T H E  10th L E T T E R

May 4, 2011 @ 8:22p.m.

Dear Baby2,

Howdy, my baby! It’s been a month since Mommy last wrote you a letter. Uh-oh, sorry, my baby, Mommy’s been very busy for the past month.

Anyway, I am so happy to let you know that we saw you for the first time (CLEARLY) in the ultrasound. And my goodness, my baby, you have a very beautiful nose (pwera bati). Daddy and Mommy were so happy to see  you, really. We’ve been paying so much at our previous clinic, and we didn’t see your face clearly during the series of ultrasounds conducted there. Glad that we changed our OB gyne and clinic last Monday.

My baby, we’re now on our 34th week. WOW. How time flies! Over 5 more weeks, baby, and we’ll gonna see each other! Yehey! Daddy, Mommy, and Ate A are all excited to see you. By the way, Mama won’t be able to go here next month, so, instead it will be Auntie N who will be with us for 1 month.

Last Saturday or Sunday, you weighed 1.55kg and the previous OB said that your supposed weight should be 1.9jkg. Mommy’s kinda worried then. After two days, when we went to our new OB, she said that you’re now weighing 1.667kg, close to 1.7kg and it’s good. Thank God that you gained weight in two days. I am sorry if you are starving, are you? But Mommy gained a good amount of 7kg in 3 months so I thought that you, too, are gaining weight. Anyway, I just hope that we’d both be safe next month, and healthy, too.

I need to play more songs for you, baby. I am sorry I’ve been very busy. I promise to attend to your learning for the remaining 5 weeks until you’re delivered. This reminds to me to listen to stories at the story nory, and the mozart songs, and read more stories to you. I am just so happy that you’re active in Mommy’s womb. Glad, too, that your position in Mommy’s womb is correct. Thank you, baby.

This is all for now, baby.

iloveyou,

mommy

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Last Monday, my husband and I went to Al Sakena Clinic in Farwaniya. I wish I had done it sooner and not later ( 7th month pregnancy). I wish I didn’t go to SIH for my prenatal checkups.

For the first time after so many ultrasounds of my baby, it was my first time to see my baby clearly! Previous ultrasounds were done in SIH and they weren’t clear. We’d pay KD40 for every visit. I’d hear my baby’s heartbeat, yeah, thank God, and the doctor would say everything is normal with the baby and me. On our last visit at SIH last week, we were told to go for another laboratory exam which meant, another KD48. When we paid KD40 for the ultrasound and consultation, and we felt that there was nothing extra special that was done, we thought of going to another private clinic. I thought of Al Sakena.

I immediately searched the Web for its number, but couldn’t find any. Fortunately, I wrote the clinics’ no. (+965 – 247504377) in my mini-notebook when I had my first pregnancy last year. It was also during my 7th month of pregnancy (in my 1st pregnancy) when we visited the clinic, and I felt that my money was, indeed, worth the services that I got from them. There’s this sort of connection, personal touch – same with my previous OB at Al Sakena, and the new OB that I have now from the clinic.

My hubby and I were so elated upon seeing clearly our daughter’s face ! Beautiful nose, beautiful face! And guess what, we only paid KD31 for the consultation, and for the laboratory tests. Since I already have a file with them, I didn’t pay KD5 for opening a new file.

The thing is, it’s not about money. It’s the quality of service that I am getting. I wish I’ve done it sooner to visit Al Sakena just upon knowing that I’m pregnant with my 2nd baby…

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I’m on my 7th month of pregnancy now with my 2nd baby. And, as usual, I’m at the crossroad of finally deciding over the type of hospital to deliver my baby — public or private. The same dilemma that I had on my 1st pregnancy. During my 1st pregnancy, I had 6 OBGYNEs – 5 from private, 1 from public. I braved myself in delivering my baby at the public hospital. The nurse who delivered my baby was awesome! But the recovery period at the ward was ahhh unacceptable. (It’s hard when you’d deliver your baby in a public hospital at night time, and no visitors are no longer allowed)…

When I got pregnant with my 2nd baby, husband and I said that I’d deliver our baby at Al-Salam. During the course of my pregnancy, until now, I only have one OBGYNE. My mind was already then fixed at delivering my baby at Al-Salam. But the more that the weeks are getting shorter, the more that my mind is changing its stance — public versus private.

This morning, I went to Farwaniya Hospital where I delivered my 1st baby in 2009. Since I didn’t know how to speak in Arabic, I waited for some miracle that I could speak with someone who could converse in English or my native language. I strolled around the hospital from department to another department. I was able to talk with a kabayan nurse, and she said that I just needed a referral from my doctor, and there’s no need for me to open a file because I already have one. I went straight to the Maternity Department, and asked the clerk on what to do. She said I should go to Al-Sabah. I really didn’t understand her nor did she understand me. I just sat there waiting for something to dawn on me. I chatted with two kabayans who I thought were pregnant, too, but, later found out that they were there for the SONAR of their myomas.

With little info in hand on what to do with my file at the public hospital, I went home after mulling over my dilemma for two hours. But, I went home only after I roamed around the maternity. I visited the Examination Room, no, just glanced over the door, I mean. I viewed the wards. I tried to relive the memories of my first pregnancy and delivery. I surmised that, with God’s help and grace, I could do it again – at the public hospital.

Prayers, my three Patrons, confidence, and strong will are ingredients to having a successful pregnancy and delivery. My baby and I will be triumphant, I am certain of that. I pray that I will deliver my 2nd baby in the morning or mid-afternoon, and not at night time.

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My baby’s exactly 25 months today, and, thank God, her vocabulary has increased tremendously. I am happy that, in the past, I was able to teach her the basic words. If not, it could have been difficult for me to know what she’s feeling.

A few days back, she was telling me that her ear hurts. I just didn’t mind it. I thought it was because of her colds. But, after complaining upon waking up, I thought that the hurting of her ear/s (because she was pointing to her two ears) was a big deal. I peeked into her ear. There was something that was blocked at the center – a white thing which I thought could be removed by cotton bud. But, no, husband said the white thing was not hard, but wasn’t soft.I tried to remove it with cotton bud moistened with baby oil. I even thought of removing the white thing with a hair puller. For heaven’s sake, I thank God I wasn’t able to find the hair puller.

I trusted my baby’s doctor, of course, next to God, that the pedia would know what he would do with my baby’s ear. We went to Al-Salam last night. There, we knew that baby had a fever at 38.8 degrees Celsius! God, we didn’t know that she had a fever! The doctor examined my baby’s ear, and he didn’t remove the white thing. We asked him, and he said that it was wax, and need not be removed, but, he gave us ear drop for baby because baby’s ears have an infection! That infection must be the cause of baby’s fever and heavy coughs and colds. Uh-oh.

I thank God that my baby knows the basic/important words to communicate with me. If she didn’t tell me that her ears were hurting, I wouldn’t have any clue about what she’s feeling. I thank God that my baby’s able to comprehend a lot of things at a young age.

It’s important that we teach our babies/toddlers the most important things/words that they need to know, especially, those that concern their bodies, and their feelings.