As usual, one of the biggest dilemmas faced, should “we”
make it into the delivery stage, is that where do I want to deliver - Government,
private, or university hospital?
A. Where
to for antenatal checkup?
How or why did I land myself at UKM
Specialist Centre this time? I don't know why, it's just instinct that I feel this may be the right place.
As my first trimester this time
appeared more dreadful than during Alvin’s time (more incidents of spotting), I am deeply concerned if the
outcome for this one is going to be scarier.
And thus desperation hit me hard although I am fully aware that doctors are humans just like the rest of us.
Ultimately, certain things are beyond our
control no matter how much precaution or treatment is taken and undergone. Well, anything… as long as I try my level
best.
The tests conducted were typical
of normal antenatal check-up, with urinanalysis, measurements of weight and BP,
and ultrasound scans (including measurement of cervical length - the reason will be discussed shortly after this).
B.
The Booking Appointment
In light of my poor obstetric
history, and after going through the brief details of what I saw on the website
of UKMSC, I thus decided to see Prof Dr Muhamad Abdul Jamil. Prof Jamil specializes in Feto Maternal
Medicine i.e. in high risk pregnancies.
Prof Jamil asked very detailed
questions of my obstetric and family medical histories.One of the matters I highlighted
in this appointment is something which was unknown to me prior to Alvin coming
along. Let’s divulge:
C. Pelvic pressure at Week 25 last year
A few people around me who had
experienced pregnancies and childbirths used to assure me that it’s normal to
feel slightly heavier at the abdomen as your fetus gains weight. But then, how heavy is “heavy”?
1.
Sensation
is subjective
As each person has different
threshold as to what “heavy” means, this therefore did not occur to me as an issue
during my first pregnancy…. especially when the heaviness wasn’t unbearable anyway.
2.
Maybe
it was, but there’s no proof
Only after “nasi sudah menjadi
bubur”, I realized that any heavy sensation at the lower abdomen possibly means
shortening of the cervix. But since I
have no evidence that it was indeed the case as I was never officially
diagnosed, I can’t tell for sure that it was the case.
3.
The serious
emphasis
By right, one should only feel “heavy”
down there perhaps about a month prior to delivery and seriously not when one
is just 25 weeks pregnant!
So ladies….. if you are pregnant
and ever experience feeling "heavy" at your lower abdomen, especially when you
are still far from your due date, please highlight this as a concern to your
doctor/nurse who attends to you, and please
get them to have your cervix checked.
D.
Other
Experiences at UKMSC so far
1.
There parking area for public at HUKM is quite
huge, yet due to the high volume of people going there, finding a space to park
is an uphill task unless it's past 2 pm. For about 5
hours, the parking fee is RM2.50 (considered reasonable... for weekdays only. Weekend parking fee differs.).
2.
UKMSC is located on the 7th
floor, within the HUKM building.
3.
It’s easy to book an appointment at UKMSC. Just make a phone call to its general line,
tell them which doctor would you like to see, and your name. During registration, all that needs to be
done is just to fill in a one-page form.
The staff did not ask for referral letter.
4.
The waiting time can be long. For e.g., I was there before 2 pm but by the
time I saw Prof Jamil, it’s already 5.15 pm.
5.
The nurses and staff are polite and
helpful.
6.
The waiting time at the cashier’s counter was a
bit long. But it was not too bad as
there were sufficient seats around.
7.
The treatment fee is not subsidized.
8.
Due to the long waiting time for consultation, I
would consider bringing more things along the next time, such as magazines (upon
upgrading to smartphone, I’m still not into with gadgets on-the-go with at most
just 10 minutes of mobile internet when outside, so the phone doesn’t really appeal
to me in times of boredom). And maybe a
small cushion for a more comfortable nap at the sofa (to nap while sitting up
and not lying down of course!), and most importantly, some convenient food such
as bun or packed beverages.
E.
Conclusion
I have yet to
plan where to deliver Alvin’s sibling, should that stage comes along. Maybe I’ll just go back to Hospital Ampang (I have recently obtained the buku merah), or to HUKM. I’m
not very particular about where to deliver as long as it can be done
safely.
In any event, I always tell myself that
ultimately, it’s not up to me or anyone to determine where, when, or how will
this sibling of Alvin come along. And
therefore, I try not to think too much.
Anything is fine, as long as everything runs safely,
and as long as I don’t experience another long NICU journey. Well, as if something like this is within control when in fact it's not.
