Rainbow baby* :)

On Saturday, 5 Nov 2011, two days after knowing that we would be going back to Singapore, I woke up feeling like I HAD to take a pregnancy test. So I did. And like the last time, the double lines gave me a wonderful surprise :)

Pregnancy test at 4w1d:



I hoped that unlike the last time, this pregnancy would result in a healthy baby..

:)

I've been writing down my feelings and thoughts in the past two months in a pregnancy app on my phone but haven't got down to posting here partly cos we wanted to wait a bit before announcing, and partly cos I was - still am, a bit - suffering from morning sickness.. Here they go, all at one shot! After this, I'll probably update as and when I have something to say..

PS: Could be a bit TMI :p

Monday, 7 Nov 2011 - 4w3d

I HAD to test again. This time, the test line was darker. Good.

But I wondered how come I didn't feel my boobs hurting like the last time.. But this time wouldn't be like the last time...

(And the girls started feeling sore the next day...)

Wednesday, 9 Nov 2011 - 4w5d

Um, I HAD to test yet again. The test line remained dark. Good.

Off to TCM to for more acupuncture. I think I have 缘 with TCM :)

Also went to a clinic 30 minutes away to get a proof of pregnancy for insurance. It turned out to be a urine test too - the difference between that and my tests was that that had a doctor's signature backing it. Oh, and I weighed 127 lb, less than 130 lb at home :p

I had absolutely no appetite. And when I ate, I had a lot of flatulence, oops. In company, I couldn't um, let go, and that hurt *.*

Then came the painful pimples... Sito said maybe it would be a boy - different hormones... But all the signs - website, feeling, etc - all said it would be a girl.. We shall see.. Anyway, a few days later, I told this baby that I would gladly take all the pimples from him or her. Just be healthy.

Wednesday, 16 Nov 2011 - 5w5d

I was feeling like shit last night. Like rather mang zang. There was nothing I wanted to do.

Just now on the bus back from TCM, I felt a little sick. I was burping a lot. Morning sickness? I'm quite happy to have morning sickness. I like some constant indication that this baby is doing well.

The next few days and weeks confirmed that it was morning sickness! At first, I would feel sick only when I started to get hungry, i.e. before lunch and before dinner. I would be burping lots and feeling tight-chested. Then it changed. I would feel sick almost all the time. When we went to Milwaukee the next week, we found that if I could eat something every two or three hours, I would feel less yucky. So for two weeks, I force fed myself *.*

Baby, can I have all the pimples in the world instead of morning sickness? Please?

(Update 9w2d: First new pimple in some three weeks! But morning sickness remains...)

Saturday, 3 Dec 2011 - 8w1d

I had my first puke. Needless to say, it wasn't pleasant :( And I found tiny red spots on my face after that - seemed that the force of the puke broke some capillaries!

At first, when I just had the nausea and no puke, I just lived with it. But with this first puke, I got worried that I might become dehydrated... I haven't been drinking plain water since the nausea hit - it makes me sick! I end up drinking Pepsi *.* and later soy bean milk. Coke doesn't help for some reason.. I haven't had this much Pepsi since I was a teenager!! I stopped cooking for quite a while cos I couldn't stand the smell of starch being cooked. So during that time, it was Chipotle or Chinese takeout or just a big cup of Jamba Juice.

After that first puke, I also had a most torturous night trying to sleep. The burping didn't help. And I suddenly got this horrible back ache. And that marked the beginning of bad nights. These days, I would usually go to bed by 11 pm or so, but fall asleep only after 2 am.

After that, I puked on the bus to town, on the train to town. Thankfully I had a plastic bag on me. Just had to carry a bag of puke until my destination.. The worse bout was 11-13 Dec 2011, that was 9w2d to 9w4d. I puked every morning! According to websites, the HCG hormone peaks between weeks nine and 12. Hopefully the daily puke signified my peak?

Tuesday, 6 Dec 2011 - 8w4d

We met baby for the first time today :)

When I first saw it, it was just a little dot in a black hole. Then, another angle, and there it was!



Ok, this wasn't the best shot. We could actually tell that the head was on the right side, and there were little dots near the big body which I presumed were the buds of the limbs :) And I thought baby was moving a little.. It could be that it was just floating about in "bed"...

And we could see the heartbeat AND hear it! It was so fast! 173 per minute! (Hope the Pepsi had nothing to do with it!) Based on forum chitchats, high heart rate probably means a girl :p Told my TCM and she said back in Beijing, they used to guess the gender by the strength of the pulse on both wrists - a stronger right pulse indicates a girl and I do have a strong right pulse hoho! But she said many times they got it wrong too..

Anyway, based on the ultrasound, cos my period was crazy, due date is estimated to be 14 Jul 2012 :)

Then we saw an old doctor at the hospital who explained everything in great details before sending us on our way to schedule future ultrasounds and to do blood and urine tests.

Took almost two hours with hardly any waiting time!

We walked 30 min back from the hospital, and along the way, we had a nice little chat, the exact content was forgotten but it was about baby. Happy :)

Thursday, 15 Dec 2011 - 9w6d

Today, I feel kind of good. And I'm grateful.

This is a 100% Singaporean baby. I've been thinking of Singaporean food for the past two weeks! So deprived...

mf: Eh, your baby always wants Singaporean food..
Sito: But I don't like glutinous rice.
mf: And I'm not craving for your fave hokkien mee...
Sito: Then not mine..

WHAT?!

Ya, we're crazy :p

I'm so grateful that I'm not working - I've stopped wearing a bra :p Need to leave the chest area free to heave when I burp or puke *.* With the cold, I just wear more layers.. And I'm very very grateful that Sito is not busy. He has been taking care of me since morning sickness started ruling my life - doing laundry, preparing the humidifier, buying meals and groceries, cooking small things, giving me a back rub :)

Oh, have I mentioned my new boobs? One day when I stepped out of the shower, I saw myself in the mirror and was wowed! I called Sito in for an, um, inspection, haha! But sorry, can see, cannot touch!!

Tuesday, 20 Dec 2011 - 10w4d

Morning sickness is officially over! Yeah! I've been feeling kind of good since the weekend, and I started cooking on Sunday! On Monday, I even went out for tea with C! Quite happy about it :) Strangely enough, my cravings for Sg food are also going away with morning sickness..

Thursday, 29 Dec 2011 - 11w6d

Such a happy day!

We had our first trimester screening done. When the sonographer put the thing on my belly with oh-so-lovely warm gel, we were so surprised - me cos we saw the baby immediately and Sito cos he thought the baby looked big! And best of all, baby was moving its limbs furiously! So cute! :)

We had a good time ogling the baby from different angles as the sonographer tried to capture various shots of our active baby. She said baby would be awake for 15-20 min and sleep and another 15-20 min and repeat the whole thing again. So fun!

We had a little chat with a genetic counsellor after that but we had no further questions since the scan gave normal readings. I was then sent for a blood test - just a little prick on my middle finger and the nurse doing it was so funny and nice. Ah, lovely afternoon.

Now I have three pictures of the scan on the desk as I type, and more in the CD from the sonographer. Show you one with baby's alien face and moving arms :)



Wednesday, 4 Jan 2012 - 12w5d

So I thought morning sickness was over. It wasn't. I puked in the 12th week on our way to Chinatown for dim sum. I puked this Monday and Tuesday before bed. I'm now feeling kind of good so far. So I hope and hope that's it! Please........

Sunday, 8 Jan 2012 - 13w2d

Yeah, I turn 32! :) And with no more craving for Singaporean food, we headed out for pasta :)

I've been having lots of soy bean milk, averaging one Yeo's packet every day or so. I ration each packet carefully so that I have something to sip on every few hours and I don't overdo the sugar... Just now, I had some water and it didn't feel too good in me. Guess I'll stick to other beverages for a while longer..

And the past couple of nights have been kind of kind. Less difficulty sleeping, but I still have trouble staying asleep cos of my blocked nose.. Hope I get to get some good sleep soon!

After the first visit to the hospital, we're having our regular prenatal care at a clinic nearby. Been there once so far. Every time I go, I'm probably seeing a different resident. Yes, resident, like if you go to KK as a subsidised patient. And I'm not comfortable at all, especially after she did a really rough PAP smear and pelvic check! I've never had such a painful experience down there and I spotted for five days after that! It's all free due to my state insurance for unemployed pregnant women but thanks, we'll pay my nice doc in Singapore to deliver our baby! So what's left to do now is to get the OK to fly - wish me luck! :)

* From a baby forum:

A rainbow baby is a baby conceived after the loss of a child. "Rainbow Babies" are the understanding that the beauty of a rainbow does not negate the ravages of the storm. When a rainbow appears, it does not mean that the storm never happened or that the family is not still dealing with its aftermath. What it means is that something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and the clouds. Storm clouds may still loom over but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of colour, energy, and much needed hope.