NO STRESS!

Little Zachary is moving a lot and his heartbeat is strong!  We are so glad the reason he isn’t growing has NOTHING to do with him not thriving.  However, the problem could mean the placenta isn’t giving him enough nutrients so we still need to get him out of there so I can give him the nutrients he needs directly!

Because he is little (about 5 lbs 9 oz) and hasn’t grown in the past couple weeks, we really need to make sure he gains weight in the beginning.  We picked up some formula (imported from the states) and have decided to use it because he may need more than I can give him right now.  I read an article from La Leche which said something like “mothers just need to give it time because 300 years ago women didn’t need formula” however I want my baby to thrive and I am thankful there is something that can help.  I still plan on mostly nursing but I am happy to do whatever my baby needs! 

Here is the plan:
Friday night we will go to the hospital (around 10:00 pm) where the nurses and midwife will “do things” to me to get the ball rolling (I chose not to ask what things will be done).  Saturday morning when the doctor comes if nothing has happened or I haven’t progressed enough he will break my water.  If that doesn’t work they will use medication.  If that still doesn’t work I will need a c-section. 

This may not seem totally ideal…having every medical intervention necessary…but Adam and I are at peace with the decision and it is ideal for us and most importantly for Zachary.  In fact since Mondays appointment I have actually been able to sleep for a decent amount of time each night. 
I can’t wait to hold my little guy

I used to be excited about these days now I am anxious...

Today I met with the doctor for my regular weekly appointment.  I am sure it’s no secret that I wished that this appointment wouldn’t happen but here we are.  I have had a few emotional break downs in the past few days because I really honestly don’t think my body can handle another week of being pregnant.  I basically haven’t slept in a month, I have had all the signs of labor for 2 weeks (including real contractions that are regular and then stop after a few hours), and my body is in so much pain that for the past 4 days I can barely walk.  Then I get upset with myself for being so selfish when the best thing for my child right now is to continue growing in my belly.  Last night was a good night because I got two 2 hour stretches of sleep (minus my hourly bathroom breaks) but the night before I only got 1 hour of sleep the entire night before being woken up by a fire alarm.  I try to take naps but they usually don’t work out…I think at this point I am too tired to sleep.  All weekend I have had anxiety about going to the doctor, if he says still not ready…will I have a total breakdown in the office?  Do women do that or will I be the first?  Before Adam left this morning he knew I was upset and that I was going to have a rough day waiting for my 3:00 appointment.  He offered to stay and go to the doctor with me but I knew that would make me more anxious not to mention add to the guilt.  Adam asked if I thought I would be a candidate for PPD because of how I am feeling now, but honestly if anything I may be a candidate of pregnancy depression (if it exists).

When the doctor walked in the first thing he said was “so you haven’t been sleeping…”.  The past 2 appointments I almost fell asleep in the office and I knew this time I looked bad because my mom was ready to change her ticket and get on a plane ASAP.  Then when he felt my belly he said “well it looks like he wants to stay in there forever” (in a joking way…which is good because it relaxes me a lot).  I wasn’t dilated at all and the baby’s head isn’t engaged, he drops each day as I walk but as soon as I lay down for bed the baby comes right back up to my ribs.  So basically between Zachary and I this birth was never going to happen.

I love that I get an ultrasound/sonogram each appointment however the past few because the baby is lower and bigger there isn’t much to see (at least for me…no more cute pictures of the face).  It turns out that not only is it great for me but the information is actually useful (go figure).  Each week everything was measured and put on a graph using technology.  The graph shows the middle of average and the range in each direction and plots the baby’s growth each appointment.  Well Zachary has been leveling off and since my last appointment has only gained a couple ounces.  I don’t remember exactly, I was kind of focused on the fact that he wasn’t growing and the fact that the doctor took 3 times the time he usually takes triple checking each measurement from different angles.  There are a few reasons that this could happen, but my boy has a strong heartbeat and has been moving (trust me…this is part of the reason I don’t sleep).  So I need to get a fetal non-stress test on Wednesday which will tell us what’s up.  He also suggested that we induce on Saturday.  He said if the baby isn’t growing there is no reason to keep him in there.  We totally agree with that decision and I felt a total sense of relief when I was given an end date.  I didn’t realize how anxious I was until I basically floated home from the appointment and slept 4 hours for the second night in a row.  I figured if the doctor was really concerned I would be at the hospital right now and since I haven’t felt anything out of the ordinary and since I don’t have any bad feelings I decided not to be concerned either.  I will give an update after the test on Wednesday but until then I am going to enjoy my extra lightness and the energy that sleep gives you!   

Someday I am going to laugh at all this...

Yesterday I had a total emotional breakdown…partly due to sleep deprivation, partly due to hormones and partly due to the fact that it was a long time coming.

The main reason I am writing this is so a) I don’t forget, b) I love a good story and this pregnancy will be a great story to tell at say Zachary’s high school graduation party…hey it’s my right as a mother to embarrass, c) as therapy.  I also chose to write this before going to my doctor because I don’t know how I will react if he says we are not ready for labor. 

It seems that I have (or have had) every annoying symptom that goes along with pregnancy…not the serious conditions that could cause harm to the baby or myself (other than the blood in the uterus and the RH- thing, but those things have been taken care of).  I am totally thankful for a healthy pregnancy, but there are days when I feel like something’s gotta give.  Here is my list:

1)     “morning sickness” HAHA…really all day and night, and lasted for 5 months!

2)     Total fatigue…I never really had the 2^nd trimester burst of energy (some days I did but usually the next day I would be on the couch sleeping all day)

3)     Bad taste in the mouth…seriously it sometimes tastes like I haven’t brushed my teeth in years (and anyone who knows me knows this is not the case).  Apparently the only cure is giving birth…but it can be treated by gargling baking soda and water before and after you eat.

4)     Food Adversion…to anything but green apples and French fries for the first 4 months.

5)     Bloody nose…this one is strange but apparenty due to hormone levels…most of the time I wake up with it but sometimes randomly throughout the day it will happen (once while I was in immigration).

6)     Back pain…from the day I got pregnant my back has not been the same…and it only gets worse (at this point it feels like someone is trying to separate my vertebrae and it sends a shooting pain down my left leg)

7)     Hip pain…mostly when I sleep but I think there is a pinched nerve or something that stops me in my tracks.

8)     Acid reflux…I am very thankful that when I could eat I could eat what I wanted (just about…some things still made me gag), however I do have a lot of reflux!

9)     Blurred Vision…I would say for the past 4 months I haven’t been able to see a sign clearly from a reasonable distance (good thing I am not driving)

10)  Memory loss…it was bad before I got pregnant but now Adam is concerned about leaving me with the baby once he comes.

11)  Vivid dreams…as if it isn’t enough to have a hard time falling asleep, once I fall asleep I have these horrible dreams that wake me up and make me afraid to go back to sleep.

12)  Congestion…I have had a stuffy nose since I became pregnant but since starting the 3^rd trimester I snore like a bear!  I wake up both Adam and myself.

13)  Insomnia…at some point at the end of the second trimester I went from sleeping all the time to not sleeping at all.

14)  Constipation and diarrhea…usually one or the other

15)  Clumsiness…again I was clumsy before and now…

16)  Signs of labor for exactly 13 days…Braxton Hicks, Nausea, Loss of Appetite, Diarrhea/Constipation (again), hot flashes, flu like feeling, more back pain, and increase in trips to the bathroom.

17)  AND NOW LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…Hemorrhoids.

38 Weeks

These weeks are going by sooooooooooo slowly.  I am not at home so I can’t play with the baby things or fold and refold Zachary’s clothing, the preparation is done and normally I would redo it but all the stuff is 3 hours away.  I have been walking malls and eating lots of wonderful food…but I miss home. I remember when it was crunch time and the weeks were going so quickly at this point I can’t believe I am still pregnant…I have been pregnant forever! 

My evenings consist of Braxton Hicks, vivid labor dreams, bathroom breaks, snack breaks, nausea, hot flashes and thinking that if I fall asleep I might miss labor (crazy I know but I am sleep deprived).  My days alternate between being full of energy or barely being able to wake up in the morning.  I try to take a nap but usually can’t because I can’t get comfortable.  I know I have said this before…but don’t tell me “Oh it will get you used to being up with the baby”.  I would much rather sleep than practice not sleeping.

I am way more emotional (apparently a sign you are at the end)…anything from a card that says “it’s a boy”, to seeing a little boy with his mother, or looking at the bassinette…and even now thinking about these things makes me cry.  The poor ladies that work at the card store, the poor mother with her little boy, what must they think of this crazy lady crying over nothing!

I have been reading up on labor and delivery, breastfeeding and listening to the Pregtastic podcasts…it’s wonderful!  I have also been reading up on the first 3 months of life, what to expect, what is not normal etc…However I think I need to switch to some reading for pleasure again because my brain is so jam packed with facts and figures that I could pass a written exam with flying colors meanwhile I usually learn by doing.

All that being said…I am happy the baby is doing well and continuing to grow, he can stay in there as long as he needs to (within reason). 

*******Cool Week 38 Fact: Again nothing new developing, Zachary is just continuing to get bigger…and I guess he is enjoying hanging out with his mama.

Decisions Decisions

There are so many decisions a woman has to make before she gives birth.  Will she go back to work (if so she needs to figure out child care)?  Will she have a “natural” birth?  Will she breast feed or bottle feed expressed milk or bottle feed using formula or a mix?  Will the baby co sleep?  Will the baby be put on a strict schedule or will the baby decide when it eats/sleeps etc…?  And the list goes on…

Adam and I have made the decisions that are best for us and what we feel will be the best thing for the baby…the biggest decision being if something we decided beforehand doesn’t work, alter as necessary and not stress about it.  I am usually a confident person who stands by what she believes and doesn’t let what other people say get in the way of what I feel is right, however mothering issues are tough…there are pros and cons to each decision and people are passionate about their decisions to the point where I wonder if they will think I am a bad mother because I decided something differently.  There were days where I felt totally ashamed to answer questions about what we have decided because, they usually start  a long discussion and include horror stories or even worse stories of absolute perfection that makes me feel like I can’t possibly live up to that.  The rises in hormone levels don’t help!

I don’t really have a choice about working or not…at least in Huizhou.  Once we move back I would still like to stay at home and raise our children, Adam is confident that we can handle it financially, however it scares me a little considering we will be jumping from 2 incomes in 2009 to an extra person, and only one income in late 2011.  The unknown and inability to budget from the other side of the planet is what scares me most, but deep down I know God will watch out for us and everything will turn out all right.

When people ask if I plan on having a natural childbirth I say “yes…with the help of an epidural”.  In my opinion any way the baby needs to enter this world is natural for that baby.  I hope to not need to be induced and I hope I don’t need to have a c-section.  I have been hearing/reading stories of mothers who were in labor and needed an emergency c-section or never did go into labor and had to be induced.  A lot of these women were devastated and felt like failures at the time (later, once they held their babies everything was different) but how awful to feel like a failure so early on in motherhood when all women who sacrifice their body and care for their unborn baby are total rock stars!  I have decided to go into my delivery being happy with whatever way Zachary needs to come out.

I do plan on breastfeeding for a long list of reasons, 1) it’s more healthy for the baby, 2) it’s economical and convenient etc…  Our situation in China is very different because the formula here isn’t the quality of that in other countries, so that along with the first 2 reasons I listed made our decision for us.  HOWEVER I know a few mothers who had difficulty getting enough milk for their baby, they tried everything from changing eating habits to pumping to herbs and teas.  I also know people whose milk came in but their babies weren’t growing and needed something more.  I am having my mother bring formula from the states just in case something doesn’t work out perfectly.  I plan on feeding from the breast most of the time but Adam would like to participate and that requires a bottle every once and a while, plus public feeding can be tricky in China. 

The whole idea of c-sleeping scares me…first of all I am not the calmest sleeper and I can see this going one of two ways.  1) I am so scared that I might hurt the baby that I never get any sleep or 2) I roll over or kick and hurt or crush the baby.  Plus I don’t want to create habits of sleeping in mommy and daddy’s bed early on.

I have also decided to do a modified on demand schedule for the baby.  Feed when he is hungry and let him sleep when he is tired…however if (in the beginning especially) he isn’t feeding the recommended amount of time and isn’t growing properly then I won’t hesitate to feed more.  I do feel like schedules are wonderful for children of all ages, so we will have a night time routine to establish night time sleep from daytime sleep.  We will try not to do anything too stimulating during the night and I hope we will be able to have daily routines that include going for a walk or going to the store…I hope to go somewhere each day. 

Again these plans may all be shot out the window the day Zachary comes into the world and has different needs, but Adam and I will be ok with whatever changes need to be made.

My little guy likes his home in my belly

I’m glad that Zachary is enjoying and thriving in his temporary home, however I am SOOOOOOO ready for this pregnancy to be over and for my little boy to be in my arms!

I was the biggest preggo in the doctors office today…I remember being the smallest and looking at the big ladies and wishing I was this close to holding my baby in my arms, not to mention being cute with a swollen belly.  Today I was the lady who got no sleep last night (I was up with nausea, back pain, Braxton Hicks and because I woke up from a dream where I was in labor and didn’t know it so I had to wait until I was certain it was just a dream, plus the usual snack and bathroom breaks), whose back was killing her, who couldn’t get up from the sofa when her name was called looking at the ladies who were 20-30 weeks along and remembering how good I felt.   

According to the doctor Zachary is healthy, he is still small (5 lb’s 8 oz)…I miscalculated the kilo to lb last week…this week I made sure he told me in both.  I was a little nervous going in today because for the past couple days I have been retaining a lot of water, I have had headaches and blurry vision…at first I assumed that it was from lack of sleep but after talking to a few people they made me nervous so I did what any concerned pregnant woman should do…I called the doctor…JUST KIDDING…I looked it up on the internet and decided that all signs pointed to preeclampsia.  Thankfully everything was normal at my appointment but I have decided not to check online anymore (we’ll see how that goes when I wake up at 4:00 am with some other strange symptom).  The doctor isn’t concerned at Zachary’s size because he is growing consistently and his movements continue to be strong. 

I was hoping to leave today with the doctor saying “any day now” instead he is pretty confident he will see me again at my next appointment next Monday. 

“That Stupid Woman”

Let me begin by saying I am huge on customer service…if your company provides great service I will tell everyone I know and likewise if I get bad service everyone will also hear about that!  Well…the woman I spoke to on Sunday will forever be known as “That Stupid Woman” at least until someone else deserves the title more (the last person to hold that title worked at Time Warner).  ***Note to anyone working the call center at an insurance company: If a pregnant woman calls with questions about her coverage…don’t be stupid…don’t give her a hard time…and don’t yell at her! 
Something else we have to do to prepare for childbirth is get a letter from our insurance company saying that they will pay for labor and delivery etc…  If we don’t get the letter then we need to pay the entire balance ourselves before we leave the hospital.  I made sure we have enough money to take care of the bill just in case but it scares me to think that we may be out that much money until we get reimbursed (a couple months?).  The letter takes a couple days to process so I called the morning after I was up half the night with Braxton Hicks Contractions.  I asked the woman if she could go ahead and process the letter, she said it had to be done online…fine…so I asked the details of the letter.  She said that the letter would be good for one day and if I didn’t have the baby on that day the letter would be voided…WAIT WHAT?!?  I told her that I wasn’t having a scheduled c-section or induction and I didn’t know what date the baby would be born.  She said just to use the due date and since my due date is still 3 weeks away my letter wouldn’t be considered priority and could take longer.  I lied a little and said that my doctor thought I would go into labor in the next week.  She asked what day I would be going into labor…I answered with whatever day the baby decides to come.  I decided to let it go before it upset me more and I asked what happened when I went into labor on a day that was different than the date on the letter.  She said we could call and have an amendment done…”let me get this straight, while I am in labor I have to call the insurance company and expect them to send another letter (which takes a few days)”.  She raised her voice and said “MAM THIS IS STANDARD PROCEDURE FOR SCHEDULED MEDICAL PROCEDURES”…I reminded her that my baby’s birth date wasn’t scheduled and that I am sorry if my questions were out of line but I have never done this before.  I felt the tears and my stress level rising, so I thanked her and hung up.

Of the website wasn’t working so I made Adam call back (I am usually the phone person because I usually have a million more questions than Adam).  He talked to a nice woman who said she could process the letter on the phone.  Adam asked again about the date on the letter and this woman said “oh don’t worry about that it’s good for 30 days from the day I send it out…and I just sent it now so if it gets close to 30 days just call and get another one.” 

Honestly these days I have been more emotional and anything can set me off…but this woman was ridiculous.  I know I have never given birth before but isn’t it common knowledge that the baby doesn’t always come on the due date…by the way I looked up the statistics and 2% of babies are born on the due date. 
So it’s a great thing that the website didn’t work or “that stupid woman” would have given me something else to stress over before I go into labor and give me one more thing to think about as I try to get to the hospital while my husband could quite possibly be in a different country.

37 Weeks

how cool is it that I have this picture of me pregnant standing near the HK harbor!

I am so happy to finally be considered full term!  I am so ready for the baby to come…at my last appointment Zachary was the same weight I was when I was born 2 weeks early, so I know a baby can survive and be healthy at this time.  I have another appointment tuesday and I am hoping the doctor says he is coming soon.  I had a few of the labor symptoms I have read about…however I am extremely frustrated at the fact that symptoms could mean 2 weeks, or 2 hours and you may or may not experience the symptoms etc.  I need a checklist!!!!!  Last week I started feeling flu like symptoms (but not the flu), my back is getting worse and worse, I am feeling a lot of pressure on my pelvic bone, and I have had a lot of tightening in the lower abdomen and I have had some contractions (Braxton hix) usually in the middle of the night.  I don’t know if this stuff means anything because if you search the internet long enough…anything could mean labor.  A few weeks ago I mentioned that my lips looked like I had collagen injected…well I actually read “I can always tell that someone is ready when they look like they have had collagen injections in their lips”…this comment was from a nurse in an OB office.  I just have to be patient and know that the baby will come on his birthday…

I had a great week in Hong Kong.  The time spent with friends and wondering around has been priceless…not to mention hanging out with Adam during our “anniversary weekend”.  If Zachary is still in the belly next weekend maybe we will celebrate again!

*****Cool Week 37 Fact: Isn’t being full term cool enough…wasn’t it just yesterday I saw 2 lines on the pee stick?

My First Week in HK!!!!

Tuesday – I met a friend from Huizhou and one that used to live in Huizhou but recently moved to Hong Kong…they each had doctor’s appointments so I met Judi for lunch then Yoko for lunch (I love that I had no choice but to eat two meals…I didn’t want to be rude).  We walked 2 malls and stopped at Starbucks for a rest.  After a while we realized it was dinner time so we went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner…I know I said no Chinese food but this was American style Chinese food.  Turns out that the pains/upset stomach that I thought were the first signs of labor were actually from the hot and sour soup we had at dinner…the last time I had hot and sour soup was at a restaurant in China town in Chicago where both Adam and I had food poisoning.  From now on…for the rest of my life…I will only have hot and sour soup from PF Changs (anyone want to join me when we return?).

Wednesday – I met Judi again for lunch…American style hamburgers.  On the way home the day before I walked rather than take the MTR, so today I wanted to take the MTR to see which was faster.  When I got out of the station I walked the wrong direction and ended up at the station where I started…so I took a Taxi (haha…pregnancy brain mixed with Lindsay’s bad sense of direction).  We walked another mall, got our hair and toes done and stopped at Starbucks.  I came back early because I was tired from the day before.

Thursday – Today was Lindsay Day!  I went out on my own to take it easy but also get out of the apartment…plus I felt like I needed to give my babysitters a break from me.  I didn’t go out until 1:00 because I was tired this morning and I even opted to take a taxi because I knew that the weekend would be rough on my feet.  I sat at a café overlooking a skating rink and ate my soup.  I loved it…there was a little boy and a little girl (4 years maybe) getting skating lessons.  Everytime the teacher went to get a prop the little girl would push the little boy down then try to help him up before the teacher got back…meanwhile the little boy realized he needed to stop this somehow and decided to not let the girl help him but cry when the teacher was in earshot.  I started wondering would my boy be the one trying to get the other kid into trouble or will he be (like his mother) the one pushing him down then trying to cover it up?  I walked the mall (there are a ton of malls in HK)…bought some cute shoes (6-9 months old) and a sun hat for Zachary.  I saw a movie (No Strings Attached…it was OK), and had tex-mex for dinner.  I even stopped at the grocery store before I came home. 

My Life as a Single Gal In The Big City

Adam’s co-workers joked with me about giving Adam freedom Monday – Thursday and how he would get to be a bachelor during those times…so I decided if Adam gets to be a single guy then that makes me a single gal.  Adam gets to work and sleep at the dorms near the office with his phone close to him…meanwhile I am living in a loft apartment in Hong Kong with nothing to do but get into trouble…just kidding…I don’t have the energy for trouble.  I do however have the energy to hang out with my friends in Hong Kong, eat amazing food, do some shopping (I do need a nursing bra), see a movie (I bet the seats would be great for my back…not to mention the popcorn), and get pampered (I am going to make a second attempt to get a pregnancy massage). 
All in All I think I get the better end of the deal on this one…sorry Adam!

A Day of Doctors

Today Adam got to join me for my doctor’s appointment and I also got to sleep until 8:30 for my 9:30 appointment (as opposed to waking up at 6:45 for my 12:00 appointments).  I am a little dilated and have been feeling some tightening but nothing major and according to the doctor the baby isn’t coming anytime soon (meaning the next week…I hope).  Meanwhile I am so ready for baby.  Not only am I ready to finally see his little face and kiss his little toes, but I am so ready to not have back pain.  My back has prevented me from sleeping for the past month.  If I sleep I sleep a couple hours at a time and I have yet to find a comfortable position to sleep in, sit in or stand.  I understand I won’t be getting a full night of sleep once the baby comes but at least the couple hours I get at a time will be good comfortable sleep instead of half asleep and in total pain.  I really hoped Dr. Doo would give me some hope that the baby is coming soon.  In my head I know it’s better for the baby to stay in there as long as he needs…but I am so sleep deprived that all I can think about is how much my back hurts and how sleepy I am and how the last thing I want to do each day is go to bed because I know it’s not going to work out well.

We also went to meet Dr. Chan, Zachary’s doctor.  He was pretty cool and kept our appointment short so we wouldn’t have to pay.  He told us he didn’t want us to worry about anything right now except reading up on the first few weeks of breastfeeding…he said it’s hard and frustrating and it may not work right away, but the hospital we are going to has wonderful resources to help new mothers feed, and the standard is for me to stay for 3 nights giving me a huge breast feeding advantage.  He also wanted us to figure out what immunizations we want to give right away (he suggested Hep A…which is standard in the states right now, and getting a vitamin K shot, he also said that they sometimes give a vaccine against TB which is not given right away in the states but it isn’t necessary right away).  We asked him if there was anything extra we needed to do living in China…he said no.  He basically said relax right now and Dr. Doo would call him to the hospital if he felt our specific pediatrician needed to be there and Dr. Doo would let him know when Zachary was born so we could set up his first appointment.  On one hand it would be nice to get more information, but honestly I have been getting overwhelmed at the information I read about labor and breastfeeding and it is probably better to be put at ease and know there isn’t anything else we need to worry about at this point.  I also really enjoyed the waiting room.  Dr. Doo’s waiting room is so quiet…Hong Kong ex-pat women aren’t as friendly as Huizhou women…I feel like it would be so easy to start conversations with women you see monthly or weekly and are also preggo, but that doesn’t happen.  I did notice at Dr. Chan’s office mothers and nannies were talking with each other talking about their kids and the kids were playing, baby’s were sleeping, feeding and bouncing.  It was great!

After our appointments Adam and I went to lunch (Thai) and we went our separate ways.  Adam headed back to China to go to work, and I went to the hospital to get my second shot of enzymes (for my RH- blood).  It was pretty funny getting a cab and telling him to take me to the hospital…I made sure to tell him it wasn’t an emergency, that I just needed a shot.  Then I went to Ikea to pick up a towel because the “towels” they provide in our apartment were hand towels.  At that point I was exhausted so I headed back to my little bachelorette pad.

Hospital/Resort

Adam came in early on Friday so we could tour the hospital…it was AMAZING!  Honestly the maternity ward is small (it’s a private hospital so we had to book it before 13 weeks) and very quiet.  As soon as we stepped of the elevator I had this wave of emotions/hormones (which has happened a lot over the past week or so).  Seeing the babies in the nursery was overwhelming (in a good…I can’t wait…I am having a baby! Kind of way).  I used to see babies and think how small they were now I look at them thinking how the heck is that whole person in my belly (then I see myself from the side and think…ok hopefully that’s what is in the belly).  They encourage rooming in but allow you to send the baby to the nursery if you want or just need some rest. 

We weren’t able to see the “delivery spa” because both rooms were in use…only 2 you say well the lady told us that out of 12000 women that gave birth last year in this hospital only 7 were turned away due to overcrowding.  The delivery spa (I still think it’s funny that they call it that) has a garden tub for mom to use and a massage chair for dad.  The pictures they showed us made it look like a rainforest with nice lighting and a mural of plants. 

For a normal delivery my package includes 3 nights at the hospital, all my meals, classes on how to bathe and do common first aid (temp taking etc…), a lactation consultant and a midwife who is assigned to me the second I check in (she is in charge of taking care of me and making sure I get the things I request in the birth plan), clothes for the baby and I while we are there, toiletries and a hairdryer, TV and DVD player, and the babies first well check up! 

Adam was a little worried that I am going to be spoiled by this experience for the next time around…I feel like this is my little right/gift after having to travel back and forth (I enjoyed it but it’s not easy) and after having to live in a small flat 3 hours from home (I love Hong Kong but it’s much nicer to be in my own home with my own stuff).  However since this is the first experience I have…all other hospitals will be measured against Matilda. 

“It’s getting you used to being up with the baby”

Honestly if one more person says that to me I may just get hormonal on them!  I am sleeping like an infant myself right now…only a couple hours at a time and when I wake up I need a snack and a trip to the bathroom.  I also keep my poor husband up (I don’t feel so bad for myself because I could nap all day if I needed to).  I snore (I made a comment that I wake myself up every time I snore and Adam said “not every time”…it’s freakin loud!  I also have been really uncomfortable lately (there is no comfortable position to sit, stand or lay).  People keep telling me it’s good practice but honestly once the baby is here I will be happy to sit up at 1:30 in the morning and 4:30 in the morning etc…to take care of him.  I am however not happy to be up giving me more time to search pregnancy and labor horror stories on the internet. 

What is worse is the apartment in HK is a super small loft (picture a very small dorm room or a small 1 room camper) so when Adam is here there is no going to lay on the couch to fall asleep watching tv or turning on the light to read a little bit. 

The baby has dropped and there have been no other signs of labor but I am hoping that he comes soon (and is ready of course) so that I can enjoy the couple hours of sleep I get rather than sorting out pillows, blankets, etc…trying to get semi comfortable just in time to need to use the rest room and start all over again.

36 Weeks

At this point the baby can come…I will allow it even though he won’t be full term until next week he could still be born healthy and without having to make use of the emergency plan.  Like I said before this will be Zachary’s first chance to show to show mommy how cooperative he is, It would be great if he came between Thursday night and Monday morning (just kidding he can come whenever he is ready!). 

Adam and I have officially moved to Hong Kong, well Adam will be traveling back and forth but I will stay here nice and close to my doctors office, the hospital and amazing restaurants, food stores and movie theaters that show movies in English!  I think everything is ready back home…if not…oh well.  I have organized for the cleaner to come and deep clean everything while I am gone. 

This will be an exciting week because Adam will join me at my appointment tomorrow then we meet with the pediatrician and then we tour the hospital!  I also have a long list of things I want to do as a single gal running (or waddling) around Hong Kong.  I want to see movies (I don’t care which but what I really want is the salted buttery popcorn), I want to get a pregnancy massage.  I want to get a pedicure (can’t cut my own toe nails anymore…plus I was thinking it would be cute to have my toenails painted blue in honor of my little boy.  I will be eating at my Thai place, at Outback, Ruby Tuesdays, a few Mexican places and wherever else my little belly desires.  I have some shopping to do (batteries, diapers, wipes, formula…just in case).  I want to hang out with my friends who live in HK.  I also want to wander around…HK isn’t very stroller friendly.

*****Cool Week 36 Fact: At this point the baby should be gaining about an ounce a day! 

Battery People

Adam and I have done a 360 in our lives.  We have concluded that once you reach a certain age you no longer have any need for batteries.  I can’t even think of anything that we had that we needed to keep a supply of batteries for.  Our cameras came with batteries that could be plugged into the wall, our ipods just need to be plugged into the ihome or our computers, cell phones – plugged into the wall.  Our smoke detectors needed batteries but only once they started beeping.  TV remotes need batteries…however I can’t ever remember changing ours…they seem to last forever!
Moving to China we had a few more things that required batteries…the remotes for the AC’s.  Since the batteries here don’t last as long…made in China for the US means something totally different than made in China for China, even to companies like Energizer…we kept a few batteries hanging around. 
Now our lives have changed forever…well at least for the next 13 years or so.  We are now people who need batteries.  We don’t even have a ton of toys for our baby, but it seems like most of the things we will use every day will need batteries.  Our bouncy seat plays music-batteries, the mobile lights up and plays music-batteries (although I may not use it because stimulation in the crib isn’t something I want to happen…the crib is for sleep), the monitor receiver-batteries.  The list seems to go on.  Unfortunately the batteries we have (that have been sitting in their box for almost a year waiting to replace dead batteries in the AC remote) no longer work…like I said made in China for China.  I plan on picking up a bunch of batteries while in HK (much better quality)…but I can’t help but think that our need for batteries will only get worse as Zachary gets older.  Have our lives really taken that turn from being young and hoping on Christmas or on Birthdays that our parents had the correct batteries so we could play with our new toys, to being the people responsible for providing those batteries?

35 Weeks

my belly looks fake in this one

This is my last week in Huizhou without a baby to tote around (unless you count the fact that I am carrying him in my belly)…either way he is pretty low maintenance now.  I am basically finished with my lists but I can’t help but wonder what else I need to do.  There has to be something right…I mean next time I come back to this apartment I will have my little boy with me.  I am hoping he comes a little early (for my sake…I can imagine going crazy sitting and waiting) but I hope he waits at least 1 more week until I move to HK!

I have started to feel self conscious about how I look…vein I know but I am a girl and I can’t help it.  A few weeks ago I was feeling pretty good about myself thinking I looked pretty hot with my normal body and my large belly, now I have totally puffed out.  My face is fat my lips look like I have had collagen injections.  My legs and arms are bigger, and I am gaining a lot of weight between appointments.  I am still only up 17 lb’s from my pre pregnancy weight but in the past 2-2.5 months I have gained 27 lb’s (if you count gaining back the 10 lb’s I lost in the beginning), and 13 of those ponds have piled on in the last month.  I check online for weekly updates and what is going on with pregnant women who are as far along as me.  Today I looked up weight gain at 35 weeks and I quickly became annoyed at women who were bragging about their low carb diet or their strict exercise schedule and how they have only gained a few pounds.  It made me quickly stop worrying about how I looked knowing that people are so vein that they may not be putting their growing baby first.  I figure I can recover from puffiness but my little man can’t recover from having a mommy who worries more about how much she weighs than how healthy he is. 

I have had trouble sleeping lately…actually I have been “sleeping” like an infant.  I sleep a couple hours at a time and wake up to use the bathroom or to eat something but usually both.  I take a couple naps a day and a lot of rest breaks between chores.  Unfortunately I get a surge of adrenaline at around 8:00 each night and can’t fall asleep until after 1:00 am.  I am so blessed to have the time to rest and not have responsibilities that can’t be postponed until I feel up to it.  Meanwhile although I eat more often I am back to small portions…I get full very easy.  I don’t snack so much between meals and my midnight snacks aren’t as vital as they had been the past few weeks.

*****Cool Week 35 Fact: Nothing too big, from now on the baby should continue to get bigger.  At my last appointment he was 5lb’s even (on the low end of average) so at this point he would almost be big enough for all those cute little outfits we have waiting for him. 

My Last Pregnant Escapade From Huizhou to Hong Kong…Tear!

I know from now on my doctors visits will be much easier, I mean taking the train 3 stops verses taking a 2 hour car ride, crossing 2 borders, taking the train (switching 3 times) for about an hour for a 15 min. doctor visit.  However I loved that I was able to make a day of it, it made me feel like each appointment was special.  I loved riding to work with Adam, I loved taking my nap in the car after dropping him off (however I am sure my driver will be relieved to not have to hear me snore anymore), I loved jamming with my I-pod on the train, I loved my pre appointment snack and my post appointment lunch, I loved walking through the grocery store wondering what is going to fit in my one bag, I loved taking the train back across the border and meeting the driver who would take everything out of my hands and have my pillow waiting for me in the back seat, I loved making a stop at Adam’s work to pick him up and stopping for dinner before heading home.  We would leave our apartment at 7:15 and usually not get back until 7:15 at night.  I know it’s silly but I figured if I lived in North Carolina and had a 15 min trip to the doctor, my appointments would become just one more thing I had to do that day rather than the center of my day and the purpose for everything else that day.  It really ends up being the focus of the days before and after.  The day before I gather up my emergency snacks and a sandwich, I fill out my immigration paperwork and make sure I have my passport ready.  I take extra rest time so that I have the energy to power through.  The day after Hong Kong, I call my feet up day.  Thankfully I really only get swollen after a long day of walking and a day of watching movies is an excellent cure.  Basically my 15 min appointment takes 48 hours of my time and energy.

So my appointments are starting to get boring…your great the baby is great…blah blah blah.  JUST KIDDING, I am so excited that things continue to look good and I love that my appointment needs to last only 15 min and that the doctor doesn’t have anything interesting to say.  Next appointment Adam will join me and we will find out more information about D-Day and lucky me I get to have my second dose of antibodies (imagine a tetanus shot only in your back side).  Our next visit will be very exciting because afterwards we will visit our pediatrician (please let him live up to my unreasonably high expectations) and take a hospital tour!

34 Weeks

This past week I finished organizing our closets (there were still a few things that needed to be unpacked).  I cleaned off my desk, I made a list for our cleaner for while I am gone, I reorganized kitchen cabinets making sure we had enough stuff to last the first week we are home with the baby.  I finished all the information I was gathering for my mom not to mention her China survival kit.  I packed my “go” bag which will be ready in case baby comes early (it’s not like I can send Adam back for things I need), I packed a bag with baby things to last 1 week.  I made a shopping list of things I need to pick up Tuesday from Hong Kong after my appointment.  I also picked up the paintings I had done for the nursery from the art village…they are AMAZING!  I did all this between my snack and nap schedule.

I know in my head and in my heart that I still have time, there have been no signs of pre-term labor and I am not at risk.  My husband however is starting to panic every time I move because I am uncomfortable or stop in my tracks because the baby is hanging out in my hip, or every time I readjust my belly because the baby is on one side.  He read that women who are on their feet more than 5 hours a day are at risk for pre-term labor meanwhile women on their feet less than 2 hours rarely go into labor prematurely.  I see that and thing well I should be fine because at most I am on my feet less than 5 hours and not daily…to him that means I should stay off my feet…we compromised and I promised not to stand for more than 4 hours a day…even on busy days.  Like I have said previously there is only room for one of us to stress and worry…and it’s not a good idea for me to be the stressed one. 

Meanwhile what do I do the next 2 weeks?  I am afraid to touch anything that I have organized for fear of ruining it.  This is going to be a long couple weeks…however when it’s over it will be like a major tease because after sitting around here waiting I get to sit around in Hong Kong waiting. 

******Cool Week 34 Fact: The baby isn’t changing much anymore; instead he is just getting bigger and cuter!  The best news is that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks typically do just as well as babies who are born at full term!!!!

I feel like I am cheating on Dr. Doo with a man I have never met…

Well, maybe not cheating but I certainly have a new doctor who after reading about I am in love with.  Technically he will be Zachary’s doctor, but from what I have read he is perfect.  I got recommendations from friends then looked each doctor up on Geobaby (the Hong Kong website for ex-pats who are pregnant or have babies…there are tons of us!). I didn’t find much on the recommended doctors however I kept reading things like “I go to Dr. Mark Chan who is in the same practice and is amazing”.  I decided to look up this Dr. Mark Chan and although you usually get some negative feedback on things (the waiting room is small, there aren’t enough nurses, he is busy and we have to wait a while) I didn’t read one negative comment from any woman on Geobaby.  In fact I kept reading things like “great with a first time mum who has a lot of questions” “wonderful with my baby” “I can’t say enough wonderful things about him” etc…  I googled him and found the website for his practice, along with his bio.  What I read put him at the top of my list. 

Dr. Mark Chan went to University in the UK (as do all the best doctors in Hong Kong), he worked at various hospitals around London affiliated with the University of London (that can’t be bad)…here it comes…he worked at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham NC!!!!!!  He has specialized in nephrology (kidney disease) but switched back to general pediatrics.  He moved back to Hong Kong in 2007.  He has a ton of other accomplishments but I have no idea what any of them mean. 

One of my worries was that I was going to have to do a ton of research about standard care in the US.  I want our baby to be on track with immunizations etc…so when we move back we will have a smooth transition to a new doctor.  I figured at least he knows what the standard practice is in the US. 

OK so let’s keep score…RAVING reviews, understanding of US pediatrics, and gives me one less thing to worry about. 

Then I got an e-mail that pushed him over the top…I e-mailed Dr. Doo (who if you haven’t been able to tell I LOVE…maybe a bit too much but I have never actually liked any doctor I have ever had, so this is a good thing) to ask him to recommend some pediatricians.  He got back to me with one name…Dr. Mark Chan.  Then he went on to say that his office was located in the same building but a few floors up.  So to sum it up no, Dr. Doo didn’t recommend any of the other doctors in that practice (who also sounded great based on their bios) he recommended the one I had already decided I wanted.

Back to the score… RAVING reviews, understanding of US pediatrics, gives me one less thing to worry about, is recommended by the best doctor in the world (according to me) and I already know where the building is…not to mention I can knock out two doctors appointments easily. 

Adam and I are meeting with him on March 7^th after my appointment and unless this man is a total monster he is the winner!  I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how this must be a God thing…I mean could this man be any better on paper? 

33 Weeks

So this is what I expected pregnancy to be like.  After 3 months of not being able to eat anything, 2 more months of being able to eat only small portions of bland plain things, and another month of wanting to eat but not having enough room in the belly…I am eating like a preggo!  I surprise both Adam and myself.  We are going out to eat at local restaurants and I am no longer scared to take that first bite, in fact I inhale the entire plate.  Adam has made a few comments about the amount of things I eat between meals, not bad comments but more like pointing out “you are eating again?” where I respond “yes…do you have a problem with that?” (or sometimes I like to play a little game and say “are you saying I am FAT???) and he comes back with “not at all, I am excited you can actually eat!”.  The first 5.5 months of my pregnancy Adam choose the restaurants (no point in me choosing when I couldn’t eat anything) and now it’s my turn!  I have my first breakfast at 4:30 am (usually a granola bar or 2) then take a nap before I wake up around 9:00 when I eat my second breakfast (a bowl of cereal), At 11:00 I make lunch (sandwich, potato chips and 2 cookies) and that lasts about an hour.  At 2:00 I eat a small snack, then again a few more times before dinner.  I like to eat dinner around 6:30, then I have a snack around 8:00 and a granola bar right before bed (in attempt to stop my 4:30 belly wakeup call).  I drink mostly water (a few bottles a day) and juice with my meals.  Every once and a while (appointment days or days when I didn’t sleep well but don’t want to nap all day so I sleep better the next night) I drink a glass of coke.  The doctor said I was allowed to have 1 cup of caffeine a day, I didn’t have any during the first trimester, and since then I really haven’t had much although I had a daily coke while we were on vacations so I could last a full day.

I am still gathering diapers and wipes, and getting things ready for baby.  I sanitized everything this week then put them in Ziploc bags so they stay clean for the next month and a half.  I am working on my “go” bag list and what I will need for baby (if he comes early I will need a lot more, if he comes on time I only need a week worth of things).  I really don’t want to go out and buy clothes because I didn’t pack enough but I also don’t want to bring EVERYTHING.  For myself it’s easy to pack since there aren’t many things that fit over my belly and for after the baby is born I plan on wearing yoga pants or maternity jeans so no questions there.  I am working on a list of things I need to do before I move to Hong Kong and things that need to be taken care of while I am gone (a list for the cleaner).  I need to stock the house with cereal and granola bars (and other non-perishable items), I need to stock up on bread (I am freezing bread in bags of 2 slices for easy sandwich making).  I bought frozen meatballs from Ikea and I am stocking up on meat to freeze each trip to HK.  Unfortunately I can’t fit anything pre-made in the freezer, but we asked for meal kits for Christmas and should have enough to last a little while.  This whole situation is a organizational freaks dream and nightmare all at once.  I choose not to stress, if things get done they get done…if not well then they didn’t get done.  As long as the baby has clean things (which now he does) and as long as we have papa johns delivery on speed dial we will survive. 

*****Cool Week 33 Fact – my little guy’s head should grow 2/8ths of an inch this week, and this week the amount of amniotic fluid in my belly has reached a peak…from this point on I may feel kicking and punching a lot more (Lord help me), but he probably won’t flip or turn as much as he is running out of room.