Week 8 - Bunny Baby

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Well, we had scheduled an ob-gyn’s appointment last weekend and was just biding our time while we waited for confirmation from the good old doctor. Unfortunately, ignorance is not bliss and we found that out the hard way.

A day before the doc’s appointment, I discovered some spotting and immediately panicked as I’d read that any bleeding in the first trimester (3 months) is NOT good. We immediately called up the doc and thank God, he could see us within the hour.

He confirmed the conception and also our fears that the baby (or fetus as he called it) had a weak heartbeat and was also very, very tiny…just 3.7 mm for 7 weeks old.

I was incredibly guilty as I’d succumbed to the temptation of rojak and just remembered that I’d eaten some sengkuang (known for its cooling properties).

Also, the week before I’d been doing the regular housework of doing the laundry and boiling water, which all included some lifting and tugging.

The doctor ordered 3 days of bedrest and I took another 2 days off, not wanting to risk anything. My Mum helped a lot by ensuring that I had wholesome, nutritious meals and soups during my week’s stay with her.

And I also tried very, very hard to do what friends had advised: no walking unless necessary, no driving and also resting as much as possible.

We’re happy to report this week that the baby has grown to a good 12 mm but the danger is still not over until at least another month. Thankfully, my boss & a few colleagues (in the know) at work have been very supportive of my new regime.

Hubby and I devised a whole new routine of driving me to work, preparing meals and also all other housework that would still keep my walking and moving about at a minimum.

He’s been a great hubby - putting in extra time and effort to reorganize the home and kitchen so that everything is within my short reach without my needing to lift anything for use. And he’s also had to do all the marketing and even tried his hand at cooking veggies last night. I’m so proud of him!

This new adventure has brought us closer together and also got us re-evaluating a lot in our life. And I’ve also taken on a whole new appreciation of my parents’ (esp Mum) sacrifices now that I’ve got to grapple with morning sickness and the growing challenge of having a baby. With fingers crossed, we hope to cross this hurdle safely this upcoming month.

BABY NOTES:An ultrasound done of your baby at this stage should show a fluttering heartbeat. Your baby is three-quarters of an inch long about the size of a grape. The liver is churning out large amounts of red blood cells until the bone marrow forms and takes over this role. Week eight marks the beginning of a very busy developmental stage. The face continues to change as the ears, eyes and the tip of the nose appear. The intestines start to form in the umbilical cord. Your baby’s teeth develop under the gums.

(Week 9) Your baby now has elbows and is somewhere between .51 and .66 inches in length. And your baby probably weighs only 1 gram. Your baby will now move if touched through the wall of your uterus, and can also move on its own. In terms of physical development, sex organs (Gonads in males, and Ovaries in females) are becoming evident. This is the week your baby can officially be called a “fetus”, which means young one.