9th & 10th Doctor Visit , Tummy Update

I have been off for a while and wasn't able to post about my 9th doctor visit so I will just include it here with my previous visit last week January 21. Nothing really much to say about it but all stats are good including my blood sugar monitoring and baby's development. My BP is within the low range and no infections. I am just glad that i am doing good for baby and looks like baby's size still good for normal delivery. It's getting harder to keep up with the diet because there are times that my sugar shoots up even with regular foods but I'm trying to hold on. I'm on my 9th month now and counting about 4wks prior to delivery on February 21.

As of preparations, me and hubs are still going to attend some classes to help us prepare for the birthing process and newborn care on the 6th and 10th of February and one last baby shower on the 7th. It's going to be a hectic February but hopefully baby will cooperate and will come out on his due date so we can prepare good and attend those necessary preparatory classes. We also got to see baby because I was scheduled for an ultrasound but again baby's not cooperative enough and slept throughout. The images we got were not so good so I'll just post the one we will get later today, the 3d / 4d scans. hubs booked on a special prenatal ultrasound clinic for us to fully document baby and have a better view of him before he sees the world out here. Baby's about 6lbs now too!

Post Break: Relax, Raise those Legs Up

Swollen feet is common to pregnant women due to the accumulation of extra fluid / water in the feet and ankles. It also can occur on face and hands. Small amount of swelling is normal and it builds up during the day. Swelling usually gets worse in hot weather and take note, be aware of severe swelling which can be a sign of a problem. Make sure to notify your doctor for severe swelling and usually doctor checks on this during visits.

What To Do:

• Sit with legs up.
• Do not stand for a long time and if must stand, wear a support panty hose.
• Do not wear socks like knee-highs with tight elastic band, this results to slow blood flow in legs which can cause swelling and other problems.
• Do not cross legs because this stops the blood flow in legs which can cause more swelling and other problems.
• Lie on your left side 2 times during the day if possible like when watching TV or reading, this is good for the blood flow in legs.
• Avoid salty foods, check out labels of sodium content in foods. 400mg of sodium should be the boundary, try to steer clear of higher sodium content foods.
• Do ankle exercises everyday, this helps regulate blood flow in legs and feet. Just sit on a chair, lift foot up off floor, circle toes clockwise with 10 count then do on the other foot.

I think watching TV can be a fun and relaxing way to deal with your swollen feet aside from avoiding all other factors contributing to this matter. As I checked on more TV options, I came across BlogTelevision.net which has all these Direct TV Offers and Direct TV Specials.

- DIRECTV Specials
- DIRECTTV Specials

Post Break: Soothing Music

Remember in my previous post about fetal development that baby can now hear from inside the womb? Aside from having this as a good time for parents to talk to baby it is very advisable to listen to music too. This can be soothing for both baby and mommy.

I am musically inclined since I was a kid and still loving listening to nice tunes but I can't play instruments anymore like before. As a kid I studied piano lessons and I just had to stop at some point and somehow lost it. I can still do some notes but not play full song. I am thinking now is the best time for me to do those music things again, I want baby to hear mommy playing piano too aside from my usual lullaby. Since earlier stage of my pregnancy I sing many songs to baby mostly Disney and other favorites. If working I put music as I work the whole day or when waiting for baby daddy in the car to be out from work . This serves as my personal bonding time with baby, I want him to know my voice, to hear me, to know mommy's just out here keeping him comfortable in there. And we noticed baby moves and reacts when we hear nice tunes from movies, tv, radio or concert. Perhaps because we attended some opera and musical concert previously too.

Soothing music isn't just for baby when he or she's in the womb, it's best when baby's out and hearing it clearly. For me I will like it if baby will be musically inclined like mommy and continue those things that I started before. I won't mind getting back on some piano lessons so I can eventually teach him to play too and maybe have him set his own piano lessons in time! (too excited huh!) Now maybe I'm thinking too much of the future ahead but I can't help it. My excitement grows more and more everyday with some worries on the side over things too which I think can't really be avoided.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter

Being pregnant is a blessing but we can't always be pleased with all the changes our body's experiencing. From our barely there tummy to a full grown baby bump, our skin suffers so much stretching that's why the more we have to take care of it. I am not advertising Palmer's cocoa butter products, I am just simply sharing the things I am using to keep my skin healthy all throughout the pregnancy. Some ladies are fortunate enough not to have stretchmarks (just like my mom) but most get a lot. So I made sure I included these items in my shopping lists, of course I have to take care of myself too =P It's better to feel beautiful still even pregnant. Agree or not?

What is stretch mark? According to wikipedia:

"Stretch marks or striae (singular stria), as they are called in dermatology, are a form of scarring on the skin with an off-color hue. They are caused by tearing of the dermis, and over time can diminish but not disappear completely. Stretch marks are often the result of the rapid stretching of the skin associated with rapid growth (common in puberty) or weight gain (e.g. pregnancy or muscle building) or in some cases, severe pulling force on skin that overcomes the dermis's elasticity.[citation needed]

Stretch marks may also be influenced by hormonal changes associated with puberty, pregnancy, muscle building etc.[1] Medical terminology for these kinds of markings includes striae atrophicae, vergetures, stria distensae, striae cutis distensae, striae gravidarum (in cases where it is caused by pregnancy), lineae atrophicae, striae distensae, linea albicante, or simply striae."

For more detailed info about symptoms, signs, causes, prevention and removal of stretch marks, you may check it here.

8th Doctor Visit & Baby Development

It's amazing how days pass by so fast! It was just 2wks ago that I posted about my last doctor visit and here I am again sharing another visit I had last December 24. Yes, they have clinic on Christmas Eve! No ultrasound this time around but docotr measure my ever growing tummy again. So far I gained about 13.5lbs, my blood pressure is good, tummy size is just right, baby moves from time to time, baby's heartbeat okay and urine test negative meaning no infections.

I mentioned before that I am officially on my 3rd trimester, that last 3 months of my pregnancy. This is the best time to choose a doctor for the coming baby. As we think of getting ready for the new baby, our body also is getting ready for it. There might be uncomfortable feelings and tiredness. These are normal.

Fetal Developments:

During this last trimester (7th - 9th mos or 28 through 40 wks), baby grows a lot and getting stronger. As baby begins to take up much space, there is less room to move around. At the beginning of the 3rd trimester baby weighs about 2-3lbs and about 14-15 inches long (I can't imagine how a long baby can fit in my small body). By the end of the 7th month, baby will be about 4lbs and measure 16 inches. By that time also baby's nervous system is matured enough to control temperature and breathing. The lungs are now mature too. By the end of 7th month baby can now see even inside the womb it can see light outside the womb. The baby's head should be pointed down and as the due date gets closer, the head moves farther into the cervix. When this happens you might get some relief from heartburn and indigestion but can result to often urination since baby's putting more pressure on the bladder.

• In the last trimester, a fetus gains about 1/2 lb each week or 2lbs each month
• baby can heat inside the womb and can know the sound of mommy's voice, talking to baby will be best to do fro parents this time of development

How To Check Baby:

This time is when mommy checks baby's kick count or fetal kick count. (fetal movement) Through this you can determine how your baby's doing. I was also given a guide by my doctor about doing the fetal kick count. It's a s simple as counting how long it takes baby to move about 10 times or as guided by the doctor. Doping this can more or less tell you if baby is normal.

How To Do:

• sit with feet up or lie down on side, check what time you start
• put hands on tummy to feel baby's movements
• count how many times baby moves, a move can be a kick, wiggle, twist, turn, roll or stretch (do not count baby's hiccups)
• count up to 10moves, this should take less than one hour
• once your baby has moved 10 times (or refer to your doctor's instructions with teh counts and timing) in less than 1hr, you can stop counting then you can go about the rest of the day

If baby doesn't move right away, don't panic or worry that baby's not fine. We have to consider that baby must be sleeping (and baby really sleeps good). You may do these:

• drink something cold (cold water helps) or eat something
• walk around for 5mins
• then feel tummy for 1 more hour

Take note if baby doesn't move the whole day, you must report this to doctor so you and baby can be checked.