week 36

I'm 50.7kg and baby's 1.9kg.
No bleeding, baby's been active, water bag level good, heart rate 144.
I still feel her squirming around a lot, maybe still a lot of space in my belly.
Which means more room for growth.

Poon thinks her head and body is small so he wants her to be induced at week 38.
He didn't rule out the fact it could be genetics, but he also mentioned doppler test could be done to check on blood flow etc.

We are just praying hard she will make appearance before that.
Grow baby, grow!!

The clinic forgot to prepare our hospital admin/doctor's letter.
Guess we can only collect it on the 37th week checkup.
Stepped out of the clinic having mixed feelings.

I have a fear of being induced.
Its not only more painful, there are extra cost involved and your body gets triggered to breastfeed even before it is naturally ready.
Most of my friends ended up with emergency c-sect after failing to dilate after getting induced.

I mean i don't mind whatever method as long as baby is safe.
But some methods are just to "play safe".
In the process, just cause me more stress and trauma.
Just gonna trust God and my instinct.
Claiming a normal vaginal delivery, in Jesus' name!

What we can do now is to pray and continue to trust/believe in God for supernatural growth and smooth natural delivery.

Suffered from mild water retention a few days back.
And i feel my thighs getting bigger.
Sometimes my leg gets super achy when i'm walking.
Quality sleep is tricky with the belly.

Hospital bag has been packed!
Using the husband's backpack.
Need to put in some last min items like camera and charger.
Will share whats in it if you guys are interested.

Waterbag, please break on your own.
Contractions, I'm ready for you.
Cervix, dilate fast when time is ripe!
Baby, Mummy and Daddy wanna see u after vday, so grow well and come out soon ok!

week 34

Cutest ultrasound of Buttercup ever!
She's lying on her left side, thats her fist and knees on the top.
First time we have her entirely in a photo since 2nd trimester (:

I've hit the 50kg mark! Woohoooo!!
And she's approximately 1.8kg.
Poon said there's a good amount of fluid and everything's looking good for natural delivery.
Next checkup is 2 weeks from now.

Check out my linea nigra haha
I noticed my aerola turning a lot darker too, it used to be pink.
But good news, i heard it won't stay that shade forever.
Hormones are powerful!

week 25

My cute buttercup!
Weighing 629g approximately, her bpm is 161.
That puts my weight up to 46.9kg.

Wow, 1.3kg gain in 3 weeks.
Gynae commented can be better.
He just told me to eat more but hey, the more i eat, the more comes out through the back door.

And actually I'm guilty.
Eating more doesn't mean my nutrition level doubles up; it simply means I'm eating empty calories or junking away.

Sorry buttercup, i will try to eat better for you, for us (:

Noticed 2 skin tags, one behind my neck, the other at my underarms.
Pregnancy woes.

Another 3 weeks till I enter 3rd trimester.
So far i am experiencing trouble with sleeping positions.
And i am 3 weeks behind antenatal pilate classes.

Can't wait for Mount Alvernia's maternity tour on 29th Nov.
We will be placing deposit to confirm a spot for 2016.
You can click here for more information.

week 22: gender reveal

Baby weighs 397g today.
My weight increased to 45.6kg, that is 1.5kg gain in 3 weeks.
Doctor as advised me to put on 500g per week, so I'm right on track.

That's buttercup 'staring' straight at us (or the probe) during the scan.
She's growing so well.
My placenta is in the right place so everything's progressing good. Thank God (:
Will keep declaring health and life over her, giving thanks and praises to Him.

Bought a huge faux fur rug/throw for her nursery and also her first hooded towel.
Cant wait to do up her room.

Watch the reveal here:

week 21: detailed scan at Mount Alvernia

FA scan with our radiologist went really well this morning (:
The free shuttle bus ride from Bishan took a grand total of 8mins only.

The purpose of a Fetal Anomaly Scan is to check on the physical development of the fetus as well as structural abnormalities.

Registration was quick and soon we were led into the room.
The 2D scan started with measuring the baby's head, pointing out the orbits of baby's eyes, upper/lower lips, nose.
She's moved on to the torso, pointed out baby's heart with 4 valves, measured heartbeat 152bpm, confirmed 2 kidneys were presented, some line separating the abdomen and organs, baby's bladder which is almost full. She commented baby was about to pass urine.

We saw the baby's legs, feet and toes which was extremely cute!! She counted the 10 fingers for us; but at one point the baby was sucking the thumb so we waited. I was smiling myself silly by then.
Spine photos were carefully taken, from neck till tailbone. Followed by the search for baby's ears and genitals which took the longest.

At this point the baby was kicking me and moving around a lot so she had to freeze certain frames to measure or count. My placenta is in the right place (5.8cm away from cervix), she pointed out the umbilical cord and amniotic fluid. Baby weighs about 340g as of 20 weeks 4 days. Everything is going well and we cannot be more thankful for His goodness.

Scan was over in 45mins and this is honestly one of the best 45mins in the pregnancy!
Thank God for answering all our prayers and also for giving us a glimpse of what is about to come in another 19 weeks time (:

week 19

No luck with finding out the gender.
This ultrasound shows the top view of buttercup, face up (you can make out where the eyes are), belly up and legs crossed.
We tried to get her to move so we can see the genitals but no luck.
So i guess, see you in 2-3 weeks time!

Praise the Lord, my placenta has moved up!
It was slightly low during my last visit so i was concerned.
God is good  (:

I have quite a bit of amniotic fluid, thats good news too.
Baby is growing well, strong heartbeat 158bpm.
I have also gained 1.6kg since the last visit, which brings my weight up to 44.1kg today.
Wow! Super impressive!! Not like i'm eating more, just the usuals.
It will be good if i can gain that much (steadily) for the next 5 months.
44.1kg is still underweight for my height. BMI not the healthy range yet, but i will get there!

Enjoying every bit of 2nd trimester.
In 2 weeks time, we will be doing our obstetric scan for fetal abnormalities at Mount Alvernia.
Cost $95 before GST.
Not sure what to expect but we are looking forward to seeing you again baby!

Watch my pregnancy blog #1 below; shared my ASOS maternity haul.
Stay tune for #2 where i will be sharing my baby fair purchases.

week 16: discussion of Oscar Results

Shortest wait for gynae today!
Was given a mask because I'm coughing and feeling congested.
Dr Poon walked in with a smile at 10.50am, our appt was at 10.30am with a patient before us.

He took my blood pressure (borderline) and asked how i was feeling, if i was eating well etc.
He went on mentioning that my weight is not increasing fast enough.
I'm standing at 42.5kg now, thats a 100g increase since my last appt 3 weeks ago.
Its not like i don't want to eat, i'm dying to! Appetite is not great and if I'm nauseated, i can forget about food for the rest of the day.
I'm still throwing up as of last week; is my morning sickness ever gonna get better?
His target for me is a gain of 500g by the next appt. WHAT?

Ultrasound scan revealed baby's in good health, all growing accordingly. He stopped giving us the length (head to rump) because as it starts to get more cramp, it will be harder to measure baby's length. He did take notes/length of the baby's limbs, neck, head, torso etc. And of course he let us listen to the precious heartbeat. I always smile when i hear buttercup's loud heartbeat.

This week, buttercup's hand is covering his/her genitals, so Dr Poon couldn't get an accurate reading of the gender. Not surprisingly, baby is sleeping face down, thus the awkward downward facing ultrasound photo below:

He did mention my placenta is a little low-lying but it should move up during the pregnancy.
We went on to discuss the Oscar test which we passed with flying colours.
Age risk is 1:725, and for the other Trisomy 13, it is about 1:<10000 nbsp="" p="">Bloodworks reflected good results for hep B, HIV, glucose and haemoglobin.
Praise the Lord for His hands upon our pregnancy and for this little miracle in my womb (: Just immensely grateful and thankful every single day.

Noticed my gums are bleeding these few weeks, and some bumps on both my arms.
And the hairy belly. Hormones are hard at work!

Because of the haze, I'm coughing and feeling congested.
Dr Poon prescribed Fluimucil, Dequalinium and Duro Tuss Forte for me.
Hopefully it clears up soon cause I'm so done coughing. Not only does it affect my sleep, my head becomes super heavy. And more medication??? No thanks.

This trip is costly because we signed up for the antenatal package $939.46:

package $800
medication $78

This is what Dr Poon King Fu offers in his clinic as of 2015:

So it will be 3 weeks interval per checkup till the 28th week, then it will be fortnightly. Then weekly.
Looking forward to seeing buttercup grow grow grow!

week 12

Hi guys!
I've endured 7 weeks of morning sickness!
Lost a bit of weight, standing at 42.3kg now.
But baby's heart is beating healthily at 168bpm (:
Still at a loss whether to go for Oscar/Harmony test.
But i have to do my compulsory blood test next week, freak out please.

Gagging continues, puking decreased, i try to avoid vomit triggers like durian, onion, garlic, fried food smell, hawker centre, coffee shop.
Recently, cannot stand the smell of my mother's chinese cooking.
I try to brush my teeth at lightning speed because i cannot tolerate the toothpaste taste either.

Diet wise, I'm still quite picky. I prefer food like sandwich, green apples or thick soups.
Sometimes i want to eat a certain food, but once its placed in front of me, i lose my appetite immediately. Basically i eat like a mouse now.
Hoping the morning sickness starts to ease this coming week so i can start enjoying pregnancy and indulge in all the food!

Dr Poon started me on Fish Oil supplement.
Why is it so expensive!! $45 a bottle of 30 capsules.........
I have to continue with my Folate, Iron and Calcium pills. That's still 4 pills in total.

My BP is always on the higher side, but after seeing the doctor, it normally drops to 114-134.
I guess thats anxiety and excitement all at the same time.
Waited 2 hours to see him today, so we took our time with consultation, bombing him with a list of questions. Had a horrible headache last night which kept me up, sleeping position is not comfortable (back/left side...nothing works), gotta clear my bladder at least once every night.

Immensely grateful Marcus buys me food i want to eat, and he helps me to finish my leftovers.
I cannot stand the way i feel on most days, eeky, sicky, pukey, all grossed out.

Today's breakdown $194+:

Consultation: $65
Scan: $60
Urine Test: $5
Iron pill: $7
Fish oil: $45

Here's an ultrasound of buttercup. He/she is sleeping in a curled up position so Dr Poon couldn't capture a good photo after trying many times. Which means the measurement is not accurate today either. Its ok baby, just sleep and grow well for Daddy and Mummy ok xoxo

Dr Poon King Fu Review

I wish we had known about Dr Poon earlier.
A good friend Amy recommended us to him recently.
He was so reassuring, friendly, and he made us feel comfortable immediately.

Today marks 7 weeks (8 maybe), its always +5 -5 approximately.
Praise the Lord we saw growth, development and heard the heartbeat.
God is so so so good (:

Dr Poon answered our questions patiently, he explained what i should avoid, how the husband can take care of me, i just feel so assured to have him taking care of me now. Grateful and thankful God directed us to the right doctor and friends.

Its better to make an appointment in advance because i got rejected 2 weeks ago. Their schedule was full for the day and i got turned away. Made an appointment to see him at 1045, saw him only at 1115. Wasn't too long a wait but i was super kanchiong to see the little one!! Technology and clinic environment is standard, ultrasound photo turned out very clear. He also checked my Blood Pressure and stomach before the scan. Dr Phua did none of these. I would think there's more privacy as compared to Dr Phua at Kovan.
Dr Poon delivers at Mount E Novena too, so we are definitely excited!!

Dr Poon makes his morning rounds at the hospital before stepping into clinic after 10am.
Some waiting is expected if there are emergencies at the hospitals.

Bottom line, we highly recommend Dr Poon. He's godly, confident and thorough with his explanations without much promptings. I could tell he was equally as happy when he scanned me this morning, he even said Thank God and smiled when he saw the little one. Which made me extra happy to know my doctor is optimistic like we are.

Below is a breakdown of our 1st visit (excludes GST):

Consultation: $80
Scan: $60
Urine test: $5
Medicine: $5-7

I would say it slightly on the pricer side for a neighbourhood clinic.
Almost like Dr Kowa charges over at Mount E.
But we do feel like we are in good hands this time.
Lord, please continue to bless Marcus in his ministry and career so we can afford the checkups :b

As of today, i really detest durians and meat.
Bloatedness and morning sickness continues but it seems much better already.
I experience extreme fatigue on some days. But not a problem since i don't bake on a daily basis. Im positively sure i have a baby bump, its still flat-looking but i feel the difference already. When you are more tone, its harder to see a bump. Will provide a baby bump photo on my next entry after my 10th week checkup. Stay tune!

Update 26 Feb 2016: Dr Poon King Fu is honestly our best decision ever (:
Mention my name (Shanice) if you are going to visit him.
He will be extra extra extra extra friendly with you haha

week 5: Are you married?

"Yes i am."

That was the question by Dr Phua, our recent gynae.
Same one during my 1st pregnancy which ended on the 11th week with a D&C last year.

Well, good news!
I am 5 weeks pregnant.
Next appointment is in 2 weeks time, hopefully the little one will grow healthily till full term.
I'm casting away all negative thoughts on this pregnancy.

Am prescribed Utrogestan to stabilise the pregnancy, and the usual folic acid.
Morning sickness hasn't really kicked in yet, or rather, its not as bad as the last year's.
If all is well, we will have a March 2016 baby!
Same month as our wedding anniversary.

We are very thankful and extremely happy.
Thank you God!
If you are reading this, pray for us! (:

week 11 The Silent Miscarriage

What filled our hearts was sadness and loss during the checkup this morning.
Strangely, my weight dropped even more this week, bringing it to 41.4kg today.
There wasn't any sign of miscarriage and i suffered from moments of morning sickness the past 3 weeks.
Foetus was still measuring 8 weeks today and no heartbeat could be detected.

We did both US and transvaginal to confirm, but there was nothing.
He couldn't pick out blood flow near the fetus and noticed jagged uterus walls.
Gynae was certain the pregnancy is unhealthy and chromosomal abnormalities being the likely cause of the miscarriage. He assured me it is nothing to do with what i eat or what i have been doing or what i have not done. Every miscarriage case is an isolated event and many go on to have successful pregnancies. And so, we were scheduled for the procedure on Thursday to clear my uterus :(

We loved the baby the moment she was formed in my womb.
How the news tore our heart and soul to pieces..
We wanted this baby so much, but now we have to give her back to the Lord.

God gives, God takes away.
God is faithful like He has always been and we trust His plans are always good.
I know my every tear matters to Him and He will bring us comfort, strength, peace and restore my health and joy.

But my heart is grieving.
We can only put our hope and trust in God, that in His time, He will make all things beautiful for us.
God is still good, and we stand on His promises, He will go through this with us.
"He will turn my mourning into dancing".