20-week Morphology Scan

This arvo, my mother-in-law (MIL) accompanied me to see Dr Reino Rambey, an obstetrician (OB) who specialises in Ultrasonography at Visi Scan Clinic in the BIC Building in Jakarta.

In summary:

• It's a BOY! ^___^ My boy was quite active and frequently sucked his thumb. 
• All fetal measurements are within normal range (being 10-90%), though generally it's below the 50th percentile, meaning it's a bit on the small end but still normal! Of course, all parents want their babies to be above average but not everyone can be above the 50th percentile...
• The femur length (FL) is one week behind (17th percentile) which is okay, though, I did get a bit anxious after reading online that a short FL is a soft indicator for Down Syndrome (DS). But I do have short legs and a long torso so maybe my baby takes after me in that respect. I'm 168cm/5'5" and DH is 174cm/5'7". DH has long legs though. 
• I'm seeing my usual OB, Dr Ivan Sini, next week so I'll show him the results and ask for his medical opinion about the FL being short. I'm wondering if I should consider amniocentesis for peace of mind, though it wouldn't change the fact that I'm keeping the baby. My first trimester nucal translucency test at 13 weeks was good and showed I had a very low risk for DS. Age = 30, NT = 1.3mm, BhCG = 22.5 U/L and PAPP-A = 3.83 U/L. 
• Placenta is positioned high and anterior. Cervix closed, heart rate 153 bpm, Estimated fetal weight (EFW) is 341 grams which is equivalent to the 42nd percentile for 20 weeks gestation. Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI) is 12.3
• My estimated date of confinement is 23 May 2013, which is only 2 days later than my Estimated Due Date by LMP. 
• All in all, a healthy and normal pregnancy. As doctors call it, an 'unremarkable' pregnancy, which is perfectly fine with me! 

After the scan, I sms'ed my Mum in Sydney to update her on the progress of my pregnancy and to inform her that her first Grandchild will be a boy. I would have liked to tell her in person but I'm sure she'd rather find out ASAP than wait until February when I arrive. After all, I did tell her in person about my pregnancy when I was 10 weeks in, and at that time, she responded in confusion (she asked my MIL 5 times if I was really pregnant and asked me once), then came speechless shock as the news dawned on her and finally with overwhelming tears of joy. I got a bit emotional seeing my Mum cry. It was a joyous day for Mum because her son was getting married that weekend and her daughter was going to have a baby. 

Anyway, on the way home, my MIL asked me whether I've been thinking about baby names. This topic is a bit 'touch and go' as I didn't want to offend her in any way but would prefer to keep the list of potential names secret until the baby was born. I did tell her I'd like a biblical name but one that's not too common, to which she mentioned that DH's paternal grandfather's name was Abraham... x_x  A bit too old-fashioned for me. DH prefers a name that, when shortened to a nickname, sounds good and not too cheesy. 

I've started using the almond oil that I bought from L'Occitane. I do like it as it seems to absorb well into the skin but the odor is quite strong for my liking. 2-3 big squirts is enough to cover my belly and breasts. I showed my belly to my friends Shanty and Tris the other day and Shanty, who's already had two kids said my skin is thin so I should really use a belly oil as thin skin will likely give me stretch marks. And she advised me not to scratch my belly too. Actually now that I think about it, my MIL warned me about that too but the advice didn't sink in until another person suggested it. 

I read that genetics plays a big part in stretch marks. I can't remember if Mum had prominent stretch marks, I recall seeing stretch marks on her belly but I don't think they were too bad. I'll have to ask her over Skype some time. She'll probably want to show me her stretch marks over webcam too... XD

5 months pregnant in Jakarta

Hello, and welcome. This is my first pregnancy and I will be blogging periodically about my pregnancy journey so I can remember it in years to come.

Today, 2 January 2013 marks the fifth month or 20th week of my pregnancy. I am half way through my pregnancy! ^___^

Tomorrow, I have my 20-week morphology scan at BIC Jakarta with Dr Reno. I was told at my 17-week scan that I might be having a *** but my obstetrician, Dr Ivan Sini at Morula Clinic (part of Bunda Hospital) said to hold off from buying boy themed things until a few weeks more when the gender is absolutely certain. 

Tomorrow, my mother-in-law (MIL) will accompany me to the scan because my Dear Husband (DH) will be out of town for work. 

I have been taking multi-vitamins (Nature's Plus Prenatal tablets) containing folic acid and extra calcium (Caltrate). Dr Ivan says that in Indonesia you don't need to take Vitamin D. I also have another multi-vitamin called Elevit which I bought in Sydney but I want to use up my Nature's Plus vitamins first.

In terms of symptoms, since the start of the second trimester, I have had: 

• restless sleep and wake up with a stiff back most mornings. My sleep quality isn't as good as it used to be because I'm constantly changing positions at night or going to the toilet. I try not to drink anything before bed. 
• my stomach is slowly getting bigger but I have no visible signs of stretch marks (yet!) but my bump is pretty much visible to the keen observer. No hiding that!
• My breasts are still expanding and filling up. I think I've gone up a cup or two. I have a roadmap of veins all over my chest and breasts.
• My nipples are getting darker, larger and more lumpy. About once a week, I have sore nipples like someone is pinching them for a good 20 mins or like having ice against them. 
• I've only gained about 2 kg since the start of my pregnancy and most of that weight was added in the last 2 weeks. The Dr was not worried at my last scan (17 weeks) because the baby was growing well (measured 180 grams compared to the average of 140 grams) and so the weight gain of the mother is not so important. Thank the Lord that my placenta is working well!
• People have commented on how my skin looks good but I honestly don't see any difference. Indonesians have an old wives' tale that predicts you will have a girl if the mother looks nicer during her pregnancy. 
• My skin is rather dry all over. Yesterday I bought a new body oil for my belly from l'occitaine. It's called Almond Supple Skin Oil and it cost me Rp 600,000. It's designed for pregnant women so it's safe to use. I haven't used it yet as I absent mindedly left it in the car. 
• constipation, that is, two or less bowel movements in a week. I have been eating more than usual but I don't go to the toilet as frequently as I should be. 
• A few times a day, I will feel movement in my belly. From weeks 15-19, I felt what feels like a bubble or popcorn popping near my belly button. Now, it doesn't feel like a pop but more like a weak jab. 
• My eyes feel drier and I should use eye drops but I haven't been. 
• Occasionally at night, maybe once a week, I get leg cramps in my calf. When I do, I stick my heel out quickly to stretch out the muscle. 
• I have noticed an increase in white vaginal discharge but it doesn't smell. At least I'm not spotting anymore. I was spotting for almost one month from weeks 5-8 and my Dr said he could see a small sub chorionic hematoma but the bleeding cleared up in week 8. I was on progesterone pills  (Duphaston) until week 13. 
• My vagina has stopped itching, I was itching during half of the first trimester. I thought I might have had thrush or a urinary tract infection (UTI) for a while but my lab results came back clean so I guess not. I have been using a feminine wash daily called Lactacyd which I think has been helping as I no longer feel itchy down there.
• I'm more absent minded and emotional. Just watching a sad TV commercial can bring on the waterworks.

In terms of baby shopping, during my recent trip to Hong Kong, I bought: 

• Combi Miracle Turn Premier stroller (Purple Leaf design)
• Medela Swing breast pump
• Ergo Baby carrier in purple with a beige infant insert
• 1 Grobag sleeping bag tog 2.5 (size 6-18 months)
• 6 Charlie Banana cloth diapers with disposable inserts
• Pigeon disposable breast pads 2 x 51 pairs = 102
• Jaco Breastmilk storage bags (120 bags)
• various maternity clothes

There's a lot more stuff I have to buy but I don't want to buy too much too early. Some people are very superstitious about that kinda stuff and don't want to buy things too early in case things don't turn out well. But I have no doubt that my baby will turn out okay because he/she is God's gift and God always knows what's best for you.