Journey of Pregnancy – Part II。

When we first found out that I was pregnant, we were still debating whether I shall be delivering the baby at South Africa or Malaysia.  Scrutinising the pros and cons and convenience of both options, we finally agreed to deliver the baby at South Africa.  Chen checked up the reviews for all the hospitals around Johannesburg area.  Amongst the many, we settled on Life Fourways Hospital for our monthly check up and to have our baby there.  Life Fourways Hospital has one of the most highly recommended gynaecologists in town.  However, the consultation fees and the delivery fees were also one of the top in town.  When we called up for inquiries prior to our first visit, they emailed us the consultation fees quotations for the different stages till delivery.  In the quotation, we were warned in advanced that their price could be as high as three folds of the normal price.  This is something to be noted as not all Insurance company will pay up for this.  Fortunately, this did not bother us too much as Chen’s insurance policy paid for 100% of the cost.  Thus, our selection criteria were the travel distance from our house and the quality of the service provided.

There were several gynaecologists located in the Life Fourways Hospital.  Dr. Córne Brink was our gynaecologist and her services did not disappoint us.  It was slightly different compared to the Malaysia maternity system.  Here, they would also provide the midwife services if one opted for vaginal natural birth.  Hence, my monthly check-ups were not all conducted by the gynaecologist.  It was only during the 2^nd month, the 3^rd month, the 5^th month and the 9^th month that I was checked by the gynaecologist.  Otherwise, the monthly check-ups were done with the midwife.  My midwife, Louette MacCallum was good, experienced and professional.  Except that she would need to refer back any medical consultation to the gynaecologist; otherwise she was very patient to answer all the questions.  She did not skip a step on the check-ups and was very proficient.   The routine check-up included the urine test, the ultrasound scan, the blood pressure readings and any other enquiries.

At the 2^nd month of pregnancy, the gynaecologist checked for the viability of pregnancy and whether it was a single or multiple pregnancies (twins or triplets) – Mine was a single pregnancy.  In addition, blood tests were requested during this time.  The blood tests were necessary to investigate if there were any deficiency and risk of Down syndrome.  Upon receiving my blood tests result, everything was fine except for the hypothyroid syndrome.  My thyroid hormone level was falling outside the low end of the range.  As a result, I would have to be on the Iodine supplement medication.  At the 5^th month check-up, a detailed ultrasound scan, which encompassed the Nuchal Translucency Fold test, the Fetal Nasal Bone, the blood flood in the heart, the femur length and etc., was conducted to check for anomaly.  The combined blood tests and the detailed ultrasound scan had ensured us that everything was looking fine and healthy.  Hence, we did not proceed with any invasive test.  Following that, every other check-up was to ensure mummy and baby conditions were fine.

Visiting the gynaecology and the physiology had been my routines for the past few months.  It made me realised how important it is to have a good insurance plan in South Africa.  The public medical services at South Africa had always been a second choice for anyone who can afford to pay for the private hospital.  I was not being paranoid but according to the survey, the risk of a woman dying due to complication of pregnancy in South Africa is 1:110.  In these circumstances, the risks in the public health service account for 90% of all deaths.  Yet, the sky-high charges from the private practices were also daunting.  I counted my blessings for Chen having a good insurance plan with the company.  At the 32 weeks, I joined the maternity unit tour for the mummy-to-be, registered myself with the maternity unit and made my bed booking.  So, these were the anticipated procedures in South Africa – you take charges of yourselves.

Well, nine months cruised by in a blink of eyes.  I am trying to recollect back all my physical and emotional feelings evolving through these nine months periods.  First, it started off with uncertainties.  The first trimester was the critical periods with risks of miscarriage.  Emotionally, it was a feeling of secretive excitement while trying to hold back the joy of sharing the news with others.  Physically, I was experiencing lethargy, exhaustion and nausea which could be due to the unfamiliar cold weather and the early symptoms of pregnancy.  I shamelessly plunged myself into the bed days and nights.  That was the exceptional luxury of being a homemaker.  Then, as times passed by, we started to share the news with bigger crowds and friends as things became more prominent.  Occupied with a lot of running and traveling on the second trimesters, we moved swiftly into the third trimesters.  Later stage, on some days during the 3^rd trimester, the lower back pain strike me so hard that I need to rest myself.

At last, it is now the final count down and there are only exactly three days left to the Estimated Delivery Date, which is projected to be the 24^th March 2013.  It even reached the point where people were constantly asking “Is she here already?”  I started to question myself why is it taking her so long even though I feel I would never ever be ready for parenthood.  It is a mixture of intense feelings.  At one hand, I am anxious and excited over meeting her face to face.  On the other hand, I am nervous for the labour.  During the previous check-up, we were informed about the option of induced labour.  Reading through various articles on induced labour, the risks of complication arise significantly with introduction of induced labour.  It leads to increased chance of epidural and possibility of emergency caesarean.  I prayed hard that I would not end up at this stage.

At this point in time, I thought it would be appropriate to digitize the ultrasound scans for safe keeping before the labour starts.

1st ultrasound scans at 2nd month –

She is still a tiny embryo at this point.

3rd month ultrasound scans –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th month ultrasound scans –

The 6th, 7th and 8th month ultrasound scans –

Prior to the 5th month, the fetus development was mainly measured by the length from crown to rump. After the 5th month, the fetus progress was measured by the estimated weight.  The last check up at around 39 week, the baby was weighing approximately 3.2 kg.  Meanwhile, I had also put on a nice +/- 10 kg.

 

Chen’s Birthday。

[March 12, 2013]

So, it was Chen’s 30^th Birthday on March 12, 2013.  How did we celebrate it?  Well, as one grows old enough, one wouldn’t mind a quiet celebration.  Chen did not ask for anything special for his birthday.  When I asked him about how he wanted to celebrate it, he said “Let’s just go out for a simple dinner.”  OK, I am cool with that and it is easy for me. 🙂

However having said that, I know a little extra effort will make him happy like a little puppy.  I am desperate to see that little puppy wagging his tail happily; so I need to make this little bit of extra effort.  First, a homemade cake is a must for the loved one.  But, I need to find something easy to do and at the same time, to clear the stock at home.  After giving it much thought and searching on the websites, I settled on the idea of a Raisin Raspberry Butter Cake.  You probably still remembered that I had a large half packet of raisin, which I could not finish them during the last baking of the Raisin Cinnamon Bread Roll.  I hoped he doesn’t mind me using his birthday cake as an excuse to clear the food stock.

If you are a fond lover of a moist, very buttery and rich butter cake; then you must try out the rasamalaysia.com ’s raisin butter cake recipe.  Though I am not a seasoned baker, by following the recipe steps-by-steps, I was still able to get the perfect butter cake.  My product appeared to be exactly like what I wanted it to be.  Whilst the cake was baked in the oven, the whole house was filled up with the buttery aroma.  I was pleased that Chen loved the butter cake as much especially when it was served piping hot from the oven.

The perfect Raisin Raspberry Butter Cake

Next, a birthday will not be complete without a birthday present.  So, I bought him a Wallet as his birthday present.  This will be a useful thing for him as the one that he is currently using is barely holding the cards and notes together.

The old torn wallet is replaced by the new one.

Ever since I am a homemaker, I become very careful with my spending and always make myself think long and hard before I spend on something luxury.  Sometimes, I may even visit the same shop a few times and comparing the prices of different shops before I decided to buy the items that I wanted.  It was a total different lifestyle compared to the time when I still have my earnings.  While it may sound a little sympathy, it is not a bad thing.  It makes me think twice whether it is a necessity or can I live without it.  And in many occasions, the filtering mechanisms eliminate a lot of unnecessary expenditure and indirectly save on the planet.  Nevertheless, nobody is perfect.  Sometimes I still pamper myself with some affordable things I wanted.  Having explained so much, this is just to imply that the gift that I bought is not measured by the price rather by the usefulness. 🙂

 Birthday’s eve dinner – simple curry chicken with spinach noodle.

A healthy peppermint, lemon and apple to go along with the cake.

Whilst at last, Chen, you being 30^th now and soon to be a father, I would like to give you some sincere advices –

• A tidy house creates a comfortable and peaceful atmosphere.  So please do not simply mess up the house after I tidy them.

• Knowing where you place your things will help you to save a lot of time searching for it and money by not needing to buy it again.  So please take good care of your things and do not misplace them by keeping them in proper place.

• Hygiene is important to health.  Please do not simply leave all the dirtied dishes, beer cans and clothes all around the house.

Otherwise, you are my greatest partner and I am blessed to have met you.  Wish you healthy always and happy like a doggy.  *Muacks :-)*.

Baking the Raisin Cinnamon Bread Rolls。

It was last month that I baked this Raisin Cinnamon Bread.  But due to lots of travelling; and OK, I don’t want to lie – a little bit of lazy bugs kicking in that I have a long list of backlogs for the blog posts.  Besides, I am always wondering how the other bloggers manage to upload their beautiful and perfect posts so efficiently in such a short time.  Not to mentioned that they have a family, children and career to manage.  It usually takes me a long time to go through the photos, filtering them for selection, minor editing if required, drafting my posts, proof reading the texts, and finally start to sketch and input into the blog, they probably already at least two weeks passed the actual date of occurrence.  And nowadays, the baby delivery due date of end of next week and winter is approaching give me even more reasons, or rather excuses, to rest and sleep in.  *Excited :-)*.

Last month when I checked through the food rack, I realised that I have a lot of leftover flour, half big packet of raisin and some cinnamon powder left by my friend when she was here making dessert.  So, baking the Raisin Cinnamon Bread is the perfect recipe to clear the stock.  I am not a good cook.  Admittedly, the Internet and Google search have helped me a lot on cooking.  These days, just by a simple search on the web, there is easily a long list of steps-by-steps recipes to guide you through the cooking – Thanks to all the bloggers.  Hence, of course, the Raisin Cinnamon Bread recipe that I baked is the one that I searched from the web.  Many of the recipes are not much different among them; I normally choose them based on the pictures they post.

My carbohydrates intake has increased as a result of pregnancy but Chen on the other hand, on his strict diet to reduce and control his weight in preparation for the Comrades run.  Consequently, he does not fancy breads, cakes or any heavy Carbohydrates food.  Never mind of that, our maid who is coming every week will help me to finish them.

The bread tastes crunchy and soft when served piping hot.  When aired dry, the bread is a little hard.  However, they are really not bad. 🙂 .

In the end, these are how much the bread turned out to be – almost equivalent to four standard packets sold in the market.  Chen and I definitely can’t finish all of them, so they were given to the guards and maids.

Escape to the Wild。 Hlane Royal National Park, Swaziland。

The 10th of February 2013 – it was a fine morning with good weather and sunny day. We would be driving down to the Swaziland for a 3-days and 2-nights getaway at the Hlane Royal National Park. According to Chen, this adventure would be our Valentine day celebration. In actual fact, the truth was to get his Visa extension for a couple more days before he travelled to Gabon for a proper 3-months Visa extension. If you were an expatriate at South Africa, you will soon get used to the many obstacles and lengthy processes along the way for Work Visa application. We could whine endless about this but looking at the bright side, we got to visit Swaziland in exchange of the visa complication issue, which was just brilliant!

Kingdom of Swaziland is a small independent country situated in the land of Greater South Africa. It has very low population and depends largely on agricultural for revenue and employment. It is considered as one of the poorer Africa countries and has faced with bankruptcy threat. In general, many Africa countries suffer from high HIV infection rate which lead to low adults life expectancy, high infant mortality and death rates. And Swaziland suffered the same if not the worst. The catastrophic HIV widespread has greatly hindered the overall Swaziland development and growth. Despite the many banes, Swaziland itself is blessed with many beautiful landscapes and terrains. Along the way of our drive, the mountainous landscape just took our breath away. Entering the land of Swazi, the people were friendly and the streets were clean, even in the town area. I had foolishly assumed that it would be worse than South Africa but it proved to be the opposite.

It was an outbound journey of approximately five and a half hours drive from Johannesburg to Hlane Royal National Park. As usual, we always travel with our tough buddy “the black GWM Hover” whenever we visit the National Parks. The Hlane Royal National Park is the largest protected area and national park in Swaziland. It is home to the usual animals we see in many National Parks in South Africa except for the Cape Buffaloes. When one is a frequent visitor to the National Park, one will soon realise that spotting the Big Fives especially the predators via self-driving require enormous luck. Soon after many trips to the wild, it was not only the Big Fives that thrilled me. But I began to appreciate many other occurrences. A mug of hot coffee, cool breeze blowing to my face and some yummy food in the car during drive; the huge savannah and the different landscapes and sceneries; and spotting rare animals like the spiders, the tortoises and the jackals in the National Park; all of these excited me. Just recently I was telling Chen that how blessed we are to be able to experience the life in South Africa. Where else in the world would have the Safaris and animals as real as in the Africa continent!

Hlane Royal National Park is approximately five and a half hour drive away from Johannesburg.

By the time when we arrived at the Hlane National Park, it was already nearing 5pm. It means no game drive today and rest early. After all, we were planning for an easy breezy trip. On the first day, we were allocated a cottage somewhere further north part of the park. They were the newer cottages with electricity access. They were clean, cosy and fully equipped. But there were only six of them and seemed to be rather remote. While on the second day, we moved to the little hut near to the reception area but there was no electricity access in the hut.

Arriving at the Hlane National Park Gate for registration.

The routes in the Hlane National Park were all gravel roads and rather narrow. Hence you would really need a good 4×4 vehicle to explore the park. On the second day, we went out for our self-driving game drive in the morning. The roads were so bumpy that even our tough buddy had a hard time. Thus, later that afternoon we decided to go on the park sunset game drive programme to give our tough buddy a rest. The sunset game drive was awesome. The guide was experienced and we got to have our complimentary drink while admiring the beautiful sunset. Furthermore, this was the ever first time in our experience that we were allowed to descend from the game vehicle and approached the animals for a closer distance.

The small little hut on the right picture is the park reception hut which is located in the NdLovu Camp area.

The restaurant area with the bar.

The cottage for our first night stay.

The Little Hut for our second day stay. There was no electricity for these huts but the National Park provided all the candle lights and the oil lamps.

Chen was preparing the dinner which was bought from the Chinese New Year celebration at Nan Hua Temple earlier on.

The Wildebeests

The Impalas

The Warthdog

The White Rhinos

The Giraffe

The Elephants

The Lioness

Huge Spider

Animals lazying around the water point in front of the restaurant.

Walking in the bush to a closer distance to the animals.

Head skeleton of different animals.

We later realised that many animals that we tried to spot through the game drive would gather at the water point just in front of the restaurant. The elephants, the rhinos, the hippos and the antelopes would normally spend their leisure time here. So even without doing the game drive, one would still able to watch many animals by sitting in front of the restaurant.

All in all, it was a slightly different experience compared to the well-known Kruger National Park with its less visitors-packed and quiet atmosphere.