My Little Bambi

I finally gave birth to a beautiful baby girl!!! I will call her my little Bambi on this blog. 

It started when my water broke on Wednesday at 1.30am, while we were sleeping. I woke Grumpy up, to tell him that its time. He said "okay" and went back to sleep. Great start! Haha.. Then I waited til about 5-6-ish in the morning before I rang the hospital, each time trying to time my contractions, but there were no REAL contractions as yet. It was weird. We got asked to go in to the hospital, they took some tests and said I will most likely get induced at 1pm that afternoon. That gave us a bit of time to go home, I took a long shower, washed my hair, ate some lunch, went through my checklist of things to pack for the 100th time.

At 1pm, they started getting me ready with the drips. By 2pm, my marathon was about to begin. Two hours later, I started feeling the contractions. Grumpy was doing his best, timing my contractions, helping me count them, holding my hand, keeping me calm. To help cope with the period like pains, I started inhaling the laughing gas. It definitely did not make me laugh, but it did take me to another planet at times.. I felt as though my head was spinning. 5 hours later, around 7pm, the pain was getting worse, and I think I was only 2-4cm dilated, which is very very slow. I asked for painkillers, and they offered me Pethidine. I was not very keen on Pethidine, there are some negative effects but whatever man, just give it to me! Pethidine only lasted for two hours, which was not great. So it did provide some temporary relief, but very mild. By around 11pm, my marathon would have been 9 hours already, I asked the doctor for an epidural! Something I kept saying I was going to avoid, while I was still pregnant. Grumpy agreed that I needed an epidural as well, so immediately an anaesthetist came in, and poked a needle at my back. Soon enough, I could not feel any pain, which was great. It was nearly midnight, the midwives pulled out a mattress for Grumpy to sleep on the floor, next to me. They told us to get some rest. I was able to nap for a few hours, next to my husband, who was snoring away!

The next morning, my dilation was still progressing very very slowly.. my mother was incredibly worried. Labour should not take this long! Finally around 10am, the doctor said I was fully dilated, and I can start pushing. Pushing.. while under epidural, is not fun at all, because I could not feel much from waist down. I pushed for nearly 2 hours, and I think nothing happened. Finally, the doctor suggested instrumental birth. I was quite against forceps or vacuum for birth, but I think because I was already in labour for such an extended period, I gave in. The process was very quick. Jeeeeysus, Grumpy was so nervous. And at 11.55am on Thursday 14 June 2012, my little Bambi was born, and placed on my chest. A little baby girl! Words cannot describe the feeling. Both Grumpy and myself were in tears.

Here is my chubby little girl. Weighing a good 3.7kgs, or 8.2 pounds. We were so surprised by her size, considering how we thought I had a small baby bump. We have already fallen madly in love with her. 

37 weeks

It has been a while since my last post. Currently at 37 weeks.. time has just gone past so quickly. I finally finished up at work last Friday. So that gives me about 3 weeks til my due date. However, now at 37 weeks, my baby is considered at full term, so the baby could arrive anytime now.

So what has been happening the past couple of weeks? I was still going on with Preggi Bellies, very busy with work, celebrated Grumpy's 31st birthday, to sum it all up, it was very full-on. I was so exhausted at 35 weeks, suddenly I was getting a bit of pelvic pain, I had a bit of cramping with the growing belly.. oh my, I did not feel as comfortable as I used to be. it The belly grew quite big in the recent two weeks. Grumpy decided it was time for me to slow down, so I stopped my Preggi Bellies program, and have started seeing an osteopath for the pelvic pain. Apparently, it is very common now as my body is prepping for labour. The baby's kicks and movements are quite strong these days, it took me a while to adjust.

Suddenly going to work in the mornings just required soooo much effort. I would wake up, have a quick brekkie, take a shower, get changed, put on some make up, and by the time I am ready to step out the house, I am already dead tired!! Oh and I was dreading public transport more than ever, the extremely packed trains just made me a bit cray cray. I started taking earlier trains to avoid the crowd, and with going home, I took the train from Flinders Street instead of my usual station Parliament, which added an extra 15-20 mins to my usual journey (going one big round in the city loop) just so I could secure a seat.

During the month of May, every Thursday night from 7pm-9pm we attended antenatal classes at the hospital. It was very good, and I highly recommend it to friends who are expecting their first baby. Grumpy was very attentive at classes, and it definitely opened up his eyes a bit more, in terms of playing the role of a support partner. We were warned at the start of the class, that labour is not a sprint, it is a marathon! These classes are usually conducted by midwives, and we were lucky because we had such an amazing team of educators (very experienced midwives) and they taught us about what to expect with labour, drugs, procedures, what happens once the baby is born, breastfeeding etc. At the end of the classes, they make it sound like having a baby is the most rewarding experience ever! I swear, Grumpy always goes home feeling very confident after these antenatal classes (which can be a bit of a worry..? haha)

The hospital bag is nearly done. We have 3 categories to prepare:

(a) Things for me - the mum-to-be, such as clothes, toiletries, camera, etc

(b) Things for baby - romper suits, nappies, wipes, singlets etc

(c) Snacks and drinks for myself and Grumpy (especially if labour is going to be long - need to keep the energy levels up). We were recommended to pack sports drinks, nuts and dried fruit. I delegated this task to Grumpy. I checked the bag this morning, I found some sports drinks.... and..... two cups of instant noodles, one bag of Picnic chocolate and a bag of honey flavoured popcorn. He also left this bag unattended one night, and of course... the dog helped himself to the bag of popcorn, and also took out one cup of instant noodle from the bag. But lucky, the dog did not open the cup of noodles. Or eat the chocolates. Oh dear. These two!

In terms of finishing work, I had mixed feelings. A bit sad, because I will miss going in to the city, I have been enjoying the work I have been doing lately, etc.. but on the flip side, I am quite happy to be able to stay home and get some rest before the bub arrives.

Work was very nice, I will miss the team. I had a nice farewell lunch organised, and I got this OiOi nappy bag as a farewell present.

To finish this post, here is a picture of me at my last day at work for the rest of this year!

Visiting guests

Oh my.. we had such an exhausting weekend. Mentally and physically. It was awful! Last week, we got told at the last minute that we had to accommodate Grumpy's extended family, a group of four old ladies visiting from Malaysia, and they are going to stay at our house for the weekend. I still find it hard to understand why we get imposed such responsibilities and obligation, especially when I am 8 months pregnant. They arrived at some ungodly hour (2am) from the airport at our door step, and it was FIVE ladies that showed up, not the four which we got told. These ladies are not even immediate family members, but you know what? I kept my mouth shut, and played the gracious host. 

Grumpy and I drove two separate cars just to ferry these ladies around.. (we borrowed a friend's car - again, it was something we CLEARLY did not need to do, but went ahead anyways, just to be nice and accommodating). On our way home from dinner that Saturday, I find out that these ladies have decided that because our house is nice and cosy, and they love it so much, they would extend their stay at our place, for the rest of their trip. I was in complete shock when one of the ladies said that to me. After shock, I just wanted to run into my room and burst into tears. But I didn't. And a few minutes later, I felt anger! Haha the wonders of the pregnancy hormones. 

After that, Grumpy and I found ourselves in a bit of a dilemma. I did not want them in my house any longer. I wanted them out. Sneaky, cunning, manipulative, this is how I could only describe the situation. However, Grumpy has a big heart. Sometimes his big heart is the one that wins us situations like these. At our expense. He just could not bear telling a bunch of ladies in their mid-fifties that we were kicking them out. Then came his pregnant wife. I was upfront with them on Sunday morning, and I made up some lie that I had friends coming over during the week. They had to look for another place to stay. Yes, thats right, you are not welcome here. 

To cut the long story short, they are finally out of our house. We drove them to their friend's house last night, which they have rented 2 bedrooms for a small fee. Grumpy and I joke that our house now smell of aunties.. haha.. but it is not funny that we now have to clean 2 bedrooms in my house, the toilet and the bathroom, wash all the linen, bring them to the laundromat to be dried, vacuum the rooms, and wipe, disinfect and sanitise everything... because.. HELLO, we am having a baby very soon! We are currently setting up a nursery! 

The most important lesson from this, is that we have revised our visiting guests policy - Grumpy has promised me that this will not happen again. 

I woke up this morning for work, and I just felt so tired... what a waste of my time, my weekend, my energy... especially now that we are running short of our weekends alone. BASTARDS!

Anyways, time to let my little bub listen to some music.. lets all calm down after such a bad weekend... hehe I have been reading up on the Mozart effect, and so I got this album... which I myself love to listen to. Studies have shown that when you play music for the unborn child, once they are born, and they listen to the music again, they recognise it and settle down very easily.

Cravings and books

It took me a while to actually develop a craving.. It was weird. Everyone kept asking me if I craved anything, and I usually said No, not really.. but now, I do! And it is... fresh oranges! I just love navel oranges at the moment, so sweet and juicy! Previously I have always had a preference for apples instead of oranges, but now, it is the other way round. 

Apart from oranges, I have been keeping myself occupied reading baby related books. When I first found out I was pregnant, I ordered two books from Amazon. The first one was the pregnancy bible 'What To Expect When You Are Expecting' and the second one, 'Great with Child: Letters to a Young Mother'. The first book is more factual and it is definitely very helpful, the second book is more of a story and tells the ups and downs of being a mother, in a very sweet and nurturing way. After reading this book, I get a bit more comfort and really look forward to the birth of my baby!

Some family members also  told me to get hold of Gina Ford books, and so I bought this copy 'The Complete Sleep Guide for Contented Babies and Toddlers'. A few weeks ago, a friend gave me two books by Dr Miriam Stoppard 'Complete Baby and Child Care' and 'Conception, Pregnancy and Birth'. Read much? Haha. While the factual books are great, sometimes I get a bit bored, and so I search for more interesting reads. Currently, I am reading this book by Pamela Druckerman called 'French Children Don't Throw Food'. She writes about parenting in France, in a clever and humourous way. I am really enjoying reading this book now. 

32 weeks

A very quick post to share with you some baby bump photos at 32 weeks. Yes time has flown so quickly, and I have only another 8 weeks to go before the baby is due.. and that means 5 weeks of work left before I start my maternity leave. TOO FAST TOO FAST!

Ahh!! Notice the double chin? GOOD GOD! 

Grumpy reckons my belly looks really pointy but
when I look down myself, it looks round to me

Baby Names

Today I am 29 weeks into the pregnancy, which also means I am now into my final trimester. I am very excited, yes I am.. but you know what? There is an increased feeling of apprehension too. Nervous about everything - labour, breastfeeding, raising a newborn, maternity leave, finances, Grumpy, child care, my mum, the dog, the house, the nursery, the list goes on! OHEMGEE

If I have not mentioned before, we (well, it was more me than 'we') decided to keep the sex of the baby a surprise. So at this stage, we still do not know if it is a boy or a girl. It is quite mean to the grandparents, I know, haha but that is too bad.. I think its more fun not knowing, to just embrace it.. and when the time comes, all I hope for is a healthy little baby in my arms - girl or boy - it does not matter. Having said that, many people have told me that they think it is a girl, only because of the way I look, and all the pregnancy symptoms - little things like how my skin is clear from pimples, how I do not have any food cravings, the size of my bump, all sorts of things! 

We have not decided on any names yet, which is not ideal. It is hard, having to figure out girl names and boy names. Naming a baby is just pure hard work, I have about 5 baby name apps on my iPad and I still have not narrowed down to a Top 3, or a Top 5, or even a Top 10. I guess the good thing about knowing the sex of the baby makes naming the bub easier, and even before they are born, you can start calling their names out loud already. Currently, we are always referring to the baby as 'it' - which can be slightly frustrating! "It kicked!" "It moved!" "Ooh IT likes ice cream!" 

A friend told me how her mum used to give her and all her siblings (while still in a belly) a very gender neutral name - something like Alex or Charlie or Danni, and then when the baby is born, they get a completely different name altogether! I thought it was cute. 

Anyways, Easter is approaching, and I am looking forward to a nice break. We have decided to take advantage of the public holidays and we booked for our babymoon this Sunday! We will be spending 3 days 2 nights here at the Yarra Valley. This is very different to what I initially had in mind. I was thinking of a babymoon in South America! But Grumpy narrowed down my choices of babymoon locations and have requested that I keep them in the country, and in fact, in the same state! BOO!

I have also made lunch and dinner reservations at some nice restaurants in the Yarra Valley area, and Grumpy has informed me how he plans to drink as much wine as possible, while I get the lovely task of being the designated driver! How kind!

28 weeks

Just a short post today, but here are some new shots of my baby bump at 28 weeks today! Indeed, I am much bigger now.... 

I thought I was looking at my belly, but maybe I am looking at the dog!

So far the little bub is tracking along well! Grumpy told me that one night, while I was fast asleep, in bed, he placed his hand on my belly (I was totally unaware), and he could feel the bub kicking away! Haha..

Good night all!