mellomouse* » Fetal Development

BabyNatey 14: 3rd July 2009.

mellomouse — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 14:46:08 +0000

Exactly a year ago today, we had the pleasant surprise that God has blessed us with this gift ♥

I was a 5mm tiny Embryo then
Today, I have multiplied into a giant!

Don’t you agree that time grew wings? It’s July! A year ago, I was an expecting Mother and today I am already one for 4 whole months. I still can’t believe that I have a son — a Mini Me of myself and the husband ♥

I’m always moved to tears whenever I recall the times when Natey was just known as Little Benjac Junior. How I missed those days — minus the morning sickness bit — when he was kicking and hiccuping inside me. He still does both now, but the feeling is different. Somehow I know one day, I won’t be able to remember these treasured moments *sniff*

It’s a happy day. It’s a day to be thankful, and certainly a day for a little celebration.

Hubby, do you remember now?

Pregnancy Updates 42: Little Benjac is 2.9kg!

mellomouse — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 06:45:44 +0000

Before I begin this post. . .

Our humble family would like to wish everyone a
♥ Roaring Chinese New Year this Valentine’s Day! ♥

xoxo
Benjac, LBJ & Scubby

Looks like I won’t be delivering today just yet since I am still here. And that leaves me wondering whether it is a good or bad thing, given my previous paranoia if I do.

A little on the heavy side for 36 weeks
Our Little Benjac Junior is now LOA in utero! *phew*

After waiting for “the usual” hour for our turn on Friday, Dr Tan was suddenly whisked away for a delivery. So our 3.30pm became 5.30pm, again. Note of Advice: Anyone who wishes to see a reputable ObGyn has to be prepared to wait, because it seems like the “whole world” is their patients *hint to impatient Fathers-to-be*

I am a happy camper now since knowing the exact position LBJ is in. He is lying on my left with his head down slightly facing to the back. That explains the kicking on my right all this while! And I thought he was on my right *duh* Turn a little bit to the right and he’ll be fully Anterior!

Somehow by the measurement of his tiny bones and skull, LBJ is now expected 5 days later than his current EDD at 3 March 2010. And he’s supposedly on the heavier side now too, which left me worrying should he gain much more before delivery. I don’t want to be cut opened! *panic*

The longer LBJ stays inside me, the bigger he might become and the harder it would be for me to push him out to this world. He gained 563 grams since the last check-up 12 days ago. By 40th week, he could possibly weigh 4.35kg! *faints*

I think I’m going to start praying for an early arrival now. Please keep me in yours too! *bows*

Pregnancy Updates 41: Officially Full Term!

mellomouse — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 06:30:17 +0000

And ready to pop at any given time from now onwards. It could be today, next week or maybe even a month later at 42 weeks. The exact date depends on this little miracle breathing inside me. Mommy & Daddy would just have to be patience

Your baby weighs close to 2.8kg and may be about 50cm long from head to toe.

He may have a full head of hair, with locks maybe around 2.5cm long. He is now well developed to function in the outside world should he be born.

Are you excited? I bet you are! I can’t wait to meet our son for the very 1st time after being so close but yet so far for the past 9 months! ♥

For the meanwhile, LBJ be a good boy for Mommy ok. And engage in anterior so you’ll be more comfortable with the extra head space, and Mommy can have a peace of mind until we meet *hugs*

See you soon, Little Boy! xoxo

Anterior & Posterior Birth, pt 2 – Homework!

mellomouse — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:31:49 +0000

I’ve been trying to figure out LBJ’s exact position in utero since last Thursday and I am simply hopeless. The husband can’t seem to understand why I’m getting so worked up over it *humph* But thankfully, LBJ is definitely head down!

Even with a Compass
Mommy is so hopelessly lost with her imagination

L: Left, R: Right, O: Occiput, A: Anterior, P: Posterior, T: Transverse

LBJ is facing left because his fetal hiccups are always felt on that side. The right side of my bump is bigger and there are more stretch marks because of his weight. So that means he could be either OP, ROP or ROT.

What I need to do now is help him turn Anterior (OA) before labour or while delivery. 3 of the common positions I could do daily is going down on my hands and knees like the lady below.

Hands & Knees or Kneeling

Does the position looks comfortable? Surprisingly it is not so. At least the 2nd & 3rd visual is not. The weight of my body – thigh pressing onto my calves – causes a numbing burning sensation after a minute. Will I be able to go through with this position during labour?

I do these a few times a day for 5 minutes each. Every time it does feel like forever because of the pressure. I hope with more practice, LBJ would turn anterior effortlessly and help speed up delivery *fingers crossed*

Did the Fetal Compass above help you in visualising your baby’s position? If not, maybe these telltale signs may.

Anterior Baby

The baby’s back feels hard and smooth and rounded on one side of your tummy, and you will normally feel kicks under your ribs.

Your belly button (umbilicus) will normally poke out, and the area around it will feel firm.

Posterior Baby

Your tummy may look flatter and feel more squashy, and you may feel arms and legs towards the front, and kicks on the front towards the middle of your tummy.

The area around your belly button may dip in to a concave, saucer-like shape.

Find Out More

As for me, I am more lost. Now it feels like a little of both positions because: 1) I normally feel kicks under my ribs and 2) The area around my belly button does look concave.

Headaches aside! I’m going to ask the husband to draw it out for me this Friday when Dr Tan does the ultrasound scan for our 8th check-up.

So will I be delivering this Sunday / 1st day of CNY / Valentine’s Day?

Pregnancy & Soya Beans.

mellomouse — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:10:36 +0000

A chilled glass of Soya Bean Milk is simply heavenly on a warm day, or whenever. Don’t you agree? That’s exactly what I’ve been having almost daily for the past 2 months. Whenever possible, we would buy a large bottle and that could last us for a day or 2.

This is not uncommon among us Asians to include soy into our daily staple. Often Expecting Mothers would go out of their way to consume more because we were told that soy will give our babies fair and beautiful complexion. I did it simply because I enjoy the drink

So you could imagine my shock when I found out last night that all this health talk is really just pure garbage. Soy is probably one of the most misconceived myth that it is some sort of miracle food that prevents and cures diseases. Soya Bean is not a Health Food!

My immediate reaction was: OMG, what have I done!?! And you would too after reading what I have excerpted below. Especially if you are expecting a baby boy!

BBC NEWS Reported in 2004

The humble soya bean may play a role in the problem of male infertility, a team of researchers in Belfast has found.

If boys eat a lot of soya when they are growing up, it can damage their reproductive capability. The key time for that is when a male foetus is developing and in the early toddler years and up to puberty.

Too much soya affects the development of the male’s reproductive tract. It increases the structural abnormalities like undescended testes and testicular cancer.

Continue Reading

The Truth About Soy
Another interesting Article

There’s still a half bottle of Soya Bean Milk in the fridge. After that is finished, I don’t think I’ll be drinking anymore until after LBJ is born or longer.

Even though I am making an informed choice now to not drink it, there are still a multitude of food products in the market that I would not be able to escape from, that are made from soy

2 weekends ago, we stocked up a carton of Soya Bean Milk to serve our guest during CNY. Will you drink it if/when you visit us after reading this post?

Anterior & Posterior Birth, pt 1 – The Research.

mellomouse — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:56:22 +0000

I’ve been very happy and relieved to know that LBJ has continued to stay head down since Week 27. But at this moment, he is still facing forward in the posterior position. I hope during delivery, LBJ would be a good boy and turn 180 degrees for his Mommy

Posterior Position

The baby goes down into the pelvis with the back of his head towards his mother’s spine.

The close proximity between the baby’s bony skull and your spine can be very uncomfortable. You will have a lot of backache during and in between contractions, and labour is slower.

He might need forceps or ventouse to help him out.

Anterior Position

This position is also known as the Optimal Fetal Positioning. The baby is head down, with the back of his head slightly towards the front of your tummy.

In this position, he fits snugly into the curve of your pelvis and it’s easy for him to move gently down during labour.

Labour is nearly always shorter and easier if the baby is anterior.

Find Out More

For LBJ to turn backwards, I’ll also have to do my part to help him get into position. That’s why by opting to give birth on all fours, I can help quicken the rotation from a posterior to an anterior. But of course, there are also alternative ways to get your baby into an optimal position.

During one of my antenatal appointments previously, I did ask Dr Tan about his opinion on this. He nonchalantly replied that it doesn’t really make a difference for him — why would I care if it does for him or not! *blek* — but it would be easier on me. That’s all I wanted to hear: Easier on Me!

Wouldn’t you do just about anything for an easier birth? Especially if you’re anti-Epidural like me

Pregnancy Updates 39: Fetal Hiccups.

mellomouse — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:12:46 +0000

It is such a shame that I did not record when I first felt LBJ hiccuped. I think it was as early as when I first felt him moved. The feeling is very different from his aerobatic stunts, and are consistently in rhythm.

Why do babies hiccups in the womb?

Only the more mature fetuses will hiccup, as hiccups rely on the development of the central nervous system.

It is believed that the fetus breathes in amniotic fluid or drinks it. When this happens and the amniotic fluid enters and exists the fetus lungs then the diaphragm contracts and hiccups results.

Continue Reading

During the earlier days, these hiccups felt like tiny flutters. If you put your palm over my belly, you can’t really feel it. But now as he is bigger, you can actually see a small heartbeat-like motion on my baby bump where LBJ could possibly be facing in utero ♥

LBJ hiccups rather frequently. I’d say around 4-5x in a day (Note to self: I really need to keep a record on this!) I was rather worried before and Dr Tan assured me that it is a good sign of maturity. Thank God!

Are fetal hiccups normal?

They are extremely normal and almost all moms will feel the babies hiccups at least once if not several times a day every day.

Hiccups are actually soothing to your baby, and help to relieve a variety of pressures on his growing lungs and organs.

Continue Reading

As cute as it may sound to others — the part about small heartbeat-like motion — it does feel rather uncomfortable each time LBJ hiccups. And they often last longer than a minute. I don’t know how to explain the feeling, but it is annoying *oops*

I’ve started calling LBJ my “Hiccup Hiccup Baby” every time he does that. Whenever I feel him hiccuping non stop, I would always try to imagine how he looks like. And all I can say is awww

Pregnancy Updates 37: Little Benjac is 2.4kg!

mellomouse — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:12:05 +0000

Just like our 1st antenatal check-up months ago, today we waited a good 2 hours for Dr Tan because he had 2 deliveries back to back earlier at noon. The poor man didn’t get to have his lunch — until it was 4pm — after he had cleared all his morning appointments. Then immediately he began the afternoon queue, with us being at number 6 that was supposed to be at 2.45pm.

Dr Tan’s usual greeting when we enter his room is always: “How’s everything?” But today it was a little different: “Why are you not delivering yet?” he greeted in a jester manner while looking at my records. Then added that LBJ “would” be greeting us on the 1st day of CNY aka Valentine’s Day. Remember this post? That’s less than 2 weeks from now! *sweats*

Not too big, Not too small & in a Good Position
♥ Here’s LBJ facing us in the ultrasound ♥

Once again, I wondered if I am readied. I am actually fearful today. Only last night I dreamed that my water broke and my knees went weak. My 2nd respond was asking for the date — if not mistaken, someone told me that it was February 27th. What happened after that, I cannot remember

Dr Tan has approved my Birth Plan! A copy has been submitted to the Labour Room, and one for me to bring along in my Hospital Bag just in case. I’ve checked with one of the midwives, and she said it is ok to bring along a laptop into the Delivery Suite. Insane as it may appears, I hope blogging would be a good distraction for the pain *denial?*

Starting from tomorrow, I shall begin the Fetal Movement Charting to keep track of LBJ’s wellbeing. Although I feel him moving a lot now — and hiccups immensely — I should not take it for granted. I need to keep a record of 10 movements any time between 12 hours and everything is fine. Even a 9 is not!

So Little Benjac, here’s your Golden Ticket to kick Mommy more ok

Pregnancy Updates 34: We’re 34 weeks pregnant.

mellomouse — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:44:22 +0000

Your baby now weighs more than 4.7 pounds (2.2kg) and is 18 inches (45cm) from top to toe.

Your baby resembles a tiny person at this point. He will continue to grow by adding on valuable weight from now onwards.

By next week, his hearing would be fully developed.

LBJ does resembles a tiny precious person! His small pouty lips and little nose was just so cute. And we saw all this very clearly through the black and white ultrasound — didn’t have to spend extra hundreds for a 3D/4D scan

It feels like it was only yesterday that I first felt LBJ move inside me. I was 17 weeks pregnant then. Soon in a few weeks, I shall have him in my arms ♥

How do I feel, you may ask. I have to admit I’m a little dazed at this point, and slightly overwhelmed of the remaining weeks I have left as a wife and daughter. Because after that, I will be a Mother too. You cannot imagine the weight that the word alone carries.

So am I ready after 34 weeks? I shall know when that day finally comes. Even if I am not now, I’ll have a lifetime to practice!

As for now, I’m going to continue enjoying LBJ’s movements inside me and capture them forever in my heart. For one day when he’s all grown up, these will be my private collections to dote on of our days as Mother & Baby ♥

Pregnancy Updates 33: Little Benjac is 2.1kg!

mellomouse — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:33:08 +0000

How time flies! Yesterday was already our 6th antenatal check-up with Dr Tan Lay Seng at Gleneagles. I always enjoy our appointments with him, even though we need to wait an hour or sometimes more just to see him each time

Dr Tan always has a smiley face on. But yesterday he was in a particularly good mood too. We got to enjoy that good mood of his by seeing LBJ a little while longer on the ultrasound. And we caught LBJ on screen sucking his thumb! Here’s a good side profile of our Little Prince ♥

Weighing 2148 grams at 33 Weeks 6 Days
Can you spot all his tiny features?

If only the thought of recording it on DVD crossed my mind then — I was totally lost in time! — else we would have had it immortalised! Now all I can rely on is my memory of that heartwarming experience of seeing LBJ moving his lips up and down sucking his tiny thumb *moved to tears*

I’ve discussed my birth plan with Dr Tan and he has given the green light for all that’s on my draft. After speaking with him about some of my concerns, he has given me more assurance to change what I’ve previously decided on — though not the Epidural part *bleh*

I’ll be preparing the finalised copy soon, so look up for Part 2 of My Birth Plan