Ninie Ahmad: Off her yoga mat.

Her daily AFFIRMATIONS of staying optimistic especially when she's (upside) down.

Archive for the ‘I believe’ Category

“When I am asked, ‘Why don’t you cut babies’ umbilical cords?’, I say, ‘Isn’t the real question: Why do you cut?” ~IBU ROBIN LIM

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(WARNING: Graphic content!)

And so there were many curious clicks at my previous Lotusbirth link,
here are two more interesting and easy read on Lotusbirth if you are interested.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_birth
2. http://www.lotusbirth.net/

Researched-based and secondhand stories aside,
I have fallen in love with the idea of Lotusbirth since I first understood its ahimsa (non-violence) concept:

  • No cruelty.
  • No cutting.
  • No separation (mother & baby, baby & placenta).

My Prenatal Padmasana (Lotus Pose) at 24-weeks pregnant

Following the birth of my daughter leaving her umbilical cord attached to both the baby and her placenta, without clamping or severing, and allowing the cord the time to detach from the baby naturally - I am beyond pleased, grateful and humbled by the differences I notice in my baby and many other newborns I know.

PJ playing with her ‘bestfriend for 10 months’, day 3

  • PJ is very strong for a newborn. At only two days old, she started raising her head up if she were to be lied on her stomach on her daddy’s chest and she can push her feet to standing up if I tried to make her burp vertically on my belly. At almost 20 days today, she is already beginning to turn her whole body / roll sideway by herself!
  • She is also a very calm baby. She hardly ever cries, she only squeaks if she needs to be fed or changed, even at night. Aside from the spiritual and meditation work I did when I was pregnant which I also believe helps contributed to this, I have came across many stories of Lotusbirth babies who are very peaceful, alert, responsive and possess almost superhuman-like strength wise.
  • I have not heard of many newborns who did not get jaundice during their first week. Alhamdulillah, PJ managed to skip jaundice altogether (read the very bottom of THIS).

In preparation for a planned Lotusbirth, I assembled this:

Lotusbirth Kit from Yayasan Bumi Sehat Bali, a sterile stainless steel bowl
and a copy of Ibu Robin Lim’s Placenta book

In the Lotusbirth Kit (Rp250,000 = RM75 = USD25), which you can easily prepare yourself:

  • high absorbency small square / hand towel
  • herbal powder (with mixture of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove)
  • sea salt
  • finely shaved pandan leaves
  • ‘mengkuang’ (pine) leaves woven basket, no cover
  • bamboo box
  • carrier with shoulder sling
  • instruction sleeve of Lotus Birth (what is Lotus Birth, why Lotus Birth, what will you need for Lotus Birth & how to prepare for Lotus Birth)

Not included in the kit:

  • 100% essential oil (lavender)
  • bio-degradable diaper / chux pad / underpad
  • stainless steel bowl
  • Ibu Robin Lim’s Placenta book (Rp200,000, buy e-book here)

How To Prepare for Lotusbirth?

1. After the birth of the placenta, it can be placed in a bowl. It is important to keep the placenta level with the baby after birth until the gelatinous substance (Wharton’s Jelly) has solidified. After several minutes, blood transfusion s complete and the cord stops pulsing.

2. Place the placenta into the colander to drain off any excess blood. Using a jug of warm water, gently rinse the placenta as thoroughly as possible, taking care to remove any blood clots as they decay quickyly. Pat dry and air for 24 hours.

3. Your placenta is now ready for embalming preparation. You can salt the placenta on both sides in order to preserve it better. How much salt is up to you. Not everyone chooses to salt the placenta - and if you will be using it to plant a tree over, the less salt the better. Aplication of salt is repeated each day for a few days, depending on how quickly the placenta dries out. Essential oil is used to stave off any unpleasant smell the placenta might make.

4. An alternative to salting is the use of powdered herbs. This is the Egyptian embalming method. Start by softly covering one side of the placenta with turmeric powder and then sprinkle the salt. Add the powdered herbs and / or powdered spices. Repeat the process for both sides. The essential oils and dried herbs apllied encourage drying, help neutralize the smell of decomposition and are used for their antibacterial properties.

5. Use the cloths to wrap the placenta in as they are absorbent and allow the placenta to breathe and can contain all the salts, herbs, spices or dried flowers that have been used to pack the placenta to aid the drying process. Then place the cloth inside the Bumi Birth lotus box which holds the placenta during the Lotus period.

It is important to take extra care when moving your baby, so as not to pull at their belly with the cord. Also, keep placenta at the same level as the baby or slightly higher. In most cases, the placental cord will dry and separate from the baby’s navel within three to seven days.

(from Yayasan Bumi Sehat’s Lotus Birth Kit)

Why Lotusbirth?

  • possible faster healing of the umbilicus
  • to avoid unnecessary risk of cord infection
  • personal preference for cruelty-free birth
  • no need to worry about clamping or cutting the cord
  • respect for nature, baby and placenta’s spiritual reasons
  • to encourage mother / baby bonding
  • limits visitors who may prefer to wait until cord separates
  • less passing around of the baby
  • to allow most gradual and peaceful transition into this world for the baby
  • baby and mother get maximum rest in quiet & still environment

    (from Yayasan Bumi Sehat’s Lotus Birth Kit)

PJ, day 5

It was an absolute eye opener and humbling experience for me after having honoured my baby and her ‘twin’ by embracing Lotusbirth.

And a particular friend observed ’something else’ too..

‘Rosemary pizza for baby’ (click HERE for bigger photo), really Henry?

O_o

“If you state from the very beginning that you will have a painless childbirth and you say it until your entire being believes it, you will attract it.” ~GIUDITTA TORNETTA

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I don’t even know how to begin telling you how much my doula teacher Giuditta Tornetta’s book, Painless Childbirth has helped me into having just the right mind to cross over my pregnancy marathon finishing line - almost just like how yoga has shaped me into owning just the healthy body for a complication and stress-free pregnancy, which is a foolproof-sign of non-complicated birth.

Giuditta & I during our advanced midwife & doula training’s
farewell dinner in Bali (October 2012)

I couldn’t agree more with the main premises of the book:

  • self-hypnosis,
  • yoga, and
  • how giving birth at home resonates the most with her.

This is just one of the many pages I feel all pregnant women who wish to have a natural and painless childbirth must read.

From Page 49, 50 & 51, Painless Childbirth book:

THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

You attract into your life what you think about, whether wanted or unwanted. The Law is neutral, and it always says yes. Thus, if you say you don’t want to be sick, it brings sick to you. The Law only works in the positive. It does not distinguish from want and don’t want, it focuses on the object of your desire.

Thus, if you don’t want to be sick, you must focus on how healthy you are or want to be. All forms of matter and energy are attracted to that which is of a like vibration.

You are a living magnet. Energy attracts like energy. So if you worry about not being  able to take the pressure of contractions, you won’t be able to do exactly that. You are attracting the energy of fear and fueling it.

If you act in confidence, you’ll simply get more confidence.
Everything draws to itself that which is like itself.

If you state from the very beginning that you will have a painless childbirth and you say it until your entire being believes it, you will attract it.

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, YOU MUST FIRST BELIEVE YOU CAN HAVE IT

EXERCISE:
Get a large board and make a collage of mementos that remind you of all your achievements. Call it the Achievement Board. Take photos of trophies you’ve won in sports competition, use business cards from jobs you’ve had and are proud of, copies of grants you have received, images of the car you finally purchased. Add photos of your wedding, or of the dream vacation you had. Use anything, big or small, that will remind you of your dreams that have come true.

Next, write something you want to accomplish. Don’t forget to include “a painless childbirth”.

Start each day by looking at what you have achieved. Get into the feeling of each accomplishment and the sense of satisfaction it brought you.

When you are brimming with excitement from what you have already accomplished, look at one of the cards that represent your future goals and transfer those feelings onto the new goal.

Stay in this state for as long as you can. The more you believe that you have accomplished and obtained your heart’s desires, the more you will be sure to make it happen.This is what people call the Law of Attraction.

And this is my Achievement Board,


..pasted over my birthing bathtub which I look at every night as I take my bath and practice the birth day I dream of and deserve.

Love and light.

Written by Ninie

January 29th, 2013 at 10:23 pm

“Just as a woman’s heart knows how and when to pump, her lungs to inhale, and her hand to pull back from fire, so she knows when and how to give birth.” ~VIRGINIA DI ORIO

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Yoga is one of the rare workouts that is safe and encouraged to be practiced when you are expecting.

Yoga’s organic properties of energizing, opening and relaxing are known to be more than helpful to endure the nine-months marathon of pregnancy peacefully and to cross the finishing line as natural and enjoyable as possible.

Yoga’s breathing techniques during stages of labour have been proven to overpower expensive epidural and other temporary drugs that come free with permanent side effects.

Depending on your current state of yoga practice (do consult an experienced teacher’s opinion), you might be able to keep attending your favourite yoga class. Otherwise, Prenatal Yoga is recommended for expecting mothers (with or without yoga background).

Last Saturday,
I held an F.O.C Prenatal Yoga class at Upward for photography purpose and everyone showed up in bright colourful yoga attire!

Sharing the outcome and the pregnancy + birth affirmations I always share in my classes.

“I take good care of my body so I can take better care of my baby.” ~NINIE AHMAD

“I am a warrior woman.
It is a woman’s right to be able to experience a beautiful and colourful pregnancy,
it is my right to have a calm and cruelty-free delivery.”
~NINIE AHMAD

“Nature has been working with you from the very beginning of your pregnancy to prepare your body for this great wonder. You will come to understand that when your mind is free of fear and tension, your body can be free of pain and will function as it was created to do.” ~MARIE F. MONGAN

“Yoga helps me build a strong body, a flexible mind and a soft heart.” ~NINIE AHMAD

“My husband and I made love and conceived our baby naturally.
Nature will find its way to make us birth our fruit of love naturally.”
~NINIE AHMAD

“Because I allow myself to sit still to connect with my baby,
my baby will let me know how she / he wants to be born.”
~NINIE AHMAD

“Yoga helps me discover what feels good and how I can move my body intuitively so my work in yoga when I am pregnant will help me feel good and move my body intuitively when I am in labour.” ~NINIE AHMAD

“I created my healthy and happy beginning so I can design my own peaceful and beautiful ending.” ~NINIE AHMAD

I expand my range of motion to expand the capacity in my womb to house my baby. I expand my breath to expand the capacity in my heart to love unconditionally. ~NINIE AHMAD

For more photos during our session and pregnancy + birth affirmations,
check out the full album at Upward’s FB Page.

(All photos are copyright of Upward,
usage of birth affirmations must credit the stated owner,
usage of photos must credit Gianinna Salas Aerny)

Prenatal Yoga at Upward is every Saturday 4pm,
for all trimesters and husbands / birth partners are welcome to join our practice F.O.C.
Each class lasts for 90 minutes, fee is RM50 and with complimentary organic ginger tea and usage of Manduka mat towel, bolsters, mats and blocks.

NO RESERVATION OR PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED,
simply arrive at least 10 minutes before classtime.
For more details and direction to Upward, visit http://upwardyoga.com/

I invest and take care of my earth now so my children and my children’s children will still breathe the same air and live in the same planet.

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I am beyond honoured and thrilled to announce that

..I AM YOUR FIRST MALAYSIAN BOXSTAR!

According to Boxfool.com’s FAQ, Boxstars are individuals who are interesting, influential, cultured and which they believe have good taste!

Well, if you say so :lol:

And Boxfool is a subscription service that allows you to discover and receive awesome stuff on a quarterly basis. Every three months, you will receive a Box fool of interesting items handpicked by an influential curator according to a theme.

Each Boxfool contains 4-5 items that have been handpicked by a Boxstar according to a given theme that he or she is passionate about. The content remains a secret until you open it!

For a start, Boxfool is kicking off with a quarterly environment-friendly package called Boxfool of Eco. New themes will be introduced in the future.

I am the first ever Boxstar for Malaysia representing Boxfool of Eco and I could not be any prouder.

This much I can tell you, each item in your Boxfool is personally handpicked by me consisting my favourite organic and environmental-friendly products I cannot live without. All the products I picked for you are 100% NOT endorsed by the brands and I am not getting paid for promoting the products. I am simply sharing my favourite organic products that you can eat or plant or carry or drink in support of making more Malaysians support organic movement in Malaysia so we can buy them off the shelves for cheaper in the future!

I did an interesting interview for Boxfool on my take and effort on being environmental-friendly,
you can read all about it here.

For the third question on ‘What are some of the eco-friendly habits that I’ve developed?‘,
I made this video in continuation with this earlier video so you can have a look at what’s in my kitchen sink and recycle bins!

I don’t know why my mouth uttered ‘incinerated’ at minute 3:28 when there’s no burning involved! Can I blame my pregnancy brain?

For only RM60 per box, you will get my handpicked choice of organic and environmentally-friendly products worth almost RM200! Maybe you can get a couple other boxes for your favourite friends or as Hari Raya hamper as well!

Come, come, come, get your own Boxfool curated by me NOW!

Written by Ninie

July 22nd, 2012 at 3:25 pm

I believe this Love is here to stay.

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Ku De Ta, Bali (NOV 10)

OK so my last update here was posted some 40 plus days (after I got back from Bali in October) before my entry yesterday (errrrr, after I got back from Bali on Monday)..

Many girlfriends expressed, “We don’t know how you d-a-r-e-d go to Bali with Petrovsky - haven’t you heard of the Bali ‘forbidden love’ curse?”

Ubud Hanging Gardens, Bali (OCT 10)

Of course, I have :(

Bali ‘forbidden love’ curse is a myth that when couples that are not religiously / legally bound yet - go to Bali together, they will somehow break-up within 6 months (or was it 6 weeks?) upon their return.

But I refuse to buy it and let alone allow some cautionary tales rule my love life!

Although.. I personally know no less than a dozen couples / first-hand friends that allegedly broke-up after they got back from Bali.

And coincidentally - I was in one too..

Kuta Beach, Bali (SEPT 06)

But you know what - people break-up, relationships end ANYWAY when sparks die and two people are not in the same page anymore.

And come on, I was in (let’s say lahhhhhhhhhhh..) eight relationships before and the rest that ended ANYWAY, did not even need Bali to break us up - you get what I’m saying?

But just soooooooo if there is such curse anyway, Petrovsky and I prayed and dedicated our yoga practice and sun salutations every morning we woke up in the Island of Gods -  to the Highest Above that rules our universe, that sets our Destiny, with the intention that we cherish going to Bali - to celebrate our love and gratitude for each other, at one of the most beautiful islands He created for us all to share.

* * * * * * *

UPDATE:

from Crystal via comment post:

some of my indo friends said, it’s not Bali per se, but Tanah Lot. If you go to Tanah Lot, unmarried, you will break up with your boyfriend. My indo friend had many indo friends who broke up after going to Tanah Lot.

So, as long as you didn’t go to Tanah Lot, you should be okay I guess.

* * * * * * *

And in the end..

Hard Rock Cafe, Bali (APR 10)

There is no other place I’d rather be, no other man I would want to marry..

And perhaps, because he asked me for my hand to start a family & to be together til death do us part IN Bali, maybe we ARE blessed and will live happily + healthily ever after ;)   InsyaAllah.

Love and breathtaking sunset.

Written by Ninie

November 24th, 2010 at 12:38 pm

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