Month 1
In the beginning, I had no idea I was pregnant. The duration of pregnancy is calculated from the first day of your period, which actually means that you’ve not even conceived yet.
In hindsight, the only sign I had that I was pregnant was that my morning coffee tasted different. Now, I am no coffee connoisseur, but I just LOVE my 3-in-1 instant coffee with my breakfast. I can’t function without it. However, sometime this month, my usual coffee started tasting weird and bitter. I remember even thinking to myself if the darn coffee manufacturer had changed the coffee-sugar-milk ratio in the packaging! Little did I know, that a little bean growing inside me, was already changing my hormone levels and tastebuds!
Month 2
After my period was late for a week, I did a home pregnancy test. It was positive! H and I were so happy! I arranged for a doctor’s appointment, somehow I still felt a little disbelief...maybe the HPT was faulty? Afterall, I didn’t have any morning sickness.
When I was about 6 weeks pregnant, we had our doctor’s appointment. We saw the baby and the baby’s heartbeat! Within the little black circle, there was a flickering white dot, and that was our baby’s heartbeat. The sight just took my breath away. However, Dr. G saw a spot of bleeding next to the baby, where the placenta was. He told us that we might have complications with our pregnancy, that 70% of such bleedings resolved itself, the other 30%...we should be prepared... If I experienced any spotting or bleeding, I was to come to the hospital immediately. The spot of bleeding looked big, almost half as big as the baby.
Month 3
I spend the next 4 weeks on sick leave. You would have thought this would be the perfect time to laze on the sofa watching TV, reading, snoozing, eating biscuits and drinking hot chocolate, right? Well, I actually spent more time hugging the toilet. Remember I said previously that I didn’t experience nausea and morning sickness? Well, scratch that, l had EXTREME nausea and morning sickness the WHOLE DAY! I constantly feel nauseous from the minute I wake up and I have been vomiting more and more, up to 5 – 7 times a day. My motion sickness, which was quite sensitive before pregnancy, is about a million times worse now. Watching TV with characters moving across the screen would give me nausea. Even a short 5 minute car ride would make me puke. Even if I wasn’t under house arrest, I wouldn’t want to go anywhere that involved getting into a car!
At the end of my 1st trimester, I went back to work. It was a relief to be out of the house, but my relief was short lived. The next day, I woke up at 6am to go to the toilet and got the fright of my life. I was bleeding...I shouted for H, thank goodness he had not gone to work yet. Immediately we went to the hospital. The doctor did a scan, which showed that our baby was all right, we even heard the heartbeat on the Doppler. Dr. G also showed us that the bleeding was from coming from the placenta. He told us that things could go either way, but that he was still hopeful. I was admitted into the hospital for 2 days to monitor my condition. The next day I was discharged from the hospital but on strict bed rest for one month. I only got out of the bed to go to use the bathroom.
Month 4
We went to see Dr. G for a scan and saw our baby again. Baby has a big head and a big belly, so cute! We saw and heard the heartbeat. Baby is now 8cm in length, which is a good size. Thank goodness the baby is growing, I have actually lost 2kg since I got pregnant, due to the all-day sickness I’ve been having. But Dr. G says not to worry as the baby is growing well.
Month 5
I got a call from the doctor’s clinic and was told that my blood test results were back and we had high risk for Down’s Syndrome. Dr. G explained that our risk in the blood test results was 1:100 for Down’s Syndrome. This is quite high, it means that for every 100 pregnant women, we have a 1% chance of having a baby with Down’s Syndrome. Normally, for pregnant women my age, the ratio would be 1:650. If someone had a ratio of 1:250, the doctors would normally recommend the amniocentesis test, when they poke a long needle into the uterus from the stomach to collect amniotic fluid to test the baby’s genes. This would tell you with a 100% certainty if the baby has Down’s Syndrome, or any other tested genetic defects. However, the amniocentesis test carries a 1-2% miscarriage risk. This means that in 100 tests performed, 1-2 tests may cause a miscarriage, even if the baby is perfectly healthy.
H says no matter what, he wants to keep our baby. He says that our baby has a heartbeat, and after all we have gone through with the bleeding and hospitalization, this is our miracle baby. If we decide not to take any action, no matter what the outcome of the test, why risk a miscarriage by having the amniocentesis test? I feel the same, we already love our baby so much. Dr. G was supportive of our decision and spent more time with us to go through a more thorough scan.
This time, he showed us our baby’s brain, and said that there were no cysts. We could see the heartbeat and like the previous visit, we could see Baby’s pot belly! Dr. G showed us the nasal bone again, hopefully the well formed nasal bone means that Baby doesn’t have Down’s Syndrome. He checked the nuchal fold and the measurement was within the normal range. He also showed us Baby’s hands, and we could count the 3 digits and 2 knuckles on each finger. He said this was good as sometimes babies with Down’s Syndrome have missing digits. Baby is measuring 11.1cm, around 16weeks 5 days. Dr. G measured the length of Baby’s leg and it is measuring 16weeks 3days, close to Baby’s age, or in proportion with Baby’s length. This is also good sign as some Down’s Syndrome babies have shorter legs.
This scan made us feel better and gives us hope that Baby will be healthy and normal. Baby also moved and waved at us during the scan. I commented that I didn’t feel any movement and Dr. G said I wouldn’t feel any movements for another 2 weeks. I asked H if he wanted to know the baby’s gender and he said it was up to me. I asked Dr. G if he could tell the baby’s gender and he said probably a girl.
I couldn’t help picturing a sweet little baby girl, wow, all the pretty clothes she would wear! But I could also picture a cute little baby boy, that looks like H. Honestly, the baby’s gender does not matter to us, as long as our baby is healthy. And this scan did give me some level of reassurance, perhaps the blood test was not accurate, due to the bleeding. I could not wait for the next scan, so we can take a little peak at our baby again.
During my 5th month of pregnancy, I can feel our baby moving inside. Sometimes I feel a flutter, and sometimes a tumbling motion like a spinning machine. Also around this time, my bump starts to show and I’ve stopped looking like the girl who ate too much dessert for dinner. I start enjoying my pregnancy more, largely because my morning sickness has passed and my appetite has returned.
Month 6
After numerous discussions on baby names, we have decided to name our baby Xuan. Xuan’s movements are stronger and she is quite active. She will move and kick me while I am at work and when I walk alot. After dinner, H and I will sit on the sofa and talk to Xuan, because that’s when she starts kicking. H can feel her moving when he places his hands over my tummy. Sometimes Xuan will also get hiccups, and this never fails to make us laugh as we feel the little rhythmic motions. Before sleeping, she will also kick a bit and we will talk to her before we go to sleep.
Month 7
During my 7th month, we went for a doctor’s appointment and Xuan has grown bigger! Now she weighs 1.2kg...that’s double from her weight 5 weeks ago. Around this time, I have been experiencing some slight cramps around my middle,a nd Dr. G said that I am having Braxton-Hicks contractions. Wow, I thought it was a bit early to have these practice contractions, I still have 10 weeks to go to my due date.
Month 8
We are back in the doctor’s clinic and Xuan now weighs 1.8kg. At 33 weeks, her head circumference measures 32 weeks 1 day and her abdomen circumference measures 31 weeks 4 days. Dr. G said her growth is slightly slower but is not a cause for concern yet. He told us that I have reduced amniotic fluid. The reduced amniotic fluid might affect Xuan’s growth, and if the amniotic level reduces more, he may have to induce me earlier than my due date. Twice a week, I need to go to the maternity ward at the hospital for the midwives to use the CTG machines to monitor fetal heartrate and movements, and my contractions for 20 to 30 minutes.
By now, I get Braxton Hicks contractions quite often, especially when I walk from the car park to my office and from the office back to the car park after work. My office is next to a huge shopping complex, and because it’s cheaper to park in the shopping complex instead of the office, most of us park in the shopping complex. Except the shopping complex management was not too happy about us taking up all the parking lots near our office, instead of leaving them for their money spending shopping patrons, so they block off certain parts of the car park using morning rush hour. As a result, we have to park a 10 minute walk away from office.
You would think walking through the shopping complex is heaven, especially for a first time mother having a girl...wow, all the opportunities to shop for sweet little dresses for my baby girl, right? Nope, because a 10 minute walk for the average person means it’s at least a 15 minute walk for a lumbering and heavily pregnant woman, carrying 10kgs of extra weight and a 5 kg laptop. Heck, between my ever expanding girth and compromised balance, juggling my handbag and laptop bag at the same time, I do not have any hands free to check out those cute little rompers. During this walk, I would get several Braxton-Hicks contractions, and they get stronger and stronger, sometimes I just need to stop walking until the contraction passes. By the time I reach the office, I am so tired I just want to crawl back into bed, but that would mean I’d talk to make the 15 minute track back to the car...I think I’ll just stay in the office afterall. After 10 hours of work, it’s another long walk back to the car before I can go home. You can tell, I am sure that these walks are about the only exercise I do...and you can see why I’m just waiting impatiently to go on vacation!
Month 9
When I am 35 weeks pregnant, we went for a doctor’s appointment and Xuan now weighs 2.2kg. Dr. G is concerned that her growth has slowed and he thinks that he would probably induce me into labour during the week of 5 January 2009, 2 weeks before my calculated due date of 22 January 2009. The baby is positioned head down, face down, which is good and she will likely stay that way until delivery and there is not much room for her to manouver, especially with the reduced amniotic fluid.
Wow, with the earlier due date, I suddenly realise that we have tonnes to things to do before the baby comes! I have not bought a lot of the big items for baby, for example stroller, car seat, cot, playpen, etc. I was waiting until we have time to leisurely shop during the Christmas and year end sales to save money with the items on discount. So this launched a whirlwind of shopping, washing baby’s new clothes and cleaning the house to prepare for the baby’s arrival. Luckily H and I were already on leave so the shopping was balanced with resting at home, housework was interspaced with meeting up with friends over the year end holiday period. We met up a few times with friends who were back from London to visit, friends who were also pregnant and due 4 weeks before us, my ex-colleagues at a Christmas party. Although we didn’t go anywhere, it was a great holiday and we really enjoyed it.
Around this time, it sometimes hurts when Xuan kicks me hard or pushes against me. Maybe this is because the reduced amniotic fluid in my womb does not provide enough cushioning. Sometimes when she moves, I can feel a hard bony knob through my tummy. When we talk to her, sometimes she would respond and move or kick me. When she kicks hard, we can actually see my tummy move!
During Week 36, we went to see Dr. G again. This time, Xuan weighed 2.8kg. Thank goodness she continued growing well, despite the low amniotic fluid level. Twice a week, we still went to the maternity ward for CTG monitoring. Xuan’s heartbeat remained regular and her movements rapid. My contractions were also quite regular, I would get 2 or 3 tightenings within the 30 minute sessions.
During Week 38, on 6 January 2009, we went to see Dr. G. Xuan now weighs between 2.8kg to 3.0kg. My amniotic fluid level has reduced further and Dr. G has suggested that I be induced 7 or 8 January. We decided on 8 January 2009.
I asked Dr. G about the progression of labour planned. He said that I should get admitted on the night of 7 January. At midnight, I would be induced. Around 7:30am, Dr. G would come examine me and if my labour has progressed far enough, he would break my waterbag. They would then start a drip to speed up the contractions. By 10am, he would expect me to be 6-7cm dilated and delivery should be around 1pm – 2pm. If at 10am I am not sufficiently dilated, then he might proceed to perform an emergency Caesarean section to ensure the Baby does not go into distress, especially with my low amniotic fluid level.
Wow, we can’t wait to meet Xuan! The next day was filled with apprehension on the looming labour and also excitement that we would be holding Xuan in our arms soon.
In the beginning, I had no idea I was pregnant. The duration of pregnancy is calculated from the first day of your period, which actually means that you’ve not even conceived yet.
In hindsight, the only sign I had that I was pregnant was that my morning coffee tasted different. Now, I am no coffee connoisseur, but I just LOVE my 3-in-1 instant coffee with my breakfast. I can’t function without it. However, sometime this month, my usual coffee started tasting weird and bitter. I remember even thinking to myself if the darn coffee manufacturer had changed the coffee-sugar-milk ratio in the packaging! Little did I know, that a little bean growing inside me, was already changing my hormone levels and tastebuds!
Month 2
After my period was late for a week, I did a home pregnancy test. It was positive! H and I were so happy! I arranged for a doctor’s appointment, somehow I still felt a little disbelief...maybe the HPT was faulty? Afterall, I didn’t have any morning sickness.
When I was about 6 weeks pregnant, we had our doctor’s appointment. We saw the baby and the baby’s heartbeat! Within the little black circle, there was a flickering white dot, and that was our baby’s heartbeat. The sight just took my breath away. However, Dr. G saw a spot of bleeding next to the baby, where the placenta was. He told us that we might have complications with our pregnancy, that 70% of such bleedings resolved itself, the other 30%...we should be prepared... If I experienced any spotting or bleeding, I was to come to the hospital immediately. The spot of bleeding looked big, almost half as big as the baby.
Month 3
I spend the next 4 weeks on sick leave. You would have thought this would be the perfect time to laze on the sofa watching TV, reading, snoozing, eating biscuits and drinking hot chocolate, right? Well, I actually spent more time hugging the toilet. Remember I said previously that I didn’t experience nausea and morning sickness? Well, scratch that, l had EXTREME nausea and morning sickness the WHOLE DAY! I constantly feel nauseous from the minute I wake up and I have been vomiting more and more, up to 5 – 7 times a day. My motion sickness, which was quite sensitive before pregnancy, is about a million times worse now. Watching TV with characters moving across the screen would give me nausea. Even a short 5 minute car ride would make me puke. Even if I wasn’t under house arrest, I wouldn’t want to go anywhere that involved getting into a car!
At the end of my 1st trimester, I went back to work. It was a relief to be out of the house, but my relief was short lived. The next day, I woke up at 6am to go to the toilet and got the fright of my life. I was bleeding...I shouted for H, thank goodness he had not gone to work yet. Immediately we went to the hospital. The doctor did a scan, which showed that our baby was all right, we even heard the heartbeat on the Doppler. Dr. G also showed us that the bleeding was from coming from the placenta. He told us that things could go either way, but that he was still hopeful. I was admitted into the hospital for 2 days to monitor my condition. The next day I was discharged from the hospital but on strict bed rest for one month. I only got out of the bed to go to use the bathroom.
Month 4
We went to see Dr. G for a scan and saw our baby again. Baby has a big head and a big belly, so cute! We saw and heard the heartbeat. Baby is now 8cm in length, which is a good size. Thank goodness the baby is growing, I have actually lost 2kg since I got pregnant, due to the all-day sickness I’ve been having. But Dr. G says not to worry as the baby is growing well.
Month 5
I got a call from the doctor’s clinic and was told that my blood test results were back and we had high risk for Down’s Syndrome. Dr. G explained that our risk in the blood test results was 1:100 for Down’s Syndrome. This is quite high, it means that for every 100 pregnant women, we have a 1% chance of having a baby with Down’s Syndrome. Normally, for pregnant women my age, the ratio would be 1:650. If someone had a ratio of 1:250, the doctors would normally recommend the amniocentesis test, when they poke a long needle into the uterus from the stomach to collect amniotic fluid to test the baby’s genes. This would tell you with a 100% certainty if the baby has Down’s Syndrome, or any other tested genetic defects. However, the amniocentesis test carries a 1-2% miscarriage risk. This means that in 100 tests performed, 1-2 tests may cause a miscarriage, even if the baby is perfectly healthy.
H says no matter what, he wants to keep our baby. He says that our baby has a heartbeat, and after all we have gone through with the bleeding and hospitalization, this is our miracle baby. If we decide not to take any action, no matter what the outcome of the test, why risk a miscarriage by having the amniocentesis test? I feel the same, we already love our baby so much. Dr. G was supportive of our decision and spent more time with us to go through a more thorough scan.
This time, he showed us our baby’s brain, and said that there were no cysts. We could see the heartbeat and like the previous visit, we could see Baby’s pot belly! Dr. G showed us the nasal bone again, hopefully the well formed nasal bone means that Baby doesn’t have Down’s Syndrome. He checked the nuchal fold and the measurement was within the normal range. He also showed us Baby’s hands, and we could count the 3 digits and 2 knuckles on each finger. He said this was good as sometimes babies with Down’s Syndrome have missing digits. Baby is measuring 11.1cm, around 16weeks 5 days. Dr. G measured the length of Baby’s leg and it is measuring 16weeks 3days, close to Baby’s age, or in proportion with Baby’s length. This is also good sign as some Down’s Syndrome babies have shorter legs.
This scan made us feel better and gives us hope that Baby will be healthy and normal. Baby also moved and waved at us during the scan. I commented that I didn’t feel any movement and Dr. G said I wouldn’t feel any movements for another 2 weeks. I asked H if he wanted to know the baby’s gender and he said it was up to me. I asked Dr. G if he could tell the baby’s gender and he said probably a girl.
I couldn’t help picturing a sweet little baby girl, wow, all the pretty clothes she would wear! But I could also picture a cute little baby boy, that looks like H. Honestly, the baby’s gender does not matter to us, as long as our baby is healthy. And this scan did give me some level of reassurance, perhaps the blood test was not accurate, due to the bleeding. I could not wait for the next scan, so we can take a little peak at our baby again.
During my 5th month of pregnancy, I can feel our baby moving inside. Sometimes I feel a flutter, and sometimes a tumbling motion like a spinning machine. Also around this time, my bump starts to show and I’ve stopped looking like the girl who ate too much dessert for dinner. I start enjoying my pregnancy more, largely because my morning sickness has passed and my appetite has returned.
Month 6
After numerous discussions on baby names, we have decided to name our baby Xuan. Xuan’s movements are stronger and she is quite active. She will move and kick me while I am at work and when I walk alot. After dinner, H and I will sit on the sofa and talk to Xuan, because that’s when she starts kicking. H can feel her moving when he places his hands over my tummy. Sometimes Xuan will also get hiccups, and this never fails to make us laugh as we feel the little rhythmic motions. Before sleeping, she will also kick a bit and we will talk to her before we go to sleep.
Month 7
During my 7th month, we went for a doctor’s appointment and Xuan has grown bigger! Now she weighs 1.2kg...that’s double from her weight 5 weeks ago. Around this time, I have been experiencing some slight cramps around my middle,a nd Dr. G said that I am having Braxton-Hicks contractions. Wow, I thought it was a bit early to have these practice contractions, I still have 10 weeks to go to my due date.
Month 8
We are back in the doctor’s clinic and Xuan now weighs 1.8kg. At 33 weeks, her head circumference measures 32 weeks 1 day and her abdomen circumference measures 31 weeks 4 days. Dr. G said her growth is slightly slower but is not a cause for concern yet. He told us that I have reduced amniotic fluid. The reduced amniotic fluid might affect Xuan’s growth, and if the amniotic level reduces more, he may have to induce me earlier than my due date. Twice a week, I need to go to the maternity ward at the hospital for the midwives to use the CTG machines to monitor fetal heartrate and movements, and my contractions for 20 to 30 minutes.
By now, I get Braxton Hicks contractions quite often, especially when I walk from the car park to my office and from the office back to the car park after work. My office is next to a huge shopping complex, and because it’s cheaper to park in the shopping complex instead of the office, most of us park in the shopping complex. Except the shopping complex management was not too happy about us taking up all the parking lots near our office, instead of leaving them for their money spending shopping patrons, so they block off certain parts of the car park using morning rush hour. As a result, we have to park a 10 minute walk away from office.
You would think walking through the shopping complex is heaven, especially for a first time mother having a girl...wow, all the opportunities to shop for sweet little dresses for my baby girl, right? Nope, because a 10 minute walk for the average person means it’s at least a 15 minute walk for a lumbering and heavily pregnant woman, carrying 10kgs of extra weight and a 5 kg laptop. Heck, between my ever expanding girth and compromised balance, juggling my handbag and laptop bag at the same time, I do not have any hands free to check out those cute little rompers. During this walk, I would get several Braxton-Hicks contractions, and they get stronger and stronger, sometimes I just need to stop walking until the contraction passes. By the time I reach the office, I am so tired I just want to crawl back into bed, but that would mean I’d talk to make the 15 minute track back to the car...I think I’ll just stay in the office afterall. After 10 hours of work, it’s another long walk back to the car before I can go home. You can tell, I am sure that these walks are about the only exercise I do...and you can see why I’m just waiting impatiently to go on vacation!
Month 9
When I am 35 weeks pregnant, we went for a doctor’s appointment and Xuan now weighs 2.2kg. Dr. G is concerned that her growth has slowed and he thinks that he would probably induce me into labour during the week of 5 January 2009, 2 weeks before my calculated due date of 22 January 2009. The baby is positioned head down, face down, which is good and she will likely stay that way until delivery and there is not much room for her to manouver, especially with the reduced amniotic fluid.
Wow, with the earlier due date, I suddenly realise that we have tonnes to things to do before the baby comes! I have not bought a lot of the big items for baby, for example stroller, car seat, cot, playpen, etc. I was waiting until we have time to leisurely shop during the Christmas and year end sales to save money with the items on discount. So this launched a whirlwind of shopping, washing baby’s new clothes and cleaning the house to prepare for the baby’s arrival. Luckily H and I were already on leave so the shopping was balanced with resting at home, housework was interspaced with meeting up with friends over the year end holiday period. We met up a few times with friends who were back from London to visit, friends who were also pregnant and due 4 weeks before us, my ex-colleagues at a Christmas party. Although we didn’t go anywhere, it was a great holiday and we really enjoyed it.
Around this time, it sometimes hurts when Xuan kicks me hard or pushes against me. Maybe this is because the reduced amniotic fluid in my womb does not provide enough cushioning. Sometimes when she moves, I can feel a hard bony knob through my tummy. When we talk to her, sometimes she would respond and move or kick me. When she kicks hard, we can actually see my tummy move!
During Week 36, we went to see Dr. G again. This time, Xuan weighed 2.8kg. Thank goodness she continued growing well, despite the low amniotic fluid level. Twice a week, we still went to the maternity ward for CTG monitoring. Xuan’s heartbeat remained regular and her movements rapid. My contractions were also quite regular, I would get 2 or 3 tightenings within the 30 minute sessions.
During Week 38, on 6 January 2009, we went to see Dr. G. Xuan now weighs between 2.8kg to 3.0kg. My amniotic fluid level has reduced further and Dr. G has suggested that I be induced 7 or 8 January. We decided on 8 January 2009.
I asked Dr. G about the progression of labour planned. He said that I should get admitted on the night of 7 January. At midnight, I would be induced. Around 7:30am, Dr. G would come examine me and if my labour has progressed far enough, he would break my waterbag. They would then start a drip to speed up the contractions. By 10am, he would expect me to be 6-7cm dilated and delivery should be around 1pm – 2pm. If at 10am I am not sufficiently dilated, then he might proceed to perform an emergency Caesarean section to ensure the Baby does not go into distress, especially with my low amniotic fluid level.
Wow, we can’t wait to meet Xuan! The next day was filled with apprehension on the looming labour and also excitement that we would be holding Xuan in our arms soon.
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