Zeb's First Baby Spa Experience and Review

I have been looking forward to bringing my little one to the baby spa ever since he was 1 month old. Today, I finally did... Yay! I was so excited for my baby because I know he will enjoy the experience. He loves his bath time and after each session he will start to be fussy. I know that cry means he still wants to stay in the tub. I think he will be a swimmer like mommy :)

There are several health benefits of swimming including but not limited to the following:

• Helps strengthen the muscles, ligaments, heart and lungs
• Develop motor control, agility, coordination and balance
• Enhances and stimulates senses and immune system
• Fosters social stimulation and interaction among babies
• Sets foundation for babies and adapt positive and long-term attitude towards learning
• Builds trust and confidence between parents and babies especially in water environment

I have heard about Baby Spa long time ago so today I brought him to their branch in Katong V Mall, which luckily, is just a walking distance away from where we stay.

As soon as we stepped in, we were greeted by the Chinese staff and handed over to me their flyer showing the rates.

A. Member Rates (with registration fee of $10 and with free towel with hood)

10 Swimming Sessions (valid for 6months) - $350

20 Swimming Sessions (valid for 12 months) - $590

Golden Card (Unlimited within one year) - $1,090

B. Non-Member

Trial - $45 with free 1 swim diaper

Aside from baby swimming, they also offer 2 other services which are baby massage and baby haircut. For those babies getting their hair cut for the first time, they also give a First Haircut Certificate with the baby's picture. So cute!!!

 

I didn't sign up for the membership though because let's be honest, the rates are pretty darn expensive! I just wanted my baby to try it at least once to satisfy my curiosity :) 

While baby's getting changed to a swim diaper

After the staff changed him into swim diaper, she did a few arms and legs exercise on baby to warm him up. The other staff then filled one of the four single tubs with lukewarm water. She kept asking me from time to time to touch the water to see if the temperature is fine with me. They also have some kind of a thermometer which they dip into the water and will then show if it's too hot, too cold or just right.

Zeb with the friendly staff of Baby Spa

Once all set, they put on the neck floater on Zeb and slowly dipped him into the tub. As expected, he didn't cry but instead he started kicking his legs. Weeeee!!!! That was a "proud momma moment" and I was smiling from ear to ear. That was the first time I felt like a "stage mother" haha!

Rubber duckie! Haha!

 

After about 20 minutes, it's time to take Zeb out from the tub (boooo!). It was noted in the flyer that first time babies cannot stay in the water for too long. It is better to gradually lengthen their swimming time each visit. Such a shame that we were the only customer when we dropped by. Would have been more fun if he was able to interact and be with other babies in the bigger pool.

So after I took him out, the staff asked me if I want to have my baby massaged. I thought at first that it was included in the $45 charge but ooops! I was wrong! I ended up paying an additional $24 ($10 for members) for the massage. It was good though that I was able to see massage techniques for babies so now I can do it to him at home after every bath :)

Overall, I think the $69 charge is a steep price to pay for a 30-minute experience but the smile on my baby's face and seeing how much he enjoyed it was PRICELESS! I'd say give it a try if you have the chance!

My ratings:
Service - 4/5
Cleanliness and Hygiene - 4/5
Staff - 3/5
**The staff were friendly but it was a little difficult to communicate with them since they don't speak english that well.





Price - 2/5

Survival Guide for A Newbie Mom

Before I begin, let me put out a disclaimer that I am in no way, shape or form an expert on motherhood. Everything I will be mentioning in this blog post is based from my own experience being a first time mom at age 33.

When I was on my last trimester of my pregnancy, I made an effort to read books and even online about labor and delivery and of course taking care of a newborn. Though I have a nephew and niece, I didn't get to be around with them and observe how my sister took care of them since I was working abroad. So when I finally gave birth to my son, I had to learn everything from scratch based on what I've read, help from my sister and mom and of course my motherly instincts.

So how did I survive the first two months? Well, let me give you the low down...

1. DO NOT PANIC

Yes, that is the worst thing that you can do when you have a newborn baby crying uncontrollably  in front of you. Before you pick your him up, take a deep breath and relax. First, check if your baby is feeling uncomfortable. Hold his hands and feet and see if it's hot or cold, add or remove one layer of clothing accordingly. Next check if there's a poop explosion. If it's all clear, then watch out for signs of hunger ie. sucking motion. What I like to do is put my forefinger knuckle around on his cheeks near his lips and see if he will try to catch it. If he does, then yes, it's feeding time! If all else fails, then your baby might just be longing for mommy's cuddle so pick him up and comfort your little one. Try to burp him while you're at it. 

2. KEEP THINGS WITHIN REACH

It will make your life much easier if you keep all necessary things like diaper, wet wipes, alcohol and the like within reach especially at night time. If you are formula feeding, keeping your bottles, distilled water and formula by your bedside will also make your night time feedings less stressful. However, breastfeeding your baby will be a LOT easier (and not to mention healthier) coz you just need to take one boobie out and you're good to go :) I also find that co-sleeping with my baby made it more manageable at night but be cautious though that you don't squish your baby. Putting pillows around him helped.

3. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WORLD WIDE WEB

With the technology nowadays, information is just one swipe away. Google will be your best friend especially if you are the paranoid kind like me. Every single thing that is out of the norm that I notice on my baby makes me overly concerned. So before I bother my pedia with my paranoia, I would normally google and search for answers first but from reliable sources of course. My most visited sites are Baby Center and Kellymom. There are also lots of applications that you can download on your phone to help you keep track of your nursing schedule and diaper changes. I used Baby Nursing app on my baby's first few weeks. Another useful app if Lactamed where you can check if a certain medication is safe for nursing mothers. The possibilities are endless in the internet world, all you have to do is search for it :)

4. FIND A SUPPORT GROUP

It's nice to be surrounded with people who are going through or have gone through the same as you. You can share tips and tricks on how to take care of your little bundle of joy. You can also find virtual mommy friends online by joining Facebook groups for moms like Breastfeeding Pinays where I  personally learned a lot. Thanks to my friend Chie (Hi Chie if you're reading this!) for introducing the group to me. I also joined another group of mommies on FB who also gave birth on the first quarter of this year so we have a lot in common to talk about and share experiences with. It is such a relief to know when people are also going through the same things like you. 

5. LASTLY, FIND TIME FOR YOURSELF

If you want to come out of this alive and sane, then you have to spend some quality "me" time. A  two-hour mall time for me is enough just to rejuvenate, getting a hair cut or a mani and pedi would be a bonus. I have to be honest though, I miss my baby when I'm out and about so I'm sure you'd feel the same. But having your "me" time doesn't mean you have to leave the comforts of your own home. Like for me, blogging is one way to de-stress and let my creative juices come out again. I do this when my little one is asleep. Just take advantage of this time and do things that you haven't done in a long time.

So there you go... I hope these tips will help you survive the first few months of your new found career as mommies! If you want to share your own tips, don't hesitate to leave 'em below :)

Thanks ladies!

Ciao!

Applying For Baby's Philippine Passport

Having a husband working abroad while I take care of our newborn son is difficult. All I can wish for is for us to be together. Initially, our plan is for my hubby to come over and visit us once a month but looking at it financially, it seemed impractical. So we decided that it would be more reasonable for my baby and I to just fly over to Singapore to visit him and stay there for a month or two. 

But before we can do that, our almost 2-month old baby Zeb must have his passport first so last March 18, we went to the DFA office in Aseana Business Park along Macapagal boulevard to apply. By right, an applicant must book an appointment first on their website {or call 737-1000} before heading down to their office but luckily there are exemptions -- senior citizens, infants and minors below 1 year old, person with disability and OFWs. Yay!

As I walked in, the guard instructed me to proceed to the 2nd floor of gate 5 which is where the priority lane is. There I was given an application form and a queue number {tip: download the form online and fill it out at home to save time}. As soon as my number was called, the lady behind the counter asked me to produce the original copies of the required documents one by one and then asked for the photocopied versions. For my Zeb's application, I was asked to show my passport, his birth certificate in security paper {or SECPA as they call it, which you can request from the local civil registrar of the municipality where your baby was born} and our marriage contract. After that, I was instructed to proceed to the cashier and pay Php1,200. Regular processing fee is Php950 but those who used the priority lane is subjected to pay a higher amount {don't ask me why}. 

After settling the fee, we proceeded to the picture taking booth dedicated for infants. The staff laid out a blue blanket on the table and asked me to put Zeb down. Luckily, he was cooperative that day and it only took us one shot to get this photo {good job baby!}.

On  my way out, I stopped by the LBC booth to have it delivered to our house instead of picking it up. I paid Php120 for the delivery charge and I was told that it will be delivered after 7 working days which happens to be today, March 28! I've been waiting for it since this morning so when I heard the door bell ring this afternoon, I knew that was it! We are so excited to be with daddy :)

Anyway, the whole process only took me around 30 minutes. It could have been faster had I filled out the form beforehand because carrying a baby and filling out a form at the same time ain't easy. I do hope that this pleasant experience can be applied to everyone, not just to those in priority lane. But overall, I can still see some glare of hope in our system.

Thanks for reading guys. Hope this helps!

Ciao!

Welcoming our Zeb Gavin

Hello there ladies!

Sorry for my short hiatus. For those who have been following this blog, I am no longer living in Singapore but my husband still is. I came home here in the Philippines last December and officially became a stay-at-home wife.

After I stopped working, I found myself spending my time reading up on labor and delivery as I was very anxious or should I say S-C-A-R-E-D about the pain of giving birth. This is probably one of my greatest fear in life. I like to believe that I have a high threshold for pain but there's something about delivering a small human being via the small hole and the thought of it tearing/ripping scares the hell out of me. It makes my knees weak.

Anyhoo, I'm here to share with you guys my birthing story. It actually turned out to be a good experience as there was minimal pain in my labor and delivery.  Thanks to my baby :) 

So, here goes...

February 3

9AM

I woke up and felt that my undies was wet. I went to the bathroom to make sure that I just didn't accidentally peed on myself. I was wearing white undies that day so it was  fairly easy to see if there is a yellowish stain and there wasn't. I actually had to (sorry TMI) smell it just to make sure but it didn't really smell anything like pee so in my mind I know that it could have been from my water bag. At first I was still in denial. I didn't want to believe that I could be giving birth on that day because my husband is not yet here. He was actually scheduled to come home on the 6th of Feb. I couldn't imagine going through my labor and delivery without him by my side so I had to stay calm and collected. I then took a bath and dressed up. After a few minutes of thinking what to do, I decided to text my OB (my cousin Dra. Leonor Manio-Leonardo) and tell her about the wet undies. She instructed me to go directly to the Genesis Center of Asian Hospital for admission because my water bag have ruptured. As soon as I read the word ADMISSION, reality hit me in the face. This is it! I am giving birth... OH-EM-GEE! I was still hesitant at first because I was not feeling any pain or contractions but my OB told me that baby is exposed to the environment and I need to be induced.

I called my husband right away and broke the news and needless to say, I cried my eyes out! He calmed me down and said that he will be booking a flight that same day. He got the 4PM flight and was expected to reach Manila around 8-ish. I was really hoping that baby can wait for daddy before he decide to come out.

12:30PM

We reached Asian Hospital and as instructed, we went straight to the Genesis Center.  They did an IE and cervix was still closed. After that, a speculum was inserted down there to check my water bag and we found out it was not ruptured yet. What I experience may have been a leak. I was then strapped to a fetal monitor to check my contractions and they saw that I was having strong ones every 5 minutes however I wasn't feeling any pain at all. Since I haven't eaten anything since the night before, I asked permission from my OB if I can have my lunch first and she gave me the go signal.

2PM

I went back to the labor room and had me strapped again to the fetal monitor. This time the contractions were milder. Maybe because I kept asking baby to wait for his daddy before making his big entrance. 

4:30PM

I was put on oxytocin via an IV to induce labor and for contractions to start. I kept looking at the graph coming out of fetal monitor and there were contractions but it wasn't consistent and I still was not feeling any pain. 

8:30PM

Daddy made it to the hospital! Yay! I had a sigh of relief after seeing my husband walk through the door! Finally, I don't have to go through it alone anymore. 

11PM

They did an IE a couple of times more and my cervix was still closed so my OB ordered to stop my IV first and have it resumed the next day. At this point, I was already very exhausted. Lying on the bed almost the whole day strapped to a monitor was not the most comfortable feeling.

February 4

5AM

The nurse came in and resumed my oxytocin. After an hour, I started to feel the contractions but the pain was still bearable. Nothing that I couldn't handle. To be honest though, I was already petrified because I thought my labor will start anytime soon and the pain will get stronger and stronger but it didn't.

6:40AM

IE was done and I was finally 1 cm dilated! Finally we saw some "progress". We were already feeling the excitement but at the back of my mind I was also preparing myself for the pain. Hours passed and I didn't progress. I was stuck at 1 cm.

1:30PM

Doctor's order came that I can no longer eat or drink, not even water. I already knew that this in preparation for a C-section in case baby really decides not to come out the natural way. I felt torn. I have always wanted to experience that magical natural child birth that everybody's talking about but on the other hand, I felt that I will be able to handle the pain of a C-section more. Maybe because of my experience with my laparoscopic surgery a year ago. 

6PM

My OB arrived at the hospital and from then on things went by fast. After 10 minutes, I found myself inside the operating room and the spinal anesthesia is being administered. After a minute or two, it has taken effect and half of my body was already numb. This is it! We will finally meet our precious little baby! I felt sleepy but I tried to fight it off. I wanted to be awake when my baby comes out and burst out his first cry.

At 6:48PM, our precious little one, Zeb Gavin Lim said hello to the world!

Our Zeb Gavin with my OB Dra. Leonor Manio-Leonardo

Turns out, my baby's cord was around his neck and maybe that's one reason why he was not descending down my pelvis. We just thanked God that he came out safe and healthy at 3.5kg! The doctors and nurses kept telling me that he's a big baby and that I may not be able to deliver him via normal delivery.

Anyway, luckily daddy was allowed inside so he was able to take photos. I will forever treasure this moment. It has totally turned our lives around - we are now PARENTS. I know it's a tough job but it is a blessing to be one.

Our first family photo :)

As for baby, he got an infection and he needed to stay in the nursery instead of having him inside our room since he needs to be on IV every 12 hours.  I was ready to go home the next day but was not allowed yet by my OB. We also cannot bear the thought of leaving baby behind since I wanted to breastfeed so we decided to wait until baby was allowed to be discharged. By Saturday, Feb 8, we went home as a happy family!

So there you have it ladies. My not-so-painful birthing story :) I'm really thankful for my baby for making my whole pregnancy up to delivery a very pleasant experience. He didn't cause me any unbearable pain. I hope it stays that way until he grows up... lol! 

I am now 2 weeks post partum and my stitches have healed. I'm no longer taking pain medications since last week but I am still wearing my binder to put everything back into place hehe :) Not gonna lie, having undergone CS was tough especially the day after. It was so difficult to walk around especially when I needed to be wheeled out of my room to go to the nursery to feed my baby but miraculously, the pain disappears whenever I have my baby in my arms. I felt I was superwoman!

Now at home, I feel like we have already adjusted to catering baby's needs since the only thing they know how to do  for now is to sleep, eat and poop! We have worked our way around it and we are getting better/longer sleep at night. This baby is really such a breeze to take care of. Thank you, Lord for this miracle!

My Pregnancy Journey at 6 weeks

Hi all!

So... I'm 6 weeks and 4 days pregnant as of this writing. Yay!!! I had my first "official" OB check-up last Tuesday, June 25, and finally saw and heard our little baby's heartbeat! That was such  an emotional experience. As cliche as it sounds, knowing that there's a living thing growing inside of me is just absolutely amazing. It's a miracle.

So let me explain first why I said first "official" check-up. Last 18th of June, I had to leave work and visit my OB on my 5th week because I had some brownish discharge when I went to the bathroom during my lunch hour. I didn't know what to do so I called in and they asked me to drop by that day if possible. At first I didn't want to panic and even told the nurse that I will just come the next day when I'm not working but after sending the photo to my hubby (yes, I took photo of the tissue I used to wipe. TMI I know, lol!), my husband right away called me and asked to go to my OB that instant. Hearing the the panic and concern from my hubby's voice, I started crying non-stop (and it was in public while I was eating my lunch). As soon as I got back to work, I talked to my manager and asked if I can take medical leave and sure enough she let me go.

I took the taxi and arrived at Raffles Hospital in less than 15 minutes and immediately registered to see my OB. Once I was in, she did an ultrasound to see if there's any bleeding inside but luckily there was none. She said some women experience it and it is quite normal. It could be an old blood from the implantation and there's nothing to worry about. My baby looked fine and that gave me a sigh of relief. She prescribed me a medicine Duphaston to be taken twice a day for one week to stop the bleeding and it did. Thank God.

So anyway, since I was so elated and inspired from our last visit to my OB, I decided to make a video on our journey. I am planning to do a regular update on my youtube channel (search: babynibeans) and let you know how I'm doing and show my growing belly as well. I hope you can join me in this journey and subscribe <3

Thank you all for reading (and watching)!

Talk to you soon! Baby dust to all!

TTC Cycle 3 and New OB-GYN

Hello ladies!

I'm sorry if this post is quite late but I really intended to update you guys AFTER my appointment with my new OB which was scheduled today.

So needless to say, our TTC attempt last month was a failure yet again. I got my AF on the 10th of May just before boarding the plane from Hong Kong back to Singapore when we had a quick family holiday. What a spoiler right?! Tears fell but got over it after five minutes. I think I'm getting used to this. 

However on the next day, I was on my computer the entire day researching for a new OB Gyn. I wasn't too satisfied with how things went last month with my TOO. I felt like I just flushed our money down the drain. I'm not saying that just because I didn't get pregnant. Overall, I'm just not satisfied anymore with my OB Gyn and her service. I have mentioned again and again about the "waiting time" I did whenever I visit her. I sometimes wait for 2 to 3 hours for my name to be called and when they do, I stay inside her clinic for 15 minutes... 20 minutes max. I just felt like she's always rushing and not really explaining everything. 

Anyway, I still did make an appointment with her JUST IN CASE and then went on to finding other OB Gyn. I first took into consideration the distance of the hospital from our place because it would take me an hour or so to go to NUH from my place and I wasn't really happy about that especially if I get an early morning appointment. The nearest hospital around our area is the Parkway East Hospital and found Dr. Roland Chieng's name in one of the forums I visited. Although I am hesitant of having a male OB Gyn, I still booked an appointment for back up. My search continued and I stumbled upon another OB Gyn's name Dr. Sheila Loh of Raffles Hospital. I googled her and read a number of good feedback about her so I decided to book an appointment as well and today, I finally met her.

My appointment was at 4PM and we reached the hospital at around 3:45PM. Since it was my first visit, I had to fill out forms. They also checked my height, weight and BP for my profile. Though it was an hour's wait, we felt like it was worth it. She's very friendly and has an approachable personality. We gathered more information from her as she explained more in details about my previous test results from NUH (I was instructed to bring them so I don't need to undergo the same tests). 

Dr. Sheila did an ultrasound scan on me just to see how my uterus and ovaries are now at this stage. I'm on cycle day 22 and she said by this time there should be evidence of my ovulation. She checked my right ovary and the appearance is normal, no cysts and it has 13 follicles. My left ovary also has a normal appearance, no cysts and has 10 follicles. She said that it is a good sign that even after going through surgery, I still have good egg reserve so that made me happy! Unfortunately though, she didn't see any sign that I already ovulated but that doesn't mean that I didn't. 

She then went through my hubby's lab test result. All the parameters were good except for two. First is the Vitality or the percentage of live sperms. The limit set by the World Health Organization is 58% and he got 56% which is really not that bad. Another parameter is the Morphology or the form of the sperm. The standard is 4% and he got 3%. Dr. Sheila said if the form of the sperm is below the standard, then it may have a hard time fertilizing my egg. These can be addressed by taking Vitamin C & E which was actually prescribed to him by my previous OB Gyn, Dr. Anu, though she didn't explain it to us as clearly as Dr. Sheila did. Unfortunately though, my husband is not that consistent in taking his vitamins (bad!) so from now on I will be reminding him every single day. Dr. Sheila also asked my hubby if he cycles because that can also have an effect if you do more than an hour and unfortunately again, my husband does! On weekends he enjoys riding his bike as his exercise so now I told him to cut it down. I even jokingly said that I will take a photo of his bike and post it online and sell it... haha! 

So to finalize my check-up, Dr. Sheila prescribed me Clomid. This is actually a drug to help induce ovulation and release at least 2 eggs to be fertlized thus getting a higher chance of getting pregnant. This will be taken on cycle day 2 to 6 if I do get my period this June {which I'm hoping I won't}. She gave me 10 tablets to cover 2 months and if it is still unsuccessful, then we may need to resort to artificial insemination. 

So yeah, that's my story this month. To be honest I don't have high hopes this time because we only BD'd twice. Don't judge.. lol! DH and I actually decided that we will just do it only when we feel like doing so and this month was actually busy month after our family holiday. We only got the chance twice but hopefully, the timing was right. All I can do now is pray. 

Oh by the way, something different I did this month was to take Blackmores Conceive Well Gold. I have been wanting to try this for months but I just find it too expensive at $46 for one box (28 days use). But when I saw it on sale for $55 for two boxes I immediately caved in! I showed this to Dr. Sheila and asked if it's ok to take and she said yes. This just primarily contain multivitamins and it's actually good for preparing your body for conception.

Here's the breakdown of fees:

Consultation..................................$130.00
Clomid..........................................$25.20
Practice Cost.................................$12.50 (I actually don't know what is this for?!)
Ultrasound.....................................$110.00

Total Charge after GST..............$297.10

So let me end this quite lengthy post with these inspirational Bible verses..

Hebrews 10:36
Learn to be patient, so that you will please God and be given what he has promised.

Psalm 37:5,7

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.

 

On OPKs and Ovulation

Hello everyone!

Today I want to share with you my OPK (ovulation predictor kit) results from my cycle day 14 up to 18 (which is today).

Okay so before I continue, let me give you a brief explanation on what an OPK is. Basically it detects a surge of Luteinizing Hormone (or most commonly referred to as LH) that is present in your urine. So what does that mean if you have a surge? Well, an increase in LH actually triggers ovulation which is when the egg is released for the the sperm to fertilize it. This does not mean though that  when you get the a positive result, you are ovulating right at that instant. Ovulation occurs after 24-48 hours following a positive result therefore it is recommended to baby dance on the following days. This is the reason why it is recommended to do an OPK for atleast 5 consecutive days starting on your cycle day 10 so you could monitor the surge.

Now, this is not 100% guarantee. Based on what I've read here in the magical world of internet, some women would experience a surge in LH but still end up not ovulating. Hopefully that is not my case.

Anyhoo, after my last ultrasound check up (read all about it here), I decided to get me some OPKs. I've used it before but didn't really find it helpful since I didn't get preggers so I decided to stop it. These stuff are expensive, well atleast for me. But since I have been spending so much money on my ultrasounds, then why not get a better chance in getting pregnant by detecting when I ovulate. Luckily that day, Watsons was having a buy 1 get 1 free on their brand so I picked up these...

I was on my cycle day 14 then and I did my test around 5:45 in the afternoon. It is recommended to do the test around the same time for the next 5 days for a more accurate result. Try to prevent from drinking too much liquid as well 2 hours before you take the test as it can dilute the hormone in your urine. Below are the my OPKs for the past 5 days, I noticed that the color faded a little bit but it is still visible.

OPKs are different from pregnancy tests in terms of reading the result. If you would look at it like a PT, you would think that all these are positive results right? Wrong. OPKs are supposed to show two lines (showing only one line would mean the test is invalid) and the difference between a positive and a negative test is how dark the Test band (on the right) is compared to the Control band (on the left). 

This is one thing that I hate about these OPKs. It is so difficult to figure out if it is a positive or negative. Sometimes when you want something really bad, like a positive OPK for example, you will trick your mind into thinking that the Test band is indeed darker than the Control band therefore convincing yourself that it is a positive result. Raise your hand if you agree. LOL!

Looking at my OPKs above, the only day that I got a dark test band was on the 25th. It doesn't look as dark as it used to be when I first tested but you can compare it with the rest of the sticks and it's the only one that has a test band that is still really visible. So I then convinced myself that it was a positive but unfortunately though, we didn't BD that night because of a petty fight (nice timing right?) but we made sure we made up for it the next day and today! Hopefully my hubby's soldiers will be motile enough and fertilize my egg as I ovulate *crossing fingers*.

Now all I have to do is be patient (which I am totally not) as I enter my two week wait (2WW). Hopefully I can fight the urge to do a pregnancy test earlier than when I'm supposed to which I highly doubt.. lol! 

So there you have it ladies. I hope I enlightened you a little bit on how to use and read OPKs. If you have any comments on my OPK results please leave them down below. I would love to know your thoughts on this. Please keep us in your prayers that we may be able to finally complete our family.

Baby dust to all those trying as well!

Till my next update!

Ciao!

Overwhelmed

Hello ladies! Hope you all had a wonderful day!

I'm just here to say my BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has been very supportive and inspiring me through this journey. Ever since I started this blog my friends and relatives, whom mostly I haven't talk to in years, has been contacting me via Facebook and sharing me their TTC experience and giving me tips on how to be successful in our baby-making journey. Today alone, I received five messages from different people and I'm just so amazed how my situation can bring people together. It's like having my own little support group.

I am so appreciative to all those who have shown their care and concern and willingly shared to me their personal stories. Once again, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I just couldn't end my day without expressing my gratitude. I am overwhelmed.

PS.

We are planning to change gynae if this cycle becomes unsuccessful *crossing fingers that it's not*. For those here in Singapore, please let me know if you have any good recommendations preferably here in the East area.

Ciao ladies!

Sweet dreams and baby dust to all!

TTC Cycle 2

Here we go again.

So I'm back with another TTC cycle post which means our  attempt last month was a failure (booo!). I had really high hopes for last month since it was our first month to try after the surgery but that didn't go well as expected. Anyway, I don't want to be a Debbie Downer here and go on and on with my frustrations so let me just fill you in with the details from my last 2 visits with my gynae.

I was scheduled to see her on the 8th of April for a check-up and so I went. I was directed to their Fetal Care Centre for an ultrasound scan. The day I went was the day before my expected AF to come. I did a pregnancy test 2 days before that {so much for being patient} and I got a negative result but I was still hopeful that I can be pregnant. She first did a typical scan on my abdomen and I thought that was it but then seconds after she took out THE thing again... the one that they insert down there. Even after going through that kind of scan for several times already, I still can't help but cringe. Definitely not the most comfortable feeling on earth.

So anyway,  after looking on the screen for a few minutes, the sonographer suddenly asked me if my period is coming soon and so I told her I am expecting it the next day. After that she asked me to wait outside. She must have seen something in there that made her ask that question so then I ditched the idea that I can be pregnant.

I waited half an hour again to see my gynae this time. She reviewed the scan result and said it was all good. I was somehow scared that the cyst may have come back but fortunately, everything's looking  fine. She then uttered "so why is it not happening?" and as much as I want to tell her "you tell me you're the doctor here!" I just kept silent and shrugged. So she gave me a rundown of the next steps that we will be doing to make it a success:

• First, she asked me to call for an appointment for a TOO (Time Of Ovulation) as soon as my AF comes. I have to be scanned on my cycle day 12 {which is today} to see the progress of my egg cells whether it's maturing or not. From there she will tell us when is right day to do our serious baby-making business. Lol!
• There might be a possibility that maybe I am not ovulating so she said if that is the case, she will prescribe me a medicine to help me ovulate. We will try this for 2-3 months and if still unsuccessful then we proceed to the next step...
• ...and that is IUI or Intrauterine Insemination Treatment which basically takes out the fun in baby-making.. haha! This is a process where in my hubby's sperm will be taken and then they will insert it into my uterus on the day of ovulation. Watch this for a better understanding :)

I am hoping that we don't need to do the IUI because first, it will be expensive {around $700+} and second, I want to get pregnant as naturally as possible with less "medical" or "science" intervention. But for the sake of having our own bundle of joy, we are willing to do everything.

Total bill for this visit:
Consulation Fee..........$80.25
Gynae Scan.................$90.95
Total..........................$171.20

********************************************************************************


So today I went back to hospital for my TOO. I honestly don't know what to expect and what procedure I will be undergoing but yeah, you guessed it right, I went through that uncomfortable scanning again. I laid down on that bed for like a minute or two while my gynae checked on my ovaries. She saw a follicle growing on my left ovary but she said it's not big enough and asked me to go back again on Thursday {but I can't make it so we rescheduled it on Wednesday instead} so she can see the progress of the follicle.

That was about it. And oh by the way, she told us to do the deed tomorrow and then after that, no more sex {poor hubby.. lol!} for the meantime. I'm really hopeful, like how I have been hopeful for the past year, that it will work this time. Cross your fingers and toes for us. Hehe :)

The bill for this visit was $90.95. We were only charged for the gynae scan (hallelujah!). We were in and out her office in like a snap so if she would have charged us with $80 again, I will be having second thoughts to come back.. lol!

So that's it ladies! Wish us luck this month. I'm really hoping and praying to get a positive result after this.

Baby dust to all!

*UPDATE ON TODAY'S VISIT 24/04/13*

Had another scan and my gynae said it is still not big enough. She said that it's best to do the deed again tomorrow, Saturday and Monday. That was it! Another $90.95 down the drain. It seems like I paid for someone to tell me when to have sex.. Lol!

Anyhoo, I'm just having breakfast now and then I'm off to work! Good luck to me!

Ciao!

TTC Cycle 1

Hello there ladies!

Before I begin, let me inform you that this post (and probably the succeeding TTC Cycle posts as well) will be a little TMI :) I just want to share/write down all information as I can in case we do get successful this cycle, I (and whoever on TTC reading/following this blog) can always go back and see the facts which led to the success {crossing fingers}!

----

So it's been a month since I went under the knife or should I say a laparoscope, and I'm happy to inform all of you that I'm back to my normal routine. Actually, a week and a half after my surgery I already felt fine and back to my normal self. I can do things that I normally do without pain whatsoever and I really thank God  and my hubby for watching over me.

Anyhoo, we are on our first attempt to TTC (which means Trying To Conceive for those who are unfamiliar with the jargon) post-op so we are both excited. I was actually a little bit worried about any side effects of my surgery. I was thinking that it might affect my period and cause unusual pain. I was impatiently waiting for my period to come and when it finally did, I was ecstatic, despite my usual dysmenorrhea.

I had my "aunt flow" or AF as they would call it from March 12 up to the 16th which was within my usual 5-day cycle. I am technically on cycle day 12 today and if my ovulation calendar app I have on my phone is correct, I should be ovulating any time today. Now I know I wouldn't get pregnant if we didn't do THE deed (hehe) and so far we've done it twice {cycle day 8 and 10}. We definitely have to "baby dance" or BD later on tonight to make sure we have it covered. We try to do it every other instead of every day to make sure my DH has enough "reserves" (lol!)

Okay I know it's starting to sound like it's becoming a "job" for us but to be honest, with my shifting work schedule, we really have to plan it and then enjoy it while it's happening. There's nothing wrong with that IMHO. It's a matter of making it exciting and something to look forward to rather than a task that you both need to do. Of course it doesn't mean that we don't have those out-of-the-blue "booty call" but it doesn't hurt to have it planned when I am most fertile. It all comes down to having an open communication with your partner, do whatever works for you and don't get caught up within the "rules".

So that's it for this post. I will update you of the progress soon!

Thank you all for reading and baby dust to all TTC!

My First Surgery Experience

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well.

It's been 3 days since I "checked out" from the hospital and I want to share with you my experience. I'd have to warn you though that this could be lengthy and graphic so beware ;)

So like I mentioned in my previous post, I was instructed to take a laxative the night before to "release" everything in preparation for the surgery. I was supposed to mix the 45ml of laxative to 800ml of water so I started drinking it at around 7 in the evening. Hours had passed and nothing was coming out. I was tossing and turning in bed the whole night anxious about the surgery and what the effect would be if I didn't pass motion but morning came and still... nothing.

22  Feb, 7:15AM

As instructed, I went straight to the Day Surgery Centre of NUH. First order of business of course is finalizing who/how the bill be settled. After that, my husband and I were lead into this "prepping room". 

There were huge comfy chairs divided with curtains. After a few SOP, the nurse gave me instructions to change into my very glamorous hospital gown and wrapped my armswag on me. She then said that my surgery would be around 10AM and asked me to wait for the nurse to fetch me with the wheelchair.

As we were waiting, I tried to distract myself and not think of what's about to happen. I kept joking with my husband and kept fiddling with my phone but as the time gets nearer and nearer, my heart kept beating faster and faster. The room, which was initially full of patients, was slowly becoming empty. Nurses with wheel chair and/or operating bed were coming in and out and picking them up one by one. I know my turn will be coming soon. Tears fell involuntarily. I WAS SCARED. Luckily my husband was with me to comfort me and make me laugh. 

 9:45AM

And then, there he was. I saw a guy nurse pushing a wheelchair heading towards where we were seated. I knew that one was for me. After confirming that he was taking the correct patient, he assisted me onto the wheel chair and asked my husband to follow him as he pushed me on our way to the next building. 

That wheelchair ride was unforgettable.

I couldn't look straight ahead. I couldn't dare look at those cold, shiny, silver hospital beds or see people in pain. My head was bowed down and my hands  were clinched together all throughout. I was praying. I was asking Him for strength and courage to overcome this. 

We then slowed down as we reach the visitor's lounge and the nurse explained to my husband where he could wait for me. He gave him a code so my husband can monitor on the LCD screen where my location is and took his phone number so they could call him once I'm ready to come out.

Just few steps away from the visitor's lounge was the Operating Theatre. I was lead to the reception area and was asked to wait. A nurse came and strapped something on my right foot which I believe is something like a tracking device. This would help my husband in tracking my location within the hospital. Two Filipino doctors approached me and asked if I was already informed by my doctor about the study that they are currently conducting. I said yes but it was not thoroughly explained to me and I haven't agreed to do it yet so she then proceeded on explaining.

In a standard ovarian cystectomy, they would either use diathermy (burning) or suturing (stitching) to stop the bleeding after removing the cyst however, according to them, these damages the ovarian follicles and hence damages the ovarian reserve (or the eggs in short). What they wanted to do now is to use Surgiflo on me and be part of the study proving that it is effective and a much safer way to stop bleeding in a surgery like mine. Surgiflo, in a sense, is like a clear plaster or band aid that they will apply topically on the ovarian tissue to stop the bleeding and it will melt away after about a week or so. 

Although I know that there will be risks involved, I decided to go ahead and agree to be part of it for the sake of my eggs (lol!). The doctors assured me that in case Surgiflo fails, they will do suturing instead. I felt like I was in good hands so I gave them my consent. 

Shortly after, the anesthesiologist came and asked me SOP questions. He explained to me what will happen inside and that I might experience sore throat after from the breathing tube that they will putting inside my mouth. He then told me to wait for the nurse to pick me up and bring me to the operating room then he left. Tears started flowing again and this time, my husband was not by my side to comfort me. At that point, I just wanted to be be under the anesthesia already so I could sleep and be worry-free.

After a few minutes, a nurse came and led me to the operating room. THIS IS THE MOMENT OF TRUTH. I wanted to back out but I know it's too late so I sucked it up and just followed instructions. They asked me to lie down and when I did, they did not waste a fraction of a second. In an instant, there were four medical staffs around me. On my left was the anesthesiologist inserting the IV on my hand and on my right, one is taking my BP and another was hooking me up to the machine to monitor my vital signs. Another staff strapping something on my legs for blood circulation and then strapped me on the bed after that. I looked all around the big white room and there were no less than 10 people inside.

As I stare at the big white lights above me (which I thought I would only see in the movies), I felt the anesthesia taking its effect slowly. They put a mask on me and asked me to try to open my eyes as long as I can. I felt my body becoming heavier and heavier. It seems like I was slowly sinking in the operating bed. In less than a minute, I was knocked out.

Next thing I know, somebody was tapping me very hard on my right shoulder saying "Melanie, we're done! We're done!" Then I felt very cold and started shivering so they put two blankets on me. As they pushed me out through the door, I saw a hazy vision of my husband which gave me a sense of comfort in a way. After I was settled in my ward, first thing I remember is my husband kissing me on my forehead. I was thankful that it was over and that I was safe.

It was a 3-hour long wait according to my husband and when we reach the ward, visiting hours {12nn-2pm} was almost over so he had to leave me once again and wait somewhere outside until he's allowed to come back at 5pm. I thought I could take advantage of that time and continue sleeping but with the nurses regularly taking my blood pressure and body temperature, I couldn't get a decent hour of sleep without being interrupted. In one of the nurse's rounds, she came in and saw her draining something from the side of my bed then she uttered "you pee a lot". I was like "huh?" she repeated it again and I was shocked to learn that I have a catheter on. It was only then that I realized that have a tube inserted down there and it was not the most comfortable feeling.

Finally my husband came back to see me at exactly 5 o'clock and at this point I was really, really hungry. I have been asking all the nurses who came in and checked up on me when can I eat and drink and they said they are still waiting for doctor's orders. By 7pm, a tray of food was finally delivered to my room and I was smiling from ear to ear. Not the best dinner I've had but it was satisfying enough for my growling stomach.

23 Feb, 8AM

My OB, Dr. Anupriya, came down and checked up on me. She looked at my wounds and told me that the surgery went well. They were able to take out the cyst successfully and she said there were actually 2 cysts joined together and it was full of hair when they opened it up {I know! Eeeew!}.

Upper left: the cyst they removed

Lower right: the foam-like substance is the Surgiflo

I was relieved to know that Surgiflo worked out fine and that I can go home that same day. She put me on hospital leave until the 2nd of March and I am scheduled to see her for a follow-up check up on the 4th of March.

As of this writing, I can still feel a bit of pain on my abdomen area as they made four incisions (1 on my belly button, 2 at side and 1 below the belly button). I experienced a bit of bleeding until yesterday so I had to wear a pad. The doctor said that is normal as long as I don't secrete a lot of blood to the point that I have to change my pad every hour. I stopped taking the pain reliever as I don't want to be too dependent on it and I try to move around to keep a healthy blood circulation.

I am ecstatic that this whole ordeal is over and I am ready to face the next chapter of our lives and I'm hoping it's going to be positive all the way :) 

To all those who prayed for me and wished me well either on facebook, instagram, or via text message, THANK YOU!

To those who visited me, THANK YOU so much for taking your time to see me. It meant a lot to me.

And to those of you reading this entry, THANK YOU for your patience ;)


Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.
- Jeremiah 17:14

PS.

The hospital bill amounted to a whopping $4,504.64. This will be settled by my employer, whether fully or partially, that I will have to find out on a later date.

Counting Down...

Hi there beautiful ladies!

It's been a month since my last post and as promised, I will update you before my BIG day.

Yes, I am finally undergoing surgery in less than 15 hours (give or take). I got a call today from the hospital and gave me further instructions about my fasting tonight and told me that I have to be at the hospital by 7:15 in the morning tomorrow. I don't know exactly what time will the surgery start but I'm assuming it's somewhere between 8 to 9am. 

I'm lying down on my bed as I am typing this while munching on a cookie. In about an hour, I'm supposed to take this laxative (Fleet Phospho-Soda) for bowel cleansing and I'm not looking forward to that. I'm pretty sure that the toilet bowl will be my BFF tonight. After 12 midnight, I am no longer allowed to eat anything, not even water, until tomorrow morning so I'm a bit concerned about that. 

But nothing concerns me more than the actual surgery tomorrow. I am terrified. It's my first time to do something like this and the feeling of uncertainty is what worries me the most. This could be considered as a minor surgery but this is something MAJOR for me. It's driving me crazy thinking of things that could go wrong during the procedure. Yes, I AM PARANOID. 

On the other hand though, I have been looking forward to this day that finally I will have that alien-looking thing inside of me removed. I wonder if I could ask the doctor for a copy of the video? Do you think that's possible? Well I guess I'll find out tomorrow. 

So that's it for now guys. I would have to get back to you a few days after my surgery and maybe post some photos. 

Again, I am asking for your prayers for a safe surgery and quick recovery. Thank you so much for joining me in this journey.

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain!" - Dolly Parton

 

It's a Date!

Hello there ladies and gorgeous mommas!

I'm here to update you guys what's up with me :) Today, we paid another visit to NUH to see my doctor, Dr. Anu, and set the date of my surgery. I was scheduled to see her at 1:30PM and we came in on time but we only got to see her around 4-ish. That was a gruesome 2 and a half hour wait! When the nurse finally called my name, it was like hearing the angels in heaven singing! Lol!

Anyhoo, we first agreed on the date of my surgery which will be on the 22nd of February. She then discussed how my laparoscopic surgery will be done. She also informed me of some possible risks and complications during (like excessive bleeding) and after (ie. scar tissue formation) the surgery. After going through several medical terminologies, she then asked me to sign the consent form and was asked to wait outside  for further instructions from the nurse.

Luckily the wait time was shorter this time, probably because it's time to collect payment. The cashier called my name and asked me to pay for the following: 

Consultation Fee........................................$80.25

Full Blood Count.......................................$23.54

Medication (Fleet).......................................$3.07

Total.........................................................$106.86

I honestly do not know what the blood test is for. My doctor did not mention anything about that but since we just want to get it done and over with, I just paid and waited for my name to be called again for the blood test.

After the nurse drew one tube of my blood, we were asked to wait again and this time, to discuss the big moolah involved for the surgery. Another nurse called us in and went inside the room labeled "Financial Counselling". Here she showed us the options categorized per ward services and facilities. I opted for the cheapest one which is a whopping $3,722. Yes, that's three thousand seven hundred and twenty two dollars! I was in a way relieved because I was expecting around $4K - $5K like what the nurse told me the last time I inquired. Funny thing about my insurance is, according to our HR, there is a possibility that not the entire bill will be covered since there is a limit per category (room, doctor's fee, medication, etc.) so just to play it safe, I chose the cheapest one. 

So, it's a date. February 22nd. 

I'm not gonna lie, I am frightened and scared but at the same time excited to go through with the surgery. I am hoping and praying that after this so-called ordeal, we could finally have our own little bundle of joy. I know, I know. I shouldn't be thinking this way. Having this mindset would break me again if in case it still doesn't happen. But I am tired of hoping and I believe that if you focus your mind that IT IS GONNA HAPPEN then IT WILL HAPPEN.

I ask for your prayers for a safe surgery and quick recovery. I shall update you again before my big day!

Thank you ladies for reading and baby dust to all who are also trying!

Ciao bellas!

The Doctor Is In

Hello mommies and mommy-wannabes!

If you read my very first post on this blog, I mentioned that I will be sharing with you the details of my very first doctor's appointment.

To be honest, one reason why I kept delaying to see the doctor because I really don't know who and where to go. Now I realize how hard it is to be away from your family as I don't have my mom or my elder sister to ask for advice. I ended up asking a friend/ex-schoolmate Bing who lives here in Singapore and recently gave birth and she recommended me to Dr. Anupriya of National University Hospital. The day the "red witch" came after our Sydney trip, I immediately conquered my fear to make that call and set an appointment.

October 22, 2012. That was my first time to see an OB-Gyn in my 31 years of existence. Needless to say, I was nervous as hell! Heart pounding. Knees shaking. Cold and sweaty hands and feet. Yes, that's how scared I was. The uber cold, full-blast air-conditioning of the hospital made it a whole lot worst! As soon as we entered the Women's Clinic, I gave the nurse my ID card and registered. I waited in vain for my name to be called, and when they did, I thought I would pass out.

Image Credit to http://texas.811magazines.com

My DH came with me inside the doctor's clinic. Dr. Anu was friendly and I immediately felt comfortable with her. She started asking the standard and personal questions for my husband and I's profile and quickly went through a female reproductive anatomy. After the small chit-chat, she asked me to lie down on the bed behind the curtain and once I heard that, my heart skipped a beat! I wanted to run out of the room but I know I need to get this done and over with so I went ahead and lied down. I warned her and the nurse that I was on my 5th day of the red witch's visit but they said it was fine. That was an awkward moment for me.

With my hands on my face and my eyes slightly peeking through the spaces between my fingers, I watched the doctor as she put this strange-looking gadget inside me and swabbed me using a very long cotton bud. I thought that was it, I was done! Then she uttered "I need to do a gynae scan" and I said "ok" without knowing that involves another strange-looking and looong thingamajig. That was not fun at all especially when she uttered this next phrase -- "there is a small cyst on your left ovary, let's see if this will go away". 

My mind went blank.

We then walked back to her table and gave me a list of lab tests that I will be doing for my coming menstrual cycle.  I passively took it and agreed. My mind is not functioning. I can't think of anything to ask her. She also didn't act as if it's something to be too concerned about so I took the piece of paper and walked off. We went back to the waiting area and nervously waited for the cashier to call my name to give us the low-down on how much the damage was. 

This was the breakdown:

Consultaion Fee..........................$101.65

Liquid Based Pap Smear...............$40.66

Chlamydia Trachomatics..............$69.55

Simple Gynae Scan.......................$90.95

Grand total...................................$302.81

Phew! I wonder how much this would cost if I did it in the Philippines. Anyway, I am sharing this information for those who wants to have an idea how much it would cost to see a doctor for an initial appointment. Prior to our visit, I have been researching high and low on how much the cost would be but didn't find any source. Though I know it differs from one person to another (and doctors as well) as we have different cases but at least with this information, you have a rough gauge on how much you are expected to spend.

If there are gynaes out there reading this post or even those who have the scientific knowledge about what I am going through, I would appreciate your suggestions and recommendations.

For my next post, I will be tackling about my first lab test and hubby's andrology appointment. 

Thank you all for reading! I hope this post have been helpful.

Baby dust to all!

Ciao!

The Birth of This Blog

Hi everyone!

So I created this blog for me to have an outlet to express my feelings and emotions towards our journey to parenthood. This would also help me keep my sanity in check as I have so many things running through my mind in the  past few days.

Anyway, a brief background first -- my dear hubby (or DH in short) and I got married last year - Sept 10, 2011, here in Singapore at the age of 30. Since we have been together for 6 years at that time, we know that we are ready to take the next big step and that is to become mommy and daddy. Right after our wedding, we started trying to make our own little bundle of joy, naive of what it actually takes to have one.

Let me just say we took the "honeymoon-ing" part seriously. We traveled so much this year, from Europe to Korea to the land-down-under Australia, just to have that time off and get away from the busy and hectic life of Singapore and just catch a fresh breath of air. A lot of people would say to me that I have to relax and not stress myself out about it but IT IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE. Though we were not bummed about it for the first few months of trying, after about 8 months or so, I started "questioning" myself and freaking out. I was afraid that there might be something wrong with me but on the other hand, I was dreading to see a doctor! I couldn't bare hearing that I wouldn't be able to conceive so we decided to wait it out until we reach our 1st year anniversary.

I was obsessed on joining TCC (trying to conceive) forums and reading on the success stories of other women who struggled to have their first born. Tried to exercise and diet but both were a failure, lol! After numerous mobile apps, ovulation prediction kits (OPK) , and home pregnancy tests (HPT), we were still unsuccessful.

So we flew to Sydney to celebrate our anniversary and lucky enough that it fell on the dates when I was most "fertile". Needless to say, we baby-danced all the way but still no luck. That is when I finally decided that we HAVE to see a doctor. 

I will be sharing more on that in details in my next post. I hope you continue to join us on this journey as we encounter life's ups and downs. I strongly believe that there is a perfect timing for everything and God has greater plan for us.

If you are on the same page as we are, please leave a comment and share your experience as well. Would love to hear from all of you!

Baby dust to all!

Ciao!