Firstborn Tag

(First published in FB's Notes on Wednesday)

I was tagged by the lovely Ms. Suri whom I had met via blogging. :)

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? No, I wanted a baby right away due to the age factor.

2. WHAT was your 2nd choice name or your opposite gender name: We were only mulling over possible names after we found out we're having a girl. Her name evolved from thereon. Only towards the end that one name stuck in our heads and we both agreed to it.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Excited and humbled!

4. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 30 going on 31.

5. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Interesting that you'd asked. There is actually a long story to this, so please bear with me :) . I'd been anxious about getting pregnant ever since tying the knot. After six months of nuptials and still no baby, I tried not to be so hard up for the stork's arrival. In late June, I experienced what akin to a stomach flu and was prescribed some medicine. I had thought I was 'late' because of the antibiotics given to me then.

Again, when 'it' didn't come for what seemed the longest time and the home kit was negative, I went to see two doctors - first, one near to work and later on, one near home. The tests taken in both clinics still turned out negative. The second doctor even told me that some women could mimic pregnancy symptoms when they are so desperate to get pregnant. She suggested I took some pineapple juice to stimulate menstruation. I was crestfallen.

I had contemplated taking the juice when I realised that I slowly grew aversive to coffee. I couldn't bring myself to drink them. Something must be VERY wrong! I LOVE coffee!

Purely out of instinct, I called hubby and asked him to meet me at Twin Towers Medical Centre after work (I had a business meeting in town that day) for another test. We were ushered to the big waiting area until the result was out. The curt male doctor suddenly appeared in front of us and said 'Ah, positive. Come!' No smiling face. Just a matter-of-fact, serious expression. We were first dumbfounded by his contradicting sullen declaration. Then, the word finally sank in. POSITIVE? Alhamdulillah! That was a long, harrowing one-month journey to discovery.

6. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? I sent a mass sms (text messages) to my parents, siblings and close friends.

7. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Definitely.

8. DUE DATE? Early-to-mid March.

9. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Unlike this second pregnancy, no. But my husband did experience a bout of morning sickness in the first trimester by way of Couvade Syndrome.

10. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? A lot of cheese. Kraft cheddar cheese. The block type which I carried around in my handbag!

11. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? The smell of coffee, or even the mere mention of it, makes me nauseous.

12. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Female.

13. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX ? No. I love to dress up a girl. All those (floral) dresses, skirts galore. :)

14. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? In Malaysia, we use the metric system, so it was 20-23 kg.

15. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? Not a normal tradition or custom here.

16. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? Hence, not applicable.

17. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Since I couldn't ascertain my last cycle as a result of #5, my obgyn had to guesstimate my due date. As such, my triple blood test showed a higher risk of Down Syndrome. No words could describe how devastated I had become. My ever aloof obgyn recommended an amniocentesis procedure to confirm for sure the presence of Down Syndrome risk. In spite of the exorbitant price, we decided to go ahead with it primarily for our peace of mind. I was a nervous, emotional wreck for days before and after the procedure. Praise be to Him, everything turned out well. And the upside was that we got to know our baby's sex quite early.

18. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Gleneagles, KL.

19. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? Since it was 'unplanned' induced birth, I was in the hospital since 8 pm on Wednesday and the baby only came out at 00:04 on Friday. Sheer exhaustion and stress!

20. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? - My other half.

21. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? - My other half and a midwife on duty who taught me how to push.

22. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural, with assisted vacuum extraction.

23. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Epidural, twice top up.

24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 2.98 kg.

25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ? 12:04 am Friday, 24th February 2006.

26. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Sadia Firjani.

27. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? She's due for her 3rd birthday! *hint, hint*

28. WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN? I'm currently 22-week pregnant with my second child. :)

Firmly snugged in my arms, seven hours after delivery