Rowie's Scribbles

After another long hiatus, I am back to write about my experience with pregnancy and childbirth in France.  Due to a medical scare in Jan 2025 (to be discussed in a separate post), we decided to try to get pregnant. We successfully conceived in April 2025 and here's how the journey went!  Declaring the pregnancy Once I tested positive for pregnancy (I used the simple pregnancy test strips), I notified my gynecologue medicale. A healthcare professional (gynaecologist/midwife) should be informed by the end of the third trimester so they can declare your pregnancy to CPAM as well as provide a letter that you can furnish to your employer.  Monthly check-ups My gynae then provided me with an ordonnance for the following: 1) Blood and urine tests - monthly at the laboratory 2) Ultrasound scans - 1 per trimester, with an echographist 3) Trisomy test - at the laboratory 4) Vaccination, such as COVID, flu, bronchiolitis. This ensures some protection is transmitted to the fetus. 5)...

I've been suffering from the following maladies for quite a while now: - stiff shoulders due to lack of stretching before and after a workout - lax and aching ankles due to multiple ankle sprains Massages have only provided temporary relief, but it was only in 2015 that I decided to seek pain management treatment particularly for my stiff shoulders. This decision was triggered by my experience of pain radiating from my shoulders up my neck to the base of my skull especially when I am tired/stressed out. It would sometimes leave me disoriented and feeling fatigued.  My 1st experience with pain management was with Dr Maya N at Pantai Pain Centre. Seh diagnosed I have myofascial pain syndrome; muscles in my shoulders were tense and squeezing the nerve, thus the waves of pain. She prescribed the PENS treatment (Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) where needles are inserted in the affected nerve to transmit a low electric current and block the pain (she has written a ve...

I play badminton (affectionate term: baddy) regularly (3-4 times a week) and a good venue is very important. Bangsar doesn't have many venues, so I frequent the following:  1) Bangsar Sports Complex Managed by DBKL, the complex has been serving the community for many years. Amenities include badminton (rubber) and squash courts, a swimming pool, gym, outdoor basketball, tennis and futsal courts.  2) Pusat Komuniti Bukit Bandaraya Also managed by DBKL, this is a recent addition albeit smaller than the aforementioned. It's got badminton (rubber) and tennis courts, and a gym.  3) TNB Bukit Pantai Housed under TNB building at Jalan Pantai (opposite Pantai Hospital), the court is open to public but bookings to be made with TNB staff. I'm not sure of the rate but it's parquet surface. 4) Lee Chong Wei Sports Centre This high-profile complex (thanks to its namesake) has many facilities: badminton, futsal, gym, body building, yoga, gymnastics, ping long a...

The Choir of the Philharmonic Society of Selangor (PSS) will present Music from Movies and Musicals on 29 to 31 July 2016 at Pentas 1, klpac. The show will feature memorable showtunes and popular music from movies, like Frozen and the Lion King.  PSS is a community-based performing arts society and this show aims to make musical shows accessible for all music lovers.  Tickets are available at Ticketpro but I would like you to consider the Fri show (29 July) where proceeds will be donated to Hospis Malaysia . Hospis Malaysia is a charitable organization that offers professional palliative care to patients who suffer from terminal illness within the Klang Valley. Proceeds will fund medicine and medical equipment, training and education and other operating expenses.  Click here for more details on how you can donate to Hospis Malaysia and enjoy a fun-filled night :)

Plantar Fasciitis is a common injury especially among runners; it's the medical term of inflammation of the plantar fascia muscle, a long band of muscle that stretches from the heel to the toes due to impact trauma. The typical symptom is a sharp stabbing pain in the heel that is more pronounced upon waking. I am currently suffering from this pain for about 6 months now and I only recently discovered the cause for it after a session with a physiotherapist. Personally the best remedy is rest; ultrasound treatment, splints and heel cups do not work as effectively as giving your muscle the time to recover. I find marked reduction in pain in just after a week of not playing badminton and jogging. Also stretching in the morning before stepping to the floor helps to loosen the muscle and reduce the pain. Proper footwear is critical for full recovery. In addition, please DO NOT massage the area that hurts: you're inflicting more trauma on the injured muscle and this will ...

I'll be honest: I never heard of SSMH (Society for the Severely Mentally Handicapped) until my music school principal informed that our string ensemble will perform for the event.  SSMH provides day care and education for the severely mentally disabled children and youths; these special children require regular therapy besides love and care. The society also aims to raise awareness of the needs of these special children and the work performed by SSMH to help the children gain more independence.  The objective of the charity carnival is to spread that awareness and to raise funds enabling SSMH to assist these children in gaining a better future. The children have cerebral palsy and there are full time therapists to aid them.  So if you're free on that weekend, drop by and lend a helping hand! :) I'll be performing with friends on the Sun; also there will be more than 40 booths offering various goodies ranging from fashion, food and so much more! The booklets ...

I received a complimentary skin care set + facial therapy at New York Skin Solutions by Citibank. It's not my 1st free treatment courtesy of Citibank; my previous treatment was at London Weight Management. I suspect these 2 establishments are under the same company; using capitals of the world to headline the brand and similar font makes it pretty obvious!  I did some research: responses were mixed. M y friend went before and warned me that the staff can be very pushy (another sign that they are under the same company). I redeemed the facial at the Midvalley branch. It's my second facial treatment; my first was at Holistic Esthetics (redeemed a voucher for Sothys facial which was pretty good) and today my skin felt worn out so I decided to pre-pone my previous appointment to today hehe!  *I didn't take photos oops! The therapist was a nice young lady (her English wasn't fluent and my Mandarin is non-existent so there was some Malay exchange), I entered a privat...

There are many articles out there busting the myth that hairless is beautiful. I wouldn't proudly proclaim that I've an unbearable bush at my underarms but I have an incessant urge to make it bare and hair removal is part of my maintenance routine. I use tweezers (I'm such an expert) but I do notice the skin surface isn't as smooth as I'd like it to be (the pores tend to be bigger if you pluck often) and hair growth doesn't change.  I bought this Groupon for lifetime sessions of hair removal (bikini + underarm) for only RM128 at Musee Platinum Tokyo . Musee is proud of their S.S.C Method, where they effectively remove hair by "intercepting" the hair growth cycle (this is my own deduction, you can try and infer the mechanism from their site ). I signed up at Fahrenheit 88 as it is near to office hence convenient for me to book during weekdays (less crowded).  Note: You're only allowed to change location once.  1) Consultation The therapis...

I hesitated before purchasing this Groupon for several reasons: 1) I didn't have proper pilates attire (I know, such a petty reason haha) 2) The last time I did pilates was 7 yrs ago and couldn't remember if I liked it Then I considered that the classes will be conducted in sauna-like conditions (40°C) and Urban Spring is really near to my house; plus I think it's good to try out different exercises (I can't do more than 4 sessions of badminton a week and I'm still not losing weight, no thanks to my incredible appetite post-CNY). I've always thought of pilates as yoga with focus on core muscles (the abdomen and spine) :D So me and my friend shared the Groupon and I bought a package after the 1st session because I really enjoyed the workout and I needed to use my newly bought pilates attire XD Among the benefits of hot pilates are: 1) The heat warms the muscles and enable them to stretch more than usual - in addition, it reduces muscle soreness an...

I'm a fan of massages, I like people rubbing the aches away. Good thing massage centres are common in Malaysia and I've surveyed a few places in Bangsar so here's the rundown: 1) Chow Yang Reflexology This is probably the most popular massage centre in Bangsar. Their staff are local or from either Myanmar or Thailand. You need a high pain threshold to enjoy their foot massage; you might find it enjoyable if you prefer the strong kind of massage. I only tried their food and shoulder; unfortunately my neck ached more the next day and I never tried it again.  2) Everhealth This is a popular massage chain and the staff are China nationals, so communication is difficult. However the staff are polite, plus they have a variety of rooms (private and sharing). I got a young female masseuse during my 1st experience; she wasn't very strong and didn't get all the aches out. The 2nd time I tried the traditional body massage and the masseuse was STRONG! Check out th...

I recently bought a Groupon for a 1 hr Balinese massage at Holistic Esthetics . They have 2 branches: one at Bangsar and the other at Mont Kiara. I made my appointment at the Bangsar branch and went with the parents. The receptionist was friendly; I liked that she was very patient and accommodating over the phone helping me to make the appointment. The lobby was simple: Then we proceeded to the rooms, parents to the couple room and I went solo. My masseuse was pleasant and a local, so it was easy to communicate with her on my problem areas. She was very attentive and chatty; usually I prefer to be massaged in silence but she talked about different massage styles, the history of the center, etc. The center is owned by a Chinese husband-and-wife team; the wife manages the facial treatment section while the husband manages the massage section. The specialization in treatments allows customers to have the best for each. I learned one thing from this experience...

Ever wondered how it'll be like to have a Brazilian wax? Ever held back from buying a cheap deal at a waxing parlour near your house? Ever spend an hour reading articles and reviews on the experience? Well I did all of the above, and finally decided strip my virgin bush bare. I bought a deal from MyDeal for Brazilian waxing and whitening mask at Kuku Bar. Generally two types of wax are used: 1) Hard wax - warm, melted wax applied to the area which hardens when cooled and grips the hair. The wax is stripped off along with the captive fur 2) Soft wax - thin layer of wax is applied and a paper/fabric is placed on the wax layer. When the material is pulled off, wax and fur are removed. Similar concept to the waxing strips sold at pharmacies. There's a variety of styles you may choose from, the image below is quite descriptive: So I went to the ladies and washed down. I was led to a bed, laid down and then deforestation (I like this term very much haha) commenced....

We're constantly reminded to do good, and of the plight of those less fortunate than us. Celebrities use their star power to influence the public to lend a helping hand. The rich makes anonymous donations to charity.  But how many of us actually go the extra mile to do good and help the needy?   I find that I often question myself if I could be more generous, or more caring towards others. I donated blood for the first time last year and it was a good experience; donating blood is a simple gesture that takes very little to save a lot of lives. According to the NST , only 3% of Malaysians donated blood in 2 yrs. You may refer to the National Blood Bank on how you can help.  Organ donation is another pledge I've yet to make; personally I've no qualms about donating my organs to others, the only thing holding me back is that there may be other stakeholders, ie my future husband, children etc. It's still something I'm pondering ever since the National Transplant...

I stepped on a nail 2 weeks ago; fear of tetanus had me scrambling for the doctor! While I was waiting for the jab, I wondered what IS tetanus? So I decided to read up & write about it :p The Disease Tetanus is caused by the spores of the bacterium Clostridium tetani that live in soil. Wounds coming into contact with the bacterium spores become a breeding ground due to poor oxygen present. The bacterium will produce the toxin tetanospasmin that results in uncontrollable muscle spasms. These spasms cause the jaw to "lock", hence the disease is sometimes called "lockjaw". Global tetanus cases Worldwide immunization coverage The Symptoms Typically the spasms will affect the muscles of the jaw; as the disease progresses, the face & neck are also affected. Soon more distant muscles such as those in the legs & arms will be affected by the toxin. Without treatment, death is the final outcome. The Medicine Thankfully, the disease can be prevented. Today immuniza...

Well one of the best things of the watermelon is that you can eat it in a variety of forms: be it a fruit, a smoothie, an ice-cream, juice, etc. I'll run through the goodness of the watermelon for our refreshing pleasure! :) 1. Anti-cancerous properties Watermelon is rich in lycopene, a carotenoid known to protect the body against prostate, breast, endometrial, lung & colorectal cancers, not to mention lycopene also boosts sperm concentration & mobility. Lycopene is known to fight cholesterol as well. Tomatoes are a close second to watermelon in lycopene content. 2. Anti-oxidant properties The fruit is also rich in vitamins A, B & C. Vitamins A & B are powerful anti-oxidants that neutralize free radicals, in turn reducing the risk of clogged arteries due to cholesterol build-up & inflammation of arthritis & asthma. Vitamin C (taken along with an high intake of beta-carotene) can prevent heart disease, asthma, colon cancer & symptoms of osteoarthritis ...

Malaysians may see cigarette prices rising by 11% next yr. The issue about social health vs personal choice has been around for quite a while & it's something that we need to address seriously as the number of Malaysian smokers aren't decreasing.  About 50% of men & 30% adolescent boys smoke in Malaysia, which is appalling: lung cancer cases is on the rise. The government has placed gory images of the effects from smoking on cigarette packs but this practice has little effect as people are unaffacted by the images/buy personal cigarrette holders minus the images.  What can we do to stop the rising number smokers? We know it's bad for our health; it doesn't only affect the smoker but the people around him/her. The various associated health risks still doesn't nick the shell of a smoker...The best way to solve this issue is to prevent an individual from taking his/her 1st puff. We have to stop the youths from picking up the habit for we know nicotine is terrib...