Birth of Baby No.8

29.09.14. The birth of my angel number 8. The story of her birth was super fast. I had severe back pain on the 28.09.14 starting from around 6pm. I brought my husband to Miri City Medical Centre to have a check up, just in case I was in labor. The nurses checked me and I was 2-3 cm dilated so I went back home. i woke up at 4.50am to make breakfast and after Subuh prayer with hubby and the kids, at around 5.50am, i felt the steady contraction, coming at every 10 minutes. I quickly fold a basket of clothes, swept the floor and took a shower. I told my husband that it's time for the baby to come (I was 37 weeks pregnant on that day) and we went to the medical centre.
 I checked in at the medical centre and they did the Fetal ECG and waited for my ob/gyn to come. Dr Lee came at around 8.30am and he looked at the chart. He told me that he need to do amniotomy and when he did, he told me that the baby had defecated in the womb and we need to get the baby out in an hour or the baby will drown. I was 6 cm dilated at that moment and he asked the nurses to push me to the labor room and induce me. FYI, I was induced in all of my labor and I can tell you that the pain was super high but you can control the pain by relaxing and as a Muslim, I recite the zikir Al-Fatah and ate kurma / dates whenever the contraction came. Alhamdulillah, after doing these practice during labor no.7 and no.8, the pain was not that bad!
At 8.45am, they started to induce me and I started to feel the pain 10 minutes later and to my surprise, I was holding the urge to push the baby and I was grabbing the nurse's arm (she was the wife of my brother's friend) and she told me to wait for the doctor who was on his way. At that time,  I was pushing the baby, and she was half way through and the doctor managed to catch her torso and bottom. Alhamdulillah, at 9.03am, Daisha Bazriqa was born at 37 weeks, 2.8kg, and her father azan and iqamat her.

My husband and doctor were amazed by the labor process and the doctor even joked that he is looking forward for baby no.9! Masya Allah!
I was discharged the next day and so, our journey continues with baby no.8 on board. May Allah bless my family. Aamiin.

Post Birthday Celebration

Assalamualaikum and a very good day to all readers. I've celebrated my 32nd birthday last 17th October. It was my 19th day of confinement on that day but I still wanted to celebrate my birthday with my children. My sister in law bought me a Chanel's handbag cake and she made mac and cheese, while I made Chocolate Coated Oreo, Cheesy French Loaves and Savory Muffins and Butter cookies. My aunt brought Nasi Daging and Mixed Veges.
Enjoy the photos!

Second half of 2014

Assalamualaikum. Masya Allah! It's been half a year since my last ranting. Updates? 4 kids going to school (Year 4, Year 2, Year 1, Kindy Level 1) and surprise surprise, baby no. 8 is on her way. Yes, HER, In Shaa Allah. Ramadhan (fasting month for Muslim) is just around the corner, less than 2 weeks. I really can't wait for that holy month to come though it would be a challenge to fast while 6 months pregnant, but needless to say, it's baby no.8! Experience is the best teacher. So, quick recap on what happened through out the first half of year 2014; twice vacationing in KL (one horrific experience of hives/allergic attack at the hotel that I stayed), baby no.7 started to walk at 11 months (she was born premature but she is a fast learner and now she's 13 months), Delisha (no.4) gets number 2 in her class for her semester exam (it was a big surprise, even her teacher was shocked because she is such a stubborn girl and will cry every time I asked her to study, Dayana (no.1) gets number 8 in her class and also number 8 out of the whole year 4 students (you go girl, show the haters that what we fought for last year was worth every action!), Danish's (no.2) left eye degree increased dramatically (375/3.75) and it's worrying me, though his paed said that it is something that can't be control if it's hereditary (both my eyes now are 500 degrees, though I was supposed to do LASIK last March but something funny and blessed happened - will write a post about it).
Will update more, In Shaa Allah.

Diva Durian Chiffon Cake

Masya Allah! Hubby brought back lots of durian but he went for a course for a week! In the end, my father, the kids and I have to finish the durian. Some of the durian has turned mushy so I grabbed a big knife and started to open all of the durian; some of them to make this light and fluffy chiffon cake, some to be eaten just as it is and some to make tempoyak. So, lets have a look at the recipe.

Diva Durian Chiffon Cake

A.
8 egg yolks
80 g castor sugar
80 g vegetable oil
60 ml milk

Mix well all these ingredients with a blender or electric mixer.

B.
8 white yolks
80 g castor sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1.Mix these ingredients so that it will be a meringue. 
2. Beat the egg whites until soft peak starts to form.
3. Add in sugar and cream of tartar and mix till it's hard. It's done when you turn over the bowl and the meringue doesn't fall.

C.
180 g wheat flour
20 g corn flour

1. Beat flour with mixture A.
2. Add in mixture with a spatula and fold over the mixtures till well incorporate.
3. Pour the mixtures in a baking pan that has been lined.
4. Baked at about 180 degrees Celsius for about an hour or so till it's ready.

Diva Durian Crepe

I've been watching this famous durian crepe being so popular for almost half a year now. Though it was sold expensively (to me), people still buy it because of the so called heavenly taste. Durian in Miri is quite expensive, selling as high as RM20 per kg! I was very tempted to do the famous durian crepe but never get the chance of doing it, because of the high price of the durian. But yesterday, we have lots of durian, so today I made it for breakfast! Oh-so-heavenly-taste-and-of-course-waist-expander! Hehehe.. This crepe needs skill. The skill of cooking the crepe so that it won't burn. I see that most people (in their blogs) do the crepes first before putting the durian and cream and folding it. But I'm used of making Chinese's kuih sengkuang and Malay's Kuih Jala Berinti, so I just simply assemble the durian crepe right away, one by one, while making the crepe. Please take note that the batter of the crepe is very light so you need to take the pan from the stove while pouring the batter on it, and make sure to cook the crepe MAXIMUM for a minute, below a minute is best. This is the original recipe but I double it to get 20 pieces.

Diva Durian Crepe

Crepe:
1 egg
200g flour
1 tbsp starch flour
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
200 fresh milk / evaporated milk
1 tsp yellow coloring (or any color that you like)

Filling:
Durian flesh
Whipped cream (I use Top Pride ready to whip whipping cream)

1. Mix all of the ingredients for the crepe. Whisk till smooth. You can just blend it if you are too lazy.
2. Put one big ladle of the mixture on a non stick pan that has been heated at a slow heat. Make sure not too over cook it.
3. Put 1 tbsp of durian flesh and 1 tbsp of whipped cream and fold the crepe in rectangular shape.
4. Ready to be eaten and enjoy the smoothness and heavenly taste of the crepe!

The Power Of Doa (Pray)

Assalamualaikum and a very happy day to all readers. As some of you noticed, I've disabled my blog for a week since last week, after my blog had been trolled by someone who introduced himself/herself as a teacher from MARA. He/she trolled my blog after he/she unsatisfied with my action of fighting for daughter's right at school. I won't discussed this matter here in my blog because it's quite sensitive and I've learned my lesson well from that matter. True colors of people, people whom you think will support you in many ways, will understand you the way you want them to understand, are sadly not reflected by their words, just because they didn't get the idea of what and why you are fighting. Enough of that matter.

Power of Doa (Pray). After the incident, I never lose hope of praying. When you lose hope, no matter what religion you are, remember that our God is always right here with us. Pray. Talk to him. Cry if you want to. You'll be surprised of what will happen. You'll be very glad that even though sometimes it doesn't happen like the way you want it to, you will feel a very huge relief, sweeping all your fears and doubts in your life.

As to the hater whom I'm pretty sure is struggling to find a way to troll my blog, I don't have a problem with you. You have a big problem with yourself. I'm not afraid of you. Find your own way to upgrade yourself, your life, and to you it may seem that my blog is nothing, but to some of my fellow readers, my blog is for them to learn something. It's a way of sedekah / alms, from me to them.

Confinement Diva Style!

My new baby, Daria Basyarah is 6 weeks plus today (born on the 15th May 2013). Alhamdulillah. I don't use the Malay style of confinement, where their time of confinement takes 44 days to 60 days. My mom is a Chinese (but her mom is a Bidayuh) so I use the Chinese confinement duration of 30 days.

I will list all the items that I use during my confinement days, that will guarantee you the satisfaction and benefits for your health and beauty. But it also needs discipline and also, with Allah's will (Insya Allah). 

1. Sendayu Tinggi Amme 60's Days set and Pati Haruan

I've been using this product since my 3rd baby, Darwisyah, that was during 2007. It's the best confinement product that takes care inner and outer of a postnatal woman. They've been upgrading their product this year and it is so much easier to use and I can guarantee you the best result! I warn you, even you're husband would be tempted to 'touch' you. Hehehe... It costs around RM430+- for one set (can't remember the exact price) and you have to buy the Pati Haruan together which cost around RM30+-. When you drink the Pati Haruan, you can feel your uterus contacts strongly, to fasten the process of shrinking. Bear in mind that a woman's original uterus is the size of a fist and during our pregnancy, the uterus grows bigger and bigger to accomodate our baby. Breastfeeding really helps a lot to shrink the uterus faster and it also shortens the length of time of our postnatal bleeding.

2. GNC Fenugreek

Fenugreek is widely known to boost breast milk and I've been consuming since my 5th baby. Before that, I always struggle to keep my milk supply adequate but now, by taking fenugreek regularly (3 in the morning and 3 at night), milk supply is always more than enough! Alhamdulillah! But always remember that the key of successful feeding is breastfeeding on demand and regularly, You cannot simply rely on supplement alone.

3. GNC Women's Ultra Mega

This is a supplement especially made to cater women's nutrients need. It is boost with calcium advance formula that is very important for someone like me who keeps on losing of calcium, which I lose during the continuos process of pregnancy and breastfeeding (10 years of marriage with 7 babies, do the math!).

4. Kacangma (Motherwort)

This is the Chinese's postnatal herbs. It is used to get rid of winds and helps us to get rid of excess water  that accumulate during pregnancy too. The way to cook is by frying the leaves without and oil until it is  dry enough. Sieve the leaves to get rid of the hard parts. Cut of chicken pieces, blend lots of ginger and mix it with the kacangma. Steam the chicken, kacangma and ginger until it's cook. Add in a little bit of water to make enough broth out of it. The broth tastes so nice and refreshing. Do not add in any flavoring! The Chinese usually adds in Chinese wine to warm the postnatal women. But I'm a Muslim and alcohol is prohibited in Islam but the ginger is enough to warm up my body.

This photo is taken from Google search

5. Bath herb

These bath herb consists of different kinds of dried leaves. If you have any of these leaves in your backyards, you may dry it and use it to boil your bath herb. The leaves are daun sembung (Blumea balsamifera), serai wangi, daun pandan, daun limau purut. Just boil it in a large pot and mix it with cold water just to make it lukewarm, to make a very refreshing bath for you. I always hear that a postnatal woman cannot wash their hair but in Islam, hygiene is very important. I always wash my self including my hair whenever I feel sticky or not comfortable. Then I blow dry my hair with hair dryer and continue to cover my head like other woman in confinement days. No problem!

6. Bengkung / corset

I use this after I spread Sendayu Tinggi's Tummy Tone (tapal in Malay) on my stomach. I use Sendayu Tinggi's bengkung which cost RM30++ after discount. After 2 weeks, I use the normal corset (Audrey's brand) which is far more easier. 

7. Head cover, socks, cardigan/jacket

These are essential garment to be worn during the whole confinement days to keep our body warm.

8. Lactating milk, plain water

I drink Anmum Lacta to produce quality breast milk for my baby besides supplementing me with enough nutrient. Plain water is also important to keep me hydrated.

9. Spirulina, chorella, fish oil

These are also essential supplements to supplement my baby and I with enough nutrient. In fact, if you take Chorella regularly during pregnancy, you will have the cleanest and most nutritional breast milk for your baby! Try it and you will see it yourself! I take Elken's Spirullina,  Cosway's Chorella and any brand of Fish Oil.

10. Enough rest

I cook, I clean the house, I do the laundry, I take care of my 7 children during my confinement days but I always make sure to take enough rest to restore my energy. 

11. Massage

I've known a very soft spoken, kind middle age lady that's been introduced by my late mum since baby no.2. I've been calling her every time I need a massage and during my confinement days, she will massage me 3 times, during the 7th days, 14th day and the 30th day. Every time I went for my postnatal check up with my gynae, Dr Lee at MCMC, he always praised the condition of my uterus which looks brand new as if there were no kind of pregnancy before. Alhamdulillah. Maybe that makes me very productive.


Everybody have their own way of confinement but this is what I've been doing for all my confinement times. Let me share you a story during my labor of baby Daria, my 7th baby. I went to Miri City Medical Centre at 8pm, after feeling very painful for the whole day. The nurses asked me to fill in the form but before that, they asked me, whether this was my first pregnancy. When I said that this is my 7th child, they quickly rushed to do everything to make sure that I don't end up giving birth over the nurse's counter. They said that usually women with many children will give birth very easily. After laying on the bed in the ward (not yet on labor), one of the nurses asked me,"Kak (sis), everybody out there asked me to ask you what's your secret to maintain looking young and fit, despite heavily pregnant with baby no.7". I answered, "Taking care of yourself during confinement is very crucial or you will look very old before your age if you didn't do it the right way".

I even go out with my family 2 weeks after delivering my baby, and lots of people condemn me for going out during my confinement days but I know my own body and I know how to take care of myself. Insya Allah. So dear readers, this is only a guideline for you. You may follow it exactly the way I do it or adapt it to your own confinement styles.

5 weeks after delivering baby Daria