I'm going to miss being pregnant...

I never thought I'd say this but I do think I am going to miss being pregnant (though I will be very glad to have my body back). There IS something very special about carrying around this little person inside of you plus when else can you have your belly handing out over your pants without feeling self-conscious about it?

Though I won't be missing the heartburn, the waddling, the CONSTANT peeing, the absolutely shattering tiredness, my swollen feet (which looks like giant pork sausages!), the general aches and pains and whatever other ailment I've had during pregnancy...but I will miss my little bubba in there. I love to rub my tummy, talk and sing to him, feel him kick and wiggle around. And I absolutely love when John talks to my belly!

So far, being pregnant has been a really life-altering experience for me. The feeling of life growing inside of me and connecting with this person I've never met is really cool. I know, I know it sounds sappy but I am in a sentimental mood this morning. And sshhh...I have to admit that I do like the special treatment you get when you are pregnant :P

So now, 36 weeks this week with about a month to go until I finally get to meet my baby face to face. I am going to miss being pregnant. I think this whole pregnancy has gone by tooooooooooooooo fast. I take comfort in knowing that they are safe, warm and cozy in me. 

With just a few weeks left to go, I want to make sure I haven't missed anything - perhaps some prenatal bonding ritual that will later make me wonder with regret, "Oh damn, why didn't we do that?" This will most likely be my only pregnancy so no chance for do-overs later.  

I feel like I should be doing more? Should we be playing bubba classical music? Should I be talking to them more? Should I be doing some positive visualisation, transferring my good vibes onto him? I have also been thinking about lullabies which I will sing to him and have been singing to him now.

Just a few weeks ago, a friend told me that while packing up her baby's clothes she got really sad, mourning over the fact that those tiny infant days were over now. I guess it all goes by really fast doesn't it? Six months from now, I'll probably be sad that my baby's newborn stage is over. Five years down the road, I'll be crying about them starting kindergarten. Maybe I feel like as long as he's in my belly I can almost stop time, keep him close and safe and hold on to him forever.

35 weeks

 

 

Calcium with Vitamin D in Pregnancy

I have been taking Calcium with Vitamin D supplements for a couple of months now and since I became pregnant I started to wonder if I should continue taking the supplements.

Heres what I found on the Internet.

Vitamin D - Why do we need Vitamin D?

Vitamin D helps us to regulate the levels of calcium and phosphate in our body. We need calcium and phosphate to keep your bones and teeth healthy.

Vitamin D also help us fight infections and may even reduce our risk of getting some cancers, diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

If we don't get enough Vitamin D when we are pregnant or breastfeeding, it can preven our baby from absorbing calcium properly. A lack of calcium can cause our baby to develop weak teeth and bones.

How can we get Vitamin D?

There are two ways we can get Vitamin D:

• Our body makes Vitamin D in response to sunlight
• We can get vitamin D from our food, drinks or supplements

Good sources of Vitamin D in food include oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, and foods fortified with Vitamin D such as margarine and some breakfast cereals. Res meat and egg yolk also provide a little Vitamin D.

During the winter when there isn't as much sunlight, our food and body stores will give us the Vitamin D we need.

Do we need to take Vitamin D supplement?
It's recommended that we take a supplement containing 10mcg of Vitamin D during pregnancy and while we are breastfeeding.

Most pregnancy multivitamins contain Vitamin D. Only take a multivitamin that's made specially for pregnancy.

Vitamin D levels can be checked with a blood test. Pregnant women who are at a risk will be offered a blood test early in pregnancy. If the level is too low, you will be advused to take Vitamin D supplements. You should take the amount of supplement prescribed by your doctor or midwife.  This amount may change depending on what your blood level is. Sometimes higher doses are needed at first to build your level up. There is no danger of over dose with these amounts.

First Trimester Ultrasound

Scheduled in for my first trimester ultrasound next friday. Its one week away but I have already started to worry.

So far I have been having it easy. I am 5 weeks + 2 now and im perfectly fine. No morning sickness, no bleeding, no spotting, no nausea. I do feel extremely tired and I have been experiencing cramps and really strong sense of smell. Which I heard are all pretty normal.

I found out that you can have your first trimester scan and not find a heartbeat and the baby has just stopped growing for some reason. Its made me so wrroed now.

I have been googling to find out more and apparently there are several reasons why you might not see the fetus's heartbeat at six weeks. First you may not really be six weeks pregnant. You may have ovulated late cycle.

The second reason has to do with the type of ultrasound probe the technician is using. Transabdominial probes (over the belly as opposed to in the vagina) are not as sensitive in detecting pregnancy and early heartbeat.

A heartbeat definitely should be seen if an embryo (or "fetal pole") is seen, usually as early as six weeks of pregnancy by transvaginal ultrasound.

Thus, a transvaginal ultrasound showing no fetal heartbeat will mean one of two things: either the pregnancy is too early for the hearbeat to be visible or a pregnancy loss has occurred. 

I also heard that if you ever see the baby on a first trimester ultrasound with no heartbeat, you should wait at least seven days and have a follow-up ultrasound. Sometimes the angle is wrong or something the baby is just too small. 

I guess chances are everything is fine and I have nothing to worry about and I will be able to see Little Opa's heartbeat. But I'm petrified!!

I think I should try to be more positive. Yes be positive and enjoy every day and just go with the flow. As long as I am keeping healthy and doing all the right things then the rest is in "God's hands". Keep thinking and worrying won't change anything.

Vitamin C & Pregnancy

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is essential for tissue repair, wound healing, bone growth and repair and healthy skin. Vitamin C also helps our bodyy fight infection and it acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage.

I know both pregnant women and the baby needs this vitamin daily - its necessary for the body to make collagen, a structural protein thats a component of cartilage, tendons, bones and skin. Based on animal studies, some researches believe that Vitamin C deficiencies in newborn babies can impair mental development.

Vitamin C also helps our body absorb iron. 

Some studies show that taking too much Vitamin C in the form of supplements during pregnancy may increase the risk of preterm birth and there are rare reports of babies with scurvy (a severe vitamin C deficiency) to expectant moms who took vitamin C supplements. Of course excessive vitamin C can also upset your stomach.

I also heard that taking too much Vit C can cause cell damage in the fetus. 

Vit C is also in a lot of foods we consume everyday but it is also water-soluble so you do lose a lot of it every time you pee and pregnant women do pee more than other people! Besides, it is a primal vitamin to support our immune system, which is crucial during pregnancy. 

Heres the recommended amount of vitamin C I found:

Pregnant women - 85mg 

Pregnant 18 years or younger - 80mg

Breastfeeding women - 120mg

Breastfeeding 18 years or younger - 115mg

I have been taking at least 3000mg of Vitamin C but I guess I should look at cutting it down. The recommended daily intake is 85mg for pregnant women age 19 and older. The maximum is 2,000 mg per day. I am taking Elevit which contains 80mg, so I should be only taking 1000-1500mg of Vit C instead.