Pregnancy Blues

I've lost count. I'm due on 13 Jul, and today is 19 Apr, so that means I'm 7 months and 1 week into my pregnancy. So around 29 weeks la.

All of a sudden, my tummy has ballooned into a big ball.

For the first time, I'm blogging about the discomfort that I'm facing, although some of these symptoms are not new. I just feel like whining today to gain sympathy votes.

HEAT

Anyone living in Singapore would agree with me that the weather in Singapore is getting TOO HOT TO HANDLE. Come on, 35 degrees for a preggie is no joke ok! Moreover, I work in a classroom, and hellujah, the classrooms are not air-conditioned alright? Best part is, my classroom is located on the 4th floor, and my office is located on the ground floor. Each day, I have English, Math, Health Ed, before recess, after recess, after school, split periods. You do your sums. I literally climb up and down the stairs several times a day. By the time I huff and puff my way up, my engine is all worked up, and then when I start teaching, gosh, it remains a mystery how I manage not to melt into a pool of perspiration and evaporate the next minute.

To counter my problems, these are some of the strategies I take:
- I put a table fan in my classroom that specifically blows at me.
- I mark in the classroom (with the fan full blast at me of course) as far as possible to mimimise carting up and down books. I make use of those in-between 1 period breaks so that I cut down on walking up and down)
- I place a desk beside my classroom for marking (coz sometimes my in-between 1 period breaks are other lessons that my class is having and I can't mark in the classroom)
- I mark in the computer lab on the 4th floor (but I did it only once and gave up; the air con in the com lab is super CMI)
- I go down 1 floor to the library to mark (the air con there is much much cooler) - at least only move up and down 1 floor
- I "bathe" my arms and neck whenever I have free time; meaning I use shower cream to wash my arms and neck and wipe myself dry. Then I powder myself. It cools me down and makes me feel good coz I smell good.
- I shower if i can afford the time.
- Worse comes to worse, when I don;t have time, I just powder myself. Better than nothing la!
- I have another small fan at my workstation. Air con is not good enough. Anyway, the air con in the HOD Room super CMI. As good as don't have.


BACKACHE, and all other ACHES

Because of the walking and the standing, I get backaches all the time. Recently, I even get leg cramps.

- I have a high chair (bar chair hor, not baby chair; DUH) in the classroom for me to sit on when I deliver simple segments like spelling or class test or going through of corrections so that I get to rest and stand lesser.
- I get my hubby to massage my back and legs.
- I tried to go for foot reflexology, but my regular reflexologist refuse to do it for me. Say coz I pregnant. (I'm exasperated; I've done it before and my gynae also said its ok)
- I tried to buy the Osim UPapa. They refuse to sell it to me. Haiyo. Same reason. Cannot tahan.
- I'm trying to source for prenatal massage.
- My facial therapist does a good shoulder massage for me. That is my only indulgence.
- I sleep on my back. I know the book says to sleep on the side, but that makes my back ache even more. I need my back fully supported, so I sleep on my back. It works best for me, all 3 pregnancies.


Lower Abdominal PAIN


For the first time in my 3 pregnancies, I experienced this scary pain on Saturday, 18 April 2009.

All of a sudden in the evening, I felt this sharp pain at the lower part of my abdomen. It's the area just above my bladder and below the baby. Felt like the baby's weight was too much; it was as though the baby was stepping on my bladder. Anyway, it was really painful. I couldn't stand nor walk. Even certain sitting positions could trigger the pain. The only comfortable position was lying down.


Fortunately, I woke up on Sunday feeling better. You cannot imagine my happiness when I realise that I could move around and walk! It struck me that I cannot take my mobility for granted! Those people who have to have CRIB, really, it is tough. Now I understand. Because I was feeling ok, I managed to have a fun-filled day taking my kids out on 2 outings today.


End of grouses.


So you see, 世上只有妈妈好，有妈的孩子像个宝... ...