Thursday, January 07, 2010

You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.” - Dave Barry in ‘Things That It Took Me 50 Years to Learn’


50 Reasons to Be Glad You're Pregnant (Source: Babycentre.com)

1 Relishing the early weeks when only you and your partner know your special secret – Oh so true! We managed to keep mum about it (indulging only family and close friends with the news) for quite sometime and it was kind of fun. Haha. As a matter of fact, most of my staffs baru saja semalam dikhabarkan tentang my pregnancy. They have been suspecting of course, what’s with the bulging tummy and kekembangan tubuh, but not until yesterday, one of them finally came forward dan bertanya secara berani. Kah kah.

2 Knowing you've got nine whole months to plan, dream and fantasise.

3 Choosing maternity clothes; they've never been more practical or more sexy – True! I even had to curb my enthusiasm in maternity stuffs shopping knowing that hanya akan pakai beberapa bulan saja. Rugilah kan. Siapa ada pre-loved nak sedekah, dialukan. Hehe.

4 Now you've got the perfect excuse to pamper yourself; spending hours in a scented bath, enjoying a massage or rubbing soothing lotions into your growing bump – Which reminds me, I should stop being pemalas and start using the stretch mark cream more religiously, as per Far's constant reminders.

5 Maternity rights in the UK are getting better all the time. You can take up to 52 weeks off work, and if you are eligible for statutory maternity pay, you get the first six weeks on 90 per cent of your pay – 52 weeks off work? Are you for real? 2 bulan (with full maternity pay) pun dah cukup menggembirakan. Apatah lagi jika 13 bulan! OK, albeit not getting full pay, but still get paid lah kan? Syok seh!

6 You can join an antenatal class and find a whole new bunch of friends – I have yet to check out my gynae’s antenatal class pamphlet. Do I really have to go?

7 For once in your life you need to get heavier; pregnancy is Nature's way of making you feel good about putting on weight – Yeay! Indeed, indeed.

8 If this is your first baby, enjoy the next nine months sleeping late at weekends: you won't get many chances later on – Semua experienced mommies telah nasihatkan saya tentang ini. Life will definitely change 100% after the baby arrives.

9 At last you've got the bosom you've always wanted, which means you also have…

10 ...a great excuse to buy lots of pretty new bras – I don’t think I need, ermmm, bigger, ermmm you know. Ngeh. And I definitely do not appreciate the fact that I need to keluarkan duit for new bras! Huwaaaa! Bra bukan benda murah OK. Especially good ones. Huh.

11 From now on and until your baby is a year old, you can get free dental treatment - phone your dentist now! – In UK saja kan? The only time I dapat enjoy free dental was back in UiTM dan menyesal sebab tak guna sepenuhnya. No, the firm I work with doesn’t cover dental. No, not even maternity. Sila bersyukur jika company anda cover all these, ya.

12 At last you'll have something more than potplants and cats to care for and nurture! 13 Suddenly you'll find you're getting lots of extra attention from parents, aunts and uncles, not to mention your partner.


14 You may find you develop a closer relationship with sisters, cousins or friends who are parents themselves. Congratulations, you've just won free admission to the parents' club!

15 Telling your mum, dad, sister, brother, aunt, dog the good news and watching their faces light up.
- Sungguh benarlah!

16 New talents! Whether it's knitting bootees or assembling a flat-pack cot, you'll suddenly find yourself trying out all sorts of new skills – Erk. This does not apply to me pun? Should I take up knitting now that I’m pregnant? Untuk buat socks and what not for my baby? Haha. Nanti nak knit socks, jadi topi. Keh keh. Tak berbakat.

17 Suddenly you'll feel a new appreciation for your own mother and all she went through having you – Sekali lagi, sungguh benar. Sungguh.

18 Decorating the nursery: one of the most exciting things you'll ever do – Kedengaran sungguh seronok! If you have the budget, that is. Tak apalah, berdikit-dikitlah kan?

19 Feeling those first fluttering kicks and thinking, 'Is that what I think it is? Or is it just wind?' – Hehe I even had to check with Ayin and a few websites sebab macam nak pastikan, adakah aku yang gassy ataukah this is it? And once you know, you know.

20 Feeling OK for sending your partner out for chicken tikka masala followed by double-choc chip ice cream – OK, sungguh merembeskan air liur.

21 Your parents digging out your old cot or pram, which they've kept safely all this time 'just in case' – Haha this is so mat salleh. Orang Melayu selalunya akan hands down benda-benda macam ini to relatives/friends. So no, I don’t have any off those memorabilia except for this teddy bear I had since I was 2. Yes, I still have the teddy with me back at my parents’ place. Lusuh dah dia. Hehe.

22 Going for healthy walks with your partner and getting fresh air in your lungs because it's good for you and good for your baby – Reading this buat saya rasa nak ajak encik itu bersiar-siar di Kebun Bunga pagi Sabtu ini. Are you up for it, Hubby?

23 Enjoying the extra-vivid dreams you get in late pregnancy - and laughing about them with your friends.

24 Feeling a little pair of heels prodding under your diaphragm and knowing you'll soon be meeting the little person they belong to!
- Betul betul betul. For the first time semalam, I can actually nampak the tendangan. You know, macam perut berombak dan ditolak dari dalam. Sungguh kuat kamu yang di dalam itu! Terkekek-kekek saya ketawa. Hehe.

25 Choosing baby clothes - or just phoning round for all the catalogues, leafing through them and planning what you're going to buy – I know this is the best part. But not yet. Baru nak masuk 6 bulan. Tunggu ya, sabar dulu, wahai hati.

26 Writing a pregnancy diary for your baby to read in the future – Selalu berangan nak buat this sort of diary bila pregnant tapi bila dah pregnant, jadi malas!

27 Getting someone to take photos of you smiling over your enormous bump so that, one day, you can look back and be amazed you were ever that size. 28 Finding out how many people there are out there ready to care for you: doctors, nurses, midwives, health visitors, breastfeeding counsellors. 29 Lying in bed with your partner's arms around you and your bump, knowing that love has created a new life. 30 Enjoying indulgences, such as evenings out, weekends away and anything else you might not be able to do so easily once the baby arrives. 31 Knowing that from now on, whatever happens, you'll never be bored again.

32 Making new friends whenever you go shopping - everyone has a pregnancy story to share – Ada sekali nak beli maternity working blouse at Mother Club, the salesperson was also pregnant. Tiba-tiba jadi gembira berbual bersama. Hehe.

33 You can spend whole evenings debating whether to call your baby Hermione or Cleopatra, Fritz or Stanley – Erk definitely not Stanley. Sila imagine Stanley Akademi Fantasia. Tidak! Kah kah kah. Apalah dosa Stanley.

34 Imagining what he or she will look like. Your sweet little ears, of course, and his sexy eyes! 35 Dreaming about, "My daughter/son the prime minister/pop star/brain surgeon."

36 Looking at your growing bump in the mirror and realising there's a person in there!
– Never fails to bring a smile!

37 Making out a squirmy outline on the ultrasound monitor. Asking for the pic to take home and pinning it up next to your work station, or just keeping it in your bag to sneak looks at – I have them stored in a nice box back home. Maybe I’ll do a scrapbook out of them one day. Maybe. Ngeh.

38 The expression on your partner's face as he sees the test strip turn blue, looks at your growing bump or feels the baby kicking – He has yet to feel the kick. Kenapa entah. The baby akan tiba-tiba diamkan diri setiap kalipun. Tengah aktif, tiba-tiba I suruh the husband try rasa, the baby will stop. Teasing the father perhaps. Kah kah.

39 Buying that first little cuddly toy for your baby, not somebody else's. 40 Making that phone call to your partner to tell him that - we're off, labour has started. 41 Trying out all those exercises you learned at antenatal class and finding out that they actually work! 42 Being held and supported throughout a contraction by your partner/midwife/labour companion and knowing that you can trust them totally. 43 Finding out, as the contractions get tough, that your repertoire of swear words is far more extensive than you ever realised! 44 Making an informed choice about pain relief and finding that it's right for you at that stage in labour. 45 That huge rush of pleasure and relief when, suddenly, all the pain and effort stops. 46 Looking into your newborn's eyes and falling utterly in love. 47 Watching your partner kiss the midwife, the doctor, cleaning lady, delivery man and anyone else he can find because his joy and pride are overwhelming.

48 Opening a bottle of bubbly to celebrate, whatever the time of day or night – OK don’t. Haha. Go sujud syukur instead.

49 Making all those phone calls to announce the arrival. Telling everyone the news and hearing the excitement in their voices.

50 Waking up to see your baby sleeping next to you and thinking, 'Wow! This is real. I'm a mum!'
– Aaaaawh I can’t wait. Semoga Allah memperkenankan kemahuan ini. Please oh please, pray for me and my little one, dear sweet readers :)


32 comments:

AyinEmran said...

26: aku pun entah bilaaa la nak scan all those scan pic pastu buat diary about it, asek bertangguh je.

38: sama!! tp zul dah rasa 2-3 kali la. sbb everytime mesti baby diam.

takyah gi class jom? (pengaruh jahat)

nadmin said...

memang pengalaman yg menyeronokkan dan buatkan kita lebih banyak berdoa dan baca quran..supaya baby jadi anak yg baik...

pengalaman saya: baby yg dlm perut wife akan menjadi aktif bila kita baca quran..seronok tgk & rasa..sekarang dah 6 bulan 1 hari dah amna huda di atas dunia..banyak betul perkembangan..

selamat menjadi ibu am

Marliza Radzi said...

ayin: kena ke gi kelas? kena bayar kan? eh ko kan covered! ruginya kalau tak gi, babe!

nadmin: alhamdulillah, 6 bulan dah anak nadmin. anak AM baru 6 bulan dalam kandungan :)

reena said...

50: Aminnnnn :D

Marliza Radzi said...

thanks dear :)

ila nursalida said...

laratnye nak taip panjang2 begini..uhuh...

King said...

NO 38 also happened to me, hahahaha

Marliza Radzi said...

Ila: eh bukan saya yang taip. Kan dah tulis source situ. Babycentre.com. Saya komen je.

King: hehehe :D

Timmy said...

21: talking abt memorabilia, my parents hands down my 29 yrs old pram to my two sons.. Percaya tak?? Its mine and still in tip top condition! Nowadays bila diorang nk bwk cucu jalan2 they'll use my pram.. Kenangan sungguh..

And, my suggestion, pegi the ante natal class.. Dlm class tu diorang ajar how to breath during labor which helps to ease the labor pain and diorang also ajar how to push.. Takde la nnt salah push and baby tak keluar2 and end up mommy dah habis tenaga coz salah push... So if you have the time, please go ok coz the two things that i mention tu sangat2 penting...

Marliza Radzi said...

Kak timmy: alamak ye ke? OKLah nanti I try tengok schedule, fees & what not. Huhu.

lyeza said...

am, kt hosp. pakar johor ante natal class tu setiap sabtu ketiga every mnth.... aku lupe plak die free ke kene bayo..... nnti sabtu ni aku g sane, aku ngkkan....

Anonymous said...

AM, pegila kelas antenatal tuu. syok tau. i mean byk sgt info yg kite tak tahu diorg bgtau. go and sign up one, k!

btw, ada rasa2 mahu copy this into my blog jugak bole tak? =P


p.s: i love your DP top dlm entry sblm ni. nak cari! nak cari!





~coffeeaddicts~

dillazag said...

AM;
On no 6 - The Ante natal class.

Kakak suruh pergi, ok? (Ayin pun kena pergi, ok?)

For first time moms , it's so informative. Yeah, we've all read how it's gonna be , but being in a hospital ambiance makes it so real. We even went on a hospital tour, and got things like where to register, what's the room flow gonna be, look at the delivery suite, nursery and stuff. It kinda makes you put the two and two together, if you get what I mean.

Plus benda yang kita belajar, such as the pain relievers that are available (if you opt for it) etc.

So, please go. Please.. *bats eyelashes* (Ayin sekali)

baini said...

rajinnya marliza type panjang2,kalau aku konfem malas,:p..no 19 aku tak berapa rasa lagi!.macam tak sure ni gassy stomach ke baby gerak-gerak?..i think i will only believe it's the baby doing when i see my perut berombak-ombak..:p..no 3,maternity clothes pun mak aku hantarkan..kat sini semua seksi-seksi,tak sanggup nak pakai,heh..no 4, stretch mark cream aku tak beli pun lagi..sebab tak nampak pun stretch marknye..ke pakai je just for precaution?..eh,eh panjang pulak rasanya komen ni,macam nak buat entry sendiri pulak,;)

Marliza Radzi said...

rom: tengokkan eh? hospital pakar johor bukan semua berbayar ke?

Coffeeaddicts: cari cari gi! Selesa sangat. Kat sini jual 1 rm46, 2 rm67 (tapi ni harga masa YES hari tu lah) oh & silalah copy, I pun copy dari babycentre. Hehe.

sis dilla: ye ke kakak? Ayin, baca tu Ayin! Baiklah AM akan usaha check out dulu.

Baini: haha baini ni lagi 1 macam ila ingat aku rajin sangat. Kan dah tulis source situ. Ini artikel by babycentre.com. Aku komen2 je. Heh. Haah kawan aku asyik ingatkan aku jangan ulang kesilapan dia tak rajin pakai stretch cream. Lalu, marilah.

Anonymous said...

pegi la antenatal class tu, it's really worth it tau..apa yg coffeeaddicts tu ckp betul coz we were in d same antenatal class heheh..

pasal u suh ur hubby rasa d kicks tp d hubby tak dpt rasa coz d baby stop tu i soo feel u haha..tp u dah dpt tgk physically dah baby tu gerak..how sweet..i baru masuk 21wks blm rasa laie kut

Marliza Radzi said...

newlifenewbeginning: I masa 21 weeks dah rasa tapi not too strong lah. ni dah nak masuk 6th month baru lebih gagah. hehe.

twayblade said...

diri ini tak sempat pegi antenatal class dulu, but my labour was ok. nurse tetap ajar all the basic things during those crucial hrs. benda2 pasal painkiller boleh stat buat own research skang.

stretch cream pun diri ini tak berapa nak pakai, sbb when i entered 6 months pregnancy, i had bad, red rashes all over my abdomen up to my boobs for over a month, so no cream la. akibatnya? kesan corak mcm halilintar menjalar2 di perutku yg berlemak ini.

wakakakkaa!!!

Anonymous said...

baby at 6 month dah bole dgr suara kita...ask your hubby to talk to her/him everyday so the baby will recognise the father's voice.my baby will kick actively bila my hubby pegang perut & talk to him & also bila dia dgr my hubby recites alfatihah everytime dia imamkan solat..klu org lain yang sentuh time dia tgh aktif mesti dia terus diam

Sanaa Elias said...

Oh, so remember the days of pregancy. Will i go through it again?? Hmm... errkkk.... uuuuh... urggghhh... Maybe??

Agree so much with #8.
Restless nights coz the little one keeps nagging for milk. oh, he's just hungry btw ;p

Read everything first hand before you listen to other's opinion.
Kadang2 ntah apa2 lah yg diorang suggest.

Btw, tips to get handsome, pretty babies: Baca surah Yusof tiap hari and don't forget to see all those crite Japanes & Korean (with handsome characters!) haha...

Marliza Radzi said...

ida: tak gi eh antenatal class? nantila I try read/ask around more.

anonymous: hehe selalu juga buat macam tu tapi belum ada rezeki suami nak rasa agaknya. takpelah. hehe.

sanaa: haha orang kedua ni suruh tengok cerita Korea!

lyeza said...

am, aku x g bwk najwa check up la last saturday. Jd x cekkan utk ko... Sori...

Marliza Radzi said...

takpe, dear :)

Y- A-T-T said...

Sayang!!

Bestnyerrrr! :))) Sungguh kuat lah yang di dalam itu!

No 15! hahaha. tersenyum aku baca.

Haishh. Nak jugak.

Marliza Radzi said...

No. 15 --- sangat kamu, yatt :)

tak lama dah tu hehehe.

Unknown said...

dulu aku ada belikan baju preggy yang cute untuk izza dekat plaza yang ada cold storage dengan mcD kat JB..ok jugaklah design dia macam baju biasa..boleh la pi tengok and shop..hehe

Marliza Radzi said...

plaza yang ada cold storage itu ialah Plaza Pelangi iaitu terletak di sebelah office ku ini, Menara Pelangi. hehe. ya, di sebelah ada kedai maternity wear tajuk Grace; ada beli seluar di situ tapi baju dia macam tak banyak long sleeve so tak syok. hehe.

Unknown said...

lah yeke..gila best office sebelah shopping complex! dulu lepak pertama complex..sekarang lepak cold storage pulak!!

haah baju tu pun short sleeve..izza kena pakai long sleeve pulak kat dalam..

Marliza Radzi said...

hahaha. dulu lepak SOGO lah. Pertama Complex banyak rempits. heh.

Unknown said...

50-insyaallah..amin...

sy pregnant 8weeks-ank ke2...
moga segalanya dipermudahkan kay..

salam kenal... singgah from hakuko.wordpress...

Unknown said...

eh, u kat johor ke?
nampak komen2 kat atas tu cm kat johor ek...?
kalau kat johor, hospital puteri ada buat kelas antenatal dgn harga yg amat rendah 2 tahun lepas... dan sangat mbantu...

Marliza Radzi said...

lailasani: haah kat Johor. harga sangat rendah ya? nanti saya gi check. thank you :)