Exercise was in fact one of the topics discussed at length in my birth class with Birthlings (@birthlings on Instagram) last February (yes kawan-kawan, that was me in the February AMANI Birth group). Imagine my feeling awkward when I raised my hand after my birth class instructor asked who exercises during pregnancy. Though I stood out awkwardly for that, I felt reassured knowing that I was doing the right thing for me and the little one Alhamdulillah.   Pregnancy is also a reminder that my patellofemoral syndrome has moved into its second year already :( haha. It's not pregnancy-induced, but rather brought on by the I-want-to-kick-ass-in-a-partner-workout mindset, which to this day my husband keeps reminding me every now and then haha. My prolonged recovery is not because I'm lazy to do inner thigh exercises, it's more of the fact that the bump has made it uncomfortable for me to assume other exercise positions, except for when I'm in water where I'm featherl...

I saw this on the paper some weeks ago: I found myself hysterical when I first saw this. I somehow stopped laughing and turned pensive when one of my seniors shared the same image in a Whatsapp group chat and said the illustration was done in poor taste. Then I asked myself: was I laughing at the "stark humor", not realizing the subtle sexism that I have sadly internalized over the years, or was I laughing at the sad irony of the reality? With the exception of a few progressive, practice-what-you-preach kind of men around us, men expect women to come home and do the household work. Cooking for the family--do you have any idea how difficult it is to decide on what to cook sometimes even? Cleaning the house-- let us be real ladies: piles of clean laundry in the basket still can appear dirty. Tending to the kids range from breastfeeding the baby to comforting the angry toddler and if you are a seasoned parent, this also means attending to the preschooler's...

I talked to a lot of mothers (my own mommy included of course) just to hear their pregnancy stories. Not surprisingly, pregnancy is just like individuals: it is different from one person to another. The common denominator? There is always bound to be some challenge. A very good friend of mine experienced hyperemesis gravidarum in the first trimester which meant her sustenance came in the form of IV drip for a few days. An acquaintance talked about smooth sailing pregnancy with the occasional cravings. Others recall severe fatigue, food aversions and cravings. At 31 weeks, I still struggle with coming to accept that the weight gain is supposed to happen. How could I not? In the past few months, I have gained almost 10 kgs and if I don’t watch what I eat, I will have to say goodbye to my weight allowance. I might even have to part with my pre-pregnancy outfits! That thought scares me. Despite this, my dearest husband thinks that for someone 31 weeks pregnant I look rather fit. Gotta ...

Before an online video call, Grizz of We Bare Bears told his brother Panda that "Hello" is too safe, and instead advised him to say "What's up" or "Hey". However, my introduction does not merit any awkwardness like that of Panda, because I used to write about my life, which really amounted to teen angst and unresolved feelings as an adolescent and a university student. Glad that part of my life is over, though! HAHA. After some time mulling over, after lengthy discussions with my better half, and after several nudges by really good people around me to start writing, I decided that I should write again. I've always thought putting thoughts in words has helped me in the past few years-- I used to write in my journal religiously for six years, after all. I will be writing about things that matter to me, but I hope this time those pieces will serve a good purpose. :)