3rd day overdue

Baby was due 3 days ago, 2nd of December and nope it hasn't come and yes, I get numerous calls every day from people asking "has it come yet?"

I didn't realize the wait would be so agonizing! Every day, I wonder could it be today? Every new sensation, I think did I feel this before or is this a new feeling? Is this one of the signs of early labour? Last night I didn't sleep worrying about the labour and the birth, what it means to get induced etc. etc.

There is a silver lining to the delay I must say. Today I had a chance to re-read the "birth & labour" chapter of my pregnancy book which is probably the third time I've read it. Lo and behold, I discover that I didn't quite absorb all the interesting things in there weeks ago when I originally read it! Only now do I have the mindset to really pay attention to the important details. A few weeks ago, I was preoccupied with other things and just not ready to think about labour. Things like the baby shower, cleaning, cooking, making sure nursery is ready with all the things baby needs.

My attitude has always been to not focus on the birth but focus on the outcome which is a healthy baby. So rather than concentrating on the minute details of labour, I wanted to make sure I was ready to care for a baby, made myself and my home as ready as possible for his arrival and prepared my body as much as I could for breastfeeding.

I didn't want to write a birth plan for precisely the reason that I wanted things flexible as I really didn't know how things would pan out and how I would cope with the pain (I think I have quite a good tolerance for pain but the ultimate test is yet to come). My attitude is, whatever works at the time, that's what I'll do. I didn't want to define a successful birth by whether I used as little pain relief as possible rather a successful birth should only be about a healthy baby and a healthy mum.

Having said all that, with the baby not coming just yet and with everything else ready for his arrival, I'm now in the mode to really think about the birth process. I now have the time to visualize things in my head and think about what I need to do to manage the pain. I now have a "fluid plan" in my head of things I could do to minimize the pain. I am also adamant that my husband read the same book and that we talk about it so we're on the same page (pardon the pun) on the day and he can provide the best support as possible.

Wish me luck!

newmumV(ange)

Roller coaster last week

It's 6 days before due date today ... it's agonizingly close and there's been highs but also lows this past week.

One high was last Saturday's baby shower which I thought I would never get to, being just a week and a bit before the due date. I was too optimistic or believed too many people who say I've got such a big belly surely the baby will come early. Well it hasn't & the odds are that it will be just on time or a bit late given it's my first child birth.

Anyway, it was a lovely day, sun was out, just a little humid but remained below 30's. My sister in law Michelle organised the invites & between herself & other sisters in law, they provided some nibbles, fruit, cake etc. It was a great afternoon filled with laughter, stories and presents. Two girlfriends stayed until early evening & I had lots of fun chatting with them. Oh I love girl friends :) Then, the following day, it was the horrible 41 degree day & hubby & I basically stayed indoors. Thank goodness we have a pool in the complex & also airconditioning so I survived & didn't feel too bothered throughout the day.

Later that day, I discovered a rash on my forehead so I thought then that I must've been bitten by a mosquito whilst I was in the pool or on my way to/from the pool got bitten by a spider or something nasty because it was turning into a nasty rash. 2 days later the rash had multiplied & now had them on my left eyelid. Eventually on Wednesday hubby brought me to see a GP and lo & behold it was none of the things I thought it was. I got diagnosed with Shingles! It was THE ABSOLUTE LAST thing I needed and I was really depressed the whole day wallowing in my unfortunate circumstance. I'm taking antibiotics & putting lots of soothing topical medicines which my OB had OK'd but from not taking any medication apart from the odd paracetamol during my entire pregnancy, I'm taking 3000 milligrams a day of antibiotics for the next 7 days plus paracetamol for the pain. The fact that it is very painful is a constant reminder that I had this affliction and that instead of having a blissful time waiting for bub to come I had this disease to deal with ... blah blah blah. Yes, I was quite down.

Question I have which will be answered on Monday on my next OB appointment is whether it's possible for me to pass on chicken pox virus to baby. I'm thinking no because my baby would have the chickenpox & shingles antibody but I'm not 100% sure. Or does anyone know the answer?

Today, I feel much better. I've come to terms with the "disease" and that I just have to deal with it and get over it. It is not life threatening and will get better in due course so it isn't a disaster. Just need to make sure bub cooperates and doesn't come before next Wednesday to make sure my rash has healed & that the virus is out of my system.

Until later,

newmumV(ange)

ZZZZZZ

It is second day into the first week of my maternity leave & I didn't realize how hard it would be to go through my to do list! I thought I would have done much more around the house by now. But, having said that I have washed rest of baby's clothes & cooked about a week & half worth of dinners to be frozen so maybe it's not too bad.

I am just sooooo exhausted all the time! Is this normal?!

I sleep about 11 hours - broken sleep of course due to all the toilet stops & carpal tunnel pain & needing to turn & baby moving etc. But after having breakfast, I feel like going to bed again at 11am! Because of all the cooking, I didn't manage a cat nap until early afternoon but as I type this, the bed is calling me for a more substantial nap.

Til later (after the zzzzzzzzzzzzzz)....

Vange

T minus 2 & half weeks

Yes, it's getting closer & closer to due date and I've finally started my maternity leave. If everything falls into place (finances mainly but child care too) I should be off for the next 9 months.

Last Friday, I finished work. After what felt like a loooong wait, the final work day seemed anti-climactic. I expected to feel so relieved at the end of the day but I didn't really. It felt like any other Friday except I was the centre of attention. Work mates were wonderful, making a whole fuss about my last day - they dressed up my desk with cute baby stuff, put up a sign "happy birth" by cutting out the word "day", my ex-boss baked a Martha Stewart-esque raspberry cheese cake and then my boss & team presented me with a lovely card and a visa voucher. It was a great day but I think I'd feel the impact of not working on Monday when hubby goes back to work whilst I get to sleep in and think about what to do for the rest of the day...

Already, I've got a list in my head - wash rest of baby clothes, cook lots & make frozen dinners, clean house for my baby shower on Saturday. And, on Monday, if it does turn out to be a 40 degree day, then I would have to go in the pool no matter how massive & whale-like I look.

So, wish me luck as I wait for this bub to come ... may it not be too soon (ie. before my next doctor's appointment which is more than a week away or my baby shower) nor too tardy either. May his timing be just right.

Til later,

Vange

37!

I turned 37 on Wednesday and it was one of the best birthdays I've ever had.

I really felt like celebrating this particular birthday and making a fuss about the whole thing. After all it's not every year that you get to celebrate your last birthday before motherhood. A few I suppose wouldn't even know that it was their last birthday before motherhood.

As soon as I turned up for work on Wednesday, an announcement on the PA system by the Duty Manager who was my dear Swedish friend Marie pretty much blew my cover. She said something like "make sure you greet Vange today not because she is pregnant but because it is her birthday!" That was mildly embarrassing but nice all the same. I bought morning tea to bring to work the day before and surprised everyone with profiteroles, cupcakes and lamingtons. This went down really well, I was quite popular that day.

Leading up to the day, I started receiving cards on the mail which is always wonderful. Nothing beats getting hand written mail. It is extra special because you know that someone had made an effort to choose a card that best expressed what they felt, wrote on it, put a stamp, found a post office/box and mailed it. Of course, just being remembered and greeted on Facebook or email or SMS is nice too but a hand written card is just special and lovely.

I also received a gift voucher for Westfields which is this fancy Eftpos/credit card looking thing that you can use at any Westfields shop that accepts eftpos which is pretty much every shop. This, from friends back home in Manila. It was very thoughtful of them who are so far away and yet made such an effort. A friend gave me a lovely leather/fabric combo black and white check shopping bag which would be a good baby bag actually. Quite versatile as it holds so much and can also be used for work folders, notebooks etc.

My dear hubby bought me charms to put on a Tiffany bracelet he bought me last year - a letter "G" for his name (a bit narcissist perhaps?), an Eiffel tower (to remember our Paris trip) and a little bub for what's about to come. They all fit on to bracelet nicely, an even more beautiful accessory with all the memories it brings.

Dear hubby also took me out for dinner. As the theme was to make this birthday extra special, I chose the top 3 restaurants I'd like to go to and made him surprise me by making the final choice and booking; a fantastic choice by the way - Guillaume at Bennelong at the Opera House (one of the best dining experiences & highly recommended). It wasn't really a great big surprise I suppose but being me, always knowing what I want and therefore try & minimize any risk of disappointment, I always influence the final outcome the best I can.

So, all in all, it was a fantastic birthday, something to remember for indeed a long time :)

With love,

Vange

PS: not sure how to format with photos yet so it's a bit all over the place!

2 consecutive good nights' sleep

Ahhh.... bliss.... Woke up with no aches, then realized that I almost had one long continuous sleep AND that this happened the previous night too! I felt so happy and full of energy, I almost felt normal. I can't help but feel this is the calm before the storm though.

True enough, when I got to work and told work mates my 2 nights of fantastic sleep, I got told this is because the baby must have "settled" and that it must be coming soon! Oh, and have I packed my hospital bag yet? Of course I haven't ... well, this is not acceptable! I must do so straight away as it is only a month before the big day and it may come any time now.

That's when I panicked a bit and proceeded to go to the shops right after work with a mental list of what I needed to buy. So what I have been putting off for the past few months which was buying the consumables (ie. nappies, breast pads, baby wipes) I eventually did. I also bought some nice lounge wear for the hospital stay which I justified as early birthday presents for myself. What I did forget to buy though which I thought was necessary was a long bathrobe. So I guess have to hit the shops one more time.

So, fingers crossed, I get lots more nights of awesome rest and that the baby will come when I'm ready too and not just when he is....

With love,

new_mum_V

13 working days to go

But who's counting?

I can't believe that in less than 3 weeks, I'm going on my maternity leave and trialing being a housewife/mum for the next 9 months. Work has been such a HUGE part of my life that I'm not certain how I'd cope with the change. Don't get me wrong, I am so looking forward to this change, I just don't know how I would manage not being around adults most of the day. Come to think of it, not having the adult conversations/interactions would probably be the biggest change. Not being in the office doesn't mean I'm not solving problems, analyzing, achieving or meeting goals - they're just personal ones instead of business.

I also can't imagine how I'd survive the next 13 working days. Thank God for Melbourne Cup day otherwise it will be 14 more days! I'm over dramatizing I know as plenty of other women have managed their 3rd trimester and work in much more severe conditions and done so with not a whinge I'm sure (eg. my mum worked as an emergency room nurse and would be transporting/carrying oxygen tanks manually whilst 8 months pregnant so I'm told) . I work in an office, sitting in front of the computer most of the day! But seriously, the weight of the thing is just unbelievable not to mention the other aches and the lack of sleep. Yup, it's not the most comfortable feeling this third trimester stage but I stay positive by repeating like a mantra "it's a minor inconvenience" and the cliche: think big picture.

Having said all that, for a mum to be, it is hard to let the physical challenges take over the joy of pregnancy. You know one of the most wonderful sensations in the world? A baby moving inside you - the kicking, wriggling, pushing, twisting, somersaulting. It reminds one of the little life growing, the miracle and blessing that it all is.

With love,

new_mum_V

T minus 4 & a half weeks

It's 4 & half weeks before my due date & I woke up this morning inspired to start a blog about the next 7 months of my life - daily ups & downs, struggles, triumphs and hopefully lots of interesting things for any about-to-become or new parent.

Why the next 7 months? Because it will probably be one of the most significant 7 months of my life - it will cover my last month of my pregnancy, to labor to the first 6 months of my baby's life. There might be an overseas trip thrown in there too if all goes according to plan.

Like many new mums today, I've read a lot, researched a lot, but there's really nothing out there that gives a detailed account of what a new mum is to expect (or not) on a daily basis.

So, if you're keen, join me for the journey!

Vange