My Confinement Story

Assalamualaikum baby... everytime I saw the spot where baby is buried, I gave her salam. Wherever baby is right now, ummi is thinking of you. Alhamdulillah for the time baby temankan ummi and ayah.

I'll be writing about my confinement because this time is definitely different than all the last time I went through it. Last time, I had air kunyit, 3 days massages and tungku, took care of what I eat for like 2-3 weeks and not be with hubby for the whole confinement duration. At the very least, till my next menses. I just wear bedroom slippers instead of socks, didn't really wrap myself up and use Avon bengkung with strap. It is really small and not really appropriate for confinement practice. It served its purpose last time though.

DAY 1

This time,I have to be more diligent with my confinement rituals. I have baby stuck in me for like half day, tak nak tinggalkan ummi... catheterized twice because the passage is blocked for me to urinate normally, poked and poked and poked at till I felt swollen just above my pubic bone. I can feel a lump and it was very tender to touch. When I asked the doctor and nurses, they said its my uterus. Huh! After the event, it was very painful to urinate the first few times.

DAY 2

The day we returned home, I make arrangement to have a masseuse came over for the next three days and that night we went out to buy myself a proper bengkung. Hubby went out to bought it. In the internet, we can get it for $38. At the shop, it was retailed at $49. After haggling, dapat ler $2 diskaun. Different brand of course. Who cares about the brand as long as it does its work. Dah nak cepat, beli ajer lah. I waited in the car, wrapped up in sweaters and socks. Hubby also tapau ginger beef for my dinner and fried rice for himself.

In the beginning, it was quite difficult getting used to wearing socks. I kick my socks off just before I went to bed.

DAY 3

The next morning, I boiled the herbal bag for my bath, bought during last confinement and I still have 2 bags which can be boiled for several times. During the massage, I felt like running away. My whole body feels tender. Nak cepat baik punya pasal, tahan kan jugak. After the massage, bengkung time. I do feel much better afterwards. It was quite difficult using the bengkung initially. I wore the bengkung immediately after massage. Not long after that, I have to go to the bathroom. So off with the bengkung and tried to wear it again. Sigh! It was like that for few times.

For lunch, I cook sambal telur for hubby and use the microwave to zap the anchovies dry like crackers, mixed with thinly sliced ginger and black pepper for myself. I read somewhere in the internet we can use microwave to fry anchovies. Last time I used frying pan, without oil. It took forever and didn't really dry like crackers. When I use non-stick pan, the anchovies kinda make marks on the pan. It still takes some time with the microwave but definitely easier than using pan. When I was pregnant, I didn't stock up the kitchen. I was too dizzy and nauseous to cook anything. Kunyit pun dah kecut. Halia jer yg nampak masih elok. So buat air halia. Badan memang rasa ada angin.

That night, it was the most difficult night for both of us. I tried to console hubby. We were both sad, but we only have each other now. Whenever the doctor happily suggest, "oh for your next pregnancy, we can do this and that", they forget the emotional part that we have to go through. It wasn't easy facing such lost.

DAY 4

The next morning, the same ritual of herbal bath, tungku and massage. The massage wasn't as bad like yesterday. This time, I went to the bathroom first, before wearing the bengkung. Not that it helped very much. Kencing tak lawas, kejap2 rasa macam nak pergi bilik air. Then, rasa nak buang air besar pun sama. Dah 3rd day, nothing. So in the end tak pakai bengkung sebab kejap2 nak ke tandas, without much success. After the massage, I can't keep still. All this while, dapur dan fridge tak berkemas sebab tak larat. Dah tak pening2 ni, mula lah godek sana, godek sini. In the end rasa sakit badan. This time, hubby is away at work whole day, followed by badminton. Let him whacked his frustration out at the court. He probably did. Balik malam mengadu sakit bahu.

There's nothing at home. Not even anchovies stock. I called the shop to send in gas since our spare has been used, and asked them to send anchovies and milo. They don't have fresh ginger and turmeric. At least, I can have anchovies again for lunch. For dinner, buat kuah sikit with tarmarind juice, onion and ginger. Hubby tak pandai makan lauk kering. I suggested he tapau nasi ayam kukus or whatever for dinner, he didn't mind eating at home. After dinner, I asked him to go to the market. I felt sharp pain at uterus area, not to mention perkara2 yang tak lawas tu. I need my air kunyit and whatever jamu. Last time, I used NR herbal tea. I still have about 3 packets in stock tapi dah expired. So off we went to the market, beli ikan selar, sawi, pegaga, kunyit, halia, orange and hubby nak watermelon. Then off to giant, ada kedai jamu. Beli tablet haruan and NR Phytonatal. Herbal tea tu nnt sah tak minum selalu so better take the NR tablet. Beli di kedai memang mahal. Internet price for the NR tablet, $100. Di kedai $140. I didn't masked my surprise. After 10% discount, dapat ler $126. Again, nak cepat, beli jer. Kalau pregnant full term, sempat ler nak order semua tu through internet.

Sampai rumah, rasa mencucuk makin kuat. Mintak hubby temankan, tapi orang dah kepenatan main badminton, terus tidor. Tuam guna hot water bottle. Tukar air panas 2-3 kali sampai tertidor.

DAY 5

Blood clot... quite big. Patut ler sakit sangat semalam. Yang tak lawas tu, dah OK lepas makan jamu semalam. Again herbal bath, tungku and massage lama sikit harini sebab last day and finally bengkung. Perut masih rasa tak selesa sangat. Tengahari sikit buka bengkung. Today hubby's staff and my friend is coming for a visit so kemas2 rumah sikit walaupun they already mentioned not to bother too much. Ordered pizza for them. Sambil tu, pack barang2 to go MIL's place. They send fruit basket before orangnya sampai. Initially, hubby's meeting after Friday prayer but postponed to 4 p.m. Lambat ler balik with Friday traffic and all. I just had my dinner when hubby returned. Kemas2 rumah, tutup suis apa yang patut, off we go after Maghrib. Pakai bengkung,stokin and sweater. I didn't use param and pilis. Memang kerap sakit kepala, pakai losyen herba sirih yang memang ada dalam simpanan.

At MIL's place, semua bertanya khabar. Ada new baby. So orang berpantang and new baby sleep with MIL. Hubby will be going to Tioman early next day.

DAY 6

Harini mandi air panas jer. Berbengkung and stokin tapi masih tak selesa sangat dengan bengkung tu. Perut pun masih tak selesa. Barang2 yang beli di pasar, bawak ke rumah MIL. Air kunyit dah buat semalam, minum sekali and lebih nya masuk dalam botol. I used the dry blender so memang dapat pati kunyit, bukan air kunyit. Pagi dah minum air kunyit, and MIL bagi telur ayam kampung, makan dengan madu. Suka betul bila dapat makan benda2 yang boleh buat cepat baik. For lunch, masak sendiri ikan selar masak pindang and sawi rebus. Perut tak selesa, kejap2 ke bilik air walaupun takder apa2. Nasib baik mak ngah tolong. In the end, dalam proses memasak and makan, 3x ke bilik air, membuang... air jer yang keluarnya. SIL kata angin tu so cepat2 sapu minyak satu badan and pakai sweater. Took a nap, petang tu OK sikit.

Malam tu MIL asked if I'm cold sebab duduk merengkut semacam. I told her sakit perut. So she whipped out her electric tungku for me to use. After dinner, memang few times panaskan tungku tu and tuam perut.

DAY 7

MIL buat mee kari, ada kerang siap dengan blender kulit udang lagi. I already took my breakfast of bread and nestum. Then MIL ajak makan. Katanya mana nak ada tenaga kalau tak makan. Huh! Makan ler sikit. Takut2 nak makan sebenarnya sebab takut sakit. Ada rasa mencucuk sikit lepas tu tapi tak ler berpanjangan. So in the end buat conclusion takder apa2 pun cuma rasa takut jer nak makan. For lunch, nasib baik ada ikan bilis dengan halia and lada hitam tu, makan nasi dengan pegaga. Cukup ler tu Alhamdulillah. For dinner pun sama, dapat nasi panas2, heaven. MIL tanya OK ker makan camtu? Dia tak reti nak ulam pegaga gitu. OK jer mak... dah lama mabuk pening, dapat makan tanpa rasa nak terkeluar balik ni memang syukur nikmat.

DAY 8

Harini tapau jer breakfast untuk semua orang. As for me, ada roti cukup. Today my classmate came in the afternoon. Buatkan air epal and MIL goreng keropok. Banyak dapat buah, epal hijau memang tak laku kalau tak buat air. Hubby returned later in the day. Dah petang baru sampai. Masih sakit bahu and planned to go for berubat with MIL that night. Tapi tunggu lama sangat, kensel. Sampai rumah dah about 11.

DAY 9

Makan roti lagi, makan juga cekodok BIL buat. Bukan senang nak rasa BIL buat cekodok :) MIL masak awal harini. Nak cuba gi berubat bahu lagi sekali. Masak lada, memang sesuai untuk orang berpantang, tapi ikan pari kat mana2 pun tulis tak elok di makan untuk orang berpantang. Dah makan dah, baru tengok internet. Alhamdulillah takder apa2 pun. Menunggu hubby and MIL balik, buatkan air mangga and epal hijau lagi. Masa tuangkan air mangga untuk hubby ada rasa sikit sebab mangga tu tak laku sebab masam. Sajer nak rasa cukup manis tak. Kalau tak masam, tak payah buat air dah habis. Hubby dah sakit kepala lepas makan sebab menunggu berurut, makan dah lambat. Malam tu perut rasa tak selesa mencucuk. Sebab air mangga or ikan pari? We returned to KL that night. Hubby mengantuk sangat, tapi tak dapat nak bantu drive. Urged him to stop twice and take a nap.

DAY 10

Mandi air herba and berbengkung. Harini banyak rehat and nap. Letih past few days tolong jaga baby, tak tidur sangat. For lunch, panaskan masak lada MIL bekalkan. Rebus sawi untuk tambah sayur. I can eat turmeric raw. But when it comes to garlic, ewww... Garlic yang dah garing dalam microwave OK but garlic yg dalam sayur tu, kunyah2 sayur dengan nasi, bila rasa2 dah ready nak telan makanan, masukkan garlic and telan. Normally I'll just whacked the garlic and throw it away after eating the vege. Nak cepat baik, semua tu kena makan kan. So berusaha juga lah. Hubby returned from work, not feeling well. Gave him panadol and put cool towel on his forehead.

DAY 11

Mandi air panas jer. By this time, dah rasa comfortable berbengkung. Kalau nak ke bilik air, longggarkan sikit ikatan and after that senang ketatkan semula. Cuma perut masih rasa tak comfortable part nak membuang air besar tu. Bila makan NR tablet 1, mcm takder effect. Bila makan dua, kejap2 rasa nak ke bilik air tapi tak selalu berjaya pun. In the end, stick to taking 1. Today buat ikan selar masak pindang sekor, goreng 2 ekor, and buat air asam sikit. Air asam tak cukup bahan. For lunch, hubby makan sikit jer. Tak sedap air asam tu. For dinner, suapkan orang demam nasi dengan ikan goreng buh kicap. Lalu pulak orang demam makan. As for me, masak pindang tu lah.

DAY 12

Mandi air panas jugak. Harini orang demam kena ke office, tapi sebelum tu breakfast roti canai and pergi klinik dulu. Rushing balik rumah, bagi makan ubat and hubby off to office for 10 am appointment. 11 lebih dear hubby balik rumah, kepala dah weng katanya. Mungkin ubat selsema sebab belum bagi ubat batuk. Gave him the cough syrup and let him sleep. By this time, tak larat dah rasa nak makan ikan selar and sawi. So panas kan ikan goreng for hubby and ikan bilis jer lah for me. Risau juga dengan demam and batuk hubby yang tak surut2. Hubby woke up for lunch, suapkan nasi dengan ikan goreng and kicap lagi. Kesian... memang takder benda lain di rumah. Biskut dan roti pun dah habis. Pegaga pun dah habis daunnya, tinggal batang dan akar jer. Petang tu ajak hubby ke giant, he waited in the car. Lepas ni he has to be off to MLK family pulak. So pakai sweater, tak pakai stokin, jalan mcm orang bukan dalam pantang beli barang2 yang dah ada dalam senarai. Alhamdulillah kebanyakannya ada. For dinner, alter kan air asam yang tak sedap tu... fuhhh berasap makan tp makan sikit jer sebab tak berani makan pedas2 sgt.

DAY 13

Harini amik angin siram pokok pagi dan petang. Hubby risau betul pokok dah berapa hari tak siram. Tak lah berat sangat kerja tu kan. Bukak paip and pegang getah air jer. Tugasan cuci baju pun banyak dah selesai. Today, towel2 yang dah lama ada dalam laundry basket tapi tak tercuci sebab larat cuci baju2 penting jer, dah berangkat pun. Kain baju pun semua dah lipat cuma belum larat nak angkut and simpan di wardrobe atas. Last sekali yang outstanding in the laundry basket, cadar 2 sets and my tudung sebab tudung2 tu bukan boleh cuci macam biasa. Habis ler awning dia. Part menyapu jer yg lemah sikit bila akan bermain dengan habuk ni. My indon helper dulu pun dah tak nak datang since pindah rumah ni sebab jauh sangat katanya. For now, tutup mata jer dulu. Anyway, menu harini daging masak lada hitam with lots of halia and sawi pak choy.

Yang pelik harini, milk factory memang gatal dari time pregnant haritu. Bila menggaru memang tak ingat dunia. Harini keluar air... erkkk...

Cuba nak buat kerja sekolah harini. Minggu ni akan ponteng kelas coz too soon for me to sit for hours in aircond room and also drive. Next week, akan tumpang my friend. Kenapa yer tak boleh drive? Ni bukan pantang larang orang tua jer. My gynae dulu pun tak bagi. Urat rahim ada di ibu jari kaki katanya. Driving movement tu walaupun nampak tak seberapa, tak berapa sesuai for healing uterus. Apa2 hal, takut bentan. So better ikut dari mudarat.

Bila nak buat kerja sekolah, banyak pulak idea nak browse. Browse cerita pasal confinement experience orang, bila cerita part deliver tu, memang lah meleleh air mata. I go through it too... cuma tak cukup sempurna. Baru ler faham senario berpantang sebetulnya. Sebelum ni, buat sikit2 jer. It is the routine tu yang tak ramai nak buat i.e. mandi, tungku, all the necessary rempah ratus, param, pilis and bengkung for the whole confinement duration. Sanggup? So berazam akan buat betul2 after this. Sebelum ni memang masa berurut tukang urut ada tanya bengkung tak? Tungku tak? Mungkin sebab keadaan perut dan rahim yang tak berapa OK.

Bila pakai bengkung avon tu sekarang, rasa mcm takder apa jer. Mcm pakai girdle yang tak berapa ketat. Mungkin sebab dah lama elasticity dah kurang tp dulu ok jer. Mungkin juga dah biasa pakai bengkung ketat, setakat sikit mcm tu tak rasa apa.

Rasanya pakai bengkung panjang tu much better as dia ikut badan. Coz bengkung ni, badan pun belum kembang lagi, pregnant haritu losing weight sebab muntah jer, so the top part tak boleh nak ketatkan lagi. In the end, it will scrunch up at the waist. Part yang lain tu ok lah. Bahagian yang bengkak dekat pubic bone tu, sajer tarik ikatan tu kuat2. Now tak rasa bengkak tu lagi. Untuk orang yang dah biasa mengurut, tak tau ler boleh rasa bengkak atau tidak. Anyway, dah hujung2 confinement period nnt, akan berurut lagi. Nak amik full package - sauna, tungku, massage, tangas. Kalau rajin, lulur and mandi sekali. Selalu tak suka lama2 sgt. Penat ler nak tunggu semua tu habis. Now masih ada darah nifas, lama pulak this time. Dulu few days to one week. Pregnancy duration pun lebih lama this time. Petang dan malam, tungku dengan hot water bottle. Pakai losyen sirih before putting on bengkung for the night.

DAY 14

Pagi ni rasa nak mandi air herba. Dah breakfast roti dan milo, makan haruan tablet and NR tablet plus obimin. Semalam pun start ambik obimin. Actually, nak multivitamin tp multivitamin takder, habiskan jer lah obimin tu. Banyak juga kandungan vitamin dalamnya. Kalau beli multivitamin pun, belum tentu habis. Banyak jer pil2 supplement yang dah expired dan akan expired.

Dah mandi, tuam with hot water bottle and rehat sambil berbelog. Berhenti sekejap masak nasi, makan pisang montel untuk alas perut and sambung semula. Pisang tu MIL bagi haritu. Mula2 was-was nak makan. Tapi cuba jer dulu makan sikit, kalau takder apa2, boleh makan lagi. Bila baca pasal pantang-larang ni, heran betul semua buah tempatan tak digalakkan. Boleh nyer orange and red apple. Bagus sangat ker buat import tu? Yang pasti, buah tempatan pun banyak khasiatnya kan. Cuma nature buah tu ler either panas or sejuk. Anyway, dah selamat makan pisang montel. Banyak potassium nya. Orange pun laku pulak time pantang ni. Kalau tak, mcm tak jalan sangat jer sampai kena buat air. Otherwise, kering kecut ler buah tu.

For lunch, panaskan daging masak lada hitam semalam and makan dengan pegaga. Orang kata tak elok makan lauk berpanas 2-3 kali tapi kalau tak makan, membazir pulak. Nasi memang nasi baru, ulam pegaga and lobak merah sebab dah berbelog ni malas pulak nak masak sayur :p Harini akan buat air halia and air kunyit lagi. Kalau ada lagi darah kotor, hope boleh bersihkan semua tu.

CONCLUSION

During confinement, you have to be diligent. It is much easier now with modern pills and technology. Dari tak makan jamu langsung, baik ler telan pil tu. Macam tablet haruan. Kalau takder tablet, tak tertelan pati tu. So insyaAllah akan berterusan lepas ni, mandi air herba or air panas, pakai stokin, tungku, losyen sirih, bengkung, breakfast, tablet haruan, NR tablet, obimin... rehat, buat kerja apa yang patut, siapkan lunch, lunch, rehat, buat kerja apa yang patut, minum petang, rehat, bukak bengkung kejap, siapkan dinner, dinner, rehat, tuam, losyen sirih and bengkung semula. Nampak macam banyak rehat jer kan. Reality, terasa penat dan tak rehat sangat pun bila buat kerja rumah tu. Ada jer yang tak setel, kejap2 bangun. Even I start writing this entry since morning, I have stopped numerous time doing things that needs to be done.

NOTE

It is good to prepare the anchovies with sliced ginger and black pepper and keep it in tupperware as it can keep for a few days. Also have pegaga in the fridge. Anytime, you're too hungry to wait for lunch being cook or too lazy to cook, that will be a healthy meal during confinement.

Air kunyit is a must... for me at least. Air halia is also good to expel wind from the body.

NR Phytonatal tablet is OK as a jamu but I much prefer the herbal tea even though I might not take it all the time. The tea is much gentler on my tummy.

The herbal bath is good as it gives a refreshing feeling.

** If I ever be in confinement again, I hope it is because my pregnancy reached its full term and baby is healthy. I can only hope...