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My Pregnancy & Baby Care Bibles

These are the 2 books I can't live without.

What To Expect WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING and What To Expect THE FIRST YEARS

1. What To Expect WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING - 4th Edition by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel - RM55.90 from Borders

- Although this book is an American book, it is still very useful.
- It is like having a personal gynae answering all your stupid questions mingling with your mind.
- A very organized book with easy-to-read format.


2. What To Expect THE FIRST YEARS by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg & Sandee Hathaway - RM44.00 from MPH

- Also have the same organized with easy-to-read format.
- Up-to-Date information on baby care, in-depth coverage on various issues such as health checks, vaccines, allergies, etc.

These are the only 2 books I bought (besides some magazines). It is nice to be able to flip through this and I always learn something new.

These 2 books not only help me understand more, but it also gives down-to-earth and practical advice and also give me confidence on what I am doing is right!

Pregnancy Update on the mother-to-be..ME!

Belly
Small for 32 weeks, or so I've been told. However, my gynae said my baby is bigger by a week. So ahhh....baby is big, mummy is small.

Appetite
My appetite is good. I eat very frequently nowadays. I take breakfast, elevenses, lunch, tea, dinner and supper. But all in small portions.

Cravings
I dont have any (darlin, u better thank your lucky stars!) except for my normal Chocolate cravings which I have since I know how to munch when I was 2 years old!
I still love Kit Kats, Hersheys, Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, M&Ms....

Clothes
I don't have many to choose from. I only bought a low-hip long jeans and a 3/4 slacks as bottoms, and 2 tops and a dress from ModernMum. Other than that, I live on borrowed clothes from my family...mostly from my mum ;)

Skin
My complexion is OK. No large amount of pimples or acne breakouts YET (touch wood!). But I have those uneven skin tone pigmentation on some parts of my body...namely neck, breasts, and belly.

General Wellbeing
I feel tired more frequently. Night time sleep is often interrupted by having to go pee - more than 3 times every night.

Although people commented that my belly is small, it is still way bigger than it used to be. So it is rather difficult to find a good position to sleep. Lying on my back is a definite no-no. It makes me cannot breathe. I need to lie on my side with my body pillow in between my legs.

Mood
I feel happy almost all the time knowing the Little Angel is growing healthily inside my womb. I even feel happy when he kicks me hard! Many people comment that I have that 'glowy' look on my face, is it true? :D

Hubby
He is such a dear so far. He accompanies me to every pregnancy checkup and also attended all 3 ante-natal classes. He refuses to let me climb up the stepladder to retrieve things and always help me to carry all the heavy stuff.

He even created a profile in his hp called 'VIP' which only I can call in and not others. This is really important as usually he used to switch his hp to Silent mode when he is with his clients. So now with this VIP mode, I get to reach him in case of emergency.

In short, I don't know what I'll do without him! :)

Baby 'R' Us is On Sale!!!

Baby 'R' Us is On Sale! So I flipped through the catalogue and thanks to my friend, I managed to get below items for Little Angel.

The First Years: Close and Secure Sleeper
MYR 169.90 save RM40 > RM129.90




The First Years: Sure Comfort Newborn-to-Toddler Tub
MYR 119.90 save RM40 > RM79.90



Nowadays I got all-hyped at viewing infant/baby stuff online - looking at those branded and quality baby stuff online.
Brands like Medela, MAM, Nuk, Lamaze, Fisher-Price, The First Years, Safety First, Bumble Bee suddenly sounds so familiar to me.

Tell me about all these brands 6 months ago and I will look at you with my blur face - absolute would have no idea what you are talking about!
Now I can sit down happily and talk about all these stuff for hours...tee hee!

32 weeks

Went to the gynae yesterday. Little Angel is now 2.1kg. Want to know roughly how big is he now?
Well, he is about the size of a large turnip and he is taking up a lot of space in my uterus.

He now has toenails, fingernails and I can even see his hairs sprouting out on top of his head in the ultrasound image Dr. Eric showed me.

I am also experiencing lower-back pain nowadays...especially so when I retire to bed every night. The whole day of activities finally unwinds and leave me kind of breathless and tired at night. Even so when I spend the whole day shopping with my mum. Hehe.

Anyway, Dr. Eric asked me to walk more. So no harm doing more shopping, right?

Photo taken from: Baby Center

Wish List - Gifts

I know I asked for Angpows. If you all give me angpows, below are the items I would buy.....


The First Years: Infant Car Seat Cappucino (with Base)

MYR 699.00 499.00

The First Years: Magna Light Stoller Cappucino
MYR 699.00 399.00
(these 2 items can be converted into Magna Light Travel System)



Kiddopotamus: Cradler Adjustable Head Support
MYR 69.00 62.10


Munchkin: Voice Activated Crib Light
MYR 99.90 89.91



Bumbo Baby Sitter
MYR 199.90 RM139.90


Pigeon Rapid Steam Sterilizer


Medela: Pump & Save Breastmilk Bags, box of 20
MYR 69.00 62.10



Medela: Breastmilk Storage Bottles (3 pcs Polypropylene Storage Bottles)
MYR 69.00


So many things I want and so little money I have. Arigato in advance.

31 weeks Pregnant Lady with Swollen Feet & Fingers

Now I have swollen feet and swollen fingers. Should be water retention (read about them from books and also from friends).

I know I need to drink more water.
I know I need to lift my legs up above my heart everytime I sit / sleep.
I know I must not stand for too long at one time.


My poor 'meeku' feet


My 'arthritis' fingers. I can't wear my wedding band now...so sad!


My HUGE bump. And to think so many people come and tell me that my belly is small...omg!
Look at my huge bump!

Off to Penang Dental

I am always discipline to go for my 6-monthly dental checkup. This time around, the visit is short - only 15 minutes as Dr. Khoo Joo Ean said my teeth are well-maintained (except for the area where food tends to be lodged in between my wisdom teeth).

I showed Dr. Khoo a small lump on my lips where I bit on it about a few weeks ago. She said it is a lump caused by a clogged salivary gland. It is pretty harmless actually but if it does bother me, I can have it removed. An incision needs to be done and a few hundred ringgit needed to be spent! Sigh...

This 15 minutes dental session costs me RM60.

Pregnancy Ultrasound at 20 weeks, 24 weeks & 30 weeks

I just realized that I did not post my visits to the gynae at week 20 and 24. And in a blink of an eye, I am now 30 weeks++ pregnant dee.

Let us see the milestones that Little Angel has gone through at that stage:


Little Angel @ 20 weeks @ 5th month

Little Angel's had been busy. At 20 weeks, his testicles have begun their descent from the abdomen. In a few months, they'll drop into the scrotum (which was still under construction at that time)

Little Angel @ 24 weeks @ 6th month

By 24 weeks, his face is almost fully formed - complete with a full set of eyeleashes and eyebrows and a good sprinkling of hair on his head.
Actually, little angel's head is still snow white in colour, since there is no pigment in that hair just yet at 24 weeks.

Little Angel @ 30 weeks @ 7th month

Little Angel is getting bigger by the day - also getting bigger is his brain, which is preparing for life outside the womb, and for a lifetime of learning.

This is where I am now..into my 30th week of pregnancy.
However, at the last scan which was 2 weeks ago, Dr. Eric said my Little Angel is growing on par with my pregnancy calendar except for his head which is 4 weeks bigger!

But rest assured, Dr. Eric said this is normal as sometimes the head grows faster than the body. At the next few scans, the body may continue to grow while the head growing may slows down. We won't know 'til the very end of the pregnancy.

But if the head is indeed bigger, then I may have a harder time pushing Little Angel out!!! *ooohhhhh......pray hard*

Fluid Retention

For the past few days, my hands are in pain.
OK, not so much pain until I shout 'ouch' but then I can feel the ache at the joints of my fingers for both my hands.

I emailed Dr. Eric Soh and he replied me saying I am having fluid retention over the small joints of your fingers.

According to Dr. Eric, this is supposed to be quite common and unfortunately it gets worse as pregnancy progresses. But the good news is, tt will resolve spontaneously after delivery.

Dr. Eric suggests gentle constant massage over your fingers will alleviate the pain and discomfort. Soaking in warm water may also help if pain is bad.

Now I feel like a pregnant lady having arthritis!

30 weeks pregnant lady

Look at me. My belly is getting bigger and bigger.


Front view

Side view

Swaddle Blanket

Mum bought a swaddle blanket for Little Angel today. It was priced at RM39.90 but with a 20% discount, mum grabbed it.

A swaddle blanket helps with breastfeeding as it keeps little arms and hands tucked away. It also helps to relieve colic and calm twitches.

I've seen friends using lampin to wrap baby but baby grows big too fast and very soon the lampin will be too small for wrapping.

Thanks mum!

1st Antenatal Class

Peter & I both signed up for the Island Hospital Antenatal Class. The classes will be conducted on Saturdays from 2.30 PM to 5.00 PM starting from last Saturday.

We went there with an open mind. I was feeling kind of excited to see what was in store for us.

We were greeted upon reaching the training/conference room and was told to register. Expecting mothers were given a goodybag each. Peter & I then went into the conference room and there was already a video showing on the projector on 'how to give your baby a massage'. The video is for those who came early so that they have something to watch and not sit there and do nothing.

The whole thing was very well organized. The programme for the session was also being displayed on the board....stating down the speakers and all their various topics.

I was especially interested in the 'Pain Relief in Labour' and 'Nutrition for Two'. I asked many questions on these 2 topics. Some of the questions I asked:

'Pain Relief in Labour'
- What are the side effects of epidural?
- Can we still feel the sensation to push if we opt for epidural?
- What are the charges?

'Nutrition for Two'
- Is liver a real no-no?
- What to avoid eating when we are breastfeeding? Is herbal tonic, ginger and sesame oil really OK?

They also showed us a few video clips on the labour and delivery process. They also showed the episiotomy procedure (a surgical incision through the perineum made to enlarge the vagina and assist childbirth). It is especially good for Peter who has no idea what it is like (because he doesn't read as many pregnancy and baby books as me!).

Breaktime is the highlight for Peter. They prepared lots of good and nutritional snacks. They have cheeese sandwiches, sardine sandwiches, a variety of fruits, fried mee, chicken, muffins, yakult and chilled milo. I drank 3 yakults!

I am looking forward to next week's 2nd session!

27 weeks old

Interesting foetal factoid: My little angel has more taste buds than he will have at birth (and beyond). Which means that not only is my little angel able to taste the differencde in the amniotic fluid when I eat different food, he might even react to it.

My pregnany book tells me that some babies might even respond to spicy food by hiccupping. Or some by kicking.

But this mummy likes and eats spicy food quite regularly (but not too spicy ones). And I feel that little angel is kicking me all the time...so no difference! ;P

Vaginal Birth via Epidural or Ala Naturale

I'm definitely going to try for vaginal birth if everything goes smoothly and if doc give me the green light. However, I still have the option to choose whether do I want painkillers to assist me during labour and delivery.

Well, of course if I can bear it throughout, I would definitely want to bear the pain and go all natural. The question is the big IF. IF I can bear it.

If I reject the epidural initially and when the pain gets unbearable, it will be too late to take the epidural jab by then because it needs time for the epidural to take effect. And if worse comes worse, I somehow have too much pain and have no more energy to push, caesarian would then by the next process...which is something I want to avoid!

On another note, although I read in all pregnancy books that epidural are relatively safe (of coz with some risks), but I heard friends who tell me that they have some side effects. I wonder if it is true.

My mum of course is all pro for me to go ala-naturale all the way. She even discourage me to take any form of painkillers. She says so with a point. She went through 3 successful deliveries via ala naturale.

But I do not want her to make me do something I am not comfortable with. I want to be able to have the options to choose what makes me feel the most comfortable.

My only Little Black Dress

Peter & I attended the Public Mutual Branch Annual Awards Nite 2009 @ EQ yesterday night. I managed to find a Little Black Dress (courtesy of my beloved mum!) for the occasion!

It is difficult to attend such functions these days with my growing belly. It seems like every other part of me if not growing yet except for my belly and this ain't easy to fit into clothes.

Anyway, for future such functions, may it be annual dinner, weddings or parties....this is the dress I am going to wear.....because this is the only Little Black Dress I have!

Wish List - Ang Pows

Friends and relatives have been asking me what I would like as a gift to my little angel. Well, it is a little intimidating and scary to put up my wish list for all to see because everything I want is so expensive!

From infant car seat to stroller to electric breast pump....everything is in terms of hundreds ringgit each.

So actually, I don't expect any of you to buy me any of the expensive items. So I am actually asking for Ang Pows aka MONEY! I will then just pool in all the money and then buy them myself.

So people out there, please start saving now. I still have ~100 days to go until my EDD!
Arigato :D

21 weeks & 23 weeks pregnant lady

Here are some pictures of the sexy and beautiful me at pregnancy week 21 & 23. :P

21 weeks pregnant - a dress bought from Nichii


21 weeks pregnant - pants and a maternity top bought on sale from ModernMum


23 weeks pregnant - someone (whom I cant recall) gave me this dress.

My belly is definitely bigger now right? I'm happy to announce that I now weigh 49.7kg...almost 50kg now...wow!!!

Hand Made Baby Comforter

Look what my little angel got for as her Valentine gift from Aunty June.....a hand-made Baby Comforter...filled with hand sewn cartoon dinasour, giraffe, teddy bear, froggy, etc.

I am so touched to see the effort she put into it. "...It's for your baby..." she said the moment she showed it to me. I was so surprised.

Aunty June is actually my collegemate Sue Mei's mum. We've been to her place from time to time to visit her just to keep in touch and not to mention that Peter is also their financial consultant ;)

Look at her delicate work...amazing!

Thank you very much Aunty June!

22 weeks old

My little angel is developing his senses - touch, sight, hearing and taste. He may now even grab onto the umbilical cord (there is nothing else for him to grab in there, right?) and practise the strong grip that will soon be clutching my fingers!

Do you know that our little angel can perceive light and dark? Even with fused eyelids and even though it is dark in the uterine cocoon. My pregnancy bible tells me that if I shine a flashlight over my belly, I may be able to feel little angel squirrming away from the 'bright' light!
I haven't tried it yet though....

Little angel can also now hear his daddy and mummy's voice, my regular heartbeat, the whoosh-whoosh of my blood circulating my body, those gastric gurgles, and even the dog barking, loud TV (Peter's Iron Man and Ben10 cartoon noises), etc. He can now basically hear what I am hearing.
So now is time to play the Mozart!

What's In A Baby's Name?

Many people have many reasons and preferences when it comes to naming their babies. Some followed the family generation name. Some named their babies after someone they admire. Etc.

For us, we don't have any family generation name to follow (phew!), which means I can name my little angel anything we like....let me rephrase....'anything I like' (Peter leaves this all to me!).

I haven't decided on a name yet (I change my mind every month) but one thing for sure is that little angel will not be having a christian name. I know! I know! Everyone has a christian name, right? It makes it easier to remember, right?

Well, I have nothing against christian names. I have even thought of a few names I like too. But then I feel that once a person has a christian name, his or her chinese name are often being neglected. No one seems to call you by your chinese name anymore.

I am someone very traditional. I like being a chinese and having a chinese name. So maybe I will just choose a 'modern' chinese name for my little angel! :D

Vaginal Candidiasis

I was experiencing vaginal itch for a few days last week and was feeling very bothered by it. It is annoying to always need to 'scratch' below and thus makes the area kind of sore.

In the end, I emailed Dr. Eric and he replied saying that I may be having a recurrence of Vaginal Candidiasis. I went to see him on 29th Jan and he gave me some medication and I am feeling itch-free again now!

Isn't it cool to have a gynae who replies your emails? Do all gynaes in Penang reply emails?

*Candidiasis, also known as a "yeast infection" or VVC, is a common fungal infection that occurs when there is overgrowth of the fungus called Candida. Candida is always present in the body in small amounts. However, when an imbalance occurs, such as when the normal acidity of the vagina changes or when hormonal balance changes, Candida can multiply. When that happens, symptoms of candidiasis appear. (Source: excerpt from Genital Candidiasis: DBMD)*

20 weeks pregnant lady

I am now in my 20 weeks pregnancy. As I mentioned in my previous post 20 days ago...I feel that my belly is growing exponentially. It is getting bigger every day. Yes, I mean it...EVERY DAY!

Many of you have seen me just a week ago or so, but you will be surprised by how big my belly is now.
So please savour the moment and scroll down to see the sexy and beautiful 20 weeks pregnant lady! :D


side view - what a huge bump!


front view: you can even see the bump now from the front view


full length: I've still got a teeny weeny waist...phew!

New Maternity Clothes

After Soo Huey called to cancel our lunch appointment, I went shopping at Gurney with mum and ah yee. Ended up shopping for nearly 5 hours and I think more than 6 toilet visits :P

Highlight of the day - New Maternity Clothing for me.
I am so glad I went shopping for maternity clothes with my mum. She is not those old-fashion type. (in fact my ex-colleagues always comment that my mum is more 'YEH' than me!). Mum is modern yet decent...which is what I like!

Bought a few staples - basic beige pants and blue jeans. And also 2 tops. And 2 dresses.
I know maternity clothing are expensive...but didnt expected it to be SO expensive. I mean if there are no discounts, just a simple top costs more than rm100. And this is just top only.

Mum is so nice to 'sponsor' me a few hundred ringgit. Even after the 'sponsor', I still spent quite a lot (way more than what I would spend for clothes). Peter said he nearly pengsan when I told him how much $ i swiped with his card. Hehe. Birthday present mah...so he cannot complain, right?

I Felt His Kicks and Punches

Today is another day of 'first' - I felt our little angel doing some kicks and punches inside my belly!

Actually, Dr. Eric did asked me whether I felt the baby move during my most recent gynae visit. I said 'No' as I felt nothing and even thought it is much too early to feel anything. I was like thinking that I may only feel it when I am 6-7 mths pregnant.

But then when I felt little angel doing somersaults in my belly, I felt so, so, so good. My sis, Shu-Min happened to be in our house and I let her feel it too. And of course little angel's daddy also felt him showing off his acrobatic skills.

It is such a contented feeling - such a miracle to feel our creation moving inside me. I think no one will ever know how I feel like.

Happy and amazed and contented.

Maternity Clothes

I think I am in dire need of maternity clothes. Ok...not in dire needs...but in need definitely. I had been following some of the pregnancy blogs (of people I don't know) and some of their entries are really educational. I learn a lot from these blogs...and I am learning still.

Before now, I made up my mind to spend very little on maternity clothes. I mean, imagine spending a few hundred ringgit on each of the clothes which you can only wear for a few months. And then you start packing them away. What a waste of money, right?

So i set my mind to wear my usual clothes until they don't fit anymore. And then just buy some cheap baggy clothes that will do.

But after reading one of the blogger's post, now I have a totally different opinion when it comes to purchasing of maternity.

That blogger is now pregnant with her 3rd child. She was having the same thoughts as me during her 1st and 2nd pregnancy. She wore her usual clothes until they didn't fit. And you know what happened? She ruined all her usual clothes (because they stretched and went all loose in the tummy area) and all the cheap clothes also stretched and didn't last. All in all, she had a feel-bad pregnancy when it comes to fashion!

I think I learnt a lot from her. I am going to buy some basics and everyday staples...those in classic styles and basic colours. I want to feel-good during my pregnancy. Furthermore, I am going to have more than 1 kid, right? So I can still save them for my 2nd pregnancy! :D

I am going to ask for maternity clothes from darlin' as my birthday present! :)

It's Getting Bigger & Bigger!

Golly! Suddenly I feel my belly is getting so much bigger. How can that be?
I mean it was just yesterday when I felt that my belly is growing too slow and today I find my belly so much bigger than I remembered!

I feel that my belly is so 'tegang'...if you know what I mean. I feel like my belly is going to burst anytime!

Belly getting bigger?

The hourly maid that came to my house fornightly exclaimed this afternoon that my belly is getting bigger. Is that so? I can't seem to realize that my belly is getting bigger. It still seems a 'lil too small for an 18 weeks pregnant lady. I guess by looking at myself everyday, the changes will not be obvious.

Darlin' Peter too could not really see any difference in my belly. He kept on joking that our little angel would rather 'stay' inside daddy's 'bungalow' than mummy's 'apartment'! Hehe

Lower Abdomen Pain

I am having cramp-like pain in my lower abdomen. I read somewhere that it may be caused by the stretching of ligaments that support the uterus. It says experience mild cramps, while others experience achiness or a pulling sensation. It may lasts for several hours, or even several days.