Updates Galore

Today I finally decided to book the services of a confinement lady.

After collecting some recommendations from friends, I finally settled on an English speaking one called Jennifer from Malaysia. She's a modern confinement lady who doesn't ascribe to the superstitious beliefs that some confinement ladies swear by (e.g. cannot wash hair, cannot bathe). Coincidentally, she also comes highly recommended by the same office colleague who recommended me to Dr Chan.

Since I've never met Jennifer, I decided to conduct the phone conversation (cum psuedo interview) in English and gauge her response. She sounded confident and quite friendly. However, her charges are quite toppish, at SGD2400 a month (that's even more than what I earned when I first started out working). Unfortunately, Jennifer is booked during the same confinement period so I have to start searching for an alternative.

Tsk.

We went for our 4th month checkup with Dr Chan yesterday. Since it was already Week 16, I signed up for the antenatal package which will cover my visits up to full term. The package costs SGD888 and includes the following

- all schedule consultations
- routine vitamins
- ultrasound scans
- growth chart

We were also provided with details of Dr Chan's delivery charges:
Normal delivery: SGD1300
Forceps delivery: SGD1700
C section: SGD2500

I'm really glad I chose Dr Chan to deliver the baby as his stitching skills are legendary.

Back to the baby. As usual, the little one was frisky as ever and frolicking around. Dr Chan took awhile to find its gender but finally managed to get a good shot of its crotch.

Ladies and gents- Our little one is a girl and we have decided to name her
Kaira Tay Ren Xin!

Dr Chan did a semi detailed scan and gave the baby a clean bill of health. We are so relieved!

Lots of things seem to be happening in Week 16. After my session with Dr Chan, I proceeded to the first level to draw blood for the Triple Test. Hubby and I are especially concerned about the outcome of this test as we both have a family history of Down Syndrome.

If we do not receive any call from Chan's clinic next week, it means all is well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

With the SGD888 package in place, Dr Chan no longer does vaginal scans, which are definitely superior to the stomach ones which I now undergo. His clinic has tied up with Dr Chang's at Thomson Medical Centre to provided super detailed scans to super kiasu mothers. I'll be going for one next month just to make sure Kaira is growing properly.

Later this afternoon, we'll be heading to the Baby Expo to check out the range of baby products for sale. Hubby's taken it upon himself to buy a good functional pram.

Nuff of all the rambling. All this typing is making me feel sleepy. I think I'll adjourn to the couch and catch a few winks.

Then its off for lunch and to my in laws place where we will be celebrating MIL's birthday.

Boy or Girl

I come from a 2 girl family. Hubby comes from a 2 guy family
Naturally, my family wants a guy and hubby's wants a girl.

Win win situation? Perhaps.

Yesterday was my 13 week checkup at Dr Chan's. As usual, we waited over 2 hours for our turn. I was feeling super lousy and had to make multiple trips to the toilet to puke. It didn't help that I was also wracked with an excruciating headache and Hubby was down with a cold.

When the nurse took my weight, she informed me that I had lost weight again- 2kg this time. That brings the grand tally to 5kg. I wasn't surprised at all as I've been weighing myself almost everyday. This time Dr Chan didn't praise me or encourage me to lose more weight (as he always does). I think he is starting to realise that excessive weight loss over such a short period of time may have an adverse impact on the mother and fetus.

I lay listlessly on the bed while Dr Chan did an invasive ultrasound on me. The fetus looked really active and was bobbing up and down, continuously stretching its limbs. We could even see its rib cage and nose. Hubby was utterly fascinated and Dr Chan commented that this would be one "frisky baby".

When we pressed Dr Chan to make a guess whether it was a girl or guy, Dr Chan's immediate response was that his guess would be a girl as he could not spot any bird like protrusion sprouting from the baby's groin area. Hubby immediately perked up and broke into a wide smile. He has made it clear right from the start that he wants a girl.

I didn't quite know how to react as I am indifferent to both girls and guys. What matters is that the baby is healthy.

Anyway, we will wait till the next scan to confirm the gender.

Since Hubby and I have a family history of Down Syndrome, we also asked Dr Chan whether it is advisable to go for the OSCAR test. Dr Chan recommended against it, citing the following reasons:

- The OSCAR test is less accurate than the Triple Test which I will be taking in a month's time.
- Even if I fail the OSCAR test, the next fastest option to confirm whether the fetus has Down Syndrome is to take the Chrorionic Villus Sampling Test which basically extracts some tissue from the placenta for testing. Since snipping off a part of the placenta is akin to cutting off part of the root of a tree, chances of miscarriage are high (1 in 50)
- Dr Chan said Down Syndrome babies are usually quite sedate in the womb. Since mine is moving around so much, it is unlikely to be a Down Syndrome Baby
- Dr Chan also did a Nuchal Translucency Scan and found the amount of liquid under the skin of the baby's neck to be acceptable at 2.71mm (for Down Syndrome cases it is 3.5mm or more)