week 27 - 3 more months to go

My body:
* Apparently, as I mark the days of my third trimester off the calendar, my body will continue to change and grow. I WILL gain weight more rapidly than in my first or second trimester, and my breats WILL increase in size and weight - up to FOUR times larger and heavier. One word: EEEEKS....
* It's happening.. third trimester is the most uncomfortable stage because baby is growing rapidly, which means you are bigger as ever, get fatigue easily, and short of breath all the time because the uterus is now up near the rib cage (apparently this also is influenced by how you're carrying your baby - whether it is low and small, or high or big - which in turn is depending on your build, how much weight you gain and of what diet you gain it for. I am petite (or used to be) but definitely not carrying the baby low and small! Anyway, my tummy is as hard as rock most of the time, and the heat (Melbourne has been around 37 degrees the past 2 days) is making me very uncomfortable.
* Bleeding gum - Mine is not too bad actually since it is only on one spot and only bleeds when I floss - but I noticed it is getting slightly worse. The gums, like the mucous membranes of the nose become swollen, inflamed and tend to bleed easily because of pregnancy hormones. Book suggested to take a lot of vitamin C and calcium, and also check with the dentist since if left untreated, gum disease increases a woman's risk of having a premature or low-birthweight baby (note to self: find a dentist)
* What causes heartburn during pregnancy? During pregnancy, hormone and physical changes may cause stomach acid to flow up into the esophagus. The hormone progesterone, produced by the placenta, relaxes the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach. This allows gastric acids to seep back up the pipe, causing that unpleasant burning sensation. Progesterone also slows down the wavelike contractions of the stomach, making digestion sluggish. In later pregnancy, your growing baby crowds your abdominal cavity, slowing elimination and pushing up the stomach acids to cause heartburn (Which is why Mylanta & Rennie are my new friends now).


My Peanut:
His facial features are almost fully developed and synchronizing enough that he may make faces that are visible on an ultrasound (would it be like Scott? or would it be like me? Apparently Caucasian gene is stronger than Chinese but who knows - Mum is Javanese so there might still be a possibility...)
His skin is becoming ticker and fleshier and increasingly wrinkled, thanks to the amniotic fluid.
The brain is active this week as well. The characteristic grooves on the brain's surface start to appear and more brain tissue develops.
He's been having a lot of hiccups - also moving and kicking alot.

My third trimester. It said that I have to be extra careful now with what I eat because my immune system is now somewhat suppressed. Oh my GOD! I had a bratwurst dog in the market yesterday and I am completely paranoid about it now....

Lani arrived from Auckland on Tuesday morning and stayed with us until friday. I thought having Lani would be like having mum around - forcing me to have the exercises that I need. Two reasons why this time it didn't work: firstly, Scott was away so we got the car and almost drove everywhere. Secondly, we spent most of our time sitting down and eating and having a chat so not much walking involved. And to make it worse, I also felt like I am on holiday so I ate alot of unhealthy snacks and ice creams and all the things that I didn't need.

It's good having a company while Scott is away. We caught up a few times with Rui and Lani's other friend in Melbourne - spent time on the beach, looking around the city but most of the time, relaxing and taking our time.

As much as I enjoyed though - I felt too pregnant sometimes. It is getting hard to keep up since I don't have the same energy, also going out at night without alcohol is not as fun - few times I fell into the comfort zone of staying home, putting my legs up and have the air conditioning on, rather than being out and about at the pub. Am I getting old or just boring?

I just realised that I am not very happy with this doctor since he's just ignoring my questions or, to put it in more subtle way, doesn't really acknowledge my worries. My visits have been very short and everytime I asked something he just cut to the chase and did not even try to reassure me. I know he's been there and done that (old doctor he is!) and that he must have come across hundreds of new mummies to be like me, but that should make him more understanding that a lot of first timers are more nervous than others. It's a bit too late to change doctor now so hopefully he's really good in delivering babies.