Confinement

December 3rd 2008


Confinement is a tad bit boring for me since I'm used to going out. I love window shopping and just browsing around. Yesterday I was able to convince my beloved to go to Supasave. I needed to buy the essentials like maternity pads, diapers and baby formula.

Breastfeeding hasn't been a good trip for me. The first two days were okay but apparently those two days were days of breastfeeding wrongly. Baby didn't latch on properly therefore by day three my nipples were sore, cracked and bleeding. I cried in pain everytime she breastfed so we had to buy formula as a back up. I tried expressing but felt like I wasn't expressing enough. So nowadays I pump as much as I can and feed it to Baby Amellia but by nightfall, I'm all dried out and she has to take formula. I'm currently allowing myself to heal before I try to breastfeed her directly again.



As for myself, I've been reduced to eating nothing but Chicken Ginger Soup everyday made by my mother in law. Its so delicious that I end up taking seconds. My mum made bubur last week while my sister in law made me some chicken soup. My abang is strict and has told me not to drink any cold drinks and not to go up and down the stairs alot hence the reason why my living room has become my den. I brought down my mattress and just rest on it with Amellia. Here are a few of the do's and don'ts one has to surrender to during confinement;

1) No drinking of cold drinks of any kind
2) Wear socks at all times
3) No cold showers
4) No eating beef or spicy foods, chicken saja.
5) No walking up and down the stairs (Takut gugur peranakan)
6) Drink lots of warm drinks, esp Milo (To increase milk flow)

On Sunday, my Barut lady came. An Indonesian lady that goes by the name Siti. She's just so efficient as she drives herself. She charges about B$200 for the week. My ritual starts of with getting scrubbed down (belulut) then I shower in warm water, followed by her pressing her warm 'magic' stone down on my belly and lower back then a massage. Finally she ties up the barut around my torso. The barut is kept on for at least 9 hours. I call it my stray jacket.

As for movement, well, the first few days I felt like an invalid. For someone who is used to moving around and being active & independent, the stitches down below has made me slow down tremendously and has made me depend more on others around me.

I've learnt many things after giving birth naturally, some of them are;

1) Contractions! They aren't so bad, in the beginning then they hurt like hell towards the end, especially when your 6-7cm dilated.

2) Privacy. You don't have it at all. Your body becomes the amusement of others. There is no time for modesty as the medical people are poking you here and there from the moment you arrive at the hospital.

3) Labour. Its like being constipated and taking a long poop but its all worth it when you see your baby for the first time. A rewarding outcome.

4) Stitches. Getting stitched up hurts like hell when they don't give you enough General Anesthetic. BUT they hurt even more when you're recovering.

5) Movement. Due to the stitches, movement is limited therefore you end up walking like a duck for a week or so.

6) Breastfeeding. If its not done properly, its a nightmare. The pain of sore nipples that are cracked and bleeding is unbearable that you will end up crying. I rather give birth again. Next time I must make sure baby latches on properly.

7) Number Two. Doing a poop for the first time after childbirth is difficult. But once its out it feels like heaven. In order to make it much easier, stick to a soupy diet.

8) Blood. Its just never-ending. Must remind self, the next time I must stock up on at least 4 big packs of maternity pads. (Yes, I am willing to go through it all again!)

*wink*