.::. The Last Lap .::.

Time passes by way too quickly.  I’m now ‘full term’ at 37 weeks and at the end of my first pregnancy journey.  Doctor is expecting that I pop around 38 weeks as Jaime is already partially engaged at 36 weeks.  It has been a relatively smooth and easy pregnancy despite some common issues, but it’s really bearable and not as bad as what many says.  The last few weeks have been tougher, and I’m getting a lot of reflux at night, insomnia, aches.  I’ve put on a total of 8kg so far and we’re pretty much ready!  As ready as one can be anyway.  I have started having cramp-like contractions and gynae gave me some medicine to relax my uterus last week to help me make it to full term.  I’m hoping that Jaime will only make her debut in September though, since I’m starting ML then and the husband will be less busy work-wise then.

There’s so much going on, but I’m just really tired and do not have much energy to do much after work nowadays.  I can’t wait to get my energy back and start exercising again.  My heart is filled with so much love, anticipation, fear, hope, joy and dread.  It’s really such a cocktail of emotions that I can’t begin to describe how I feel now.

Will probably share some photos that we took at home, at 35.5 and 36.5 weeks in another post.  Those are probably the last photos that I will have of us and a pregnant belly.  Chikey who hates taking photos have been posing in all our photos, sometimes looking straight at the camera.  He’s such a darling and very much a part of our family.  I can’t wait for him and Jaime to meet and to bond!

And to my beloved husband, welcome to parenthood and may our relationship grow and strengthen as we expand our family and take on additional roles.  Thank you for being you and filling my life with love.  You know you mean the world to me and I’m looking forward to our life ahead together.

And because I wouldn't have time to put everything together, here's some pictures throughout my pregnancy journey:



This is how we started the year 2017, counting down on the couch where the husband was dozing off before countdown and I made him wake up for a photo.  Oblivious to us, a life was already growing inside me and this is going to be a life-changing year.  I tested positive 10 days later.  Jaime was conceived in Langkawi, during our 12th anniversary trip.



First photo of Jaime when at 6.5 weeks.  Of course we didn't know she was a girl then.








My birthday, the first with Jaime and blessed with great people around me.




First Chinese New Year, over 10 weeks pregnant.



I was about 11 weeks pregnant and still spotting during the Japan trip over Chinese New Year.



The first country Jaime went was Japan, Kyushu.




The day the husband broke the news to my family over dinner.  We just got the all clear for Oscar scan and past 12 weeks, ready to break the news.  My brother gave us a treat at HaiDiLao after a promotion and the husband told my family that there's 'an additional person' joining us for dinner that night.




Jaime sucking her thumb at her 20 weeks detailed scan.  We also saw her yawn, it was quite a milestone of the pregnancy.  I was somewhat worried about the scan as it'll tell you if there's any anomaly in the fetus development.  Thankfully, all's well and she entertained us with her yawning and sucking of fingers.



Me at 20 weeks pregnant and still fitting into my pants.  I have put on 2.5kg at this point.



21 weeks and starting to show and outgrow my clothes.



Making organic buckwheat husk pillow for Jaime.  Handmade with love.



24 weeks pregnant and 3.5kg heavier.



Joined a September-due Mummies' Group and we have gatherings now and then.  Amazing how strangers become friends.



26 weeks.  Reflux started and I puked real bad one night after burping out acid.  It just all came out from my mouth, and nose, and my eyes were tearing.  I can still remember the burn.



26 weeks.  At a family trip in Perth, doing a trail at one of the national parks.  Tummy is getting heavier and I feel slower now.



Perth, the third country I have brought Jaime to.



Us at the Blue Boat Shed.





Love the beaches in Australia.



Little sis turned 21 (gasp, how did that happen when it doesn't seem too long ago that I was changing her diapers!)



27 weeks, 10 more weeks to full term.



28 weeks.  Officially in 3rd trimester and 5kg heavier.



First glimpse of Jaime's face at 28 weeks.  Who does she look like?



Last J4 girls' trip to Bali before I pop.



Us in Bali at 29 weeks pregnant.  It's the 4th trip I made whilst pregnant with Jaime.



30 weeks and weight gain stagnated at 5kg.  Jaime is now 1.5kg!



32 weeks pregnant, funny how the tummy can look so different within the same day.



34 weeks and the lower backache is getting worst.



35 weeks, brought the husband to Sky Grill and Bar after doctor's appointment.  Probably our last romantic meal with a view in a long while.



And I'm now officially full-term at 37 weeks.  Still can't believe that I've created a life a human being.  And I really can't imagine how our life will change nor how am I going to get her out of me.

We made it!  Gynae just got back from holiday and we are as ready as we can be.

Anytime now, wish us luck!

.::. 31 Weeks .::.

Not long after I past 31 weeks, I was having this awful tummy cramp the whole day.  It was like period cramps (without stomach tightening), but got progressively worst as the day progressed.  By the evening, I was bending over in pain and Panadol didn’t help.  I was breaking out in cold sweat and starting to feel worried, although I didn’t exactly think they were contractions.  I was trying to lie down and sleep after dinner, but couldn’t fall asleep as the pain was making me break out in cold sweat.  By then, I was feeling somewhat worried and everyone was advising me to check myself into A&E to do a CTG scan, just to make sure that I wasn’t experiencing pre-term contractions.

It was my first time checking myself into hospital, at around 10pm.  Once you walk into A&E, they charge you immediately at the entrance.  It was quite quick, they took my blood pressure shortly and asked me what was wrong.  The first blood pressure reading I had was ridiculously high at 180, she retook it and it was 165.  I was also asked to provide a urine sample and to wait for my turn to see a doctor.

It took probably another 15 – 20 minutes, till they managed to contact the delivery ward and sent me directly up, since normal A&E doctors wouldn’t be helpful.  I was refunded the A&E charge (since doctor did not even see me) and asked to only pay for the urine test ($15).  They then insisted that I was wheel-chaired to the delivery ward although I could still walk.  That was my first time on a wheel-chair and it’s very strange being pushed around like that.  The husband was pretty amused that I have never been wheelchaired before, and took a picture of a very unglam me.  I seriously just came out without preparing anything.

I was sent to the delivery ward where I changed into a hospital gown without any underwear.  I lay on a ‘pee pad’ and they strapped the CTG machine on me to monitor contractions and baby’s heartbeat, and also my blood pressure.  Thankfully, I wasn’t experiencing contractions and baby’s heartbeat was strong.  Baby was also active and we could hear a whoosh sound whenever Jaime moved.  My blood pressure was pretty high but went from 160s and stayed around 140s.  They checked my cervix and did a swab for me, thankfully, cervix wasn’t open yet.  They then got me to provide a urine sample and also tried to draw blood from me.  It was one of the worst drawing-blood experience I ever had, and I have never felt this vulnerable.

Initially, one nurse came in and poked the needle into the sides of my right wrist.  As usual, I did not look and let her do whatever she needed.  She was at it for few minutes, moving the needle abit and there was the bearable sting.  She then put a plaster on me and told me that she’ll be back later.  After 5-10 minutes later, another 3 nurses came in and told me that they need to draw blood from me.  I was horrified, exclaiming loudly that the nurse just drew some blood from me!  They then told me that no blood was drawn, she wasn’t able to draw any previously.  Imagine my shock!

Then my nightmare began.  They poked me 5 times before they managed to get the blood they needed.  At one time, there were 7 nurses on both sides of my bed, squeezing my arms and trying to find a vein.  Some were young, some were obviously older and more experienced.  They were discussing which vein to try and one even said to try the bigger vein, but another exclaimed that they’ve never tried that before.  When they finally poked, one of them held the needle, the other squeezed my veins and one more tightened the rubber strap around my arm.  The plastic tube for the drip was so painful when the inserted, but they couldn’t get any blood from it.  I was so thankful that it was finally over, and they said that they would come back in 30 minutes or so after the blood test results were out.  By the time they were done with extracting blood, my blood pressure went from 140s back to 160s.

They did come back after 30 minutes or so, and told us that they had ‘bad news’ for us.  Both of us looked at the nurse worriedly, expecting the worst, perhaps pre-eclampsia?  Then she said that she need to draw more blood from me.  Gosh!  At this point, the husband burst out laughing on his comfy couch.  Seriously!  She said that some blood clotted, perhaps because my blood flow was very slow and it was exposed to air.  So, this nurse came in alone and poked twice more before she got the blood she needed.

By then, I was already longing to go home, since no contractions were detected and my stomach cramps seemed to have subsided.  They insisted that I had to be warded for observation and put me in C-class in case of pre-term labor.  My blood pressure went down to 120s and stabilized by then, and I was sent to the ward at 5am.  It was a 6-bedded ward with a KDK fan above each bed, my bed was near the corridor.  I was knackered by the time I got on the bed (it was so much more comfortable than the delivery ward’s bed).  The husband went home with my bag and I only had my phone with me, which was almost flat.  I had nothing with me and nobody had a charger that I could borrow!  Despite a symphony of snores and baby cries, I eventually fell asleep till the doctors came around at 8am.  It was really noisy since the ‘walls’ of the wards had huge gaps at the top and bottom and you could hear everyone walking past and talking outside.  It doesn’t help that the beds were in close proximity and the one beside me had her whole kampong with maid and husband and children coming to visit her by 10am although visiting hours starts at 12noon.  The husband speaks so loudly, the kid was watching cartoons on ipad with sound, and they were just chit-chatting right beside my bed. Gosh, I’ve no idea how people rest in such an environment.  It was dreadful, dreadful to not feel well and yet can’t afford better wards to rest! [The importance of good insurance coverage because you really need it when you don’t feel well!]  Sadly, pregnancy is not covered by hospitalization insurance, and even the pregnancy insurance available in the market now is grossly inadequate (and expensive).  Most of them covers around $100 a day for NICU charges with a cap of $3,000 or so which is really negligible since A class and private hospitals charge easily in excess of $1,000 a day.

Thankfully, the nurses and doctors I met at NUH were all really nice.  Although the food pretty much sucked (it was cold), I actually finished most of it because I was famished.  The husband swing by around noon and spent a few hours with me before I was finally discharged in the evening.  I was put on iron pills and antibiotics as they found bacterial in my urine and suspected that UTI was causing my stomach cramps.  I’m somewhat surprised because I’ve never had UTI and I drink and pee so much!  Upon reading about it, I realized that peeing often does not mean that you empty your bladder.  During pregnancy, your uterus might be pressing on your bladder and you end up not emptying it despite going to the toilet often.  My iron was also surprisingly low despite all the beef and greens and multivitamins I’m eating – then I realized that you need 750g of beef to meet the iron needs of pregnancy.

They were supposed to call me the week after to let me know my urine culture test results and gave me a week’s Hospitalization Leave to rest.  The discharge procedure was quite funny, the nurse gave me my medication and documentation and discharged me.  You had to go to patient service to pay after being discharged, not before!  I have never been so happy to go home.  The drip thing was finally removed from my hand and it ached for days with bruises emerging on my arms from all the poking of needles.

I spent the week resting and sleeping a lot at home, because I don’t sleep well at night and the anti-biotics made me feel really drowsy.  I woke up around noon and had lunch, log on to work abit and started preparing for delivery.  I finally started packing my hospital bag and going through all the documents for admission and confinement.  It suddenly hit me that I don’t have much time left.  I was feeling alright till the cramps started coming back again on Thursday, and I worriedly rescheduled my Saturday’s gynae appointment to Friday.  Dr Chan checked thoroughly and said that the hospital has already done all the tests possible, baby was doing well and my cervix was still closed (although it’s slightly thinner than normal).  He said that stomach cramps can be due to baby kicking me at the same spot constantly, resulting in bruised insides and cramps.  He gave me the option to come back on Saturday to extend my hospitalization leave to rest at home or come back in 2 weeks.  I wasn’t keen to continue laying home though, so he gave me some painkillers and sent me home.  Thankfully, the cramps went away and all’s well.  By this time, my lower back has started aching, perhaps from all the household chores that I can’t help doing.  It got really bad after I scrubbed the toilet and shower screen one weekend. Pregnancy has gave me serious OCD and there’s this sense of urgency to pack the house and get it ready for Jaime’s arrival.

What a scare that was, it’s really no fun not feeling well and staying in a 6-bedder!