As promised, here are pictures of room 12 in NUH, the only room there with a tub for waterbirth.
Rightfully I’m not sure if I’m allowed to upload these pics up, but I believe this will help to publicise their waterbirth suite, so should be okay right? Will take them down when NUH contacts me! 🙂
The waterbirth tub
Room 12 - The room with the waterbirth facilities
View of tub from bed
I’ve been on a doula hiatus for December because am in the midst of ‘doula-ing’ for another big event come January – my brother’s wedding. I did just one ‘phone-doula’ (a new term I coined for doulaing over the phone) because this client’s hospital wouldn’t give me clearance until I got my certification in paper. Alhamdulillah it went well and she was in established labour for only 1 hr! I don’t really like to doula over the phone because I don’t get to do much and I get very frustrated about it, lol! So I’ll make sure I’ll get my paper cert before I get called to that hospital again, InsyaAllah. At the same time, I am also making several friendly visits this month to new mums who need a hand or two to help them in breastfeeding.
Some quick updates that made me a very happy doula!:
1) One of my bfeeding class participants is successfully bfeeding after a c-section. I was very happy when she told me how empowered she felt that she changed her gynae at the very last min (>36 wks!!) just so she could have a chance to (at least) try to naturally deliver her breech baby. Her 1st gynae did not give her this chance and insisted she opt for elective c-sect. See how much impact a little gesture from your gynae can make on you even though the outcome (c-sect) is the same anyway.
2) I found a fellow Muslim and hijab-ed doula based in Kuala Lumpur!! So if you’re living in Malaysia and hoping to get a doula, leave me your contact details and I’ll get Nadine Ghows to get in touch with you 🙂
Stay tuned for my next update! I will be posting pictures of the waterbirth tub in NUH. 🙂
“You need to let your friends know that childbirth is not an illness.” – my very supportive husband
Everytime I get psychologically-drained from having to hear or deal about obgyns who medicalise childbirth too much, I remember my husband’s words above. Yes it is true that hospitals and doctors here have a certain medical model for childbirth. And honestly, it can be really emotionally and mentally draining when you have to work with an obgyn like this, but as my mentor puts it: “These are the mothers [with this kind of obgyn] who really need your help.”
I met a really tough obgyn last week, and it almost drained all my doula soul out (like dementors of Harry Potter!), but the wise words of my husband and mentor have spurred me to soldier on because I have a duty to do so for my community. InsyaAllah, please pray for me!
Yaqyn Birth (Doula Hanani) 