Belum Lagii Laa...

Hari ini genaplah 40 minggu aku pregnant..walaupun hampir 2 minggu aku dijengah dgn pelbagai 'show' yg aku sendiri tidak pernah alami..namun, keadaannya masih begini..Aku tidak merasai strong contraction melainkan malam tadi. Itupun sekejap je. Lepas tu, terlenaa..tandanya tiada contractionlaa..

Hmm..hari ni terasa juga lenguh2 contraction tu, dah memang well prepared nak ke hosp..tapi, lepas tu dah ok balik semula, lamaa plk tu gap dia. Setiap masa abg bertanya ttg keadaanku..hahaa..manalah Nani tahuu..dah dia xmau keluar lagik..Ntah apalah perasaan abg aku pun xtahuu..bila ditanya, dia mesti buat muka selamba jer..'mat cool' la katakan..isk3.

Apapun, aku berdoa mudah2an Allah SWT mempermudahkan proses bersalin aku nanti..

Amiiin...

The Time Is Very Near

Sejak pagi semalam, aku recognized ada 'show' - the plug of mucus came away. It was only small amount of sticky pink mucus..suspend juga..mana taknya, aku xpernah pula experienced bende ni masa Iffah except in Ameen's case..baby wanted to come out earlier than the agreed due date. Furthermore, I did not feel any strong contraction..only 1 contraction within 25 mins and sometimes once within 10 mins.

Pagi ni, aku call midwife, Carol Ashton sbb nak bgtau ttg perkara ni..seeking for advice though. She said..it is only the sign that labour is beginning..yet, it's very little. She added, no need to worry much, but she asked me to be prepared as the baby seems going to come out very soon. If the contraction comes twice within 10 mins..means that I had better go to emergency/delivery suite ASAP. Huu..menakutkan je bunyinye..abang dah ready dgn 2 beg daah..

Kepada keluarga & rakan2..doakan keselamatan dan kesenangan kepada Nani masa melahirkan..juga kepada Zul supaya tenang menghadapi saat2 cemas nanti..(jgn terlebih cool plk..) Juga Ameen & Iffah agar tidak banyak meragam..Doakan kami semuaaa..Rasanya masa sudah hampir tibaa..

Pregnancy Life and Routine @ UK

This entry shares some experiences on my pregnancy life in UK. It may vary among other people though..

ANTENATAL CARE

I am given antenatal care at University Hospital of North Durham and Community Clinic known as Bowburn Surgery & Medical Centre. But, my initial antenatal visit will be at General Practitioner's (GP's) surgery (Bowburn surgery tu laa..). Here, my named midwife will discuss my options of care.

MIDWIFERY-LED CARE

This type of care is offered to women who have no medical/obstetric complications. It takes place in the Midwives' Clinic.

My named midwife, on her 1st meeting with me, will complete my booking notes, take a medical history and do an initial examination. At the 1st visit, my blood samples are taken to test for blood group, haemoglobin level, rubella, syphilis, hepatitis B, HIV status and inherited blood disorders.

My appointment for a dating ultrasound scan was at about 12 weeks, and for a second, more comprehensive ultrasound examination between 16 and 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Normally, here we have only 2 ultrasound scans during pregnancy. But, in my case, I managed to have a further screening with my midwife specialist at the Pregnancy Assessment Unit (at UHND) recently as my named doctor suspected that my baby is quite small. It was done successfully and the result was very brilliant..no complications are detected and my baby is growing healthily plus her normal development..Apa laa doktor keling tuh..mentang2lah badan i ni kecik, so dia ingat baby kat dlm pun kecik jugak ler.

A photograph of the baby as seen on the ultrasound scan can be purchased for GBP 2 at UHND. Hmm..I bought 2 photos of my baby scan.

HOSPITAL/MIDWIFE/GP APPOINTMENT SCHEDULE

Typically, mothers-to-be attend the following appointments.

Booking appointment........................hospital, midwife
20 weeks.........................................hosp.,midwife or GP
26 weeks........................................midwife or GP
30 weeks........................................hosp, midwife or GP
32 weeks........................................midwife or GP
34 weeks.......................................midwife or GP
36 weeks.......................................hosp, midwife or GP
38 weeks.........................................midwife or GP
40 weeks...........................................hospital

The above patterns of care may also vary according to individual needs.

Complicated pregnancies will be dealt with by the consultants and may require more frequent visits to hospital, with the possibility of admission to hospital.

MATERNITY RECORDS

All pregnant mom will receive a set of hand held Maternity Records. It is vital to bring them with us to all visits relating to our pregnancy.

COMMUNITY MIDWIVES

I will be linked with my named midwife. She can provide me with info I require to make informed choices relating to my care. She will assist me in compiling my birth plan. All moms here should have their own birth plan..

She will see me in the Antenatal Clinic at regular intervals during my pregnancy. Following the birth of my baby, my midwife will visit at home, as required, for the 1st 10 days. she can be contacted for advice on my postnatal care for up to 28 days...whoaa..

AT HOME

My midwife will call and see me the day after discharge from hospital. So, I need to stay at home until she has been. Subsequent visits will be arranged between midwife and myself.

The community midwife will ensure me to be aware of who my health visitor is and when she may be calling to see me.

Subhanallah..

This is an image of our coming little baby. It was scanned at 22nd weeks of my pregnancy. At the moment, the baby develops healthily with no complications or problems traced.

Alhamdulillah..Praised be to Allah Who Creates and Gives us this wonderful gift.

Thank You Allah..

One more thing..the baby is a little girl..

33 Wks - What's Happening This Week

ME

• may find the baby's movements more uncomfortable
• may be slowing down as I cope with the extra weight
• may feel uncomfortably hot in warm weather
• probably looking forward to the pregnancy being over

MY BABY

• may measure about 44 cm from head to toe
• could weigh around 3 1/2 to 4 lbs (1.6 kg)
• may have a head of hair already
• may settle into a head-down position over the next few weeks
  

Siapa ni..

Imej scan baby kami yang waktu ini berusia 22 minggu. Sekarang ni dah masuk 30 minggu dah pun. Rasa macam sekejap je masa berlalu. Dah 3rd trimester dah. Semoga baby kami sihat walafiat dan cukup sifatnya..insyaAllah. Dan, mudah2an ibunya pula tiada komplikasi semasa melahirkannya.

Baby Speak

Sorry, did I kick you?”“It’s getting a bit short of space in here, and my foot is stuck under your ribs. I’m on the move again. Ooh, I can hear you laughing because you can see my knee moving across your tummy! I’m getting myself comfortable; curling up with my arms and legs crossed.”

“I’m tired after that exercise; I’m just going to suck my thumb and have a little rest. I think you should have one too, mummy; you’ve been so busy getting my nursery ready. You could rub some cream on your tummy to stop stretch marks - I love it when you stroke me like that.”

28 weeks

At around 38cm long and 2lb 3oz in weight, my baby can now look round and open and close her eyes. Her other senses are now almost complete – she can taste, touch and recognise my voice without difficulty.

As my baby grows, there’s less and less space to roll around in, but she’ll still kick for all she's worth! In search of a comfortable position, she’ll start to pull her arms and legs up towards their chest in the classic foetal position.

3rd Trimester

My baby is now 37cm long and weighs around 2lb. As I enter my third (and final!) trimester, my baby will start to receive immunity to infection from the antibodies that cross through the placenta. This immunity will be boosted by breastfeeding and lasts until my baby is a few months old.

There are many tried and tested methods of relieving heartburn during pregnancy, so we could try a few of these:
• Eat evening meal early, and don’t eat anything in the couple of hours before we go to bed
• Take a glass of milk to bed with you
• Sleep upright or propped-up – use a couple of pillows to support your back and neck
• Get plenty of medical advice – and don’t take any indigestion remedies before checking with your midwife first

And, REMEMBER..from next week (week 28) I'll need a doctor's note before travelling by plane or ferry. (If I'm thinking of jetting off anywhere before my little baby arrives).

I'm Going to Have a Baby !

FIRST TRIMESTER
Once you know for sure that you’re pregnant, you can expect to start noticing lots of changes to your body. Although your bump won’t start to show until your second trimester, hormonal changes are likely to give you lower energy levels and possibly morning sickness, so make sure you start to give yourself a break and take things a bit easier from now on.

Estimated due date
Antenatal check-ups
Morning sickness
Pregnancy symptoms
Folic acid Bleeding and miscarriage
‘Booking’ appointments
Lifestyle advice
Dating scan
Blood tests
Healthy eating

THE ESTIMATED DUE DATE
Pregnancy is 40 weeks long because it’s dated from the first day of your last period, not from the first day of a missed period as you’d think. This means that if you do a pregnancy test on the first day of a missed period you’re already around four weeks pregnant.

If you want to work out your estimated due date, just put your dates into our Due date calculator.

Try not to put too much store by the date though – unless you’ve had fertility treatment you won’t know exactly when in your cycle your egg was fertilised, so the EDD is just a rough guide.

Only 5% of babies are actually born on the estimated date of delivery – the majority are born two weeks either side.

ANTENATAL CHECK-UPS

Your GP will book you in for your first antenatal check-up towards the end of the first trimester at 8 to 12 weeks, and arrange a ‘dating’ scan to confirm how many weeks pregnant you are.


Most antenatal care is either GP - or midwife-led for women with normal low-risk pregnancies. You may also see an obstetrician (a hospital doctor who specialises in childbirth) at the beginning and end of your pregnancy, or more frequently if you are having twins, or develop complications or want to discuss something specific, such as an elective Caesarean (a pre-planned delivery by Caesarean section).

If it’s your first pregnancy, you will have up to 10 check-ups unless there are any complications, (seven if you’ve had a baby before).

Pregnancy is now regarded as a normal life event and not an illness! You’ll get to take care of your own medical records, keeping them safe at home and bringing them to appointments with you.

EARLY PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS


As your pregnancy progresses, you may experience other physical symptoms. These include:

Tiredness
You may feel absolutely whacked and can’t seem to get enough sleep. And you definitely aren’t up to going out after work! Try to catch up at weekends with lie-ins and lots of lazy days. Experts say the tiredness is a symptom of all the hormonal upheaval and frenetic activity going on inside you. Don’t worry, this is only temporary and you should get more energy soon.

Tender breasts
You may notice your breasts are very sensitive and seem to be growing very fast! Your nipples may seem larger, darker and stand out more, too. You may need a bigger bra size and it’s probably a good idea to go and get measured for a maternity bra now to ensure you’re getting the right support.

More trips to the loo
Frequent urges to pass urine are also common at this stage of pregnancy. This is caused by your uterus expanding and pressing down on your bladder. Don’t cut back on liquids though, as this only makes the problem worse and can also put you at risk of dehydration. Drink eight glasses of water a day and practise pulling up your pelvic floor muscles to control your bladder.

Taste
This is difficult to describe, but you may notice a funny metallic taste in your mouth.

Headaches
You may suffer from occasional headaches. These are quite normal and are thought to be caused by fluctuating hormones. After the first trimester, they can be treated with the recommended dose of paracetamol. If the headaches are frequent or severe in later pregnancy, tell your midwife or GP as they could be a sign of pre-eclampsia.

Vaginal discharge
You’ll probably notice an increase in white or clear vaginal discharge. If the discharge becomes coloured, smelly, or causes itching or soreness, you should tell your midwife or GP. This could be a sign of a vaginal infection, such as thrush, which may require a swab test and treatment. Later in pregnancy, vaginal infections, such as Group B Streptococcus, can have implications for you and your baby.

DATING SCAN

Lots of clinics perform dating scans at between 10 and 12 weeks to literally ‘date’ the pregnancy and to check how many babies you are carrying – but in some areas of the country, you may have to wait until 20 weeks for an ‘anomaly’ scan.


You will be asked to drink about two pints of water before the scan to fill up your bladder. This pushes up the uterus to give a clearer picture. You’ll then have gel rubbed on your belly and a hand-held transducer will then be passed smoothly backwards and forwards over your skin. If you look at the monitor, you’ll see a picture of your baby on the screen. If the picture is difficult to make out, the radiographer will explain it. She will measure the baby to check she is measuring the right size for your dates. She may use this information to give you a new EDD, which is usually more accurate than the original date.


You can ask for a copy of the scan picture (most hospitals make a small charge for this), and some hospitals will let you purchase a video recording, too.