17 days to go...

I went to the doctor's office today for the NST (Non Stress Test)

What is a nonstress test?
A nonstress test is a simple, painless procedure in which your practitioner or a technician monitors your baby's heartbeat — first while the baby is resting, and then while he's moving — to evaluate his condition. Just as your heart beats faster when you're active, your baby's heart rate should go up while he's moving or kicking.

For more information, visit http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/prenatalhealth/1272943.html

So the doctor said that "the baby is big and happy". I'm having some contractions but not enough for me to feel so it's probably just Braxton Hicks contractions.

I have to go back and do the test every week until the baby is born. I wonder when that will be...

More tests

I went to the doctor's office for my weekly appointment. She noticed that I am swollen from head to toe. She said that I may have preeclampsia, so she wants me to go back to do some tests tomorrow. She also told me that I have to be on bed rest for 1 week and not work too much.

So what is preeclampsia...

Website: http://www.preeclampsia.org/about.asp

What is Preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and the postpartum period and affects both the mother and the unborn baby. Affecting at least 5-8% of all pregnancies, it is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. Swelling, sudden weight gain, headaches and changes in vision are important symptoms; however, some women with rapidly advancing disease report few symptoms.

Typically, preeclampsia occurs after 20 weeks gestation (in the late 2nd or 3rd trimesters or middle to late pregnancy), though it can occur earlier. Proper prenatal care is essential to diagnose and manage preeclampsia. Preeclampsia, Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) and toxemia are closely related conditions. HELLP Syndrome and eclampsia are other manifestations of the same syndrome. It is important to note that research shows that more women die from preeclampsia than eclampsia and one is not necessarily more serious than the other.

Feel the movement

My youngest sister and I went shopping yesterday. I was still a little sick, but I had enough energy to buy stuff for my baby. I also had the feeling that we don't have enough time before the baby comes. You may call it the "nesting" stage of the pregnancy. My husband was supposed to go with us but he wasn't feeling well. Good thing my sister was with me. Otherwise, my husband would not let me go shopping on my own.

We went to Babies R Us to buy baby stuff. Then Bed Bath and Beyond to buy sheets and organizers. Then we went to Costco to buy food and some other stuff.

Today... we stayed home the whole day, except for dinner. This morning when I woke up, I noticed that the baby wasn't moving as much as he used to. By noon, I got a little concerned. So I looked for the book "What to expect when you're expecting" and looked for the "baby movement" topic. According to the book, the movement of the baby will slow down because it has less space. What concerned me though is that it was sudden. So according to the book, if I still don't feel comfortable, it suggested to do a test. To eat something, sit and rest. Then within an hour or two, the baby should move at least 10 times. If the baby does not move at least 10 times, then I have to call the doctor. So I tried doing that. After lunch, I went to bed, rested and started counting. The baby started moving and he moved more than 10 times before the hour ended. "PHEW" That made me feel better. After that test, he started moving once in a while but not as vigorous as he used to. He's moving right now...

It's interesting and not a good feeling when you start feeling anxious. It's hard when you don't know what's going on with your baby and you can't do anything about it except rest and wait. During lunch, I was thinking to myself..."if this baby does not move by this afternoon, I'm going to call the doctor".

It's different wen you can feel and see the baby move. It makes me feel good because I know that he's doing well, even though it is very uncomfortable and sometimes hurts. But I would rather feel uncomfortable and get hurt than not knowing what's going on.

I can't imagine how the other mothers go through the pregnancy without feeling their baby inside them moving. One of my friends said that when she was pregnant with her son, she didn't feel him move a lot. I guess she was ok with that because that was her first kid, she didn't know what to expect. My mother in law said that my husband didn't move much either when she was carrying him. Well... as long as the doctor says my baby is good, then it should be fine. It's hard though between check ups. You really would not know what to do when you start feeling and thinking there is something wrong. I hate that feeling.

I feel Great!

NOT!
I'm sick... I have the flu, my back hurts, my hip hurts, I have a headache, I'm congested and I feel like crap!

Being pregnant and sick at the same time is not so fun at all.

Soon

Just know i only have 3 weeks left (technically)...
So it shows on my tummy... don't worry about the face... hehehe
This picture was taken last March 18th during my Surprise Baby Shower!
Thanks to Grace, Binky, Aleth, Ash, Joe, Dad, Mom and all those who came and gave gifts!!!!

I enjoyed it a lot!!!!

Who's Your Hollywood Pregnancy Double?

Down-to-Earth Darling
Since you're eager to be a mom and are taking a casual yet concerned approach to your pregnancy, you most resemble Jennifer Garner!

GD

I went again… to the doctor last night for my routine bi-weekly checkup. The nurse took my blood pressure and weight. Another nurse did an ultrasound of the baby and measured my tummy. Then my doctor came in with a mask on. She said that she has a flu… again. Poor woman! She’s been sick frequently lately. Anyway, she wore the mask so that none of her patients will get sick. She usually does the ultrasound and the measuring of my tummy but she said that she doesn’t want any of her patients to get sick. She then asked if we saw the baby’s heartbeat, (by the way, my husband was with me) and we said no, so she showed it to us again and measured me. She said that the baby looks big and that it seems that I’m on the right track, meaning that my EDD is still the same – April 15th. Then I asked her about my 3-houe glucose test result. She said…. I AM NORMAL! Ha!!!!! YEZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!! YEYEYEYEYEYEYEYEYEY! No more pricking of fingers!!!! Thank Heavens! I keep on forgetting to do that before meals! Anyway, I’m happy! My husband is happy! And the doctor is happy! She doesn’t want any complications with this pregnancy. Having GD (Gestational Diabetes) is not fun and may cause some complications. Well, I’m just thankful…

Are you sure???

So I went to my doctor last Tuesday. She told me that my glucose results were abnormal. She wanted to give me some prescriptions to get a glucose electronic tester and medications and consult with a nutritionist. Then she showed me the results. So after she explained everything, I asked her... would it make a difference if I took the glucose drink before the nurses took my basal glucose reading? She was surprised about it and then she called the nurse and asked why she wasn't informed about it. She took the prescriptions back and told me to come back this Saturday and redo the test because I may not be diabetic. There is still hope...

Anyway, she still wanted me to take a glucose level test before and after every meal. I started doing that yesterday. I usually prick my pointer and middle finger. It's starting to hurt. What I'll do is alternate the fingers. So I pray that I don't have to do this anymore.