sooyindotcom

Will get round to answering comments soon, promise!

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Woke up this morning around 6.30am feeling contractions every 4-5 minutes. Went to DSH at 9am for the routine CTG scan, and yup…still there, every 3-5 minutes. Saw the doctor after the scan…and he said…”Hmm…this will likely continue for the next 2 weeks you know…”

Anyways, instead of reducing my oral tablets from twice a day to once a day, he decided to stop it completely. Told me to keep an eye on my contractions, if it becomes worse, come in for another scan. Hubby and I asked him…it’s already 3-5 minutes apart, how will I know when’s the right time to come in? The answer was…when it becomes painful.

Alamak! What if by the time I go to the hospital (when the contractions are painful), it’s too late to get an epidural? *blek*

Anyhow, it looks like baby will be here anytime between now and CNY since I’m no longer taking the meds to relax the uterus muscles. And if she still refuses to come out by CNY, doctor said he’ll have to induce (constant contractions that go on for too long will put too much stress on the baby). I do hope that she’ll decide to come out on her own. I don’t really like the idea of inducing (although I know at some point, it’s necessary) as I prefer to let baby choose her birthdate…I know, sounds pretty silly!

Also, I’m allowed more physical activities now…ie. can walk about, etc. though the doctor said don’t wander off too far (like to Ipoh I suppose…*grin*). However, with labour imminent, I suddenly find myself not wanting to leave the apartment, just in case.

From today’s ultrasound, doctor said that baby is positioned really low now…and yeah, I can feel the pressure on the pelvic area when I walk. She’s been kicking up a storm since last night too…feels like an entire cast of Riverdance performing in my tummy. I think she must be feeling excited too…

When we got home after the check-up, I told baby…”Girl, pack your bags and get ready to come out…it’s all systems go! We’re giving you two weeks…after that, like it or not, you’re gonna be evicted from your nice comfy home!”

In the midst of all the excitement, I think hubby’s kinda worried about what happens if I go into labour during weekdays when he’s in the office…will my parents be able to get me to the hospital safely? And with our lousy DiGi lines (yes, LOUSY cause SMSes sometimes don’t go through, phone calls get diverted straightaway to voice mail because there’s no or low coverage…sigh), he’s worried that I won’t be able to reach him. So today, he bought a Hotlink prepaid card to use on his backup phone so that I’ll have another number to call just in case. So sweet, yes?

Oooo…this is just so exciting! The finishing line is within reach!! Woohoo!

In the past weeks since I moved over to my parent’s place, my mom has been helping me to wash baby’s clothes, blankets, towels, etc. Everything is now folded and in place in my wardrobe…smelling oh-so-lovely (that baby type of smell, y’know?). I’ve also finally packed my hospital bag…the incident 2 weeks ago definitely gave me a wake-up call!

Hubby also took some time over the weekend to take some belly pics…we thought we’d better take the chance now to snap some photos just in case this girl decides to pop out anytime. The last photo session was nearly 6 weeks ago! Being the unashamed vainpot that I am, I was pretty pleased to see that my waistline had not expanded as much as I thought…the view from the back still looks pretty decent… I really wonder how long it’ll take for me to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, though. After all, since I plan to breastfeed, I will still have to keep up my food intake…plus I’m not the type who’s really into exercising (lazy lah)…hmmm. Oh well, will deal with it when the time comes!

During the previous scan and weighing-in on last Saturday, we found that I’d actually lost 0.5kgs but baby gained an estimated 0.2kgs! Not that I mind…I mean, heck, if she’s helping me to dissolve my internal storage of fats while putting on weight herself, I say…be my guest, my precious baby girl!

In terms of movements, she’s doing alot of stretching and pushing nowadays. Poor girl, her home is getting smaller and smaller as she grows! She’s also pressing more and more on my bladder…I can feel some uncomfortable twinges now and then, and bathroom trips at night are definitely more frequent too (also contributed by the amount of water I’m drinking).

Energy wise, I feel myself getting tired easily…I can sleep for nearly 12 hours from night to morning, and still feel sleepy during the afternoons and evenings. Appetite wise…feels like a return to the first trimester where I’m constantly hungry every 2 hours or so, and I can only consume small amounts each time I eat.

Now that the doctor has said “anytime now”, I’ve been wondering…how will it happen? Will my water break? Or will I start feeling more intense contractions? Will it happen during the day? Or will it happen during the night? Will I go into the labour room screaming my lungs out or in a dignified manner (I doubt it!)? Will I agree to go for an epidural or am able to endure the pain (I doubt it too! Though both my grandmother and mom said that they both had relatively easy deliveries…not much pain, just a backache. Methinks the pain was actually really really bad and it probably erased their memories… )?

And more importantly…W.H.E.N….?

Hubby and I agree on one thing though…if baby has inherited my stubborn and often rebellious character, she’s probably thinking…

“Hmppph….fine. Since you didn’t let me out when I was good and ready at 32 weeks, I’m going to take my own sweet time, kick up my heels and wait till week 40…”…

I know my baby is not the only one that does this, but it never ceases to amaze me when she responds to external stimulus.

Music - definitely gets her moving in my tummy.

Loud voices or noises - she doesn’t like it and will start kicking.

CTG machine - she DEFINITELY does not like it. She was dozing this morning when we reached the hospital. The minute the two sensors were strapped on, she started moving and shaking like Shakira’s hips.

Me patting her with my palm - she likes the patting as she’ll move towards the location of my hands. If I put my left hand at the top of my bump where her legs are, and my right hand at the bottom near her head and start patting with my right hand, I can feel her start moving and ‘rising up’ under my left hand.

Me prodding her with my fingers - sometimes I can see a little mole-like bump moving around my tummy and I just can’t resist touching the small bump with my fingers, it’s so cute! But when I do, she moves to another spot. And if I follow, she moves again…it makes me laugh everytime she does that!

And not to forget, her favourite…the small scratching motion that never fails to make her ‘rise up’ and distend my belly. Works almost every time, though I try not to do it now in case it causes more contractions…

If she’s so responsive and active in the tight confines of my tummy…I really wonder how active she’ll be when she’s out!

How did we spend New Year’s eve?

At the hospital being hooked up to the CTG machine…*blek*

The P.L.A.N. was to drop by DSH around 8+ after dinner for my routine every-alternate-day-CTG-scan, then go back to our apartment and spend the night there (vs. going back to my parent’s place which would be near impossible due to the traffic jam).

My uterus had other ideas though. It decided to start contracting regularly as soon as I was hooked up to the CTG….it’s really strange as I didn’t feel any regular contractions at home throughout the whole day! Anyways, the contractions were about 9-10 minutes apart, and luck would have it that my doctor was doing his rounds at the maternity ward. He dropped by, took a look at the chart, and asked me to bring forward my next round of medication from 12 midnite to 10.30pm, then do another scan at 11.30pm to see if the contractions are still so regular.

I wasn’t too keen to wait for two hours in the hospital, so we took a slow drive out to buy some cakes and KFC, came back to the hospital, had our supper, ate my oral tablet, waited for awhile and did the CTG again at 11+pm. Again, the contractions were still regular, but not very intense. The midwife gave my doctor a call, and he gave us the green light to go home, get some rest and come back again in the morning at 10am the next day for another scan.

For some reason, baby was really really super-active throughout the night, and I didn’t sleep well either as I kept waking up and timing my contractions (but falling asleep before I felt the next one…very counter-productive, I know!). It was a pretty horrible night actually…I think the anxiety kept me from sleeping well, my head was buzzing, and the night seemed to go on forever and forever. I finally managed to doze off sometime close to 4am, I think.

The alarm went off at 6am as I’d set it to remind myself to take the next dose of Britaline. I started timing my contractions again and to my horror, it was about 5 minutes apart! So instead of waiting till 10am, we decided to change and go back to the hospital for the scan.

Again, the CTG machine picked up the contractions, but measuring around 7-8 minutes apart. The midwife called my doctor after the scan, and he came over to the hospital 20 minutes later. After taking a look at the graph, he decided to still let me go home but advised me to come straight back to the hospital the minute I feel the contractions getting closer. He said that putting me back on the drip would only delay the inevitable…the end result once I’m off the drip would still be the same.

Once I got back home, I decided to stop watching the clock each time a contraction came…it just made me even more tense and anxious! Surprisingly, it helped as I could feel less contractions, and when we went back to the hospital on Friday morning for another scan, the graph was completely flat with exception for one contraction at the end of the 30 minutes! So strange isn’t it?

I guess ‘irritable uterus’ is really an apt description though as the contractions started AGAIN on Friday night…about 8 minutes apart, and continued throughout the night till this morning. We had an appointment with the doctor after doing another scan this morning, and after doing an internal examination (still only 1cm dilated, thank god!) and a routine ultrasound, he decided that as baby has reached an estimated weight of 2.3kg + the steroid shots + the fact that she’ll be 34 weeks by Sunday…he’s pretty comfortable with letting nature take its course. So, my oral tablets have now been reduced from three times to twice a day for one week, then once a day for the following week…and we’re now adopting a wait-and-see attitude. So let’s see when this little princess wants to make her appearance!

The fact that the doctor has given the green light for labor to progress naturally, and that I’ve been ok-ed for a natural birth has honestly taken a great load off my mind! It’s a big relief to know that we’ve done what we can to keep her safe, and now it’s up to her to decide when she’s ready. And at least I don’t have to feel so jittery everytime a contraction comes along, and the dark cloud of having to do an elective c-sec is no longer hovering over me! Yes, I feel really squeamish about c-secs…I have mental images of internal stitches popping open or something… Furthermore, recovering from a c-sec is harder, more painful and longer if the books are to be trusted and I really really want to be able to hold and breastfeed my baby when she’s delivered…so fingers and toes crossed…I really hope my labor will proceed fast and smoothly and I don’t end up with an emergency c-sec!!

So my dearest dearest baby…everything is ready and waiting for your arrival! Daddy has been rushing around every day, buying all the last minute necessities. Daddy and grandpa has fixed your cot and it’s waiting in mummy’s bedroom together with your cot mobile. Grandma has washed all your clothes, and they smell wonderful and are all waiting for you in mummy’s wardrobe. Mummy’s hospital bag is packed, and mummy has already picked out your going home outfit…a cute pink polka-dotted footed one piece suit. Camera batteries are charged. Four packs of diapers are on standby. Your playpen and bathtub has been ordered and will be delivered in the next few days.

Anytime now…tick-tock-tick-tock…

Baby’s now 33 weeks old (or young)…and you guys won’t believe what has happened in the past week!

Had a very very minor spotting incident last Saturday evening, and decided to drop by the maternity ward at DSH just to check if everything’s ok as the blood was bright red. When the nurses monitored baby’s heartbeat using an electronic fetal monitor/CTG, they found that I was experiencing regular contractions (which was extremely strange because I didn’t feel anything before I went to the hospital!). They called my doctor, and after doing an internal exam, he found that my cervix was already 1cm dilated. Yes, I’ve apparently gone into preterm labour. Definitely not good news at 32 weeks!

I was immediately admitted and spent a night in the labour ward on an IV drip containing tocolytics…it’s a kind of medication used to suppress the contractions, and also given 2 shots of steroids 12 hours apart as well as antibiotics.

The steroids were given to mature baby’s lungs in case I do go into labour. It promotes the production of surfactant, a substance that prevents the collapse of the alveoli (small sacs in the lungs where air is exchanged), and also helps to decrease the possibility of other complications affecting the bowels and circulatory system.

Steroid Injection for Fetal Lung Development

Injections of corticosteroids for fetal lung development has been praised as one of the best advances in fetal medicine in the 90s. Since 1994 the National Institutes for Health and other professional organizations have encouraged their use in promoting the development of fetal lung development in moms who were at risk for preterm labor or birth.

Betamethasone and dexamethasone are the two most commonly used steroids. The average protocol was to give to intramuscular injections (IM) 24 hours apart. Some practitioners also choose to continually repeat the dosages every week until the birth. The injections had to be given 24-48 hours prior to the birth for maximum effect. They were also best used between weeks 24 and 34 gestation.

The use of the steroids provided benefits for the lung development in the premature infants to reduce the risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) as well as to reduce the risk of intracranial hemorrhaging and some other potential benefits.

However, recent studies say that the benefits of multiple doses is questionable, particularly in light of potential risks. Citing the “limited quality” of the studies of multiple doses and the potential disadvantages the National Institute of Health issued a statement of August 18th that a single dose was sufficient in achieving the benefits desired.

Potential down sides to multiple doses can include: psychomotor delays, behavioral problems and the fact that the effects on neonatal mortality aren’t known between the single and multiple dose courses. In separate findings by an Israeli study it was also noted that there is an increase in maternal infection with the use of steroids, so limiting doses may help with this side effect as well.

The antibiotics were administered to prevent any infection that may crop up due to the 1cm dilation of the cervix, and to treat any existing infection that may have caused me to go into preterm labor. Both the steroid and antibiotics were administered through injections…the former in my butt…ouch, and the latter through the IV tube…also not very pleasant as there’s a horrible icy sensation when it enters the bloodstream.

Needless to say, the past few days has been mentally very stressful. I was taken off the drip on Sunday evening and allowed to go back to the maternity ward and given oral tablets (Terbutaline) instead, but the dosage of the oral tablets were not sufficient as the contractions still came back despite taking the tablets for a whole day. I was taken back to the labour ward and put on the drip again on Monday night till Tuesday afternoon.

The side effects of the drip are heart palpitations and hand tremors, both of which I’ve experienced…not very pleasant. I couldn’t get much sleep during the nights when I was in the labour ward as the nurses had to continuously monitor my blood pressure as well as baby’s heart beat and the uterine contractions…add the heart palpitations and the constant tick-tocking of the wall clock, I was one extremely cranky patient by Tuesday morning!

The doctor finally allowed me to go back to the maternity ward on Tuesday afternoon as the CTG showed no major uterine contractions, but he still kept me on the IV drip till Wednesday morning. Was finally discharged on Wednesday afternoon and given the oral tablets to take at home.

I’m now staying at my parent’s place so that there’ll be someone around all the time in case anything happens. The oral tablets still aren’t as effective as the drip, but at least the heart palpitations and hand tremors are reduced greatly. I still feel contractions during the tail-end of the dose…ie. I’m suppose to take one tablet every 8 hours, but after about 6 hours, I start feeling the contractions again.

We went back to see the doctor on Friday morning, and after doing the ultrasound, we were told that baby’s estimated weight is now 2.1kg…that’s a big relief as 2kg was the so-called ‘target weight’ we were aiming for in case she does come out early. The other good news is that the top of my cervix is still closed, and even though baby has ‘dropped’, her head is not engaged yet. The doctor said that my condition is what they call an irritable uterus…this is certainly something new to me!

I have to go back to the hospital on alternate days to do the CTG, and see the doctor once a week. Other than that, I’m to rest at home…no physical exertion, nothing that will cause any strain on the uterus…no straining my bowels, not even coughing! I was also told not to rub or stroke my tummy…it apparently induces contractions as well!*

Baby is still as active as ever, though. It’s as if she’s saying…I’m bored, someone get me out of here already! Whenever the nurses strapped the sensors of the CTG machine to my tummy, baby would squirm and move as if she was trying to kick it off….I think she really dislikes the feeling of something pressing down on her ‘home’. Even the nurses commented that she’s such an active baby. My tummy felt like she was doing a constant series of Mexican waves inside or something!

Anyways, the goal now is to keep baby in my tummy till she reaches 36 weeks. I will have to continue with the oral tablets for another 2 weeks at the current dosage, ie. 3 times a day, and at 35 weeks, the doctor said he will reduce it to twice a day. Once we’ve hit the magical number of 36 weeks, he’ll stop the oral tablets and let labour come naturally, which, according to the doctor, usually takes around 1 to 3 days. In the meantime, I’m to watch out for further bleeding episodes and possible membrane rupture as that would necessitate an emergency c-sec straightaway.

I’m praying really hard that everything will be alright. I feel mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. The initial worry that baby may come out too early and what would happen if she did had me crying on and off whenever I thought about it. The inactivity, the medication…yes, even the uncomfortable hospital bed…all of it just added to the stress.

And even though I’m now back home, the constant worry of any long term effects of taking the oral medication for another 3 weeks is still weighing heavily on my mind despite the doctor’s reassurance that there will be no side effects on the baby (or me). Me, being me, went on the net as soon as I knew the name of the medication I was given to check if there are any side effects, and of course, ended up worrying myself by reading all the different articles and opinions! However, the dosage I’ve been given is very low, and the doctor said that if there are side effects (on me), it would’ve manifested within a couple of hours of me being on the drip. In the end, it’s a balance between the real risk of baby coming out too early, vs. the possible risk of any long-term effects…and at this point, the real risk is…well, more real.

Needless to say, hubby and my parents have been absolutely wonderful during the past week. Hubby has spent every night at the hospital with me, packing clothes and toiletries from the apartment to bring over to the hospital, buying food, magazines, etc. to keep me occupied. My parents have been dropping by daily too with home-cooked food. The day I was discharged, I went back to our apartment to stay till Friday afternoon before moving over to my parent’s place…and I was so touched to see how hubby tried to ensure I moved around as little as possible. Now that I’m at my parent’s place, hubby has been coming by every day to keep me company, and sms-ing me when he’s back home to remind me to take my medication. These little gestures have truly touched me to the core.

Well, all this just goes to show that even the best laid plans can go awry. It’s a lucky thing we did all the baby shopping early…there’s not much left to buy so at least I’m not too stressed over any last minute shopping. I still need to pack my hospital bag, though! Oh, and my birth plan has also flown out of the window as a c-sec is also more likely to happen should baby decided to pop out before 36 weeks. I’ve also been told not to do anymore Kegel exercises, and not to start on perineal massages.

With this unexpected development, (I know it’s ridiculous, but) I can’t help feeling kinda cheated that my pregnancy has been shortened…I think those of you who have been reading my pregnancy updates would’ve guessed how much I’ve enjoyed my pregnancy.

Looking on the bright side though…at least we went to the hospital for a check-up that Saturday evening. God knows what would’ve happened if we didn’t. So mummies-to-be…do trust your instincts!

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* Other stuff that I’ve learnt:

1. Constipation apparently aggravates the uterine contractions, according to the nurses.

2. When the labour ward is quiet, it’s really quiet. When it’s busy, it’s REALLY busy! I think I sat through at least 10 births during the time I was at the labour ward…and about 4 of the ladies ended up with emergency c-secs, and one lady’s baby went into distress as I could hear the nurses frantically calling the paed to rush to the labour ward. And one lady came in groaning in pain, and about 10 minutes later, she’d delivered (I heard the baby cry!)…the nurse told me later that it’s a lucky thing they got to the labour ward in time else she would’ve probably delivered in the car!

3. My own observation - stress seems to aggravate the uterine contractions as well. I experienced less contractions when I’m lying down and when I sleep, and also less contractions when I’m back home vs. in the hospital.

4. Drink lots of water if you happen to end up in the same condition as me. Dehydration can cause contractions as it causes your blood volume to decrease, which means the concentration of oxytocin (hormone that causes uterine contractions) will rise. And water also helps with the constipation…

5. The contractions are actually ‘good’ for the baby as it induces some stress which will help her to mature faster. But again, there’s also a balance between what’s just right vs. too much…and if baby decides to take her time to come out after the doctor has stopped the oral medication, then we might have to induce the labor! Now, that would be truly ironic, wouldn’t it??

6. Disposable underwear are a godsend!