Baby's Corner

I made this collection of things that I like to be in our baby’s corner. We’re not decorating a nursery for him due to space constraints, and more particularly because we want him to sleep in our room. In fact, I’m thinking of co-sleeping with baby so these things might really end up to be unnecessary. But at any rate, I still want to decorate a simple corner for him and here are some of the things I’ll be bringing in.

{1. a simple convertible 3-in-1 or 4-in-1 white crib. we already got one for around 15-16,000pesos in rockwell. 2. i saw this in etsy and this would probably end up as a DIY project for me. it’s a quote painted on canvas and i like it because we’ve been waiting for our baby for 7 years and having him now is really in God’s perfect time. 3. i like the wall paper, i like the colors. 4. letter J for our baby’s initial. not necessarily in that color but it can be in wood, or cardboard, or whatever material i can find. another DIY project for me. 5. that’s the nursing chair that i like but i can’t still find one that looks close to it in any of the shops i’ve been to lately. 6. and i like that floor lamp too!}

Will update you with photos once baby’s corner is up!

On Nuchal Cord and An Update

Non-Stress Test. Captures fetal heart rate and contraction rate.

During my 32nd-going-33rd week appointment with my OB-Gyne, it was found out on ultrasound that there's an umbilical cord loop/coil near my baby's neck, or what is referred to as a nuchal cord. I was reassured by my doctor that all throughout her practice (and she's a really prominent practitioner here in Manila), she has seen nuchal cords in about 70% of her patients and that it is, by itself, not deadly. 

However, because it is a condition that may pose risks to the baby, I was advised to immediately undergo what they call a Non-Stress Test (NST) and a Doppler Test. Apart from that, I was advised to be very very vigilant in monitoring my baby's movement. Our protocol was that whenever I don't feel any movement in an hour, I will stuff myself with food and lie on my left and wait for 30 minutes until I feel my baby move. If there's still no movement, I should go see her immediately. I was told that it is always better to be over-vigilant and safe about it than be sorry.

Since then, I've been closely monitoring my baby's movement even while at work. Just a day after I hit my 33 weeks, I noticed that my baby wasn't moving from 5am until I reached work around 6am. I grabbed a sandwich and waited for 30 minutes. There's no movement. I was thinking that maybe my baby was just sleeping. I continued working and noticed that around 9am, my baby's still not kicking. I ate a heavy breakfast and in fact even took a very sweet drink and dessert. 30 minutes came by and my baby's still not moving. Around 11am, I'm already very worried and scared. I know that our protocol calls only for an hour of no or decreased fetal movement and that in my case, I already allowed 6 hours to pass by!

I was picked up by hubby from work and my OB-Gyne advised me to have an ultrasound and a repeat Non-Stress Test. While the NST is being conducted, I was holding a gadget which I had to press any time I feel a fetal movement. And in the 40 minutes that I was undergoing the test, I recorded 19 movements. I felt relieved that the baby's heart rate is fine, that he's moving, and that my contraction rate is very low.

My doctor was advised of the results of the NST but to be very sure about it, I was advised to be on a 24-hour monitoring in the hospital. Even if we're not prepared for it, we can't decline because it's all for the baby. We feel safer being there, with straps all around my belly, just to make sure that the baby's fine.

I had routine urinalysis and complete blood count tests as soon as I was admitted. I was scheduled for a Doppler Test the following day. Everything was fine until the following morning when the baseline of my baby's heart rate became lower then 120. At first, we're seeing 115-119, then it became 108-110, and then went as low as 104-105. Not alarmingly low but it's not a good sign. I was put on oxygen and was given steroid shots for baby's lung development so that in case he gets delivered earlier than 37 weeks, we're assured that his lungs are mature enough. That time, it's around 5 in the morning to 6:30am. Same time when I didn't feel my baby move just before I got confined.

I was given breakfast and was told to eat a heavy one. Soon enough, my baby's heart rate picked up and went back to 130-140. And that's the reading until we got discharged in the afternoon. We're so relieved! Whew!

As of this post, my baby's fine and really very active. However, during my previous check-up, I was told that on ultrasound, it looks like my baby has a double coil :( Anyways, I'm due for another appointment tomorrow and moving forward, it's gonna be a weekly appointment for us. We're preparing for a C-section sometime February 22 onwards and that's just basically 3 weeks from now!

Before I end this post, I would like to share this article with you.

Even though nuchal cords are common and occur 25% – 35% of the time, rarely a baby’s cord will be wrapped so tightly around their body that the cord is compressed and oxygen delivery to the baby is compromised.  When this occurs, a cesarean is prudent and in its absence, a stillbirth could occur.  Fortunately, stillbirth from cord accidents, which include nuchal cords and nuchal knots, are rare and occur in 1.5 per 1,000 (0.15%) deliveries.  If your baby does have a nuchal cord, the risk of infant death is less than 0.4% – 0.6%. Thus, even though nuchal cords occur in about one third of births, they rarely result in the death of a baby. However, this is no consolation to those who have experienced the horror of their child’s death because when you are the statistic, it doesn’t matter how rarely something occurs.

To wrap this post up, I just want to tell all preggy ladies out there whose babies also have nuchal cords to not be afraid. Just keep on praying and be very observant of your baby's movement. Let's all do our best and if need be, make certain sacrifices if only to really monitor fetal movement. I was advised to stop working because I can monitor baby's movements properly when lying down and not when sitting in front of the computer busy doing something. Again, keep on praying and have faith that God will not want anything harmful to our babies. 

Take care everyone!

My Preggy Belly

Top left: 8 weeks. Top right: 15 weeks.

Bottom left: 26 weeks. Bottom right: 32 weeks.

I'm now on my 34th week and just about at the start of this week, I've been asked twice: "are you carrying twins?" Hah! I guess my preggy belly is really that big.

A Coed Baby Shower Party!

Our friends and partners from Monsees Cafe honored me and hubby with a coed baby shower party last Saturday. The invite was sent via email and Facebook and we’re glad that almost everyone we invited came :)

It wasn’t a surprise party which I absolutely prefer because I wanted to have a say in the menu and in the guest list. I wanted it to be a small party to be attended only by my immediate family and the closest friends from elementary school all the way to my current workplace. Everything was sort of in a rush and was finalized only in less than a week. We didn’t even want to register the baby shower but we ended up agreeing to do so because some of our guests said it is easier for them that we have a wishlist rather than guessing what to gift us with.

My family’s the first one to arrive at the cafe. My mom and sister helped me with the guest tokens. They’re just small brown bags filled with Hershey’s kisses. When we got to the cafe, there’s a huge wedding cake sample on display, and some really cute baby boy cupcake toppers in royal icing are scattered on the cake table. My sister decided to put the brown bags around the cake tiers and I asked her to take a picture of me while her work is in progress :)

And then another friend/partner from Monsees Cafe came and started decorating the tables. She placed flowers and tea light candles on every table and put baby shower book marks with “It’s A Boy” stickers on the floral arrangement.

Breadsticks were also placed in glass bottles and served on every guest table. Soon enough, the buffet spread was ready and upon seeing the food, I got really excited!

Tables were served with dinner rolls that were freshly baked in our brick oven. Everyone also enjoyed free-flowing coffee, hot tea, soda, or iced tea. Let’s go check out the food in detail…

peach danish

 

blueberry danish (strawberry danish was also served but not in photos)

assorted cold cuts. these are not from monsees cafe (they’re from santi’s) but i wanted them to be served so there ya go

mashed potatoes (left)

baby back ribs

baked spaghetti (to the right of the ribs)

side dishes: plain rice, java rice (pefect with the baby back ribs) and corn & carrots

roast angus beef (we also had an egg/omelet station but not in photos...)

freshly baked baguettes which some guests were able to take home!

nd for dessert…. we had flan (oh em gee so good) and cotton cake (my super favorite and was actually complimented by almost everyone)

The party started at 10 in the morning and with guests returning to the buffet spread and enjoying their 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th serving, we were only able to wrap up the party with three games that ended past 3pm. My guests enjoyed the food and got comfy with everyone else. I never had problems about guests not being comfortable because they’re seated with people they don’t know. My friends are all friendly and they ended up talking to each other. My mom enjoyed the party so much that she joined my friends’ table and even played games with them!

 

While we really just wanted them to be there because hanging out with them before the big day is all that we want, our friends still showered us with so many gifts. Our baby boy is so lucky to that we have generous friends!

I had a really great time at the Coed Baby Shower Party. I loved the food, everything was delicious, and I enjoyed the company of my family and friends. And I’d like to thank everyone who came: my parents, sister, brother in law, nephew Lahi, my in-laws from hubby’s side, friends from high school (Lorenz, Albert, Charles), friends from JGLaw (Maricor, Hera), friends from EMCI (Pam, Tara, Romy, Gio), friends from Integreon (Cherie, Christian, Paola, Bibit),  hubby’s friends from La Salle Greenhills (GP, V-Anne), and cousins Nikka, April, and Gielene. Of course, I also like to thank my friends and partners from Monsees Cafe (Marina, Charles, Karen, Terence), as well as all the staff (Epi, Jeff, Michelle, Billy, Arvin, etc), who tirelessly prepared for this party considering that they just catered a wedding event like two days prior to the baby shower. And last but definitely not the least, I want to thank hubby for coordinating with Monsees Cafe about the menu, the schedule, and guest list.

You guys are so awesome! With some more prayers, we’ll get there in a few weeks  (32 weeks now!) and before we all know it, we’ll be seeing each other again at our baby’s baptism. Hugs and kisses to all of you! :)

*This is a repost from my food blog, I Love, Therefore, I Cook.