Fundal Height

I kept wondering what is Fundal Height means since my bidan always measure my fundal height everytime I do antenatal check up. She will measure using their specific measuring tape from top uterus to the top of pubic bone and record it on my antenatal patient card.

Here is some info about Fundal Height from Wikipedia:

Fundal height, or McDonald's rule, is a measure of the size of the uterus used to assess fetal growth and development during pregnancy. It is measured from the top of the mother's uterus to the top of the mother's pubic bone in centimeters.

Most caregivers will record their patient's fundal height on every prenatal visit. Measuring the fundal height can be an indicator of proper fetal growth and amniotic fluid development. Knowledge of gestational age may impact how the height is measured.

Illustration of fundal height at various points during pregnancy

Diagram showing the gestational age (on the x-axis), as related to the fundal height (on the y-axis), with blue line representing average, and green area representing the 90% reference range (10th percentile to 90th percentile).

Syukur alhamdulillah my fundal height is in-track so far according to the normal measurement.

26 weeks

I had another appointment last saturday, but this time not only MCH antenatal check up appointment as usual, but also appointment ambil contoh darah and GTT test.

What is GTT test?

A glucose tolerance test, also called an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), checks how your body regulates your sugar levels. Sugar, or glucose, is found in many of the foods you eat. The test is used to diagnose diabetes in pregnancy (gestational diabetes) and is offered to women who are thought to be most likely to develop the condition. Read more here.

Hubby and I went clinic as early as 8 am, then we qued for ambil contoh darah, then after blood sample was taken, I was given sugar drink and have to wait another 2 hours for them to take another blood sample (procedures for GTT test).

While waiting for another 2 hours, we went to MCH section for my antenatal check up. As usual, test urine for glucose and protein, check berat badan (another pounds gained yay! alhamdulillah, I am now achieved my normal weight, tq baby syg hehe), check tekanan darah, measure fundal height and the best part: checking & listening to our baby heartbeat! Moreover, dearest husband also already able to hear baby heartbeat if he listen close to my tummy. :D

But but but.. the bidan told me, my perut mengeras and she asked me if I feel sakit or not. I didn't feel any pain thou. She adviced me to avoid stress and banyakkan rehat, takut nanti baby terkeluar awal (this scare me to death! I'm not ready for it yet but at the same time excited mau tengok baby hehe). This condition is called Brixton Hicks.  

INFO TENTANG BRAXTON HICKS 

Bagaimana Rasanya Kontraksi Braxton Hick Ini?

Sesetengah wanita tidak merasa sakit langsung namun ada segilintir yang merasa BH yang lebih kuat. Selalunya ia tidak menyakitkan, atau wanita mungkin merasa sedikit tidak selesa dan memberi gangguan pada mereka. Semakin dekat kepada tarikh jangka bersalin, semakin kuat BH ini berlaku.

Kontraksi BH tidak teratur dan datang sekali-sekali dan selalunya dengan tiba-tiba. Ia datang dalam masa yang singkat dan jarang berterusan selama beberapa jam.

Semasa kontraksi BH ini, perut menjadi tegang dan keras kadang-kadang ibu mungkin terasa sakit pada tengah perut hingga ke ari-ari.

Anda mungkin perasaan yang kontraksi ini lebih kerap terjadi apabila:

• Bayi bergerak dengan aktif
• Semasa senaman atau membawa barang berat
• Mengurut perut
• Semasa hubungan seks
• Dehidrasi 

Apa Yang Membezakan BH dan Kontraksi Kelahiran Sebenar?

Ramai wanita bimbang yang mereka tidak dapat membezakan BH atau tanda-tanda kelahiran. Ini adalah perbezaannya:

1. Kontraksi BH tidak  menjadi semakin kuat berbeza dengan sakit bersalin. Sakit bersalin menjadi semakin kuat dan kerap manakala BH akan hilang akhirnya.
2. BH tidak teratur dan berlaku sekali-sekala. Sakit bersalin berlaku dengan lebih teratur dan semakin kuat.
3. Kontraksi BH tidak menyebabkan kesakitan cuma tidak selesa tidak sebagaimana sakit bersalin.

Tip Untuk Kekal Selesa Semasa Kontraksi BH

1. Tukar aktiviti atau posisi sekiranya anda merasa yang kontraksi BH akan datang.
2. Rehat lebih lama. Minum air dan baring pada sebelah kiri badan.
3. Minum air secukupnya. Dehidrasi menyebakan otot mengecut dan menyebabkan kontraksi BH.
4. Buang air kecil dengan lebih kerap. Pundi kencing yang penuh boleh menyebabkan BH.
5. Amalkan teknik pernafasan. Pernafasan yang dalam dan berirama akan mengurangkan ketidakselesaan.

So that is some info that I googled about Braxton Hicks.  Maybe I was too tired and from now on I need to get more rest and drink more water. Ok baby, jgn keluar awal dulu okey! ;)

Syukur Alhamdulillah, now dah almost 27 weeks of pregnancy. Backpain getting stronger, everyday-forever-hungry and toilet-hugging session also!  hehehe

Next appointment will be on the 7th August;antenatal check up and ambil darah again for Full Blood Count. Hasbunallahhu wani'mal wakeel~

Baby Ultrasound

We had ultrasound appointment on the June 13th, 2013 in the afternoon (equivalent to 20 weeks 4 days of pregnancy). Hubby and I was quite thrill and excited seeing our baby alive sommersaulting in my cute tummy. According to the doctor, our baby is normal and healthy (not small / petite like mummy's! :P) syukur alhamdulillah. 

Boy or Girl? Yes, we know the gender already but let it be our secret hehe. If u can see on the pic, baby is peeking and smiling on us. So adorable! Babah and Mama can't wait to cuddle u sayang :)

Baby Equipments :: Infant Car Seat & Stroller

Baby Infant Car Seat Carrier and Baby Stroller are two of the most important equipments for baby. On this entry, I just wanna share for parents / parents-to-be out there tips on how to choose these two essentials. All the tips I get bits  & pieces from other blogger's site and websites, which I find it very useful before we decide to buy these two. Since these items are quite expensive, so lets choose the right ones! 

* INFANT CAR SEAT CARRIER *

TIPS MEMILIH BABY CAR SEAT CARRIER

1. 5 Point Harness
• The 5 point harness straps restrain both shoulders, both hips, and the crotch, rather than a 3 point harness which only comes down over the shoulders and clips at the crotch. Look for straps that are wide and marketed as "twist free." Narrow straps or straps that have a tendency to twist are more likely to cause chaffing or skin burns.
2. Size 
• Make sure that it fits into your vehicle.
  
3. Easy To Use
• Be certain that the car seat is easy to use and the manual is easy to understand.
  
4. Height & Weight Limitations
•  If you want to use your carrier for as long as possible, look for seats that have a high weight limitation and multiple harness strap positions. This includes children of all ages, not only babies under 1 year and 20 lbs.
5. Head & Side Impact Protection & EPS Foam
• EPS foam (styrofoam) provide added cushion during and accident, and seats designed with head and side impact protection are designed to cradle your baby better in the event of an accident.
6. Weight of the Carrier  
• Some carriers way as much as 10 lbs. Add to it the weight of the baby and lugging it around could be a real work out. Though the weight of the carrier does not effect how well it performs, it is a very practical point to consider. That is especially the case if you intend on using the seat as a way of carrying your child when you aren't in the vehicle. 

Here is our baby Infant Car Seat Carrier! :D

• Bought from Triple Star
• Brand: Lucky Star
• Budget: < $100
• Features: As above. It can also be used as a rocking chair at home, Pluspoint+!

* BABY STROLLER *

TIPS MEMILIH BABY STROLLER

1. Budget
• Affordable, beli stroller ikut kemampuan masing-masing.
• Harga stroller depends on its brands and types.
• Expensive ones doesn't necessary have good qualities and cheap ones doesn't mean have no qualities. Choose wisely.
2. Saiz & Bentuk
• Pastikan kusyen stroller boleh dilaras ketika bayi duduk ataupun tidur.
• Terdapat juga jenis-jenis stroller mengikut kesesuaian umur dan berat bayi. Biasanya stroller untuk newborn baby jenis baring sahaja.
• Pastikan stroller yang dibeli senang disimpan (terutama dalam boot kereta) dan mudah dibawa ke mana-mana.
3. Fungsi & Keselamatan
• Mempunyai ruang kecil untuk simpan barang-barang baby.
• Mempunyai belt 5-point harness yang boleh dilaras mengikut keselesaan dan saiz bayi.
• Pastikan stroller mempunyai brek yang kukuh (lock & unlock feature).
4. Material 
• Pastikan material yang berkualiti - tak mudah koyak, tahan lasak, kalis air.
• Rangka yang kukuh dan ringan biasanya buatan aluminium.
5. Tambahan
• Biasanya stroller berjenama dari luar negara didatangkan dengan aksesori tambahan seperti foot muff (selimut) dan rain cover (penghadang hujan).

Here is stroller for our baby! :)

• Bought from Triple Star
• Brand: Lucky Star
• Budget: $100 - $200
• Features: 
• Reclining Feature: Seat boleh recline full sampai baring position. While many assumes that full recline is only for newborn, but now even when they are 2-3 years old, the full recline is useful when they want to sleep while we are busy shopping or makan. But if the stroller does recline, it should have sides to prevent the child from rolling out, even in the lowest position.
•  Collapsibility: Easy to open and fold & not time-consuming to operate. Make sure the stroller has a locking device so that it doesn't collapse accidentally. And make sure it fits into your vehicle with ease.
• Seat Belt: The belt material should be strong and the latch should be simple to operate, yet require enough pressure to open so a curious tot cannot release it accidentally.
• Front Padding or Tray: Ni tempat untuk simpan makanan, minuman or botol susu. Our stroller have two paddings, satu kat depan, satu lagi kat depan pemegang tempat tolak stroller. If we don't need it, we can reassemble it too!
• Storage Space: It's a shelf bellow the stroller or a bag attached to the crossbar or handles. This is for holding baby supplies, small packages, and other items you might want to keep with you.
• Sunshade: Very useful during noon hour and especially while baby is sleeping.
• Brakes: Brakes should offer a positive grip on the tires so they can't be dislodged. The child should not be able to release the brakes while seated in the stroller.

"A happy sleeping baby/toddler = Happy parents to shop with peace of mind" 

Quick Update

Just a quick update!

Maternity Clothes

Since most of my clothes are now very the ketat and uncomfortable to wear already due to tummy-slowly-getting-bigger in process hehe so these are the first two of my maternity clothes. Peplum fashion; the pink one was for my bro-in-law's engagement function and the bluewhite is for husband's cousin's wedding at the end of this month. I totally love these dresses! 

Cravings Satisfied

Finally, I ate Buah Tarap, which I've been longing of! Thanks to my sis-in-law for satisfying my baby cravings. Buah tarap is unavailable at the moment since it is not in the season, nasib baik sis-in-law keeps in-stock. Yummy indeed! Alhamdulillah..

Week 20

Now baby & I are in Week 20, the half way mark of pregnancy! Thank you for all the blessings ya Allah. Semoga sentiasa dibawah rahmat dan lindunganNya jua. Amin ya rabbal alamin..

Ferrous Fumarate

Starting from week 20, I was advised to take Ferrous Fumarate 200mg Tablet instead of Obimin as prescribed by the doctor. 

"Ferrous fumarate is used to treat iron deficiency anemia (a lack of red blood cells caused by having too little iron in the body)." Read more at http://www.drugs.com/mtm/ferrous-fumarate.html#qmLyH7gYHEZIstfy.99 

*** And last but not least, I'll be having ultrasound appointment (2nd time) this afternoon, hope everything goes smooth. Can't wait to see u later baby sayang!

Tommee Tippee Wishlist

At first, it is either Philips Avent or Tommee Tippee as my choices for our baby feeding products. It is easy to find Philips Avent here in Brunei, we may find it at Hua Ho, Triple Star, Mothercare, Bebeland, & many more department store. Compared to Tommee Tippee, which in Brunei only being sell at Mothercare and from online store; www.babyonline.com.bn. However, we also can buy it from Toys World at Miri which offers more varieties of design and prices are much cheaper than in Brunei. 

Then Dear Husband & I finally decided to choose Tommee Tippee 'Closer To Nature' products for our upcoming bundle-of-joy's essentials! Plus I find it more CUTE & Hubby loves it also! Here are some of Tommee Tippee products which are included in our wishlist:-

* TT Manual Breast Pump * We already bought this from Toys World, Miri last week! :D

* TT Breast & Bottle Feeding 150ml *

* TT Breast & Bottle Feeding 260ml *

* TT Electric Bottle & Food Warmer *

* TT Insulated Bottle Carriers *

* TT Bottle Brush *

* TT Healthcare & Grooming Kit *

Pregnancy Signs / Symptoms

Like any other pregnant woman, I also experience those pregnancy signs / symptoms, these are mine:-

1. Missed Period
2. Tender / Swollen Breasts :: Time to treat self to a shopping spree & invest in some comfortable new bras!
3. Persistently Elevated Basal Body Temperature :: Badan rasa panas all the time.
4. Extreme Tiredness, Fatigue :: Naps are suddenly part of routine. Exhausted and sleepy! Asyik tidor aje. Alhamdulillah, this ends on the 12th week. 
   
5. Mood Swings :: Might find myself laughing and giddy one moment and teary-eyed and emotional revolving to HULK the next. Don't be alarmed, haha. Siapa yang kena layan = Husband juga :p
6. Micturition: Frequent Urination :: Toilet-hugging session! Ends on week 12. This will continue on the 3rd trimester I guess.
7. Morning Sickness: Nausea & Vomitting :: This is the awful ones! I start having this on week 7 till week 12 (Thanks Goodness!).
   
8. Food Cravings & Aversions :: During my 1st trimester, I so in lovee with fast food & ice cream, especially spaghetti & burger from Jollibee. Sudden HATE rice and chicken (except fried chicken / chicken from KFC / Jollibee!) so I ended up having English-style food for dinner such as french fries, beef burger, sausages, u name it. Baby also doesn't like Kue Tiaw Mee, gerenti I spill it out after eating! Yet alhamdulillah major food aversions ends on week 12.Thou, I still craving for Buah Tarap. Can't find it  yet since it is not in the season. Help! 
9. Sensitive Sniffer :: Having sharper sense of smell. The world suddenly morphed into an olfactory wonderland, including my husband's! Haha :p. One theory: It helps you stay away from foods that have a high bacteria content or natural toxins, which could harm the fetus during this crucial period of development. 
10. Shortness Breath
11. Positive Pregnancy Test :: Seeing is believing. Found out +ve pregnancy on week 6, yet still no major pregnancy symptoms experienced before it (thats why cannot believe till doc bagi ultrasound tengok baby baru percaya hehe)

Despite all this, I loveee to do Colouring during the 1st trimester (siap beli colouring book & colour pencils yg baru). Weird much, but anything for u baby! :)

MCH Registration & Appointments

Me and dearest husband went to Government Clinic to confirm/check PT on the day I found out that I'm pregnant which was on Thursday. Initially, I do registration at "Outpatient" section and they checked on my weight, then I told the nurse that I want to check PT. The nurse gave urine bottle to pee-on and told me to give it to another nurse to do PT. Few minutes after that, they gave me PT result paper for me to give the doctor.

After my queue number was called, I went to see the doctor and he checked on my blood pressure and gave me Folic Acid. Then, he told me to register at Mother Child Healthcare (MCH) clinic section.

On Saturday, we went to MCH for registration. They asked me to fill-in the form and gave me appointment card which included the date of my 1st appointment. Then, they asked me to get morning urine and to get my blood checked on the following Monday.

During my 1st appointment at MCH, they checked on my weight and also my urine for glucose and protein using urine test stripe (I don't know what they call it but they do teach me how to use it). Fyi, they will keep track on pregnant mothers' weight and urine on every appointment.

When my queue number was called, I went to see the nurse, she asked me about all my health history, checked on my blood pressure, symptoms / signs of pregnancy and also gave me some pregnancy tips, all these information was recorded on my own personal card. She also gave me Obimin pills.

For my 2nd appointment, also quite similar with my first appointment, they tracked on weight gain, blood pressure and urine. However, this time I have to meet the doctor. The doctor asked me to lay down, I thought she was going to check baby heartbeat but instead she checked on my ultrasound and there I saw my baby, OUR BABY! *ohh then I believe I'm pregnant after seeing baby inside my tummy haha* Nonetheless, the sad thing was the doctor didn't allow Yzd to came in to see our precious little ones. =__="

Syukur Alhamdulillah, 1st and 2nd appointment went well, no health problems, except me being underweight hehe. 3rd appointment will be next week.  Me & Yzd are soo looking forward it! :D Hope Baby & Mama always in Good health! Amin ya rabbal alamin!

Double Line :: Syukur Alhamdulillah!

A night before Mar 4th, 2013. dear Husband bought pregnancy test for me from Guardian since my period was late. I kept making excuses saying that maybe it was caused by changes in hormone or something (but actually doesn't want to face the truth if the result is -ve hehe!)

The following day which was on Monday, I still refused to use the PT (early in the morning, jual mahal lah sgt), however I brought it to the office just in case I changed my mind, which was so true! Before I drink anything (pregnancy test work best with morning urine), I decided to try the pregnancy test (yes, it was at my office toilet, which I found so weird hahaa). Waiting patiently.. my eyes nearly bulging out looking at the DOUBLE lines and I nearly knocked off the pregnancy test, DISBELIEF I was! haha coz I REALLY REALLY didn't expect it. Alhamdulillah!

Afterward, I tried to call dear Husband, but I couldn't reach him, so I just texted him "Congratulations! U're going to be a Daddy!" yes just that phrase coz I don't know what to say anymore haha. But then, still feeling disbelief, I texted my colleagues whom I really close with, asking innocently "If pregnancy test shows double lines, is that possible it means NOT pregnant?" ofcourse they told me it was impossible! :P

To cut it short, me and Husband went to clinic to confirm it. Yes, it was +VE. Baby has been inside my cute tummy for about 6 weeks already. Syukur Alhamdulillah..

"La ila ha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz zolimin" Semoga baby & mama always in good health, sentiasa dibawah lindungan Allah jua. Amin ya rabbal alamin.. Pls pray for us to have a smooth journey.. :)

Pregnancy Linea Negra

I have this vertical line below my belly button since being pregnant. Can't recall when did I start to realise or being curious about it. Hehe! but then I found out that it's called Linea Negra.

What is Linea Negra?

"You have probably never noticed the pale line, called the linea alba, that runs from your belly button to the top of your pubic bone. It is usually the same color as your skin, but during pregnancy this line may darken (usually during your second trimester) and is then called a linea negra (Latin for "black line”).

Pic. Source: google.com

This darkening is caused by increases in estrogen and progesterone, which in turn step up production of the pigment melanin, a condition known as hyperpigmentation. Fair skinned women show linea negra less often than women with darker pigmentation. And some research suggests there may be a link between linea negra and insulin.

An old wives' tale claims that if your linea negra runs only to your navel, you are carrying a girl; but if it goes all the way up to the xiphoid (bottom-most part of the center of your ribcage), it's a boy.

There is no way to prevent or erase the linea negra. However, if it bothers you, here's what you can do:

- Reduce pigment changes by protecting yourself from the sun and avoiding bleaching products.

- Get enough folic acid. Folic acid deficiency may increase skin discoloration.

- If the line bothers you, try covering it up with some concealing makeup.

Your linea negra will lighten within several months of your baby's birth, but for some women, it never completely disappears."

Source: Linea Negra by Parenting Weekly

*** My Linea Negra ends at my belly button, so is that mean there is baby girl inside my tummy? :D Wallahhua'lam bissawab!