6th Month Postpartum Update: Weight Loss, Breastfeeding and More!

Hi guys!

If you don't know yet, our little Zeb turned 6 months old just a little over a week ago. I wrote an entry about it HERE. Today, I'm going to talk about where I'm at in terms of weight loss, breastfeeding and yes, even about sex 6 months after giving birth via Caesarean section.

Okay, let's go straight to the point and begin with the most awkward topic of all...

SEX

First of all, let me explain to you our current "set-up". Since hubby is an OFW, Zeb and I fly back and forth from Manila to Singapore so are in what I call a semi-long distance relationship as of the moment. In terms of sleeping arrangements, well we co-sleep with our little munchkin so with all that said, doing the deed has been put on the back burner for now. If you're wondering if the mood is there? Hmmm I'd say yes. It's just that the situation we are right now just makes it a bit difficult to get into the groove, haha! Besides, I am so not ready for another baby anytime soon so better be safe than sorry right? I won't be seeing my OB until I go back to Manila so we don't really have any contraceptive measure in place as of now. Red witch has made an appearance already just a couple of days ago so I am all the more cautious about it.

WEIGHT LOSS

Around 6 weeks after giving birth, I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 50kg. All thanks to breastfeeding, sleep deprivation and stress. I was back to my old clothes but still with an excess flab on my tummy. No biggie. I only wore my binder for a month because it was uncomfortable. I don't know if that decision will take a toll on me in the future, let's hope not. 

Anyhoo, I did not do any exercise at all, I'm not physically active to begin with. Besides, I ain't got time for that {insert face palm here} LOL! Although I do not suggest that you deprive yourself of sleep, I think that is inevitable especially with a newborn. I strongly believe  though that breastfeeding played a major role in losing all that weight. 

When Zeb was about 5 months old, I once again stepped on that dreaded weighing machine and I was surprised to find out that I lost another 3kg! I was in Manila that time and I was always sweating like a pig every day especially after doing some chores. To add to that, I also do squats. Nope, not to tighten my bum nor tone my thighs but to hush Zeb whenever he's having one of his crying episodes. Our pedia taught us this half-squat technique while singing ABC and it actually works! Try it  and see for yourselves :)

BREASTFEEDING

I think this topic deserve its own entry but I'd like to go ahead and briefly talk about it here. Yes I am proud to say that I have been exclusively breastfeeding our son for the past six months. Well, technically speaking there were a couple of nights when we were still in the hospital that I gave the nurse a go signal to give formula to Zeb. What was I thinking right? Back then, I didn't know any better. Being a newbie mom, I was worried because I was having slight fever from my engorgement and I was scared that I'd pass it on to him.  So for two nights for 12 hrs, Zeb was fed with formula but that's about it. It was all mommy's milk after that and I have never topped-up. 

To be honest, I didn't have any high hopes that I would be able to breastfeed my child. My mom wasn't able to do it to all three of us and my eldest sister also failed in breastfeeding her two kids too. They said they did everything they possibly could but they weren't really blessed with an abundant supply. So thinking that it runs in the family, I was expecting that I won't be able to do it as well. But to my surprise, everything worked out fine for us! I feel so blessed that I am able to do this for Zeb. Aside from saving us tons of moolah, it's the mother-and-son bond that we get from it that I'm really after. THAT is priceless.

LINEA NEGRA & STRETCHMARKS

Oh those battle scars.

It seems like they're not going anywhere anytime soon. Well, I can't blame them. I actually stopped using my stretch mark cream since Zeb came out to the outside world. I just didn't want to bother putting on any lotion or cream on my body. Although some streaks have lightened up, some looks like they're gonna be hanging out for a little longer.

As for my linea negra, it has relatively lightened up a lot. Only the bottom part from my belly button going down to my pubis is left a bit visible. I don't mind them though, I just treat them as "guests". I know they will be gone in time.

So there goes my 6th month post partum update mommies. If you made it up to this point, well THANK YOU! I appreciate your time reading this post. And if you arE on the same boat as me or about to reach you sixth month, I hope this helps :)

Thank you for dropping by.

Ciao!

My First Mother's Day

I know I am a day early to do a Mother's Day post but I think it's only fitting for me to write this today considering where I was in my life exactly one year ago.

May 10, 2013

We were at the Hong Kong International Airport waiting to board our flight back to Singapore as we conclude a 5-day family vacation. Just when we were about to board the plane, I suddenly felt something down there. I remember praying in the toilet hoping that it's not what I was thinking but unfortunately it was. Yes, the red witch made an appearance once again! That was already the third month after my laparoscopic surgery to remove the cyst on my left ovary which I blogged about here. I had high hopes to get pregnant right away so needless to say, I was crying in the plane on our way back. That was definitely not a good way to end a family vacay.

Fast forward to today, who would've thought that I will be holding my precious baby in my arms as I am writing this Mother's Day post? My life has made a complete turn around and this is just a reminder that God answers our prayers in His own perfect time. I am very happy beyond words can ever express to be celebrating my very first Mother's Day with our baby Zeb and my loving husband. 

It has been a challenging three months being a mom I must say but I wouldn't trade this for anything else in the world. I am blessed that I am able to be a stay at home mom and be really hands on with our child. There have been numerous sleepless night especially in the beginning and I went through a lot of frustrations and fears but at the end of the day, I am still grateful that I am given this opportunity to go through and experience motherhood. It has made me realize that my heart is capable of loving someone as much as I love my son.

So to all hardworking moms  like my mom, my mother-in-law and my sister and to those soon-to-be moms - Happy Mother's Day! Let us all celebrate this wonderful day for being a woman and thank the Lord for giving us this  very challenging but fulfilling role as a mother. 

And to those who are trying to be one, hang in there and keep the faith.

Again, Happy Mother's Day!

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!

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!

Life Changing Moment

Hi ladies! I'm back!

First of all let me just wish everyone happy holidays! I hope you had a great Christmas celebration and wish you all have a prosperous new year ahead!

Ok as promised, I'm here to share with you the series of lab tests that my husband and I went through for our baby-making journey. A few days after I first met with my doctor, I received the result of my pap smear via mail and thank God it was normal. However, she stated that I have a mild infection and prescribed a medication called Flagystatin for me to insert down there. At first I was like "what the hell is that?" so I googled and found out that it's a common kind of infection on women so I stopped worrying. I brought the prescription with me to Watsons and handed it over to a male pharmacist {yah, talk about feeling awkward}. I waited anxiously as he read my prescription and when he handed me the box he asked "do you know how to use it?"... I didn't know how to respond and stuttered for a while but I managed to say a very awkward "no" and so he went on and explained it to me.

The capsule has a butter-like consistency that you insert down there for 10 consecutive nights. It is important that you don't skip a day as you need to restart from day 1 if you do so. Once it's in, it is best to stay lying down that is why I did it before we went to sleep. Let me just say it's not the most comfortable feeling in the world.

My next visit to the hospital was on my Day 3 of my next menstrual cycle {21 Nov 2012}. I was instructed by Dr. Anu to come down again to do a blood test during my day 2 or 3 and that's what I did. So I basically went in and the nurse drew 3 tubes of my blood and paid for  the following:

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

Amenorrhoea................................$107.00

Anti-Mullerian Hormone................$34.24

Rubella IgG.....................................$28.89

Total..............................................$193.67

On the other hand, my husband was scheduled for a semen analysis. He actually opted to do the "collection" at home since we were informed that we have a 2-hour time frame before his little soldiers die... lol! So we went in and paid.

Conventional Semen Analysis...............$64.20

Grand Total for the day....................$257.87

December 3, 2012. 

That day was definitely an emotional day for me. It was time for us to find out whether the cyst is still there. I was terrified and shaking inside to be back in the hospital because I know that there will be alien-looking gadgets going inside of me again. 

First order of business was to do the gynae scan. Though I was scared to find out whether the cyst was gone or not, my first question to the sonographer was "is it still there?" , she played it safe at first and asked me what my doctor told me and I told her I know that I have a cyst on my left ovary. She then confirmed it and said "yes, it's still there." 

Tears started rolling down my cheeks in an instant! All I wanted to do that time was run out of the room and be in my husband's arms. I know this sounds so cheesy and dramatic but that was really what I felt. She continued scanning and taking screen captures and handed this report to Dr. Anu.

We then went to see Dr. Anu and discussed the result. She told me that the kind of cyst I have is called a dermoid cyst which according to Wikipedia is a cystic teratoma that contains developmentally mature skin complete with hair follicles and sweat glands, sometimes clumps of long hair, and often pockets of sebum, blood, fat, bone, nails, teeth, eyes, cartilage, and thyroid tissue. She basically told me the same thing but at that time I wasn't really listening and when I went home and googled, I was shocked and disgusted with the photos I saw. I couldn't believe I have that thing inside of me right now. 

Dr. Anu recommended to have it removed via laparoscopic surgery while the size is still relatively small. I asked how much it would be and it ranges between $4k -  $5K. Whoa! That made my jaw drop. Since my husband and I are scheduled to go back to the Philippines next month, we told her that I will have it done there instead. Recently though, I found out that I have an insurance coverage from where I work so I will be undergoing the surgery here in Singapore instead by February.

She then proceeded on explaining the lab test results from our recent visit. It was good to hear that everything is perfectly fine. Both of us have good and healthy eggs, thank God! She encouraged us to continue trying and prescribed me folic acid and vitamins C and E for my husband for us to take daily for the next three months.

We stepped out from her office and proceeded to the cashier and paid the following:

Consultation Service...................................$80.25

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

Folic Acid.....................................................$5.75

Vitamin C....................................................$45.90

Vitamin E....................................................$25.80

Grand Total.............................................$248.65

That day was definitely a life changing moment for me. In a way I regretted not seeing the doctor earlier but I know it was too late for that. Though I am scared as hell to go through the surgery, I am excited to take this thing out of me and start with our baby-making journey! I know God will be with me in every step of the way.

Baby dust to all who are trying like us and I wish you all a Happy New Year ahead!

Thank you all for reading this lengthy post!

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!