36 Weeks Pregnant

I know, I know, it's big and round!

I have put on another 2 kgs - 60.10 kgs now.

That means I have put on about 12 kgs in total.

Jemimah is now about 2.7 kg.

If there is not sign of early labour, the caesarean (c-section) will be performed on Tuesday, 30 December 2008.

Indeed, both Jemimah and I are growing well.

Praise the Lord!

(Monday, 8 December 2008)

Check up on 17 November 2008

Jemimah also known as Jem is now about 2.2 kg. The gynecologist predicted that she will be about 3.4 or 3.5 kg at birth. Yes, she is going to be a big baby. Yeah! That's what I want. She is growing well. Her head is facing downwards. She has been kicking quite a lot – pretty strong. It's a wonderful feeling indeed. She stretches every now and then. She is now about 33 weeks old in the womb – 7 more weeks before she enters the world.

We didn't set any date for her delivery. The actual due date is 5 January 2009. I am open to the mode of delivery – natural or cesarean. According to the gynecologist, the scar in my womb seems to be getting thinner. So, if Jemimah is big, it is not advisable to try natural birth. He will perform an internal checking in 3 weeks time, and see whether it is okay for me to go through natural birth. If cesarean, it will be performed between 26 December 2008 to 30 December 2008. Then, we may choose 30 December 2008 as the delivery day. We commit this matter to God. May God's will be done.

I have put on another 2 kgs – 1 kg for Jemimah and the other kg is mine. She has put on about 1 kg since last month. So far, I have put on 11 kgs. Now, my weight is 58.1 kg. I don't think I would reach my weight during Jordan's time – which was 67 kg! I put on more than 20 kgs at that time. I was fat! For this pregnancy, I lost a bit of weight at the beginning. I did more walking (and climbing). I could control my appetite better. In the third trimester (which is now), I don't feel hungry all the time. I eat less at night – take very little rice.

On my sleep, sometimes I sleep well, sometimes I don't. Last week, was pretty bad. Maybe because it was bad last week, this week seems better. I couldn't sleep on my left side at all. Jemimah would kick non-stop if I sleep in that position. I could now lie down on my right. She is okay with that position now. Previously, she didn't like it too, and I could only lie down on my back.

Last night, Jordan actually sang a song to Jemimah as I lied down on the bed. He invented the song himself, and even invited Jemimah to play with him, and share the toys with him. I can't remember how the song goes. But it has words like Jemimah and baby. It was a lovely sight indeed. So sweet. As suggested by Selvi, I will buy a gift on behalf of Jordan to give to Jemimah on her day of birth. I am thinking of getting a gift for Jordan from Jemimah. So, they can exchange gift. Hehehe!

Occasionally, we would ask Jordan to 'kiss' Jemimah and 'pat' her. We encourage him to start showing love to her. Hopefully, Jordan would adjust well to the arrival of Jemimah.

As the delivery date draws closer, I feel more and more excited. There is also more assurance of peace. I have been really busy. I am still very busy. I have just met a deadline. As a reward for my effort, I am now writing this post, and hope to share what I am busy with at the moment in my next post.

Check up on 20 October 2008

My pregnancy is progressing well. During the check up, Jemimah looked fine and the water surrounding her looked good. She weighed about 1 kg.

The gynecologist asked whether I would opt for caesarean, I said yes and suggested 31 December 2008 as the date to perform the operation. He asked whether there is any preferred time. We said no, but preferred to have the operation in the morning.

After the check up, I happily announced to my family and friends that Jemimah will be delivered on 31 December 2008 – same birthday as my sister. This is the date that I wanted. The other option is 1 January 2009.

But…now, there is a change. My parents-in-laws disagree with the date. According to the Chinese calendar, the date clashes with my animal zodiac – Pig, and it brings some kind of bad luck. Mum-in-law suggested that 24 December 2008 is the best date. As Christians, of course, we don’t believe in this. However, out of respect for my in-laws, we will consider changing the date.

My next check-up is on Monday, 17 November 2008. We need to confirm with the gynecologist on the actual due date, and work from there. If I STILL opt for caesarean, it has to be done at least 10 days before the actual delivery date.

Well, we will keep seeking the Lord for His perfect will and timing for Jemimah.

Underwater World, Waterfall @ Langkawi and PAIN

On the second day (15 September 2008) of our Langkawi trip, we visited the Underwater World. Overall, we enjoyed the exhibits especially the penguins. We also watched a diver feeding the fish. The 3D show was rather crappy. It was the first time for Jordan in a theatre and he behaved well. He sat down and watched the whole thing and commented certain parts of the movie.

At night, we had a lovely dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Kuah. Then, we went back to the chalets for more games.

16 September 2008
I suggested that we visited the Waterfall and the Seven Wells which are near the resort. It turned out to be a bad suggestion for me. I climbed almost 300 steps to reach the waterfall but it was quite worth it. The air was refreshing and I love the sound of the waterfall. If Seng Chor had not stopped me, I would have climbed another 300+ steps to reach the Seven Wells. Thank God, he did.

After the climb, we had cold coconut. It was cooling and refreshing. However, as I was finishing the coconut, I felt my stomach getting more and more painful. I walked to the car first. Seng Chor and Jordan were already in the car. After waited for the rest for about 5 minutes, we decided to drive back to the resort first. My pain was getting more and more intense. I walked slowly to the chalet. I thought that I would faint before I could reach the chalet. I stopped to rest. The pain was almost unbearable. It felt as if I needed to pass motion but nothing came out. I was in excruciating pain. It was so difficult to get in and out of bed. It took me about 1 – 2 minutes to get up. I didn’t feel hungry. All I felt was pain. I just lay on the bed the day. My stomach muscles were really painful even though I was lying down. I couldn’t move side ways.

The rest of the gang played games in the next room. They went out for dinner after that. They came with fried rice for me after 10 pm. I couldn’t really eat much – just a few spoons. I vomited. I thought that I would not be able to take the flight back to KL the next day.

Thank God that I was slightly better in the morning. I walked really slowly. Sahaya had to drive slower because a slight bump would give me great pain.

Overall, the flight was ok for me. But the journey in the van from the airport was terrible. The road was rather bad. It was a bumpy ride. I couldn’t stand the pain. I cried. Seng Chor told the driver to stop so that I could change seat with Sahaya who was seated in front. It was better - not so bumpy.

At night, I went to see the panel doctor and requested for 2 days of Medical Leave. There was not much difference for the next 2 days. My situation improved on Saturday and I was a lot better on Sunday. The muscle pain is still there until today but not much. It will take probably another week for me to fully recover.

Jemimah was moving really active after the climb to the waterfall. It felt as if she wanted to come out of the womb. She was stretching all the time which caused even more pain every now and then. She was fine when I went for my regular check up at the gynecologist on Monday. The gynecologist commented that she is happy. I wonder how he knows – probably she was like moving every now and then.

Thank God for protecting Jemimah and me throughout the trip.


The steps I conquered to reach the Waterfall - almost 300!

Pregnancy - 21 Weeks

My last check up was on Monday, 25 August 2008 before my trip to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah – my hometown. It was my 5th check up. It’s 100% confirmed that we are expecting a girl – Jemimah. Praise the Lord! Her due date is on 9 January 2009.

After the 4th month, my appetite improved tremendously. I have started to eat the caterer’s food about 2 weeks ago. No more feeling nausea. I seldom eat ice cubes nowadays. Throughout the pregnancy, I didn’t really crave for anything. I gained 3 kgs! Overall, I gained 5 kgs so far. I’m half way there. I can feel the weight of the baby getting heavier. Sometimes, I find it difficult to get up from the bed. There were strong movements every now and then. Once, part of her body actually ‘jutted out’. I had the same experience with Jordan as well. I am enjoying it.

May God continue to protect baby Jemimah.

Cravings During Pregnancy

Craving for ice cubes?
I did not have any craving during my pregnancy with Jordan. I could eat very well after the 1st Trimester. However, for this second pregnancy (or rather third because I had a miscarriage before Jordan), I still feel like vomiting at night and I am approaching the end of the 4th month. I long for ice cubes when I’m home. It’s very easy to satisfy – easily available any time. Is it craving? I don’t take a lot of ice cubes. I just want the vomiting feeling to go away. Seng Chor is probably thankful that I don’t ask him to drive out in the middle of night to buy food.

Since I’m eager to find out more about cravings, I did a search on the web and I learned something about cravings during pregnancy. Below are some of the points that I’ve compiled…


What are pregnancy cravings?
Food cravings are powerful urges (unquenchable longings) to eat particular cuisine or unusual food product that you may not have previously desired or dream of eating. The most commonly reported cravings are for sweets and dairy products, sour fruits and spicy foods.


What do cravings mean?
There are many reasons that women experience food cravings during pregnancy. Perhaps the simplest explanation is your body is working twenty four hours a day seven days a week to grow a healthy baby. Some cravings are simply the result of your body's needs for additional calories during pregnancy.

Other cravings may signal nutritional deficiencies. Some women for example, even vegetarians, might experience unusual cravings for steak and red meat during pregnancy. This could simply be a sign that their bodies need more iron to help support their growing baby. Many women will crave food they will loath or wouldn't dream of touching when not pregnant. A desire for salty foods -- such as pickles -- may indicate a need for more sodium as blood volume and body tissues are increasing.

Many women describe their pregnancy cravings as overpowering. While scientists haven't yet established why cravings are so strong among pregnant women, they certainly acknowledge that food cravings during pregnancy are the norm rather than the exception to the rule.

[http://www.womenshealthcaretopics.com/preg_food_cravings.htm]


Where do cravings come from?
The extreme hormonal changes women go through during pregnancy can have a powerful impact on taste and smell. (This would help explain why women going through menopause can also experience strong food cravings and aversions.) But the bottom line is that no one really knows for sure. Some experts are skeptical that food cravings can be attributed simply to hormones.


What types of cravings are unhealthy?
A more serious type of craving, called pica, in which women crave nonfood items, like dirt, laundry starch, toothpaste, clay, cigarette buds, can be dangerous and even fatal. Several theories have been proposed as to what causes pica, from a deficiency of calcium or iron, to the ability of certain nonfood items to quell nausea and vomiting. However, there has never been any medical reason determined. Needless to say, cravings of this nature are not to be indulged.

[http://parenting.ivillage.com/pregnancy/pfitness/0,,4595,00.html]


Ways to curb unhealthy cravings?
In the end, experts consulted agreed that you should pay attention to your pregnancy cravings -- but not necessarily give in to them. Usually a healthy diet can meet all our nutritional needs but some experts think food also satisfies an emotional need. If we are not feeling emotionally fulfilled, maybe we need a hug rather than a hamburger.

Eat breakfast every day (skipping breakfast can make cravings worse), get plenty of exercise and make sure you have a wide ranging and healthy diet.

[http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/nutrition/whatwomencrave/]

Appetite, Lack of Sleep and Movements

It’s been a tough week. I thought I was feeling better last Wednesday when I could finally eat the catered food. But then, I threw up last Friday night. I vomited the dinner as well on Monday night. I had fruits (apple, pear, orange and custard apple) for dinner the next day. On Wednesday and Thursday, I had fruits and cream crackers with Milo for dinner. Last night, I had fruits, sweet potato and Oreo McFlurry. Hmm…overall, I think it is a healthy diet.

Jordan has been sleeping late. On Tuesday, he refused to sleep until 1 am. On Wednesday, he fell asleep between 11:30 pm to 12 midnight. Lights were off at 10 pm. He would climb over us, go up and down the bed, and even leave the bedroom. He would also push us. It was really annoying. Seng Chor and I gave him at least 15 smacks on the butt on Tuesday night. Jordan even said that I’m naughty but later he allowed me to hug him. We really need to give him proper spanking to discipline him. I have been reluctant to get a cane. But after reading the article on spanking, I decided that we can’t spare him the rod. Some children just need to be disciplined.

I thought Thursday night was really wonderful. I reached home at around 10:15 pm after the Ladies Discipleship Cell. Both father and son were soundly asleep. Unfortunately, Jordan woke up before 5 am the next day. Sigh.

On Friday night, we left him at the babysitter so that both of us could recuperate. Hehehe! I had to work on Saturday and Seng Chor had training on Saturday and Sunday.

Lately, I have been feeling more movements from my baby. It's a beautiful feeling indeed. I started feeling the bubbly sensation in the womb towards the end of the second month. Last week, I felt some strong movements. I didn't just dream about it but I felt it too. I hope to know whether the baby is Jemimah or Josiah end of this month.

Looking forward to rest more over the weekend.

1st Pregnancy vs 2nd Pregnancy (1st Trimester)

About 1- 2 months ago, few friends have asked me this question – What is the difference between your 1st pregnancy and the 2nd pregnancy? At that time, my standard answer was, “Too early to tell the difference. I’ll let you know after 9 months.”

This week, the 12th week is the last week for the first Trimester. So, my baby is about 3 months old now. I can tell/feel some of the differences already…

2nd Pregnancy (1st Trimester)
Food and Drinks

• More fussy with food


• Have difficulty drinking milk


• Eating more ice cubes every night


• Prefer cold drinks

Appearance

• Dressed up more and preferred dangling earrings in the 1st pregnancy. Nowadays, I wear mostly stud earrings.

Entertainment

• Watched cartoons from the Cartoon Network in the 1st pregnancy


• Watching CSI and House (AXN channel) in the 2nd pregnancy

Work

• PhD research in the 1st pregnancy


• Book writing in the 2nd pregnancy

Gender

• 1st Pregnancy – boy


• 2nd Pregnancy - ? but hoping for a girl

Appetite

How’s my appetite nowadays?

• Poor, bad, unique, choosy, expensive taste


• Prefer soupy stuff – noodle soup, steamed soup, pumpkin soup


• Love fruits and green salad


• Hate oily or fried stuff


• Prefer not too sweet and not too salty


• Sour stuff is definitely out


• Prefer cold drinks (I used to take hot drink all the time – no ice)


• Love strawberry ice cream


• Not keen on junk food or even chocolates


• Love California Roll and Miso soup


• Love Beef noodle from Vietnam Kitchen


• Love Swedish meatballs from Ikea

What could I eat for breakfast?

• Nasi lemak – must be from Panadero Bakery at Centerpoint


• Roti bakar (Toast bread with Kaya and butter)


• Chee Cheong Fun only (without the extra stuffs)


• Hot cakes from McDonald’s

I still can’t really eat much. I can’t eat the canteen food at all except the Maggi mee soup which is not really healthy. At times, I could only manage a bowl of soup and some salad. I feel that the baby is a girl. Girls are normally pickier with food. Hehehe!

So far, I have vomited twice – once in the morning (9 June) and the second one at night (13 June). I think the amount I vomited is much more than the 5 or 7 times vomiting when I had Jordan. I don’t remember feeling this bad with Jordan. I remember having difficulty eating the caterer’s food for dinner. I am still having problems with the catered food. But other than dinner time, I ate well when I had Jordan. After the first 3 months with Jordan, I felt normal. That’s probably why I put on a lot of weight that time.

I hardly touch the caterer’s food. So, every night, I had to think of what to eat. Occasionally, the food that I ate the previous night or day may not be edible to me the next day. On one weekend, Seng Chor had to eat 2 meals – mine and his. Even one look of the bowl of noodle soup made me want to vomit. Seng Chor would probably put on more weight during my second pregnancy. Anyway, he is also burning up more fats by taking care of Jordan.

Actually, I have been controlling myself every day and night. Otherwise, I would be vomiting day and night. Seriously! I hope that this is only for the first trimester. I feel hungry most of the time but I just don’t have the appetite to eat.

Ma, I want to drink soup!

Duphaston (Photos)

Duphaston

DUPHASTON(TM)
Tablets
\ dew- FAS- ton\
Dydrogesterone \ DAI - droh - JES - ter- roun\

Before I went to see my gynecologist last Thursday, I was experiencing this tightening sensation in the womb. It felt as if the fetus was tying knots in the womb. The gynecologist said that Duphaston will help to relax the womb. It really helped. I did a search on Google and found out the actual purpose of Duphaston. Thank God that I have minimal side effects.

My prescription:
• 10mg film coated tablets dydrogesterone by Solvay Pharmaceuticals
• 1 tablet, 2 times a day – morning and night
• After meal
• For 2 weeks

From Google Search…

How does it work?

Duphaston tablets contain the active ingredient dydrogesterone, which is a synthetic hormone similar to the naturally occurring sex hormone, progesterone. It is used in a wide range of menstrual disorders that are thought to result from a lack of progesterone in the body.

In women, progesterone is responsible for the development of a healthy womb lining (endometrium) that is necessary for pregnancy. The body produces progesterone at certain times of the menstrual cycle, causing the womb lining to flourish. If a fertilized egg does not attach to the womb lining by the end of the monthly menstrual cycle, the levels of progesterone in the body decrease. This causes the body to shed the womb lining (a menstrual ‘period’). If a fertilized egg successfully attaches to the womb lining by the end of the monthly cycle, progesterone levels in the body remain high. This helps maintain a healthy womb lining for the ongoing pregnancy.

As dydrogesterone helps regulate the healthy growth and normal shedding of the womb lining, it may be used in the treatment of menstrual disorders such as absent, irregular or painful menstrual periods, infertility, premenstrual syndrome and endometriosis. It may also be used to minimise the overgrowth of the womb lining due to oestrogen (the main female sex hormone) in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) following menopause. By maintaining the womb lining, dydrogesterone is also useful in helping prevent miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) in women who have suffered repeated miscarriages or who may miscarry.

Dydrogesterone is usually taken on selected days during the menstrual cycle, depending upon the disorder that is being treated.


What is it used for?

• Abdominal pain and bleeding during preganancy (threatened miscarriage) or history of miscarriages (habitual abortion)


• Abdominal pain associated with menstrual periods (dysmenorrhoea)


• Absence of menstrual periods when taking oestrogens


• Endometriosis


• Female infertility


• Irregular menstrual bleeding when taking oestrogens


• Irregular menstrual cycles


• Premenstrual syndrome

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
• Headache
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Bloating
• Skin reactions such as rash and itch
• Breast tenderness
• Menstrual spotting between periods


Extracted from NetDoctor


Product Description (BetterHealth)
What it looks like
Duphaston tablets are round, biconvex, scored, white film-coated tablets, marked "S" on one side, the other side marked "155" on each side of the score line. They are available in blister strips containing 28 tablets.

Ingredients
The tablets contain dydrogesterone 10 mg as the active ingredient, and lactose, hypromellose, maize starch, colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate and opadry white Y-1-7000 E171.
This medicine does not contain sucrose, gluten, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.

Manufacturer
Duphaston is manufactured in The Netherlands for:

Solvay Pharmaceuticals
A division of Solvay Biosciences Pty. Ltd.
Level 1, Bldg. 2, 20 Bridge St.
Pymble NSW 2073
Telephone:(02) 94400977

Australian Registration Number: AUST R 63262

Tired, Sleepy, Hungry…

Tired, sleepy and hungry…This is how I feel most of the time these days.

The first comment that my gynecologist made when he saw the scan was, “You are definitely pregnant!” I find it amusing. I was really relieved when he said that it looks good. I remember the first check-up before I had my miscarriage in 2003. It didn’t look good. It was disintegrating; the ‘oval’ was not clear. I really thank God for protecting the fetus. I told my gynecologist about my diving experience. He didn’t think that it would have endangered my pregnancy. He even shared that he would love to go diving one day. He can swim. I also told him about my swimming lessons. For now, I need to take it easy on my swimming.

According to my gynecologist, at this stage, for any woman, the risk of miscarriage is 15%. The heartbeat should be detected at the 8th week. By then the risk of miscarriage will be reduced to 5%. After the 1st trimester, which is after 12 weeks, this risk is further reduced to 1%. That’s why it is so important to take precaution during the first 3 months. So, many ‘don’ts’ to observe:

• Don’t carry heavy things


• Don’t climb up and down the stairs too much


• Don’t climb up ladder, chairs, etc


• Don’t spread the news that you are pregnant (superstitious)


• Don't take cold drinks


• Don't eat watermelon/pineapple

I have stopped carrying Jordan. I was still carrying him quite a lot before I went to see my gynecologist. He had also advised me not to carry Jordan. All I do these days is hug and kiss him. Seng Chor does all the running and carrying. Seng Chor also showers him. I still play with him and read to him. Oh, my gynecologist even advised me not to go shopping - can't walk too much for the time being.

After sleeping the whole day, I still feel tired. Maybe it’s because of the medicine that I’m taking. I hope to be strengthened when I go back to work on Tuesday.

God’s timing is always perfect. My classes have ended – less stress, no need to stand for 2 hours. The peak season will not resume until October. Fantastic, right?