I am trying to remember each month of my pregnancy before the memories are dulled by time. Writing them down would immortalize them, which was the whole purpose of this blog. So here goes:
Weeks 1-4: I had no idea I was pregnant yet but I did notice that my stomach was specially queasy and I was oh so very tired, like I have never been in my life. (July 2010)
Weeks 5-8: I confirmed it in mid August after taking about 3 HPTs and 1 blood test. I was about 5 weeks pregnant then according to the doctor. I had to wait for my blood test results to come out after an hour in HCMC Family Medical Practice. While waiting i crossed to the Notre Dame Cathedral to pray for a positive result :) My prayers were answered! I texted my husband and some folks back home about the good news. Exciting times! 6 weeks into my pregnancy I would fly home for a short vacation and will have my first ultrasound. Nerve-wracking also because the doctor told me that this would confirm if the pregnancy is viable. I started praying in the Ultrasound center of MMC before my turn. Everything turned out all right just as I had hoped.
This month I would start feeling pregnant - I was sleepy all the time and my hunger pangs were unbearable (I felt like throwing up when i was hungry). Aversion to anything fried especially chicken. My morning sickness wasn't too bad though. (August 2010)
Weeks 9-12: The last month of the first trimester. By then I have travelled a couple of times for work. My blastocyst was now a fetus and she has been to Malaysia, Singapore and Manila! No signs of a belly just yet. I started taking Pilates in Nutrifort, just a stone's throw away from my office. I am eating very healthy - mostly fish and vegetables. Vietnam, food-wise was the best place for a preggy girl - they had lots of veggies every meal! Highlight of every doctor's visit is hearing the baby's heartbeat. <3 (Sept 2010)
Weeks 13-16: Starting to have a tiny, tiny bump just visible to me. LOL. Heaviness and tiredness have eased up a little bit and no signs of morning sickness anymore, though I still had an aversion to chicken and anything fried. It was around this time when I developed a sweet tooth (and it has not gone away since!). This was weird as I never was the type to crave for cakes or ice creams, but this time BRING THEM ON! Around week 14, I felt the baby move for the first time. It was such a tiny movement but it was undeniable: I really do have a life inside me! Priceless feeling. (Oct 2010)
Weeks 17-20: More movements from the little one, usually at night around 7pm when I would be at home lying quietly in the living room. By now I really do have a bump, but still not too big. My clothes are starting to feel small though. Week 20 - halfway mark! This also meant anomaly screening and possibly knowing the baby's gender. I had these done at FV Hospital which was nearer my house. Nervous for the anomaly screening but so far pregnancy is going very, very well and each doctor's visit confirmed this. Baby had strong heart, good growth indicators, no abnormalities. Thankfully this was confirmed during the anomaly screening. A peek into my uterus shows a tiny but well-formed baby. You can already clearly see the head, hands, feet, and internal organs - which were all v.v. good. At the end of my 20th week screening, I asked the sonographer to tell me the gender of the baby. Lem went out of the room cause he wanted it to be a surprise but since I couldn't help it I had to ask myself :) The doctor told me it was a GIRL! 100% sure she said :) Indescribable feeling again - it made the pregnancy real once more. We were having a baby girl! Of course when I went out of the room I had to tell someone. SO Lem ended up knowing (against his will, LOL) and he said: "i thought so!" :) Our baby already had a name: Luna Sky <3 (November 2010)
Week 21-24: Since finding out the gender, we have been calling Luna by her name when we talked to her at night. Her movements are now getting fast and furious and would often keep me up at night. But I enjoyed it all! I felt bonded with her already and each time she would make a movement it would make me smile. Week 22, we were headed home for the Christmas break. My tummy seemed to grow every week and mostly I would be wearing dresses. I also bought the belly belt here to extend my pants. Useful stuff! (December 2010)
Week 25-28: Belly growing by the week; I am starting to feel some heaviness in my legs w/ Luna growing week by week. I had stopped my Pilates classes a few weeks earlier as I couldn't manage the exercises anymore. I am almost into my last trimester and we have been planning the birth (back home) and the transition. We haven't bought any baby stuff just yet and we were in the middle of deciding if it was finally time to go back home for good and leave Vietnam. Pregnancy is going very well, confirmed my all the check ups. Out estimated delivery date was April 24, 2011, give or take a few weeks. My maternity leave was scheduled to start in March or before my 34th week, otherwise the airplane may not let me fly anymore. (January 2011)
Week 29-32: Definitely looking pregnant already and feeling it. This month we are busy with the trip back home; the whole plan itself was up in the air but we are mostly leaning towards staying back home for good but it all still depended if things would work out (job-wise etc.). It was TET in Vietnam (Chinese new year) which meant a week long holiday. We took this trip back home again for my month's check up. I stopped going to the Vietnam doctors already and was going by my OB back home's orders since I ws to give birth at home anyway. Around this time, we also had our 3D-4D Ultrasound wherein we saw Luna in color (sort of) and moving so actively inside me. We had this done at In My Womb in Glorietta. She was a baby with her own mind already - she gave the doctor a hard time getting a shot of her face cause she was moving around too much! Around week 32, she was in a breech position and we had to wait for her to turn. I started praying that she'd turn on my next ultrasound because i really did not want a CS delivery. And yes we confirmed again that she really is a girl :) (February 2011)
Week 33-36: By this time we have packed up the whole apartment - 5 years worth of our life in Vietnam - and took the plane home, while we waited for Luna's grand arrival :) I think I have gained around 20 pounds already since the start of my pregnancy, and growing by the week. But it was all good, according to my OB some women at this point have already gained 50 pounds (afraid!). I was going to my doctor every week already since the start of my 8th month, and she was monitoring my weight gain. She didn't want me to gain much lest it give me a hard time when I deliver (baby might become too big). Luna has turned head down by week 34. We have also started taking Birthing Classes with Rome Kanapi every Saturday morning. (March 2011)
Week 37-38: All is going well and if I went on labor at this time it would be okay as Luna was already considered full term. But she showed no signs of engagement just yet. :)
Week 39: April 14 -Last ultrasound at MMC, where I would give birth. All is well and doctor suspects baby may be 7 pounds already (estimate, by the looks of her chest size) and I may go on labor soon. But so far, no signs of labor pain at all that morning. However, April 14 would turn out to be the last day of my pregnancy. :)
Luna was born on April 15, 2011 at 12:01pm. And how that came to be requires a separate entry on our birthing story...
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