hi mummies, it seems like a brisk past couple of days!
juxta: wah u r so fortunate to have a maternitywear spree-er =p and get such good lobangs on maternitywear. next time must share the good news with us... kekeke...
eunice/juxta/karrie/shers/queen: like eunice, i think my tummy fat is showing coz of eating more than baby needs, but so far can still squeeze into my normal pants, but need to look for maternity pants too liao... i think most pp who dont overeat show at about 16 weeks. MS for a few blessed souls dont even affect them much in the first few weeks, but some mummies can feel horrid THROUGHOUT pregnancy, especially if u have multiple pregnancies or as u have more pregnancies. to reduce MS, apparently these may help: ginger-tinged stuff [even biscuits], small frequent meals, lotsa water/sleep/rest, more vitb6 [in nuts, bananas, avocados, whole grains], more ironrich foods [beef, sardines, eggs, leafy greens], cut down coffee [probably tea] and alcohol], avoid overly milky/oily/acidic stuff.
jo/connz: that’s quite fortunate [and a pretty cooperative baby] – i thot most people have to wait till the 20-22 weeks’ scan before they can see baby’s gender…
dev_19: thanks for that bill u posted – so we can see the actual things the october mummy’s paying for. =) i think gynae fees make up a significant chunk of it , then extras [extra day + companion bed], plus baby’s fees [which im not sure is included in everyone else’s bill]. thus my gut feeling is that if she didn’t get 1-bedded, her fees may not be so high [coz its like ‘unsubsidised]. have fun on vacation!
dev_19/sher/karries: your kids sound adorable – im waiting for the day that ive my own stories to tell… ;-p
maya: hi, if u don’t mind me asking, how come uve to do an op too, and the priest is for…?
venetia: in general, i think most people advise on a reduction in caffeine [if im not wrong, to 1 cup of tea or coffee a day, i.e. not exceeding 200mg/d] in pregnancy, to prevent miscarriages [though its not very proven] and to some extent in selected mummies, cut down on MS. im fairly paranoid when i found out i was pregnant, so though i used to polish off 1-2 cups of coffee/day, i cut down to 1 cup of any caffeinated product [tea/coffee/coke] every 3 days or so, and take 1 cup of decaf coffee every day instead. i was so moody when i started, but im more energetic now after 2-3 weeks.
dodos/karrie/maywong/vtly78/shers: to my understanding, the NT+blood test is the first trimester early screening test of choice. it combines primarily the scanning of baby’s neck fold thickness with mummy’s blood tests results [which are two of those in the triple test – which was the screening test previously] to give a likelihood ratio of baby having Down’s syndrome and two other less common chromosomal problems, according to mummy’s age, and the test results. the sensitivity is about 90-95%, compared with NT or triple test alone [about 75-80% - which is not so acceptable]. this test is usually done from 11-13 weeks. its usually charged outside packages because its up to individual choice – there are plenty of mummies who decline testing for various reasons. this blood test is different from the other antenatal blood tests such as HIV or blood count because this is for screening baby problems, whereas those are screening mummy for infections, blood problems etc.
maywong: maybe u can share with the other mummies what package u bought actually for that price [is it ur maternity package & doesnt include the NT scan]– the price difference could be due to other reasons. according to the internet, OSCAR seems to be the same as the NT+blood test, but u need to verify with the clinic u do it with.
karrie: besides amnio [which is THE test to check for chromosomal problems such as Down’s syndrome, and highly recommended for mummies above 35yrs, but is invasive and carries a significant risk of miscarriage], the NT/blood test is the next best available test [especially for mummies below 35yrs]. Down’s syndrome or other chromosomal problems cannot be detected by a normal ultrasound test; furthermore, these illnesses can only be implied if the foetus has major [as in big and visible] physical defects seen in these problems.
have a good day all!