Grouchy Natalie

Shot of baby on her new found haven! The fisherprice bouncer purchased by my colleagues certainly came in handy when she is in one of her 'hard to please' mood. Click on the enlarged version of the photo and you could tell how grouchy she was.

Judging from our observations, there seems to be a similarity between Natalie and Junior ( my chihuahua who guards the baby whilst she sleeps). They mark territories! Natalie was so comfy in her element that she poo'd so much in the bouncer that it overflowed onto her seat! Fortunately the seatcovers are removable and it wasn't me who had to cleanup =) .

Natalie is 1 month old today!

Natalie has reached a significant milestone today!

It's been a fulfilling and exhaustive first month, as we've been grappling with the new found status of parenthood. Transition to dad and mum is definitely a fulltime job that requires 100% TLC = Time, Love and Commitment.

So what are our greatest achievements thus far? We are proud to say that we have graduated with the degree in nappy changing. Chris has learnt how to fold and change nappies in record time of less than a minute (cleaning and application of desitin included). In his own words, "Anyone who likes to challenge me to a nappy changing session? Bring it on!"

As for me, my biggest discovery about myself is the possibility of requiring little sleep and still remaining functional the next day. This would not be possible esp on weekends prior to having natalie around. Theory about beauty sleep or ample rest has been erased since I started demand feeding. It's a tiring affair, but yet one which derives the most satisfaction when she gives you the cutest smile after 0.5 hour of suckling at 2am, 4am, 6am....( every 2 hours interval).

So what do we look forward to most in the upcoming months? Baby saying her first words - " I love mummy and daddy!".

BB photos!

Been having problem with my viewcam software, which is why it took me ages to upload BB's photos! Check out her modelling skills! Does she look more like daddy or mummy?

Afternoon Saga

Baby is awake for longer periods during the day. She has been asking for attention every 1hour since 1pm. It's either she poo'd or pee'd; wants to be fed; wants to play or demands to be cuddled. I am totally exhausted by dinner as I have no time for naps anymore.

Jaundice - Part 2

The test results are back... both blood and urine tests were negative, ruling out the other organic and functional causes such as infections etc.

What Natalie has gotten is breastmilk jaundice, a type of neonatal jaundice associated with breastfeeding. It is characterized by indirect hyperbilirubinemia in a breastfed newborn that develops after the first 4-7 days of life and bilirubin level increases to more than 10 mg/dl in the third week of life. Her jaundice is likely to persist for 1-2months, but meanwhile I could resume my ginger intake.

We are ill!

The flu bug has caught up with us again!

This time round it started with Chris, who had quarantined himself in the study for almost a week now. But that didn't quite work as I was next to be contracted.

I had to wear a facemask whilst breastfeeding, but the close proximity made it easy for the virus to hit baby. She was so edgy yesterday and I've heard her coughing slightly in her sleep. Hopefully hers is just a mild cough and would get better over the next few days.

Mummy is so sorry for spreading the virus to you. Should have heeded Gong Gong's advice and quarantined myself from you as well. Please quickly recover.

Jaundice!!

Natalie was born without jaundice but during her 1st week routine check, the bilirubin concerntration has gone up to 15.4mg! Pediatrician advised me to cut down on ginger intake and feed her with 90ml of water and return for bilicheck the next day.

Fortunately her bilirubin conc. has dropped to 14.5mg. I went cold turkey - w/o ginger in my diet for the whole week.

That didn't help. her bilirubin conc. had gone back to 15.6mg! Does it mean she has to be hospitalised? Is her immature liver finding it difficult to process the bilirubin which could be a result of lack of oxygen, poor feeding, thyroid deficiency, enzyme deficiency, or her liver is dealing with an infection? I prayed that it's none of the above.

We met Dr. Toh shortly and she suggested for a blood and urine test to be conducted to rule out the possibilities of an immature liver. As they took 2 tubes of blood from her little hand, we could hear Natalie screaming atop her lungs from Dr. Toh's office. Our hearts nearly broke.

We'll be getting the results some time today. Hopefully there is no cause for concern and it might just be the result of breast-feeding jaundice or breast milk jaundice.

Murphy's Law

It's true, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Mum was hospitalised since the first day of my confinement. She had an ongoing fever for almost a week. Suspecting it might be viral as doctors weren't able to advise the diagnosis, we shifted over nite on 25 Feb back to my place. It was a tiring shift, particularly with the newborn and me being too weak to help and I was practicing on demand feeding at that time both baby and I were adjusting to each other's time slots.

Natalie is a demanding baby. She could suckle for at least an hour during the initial feed and wakes up every 2 hours asking for more. I was totally exhausted from the ongoing feeding and nappy changing. Fortunately, my helper had had some experience looking after babies. She assisted with bathing and took over nite duty of nappy changing.

My mother in-law(MIL) took over the preparation and cooking of confinement food. Being a traditional woman who followed the typical confinement practices, I was not allowed to switch on the aircon/fan. Following tradition had been a uphill task and all the perspiration didn't help either. I broke the rules on strictly no bathing a couple of times within the first week and washed my hair on the 2nd week. I tell you no expensive dry shampoo could help after 2 weeks. The extent of how bad I stank? Per my sister's words,' Stay at least 2 seats away from me.'

As for my mum, she was hospitalised for a week. She suffered from acute fever, followed by prolonged arthralgic disease that affects the joints of the extremities. Doctors suspected Chikungunya. The pain would persist for couple of weeks and according to the doctor could last for several months. She had been given antibiotics and require ample rest. This means I would have to survive with mil and maid's help for another week...

19 February - D' DAY!

A chronological order of events

17 Feb 09

1830 - Left office, went over to mum's for dinner.

2000 - Arrived at clinic for checkup.

2100 - Cervice not dilated, bump still high, baby in vertex position but looking at her side. No signs of labour. Gynae advised may not be this week, ok to go away on 19/20 feb.

19 Feb 09

0630 - Hubby went to work, felt slight lower back pain. Difficulty getting out of bed.

0800 - Woke up and got ready for breakfast.

0830 - Felt slight pain in abdominal area, thought it was just stomach upset.

0900 - Cleared bowels the 2nd time.

0915 - Had a crampy premenstrual feeling, suspect to be Braxton Hicks since gynae just confirmed that baby would likely not be arriving this week. Found some slight bleeding, not recognising it's show.

0920 - Called the obstetician, nurse picked up the call. Was reassured, no cause for concern. Could proceed with planned resort trip.

0925- Called the satellite clinic. Found the gynae. Was told to go down for a check.

1000- Arrived at clinic, placed on CTG to monitor baby's heart rate and frequency of contractions.

1100 - Met Dr Watt, cervice dilated by 2cm. CTG results showed contractions were coming every 10minutes. Got to go to the hospital asap.

1115 - Called Chris and mum to let them know.

1200 - Placed order with eu yan seng - 'Seng hua tang' & herbal bath packs.

1210 - Got home. Showered and most importantly washed my hair. Searched for food.

1330 - Chris reached home.

1400 - Picked mum, collected herbs, bought and finished 2 MOS burgers.

1430 - Arrived at hospital

1500 - Checked in at the labour ward, changed and was placed on foetal monitoring CTG machine.

1600 - Water bag was induced.

1730 - Contractions intensified, frequency increased to every 3mins. Requested for epidural.

1800 - Anaesthetist arrived. Interesting name - Pay Lulu. Performed epi surgery. Anxious hubby watching over.

2130 - Fully dilated ie 10cm. Dr Watt explained the procedure again.

2200- Nurses prepared equipments and checked for contractions... "Now take a deep breathe in, hold it there and push... 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 ok breathe in again ...."said Chris.

2330- Still pushing but not crowning. Baby was not in the posterior position, pelvis seemed too tight for her head to turn over. 1.5 hours had passed. Dr Watt was concerned. Explained that she would have to assist the delivery using forceps.

2336 - One last push! Baby is out. One loud cry and she was placed on my tummy. Such little hands.. and what big eyes she has.

2338 to 0000 - Medical team standing by to tabulate the Agpar score. Checked for breathing... baby's limps are still bluish, not breathing right. Compressions... "Come on baby, give me a long loud cry" said Dr Watt. More tapping on the little feet. Still not crying. Stronger taps on the feet. Injected Vitamin K still not crying. Cleared the airway again. Daddy having cold sweat...Mummy looking on, wondering what's happening. Finally... she wailed..."Naughty little girl" Dr Watt exclaimed. Medical team then took her weight, height and head circumference. Sigh of relief from daddy who was looking on.

Shopping for Baby

• We are one of those kiasu parents who bought majority of the items whilst in my 2nd trimester. Now that we are slowly taking them out to wash, it seems like there are always other things to buy.
  
  My dearest colleagues have been asking me what I need so here goes:-
• Baby monitor - Jo & CF: thanks for offering to get this! Hopefully I won't end up with the campbell version ( Jo : You forgot to mention the string attachment...else it won't work =)
• Winnie the Pooh bath set (from mothercare -it comes with Bath thermometer, sponge, Cuddle 'n' Dry hooded towel (100% cotton), wash mitt (100% cotton), Top 'n' Tail bowl. )
• Lots of diapers (Pampers - S/M/L are welcome)
• Muslin Squares
• High chair
• Baby walker ( would likely get Margaret to order this from Joaqium)
• Baby bouncer
• Baby gate
• Ang Baos are welcomed too!

36 weeks and 4 days!!

Am reaching full term in 3 days time! Last league of the race ! Baby is now 2.8kg and I've gained almost 14kg. My pelvis is starting to ache as the baby lowers into my abdomen. Getting out of bed each day is so difficult with the heavyweight. What's more am still down with flu.. this bug better go away before my delivery! Wouldn't want baby to catch it from me! Though doctor say that she is well protected in the placenta, I hope baby's respiratory system is not affected in anyway.

Am so not well!

I've been sick for almost a week now. Fever, flu, cough the works!

Really been a tormenting period for my family and me. Mum and Chris have been put on 24hour nursing duty.. changing icy cold towels to reduce my body temperature. Relieve came when my temperature finally dropped from approx40 degree to 37 after 4 days of tender loving care!

Baby and I are both grateful to daddy and granny for taking care of us !

Celebrating 2009 - CNY

Guess what's the topic over reunion this year? Yes it's all about baby.. what's her name, what's her EDD, her weight? A while ago, a friend gave me a helpful tip of eating a coconut from weeek 35 onwards... Now this came up again at the reunion table... so what has coconut got to do with pregnancy? Friends who tried it mentioned that the baby will appear less 'bloody' looking at birth and speeds up the contraction of the uterus. Taking it with a pinch of salt, I went home and done some research, apparently coconut is indeed a miracle fruit. It is recommended by some that pregnant women should consume young coconuts (ones with green shells) because of it's diuretic function and helps relieve constipation, improves intestinal function and promotes digestive health -– it is often recommended to people suffering from acidity and ulcers. Constipation, sluggish digestion and heartburn are common problems during pregnancy and can be helped to some extent by drinking coconut water. According to websites, coconut water is high in chlorides, potassium, and magnesium and has a moderate amount of sugar, sodium and protein. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure and heart function. It is a good source of dietary fibre, manganese, calcium, riboflavin and Vitamin C. It helps prevent dehydration and relieves exhaustion by replenishing the natural salt lost by the body and best of all it is essentially fat free ! zero cholesterol! It also contains high levels of lauric acid which is what is used by the body to make monolaurin -– a disease fighting fatty acid derivative. Lauric acid has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties which protect the body against various infections and boosts the immune system.

Amazing isn't it ?

"Nesting" - A mummy syndrome?

Is it only woman who experience this ?

According to babycentre's web definition, nesting is a process in which a pregnant woman focuses all her emotional energy on anticipating and preparing for the birth of her baby. But hey, it's not just the mummies who are affected. Daddy has been working hard to decorate the baby's room too! Chris being the one who hates wood work, painting and would rather pay someone to fix up those DIY furnitures, has actually rolled up his sleeves today to cleanup and repaint the baby room. I could see the pride in his face as he completes and admires his paint job. Power of fatherhood huh ?

Shopping for baby stuff has never been a chore for him. It's so unlike the days when he went shopping with me where he'll make a 50m dash to the nearest couch, fighting with all other bfs for the common haven to play on his PSP. For baby, he would take time to search for the best products, reading labels, and even consulted his colleagues on the better brands of nappy rash prevention creams , types of diapers to buy, infant car seat safety etc. I would never imagine my guy to engage in such conversations prior to me being pregnant =). What a great transformation!

Early Scans

I've found these earlier scans which were taken when baby was approx 6 weeks and 9 weeks old.

Appended is a rough gauge of what mum's could expect at the earlier stages. Least to say, the later the scan, the more could then be seen:

• At about five weeks, (three weeks after conception) it may be possible to see a small empty pregnancy sac.

• At six weeks a yolk sac can be seen, and sometimes - but not always - a heartbeat may be visible.

• By seven weeks the embryo will be about 1 cm long, and the heart rate will be about 150 beats per minute.

• At eight weeks the embryo will measure 16 mm, and you might be able to make out the head and body, and some movements.

• At nine weeks the head, body and limbs can be seen, and it's looking more like a baby. It's very nearly fully formed, and will then be known as a fetus

31 Weeks

It's been 31 weeks and very soon we'll be able to see the littleone in our arms! I've just attended my prenantal consultation yesterday and everything seems fine. BB is growing healthily and is now 1.8kg ( she was 1.2kg since my last visit 1 month ago). Am so glad that I've only put on 0.5kg! Total weight gain for me at this stage is approx 10kg. Not that bad huh. Hopefully the baby would not be too large to handle at point of delivery. Couldn't imagine how my mum went through labour at her last trimester and finally giving birth to 9 pounder babies - both me and my sis are humongous!

Attached is the ultrasound scan of the baby face she seems a little shy... covered her face with one of her hands but you could tell she is trying to peep with one eye ( see circled portion ). She is now in a vertex position. Hope she'll stay this way for a smooth delivery!

Confinement Taboos

Chinese, Malay and Indian communities all have their respective confinement practices. The common thread amongst the races is to help you and your body recover from the intensities of childbirth. It is believed that if confinement is not carried out in the proper way, the woman’s uterus will not be able to contract and this will result in "drooping womb" or uterine prolapse. And on following the taboos, "wind" will be prevented from entering the body, which is said to be the cause of joint problems in later years. Hence, the notoriously peculiar custom of not allowing the women to bathe or wash their hair. Appended are some of the Chinese taboos.

Chinese confinement restrictions include:

• Strictly no washing of hair for the entire confinement period. Some mothers get around this rule by using dry shampoo instead during this time
• Avoiding exposure to cold elements such as cold water.
• Low temperatures from an air-conditioner or fan must be avoided too ( my mum-in-law kinda hinted that I should close all doors and windows )
• Bathing only with specially prepared warm water that is infused with herbs.
• Cannot carry heavy objects (including the baby - sounds ridiculous to me), over-exert self or walk up and down the stairs.
• Cannot drink water for the first 20 days, only rice wine or special chinese herbal drinks.

I don't suppose I could survive a whole month not washing my hair. Will likely stick to this rule only for the first week using dry shampoo. As for usage of airconditioner/fan would be dependent on baby's tolerance for heat. Guess I could use her as an excuse for flouting rules then.

I am also thinking of hiring a traditional Malay masseurs (bidan) who will help massage the abdomen and bind the tummy with a long cloth (bengkung). The Malays believe the massage and binding, together with the hot stones help your uterus to shrink faster and expel 'wind' or any impurities from your womb. This would also help you regain your pre-pregnancy figure sooner and improve blood circulation. Those of my colleagues who have tried it seemed to work for majority of them so no harm testing this out.

Confinement Nanny- To hire or not to hire?

It's one of those things on a 'to consider list'... getting a live-in confinement nanny.

This issue has been bugging me for quite a while now. So what's the point of having another woman in the house when you already have your mother, mother in-law and a domestic helper? Why do I need a confinement nanny in the house, who has to join the sardines pack in an already tiny baby room with maid. Anyway living conditions aside, given that we already have a helper to help with the chores, it does seem extravagant to get another person to look after me during confinement esp when there is such a huge discrepancy in salary between the two. Current confinement nanny's market rate is approx $1600 - $2000 and they are expected to cover the following daily duties:-

• Prepare traditional Confinement cooking for the mother (Dads could likewise have a share if they are not bored of eating the same old dish/ soup for the next 28 days)
• Marketing (if required)
• Laundry for the mother & newborn
• Do basic housework such as moping the floor and cleaning up of kitchen
• Taking care, feeding and bathing your new-born
• Provide 24 hours General baby care to ensure complete rest for mummy
  

Doesn't look like a long list right? Seems rather managable particularly when we have the helper around. If I could delegate the cooking to mum-in-law, and bathing of the baby to my own mummy, then all else could be managed by both myself and the helper... this would be ideal!

However, I am worried if this might work as both mums have their routine activities what happens if they can't come as often as I wish they would. Could the helper manage chores and infant at the same time when she has no prior experience looking after newborn. There is also a part of me who doesn't want to follow the confinement customs on my hubby side fully ie no bathing for 21 days, got to stay in an enclosed room with little air circulation ie no aircon / fan / natural wind.... Think I might become claustrophobic after the 1month ! There are also other alternatives available ie part time confinement nannies who only visit you in the day ( which I think wont work ), confinement food catering services ( see link below) , confinement nurses to coach both you and your family members on how to look after a newborn etc. See what I mean? Netither do I want to impose the burden of looking after the baby on my mummy who has kindly agreed to stay over if need be. I know it's definitely not gonna be easy for her particularly in the night when baby cries. And my lack of experience is also not helping ... am in such a dilemma!

Hubby wants me to have a carefree postnantal experience so would be supportive either decision I make (easy said huh) . Guess I may still hire a confinement lady for my first born to save me from all the hassles and headaches.

According to various websites, the postnatal period can be stressful, particularly if you have had a caesarean section or an episiotomy, so mummies should concentrate on keeping ourselves happy and comfortable; like what my hubby mentioned the confinement nanny's happiness is, in such a case, secondary.If I really cannot get on with the confinement lady, and she is causing more stress than she is helping me, there is always an option of terminating her services. It's definitely helpful to have my 2 mums on standby.

For those who are interested in DIY, found this site on confinement food catering - not tried it myself, but looks like quite a spread. http://www.confinementfood.com/confinement-food-menu.html

First Baby Pics

Always wanted to post our BB pics on the blog .. wasnt able to find time to do so until now.. These are taken when we went for the detailed organ scans. BB is healthy and growing perfectly well. The gynae is still a little worried with my water retention and weight gained. Am watching my diet now.. trying not to crave on those delicious, sweet savoury snacks like muffins, cakes, nonya kuehs .. loved anything that's fragrant / strawberry flavoured. ..The taste kinda lingers ...

On my exercise regime, er hm which is zilch at this moment. Am such a procrastinator. Was just contemplating between sitting in front of my Pc and writing this blog versus doing those pelvic exercises.. guess which bought me over? I've read about how pelvic exercises could reduce the chances of posterior births ie some babies go down into the pelvis with the back of their heads towards their mothers' spines. This is called a posterior position and it can lead to several things happening: • your waters are more likely to break at the beginning of labour • you have a lot of backache during and in between contractions • labour is slower etc. Some bloggers recommend pelvic rock on all 4s from 35 weeks onwards to get the baby in position.

oh Well, cant imagine what life would be like when she finally arrives. =) many tells me we wont be able to find time as a couple until bb goes to school. I've just planned my maternity leave and updated the bosses . With the extension of maternity from 3 to 4 months, something which Chris is so envious of, I wonder what I'm gonna do in those weeks other than resting. But hey am not complaining =). For once I am starting to feel the benefits of being a citizen.

29 Weeks

It's been 29 weeks and I could now feel the foetal movements more intensely and apparent each day. We could see the tiny kicks and flips from my tummy as she does her usual gym regime between 7- 8 am, 11- 12 noon, 3- 4pm and 10- 11pm. Baby's most active after food and highly excitable as she starts to develop her hearing. We could tell that she is beginning to recognise and respond to loud noises. I could feel her moving and twirling as she dances to nursery rhymes which Chris sings every morning in the car.