our new OB

the second time i was advised by dr. R to go on bed rest, my french boss suggested i get a second opinion as i was feeling panicky about the situation. not because i doubted dr. R, but a confirmation of her diagnosis will give me a piece of mind.

after asking family and friends, we finally met dra. A. eventhough we had to go out of our way to go to her clinic in ortigas, it was worth it. she was very thorough - i was opened a file for my first visit. her assistant took my weight and blood pressure. she interviewed me and k about our medical histories and wrote it down. when she did an ultrasound, she also gave me a breast exam and internal exam. afterwhich, she explained why i was put on bed rest, what are the things to avoid, pregnancy 101, etc. that initial consultation lasted more than an hour. and though we waited for 2 hours, we still love her! :)

dra. A was more personal. she took time to examine me, explain lots of things, and allowed us to ask questions. di sya nagmamadali. she already had me when she said, "ano sabi ng nag-refer sayo? strikto daw ako? well, that's because i want the best for my patient."

so, eventhough we have to pay cash for every visit (di accredited sa kanya ang van breda), we'd still go out of our way to see her. first impressions last, and k and i are sure that she will take very good care of me and baby kr. :)

@ 10 weeks

or 11 weeks, per my new ob (separate post on her next).



my last ultrasound (14 feb 2011) showed a very malikot baby kr, rolling around in my belly. ala-dancing baby in ally mcbeal. so cute! :)

i don't want to go into the details, but a week after finding out we were pregnant, i had some bleeding and was advised to go on bed rest. and i did, for a total of 3 weeks. bawal magpagod, maglakad ng malayo, mag-drive, umakyat/bumaba ng stairs, magbuhat ng mabigat, etc. it was a rollercoaster, and i'm glad it's over. so happy that i'm back to work as well (yes, i did miss work!). nakaka-stress pag nasa bahay ka lang, grabe!

babycenter says: The fetus is only about 1.2 inches / 3 centimeters long from crown to rump and weighs less than a sixth of an ounce / 4 grams. Even so, it's busily swallowing and kicking. Each day more minute details start to appear, such as fingernails and peach-fuzzy hair.

The vital organs - the liver, kidneys, intestines, brain, and lungs - are fully formed and functional, while the head is almost half the length of the entire body. The forehead temporarily bulges and sits high on the head, but later will change into a more human-like feature.

nausog yata ako sa previous post ko, as i thought i was having an easy time with this pregnancy. every night i pray this beautiful prayer shared by my fellow-preggo g (aside from the St. Raymond Nonato novena):



Prayer of Expectant Mothers (St. Dominic Savio)

Deign, O Lord Jesus, for the love of the tender hope enclosed within my womb, to hear my prayer. Thou hast bestowed upon me the precious gift of a tiny being throbbing with life within me. Humbly I thank Thee for having chosen me as an instrument of Thy love. During this period of sweet anxiety, help me to live in complete abandonment to Thy Holy will. Grant me the heart of a pure, courageous and generous mother. I offer to Thee all the cares, the worries, the fears, the needs of the little one that is to come. Grant that it be born healthy: protect its body and soul from any harm whatsoever.

Thou, O Mary, Who didst know the ineffable joys of a holy maternity, grant me a heart capable of transmitting a lively and ardent Faith.

Sanctify my anxiety: bless this my sweet hope and through Thy aid and that of Thy Divine Son, grant through the intercession of Saint Dominic Savio that the fruit of my womb may blossom forth into a life of virtue and holiness. Amen.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. (Three times)
St. Dominic Savio. Pray for us. (Three times)

it's time to go back to work when...

you start counting sheep to fall asleep.



then mr. bean jumps over the fence.



followed by kangaroos.



then pigs.



and finally, you find out why they're all jumping over the fence.



alligators!!!

after 3 weeks of bed rest, i am back. wish me luck! :)

@ 6 weeks

when i found out i was pregnant last week, i was 6 weeks on the way already. expected date of delivery: 8 sep 2011 (mother mary's birthday!). per the ultrasound report, crown to rump length is 0.33 cm, fetal heart rate 122 bpm. all good signs, said the sonologist.

According to baby center, the embryo is the size of a lentil this week. If you could see inside yourself, you'd find the fetus has an oversized head in proportion to its body. The embryo's facial features are forming with dark spots where the eyes are, openings where the nostrils will be, and pits to mark the ears.

Protruding buds that will become the arms and legs are even more noticeable now. The embryo's hands and feet look like paddles. Other developments include the growth of the pituitary gland and muscle fibers. You can't hear it yet, but the heart (which has divided into the right and left chambers) is beating at about 150 beats a minute - twice the rate of yours.

Halfway through this week, the embryo makes its first movements. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until sometime in the second trimester before you get to enjoy feeling your baby's exercise sessions.

so far, i can say i am having an easy 6 weeks (pwera buyag!). except for frequent trips to the toilet, lack of taste (no cravings yet, lahat ng kinakain ko walang lasa), and easily getting tired, i am fine. and i hope it stays that way til the rest of the way. my officemate g is having morning sickness and is always sleepy (whilst i am not sleepy at all!).

my first OB visit

after finding out i'm pregnant, i began the search for my OB. having sought out recommendations from friends who've had babies in the last few months, i have a few names. and being next door to megamall, i went to visit the OB who holds a clinic there. omg, her schedule was 4-6pm but she arrived 5:15pm. i didn't mind waiting as i took time off work but sayang din naman oras ko di ba?? anyway, i wasn't too upset. i was number 7 in the list and i got to see her at 5:45 pm.

dr. R was nice and pleasant. she asked me to get an ultrasound first so she can see how far along i was. so i did, and i saw our baby's heart beat! it was so unexpected, naiyak ako! :) the sonologist (?) told me the baby's heartbeat is strong, so that's a good sign. can't believe there's indeed life growing inside of me! she also confirmed that our baby is 6 weeks old. :)

then it was back to the OB, she prescribed me folic acid and prenatal vitamins, and asked me to do more laboratory tests. i did those and was told to pick up the results the next day.

after picking up the results, i was glad that dr. R also had a clinic schedule on the same day, 2-4pm. i was number 3 on the list, but was so disappointed that she hasn't arrived yet at 3pm. when i asked the nurse-assistant, she said "nasa parking na po." nakaka-highblood!!! :( i left na lang.

my friend rey texted, "welcome to doctor's check ups! dear, amo gid na sya but ask nurse if she's coming. kay kis a ga pa bun a pa na sya mo hehe. amo man na obrahon nya sa pasyente nya kun ikaw lang magbun a. :)"

oh well. i haven't seen her since, as her schedule falls in between office hours and i can only make takas once in a while. we have an OB coming in today at the office clinic so i might as well see her about these tests first.

k and i actually agreed to stick it out dr. R already, but i am now considering seeing another OB who was recommended by a college classmate. hmmmmmmm.