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| I was going through some of my baby things last night, and when I mean baby things is not like clothes or whatever. It's more like my scrapbook about the journey of my pregnancy. One's I could still remember to jot down and some others that I have documents of.
I was looking through this folder of introductory items that Woodland Women's Health of St. Francis had given me, and in the packet was information about childbirth classes. It had enclosed a number, which I didn't realize was St. Francis' main number.
Why not just simply place the extension there that I can call directly instead of waiting on the answering machine and pressing which number department or extension I wanted to get to. In any case, I have that direct number now and also the link on the online website.
What I didn't realize was that there are so many maternity programs they provide. I guess not as much as Hartford Hospital though, but that's okay.
They have the Breastfeeding Class, Breastfeeding Support Group, Classic Beginnings, E-Beginnings, Weekend Beginnings, Mini Beginnings, Maternity Tour and the Siblings Class.
Some of these are free and some of them have quite a fee.
I'm sure it is all worth it though. I'll take any early literature I can get.
I definitely want to take the Classic Beginnings, if not the weekend one, and the Breastfeeding Class as well. The only question now is that date. It all interferes with work. =?
Well.. I'll see how it goes. Gotta check with my boss about the schedule first
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| I just want to document this little memory before I forget and start wondering when and what the heck I was doing when it happened. LOL.
I have been awfully forgetful recently, so here I go!
The past Saturday night, March 3, 2012 sometime around 930 or past that, I noticed that my baby girl was moving around lot. I've noticed her frequent movements more so now in the past week, sometime around the 28th of last month.
So.. I was in the living room using my mom's laptop reading and playing games and she moves around like nobody's business. She's always active in the mid-evening.. Especially when I wake in the middle of the night around 3am and couldn't get back to sleep right away.
So, I placed my hand over my belly and there I saw a twitch on my finger! OMG! I'm pretty sure that was the baby kicking! It was so exciting! I wanted to wake ong xa, but he was fast asleep and had been complaining all day about being so tired and wanting to fall asleep since 7.
He's practically on my sleep schedule now, so he sleeps when I sleep and he's gotten quite used to it.
Sorry babe, it's all my fault. =P
I'm pretty sure I felt more moving throughout the evening but not one that I saw again.
This is definitely a highlighted moment of my pregnancy. And I love it! =)
Mommy can't wait to meet you too baby! 
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| I didn't get to say much about the pluses of pregnancy.. so here's a continuation.
The joys of pregnancy for me are pretty simple and even though its simple, I had always thought best of the simplest things.
Seeing her for the very first time was awesome. I didn't see her until she was 18 weeks old. Why did it take that long? A whole lot of BS from applying with insurance and as well as Hartford Hospital. I had to wait a month for my insurance just because the associate who was filing my application had me come back a month after. Not exactly sure why.. but when I had come back to the date she asked me to she wasn't even there.
As for the doctor's appointment.. someone called Hartford Hospital for me and they actually did not have an opening until a month and half later. What other choice do I have? Hartford Hospital has really good doctors despite all the wait that have you do.
A few weeks had gone by and they call me up and leave me a voice message telling me that the provider will not be in on my set date so I was re-scheduled another week back. They did squeeze me in, that I'm thankful for.. but waiting another week, I couldn't wait anymore.
I have taken the extra precautions just from reading and researching as well as what my friends whom have been previously pregnant have told me. Lots of fluids, fruits, healthy snacks, proper diet and exercise and what not. So technically, even if I hadn't seen a doctor, I was doing alright. BUT.. that doesn't mean that I didn't want to see one.
I had enough of waiting and decided to call my primary doctor and asked them to refer me to a reliable doctor's office so that I can soon be seen. They referred me to St. Francis and when I had called them, I couldn't help myself from going into tears. There is nothing I want more than to know I'm doing the right thing and that the baby is happy and healthy and growing correctly.
The receptionist I spoke to was like "Oh, God, you haven't been seen?" They had me come in as soon as the next day and on that day, because they had to do routine checks, the doctor needed to know where my placenta was, or how far down it was so she can check my cervix. Because of that chance, I was able to see the baby.
She took some measurements and didn't notify me of anything alarming, so everything was good. She also told me that I was having a girl.
I have to be honest.. I was somewhat disappointed that I wasn't having a boy first. I had always wanted a boy first and everyone kept whispering in my ear that it's really lucky to have a boy in the year of the dragon. So in a way, I was expecting to have a boy.. but having a girl is good all the same.
She was lovely. I saw her fingers closed and moved them in a way that boxers do. It's the best way I can describe it of course.
The picture the nurse gave me was of her sucking her thumb. It's my most favorite photo by far. Besides the one with her hand on a later ultrasound.
The doctor also let me hear her beating heart. It was really fast. It's actually normal at that age.
I hadn't felt her kick yet, but I have noticed a little movement even though faint.
The doctor told me that it could be a little too soon for me to feel her since she's my first baby but maybe after the ultrasound I could feel her more and more.
She was right though. I few days after that, I did feel her kicking. It's a little weird to describe how it feels. It's like flutters in your body. It's both weird and amazing.
Since I had a lot of catching up to do, I had to get a lot of blood work tests done. Luckily, I was already taking prenatal vitamins, so not much worry there. But the doctor gave me some other sample ones too if in case I preferred something better from what I was already taking.
Some few weeks later, the hubby and I went to the hospital for the official ultrasound. The nurse told us that the baby moves a lot so she couldn't quite get a clear shot of certain things. LOL. A wiggler she called her.
The first thing they looked at was her heart and just like the first time, her heart was beating really fast. The nurse recorded it and checked the recorded sample and told us she beats 146 beats per minute.
I would love to hear her heart beat everyday if I could. Unfortunately I forgot to ask the doctor if it was safe to buy a doppler for myself.
She wanted to see her profile to check her face, lips, and nose but she had her arm over her head and just wasn't cooperating.
In the mean time, she checked her stomach and she told us its that small black circle in the center and its black because her stomach currently contains amniotic fluid.
She checked her foot too and measured that. She said that her foot was pressed up on the wall of my uterus. I'm not really sure how they can tell that, but I'll take it.
They took measurements of practically everything. The body, the head, the arm, the legs, her fingers, her foot.
She also confirmed the sex of the baby. She pointed out three little lines that indicate the baby is a girl.
We have been in there for like an hour already and still she didn't want to show her face. The nurse said she must really be comfortable in that position and since she wasn't moving with all the tapping and pressing she was doing on my belly, she asked me to empty my bladder.
On the next look again, the baby did turn but she turned completely the other way from where she wanted the baby to turn, with her head facing my spine.
She called for the doctor, and she had me tossing and turning from side to side until she finally got the baby to show us her face.
Had to work hard for that one.
We walked in the office at like 915 and we didn't get out until 1050. Wow. I didn't know it was gonna take that long, but being able to see the baby for that duration.. I was really happy.
She kicks harder now, especially in the middle of the night. She doesn't wake me, it just happens that I wake up for other things and then I feel her moving. It's an absolute joy. I love it.
I also get to do a few other creative projects.. like scrapbooking and compiling photos. Finally I have a reason to do all these things.
I can't wait until the day I get to see her face, have her in my arms and hold her hand.
She will be our most treasured child.. Until another 3 years.. ;)
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| Having a child is one of my greatest wishes, but while carrying a child, there are some things I'm missing out on.
There are a lot of foods I have to avoid..
1. Highest in the group are NUTS. Different people tell me different things, as for friends and doctors alike. No one has a very conclusive answer. All I know is.. a lot of Filipinos I know who have had children in the United States have nut allergies. Almost all of them if not all.
I really don't want to risk it, because during this pregnancy, since I'm already avoiding anything nutlike, I notice that everything has nuts in them! Especially the packaged snack ones. Like granola bars, or peanut butter and crackers, chocolates like snickers and what not. It's a lot to handle.
It's like always making sure that this doesn't have that.. or always checking the package for notes like "may contain".
And if ever my baby ever developed this allergy... I will be forever worried of what she will be eating wherever and whenever. So NO THANK YOU!
2. Tea & Coffee. Anything that has caffeine should be limited. Caffeine is a stimulant and a diuretic, it increases heart rate, which isn't good, and also reduces body fluid that could lead to dehydration. And being pregnant, I always need to be hydrated. Not having enough fluid can actually make me go into labor EARLY. Sorry.. don't want that either.
Also, caffeine cross the placenta and even though my metabolism can handle caffeine, my unborn child CANNOT since she is still maturing.
And.. not only that, but caffeine can cause birth defects.
It is also a fact that: Some studies have shown a link between high levels of caffeine consumption and delayed conception.
Even though I was told hot chocolate is okay, perhaps I should avoid that now too.
3. FISH. Not all fishes of course. Only the big ones that could contain more mercury that others.
Swordfish, Shark, King Mackerel, Tilefish, Striped Bass & Blue Fish should not be consumed. Not like I eat much of these. Except for the bass of course.
Should also eat less of Tuna Steak, Farm-raised Salmon, White Tuna, Halibut & Catfish.
Anything else should be eaten more of because of the omega-3 that is really good for the baby's brain development.
4. Anything RAW or UNDERCOOKED.
No sunny side up eggs, rare steaks, sushi, smoked fishes & meat spreads.
Deli meats are fine but it has to be heated until piping hot. Same for hotdogs. Boiled preferably.
=/ I really miss sushi. But that's okay. There's plenty of time to be able to ingest that.
5. Some cheeses like Brie, Feta, Camembert, Blue cheese, Mexican-style cheeses, such as Queso Blanco, Queso Fresco and Panela. Anything unpasteurized.
6. ALCOHOL should not be consumed anytime during pregnancy. There is NO amount of alcohol that is known to be safe during pregnancy, and therefore alcohol should be avoided during pregnancy.
Luckily, I have already been avoiding alcohol a month or two before I was pregnant. So that rules out any of that. =)
7. And plenty of different over the counter and pre-scripted drugs. As for pain medication.. only acetaminophen like Tylenol. None of that Alleve or Ibuprofen. Thankfully.. I haven't suffered any migraines that I normally get from day to day. I had a prescription or Fiorinal just for that. Just some minor headaches now.. but not a lot.
I think that covers everything ingestive.
As for everything else.. I do miss hanging out with my friends. Often times, they all meet up pretty late and I get pretty exhausted really early, so I sleep real early too..
Usually in bed in between 8pm and 10pm. and I often get to sleep close to 12 hours. I just hate my hips aching in the middle of the night so I'm often tossing and turning.
In a way, I do miss organizing parties and getting everyone together, but I don't really care much for it right now. I have always looked forward to having a baby, so not partying only is part of the process.
I also can't wear the same clothes as I have before. Nothing quite fits the same especially my jeans.
I also can't use my favorite sexy stiletto heels. Winter has come and almost gone and I didn't get to enjoy any of my boots. I have like over a hundred pairs of shoes in the closet that hasn't seen the light of day for months.
I guess one last thing I should include before I conclude this post... is the inevitability of summer approaching!
Not that summer is inevitable. I actually look forward to the summer season, and my birthday of course.. But this is one summer I won't be able to flaunt a nice body!
I'm gonna dread the heat so much. Just in winter I already feel warmer than regular. What more for summer? I guess not so much outing for me. Plus I will always have to carry around a chilled jug to keep myself from dehydration. LOL.
And I won't be able to wear nice bikinis or anything of the sort.
Its already hard just looking for anything to wear day to day.. What more at the beach? Xb
Even though my due date is on the 4th of July.. its not like I'll get to loose all that baby weight in a few weeks! Good luck to me.
Anyhow.. everything's great thus far. I didn't have nausea thanks to watching how much I ate. My body pretty much has always given me cues on what to do or what to have. For example.. if I feel faint, I need salt. I don't have cravings so I'm happy about not being controlled about what I want to eat. Its more like I don't know what to eat! I can eat anything really.. except for all those things I have to avoid.
I'm also thankful that I haven't slowed down one bit. Even though I'm getting bigger, I'm still as mobile as before except for not being able to run, skip or jump. But that's okay.
And... my hubby takes great care of me =) I can't complain | | |
| There is nothing like waking up with bad news..
Sleep hasn't come as easy in the last couple of days so I've often found myself dragging myself out of bed when I wake up..
So this morning.. I received a call from my boyfriend only to miss it anyways, but I do wake because of it.
He tells me he had bad news.. and so he says its raining today. Big deal... not like I had really made plans to do anything besides maybe just wander around, or perhaps not anymore.
Then he tells that he has even worser news. He said that my cat Zoey, is missing. He said that she ran out of the house last night while he was looking for his keys for the van. He said he didn't really notice until this morning that she hasn't used her litter, or ate nor drank.
He said maybe this is the best way for her because as soon as the baby arrives, she wouldn't be able to stay in the house.
BULLSHIT! That's the worst reason/excuse I've ever heard! I've asked him many times before and he said he would never give her away and the minute that she walks out on her own, that it's okay?
Maybe he doesn't feel the same way as I do about this cat.
I've bottle fed this cat since she was a month old. Goodness.. she's not even a cat yet, she's still a kitten of 9 months, barely even. I've defecated her and looked after her since. She's like my daughter. Luckily, I haven't trimmed her nails yet. And more unfortunately, she's not even wearing her collar. =(
I may not be able to really take care of her because of my current condition, but it doesn't mean that I don't want to. If I could I would! If I had known this... then perhaps.. perhaps..
I don't know. Maybe I would have been able to do something.
I feel like... I'm mourning her, because I might not ever see her again. What if she never figures her way back? What if something happened to her on the road, or.. What if someone else takes her in? Well.. if that did happen, then I'm at least a little bit more comfortable that she'll have a home rather than on the streets.
I miss her so much already.
Goodbye Zoey. Mommy will always love you.
              
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