38 week update (last update)

How Far Along: 38 weeks

How big is our little bean: size of a leek.  The baby was estimated at 2.7kg on monday

Total Weight Gain: +12kg and been stable for the last 10 weeks.

Maternity Clothes: Same old and looks like I’ll be staying in some of them for a few more months.

Sleep: I’m not sleeping as well. Same finger joint pain and now many trips to the bathroom.  Last few nights been more difficult due to anxiety of the impending arrival.

Other Symptoms: some minor pain down there (not sure if it is pre labor symptoms).  General tiredness (could be sleep related).

Best Moment this Week: Getting ready for her arrival tomorrow.  Initially I was quite shocked that it was so soon but now having gotten over the fear, I’m glad that it is sooner rather than later given that my amniotic fluid reduced quite a bit and is at 6 (anything under 5 means an immediate delivery is required).  Tomorrow this time, we’ll have an outside baby. 

Movement: Frequently.  Instead of kicks and punches, the movements are now rolling feelings – which makes sense given she has almost no room in the uterus.  It was hilarious when I went for a monitoring early today.  The monitor uses a puck like disk on my belly to measure the little one’s heartbeat.  She hated it and was kicking and trying to move it off her. 

Food Cravings: not really. only wondering when I can stop monitoring my blood sugar although in the back of my mind, I’ll need to always count my carbs to reduce my risk of type 2 diabetes.

What Are You Looking Forward to this Week: to finally meet the little one.  C-section scheduled for tomorrow morning.  I hope she’ll be healthy and everything will be ok with the little one.

Eviction notice

Looks like the eviction notice will be served either Feb 16th, 17th, or 18th. (depending when we can confirm an operating theatre)

Our little one is still breeched and after a detailed scan today, my amniotic fluid has declined quite a bit since Friday, from 12 to 6.  The Dr recommends that we go ahead with the c-section as the amniotic fluid is rapidly declining and once it hits below 5, the baby has to come out right away.  We have at most half a week.

Of course, in true last minute style, we’ll see Dr. N only tomorrow afternoon where he’ll make the final determination but we really doubt anything will change.

To be honest, I was hoping that we can push off the eviction till early next week.  Part of it is for my own selfish reasons — a few more days to get things (and myself) ready but in the end, I think we are more than happy to do what is best for the baby’s health.  We’ve started our last minute preps today (such as making the crib, packing the baby’s bag for the hospital, removing the tags from the baby carseat, etc.) since the baby will be here in by Friday latest.  Wow. 

It’s slowly sinking in that tomorrow could be our last day as a family of 2 and we’ll grow by 50% to a family of 3 as soon as the day after tomorrow.

Full Term! 37 week update

How Far Along: 37 weeks (we hit full term!) 

How big is our little bean: size of a swiss chard (around 2.8kg)

Total Weight Gain: Don’t think I’m putting on more weight. My belly is around the same size and I could have sworn that there were certain days where I thought my belly shrank?  Paranoid me of course would go find a measuring tape to see if I’m still measuring around 39″ to ease the paranoia

Maternity Clothes: Done with work clothes.  Didn’t end up using the tents since I’m not carrying big (although it’s not obvious from my weight gain). 

Sleep: Still not sleeping as well.  Serious joint pains in my middle fingers (how convenient) and starting to get up for toilet trips once a night (so far, have managed to stay in bed till the morning).  The trouble is that by the time I roll around to my right side to get off the bed, I’m asleep again. 

Other Symptoms: Clumsiness is setting in.  I manage to bump my bump walking out of a room in the house yesterday and breaking a glass today.  I’m starting to feel tired and have started cutting down on activities.  I’m so glad I’ve started my maternity leave a week ago.  I can’t imagine having to go to work all day at this point.

Best Moment this Week: Making it to full term and pass chinese new year (we definitely have a bunny in the oven).  Also, getting the baby room all organized — by doing laundry for the little one.  It’s quite nice to finally start the finishing touches to the baby room so everything is all set for her arrival because she could be here as soon as next wed (exactly 1 week from today) and home by the weekend.

Movement: Still active as ever.  I often feel a big knot above my belly button and it feels like she’s protruding her head to see what is going on outside.  I think she has shifted her position because the punches/kicks/hiccups are happening in different places but it doesn’t feel like she’s turned.  We’re still hoping she’ll move by Friday so she doesn’t get her eviction notice on the 16th.

Food Cravings: Not really.  Made sugar-free jello but the artificial sweetener tasted funny so I will have to reconsider my choice in dessert.

What Are You Looking Forward to this Week: Fri — when we will go our first CTG (think they monitor the little one where you hear the heartbeat and track her movements.  We’ll also get to see her and we’re hoping she’ll turn.  I’m still trying to ease my fear of a c-section but I think the acceptance is slowly happening.  We’ll always go with the Dr’s recommendation because it wasn’t an easy journey to get here and we just want what is best for the little one.

36 week update

How Far Along: 36 weeks 

How big is our little bean: size of a cranshaw melon – whatever that is  (around 2.6kg)

Total Weight Gain: My weight gain has stabilized.  I’m at +12.5kg (200g increase since 3 weeks ago).  I think it must be due to counting carbs and eliminating all sugar (although I’ve cheated with some chocolate and ice-cream).  I’m happy to stay flat as long as the little one is packing on the weight that she needs.

Maternity Clothes: Same old.  Looking forward to tomorrow when I’m done with work shirts. 

Sleep: I’m not sleeping as well.  I wake up with joint pain in my knuckles in both hands due to some serious water retention/swelling.  On top of that, I’ve become a light sleeper.  If I hear any sound in the house early in the morning, I wake up and have a hard time falling asleep right away again.  I’m finding this new habit rather annoying but I think it could be part of the training for the new arrival?

Other Symptoms: Itchy skin rashes that is not going away.  Just got a referral so will be getting the rashes checked out. 

Best Moment this Week: Seeing the little one.  She gain close to 700g in 3 weeks – putting her at 41% for her estimated weight at 2.4kg.  My fluid level is good as well.  Everything looked good we feel more at ease that the suspected growth restriction is not an issue for now.  Of course, my favorite part is that her weight estimate has a huge margin of error — something like +/- 500g.

Movement: All the time and this young lady was having one serious party last night.  The movement is suppose to slow down as there is less space inside but the little one surprises me every so often.  I’m also becoming more conscious checking to make sure there is at least a movement every 4 hours since it is rare for babies to sleep for longer stretches than that.  If there hasn’t been a movement in a while, I’ll poke her until I get a response.  Yes, I’m terrible, disturbing the little one.

Food Cravings: not really.  DH has been bad sharing his ice-cream and chocolate with me.  I actually don’t really crave dessert.  Just had a super high sugar reading for breakfast and am wondering if I am entering the phase where the sugar level becomes harder to control near the end of pregnancy.  I hope it was a fluke and the rest of the reading today will be ok.  Else I’ll push more protein and keep cutting down on the carbs.

What Are You Looking Forward to this Week: Wed night — when we ring in chinese new year so we’ll have a bun-ny in the oven for sure.  Also, we’re hoping that she’ll turn. 

She’s still holding on to the breech position — head up high.  DH theorizes that she’s trying to turn with all her movements which I think is possible.  Our Dr would only deliver breech babies via c-section so our scheduled date is 16th Feb — 2 weeks away (eek!).  He wouldn’t let us schedule it any later so we are likely to meet the little one earlier than planned (I was hoping end Feb).