My pregnancy chronology (Second Trimester)

The second trimester of my pregnancy was another major transition period for me, mainly because for the first time in my life i was taking the step of prioritizing myself and my family to become a full-time stay at home preggie mom. The choice was a fairly difficult one, having always been a perfectionist at work and being able to always draw a decent steady salary at the end of every month, to having to rely on my own savings now going forward with barely any other alternative source of income.

Things were heating up in office with the peak period nearing and with a very slow progress of improvement of my health at the beginning of the 4th month of my pregnancy, i was forced to make a choice of priority. At hindsight, even I did not have confidence to say when things would get better for me and to steadfastly continue down this path of trying to balance work and health could have a detrimental effect on me and the surrounding people soon.

On the flip side, i motivated myself by planning ahead the things i could probably do during my spare time that i normally would not be able to if i had to work a 5-day week job, including reading up on all pregnancy related materials, joining related forums and support groups, studying market prices of products and services recommended, preparing homemade toys and accessories for baby and learning up on future baby food recipes, buffing up on my japanese/mandarin languages and planning a travel itinerary to Japan for all seasons to name a few. Maybe a part-time job or course online? Who knows the opportunity that may be there if only i could spend some time to find out a bit more.

However, actually handing in my resignation letter on week 15 of my pregnancy was no easy task and the frustration was excruciating. The one thought i had was if only i had more time to prove myself before i got pregnant the people around me might have been able to know me better and be more understanding of my situation. This was a very hard lesson learned on family planning that i had briefly thought about before, but never really took it into account until by mere chance i was in this position. 

Nonetheless, once the decision had been made there was no turning back. It felt rather obvious to me that my body and my baby were indirectly signalling to me that i needed to pay more attention to them and with a heavy heart, after deducting all ALs collected thus far, i bid my work life adieu on week 18 of my pregnancy, 8 June 2016.

Focusing my attention now on my pregnancy, i was actually shocked and amazed on the hours of sleep i tried to catch up back on once i began staying at home. This "hibernation"period lasted at least 2 weeks for me, with my sleep hours including naptimes ranging from between 10-13 hours total daily, and made me actually wonder how exhausted my body actually had been in the first 4 months of my pregnancy. 

I took this opportunity to read up on immediate concerns regarding my pregnancy, such as recommended daily nutritional needs, effects from lack thereof, pregnancy symptoms and their meanings, recommended O&Gs and their fee rates, solutions on managing the challenges of a difficult pregnancy, apps to monitor my pregnancy, active local support groups and forums to join, checklist of products to ready for delivery and the baby, and antenatal classes available, as well as potential part-time financial opportunities and courses available online.

I did have a few pregnancy books to read up on, but i ditched them halfway through as googling for information online was much faster, direct to the point of queries i had in mind, and could be shortlisted by how updated and recommended they were, which was a very important factor to consider when we want the best for our growing little bundle. 

Starting out was pretty challenging, considering this surge of information could keep me glued up to 6 hrs daily in front of the computer screen and leave me dizzy from all the information i had absorbed. 

Online offers and courses

In addition, adjusting to a life without a steady monthly income was a nagging concern and in all honesty, after months of searching online, it was near impossible to find a decent paying online job, as most were scams or spams aimed at depriving you of your money instead of helping you gain them on the basis of promises of future wealth for that "minor investment" paid to start out. 

Completing surveys are barely worth the time to be honest, as the chances of you being in the target group to be rewarded was less than 15% chance, whereby you would probably need to do about at least 10 surveys totalling about 3 hours just to probably earn a RM10 or RM20 jusco voucher? Remember this is only if you make it into the target group of the survey or otherwise, you would not be rewarded for your time spent on the survey even if you have gone though it halfway.

Other familiar online schemes would be those marketing schemes that would ask you to pay upfront RM30-RM100 training fee before you are provided the package to begin your work which would net you at least a few hundred weekly if you are hardworking. Or asking you to spam advertisements on your FB page or your email contacts with the promise of payment being made weekly once you have completed the job, but you would not need to report your progress to them as the spamming is at your own time and convenience and they would somehow be able to track it. Detect a scam? Definitely.

All in all, attending online training courses proved to be the most fruitful investment i took up on during my entire pregnancy and yes well, that ended up with me having to spend instead of earn but hey, in the long run, this will be my fountain of knowledge when i join back the workforce post pregnancy.

Ok, back to the topic on my pregnancy:

Searching for the right O&G

Finding the right doctor for me was confusing initially. Family and friends recommended doctors who were either in KL and far from home or from rather pricey hospitals. And as i needed to find one immediately after discovering that i was pregnant, i decided to go for the nearest hospital recommended with a good track record and try my luck there. A summarized depictation of my experience can be found in my linked post here.

In summary, the factors i believe that need to be considered when choosing your doctor for pregnancy and delivery include:

1. Costs per visit, including if supplements and medicines are provided

2. Waiting time per visit, as i understand, a 1.5hr wait at government clinics are fairly common

3. Experience, capability and friendliness of the doctor and nurses on duty, as the last thing you would want is a rushed appointment where your concerns are brushed aside or downplayed when you are already nervous as is

4. Ultrasound facilities, and quality of the scan results and photos

5. Location and facilities of the clinic/hospital available for labor

6. Costs of labor and hospitalization

7. Accessibility to a recommended pediatrician and lactation consultant immediately after labor

8. How contactable are the nurses or doctors in case of an emergency

9. Whether the delivering doctor is supportive of natural birth or cesarean, and how much leeway you will be given to move around before being admitted and "strapped down" for actual labor

10. How comfortable you and partner are when communicating with the doctor

11. If you would prefer a male/female doctor to carry out your delivery

12. If your partner can be with you in the labor room throughout delivery. This is not allowed in government hospitals.

Consumption intake/ outtake pattern

My appetite started to get better by the end of my 5th month of pregnancy and it felt like majority of smells and tastes did not offend me as much as compared to the first trimester. Nausea and vomiting came to a halt as well during this period, and by way of trial-and-error, i discovered the best methods for consuming my supplements - not before or after but in between meals. The only strong aversion i seemed to have was towards onion (in any form), garlic and plain drinking water (which thankfully can be easily rectified by mixing in other flavored drinks/juices in, or infusing it with peppermint, lemon or cucumber). My craving for fruits and berries increased as well to combat my constant constipation problems, which luckily did not result in any hemorrhoids throughout my pregnancy.

High for the period - Was enjoying the fact that my appetite gradually got better until i managed to consume at least 2 decent meals a day. Being able to try out all types of fruits, including dragonfruit, guava, peaches and apricots, really added much fiber and variety to my diet. This made it possible for me to eat out more as well and to meet up with friends and enjoy foods which i have been craving for so long.

Low for the period - Discovering that whilst i liked to consume fried/spicy/flavorful food once in a while, my stomach apparently could not handle any type of indian food, even daal, and I would easily get hyperacidity after the meal. Same went for blackberries and golden kiwis. Discovered on week 24 of my pregnancy that consuming too much concentrated green tea in a day (from drinks and desserts) could apparently be accidentally passed onto my baby, resulting in him continuously kicking up a fit in my tummy throughout the sleepless night until dawn. Seems that my caffeine tolerance plummeted ever since i stopped taking coffee/tea at the start of my pregnancy.

Other challenges during this period

• Managing the ton of information i've been reading up on and counter-checking it with real-life experiences of moms around me.
• Stepping out of my comfort zone and transitioning to a FT SAHM, whilst attempting to juggle my ever-depleting finances and horrific nightmares of being so financially cornered.
• Deciding what to purchase in preparation for confinement, delivery and for arrival of our newborn with our limited budget, including insurance and stem cell storage options.
• Heading out early to officially attend my first baby exhibition fair ever alone to scour some cheap deals, and holding out with a trolley for half a day until family back-up arrived. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience considering i'm already 26 weeks pregnant, as reviewed in my post linked here. 
• Many of my loose clothes were starting to feel snuggly and my range of available clothing was becoming limited. Discovered that body hugging outfits actually irritated my belly leaving it red and itchy.
• Having to start a strict regime of daily moisturizing of my growing belly with stretch mark prevention creams.

"Memorable" moments

• Finding out his gender  at week 21 pregnancy, and boy was he not shy in making this announcement!
• Feeling my baby's first hiccups at week 24 pregnancy. Oh that tickles!
• Felt the strongest kick from him up my diaphragm on week 26 pregnancy when i consumed ice chrysanthemum a little too fast and surprised him with the chill. Oh how the tea nearly splurted out my nose when i choked. Ouch!
• Started out first appointment with Dr Raja at Columbia Asia, Puchong. Felt ticklish when the nurse asked me why i wanted to see her and the look of disbelief when i told her i was already 25 weeks+ pregnant. Guess i didn't look the part yet.
• First 4D and 3D ultrasound of bubs on 1 August 2016, could finally see his cute tiny lil face. Awww...
• Massive moral and financial support pouring in from my families on week 26 pregnancy, really touched. 
• First ever shopping mania for baby stuff for a whole day. Suddenly started feeling so at home surrounded by pregnant moms and their kids and all the commotion around, and also extremely proud of my shopping achievement from the fair by the end of the day. Best marathon ever!
• Got my first nursing bra and bra extension at week 27 pregnancy. He's starting to stretch me out in there.
• Started shopping for maternity clothes and wearing hub's tops when i got the chance for home wear. Who knew raiding his cabinet could be that fun. Tee hee!

Preparing for Confinement

With many of my close relatives having given birth either more than 7 years ago or recently but outside Klang Valley, and being the partial “banana” that I was, most of the advice and guidance came from my surrounding colleagues, high-school friends-turned-moms and online forums and blogs.

In the course of my research I came across a blog post by Ms Zay Aw regarding items to be prepared for confinement, which I personally felt was really helpful as a checklist to ensure I have as many things as I can covered. Her post can be checked out on her site: http://thediaryofzay.blogspot.my/2013/07/what-to-prepare-for-confinement.html?q=confinement.

From my understanding, confinement periods for us Chinese families can be a minimum of 30 days, but it is recommended to continue with it till at least 45 days for a better recovery period for both mum and baby. Most post-natal packages, be they herbal soups, recovery supplements, or herbal baths are usually sold up to a 30 day period as some of them can only be used starting from the 4^th, 7^th or 10^th day after delivery, depending on the circumstances of the delivery and condition of the mom.

So to start off, the basics usually considered during confinement would be:

1. The herbs and liquor used for cooking of the confinement meals

2. Supplements to aid the mum’s recovery

3. Long sleeved tops & bottoms (and maybe even hats?) for mums to keep the “wind” out

4. Miscellaneous clothing such as maternity pads, disposable panties and medical pads

5. Abdominal binder or Bengkung for those opting for a malay massage during recovery

6. Herbal Baths and massage oils for mum and baby

7. Breast pump and accessories for those planning to breastfeed during this period

Food Stuff

Your pantry should be stocked with various liquor and seasoning oils for cooking and double boiling, whilst your confinement room should be stocked with beverage mixes, some light snacks (and lactation cookies?) to nibble on during confinement. More details on this can be referred to in Ms Zay Aw’s blog post above on the same.

In addition, your fridge would need to be stocked with lean pork shoulders, chicken, selected fish and vegetables once you have delivered for the confinement meals to be prepared. Best ask the person who will be doing the cooking for you to manage on what and how much to buy on this as you would be busy recuperating and managing the new addition to the family.

Chinese Herbal Post-Natal Packages

Nowadays, many Chinese herbal shops provide post-natal packages and would have pre-packed the herbs and labelled them according the day it is to be boiled and consumed during the confinement period. Stepping into the 2 rather well-known Chinese herbal shops aside from Eu Yan Sang, i.e. Yin Onn (Ipoh)Sdn Bhd in LG Floor Mid Valley, and Taimal Herbs & Medicine Sdn Bhd (also known as Effective Herbs & MedicineSdn Bhd) in 1U, both outlets would have a staff who would be able to show the pre-packed confinement herb packages, as well as provide a brochure/ booklet on the types of soups to be prepared according to schedule for consumption. Yinn Onn’s 22 day post-natal tonic herbal soup starts from RM760.00, whilst Taimal’s 30 day herbal soup package starts from RM750.00. All soups are normally cooked together with a choice of chicken or pork.

Eu Yan Sang’s 21 day post-natal package costs about RM600.00++ for member price, and RM845.00 for non-member. Being a pregnant mom, you would be entitled to sign up as their member for free. However in my opinion, the supplements provided in this pack such as the So Hup Pills and Pak Foong Pills would not be sufficient for confinement and you may need to purchase a separate pack for them.

Another opinion shared by other moms and moms-to-be that I have come across is that should you or a relative be more familiar with the local Chinese medicine shops, you would be able to procure the confinement herbal packages at a more lower price, and maybe even be able to mix & match the amount of herbs according to preference. A note of caution however is that if you are not familiar with the shopkeeper/owner of the less reputable Chinese herbal shops, it would be difficult to guarantee if the herbs sold are “clean” or original when it originates from China.

A tip to note here is whichever herbal package that you would be purchasing, do get it at most a month before your due date to ensure that the herbs are fresh and your fridge will have enough space to store them as these herbs have to be stored chilled or they may actually attract weevils.

Traditional Herbal Post-Natal Packages

Post-natal packages catered for the general public regardless of race would normally be derived from tropical herbs and contain consumable supplements or teas, herbal baths and massage oils to help calm and speed up recovery of the new mother, and care for the new baby as well. The 2 main packages I have come across are Amway Post Natal Care Package, purchased at member price of RM280.00 (N/P RM365.00 I think), and Tanamera Post Natal Care Set, which has been priced as per their website of RM335.00.

For the Tanamera package, I have liaised with several malay massage ladies who have specified that their massages will only be carried out if their client purchases the Tanamera package, and that they will not be able to carry out the massage if other brand products are used. Same goes with the massage/spa services offered by Tanamera’s masseurs.

Hence, due to this inflexibility and higher cost involved, I have opted for the Amway set. The Amway set has been recommended by several other moms as the most comprehensive and value for money package set, and includes the following items and instructions on how to use them as well:

For Oral Consumption

1. Herbal tea (10 sachets)

2. Supplement - After Birth 1 (60 capsules)

3. Supplement - After Birth 2 (80 capsules)

For External Use:

4. Herbal Wash (20 sachets)

5. Herbal Bath (20 sachets)

6. Firming Herbal Blend (20 packets)

7. Warming Herbal Blend (15 packets)

8. Calming Herbal Blend (15 packets)

9. Herbal Massage Oil (60 ml)

10. Baby Massage Oil (60 ml)

11. Bengkung (1 unit)

Amway Box set and Binder/Bengkung

Contents of the Box Set

Eventhough the malay massage lady that I will be hiring during my confinement would be able to provide her own herbal blend and oils for the massage, she also recommended this package as most of her customers would normally purchase this for use during the massage, and the herbal blend baths which can be used when she is not around. I have also come across posts from other new moms that if their spouse or relative is willing and knowledgeable in how to carry out the massage, purchasing this set would be sufficient for their confinement needs already.

Herbal Bath & Massage Oil Post Natal Packages

Some Chinese medicine shops do also sell their own mix of the herbal bath/soak sachets, but TYT was the herbal brand I noticed at all 3 baby fairs that I had attended that catered for confinement herbal baths (ginger variety available), baby herbal baths, herbal foot baths and herbal medicated oils. Their products have been certified HALAL by JAKIM and can be purchased online or at selected Chinese medicine and pharmaceutical outlets. Courtesy of a family relative, I have received a set of the 1 month’s Confinement Set +ginger variety, and 2 packs of the Herbal Foot Bath (x 4 sachet per box).

When enquired at the baby fair, the promotion price for confinement set is the same as their current gong price online of RM180.00 per set. However, purchases made at the baby fair will entitle you to some additional freebies, such as a free bengkung, some herbal medicated oil sample bottles or even a few more sachets of herbal baths/soaks.

To the moms-to-be who are wary of post-natal massages and would not be getting the traditional herbal post-natal packages but would still like to enjoy the benefits and convenience of a warm herbal bath/foot bath without the hassle of mixing your own herb leaves and flowers, this would be a good alternative as they are all pre-packed in easy to use and dispose sachets.

Post-Natal Complete Package

Another brand I saw at the recent Today’s Baby Expo held on 15 September 2016 in Mid Valley was Perfect Women Wellness House Sdn Bhd. I haven’t seen or heard much about this brand, and as I was in a rush I did not stop to listen to their promoter’s explanation. When I checked online, their write-up on their Complete Post-Natal package seemed to include drink supplements, pre-packed herbs and enzyme essences for cooking, and herbal baths. Their website also posted many positive reviews about it, but it costs RM3,398.00??!!

Personally this is definitely outside my budget, hence I leave it to my readers here to consider this package and to provide their review on it.

As for the confinement clothing, breast pump and other miscellaneous necessities and accessories, these should have been purchased and ready for use post-delivery and not just for during confinement. My checklist on these can be found in my earlier blog post on “Checklist for New Arrival”.

Confinement Ladies and Confinement Centres

To the moms-to-be who need a helping hand in house chores, caring for the newborn and mom herself, cooking the food and herbal tonics, giving massages, and someone to provide an overall medical/ traditional advice on what to do and what not to do, hiring of a confinement lady to stay, occasionally visit for a stipulated number of hours per week, to just drop the cooked meals, or even opting for staying at a confinement centre instead in the KL/Selangor area can go for a rate from RM3,500 – RM10,000, depending on the vicinity and type of service required. This amount may not exclude the costs of purchasing food materials for cooking of the confinement meal and soups, the “ang pao” at the end of the service, potential surcharges for services provided during holiday periods such as Christmas and Chinese New Year, as well as any medical consultation and medicine fees that may arise.

The Mummy Notebook had posted her reviews on 4 surveyed confinement centres under her blog posts in August 2015. The 4 centers surveyed include CareNanny Malaysia, Mom’s Paradise Postnatal Retreat, Gina’s Place, and Serenity’s Confinement Centre.

Malay massage ladies/ Tukang Urut

If hiring a tukang urut is your thing, then searching for a well-reviewed and affordable urut lady online or by word of mouth is crucial to ensure that your confinement massage arrangements are well organised and stress-free. One such active forum thread can be found on Lowyat.Net at https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/2579445, whilst a summary of urut ladies can be found on MalaysiaBrides.com at http://www.malaysiabrides.com/forum/topic/16241-malay-urut-lady/?page=2.

Prices can range between RM70.00 – RM130.00 depending on the type of services provided (i.e. massage for the mom, massage for the babies, herbal baths and wearing of the bengkung), the hours involved and location of the urut lady and her client. It also may or may not include transportation and massage materials/bengkung costs, which can go up to RM10.00-RM20.00 per trip, and RM35.00-RM50.00 for 1 bengkung.

To me, the factors i considered in choosing my kak urut were if their package service offered the basic of massage, tukul/ hot stone and bengkung wrapping, and if their price also included:
1. Their transportation costs

2. Costs for the materials used during their service, including bengkung

3. Massage for baby (optional)

4. Herbal Bath (optional)

5. Breast massage to ease engorgement (optional) 

In addition, just like choosing my O&G, i would try chatting with them first to see how upfront they are with their package services and how well we could get along (afterall, you will be hiring this person over to care and touch you when you and your family are most vulnerable). Understanding their background, years of experience, and how their package works would definitely make you more assured.

Some moms have voiced concern that hiring of these freelance urut ladies may not hold them as accountable as hiring a masseur from a spa service centre. To me this is a personal and delicate choice, as most spa masseurs might not offer home services and the mom would need to drop by the spa centre to carry out the massage later in their confinement period/ after, which some say would slow the process of recovery as the post-natal massage can be conducted as early as 7 days post-delivery (for vaginal delivery) or 14 days post-delivery (for caesarean delivery). In addition, if the massage costs are going to exceed RM150.00 per session, then a spa service massage could be considered.

Save for the confinement meal recipes which is best left to the person who will be doing the cooking for you, I believe I should have covered almost all aspects to be considered during confinement. I’ll share my experience on this once it’s my turn. Until then, all the best!

Checklists for the New Arrival

Congratulations to the readers who are pregnant and expecting a baby at home soon!

Being a first-time mom, I have found much information on the necessities required to prepare for my firstborn from the internet, books, word-of-mouth to be rather overwhelming.

Gone were the days of our parents when choosing diapers was as easy as between either a cloth nappy, or pampers. Today, there are now at least 5 different brands of disposables, each with their own range and varieties to cater to various designs, comfort, conveniences and age groups. And this is before I even start on the strollers, car seats, cots, baby toiletries, stretch mark creams, breast pumps, etc. available on the market!

Suffice to say, attending a baby fair or warehouse sale mentally ill-prepared in hopes of checking out the brands and products available as well as the competitive market price range will be a recipe for disaster, especially if you happen to be attending a huge crowd event such as the TCE Baby Expo and then come across a rather pushy salesperson.

Honestly, i can’t really review which brand is better over the other just yet as I have yet to try them out, nor would I know my baby’s future preferences/ sensitivities. What I can share here is my checklists of items required (and maybe IMO not so required) in preparation of the new arrival, whilst delivering at the hospital, a shortlist of possible brands to consider, and factors that can be considered in your own preferred selection. These will be addressed in my next post update.

The items highlighted below should be considered in the following manner:

a)    In pink = For babies 6-9 months old

b)    In blue = For babies 9 months old and above

c)   With a * = Not a necessity and can be considered depending on the circumstances and preferences of the parents

Checklist for Newborn (0-6 months) till age 1

ITEMS		QTY		ITEMS		QTY
SLEEPING				CLOTHING (FOR BABY)
	Baby Cot	1			Hat/ Beanie	2
	Pillow & Bolster	1			Mittens	6
	Pillow & Bolster Cover	2			Socks	6
	Mattress	1			Shoes	6
	Bed Sheet	2			Day Wear	5
	Comforter/ Quilt/ Blanket	1			Night Wear	5
	Diaper Stacker	1			Romper	6
	Changing Table/Mat	1			Baby Bips	>3
	Waterproof Bed Mat	1			Swaddle	1-2
	Mosquito Net & Stand	1			Dresser	>1
	Spring Cot	1			Napkins/ Handkerchief	5
	Spring Cot Net	2
	Playpen + Mat	1
TRAVELING				BREASTFEEDING
	Infant Car Seat*	1			Breast Pump	1
	Infant Carrier*	1			Breast Pad (Cloth)	2
	Baby/Toddler Car Seat	1			Breast Pad (Disposable)	50
	Baby Stroller	1			Contact Nipple Shield*	-
	Travel Support Pillow	1			Nipple Cream	1
	Travel Blanket	1			Hot/Cold Pack	1
	Nappy Bag	1			Feeding Pillow*	1
	Feeding Set	1			Milk Storage Bottles	5-10
	Car Window Shade	1			Milk Storage Bags	50
	Baby-on-board Sticker	1			Milk Cooling Travel Bag	1-2
	Travel Changing Mat	1			Ice Pack for Bag	1-2
	Car Back Seat Organiser*	1			Milk Bottle Training Handle	1-2
	Portable Cutlery Set	1			Bottle Tong*	1
	Toothbrush & toothpaste	1
	Teething Set	1
EVERYDAY				BABY CARE/ BATHING
	Baby Wipes	>3			Baby Shampoo	1-2
	Diaper (Disposable) - NB size to buy max 2. Buy more S sizes	>2 bags			Baby Bath	1-2
	Diaper (Cloth)	>6			Bath & Face Towel	2
	Nappy Liner	>2			Bath Sponge*	2
	Cotton Wool/Balls	>2			Baby Lotion	1-2
	Bottle Steriliser	1			Baby/ Talc-free Powder*	1-2
	Bottle/ Food Warmer	1			Bath Tub	1
	Bottle Brush	1			Bath Mat (non-slip)	1
	Feeding Bottle	>4			Nose Cleaner*	1
	Nappy Rash Cream	1			Nail Clipper/ Scissors	1
	Bottle Teats (Slow – Fast)	>2			Hair Brush/ Comb	1
	Detergent	1-2			Thermometer	1
	Bottle Liquid Cleaner	1-2			Fever Cool Plaster	>1
	Milk Powder Container + Formula Milk*	1			Bath Stool	1
	High Chair	1			Bath Stand/ Hanger	1
	Cutlery Set	1-3			Powder Puff Case*	1
PLAYING				OPTIONAL
	Baby Rattle	>1			Cot Night Light*	1
	Play Gym	1			Dustbin	1-2
	Crib Toys	3-5			Pacifiers*	1-2
	Stroller Toys	3-5			Bottle Drying Rack*	1
	Bean Pillow	1-2			Baby monitoring device*	1
	Baby Chair	1		CONFINEMENT
	Potty Chair	1			Minyak Angin/ Urut	1
	Musical Mobile	1			Maternity Pad	2 bags
	Toy Box (s)	>1			Herbal Foot & Bath Soaks	1 set
	High Chair Toys	>2
	Messy Mat	1-2		CLOTHING (FOR MOM)
	Cuddly Toys	>2			Nursing Bra	>2
	Activity Toys	>2			Bra Extenders	1-3
	Baby Books	>2			Sleep Support Pillow*/ Bolster	1-2
	Walker	1			Pregnancy Support Belt*	1-2
	Infant Jumper	1			Maternity Clothes	>3
	Baby Gate	2			Stretch Mark Cream	1

  Hospital Checklist

ITEMS			ITEMS
FOR MOM			FOR BABY
	Hospital Wear			Nappy Bag
	Nightwear			Diapers
	Slippers			Wet Wipes
	Maternity Pads			Baby Wash
	Nursing Bras			Blanket
	Breast Pads (Disposable)			Towel
	Underwear			Romper (night wear)
	Toiletries			Hat/ Beanie
	Tissue			Socks
	Hair Brush & Hair Dryer			Mittens
	Toothbrush & Toothpaste			Swaddle
	Relaxation Music/ Massage Oil*			Infant Carrier*
	Support Pillow*			Infant Car Seat*
	Heat Pack*			Travel Support Pillow*
	Water Bottle*			Cotton Swabs/Balls
	Loose clothes (after birth)
	Medical Card		FOR SUPPORT PERSON
	Blood Group Card			Video Camera & Charger
	Towel			HP & Charger
	Socks			Snacks

PS: My list has excluded the bengkung and barut which I believe most Muslim moms may consider in their list.