The Ninth Check-Up At Week 34

..........Transferred from My Little Munchkin & I


As usual on last Friday we attended the ninth check-up at the hospital in Iida. This time I got '-' for my sugar in urine test woot-woot! Isn't that great?! hihi :) That really means I'm really free from gestational diabetes. Only that I have to be careful since my body is super-duper sensitive with sugar intake. So I have to maintain consuming sugar with a very low amount until the end of my pregnancy. My urine also was free from protein. My leg edema maintained with '+-'. that is still good right? However one thing I noticed, my blood pressure was a little bit slighted than normal but need not to be worried. I took the test using the electronic machine and told hubby that the reading wasn't so good. I thought might be I wasn't really relaxed yet. So after a moment while waiting for my name to be called, hubby urged me to get myself checked one more time. Far from what we expected, we were shocked to see the blood pressure reading was up higher than the first reading. We just giggled in disbelieved and definitely I decided to show the first reading to the midwife then ;P Well, I really still have to watch out my food intakes especially salt and manage my stress wisely. Yes, I always get stressful :(

Let's proceed to Lil' Munchkin... the doctor said his weight was only about 1830 gram that was 2 weeks behind his supposed weight for 34 weeks gestation which should be about 2200 gram. However his leg bone length was according to his current age. Might be Lil' Munchkin was still a bit lean and have yet to develop enough fat in his body. I don't mind about this since the doctor said the baby was fine. Besar sangat nanti susah jugak. Unfortunately I didn't get to see the monitor during abdominal scanning since the doctor's hand was blocking my view. But I got to see that it was getting crowded there... I mean here in my tummy. The funny part was the doctor finally managed to show Lil' Munchkin's face which was half covered by his leg! hihihi :D He was doing yoga I bet! Even the doctor tried to demonstrate the baby's position when hubby was a bit confused. Hahaha klaka la doctor! His right face was covered by his left foot but we still managed to see his eyes, lips, spongy cheeks and his NOSE! Upon seeing the image I asked hubby, "Hidung dia macam sapa?" and hubby said, "Hidung Rinny la". Then I continued..., "Ha'ah laa..." which caused hubby to look at me hihihi ;P Lil' Munchkin did look tembam although his weight was a bit less than he should. But to think back, I was born only with 2460 gram of weight while hubby was at 3050 gram. So, might be Lil' Munnchkin will be born a bit small too since we parents were also born small right? By the way after the check-up hubby said, "Apsal bunyi kecewa je masa tengok hidung tu?". Then I replied, "Eh takdela kecewa. Kena la terima. Nasib baik Tuhan bagi hidung tau. Alaa hidung ni jugakla yang Abang terpikat dulu tu tau". Hubby just laughed knowing that I really wished Lil' Munchkin's nose would take after him hihihi ;P

Below are Lil Munchkin at Week 34's pictures scan. We got 2 pictures which are actually slightly different here and there. But I rotated one of it for easier view.

See his foot and chubby cheek?

I think his head and lips are more like hubby's. See the nose is like mine right? hehehe. Takpe... hidung Mama comel aper kan? ;D

Overall, everything like the consultation with the midwife and doctor went on well just as usual... except for ONE THING. At the end of the check-up, the doctor showed to us the result of my second blood test and vaginal scan which I took recently. Turned out that I have been infected with GBS that is Group B Streptococcus bacteria. I felt the time was frozen and I was like in a time zone or twilight upon hearing the news. Of course I was having the shocked of my life! However the doctor said there was nothing to worry about and my condition will be monitored from time to time. So starting from next check-up and so on I will have to go on for treatment. We were still in vague what GBS was all about. Despite what the doctor said, of course I was worried laaa. Mcm mana xnak risau la, tell me??? So many thing raced in the center of my skull. I was thinking what have I done that caused me to get infected? Didn't I wash my hand clean enough after going to toilet? Was it because of the foods I prepared? bla bla bla and so on. Hubby seems more cool and relax to receive the news thus causing me to ask him, "Abang ni macam xkisah je xrisau ke?". What was I thinking? Of course he was worried sick inside but he didn't show it. I was already devastated upon hearing the news so another person has to be strong to support the other one. After all there is nothing we could do except to undergo the treatment and the rest... to leave it to God to decide. So he said. Yeah, you are right. Besides the support, that was what I need to hear the most. Thanks :)

Once got home, I studied from the net and read numerously on materials regarding GBS. Apparently GBS is among the types of bacteria which can be found in human body. It lives in gastrointestinal track, genital track or urinary track. There are about 1:4 or 25% women on earth being the 'carriers' of this bacteria and it happened that I am one of them. By being the carrier, it means the infected woman's body is being colonized by this bacteria thus caused it to be detected during the test. The carrier of GBS often never realized that they are infected and the GBS also most of the time doesn't gives any symptom to the infected body. The woman can live healthily except when she has very low immune system or very poor health state like suffering from cancer and has to undergo chemotherapy, then only GBS could multiply and cause other diseases. The carrier wouldn't necessarily be the carrier for the rest of her life. The GBS could come and go as it wishes. Men also can be infected by GBS. However, how one can be infected with GBS while others are not, is still UNKNOWN. It isn't sexually transmitted and it isn't one of the sexually transmitted disease though. So what's the fuss here? Even though GBS can bring no harm to the carrier and the carrier doesn't actually bring GBS disease but the GBS can infect the newborn during birth.

If the newborn is infected, the GBS would affect newborn either by early-on-set diseases or late-on-set diseases. The infection can be life threatening to the baby. So it is important for GBS-carrier-mom to get treatment at the end of pregnancy and MOST IMPORTANTLY during labor itself. The carrier will be treated with antibiotic and the labor also will be assisted with antibiotic which I'm not so sure how. But not just by consuming the antibiotic though. It is useless for the carrier to get early treatment during early pregnancy since the GBS still could come back. That's why the test for GBS is carried out during the third trimester. If the carrier get treated the chance for baby to be infected is 1:4000 and if the carrier doesn't get the treatment, the chance to get infected is far higher by 1:200. But 10% of these babies will die. Usually the survived baby, would always get sick and face many health problems throughout his life. So, this is the summary I can tell. For more information, you can click here.

Honestly, that is what has been bothering me since the check-up. I was already thinking for the worst. I was so depressed when to think back that I want more than 3 children but I already have to face this obstacle for my first child. I kept thinking about medical technology in M*sia. I surfed the net and at least I was comforted a bit to find about the acknowledgment of GBS towards pregnant women in M*sia. I hope there, they have the advanced technology and knowledge upon managing GBS since I really hope my next pregnancy will be a very wonderful experience too. Since I got to know that the chance of infection usually would get higher during the next pregnancy. I could feel the feeling of how it feels for a person who really wants a child but still doesn't get one, how does it feels for someone to be having serious illness while pregnant and etc. Okay I know maybe I'm just thinking too much. I shouldn't be worried right?, since the doctor said so himself. After all, there is nothing that I can do except to pray a lot to God for everything going to be fine, InsyaAllah. There must be reason for anything happened right? If infertile person could even get herself or get her wife pregnant after years of waiting and they never gave up to go through the obstacle... why can't I face mine which still can be considered very small problem to theirs? I know I sound too exaggerating. But hey, I really need to let off some steam anyway! So let me be!

Don't worry peeps. I am okay INDEED :D :D :D I'm fine. Of course I was shocked and miserable at first but I have already accepted the fate planned for me. Furthermore with the hormone roller-coaster ride in me... so it is reasonable for me to be EXTRA sensitive and vulnerable. Anyway, I have decided to invite my mom to come and visit us. Actually she already planned to come but we kept telling her to not come since our house is small. But since we are moving to a bigger house... and to think back actually I am already dreadfully homesick and miss my family... plus we can't guaranty that we are really going back to M*sia for holiday early next year and I'm sure I can't bear it anymore IF the plan will be postponed again... so I really think my mom HAS to come... since I really NEED her to save my SANITY! Before everything else I have already right away asked her to bring KFC, McD, cook laksa and kuih chara for me and ended with..., "Haaa apa lagi aaa? Nantilah pk dulu" hihihi ;P Anyway my mom said I'm thinking too much that cause my blood pressure to shoot up too. She said no need to worry and just take it one at a time... relax laaa! Well, that's my bad... I just don't know how to relax laaa!

Hmmm-hmmm what else to tell? Well... I really feel heavy nowadays. It is hard for me to stand-up or sit-down especially. With all the third trimester symptoms I have to deal with... I kind feel tired and can't wait for this to end too. My tummy already looked like a rump and low. It is getting tighter too from day to day which makes the baby's movements soo obvious. Sometimes it is really scary, surreal, amazed or whatever to see my tummy could be wavy because of the baby's legs moving from up-down or left-right and vice-versa. There was one time I shouted to hubby because I felt seriau which caused him to panic. Well, it WAS panicky to see my tummy suddenly shaped like a mountain or banjaran which has sharp point or long top on it. Macam tiga segi pun ye... boleh buat slide! Owh one more thing is... besides the Braxton-Hicks I sometimes feel the contraction and it scaresssss me! It isn't that painful, not synchronized of course and only lasts for a few seconds but I always keep myself alert every time! I really pray that I will reach full term period of pregnancy. Then after that, Lil' Munchkin, you are more than welcome to pop-out! :D Peeps, help pray for us too ya :)

When You Really Have To Be Extra Carefull With The Foods You Order

The weather has been very comforting nowadays. Not so cold and not so warm... just nice. It is raining today since the dawn. I love gloomy and rainy days but only when I'm at home. This atmosphere kinda give peaceful feeling in my heart and mind. The rain during spring isn't really a heavy one which accompanied with fierce lightning and thunder like the one in KL. I don't even realize it that it is raining outside until I heard the sound of water on the road splashes from the moving car. But come summer... I could see the rainy days like the ones in KL. In fact there usually would even be the best time for scary fierce typhoon to strike. When I was back at 'home', I would sleep in the room rather than to stay awake during rainy days :) Yup what else the best you could do when it is raining cats and dogs outside of the house? I couldn't get the internet ON if I didn't want my modem to be struck by lightning, I couldn't ON the TV either or else it might end up kaput too and even Ast*ro would even go sucks as early as the first rain drops from the sky. So usually I would crawl into my bed and read comics or books... but as I move from one page to another and another, my eyes would go heavier too... that was when finally I just decided to sleep lah! :D

Last night we went out for sakura viewing for the first time this year. Actually it was the first time for me. However it didn't out to be an interesting night-outing though. The sakura in our area is now already fully blooming so hubby decided to bring me to the Sakuramachi in Iida. We arrived there quite late and almost all of the shops were already closed. It is a small and bosan town remember? ;P However there were some people strolling along the streets to view sakura too. Unfortunately to search for the parking area nearest to the Sakuramachi road was quite a pain in the ass you know. The one available was quite far from the place. If we parked the car there we needed to walk far with me being heavily pregnant, with a full tummy since we just had dinner and also it was already dark and most of the streets were already quite isolated too. Lastly, after a few rounds at the same roads; hubby decided just to park the car at the eki. Although there were a few cars parked beside of the roads but we didn't want to take the risk since I saw a police patrol at one of the streets. We are so used with the roads in M'sia... senang je nak cari parking even pegi mana2 pun. Tapi kat sini susahnyaaa! Memang ada byk parking area tapi bukan nyer public parking. Kalau main parking je kang kena saman bukanlah sket2 plak kena bayar. Hmmm never mind, next time if we go there again we'll go early and park the car at the one available which a bit far.

So after parking the car at the eki we walked towards the road. Actually it wasn't a park. The sakura trees were planted along at the middle of the road. So there were like small very long park where people can enjoy the sakura viewing. I don't think it is suitable for people to have picnic on the ground there since the park is in between roads but at least there were benches for people to sit. We tried to snap a few pictures but our camera has very low performance at night. It is a very sensitive camera and we also forgot to bring the digicam. There was once just when the camera was ready to shoot the picture of us suddenly the lamps of the road suddenly went blacked out. We moved to the front part of the road and tried again but all pictures were so blurry. We spent like only 15 minutes there since it was already late and actually was worried about the car. By then hubby already didn't have the mood and just wanted to go home. I hope to go there again soon but it must be on the day! Hubby plans to bring me to Ina-shi like last year for sakura viewing later when the sakura is fully-bloomed at that place. But hmmm... surely it's going to be throngs of people there like last year. The huge park was packed with visitors! It is quite a famous place for sakura viewing actually. I have to climb the hill a bit some more. So I hope I'm fit for that. Actually... I don't like to be in the crowd... some more... they bring anjing too. Lots of anjing you know. Siap duduk dalam stroller lagi. Itu okaylah. Tapi ada yang bawak dukung2... bawak skali banyak ekor... so... it is quite annoying la. Takut terlanggar ke apa ke. But well kenalah akur... tempat orang... pandai2lah nak lari kan :P

Actually just before we went to see the sakura, we went to have dinner first at one of the Japa*nese Restaurant in here. It was our first time to dine there. It was quite expensive and the foods also not bad. But somehow hmmm the foods didn't really suit our taste lah. The only Japanese foods we could really enjoy are sashimi and sushi. By the way we ordered tempura soba set for me, tempura tendon set for hubby? (I don't remember), one sushi set and apple juices. Somehow hubby said that the foods weren't really delicious especially the soba since he had tasted much better at other place. But the sushi was marvellous though. For hubby's set, there was a kind of pudding for desert... which contained seafoods, meat and vegetables. Fortunately he didn't simply scoop it into his mouth. I thought it was only plain pudding until hubby stir the pudding then only we realized there were fillings in there. Ada daging lagi nasib baik xmakan. On last weekend, the same scenario happened went we dine in at Yumeian, a restaurant which we always frequented. Usually we just ordered tendon set since that is the only food fully safe for us to eat. But on that night hubby wanted to try something new so he asked on one set of udon whether it contains meat. He just mentioned niku which means any kind of meat la and all these while memang dia tanya macam tu aje pun. Once the order arrived, hubby checked on it and there were gray substances. I told him it was mushroom la. But then he picked out some more which looked like meat. Then hubby asked other waitress what it was an turned out it was pork. So, hubby got to change his order because it was the waitress's fault for giving false information to him. Nasib baik xmakan lagi. I wonder if it was me sure dah selamat masuk mulut. Though they were just a very slight incidents, but every time I remember the situations, they kinda make me shivers. Euw geli!

Hmm what else to tell? There is really nothing interesting and everything seems so dull nowadays. I also don't know why sigh... My mind is empty and I'm not in a joyous mood to do anything at all. Might be I'm just tired physically thus without me realizing it making me tired to even think or otherwise... whatever. I don't even have the appetite to eat because everything seems to be so boring to me. I'm lazy to cook but still I have to duh~~~. If only I'm in KL my life would surely be much more meaningful and interesting. I can go do whatever I want anytime and go anywhere I want. Eating out... owh M'sian food is the best! There are so many things to do, not like in here where it is lack of many things. Of all the places on earth... why am I stuck in here? I really wonder why...? Honestly I don't mind to be in here for a longer time if it is at least a bit better with many things to offer. You know... for the sake of life satisfactions. Or is it my fault for being a city-growned-up individual? I always think for how long more I could survive. Sometimes it is just unbelievable for me to realize that I've gone this far and I never realize that I could have this much of patience. Sometimes when I'm on the verge of breaking down and I'm happened to be at my lowest point... my mind just becomes so blank. I feel so lost... empty... lonely... dreadfully miserable and also... at the dead end. Fortunately I always get back to my senses and just remember God. It is even amazes me every time I could hold control on myself and keep praying to Him. Alhamdulillah He never leaves me and despites of me giving up on things fated by Him... yet He still keeps me under His blessings.

Might be I should just be grateful with what I have all around me... think positives always... and accept fate as the way it is. I know it is depends on us to strive to change our own fate but... I'm talking about something that nothing I could do. Because if I knew I might not be happy too even if I choose other options available. Every decision has its' advantages and disadvantages and every decision made also has its' own sacrifices, no? We can never get all we want at one time right, no? Well... just be grateful... keep striving and praying for the best... last but not least at the end when nothing I could do... just leave it to God's will. I bet one might able to lose his/ her sanity just to be in my shoes... really. I thank God for keeping me sane though... forever, InsyaAllah. Dear Almighty, please gives me strength to keep me survive always, Amin.

The Eighth Check-Up At Week 32

..........Transferred from My Little Munchkin & I


On last Friday, April 4th, 2008 I attended the 8th routine pregnancy check-up. Hubby and I were not so in the joyous mood on that day probably because as for me... I thought I need to go through the vaginal scan again but to my surprise it wasn't required to be done on that day, phew! While as for hubby... might be he was just tired and having had to get to know my not so good check-up result made him a bit worried and tensed. For this time, my sugar level in blood arose drastically from '+' to '+++'. Whereas my blood pressure was a bit elevated passed the normal level too. Not only that, I'm sure now I have already exceeded my supposed overall weight-gained since on last Friday my weight was 56.35 kg that was about 9 kg weight gained throughout my pregnancy so far. Because of that too, since I have small feet to support my growing body; I have started to develop leg edema. Of course the side causes are because of water retention and exceed amount of salt consumed too.

Updates on the baby... the doctor said that Lil' Munchkin was a bit small for his age since his weight was only 1.588 kg only and the supposed weight for his age was at least 1.7 kg. I found this hard to accept since I got to know that I gained about 1.5 kg since the last check-up. During this age, the baby also supposed to gain weight rapidly as much as about 500 g in 2 weeks period. His weight was compatible to his age during the last check-up. It was weird to me to think that the baby only gained about half of the supposed weight gained when my overall weight gained was quite a lot! Actually, during this check-up a new old doctor done the check-up on me, replacing the usual previous doctor who has been transfered to Nagoya recently. This doctor is really old I told ya... and he even didn't really know how to use the scanner. Most of the time, there was an extra nurse had to stand-by beside him all the time in order to assist him. I didn't understand the images of the baby he tried to capture and instead of squeezing the gel on my tummy, he squeezed the gel on the scanner surface before scanning my abdomen. Of course he couldn't smoothly slide the scanner and the image was blur too. Lama jugak dia scan macam tercari2 amende ntah. So... I expect there must be errors with the scanning result. Thank God I didn't have to go through the vaginal check-up with him. I wonder if he really knew how to use the speculum or not and I can't imagine his wobbly hands inserting the device into me, gulp! Yelah doctor dah tua kan. Might be outdated sket dgn technology nih ;P

Lil' Munchkin at Week 32. The doctor was eager to show the image of his head and spine.

Fortunately... that was going to be my first and last time appointment with the old doctor and also my last visits to this hospital. Because after this I will only have to attend my next check-up and onwards at the respective hospital where I'll be giving birth soon which is in Iida. I really can't wait for the next check-up on next week since I'm so eager to confirm myself about the baby's weight. I also hope my blood pressure and sugar level will be back to normal. Sigh... it is just so hard for me to control all these things in the body. I haven't consumed much sugar, salt and carbohydrate since months ago but still despite of that, everything still goes haywire. From my readings, I found out that might be because of less movements done everyday could be the root cause of all these. You see, I stay at home all the time and most of my time everyday is fulfilled by only sitting. I don't do exercise (only once in a blue moon... okay MY bad), I don't do house cleaning everyday, my house is also a small one which doesn't require me to move a lot or clean frequently and even if I do things, I don't need to actively move myself here and there but only stand still... like cooking in my tiny kitchen. So... because of this; the sugar in my blood keep increasing but hasn't been used to be burn to energy. Thus... causing my blood pressure to arise too since the high amount of sugar got cramped in my blood vessels.

Hmmm so... one of the safest and easiest solution to be done is to drag my fat ass to start doing exercise already! This is quite challenging for a couch potato like me you know, argh!!! Besides of that, I only put little salt into cookings and sometimes doesn't put any at all or in other words I only eat tawar foods nowadays. As for sugar... as usual I only take them very little at a time once or twice a day. I also strictly banned myself from any baking activity except baking bun and white loaf since I need to prepare lunch-box for hubby. Furthermore bun and loaf don't require much sugar in it. I also eat lesser rice in a day... in fact I've become boring to take regular meal anymore. Just makan untuk elakkan lapar saja. Reasons... malas nak masak satu hal... xtau apa nak masak... n dah tak larat nak masak pun ye. Penatlah nak bawak badan hmmm... Ehhh tapi semalam I did cilok hubby's ice-cream. Really couldn't resist by just looking at it. Zalim tau dah tau orang xleh makan ice-cream dia lagi nak teringin2 makan ice-cream. Hubby bengang je because I ate the ice-cream as like it was mine and bila dah tinggal separuh baru bagi balik. Actually he didn't want to give it at all to me but I pinched him continuously because I reallyyyyy wanted that ice-cream despites of I had already brushed my teeth and all hihi ;P However I really can't resist water sebab memang kuat minum air. Hmmm itu nasib lah...

I've just referred back my pregnancy book and this time only I went OOOHs AAAHs even though I've read the monthly progresses many time already. It always tends to be like that. I only feel easy to remember the facts once I've started experiencing them. I've started to feel like I'm soo heavy nowadays. Everything I do I need to do it slowly in order not to hurt myself especially when trying to transform my positions. All the time I'm feeling myself as nenek tua. I also feel like the baby is getting lower already... that is a condition called lightening. Which caused me to leak urine sigh... and I noticed that the vaginal discharge is increasing too. Frequent visit to the bathroom? Owh bathroom is my 2nd home nowadays and in time to come I'll be 'living' in there during most of my times hohoh! My bones, muscles and joints also tend to hurt more frequently especially when I sleep. I noticed that I've developed carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica syndrome, red soles, stuffy nose and a few others. Also not forgetting constipation. This is really annoying since it is getting worse since about last week although I already taken a few prevention steps like eating more prunes before meals. So starting today I've stopped taking my iron supplement just to see how it is going to be. Moreover, I take multivitamins supplement which contains iron too so I don't mind to skip the iron tablet. These are the obvious symptoms I'm having at this time. Anyway the first twos causing me to have disturbed sleep all the time. It hurts when my hands, feet or hips become numb. Sleep deprivation or insomnia is also one annoying thing. I hardly can fall asleep even though when I'm really sleepy.

In less than 2 months I'm going to give birth. Everything is all ready. I'm feeling eager waiting for the baby to arrive. But at the same times sometimes I feel like owhhh I can't wait for all of these to end already. We are excited but also it is tiring to wait you know. Plus I just can't stop playing with all the mixed emotions and thoughts. Hmmm I'm nervous, scared, worried... but happy of course. Hmmm okay whatever. All in all I pray for the best from God, InsyaAllah.

Really can't wait to see the little one since I had been dreaming of him more frequently in my sleep nowadays :)