Today we went for the amniocentesis test. Before that, Dr Chan did the usual ultrasound scan and this time, our baby proudly announced that he is a Boy!
Baby's weight is estimated to be 194 g. Head and abdomen circumference and femur length measurements are medium on the growth chart. However, my weight gain is slightly above Dr Chan's liking - it must be all those sugared drinks!
After that, we did the amniocentesis. Dr Chan spread some orange gunk on my belly and then inserted a long needle into my tummy and into my uterus to collect the amniotic fluid. It was virtually painless and it was over in less than 5 minutes. Results will be out in 2 to 3 weeks, as the laboratory needs to grow the cells in the fluid before examining them for genetic abnormalities.
We were then sent over to the hospital to have my blood drawn for the routine blood test to check for HIV, rubella, hemoglobin levels, blood type, etc. I think the amniocentesis was less painful than the blood test!
After our gynae appointment, we went to the baby fair at Takashimaya and picked up a few things.
We bought:
- 4-in-1 Rocio cot, with a musical mobile, one bedding set and one coconut fibre mattress.
- a baby monitor (Baby Farlin)
- Pigeon Rapid Steam Steriliser bundled with bottle/food warmer, Newborn Starter Set and some extra bottles.
- two Anakku waterproof mattress pads
- a packet of Anakku diaper fasteners
Didn't want to pick up stuff like clothes, diapers and towels at this stage because they will just be collecting dust until baby is out. Also didn't want to have to keep small stuff like baby cream, wipes, etc for so long. Need to get a breast pump and car seat but putting these off till later. So I guess that's all for now.
How interesting it is that pregnancy causes every woman to obsess about her weight. Whether it is too little, too much, too fast, too slow, it definitely ranks as one of the all-time favourite topics of conversation among preggers.
This is my weight chart for 1st trimester... not much change. Gynae wants me to stay within a gain of 1 kg up to 16 weeks. 
We are finally in our 2nd trimester! Have been feeling less tired and less nauseous and have also been puking less. Starting to feel like a normal human being.
Went to see Dr Chan again for our 14th week update. Baby has grown to 9.14 cm (CRL) !! Still can't tell the gender yet, but Dr Chan says, "It could be a boy."
Next appointment we will be having the amniocentesis test to check for genetic abnormalities.
These are the 3D/4D scan printouts.
12 weeks along now and have been feeling tired and nauseous. Was puking almost everyday for about one to two weeks, making regular donations to the toilet bowl. However, the puking is not the worst part, in fact puking is easy. The part I hate the most is the utter fatigue and exhaustion. I'm just too tired to get out of bed, to put on my make up (which is pointless anyway since it gets washed off after I puke), to stay awake in the office, to stay awake when I get home...
The bloatedness has gone down but my appetite has changed. I prefer lots of veggies and greens and sweet stuff, nothing too salty, nothing too oily, less meat. Can't take chicken rice or nasi lemak or KFC. Strong smells like frying oil and garlic... cannot tahan. On the flip side, I have no food cravings. In fact, I don't have much appetite at all but if I don't eat, I will feel nauseous. So mealtime is always a chore - I have to really crack my brains for ideas on what to eat.
Sigh. I can't wait for 1st trimester to be over.
Our next appointment at the gynae, 10 weeks now, baby is growing well, CRL (Crown-Rump Length) is 3.59 cm. Placenta is still a little low, but is not covering the cervix and gynae is confident it will not be a problem.
Gynae also managed to do a rough NT measurement (0.89 mm). He said this is really minimal which is good because it shows less risk of Down's Syndrome. That is really good news for us, as our first (unplanned) pregnancy in late 2005 ended in a miscarriage at 12 weeks due to baby having Down's Syndrome.
Baby was moving his hands and gynae managed to scan and count five fingers!
Am feeling some slight nausea if I skip a meal or eat a little later than usual... looks like the nasty symptoms are starting...
Our first appointment at the gynae. We are definitely pregnant! Baby is just a blimp on the scan, but heartbeat is strong. Placenta is a bit low-lying but gynae advises that this will shift upwards as the uterus expands. Scan also shows that the egg came from my left ovary. Gynae gave us folic acid and DHA.
EDD is 28 January 2009, which is the 3rd day of Chinese New Year, but gynae advises that baby will probably be out earlier.
Gynae said Richard was a "sharp shooter" since we managed to strike so quickly!
