3rd week of motherhood

20sep-26sep

- had poh chai mee & fried egg w mushroom for breakfast
- 22nd time expressed 4.5oz of milk after breakfast
- napped after lunch but can't fall asleep, SMSed fren abt subscribing to phoenix IDD
- 23rd time expressed 4.6oz of milk after lunch
- dharma fren just out of cf and NB bb shower just over (2nd child boy born on 15 Aug, at wk 38)
- had dau ghee w veg meat & black bean soup for dinner
- updated expenses and blog
- 24th time expressed 4.6oz of milk before sleep

- 25th time expressed 3.7oz of milk at 6plus in the morning (having bad dreams these days and woke up after shouted loudly)
- had fried noodles & warm soy drink for breakfast (feet still swollen after delivery)
- sorted photos in the PC and sorted the receipts of expenses
- Nursing Home called to say they've sent Uncle to the hospital, doc called at 9.17am to say Uncle suffered from major stroke
- had warm soy drink for tea1
- had veg pig's stomach 'zhu du3' w xiao bai cai, mushroom, tofu for lunch
- napped and rested on bed & SMSed to Uncle's colleague friends to inform of hospitalisation
- 26th time expressed 4.3oz of milk
- had dow meow & soup for dinner
- darling went to buy fruits for offering (Mid-Autumn Festival tomorrow)
- had korean ginseng soup for supper
- 27th time expressed 5.2oz of milk

- recycling collection this morning (the worker had a cigarette in his mouth & carrying another bag from our Korean neighbour)
- 28th time expressed 4.25oz of milk at 4plus in the morning
- had warm soy drink and pancake w french beans for breakfast
- cf lady helped to change the bedsheets and pillow cases (changed last month before delivery)
- had potatoes w veg dau ghee & veg soup w sweet corn, pearl beans, veg dumplings, carrots for lunch

40th week of Pregnancy

30aug-5sep

- woke up 2am and 5.53am to go to the washroom (weather is unbearingly warm) & took 3 dates feeling very hungry
- ma will be coming over to accompany me this evening
- had multigrain bread for breakfast & took a pkt of wang wang biscuits for tea1
- finished reading 1 magazine+1 recipe book borrowed from NLB
- mum bought brown rice w veg fish and potatoes for lunch (had a ripe avocado each after lunch)
- feeling abit sleepy at 11plus in the morning and 2plus after lunch
- mum cooked white rice w potatoes, xiao bai cai for dinner (veg fish from lunch)
- napped for more than an hour before dinner at 6plus
- aunt came to visit and bought durians (had 2big+3small for the first time this pregnancy)
- foetal movements were noticeable at 10plus after dinner (read abit before sleep)

- woke up at 3am, 5.10am and 7.15am to go to the washroom (foetal movements were felt)
- staff dinner this evening at Holiday Inn Atrium@Outram (took bus 56, transfer bus 5 opp TMC, alight at Grand Copthorne Hotel)
- had multigrain bread for breakfast & rice w veg fish for tea1 (bro drove us there)

- mum gg to gynae with me in the morning (darling taking pm leave) after gg w dad in bro's car to pray
- had brown rice for lunch w lots of veg (potatoes, brinjal, long beans, lady's fingers, dou pau etc)
- little one is ~2.9kg while I've gained ~300g (49.4kg) & next gynae appt on Fri (can induce delivery anytime)

39th week of Pregnancy

23aug-29aug
- It's almost due...is little one arriving yet? morning afternoon or midnight? very excited..
- woke up twice to go to the washroom
- updated abit of blog and checked emails after taking multigrain bread for breakfast
- made bee tai mak for lunch, washed spinach and filled water bottles
- pa called to have dinner at newly opened restaurant nearby ($7.80 for a plate of fried mee sua, $4.80 for 2 fried spring rolls, super expensive for ave households)
- bill more than $54 for family of 5 and still not feeling full
- read the bb magazines borrowed from NLB
- the feet were still swollen for the past few days

- woke up 4am and 630am to go to the washroom
- today is Buddha Joyful Day (15th day of lunar 7th mth)
- updated abit of blog and checked emails and take multigrain bread for breakfast
- called neuroscience clinic to ask status of medical memo
- called gynae to change appt time to tomorrow 4pm
- called bank to enquire about the statements for investments
- mum made bee tai mak for lunch w bak ku teh flavour
- went groceries shopping with mum (2% Elderly disc + BYOB disc & rounding adjustments = $1.05; $2.74 fm offer; total savings = $3.79)
- $1.50 packet of spinach spoilt yesterday after wash and not cooked (wastage)
- so difficult to earn a cent, and dollars spent just like that
- smell of marinated pork 'lu3 wei4' in our masterbedroom & toilet, and kitchen so strong when we reached home (the masterbedroom toilet windows can't be closed as the air-con pipe is there, and I forgot to close the kitchen windows tightly) that I sprayed alot of the tea-tree odour remover solution to rid the smell in the air
- the smell kept coming in from the masterbedroom toilet, and when I found the other window in the room 'cleared' to open, the wind coming in from this window finally solved the problem
- called to enquire about missing Linkpoints & emailed the necessary instead as there's no fax machine or scanner by 6pm
- mum made multigrain porridge for dinner w bb spinach
- received a '4GB Apple ipod' as present from darling ;)

- woke up 4plus and 6plus to go to the washroom
- had 2pc wholemeal bread for breakfast at 2 intervals w olive spread + strawberry jam and fruitjuice
- updated blog and journal and sent/replied emails (the NRIC was written on the receipt as attached in the email but I was asked to furnish it in the reply)
- made some chee cheong fun and bee tai mak for lunch
- refurnished my NRIC (written on the receipt as attached in email earlier)
- mum gg to gynae w me at 2plus (took a cup of fresh milk for tea 1)
- bb gained ~50g and now weighs 2.8kg (next appt is EDD and have to do heart rate tests for 30-45min)
- overdue bb have alot of prob eg.have to test this and that, danger of pooing inside me, risks etc
- made beehoon for dinner w broccoli, fresh mushroom, potatoes and tempei (took 0.5jar of essence for tea 2)
- showered and makan..hungry le

35th week of Pregnancy

26jul-1aug

- woke up at 5am to go to the washroom
- feet swollen and still abit pain
- office called to confirm start of mat leave next week (darling said maybe take me to sentosa instead of gg overseas next mar)
- mum made wholemeal spaghetti for me w bb spinach & fresh mushroom
- checked email, blog, updated & sorted the photos in the pc and watched movie 'Yip man' at home w mum
- mum helped to fold and keep all the bb clothes into closet (hand me down NB gifts and washed)
- time flew very fast and soon mum is leaving after making veg for dinner
- went to bed at 11plus after abit of reading & TV
- head near scar has more sensation than before and sharp pain lasts longer

- woke up at 3am & 6.35am to go to the washroom
- can't wait to go for 35th week gynae consultation later w darling (darling haven't seen doc since 28 wk) followed by hospital tour at 11am (lasted ~45min) by Ms. Aelina
- meeting another expecting mum this sun to pass her $5 off vchr (2 pc) for enfamama A+ milk 900g
- doc said little one gained another ~400g and me 0g in just 2 weeks (33rd week to 35th week) & adviced to 'stand by' any time mid Aug (little one may grow to 2.7kg - 2.8kg) then
- took our photo together, and darling & I went for lunch (called office to notify of MC) before darling return to work (dropped me home) to catch public transport transfer (within 45min)
- next gynae consultation is 10 days later (doc gg overseas for NDP weeknd) if not it'll be 20 days later
- office just called to submit MC by this week for mat leave to be processed
- returning NLB books later before mtg darling at MRT to go for dinner with friends at PCK (probly last pizza meal before the little one arrives)
- passed by St. Michaels at ION and bought some yummies (potatoes & biscuits)
- went for coffee & chat (last met in Mar) & feeling thirsty
- invited friends over to watch NDP fireworks

34th week of Pregnancy

19jul-25jul

- woke up 5am to go to the washroom, and went back to sleep till 7am (think I'm too tired or else may not fall asleep)
- thought it was Sunday, and luckily it's not too late to prepare for breakfast (chee cheong fun & coffee) before darling go for work
- feet still pain, and yesterday I started limping (left foot) and both feet still swollen for 3 consecutive days

- woke up 2am & 4am to go to the washroom, and went back to sleep till 7am for oats breakfast
- darling accompanying me to gynae consultation next week (will bring dig camera for shooting) and followed by a hospital tour at 11am
- my best friend's birthday next week & meeting up with friends for dinner@PCK Forum
- had pain on left side of tummy after 2 trips to buy the groceries & some baby necessities (dad bought a pkt of mee siam) and rested a while

- darling and I read abit after TV and slept before midnight (chatted abt news article I read about the upbringing of children by famous writer 'Bing Xin' and 'Liang Wen Fu')
- what would you say to a 3-4 year-old when he/she likes to catch little birds or insects?
- would you simply tell the child to let it free because we need to have compassionate heart? (child may not understand what that means)
- Bing Xin asked her youngest daughter 'Wu Qing', "It's dark now, and what would you like to do if you're outside?" and she replied, "I'd like to go home."
- "Then who would you like to see when you reach home?"
- "I'd like to see my mother."
- "It's late now and the little bird would also like to go home to see its mother. Let it free, my dear."
- and she did with the understanding of her wrongdoing instead of 'obeying orders' without understanding why

- another incident when Bing Xin found out Wu Qing led a few boys to bully a Japanese child (during the WWII after she learnt about the Tian An Men Massacre and how the Japanese soldiers killed the commoners cruelly), she told her to treat the military and the commoners separately
- she went on to say that the Japanese commoners also suffered alot when the country is at war (her maternal grandpa also took part to fight the Japanese soldiers & the younger Bing Xin then also felt angry at the Japanese soldiers but at the same time pitied the Japanese commoners)
- I shared this with darling and aspired to be a greater person to mother our little ones in future (starting from now)

- woke up 5.20am to go to the washroom, and prepared for breakfast (mum said my beehoon taste like those sold outside or even better)
- darling says to go shopping during weekend and dine in (last episode of TV drama 'Safe Guards' which displayed a lot of wits, courage and strategies of how the adopted son and his 2nd Uncle & Aunt together with his wife helped to handle the problems faced in the family and business)
- mum cooked darling's fav petai and also made potato+tomato+sweet potato leaves soup for dinner
- napped at 8plus9 after dinner and woke up 10plus to watch abit TV before turning in

- woke up 6am to go to the washroom, and overslept (woke up 8.25am) as it's raining and the weather is cool
- quickly prepared for quick breakfast (multigrain bread+lettuce+olive spread+eng breakfast tea bag for darling) and iron his shirt
- looking forward to tomorrow's final class of meditation (writing blog+hang clothes+reading+take yogurt for morn tea while waiting for mum)
- will be bringing dig cam to take class photo (thank you darling for reminding to charge the batt)
- mum bought some greens before coming (went to redeem a 28g of jam at supermarket) & made spaghetti lunch after doing dishes & filling water from filter
- went to supermarket (mum's 3rd time today) to buy some more groceries to earn points
- had veg soup (potato+tomato+sweet corn+red dates+gou qi zi) & bb spinach for dinner
- darling said to take me to Genting Highlands next time to eat the corn kernels again :)
- I told him to plan for next Mar (when our little one hopefully is still on breastfeeding & no need to bother with preparation of food for him)

- woke up 2.35am to go to the washroom, and got up to prepare for lunch and blog & ate a slice of sandwich (hunger kept me awake)
- dined my fav before our class (yes laksa & probably my last meal there before delivery) as the nex class commence abt 2 wk+4 days before my EDD (Estimated Delivery Day)
- have a classmate also around the same time for delivery (hope she's well and bb fine as she's obviously carrying a 'heavier' watermelon/basketball as darling calls me)

- need to shop for bb bath tub, non-slip mat, small pails for napkins laundry, spiral bb clothes hanger etc and probably a breastpump
- first time felt sharp scratching sensation on tummy on the frontal (abit left) while chatting with classmates at kopi shop before class
- tonight little one moved and 'boxed' me with greater strength (can feel the little fist moving from left to right and the tummy bulging out) around 11pm

- woke up 8.10am to go to the washroom, and got up to take multigrain bread breakfast, check email (fwd photos taken at meditation class to classmates), update the photos taken to pc, upload to blog and wrote this journal
- my boss called and we chatted for about 40min (had to submit the work appraisal for office and dept by next week)

- went to check out the bb necessities at shophouse near market w darling, and buy bb bath tub and non-slip mat at Kiddy
- felt constant pain at right side for more than 30min (never had before but able to speak softly and walk slowly) & darling was worried that I may deliver

Pregnancy A-Z for third trimester

1. Keep up the good habits. Minimise discomforts and maximise yours and your baby's health by continuing to lead a healthy lifestyle and eat a good diet.

2. Nearing the end. You may often be uncomfortable now, but the strong foetal movements you are feeling mean your pregnancy is reaching its natural conclusion.

3. Nutritional resources. Your baby is drawing heavily on your stores of calcium and iron. Keep your intake of these high so you do not become depleted yourself.

4. Vary your foods. Babies in the womb stick out their tongue and taste the amniotic fluid. Eat a variety of foods to introduce the baby to new tastes.

5. Normal swelling. Every pregnant women swells to some degree and it is only considered a problem if you have high blood pressure.

6. Fibre. Keep your fibre and fluid intake high now to counteract constipation and avoid haemorrhoids, which are a common problem in pregnancy.

33rd week of Pregnancy

12jul-18jul

- yeah! It's pay day again.
- darling says to accompany me on my next gynae consultation (wonder if doc will say little one has grown another 0.5kg in 2 wk)
- I'd arrange appt on day of neuro review in 35th week of pregnancy around noon after gynae consultation in the morning (darling took leave)
- woke up at 6am to clear bladder (every 1-2h in daytime & 4-5h during night sleep), and made quick breakfast (multigrain bread w lettuce + olive spread)
- continue to read 'yummy recipe book for pregnancy', compile table, organsie the blog and plan for the day before going parents' home to stay for the night (Darling working OT)
- took another slice of bread at 10plus (morn tea) with additional cranberry w blueberry jam

- read the bb magazine (munched a pkt of wholemeal biscuits) while waiting for dad at medical clinic for he complains of eye discomfort
- went for lunch at food outlet w mum and dad, and went home to take a short nap
- took 2 almond biscuits for tea
- went for groceries with mum (spent ~3h incl shopping at Fairprice Xtra for bb necessities)
- met darling at the traffic junction on our way home, and mum 'fed' me w a slice of raisin bread before we made our 'snail' journey back to our 'HSH' (home sweet home)
- made buckwheat noodles this time (instead of spaghetti or angel hair pasta) w seaweed and lots of bai cai, a tomato etc

32nd week of Pregnancy

5jul-11jul

- Ma's & Bro's birthdae this week
- woke up at 3am to clear bladder (every 1-2h in daytime & 4-5h during night sleep), and made red & green bean soup for dessert
- continue to compile table, and plan for the day before going parents' home to stay for the night (Darling working OT)
- went back to office to submit MC, passed mela oil to a colleague and met a few colleagues before going for lunch
- napped shortly before dinner and read abit and made a few calls to enquire (Singapore cord blood bank, credit cards company, maternity matters etc)

- went groceries shopping with mum after short nap after lunch (feel tired after short walk)
- Darling came to fetch me home after dinner (mum made his fav dish doufu w lots of green-red-yellow chilli pepper)
- Darling had 101 tricks to make his baby break into laughter (every one is unique and full of surprises)
- feet were not swollen (sigh of relief)


- woke up at 4.35am to clear bladder, and had difficulty falling back to sleep (feel little one's heartbeat and movement inside me), thus woke up to prepare for breakfast (hash brown and bun)
- continue to compile table and read abit
- washed the bb clothes (passed down) and mum helped to hang them (so we can start packing them into bb nursery room after that)

31st week of Pregnancy

28jun-4jul

- the stroller will be delivered tomorrow around noon, within 2 working days from day of order
- went to see GP 2-day MC for runny nose (GP weighing machine shows increase of 0.8kg) for the past 3 wk (from 28th week to 31st week of pregnancy)

- compile table of bb necessities from different shops
- called to remind pa of tomorrow's plans, and ma still sick
- darling bought pizza for dinner :)

- went for gynae consultation with pa and doc gave MC
- gained another 1.1kg and little one gained 0.5kg (which means I gained 0.6kg in all) in just 3 wk
- went for dinner with pa and bought dinner for Darling
- the runny nose (may cause drowsiness) this time really made me very sleepy (plus the daily anti-fits pills), can't help yawning 1-2h after medication
- Darling saw the ultrasound scan and said our little one look like bear bear (the mouth area is large, maybe he's yawning too)

30th week of Pregnancy

21jun-27jun


- with mum around, I can have some time to read, source for NB stuff from books, magazines and online, update blog etc and have home-cooked food, and less housework to do
- went back to office to settle application of Maternity Leave matters and UPA leave for 10h-staff retreat on Thur

- to my horror, my office desk was messy with a little eraser dust and stationery here & there, and still some work left 'untouched' inside my briefcase (my colleagues were afraid to touch my stuff cuz they fear I'd 'eat them up, roar at them if they mess up my desk further?)
- I'd to go to office again, to complete what I'd plan to do (spent too much time talking about hand-over-work, and haven't enough time to do the important priority No.1)
- I'v only been away for 2mth, leaving the work on the desk (some have been passed/sent by 'courier') but still haven't been 'touched' and no action taken
- took me ~3x5h to clear the stuff, label accordingly for my 'cover', settle my application for mat leave, claim my medical bill, check/print emails (for my cover-to-be is unable to access the emails yet)
- finally can 'rest in peace' knowing what had / hadn't been done while I'm still conscious (Darling helped to complete some work, and passed/courier all my work over)

- went for groceries shopping (bought yogurt, organic apples, lettuce, bread, buns etc all on promotion except the bread) to last till the next shopping 5 days later
- with the baby cot delivered, there's one less thing to shop for (others feeding, toiletries, baby care eg. diapers & bag, changing mat etc and stroller, carrier etc)
- Darling and I have to think more than twice before deciding to make any purchase, esp when there're so many to buy, so many places available, every cent counts (same product may cost 10-20% less if on promo or purchased online)
- GSS is coming to an end, with some stalls having promo till end Jun ie this is the last weekend shopping for our NB

- my feet both swollen for the past few days, with the right more swollen, but without pain, only my back ache (probably from past injury or standing/walking for hours or the side effects of Keppra - the anti fits medication)
- having runny nose most of the mornings since last week (the weather has turned cold and raining in the early mornings) or could be due to the spread of 'germs' while outside, or my weak immune system now
- gg to GP for MC next week, and gynae consultation (should be able to get MC till mat leave in Aug) with pa accompanying
- little one has been tossing-turning more these days, and with more strength (hope to gain 1-2kg these past 3 weeks so for this final trimester can gain 5kg as I've only gained 0.5kg so far)
- still thinking of what to name our son, so many babies' names have been used by people around us...something that is unique, easy to say and write, and meaningful...

- on Sat night, the whole right foot was so swollen, even veins were visible near the front (towards the last toe)
- Darling and I were doing budgeting and simple living for our small household with 1 child on the way may cost us $60k/yr
- these few days feel hungry every & 2h, and should have gained abit weight 
- went to compare prices of bb wipes, milk bottles etc

29th week of Pregnancy

14jun-20jun

- I had 'requested permission from Darling' to do the following under the companion of mum next week:
1. to make a trip to the office to settle the Maternity Leave application matters
2. to backup a copy of the doc saved on my laptop desktop and clean/tidy the desk if need
3. to complete the Heart2Heart forms and pass to my colleagues for follow-up if need
4. to brief any queries my colleague has who will be taking over my duties

- have to do some new-born (NB) shopping during the weekend
- Aunt maybe coming to visit me (already bought some NB stuff and snacks for me earlier ~$100) and some used milk bottles & brushes
- Ma knee pain and was given 3 days MC, and we went for lunch together and bought some lingerie before shopping for some groceries
- Darling and I plan to buy the cot bed on Sat instead as he's out for some seminar (planned to get it during his lunch break) near his office

- mum & I went to the library to read the papers, and borrowed some books on pregnancy diet
- my best friend visited me at home with her NB Little K, and only after a while did she cry (when my friend was taking her tea-break after feeding bb)
- has some bb clothes and a used cot bed if we need, but Darling decided to get a brand new one for our Little Ones..No.1, No.2, No.3..No.4 :)

- my swelling is better after raising the feet on pillows and boster while sleeping, and applying foot spray for tired feet
- veins are more visible than before, and seem to move higher to my ankle areas
- went to xin.msn.com to load the TV 8 show (connection in the afternoon is very poor) for mum had been missing the show for the past 3weeks (reach home almost 8pm)
- just learnt how to load MTV / KTV links from Darling and on my own put photos to the blog, felt a sense of complishment

16-24 weeks of pregnancy

Bodily changes

- Skin changes (flushed appearance, stretch marks over abdomen & breasts, with pigmentation)
Treatment: usually goes away after some time.

- Heartburn
Treatment: avoid spicy, fried and oily food. Take small frequent meals.

- Shortness of breath
Treatment: Slow down your pace

- Leg cramps
Treatment: Drink enough water and take calcium supplements

- Constipation
Treatment: Drink enough water and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables

- Vaginal discharge
Treatment: Discharge with itching or foul smell is sign of infection. Discharge which is watery could mean that your water bag has burst


Health concerns

- Anomaly scan between weeks 19-22 will detect any major anomaly in the foetus
- 70% of the abnormalities can be picked up on the anomaly scan
- Common health problems are gestational diabetes mellitus and pre-eclampsia

17th week of Pregnancy- Bitten by insect

I was walking on a pavement along the road towards the bus-stop when I felt an acute pain on the right ankle. I quickly took off the sandal to find out who was the 'culprit'. I saw a bite wound but didn't see any insect or whatsoever. I approached a stationary cab for help. I surprised myself when I found myself lost at words when I was asked where I would like to go.

For once, I was quick to say a clinic nearby and even related the whole incident to the cab driver. He was so kind to offer help, and when I reached the destination, I found out I didn't have enough cash to pay, so I started digging all the coins I had in the purse. He showed kindness again by saying it's alright, but I insist to pay him using all the possible coins I had.

The doc said it's a clean cut, and after 2-3 days the pain and the swelling should be gone. I was charged $37.40 for a tiny tube of cream for application, and some pills for swelling.

After 8 days, the area became itchy including my toes and I couldn't help scratching it, and the more I scratch it, the itchier it became. It was so swollen another 2 days later that I couldn't see the ankle bone. It became so bad at night that I couldn't help scratching it, till I woke up to soak my foot in hot water.

On the 12th day, I went to visit TCM doc, and was told at once that the bite was very poisonous. The TCM doc asked if I've taken green beans, and I was suddenly struck by unknown mighty power. I had been searching for days for the 'thing' or food that I've taken that started the swell again, but in vain. But this doc solved the mystery at first sight.

I was advised to drink green bean water (boiled for a couple of minutes before the green beans break open) till all the poison is out of the body. And most importantly, I should drink more water and there is no need to take any medicine. I was to see TCM doc so poison should be removed from the body. Western doc can cure the infection or bacteria, but will not remove any possible toxic in the body.

On the left is the result of drinking a glass of the miracle green bean soup for a week. The redness/dark patch had faded, and swelling subsided, but the scar left by the bite is still abit visible.

This is a lesson learnt, but I hope it won't affect my baby-to-be.
I'm so glad that my baby-to-be is so strong to have antibodies against the 'poison'.
I didn't want to be worrier but luckily I had the support of Darling, and constantly assure me and give me encouragement to get the extra strength and confidence. :)