End of My Confinement Bliss

We will be celebrating Caitlin's full moon this Saturday (6 September 2008) with a small gathering for immediate family members. My confinement lady (Auntie Yoke) will also be leaving this Saturday after spending 28 days with us and I can tell you that she will be missed.

Auntie Yoke is a 52-year old lady with 2 grown up kids and she has started offering confinement services for the past 1.5 years. Although considered to be new, she takes good care of Caitlin (+ Ryan) and me (+ Hubby) and have a good relationship with Aunt Jo. Since Day 1, she has been cooking and cooking and cooking and at the same, I have been eating and eating and eating. Whatever she dishes up, I will finish it.
I think I have easily consumed about 20 "kampung" chickens, 10 kgs of pork, over 20 kgs of ginger, 1 bottle of Yomeishu, I bottle of VSOP, 4 bottles of sesame oil, 5 bottles of rice wines, loads of dates and other herbs.

And that's only what I can recall...

So as you can see, I have definitely overate and have not manage to shed any weight but to gain more. Sigh

Back to my confinement food. Well, there are loads of ginger in every dish and ginger is not only used in cooking but also one of the ingredients in my bathing water; yes, during this period, the confinement lady boils special herbs water for me to take bath (see picture).

She also boils dates for me everyday since I can only drink dates water and no other liquid!! But it's ok as I like it.

With Auntie Yoke leaving us soon, I will definitely miss all the food she prepares and the pampering. It has been a good confinement for me and now it's time for me to face reality and to shed some weight.

Confinement Bliss

I'm now still in my confinement period and we have a lady helper or a confinement lady to help out. She takes care of all mine + baby's needs.

My job is to make sure that I have enough rest and sleep and eat all those nutritious food prepared by the confinement lady so that my body will make a good recovery. Hence, I have been eating and sleeping most of the time!! I so can get use to this. Life is good.

Pregnancy: It's time and I'm going CRAZY

I'm now 39+ weeks pregnant and my last visit to my gynea indicated that baby is not engaged and my amniotic fluid is low and therefore, it's best to induce the baby since she's already full term. I'm fine with that and the date is set on 7.8.2008.

The next question is whether would this be a natural birth or c-section. I've been thinking a lot and each has its pros and cons. I remembered the time I had Ryan and even though it was a painless delivery as I was on epidural, I felt very disappointed with myself because I did not know how to push and in the end, he has to be vacuumed. I was also worried for him and I remember telling myself that if anything were to happen to him, it would be my fault and I had kept him longer than necessary due to my incompetency. I know I should not have that kind of thots or feeling but that's what went through my head. Thank god, everything was ok and he was fine. That was 6 years ago and I can still recall that feeling of being helpless. Given a choice I do not want that to happen again.

This time around and also due to my low amniotic fluid, I do not have confidence in myself and therefore have opted for c-section. I know that recovery will be longer and will be more painful compared to normal delivery but hopefully, as an offset, it would be less stressful. I'm no sure whether I made the right decision but then again that's life, we will not know. I'm also stressed that baby's head is not engaged and there's a chance that she's happily flipping around and I'm not sure whether will she ended up being breech just right before delivery!!

Please pray for a safe delivery and I can't wait to meet my daughter.

My Swollen Feet

This is among the many, many downside of being pregnant - swollen feet and mine is so swollen that I'm now 2-size bigger. I have to chuck away my heels for the time being and pray that I can somehow squeeze into them again!!! For now it will be size 9 flip-flop flats.

32+ Weeks: ...and 8 more to go

Went to the doctor last Saturday. I have gained weight since my last visit. Everything is ok and baby is still "shy" and always facing downwards. I guess that's her favourite position.
When I enquired, doctor mentioned that it's too early to talk about delivery and we just have to wait and see how baby is growing and to decide nearer to the date.

You see, I have a phobia and it has everything to do with Ryan. Ryan was overdue baby, way, way overdue and he had to be induced. I guess he was a very laid back, contended baby and when he was in the womb, he hardly moved or kicked.

So I had to be induced and it was a long and slow delivery. I was in labour for almost 17 hours. Thank God I had epidural and did not suffer much but I guess at one point, that was a disadvantage as being numb, I did not know how and when to push. I ended up exhausted and eventually, Ryan had to be vacuumed out. Poor boy and for months, his head was a bit odd shaped. That's the story with Ryan and I wonder how would it like with this baby. Guess I will know, in 8 weeks time.

Nickname for Baby Girl

Ryan decided that his baby sister shall be called Torchic (see picture) because Torchic is a girl and a powerful Pokemon. I don't know why on earth Torchic but we have been referring baby girl to this nickname in our conversation.

He's very at ease and quite adamant to call his sister that nickname even though we told him (many times) that there's a high possibility that she will hate that name. And this is his reply, "You and papa can call her another name if you like but I'm calling her Torchic; Kho Torchic".

Yeap, his sister will hate him for this and we are very sure of that.

29+ Weeks: Feeling Blue Without My Life Saver a.k.a. Maxalon

Upon my doctor’s advice, I stopped taking Maxalon, my anti-nausea pill and as a result, I’m now back to vomiting and feeling fatigue & lousy. During my last visit, doctor was surprised that I am still on Maxalon and suggested that I try to do without it as I’m already in my third trimester.

That’s how my current “nightmare” started. My only hope is that my condition will improve with time and that my body would somehow manage to function properly without my “little-happy-pill”. But for now, I am suffering and I have also lost my appetite. But eat I must and I must also be happy and positive for my family and baby’s sake. But believe me, it’s a tough act, for now.

Ryan's baby cloths

My sister who is now 7 months along, dropped by last weekend to collect Ryan's baby cloths as she is expecting a boy and me, a girl. She looks good and no longer "bloated" as her water retention problem is now under control.

I was a bit nostalgic when I sorted the cloths as it holds many, many fond memories of Ryan when he was a baby; oh well, he's no longer a baby and I'm glad that his baby cloths is now put to good use.

27+ Weeks: Visit to the Gynea

We went to the gynea this morning. Dr Ravi was on leave the week before and he was also called to perform an emergency operation, therefore it was a very, very long wait. Anyway, Ryan had to go for his chinese tuition so papa had to send him while I waited at the clinic.

Baby is growing well and I had to mention that she's very active especially at night, to which Dr Ravi smiled. My budge is showing and I now looked pregnant. I've also started to gain weight, putting on some 4 kgs within a month. Doctor is a bit concerned when I told him that I'm still on maxalon and I was advised to slowly reduce my intake to once a day and eventually stop taking it. Will try. I have to continue taking vitamins, esp. calcium.

Dr Ravi did a scan to take measurements and to chart baby's growth. He could scan most of the angle except her face. She was facing downwards and as much as the doctor tried, she just wouldn't budge. Looks like that's all she's showing for today.
Want to have a look at her face? Maybe the next visit!!

25+ Weeks: Catching Up on Nutrient

Apart from my fever-shivering-episode, I'm feeling good and have not been experiencing any nausea; well, not lately and the twice a day dose of Maxalon does help.

I am also feeling guilty of not eating well and enough during my first trimester and have vowed to take better care of myself and my diet since I can now eat better.

For a start, I will continue my vitamins and royal jelly. I've also started taking 1-2 slices of bread and cheese for breakfast, making sure that I have a nutritious lunch and been munching fruits in between meals. As for dinner, I will eat whatever I can and I will have a glass of milk (EnfaMama A+, a special formula for pregnant woman) before bed!!

So as you can see, I am trying hard to catch up and hopefully, it's not too late and before I know it, I will be piling on the kilos.

Bun in the Oven

Last Sunday has got to be one of the hottest day in Kuala Lumpur. I wanted to accompany papa when he sends Ryan to his chinese class but the heat was just unbearable. I ended up having a headache and had to seek refuge in my air-cond room bedroom. At first, I wasn't sure whether it is the weather or my condition. My good friend Sham who was on her way back with her family from Johor confirmed that it's the weather and I liked how she aptly described that I am feeling hot not just due to the whether but also the fact that I am having "a bun in the oven". Well, the bun actually makes it worst and I'm glad to be hiding in the air-cond room all day long.

Got to enjoy being pregnant while I am at it!

Having fever and all plans down the drain

It started with a slight throat irritation last Friday and by night it's was full blown. I began feeling weak and fever kicked-in (38.4%). Could not do much, except laying on the bed waiting to be pampered. Went to the doctor on Saturday evening because it was too hot to go out of the house in the afternoon and with me having a temperature, it was a definite no-no.

Doctor gave me the works; paracetamol, benadryl, antibiotics, something to gargle + dehydration salt. All pregnancy safe.

A frightening episode was when I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and my body started to shivers, non-stop for 15 minutes. I'm not sure what the cause.... maybe I was too cold and the worst part was I'm not sure how baby is affected by all this drama. Thank god that baby was active throughout my ordeal and maybe it was my imagination but I felt that baby was less active after my shivering episode. I hope everything is okay and will continue to monitor baby's movement.

As I'm typing this, my body is still weak. Hubby has been great, shouldering all the extra responsibilities, managing the household chores plus taking care and entertaining a sick wife. Ryan on the other hand is indifferent.

There's goes my plan for the weekend and I have a new one though....I plan to recover soon!!!

23+ weeks: The Verdict is in

We pay my gynea a visit last Saturday. When he did the scanning, I reminded him that we still do not know the baby's sex since baby refused to "open up" during our last visit. Well, this time around, baby is much more cooperative and gynea confirmed that baby is a GIRL. A baby sister for Ryan!!!

I'm going to have a daughter. I don't really know how to describe my feelings. I'm absolutely thrill but I'm a bit scare as well. Because if it's a boy, I will know how to handle him (I am assuming that he will be a replica of Ryan, plus minus; so should be more or less the same). But a daughter? I have no idea. On the hindsight, I should not worry too much. After all, I had Ryan with zero knowledge on parenting and I must say we did okay. Ryan is now a healthy, cheeky,talkative and confident 6 yo boy.

Then, there's always a first for everything, including having a daughter. I think, we will not go wrong if we raise and nurture her with all our love and attention. I think we will do just fine and I look forward to buy all the girly stuffs for her.

Nut about Nuts

I finished the bottle of dried fruits, nuts and seeds and now I'm moving into nuts. It's not oily and healthy and I hope I will continue with munching these healthy tit bits way after my pregnancy.

21+ weeks: Hubby felt baby's kungfu moves

The wait is over.

Finally, hubby felt baby doing his/her stunts. It happened when we were watching a movie in the living hall, Awaken, starring Hayden Christensen and Jessica Alba. It was a short movie and contained a few scenes which in my opinion are not pregnant-woman friendly. So hubby was busy blocking my view and it was also then I discovered that baby is busy kicking and decided to put hubby's hand on my tummy and he finally felt it a few times !!!

Even though it happened only at week 21, it's definitely must earlier than Ryan. Compared to Ryan, this baby is much more active. Ryan hardly moved when in the womb, so much so that we were not able to record the minimum of 10 movements a day. So we really look forward to see baby when it's time.

Seeds, Nuts and Dried Fruits

This is what I have asked a friend to help me buy last week and I am such a pig that I'm already halfway through the bottle. The only consolation is that it's fat-free, extremely healthy and the munching keeps my mind off the nausea.

I also discovered that I preferred the seeds (be it kuaci, pumpkin, sunflower etc) compared to the dried fruits. So my next bottle with be of different seeds mixture since that is what makes me tick.

20+ weeks: What/When to eat?

Still vomiting, still taking anti-nausea pills but the good new is that I am more energetic and I can hold more food in my tummy now compared to my first trimester. I have also been experimenting with food; food that I could stomach since I do not have any cravings whatsoever and the timing of the food intake.

The conclusion?

Type of food:
I'm okay with fruits, therefore I will munch apples/oranges in-between meals.
I'm okay with fresh milk, so I will add that to my diet as well.
I'm okay with assortment of nuts, grains and dried fruits, so will make it a point to buy it this weekend. Oily stuffs are No-No and I shall avoid them at all cost.
I tend to eat soupy stuff without oil, so will stick to that. Rice is current not my favourite, but I will still take, in very small portions. Most of the mornings, my breakfast will consists of a cup of coffee and a piece of brown bread; will try to limit my caffeine intake to 2 cups a-day.

Timing of food and vitamins:
I can eat a good portion for breakfast and lunch but not dinner. Therefore, I will eat more in the mornings to make up for my poor appetite by evenings. Also, I found out that if I take my vitamins in the morning, I tend to vomit more, so now, vitamins intake are strictly in the evenings/nights.

Other habits:
I tend to have a lot of dreams, not about baby though. Mostly it's about work. Maybe I am stressed at work with all those new initiatives and projects to think about. Pregnant or not, work still goes on. Shall find a way to de-stress, somehow.

There were a few nights that I could not sleep but I am not sure whether it's because I slept too much in the afternoons or it is a hormonal thing (yeah, blame it on the hormones). Now, unless I am very tired, I will avoid taking naps during the day and opt to sleep early instead. So far, so good.

Conclusion:
Having put my life on hold during my first trimester and now, with my health improving, (slowly but surely) I am determined to go back to my normal routine; not only for my sake but for my family's as well. I will participate in as much activities as possible. Sometimes, it might just be the remedy - don't think too much and JUST DO IT!!

It didn't happen

Baby decided not to "open up". He/She is the BOSS and there nothing the parent or the doctor can do; although the doctor did sort of rub my tummy gently with the "sensor" hoping that baby will respond but no such luck.

Instead, sensing that his/her sanctuary is "invaded", baby started to react and I can definitely feel a lot of movement, his/her tiny body turning left and right while both hands busy punching. One second, one hand is up above his/her and in the next image, you can see he/she is busy sucking it. All I can say is baby is active, lots of movement but whatever it is, both legs are closed; so no peeping.

Girl or boy, we are happy that baby is growing well and despite my vomiting, I did manage to pile on 1 kg. We can only hope for better luck for my next visit.

18+ weeks: Missing my toes

I realise that:

If I stand up straight and look downward, all I can see is my protruding tummy and no longer my toes; this means that tummy is growing forward and not so much side ways. But it's definitely growing.

We will be seeing our gynea tomorrow and hopefully, this time around, baby will let us into "THE SECRET"; It's that one thing is everyone is guessing. Boy or girl?. We are keeping our fingers crossed that baby will "open up". So stay tuned.

Finally, the sign I have been waiting for

I am still worry about this pregnancy, albeit all the advices I have been receiving.
Where is my tummy?
Why I don't look pregnant? It's 4.5 months and it's not showing?
Why baby is not kicking or has baby been kicking but I did not feel it?
Why I am not putting on weight?
and many, many, many other silly questions

I cannot help it and it does drives my hubby and my good friend, Sham up the wall. Although this is my second pregnancy, I cannot remember much about my pregnancy with Ryan. After all, it was 6 years ago and to make matter worst, I do not have any photos as the camera with all my pregnancy poses was stolen when I was 8-month pregnant and the only one I have was during my final month. and Boy, I do look big at that point in time; that I remembered!!

So I have no idea when my tummy started to show, how I looked or when I started wearing maternity cloths. Too bad I did not discover blogging then. So now, I will make it a point to blog about this pregnancy so that I can "recall" everything and all milestones.

Now, back to my current pregnancy. It's like God has been listening and he decided to answer all my prayers. Over the weekend, I found that my tummy has suddenly "grown"... and now I do look pregnant although I can still squeeze into my normal cloths.

And I have also been trying hard to feel baby's movement, without any success. Well, there are times I thought I felt it but I wasn't sure. Then, early this morning, as I was about to wake up, I felt it. Baby kind of kicked and although I do not know how to describe it but it sure feels good. Also, it's time to unpack my maternity cloths, yahoo .....