20 November 2007 - The world can be beautiful after all

Have been very busy at work lately and I guess this will continue at least till mid-December. Although I am pregnant, but I am still working and to be honest, sometimes I really get frustrated over the fact that people seemed to have the thinking that we are very free just because we are in IFS. In a way, we are made to feel "inferior" to those in the main LOS even though I can proudly say that the efforts I put in to my work are no less than when I was in ASSUR.

Anyway, enough about these complaints. A few weeks ago, I was working late and feeling extremely tired and hungry, I decided to buy Mac's and take a cab home. When I got on the cab, the uncle asked if I bought Mac's and told me to eat while it's hot. Initially I was paiseh and told him it's ok but he insisted. I guess he saw that I was pregnant and think it is better I eat then.

Another time, a taxi driver was approaching the traffic lights which were turning amber. He beat the lights as he told me that initially he wanted to step on the brakes but he is afraid it will affect the baby.

Today, another taxi uncle asked if it is my first child and he said that my tummy is pointed so my baby must be a boy. Then he advised me that these last few months must be extra careful and don't go out too often as some escalators can be slippery, some steps are rather steep and dangerous etc. It brought a warm feeling to my heart that a stranger is kind enough to give me such advice.

The short encounters with these wonderful souls showed me that the rainbow will still appear, it is only a matter of when.


This reminds me of a phrase that I have read before. " As a symbol of hope, a rainbow over the Amazon offers a sense of optimism for this threatened world."

13 November 2007 - My birthday

Today is my 27th birthday. It is the first time in my life that I spent my birthday with another life inside me. Derek and me went to this Seafood restaurant at Boat Quay and had "Zi Char". The food was average but both of us loved the Thai Coconut Juice. The meal, consisting of 4 dishes came up to about $70 which I felt was too expensive. Last week, Derek also bought 6 bottles of concentrated bird's nest from Eu Yan Seng to pamper me. He refused to tell me how much he spent but I reckon that it must have been quite a lot because of the brand and the fact that everything is getting more expensive these days.

Since about 2 months ago, we have started to prepare for our baby's arrival. I bought some baby stuff at the BHG sale in October and last month, we also bought some from Derek's aunt's shop. As for clothes, Derek's sisters have bought a few sets for us since they knew of my pregnancy. Most of the clothes that I have gotten are white in colour as I think it is the best colour for babies. I do not like the idea of "boys wearing blue all the time" and "girls wearing pink all the time".

Sleepsuits, rompers, booties and mittens

Nappy liners, wet wipes, changing mat, bolster, brushes, etc stocked in the cabinet

Derek's aunt will be lending us her grandkid's cot. Hence, that is another thing that we can save on as I think babies will outgrow cots very soon. She will also be passing us some second-hand clothes that her grandson has wore before. We are waiting for the Kiddy Palace at CS to re-open so that we can get the Pigeon sterilizer.

10 October 2007 - Pregnancy books

Derek bought this book for me in July 2007. It was recommended by his colleague and is something like a pregnancy manual that talks about pregnancy in a month-by-month format. I am almost reaching the end of the book but will still refer to it every now and then to re-read or simply to find answers to concerns or doubts that I have.


Another book that I have started to read is this book on Breastfeeding given to me by Eleanor. Speaking of Eleanor, we did have many things in common and our EDD are only 1 week apart! Due to this, we will always share with each other how are our bodies changing during pregnancy, where are the latest baby sales, what we have read from the Singapore Motherhood forum and so on. She is the only one among my friends who is pregnant. In fact, I do not have any friends who had given birth before to ask for any advice. The only ones I know of are my cousins but they are at least 10 years older than me so we are not so close.



I can always ask my mum but the last time she gave birth was to Shirlyn, which was like 26 years ago! And after chatting with my mum a few times, I realised that things have changed so much now- in terms of medical and baby care. My mum told me that in her days, they did not have ultrasound scans during the visits to the gynae. Hence, it was only until the day you delivered then you know whether you had a boy or gal. And people will usually "tell" or rather, guess from the shape of your tummy to "assess" if you are carrying a boy or gal. I guess that was how those old wives' tales and myths started! Fish oil supplements were also unheard of. Moreover, very few people used breast pumps - they simply latch on the baby and surprisingly, breast engorgement were not a complaint. Likewise for steam sterilizers- people simply put the bottles into a pot of boiled water to sterilize them.

I guess society advancements has its pros and cons. Despite the improved medical care and technology in childbirth, it somehow feels less natural compared to the "olden days". And with more advancements especially the internet, books, magazines, I am sure many mummies-to-be are more informed but yet at the same time, exposed to more things which may cause unnecessary worry. I myself is guilty of it; when I read that someone is the forum is experiencing baby movements and I have yet to feel it, I start to worry. When I see other people gaining more weight than me, I worry again despite knowing that every pregnancy is different. It is only when I hear from my gynae that the baby is doing welll then I feel assured. The word "supposed to" ought to be erased from a pregnant woman's vocabulary and ear-plugs
should be made compulsory for all expectants!

6 September 2007 - Detailed scan at TMC

Today we went for my detailed scan at TMC. It was also my first time going to TMC. We waited for about half an hour for our turn despite having made the appointment at 10.30am. While waiting, we saw some parents bringing their newborns for injections- they are all so small and cute!

Finally we were being ushered into a room and our radiologist was Ms Tee. She informed us that the ultrasound machine in that room was a 3D one (compared to others which may be 2D). We were excited as we thought we could finally see our baby more clearly. However, baby was facing inwards most of the time and using his hands to rub his eyes or cover his face! The clearest picture I could see was the spine.

Baby's spine

During the scan, it was confirmed that we are having a baby boy. The estimated weight of our baby is about 342g and I don't know why in my mind, I kept trying to imagine a packet of preserved sour plums as you know, we usually buy in quantities of like 500g. Hence, I was telling myself, it is lighter than the packet of plums which I buy...

The radiologist also measured the size of the head, abdomen and checked for organs like heart, kidney, bladder, spine, nose, lips, the bloodflow and the level of amniotic fluid. Luckily my placenta is normal, not too low (as some mummies experienced low lying placenta). Everything is good according to the report and we rushed down to our appointment at Dr Woo's. There, he also told us that I have cleared the Triple Blood Test. Phew!

I told Dr Woo about my morning sickness and he said to give it another month :( I was thinking, shouldn't it be gone by end of 1st trimester like most people? Sigh, looks like I just gotta be more patient. So far, I didn't gain much weight, in fact, the vomitting and poor appetite has attributed to me losing weight instead. Dr Woo told me it is fine, the mummy's weight is not important as long as our baby is growing.

11 August 2007 - Morning sickness

It is getting worse. I feel very uncomfortable when taking the train and it doesn't help that because of my small built and tummy being not obvious, no one will give up the seat to me. Not to mention the bus, the jerking and braking of the bus is simply unbearable. Sometimes I have to resort to taking the cab but you know there are lousy drivers around Singapore as well. Once, I even vomitted on the cab. Derek and I just had Pasta Mania at Plaza Sing and again, my appetite was not good. Hence, I just ate 3/4 of a regular sized pizza then we bought some bread home in case I was hungry. When I was reaching Bedok reservoir, there was a sudden surge of vomit at my throat and luckily I had a plastic bag with me!

Although I felt better after vomitting, it still feels uncomfortable as I had never had this kind of feeling before. Many colleagues told me that so far, I still look ok as in, I didn't look pale or very tired like some pregnant women they have seen. All I could do is smile as I was thinking... it is because you have not seen me at night man! Only Derek could see how "black" my face was and how easily irritated I have become.

At our third gynae appointment, I took the Triple Blood Test. It is to test for Down Syndrome- crossing our fingers that everything will be fine. From the ultrasound, Dr Woo said that 95% we are having a baby boy as he could see his "thing" :) We will know when we have the detailed scan at TMC one month later. Baby has grown to about 9.5cm.

14 July 2007 - Second visit to the gynae

Today was our second visit to Dr Woo and we also signed up the package with him. $550 for consultations till delivery, inclusive of vitamins, calcium tablets etc. The nurse also explained to us the estimated charges for delivering at Thomson Medical Centre. Cheapest is natural delivery, followed by assisted delivery (which is with the assistance of forceps/ vacuum to "suck" the baby out), caeserean and emergency caeserean.

The moment I found out I was pregnant, no... in fact I should be saying that, even before I got pregnant, I was determined to deliver my baby via c-section. I do not want to go through the stress of a natural birth as the thought of it freaks me out. To me, c-section is like a surgery and I find it the most hassle-free. Hence, while the nurse was explaining to us, I only concentrated on the charges for c-section :P We were asked to go back and think about it as now is still too early to make the decision.

Baby has grew to about 5cm- still very small but Dr Woo was about to point out where is the head, the limbs etc. I couldn't make out the features at all.. all I could see was the "flashing light" again which is the heartbeat.

I hate taking the fish oil supplements as when i burp, the whole fishy taste will come up in my mouth and I feel like vomitting! However, for the sake of the baby, I have to tolerate... this is my first feeling of how a mummy feels. Now is no longer about doing what I want or what I like, I need to think about the baby as well. Just like how i simply HATE drinking milk powder. All along the only milk I drink is HL milk but because of my pregnancy, I heard from Shirlyn's friend that Annum is very good for pregnant women. I forced myself to drink a glass every morning.

My morning sickness is starting... and perhaps I should be considered lucky as my "morning" sickness only comes in the evenings and nights. In the morning, I do feel a little nauseous when I wake up but it was over in a while. However, when it comes to evenings and nights, I really feel like vomitting, bloated or simply no appetite. And when I have no appetite and do not eat, my gastric acts up again. The feeling is terrible... When will this end?

30 June 2007 - My first gynae appointment

Today is my first time visiting a gynae- we went to Dr Woo at Tiong Bahru, Central Plaza as he was recommended by Derek's friend. The first impression that Dr Woo gave me was a very patient and nice doctor. He has a smiley face too. Today is also the day I would never forget because it was the the first time we see our baby on the ultrasound machine. The baby is sooo small.. just like a nut! Baby measures about 2.78cm and we could see something "flashing" on the baby- Dr Woo said that it is the heart beating....

The first glimpse of our baby