December 2014 - fated.net

10 more weeks!

counting-kicks1

Today, we hit the big 3! Has 30 weeks just past like that?

I was telling the husband the other day that I really loved trimester 2 and that it seemed the fastest. But truth is, tri 1 and tri 3 is the fastest. Because by the time you find out you are pregnant, it would likely be half way thru tri 1. And then in tri 3, depending on when you deliver, tri 3 may not be the full trimester anyway.

The last visit to Dr Siow was also good. I passed the GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test), they smsed to say my results are normal. So next up is the GBS swab test at Week 35, this is just to make sure there is no bacteria, this is to prepare for natural delivery where baby will pass through the birth canal and out. If there is bacteria detected around the private regions, then have to administer antibiotics prior to the delivery. So praying that I don’t have such complications.

It has been quite good that my pregnancy has been uneventful in a good way. Im just praying for it to continue being a smooth and safe for me and baby.

We are almost prepared with the essentials. Now all we need is to get ready our documents, prepare the hospital bag and to wash baby clothes and items. Waiting for our helper to join us on 1 Jan and we can go full steam into washing and sterilising. My colleague ask what happens if my water bag burst at work? Told me to prepare a towel in office and in the car. Im freaking out. What if it really happens? Can I still drive to the hospital? Or will I be in too much pain? Should I ask hubs to come to fetch me there? Or should I dump my car and take a cab? Will I be able to have a proper shower before I deliver? Argh!

These days it has also been quite tiring for me physically, walking around or even sitting too long causes a lot of pain everywhere. The back especially. Some days my legs hurt and feel swollen. And the skin on my belly feels like its stretched to the max and is going to tear apart. Some days I ask hubs if the baby is going to come out from my belly button because it is so sore and painful. I know the belly will be stretching more in the next few weeks and im just going to relish in the last 10 weeks of baby in me and cherish these moments (and pain) before I get to see my baby princess.

I cant wait to see her, honestly I am a mix of feelings. Excited and nervous. Excited over seeing this human being that I been growing and protecting and how she would look like. But nervous over the whole delivery process and if it would be smooth. Pain is one thing, I just hope both of us will be safe.

10 more weeks, baby girl. See you soon!

Cimilre (Spectra) Electric Breast Pump S2+

We have researched for months for a good and reasonably priced electric breast pump and have finally settled for the Cimilre (Spectra) S2+.

This is a dual pump though it ships with only one flange set by default. I ordered the other side from another site at $36. And it’s hospital grade!

This newer S2+ model did away with the need for a Y-connector for splitting the output. Instead, it has two outlets on the pump itself and has a seal that covers the 2nd outlet by default unless you need to attach the second side.

Based on our research, Medela breast pumps are grossly overpriced and failed to outperform the cheaper Spectra / Cimilre models. We initially wanted to get the M1 version which is smaller and battery operated. However, we decided to invest slightly more to get the hospital grade version instead. The S1 was part of our consideration as well but it was blue in colour and has a built-in battery. The built-in battery is good to have but I felt that if we needed that portability, we could get the Spectra 9+ instead.

We got our S2+ from Lazada and it arrived via FedEx and Taqbin after 9 days. Although it doesn’t come with warranty, the attractive price made it much cheaper than local sellers.

Upon receiving the package, we tested the pump and found the suction power strong and adjustable (12 levels). The default mode when you power on, is the let down / massage mode which is gentle and intended to stimulate the milk flow. Once the milk flow is started, switch to normal mode with just a touch of a button. Some guides we found suggests toggling let down (massage) mode frequently between pumping to trigger more milk flow.

Some of our friends have bought Spectra breast pumps and found them much better than Avent or Medela. We are glad that we did not part with $599 to $799 for the overpriced Medela pumps.

One last tip, the default flange size provided in the set is the 28mm one. This may or may not be too large for Asians (Nope, that’s got nothing to do with the size of the breasts but the nipples). You can either purchase 24mm flanges or a silicone massager accessory that fits over the nipples. These can be purchased locally from sellers.

Onward!

Welcome to Trimester 3!

As much as I am excited that we are progressing so well and baby is doing good and that we are one step closer to seeing her, I am also starting to feel nervous and anxious about the whole delivery process, financially, and if we have bought all the essentials ready for her arrival. It is also at a stage where I can feel her very often and once I don’t, I start to panic. Mummy worries are never ending!

We are almost complete with our anenatal class, I wouldn’t say we are ready to be perfect parents, but it did give us a headstart and glimpse into parenthood and how we can manage it better. There are so many things to think about and also depends on our baby’s needs and wants. Every baby is different so as much as theory classes provide a good overview, it really all depends on the “practical” when our babygirl is finally out. But I would strongly recommend going for such a class if you can afford it if you are first time parents.

Tri 2 has been the best period for me, and the beginning of Tri 3 is starting to prove to be tiring and achy. I start to get breathless after walking for a bit, and my back seems to be breaking. Baby should be about 1kg now and im already feeling the strain on my back. Now I know why mummies cant wait for baby to be out when they are full term at 37 weeks! My belly button hasn’t popped too, but the skin feels so stretched that when baby kicks that part, I feel like my belly button is going to tear! But I read that it is normal to feel pain around the belly button area because of the thin skin.

Doing housework is also tiring now. Simple tasks which I took for granted has now become a pain in my life. Bending over the sink to wash dishes… putting clothes in the washing machine… taking clothes out to hang… hanging clothes on the rack… bending to take something from the lower shelf of the refrigerator/snack cupboard… reaching up to take a container from the overhead cupboards…. Omg… every other minute im shouting for my hubby to help me. Bleh.

Im thankful for the smooth pregnancy so far, although there were bouts of morning sickness (I would like to thank the strong pregnancy hormones), so far I haven’t had much discomfort or issues which require immediate medical help. My body has also been pretty healthy, I haven’t fell sick (always been praying to be healthy because I do not want to take any form of medication at this point), and that I am able to sleep and rest, I only had 1-2 leg cramps and I haven’t had any strong and bad cravings. I been eating alright, my usual portions and nothing extra, so I only gained about 3kg so far, which is a healthy gain for me since im kinda a chubby to begin with. Hee.

Continue to jiayou with me, my baby girl, it wouldn’t be long before we meet each other face to face. Papa is also looking forward to reading you stories and playing the piano for you. I am looking forward to kissing your chubby cheeks, dressing you up in the MANY clothes we have bought and looking at those feet which have been kicking me from inside. Stay warm, stay protected and stay healthy in my tummy for the last lap of this pregnancy – 13 more weeks!

Loving you much!

12Sept2009_notsojolly