…
Week 3.5
- It was a planned pregnancy, and I had a ‘feeling’ that I should just ‘check’ to see if I was perhaps pregnant.
- Saw a very faint second line on the pregnancy test kit. Couldn’t really believe what I saw because it’s LESS than 4 weeks since my last period.
- Used ANOTHER test kit, and saw the same FAINT second line. Couldn’t be there IF there’s NO pregnancy hormones, yes?
- No signs of morning sickness. Everything was very normal. Shared the news to the kids and our families.
…
Week 4
– Used a much better pregnancy test a week after the above, and saw an OBVIOUS second line. Shared the news with close friends.
- No change in appetite, no morning sickness.
- Both kids responded very well to the news, asking me WHY my tummy is not yet big every day =)
- Went to my usual gynae and was told to come back in 10 days time, as it’s too early to detect anything at 4 weeks, hehe.
- Returned to gynae when I was about 6.5 weeks pregnant.
- All four of us saw the little jellybean, the heartbeat, etc on the monitor. Baby was 0.7cm. Thank God. It’s amazing!
…
Week 7
- Morning sickness started from week 5.
- Experiencing: nausea, excessive saliva, bloatedness, bitterness on tongue
- Can’t stand garlic smell or the look of raw chicken. Can’t bake, cook or do anything much in the kitchen.
- Picky with what I can eat. Yet, I feel hungry easily. And if I don’t eat something soon, I’ll be gagging. Morning sickness definitely is worse this time round.
- Three ‘acnes’ appear on my face within week 6. Blaming it on my hormones =)
- Reduced my folic acid intake to just half of the tablet (ie. 2.5mg) as I recently read how pregnant moms need about 1mg daily. ‘Excessive’ folic acid can lead to bitter after taste on the tongue.
…
Week 8
- Bloatedness, excessive saliva and lack of appetite continue.
- So is my intolerance towards strong odour / smells.
- Lack of energy and need about 10 hours of sleep altogether every day (a complete contrast to my usual sleeping hours!)
- Somehow eating fresh apples make my stomach feel uneasy, and drinking plain water makes me want to gag (so I’ve been drinking soya milk, mixing honey with water, sweetened tea, anything that I can down without feeling yucky)
- Can only drink fresh milk if mixed with breakfast cereals (Frosties / Honey Star)
- Started to like ‘Milo’ (but when mixed with a little too much milk, it makes me gag)
…
Week 9
- All symptoms recorded last week still continue.
- At check up (28 Oct) : We saw baby’s heartbeat, head, hands and body all curled up! 2.2cm now!
- I think I feel sligggghtly better this week!
- Still can’t do stuff in the kitchen, and these days I’m eating ‘Yong Tou Foo’ and ‘Mini Pot Kwetiauw’ at hawker centres.
- Totally not interested in ‘teh’ or ‘teh-peng’ (tea with milk and ice). So whenever we go out, I very most likely order hot drinks, eg. Barley drink or ‘teh-o’ (hot tea with sugar)
- Still can’t cook. Sigh. But, I can at least prepare simple breakfast for everyone that involves the stove (eg. Omelette or boiled eggs). I know, SO simple!
…
Week 10
- Hubby is away the whole of this week and so Anya helped and took this photo (which explains why I’m looking ‘down’ to the camera =)
- On the exact day I was 10 weeks pregnant (5 Nov), I gagged more than 20 times, felt excessively tired, bad appetite, super excessive saliva. It was just very bad! (But then again, my gynae DID tell me how morning sickness will usually peak at 10 weeks!)
- The very next day (6 Nov), it was better! Phew.
- Every day I still have to nap in the afternoon (even 20mins is good!), sleep facing one side and with an extra pillow on my head so my body is not completely ‘flat’ on the bed (it helps reduce that uncomfortable bloated feeling!)
- Had a check up on 10 Nov (a day before we left for Hong Kong), and baby was 3.9cm already. AND, during the scan, for the first time, I saw baby was wriggling both hands and legs! It felt amazing!
You see, so far I’ve only felt the nausea and morning sickness, and the only time we could see ‘baby’ was during the scan. And even then, it was more like a little ‘bean’. To see the baby clearly moved about kind of reminded me of this big reality: that there really is a miraculous human being, growing and living inside. God’s amazing creation!
…
Week 11
- Were in Hong Kong and guess what? Nausea and morning sickness was 95% GONE during the trip! No excess saliva, no bloated feeling! Energy was there and I could eat ANYTHING and actually TASTED the food! I was SO over the moon and SO grateful that I could actually enjoy our HK trip!
- But of course on our last night in Hong Kong (13 Nov), my appetite and energy level gradually dropped. The way it should be, I guess.
- Upon reaching Singapore, all my morning sickness returned, with a vengeance. We got home at 1am, and our taxi driver drove like mad. I felt really sick that I actually vomited (with uncontrollable force!) for more than 20 times in our bathroom! Never happened in my previous pregnancy! I guess, the fact that I was also physically tired and hungry made the ‘motion sickness’ much worse.
- The rest of Week 11 was filled with my usual lack of appetite, energy and excessive saliva. Less gagging and bloated feeling though.
…
Week 12
- I think I’ve gained 1.5kg so far.
- Still wear my usual jeans, BUT I have to totally unbutton it and loosen my belt when sitting down!
- Was expecting a change for the better when I entered week 12, but nooo … apparently, things are not back to normal. Things don’t get worse, but the ‘no taste on my tongue’ still lingers for 24 hours a day.
- At week 12.5, somehow I gagged more again. Perhaps it’s caused by my ‘unconscious’ anxiety over my upcoming ministry to a children home where I’d be sharing about God’s love and the Christmas message to some 90 less-privileged children?
- Went for a 6-day holiday in Jakarta. Appetite was relatively great during our stay there!
…
Week 13
- Turned 13 weeks while still in Jakarta. No excessive saliva, and appetite was good. BUT, on our final night in Jakarta, gagging started though not as frequent. And suddenly excessive saliva started too. Weird.
- Returned to Singapore (30 Nov) and my appetite has gone down again. Sigh.
- I think I’ve gained just 1 kg by now.
- Still need a rest in the afternoon. Gagging is down to an average of less than 8 times a day (most likely it happens while I brush my teeth or when I’m hungry!)
- Started to drink those ‘formula’ meant for pregnant moms, once a day. I don’t quite like the taste somehow though. Makes my stomach feel uneasy every time. Not sure if I’ll get more of those when I’ve finished this pack.
- Started to feel the bottom part of my tummy ‘hardening’ once in a while!
- No ‘baby movements’ detected so far (yep, I know, it’s still TOO early!)
…
Week 14
- Self-portrait shot was taken in a mall’s changing room @ exactly 14 weeks (3 Dec 2010)
- This week, baby is supposed to be lemon-sized already! (close to 9cm)
- Gag less (ie. only when brushing teeth)
- Can drink plain water!! YAY! (But still drinks my ‘Sari Wangi’ tea with sugar and milk every single day. It relaxes me. Really.)
- Can’t eat much each time (75% of my usual portion), but feel hungry often.
- One thing that I haven’t experienced from the start is, I don’t pee as ‘often’ as a pregnant woman usually does!
…
Week 15
- Went for our monthly check up and baby is growing well. It’s about 9.1cm now.
- I’ve apparently just gained 800g though! (I gained 8kg when I was pregnant with Vai, and he was born at 37.5 weeks and weighed 3.42kg. It’ll be interesting to see how it’ll be for THIS baby this time round!)
- CAN drink plain water and milk without gagging! Woohoo!
- CAN slowly cook simple stuff!
- My ‘sense of smell’ (and ear sensitivity, ie. can’t quite stand high-pitch screams like I used to BEFORE I was pregnant) is still very strong though.
- And I must say, the morning sickness has (so far) lingered a bit, though it’s much much better now.
…
Week 16
- We’re traveling to Hong Kong and my doc has certified me as, ‘Fit to travel!’ *YAY*
- Baby is supposed to be roughly as big as an ‘avocado’ right now, and Vai (without fail) kisses my tummy every day. He sometimes snorts or makes noises while putting his mouth very near to my tummy to let the baby hear the noises he makes, hehe.
- More people are saying to me that it’ll be a baby girl. Haha. It’ll be interesting to find out the gender next May!
- Weighed myself at home and I thought I saw a weight gain of 1.5kg! But then again, that scale is kinda unreliable! Better wait for my next gynae appointment scheduled for Jan 3rd!
- Spending the rest of my week 16 in Hong Kong. Energy is back (though I often feel sleepy during the day), and most importantly, my appetite is very good! Yipee!
…
Week 17
- Spending week 17 in Hong Kong and appetite has been great =)
- Sometimes I think I feel a little ‘flutter’ in my tummy (ie. baby’s movement?), but am not too quite sure since it’s really not yet obvious right now.
- Can’t stand yucky sights like spits, vomits, dirty toilets, or super dirty food court tables (where bones are spit out ‘everywhere’ by the diners). I’d very most likely gag badly. Bad smells (eg. toilet smells) also turn me off big time.
- Maternity jeans (and my Bella Band) from Maternity Exchange was ‘well-worn’ during my HK trip. So comfortable around my waist. Fits nicely and love the colour too.
- No frequent urination. No water retention on legs or fingers. Phew.
…
Week 18
- I can feel more obvious ‘bubbles’ (baby’s subtle movements) in my lower abdomen. Especially more obvious at night time.
- Had a check at the doctor (3 Jan, 18.5weeks) and baby’s all wriggling actively. Doc asked if we’d like to know the gender, and we said no, hehe. Anyway, baby’s leg position didn’t allow the doctor to ‘see’ anything too during the scan!
- Finally gained 2.6kg! Yay! I think I must thank HK food for the weight gain! Hehe.
(was 57.4kg at week 11, and during the check-up at 18.5 weeks, my weight was 60kg!)
- One bad habit that I somehow manage to EASILY break during this pregnancy is, nail biting! I mean, I actually DON’T unconsciously bite my nails when I’m thinking or when I’m nervous anymore now!
…
Week 19
- Baby’s movements still felt like ‘occasional bubbles’, more obviously felt at night. Movements are still not felt too often.
- Though morning sickness is pretty much gone, ‘excessive saliva’ still is around though not as bad.
- Can cook! In fact, the kids and I baked our first banana muffins again on Sunday, 9 January! Oven was last used about THREE months ago, I think!
- Hubby was away for business trip for the whole week (which explained the ‘absence’ of weekly tummy photo’), but am very thankful to God for the extra strengths given to me during the week. Handling two school going kids, and juggling everything else with no hubby around was definitely not easy!
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Week 20
- On the day it’s FINALLY 20 weeks, I was like, ‘Wow! I’m half way through!’ Actually, I’m most likely LESS than half way through if the baby is going to say HELLO to the world when it’s 38 weeks =) Can’t wait!
- Average sleeping hours daily : 6 – 7 hours, max.
- Still prefer to sleep with an extra pillow on my head. So far I still don’t need extra cushion to support my back or tummy when lying on one side.
- Occasionally feeling emotional (read: hormones oh hormones)
- STILL have ‘excessive saliva’ (though not as bad as those earlier weeks)
- Feeling ‘tensed-up’ lower tummy more often daily (3-5x a day)
- Had full scan (19 Jan), and baby’s growing well. Estimated weight is : 374grams (13.2 oz). When radiographer wanted to check out the gender, baby kept on crossing both legs though! So we have to wait for another 3 weeks to know for sure!
- Wilson still chooses to NOT know the gender, while I really don’t think I can wait till baby’s born! =) So we agreed that I’ll find out the gender but keep quiet about it =)
…
Week 21
- My total weight gain as of 20 Jan : 3.4kg
- More obvious movements felt. Got Anya and Vai to put their hands on my tummy to feel them! And they’re like, ‘Oh! Oh! I felt that!!’ =)
- Towards the end of week 21, I suddenly felt tired. And I mean, I felt as if gravity is pulling me down MORE than usual.
- Feeling occasional slight pain/discomfort on my lower back (when I wake up from bed, or when I stand up and walk from sitting down). The Indonesian word that best describes that discomfort is : Ngilu!
- Excessive saliva continues (and somehow I have this feeling that it’ll stay till I deliver!)
- Emotional ups and downs continue! Doesn’t happen everyday (more like, every 2-3 days?), but it sure hits me when watching sad movies, hearing sad/touching stories, or when I feel guilty after scolding the kids or something (when I feel I should be more patient towards them).
…
Week 22
- I feel more easily tired this week. I think I yawn more often than usual!
- Somehow I feel as if there’s a ‘growth spurt’ or something. I feel my tummy somehow gets bigger over just a few days. The feeling is weird.
- Enjoy a good foot massage nearly every night. Thanks hubby.
- I think my ‘nesting instinct’ has slowly kicked in. On Saturday night, after going out and about for ONE WHOLE DAY, I looked at my bathroom floor and felt I needed to scrub it clean then and there (I just scrubbed it clean a few days earlier!). And so I got down and scrubbed (and felt satisfied!) at 11pm! I sweep the floor and clean our kitchen more often too now!
- I feel my ‘top’ is getting heavier. No stretch marks so far (had none from my two earlier pregnancies), but there are little pink dots on my chest (they look like zits, and there are definitely more than ten of them!)
…
Week 23
- Feeling much heavier when going up the stairs (overhead bridge). A good push by hubby from the back really helps!
- Learned interesting facts: Due to today’s worsening environments (high level of chemicals in food and drinks, heavy pollutions, pesticides, etc), only 50% of today’s sperms are ‘not spoiled’. And out of those remaining 50%, generally only 15% is ‘healthy/good’ enough for babies to be ‘produced’.
*Sigh* No wonder I personally know more and more couples who find it very hard to have a baby, or a second one. And it reminds me to be thankful to God for every single child that HE’s entrusted in our care.
- Had a check up on 8 Feb (at 23.5weeks), and apparently I only gained 1.2kg since 3 weeks ago *so little!* BUT, baby’s weight is roughly 588g! Which is great!
- So all in all, my total weight gain so far : 4.6 kg
- I feel my fingers and feet have grown bigger, but doctor said I’m having no water retention condition. So that’s good news too! =)
- During the check-up, I looked forward to finding out the gender, BUT, baby gave me the BACK VIEW only. Doctor gave me his gender prediction though (should be 95% correct), BUT I’m still not convinced. I want the full frontal and clear view, please.
…
24 Weeks
- More obvious movements felt everyday, especially when I sit down to rest or sleep (I was told that when we move about, the baby is comfortably ‘rocked to sleep’, and baby is most likely more active and awake when we are all quiet and resting)
- No obvious linea nigra so far, and no ‘protruding’ belly button too =)
- This week will be a little tougher as hubby needs to be overseas for work throughout most of my 24th week of pregnancy. This means, I have to wake up early to get Anya prepared for school, bring along super-sleepy Vai and leave for Anya’s school by 6.50am (we take a public bus). May God give me the needed strength.
- On the day hubby was supposed to return, my energy was back, and I was sweeping, mopping, doing the laundry, ironing. And by the next day, I was not feeling well. JUST in time, I’d say. Because when my throat started to feel a little sore, and my nose was a little blocked, hubby was back in town!
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25 Weeks
- At times, I feel I couldn’t sleep well at night, ie. I somehow don’t feel like I could sleep, though I know I SHOULD be sleeping. So I’d be in bed, with my eyes all open. They say, it’s one of those ‘pregnancy insomnia’ thingy?
- This week I started to sound like a ‘man’! (hoarse voice, a little runny nose, and all this makes my eyes feel heavy. I feel extra tired too)
- Still can’t tolerate pure apple Juice (makes me gag), and I somehow avoid eating apples altogether too throughout this pregnancy!
- Voice is back after 4 days! Yay!
- More frequent baby movements! I can see the surface of my tummy actually making wave-like movements! It was unreal! *Thank God for such a miracle!*
…
26 Weeks
– Occasional discomfort on my lower back when I walk (like, once every … 3 days?). It doesn’t happen everyday, but it usually can be felt after I’ve been sitting down for a long time, or if I feel a little more tired than usual.
- Kids would put their palms on my tummy and feel the baby’s movement too. There’s a time when Anya put her hand on my tummy and each time I talked to the baby, eg. ‘Baby, this is Jie-Jie Anya’, we’d feel a bump. Every time. It was cute! =)
- This is the week I’m supposed to prepare for Anya’s 7th birthday cake and make the marshmallow fondant, etc. It’ll be a busy week, thank God my energy is not bad so far. And, hope the cake turned out okay =)
- Had my once-every-3-weeks check up today (1 Mar 11, 26.5weeks pregnant). Baby is approx. 840grams. Only gained 600g since 3 weeks ago! Which means I’ve only gained a total of 5.2kg! Doc said, ‘You can afford to eat more. Eat durians also OK.’ =) Hmm, yep, I’d love THAT!
- Doc said that at 26.5 weeks, baby should generally be about 900g, but our baby is not THAT ‘underweight’ or anything. I googled and found this ‘Average Fetal Weight Chart’ (on babycenter.com), and according to that chart, baby’s weight is okay. Oh well, as long as baby is healthy and well.
- During the scan, we could see the baby’s face (eyes and nose, and the mouth opened and closed =) We could see the leg bones and the fingers too. Baby was moving about, and it was all good!
- Proud to declare that I SWAM today! (1 Mar) Thanks to hubby who went along to the kids’ swimming lesson, because otherwise I’d feel ‘too lazy’ to swim by myself. Swam 100m on the lap pool, and 10x on the short pool. SO happy! If I could do this every week, I think I’ll be so much fitter by the time I need to push the baby out, in less than 3 months time, hehe.
…
27 & 28 Weeks
- Had Anya’s 7th birthday gathering at Sunday School and was really glad that the home-made Rapunzel birthday cake turned out well! =)
- On Monday, 8 March, I suddenly had this tailbone pain. A BAD one. The pain was like ‘sudden jabs’ on my tailbone, and at times it was so painful that I had to quickly hold on to a pole, a wall, or something (while going OUCH OUCH OUCH!). It was particularly bad when I had to pick Anya up from school! I literally stopped to hold onto the pole for at least a minute because the pain kept on coming again and again.
- Went swimming AGAIN this week! *YAY!*
- By Tuesday and Wednesday, the tailbone pain was ‘better’, ie. it’s occasionally felt only when I was in bed at night.
Week 28
- Week 28 is the week when both Anya and Vai have their school holiday (Term 1). I’m SO enjoying NOT waking up at 5.45am! =)
- Went swimming again for the 3rd week. SO happy! (read: because I was so close to skipping it! It was drizzling a bit, the water was cold, and I was just not in the mood to get in the waters! Thanks to Anya too, I guess, who loudly said to me, ‘Mommy, I thought you’re going to swim?’ Haha)
- NO tailbone episodes this week! (could it be due to my weekly swimming? Hmm)
- I can feel much heavier on the front. Baby is definitely MORE active too at night. Sometimes the ‘kicks’ get a little strong and they hurt a bit. Lying in bed on my back is a BAD idea these days. So I usually lean towards my left or right.
…
Week 29
- I don’t know if it’s because this photo was taken by Anya, but I feel my tummy is SO much bigger in this shot! But anyway, I DO feel it’s heavier and bigger too these past few days!
- I had my first cramp on Saturday night (19 Mar), when we’re walking towards the MRT station. I did a shoot earlier and I walked quite a bit for hours that day. The slight cramp was felt on my right foot (the area that bends when you tip-toe!). Was glad that it was a very mild one. Phew!
- This week will be a little tougher on me since Wilson has to travel overseas for work and both kids are back to school, after enjoying their one-week holiday. This basically means, I’d need to be the one who wakes up at 5.45am, get Anya ready and send her to school, and pick the kids up again.
- Swam AGAIN! Woohoo! (22 Mar 11)
- Had another check-up today (22 Mar), and guess what? I only gained 400g since 3 weeks ago, but baby’s estimated weight is about 1320g (nearly 500g increase in weight!). Plus, my uterus, placenta and water level are all good (ie. developing and getting ‘bigger’). So Doc concluded that I have lost weight (a little less than 1kg more or less), but baby and everything else are doing well! Weird. I’ve never heard of such a case before, and I sure hope that my body is not ‘losing’ any important minerals / vitamins in the process.
Total weight gain so far: 5.6kg
- Oh also, as baby is upside down now (but since there’s still a little room, it’s possible for baby to move about / rotate right now). AND, since baby’s getting bigger, there’s NO room for baby to ‘open legs’, so the chance of me SEEING the ‘in-between the legs’ view is very very little now. Gee! Looks like baby really wants to keep the whole ‘gender’ thing a surprise for us!
…
Week 30
- Had a super long day out on Saturday, 26 Mar (when I was 30 weeks + 1 day). We were out from 9am (to Sentosa), and only got back home at 10pm (after going for Earth Hour @ Marina Bay). We hopped on and off buses and trains. SO very thankful to God for the energy I had that day. It was an enjoyable day out for us!
- These days, I’d wake up in the middle of the night (around 4am), once, to pee. At least, it’s only ONCE so far =)
- Baby likes to MOVE a lot! And I’ve got those ‘tummy waves’ on videos! =) Didn’t have these when I was pregnant with Vai and Anya!
- Woke up with a really bad strain on my left wrist on Tue, 29 Mar. Throbbing pain! I had NO energy that day, was not in the mood to eat much, needing to sleep/rest and was emotional. Wilson helped a lot. He sent and picked Anya up from school and took the kids to swim as well! Thank God, I got my energy back the next day, and the pain on my left wrist was 95% gone! Weird. Instead, my right hand’s index finger was swollen. Totally had NO idea how I got all this in my sleep!
- Enjoy lunch dates with hubby. Better treasure these as it’ll be tough to have any ‘uninterrupted conversation’ (for the next 2-3 years?), when baby #3 is due =)
…
Week 31
- Wrist is much better. Swollen right hand’s index finger is also much better. Thank God I can do things more like a ‘normal’ person now.
- Feeling less and less energetic. There’s so much I wish I could still do, but too little time, and too little energy left.
- Praying for extra energy this week though, as hubby needs to travel for work for a few days.
- Have started to feel somewhat less ‘discouraged’ about not having our maid from Jakarta coming to help for a month after I deliver. Thanking God for this ‘gradual encouragement’ from within, for I know it has come from HIM, and not from me.
- Surviving on an average of 4 hours of sleep at night this week. It’s just somehow harder to fall asleep (or to have a good night sleep) these days. i felt like I needed to do SO much, but I had SO little time. Nesting Instinct slowly kicking in, perhaps?
- Enjoyed quite a bit of ‘me time’ on Thursday (the day Wilson came back from overseas). Haircut, read a book, book shop, Japanese lunch. And oh, got myself some durians too, hehe.
…
Week 32
- Loved my durians and ‘Martabak Manis’ (from Jakarta, brought by Wilson!=) Yummm.
- Woke up with painful right wrist (Sun, 10 Apr). It got a little better towards the afternoon.
- Baby’s kicks are getting stronger, and sometimes are rather painful
- Occational contractions (Braxton Hicks) are getting stronger too
- Finding it harder to fall asleep easily at night
- Turning myself around (eg. from left to right) while lying on bed is much more difficult these days. I’d feel aches on different parts of my body.
- Started to support my back with a small pillow when I sleep at night (Have used a bolster under my tummy for a couple of weeks when I sleep on my side at night).
- Still gags every day. On average : 2-3 times a day? (very most likely gags whenever I brush my teeth). Gum bleeds too whenever I floss.
- In the past few days especially, my energy goes away after just 1- 2 hours of waking up in the morning! I’d feel VERY tired, and sleepy.
- Doc check up at 32.5 weeks (12 Apr) :
> Gained 2.2kg since 3 weeks ago! (Now, 65.2kg) So my total weight gain is 7.8kg! *YAY*
> Baby is estimated to have been 500g heavier since 3 weeks ago, approx. 1.8kg now (which he said is very good for 32 weeks!)
> Doc said my lack of appetite is common, because the uterus is growing and it’s pushing ‘up’, leaving me feeling ‘breathless’ and uncomfortable day by day (some patients even ‘vomit’, he said. Glad that my case is not THAT bad!)
> Occasional wrist / finger pain most likely is caused by water retention, Doc said.
Additional note: need to be careful when carrying items that can break easily, because sudden numbness can lead to Mom dropping what she’s holding.
> Baby is already upside down and is unlikely to turn back up. Good sign! =)
Note: Baby will continue to move downwards, and it means more frequent trips to the loo and occasional pain on lower abdomen.
> We could see the baby’s face during the scan! It was amazing! We clearly saw the eyes, nose and lips! Never saw Anya’s and Vai’s when I was pregnant with them!
> From now on, our visit to the gynae will be every TWO weeks!
…
Week 33
- Weather has been rather unpredictable this week. Late afternoon thunderstorm at times, or super hot on other days
- Bulge feels heavier by the day. Baby kicks are stronger too.
- I swam again!! Woohoo! So tempted to skip it, but thanks to the super hot weather that day, I had a really good swim in the warm pool water. It was very nice! =)
- Spring cleaning our home this week! Moving kids’ clothes to their own wardrobe in their own bedroom. Some baby clothes are already washed and ironed, baby cot is assembled too! Nesting instinct is kicking in! =)
- There are days when I have NO appetite to do anything much, let alone COOK. Am so grateful that hubby is around this week and he cooked some simple dishes instead for the family (Next two weeks will be more challenging though when he needs to be away for work. Hope I have sufficient energy daily, MINUS any potential ‘pregnancy mood swings’ when he’s not around. With God’s help.)
…
Week 34
- Parents were here for the long ‘Good Friday’ weekend! Out and about everyday, especially on Saturday, when we checked out Sentosa from noon till late at night!
- Swam again this week! *Whee!!*
- This is also a tough week for me, as hubby will be away for 10 days. Praying for extra physical strength to get through each day (endless housework and not to mention the needed spring cleaning before baby arrives), and extra patience and wisdom to deal with the kids’ ups and downs too (Kids have been giving me tough times this week … whining, purposely being defiant, complaining, crying, etc)
- Started to experience ‘allergy-like’ symptoms. Blocked nose. Slightly itchy nose and eyes. And I have NOT had such allergies ever before here in Singapore (only in Perth when I was allergic to pollens – hayfever). The ‘blocked nose’ symptom comes and goes. Plain weird.
- Doc check up at 35 weeks minus 1 day (28 April)
> Baby’s weight is about 2485g! Doing very well (compared to the average foetal weight). Doc pointed out the ‘layer of fat’ too on the baby.
> The bad news … I lost weight! Over the past 2 weeks, I apparently have gone down from 65.2kg to 64kg! So, while baby and everything else gets heavier, I’ve lost about 1kg, … making a total weight loss of about 2kg?
> Doc recommended that I eat MORE … but I HAVE been eating (and snacking at night, eg. Kit Kat, Crunchie, Milo, etc). Of course I can no longer eat ‘much’ nowadays as I’d feel breathless and uncomfortable. My appetite is also not quite there these days.
- I have no idea what caused the weight loss. Perhaps it’s due to : Lack of sleep / rest time? Food intake and calories is less than the calories burned? Just concerned if my own nutrients are depleting unhealthily (because baby is absorbing lots of it)
- I asked the Doc if being physically exhausted will prompt ‘earlier delivery’. He shook his head and said, ‘In China last time, women still worked in farms while heavily pregnant, and they still delivered their babies well. Faster delivery? Yes.’
- Doc said, if somehow my water breaks (way before my due date), just go to the hospital and they’ll inform him about it. He also said that looking at the baby’s weight, even if I delivered TONIGHT, baby should be okay. Gee, I hope I’m at least 37 weeks pregnant (and hope hubby is here in Singapore too when it happens pleaseeee … =)
- Next appointment is in 10 days!
…
Week 35
- The week when hubby was still away overseas. Hoping that there’re no surprises that require me to go to the hospital! =)
- Experienced frequent discomfort on lower abdomen, from morning till early evening (on Saturday, 30 Apr)! Felt occasional ‘pain’ even when I rested in bed. Had to walk very slowly and occasionally stop to bear the sudden pain.
- Spent 50% of the day either in bed or on the sofa. Yep, it was THAT bad.
- My guess was, baby was moving ‘lower’ which caused the pain and discomfort on my lower abdomen. Anyway, was very glad that nothing happened that day (ie. Baby was NOT due just yet!)
- By the next day (Sunday), it was sort of back to normal. Phew!
- Skipped swimming this week. Felt very ‘heavy’ and NO extra energy to exercise.
- This week, the weather had been VERY warm.
…
Week 36
- Hubby’s back in Singapore!! So happy! =)
- Received more than enough baby home clothes, hand-me-downs from my sis in law. So grateful.
- Packed my hospital bag =)
- More frequent braxton hicks and uncomfortable kicks, esp. on my right side. My guess is that it’s the baby’s knees!
- Took off my wedding ring! Just ‘in time’, I think, because I used to think that I didn’t have a bad ‘water retention’. Reality is, it was VERY hard to take it out just the other day and I started to panick 
Used lots of liquid soap on my finger, and in the end I managed to take it out! Phew! (There’s a ‘ring tan’ now on my left ring finger =)
- Doctor’s check up at week 36.5 (9 May 2011)
> I gained 1.2kg *YAY!!* Which means I’ve gained a total of about 7.7kg so far!
> Baby has gained about 200g (now is about 2.7kg)
> Baby is about 50% ‘engaged’ (no wonder I experienced pain and discomfort last weekend! I think it was because the baby really was moving ‘downwards’!)
> During the scan, Doc saw the water level, heartbeats, kidney, etc are all good!
- Next appointment in ONE week’s time!
…
Week 37
- Nesting instinct kicked in and I literally scrubbed the whole of the living room and kitchen’s tiles! (while the kids chose to help out : Vai was in charge of cleaning the door and gate, while Anya scrubbed our two-seater sofa clean! One of those enjoyable nights where we chatted and no one whined nor complained =)
- Kids been rather whiny this week. And the eldest one complains (about everything) a lot too. Taking care of a new baby is one thing, but I feel the attitudes and behaviours I get from the older sibling will be the factors that will possibly drain me. Am hoping they’ll adjust to the ‘new baby’ in the family idea well.
- Doctor’s check up at week 37.5 (16 May 2011)
> I gained 400g! So that’s about 8kg altogether *YAY*
> Baby is all good, and is estimated to be about 2.8kg
> Was advised to have a weekly CTG test at TMC starting at Week 38 (where a strap is put around the belly, the baby’s heartbeat is monitored over a period of at least 30mins) . The thing is, I really wonder if such a test is necessary, especially if I have no complications and baby’s been doing well so far. I was told too that each CTG test will incur a fee of about $50 (payable to the hospital). Haven’t quite decided if we’re going to do the test over this weekend just yet.
> Clinic staff reminded me to bring along the payment receipt when we go to the hospital for delivery (ie. the receipt showing the amount paid to Doc when we first took up the package!)
…
Week 38
Baby was born on Saturday, 21 May 2011!
We named her LABRIELLE, which means ‘God is our strength’, and we lovingly call her by the name of ‘Brie’ =)
Delivery was somewhat more ‘intense’ this time round. Perhaps because it was ‘induced’?
Anyway, we’re glad that everything went well, and that I recovered fast. God has indeed been our Strength.
…
PREVIOUS PREGNANCIES’ JOURNALS:
> Click HERE to see how it was when I was pregnant with Anya, my firstborn (created in 2003 – 2004)
> Click HERE to see Vai’s journal, our kid # 2 (created in 2005 – 2006)
