It’s confirmed, we’re having a girl, InshaAllah! The next day I found out that we’re having a girl, I went to get pink baby clothes and little socks. They are really tiny so cute!
On other note, I’m now almost 30 weeks and honestly I’m really tired of being pregnant. It feels like an eternity only because I had to restrict myself so much (especially when it comes to food) and I hate it! Ugh!
Anyway, I want to share about an antenatal class I joined last Sunday at Darul Ehsan Medical Center, DEMC Shah Alam. It started at 9am-5pm. Let me go through the topics and the review. I hope this will be somewhat helpful for first time moms and moms-to-be out there.
Nutrition in Pregnancy
The dietitian was a little boring, her explanation was kinda vague. It was sufficient for most people, I must be honest. But for me, I’m always in for a little more in-depth details. I don’t mind doctors who throw common medical terms as I think nowadays the public is more educated and more aware of health. If I don’t understand any of the terminologies, I would ask.
Nevertheless, this is a good time to ask the dietitian the myths about the no-no’s in pregnancy. Don’t be surprised that a lot of our grandmothers’ pantang-larang are busted!
Pregnancy & Labour Process
This topic was conducted by an ob-gyn. He was quite interesting and I loved that he explained things in great detail. Labour can be scary for first time moms (myself included) and personally, I would like to educate myself as much as possible about it. The more I know, the less scared I become.
So he basically explained what’s gonna happen in the labour room, the process, possible complications and how the doctors deal with them. All in all it made me scared of labour (HAHA) but the doctor was somehow more reassuring. So it made me feel slightly less nervous.
Pain Relief
This topic was, to me was an eye opener. We’ve heard the grandmother’s tale of epidural gives us long term side effects bla bla bla, apparently it’s just a myth! At first I totally didn’t want epidural. Now, once I know what epidural is, I’m sure as hell I’m gonna get that epidural. I mean, why suffer if you can save all the energy and pain to push the baby only when it’s REALLY needed?
I won’t tell you to take it too. But if you’re deciding, go to this class and come prepared with questions. Then you’ll be able to make an informed decision. Even if you don’t want any pain relief, you should get informed about it in case your labour is not as easy as you’d hope for.
Care of Newborn
This was interesting but since I couldn’t imagine taking care of a baby, I didn’t really have any questions. Apparently I wasn’t the only one. However, it was good to know what do the hospital do to take care of newborn baby, the routine right after the baby is being born and such.
Also, I find it such a relief that DEMC is very pro breastfeeding. They will always return the baby to the mother within 30 minutes to one hour for the baby to be breastfed.
Successful Breastfeeding
This was the most entertaining talk ever. Pn. Jasmeen is soo hilarious. At first I was also deciding whether to breastfeed exclusively only because I heard all these pain and horror stories. But she taught us how to breastfeed successfully and successful breastfeeding should not be painful! So all the mothers who are in pain when breastfeeding are actually not doing it right.
Truthfully, reading about breastfeeding didn’t really help for me. I still couldn’t understand. However Pn Jasmeen explained it crystal clear and even made a demonstration using a dummy breast and a dummy baby. So it was very easy to understand. Note that I said UNDERSTAND. There are steps, but if you understand you will remember how to do it.
Breathing Techniques During Labour
This was also a helpful topic. This time we had to practice the breathing. It was quite enjoyable. I would recommend pregnant mums to practice this. I think it would be helpful. Make sure to bring your husband and it is very important for him to do the exercise also so that he will remind you in the labour room!
There was supposed to be a topic on Postnatal care which I was looking forward to. For some reason, they didn’t have that session on that day. I was quite disappointed. But I didn’t bother much because I was already so exhausted by then.
Overall, I think the RM120 fees (per couple) is so worth it. I highly recommend attending antenatal class. Not just DEMC but any antenatal class. Honestly, you don’t have the luxury to ask this much information during your doctor checkups because we only get 15 mins with doctor, MAX! This antenatal class is such a good time to address all your concerns regarding pregnancy and birth. The best time to go is during 2nd trimester, so you’ll prepare earlier. Third trimester is okay too.
Again, make sure you do your homework and have all your questions ready. No matter how stupid it sounds, chances are there are probably parents out there wondering the same thing. It will be such a waste if you attend the class and go home only to realize you have a question!
You can check out more about this class at their website http://www.demc.com.my