early 3rd trimester checklist

im at my 27th week and the list of things ive to prepare for is getting longer..

immediate checklist
- schedule for hospital facilities tour (check!)
- register for 'great expectations' birthing class (check!)
- find and interview pediatrician for baby
- create a birth plan
- nursery (in progress..)

do i really need a birth plan? i havent really asked anybody if they did create a birth plan.. maybe i should start asking now.. (paging all mothers and preggy friends! hehehe..)

if i have to create one, i found a document from thebump.com that i just need to fill up.. i didnt think it would have this much questions or things to think about.. i thought it was just - "vaginal or CS?".. i guess not..

and about the pedia? do you really have to interview one.. we dont live close to any of our relatives so having an 'automatic' pedia, that every kid in the family goes to, is not an option.. *sigh*

glucose and cystic fibrosis test results

yey! i passed the glucose tolerance test!

the doctor just informed me that my result is 115 and that anything below 139 is considered ok.. phew! also, she said that the cystic fibrosis test was negative =)

this is the last set of tests.. does that mean no more blood works? yey! *cartwheel* lol!

i guess mommy and baby are doing pretty well.. thanks to my dearest pangga.. who's been taking very good care of us.. he's been our dishwasher, house cleaner, plumber, electrician, cook, errand boy.. lahat na yata.. *hugs*

3 more months!

thank you..

phew!

we felt the baby move a couple of times yesterday and this morning..

not as much as before but as long as he moves every now and then, we're good.. thank you Lord =)

still =(

i called the doctor about our baby's lack of movement.. she suggested that i drink something bubbly, like a soda, then lay on my left side.. the bubbles should wake the baby up..

to do that i had to work from home for the rest of the afternoon..

two hours passed and still nothing..

with that i was advised to go to the clinic for an unscheduled check up..

i got an ultrasound with a different doctor..

the baby's heart seems to be beating fine.. the umbilical cord is not wrapped around him, the placenta is ok, the fluid is just right.. his growth so far is a week ahead of his estimated age..

these are all great.. but.. still no movements.. =(

i feel so helpless not being able to do something for our little guy.. is he sick? is he hurting? i can only hope and pray that he's just preferring not to move much.. to not make mommy run to the bathroom every half an hour..

im not used to seeing our baby being quiet and still..

the doctor cant fully explain the lack of movements.. he said that the baby maybe undergoing a change in sleeping pattern or maybe ive been more active than usual or the baby's just in a position where he doesnt want to move..

i now have to monitor any movement that i may feel over the weekend.. if there's still none, i will need to go back next week for another check up..

=(

when i got into my 24th week, i could feel the baby moving in the morning, afternoon and especially in the evening when im laying down..

but yesterday, i didnt feel him as much.. i thought i was just too busy to notice.. come night time, i was laying quietly in bed but still couldnt feel him..

paranoia kicks in.. i hope his doing ok.. maybe in the morning he'll be more active..

still, nothing...

now it's lunch time.. i bought a bottle of apple juice coz i read that it can help make the baby move.. hopefully i feel a kick in an hour or so.. else im calling my doctor.. =(

im really scared right now.. ='(

glucose tolerance test

we woke up early today to be the first in line at the health lab.. im due for a glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes..

this test required fasting for 10 hours! no eating or drinking! not even water! well... i wasnt sure of the water thing though because the doctor didnt specify.. so to be on the safe side.. i didnt drink water as well..

i found out later on that water was ok.. =S

for the test i was asked to drink about half a cup of sweet liquid containing glucose.. i read that you have to drink it all within 5 minutes.. in my case, i just gulped it all down to get it over with..

it was actually a bit nasty.. all the hair in my arms and legs were up after drinking it.. it also made me feel a bit nauseous.. good thing i has my DS to distract me while i wait for an hour before they draw my blood.. the idea is to see how efficiently my body processes sugar..

i hope the result is normal.. if the reading is too high, i might be asked to repeat the test.. =/

fetal echo

we saw our baby again yesterday (yey!) during his fetal echo.. =)

his heart looked healthy.. however, the doctor did show us a hole in the heart, that according to her, was normal to all babies.. the hole should close a few weeks after the baby's born or at the most, a year after..

we have to remind our pediatrician to pay special attention to our baby's heart later on..

at first i thought, well that was a useless test! the reason why we took the echo was to confirm that our little peanut didnt have the same heart problem that i had..

but then again, just seeing him move (sooo cute!), as active as how i feel him everyday, made it all worth it.. plus the fact that we know that the test was covered by our insurance =D

on a different note, during the level two ultrasound and the fetal echo, both doctors said that the baby took very good pictures.. not sure what that means though.. maybe the baby knows how to stop moving whenever they take a snapshot? marunong ng magposing ang little rivera namin.. hehehe =D

week 25

i have joined a couple of baby/pregnancy sites when we found out we were pregnant..

one of those sites sent their weekly pregnancy update yesterday based on my Nth week.. it said 'Pregnancy Week 25: Welcome to the 3rd Trimester!'

Huwaaat!? Nooooooooooo...

Im still savoring the lack of pregnancy symptoms (aside from the growing tummy and with that, back aches) that comes with the 2nd trimester.. *sigh*

i wonder how they divide the 40 weeks to come up with the set of weeks for each section of the trimester.. *kamot ulo*

i hope the sluggish feeling i had during the 1st trimester is gone for good as im intending to keep on working until it's time.. i cant afford to have something that slows down my thought process.. it isnt good when your doing programming and analysis.. and transition.. =p

on the plus side, there's only 109 days, more or less, before we see our little peanut! yey! =D sino kayang kamukha? nuninuninuninu...

baby development updates:
- the uterus is now the size of a soccer ball
- the baby is about the size of a barbie doll and weights around 1.7lbs.. about 4 little juice boxes according to one site..
- he's starting to get his fat that will help him regulate body temperature later on
- blood vessels are being developed in the baby's lungs.. one step closer to taking his first breath
- the baby's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open.. but for now he'll only be breathing amniotic fluid for practice

lopsided

just wanted to remember the first time i saw my tummy lopsided.. hehe.. he's mostly on the right side =D

i guess our little peanut is not so little anymore..