Reflection Week 5

WEEK 5

In fifth week, our class still continued with the individual presentation. Most memorable presentation for me is Rosmariah Rosli’s presentation which is she talked about Misai Kucing. Here’s some facts that I have collected from her presentation.

Misai Kucing is a medicinal herb found mainly throughout South East Asia and tropical Australia which can grow to a height of 1.5m. Misai Kucing belongs to the Lamiaceae family. Misai Kuching is also known as Kumis kucing, cat whisker, kabling gubat, remujung, Javatee, Lamiaceae, Indisher Nierentee, Feuilles de Barbiflore, Java Tea, Kidney Tea, KoemisKoetjing and Yaa Nuat Maeo. Misai Kucing scientific name is Orthosiphon stamineus/ benth. In Malaysia, it is popularly known as Misai Kucing in lay man’s term. The reason the plant is named Misai Kucing ( Cat’s whiskers) is because of its flower’s fine filaments that resembles cat’s whiskers. Below are the pictures of Misai Kucing.

Misai Kucing’s leaves are arranged in opposite pairs. The leaves are simple, green in colour, glabrous with a lanceolate leaf blade and a serrate margin. The petiole is relatively short, about 0.3cm in length and is in purplish red colour while the stem is quadrangle and red in colour. Besides, Misai Kucing is also rich in antioxidant that is important to protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.

Next, presentation from Grace Simbun Matthew also catch my attention where she talked about water birth. There are some facts that I have collect from her presentation.

You can labor and deliver in the water or move out of the water for the actual delivery. If you deliver in the water, the midwife or nurse will gently lift up and take your baby out of the water.


During a water birth at a hospital, both you and your baby will receive the same medical care as you would in a hospital bed. A special underwater Doppler device will monitor your baby's heartbeat. You can also receive medications through an IV while you are in the water. If you have a water birth at a standalone birth center or at home, you may have heartbeat monitoring or none at all.

Only women with a healthy pregnancy free of complications should consider a water birth. Be sure you fit the following profile before deciding on a water birth:

• You don't have an infection or excessive bleeding.
• You don't have any pregnancy-related complications such as preeclampsia or bacteria in the            bloodstream, called toxemia.
• You don't have herpes. The infection can pass to the baby through the water.
• Your pregnancy is full term, or giving birth after 39 weeks.