Natural ways of inducing birth

Visited Dr Tham yesterday....
Told him that i want my baby OUT naturally as soon as possible. So asked for natural ways to induce baby out.

He mentioned that walking is useless... Walking is useful to build up stamina during labour, but useless in inducing labour...

These are the 2 natural ways he mentioned:

1) Nipple Stimulation
But he doesnt recommend this as nipple stimulation results in contractions which may put the baby in distress. Unless the baby's condition is monitored via CTG, he does not recommend this to be done at home.

2) Having sex.
Sperm is suppose to help mature the cervix and thus start the labour process.
However, as the amount of sperm produced per session is small, he recommend sex 3 times a day for this to be effective.

To me.. option 1 is not recommended.
Option 2 is mission impossible.

Conclusion: Wait Wait and Wait......

Memories !!!

Its so near yet so far..
I’m so near to having Kaylee in my arms, but yet these few weeks is like the longest wait in my life !!!
Below are things that I will not want to forget:

First Trimester

• The exhilaration when we saw a positive on the pregnancy test kit (found out when I was 3 weeks)
• Freaked out during our Week 5 visit to obstetrician – suppose to hear baby’s heartbeat but we couldn’t. Luckily we finally heard heartbeat at week 6-7.
• The numerous downs when I had spotting and ups when things are ok after Doc’s review
• The horrible side effects of duphaston (medicine to strengthen the uterus) - Makes me faintish, gives me headache.. it was hell...
• Puking from week 6-12
• Lack of appetite – milo, crackers, bread were my staple food for many weeks
• Fatigue, lethargic, giddy, hungry all the time
• Prefer to be alone – Sulk Sulk Sulk
• Think I didn’t smile for more than 3 times a day during my 1st trime – Life was gloomy n dark
• Will always remember the lack of understanding from – my boss, my hubby. They always think that my nausea feeling was psychological
  
  Second Trimester
• Puking suddenly stopped from week 13
• Appetite and Energy levels crept back… feel damn high everyday and pestered Hubby to go shopping w me every weekend !! (mostly for maternity stuffs and baby stuffs)
• Acid Reflux – can’t seem to keep my food down – Milo seem to defy gravity and float upwards back into my throat – Very very eeky
• Dry and bitter taste in the mouth – had to keep chewing gum..
• Delighted to feel the first movement of Kaylee..
• Proud that my bulge managed to get me seats on the crowded MTR
  
  Third Trimester
  
• Didn’t have a good start – Had contractions and spotting and was hospitalized at Week 28
• Had the most painful injections at both sides of my buttock – to mature baby’s lungs
• PILLS – Had to be on medication from Week 28-35 and woke up in the middle of the night of swallow pills. The pills also made me giddy, gives me headache. Medicated oil is my savior !
• ACHES – ribcage, hips, pelvic, back, knees, legs
• PAIN – From Kaylee’s strong kicks and punches. The pain was more horrible if she face inwards and kick inwards. Feel like I was elbowed. The pain is enough to make me breathless for a few moments !!
• Contractions - My tummy will bunch up and go out of shape. Towards the end of 3rd trime, contractions will cause my pelvic bone to hurt. Feels like my pelvic is being split open
• Frequent urination – had to wake up at least 3-4 times at night
• Was ordered to rest at home and it was more rest rest and rest till the end of the pregnancy
• Think it was too much rest. My stamina went downhill – a flight of steps is enuff to make my knees go weak and get me panting

@ 36 Weeks

YIPPEE !!!
Just back from review..

Daddy is busy with Year End closing today, so got Grandma to go with me..
After the long weekend, the queue was horrible at the registration counter. I was like 7th or 8th in the queue.. It was the first time that there was such a long queue.. but luckily as always, Dr Tham is quite fast and so I didnt have to wait long..

Dr Tham gave me the all clear !!
I can stop all medications !! Been taking medications for 7 week s and finally !!
Tested for Strep B bacteria and result is negative.. so all looks good..

Baby is now 2.6kg, a little bit small but good enough..
So now, its really waiting time !!

A pity that we're unable to take 3D scans as baby is sucking her thumb.. despite the effort that Dr Tham tried to push her wrist away (by pressing and shaking my tummy), our stubborn girl refuse to budge even an inch !!

Head Circumference - 32.6cm

Abdominal circumference - 30.9cm
Thighbone - 6.6cm
Estimated weight - 2.6kg

Heartbeat - 141 bpm

Skeletal face..

Mummy n Daddy @ 35 weeks

@ 31 weeks

Just came back from review.
Hmmm... on another 2 weeks MC

Dr Tham mentioned that:
1) My baby is low
2) the cervix is abit short from the scan
3) the cervis is abit open and soft (from the finger examination)
And since i'm still experiencing contractions even with medication, he thinks that I should be rested at home, minimise any walking, have someone with me all the time in case i go into labour, and call for an ambulance if i'm in labour as my baby will be premature.

All these sounded pretty scary and serious....

What's more.. Dr Tham will be on leave from tomorrow onwards and returning only on Dec 13. I pray pray pray very hard that i will not go into labour when he's not around....

So it looks like rest rest and more REST is what i need to keep baby within me...

Head Circumference - 29.5cm

Abdominal Circumference - 27.3cm

Thigh bone length - 6.2cm
Estimated weight is therefore 1.95kg

Heartbeat - 150bpm

3D pictures of baby:

This one look like she's crying...

This is a nicer picture of her

Oh my... she has daddy's nose

and mummy's mouth

I pray she has daddy's eyes :)

Mummy @ 31 weeks

Some pictures of me at 31 weeks

My tummy's not considered huge...

but i wonder howcome i have such difficulty walking normally

Little Tigger... Bday pressie from QF

Can't help taking this picture

Daddy tends to talk thru my belly button treat it like a microphone

I "heart" my baby :)

Still MC at home....

Still on MC... its really hard to "Nua" my day away... feel so bored !!!!

I hate some of the changes to my body recently.
1) I have short spans of breathlessness.. esp when i just lie down
2) I can't walk too fast / too far
3) I can't bend down from my waist.. gotta bend my knees
4) When i'm on my knees, i have difficulty standing up
5) I have difficulty turning in bed

But one change i enjoyed is..... I could feel alot more baby kicks :)

This morning at 730am, i woke up to take medicine. After getting back into bed, baby starting her "morning exercise".. hahhaha.. was twisting, turning, kicking, punching.... i could see like she was doing somersault inside my tummy.... my tummy was stretched and dancing in all directions... What an active rascal !!!!

Quickly took hubby's hand and hubby felt the movements...

Its such an amazing feeling :)

Not feeling good....

I'm not feeling good..

Can't sleep well cos i have to wake up almost every 2 hours to take various kinds of medicine.... 12am, 2am, 4am, 6am, 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 6pm, 8pm... That's the number of times i have to take medicine in a day....

And i don't know why my legs are super wobbly.... felt like i just ran a 10km marathon (though hubby keep asking how i know since i've neva ran a marathon before).....
The medicines are also giving me a headache... and this reminds me of the headache i had when i was in first trimester....

Geez... 2nd trime is really the honeymoon period... once i reach 29 weeks, horror starts again :(

I just hope that the review with Dr Tham on Wednesday will give me the all clear... I don't wanna be admitted again, and i am looking forward to attend Pynk's wedding on 28th Nov...

Phew.. finally out from hospital...

Here's how the story goes:

Wed morning.. Woke up at 9am, and went toilet. Realise i had thick mucus with streaks of blood... recalled that it might be my mucus plug degenerating, but normally it only happens near to delievery. Was quite worried.. took breakfast, surfed the net for more info... And finally decided to call TMC hospital for advise. Well, they advised me to go to the hospital immediately.

Reached hospital around 12pm... was whisked into the labour room for tests... Coincidentally, my obstetrician was at the hospital. Therefore, he came round for a visit.. saw that i had blood, and was experiencing contractions... before i knew it, i was hooked on a drip, piled on with medications, had injection to mature the baby's lungs in case baby decide to pay an early visit...

Hubby was damn shock to see me after he found parking. I was on the hospital bed in hospital gown, strapped on a drip, and to all the monitoring equipment... and we thought that this was a normal review to make sure everything's fine...

At around 6pm, my contraction stabalised and i was sent to the normal ward for observation. Things were ok for the whole night...

The next morning (Thur), i had contractions again.. so that had to hook me up to the drip... the drip made me feel reallie horrible.. my heart was pounding and pounding so hard.. i felt breatheless and was gasping for air... my head was spinning... and my hands were trembling... The drip was around 4 hours.. imagine i had to suffer 4 hours... grrrrrrr.....

After the drip, i was put on medication again.. they need to make sure that the medications can control my contractions before they discharge me... after several more rounds of checking and checking, i was given the all clear to go home today (Fri)...

Had to rest at home for 2 weeks.... doc says he piled me with all available medications to stop contractions... I have to continue with the medication till i'm 34-35 weeks. Thereafter, if baby wants to come out, she is then more ready.. Now, what i can do is to rest more, eat well, and make sure baby stays inside me for just another 6 weeks at least...

Well 34-35 weeks is just 6 weeks time.. i can't imagine that i'm really going to see my precious soon....

@ 29 weeks.....

Went for our review today....

Baby's head is still high...

Baby is doing fine but mummy is not too good.

Been experiencing bouts of breathlessness....

And when i stand up after sitting down for long periods, i tend to lose some of my strength in my right leg and walk with a limp initially... need at least 30-40 steps to get the strength back...

Also, mummy's putting on weight "too" nicely as mentioned by doctor...

put on 9kg already... from 56kg to 65kg now... geeez.....
No wonder my legs felt like it'll give way anytime nowadays.....
And i have to sit when i change into / out of my bottoms....

Its not easy.... i have to endure... and i can't wait for January to come so that other ppl can help carry my "weight".....

Here are some pictures :)

Head Circumference - 259mm

Abdominal Circumference - 234mm

Thighbone - 53mm

Estimate weight - 1.3kg

Front profile (head squeezed beside my placenta)

Side profile (not too clear)

My first 3d picture

(i think resemble mummy w pouty lips)