27 Weeks (Crack is whack)

May 25th, 2011: Dr. K.K. Chow in Singapore

Lets play the game... how many doctor's can I see during one pregnancy?? Four so far...

Also crack is whack!! This is in reference to... different interpretations of EVERYTHING! You know how you go to one doctor and they tell you don't drink caffeine, it can kill your baby? Or don't eat lunch meat? Or crack is whack? There is so much out there for interpretation... I have heard more than once during this pregnancy, the only thing I should really stay away from is crack... I won't mention any names, but all have the initials M.D.

This is kind of how I feel everything in pregnancy is. Turns out two different Singapore doctors think chip and I are A OK. No fluid around chip's kidneys, no placenta previa, no worry about sugars. Everything looks NORMAL even the dreaded glucose tolerance test.

Dr. K.K. Chow described in detail why little boys sometimes have fluid build up in the kidneys... google it. He looked at everything in detail and says it is all normal. I do have some excess amitotic fluid but not because of sugars or kidneys... "just something to watch" they both say.

So we are good, no crack here. We have the all clear to take a babymoon and hopefully can find someplace great to spend our last time as just a couple of crazy kids :)

Week 26

So my last couple of posts were really detailed with medical stuff, sorry... just want to remember everything, it hasn't been an easy or comfortable road.

Pregnancy Highlights

Taken at 23 weeks- Baby Shower in Houston

(And yes, my boobs are huge! I think Sarah is a little shocked in this pic)

How far along: 26 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 19 pounds. I hope to keep that under 25 lb., will be easier without the temptations in Texas. I haven't gained any weight in 2 weeks plus added some much needed walking to my routine. Realistically, it will be under 30 lb. I never knew how lazy this could make me...

Maternity Clothes: Pants and leggings for sure, maternity shirts and dresses are still too big. Why is maternity wear so ugly?? I mean really, you already feel huge and then they go and make you look like a tent with horizontal stripes... i mean really??

Gender: "Chip" is his womb name, this will change hopefully soon.

Movement: Lots of kicks and summersaults. I think Chip is a little confused with the jet lag, he isn't moving around at the normal times as in the U.S.

Sleep: I can thankfully still sleep well, except the jet lag. It usually takes me a week to get over because I do it naturally and don't push my body.

What I miss: All the fruit I had to cut out because of my sugars and remembering to add lean protein to all my meals. The last thing I want to see is meat... going with dairy and nuts for the protein.

Symptoms: Restless Leg Syndrome, ugh this stinks!! Thankfully it is in the early evening and not in the middle of the night.

Cravings: Watermelon AND SNOW CONES!! (sugar free that is)

Best Moment this Week: Never feeling alone... he is always moving which keeps me company. It is a great feeling.

Dr. Brenda Low

May 18th, 2011: Back to Singapore with Dr. Brenda Low

On a side note, Dr. Brenda Low was the doctor that did myomectomy and to say I was relieved to see her is an understatement. The one thing I think every person should have in a relationship with a doctor is trust. I have really struggled with this in almost every doctor I have seen. The specialist, Dr. Sue Palmer kept calling "chip" a girl and kept saying I was going back to Japan. The nurse practitioner kept forcing "state mandated tests" on me that I knew I didn't need. I felt like the only person that knew my name was the receptionist, and that every time I went to the doctor they found something else wrong with me... Anyhow, this wasn't a side note to knock healthcare, just trying to get the point across on how happy I was to come back to Singapore to a healthcare professional that knew my name and I trusted.

I arrived in Singapore on the 18th and went to see Dr. Low on the 19th. She had been keeping up with me through all the emails I sent her on my progress, more like reassuring me that everything was fine. So we did a scan, she thought the polyhydramnios was unremarkable and that the kidneys were working well. I suggested a glucose tolerance test to rule out gestational diabetes, something that in Singapore they normally don't test for unless you have a family history. Wow, did that test knock me on my behind! I hated feeling like I did after that test...

I will go back for another detailed ultrasound May 25th, just to be on the safe side.

It feels really good to be back in Singapore, healthcare wise, of course I miss everyone at home. AND wouldn't you know Dirk has to go on a business trip this week... it is rather lonely at times.

No more of these sugary temptations...

Week 24

May 9th, 2011: Back to Dr. Sue Palmer- Maternal-Fetal Specialist

Turns out doctors really want to see this baby in detail! I am fine with this as long as things are still going ok. I went back to the specialist to check on my placenta previa, maybe they just said this so I wouldn't get upset, because that was fine. The placenta is still really close to the cervix but it doesn't matter anyway because I am having a C-section. If I didn't know better, a C-section seems like the way to go? I was also told he has a very large genetically induced head... another plus to the section thing:) Must be all those Dunlap brains.

New diagnosis: polyhydramnios due to the kidneys of the baby. So again, cut out more sugars and eat a better balanced diet. My cup of coffee and banana for breakfast did NOT impress her, I don't think I could be diabetic. Did anyone else get told this with their boy?? It seemed like if it was a little girl and the kidneys were doing this, it would have been devastating, but since it was a boy, that was normal?? I need to read up on my Maternal Newborn Nursing book.

Otherwise everything was good. I started to prepare for my long flight home with some 81mg Aspirin. Oh the joy of flying for 24 hours...

I haven't uploaded any ultrasound pictures, we have so many now... coming soon though.

I got some fun stuff from my shower though! I am sure this will get used on many game days!! Thanks Auntie Mel, one of the coolest aunts so far :)

Week 20

April 8th, 2011: 20 week scan with Dr. Sue Palmer

So since I am doing this at week 26 instead of when I should be updating... I am so bad about blogging right now! I do have some very good reasons, I promise!!

I will recap our 20 week scan which took place in the U.S.A. So this is when Dirk flew in from Singapore... I had to drag him back to the States... basically for this scan and to see some dear friends get married. Anyhow, we found out that we are having a BOY!!!

So, right, I said we weren't going to find out. AND we weren't until the OB/GYN in Texas almost spilled the beans and therefore I was 95% sure it was a boy, so then my mom knew too because she was the one that went to my appointment with me before Dirk arrived. Basically my whole family knew before Dirk got into town, which led to some of my friends that were throwing me a baby shower to know as well before us... Yes, this was kind of weird but kind of fun too??

We totally thought it was a girl and went on and on about the name we had all picked out. Actually, it didn't really matter what it was. We both just wanted a healthy baby. I am happy we found out, it really has allowed us to connect with the baby more, especially Dirk. My friend Ashley said this in her blog, and I would totally agree. It is no longer an "it", he is "chip", and I promise that is only a womb name.

So the 20 week anatomy scan went well, we have all appendages plus 10 fingers and 10 toes... crazy what they can see these days. No incompetent cervix, THANK the LORD!! Not sure what they would have done anyway?? But a new diagnosis... marginal placenta previa. Anyone know what that means?? Basically no fun for awhile, fun times. Also, they are saying "chip" had some fluid around his kidneys and basically told me to cut out all liquid sugars. I have heard this is normal in little boys, but since this is a maternal fetal specialist... we took it serious. Do you know how hard it is to find sugar free stuff in the U.S.A?? I never knew how much sugar we drank, much less ate, until now. Sugar free snow cones have become my friend :)

I feel like I have rambled enough about this week. I will leave you with a happy couple picture, not sure what week this was?