8 months and 5 days

Hi Baby,

That's was what the nurse said yesterday during the check up. Wow, I didn't know we're in 8 months already. Not long to go now. What happened at check up yesterday... The clinic is now giving everybody their own pee cup to use because a patient complained. When mommy was having initial check up done there were visitors to the clinic, the nurse had to take mommy's blood pressure twice because the first reading says 137/75 and the second reading says 140/75! Both was written in red on mommy's card.

Then the second check with another nurse, she asked the usual questions, is baby moving,? Yup. Varginal discharge? Normal. Told her that I just had a cold last week and is recovering, didn't take any medication apart from vitamin C, lots of fluids and Vicks for the nose. Feeling light headed probably because hadn't had breakfast yet, and she used the old school blood pressure to recheck, which she says is more accurate anyway because the fancy digital ones got too many variables that can escew the reading, and it's 110/70. Normal.

When nurse checked on baby with fetal heart monitor you kicked her hand again like you did last visit. Mommy learnt baby heart rate is 140 to 160 is normal, 120 to 140 is ok, it's the one below 100 is when they worry. Yours was always about 145 - 155.

The next check up is in two weeks, and also the second ultrasound. They gave the detailed medical card for me to carry around just in case the unexpected having to go to the labour ward, so it's now in mommy's bag.

Still have yet to finish packing the overnight bag, haven't washed your clothes yet, will do that tomorrow so I can finally pack them. Clean the house, finish off work in the studio, what else do I need to do... Hmmm... Finish reading all the pregnancy and birth books.

Body is getting stiff more quickly now. Especially lower back. Movement is slow because of the stiffness until body gets warmed up. Been waking up really early nowadays way before the alarm or waking up in the middle of the night for some reason and I go to the bathroom in case that was the reason why I woke up in the first place.

My skin is fantastic, and I wonder will it last after the pregnancy or revert back... Got to check on the finances if I could afford all the post pregnancy massages and getting someone to come in once a week to clean the house.

Have to find out how to use washable nappies and what is needed, someone said they got a whole load of nappy liners which I hope is coming our way and then we just need to get something I can't remember what it's called...

Had a brief discussion with daddy on potential names for you, daddy got one already if there were two of you, but for just one, hadn't decided. I just know it's going to be short. Mommy never saw the point why name your child with gazillions of syllables and only to be called something else. So your name is going to be short and sweet and that will be the name you will be known as, besides, I remembered reading when your name is called it's like pahala. Told your dad, at the most, two syllables.

Alright then Baby, will see you soon!

Love,

Mommy

Disposables or Washable?

Dear Baby,

Mommy just hit a conundrum, do we go the convenient way with the diapers thing and pollute the land for 500 to 600 years for the diapers to degrade or do we go with cloth and wash? How do you use cloth diapers anyway? If we use disposables, I'm going to feel so guilty after every change knowing I just contributed to the world's environmental problems. If we go cloth, it's a lot of work! I wonder if we can do a compromise... no not really, even if we do cloth at home and disposables when out and about I'll still fell guilty. And if we go cloth all the way I'm going to be paranoid about when it's time to change where is the soiled diaper going to go?

Got to talk to daddy about this, well, at least we have the washing machine hooked up now, but something is wrong with the water pressure now.

And mommy is sick, after trying to be sick free for the pregnancy the bug finally worked it's way in, dammit. So not happy, being sick makes mommy cranky. I hope you're ok...

Love,

Mommy

ps, Chi's also not feeling well, the vet said he's constipated and he got an enema and is taking laxative twice a day for a week. He must be in pain because he can't jump or go up a flight of stairs. At least we noticed an improvement, we just hope he gets better and drink often.

30 Odd Weeks & It's Daddy's Birthday!

Hi Baby,

Mommy just had a check up, although the nurse wondered why I was given an appointment a week after the last check up, wasn't suppose to have weekly check up yet. I think it was to do with the tetanus shot I was suppose to have last week but I told that nurse I recently had it only couldn't rememebr when. So this morning before mommy went to the clinic called up the other clinic to find out when was the last time I had the injection, and it was in March last year. So, the nurse told the doctor and plus mommy had the innoculation back in school already and so mommy didn't have to. I do remember tetanus injection stings.

Your heart beat was loud and clear today, the nurse picked it up in one shot unlike last week where the nurse had to hunt you down. The nurse gave mommy more tablets, usual ones to take, and first time ever got given vitamin C tablets too. The wait was slightly longer than usual, they're still getting used to the new numbering system they have up. Makes the clinic more spacious now that they got all the seats in one area instead of being spread around.

You're very active today, maybe because you know something is up. Minus the fact you're due in 8 weeks or so. Today is daddy's birthday, all of us got to wake up late, daddy is on stand by, mommy had the clinic appointment, and baby follows mommy... and after I was done at clinic made breakfast for daddy and spent the morning relaxing. Daddy did, mommy was in studio working on a project, then took opportunity to do some photo shoot of the latest work, had a late brunch and got dressed for work. Before we head home later we're gonna drop by the salon, mommy need to get hair and eyebrows done, it's been a while...

Love,
Mom

ps, your grandmother lambak decided to pass a couple of maternity outfits to me, just not my style so it's going back to her. She bought them cos they were on sale...

30 Weeks!

Hi Baby,

It's 30 weeks already. You're pretty active, mommy enjoys feeling you moving around, and seeing the movement on the tummy. We went to the clinic this morning and weight gain wise, we're up 2.2kg, just over the weight gain limit but still ok. The nurse had to check the blood pressure twice because the first reading was too high, because mommy and the nurse were talking the first time round. Check up with the other nurse went well too, she asked the usual questions, like if mommy had any discharges and what nots and if anything happens go straight to emergency. Then she checked the fundus height and fetal heartbeat, it took a while for her to find you. And right after she was done you kicked! Hehe...

Mommy was done at the clinic in half an hour and we have an appointment again next week on daddy's birthday. I must remember to check when was the last time mommy had tetanus shot so the nurse can work out whether mommy need another or not.

It's time to eat now, it's spinach and salmon for us today!

Love,

Mommy

Baby Movements

Hi Baby,

It's great to feel you all active inside my abdomen. This is week 28 now and your movement is pretty obvious on the outside. Sometimes, I don't know what you're doing in there but the movement is deep inside. So far I'm pretty glad it's not the bladder you're hitting. It says that (from the pregnancy stuff I've been reading) mommy is suppose to count 10 movements in 10 minutes. When daddy is next to mommy, I'd take his hand and place it on tummy so he could feel you too and be part of the experience. It's important for mommy that daddy is involved as much as possible with your development.

We have a check up at 30 weeks, wonder what that is going to be like, mommy worried about the weigh in. Haven't gone to your granny's to use their weighing scale of late, mommy's feeling blase again about this whole thing.

Mommy like being pregnant, so far, I'm not sure about the ending.. the giving birth part, it'll probably be one of those moments which I heard mommies tend to forget. Apart from the first trimester feeling nauseated the rest was pretty smooth sailing. The next stage is being a parent.

Love,

Mommy

Breast Feeding, Thy Is Gold

Hi Baby,

Mommy had a good morning today. Mommy was one of the lucky few who got invited to attend the first Breast Feeding Workshop held by the Ministry of Health, they got funding from the World Health Organization to conduct it.

0-6 Months

I must say, all the things mommy learnt was all the positive information mommy been reading up, it is good to know that the nursing community are encouraging breast feeding. As a matter in fact, the first 6 months of your life, that is all you're going to get nothing else, not even water because mommy's milk got everything you need! Isn't that amazing, what's even more amazing somehow mommy's milk will adjust accordingly as you grow. Like the milk you'll receive as soon as you're born is totally different from the milk you'll be drinking 3 weeks after that, and different 2 months after that.

No Bottles & Formulas

And bottle feeding is discouraged! Yay! No messing about with bottles, teats and steralisation of the stuff. That is such good news. Why, so baby'll work at suckling. And when mommy's not around, you get your milk from a feeding cup and baby'll pretend like a cat to drink it. Milk formula is considered a waste of money, they said the money spent on formula is better spent making sure mommy eats healthily so the breast milk is top notch for you. Remember baby, the more you suck your milk, the more milk mommy'll be able to produce, supply and demand, hahaha! And apparently, there is no such thing as eating a certain food to increase milk production. All they said was to just eat healthily and drink lots and lots of water.

Feeding Cup

So we need to get you a feeding cup. It could be anything as long as the edges are blunt. Reasons being it's easier to clean and risk of infection is lower compared to bottles. And when feeding you with a cup, baby will sit upright.

How To Hold Baby

Oh yes, with breast feeding, baby's body is in a straight line, your head and back must be align, and tummy to tummy. Baby gotta pretend to be a fish, your mouth open wide before latching onto breast. And baby's mouth are to go over the areola and the nipple just sits on baby's tongue. So baby's pumping action is over the areola, not the nipples. And baby's cheeks will be full when correctly positioned.

Feed On Demand

And there is no such thing as feeding period and duration, baby will feed whenever you get hungry and will stop when full all by yourself. The only thing mommy has to do is keep you awake when you're feeding by playing and tickling you. Burping after feeding, don't have to, just sit baby upright, head and back in a straight line and baby'll burp yourself.

Skin to skin contact is encouraged immediately after delivery. As a matter of fact, even before they clean you up mommy is to breast feed you. Hopefully you'd want to. Interesting fact one of the nurses told mommy, the smell of the areola area is the same as the smell when baby's in utero. Only baby will know that one and because of that, you will automatically will find your way to it. I must remember mommy is to not lean forward for feeding, you are to lean towards mommy. We were shown three different ways to hold baby when feeding, cradle, football and lying down and they made us all try holding a baby dummy which was surprisingly weighty, so we know the correct way to hold babies. Must remember your arm positions and not to pin you down.

Aahh, the one thing they stress was mommy and baby must relax during feeding time. And noone is to disturb us.

When mommy goes back to work, baby'll be taken care of by granny most likely. So mommy gotta express milk for you, they told us we can get the steralised milk bags from Happy Star, a japanese brand. I wonder how much it'll cost, mommy could see it contains 160 bags from the box the nurse was holding as she showed us. Must keep the leaflet on milk storage handy, it tells how long we could store them. And the feeding cup. No bottles for you.

Introducing Food

So for the first 6 months of your life it's all breast milk. After you hit your 180th day old and double your birth weight is when we introduce other foods to you. Mommy is thinking between mashed banana or avocado as your first meal. And we only feed you 1/4 teaspoon at a time, twice a day, working up to 3 teaspoons per feed. When introducing you to new food, they say to wait 5 to 10 days to see signs of any allergies. Well, if you following mommy, not very likely, if you're following daddy, probably just seafood. But you'll still be breast feeding.

Then at 9 months, we can introduce you to corser food, as a matter in fact, baby will feed yourself. Working on your hand eye coordination. Good thing we have tiled floors, maybe the cats will hang around you during then to see what titbits they can get. Daddy already talking about getting you a baby chair for dining room.

The Labour Process

What mommy was really grateful for was that they had the nurses from the labour ward there too, and after the workshop was over and everyone left, mommy took the opportunity to ask them the process of what happens when in labour, and the matron and nurse who took the time to explain it all were fantastic.

They explained to mommy when mommy should come to the ward, they said there are three signs:

• Contractions that are close together and with increasing intensity - the sister said the contractions should be about 10 to 15 min apart, 15 min get ready to go, 10 min, should be at the hospital already. And keep moving when contractions happening to speed up.
• The 'show' - that's the blood mucus plug for the cervix, when that comes out it means the cervix is stretching, the opening to the uterus.
• Water breaking - regardless if the first two hadn't happened yet, come straight to the labour ward.

So now we know. And to bring the big patient card which the clinic will give when the due date is getting closer and the appointment card so that the nurses at the labour ward can quickly refer to them. So that goes into mommy and baby's overnight bag, which reminds me, mommy gotta wash baby's outfits first.

In The Labour Room

Mommy asked what happens in the labour room and who will be in there. Of course there's mommy and most likely daddy too, and probably one or two midwife(ves). The nurses will come in afterwards to sort out baby after coming out like measuring, weighing and dressing. The doctor will only come in if there're any complications, and is on standby in the ward.

No Episiotomy!

Mommy never liked the idea of having the episiotomy and asked if they give it as a routine? And great news, they said they prefer to not give and advised mommy to massage the perinium to get it ready to stretch. If they have to it'll be a small cut. Mommy was still pushing the issue, but they say a tear will heal faster as oppose to cutting, and as long as mommy follows the midwife advice during labour it could be prevented. The sister said the one reason why there would be a servere tear is when the mothers are pushing too soon.

Delivery Positions

The sister also said there are two ways of delivery, one is on the back and the other is sideways, which they said is easier, only mommy is wondering who'll be holding the leg up. Mommy going to have to look up how that works.

Labour Time

Apparently for first time mothers, labour can take up to an hour before baby is finally out from full cervix dilation of 10 cm. From 0 to 4 cm can take ages, and it'll be 1 cm every hour after that. So mommy is going to be feeling contractions for at least 12 hours!! And we haven't even gotten to the part where mommy have to push you out. Oh, and apparently it's suppose to be like as if mommy got constipation... heh...

Then the whole placenta coming out, it'll look like liver on a rope. That comes after baby, I think the sister said something about a small contraction, mommy wouldn't even need to push it out. And the uterus will shrink down immediately she said.

When baby comes out, baby will be put straight onto mommy and hopefully you'd want to feed straight away so we can start the process to prevent you from getting jaundice. After you're done feeding then nurses will come to take you to do all the measuring and dressing and mommy get cleaned up, and after that we'd get wheeled out from the labour room into the post labour ward... hopefully the first class labour rooms would be available by then and we'll go in there instead. Some quiet time with mommy, daddy and baby.

Time In Hopsital

How long will we be in hospital? For normal delivery, 24 hours after delivery or the next working day. For C section it'll be five days because surgery is involved. Mommy and daddy praying for normal delivery for you. The sooner we get out of there the better, don't you think?

Other bits of information, the sister said mommy'll probably see up to ten different people from the onset of entering the ward. And mommy happens to come between shift changes will see more.

Gave mommy directions on how to get to the labour ward, during working hours is just get dropped off at the gynea clinic which is opposite the hospital canteen and take the elevator straight up to there, off hours is to take the elevators that goes to the wards and go to second floor and turn right. I can call up the gynea clinic to ask about the antenatal classes providing the H1N1 hadn't stopped it, and I can arrange to have a tour of the ward and labour room as well.

Mommy is glad of being able to talk to them and having them answered all of mommy's questions. I feel more confident now about giving birth there. And armed with all these information I feel more prepared now and a good outline of what to expect when the time comes.

So baby, we'll see you soon!

Love,

Mommy

Damn That Old Wives Tales

Dear Baby,

Mommy had to use the drill last night, and made 20 books times 5 holes each = 100 holes. As it has nothing to do with the house, therefore the holes were not made part of the house therefore you are perfectly fine. Damn that old wives tales...

Love,

Mommy