Tomorrow is finally THE DAY! After all the cleaning and washing and packing, I think I am done, I hope I am done and I didn't miss anything [OCD kicking in :-)].
I am not sure how soon I will be able to get back to blogging, to write or even to read your posts. But I promise to at least try to post up some updates and photos of Bun as soon as I can.
Don't miss me too much :-).
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The 3 of us, for the last time...
I have always wanted to take beautiful photos of me in my last trimester and finally got the opportunity to do it this time. But because I do not have a beautiful tummy (you know how some lucky woman will have tummy with no scars like 'watermelon scars' or brown vertical lines etc), I wasn't one of them. So no sexy shots of me in tank tubes. But just a couple of family shots taken at 37 weeks for our own collection.
The photography session only lasted 50 mins as the little one lost interest pretty quickly and refused to look into the camera. It was a pretty hot day too - you can see that Hayley's hair is soaked in sweat.
We just wanted to say a huge thanks to our photographer friend Joyce Lee and my best buddy Jessie who helped made this possible. Jessie introduced Joyce to me and Joyce who did a lot of photography work for charity and publications agreed to do this huge favour for us at a discounted price. Here are some raw photos which have not been touched up yet:
The photography session only lasted 50 mins as the little one lost interest pretty quickly and refused to look into the camera. It was a pretty hot day too - you can see that Hayley's hair is soaked in sweat.
We just wanted to say a huge thanks to our photographer friend Joyce Lee and my best buddy Jessie who helped made this possible. Jessie introduced Joyce to me and Joyce who did a lot of photography work for charity and publications agreed to do this huge favour for us at a discounted price. Here are some raw photos which have not been touched up yet:
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Bun's last check up
Saturday was Bun's last check up with Dr Lee. The next time we see Dr Lee, I will be on the operating table, naked and shivering (because of fear la) and with half of my body numbed and when it's all over I will have Bun in my arms and I will be in a lot of pain for days .... thinking of it alone is enough to cause me sleepness nights and I haven't been sleeping well in the past few nights because of the pain and because I could not find a comfortable spot - there is no comfortable spot!
I am officially off from work this week although I am still checking work emails occasionally in case my back up could not handle the 'shit' I left behind. I am trying to do a lot of last minute things such as cleaning, washing, packing, more cleaning, more washing and more packing. The weather hasn't been very co-operative, it's been raining everyday and my washing machine has been working non-stop. There seems to be no end in the things that I needed to wash and clean. I guess this is perfectly normal. I know I won't be able to clean and wash for at least a month or more so I am stressed out to get them all cleaned as much as I can now.
As of my last check up, I gained back 1 kg and current weight stands at 59.6kg. Dr Lee was delighted that I gained and he said everything is back to normal and I am ready for next Monday. Bun's head remained in the right position (ie bottom) but not engaged. Dr Lee said some babies especially 2nd pregnancies will only engage at the very last minute so it will be hard to tell if Bun will engage or not. Well, if Bun decides to come early, then we'll attempt natural based on the circumstances but if not, 1st Nov it will be.
We also managed to discuss about anasthetic with Dr Lee. Apparently there are 3 types - spinal, epidural and general anasthetic. I took the opportunity to ask him because for someone like me who has phobia towards needles, this is a BIG thing. I will even get weak knees when I had to go for my blood test and if the person drawing my blood is not skillful to do it quickly and at one go, I will faint, seriously.
Dr Lee explained that spinal is what most anasthetician would use for elective c-section, epidural injected in the empty space next to the spine is for natural birth and GA for elective c-section as well for those who would rather go to sleep during the surgery. Some anasthetician would use epidural for elective c-sec too. I had GA the first time and it was painless but the recovery was longer. I was groggy for a few hours and had to fast for 2 days and could not get down from bed for 2 days. I was told spinal would be painful when they jab into the spine but recovery would be faster. And since I am not planning for another child, I really wanted to build up enough courage to go through the surgery with a spinal jab. I wanted to see how or in this case hear how it was done. I just hope I won't chicken out at the last min.
Apart from worrying about which anasthetic to choose from and what have I not washed or cleaned, I am also constantly worried about the fact that in 4 more days I will have to manage 2 kids. Will I be able to do that? What will life be with 2 kids? How different will it be from now? I know many mothers have been through this and they survived and I will too, but I still can't stop myself from worrying and thinking too much. And you know what, we are going to put Hayley at the babysitter's for a few days when I am in the hospital and although that will only be happening in a few days, I am already feeling guilty and missing her like crazy even right now! Am I going insane or what????
The same guilt that I felt when I first found out I was pregnant that she will have to share my love with another sibling is back.... arghhh......
OK, I have to go and wash the bedsheets now.... tomorrow the curtains and strollers, Thurs the play pen.... hahaha
I am officially off from work this week although I am still checking work emails occasionally in case my back up could not handle the 'shit' I left behind. I am trying to do a lot of last minute things such as cleaning, washing, packing, more cleaning, more washing and more packing. The weather hasn't been very co-operative, it's been raining everyday and my washing machine has been working non-stop. There seems to be no end in the things that I needed to wash and clean. I guess this is perfectly normal. I know I won't be able to clean and wash for at least a month or more so I am stressed out to get them all cleaned as much as I can now.
As of my last check up, I gained back 1 kg and current weight stands at 59.6kg. Dr Lee was delighted that I gained and he said everything is back to normal and I am ready for next Monday. Bun's head remained in the right position (ie bottom) but not engaged. Dr Lee said some babies especially 2nd pregnancies will only engage at the very last minute so it will be hard to tell if Bun will engage or not. Well, if Bun decides to come early, then we'll attempt natural based on the circumstances but if not, 1st Nov it will be.
We also managed to discuss about anasthetic with Dr Lee. Apparently there are 3 types - spinal, epidural and general anasthetic. I took the opportunity to ask him because for someone like me who has phobia towards needles, this is a BIG thing. I will even get weak knees when I had to go for my blood test and if the person drawing my blood is not skillful to do it quickly and at one go, I will faint, seriously.
Dr Lee explained that spinal is what most anasthetician would use for elective c-section, epidural injected in the empty space next to the spine is for natural birth and GA for elective c-section as well for those who would rather go to sleep during the surgery. Some anasthetician would use epidural for elective c-sec too. I had GA the first time and it was painless but the recovery was longer. I was groggy for a few hours and had to fast for 2 days and could not get down from bed for 2 days. I was told spinal would be painful when they jab into the spine but recovery would be faster. And since I am not planning for another child, I really wanted to build up enough courage to go through the surgery with a spinal jab. I wanted to see how or in this case hear how it was done. I just hope I won't chicken out at the last min.
Apart from worrying about which anasthetic to choose from and what have I not washed or cleaned, I am also constantly worried about the fact that in 4 more days I will have to manage 2 kids. Will I be able to do that? What will life be with 2 kids? How different will it be from now? I know many mothers have been through this and they survived and I will too, but I still can't stop myself from worrying and thinking too much. And you know what, we are going to put Hayley at the babysitter's for a few days when I am in the hospital and although that will only be happening in a few days, I am already feeling guilty and missing her like crazy even right now! Am I going insane or what????
The same guilt that I felt when I first found out I was pregnant that she will have to share my love with another sibling is back.... arghhh......
OK, I have to go and wash the bedsheets now.... tomorrow the curtains and strollers, Thurs the play pen.... hahaha
Heat rash attack 2
The heat rash attacked my poor girl again. The first time was in August and it lasted for slightly more than a week. This time we brought her to the paed and the paed said it wasn't heat rash. It was what chinese called 'fung mok'. I am not sure what it is called in medical terms. Anyway, the paed said it was an allergy, she is either allergic to some foods or some new washing detergent or some insects etc. The paed said it was mild and asked me if I gave her any new foods in the last couple of days. I honestly cannot recall giving her anything new and I bet the babysitter would tell me the same if I were to ask her on Monday. Hayley is 2.5 and she's eating everything we eat especially when we go out, it will be very tough to monitor her food.
Anyway, I am glad we brought her to the paed as the paed prescribed her with Atarax and the moment we gave her the first dose (she needs to take 3 doses a day for 3 days) the rashes disappeared. The paed also prescribed another med to be taken once a day for 2 weeks to hopefully get rid of this allergy.
Now the hard part is monitoring the food and if we can't find the source to it and should it happen again, we might need to document her daily food intake and routine to hopefully find the culprit.
As for eating the med, now that she's older and cheekier, she knows how to say no, how to keep her mouth closed and how to run away and hide the moment we take out the med bottle. The only way we can give her the med without any hassle is to bribe her with 1 M&M chocolate. We know bribing is not good but we're glad it worked.
Anyway, I am glad we brought her to the paed as the paed prescribed her with Atarax and the moment we gave her the first dose (she needs to take 3 doses a day for 3 days) the rashes disappeared. The paed also prescribed another med to be taken once a day for 2 weeks to hopefully get rid of this allergy.
Now the hard part is monitoring the food and if we can't find the source to it and should it happen again, we might need to document her daily food intake and routine to hopefully find the culprit.
As for eating the med, now that she's older and cheekier, she knows how to say no, how to keep her mouth closed and how to run away and hide the moment we take out the med bottle. The only way we can give her the med without any hassle is to bribe her with 1 M&M chocolate. We know bribing is not good but we're glad it worked.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Bun at 36+ weeks
Today we went to see our beloved Dr Lee again - getting a bit bored with all these visits and the waiting .. haha
The good news is Bun is growing well, Dr Lee predicted Bun to be at least 3.2 - 3.4kg (if not more). The circumference of Bun's head is quite big too, about the size of a 37 - 38 weeks baby. So Dr Lee said it is probably a good idea to confirm c-sec.
Our c-sec has been confirmed for 1st November at 2.30pm, just 16 more days to go [nail biting]. I probably won't be able to sleep the night before and ended up looking like a panda on 'action' day. Hopefully Bun remain co-operative and stick to our plan!
Dr Lee also said that there is a high chance that Bun might come earlier. If that happens, then we'll decide on the spot whether I should try natural or c-sec. He said if Bun's head engaged/crowned up to 40 - 50% and my cervix is about 4-5cm dilated, he would encourage me to try natural. But if Bun's head remained high and I am only about 2-3cm dilated and am experiencing labour pains, he suggested that I should just go for c-sec.
As for my weight, I lost this time. I am now at 58.9kg, lost 0.6kg in the last 2 weeks. Is losing weight even possible? I don't really know but Dr Lee said some women will lose weight closer to child birth so I should not be worried about it. But he did asked if I was sick or having diarrhea etc and said that instead of coming back in 2 weeks which will be 2 days before my c-sec, he suggested that I return for the last time next Saturday just to make sure everything is fine - he did show a concern face when he saw my current weight.. haiz...
In the last 2 weeks I also experienced the following changes:
The good news is Bun is growing well, Dr Lee predicted Bun to be at least 3.2 - 3.4kg (if not more). The circumference of Bun's head is quite big too, about the size of a 37 - 38 weeks baby. So Dr Lee said it is probably a good idea to confirm c-sec.
Our c-sec has been confirmed for 1st November at 2.30pm, just 16 more days to go [nail biting]. I probably won't be able to sleep the night before and ended up looking like a panda on 'action' day. Hopefully Bun remain co-operative and stick to our plan!
Dr Lee also said that there is a high chance that Bun might come earlier. If that happens, then we'll decide on the spot whether I should try natural or c-sec. He said if Bun's head engaged/crowned up to 40 - 50% and my cervix is about 4-5cm dilated, he would encourage me to try natural. But if Bun's head remained high and I am only about 2-3cm dilated and am experiencing labour pains, he suggested that I should just go for c-sec.
As for my weight, I lost this time. I am now at 58.9kg, lost 0.6kg in the last 2 weeks. Is losing weight even possible? I don't really know but Dr Lee said some women will lose weight closer to child birth so I should not be worried about it. But he did asked if I was sick or having diarrhea etc and said that instead of coming back in 2 weeks which will be 2 days before my c-sec, he suggested that I return for the last time next Saturday just to make sure everything is fine - he did show a concern face when he saw my current weight.. haiz...
In the last 2 weeks I also experienced the following changes:
- experiencing extreme itch on my tummy, so itchy that I have to scratch even when I am in the office or driving or walking. Extremely embarassing but I can't help it :-(. Hopefully I won't end up having red watermelon looking scars all over my tummy.
- my gums have also started bleeding in the last few days when I brush my teeth.
- sleeping (finding a comfortable spot) and waking up is becoming more and more challenging. Sometimes Bun will kick or press against my ribs causing pain.
- Bun likes to put pressure on my bladder too, very irritating.
- losing appetite during certain times especially dinner is also becoming a norm - sometimes feeling nauseous after eating - maybe this is why I lost weight.
- I am walking slower and slower that sometimes my colleagues will tease if they need to bring a shopping trolley to wheel me to lunch hahaha
Today we also completed pre-admission at SDMC. The costs are just scary, RM8,000 deposit, single room is RM230 per night (ala hotel standard).. hahaha
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Some random shots with my Canon S95
A day out to our regular park on Sunday. Photos taken using Canon S95.
P/S: Leona, this camera is very good la. You should look into getting this one.
P/S: Leona, this camera is very good la. You should look into getting this one.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Stocking up on herbs from EYS
The moment I found out I got pregnant, my best friend asked me to make sure I stock up on some herbs from Eu Yan Sang (EYS). When she got pregnant and when her sis in law got pregnant, her mom gave them a checklist on the things they need to buy, some from EYS and some from any chinese herbs shops outside but her mom insisted that they MUST get everything on the list. She's had 1 kid, her sister in law 3 kids and they both seems to have very good health after having the kids and rarely falls sick - unlike me :-(.
So this time I decided to follow her and requested the checklist from her mom. This is what I was told to get and I got mine mostly from EYS for convenience sake:
So this time I decided to follow her and requested the checklist from her mom. This is what I was told to get and I got mine mostly from EYS for convenience sake:
- Dang Guai and Nan Zhao (get 100 grams and divide into 4 packs), boil and drink with chicken drumstick after 10 days, drink once a week
- Bak Foong pills (eat for 12 days, only start eating after menses is clear)
- So Hup pills (eat for 16 days, can start immediately after child birth, once in the morning and once at night)
- Astragalus slices (pak kei)
- Tong sum
- Red dates
- Black dates
- Lycium berries (kei chi)
- Dried longan
- Black beans (hak dao) use to boil with soup
- Pak Foong Ngai (herbs for shower)
Items 1 to 3
My 30 packs of items 4 to 9 all nicely prepacked so it would be more convenient for the confinement lady to boil for me
The only 2 items I haven't bought would be item 9 and 10 which I will get later from the chinese herbs shop outside the house. The above, all from EYS cost me a hefty RM718.32 (after member's discount). Well, money aside I just hope to have better health after having Bun because I certainly do not want to be sick so often again like what I have to go through after having Hayley.
At Leona's recommendation, I also got a pack of Bo Ying Compound for Hayley just in case. I was told by EYS that I should give it to Bun as well the moment Bun is born but I am not prepared to do that. I think my breat milk will be sufficient :-)
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