MY PREGNANCY - WEEK 20

Your baby’s development.

• Fetal size: (14-16cm 5.6-6.4 inches). Fetal weight: 315g (9 ounces).

• Your baby’s skin has now formed two layers - the epidermis (outer layers) and the dermis (deep skin tissue). From 20 weeks, your baby’s skin starts to secrete vernix (a white pasty substance that protects your baby’s skin from the amniotic fluid). The vernix will be present on your baby’s skin at birth.

Your Pregnancy.

• You have now reached the half way mark in your pregnancy!

• You might find that your vaginal discharge increases as your pregnancy progresses. This is normal. The discharge is usually quite thick and is white to yellow in colour. Wear looser cotton underwear, and use panty liners when necessary. If you develop an infection, you will know because your discharge will have an unpleasant smell, will be more yellow to green in colour and will cause irritation or itchiness. Make an appointment to see your health care practitioner if you think you may have an infection.

• Sometimes illnesses or complications develop during pregnancy. The Complications section of the Essential Baby web site contains more detailed information about pregnancy complications and symptoms, however the two of the most common illnesses during pregnancy include:
  • Pre-eclampsia - this is the most common major illness of pregnancy and most frequently develops in first pregnancies. It is diagnosed when there is an increase in a woman’s “normal” blood pressure, protein in the urine and fluid retention. Blood tests are used to further diagnose and monitor the condition. If pre-eclampsia is suspected the mother and baby will be kept under very close medical supervision. Treatment in the early stages is complete bed rest. However if the condition is in its early stages, a lot of women will feel well and not be aware of any change. Regular antenatal visits are recommended in order to diagnose this condition early. If there is thought to be any risk to the baby or mother, labour will be induced.
  • Gestational Diabetes - this is the second most common illness in pregnancy and can be linked to your family background. It occurs when a woman’s body can’t make proper use of the sugar (carbohydrate) that is consumed in her diet. Sugar is used as an energy source for the mother and baby and is essential for healthy growth and development. If the body gets too much or too little, problems can occur. Some health care practitioners test for this condition at about Week 28 (or earlier if any other signs develop, such as sugar being detected in the urine). It is useful to know your medical history, for example, have any members of your family been diagnosed with diabetes or gestational diabetes?

MY PREGNANCY - WEEK 19

Your baby’s development.

• Fetal size: 13-15cm (5.2-6 inches). Fetal weight: 200g (7 ounces).

• Your baby continues to mature and grow.

Your Pregnancy.

• You are growing each week, and although you may think you are big, you still have a lot more growing to do yet! Maximum weight gain at this point in your pregnancy should be between 2.7 and 6.3 kg (6 and 14 pounds).

• Backache can occur at any time during pregnancy but it is more likely to happen later. Try to get rest when you need it, and use heat to alleviate pain. Good posture is essential and lessens the strain on your back. Try to stand up straight. It is also helpful when bending over to bend at the knees, not the waist, keeping the back straight. In later months it is useful to remember to get up from a lying position by rolling onto your side and pushing yourself up.

• Your heart is working to supply more blood to your organs, some of which need twice as much blood as usual. Consequently your heart works twice as hard as before, and you may sometimes experience breathlessness.

• Dizziness is also a common pregnancy symptom. Low blood pressure, anaemia, or high or low blood sugar can cause dizziness. To avoid dizziness, get up slowly from lying and sitting positions, eat a balanced diet and don’t miss meals or go for too long without a snack.

• Your nipples are probably darker in colour and may feel tingly or sore. You will also be able to see the veins in your breasts more clearly. A dark line (linea nigra) may be visible down the middle of your abdomen.

On the 19th Feb, me and Jan flew to Solo. Our custom made furnitures are 85% ready and we have to go there for quality check. I had a good but extremely tiring 4 days. We started our quality check at 9am every morning anf ends at 11pm at night. ?In the last 2 days of my trip, I noticed that my cramps are coming quite often. I grew scared. I told Jan that I am gonna rest in the car while we were in Muntilan. I got back to the hotel that night and still the cramps didn’t go away. I went to bed hoping I would get better the next morning and it was still there.? I took the flight back to Singapore.

I rested and take some medicine and the next day, it got worst. I can’t sit while I am peeing,?I can’t bend down to pick up stuffs, turning from one side to the other side is also a problem. What’s going on here?? Immediately, I?took a cab and rushed to see Dr Tan.

He said that my tummy is tense. My uterus is contracting and there is a seepage of amniotic fluid. This is not good news. If the contractions don’t go away, the baby will be pushed down and eventually, my waterbag will ruptured and I need to deliver my 5 month old baby.

Dr Tan also scans my tummy and we saw the baby. He is sleeping and not moving much but the heartbeat is strong. Jan was so upset and worried. I could imagine. We tried so hard for this baby.? I am never gonna lose this miracle. Never!! Never ever! I will do whatever it takes to bring this child to this wonderful world.

Dr Tan strictly put me on 2 types of medicine. One is Salbutamol. Salbutomal relaxes my uterus and stops the contrations and the other one is Diazepam. It is an extremely drowsy medicine and 5 mins after taking that medicine, I am off to dreamland! Even Jan says that I snores like a pig! hahahahaha.

Doctor asked me to have complete bedrest and don’t even allow me to access my kitchen on the 1st floor. I can’t clean my house…I can’t wash the toilet..I can’t cook dinner…I can’t do laundry…Thank God I got my laptop!!

I kinda regret not taking it easy on my business trip in Indonesia. I spend 16hrs working in a day and sometimes skipped lunch and dinner. I had only breakfast and supper. I was still at an Internet cafe at 1am. Bad Idea.?Anyway…I can’t turned back the clock. It had been done! I am gonna look into the present situation and try my best to keep still and get as much bed rest as possible.?

I thought I’d start my day properly with a nice big cup of coffee and hoped that that would also lead to nice results for when I’d have my ultrasound today. I read on the internet that caffeine is also going through the placenta when you drink coffee and I hope that that might lead to a very video-genic baby. We’ve taken a little video and the baby moved again, but hardly as much as last time. The doctor said that he has obviously less space available now it’s growing. Anyway, the video is?still very nice to see though, so do have a look at it!

Here’s the new video:
- Ultrasound scan

MY PREGNANCY - WEEK 18

Your baby’s development.

• This week your baby measures approximately 12.5-14cm (5-5.6 inches) in length and weighs about 150 grams (5.25 ounces).

• Your baby is looking more and more human as time goes by. Your baby can now make facial expressions, including frowning and squinting. Eyes are still closed, but are sensitive to bright light outside your abdomen. Eyelashes and eyebrows have started to grow.

• Limbs become longer, start to gain proportion and begin to move as the connections between nerves and muscles are established. The nerves are now being coated in myelin (a fatty layer), enabling them to pass messages to and from the brain. Your baby’s hands can now form fists and if they meet, will clasp together.

• The lungs are developing, but until birth the placenta will provide your baby’s oxygen.

Your Pregnancy.

• This trimester you will probably have more energy and will probably be feeling better if you have been feeling sick.

• You may not have gained much weight, but your uterus has been pushed forward into your abdomen and can be felt. Normal weight gain at this point is between 2.3-5.8kg (5-13 pounds). If you have gained more than this, you should talk to your health care practitioner. You shouldn’t diet during pregnancy, but you do need to make sure you eat a healthy balanced diet. Visit the Essential Baby Diet During Pregnancy pages for more information.

• It has become almost routine for you to have at least one ultrasound scan during pregnancy. Ultrasound is used to check your dates and to check for any obvious abnormalities in your baby. A routine scan is usually performed during week 18 or 19. At this stage of development the baby is a good size for viewing by ultrasound, as it is fully formed. Most babies are around the same size at this age. In order to get a good picture of the baby it is necessary to have a full bladder (which can be uncomfortable). You will be asked to drink a few glasses of water and to refrain from urinating an hour or so before the scan. The position of the baby and the placenta is visible, and twins can also be detected. Later in pregnancy scans can be performed to check a baby’s growth or to investigate vaginal bleeding.

• You may experience nosebleeds or a blocked nose during pregnancy (a bit like sinus or hay fever). This may be due to changes in your circulation. Don’t use nasal sprays, decongestants or other over the counter medication before seeking the advice of your doctor.

• Your nipples are probably darker in colour and may feel tingly or sore. You will also be able to see the veins in your breasts more clearly. A dark line (linea nigra) may be visible down the middle of your abdomen.

TEACHER: How old were you on your last birthday?
STUDENT: Seven.
TEACHER: How old will you be on your next birthday?
STUDENT: Nine.
TEACHER: That’s impossible.
STUDENT: No, it isn’t, Teacher. I’m eight today.

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SUBSTITUTE TEACHER: Are you chewing gum?
BILLY : No, I’m Billy Anderson.

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TEACHER: Didn’t you promise to behave?
STUDENT: Yes, Sir.
TEACHER: And didn’t I promise to punish you if you didn’t?
STUDENT: Yes, Sir, but since I broke my promise, I don’t expect you to keep yours.

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TEACHER: Tommy, why do you always get so dirty?
TOMMY : Well, I’m a lot closer to the ground then you are.

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HAROLD : Teacher, would you punish me for something I didn’t do?
TEACHER : Of course not.
HAROLD : Good, because I didn’t do my homework.

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TEACHER: I hope I didn’t see you looking at Don’s paper.
JOHN : I hope you didn’t either.

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GARY : I don’t think I deserve a zero on this test.
TEACHER: I agree, but it’s the lowest mark I can give you.

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MOTHER : Why did you get such a low mark on that test?
JUNIOR : Because of absence.
MOTHER : You mean you were absent on the day of the test?
JUNIOR : No, but the kid who sits next to me was.

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SILVIA : Dad, can you write in the dark?
FATHER : I think so. What do you want me to write?
SYLVIA : Your name on this report card.

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TEACHER: Well, at least there’s one thing I can say about your son.
FATHER : What’s that?
TEACHER: With grades like these, he couldn’t be cheating.

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TEACHER: In this box, I have a 10-foot snake.
SAMMY : You can’t fool me, Teacher… snakes don’t have feet.

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HYGIENE TEACHER: How can you prevent diseases caused by biting insects?
JOSE : Don’t bite any.

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TEACHER: Ellen, give me a sentence starting with “I”.
ELLEN : I is…
TEACHER: No, Ellen. Always say, “I am.”
ELLEN : All right… “I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.”

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TEACHER: Max, use “defeat,” “defense,” and “detail” in a sentence.
MAX : The rabbit cut across the field, and defeat went over defense before detail.

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MOTHER : Why on earth did you swallow the money I gave you?
JUNIOR : You said it was my lunch money.

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TEACHER: If you received $10 from 10 people, what would you get?
SASHA : A new bike.

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TEACHER: If you had one dollar and you asked your father for another, how many dollars would you have?
VINCENT: One dollar.
TEACHER: (sadly)You don’t know your arithmetic.
VINCENT: (sadly)You don’t know my father

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TEACHER: If I had seven oranges in one hand and eight oranges in the other, what would I have?
CLASS COMEDIAN: Big hands!

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BOY : Isn’t the principal a dummy!
GIRL: Say, do you know who I am?
BOY : No.
GIRL: I’m the principal’s daughter.
BOY : And do you know who I am?
GIRL: No.
BOY : Thank goodness!

HARD-DISK Woman:
She remembers everything, FOREVER.

RAM Woman:
She forgets about you, the moment you turn her off.

WINDOWS Woman:
Everyone knows that she can’t do a thing right, but no one can live without
her.

EXCEL Woman:
They say she can do a lot of things but you mostly use her for your four
basic needs.

SCREENSAVER Woman:
She is good for nothing but at least she is fun!

INTERNET Woman:
Difficult to access.

SERVER Woman:
Always busy when you need her.

MULTIMEDIA Woman:
She makes horrible things look beautiful.

CD-ROM Woman:
She is always faster and faster.

E-MAIL Woman:
Every ten things she says, eight are nonsense.

&

VIRUS Woman:
Also known as “WIFE”; when you are not expecting her, she comes, installs herself and uses all your resources. If you try to uninstall her you will lose something, if you don’t try to uninstall her you will lose everything…………

And the stroller is so beautiful. It’s super-small, easy to carry along, nice colours and I can keep it use it from the birth of the baby all the way until it wants to walk itself. Click here to check out the video to have a look at the stroller. We can’t wait for the delivery of our new purchase, which is going to happen just after the Lunar New Year celebrations and look forward to start pushing it around in our house and backyard

Initially we were looking at some of the more ordinary strollers, but Jan was complaining about that most of the strollers didn’t look muscular. Jan said that he wanted to try to find a stroller that is muscular so that he also sometimes can push it. That’s why our eyes already quite quickly fel on this model that looks very new-tech. The good thing is that it folds up very small so that we can very easily bring it when we’re travelling (which is one of our greatest passions).