. The indications of it going into the hundred thousands of dollars was actually not a far off estimation. I am so thankful that we were saved from huge medical bills which would have made life that much more strenuous.

I am very thankful that we have public healthcare in Malaysia. It may not be perfect, but when it works, it really works. The other thing that I have come to appreciate is insurance. Medical and travel insurance is definitely a must! Anything can happen at anytime, This incident has really lit a bulb and I am now going to re-look at our coverage for our family.

Thank you once again everyone who prayed in vigil with us, helped in so many ways and made thing just a little easier.


Have you or any of your family member gone through the same thing? Do share your stories, I would love to connect with you. My sister has some way to go to complete recovery.

My Confinement Stay Review (Part 2) - Location & Facilities

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



This is my second installment in sharing about my stay at Yuan Yuan Confinement Retreat Centre 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 different parts as I have been getting requests/emails and comments from my blog readers on specific areas.

Location

One of the biggest push factor for us when we decided to confirm on Yuan Yuan was the proximity to our home. When I was in confinement with Chapati at my parents home, the traveling really wore Hubby out. Mind you my parents home is really not that far away and it was still difficult. The incredible ease of  getting to and fro our home and the confinement centre was just such a huge plus point!

1. Less tiring for Hubby who was working as he didn't need to travel out of his way to come and visit me everyday. The confinement centre is in between our home and our parent's place. So early in the morning, he could literally drop by to say hello before continuing on to drop Chapati off for the day and same for evening when it's time to take Chapati home.
2. I could go home for the KKIA home visits and not have to go through the hassle of registering in another KKIA. This is because when you get health services from them, it based on your location. I would have had to register again at a different KKIA if I wanted them to visit me at the centre.
3. I could visit home at anytime that I felt homesick! 
4. I could also visit our other "kids" namely Kape, Skippy & Christmas and Hubby could also ensure that they get fed and loved in a timely manner.
5. It was easily eaccessible to our parents who wanted to visit their precious grandson!

Facilities

Ground Floor

The center itself is relatively new, well kept, neat and tidy. when you first enter, it open up to a spacious living room with ample sofa seating, a TV and a PC. You can entertain your guest here of if you choose to spend some time out of your room, you can watch TV/Astro or surf the internet here. Just after the living area is a simple dining area that you can also meet with your visitors or eat your meals if you prefer communal dining with other mummies.  Beyond that is the kitchen and the baby nursery.

The kitchen is generally off limits for parents and guests whilst only the parents could go into the nursery . This is quite understandable as the staff would need to be able to work and cook freely without outside people getting in the way. As for the nursery I thought that it was a good policy because new born babies are very delicate and sensitive . It is important to limit their contact with outside people as your never know if the person is unwell and might just pass on a bug to your baby. Anyway the staff on duty were more than happy to carry out baby to Mummy or our guests. The nursery has an attached bathroom for the staff to bathe and clean the baby everyday.

I only wished that the flooring could be less slippery. Whilst the tiles were beautiful, it wasn't very practical. It got even worse when they mopped the floor and the water made it really slippery. Half the time I thought that I was going to fall down at anytime and the other half was worrying about the staff falling down whilst carrying my baby! They were very considerate in providing mothers with a pair of slippers to navigate the slippery floors better.

As you can see ample seating space for lots of people. That's my little murtabak!

Chapati is always glued to the computer when he comes over because they always have youtube playing children's programs. That's Isaiah the owner's son (cute little fella) 

I would sometimes eat downstairs when I want a change of scenery. It was fun because I got to talk to other people rather than just eat on my own.

The kitchen is pretty spacious.

The nursery overview. They had special baby cot beds like in the hospital. Very safe and practical

The Good: 
Spacious living area  
Computer for internet surfing 
Alternate dining area 
Full facility nursery
They provide slippers to mummies

The Bad: 
 Extremely slippery floor.

Tip:
Bring your own slippers if you want to be more comfortable.
Don't wear socks or go barefooted without slippers

First Floor

All the rooms for the Mummies to stay are on the 1st Floor. I had the opportunity to experience both the sharing room and the single room.

Sharing Room

This was the room that I had initially booked and when I checked into the center 5 days after coming out from hospital, it was really pleasant, bright, airy and spacious. It had floor to ceiling windows facing an open field and a lot of natural lighting.  I literally didn't need to leave the room at all because it had a TV with Astro channels, a dining table with chairs where you could eat all your meals and a large attached bathroom. This was so ideal for me because after my delivery, I experience very severe lower back pain and pain in my legs radiating all the way done to my foot. I could hardly walk so I didn't leave the room for 5 whole days.

However when I stayed in the sharing room there was only one other mummy there. If it was full house, I think it might not be as comfortable as the room is supposed to fit 4 mummies. You could see that three beds were properly planned whilst the 4th one was just a bed that was pushed in at the last minute. They also had curtains separating the 3 beds except for the 4th one which is at the other end of the room. That bed is the worst as people coming through the door would see that bed first.

My bed when I first checked in. A nice side table with drawers to put your personal things

Attached toilet and shower, dining table with chairs and a central laundry basket

It was great that there was space to entertain visitors and we even managed to celebrate Chapati's birthday with a little cake for him. His birthday only 6 days away from his baby brother!

The Good:

Spacious open area with dining table 

A lot of natural lighting during the day (you don't even need to turn on the room lights)

Flat screen TV with lots of ASTRO channels

 

The Bad:

Not enough privacy screens - only 2 available whilst there are 4 beds.
The 4th bed on the other side of the room has no privacy at all. They really need to either buy more privacy screens or put up a curtain like the other beds. 

Shared laundry basket - If you are particular about your clothes then this might be an issue

The staff don't know whose laundry belongs to whom so you have to check and make sure that all your clothes are there. I saw a lot of laundry that were left behind by other mummies who forgot what clothes they have brought with them.

I personally left my beautiful mickey mouse laundry net that was given to me as a gift from a friend who went to Tokyo Disneyland. Sniff... :( 

No specific laundry system, ie. where they put the washed laundry for people to check. Sometimes they put it upstairs, some times downstairs...etc.

Tip:

Bring your own laundry basket and washing nets for intimate items or other delicate items. 

Check all the places that they put the washed laundry to ensure that you don't leave anything behind

Single VIP Room

After about one week , I had the opportunity to stay in the VIP room. There are two VIP rooms and one Deluxe room in the center. The VIP rooms have a window and an attached toilet, whilst the Deluxe room shares the Sharing Room toilets.

Honestly comparing the Sharing Room and the Single room I felt that the Sharing Room seemed more comfortable because of the size and natural lighting. 

However after a day or two of staying in the single room, I could really appreciate the larger bed size (Queen) and the added privacy. My hubby and Chapati could some over at any time and if they were tired could also sleep there as the bed was a queen size.

Eating in there was a bit depressing as they had a small table facing the window which looked out to the house behind. So I choose to eat in the Shared room dining table or downstairs dining table. I would only eat my tea or supper in there. 

The Good:

A lot of cupboard space to organise your things

There is a comfortable armchair in the room for breastfeeding or if you felt like watching TV but not sit on the bed.

Private toilet and shower (No worries if you decide to walk around naked! :) 

Flat screen TV with ASTRO channels

The Bad:

 A small desk/table facing the back of the house behind to eat your meals at.

The Toilets and Shower

In general the toilets were pretty good with basic facilities and had a shower area, toilet and sink. The provide you with toilet paper but all other toiletries you will have to bring your own which I felt was ok because everyone has their own preference for soap, toothpaste...etc.

However, there was one thing that was very strange, they provide salt and hot water for a Sitz Bath for mummies who went through a normal vaginal delivery but don't have a plastic container for you to actually take a Sitz Bath???!! Yes very strange indeed, so I had to ask my mother to bring me a shallow round container for me to use whilst I was there. Probably a hygiene issue? 

If you are interested in preparing one for yourself at home, you can read up all about Sitz Bath through this link here at Healthline.

Watch out for my 3rd and 4th posting which will be about the food and how they care for the mummies and babies there!



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

My Confinement Stay Review (Part 1) - The Beginnings Of A 28 Day Relationship

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 realised that giving birth is really a walk in the park compared to the aftermath of giving birth! (Duh right? This is my second one!) I must say that this is just my experience...I really respect and am in awe of other Mummies who go through a lot more to bring their child into this world. Recovering your strength and health for one is really tough when you are determined to fully breast feed your baby and when you fall into the category of "advanced maternal age" (you can already guess my age! :) you feel every ache and pain postpartum! Ouch!

So handsome even at one week old! :)

So, I really do believe in the wisdom of the confinement period for new mothers. It is a lot to take in and your body has just been through drastic changes! Not mention possible emotional challenges too. (See list of changes here.) So rest and proper nutrition is of utmost importance and I am so glad that we decided to go down the path of staying in a confinement center. The time I spent researching and visiting confinement centers was worth it! We visited four other centers in Subang, PJ SS2, Taman Yarl and Seri Petaling before we confirmed on Yuan Yuan Confinement Retreat Centre in Damai Perdana.

The Check In

Personally for me, the first two weeks post partum was really the most difficult. Firstly I was emotionally drained from the experience of hyperbilirubinemia in Joel, added to the physical strain of giving birth, sleepless nights...I am just glad that when I checked into the confinement center the first thing they gave me was the very thing I needed! It was the "CALL BELL"! (Ha ha ha! I think all you mummies out there would agree with me!) It was basically the passport to me not having to do a single thing/lift a single finger unless I wanted to. It made such a difference because I literally did not leave my room for 4-5 days because of the extreme pain in my lower back, abdominal and pelvic areas. Thank goodness for all the help!

The Call Bell!

I felt a little lost the first few days as I did not know who was who and what was where.  I think that if someone had spent a little time with me to do a simple orientation session to share about how things are done, who does what, and what goes where, it would have made things even more pleasant than it already was. It is the little things that matter, for example, how is cupboard space segregated? I was in the sharing room which allowed for 4 Mummies to stay in at the same time. My bag was on the floor and my clothes were on the bed next to me for quite a few days before I decided to just put my bag into any cupboard space to get organised. Same with the bathroom. I wasn't sure what belonged to whom and what I could use. The funny thing was, I missed using the herbal bath for the first 2 days because I didn't realise that one of the buckets were for me! The toilet bowl was also missing the seat cover and it was precarious business going to the toilet! (So funny! Everytime I went to use the toilet, I had to be careful not to fall into the toilet bowl!) It also felt strange that no one would tell you/remind you what to do/eat and not to do/eat during confinement! I had the experience of a confinement lady the first time and I remember her constantly telling/reminding me about good confinement practices.With regards to food, during the first few days, I was surprised that they served me french fries, ham and nuggets for one my breakfast meals. I do like continental breakfast but I felt that the quality could have been a little better. I didn't feel like eating processed meat then.


A Bumpy Start

Like most things, beginnings always need a little tweaking. I realised that it was up to me to make my stay the best I can. So I started to ask around a lot, made an effort to talk and get to know everyone in the centre, Hubby helped to tell them about the broken toilet seat (which they fixed promptly! Hooray!) opened up to them about what kind of food I prefer, how much I enjoyed drinking soup, eating the rice wine chicken/pork/kidney and vegetables. I also asked them questions to understand more about how they would care for my baby. After that I shared with them how I wanted them to support me in caring for my baby in line with their best practices. It really does take two hands to clap! Both parties making the effort really makes a difference. I am pleased to say that overall, I had a great time recuperating at the centre and would highly recommend new mummies who are trying to decided between a Confinement Lady or Confinement Centre (you can read about how we rationalised trying out a confinement centre here) to try out a confinement centre! Stay tuned for my next installment in the review of my stay at Yuan Yuan!

How do you handle bumpy starts to new experiences? 


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

March 2016 Expenditures - Baby Full Moon and Diapers!

Hi everyone, it is good to be finally back to my blog! I really missed writing the whole of April and it wasn't on purpose either. Coming out of the heaven of the confinement home to the chaos of home was...I think the only way to describe it...HILARIOUS! If I didn't have my head screwed on, I would have left it behind on several occasions. Caring for two is definitely a different ball game all together and since I officially started work last week and I am just glad that Mother-in-law and Father-in-law survived the week with our two children. I have so much updates and things that I want to share with everyone! Little Joel (Murtabak...a story for another time) is growing up so fast! He is now 6.5 kilos at 3 months old.

The first half of March was relaxing as I was still in confinement, financially it was still a pretty heavy month for us, as a major chunk of money went into paying for my stay in the confinement centre. Both our car insurance and road tax for the year was also due, so another chunk of money disappeared into the abyss of Car Maintenance. On top of that we are still doing up our home and I went on a diaper buying spree! (Kiasu mother...see a good deal cannot pass it up in case it goes up in price again.) I think most of you know what I mean, things are just going up in price like nobody's business. I used my credit card a lot to make those purchases, but I always make sure that I pay it in full when the bill arrives. I am allergic to paying any interest on my credit card and as a family we have paid off all my credit cards in full and now we are working towards clearing all of hubby's ones too. I wasn't always that way but that's a story for another time...We want to be credit card debt free! (Again, a story for another time!)

My supply of diapers for the both of them!8 boxes in total, 2 we already sent to my in-laws!

In our tradition of the Baby Full Moon celebration when Joel turned one month old, we spent some money to give away full month gift boxes particularly to our parent's friends. We decided to order them online from Uniq Full Moon & Gift Shop. They had a discount promotion for their traditional rice sets. We were contemplating a Full Moon party but that hasn't materialised yet. Maybe 100 days...?? But then again that has passed too! ...just a simple makan maybe...maybe not...spend more money?? Nooo....

At nearly 1 month old...so clever to smile. The curry was yummy and the red eggs were beautiful!

After  my confinement, we went out and indulged in spicy foods and ice cream which I couldn't eat throughout my pregnancy and confinement! Here's to nasi lemak and coconut ice cream! As you can see Chapati really enjoyed having both his parents and his little brother home all together. I caught this really cute photo of him playing in his toy box with me!

Well here is where our RMs went to in March!

Item/Vendor	Amount (RM)	Notes
Eating Out	768.55	Hubby discovered a quick, simple and cheap place to eat Japanese food. Plus I was out of confinement and wanted to eat stuff that I couldn’t eat before.
Fuel	409.00	Mainly for Hubby’s work travel.
Parking & Toll (TouchnGo)	135.67	Hubby’s TouchnGO Auto Reload Card
Parking & Toll (TouchnGO)	18.20	We are paying for Hubby’s parents using my TouchnGO Auto Reload Card
Parking & Toll (TouchnGo)	46.72	My TouchnGo Plusmiles & Tesco Card
Mobile Phone Bills	598.60	We are paying for my parents, hubby’s parents and our monthly mobile phone bills
Medical Insurance	500.00	Chapati & Murtabak’s medical insurance premium monthly
Car Maintenance, Insurance & Road	3404.94	The Honda and X-Trail were due almost at the same time. So decided to do it together.
Home Maintenance	906.90	We replaced our cooking gas, some boxes and towel railings to get better organised and a very comfortable armchair! Breastfeeding is hard work!
Home Security	50.00	March 2016 contribution to the safety of our home
Confinement Home (Final Payment)	2300.00	We paid a total of RM 6300 for my stay in the confinement home. Hubby decided to upgrade RM500 for my meals so that I could eat better quality food and have a choice of how it was cooked.
Medical	90.40	My calcium pill supplements and mouthwash. My teeth need very thorough looking after. Don’t want to incur expensive dental bills.
Groceries	433.38	Bought a change of CO2 tank for our soda express machine and indulged in yummy Sunny
Kids	808.52	Diapers, diapers, diapers and a monster truck for Chapati. Hubby still indulging his love for toy cars!
Shopping	113.80	Hubby bought replacement Croc look-a-likes which are from Thailand and really good quality too! I also got my Chinese double boil soup pot.
Doggies	120.10	Alpo food from Tesco. We didn’t get a chance to buy their normal food.
Gifts	490.70	Full moon gift boxes and Ang Pows for the staff in the confinement home.
Beauty	87.00	My facial spray that works as a toner before I put on moisturiser.
Misc	17.00	Dry cleaning for my office work suit which I had sent and forgetten all about it for more than a year!
Total	11,299.48

Did you indulge like I did post confinement? Do share your stories!