My IUGR Baby

The past 2 weeks have been one roller coaster emotional ride for me and Calvin. So I had a routine medical check up on Monday and expected it to be a normal hi-bye-thank-you-doc kinda visit, until the doc realised that baby Chloe was at the bottom 5th percentile in terms of growth. In another word, she was very small for her gestational age and had not been growing much since our last visit 2 weeks ago. Alarmed, the doc sent me for another sonograph which confirmed that Chloe was indeed small. She was only weighing 1.6kg when she should be above 2kg. 

What followed next was a CTG monitoring, which checks the baby's heart beat to make sure she was doing alright in the womb. All was fine with Chloe's heart beat; thank God it was good and regular. However the CTG monitor also picked up that I was having regular contractions! And what was more bizarre was that I did not realise that those hardenings that I have been feeling in my stomach were not Chloe bundled up in a corner after all. I barely had any pain, and I thought contractions are supposed to be painful. 

Anyway, by then I was already so overwhelmed by the sudden turn of event and it had been such a long day of waiting for the doc/sonograph result/doc and then the CTG test (and I was supposed to log on from home to finish up some work) that I just broke down and cried in the hospital. Yeah I was bawling. 

Calvin couldn't be there with me during the check up as he got called in for a simulator last minute. The doc asked if I wanted to call him but I refused because I knew I'd cry more if I hear his voice, and I didn't wanna alarm the doc and all the pregger ladies outside the clinic *read I was a total emotional mess*. I eventually did later when the doc said she had to hospitalised me to try to stop the contraction. 

As I was only 35 weeks along then, it was best they administer steroid to strengthen Chloe's lungs in case she comes out early. As the steroid takes 48 hours to work, I was put on medication and drips to minimise contraction and to try to wait out delivery until at least 48 hours later. It was the most uncomfortable 2 days of my life but thank God Calvin was there with me throughout the whole ordeal. 

Fast forward to today... I have been discharged from the hospital and been asked to monitor baby movement daily. I am also required to go back for CTG monitoring twice a week until delivery day. Baby Chloe has been doing great so far, although my odd contractions still does not subside. 

I will be 37 weeks along this coming Monday, and that's when we will induce baby Chloe. 

A big thank you to friends and family members who have been there for us, helping us to get ready for the arrival of Baby Chloe, and also for the emotional support. We love you very much and couldn't have done this without you. 

Please pray for safe delivery of Baby Chloe.

Week 32

Dear Baby

Happy New Year dear Baby C! It's 2014 and you'll be arriving very soon. Mommy is very excited and scared at the same time. Try not to hurt mummy too much when you try to come out okay? 

Mommy and Daddy were in Hong Kong with Uncle Shaun just last month and we brought you along! Did you enjoy the dim sum and all the goodies ? 

Your kicks are getting stronger and more frequent these days. As much as they hurt mommy sometimes (especially when you kick mommy's ribs), mommy thinks she'll miss them when you're finally out. Nonetheless we are both so excited to meet you! 

Grow stronger every day, my dear little bulb!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Week 25

Dear Baby - Are you a cat or a dog baby? 

Week 23

Dearest baby,

Oops.. looks like mummy has been lazy updating the blog. It's been another busy week for both mummy and daddy. Mummy was busy with work as usual, and was so exhausted in the evenings that even your kicking and punching don't wake mummy up at all. Daddy on the other hand was busy serving national service, and now he's gone to work at Christchurch. So little baby, it's just you and me for the weekend.

Oh and we have also started thinking about how to do up your little nursery... stay tuned Baby C!

Kisses,
Mummy and daddy

Week 20

Dear baby

It's official... you are going to be our little darling princess!!

Love,

Mummy and Daddy

Week 19

Dearest baby

Daddy's off to Munich for work and mummy is meeting him in Paris soon! We're excited as you are coming along. It's going to be a long flight though so try to stay comfortable in the tummy okay? 

P/S - Daddy just sold his beloved car to make room for you when you are here :) Don't you love daddy already? 

Week 18

Dear baby,

Looks like the doctor won't confirm you are a girl just yet. We gotto wait for 2 more weeks for the detailed scan. Make sure you smile for the ultrasound camera okay?

Mummy has been really busy with work but will make sure I get enough rest so that you can rest too. Mummy and daddy are also planning a vacation next week and we're bringing you along!! How exciting is that? Gimme a real hard kick soon okay?

Mummy and daddy love you very much.

Week 16

Dear Baby

Daddy is off to San Francisco, so it's just you and me this week. Mummy misses daddy very much, but at least with you around to accompany mummy it doesn't feel so lonely. Mummy has been busy singing in church this week. Was it very loud for you in there? Mummy's hoping that you would join me in the music ministry at some point in the future. It will be fun I promise :)

Mummy also met up with daddy's family for dinner. Your gwandma, gwandpa, aunties, uncles and cousins can't wait to meet you! Neither can mummy and daddy. But looks like we just got to wait for another 5 months!

We love you, so very much!

Love,
Mummy and Daddy

Week 15

Dear Baby

You are growing bigger every day and everyone notices this little bump on mummy now. Everyone is so excited when they hear about you and they are asking if you are going to be a boy or a girl. Mummy is hoping for a girl, but daddy wants you to be a boy. We will know in 2 weeks if you cooperate but whatever you turn out to be, I know it wouldn't matter because mummy and daddy will love you so much regardless!! Just keep growing and keep wiggling in there okay. Mummy can't wait to feel you kick soon!

Love,
Mummy & Daddy

Week 14

Dear Baby

It's already been 14 weeks and you are already the size of a lemon, can you believe it? Mummy's tummy is growing so much bigger each day and daddy says it will be comparable to his anytime soon :) How are you doing inside there? Just the other day, the sonographer tried to coax you to move your face so she could see your nostril, by asking mummy to cough. We saw how much you actually moved with just a slight cough, which means you must be moving a lot with all the movement that mummy makes every day! I gotto tell daddy to stop with all the tickling from now onwards else it will be an earthquake in there for you!!

Alright Baby, grow well stay and stay strong. Mummy and Daddy love you.

Week 13

Dear Baby

Can't believe you've been in my tummy for 13 weeks now. It was so great seeing you in the ultrasound screen the other day. Though you look really tiny with a big bloated head, you are already wiggling your little backside like how your daddy would. It really makes me laugh.

Mommy is feeling better these days and trying to eat more so that you can grow bigger and stronger. It's funny how you completely changed mommy's appetite to only favor local food like Bak Chor Mee and Mee Poh Tar which mommy never touched before. You are truly a Singaporean baby :) Sorry for the expired milk that mommy accidentally drank the other day though. Hopefully that didn't go down your system, fingers crossed.

Alright baby, mommy's gotto rest now. Keeping on wiggling in my tummy ok? See you soon in 3 weeks.

Love,
Mommy