Went in for my final check up today. Dr. Soon did a scan, baby is measuring 2 weeks smaller so we decided to follow what Dr. Soon had suggested which is to take him out early. Little bub will be 38 weeks 5 days tomorrow so he is considered full term but measured only at 36 weeks.

Dr. Soon checked on my cervics and I've dilated 2-3cm and he even sweep my membranes hoping that I'll get into labor on my own. If nothing happens then tomorrow I shall admit and have my water break at 8.30a.m and we might need to start on pitocin.

Let's see what happens tomorrow ~

Ahh it's been like few weeks and I had my last check up on May 10 which puts me on 37 weeks 5 days at that time. Everything is quite smooth is just that my baby is not growing like how he should be..gaining weight and all. He's quite fine actually besides the weight problem as we can see from the standard weight chart. My amniotic fluid is at a good level, my placenta is maturing and it's fine.. the blood flow from placenta to cord is showing fine..

Dr. Soon said I may need a scheduled induction of labor on this coming Thursday May 17, after my check up on Wednesday May 16, if there's no improvement. It is better for my little one to be out than inside me if he's not growing well inside. Though weight estimated via u/s is just an estimation, it is better be safe than be sorry since he's officially considered full term now.

Of course, Dr. Soon and all of us hopes that my body can get into labor on my own, within this week. Hopefully we do not need an induction afterall so I googled up all the natural ways of labor induction that I can find on the web, considering those that won't over stimulate the uterus contraction and all.. I tried most of it but nothing seems to work, it can be an old wive tales but then I'm pretty sure if my body is ready for it, it will definitely helps to kick start my labor.

I tried walking, and I walk alot. I've walk 2 and half hours non stop yesterday till my feet swell but no contractions. I tried having sex for few days - forcing my hubby on doing it, it's not that we're not enjoying it but few days straight, i'm sure he'll get tired hahahahaha and I can't get the BIG O as what all the people that tried said, I need the BIG O to starts the contraction. So i end up trying to do the deed myself by masturbating, it took me way way long to get O but no heavy contraction or what-so-ever. My hand can't reach my down there with my tummy blocking its way so yeah that's why it took so long.

I tried eating spicy food - which I think there won't be any usage to me since I've been eating spicy and sour food through out the pregnancy. Just 1 of my cravings so it didn't help at all. I tried caffeine by gulping down 2-3 times a day of coffee - no effect (i make sure i didn't cross the 5 glass per day line). I tried papaya which uh uh.. no use.

I did try bumpy ride by sitting my bro in law's car.. haha he's car is always bumpy ~ no baby bumps out of me... and my last resort, i tried dancing. Yesterday I start playing Kinect dancing to Kyle's Nickelodeon's Dancing and also 1 of the belly dance. Does it work...? NOPE.

So now all I can hope for is hubby's spermie which contains prostaglandins will help to soften and effaced my cervics, which hopefully by Wednesday during my check up, I'll be dilated somehow praying for hard for at least 1-2cm. So that Dr. Soon can sweep my membranes or break my water without the need to use the synthetic prostaglandins to induce my labor.

A few of my friends that said induction is fine, you can go in natural labor too but there's still risk right? I don't want to take any risk to make myself needing a emergency c-sec but of course I wouldn't risk the life of my little one, if he needs to be induce then let it be. I'll listen to my Dr.'s advice as I know he'll know what is the best for me and my little one.

Kyle First Solid Food

Kyle first solid food - stage 1 rice cereal ~

The minute he's born (Kyle)

This is how Kyle looks like when he's born. Mishapen head and loud crying ~ hiakhiak

31 Week 5 Days U/S

Little Keith 3d profile shot. Can see that his hand around his chin area.

Little Keith 3D profile shot. Can see his eyes, nose and lips.

Little Keith 3D XXX area, can see his balls >.<

I went for my prenatal check up today. Dr. Soon mention that I skipped another check up routine >.< haha ~

My weight didn't go up much, only 800gm for the pass 4 weeks, which is quite low but then Dr. Soon said it's not much of a big deal since my body is quite a small build ^^ as long as baby is growing well inside.

We did an u/s to check on the baby to make sure he's in pink of health. We start with the head, going down to the heart, tummy, bladder, kidney, private parts, waist and everything is measuring at normal level. We even get to hear the baby's heartbeat and it's very consistence which is very very good.

Keith is weighing around 1.7kg at the moment, a tiny bitsy little smaller but then still in the range of normal so there's nothing much to worry about.

We get some 3D snapshot of him, as he's showing his face, not fully as part of it is blocked cause he's already head down so it's difficult to get a full view. We can see clearly that his lips area looks so much alike like his daddy and his daddy is very content about it. His nose bridge is high and big eyes. Well this is just a rough image, will have to wait him to come to this world and we'll see whether he's taking daddy or mummy gene more ^^.

My next appointment for prenatal check up will be on Apr 12 2012 which we plan to postpone it to at least Apr 23 2012 because hubby will be outstation.

Budget - Part 1

It is not easy to raise a child now a days. It cost more than we can imagine. Not just for first time parents, but 2nd and 3rd child, though some people said, 2nd child will be easier because most of the items can be passed down, uh-uh not really, unless the age gap is less than 1 years old.

Kyle and Keith will have a 5 years age gap. Though I have kept most of Kyle's items, still there's a lot of things that need to be prepared and it didn't cost a little, it cost a huge burn in the pocket.

I'll do rough calculation on how much I've spend for my Little Keith. This may be a rough summary to parents to be out there, to let you know how much you may need to get ready for your little one.

First thing first, to confirm my pregnancy:

Home pregnancy test x4 - RM10 per try = RM40 (yes i used up 4 before I get a faint positive line - 14 days from the day I suppose to get my period).

First prenatal check up at PAH 6 weeks from lmp (last menstrual period) - under Dr. Soon Su Seong -

Consultation fees (1st time) - RM60

Ultrasound - RM30

Blood test for HCG - RM45 (yes I needed it because in my ultrasound Dr cannot find any baby inside my uterus, so need blood test to confirm my pregnancy).

2nd prenatal check up at PAH 8 weeks from lmp

Consultation fees (follow up) - RM45

Ultrasound - RM30

The following prenatal check up schedule at 4 weeks once till 28 weeks.

Consultation fees (follow up) - RM45

Ultrasound - RM30

Urine test - RM9 ++

Besides the routine ultrasound and urine test, there's another full blood test @ RM100 (to check for HIV as well). For detailed scan (anatomy scan), it's around RM65.

Prenatal vitamins are optional as we can get outside pharmacy but I decided to take from PAH since the pricing there and outside is about the same.

30 tablets

Pramilet (multivitamin) + Calcium+ @ RM40 below

Fish oil @ RM35

So total up to date (@30 weeks), I've spend around RM900 for my prenatal check up and vitamin. I've skip 1 time 4 weeks check up, and yeah from 28 weeks above we're suppose to get our routine check up every 2 weeks, which I plan to skip and make it at every 4 weeks until I'm 36 weeks. At 36 weeks, we're required to get our check up once a week, plan to skip to 2 weeks once as well. As long as baby is healthy, I don't think I need to be check that frequent.

Some mummy will visit private for ultrasound and monthly routine check up at Klinik Kesihatan to save on cost but for me as I don't plan to give birth in Government Hospital, I prefer to keep all my records with one doctor, just in case any emergency happen, the doctor will have all my medical record.

So all in all, it is better to prepare at least RM1500 for the prenatal check up for the whole 40 weeks duration.

Let's move on to the maternity package:

I'll most likely take the 3-bedded room 3 days 2 nights package from PAH which cost around RM1688 ++ all the admin fees and so on, estimated I need to prepare RM1800. This is for non medical - normal delivery.

If in case needed the help of vacuum, forceps or induction do add in another RM300 or so. As for epidural it's RM900.

I would love to have 100% non medicated delivery, but sometimes things might not turn out the way I want it to be so my budget is now at RM2100. I'm not going for epidural as I can give birth naturally with Kyle without needing epidural so for Keith, I have confidence I do not need epidural.

In any case of emergency c-section the price would raise by x3 the package price, roughly around RM5000. I'm praying hard I do not need to go into emergency c-section.

Right right, after birth, it's confinement time, there's a few choices -

Confinement lady: price ranging from RM3200 to RM4000

Confinement center: price ranging from RM2500 to RM3500

Catering confinement food: RM2500 above (this mostly can find in KL but not in Penang - where they will deliver the confinement food to your house everyday).

Mother in law / Mummy's lovely confinement: RM500 above (we will need to at least give them an angbao and purchase all the confinement food ingredient)

Maid: RM40 for half day, RM80 for full day (to help clean the house or wash the dirty laundry).

I'll have my mum helping me with my confinement so I save up a lot a lot ^^.

Oh, please don't forget to budget at least RM1000 for baby's jaundice ^^, baby will have jaundice but it depends on how high the level is. To admit baby for the ray, it cost around RM500 per day.

Compulsory and Non Compulsory Vaccination

Here are the compulsory vaccination, and not compulsory vaccination that I took out from Kyle's immunization record book.

Compulsory:

At birth - B.C.G - 2nd day of birth

At birth - 1st Hepatitis B - 1st day of birth

At birth - Vitamin K - 1st day of birth

1 mth old - 2nd Hepatitis B

2 mths old - 1st Triple antigen (DPT), Oral / IM Polio and Hib

4 mths old - 2nd Triple antigen (DPT), Oral / IM Polio and Hib

5 mths old - 3rd Hepatitis B

6 mths old - 3rd Triple antigen (DPT), Oral / IM Polio and Hib

15 mths old - Mumps, Measles, Rubella (MMR)

18 mths old - 1st Boost Triple antigen, Oral / IM Polio and Hib

Non compulsory:

> 1 years old - Chickenpox

> 1 years old - Japanese B Encephalitis 1 / 2 / 3

> 1 years old - Hepatitis A 1 / 2

Pneumococcal

Rotavirus

Kyle took all the compulsory shot and also chickenpox but we didn't give him Pneumococcal and Rotavirus cause it is super expensive.