2wks old

Ellyse weighs in 3.25kg at her 2wks old checkup, with length of 51.8cm. She is growing well especially with her increasing appetite. Her feed varies from 1.5hours to 3 hourly and taking 80ml at every feed. Feeding hours seems to be getting shorter, probably is time to increase her intake again? Currently expressing exclusively, with latching once in a while to stimulate the milk flow. Supply is barely enough to meet her demand and have to supplement with formula on average once a day. However, she doesn’t seem to be able to digest the formula milk well and tends to spit up after her feed. There seems to be phlegm when she drinks as well, hope she will spit out the phelgm on her own!

As she grow older by the days, her awake hours seems to lengthen, on Sunday, she was barely sleeping from 1pm to 10pm! Only taking short naps here and there, other from that, she is wide awake exploring her surroundings…oh my! Babies do grow fast…

Its almost 3wks since she was with us…the initial phrase was the most difficult part, trying to adjust to a new family member who constantly needs attention 24/7 and it took a toll on the family! I had only less than 2hrs of slp for the first 4days…On avg after that I had 2-4hrs of interrupted slp per day…indeed it has been really tough. Our world has took a 360degrees turn, but Fab isn’t complaining, only me!! the initial healing process plus the constant latching on hourly was a torment for me emotionally and being too hands-on myself I nearly lose it….but well…well…I managed to gain my sainty after I started to pump exclusively and let the others do the feeding, instead of having her constantly at my breasts…

Fab is now back at work and we will be holding her 1month old celebration this Sunday, I can’t wait to get it done and over with! Cos I know it means a really busy weekend ahead…. hope all goes well!!

Birth @ Banner Estrella

22nd July to 25th July 2009

Birth Story

ADD: 23 July
Weight: 2.917kg
Delivery: Natural with epi

3am: started to induce via drip (forgot the name)3cm dilated
4.30: still 3cm; increased dosage
5.25: still 3 to 3.5cm; increased dosage
6am: waterbag broke, contractions started kicking in, cldnt stand the pain, asked for epi
6.15am: 4cm dilated
6.30am: took epi
7am: told nurse i got the poopoo feeling, 8cm dilated!! nurse said gynea went off for csect, will take half an hr and i might need more time to dilate
7.20am: told nurse i got the urge to push alrdy! fully dilated….but muz ren cos gynea still not back!!!
7.50am: started pushing with nurse’s help and gynea arrived after 2 pushes…
8.02: Bb Ellyse arrived into the world!

Its D Day tmr!!

Gonna be induced tmr. Having mixed feelings. These 9mths+ had flew by just like that. Little one has grew frm a mere few milimeters to now a full grown baby, all ready to come into this world. Ask me if I am excited, I really can’t explain this feeling. We have anticipated her arrival for months, and when the time is drawing closer and closer, we can’t explain our feelings….

This pregnancy has been smooth sailing till the last month or so when we went for the growth scan and find out that Bb’s abdominal circumference is on the small side, below 5percentile from the 2nd growth scan, which is a concern to the docs. Sat down with the doc from Phoenix Prenatal Associates after the 2nd growth scan to find out more about bb’s condition, his main concern was that though bb was still growing well inside and blood flow and fluid lvl are still favourable, he is afriad that my placenta after 39wks will start losing its function and aged, thus not able to deliver enough nutritients to Bb. Therefore he recommended to deliver the bb no later than 39wks. So, we went for our gynea appt and set 23rd for our induced date, which was later brought forward to 22nd 11pm on Fab’s request! Other parts of Bb is growing well and the head measurement tops the chart! Mum and Fab still can joke that Bb with big heads are clever!!! And I am worried I might have a hard time pushing for Bb has a big head…hehehe….

Went for my last gynea checkup last Friday and Dr Walter did the VE checkup for me, it was super duper pain!!!! So pain that my tummy cramped right away and I started spotting and it went on for more than a day! I was 3cm dilated and he said I will deliver within the next few days and won’t be able to wait till my induced date! Before he left the room, he said,” See you on Sunday”, leaving both of us speechless. I lost my mucus plug that evening too and keep thinking I was going into labour that day cos I felt so sore below…

As my blood pressure was on the high side, he sent me straight to the hospital to get my blood test done and strapped on for CTG monitoring again. He warned that if my blood works don’t turn out good, I will have to deliver on that day itself!! Fab and I was shocked and stunned…..we didn’t expect a routine gynea checkup will turn out to be D Day. Hehe….thank God, results turn out well and my blood pressure was normal, so I was sent home with orders from my gynea to be on bedrest….What a scare!! Totally not prepared to deliver then.

Sat was a busy day, after the scare on Friday, we started to realize that the time is indeed drawing near and we started to finish all the bits and pieces. I cleaned the Bb’s cot, put up the bedding, cleaned the playpen, set up the cot toy, diaper stacker and organizer. Fab vaccummed the whole house, soaked the swing’s cover, washed our bedsheets, cleaned up our rm….we are still left with some little details like washing his car, mopping the kitchen(cos the rest of the house is carpented), cleaning our sink tops, but these can be done if time permits. Right now, I am too lazy to move and I could feel that Bb is really really low now and the pressure on the pelvic bone is bearable but not for a long time, so……I confined myself to my bed and study table..hehe…

Mum and dad will be arriving only on Thursday night, I predict by then I should have already delivered? I prayed for a smooth and short labour, a healthy bb with no visable birthmarks(yes yes, it worries me too!).

These nights, sleeping has been a challenge and on Sunday night, I could bearly sleep, I was having irregular contractions and feeling all bloated and nauseas, I thought I was going into labour soon! But, by day break, all became peaceful again…..oh well, many false alarms to date and its a gd thing I never rush to the hospital each time, if not I will be sent home again and again. I always kept in mind what other wives said, real contractions are very painful! Hehe..as long as its tolerable, I will ignore…Sometimes I will be awaken from my sleep by contractions! I guess if I am not induced tmr, I might also deliver before my Edd cos of the frequent contractions that I am getting since last week!

Bye ppl!!! Hope the next post will be pics of our little precious!! (Disclaimer: thats IF I’m nt too lazy..hehe…)

bump @ 37wks

bump @ 35wks 5days

36wks

Less than 4weeks left to EDD, now I feel like a time bomb, ready to pop anytime.

Gynea appt last wk, I am still 0cm dilated! Nurse Britt said,” No Baby for you this week”. But Bb’s head is already engaged and less than 5cm from the bottom!!! That’s very very low! Meaning she can feel the Bb’s head already! OMG! Fluid lvl is still gd, blood flow is good as well and no contractions yet….not even BH? Hmmmmm….I wonder if I need to be induced, hope not!

My tummy has grown much bigger these few weeks, hope Bb is growing well inside! Going for the 2nd growth scan this thurs, wonder how much weight Bb has put on, she was 1.75kg at nearly 33wks, this thurs she will be 36wks 6days, hope she is around 2.5kg, so that if she is born at EDD she will be ard 3kg+! Don’t want a too big baby, hopefully I won’t tear, but I seriously doubt so. Hehe….

Went for the hospital tour this morning, was quite surprised that there were actually quite alot of people, was briefed about the rooms and all. Saw a newborn bb and mum just out from the delivery ward, omg, the baby was so small and cute…i wonder who will our gal look like…. Generally the ward is big and spacious, and is 1 person to a room so alot of privacy and hubby can bunk in and bath in the hospital even. Fab commented the nurses on the post delivery wards are very pretty! Hehe..and I agree with him…aiyo, how can they put so pretty nurses there especially when after the wives give birth will look so bloated and pale! Later hubby strayed how? Lol…

Fab took 2days of leave for our anniversary and had Fri and Mon off because of the Independence Day public holiday on Sat, and we managed to wash ALL of Bb’s stuffs…Really quite alot to be wash and I am glad Fab initiates the washing and both of us hand washed all of Bb’s new stuffs, from clothes to mittens to car seat cover and infant head support! Now everything is washed and packed away, all ready for use! Hehe… and we managed to buy everything that is needed(and nt needed!) including the Braun ear thermometer, Britax Marathoon car seat (i think thats used frm 4 or 6mths onwards, up till 35kg. Bought it for use in Sg and costed us a bomb!! Luckily Fab won in MJ. Hehe…) We had been spending alot on Bb, clothes, toys and books..think the only thing we haven’t start buying are her shoes! We only bought booties so far…cos wana see how big her feet are.

I guess we are more or less prepared for her arrival, now is MY mental preparation…but I doubt I will ever be fully prepared for this…Just imagine the pain I have to endure…. Fab was mentioning he hopes that Bb come out right after my parents arrive cos HE can’t stand the pregnancy symtoms anymore…at first I thought he was mentioning about MINE symtoms….but on further probe, he was referring to the “symtoms” he is getting! Hehe….now he is having cravings and backaches, symtoms that I am not experiencing….LOL…I recalled during my 1st tri, he was the one feeling nausea…so weird right? But its so true…I think he is the one “suffering” on my behalf, which is gd for me! Shared some of my “burdens”.

I am actually quite amazed with myself..even though I am alrdy more than 36wks preggy, but I still can go shopping from 9am to 6pm++!! Though my legs feel like they are not mine later in the night, I didn’t get much “after effect” the next day…hehe..I told Fab, for once I am glad I have fat tighs and calves! Cos they are able to support my big tummy now…hehe..but of cos I wana lose all the extra weight gain after giving birth.

Now, I am looking forward to 23July, the day my parents will be arriving in AZ!!!! And I am grateful to Josh and Yin for helping to take care of Snowy so that they can come over! Crossing fingers that Bb don’t decide to arrive into this world before my parents come!!! I am constantly reminding her that…hehe…