When Shern Was Inside My Belly!

I thought I lost all my photos during my pregnancy and Shern's early months due to the burglary in mum's house last year.
Boy, I was wrong! I found my old memory card and in it were a few videos (yes, videos!) of me when I was 9 months pregnant...when I was almost due!

My belly was huge. And I saw Little Angel a.k.a Shern kicking and punching my belly. I guess he was looking for more space. I quickly uploaded the video in youtube and here you are...watching Shern kicking his mummy from inside my belly!

Shern Inside My Belly

2 June 2009

Noticed the left side of my belly kept on protruding in and out? That's Shern's doing!
And that vertical line on my belly is called Linea Nigra - a pregnancy trademark (which is fading off by now).

And for those of you who feels icky watching it...well, shoo off. I post it here because this is my personal blog ;D

The Evolution of my Pregnant Belly

17 Nov 2008 / 25 Dec 2008


23 Jan 2009 / 14 Feb 2009


8 Mar 2009 / 11 Apr 2009


10 May 2009 / 27 May 2009

Look at the 'compounded' size of my belly.
Whoever says my belly is small and compact? It is so HUGE!

39 weeks - Little Angel is now as big as Peter's favourite fruit

Watermelon is Peter's favourite fruit. He can eat half the watermelon if I allow it.

This week's growth chart shows that Little Angel is the size of a mini watermelon. I doubt the 'mini' part though.

Went to see Dr. Eric again today but he says Little Angel is not ready to come out yet.

His head is low but then he is not facing downwards yet. He is still facing left which is still not a sign of near labour.

And my cervix though soft but not 'soft enough' yet.

So his advice is to wait.....'til my EDD next Tuesday 9th June 2009 to be induced.

But what I am worried about is that Little Angel is growing bigger and bigger as days go by. As of yesterday's ultrasound scan, his head circumference is 107.5mm (normally should be ~95mm) and weighs 3.8kg - Little Angel is BIG!

I am afraid I might have a hard time to push him out with his broad head and he is such a big baby. I am in no favour of a c-sec if possible.

But I don't want to induce him out unless it is absolutely necessary. I want him to be ready to make his appearance into our world!
Even if c-sec is needed, then I have no choice. But I am aiming for a natural delivery.

Please pray for me!

Photo taken from: Baby Center

I am ready and can't wait to POP!

Just came back from seeing Dr. Eric.
Through untrasound, Little Angel now weighs 3.36kg. His head is still broad - 2 weeks 5 days broader.

Little Angel is now ready to greet the world. At this point, the average full-term newborn is still building a layer of fat to help control body temperature after birth.

Dr. Eric says my cervix is soft now but is not dilated yet. And my amniotic fluid is beginning to thin down.
However, I am likely to POP sometime within this week. But if I do not pop yet, I may need to be induced. Will see how it all goes.

It is like a waiting game from today onwards......when? when? when?

37 weeks - Full Term Baby

This means that if Little Angel arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though my due date is still two and a half weeks away.

This week, most of the downy coating of lanugo is shed and the vernix caseosa - the cheese-like coating that covers Little Angel in the womb and protects his developing skin - starts to disappear, though some may remain at birth. Little Angel swallows both, along with other secretions, and all will stay in his bowels until birth. This blackish mixture, called meconium, will become his first bowel movement.

Dr. Eric said that by Little Angel's size and week growth, I may be in labour ANY TIME now...but then most probably still won't be for another 2 weeks. Phew....

36 weeks

Little Angel is already 2.9kg as of last Thursday (35 weeks then) when I went to see Dr. Eric. Wow...he is indeed getting big and strong.

According to babycenter.com, he is comparable to a crenshaw melon in size (whatever it is!).

His movements are different from what I felt last time. No more sudden punches and kicks. But instead, I can even feel him when he rolls about in my womb. It looks like waves. I guess he has little space left and thus I can feel every movement he makes now.

And when he decides to give his mummy a little punch and kick once in a while, I am sure to shout 'Ouch' coz it is now real painful.

I couldn't help but to post this pic below!

end of week 35 - 10th May 2009

Look at how big my belly is. This dress of mine (not a maternity dress) makes my belly look very obviously big (but that shows how big my belly really is underneath my clothes!)

Also look at how off-balance I now stand?
My belly is getting so big that it is really difficult for me to do anything.

My appetite is also growing. I seem to be able to eat more food at each meal (weird...coz my bible pregnancy book tells me that I am suppose to have trouble eating a normal-size meal).

Photo taken from: Baby Center

Maternity Portrait#1 of the '3 of Us' - Me, Peter & 'lil Angel - by Chew Win Win

Win Win, our friend photographer also gave us a free maternity portraint session. (I am so blessed with such good friends!)

These pics were taken on the 26th April when I was 33 weeks pregnant.

There should be more pics soon. Win Win haven't given me the rest of the pics yet as she have not finished editing them! :D

35 weeks

Went to see Dr. Eric today. Told him I want to try ala-naturale delivery. He gave me some encouragement.

After peeking into 'Lil Angel's world thorugh ultrasound, Dr. Eric said he is still 2 weeks++ bigger. He still said it is normal and will see how it goes.

But I, being the super-worried-mum-to-be asked Dr. Eric if bigger babies have a more difficult labour. As you know, I am really terrified about the labour and delivery.

Dr. Eric then said 'Yes, they may have a more difficult time but bigger babies are easier to take care once they are out into our world'.

In my head, I was thinking 'Well, firstly, I need get him out of my womb first!'

Anyway, take a look at the mummy - ME!

Pic taken inside one of the ladies' changing room at Parkson @ Gurney Plaza - 3rd May 2009.

If you want to see a pic of me taken by professional photographer, then pls click Kee Sitt's blog. There are 6 nice pictures of me! ;D
I look so much better there!

Maternity Portrait#1 of the '3 of Us' - Me, Peter & 'lil Angel - by Lim Kee Sitt

You can view the '3 of us' in Kee Sitt's blog.
He was our wedding videographer and now he is our friend.

Oh my gawd...my belly looks so huge!
Give some comments after viewing ok?

36 more days to go...

Now with less just a month away from my EDD, everyone is asking me how I am feeling about giving birth to my little angel.

A part of me feel like wanting the moment to come soon...because my huge...and I mean huge belly is making me very uncomfortable nowadays.

I can't sit comfortably. I can't sleep comfortably. I feel clumsy. I feel heavy. My swollen fingers and feet are hurting.

But then another part of me is feeling very, very nervous and scared when the moment comes. Actually, I am TERRIFIED at the thought of labour. I know it is going to be a very painful journey.

I am in fact hoping for an ala-naturale delivery....with no epidural....though I am not sure if I am strong enough to make through it!
I think I will be screaming for 'epidural' halfway during labour!

34 weeks

Little Angel

Little Angel is now the size of an average cantaloupe.

His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once she's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well.

This is also the week that his testicles are making their way down from his abdomen to their final destination - his scrotum.

Those tiny fingernails of his have probably reached the tip of his fingers by this week (make a mental note to add baby nail clippers in my shopping list!)


Little Angel's lungs should be well developed now.

His layers of fat are also filling out. He will need that to regulate his body temperature when he is born.

Photo & info taken from: Baby Center


Mummy-to-be

I am feeling rather clumsy. It is getting difficult to sit down on the floor and then get up again. I need support (may it be tables or chairs or Peter) to help me get up now. Long gone since the day I could just get up in a snap!

I've also developed some ugly rashes-like thingy on my neckline. Small dots of red bumps with a little white head (looks like small pimples). Luckily it is not itchy nor is it painful.
Dr. Sally Ong also didnt quite know what it is. She gave me some calamine lotion with some medication injected inside for me to sooth those rashes-like thingy.

It is ugly to have these - especially when most of my top are low-neck tops. Eeek!!!

Icky Pregnancy Side Effects

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing - only if these side effects are non-existence!

1. Vaginal Discharge
I've spent a fortune on Carefree Panty Liner because there is a lot more discharge than before I am pregnant, thanks to the increased estrogen production and greater blood flow to the vaginal area.

2. Constipation
Thanks to the iron supplement pills I am taking, and also thanks to the hormone progesterone, which slows the movement of food through my digestive tract, I am having constipation.
And the problem may be compounded later in pregnancy by the pressure of my growing uterus on my rectum.
Arghhhh..........

3. Excessive salivation
I feel myself waking up in the middle of the night to wipe off my saliva that drools down while sleeping. Haha...icky I know!

4. Hemmorhoid / Piles
This is the one thing I hate most. I am now increasing my fibre intake and I dont take story books to the toilet now. Toilet business is now refrained to 5 mins.

5. Yeast Infections
During pregnancy, the higher level of estrogen makes it easier for yeast to grow. Therefore, I drink my daily dosage of at least one Yakult a day (damn expensive!)

I guess I have to live with these. What else can I do? ;)

Pregnancy Update on the mother-to-be..ME!

Belly
Small for 32 weeks, or so I've been told. However, my gynae said my baby is bigger by a week. So ahhh....baby is big, mummy is small.

Appetite
My appetite is good. I eat very frequently nowadays. I take breakfast, elevenses, lunch, tea, dinner and supper. But all in small portions.

Cravings
I dont have any (darlin, u better thank your lucky stars!) except for my normal Chocolate cravings which I have since I know how to munch when I was 2 years old!
I still love Kit Kats, Hersheys, Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, M&Ms....

Clothes
I don't have many to choose from. I only bought a low-hip long jeans and a 3/4 slacks as bottoms, and 2 tops and a dress from ModernMum. Other than that, I live on borrowed clothes from my family...mostly from my mum ;)

Skin
My complexion is OK. No large amount of pimples or acne breakouts YET (touch wood!). But I have those uneven skin tone pigmentation on some parts of my body...namely neck, breasts, and belly.

General Wellbeing
I feel tired more frequently. Night time sleep is often interrupted by having to go pee - more than 3 times every night.

Although people commented that my belly is small, it is still way bigger than it used to be. So it is rather difficult to find a good position to sleep. Lying on my back is a definite no-no. It makes me cannot breathe. I need to lie on my side with my body pillow in between my legs.

Mood
I feel happy almost all the time knowing the Little Angel is growing healthily inside my womb. I even feel happy when he kicks me hard! Many people comment that I have that 'glowy' look on my face, is it true? :D

Hubby
He is such a dear so far. He accompanies me to every pregnancy checkup and also attended all 3 ante-natal classes. He refuses to let me climb up the stepladder to retrieve things and always help me to carry all the heavy stuff.

He even created a profile in his hp called 'VIP' which only I can call in and not others. This is really important as usually he used to switch his hp to Silent mode when he is with his clients. So now with this VIP mode, I get to reach him in case of emergency.

In short, I don't know what I'll do without him! :)

32 weeks

Went to the gynae yesterday. Little Angel is now 2.1kg. Want to know roughly how big is he now?
Well, he is about the size of a large turnip and he is taking up a lot of space in my uterus.

He now has toenails, fingernails and I can even see his hairs sprouting out on top of his head in the ultrasound image Dr. Eric showed me.

I am also experiencing lower-back pain nowadays...especially so when I retire to bed every night. The whole day of activities finally unwinds and leave me kind of breathless and tired at night. Even so when I spend the whole day shopping with my mum. Hehe.

Anyway, Dr. Eric asked me to walk more. So no harm doing more shopping, right?

Photo taken from: Baby Center

31 weeks Pregnant Lady with Swollen Feet & Fingers

Now I have swollen feet and swollen fingers. Should be water retention (read about them from books and also from friends).

I know I need to drink more water.
I know I need to lift my legs up above my heart everytime I sit / sleep.
I know I must not stand for too long at one time.


My poor 'meeku' feet


My 'arthritis' fingers. I can't wear my wedding band now...so sad!


My HUGE bump. And to think so many people come and tell me that my belly is small...omg!
Look at my huge bump!

Off to Penang Dental

I am always discipline to go for my 6-monthly dental checkup. This time around, the visit is short - only 15 minutes as Dr. Khoo Joo Ean said my teeth are well-maintained (except for the area where food tends to be lodged in between my wisdom teeth).

She mentioned that due to my pregnancy, my gums tend to be a 'lil swollen and also more-than-usual bleeding. She assured me this is normal.

I showed Dr. Khoo a small lump on my lips where I bit on it about a few weeks ago. She said it is a lump caused by a clogged salivary gland. It is pretty harmless actually but if it does bother me, I can have it removed. An incision needs to be done and a few hundred ringgit needed to be spent! Sigh...

This 15 minutes dental session costs me RM60.

Pregnancy Ultrasound at 20 weeks, 24 weeks & 30 weeks

I just realized that I did not post my visits to the gynae at week 20 and 24. And in a blink of an eye, I am now 30 weeks++ pregnant dee.

Let us see the milestones that Little Angel has gone through at that stage:


Little Angel @ 20 weeks @ 5th month

Little Angel's had been busy. At 20 weeks, his testicles have begun their descent from the abdomen. In a few months, they'll drop into the scrotum (which was still under construction at that time)

Little Angel @ 24 weeks @ 6th month

By 24 weeks, his face is almost fully formed - complete with a full set of eyeleashes and eyebrows and a good sprinkling of hair on his head.
Actually, little angel's head is still snow white in colour, since there is no pigment in that hair just yet at 24 weeks.

Little Angel @ 30 weeks @ 7th month

Little Angel is getting bigger by the day - also getting bigger is his brain, which is preparing for life outside the womb, and for a lifetime of learning.

This is where I am now..into my 30th week of pregnancy.
However, at the last scan which was 2 weeks ago, Dr. Eric said my Little Angel is growing on par with my pregnancy calendar except for his head which is 4 weeks bigger!

But rest assured, Dr. Eric said this is normal as sometimes the head grows faster than the body. At the next few scans, the body may continue to grow while the head growing may slows down. We won't know 'til the very end of the pregnancy.

But if the head is indeed bigger, then I may have a harder time pushing Little Angel out!!! *ooohhhhh......pray hard*

Fluid Retention

For the past few days, my hands are in pain.
OK, not so much pain until I shout 'ouch' but then I can feel the ache at the joints of my fingers for both my hands.

I emailed Dr. Eric Soh and he replied me saying I am having fluid retention over the small joints of your fingers.

According to Dr. Eric, this is supposed to be quite common and unfortunately it gets worse as pregnancy progresses. But the good news is, tt will resolve spontaneously after delivery.

Dr. Eric suggests gentle constant massage over your fingers will alleviate the pain and discomfort. Soaking in warm water may also help if pain is bad.

Now I feel like a pregnant lady having arthritis!

30 weeks pregnant lady

Look at me. My belly is getting bigger and bigger.


Front view

Side view

1st Antenatal Class

Peter & I both signed up for the Island Hospital Antenatal Class. The classes will be conducted on Saturdays from 2.30 PM to 5.00 PM starting from last Saturday.

We went there with an open mind. I was feeling kind of excited to see what was in store for us.

We were greeted upon reaching the training/conference room and was told to register. Expecting mothers were given a goodybag each. Peter & I then went into the conference room and there was already a video showing on the projector on 'how to give your baby a massage'. The video is for those who came early so that they have something to watch and not sit there and do nothing.

The whole thing was very well organized. The programme for the session was also being displayed on the board....stating down the speakers and all their various topics.

I was especially interested in the 'Pain Relief in Labour' and 'Nutrition for Two'. I asked many questions on these 2 topics. Some of the questions I asked:

'Pain Relief in Labour'
- What are the side effects of epidural?
- Can we still feel the sensation to push if we opt for epidural?
- What are the charges?

'Nutrition for Two'
- Is liver a real no-no?
- What to avoid eating when we are breastfeeding? Is herbal tonic, ginger and sesame oil really OK?

They also showed us a few video clips on the labour and delivery process. They also showed the episiotomy procedure (a surgical incision through the perineum made to enlarge the vagina and assist childbirth). It is especially good for Peter who has no idea what it is like (because he doesn't read as many pregnancy and baby books as me!).

Breaktime is the highlight for Peter. They prepared lots of good and nutritional snacks. They have cheeese sandwiches, sardine sandwiches, a variety of fruits, fried mee, chicken, muffins, yakult and chilled milo. I drank 3 yakults!

I am looking forward to next week's 2nd session!