An interesting experience

I had my 30th week pregnancy doctor's appointment at KKIA last Monday and I thought it would be a brief one. Little did I know, it became an issue.

As usual, I went to KKIA earlier than my appointment time just so that I would be able to get the earlier ticket number. I wasn't that far off, since my appointment is at 9am and I'm the 7th in queue. That morning my condition was slightly different. I felt light headed and had blurry vision.

As I was seated, it wasn't that bad.

Soon my number were called to the nurse room to get the usual weight and blood pressure checked. Surprising to the nurse, my systolic measurement was at 157 and diastolic at 91. Again, the nurse measured in hope that it was just the device error. 151/90 my second reading reads. Worried, she told me if it still looks bad, we'll have to try with doctor's manual blood pressure measurement. Sometimes it gives a different reading. Okay... third reading goes 145/94. That's alarming. She told me to wait for the doctor's call outside at the waiting area and make sure I'm seated.

Hmm, that kinda explains the light headed that I got. I was alone that morning as I thought I just wanna get this appointment over with and head over to office immediately.

Not long after, my number was called to doctor's room. Again, doctor was concerned with the digital blood pressure measuring device result that we got earlier and she uses her manual device to check. It was still high, about 150 she said. She said she might have to prescribe me medicine for that. At least she told me that was borderline.

She then proceed to check baby's growth through sonography. Everything was well, except for baby's abdominal circumference which was a bit small according to their growth chart. She say sometimes the machine at their clinic may not be accurate. That she's gonna refer me to the hospital for two reasons. My blood pressure and rescan the baby's growth. She told me to go immediately. That worries me. I teared a little.

I woke Jonathan up to go with me to the hospital just in case if there's any news I'll have to share with him. It wasn't just about me anymore.

As I reached maternity hospital in HKL, I was lost. I was told to go PAC but I guess I got to the wrong side. I went to the clinic side. Well, I thought they would at least checked the referral letter and point to me where I should go. At that time, I really thought I was at the right place (First time there).

They proceed me with the normal drill. Urine test, weight and bp measurement. My BP was measured 4x when I was at the clinic until they were satisfied with the number (that's cheating) as the previous 3 were all above 140mm Hg (systolic). Finally, at 130 something, she was satisfied and passed my book over to another counter for assessment. When my sequence number was called, I head into the room, only to realize they had not notice the referral letter was to send me to PAC instead (another department). So then I was, sent to PAC on a wheel chair.

Then I found out, PAC stood for Patient Assessment Center, which was why they had so thorough check up on me. I was tested again for my blood pressure, urine, weight and baby's growth scan. Which they too, took few times on my bp and only writing down the satisfied number on the paper. Lucky that my hubby was there because they needed his IC and help to get me food as the blood glucose test shows that I was very low. 3.9 mmol/L.

As the scan and review goes, I've to explain to them again and again how I was feeling. Scan shows baby was okay, but they too got the AC out of range. They were slightly concern about that. Baby shows a difference of 2 weeks' rate.

I was confused as well. Scan at hospital told me that I'm 31w preggy, at KK it was 30w, and private hosp says 29. Now when will I deliver? =____="

Anyway, I was warded for observation in case of hypertension and they want to rule out the possibility of pre eclempsia.

This was my first time getting needled at the back of the palm.

I've been reading other people blogs about their experience in third class ward in Maternity Hospital in HKL. I thought it would be really bad and crowded. It was not. The only thing I agree upon was that it's hot. There were only fans in that level. One fan at the center of 4 beds. It was difficult for me to rest without getting all sweaty.

Food overall was okay. Nurses were friendly. Babies were cute, mothers were friendly too. It feels as though we all understand each other. Being a mother soon, or already a mother.

There were constant checks from the nurses for BP and baby's heartbeat. Which was really nice. The service and care were really good. The more I'm determined to deliver in this hospital and I think I would like to stay in third class ward again despite the hotness. At least there were more nurses walking around and I could get help asap.

Later that evening, I was transferred to another bed which was understandable, they usually move new patients to the front area beds. That new location was much better as I was right under the fan. That night we got supper! Simple bread and milk.

Throughout the midnight, we couldn't really get good rest. From time to time, nurses will come over for BP measurement and baby's heartbeat. Middle of the night I was asked to do urine test. Oh boy.

Next morning, the doctor in charge asked if I did slept well... funny question doctor... I think I could have slept better at home.

That passed, looking at other mothers, I was preparing my own maternity bag list! Looking at them too, made me dilemma about my pregnancy. The patient next to me was having contraction for labour and was inserted pill to enhance the contraction. She was in extreme pain. So pain that she requested for pain killer injection to be able to rest before the opening is right for labour. So much pain that she said, "I should have opted for cesarean... I rather die... Don't want to get pregnant again", that was worrying. 

There were also student that morning that came to do assessment. They asked permission before they start their assessment. I'm always glad to be able to help. Especially I'm curious of my condition too. We learn together, okay? I told them my situation. They were measuring my fetal position and they couldn't find chickpea's position. I told them what I was informed by the doctor. Which was baby breech. According to google, it's that the baby wasn't in the right position as it supposed to. That was also what worries me, but doctor say it's okay to differ 1-2 weeks position. Hopefully the baby would turn by themselves. So yeah, the students couldn't find chickpea's heartbeat and they were trying to figure out where is the head / leg positioned. As one of the student were trying to locate it, my baby kicked hard that she got shocked and apologized. Haha, that was hilarious to me but I really don't mind. Baby has been active these 2 days. Loads of movement even when the students were checking me.

Lunch

That afternoon I got discharged. Hubby came over for the discharge procedure and finally, I'm out! It was indeed an experience to me but at least now I'm not worried about other people's review on the ward classes as they were really attentive and nice.

Now that I have my file open in the hospital, I'll have another place to go for appointments. That's the only annoying part. I'll have to return to the hospital for follow up. GAAHHHH~

Feeling guilty

Sorry hubby if I've never cook for you much.

It's not that I can't cook. I just don't have the mood to cook. Especially when the kitchen is not mine and mother-in-law is around. Telling us "Don't eat this, don't eat that, it's not healthy"

How are you suppose that motivates me to cook?

My family never practice "healthy cooking", well, not till the extend of steaming all the food we eat, only eat vegetables and fruits, or bland food with less salt and sugar.

We eat how we want it to be tasted good.

I have the fear that if I've cooked while she's around, she would have "guide" me her way of cooking. I'm not complaining that I get to improve myself, but rather there's someone WATCHING you cook. I feel uneasy with that idea. Since I'm already uneasy, how are you expecting me to cook?

I've always dream that once I got married, I'll prepare breakfast for hubby before we go to work, come back from work, no matter how rush, we're able to prepare dinner together, have a simple dinner. That's not the case now. *glass shatters*

I wanted to try so many recipes I found online. I wanted to cook pan mee, pasta, salmon and at one point I even wanna make dumpling. It's troublesome, but I like to go through the process and hope for the best result. LOL. None of that ever happened. It was fun when I was in uni, we're all girls and we have crazy ideas of what to cook. We did pan mee, steamboat, home cook dish. Each take turns. So relaxed.

Even back at my own home, I sometimes cook dinner for the family, I don't feel pressured at all. I just wonder why I feel the pressure here. Maybe because MIL has been telling us to eat healthy and I'm always worried that I may not cook healthy the way she wanted and I'll get told off. Yes, I'm afraid of rejection and moreover I have the fear of being judged. I can never feel comfortable using other people's kitchen as my own. Each house has their own kitchen rules.

It's not like I've never tried to cook in MIL's house... of course my skill is not there yet. I did once before ask her to guide me and I'll cook. She ended up grabbing the spatula from me, "let me show you how", and just keep talking how I should do it and ended up cooking the whole dish anyway. So how's that makes me feel? Useless. That was when I'm still a "girlfriend" status. Since then, never will I want to cook when she's around.

Ahh, I can't wait to have my own kitchen, my rules, my food.

Sorry, I ranted.

It has gone massive!

When I was walking around the mall, I always feel envious of pregnant ladies. As they look so proud and I feel as though they were glowing carrying their little one in the belly.

Now that I myself is in their position, I too, feel proud as I walk around rubbing my belly.

At the first few months, it feels so surreal that I'm pregnant. Like, "Am I really pregnant? I don't see the bulging tummy yet...". Or rather it's not as big I thought I would look like. "Am I just bloated?" A lot of questions played in my mind.

Took this picture in the office toilet as it's the only place so far that I can see my belly

At 15 weeks, my tummy was still small. (Well, glad to say my figure was still okay). As usual, I went for antenatal appointments and baby has been healthy. All signs were good, no massive sickness except for occasional flu and coughs but the baby is alright.

Every month I just look forward for my check up at private hospital. Though I did went to government clinic so that I can get a more thorough check up, free. (I'll probably post another update about this next time regarding KKIA)

The lift light were fixed and it was super bright! Can't help but took a bumpfie

As the caption says. My bump is starting to look more obvious now, though it's still not as big as I could imagine myself walking awkwardly to support the weight. But I could no longer fit my usual jeans! I was on my maternity jeans in this one. In addition to this, I've bought myself more maternity clothes. Pants especially. I think I can still fit into my loose shirts at this point. But I just grabbed one or two more XL sized tshirts for the comfort at home. Baby has already started kicking at this stage. First to notice the movement when I'm about 18 weeks.

Hmm, seems like I've only been wearing the same top when I took my bumpfie. LOL. coincidentally.

On 26th weeks, the bump looks much bigger. And I too, gained weight.I think I have gained more than 5 KG so far. (OH EMM GEE).  My arms, thighs, belly of course have all gone bigger. Can't really tell from my face. Maybe slightly chubbier? But it still look normal to me. Not a drastic change.

Ugghh.. My hair is now on obvious 2 colours due to growing. I havent dye my hair ever since my wedding last year. The original hair colour has grown out and every time I look at the mirror I feel like I wanna chop off the whole brown hair part. That will be super short. It wouldn't go well with my fine hair. I NEED THICKER HAIR. I've always wanted a boy cut. Tried once to have bob cut, I just look rounder and hair looks thinner. Meh.

Same top again. LOL

This picture really shows that I've gained weight. Head and body looks totally off now. As if I just got a picture of the body and paste my head over it. This time around baby's movement has become so massive and frequent! Active baby I suppose. That's a good thing, right? Sometimes, baby responded when I massage my belly. It's a really nice feeling. I'm not much of a talker, at times I really don't know what to say to the baby. But communication is important!

And, I've been dealing with acne so far. Not sure if it's the pregnancy hormone. But I suspect it's my lactose intolerance. Been drinking maternity milk since I'm pregnant. Also, just lately discovered from reading an article that lactose intolerance may cause acne and bloatness. Which I have so far. Well, the acne part was before I was pregnant and I've been drinking a lot of milk every morning before work at my in-law's place. Probably diet and environment plays a role too? Many factors have change since I move in. Never knew what's the real cause.

So that's my progress so far throughout my second trimester. Hello third and final semester. Can't wait to see our little baby!

Marriage life

I had this for draft and I have forgotten what I want to write about.
Well, since I have this reopened, I'll just write about what I think in general about marriage life with a little experience of my own.

For you people who thinks marriage is big word. Well, you're not entirely wrong.

Why?

A simple word marriage made up many different perspectives. Marriage is a commitment. It's a responsibility. It's a forever love-bonding with your soulmate, your lifetime partner. It's a legal union between two people as partners in a personal relationship. Now, you see, one word comprises so many perspectives. Isn't that overwhelming?

Many have the perception that marriage is just something that bonds 2 person together legally, you're not wrong. You're partially correct. There are more to that. It takes time and tolerance and both needed to support each other and that what makes a marriage lasts longer.

I wouldn't say this is a 100% fool-proof to maintain a marriage but here are 7 important ingredients to a happy marriage:

1. Trust

Indeed. Trust plays very very important role. When trust is no longer there, the relationship will crack. You gotta have faith in your partner. Otherwise, just maybe you should hold on to the marriage until you can trust your life to him/her? That's because when marriage happens, your life is not just your own. You'll have responsibility towards each other, your family and your kids.

2. Honesty

This is important. As husband and wife, honesty is what keeps the trust strong. "A little white lie doesn't hurt". So you thought. But slowly, this may become a habit and what if the little white lie that you think doesn't hurt actually meant a lot to your partner? Unless the white lie is for sweet birthday or anniversary surprises. Then I'm sure this white lie is compensated for.

3. Tolerance

Some may say, "You should accept all his/her weaknesses as it is if you love him/her". Yes, you could. Self sacrificing is indeed very noble. But in a relationship, it's like clapping hands. It takes both hands to make the clapping sound. If you know your partner is tolerating your weaknesses, improve yourself. Or if you know that's your weakness, don't shove it away and give excuses about it. Do something about it. It's just like working. Improve yourself over time. Wise words, "Patience has its limit".

4. Love

Needless to say, always always love your partner. When you think you've fall out of love. Think again why you both fall in love at the first place. What do you see in him/her? My ex-colleague used to tell me that Valentine's day shouldn't only happens on Valentine's day. It should happen on every day. Not to say you should buy gifts or do special event every day. But just spend quality time together. There's no need for occasion to shower your partner with gifts and love. You don't have to follow the event calendar that is set by public.

5. Communication

With the technology era, communication has become so easy. Just texting each other is a form of communication. Sure. But face to face communication is still the best. With this, you can see each other's expression, appreciate each other's presence and feel each other physically. Communication is no doubt one way to bring each other closer, well, that should be how the both of you started off right? Communicating, get to know each other. I don't see why that should not continue everyday.

6. Expressing your love

With point 4 and 5 combine, this can also strengthen your relationship. Expressing your love. Simple kiss on the cheek, lips or even saying "I love you" to your partner every now and then shows that you appreciate your relationship and are happy to be with each other. A simple gesture to treat your partner to a nice meal or simple home cook or gifts are also ways to express your love. Someone once told me that courtship should not end when the both of you have become a couple (boyfriend/girlfriend status), it should always be continued. You shouldn't take for granted with the thought that you both are married, we even have kids already, we're old, why do we still need to do this? Isn't it exciting to reminisce on the courtship and go through that again? It's such a sweet moment.

7. Quality time

In this modern days, both men and women are at work. Considering the travel time to work and home, you're spending almost 12 hours out of the house, not seeing each other (if you're not working in the same company/department). Hence, quality time is very important. Ever played The Sims? Notice the relationship bar with the partner reduces over time? Same with the real life Sims (You). Spending quality time together just the both of you makes you cherish the time both of you are together. Kids? Well, sometimes you may need help for alone time with your partner. Get help from your mother, mother in law, sister, brother, nanny, anyone you trust who can help you with them! Just a few hours away like walk in the park, date at the shopping mall, catch a movie together, or a dinner date.To be honest, you don't even have the remaining 12 hours for each other anyway. What about sleeping? You only have few hours to really spend time with each other each day. So it's important to be able to cherish the moment.



What about my own marriage life?

Well, I wouldn't say it's perfect. It's less than a year since we're both legally and officially got married and move in together. I would say there are may other prospective causes that stress the marriage but both my husband and I are coping with it. Finding solutions to make it better. Now, with little one coming into our lives, we definitely need to work hard together as husband and wife to cope with this stress. Hopefully everything will turns out great.