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The latest on my pregnancy

“id rather that my placenta go to research than in a tub of face cream,” i said to joanne, a researcher at monash university, while signing the consent form. a weak stab at humour from a sick lady who just had a gruelling ordeal in two hospitals the previous night.
that was twenty-four days ago.

i have long since cleared my meagre shelf of the bouquets of flowers visitors have brought me. unlike me, they don’t have enough motivation to be steadfast and unwavering. after a brief display of colour and joy, they wilt and die. maybe that’s why not all flowers are mums. harhar. staying in hospital has turned my brain into the kind of bland mashed potato they keep feeding me day in and day out.

i shall narrate a story. of how i ended up almost chained to a mechanical bed, with bad tv and worse food, being a human pin cushion and drugged to the point of oblivion --- all of which are literally keeping me alive.

once upon a time, i fell in love. and following the natural course of things, got married, and fell pregnant. for the first time in my life, i followed everything by the book. soon as i found out that i was growing a baby, cell by cell, in my body. and for the first time in my life, i never had it this hard since day one.

during the first four months of pregnancy, i had very bad morning sickness to the point that i was unable to eat or drink anything. i got really acquainted with our bathroom sink, spending seven to ten times a day with my head buried down the drain. my specialist placed me on medication; phenergan suppositories stuck up my behind and maxolon to keep nausea at bay.
I started to enjoy food on the following month but towards the end of the fifth month, i had an ear, nose and throat infection. i lost my voice and couldn’t go to work; i was on medication again, alphamox, to which, i just found out, i was allergic, developing rashes all over my back. i recovered though, but not without sprouting another problem. my upper wisdom teeth started to become impacted and hurt really bad. at risk of developing a gum infection which can lead to further complications, my dentist recommended extraction, which cannot be performed because i couldn’t be xrayed. as a preventive cure for infection, i was put on antibiotics again. hello, rashes.

and on my seventh month, that fateful day, i got rushed to monash medical centre, a tertiary hospital. seigfred and i went shopping the whole day. we went to springvale for our usual Sunday market-ing and then to southland and rewarded ourselves with a nifty Nikon d90 and an asus m51va. went home, was really tired, but started tinkering with our new toys when i felt that i had to beg to be taken to the hospital.

next thing i know, i was strapped to a gurney, had an iv drip and another drug on my left arm and magnesium sulphate on my right, and was carted into an ambulance that took me from frankston hospital to monash medical centre at top notch speed, lights, sirens and all. kewl. if only i wasn’t feeling the slight tremors racking my body, and fearing for my baby’s life.
and now here i am, twenty-four days in. trying to be strong and resilient despite feeling bloated, crappy, achy and sluggish all day. still on medication: labetalol 200 mg four times a day, nifedipine] 30 slow release twice a day, novorapid six units pre-breakfast and two units pre-dinner and panadol 500mg as needed. my regimen consists of: 2-hourly blood pressure checks, daily blood tests (3 phials/test), twice weekly 12-hour urine collection, weekly growth scans for the baby, weekly placental fluid scan, daily CTGs and five times/day self-mutilation to check my blood sugar level. this is what keeps me busy.

but it’s not really as bad as it sounds. i have a good obstetrics team looking after me, and an endocrinologist comes in daily as well to keep track of my progress with my sugars. the nurses and midwives have been great, and ive made acquaintances as well. impossible though to harbour a real relationship with other patients, as they’re mostly transient. the neonatal team has also already spoken to me and we have been told that we were in the best hospital for my condition in melbourne.

what exactly is it im sick of? preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. my husband has diligently talked about it in his blog.

meanwhile, on the other side of town, the poor bloke does all the work. he makes the money, does the cooking, the laundry, the shopping, the taking care of me and endless hours of driving. home-work-hospital-home. mind you, we’re talking around 100kms of driving a day. we’re thankful though that this has happened; God has been really good to us.

we have been blessed with a little bundle of joy, still cooking in my belly; we have good jobs; a car; family and friends; much love and we’ve moved in to a new home! look:



.
in my previous entry, the doctors wanted us to go for 30 weeks. Tomorrow, we are turning 32 weeks. Thank you for all your prayers. Although my condition is progressing, we have come this far. The doctors are pleased and they are talking about probably delivering the baby in a matter of days. We are excited. And we are certain that even though the little diva is eight weeks early, she’s going to be okay.

.. faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Heb 11:1

Notes on Pre-eclampsia

Hi guys. Seigfred here. Just drop by my blog for updates regarding lei and baby lilly. I wanted to post a picture of her but she wouldn't let me. Maybe tomorrow if she's feeling pretty. Don't stop praying. :)

the journey so far..

posting using seigfred's imate jasjam, 2054 australian eastern standard time, monash medical centre, clayton, victoria, australia.

we need your prayers.

about a week ago I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. which could have been easily controlled by diet.

just when I was about to get endorsed to a specialised pregnancy dietitian, I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure which subsequently developed into preeclampsia.

sunday night I was rushed here in Monash Medical Centre via ambulance from frankston hospital. that was the cool part. the rest was very traumatic not only for me, the baby, but for my husband as well.

I had about three lines running through my veins--- saline for hydration, magnesium sulfate to preventme from having seizures and another drug to control my bood pressure from hitting the roof. I was considered a high risk preeclamptic patient.

overnight I had those drugs, in addition to oral medication. my kidneys were also starting to malfunction and I was given doses of steroids to help bubba's lungs mature just in case the need to deliver arose.

I am now on my third day in hospital, and taking it one day at a time. the doctors reckon I will definitely have to deliver preterm, the only question is when and how long I can keep the baby cooking in my belly without unnecessary risk to me.

currently I am 28weeks6days pregnant, I'm hitting week 29 tomorrow. each new day is a blessing. we're aiming for 30weeks.

I will be in hospital for as long as it takes, as the doctors don't want to send me home anymore.

your prayers helped us conceive. your prayers will definitely help us see this through.

all our love,
lei, seigfred and baby lilly soleil.

baby steps: the journey to yummyhood. entry # 6

it's been a while...

i've witnessed a lot of changes and since i still don't have the creative mojo to write, i shall document in bullets. game?

* winter has finally succumbed to spring. thank God i wouldn't have to carry the extra weight of thick jackets and woolen boots plus the growing bub inside my belly. melbourne is slowly flaunting its spring colors and the outside world doesn't look really dreary anymore. spring is love! i can finally take walks outside. (i know i don't have any excuse not to anymore)

* my belly has grown big. bigger. at first i was unhappy seeing three stretch marks on the left side of my bellybutton; but now with hundreds of them, i am forced not to care anymore. body butter didn't help. i'm just hoping that these pregnancy battle scars will slowly fade after the delivery so i can still wear two-piece swimwear. funny, i have stretch marks even on my breasts. haha. i am so laughing.

* my toes have become so alien to me. first of all, i can no longer see my toes when i look down from a standing position. next, i couldn't cut them myself as the belly gets in the way; flexibility is a thing of the past. and i haven't painted them in months. two days ago, they started evolving into vienna sausages --- i am starting to retain water and swell up. and speaking of swelling, we have just returned home from the jewelers. it broke my heart that they had to cut off my wedding band as i couldn't take it off anymore. we have tried all sorts of home remedies just to remove it, from slathering petroleum jelly to spraying on windex, to winding a string around my finger to just plain yanking. all i ended up having was a sore purple ring finger. and a frustrated bub kicking me in the guts. i didn't want to have it cut, because symbolically, it is my marriage we're talking about here. but better a cut ring than a cut finger, i guess.

* i have become so alien to me. i don't know what it is but i have become dark-skinned. all of a sudden. not just my armpits and the backside of my neck, (although they look like they've been rubbed with charcoal) but all of me. and i'm not really keen on changing my make-up bases because of this complexion change.

* i failed my first glucose tolerance test. now awaiting results for the 2-hour test i have done last saturday. hopefully, everything turns out okay, otherwise i might have gestational diabetes. which is not good at all. ah, the complications.

sounds like i have done a fair bit of complaining. but really, having this little miracle inside me is one of my greatest joys. having my husband talk lovingly to our daughter everyday through my tummy almost always brings tears to my eyes. thirteen more weeks to go. one more season change. shine, sun, shine. i am almost there.

baby steps: the journey to yummyhood. entry #5.

i knew it. little bub IS a girl.

we welcome name suggestions at this point. tristan wants Una (yoo' nah), and i would've wanted to christen her Psyche (as in Cupid's wife), if not for my mom's extremely violent reaction against the name. so, we'll see.

i really don't have much to say; so i'll just let the photos tell our story.

my belly at 19 weeks and 3 days

pensive

baby girl with mouth open

little bub thumb-sucking

full ultrasound videos follow:

and

i'm halfway there!

bad grammar makes me [sic]

i am lusting after this:

somebody get me one!!!