Throughout my pregnancy till now as Amber is approaching five months old, I’m really thankful for a group of unsung heroes also known as “Fast and Furious West Mummies”! Why fast and furious? Because our whatsapp messages can reach thousands in a day, that’s why!

When I first discovered I was pregnant, I joined a Facebook group for May 2016 expectant mothers. That progressed into joining the whatsapp group for the west zone.. I remember it was Krayon (“her husband called colour pencil”) who added me into the chat group along with many mummies. I think when I joined, the chat group had 20+ mummies? And now it’s like 50-60.

Being my first pregnancy, I was really clueless over everything. I also didn’t have mom support unlike most people. Seeing fellow ftms asking the same clueless questions as me made me feel safe, like I wasn’t alone, and it was ok to be blur. Apart from newbies, there are experienced mummies in the group who answered all our basic-to-the-core questions patiently.. be it about breastfeeding and sterilising breast pumps before we popped, to handling screaming colicky babies in the first 1-2 months, to now giving pointers about introducing solids.. this well of information is endless. The oldies and newbies learnt together and found support in one another.. we really can talk about everything!

I recall the days all of us hadn’t given birth yet and our EDD was nearing. Excitement exploded when Jamie was the first to give birth, followed by Chew Yen and Sophia. They gave birth end April. I remember us sharing tips on how to induce labour naturally when our EDD was near and there was no sign of baby yet.. I really did those squats dilligently! LOL. It was also from this group that mummies introduced my eventual gynae to me, and I am eternally grateful.

The mummies had a few meet ups but I couldn’t join those times. Finally this month, cbb went for her first mass playdate! I thought it would be fun for her, but poor girl was so terrified, the theme of the day was literally “CRY ALL THE WAYYYY”!! I guess she wasn’t used to being in an enclosed area with strangers coming up to say hi and looking her in the face.. and the chatter can get overwhelming for her little ears. I feel sorry for the kind mummies and daddies who tried means to make her smile, and all they got in return was an instant crinkling of her face and even louder cries. Cbb was ok on a few occasions when there weren’t as many babies. I hope the next time we meet, she will be all smiles!

Not all the mummies could make it for our playdate, but it was nice to see the ones who could. Thank you Agnes for hosting us and for everyone who brought food, drinks and playmats!

Ok so here, pictures! Little girl was already acting up in the car ride. Err probably cos I made her wear the silly hat. She hates having ANYTHING on her head.

“Put the silly hat on me again and I will……. resign to my fate.”

Xin Lan, Cath, Mayvin, Krayon, Beth and Joyce!

Someone’s husband cut Agnes away from the previous pic so here she is! Chew Yen looking like she’s photobombing.. hahaha.

Jamie, her hubby and cutie-pie Chloe!

Dewi and cheeky Lana!

Otah-soh Jennifer, Joyce and Agnes. Jennifer and Joyce’s babies were also born on the same day as cbb!

Cath and Seth.. thank you Cath for sharing what you know with us ftms. Her #1 is such a sweetie!

Krayon, her hubby and Kedric. The most beautiful family photo of the day goes to them!

Amelene, her funny hubby and Elliot. Cbb cried the loudest when Elliot was trying to be friendly and touched her hand. Wish I had recorded her face. Damn funny I swear.

Wow can find one pic with cbb not crying. Must buy 4D.

Lana and Lucas (the babies I mean..)

“Hi…. wanna be friends?

Shanni and Savier! One of the two original Michelin babies *wink*. The other is Queenie of course!

Shiang Min and Mayvin with their hubbies and babies Ash and Clyde!

Clyde and his doppelganger Lana. They REALLY look alike and nooo they’re not related!

Smiley Chloe 笑笑公主!

Baby Zach and Queenie!

Band of brothers.

And then it was time for the GROUP PICS ON THE PLAYMAT OMFG ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE. HAHAHAHA! Spot my crying babe!

Can’t see her? Nah here.

So yup, it’s true. She really cried all the way! And on the way home…….

SULK.

Hahaha! It was really fun meeting all my 最熟悉的陌生人s. Till the next one!

The post CBB’s first mass playdate with May babies appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

This is going to be the last update before #ChuaBeeBee makes her appearance! Today, I am 39+3 with no signs of labour. I’m gonna be admitting later at midnight!

I saw my gynae two days ago on Monday to check on CBB. Her head is low but not engaged, and my cervix is not dilated, not even a bit. Her heartbeat is great and growth is good, putting on another 200g since her last check up barely a week ago. BUT…

… her amniotic fluid index (AFI) is low (oligohydramnios), which came as a shock to us and to my doctor because just 6 days ago, her water level was just perfect for us to still wait for things to come naturally.

How is the AFI measured?

My gynae told us that the AFI is measured in 6 quadrants. What he did was place his scanner in 6 parts on my tummy to see how much water (dark areas) there are. He then measures the individual pockets of water in cm using his machine, and the summed-up area is the AFI. Anything below 6cm is not good, and we measured only around 4.5cm, which is low.

Why does the amniotic fluid decrease?

There are a myriad of reasons, including leaking water bag, growth restriction and etc, according to individual baby’s stages and conditions. For us, the most likely reason is that the placenta is now starting to get weak and unable to supply as much nutrients to baby, since we’re already close to 40 weeks. This is normal in late third trimester, said my gynae, but it doesn’t mean it’s ok. The amniotic fluid is the baby’s urine, so when baby ingests less (from a weakened placenta), she outputs less, resulting in less fluid.

What does the amniotic fluid do for baby?

According to babycentre, amniotic fluid’s role is crucial in:

1) Cushioning your baby to protect him from trauma
2) Preventing the umbilical cord from becoming compressed, which would reduce baby’s oxygen
3) Helping to maintain a constant temperature in the womb
4) Protecting against infection
5) Allowing your baby to move around so that muscles and bones develop properly
6) Helping the digestive and respiratory systems develop as your baby swallows and excretes it and “inhales” and “exhales” it from his lungs

What are my options?

My doctor isn’t toooo worried because at close to 40 weeks, baby’s development is complete. He gave us three options: 1) Admit for inducement on Wednesday midnight (technically 12 May 0000h) and see if my cervix dilates 2) Wait to see him on Thursday and we decide then and 3) Opt for C-section

I’m more swayed towards 1 and 3 because I want to get Chua Bee Bee out safe asap. He’s quite pro-natural and hopes we can get her head to engage in two days instead of going for C-sect right away. I raised my eyebrows at him cos really mehhh two days can much changes happen. The thing about opting for inducement is that it could still result in C-section, especially when baby’s head is not engaged and cervix is not even dilated. He told me to “walk more these two days but don’t walk until you faint la” and we can try first. If dilation doesn’t happen and baby is in distress, we can decide on c-sect in the afternoon. Some people will just opt for c-sect but I don’t want to live with a what-if. And that’s my choice.

What are the extra costs involved?

I’m going to be delivering at Mt Alvernia, so there’s no additional cost for an emergency c-section if it happens. I will just be paying the deposit for a natural delivery, and if I end up having a c-section, I pay the balance of a c-section package and of course my gynae’s fees for c-section instead of natural. I don’t have to pay the hospital double (natural + c-sect) nor do I have to pay my gynae double. The cost per pill inserted for inducement is around $60-$80. More info on Mt A maternity packages can be found here. And although c-sect costs are higher, you can also claim more under the Medisave Maternity Package.

Did you have any complications before this?

Not at all! This pregnancy has been great. Apart from being overweight to start with (I started at 72 kg – yes not bluffing), everything’s perfect. Blood pressure 113/81 at last measure. No gestational diabetes. No excess protein. Not GBS positive. Baby has been putting on weight constantly. Lots of fetal movement. Chua Bee Bee’s estimated weight is 3.16 kg as of last scan, but it’s just an estimate after all. Can’t wait to lose all the weight and more!

So… when is Chua Bee Bee coming out?

I’m going to be admitted Wednesday midnight cross over Thursday (12 May).. hopefully Chua Bee Bee cooperates! But even if we have to go for a c-sect, what matters most is that she arrives safe and healthy. I’ve heard people say that our womb is the safest place for our babies and everything should just go “naturally”. If everything else is going great, then yeah, but when there are medical reasons, getting baby out IS SAFER. Please don’t be stubborn and be your own doctor! Actually even if you opt for non-medical reasons to induce/c-sect I don’t believe anyone should judge you. It’s your body, your baby, your choice.

Good luck to me and to all mummies-to-be! A new journey is starting soon and we’re very nervous but excited!

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Catch up on my other pregnancy posts:

Pregnancy: The big reveal!
Pregnancy: The first trimester scans… I saw an empty womb on my first scan
Pregnancy: The second trimester – harmony test and gender reveal!
Pregnancy: The second trimester – 20-week anomaly scan + gestational diabetes scare
Pregnancy: The third trimester 4D scan – I saw Chua Bee Bee’s cute little face!
Pregnancy: Mount Alvernia Hospital – Maternity Tour & Estimated Bill Size 2016
Pregnancy: Bellybuds! Playing music for your baby in the womb
FY2016 Budget: Is the government giving us an extra $3K into the Child Development Account?
Pregnancy: Why I’m choosing GAIA Natural Baby Organic Skincare for #ChuaBeeBee
Pregnancy: Tips for changing your gynae at Week 35
Pregnancy: When you wrist hurts like nobody’s business (All about De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis)
How to bake your own chunky chocolate lactation cookies

Plus, 10% off all GAIA Natural Baby products + free gift still ongoing. Click here for details. Use my code at checkout:

The post Pregnancy: Week 39 – Low amniotic fluid and an eviction notice! appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.