Pix and info from BabyCentre

Aahh….32 weeks and not many more to go. Actually, we are at abt 32.5 weeks at the moment coz I didn’t have the time to update on what’s been happening. *lol* Find myself rather engrossed with the sewing that even playing Wordscraper has kind of taken a backseat as well!! I tell you, it’s true when people say that once you start sewing, you can’t stop!! For me, it’s the case of once I start the pattern on paper and get cutting, that’s it. I’ll be like in a mad rush to complete the piece. Just this insane need within to complete it just coz I am excited to the end project – madness I tell you! Sometimes, I find myself forgetting to eat too….*lol* Got a good scolding from Mum for that. So I make sure that I take my meals before starting any sewing.

What’s with Pacman this week? Lots more moving that’s for sure and sometimes, I get these sharp pains that feels as if she’s digging her heels into me BUT the feeling is on the OUTSIDE of my belly. How bizarre is that?? This is what BabyCentre says :

Your baby now weighs approximately 3.75 pounds/ 1.7 kilograms and is about 17 inches/ 42 centimetres long from head to toe. Although his lungs won’t be fully developed until just before birth, your little one is inhaling amniotic fluid to exercise his lungs and practise breathing.

Some babies have a head of hair already, others have only a few wisps. Thick hair at birth doesn’t necessarily mean thick hair later on but children with fine hair in childhood usually have thinner hair in adulthood. [Pacman, you BETTER have a head of hair when you come out - Mummy ain't suffering all this heartburn for nothing, ok???]

What about you, Mum? As for me, I’m beginning to feel really bloated. I didn’t feel like a beached whale this early with Arianna so it must be the fact this is #2 that I feel bigger, faster. I think Kara is the same as well. At least I know I am not alone!! Don’t know if I mentioned this the last update but have been having particular pain in the joint where the hips meet the thigh bone. I find it rather irritating especially in the mornings coz it makes me slow and feels so rusty! Also, walking long distance is also a slight problem too. My left foot tend to hurt when I take walks which makes me avoid it when in actual fact, I want to get as much exercise as I can.

I remember how I used to get up every night without fail coz I needed to pee, but not this time around. Although I still do get up, it’s not every night. I’m glad that even at this point, I am still able to get a good night’s sleep. *touch wood* I think it’s most likely because I don’t really take any naps during the day although some days, I can hardly keep my eyes open. Like today, I was really sleepy but if I did take a snooze, I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight but since I couldn’t keep my eyes open, I took a 45min nap which did me wonders.

The latest prep that I have done was to get my hospital bag packed. This was my last list :

Labour bag :

* Birth plan and some reference books including a consent form for emergency C-sect if necessary. – Not yet
* My ante-natal card – Dont think I have one so will check with Doc next week.
* Ted’s and my bathers if I need to get in the bath and he needs to massage me while I’m IN the bath – No need la, didn’t even use it the last time.
* My fluffy slippers – Not yet, need to get a new pair.
* My wheat pack for those long and painful backaches which I anticipate. – Jeez, I forgot about this one!!! This was my life saver last time and it will be again. Will have to buy my own Swiss ball as well since I can’t depend on the hospital as they only have ONE. Can you believe it??? And I really depend on this a lot for labour management.
* Socks – Not yet
* Rotten T-shirt to give birth in – No need coz hospital will give me the gown
* Ted’s change of clothes – Not yet
* Lip balm – Not yet but don’t think I will need it
* Towel – No need but will bring anyway
* Energy bars and snacks for those in between moments – I didn’t need it the last time but would bring it along just in case or if I get the munchies while I’m still in hospital
* Stress balls – Got one but Arianna has been ‘chewing’ on it! *lol*
* CDs for relaxation – Don’t think I need it, I found any form of sound really irritating and distracting.
* Toiletries – Too early

Hospital Bag
* Bunny rugs / wraps for Kecik – Not yet, need to wash first.
* Towel for bub and me – No need
* Pampers for bub – Will bring a few but I think no need as hospital will provide plus I intend to make FULL use of whatever they give me!
* Maternity Pads for me – Done and as mentioned, will use hospital ones first.
* Nursing pads – Done but don’t know if I’d be leaking that soon or not.
* My daily clothes – Done. Took mostly track dacks and PJs coz I hate wearing nighties. And a couples of loose T-shirts.
* Going home clothes for us – Done! It will be the same as the going home outfit we all wore the last time, if you can remember.
* Toiletries – Not yet coz I’m still using some of the stuff at home.
* My fluffy dressing gown – No need, didn’t use it at all the last time.
* Maternity bras – Not yet coz I am actually wearing some of them now. So comfy what!
* Panties – Not yet.

Other than that, I still haven’t washed Pacman’s things yet. Have been putting it off for sometime now but I really should get cracking. We will be going for my 33 weeks check up next week and might bring up my birth plan although I have already casually mentioned it the last time. I’m not too overly concern this time around because the thing that I am most concern about is the labour management and would want to go as drug-free as possible for as long as I can. I’m definitely sticking to my happy gas for now and as for the episiotomy, I don’t really care about it. I’d say ok if I need it but would like to avoid if possible.

Each checkup, doc always ask me if I had anything that I wanted to ask and I felt kind of bad that I had nothing to ask. As if I wasn’t worried or anything like that but in actual fact, I really had nothing to ask and nothing was concerning me until now. I actually have about 4 questions to ask him!

1. If I need an episiotomy, will it be done on the opposite side of the previous one?
2. Seeing that I was induced the last time, the labour was more agressive and fast, and lasted about 6 hrs before I was pushing – how will it be like now if it was a non-induced [sp?] labour.
3. Does the perineal massage really work and can I start it now?
4. When should I start taking my raspberry leaf pills?

See, so many questions! Well, this is a long enough post for now. Back to sewing!!!

Pix and info from Baby Centre

Don’t know if you noticed or not, but I’ve kind of got into the routine of posting about Pacman’s development towards the end of this pregnancy. I guess subconsciously I’ve always felt that I have neglected her in certain aspects. Hence, keeping a little journal of her growth makes me feel a little better about things. Also, I have this reminder in my email box that keeps me updated on how things are progessing so it’s hard not to want to post things about Pacman.

So, what’s been happening with Pacman? According to the site, she should be moving less since there is less space in there for her to move about but I think because she is on the smaller side [no complaints there!] or maybe the gestation calculation is wrong, she is still having a fun time in there. She kicks about during the day and night but not when I’m asleep. It’s either that, or I have no feelings of it as I’m pretty much dead to the world when I’m in ZZZZZZZZZzz-land. I guess she must have done something quite extreme that I ended up with a bruise under my belly and didn’t realise it until it was fading away! I actually got a shock to see it but it didn’t hurt when I touch it and like a blue-black mark, it faded off into yellow and the just disappeared.

What’s happening with me? Well, the heartburn has definitely gone up a notch and it’s not funny anymore. Like Arianna, I would get it throughout the day but at night it would subside. But not with Pacman. With her, the heartburn seems to come at night when I’m trying to fall asleep and you have this irritating burning sensation down your throat! :/ How to sleep la? So I have to switch on my ‘I’m gonna ignore you, you damn heartburn’ mode and try to get some shut eye. Most of the time it works but sometimes, I just end up tossing and turning. Another problem I realised that I’ve also been having is joint pains near the pelvic area. Mostly on my left leg – where the thigh bone joins up to the hip bone. It’s at its worst in the mornings that I normally walk with a limp. I’m thinking its coz most of the time I sleep on my left side hence, my whole weight is on that side. I can’t think of any other reason.

On a happier note, I got my machine yesterday!!! But haven’t figured out how to get started yet. Lol Still need some this and that to really get going…can’t wait!!