Homebirth...getting ready with books

This book came highly recommended.

The only CD I own that prohibits listening in moving vehicles.

Lots of easy to follow instructions and comparison between homebirthing and hospital births.

I especially liked the chapter on the history of obstetrics. It was a very eye-opening read.

For all my babies, I had just followed my obgyn's advice from the first visit to delivery. I was the perfect, compliant, never questioning patient.

"As long as baby is healthy" was my philosophy back then, it didn't matter how I was manhandled, humiliated, cut and sewn up.

With my 5th baby, it has finally dawned on me that I have been a dimwit.

Probably baby No5 triggered some grey cells. Baby No5 is one very strong willed baby. No way will baby No5 be induced into the world without permission.

I have been very fortunate to have supportive homebirth mothers who had willingly shared their inspiring birth stories. I thank them for leading me to homebirthing.

Another highly recommended book.

A homeschooling mother from Holland told me that this book is a 'must read'. She went on to say that all mothers in Holland give birth at home in the presence of a midwife. Only in very rare cases are births done in the hospital. She was surprised that the trend in Malaysia was in reverse.

Vaginal Powers! I am discovering inner secrets.
DH is assigned birth companion and has the two books shoved under his nose at certain chapters that I felt required his attention.
He flipped through Ina May's wincing and grimacing at every turn of the page.
DH took some time accepting the fact that he will be the one receiving the baby. Talking to a homebirth father helped to allay some of his fears. He is still skeptical but has come to accept that his wife is adamant.

Next purchase, the birth ball, a 65cm gym ball and a pool.

Human Anatomy 7April2011

Fai wanted to know what the the human heart and stomach looked like. After digging through our bookshelf, this was the only book I had with a drawing of human parts.

This book is very well-used with its pages held together by tape. When Fai and Han were younger, they enjoyed looking through non-fiction books and encyclopedias instead of story books.

Fai looked intently at the illustration and began to draw.....

Version 1

brain, trachea, lungs, stomach and intestines

Version 2

Now the drawing is more detailed from the windpipe to the branching tubes in the lungs, heart with blood vessels leading into hands, hair on the head and an accurately shaped stomach and lastly small and large intestines.

Fai got fed-up with human anatomy and decided that his creatures made better subjects.

Look at his creature. Try figuring out which of its body parts is its eyeball, stomach, lungs and heart.

We went to the PJ Community library later that day to browse for more pictures and we managed to find a good one but it was a red spot book. Fai snapped a few photos of the illustrations that he liked for future reference.

Unschooling my kids had enabled me to address their queries and interests immediately. It is times like these that makes being a stay- at-home-mom worthwhile.

Weaver Ant's Nest 13March2011

Now I know where the hundreds of King and Queen weaver ants went to. Not far from where they where they emerged from, these ants managed to find a small little tree to weave their nests. There were about 10 nests on that 4feet tree.
the nests looked like dumplings glued together at the seams by a white substance.

A closer look at the weaver ants nad their nest.

King and Queen Weaver Ants 1st Feb 2011

The trees by the shore were swarming with these flying insects. I have never seen them before. Their bodies were greenish and about 2-3cm long.


Dad took one look at the winged insect and said " This is a Queen or King Kerengga (Weaver Ant). They are green. There must be a nest nearby. Once they find a suitable location for a new nest, they will rub off their wings."
It certainly is convenient having my encyclopedic hubby around :)

The boys found the flying weaver ants very interesting and spent more than an hour observing them.