Wednesday, February 9, 2011

HELLO, MIDWIVES!

A week after our appointment at GP's, i'd finally received my first mail from Newham University Hospital (N.U.H), London. I was so relieved! :D Alhamdulillah. Inside the envelope, it had not only one but three copies of appointment letters! 

I will start with my first appoinment which was called as a Booking and History appointment.

January 17, 2011

My appointment was at 10a.m. So we off to the hospital around 9.15a.m. It took only 10-15 minutes driving. Once hubby dropped me in front of the building, i'd started to feel nervous. It was not my first time going for pregnancy check up without a company but that was in Malaysia where communication will never be a trouble. So I was kinda afraid if i couldn't catch up with the British accent since that was my first time without my personal translator. ;p How i really wished hubby could have accompanied me...but when i realized that my girls needed their father more than i needed him, then i quickly wiped out the negative thinking away from my mind. So, be tough! 

Then i started walking through the entrance positively and bravely. Eceh. ;p But I stopped at the lobby first to check for Maternity Booking Clinics at Zone 12 on 'YOU ARE HERE' direction map display there. Ooh how relieved i was to see the easy direction. It was just a straight forward direction. No need any turning at all, no stair or even elevator. ;) Hence from the lobby i just needed to walk straight until i finally found Zone 12. (The last zone ;p)

Alhamdulillah, the clinics was on my left and it was already 10 minutes before 10a.m. I quickly entered the entrance and went to the reception counter. Then told the receptionists that i got appointment by showing my appointment letter. After they checked my name and confirmed it in their system, one of them gave me a green booklet and a urine bottle. She immediately ushered me to the seats and asked me to wait til they called my name. As i was about to complete my personal details on the first page, a nurse called up my name to check on my blood pressure. Alhamdulillah, my BP was normal. :)

The antenatal booklet or simply the Green Booklet. Kt Malaysia buku antenatal colour pink, comey sket kan? hihi

Then i continued completing the 22 pages booklet..but i had to fill the required details only in page 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Still it had taken quite some time for me to finish it. Huhu. The details required were such

Personal Details, Partner Details, Social Assessment (Edu. level, Eng. Proficiency, Employ. Status, Housing, Smoking, Drug use and Alcohol Status), Ethnic Origin, a long list of Medical History, Mental Health, Family History, and Previous Births.

Huhu very long one i tell you.

Inside of page 2 and 3.

Details about my previous births. Tulisan kecik2, tak cantik and in the blue ink was mine, ;) while tulisan besar, cantik and in the black ink was midwife's. :)

As soon as i was done with the booklets, i went to the toilet with a urine bottle. ;) i was glad to know it's only for ladies. :D  It was quite a spacious toilet and it's clean. The moment i finished my business i heard that my name was being called up and i immediately responsed from the toilet. Lucky,  i was done at that time. Heheh.

When i came out from the ladies, a nurse greeted me and i quickly put my urine bottle on the counter before the nurse ushered me to a midwife room. Once i stepped into the room and said hello and smiled to both of them, the older widwife cheerfully greeted me with "Helloooo, i thot u had passed out in the toilet. Nway, i'm your midwife, Linda!" Haha i just chuckled NO and smiled to her. There was another midwife with her, a younger lady. Her name was Anna and she was a midwife trainee from London City University.


Firstly, Linda handed me out a Bounty Pack and then she started interviewing me and checking my green booklets while Anna was just watching and learning quietly. :). We had discussed on my pregnancy, balance diet, food that i should avoid and etc. She then seemed happy to see that i was in a good shape, live healthily and have a good husband too. (Banyak kali hokey dia tanya samada Hisham tu suami atau just a partner. ;p Siap tanya ada tak hubby pukul-pukul saya ke..Cepat-cepat sy jawab No, Never..;) Dia tanya lagi hubby helpful ke tak.? since she knew that i already have two kids. Hihi..Sy jawab, he's so helpful. ;) Barulah dia puas hati dan cakap "Good and you do look happy, don;t you? " I said yea, i do..:D Terus dia right sume kt column 'Mental Health'. hahaha rasa lawak tapi penting jgk tu kan. Kot la belum beranak lagi dah kene depression kan. ;p

Ini lah bounty Pack tu. Kat dalam ni macam-macam ada! ada mcm2 pamphlet, cash vouchers from toys R us and Mark and spencer klu rajin nak join bounty club la, ;p and ada discount coupon from Pampers and Fairy. Oh i loikee..TQ, TQ..^_^

Then Linda had mentioned about flu jab. Owh not again so i quickly told her that i already got it when i went to GP. And she's glad to know about it. Ceh, macam smooth je la jumpa Late Booker ni kan..ahahaha...BUT sampai part check list medical history amik kamu! She was surprised to know that i had Female Circumsition. Mula2 dia ok lagi lepas dia tau saya disunatkan waktu baby..bila dia tanya The Eins plak. Saya mengaku la yang ktrg sunatkan diorang jugak. Tiba-tiba berubah air muka dia, cakap "Why u do that to your girls? It's not good, it's wrong you know...and it's illegal in this country." Erk. I was speechless but i convinced her it was done by a doctor at a clinic and in Malaysia, it's not illegal. So apa hal kan? Tapi dia tak boleh terima dan dia cakap dia akan report ke social service. Aduhai, mak buyung ni dengar je Social Service terus rasa nak menangis pun ada !. Takut wehh, kt sini pengaruh social service kuat. But being me who could control my face expression and emotion quite well, i just acted coolly in front of her. Tapi dalam hati Tuhan sajalah yang tahu. ;p

After that, she'd asked Anna to bring me to another room for a blood test. She then looked calm herself and told me to meet her again as soon as i did my blood test. So wokey. Masa tunggu turn nak buat blood test, i cepat-cepat called hubby and told her about the issue. I was upset and scared if she really reported to Social Service. We could be in trouble! I was apologised to hubby for being honest admitting that i had female circumsition and did it to the Eins as well. As usual hubby was always being on my side, he comforted me and we ended up marah gila2 kt L tu. Lega sikit. Huahuahua. Then i told hubby to pray together so that she would forget to make the report. So, in case  kalau u all atau sesiapa datang ke UK ni, tipu je tau bab bersunat tu, tulis je tak pernah OK. :D

Nway, my blood test was carried out smoothly too. Ashley, the medical assistant who did the test on me was a friendly lady, told that i would know the result in my next follow up. :) After that i went back to Linda's and she let Anna did examination on my baby bump. ;) I was ushered to a bed before Anna doing Fundal Height: She then used a centimetre tape measuring from the fundus (top of my uterus) to the top of the symphysis (pubic bone) and recorded it. Then Anna told Linda first about the baby's head and heart position or presentation roughly during 28++ weeks before she really checked it by searching for Lil One's head somewhere at my lower abdomen with her hands.

I was praying quietly so that baby's head was already down there and my placenta had rised. (Masa scan kt Malaysia, uri kat bawah) Then Anna said, Lil One's head was already down there but said nothing about the placenta. Then Anna used a Doptone to listen to Lil One's heartbeat adn we listened it together2. Hihi, it's so fast and Anna said, it sounds good, normal so she n Linda agreed that Lil One should be fine. Alhamdulillah..logo den! hikk.

After some more further explanation from Linda about plans of pregnancy and parenthood such as antenatal class and hospital tour, and also confirmed of my next antenatal visits/appoinments..i made my way out to meet Wallace from the passport team at the hospital lobby just to confirmed my passport to be entitled for free maternity treatment and medical exemption at N.U.H. Sekejap je jumpa Wallace and he then wrote 'entitled' on my green book. And  i was done for my first appointment! Wee!

The appointments.

The appointment letters. :) Bulan ni ada 3 lagi appointment. Huhu.

OK till then, Wassalam. :)

20 comments:

Nadiah Sidek said...

sana ada ye buku antenatal? sini takde. bila tunjuk kat midwife buku pink tu kagum pulak dia tgk sbb semua rekod psl previous pregnancy ada dlm tu..hihi..

bila due ni? saya awal bulan 4 :)

Diyana Khoo said...

entry yg menarik :). at least boleh belajar how their process kat sana. tp cd tak puas hati bab sunat tu la. if said that Muslim mmg buat pun dia tak boleh terima eh. apa keburukan dia?

Anonymous said...

izu..me to mmg afraid with british accent..takut x paham langsung..hahaha..nwya u di great job! but bab sunat mmg i akan ingat smpai bila2..:)

ummi_ziz said...

Nadiah

Aah ada..tp sy tanya kawan2 yg sama2 preggie kt UK katanya diorang pun tade buku antenatal.. check up kt hospital lain, pki kertas saja. May be lain hospital, lain cara dia kot. :)

Hihi sy due ptghn bln 4. Baca blk n32 Nadiah yg lps2 tk sangka Nadiah pun pregnant! tk nmpk perut lgsg ok!;)

ummi_ziz said...

CDee

TQ dear. I shared as best as i could sbb delay kn so tkt klu ada ttgl..klu ada izu tmbh later2 k. hee.

Aah samalah, ktrg pun tk puas hati..dah ckp Muslim, bgtau kt Msia tk illegal pun dia tk leh terima dear..alasan dia sbb buat kt kids la..diorang kn ada child protection apa benda tah skim ke apa. under social service..huhu..tk pe la pengalaman, pengajaran kn. :)

ummi_ziz said...

Nenny

Izu pun sama, tk paham lebih2 lg klu yg speaking laju adey..itupun kt green book izu tu ada nama Mr Oon sbg translator. tp aritu tade plak derg pgil MR Oon tu..so far midwife pun ckp std so bley phm la. ;)Alhamdulillah. TQ so much dear!

Oh ye, pls la tk note psl sunat tu..mn tau kan..nk dtg study/jln2 ke UK ni ke. country lain tk sure plak ada isu ni ke tak..

Unknown said...

assalam Izu, wah menarik yer info tu...saya lum ada pengalaman lagi...harap-harap adalah rezeki nanti btw semoga izu selamat bersalin yer..:)

Nadine said...

Wah...giler tebal booklet nak kena isi. Nasib baik in the end dpt Bounty Pack tu. Kira berbaloi2 la isi panjang2 forms tu yer izu :)

Owh kat sana midwife yg check n scan ye. Sbb tu kot midwifes kat sana more experience, dia buat semua keja docs.

Nadia pun kurang puas hati pasal hal circumcision tu. Nape plak dia nak report, both gugurls kan born in Malaysia, bkn UK..hmm, nanti Nadia tanya cousin Fadzil yg dh 6thn duk London bout this issue. Pape info I let u know k dear...

Miss Anna said...

wow izu, congrats for successful ending for the 1st appointment :) mmm takut x paham accent british ye?? how bout x paham langsung ape dioang cakap?? hahaha, kat cni jgn kan accent, sume org mmg bantai cakap Deutsch x kire la ngan foregner ke x hehe.. tu yg salu ternganga je dengar dioang cakap sbb x paham sgt.
ape pun bout sunat tu mmg x patut la dioang marah2 kan, kat cni pun isu jugak bab bersunat ni, bukan pompuan je, laki pun x bole brsunat sesuka hati, kena ade medical reason baru bole.

mommynadia said...

wow dear..sgt detail okeh..
bagus betul midwives kat sane ek..
kalau Nadia pun mesti pening jgak kena interview bnyk2 mcm tu...

owh tak sangka plak kat UK tu tak boleh sunat...
yg geram diorang tk boleh accept ke, tu mmg wajib dalam agama kita..
tak terbuka jugak diorang ni ...

InsyaAllah, Nadia doakan tkde pape ...sj nak ugut Izu tu kut!!

ummi_ziz said...

Nieza

Wsalam..insya Allah izu doakan utk Nieza..ada la tu rezeki tak lama lg..Amin! :)

Nway, TQ dear..i just try to share like u share ur recipes. Sharing is caring rite? ;)

ummi_ziz said...

Nadine

Serius, tebal..tkial2 jgk izu isi aritu..hihi..tu la dpt bounty pack tu rasa ok la berbaloi la isi pjg2 tu..hee.

Hm i think so too..midwife kt sini mmg dh mcm kerjaya profesional. trainee dia tu pun lepasan university tuu..;D

Mmg tk puas hati..sabo je la. But actually, dia report btul2 dear..huhu. seminggu lps tu org social service call, interview izu dlm phone. patu esk nya dia dtg rumah ktrg, nk tgk the Eins. Wpon dia nmpk bpuas hati dgn keadaan the Eins tp still dia buatkn appointment kt N.U.H nk jln kn check up kt tut the Eins..haru btul tp ktrg tau ktrg di phk yg benar and yakin Allah akn tlg ktrg so ktrg pegi je jmp doc..Kesian the Eins kene check tut mcm org nk beranak aje..mujurla derg cooperate masatu. 2 org doc pompuan check sbb ktrg mtk doc pompuan..sblom tu dia bg doc lelaki. Then doc sahkan nothing unsual kt clitoris the Eins..so dia pgil org social service tu bgtau yg the Eins ok, their clitoris are fine, normal..masa tu dlm hati ktrg, padan muka dia..tk caya sgt! Then doc bg report kt social service n org social service tu mtk maaf n trus ckp the case will be closed forever. n dia akn pos report doc ke umah ktrg nti..alhamdulillah kes dh ditutup n report dh dpt..Nway, TQ for ur concern..oh it;s ok bley je tny psl ni kt Fadzil's cousin tu..nk tau jgk apa dia ckp..sbb Yus kawan kt sini cpp ni baru first time dia dgr isu ni. aih..nasib betullah..hihi..

ummi_ziz said...

KNana

Hee..lps first appoinment tu mcm tade idea nk tulis..tk de mood gtu..ni nk tulis pon kene ada feel..haha. teruk btul kan? tp serius aa ssh btul nk start n nk igt kn pjlnn citer bila dh delay lama sgt..:D

Hehe tu la tk leh byg kn la klu ktrg dok kt Germany tu..mst ternganga aje. hihii..tp akk best la, akk dpt bljr Deutsh right? ;)

Oh sana pun bsunat jd isu ye..teruk kn diorang ni tk respect agama kita. hmm ktrg pun dh beringat dh lps ni mmg tk nk ngaku la bab sunat2 ni lg..huhu serik! :(

ummi_ziz said...

Nad

hihi i tried my best dear..ssh jgk tu nk igt sume detail tu..tp rasa adalah yg ttgl here n there..hihi.

Adey mmg tensen gak la kene interview lama2 tu..stakat jmp midwife for the first time pun dah dkt 2 jam tau..sabo je la. huhu.

Aah rupanya illegal kt sini..first time tau..Tataula Muslim kt UK ni bsunat ke tak..may be sunat tp tk declare la kot..:D tahnya tk dpt2 lg hidayah..

Oh diorang tk main2 rupanya, diorang report btul2 pd social service..(the story mcm i ckp kt Nadine above k..;) hukuman dia prosecution tau tak you..telan air liur je la dgr masa social worker tu mbebel masa interview dlm phone..huhuhu..yg ptg kes dh pun ditutup..;) Alhamdulillah syukur lah kan.

Nway, TQ for ur concern dear! :)

niza et sofia said...

Assalamualaikum Izu, actually isu pasal bersunat ni dah disalah tafsir oleh midwife tu dia tak paham & tak tahu apa yg kita practise kat Msia, its totally diferent. Midwife tu ingat kita sunatkan anak kita mcm dekat Afrika tu..sbb yg dekat Afrika tu mmg illegal, mencederakan budak & dibuat dgn cara yg lain... its totally different things check here for more detail --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_cutting

so bila dia dgr Izu ckp budak2 tu pun kena sunat so dia terkejut (sbb dia ingat kita sunat mcm kat Afrika tu) Alhamdulillah semua ok bila baca balik komen2 Izu kat atas tu. Bersunat utk budak lelaki x jadimasalah kat sini....

1st appt dgn midwife mmg lama, kita kat sini buat kat Health Centre (mcm klinik kesihatan) dan sekali sekala kena gak pi Hospital utk hal2 lain, monthly check up pun buat kat Health Centre. Midwife kat sini mmg terlatih & berpengalaman..kalau ada hal2 serius baru dorang consult dgn doctor... Ok lah hrp2 semua nya OK dgn Izu.. nnti bila2 drop by lagi..Wassalam

ummi_ziz said...

Niza

Wsalam dear..TQ for dropping by..really appreciate abt the info. Tu la, lps social worker call trus Hisham cr info2 kt internet..tp yg link u bg tu tk jmp masa tu..i think dia jmp yg lain..n masatu ktrg tau ada 3 types psl female circumsition ni..yg kita Muslim practise kn yg type no 1. yg tak mbahaya. ktrg dh trg kn kt depa tp derg nk sah kn jg, so kene lah jmp doc sahkan.

tp tu la midwife n social worker tu org kulit hitam, tatau la klu depa fr Africa..tu yg derg sensitif kot bila dgr ktrg sunat kn the Eins tu..:D

Nway, aah midwives kt sini mmg btauliah kn..very professional. i loikee..hihi mmg lama kene interview but it went smoothly. :)

so far i'm fine..i hope u r fine too dear. ;) tk care tau..Thnks again! *hugs*

mommynadia said...

Lucky Izu, diorang tak panjang2 kan cite ni..

mesti lah elokkan..dah saranan agama kita..saje je buat kecoh!!

a'a dear,agaknye org Islam kat UK semua tak declare lah kut,ape social servc tu risau sgt..
takut bdak sunat tu nanti cacat ke ape..geram betul dengar Izu..

takpelah..as long semua nye dah ok..Sian the Eins..

ummi_ziz said...

Nad

Huish btul tu..izu dh risau thp cipan kot2 la klu depa kick ktrg fr UK, nyaya en hubby yg br nk wat PhD..hihi nasib baik OK..alhamdulillah!

I think so too..rasanya Muslim female kt sini tk declare sbb derg tau kt sini illegal but yg lelaki my riend Nieza kata tade masalah. ;)

Ok no prob..the Eins are free now. hee. thanks again dear! :)

Anonymous said...

sy dulu ngaku bersunat juga tp kebetulan dpt midwife yg baik, dia risau jer.. takut x leh nak bersalin sbb pernah jd org belah2 pakistan kot yg terpaksa belah dulu sblm bersalin sbb diorg punya sunat tu lain dr kita! Terkial2 juga nak terangkan kat dia. dah la x berapa faham ngan scottish assentnya tu!

ummi_ziz said...

fa10

hihi jujur pun ssh kn kt cni..okla dpt midwife yg baik mcm tu..ini siap report ke social service tu..skema tul. :p Aah sy pun samala..tk phm jgk british accent lbh2 lg klu yg ckp laju2..huhu..:D