Week 1
The doctor had told me, during my last check-up, to start drinking pre-natal vitamins with folic acid to allow my body to create ample nutrient stores, just in case Val and I become successful with getting pregnant. Anna and I went to Walgreens and I purchased a bottle of Rainbow Light Pre-Natal tablets prior to flying out. During my vacation in the Philippines, I started drinking it.
Week 2
The ClearBlue digital ovulation prediction test kit showed a positive result! What a timing: Val and I were travelling by airplane and I was wondering if the stress of flying would affect my hormones. It must have, because I was quite emotional during our trip.
Week 2
The ClearBlue digital ovulation prediction test kit showed a positive result! What a timing: Val and I were travelling by airplane and I was wondering if the stress of flying would affect my hormones. It must have, because I was quite emotional during our trip.
One day, I noticed that there's a dark spot on my cheek that I haven't seen before. I dismissed it as some uneven skin colouration because I have been under the sun a lot the past few days; the skin peeling off my shoulders and my dark arms were proof of that (first, the hike in Korea, then the walking tours in Singapore and in Bali). I made sure I protected my face with a hat (courtesy of my stint at the Museum of Ice Cream) and with religious application of my Murad facial lotion with SPF 5 but those precautions didn't stop the discolouration from showing up.
Week 3
Sleeping at night became difficult because I felt warm all the time. The air-conditioner had to be turned on for me to feel comfortable. This experience reminded me of a scene in the movie "Father of the Bride 2" where the two female characters were comfortably wearing summer clothes whilst the air-conditioner was switched on in the whole house; the males were all layered up in winter clothes. (Little did I know that this change in my inner thermostat's settings would last all the way til autumn. I only started layering up when the hurricane-strength diablo winds blew into the Bay Area.)
Just like clockwork, the first sign that my period was approaching arrived: tender breasts. But this one felt different... they felt heavy and bigger (I had to switch to sports bras and t-shirt bras with more support... those which I used to wear when I was at my heaviest weight) and so painful that I teared up. In the evening, Val noted that my belly was getting big (it did look like a ball's inside); that I should start working out so that I wouldn't go fat and start having health complications. I rebuffed, stating that it's just all gas and once I've farted enough, my stomach would go back to its normal size.
I started having a cold and cough this week as well. Normally, I can shrug off an infection quite fast but this one's quite a bug: I lost my voice despite not speaking a lot! I mean, I didn't have anyone to talk with as I worked remotely (and alone) from home this week.
As if our schedule couldn't get any more hectic, we brought Chantal, Leonce, and Myra to Makati for their last-minute shopping. Thanks to my cold and cough, I kept sipping water throughout the drive. But I had to pee every ten minutes! I'm glad that Val didn't complain a lot about it and that on each stop, we found something for our guests to do (like drop by Starbucks). Even while shopping, I had to use the restroom every half hour almost. The struggle was real.
In June, I had asked Tita Lucy to buy me the wrap dress that she wanted her nieces to wear during their 50th wedding anniversary celebration. When I wore it (Ate Madie's make-up artist styled it as an empire cut dress) in August, my bloated stomach became quite obvious.
Kuya Rendo, who I haven't seen for 14 years, first greeted me with, "Are you with child?" My response was, "My stomach just has a lot of rice inside." Any pregnancy questions from my other cousins were deflected similarly; it's just gas! I had been farting a lot since Val and I got back from our southeast Asian trip; the trapped air's been causing my stomach to bloat.
Kuya Rendo, who I haven't seen for 14 years, first greeted me with, "Are you with child?" My response was, "My stomach just has a lot of rice inside." Any pregnancy questions from my other cousins were deflected similarly; it's just gas! I had been farting a lot since Val and I got back from our southeast Asian trip; the trapped air's been causing my stomach to bloat.
My period, which is often like clockwork, typically arrives every 28 days. All the classic symptoms were there: tender breasts, sleepiness, cravings (this month, it's mussels)... but there's no dysmenorrhea. Instead, I had slight twinges in my lower abdomen that made me think that it's probably one of the rare 29- or 30-day cycles rather than my normal 28-day cycle. But, no biggie... it would come.
And what wrong with my nose? While Val and I were watching the telly in the living room, I just kept smelling a vomit-like odour. And the room diffusers (lemongrass and ginger) whose aroma I absolutely found to be yummy in the previous week, now smelled overwhelmingly citrusy and sour, like lemon zest. Take note that I could smell all that with a stuffy nose.
Week 4
My period was already a day late. But since we've been travelling all month, I thought that maybe it's still forthcoming and just got delayed because of the stress.
Thanks to my rapid-bloating tummy, I couldn't get into my new walking shorts from The Gap so I wore my travel staple: flare wide-legged pants from Uniqlo. I started thinking that maybe, Val's right: I could have started gaining weight because those shorts were barely a month old. I should probably start walking in the morning.
Anyway, I took Ate Gigi and Matthew out so that they could visit BGC. After eating at Fo'od, we walked around High Street and then proceeded to The Spa where I opted to only have a foot massage (my favourite deep tissue massage is off the table until I get my period) while they went for a coffee rub and a deep tissue massage.
When I dropped them in Sta Cruz, Tita Mely and Trisha joined them in saying that I probably am pregnant. Matthew even mentioned that I have a "glow", which I have always attributed to the heat and humidity.
The next day, the period still did not show up so I took a ClearBlue Rapid Detection test first thing in the morning despite Ate Gigi's advice to test later in the week... and it came back positive!
Val was still at home, getting ready for work, when I got the results. Typical Val, he didn't lose composure, though he was very happy. In my case, my consultancy had to turn in an output the next day; so even if I wanted to let the news sink in, I couldn't just yet. Anyway, the pregnancy finally explained the twinges, the craving for mussels and tomato sauce, the weird smells, and the fatigue. The countdown to 280 days begins. Of course, I still needed to get the pregnancy confirmed by my primary care physician.
En route to California, I was planning to go on another cultural tour of South Korea during my 16-hour layover. Because the four-hour flight to Incheon from Manila was exhausting (strange, even for me), I went to the transit lounge to find myself a nap spot. However, the transit hotel really looked attractive (sleeping in a real bed with pillows and blankets)... more inviting than the benches and reclining chairs in the lounge. So I ended up checking in the hotel for 12 hours (the minimum amount of time you can rent a room in the transit hotel after 8pm and before 7:30am). As soon as I dropped my bags, I fell asleep!
... and woke up at 10:30am. A solid five-hour nap. Wow! This pregnancy fatigue is no joke! What a difference between my return to Incheon versus my first trip (I was able to go on a hike despite the trans-Pacific flight). Because the next leg of my trip was the 10-hour flight across the Pacific, I opted to just stay indoors and work in the hotel until check-out time. I was just way too tired to go outside... and I peed very frequently (thank goodness the ground crew assigned me to an aisle seat for this flight!).
Of course, the first people to learn about the pregnancy were Mommy, Daddy, and Anna. All of them were thrilled and excited. We also shared the happy news to Biboy and Barbara. Everyone agreed to keep mum until the risk of miscarriage has gone down significantly. In the meantime, Gabriel almost instinctively seems to understand that a cousin is forthcoming... he'd brighten up each time he saw me and he always wanted me to carry him. Even Barbara and Biboy started noticing the behaviour.
The betting for the baby gender begins...
Week 5
And then the spotting started. Never have I been more worried! Normally, I'd be marking this day in my mental calendar as Cycle Day 1. This time, I went ahead with a check up with my primary care physician, who reassured me that the spotting was normal. She also made sure that I wasn't having deep vein thrombosis (because of my long-haul airplane rides) and to confirm that I am pregnant. In the meantime, she advised me to rest easy over the weekend. Just in case the spotting became full-on bleeding, I was instructed to go straight to the emergency room. And so, for the next few days, I just took things very slowly.
Week 7
My doctor had referred me to an OB-GYN who would take over management of my pregnancy... I just didn't realise that my first meeting would be with a nurse practitioner. That's one of the things I learned about OB-GYN practices here: a nurse practitioner took charge of the early check-ups unless the pregnancy has complications; then the OB-GYN gets involved at the earliest of stages. The nurse practitioner, Pascale, proved to be a very competent and caring person; I immediately felt comfortable talking with her. One of the first thing she did was make sure that the pregnancy was growing in the right place: in the uterus, not in one of the fallopian tubes. The ultrasound imaging she performed also gave me the first chance to see the baby. To be honest, it was quite a dampener because I expected to see a fully formed baby already; instead, I saw something that looked like two blobs.
Week 9
My first prenatal check-up showed that the baby had indeed grown... and fast! I could already see more definition in the baby's ultrasound image and I saw the baby move! This pregnancy was becoming less abstract as I barrelled to the end of this trimester.
And the morning sickness? I'd say it's not that bad. I was nauseated all week but I wasn't vomiting (I mostly dry-heaved). I had no complaints except that everything smelled bad.
Week 10
Ate Maddie and JP dropped by the house because we were going to play an escape room. I decided to tell them about the baby because I was dizzy and dry-heaving all day everyday. Just in case I did feel sick during the game, I didn't want them to worry and I wanted them to know what to do. They were happy with the news, especially since they're the first cousins I've informed.
Week 12
I thought that this pregnancy was moving along smoothly... but no; I started vomiting in Week 11 and I had so many food aversions that I ended up losing weight instead of gaining pounds! But Week 12 marked the end of the first trimester and I was already looking forward to start the happy second trimester.
But before it ended, I had to get checked up by a perinatologist. This is a doctor that specialises in fetal health (yes, the unborn baby has its own doctor!). I underwent a blood test and another ultrasound imaging procedure to screen for chromosomal aberrations. The highlight of my experience was seeing the baby again... and four times bigger than the last time I saw it. Anna and Biboy went with me to the clinic and we were all thrilled to see the baby kick. It was certainly a fun afternoon for us.
Val arrived a day after my check-up; hence, he (mostly) only heard the happy stories. He hasn't seen the baby in a live ultrasound procedure just yet. But seeing the rest of the family very excited was infectious. He was very happy that everyone was raving about the arrival of a new baby.
Week 14
The results of the genetic tests arrived. Good news: the baby has low risk of having various disorders related to chromosomal aberrations and to genetic disorders. The genetic counsellor (yes, I've been given one) even said that she doesn't recommend me undergoing amniocentesis (thank goodness!) because everything seemed to be okay.
The other news: it's a boy!
Val was still at home, getting ready for work, when I got the results. Typical Val, he didn't lose composure, though he was very happy. In my case, my consultancy had to turn in an output the next day; so even if I wanted to let the news sink in, I couldn't just yet. Anyway, the pregnancy finally explained the twinges, the craving for mussels and tomato sauce, the weird smells, and the fatigue. The countdown to 280 days begins. Of course, I still needed to get the pregnancy confirmed by my primary care physician.
En route to California, I was planning to go on another cultural tour of South Korea during my 16-hour layover. Because the four-hour flight to Incheon from Manila was exhausting (strange, even for me), I went to the transit lounge to find myself a nap spot. However, the transit hotel really looked attractive (sleeping in a real bed with pillows and blankets)... more inviting than the benches and reclining chairs in the lounge. So I ended up checking in the hotel for 12 hours (the minimum amount of time you can rent a room in the transit hotel after 8pm and before 7:30am). As soon as I dropped my bags, I fell asleep!
... and woke up at 10:30am. A solid five-hour nap. Wow! This pregnancy fatigue is no joke! What a difference between my return to Incheon versus my first trip (I was able to go on a hike despite the trans-Pacific flight). Because the next leg of my trip was the 10-hour flight across the Pacific, I opted to just stay indoors and work in the hotel until check-out time. I was just way too tired to go outside... and I peed very frequently (thank goodness the ground crew assigned me to an aisle seat for this flight!).
Of course, the first people to learn about the pregnancy were Mommy, Daddy, and Anna. All of them were thrilled and excited. We also shared the happy news to Biboy and Barbara. Everyone agreed to keep mum until the risk of miscarriage has gone down significantly. In the meantime, Gabriel almost instinctively seems to understand that a cousin is forthcoming... he'd brighten up each time he saw me and he always wanted me to carry him. Even Barbara and Biboy started noticing the behaviour.
The betting for the baby gender begins...
Week 5
And then the spotting started. Never have I been more worried! Normally, I'd be marking this day in my mental calendar as Cycle Day 1. This time, I went ahead with a check up with my primary care physician, who reassured me that the spotting was normal. She also made sure that I wasn't having deep vein thrombosis (because of my long-haul airplane rides) and to confirm that I am pregnant. In the meantime, she advised me to rest easy over the weekend. Just in case the spotting became full-on bleeding, I was instructed to go straight to the emergency room. And so, for the next few days, I just took things very slowly.
Week 7
My doctor had referred me to an OB-GYN who would take over management of my pregnancy... I just didn't realise that my first meeting would be with a nurse practitioner. That's one of the things I learned about OB-GYN practices here: a nurse practitioner took charge of the early check-ups unless the pregnancy has complications; then the OB-GYN gets involved at the earliest of stages. The nurse practitioner, Pascale, proved to be a very competent and caring person; I immediately felt comfortable talking with her. One of the first thing she did was make sure that the pregnancy was growing in the right place: in the uterus, not in one of the fallopian tubes. The ultrasound imaging she performed also gave me the first chance to see the baby. To be honest, it was quite a dampener because I expected to see a fully formed baby already; instead, I saw something that looked like two blobs.
Week 9
My first prenatal check-up showed that the baby had indeed grown... and fast! I could already see more definition in the baby's ultrasound image and I saw the baby move! This pregnancy was becoming less abstract as I barrelled to the end of this trimester.
And the morning sickness? I'd say it's not that bad. I was nauseated all week but I wasn't vomiting (I mostly dry-heaved). I had no complaints except that everything smelled bad.
Week 10
Ate Maddie and JP dropped by the house because we were going to play an escape room. I decided to tell them about the baby because I was dizzy and dry-heaving all day everyday. Just in case I did feel sick during the game, I didn't want them to worry and I wanted them to know what to do. They were happy with the news, especially since they're the first cousins I've informed.
Week 12
I thought that this pregnancy was moving along smoothly... but no; I started vomiting in Week 11 and I had so many food aversions that I ended up losing weight instead of gaining pounds! But Week 12 marked the end of the first trimester and I was already looking forward to start the happy second trimester.
But before it ended, I had to get checked up by a perinatologist. This is a doctor that specialises in fetal health (yes, the unborn baby has its own doctor!). I underwent a blood test and another ultrasound imaging procedure to screen for chromosomal aberrations. The highlight of my experience was seeing the baby again... and four times bigger than the last time I saw it. Anna and Biboy went with me to the clinic and we were all thrilled to see the baby kick. It was certainly a fun afternoon for us.
Val arrived a day after my check-up; hence, he (mostly) only heard the happy stories. He hasn't seen the baby in a live ultrasound procedure just yet. But seeing the rest of the family very excited was infectious. He was very happy that everyone was raving about the arrival of a new baby.
Week 14
The results of the genetic tests arrived. Good news: the baby has low risk of having various disorders related to chromosomal aberrations and to genetic disorders. The genetic counsellor (yes, I've been given one) even said that she doesn't recommend me undergoing amniocentesis (thank goodness!) because everything seemed to be okay.
The other news: it's a boy!
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