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Click photo to see better...(my name was mispeled, should be Madelyn)
I had my first baby scan this afternoon, made us laugh upon seeing him/her waving hands and kicking off legs! What a nice feelings indeed. Had seen his tiny heart beating so fast, twice as fast as mine. She/he is exactly 13 weeks and 2 days.
This is the good news plus our baby will be due between 26th-30th September, which is very close to my birthday (Sept 28), I wish its gonna be on my birthday!
The bad news is, HE/SHE HAD TWIN! There was a second gestation sac towards the left side that contains a 16mm fetal pole (about 8 weeks) without a heart beat. I really felt sad the moment I saw the sac/other placenta with a ball-shaped embryo, whom didn't manage to grow and survive.
The midwife said that, this happens quite common here in the UK - to give life to the other one. So it was an infected baby, or abnormal for some reason.
Well, we are still lucky to have the one survived. One is enough to say, WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE 1 - THE MOST SPECIAL GIFT GOD HAS GIVEN US! I know he/she is going to survive. We've lost the other one, doesn't mean that we'll loose the other one too...
He/she was very active showing off to us.....
These are what I've got from my Midwife's first visit today. Guides and tips, diary, subscriptions, Bounty club membership form, shopping vouchers, etc...
She was very helpful and it took us more than an hour to have filled all the forms for my future scans, and she gave us all the information as to things that needs to be done during my whole pregnancy. In fact, she managed to book me for a scan this coming Wednesday in Dover (only an hour drive from where we live). I am so excited really.
She also had that radio thingy to hear the baby's heartbeat (I don't how to call it), geezzz it was twice faster than mine. I was staring at hubby's face, made him smile lol...
Like I said, since she knew that I am already on my 13th week of pregnancy that needs to be taken care of soon, so she made herself available only for me (which I never supposed to get an appointment this week) as she was fully booked! Lucky me huh.....
As you know that hubby has been working abroad for at least 10 years now, so he is not updated with their medical support matters. We did phone the Surgery clinic, and advised us both to go and see her, which we did! It was 2 weeks ago. Then we only managed to see her at the beginning of last week. We then given forms (1 set each), to register for their record purposes, and after 3 days we got mails containing their confirmation that we are now in their database and just to get a medical appointment through phone or visit them.
Our main concern was, if I will get a free medical services the fact that I am not a resident yet nor applied for my "Indefinite Leave to Remain", meaning we were worried to have not been qualified. Talking about my visa, we are going to apply as soon as I am okay or safe to travel up to London, to go backwards and forwards to comply my application.
Anyway, we decided to see them last Friday! Good news!!! They said that they are not fuzzy about red tapes, in short, they don't require any documentation to testify my identity (allien) lol, here in the UK. Meaning I was accepted and open to be given free medical services too.... Thanks God for this news...
We managed to get a slot for this coming Friday only - for general check ups... What about seeing a Midwife? She was fully booked, and not free until first week of April.
Hubby explained my case, and they thought I needed to be checked soon! So they have arranged themselves for me to see her tomorrow! This is another good news, from there we don't know if I will my baby scanned or if to see her/him through ultrasound.
It not we are going to arrange ourselves for a scan from a private one, the main thing is, I get to be checked soon, to see the condition of my baby...
I am so happy to have been surpassed my delicate FIRST TRIMESTER!
The fetus is now nearly 3 inches / 7 to 8 centimetres long from crown to rump and weighs nearly an ounce / 23 grams -- about half a banana. Its unique fingerprints are already in place. It says that when I poke my stomach gently and she feels it, my baby will start rooting -- that is, act as if she's searching for a nipple.
If you're having a girl, she now has approximately 2 million eggs in her ovaries; she will have only a million by the time she's born. She'll have fewer eggs as she gets older, and by age 17, the number will have dropped to 200,000.
As for you, the fog may be lifting, so to speak. For many women, the side effects of early pregnancy -- frequent urination, intense fatigue, nausea -- diminish sometime in the second trimester. Your uterus, while large enough to announce to onlookers that you're indeed pregnant, isn't so huge that it gets in your way. Even though birth is months away, your breasts may already start making colostrum, the fluid that will feed your baby for the first few days before your milk comes in.
Source: Baby Centre UK
Someone told me that I am having a baby girl because I crave much on fruits!
While hubby's family wanted to have a baby girl, for the reason being that I tend to feel tired quickly and more often. Whichever of these theories are true or not, we just have to wait until I have my next ultrasound..
My cravings is pretty much changing every single week! But luckily, I don't crave for junk foods, chocolates, cakes, etc. I have been craving for various fruits like mad since I learned I was pregnant, though changes every week!
During my first few weeks of pregnancy, I was eating GREEN APPLES at least 2 in the mornings and another 2 in the afternoons! Mind you hubby was craving of apples for me too, please read "Hubby Have Some Cravings For Me". It went on for at least 3 weeks, then I was admitted at the hospital for 11 days and all I wanted during those periods were BANANAS AND APPLE MANGOES. It also went for 3 weeks, though I love so much eating CEREALS in the mornings with bananas. However, I don't eat green apples anymore! Weird isn't it? The moment I finished with one fruit, I feel sick every time I think about it.
When we first arrived here in the UK, I remember that first fruits I was looking for were ORANGES and GREEN GRAPES plus YOGHURTS, and I had to eat some of Alfie's oranges and his deserts. Poor little boy, but at least my mother-in-law has been very considerate of offering me what I'd wanted to eat, and we had to buy a packet of green grapes every day! It went on for only few days, and right after I changed to PINEAPPLES, KIWIS and TINNED JACKFRUITS, while it only lasted for a week! Week after that was STRAWBERRYS with ICE CREAM...
You'll probably going to ask me now, what I have been craving at the moment? It has changed again I tell you. I am now been having GREEN SWEET MANGOES (imported from Brazil), yummy.. In fact, I always have two every day, and this has already been on since two weeks ago.
By the way, when I said FRUIT CRAVINGS - this is eating in between meals, in short, my snacks!
What to eat on big meals depends on my taste as well. When I ask hubby what does he fancy for lunch or dinner, he always ask me back what do I fancy...
Yesterday we were out again shopping! Tops is not a problem for me at the moment, they still fit me, only I needed couple of trousers since my baby bump is getting really bigger every week! My old trousers still do fit on legs section but not from hips to zip. That trousers at the bottom end, I bought 2 pairs with different colors, and since I like the top, so I decided to buy as well.
So I decided to buy some online. I bought some from Amazon and some from Mothercare...
Plus some essentials of pregnant women especially STRETCH MARK CREAM which I believe I needed it, got this idea from Rose of Rose's Obstacles and Glories, thanks a lot sister for the tip, also Prenatal Fitness DVD so I will be doing some exercise soon as soon as I get it.
Yes this week is my 12th week, I am so happy that I am close to the end of my first trimester now!
It says that:
1) My baby's face is beginning to look more human, even though she is only about 2 inches / 5.5 centimetres long from her crown to her rump and weighs slightly less than half an ounce/ 14 grams.
2) The eyes, which started out on the sides of the head, have moved closer together.
3) The ears are almost in their normal position on the side of the head.
4) The liver is making bile and the kidneys are secreting urine in the bladder.
The fetus squirms if your abdomen is prodded, although you cannot yet feel movement. Fetal nerve cells have been multiplying rapidly and synapses (neurological connections in your brain) are forming. The fetus has acquired more reflexes: touching the palms makes the fingers close, touching the soles of the feet makes the toes curl down and touching the eyelids makes the eye muscles clench.The midwife can now feel the top of the uterus, also known as the fundus, low in the abdomen. As I enter the second trimester, I may find yourself donning looser, less restrictive clothing. Soon I won't be able to fit into my regular clothes any more. But have been using new clothes since I was only 8 weeks pregnant though...
Note: Experts say every baby develops differently - even in utero.
Source: Baby Centre
You may have noticed or these four posts may have looked familiar to you and you may have left your comments, which I've had extracted them from my personal blog. Therefore, all comments are still in there, I only wanted to share them here too, to have a complete story of my pregnancy - from the very beginning until he/she comes out.
Please join me as I go along with my journey to "Parenthood", giving you my day to day updates of "THE BABY INSIDE OF ME"....
I didn't know I was given by our Angolan doctor a 7-day sick leave (from the 25th), until only yesterday to have found it out when I decided to see my boss at work! I went to see him yesterday morning for two reasons: to get some of my personal stuffs and to tell him that he must start making a plan for me to hand over my work loads! But even before I went to knock his door, he saw me and said "Oh come to my office I need to speak to you", about your health condition...and even before I said a word, he said "I know what's going on, I want you rest until you go on leave and please start handling over, all I want you to do is to come here whenever you like - monitor and check his job and if you need to lie down - go home and rest"... 'I REALLY CRIED SAYING 'THANK YOU SO MUCH I TRULY NEEDED IT'.....
...and on my way to see hubby to tell him what my boss had to say - our Angolan doctor saw me and handed over two pieces of paper - MY MEDICAL REPORTS to be given to my boss. Then he started telling me about their plans (among company's local directors)....that I have to get ready for this coming Sunday - to fly (hopefully they could arrange a flight) to Luanda (Angola capital) for a thorough examinations for both - MY BABY AND THE MALARIA! That he already phoned his OB-Gyne friend at Sagrada Hospital to be available starting Monday... So, their plan is - I will be confined at the hospital for a week until to see my hubby the following Sunday then we'll fly home to UK by the 11th.... I was so happy with teary eyes thanking for their care!! Our Angolan doctor is somehow worried about my case due to the fact that I AM PREGNANT WHILE HAVING A HIGH MALARIA COUNT!, that they couldn't do more...
I know what you're going to ask me - WHY TO WAIT UNTIL SUNDAY Madz? WHY NOT ASAP? Because we don't want to gamble the safety of our baby to travel a 12-HOUR TRIP from mine site to Luanda, which hopefully and that God will allow for the time being - for a possible special flight this coming Sunday, which is not possible during weekdays...
Since we DON'T GET FLIGHTS ANYMORE, everybody travels backwards and forwards by road trips, and even our foods are also now being transported by land. We used to get 4 flights per week 5 months ago, but due to security reason, the government and our company agreed to cancel all the public flights, except for Diamond Exports and any private flights!
I now started getting rid of our old stuffs (with our local cleaning ladies), since we are not certain yet if hubby is still gonna come back due to recession, and our company will due to inform us the real score during the week! Besides, we both have an ULTIMO VISAS - meaning LAST ISSUE OF WORKING PERMIT - not unless if the company still needs him (never mind about me), that they are going to process his visa again! We never know what's gonna happen....But for the meantime, we are not worried about it - all we want is for me to get out of here!
I would like to take this opportunity to say - I JUST CAN'T THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH FOR ALL UNDYING SUPPORT, ALL YOUR CARE, LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, REMINDERS... I appreciate all so much! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I am lucky to have guys as my friends....Will keep you posted before Sunday.. Love yah all!!
I was quite happy when last Saturday one of our Angolan cleaning ladies realized that I was pregnant, she came and spoken to me. I said to her, I need medicines to secure my baby! She said why don't you ask our Angolan doctor to go with you to a Korean OB-Gyne in their local town. I was totally stunned and with full of happiness, that despite of my situation, there's still a way to safeguard my baby. I thanked God and did see my hubby straight away if we could both arranged if visiting this Korean lady in Cafunfo town.
Which we duly did yesterday, and we managed to get authorization to get out of the camp and headed straight to their local hospital to see our Angola doctor first! He then made a corresponding request to see her ASAP! His Angolan nurse came back said, "SHE WAS BUSY" and she was attending something very important!!!.. He then phoned her, and I was disappointed even more especially when we learned that she won't be available until further advise... huhuhuhu...
We then directed to another doctor - another useless one! I was so frustrated - that why on earth he had to bring me to another doctor who has no idea about pregnancy whatsoever!! He happened to be the HOSPITAL DIRECTOR, then what are we doing here? (first thing came to my mind)... hubby said to hang on... He asked me some questions, for file purposes while our Angolan nurse was preparing the bed!!! Then this director stood up, went outside to get a pair of GLOVES??? Because he wanted to check how my ovary was or uterus whatever that was!!! The moment I saw it, I SAID NO NO NO NO NO! Nobody can touch me..... I said to hubby please honey stop him, I don't need this!
HELLO...... HE IS NOT AN OB-GYNE, YET HE WANTED TO INSERT HIS FINGERS IN TO MINE???? Urrrgggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!
Then hubby explained that we don't came here for him to check, for any laboratory nor physical check ups - ALL WE NEEDED IS A PROPER OB-GYNE to give me a prescription for me to take for my BABY SECURITY and PRENATAL VITAMINS! I really cried..... The same doctor then wrote another in a piece of paper for a laboratory examinations to be made - MY BLOOD and URINE? They wanted to make sure if I don't have any infections, I said fine but where is the laboratory? We drove down to see another clinic and what shocked me as soon as we got in.......
OUR TOILET IS MUCH BETTER AND MUCH CLEANER THAN THEIR LABORATORY!!! I nearly walked out and wanted to scream.... huhuhuhu...thanks God hubby was there to give me moral support, that he had to keep on telling me that WE ARE IN ANGOLA, THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN DO MORE.... huhuhuhuhu... He took some blood, tested for some reason but he said I WAS NEGATIVE OF ANY INFECTION! I didn't trust it, nor believed that I needed these,,,,,,,, I was even more stressful!!!!
It was passed 12 noon already, he advised us to see our doctor again but WE DID NOT!! We decided to come back to the camp straight away. Hopefully sometime this week, we could be able to get hold of this KOREAN OB-GYNE, otherwise, will insist to be taken down to LUANDA or TO LOOSE OUR BABY AGAIN... Please I need your prayers....
I was MALARIA POSITIVE! huhuhu... Now what's next? It was yesterday afternoon (Sunday) that I was suffering from extremely horrendous headache, that I could almost had thrown it to the wall!! I HAD NO CHOICE... I HAD TO CALL OUT OUR COMPANY NURSE (a Filipina)... Hubby went out to see her straight away, and after 5 minutes she arrived with a thermometer. I HAD NO FEVER...
Malaria attacks in so many ways, depending on how your body reacts in every attack! This time was my HEAD, no fever, but with joints' pains as well (which is quite common to every attack!!)...I remember when one of our Filipino friends died from Cerebral Malaria (this happens when not treating first signs quickly and take medicines accordingly), first sign of having a severe one - HEADACHE! By this thought alone made me so worried and so stressed with teary eyes...
When the Nurse left to get the test, along the way, she thought of bringing me to the clinic instead to go for a thorough check ups with our Doctor. Hubby drove me down there... I had my another PREGNANCY TEST again to confirm, BLOOD PRESSURE was normal, and PALCIFARUM test (this is to determine if I've had the severe one), thanks God it was negative! Lastly, was the MALARIA COUNTS test...
Off the record, I'VE HAD more than 10 counts of Malaria - meaning it was close to PALCIFARUM - meaning close to death if I hadn't had a severe headache! They had to give me medicines...
BUT WHAT ABOUT MY BABY? I was crying....hubby was crying too...
Thanks God that we still had a mild one suitable for PREGNANT WOMEN! It is called "ARINATE"... They convinced me that my baby will be safe, despite of my counts which meant to be given higher dose than above! This is the only way they can save both of us - MY BABY AND ME... I took two as soon as we got back to our house plus one Paracetamol, after 10 minutes all the pains were gone - I WAS SO RELIEVED THEN...
Now it's Monday, I didn't manage to go to work... they didn't sign my resignation while they gave a kind consideration of giving me "on and off" work loads until we go on vacation in two weeks time which was fine for us - an easy option while I can come and lie down if I feel bad anytime! A big favor that we are both very grateful for...
I am still having my medications (a 3 day course), let see what happens after this. But fingers' crossed nothing will ever happen to our baby...
I REALLY NEED YOUR SUPPORT THROUGH PRAYERS..
I decided to have worked for only half day last Friday, as headache I had was almost unbearable! It was mainly because of late working hours during the past whole week, though I was working slowly, but I was convinced based on my past Malaria experiences, THAT I'VE HAD and was so sad to might have been attacked again, I was quite worried though...
Had spoken with hubby, advised me to go straight to our camp clinic to confirm what was causing my pains, but I strongly disagreed that I didn't bother to go. I thought would just have been due to pregnancy plus have been working so late.... Friday has gone through without visiting our doctor, for the reason being - I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ANY MALARIA MEDICINE otherwise WILL LOOSE MY BABY AGAIN, I was so emotional and had to cry and cry and cry.
Here came Saturday, I was even more in pain and it was on and off! The thought of TAKING MEDICINES stopped me from seeing our resident doctor. Everyone thought that I had malaria though...
I said to hubby I'd rather suffer than to loose our baby again...So I didn't take any medicine at all even pain killers.....
Click photo to see better...(my name was mispeled, should be Madelyn)
