Week 27: Nesting

I debated with myself if I should post the picture of me wearing barely nothing but I really want you to see my bump since most of you won't be able to see it in person. I'll be 7 months pregnant next week and Bean is really growing at an astonishing rate. Both Bean and I will be experiencing a massive growth spurt in the next couple of months. I can only hope he is not one of those massive monster babies and I don't morph into a giant whale, because believe it or not, I haven't really put on that much weight so far, as you can see above. 

This week, Bean is really responding to sounds and is moving around quite a lot. He can also now open and close his eyes. (Not that I can see). Carrying him now puts a strain on my back and I am really feeling less mobile and agile with a bump sticking out in the front. It tends to brush against or bump into things. 

We went to IKEA on Thursday just to check out what kind of furniture items we may need for our redecoration project. There are a few pieces we would like to pick up - including a cot, rugs, a chest of drawers, standed lamps and other bits and bobs. But I feel we should first sort the rooms out - i.e. reorganise and move existing furniture into the respective rooms we want them in and clear out unwanted items - before we go on a buying spree. 

On Good Friday we spent a good few hours painting the baby room. It looks horribly patchy at the moment with only one coat of paint but next week we want to give it another go and when that's finished I'll put up some cute wall stickers. 

This weekend I cleaned and cooked, went to my sister-in-law's for an Easter egg hunt she organised for her grandchildren, and slept in late. It's lovely not to think about work for a few days. 

I haven't exactly put my feet up and just rot on the couch over the long weekend, but it feels good to succumb to the nesting instinct and busy myself around the house. Because frankly, if Bean wasn't on his way, we wouldn't be as motivated to get things sorted. 

I love my husband

Because he goes and gets me Sausage McMuffin every week to satisfy my craving. 

Because he rubs my back when I am tired from carrying the bump. 

Because he carries my bag for me so I can waddle faster. 

Because he removes my toe polish for me and offers to cut my toenails. 

Because he rushes to get me Gaviscon and peppermint tea when I clutch my stomach in pain and sweat profusely during a heartburn attack. 

Because he is going to paint our son's room. 

Because he looked after me when I had my terrible toothache. 

Because he reads to Bean every other day. 

Because he puts up with my moaning and groaning.

Because he loves me and Bean. 

Week 26: Time to slow down I think

We spent a few days in Barcelona this week, which was absolutely lovely because prior to this I had never been to Spain and didn't know Spanish food is so delicious! It was nice to get away and spend time together although the walking did get a bit too much for me in the end. 

Bean is now almost 2 pounds and getting very strong and active. He kicks me a lot in the day and they are no longer the gentle little taps but proper thumps which can be somewhat uncomfortable. 

I have noticed this week my bump is getting bigger and pointier and I now have to pull or push something to get myself off whatever I may be sitting on (chair, bed, floor). I also have trouble cutting my toenails because my hands can barely reach my toes with the bump being in the way. R had to help me remove my toe polish today. 

My appetite is not too bad and I have managed to keep the heartburn and indigestion at bay by strictly limiting the portion size for my evening meal. I often have nothing more than a small bowl of food. If I do get hungry in the night, I get up and have a couple of biscuits. This I find is so much better than rolling around in stomach pains. 

I don't think being pregnant means you need to constantly stuff yourself crazy or eat a lot more than usual. My appetite is smaller than before I got pregnant and the baby is still growing well. I think it's more important when you are pregnant, to eat well, rather than to eat loads. 

Sleeping is still somewhat tricky because I have to be mindful of my bump whichever position I am in. And if you have a watermelon around your middle, every toss and turn is a struggle. 

This week has been a real hectic one for me, combining Barcelona with work with a weekend teacher training course. I haven't properly rested at all in the month of March and while I'd still like to stay active right up to the day I pop, I would really like to slow down at work (cut down on the travelling across Wales) and spend my time off really looking after myself and getting the house ready for Bean. 

Yes, that shall be my goal for April. 

Week 25: Dental agony

I never knew toothaches could be sooooooo bad. 

I don't proclaim to have good teeth - I have fillings everywhere, but until this week, I have never had such a terrible toothache. Well yeah okay I was in agony for a few days in 2005 because my wisdom tooth had nowhere to sprout but that was just a persistent dull, sore ache which resolved after my dentist pulled out my tooth. 

But this pain was something else. It started suddenly a few weeks ago, after I chewed on some gum. And then it just got progressively worse, until one day I could not let anything touch that tooth (air, water, food, spoon, everything) because it was throbbing with pain and I had my head buried in my hands. 

I thought at that point what they said was true. Pregnancy could really cost you a tooth. I had no choice but to go to the dentist because I could not get past one day without painkillers stronger than paracetamol and I shouldn't really be taking them when I am pregnant. 

The dentist gave me a jab in my gum to numb me because he wanted to drill into my temporary filling to see what the problem was. The jab really hurt but wasn't very effective so he had to give me another one to block my nerves. So I sat and waited with a swollen, numb mouth for the anasthetic to take full effect before going back into the room. This time I felt absolutely no pain so he drilled away and said there was a crack in the tooth but he had got rid of it and filled the hole with more white temporary filling. 

I was glad R came with me because it was really quite a traumatic experience. With my mouth still numb, I couldn't talk properly but I could finally eat a proper meal in days as the anasthetic was still in effect. I had a bowl of noodles. 

When the numbness wore off, the tooth still felt sore but it was nowhere near anything as painful as what I had experienced before. Gradually the tooth got better and although it has almost recovered 100% now, I am still cautious when biting and chewing. 

The dentist's plan is for me to get a permanent mercury filling once I've had the baby because the temporary filling will only last a couple of months. I'm just hoping this is all the dental nightmare I'm going to get while I am pregnant. Nothing is more terrible than experiencing discomfort and pain but not being able to do anything for fear of harming the baby. 

I guess the only consolation is dental work is free for pregnant women and up to 12 months after they've had the baby. The pregnancy and losing a tooth thing must hold some truth to it then. 

Week 24: Miserable

Happy Mother's Day!

But I have been feeling miserable this week.

I'm tired.

Tired of carrying around the bump, tired of not being able to get comfortable in bed, tired of getting up three times a night to go to the loo, tired when I am standing or walking around, tired of getting heartburn and indigestion, tired of not having any appetite in the evenings, tired of being so careful about what medication I can and cannot take, tired of being constipated, tired of having to remind myself to take extra fibre, calcium and iron.

I'm tired of being pregnant!

I had another terrible heartburn attack on Wednesday evening, which left me sitting at the top of the stairs gasping in pain while R rushed to get me Gaviscon and peppermint tea. I have gone back to not having any appetite in the evenings and am contented with just having toast or cereal for dinner.

The whole week I suffered from pain in a lower tooth which got worse two days after I visited the dentist to get the cavity filled. I have never had bad toothaches before and this one is just getting worse by day to the point where the pain makes me cry.

Now, I can't touch the tooth, eat or drink in a way which allows food to come into contact with the tooth, and it's just pure agony. R bought me a tube of Sensodyne toothpaste which seems to have helped a little but it's off to the dentist again tomorrow to find out what is wrong. I'm worried about taking stronger painkillers (paracetamol has not much effect) for fear of harming the baby but trying to endure the pain is such a torture.

This pregnancy hasn't been bad in many respects but it has really brought misery in other ways. I honestly cannot wait for the day where I can get myself back again.

I love you, boy

The best part of being pregnant is being able to feel his little kicks, little punches, little wiggles. I cannot imagine that in a few months he will no longer be a part of me. And I just find it so amazing that anyone can be filled with so much love for someone they don't even know and haven't even met. 

Week 23: New problems!

The pregnancy is getting more difficult as I am about to enter my 6th month. 

I am getting more breathless carrying around the bump. Standing up straight stretches the skin around my belly and makes it very uncomfortable. My back aches because I have extra weight in the middle. 

I am experiencing leg cramps at night, having problems with my teeth (although this could have nothing to do with being pregnant), feeling more tired, having trouble getting a good night's sleep or getting into a comfortable position in bed. 

But the good things are: I am still having good skin and hair, my appetite has picked up, I am able to enjoy sex again and my breasts are no longer tender. 

Bean continues to be very active throughout the day. He kicks me in the cervix (weird sensation that is), in the bladder (makes me sometimes want to wet myself), pokes me in my belly button, underneath my rib cage and in either side of my belly. I can now make out whether he's changing positions or moving his limbs around, but I haven't felt him hiccuping yet. 

This week we: 

• stocked up on nappies when they were on sale
• got our second-hand Quinny Buzz pushchair, carry cot and foot muff 
• booked our place on the antenatal training course in April

Our upcoming project is to spruce up the house and get it ready for Bean, I can't wait to get started!

Sorry

We laid in bed and R looked at my growing belly. I fidgeted around to find a comfortable position. He frowned and turned all serious, "Do you blame me for doing this to you?" "No," I replied. I couldn't be happier to be having a baby with someone I love.

My kicking watermelon

These days I am really getting increasingly breathless and uncomfortable. When R picked me up from the train station to walk me home yesterday evening, I told him it was so tiring walking around with the bump. I said I wish I could carry it like a watermelon and he said, "Go on then!". So I put my arms under my belly, bent my back and carried my bump home. 

Week 22: Yet another emotional rollercoaster ride

It has been a crazy 7 days.

On Sunday we went to Penang for a couple of days and I found that all that walking plus being in the hot sun really tired me out. My ankles swelled and became painful at the end of the day. But I enjoyed the daily swims in the warm pool and I'm hoping to continue swimming in the UK.

I had a real craving for Japanese food so on our last night in Malaysia we went to a Japanese restaurant in the hotel and I ordered this HUGE dinner set. I gave my sashimi to R and I tucked into the hot nabe, steamed egg and tempura. I was so gastronomically satisfied at the end of the meal!

Before we left, my aunt brought me a box of bird's nest and a ceramic pot. According to her, taking this expensive delicacy will give Bean a beautiful fair complexion. She told me, "Just take as much as you want, if you don't have enough, let us know and we will DHL it over." Goodness, I was so overwhelmed by her kindness and generousity!

We got back to the UK on Wednesday evening and found that my mother-in-law's health had deteriorated suddenly. She slipped into a coma and passed away on Saturday morning. Dealing with this on top of the jet-lag is very difficult, and I am trying so hard take control of my emotions so I don't stress the baby. But sometimes this is easier said than done.

On Friday I went to see the midwife to get my Maternity Certificate for the employer (to claim maternity pay) and got to hear Bean's heartbeat (142 bpm). My uterus is now 1.5 inches above my belly button and my fundal height is 23 cm. Although I am not very big, it already is difficult to carry around the bump. My skin gets so tight and I can feel my belly weighing me down as I walk.

At this stage, Bean weighs around 430g, has developed a sense of touch and taste. He may be able to detect strong flavours in the amniotic fluid, which probably explains why Bean was somersaulting like crazy when I had my Assam Laksa in Penang.

I feel tired, sleep-deprived, emotional, overwhelmed and totally not up for going back to work tomorrow.

Things often all happen at once, don't they?

Week 21: Hot and bothered!

Happy Year of the Tiger!

I continued to gorge on the delicious local dishes this week and enjoyed being around family and friends. My belly has become more noticeable and on a few occasions I have been offered seats on the train and bus, which is really nice. 

The heat however, is now more unbearable for me as my metabolism increases. It is very uncomfortable for me to walk about in the humid weather and I can't seem to tolerate being in the sun anymore. The solution: holding an umbrella wherever I go. 

I am also now finding it impossible to lay flat on the bed as my uterus would stretch out uncomfortably, so I need to be propped up with several pillows, including one to support my bump as I sleep sideways. 

On the plus side, my skin and hair is less greasy than normal and when I went for my facial session in Singapore, my beautician commented that there is nothing much to extract and I was so thrilled! 

On Thursday I went to Changi General Singapore to see my consultant endocrinologist for my annual thyroid check-up and he increased my medication from 75mcg to 100mcg per day as my levels have clearly dipped in pregnancy. With the additional boost in thyroxin, I do feel better and less fatigued. On learning that I am expecting a little boy, the doctor said, "Well done, that's the way!" What a typical Asian male! 

My family really looked after me when I was back home, always warning me if the toilet or floor was wet, refusing to let me carry any heavy items, making sure I was eating and sleeping properly. 

We booked an air ticket for my mother to join us in the UK in the middle of June, and she'll be staying till the beginning of September. She's not that keen on looking after the baby but at least she can take charge of my meals and help me around the house. 

I'm just so thankful she retired in time to be able to be around when the baby is born!

Week 20: Food glorious food!

I'm sorry, this has to be a short entry.

I have been too busy pigging out on the delicious local food since I got back to Singapore on Wednesday and who has time to blog? And oh, my bloating and indigestion? WHAT bloating and indigestion? It has been miraculously cured since I got back home! These days I simply walk around smacking my lips and wearing a contented idiotic grin plastered on my face.

The flight home was smooth and uneventful, and I even got to have chicken rice for dinner on the plane. However I found it difficult to sleep or get comfortable as I constantly felt hot and breathless on board.

Bean was well-behaved throughout the journey but he was very restless on my second night in Singapore, kicking me so hard during the night that I could actually see my tummy move. I know it when he is unhappy because he affects my mood too and when he starts throwing a tantrum in my belly I will be grumpy the whole day.

Yesterday afternoon we decided to test if Bean could respond to touch and I tried tapping my belly. After a little while I could feel Bean wriggling around and then he gave us a few good strong kicks which proved he could sense vibrations.

I am already starting to have trouble getting comfortable in bed even now when I don't have a particularly large belly and I am seriously wondering how I will be able to cope as I enter the third trimester.

I don't know how to explain the feeling of carrying all this extra weight around my waist. I suppose the closest description would be: it's how one would feel after having 10 big plates of food at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Week 19: We see Bean again!

I had my 19-week scan on Tuesday morning and because the foetus is now considerably larger, I didn't have to do it with a full bladder. My sister-in-law came along with us, because although she is the grandmother of two young children, she hasn't actually been to an ultrasound scan.

Bean was wriggling around as usual when the scan was done and the first things we saw were his spine and ribs as he had his back to us. Later on, the sonographer located the heart, kidneys, bladder, brain and checked that all vital organs appeared normal.

As she moved down to check his legs, we could see him playing with the umbilical cord. And then the sonographer told us, we are expecting a little boy! This came as no surprise since I'd already got a good feeling it was a boy right from the start. We even got to see his little testes and tiny pecker, all already fully formed even at this stage!

I wasn't really overwhelmed at the scan but my sister-in-law was quite tearful. But I must admit there's definitely something special about seeing a tiny little life on the screen, so vulnerable yet so perfect even though it is so small and delicate. And seeing that surely reaffirms the fact that I am REALLY pregnant, and not just getting fat.

My sister-in-law dropped me off at home after the scan and several hours later, popped by again with some newborn baby-gros. You could definitely tell how excited she was about her nephew!

I spent last weekend taking some teenagers away to West Wales for two nights to work on our project and that really tired me out. To make matters worse, I slipped on an icy mild slope one morning and hurt my ankle. Bean wasn't hurt thankfully, but I spent the week limping around in agony.

This week I also had a meeting with my HR coordinator to go through a risk assessment form for pregnant women, which highlighted what I should/should not be doing at work. E.g. no moving of heavy items, take regular breaks etc. Now with my bump more visible, everyone at work is looking after me a bit more, which is really nice.

My sense of smell is heightened this week, so if I smell food when I am not having a meal myself it, makes my stomach turn. Poor R had to eat a bowl of cereal for dinner one night when he came home after a late shift because he said "it's the only food that has no smell".

I have also discovered that if I stick to small portions of food throughout the day, I have no problems with heartburn and indigestion, so that's what I have been doing the whole week. I've also been religiously practising yoga at home every other day just to keep my body flexible.

With Bean growing bigger by day, his kicks and punches are also a lot stronger and I can now feel him moving about every few hours, having fun in the womb.

Next week, we will be flying back to Singapore to spend Chinese New Year with my family and it will be the first time they are seeing me with a visible bump. I do hope they don't find it too weird, as I do sometimes, when I look at myself in the mirror and wonder, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED THERE?

Zzzzzzzzzz

Fell asleep when R read Roald Dahl's Charlie & The Chocolate Factory to Bean. We love bedtime stories. And I realised how much I love my husband.

My first wave

I'm Bean. I'm 19 weeks old. My hobbies are swimming and kicking. I'm naughty but I think I love my Mummy. It's nice when Daddy reads to me at night. Hope to see you in a few months.