I'm such a hoarder

Yes... Apart from being a shopping whore, a perfectionist wannabe and a neat freak, there's something else to add to the list --I'm a hoarder!

Was clearing our my kitchen cabinet n look at the amt of things I have to throw:

Apart from clearing the cabinet, had another gynae check up this morning. Second time this wk. the total wk's damage-- $540! Ouch! Dr Ho did another cervix dilation check. This time I'm mentally prepared n Dr Ho, probably sensing my anxiety, guided me to breathe n that certainly helped. However, I still felt violated! Anyhow, the verdict-- I'm not ripe yet! 2 more days to EDD n I'm thankful it's a long wkend thus the hub is here for me. For the past 39 weeks i've been waiting for this moment. The birth plan is written, bag is packed, and im sure that any minute now i will feel the first contraction. Gulp! And then... nothing. Not even a twinge. Everyone is anxiously anticipating lil watermelon's arrival. Even daddy dearest called me!! A rare gesture as daddy dearest is a man of few words. Maybe I need to gv lil watermelon a nudge though mil says the longer the smarter! The following methods are how one can stimulate labour:

Nipple stimulation
It is when you gently rub or roll your nipples to encourage the start of contractions. The idea is to stimulate the suckling of your baby. This releases oxytocin, a hormone which causes contractions to start. Nipple stimulation could well work if you're ready for labour. The hormone oxytocin is released in your body when your breasts are stimulated.

Oxytocin helps your labour progress. It controls the contractions of your uterus (womb) during labour. Midwives sometimes use a synthetic type of oxytocin to induce labour. Oxytocin also stimulates the flow of breastmilk. So nipple stimulation can help labour start, but only if your cervix has already started to soften, thin and open ready for labour. In a study, 37 per cent women who had tried nipple stimulation went into labour within 72 hours compared to just six per cent of those who had not.

Nipple stimulation tricks your body into thinking you are suckling your baby. This means you'll need to gently massage the dark area around your nipple (areola), not just the tip of your nipple.
Place your palm over the areola and move in a circular motion, firmly and gently. You may need to continue doing this for some time. Stimulate your breasts for an hour, three times a day. Spend 15 minutes continually stimulating one breast, and then alternate to the other breast for 15 minutes until the hour is up.

If you're having a healthy pregnancy and you haven't had any complications then it's fine to try nipple stimulation. It won't over-stimulate your uterus, which could be dangerous for your baby.
Please don't try if u hv a high risk pregnancy.

Raspberry leaf
Raspberry leaf can be taken as a tea or in tablet form. It is thought it may stimulate your uterus and encourage labour. Raspberry leaf won't help to bring on your labour, but it may help it to progress well once it's started. It will work best if you start taking it when you're about 32 weeks pregnant, not before. That's because raspberry leaf can have a stimulating effect on your uterus (womb). If you start taking raspberry leaf at 32 weeks, it'll have plenty of time to build up in your system. I'm probably a little late but better late than never.

You can take raspberry leaf as a tea, or in tablet form. To help prepare the muscles of your uterus for labour, you could start with one cup of tea a day, gradually increasing to three cups.

One study has shown that raspberry leaf could speed up the second stage of labour and reduce the need for assisted birth.

Sex
Having sex can be tricky when you have a big bump. But it could trigger the release of oxytocin, a hormone which causes contractions. Having an orgasm could also stimulate your uterus to get labour going. Id like to do this but the bump isn't exactly putting me in the mood.

Walking
The pressure of your baby's head pressing down on your cervix from the inside could stimulate the release of oxytocin, a hormone which causes contractions. Being upright also encourages your baby to move down onto your cervix. According to obstetrician baby is down n engaged, perhaps I'm too tense?

In anycase, I'm a believer of letting nature take its course so m trying to chill m enjoy the remaining days of couple hood though the hub is showing his excitement too by always telling me that the lil watermelon is knocking on the door. Ironically, last night after arriving Hm at 830pm, he wanted to join the boys for soccer at 9pm! That will lead to supper which in other words, he won't be back till midnight! Talk about enjoying couple hood! Grr. To redemn himself, he rushed Hm to whip up a top shell cream sauce spaghetti for us tonight. :) this was probably to reciprocate my efforts last night:

The poor thing did not have a proper dinner. Due to the lack of ingredients, I could only make do with a breakfast menu.

To keep my hands busy n mind off things, here's my other project of the day:

Ohhh n lastly, I got my fix of rum ball cake ($1 per tiny pc) and coconut tarts(70cents per tart) from my favorite stall: Donna Manis @ Katong Shopping Centre. A Quaint small confectionary. Fresh out of the oven! Heavenly:

Pain

Movements have been utterly ardous n excrutiating. A simple task like getting up from the couch or bed is tedious. Each time the prickly feeling hits the V area I'll jump. Lil watermelon's kicks have also been intense till it hurts. Sleeping has also been agonizing. Upwards, sideways it all doesn't work. Upwards-- presses on my lungs; sideways -- supposedly gd for the heart if it's towards the left but lil watermelon apparently doesn't quite like it. The bladder despite cutting down on fluids at night, is constantly full every 2- 3 hrs.. A prelude or test of what to come I believe.

Was rather emo today. Have been hoping that the hubs could spend more couple time with me before the little one comes along -- which could be anytime! Unfortunately work has been pretty intense and each day when the clock strikes 530pm I'll text him only to learn that I'm to dine alone again. Can't blame him as diaper money's more important. However this evening, he rushed Hm not for me but to go for soccer⚡that was after telling him I wanted to go for a stroll w him n walking alone to his parents' Plc had been very arduous. Tears rolled down uncontrollably. On the one hand I know that he may not be able to attend soccer practice all that often in thd coming weeks, on the other hand, I'm the pregnant wife and with my edd being this Sunday, I, ME, YrsTRuly is of top and highest priority!

To get my mind off such thoughts and keep myself occupied, below are the projects of the day:

Inducing Labour

3 days more to countdown. Wonder what's Lil watermelon thinking right now. Went for the weekly checkup on Tuesday and the Dr Ho threw out the option of induction. It caught me by surprise as I've not reached full term. more importantly, he wanted to do it the NEXT DAY! i'm sooooo not ready for the pain! Then, realising that according to the Chinese Almanac, 3 Nov is supposedly a good day, I requested for that day if an induction were to be done. Silence. Apparently I've made a very silly and unscientific statement which dumbfounded Dr Ho. As with most doctors, Dr Ho does not quite believe in "lucky days"...but on the contrary, as like most mothers, I would like everything to be perfect. Upon explanation however, I realise that it doesn't mean that if you were induced today, it means you are gonna pop today! In Singapore, the typical practice is to have a pill popped into your V area to help dilate the cervix. The cervix has to be dilated to 10cm before the baby can be naturally delivered (Dear God please let mine dilate naturally!-- muttering a prayer)

What does it mean to induce labor?

(Credits: http://www.babycenter.com)

If your labor doesn't start on its own, your practitioner can use medication and other techniques to bring on (or induce) contractions. She can use some of the same methods to augment, or speed up, your labor if it stops progressing for some reason. In 2006, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 5 births in the United States was induced. This rate more than doubled from 1990.

Why would my labor be induced?

Your practitioner will recommend induction when the risks of waiting for labor to start on its own are higher than the risks of the procedures used to get your labor going. This may be the case when:

• You're still pregnant one to two weeks past your due date. Experts advise waiting no longer than that to give birth because it puts you and your baby at greater risk for a host of problems. For example, the placenta may become less effective at delivering nutrients to your baby, increasing the risk of a stillbirth or serious problems for your newborn.
  
  
  
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  Live birth: Induction

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  In addition, if your baby gets too big, your labor is more likely to be prolonged or stalled, your chances of needing a c-section are higher, and both you and your baby have an increased risk of injury during a vaginal delivery.
• Your water breaks and your labor doesn't start on its own. In this case, you'll be induced to decrease the risk of infection to your uterus and your baby, which is more of a concern once your membranes have ruptured. (However, if your baby is still very premature, your practitioner may hold off on inducing labor.)
• Tests show that your placenta is no longer functioning properly, you have too little amniotic fluid, or your baby isn't thriving or growing as he should.
• You develop preeclampsia, a serious condition that can endanger your health and restrict the flow of blood to your baby.
• You have a chronic or acute illness – such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease – that threatens your health or the health of your baby.

• Are there any techniques I can try at home to get my labor going?

  No do-it-yourself methods have been proven consistently to be both safe and effective. Here's the scoop on some of the techniques you may have heard about:

• Sexual intercourse: Semen contains some prostaglandins and having an orgasm may stimulate some contractions. A few studies have shown that having sex at term may decrease the need for labor induction, but others have found no effect on promoting labor.
• Nipple stimulation: Stimulating your nipples releases oxytocin and may help start labor. While it's a time-honored approach, more research is needed to determine how effective it is. And because there's a possibility of overstimulating your uterus (and stressing your baby), it's not something you'd want to try without being monitored. Sometimes – more often when the end of labor is in sight – a practitioner will suggest nipple stimulation to provide a little extra help with contractions.
• Castor oil: Castor oil is a strong laxative. Although stimulating your bowels may cause some contractions, there's no definitive proof that it helps induce labor – and you're likely to find the effect on your gut very unpleasant.
• Herbal remedies. A variety of herbs are touted as useful for labor induction, but there isn't enough evidence to prove that any of them are both safe and effective. Some are risky because they can overstimulate your uterus and may be unsafe for your baby for other reasons as well.

After Dr Ho has laid out all the pros and cons, we decided against it though everyone in the family is anxiously anticipating the day. Apparently, the older generation thinks that it's an easy and risk-less procedure, thus I had to educate the MIL as she wanted lil watermelon to be induced on 1.11.11. In anycase, Dr Ho did a cervix check for me and too bad, I'm not ripe yet! Being un-mentally prepared, I was totally caught off-guard with that procedure and felt terribly pain and violated as he stuck his two fingers into me!! I'm still very traumatized and it seems like this is the standard Singapore hospital procedure to check for cervix dilation. OH NO!

On other matters, whilst trying to keep my mind off this wait game, my nesting instincts have once again bitten me. In preparation for the mountain of food that the MIL needs to store in my fridge and perhaps bottles of breastmilk, I decided to give my fridge a good scrub!

Look at all the expired stuff and this is just 80% of the things I threw!

EEwwwww....Think it must have been a year since I've cleaned it! OPS!

Yeah! Space!

And more space!!:)

In preparation for confinement, the MIL has brought over most of the herbs and "goodies" over to my place. Am very thankful that she has offered to help me with confinement thus saving us a bit of moolah. Hopefully no conflict will arise as in the case of many. I think everything happen for a reason. Empress Dowager is in a totally oblivious mode (apart from blessing me), whilst the MIL is constantly in and out of Msia and markets, sourcing for the best ingredients. Am truly appreciative.

Inspired by R's blog, I decided to try my hands at scrambled eggs. Realised that I have never scramble an egg before and yum yum, it tasted pretty good!


Leaving you with an adorable looking phone found in the MIL's house! hahhaha
*BLEAH*

Simple and Beautiful Felt Roses

When one is bored, one gets crafty. Just want to pen this down for future reference. Am so so inspired!

Credits to http://linesacrossmyface.blogspot.com

It's really so simple and I did it!!!! The last picture was made my me! Yeah! i can start making pweety hair accessories etc for my lil watermelon! :)

It seems to be an addiction...with the hubs constantly at meetings these days and MIL not cooking, I'm left to entertain myself with MORE crafts which isn't such a bad idea. Below is craft no. 2 of the day:

1. Cut a strip of felt 1 inch wide and 4 (to 4.5) inches long. Cut a second strip of felt that is 1 cm wide and about 1 inch long. Lastly, cut out 2 pieces that will go behind the bow.

2. Dab a little hot glue down the center of the strip. Fold over both edges and press down until the glue starts to dry. This side will be the back of the bow. Don't use too much glue or it will harden and be difficult to work with.

3. Before the glue completely dries, pinch the front middle of the bow until the glue hardens.

4. Flip the bow over and fold up the edges to give the bow little creases. Then glue the strip around the center of the bow. You may need to trim it so that none of it is visible from the front.

5. Glue the 2 ribbon-like pieces to the back of the bow. Make sure that they are the right size and shape before you attach them.

6. Ta da!

Credits to http://linesacrossmyface.blogspot.com

Auspicious Dates for baby

With hardly any fresh ingredients in my fridge, and majority of my nesting instincts satisfied, there's hardly anything to do today. Really got to find things to occupy myself before my thoughts start running wild. It's really quite a mystery as to when lil watermelon decides to make her appearance. Both daddy and mommy are anxiously anticipating as many things have to planned around that all important day. In fact, everyone's so anxious that they are asking me to get the doctor to induce labour and get baby out on 1-1-11. Nice if baby can hear me. Below is something interesting I found. some people actually choose to go C-sec due to auspicious dates. n guess what? 1-1-11 is indeed an auspicious date:

Blogging on the go

With the advent of technology, iPads iPods iPhones etc I should not take a backseat, not when I've already inherited the iphone3 fm the hubs. So I made it a pt to download blogger app so I'm able to blog on the go.. Haha no excuse for the lack of post now hopefully. Come to think of it, perhaps I can even blog whilst going through labour? A high tech form of epidural?

Moving along, a quick first update using the blogger app. Took sips of coconut water today as many swears tt the bb will come out 'cleaner' however there's another sch of thought which says that it will cause yr legs to weaken n this no strength to push. So what shld I do? Strike a balance

Tender coconut water (elaneer / nariyal pani) is one of the richest sources of electrolytes. It is high in chlorides, potassium, and magnesium and has a moderate amount of sugar, sodium and protein. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure and heart function. Coconut water is also a good source of dietary fibre, manganese, calcium, riboflavin and Vitamin C. Coconut water is a natural diuretic and so increases the flow of urine; this helps prevent urinary tract infections (UTI) as well as reduces the incidence of kidney stones. Coconut water also helps relieve constipation, improves intestinal function and promotes digestive health -– it is often recommended to people suffering from acidity and ulcers. These are the scientific benefits of drinking coconut water. However, there is a myth saying that the baby will come out "cleaner" if the preggie mum drinks coconut water in her last tri. In actual fact, the fetus is cleaner because fernik fat (fat that covers the body of the fetus) decreases. If he was born over 36 weeks of age will be born clean. If less months fernik then there is still fat in the skin, it’s not dirty but fat protecting the fetus in the mother’s stomach.

In addition to fresh coconut, I had my 2wks crave for Bo Bo Cha Cha finally satisfied! YUMZ! it's been a while since i had it!

Check out the cool shoes this dude has!! the people at the next table all don with fashionable clothings and vogue hairstyle. Even the little boy had a lopsided haircut just like his mama. The Japanese sure know how to make a statement!

Distracting myself with Crafts

The rains and floods have dried up (for a short while only I hope!) and today is well, a relatively nice a sunny day. However, somehow, I haven't had it good for the last couple of days. Been feeling nauseous and had two bouts of vomiting spells over the last two days. It feels like I'm in the first trimester all over again. The feeling is all too familiar. Read up about it and apparently nauseousness is a sign of labour!! AHHHHH somebody quick call the ambulance!

Ok, to distract myself, I've been doing heaps of late. Firstly, I'm proud to say that after all the technical glitches and obstacles, the highly anticipated and procrastinated project of mine...it's like a baby to me too...is launched -- JUMPSTART TUTORS!



Jumpstarttutors is dedicated to help parents get the right tutor to bring out the genius potential that lives within the heart of every child so that together we may pave the way to a better tomorrow. Being an educator for so many years, I feel it's time to help more parents cope with the whole education frenzy.

Being a very aesthetic person, the site had to be close to perfection before its launch. I won't deny but I'm no HTML guru or CSS stylesheet reader thus the whole experience was pretty exasperating especially when you know there's help just an arm's length away (the hub) but you can't get it because he's always so preoccupied. So independence worked its way and paid off! I even designed my own business card for the record! Achievement much! With all these creativity mounting, my obsession with crafts started to bloom once again. Checked out several craft sites set up by SAHMs and am inspired! If only i have the time and resources, but most importantly, can be a SAHM!!! I realise how much I can achieve, given time, but yet again, to have time, we need money! It's the hard truth. Very often I envision myself marrying my passion and work but somehow, it's just so hard.

Anyhowz, check out the crafty resources which I've pooled together and hopefully will embark on them one day soon! Afterall, Xmas is round the corner!







This is pretty manageable. I'm sure I can do something like that for my desk before the new year :)...it is also a necessity since memory failure is here to stay for at least 2 more years after pregnancy according to sources.