Pregnancy Journal: Third Trimester (Last lap with babies!)
The last trimester
Counting down the days till we meet our little ones
Week 28
This week, week 28 also marks the start of the third trimester! Yayyyyyy! 🎉🎉🎉
10 Aug: I am super excited because we can now countdown the weeks in a single-digit! Twins are usually delivered at week 36 or 37 (due to the lack of space in the tummy), so d-date is really getting close! And to commemorate our journey thus far, I decided we should do a maternity shoot at home, by ourselves, self-timer style 😝 Thank goodness the husband was very cooperative and I was able to pick out quite a few as my favorites. While they are not professionally taken or the pretty kind of maternity shoot one would expect, I'm still happy that both of us put in the effort to capture our first pregnancy journey so far.
11 Aug: For the longest time, I actually woke up naturally at 9 am or so today and had a pretty productive morning. The only downside was… I got really breathless out of a sudden to the extent that my heart was palpitating faster than usual. I could barely focus on what I was doing so I decided to do some prenatal yoga but barely 15 minutes into it, I gave up. My eyelids felt so heavy and I felt like I could doze off anytime. Honestly, I'm feeling very blessed that I am able to work from home (even if not for COVID) and I always wondered how I was going to cope if I had to work in an office environment.
14 Aug: Had my routine prenatal checkup today and was asked to do a finger-prick blood test to check on my iron levels. The results were almost immediate (took less than 5 minutes for the machine to return the results) and it turns out that I am borderline anemic (iron-deficiency) at 10.2. The normal levels should be at least 12. I let out a big sigh because the iron pill is one that I dislike the most out of all the supplements I'm taking and now I have to increase my intake! 😣 This is quite unexpected though. During the initial blood test (the time where we took the 1st trimester harmony test), my iron levels were good.
Now for the sake of the two little ones, I have to be really disciplined to take the extra iron pills. After reading up on the consequences of iron-deficiency, it made me realise that it is really important to have a healthy iron-level because a lack of it would cause a number of complications such as premature birth, low birth rate and extreme blood loss (for the mother) especially during C-section delivery.
Koon and I also took the whooping cough vaccination today. While it is optional, it is highly recommended for preggers to do so in order to pass the antibodies to our newborns and protect them after birth, especially when their immune system is weak at birth. Koon took the jab as well to protect himself and the family. I felt nauseous and a loss of appetite after the jab but this side effect is expected and it was manageable. Everything was back to normal after taking a nap :)
Week 29
19 Aug: Koon and I've got this conversation going for a while and we both agree that it is important to have a process in place when taking care of a newborn - moreover two - in order to keep ourselves sane. One question we get very often (from our friends whom we revealed we are pregnant with twins to) was “OMG. TWINS?! How are you going to take care of them? Are you getting any help?”
Getting a helper is not in our plans, at least for now. Both of us are not keen on that idea. As for our parents, they have their own commitments so they are out of the picture. And right from the start, I am really glad that Koon and I share a common perspective that if we want to be parents, we should take care of them ourselves. Taking care of the kids shouldn't be any one else’s responsibility, but ours. If our parents were to offer help, it's a bonus. If not, we are definitely ok so we're not sure why people always ask “are your parents helping?” no no no and no. For the longest time, parents are not there to help you take care of your kids.
Confinement nanny, is a must though, as we believe in having an experienced person to help us transition through the phase of being new parents.
While Koon holds a full time job, we are looking at me being the primary caretaker for the twins. I am absolutely fine with that as this is also one of the reasons why I left my corporate job last year (2019) to be a homemaker while managing my own small business.
On the topic of putting a 'process’ in place, I did some research and got myself started on creating a timesheet (or is it a time log?) today. Finally! The timesheet is to record their daily feeding time, pee pee and poo poo frequency etc. Pinterest is a great source if you want a template that is readily downloadable and printable. I prefer to create my own set by referencing the parts I like from various templates and then multiplying them by two! 😛 Not sure if my self improvised version would work… would only find out when the babies are here but I feel so happy that this task is finally ticked off my list!
Week 30
25 Aug: My appetite is HUGE. Can't help but look back at my first trimester and laugh because during that period, my body was rejecting all kinds of food I can barely stomach anything. Now it's the complete opposite! (#Recap: I lost 7kg in my first trimester due to severe nausea and vomiting).
Third trimester makes me feel like a 🐷 . I get so hungry easily… unless I sleep. Take today for example, I had:
8:30 am: Egg prata x 2 + a cup of horlicks
<Went back to bed because I was still feeling tired and groggy>
12:00pm: Chicken Rice
2:00pm: Coconut Min Jiang Kueh (pancake) + an apple
4:00pm: Eclair x 2 + a cup of yoghurt
and … I'm still hungry!
It's crazy how far we've come, babies!
And true enough, third trimester is really about putting on all that weight.
28 Aug: Had my routine check-up today and as with every visit, I would have to do urine test, weight check, and blood pressure check before seeing the doc. While taking my weight today, both Koon and I got a shock at the numbers! I weigh 57.3kg and that's a whopping 3kg increase from my last visit, and the largest increase ever in between our fortnightly checkups. Koon couldn't believe it and asked me to retake my weight 😅 When I reported the numbers to the staff-in-charge, she also asked me to repeat myself because she too finds it a huge difference to my weight 2 weeks back (54.1kg) and just wanted to make sure that she heard me correctly. Anyway, the check-up went well! Babies are healthy and growing at a pace as expected. Dr Ho shared that on our next visit, we would be planning for the C-sect date!! Whoooooo, it's getting near! I'm SO excited.
We also went to IKEA today to get the MALM chest of drawers for the babies’ room. After searching through several baby stores, it is by far the most economical option taking into consideration the price, functionality, and aesthetics (we are going for the minimalist style). Another big item checked off our to-buy list! Next week, I'm going to focus on washing the babies’ clothes, and other necessities to get them ready!
Oh and something funny happened today. While Koon was loading our IKEA purchase onto the car boot, he accidentally elbowed my tummy right at the spot where it is super pointy! The blow wasn't huge of course, but it did hurt and felt numb for a few minutes and I could feel bb2 wriggling herself into a different position. I was monitoring how my tummy felt for a while and thank god it was all okay. In my heart, I was thinking, "Good baby, mummy is glad that you know how to defend yourself”. Lol 😅
Week 31
3 Sep: This week, I feel like a balloon. My lower body has gotten more swollen and it's quite evident in my feet and toes. I'm also experiencing soreness in my finger joints and numbness on my hands! Not sure if I'm using my phone too much or the carpal tunnel syndrome creeping up but I am more conscious in making sure I give myself ample rest from all devices (phone and laptop).
Not sure if the nesting instinct is getting stronger or… I'm getting lazy. I find myself shifting my focus away from work and slowly focusing more and more on things that we need to prepare for the babies’ arrival.
Week 32
10 Sep: It's been increasingly difficult to sleep with the growing tummy and it has taken a toll on my sleep quality starting this week. Lying on either side was futile because both babies seem to have expressed their displeasure in the form of non-stop wiggling 😂 And as their mom, I thought I should be fair so I decided to sleep in an upright (90-degree angle) or slightly reclined. I can't lie down completely on my back because that would make me super breathless and dizzy. Plus it increases the risk of not having the optimal blood and oxygen flow to the placenta so it's an absolute no-no. About 4-5 more weeks to go, I can do this! Tomorrow we'll be having our routine visit and Dr Ho would be scheduling the c-section date for me. Super nervous!
11 Sep: Today is our 8th Dating Anniversary ❤️ It's been 8 years with Koon and I can't believe we are stepping into Parenthood very soon! Had my routine pre-natal checkup at Dr Ho's and I am weighing 58.2kg today. Not much of an increase from the previous weight check. I told Dr of the cramps I have been feeling from time to time, and phew, it's normal because the uterus is stretching even more. Anyway, all's good with the check up. Bbs are approximately at 1.6kg and 1.5kg.
To sum up Trimester 3…
My favourite food(s) and drink(s):
COCONUTTTTT (I'm nuts about it 🥥)
Bubble Tea
Yoghurt / Yoghurt Drink
Ice Cream Waffles
Carbs (Mainly noodles, pasta dishes!)
Curry-related food (Roti Prata, Curry Katsu Rice, Curry Puffs 😋)
Bodily Changes:
Extreme lower backache (can barely stand and do the dishes for more than 5 minutes)
Veins getting more and more prominent on my boobs and the back of my hands
Swollen feet, toes and fingers
Sore finger joints
