Thursday, 26 July 2012

Anytime now...

37 weeks and 2 days...
2.8kg
Femur length 71mm
Head fully engaged in pelvis.
XXM is now full term and ready to meet and greet the world anytime
At the check up today, G's cervix is just starting to dilate, so Dr says probably not due too soon...looks like the waiting game is gonna last for while more. G also had her first CTG done today. Being able to hear XXM's heartbeat for a full 40mins is such an enjoyable experience! And the reclining chair was so comfy too..G drifted in and out of a peaceful nap, lulled to sleep by XXM's heartbeat...and awaken by the contractions that comes every 2-4 mins. G is kind of looking forward to the next CTG. Can't see XXM, but hearing the heartbeat is definitely reassuring

XXM is one active baby. Usually by this time, the head is stuck in the pelvic cavity and movement become less - less kicking, more squirming from side to side. But XXM continues to kick, punch, stretch, elbow, squirm more than before! Dr is kind of puzzled, but she say it shouldn't be a cause for worry. Just have to monitor closely and make sure the movements don't suddenly decrease by alot...

G had a moment of freaking out this morning. All this time, while growing a life inside her body, she has been preparing herself to be the caregiver for another human being (a much smaller one which she has no experience in). Suddenly, this morning, while staring into space, it suddenly hit her that not only is she going to care for a little human being, she is going to be a mother. Yes, a MOTHER. And now, she is having alot of doubts about her own ability to be able to raise a healthy and happy child.

J, on the other hand, is still fighting off a bad cough. He has been having trouble sleeping lately, probably subconsciously, the anticipation, worry and fear of impending fatherhood is causing enough stress to affect his immune system and sleep pattern.

A new phase in life...and lots to learn...lots of compromises and sacrifices...all for this little life they've created

Soon, very soon...at the most, another 4 weeks...at the least...well, who knows..might be tonight!

Monday, 16 July 2012

Almost at the safety mark

Today marks 35 weeks and 6 days. One more week and XXM will be safely full term and ready to come to this world. Hopefully XXM can wait for one more week...the crampy feelings in G's lower abdomen today seem to speak otherwise...

In the mean time, G is still getting frequent Braxton Hicks despite the medications and almost 2 weeks of HL to rest at home. Although the frequency has now reduced to about 3-4 per hour (and on a good day, only 1-2 per hour for about half a day), G is starting to feel more and more pressure downwards with each contraction. The sensation is quite scary, at times, it even feels like something is going to tear. Going to the toilet is now a stressful event as G keeps having the fear of seeing blood or that the water will break when she exerts...and going to toilet to pee is also a very frequent even, especially with XXM's head now almost fully engaged in G's pelvis, every little movement XXM makes is squeezing on G's bladder. Toilet paper runs out way too fast!

G 'accidentally' discovered that NUH offers a special service called EMMa Care - Enhanced Midwife Maternity Care. Though a little pricey, with a midwife following through the pregnancy (whatever is left of it anyway), the birth as well as 2 months post-delivery, G hopes that the midwife can provide the support she (and J) needs so that G can have the natural (and maybe even water) birth she wanted from the start. G thinks that J is secretly very relieved to have 'a trained person' there to help...at least now there is one more person for G to aim the drip stand at...

At home, G is fighting the natural instinct to clean and pack (nesting instinct)...but she is not winning the fight, at least not for the weekend that passed. The wardrobe is cleaned and packed, and baby stuff is now more organized in the shelving area. However, G will have to give up any form of cleaning/packing soon. Back aches and pelvic pain has been plaguing her, causing many nights of poor sleep and movement so slow, she takes almost double to the time to do anything physical.

At the same time, J is fighting off a bad bout of tonsillitis and a rash of unknown cause. At least his throat is now less sore, rash is less itchy and he is finally able to help out more...

All in all, it has been a rather eventful time since the last blog entry. And by the next entry, perhaps XXM will finally have a gender...and a proper name