A Baby Inside Me

So the fear of not having a baby inside my tummy is finally gone. Thanks to this modern invention called ultrasound. Funny and weird but true. Before my first scan, I have this thought stucked in my mind that maybe there's no baby inside. Aside from the usual pregnancy morning sickness that I was feeling, I can't feel anything human inside of me. Talk about paranoia. I wonder if most of the first time mothers out there felt the same. Anyways, now I'm fully aware that I'm indeed gonna be a mom.

I can't possibly find the perfect word to describe how I felt. Who would have thought that it can be an emotional encounter. Sadly Mark wasn't able to see the baby during the scan as he was just coming off from work the same time my scan started. He got to see the ultrasound photo though.

It was a cold windy morning but I pushed myself to get up from bed and prepare for the scan. Prepared breakfast and took a bath. Carried with me all the necessary documents I need for the appointment, a liter of water (to have a full bladder for the scan), and a banana (incase I got hungry). I decided to book a taxi rather than to take the bus as I was running a bit late. Quarter past eight was my appointment.

Arriving at the hospital, the first thought that came in was to inform Mark, so I texted him. But I hurriedly went to the reception area to let the clinic know of my presence. I was expecting to be seated for awhile but to my surprise, I was ushered into the scanning room a few seconds after I arrived. I even asked the ultrasound guy (not sure what to call him), if we could wait for Mark before we begin our scan but since I arrived a few minutes late, he politely declined my request and went on with his job.

He explained about the scan that would be done which is the Nuchal Scan, an early detection scan for Downs Syndrome. This is usually done during the first trimester of pregnancy. I was 13weeks and 4 days at that time. Honestly, I was a bit anxious when he started putting the ultrasound device on my tummy. In my mind, 'what if no baby appears on the screen'. Silly me. So I was in awe when I saw the little angel on the screen.

Our Little Angel

I was teary eyed but I contained myself. Blame it to the hormones. The baby was kicking and moving his/her arms while the scan was being done. I think he/she will be one handful kid. He (the ultrasound guy, sorry I forgot his name. I'm not really good in names right now) measured an area from the back of the baby and somewhere (also not good in medical terms) there which will be used for the detection of the downs syndrome. He told me that the baby is perfectly normal. All the parts are formed now and still growing. As for the downs syndrome, the results will be out a week after that said scan. Based on the ultrasound my estimated due date now is 21st of September, which was earlier than my first estimated due date which was on the 26th of September. My midwife also told me that the baby can come out three weeks before the due date.

It took us roughly fifteen minutes to do the scan then I was told to wait at the reception area for the documents. Exactly when I went out of the scanning room, I saw Mark. The nice lady at the reception even asked the ultrasound guy if Mark could see the baby on the screen since he was late. Gladly the guy approved and we were ushered into the scanning room again. The guy inside explained some of the things that were explained to me earlier but canot do much in showing Mark the actual moving baby on the screen. Hopefully he'll see the baby on the next scan.

We waited at the reception area and purchased a ticket for the photo of the scan. It costs 3.50 per photo. A few minutes later, we were given the documents back and then off to schedule my next scan with is on the 8th of May. We went straight to the antenatal clinic which is just across the ultrasound clinic, for another blood test. This one's much faster compared to my first blood test and the nurse took only a bottle for the sample.

Before I took the blood test, Mark and I first met with the midwife on duty and was given the blood test result from last weeks and explained to us that I was low in haemoglobin and needed to take some iron. The midwife then gave me a ferrous sulphate to be taken twice daily and told to ask for a GPs prescription for the same iron medicine when I consume all of the medicines given to me. Then she said that I was also a possible carrier of alpha thalassemia which is a blood disorder common in Mediterranean descent that is caused by the weakening of the red blood cells resulting to anemia. Having said that, the midwife advised us that Mark also undergo a blood test to check for the status of thalassemia in his blood. If the result turns out to be positive, we will be transferred to a specialist to concentrate more on that kind of disorder.

It took us an hour or two for that appointment and head home to show our family the first photo of our little one. So exciting!

It was definitely one of the most memorable moment of my mommy-life. Heartwarming and exciting. I was telling Mark about the kicking and moving of arms of the baby during the scan and I saw that he was also very eager to listen. Even before my scan, Mark was absolutely sure that the baby inside me is going to be a boy, and now after the scan, he's more sure that it's gonna be a boy coz of the movement that the baby made during the scan. Told me that it's gonna ba a very naughty boy, just like his dad. Oh no. Whatever it may be, a boy or a girl, we're praying that he/she will be a healthy baby.

Can't wait for the coming months where I can feel the kick of my little one. For sure that would be another memorable milestone.