Pregnancy Expenses Updates

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Goodbye Embryon, Bonjour Fetus

10th Week. Whoah, that was quite a fast transition! It seems that I'm as big as an orange inside my mom's womb. I have all the body parts already on development. Isn't that great?

Well, I guess mom's happier now, I don't give her that much difficulty anymore.

So what will be up for the coming week? Any idea? Ok, here you go:

Me This Coming Week

Your baby is growing incredibly rapidly right now. She is approximately 1.75 to 2.4 inches (4.4 to 6cm) when measured from crown to rump. She will double her length in the next three weeks. Your growing baby weighs about 0.3 ounces (8g).

The neck is developing and the chin lifts up from the chest. Fingernails are also present. While your baby's sex was already determined at the time of fertilization, male or female genitalia are now visible. Essential organs are formed and most have begun to function. The blood vessels in the placenta are increasing in number to meet your baby's increasing nutritional needs. Her ears are moving towards the sides of her head, away from the neck. Your baby's head is still not in proportion with her body. Her head accounts for about half of her body length.

Mom This Coming Week

Many women who have suffered from morning sickness find that their nausea begins decrease from this week on. (Unfortunately, for some it may continue).

You may have noticed you have more (or less) hair than usual, which is thought to be linked to the increased amount of blood circulating through your body as well as hormonal changes.

You are probably anxious to feel your baby move, but it is still a bit early. You may notice an increase in cervical fluid and you may also notice a darkening of your labia around your vagina and the areola area around your breasts due to hormonal changes.

During pregnancy, the cervix usually feels firm, but it will soften during labor to allow the baby to pass through. Your cervix is protected by a mucous plug to protect your baby. The mucous plug will be expelled shortly before or during labor.

Your body is burning calories faster than it did prior to pregnancy and your metabolism may increase by up to 25%. The quantity of blood pumping through your body will also increase, making you feel warmer than usual. The increased blood flow can also give you a rosy "blooming" feeling.

You may notice that you have an improved skin condition during pregnancy. For some lucky women, pregnancy hormones can cause skin to appear to "glow" and appear smoother. You may even have shinier hair and brighter eyes. Some women develop a "pregnancy mask" (chloasma) caused by deeper skin pigmentation. This can cause irregular patches of brown skin to appear on your forehead, cheeks, neck and nose. Exposure to sunlight can exacerbate chloasma, though sunscreen can reduce its effects. Chloasma usually disappears after birth as your hormones return to their pre-pregnancy levels.

Elevated estrogen levels and increased blood pressure can cause the dilation of your skin capillaries which can in turn give rise to spider nevi (raised red marks surrounded by spidery lines) and palmar erythema (redness of the palms) during pregnancy. Both conditions are considered minor and fade after the birth of your baby.

On Yaya Search

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9th Week

After my last visit, Doc required another blood and urine analysis for my pregnancy follow-up (just did it this morning). She equally prescribed Elevit Vitamine B9, a vitamin and mineral supplement to be taken daily. Call it good news, I've been taking the vitamin since 3 days now and my afternoon sickness became tolerable. I could continue to be active and stopped crouching myself on the sofa every afternoon.

I've been folllowing a website (you can click on my Daily Guide) where I check weekly updates about me and my baby:

Your Baby This Coming Week

The crown-to-rump length of your baby is about 1.25 to 1.68 inches (between 3.1 and 4.2cm). He weighs about 0.18 ounces (5g).

The placenta is now producing progesterone which helps to make nutrients for your developing baby.

Your baby has passed the stage when he is most susceptible to damage. By the end of this week, the danger zone for congenital abnormalities has passed.

The plan for your baby's body has been completely laid down by now. Further growth and cell division will build on this plan.

Taste and tooth buds have appeared.

Your baby has recently developed fingers and toes which are now well-formed. Ankles, wrists and the inner ear have formed. Your baby's nose is flat and his eyes are far apart. His eyes, ears, mouth and nose are all recognizable. The tail is disappearing.

Your baby is moving around the amniotic sac, and moving his feet and ankles. You still will not be able to feel these movements but you may be able to see them on an ultrasound.

Blood is circulating through the arteries and the vein of the umbilical cord.

The brain of your baby is developing at a phenomenal rate. About one quarter of a million new neurons are produced every single minute at this stage in your pregnancy.

If your baby is a boy, his testes, though they are not even clearly visible, are already producing testosterone.

Your baby is no longer called an embryo, but rather a fetus.

Your Body This Coming Week

Your uterus is now about the size of an orange, but you still don't "show". However, you probably have noticed an increase in your breast size.

You may be having mood swings, feeling happy and elated one moment, crying the next. This is perfectly normal, caused by the changing hormones in your body as well as all the hopes and fears you have and the realization that your life will be forever changed by your pregnancy.

There is little increase in abdominal size during the first trimester, though you might be starting to see some weight gain. Hormonal changes, however, especially the increase of progesterone and relaxin can cause your joints and ligaments to soften as your body begins to prepare for birth.

The joints in your pelvic bones are widening now. This may cause you to feel unstable at times, even sometimes dropping things or bumping into things.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

12 April

The D Day, when everybody in our entourage was informed about the great news. Everybody was of course happy to know that I’ll be arriving soon. I guess they were even impatient to see me.

Papa, as usual did the announcement in a unique way. He sent my 3D photo thru fax to Mamie and Papi, but hélas, they weren’t able to guess it at once.

He then sent 4 hints thru SMS to my cousins Louise and Martin. (mon premier mange avec la bouche fermée. on ne recommande pas la viande saignante à mon second. mon troisième nage pendant des mois sans respirer. mon premier, mon second et mon troisième ne font qu’un dont le cœur bat très fort !) Chantal, my aunt was able to decode it at once. Great! Louise wants une fille while Martin wants un garcon! Jean Paul, my uncle, had a puzzle thru email. And he was happy to hear the great news too!

Jean Paul: Salut à tous les deux,
J'ai réarrangé le puzzle du mieux que j'ai pu mais ce n'est pas facile à partir du moment où le fond des morceaux n'est pas transparent !
Je devine que c'est une échographie d'Ana du 11/04/2005 et comme j'imagine que ce n'est pas un calcul rénal, j'en conclus que vous avez une bonne nouvelle à annoncer !
Bravo donc et c'est pour quand ?A+, JP

Maman, on the other hand was not so extraordinary on her announcements, she just sent emails to her family and friends plus text messages to Mommy Arit to which she responded at once, at 2am phil time!

Look, everybody’s excited to see me. Aside from phonecalls, I have a list of email messages which I want documented so I could savour the moment anytime when I'm older. The news was all over the world, hey, am I that famous?

From the Philippines
Mommy Arit : TY God. Ingat ka lagi. Tuwa kami lahat dito.
My Nasty Tita Denden: wow, sino ang ama? (Papa was always in Thailand when I was conceived, my loko tita!)
Tita Jean : ANA congrats!!!
Tita Maribel: Congrats!!! I'm so happy for you.
Tita Jelyn: congrats .... akalain mo may ovary ka pala..joke..grabe i am hapi for u mareng frend..pag artistahin mo dito sa pinas ha! congrats to u and laurent....
Tita Gina: ana, congrats!!!pasensya na babago lang ako ng check ng emails ko...basta ingat lang lagi...
Tito Ran: oi insan ana congrats ha. lola na c tya aret.hehe
Tita Lea: Congrats ana! Ilang months na!

From Qatar
Tita Aldine: wow!congats...hope to c u soon! (yes, tita aldine will soon meet me here in france!)

From Japan
Tita Haze: Ana!!!Grabe!!! Congrats!!!

From US
Tita Liza: CONGRATTTTTTSSSSSS!!!!!
Tita Mitch: wow,it's your turn mare... congrats!!!!!!!!!!! u're gonna' be a mom soon!!!!!!!!!!! i'm so happy for you and laurent...!!!!!!!!!!!!! yey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tito Osep: congrats ana, isa lang ang maipapayo ko: breastfeeding is still best for babies...
Tita Joy: Congrats! the soon to be mommy Ana.....
Tito Mar: Lagi kang tumingin sa salamin at ng maging kamukha ni h. Berry ang baby
Tita Grace: Ana, CONGRATS!!!!!!! I'm so excited for you!
Tita Rhona: OMIGOSH>>i didnt have to zoom it!!! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tita Lauren and Tito Richard: WOW,,, thats blessing
Lola Liza: congrats! di ka pala baog.. hehe
Tita Rhona and Tita Eve: Ana....from the bottom of me and your "lamo's Heart" congrats sa inyo ni Laurent..wow im sure he's excited...!! I wanna hear more preggy stories huh.....
Tita Eleanor: Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwww congratssssssssssssssssssssss. Grabe nakakatuwa naman. Im very excited to see your baby. You take extra care now okay for you and the baby. Update us sa happennings okay. Congratulations Im so happy for you.

From Mexico
Tita RosaMaria : Je suis vraiment contente d´entendre cette nouvelle, c´est super!!!

From Canada
Tita Meanne: balitaan mo naman ako asap. excited na excited na ako eh hehe!!!

From Europe
Tita Leng: Click here. Too kind this tita, she even sent me an electronic greeting card!
Tita Emily: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FELICITATIONS!!!!!!!!! galing galing galing, magiging Maman ka na!!
Tita TinTin : congratulations ana.....take care!
Tita Addi: CONGRATS ,Ana!!! grabe na to. lahat ng field ofwork angkin mo na.Welcome to motherhood, mama!!!!
Tita Ayeen: anaaaaa!!!! sa wakas!... hahahaha... now, you're going to> be a mother, the hardest> but the best job position in the world
Tita Lourdes: Congratulations Ana! Simula na talaga...
Tito Yves: Je suis content pour vous, c'est super d'avoir un bébé

And lastly, from my maman’s blog community. Whoah!

April 11, 2005, 18h45

Me : 48.7 kg (+ 1.40 kg from last visit)

My Future Buddy: 2.5 cm and growing, 8.5 weeks old

New Info: Start of Pregnancy : 24 Fev 2005

It was my first visit with Laurent and surely, the emotions were there. Unlike the first time where I almost saw nothing, this time, I even heard my future buddy's heartbeat, pumping at 171 bps, whoah! I guess he was happy to see us too! I saw him move a bit, there was a sudden rush of unexplained emotions when I saw that magic moment. There was life in there, huh!

shhh, he's just there watching, observing, listening: preparing himself to see the outside world.

In the image above, we could almost distinguish his eyes, his hands and feet are starting to develop too, we could barely see them on the pictures though.

Another blood and urine analysis were asked, routine check-up, ya know. I was prescribed to take Iron supplements too. Okidoki.

We had the green light from the gynecologist for the pregnancy declaration to the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales, a government organization which assures financial aide to all families in function of their ressources, and another one to the Social Security Service. That would mean that all my expenses from consultation, to the medicines up to the D Day will be taken cared of by these two organizations, well, the government. All I have to do is to take care of myself and the baby, isn't life cool?

8th Week

It will be my 8th week tomorrow and life has not been so kind with me. Every afternoon, after work, para akong nauupos na kandila (o overacting phycholological effect lang?). I feel very weak and very cold and very hungry. And Laurent, kulit as he is, just couldn't understand why i stay immovable and completely submerged inside my duvet on our living room sofa, more so, with the TV switched on but my eyes closed. Hay naku, ang mga lalaki nga naman.

If I were lazy before, I'm double lazy now. Yesterday, I asked Laurent if I could go with him at the same time, pati kasi pagdadrive, kinatatamaran ko, and bakit hindi, we're both working in the same area, magkaiba lang ng building. Ang mokong, after work, he wen't home alone, nakalimutan ang beauty ko. So I took the bus instead, oh well. I took my car this morning.

This morning, I had some tiny blood spots, but it stopped naman kagad. I hope it's just nothing.

Tomorrow, I will have to prepare a solvent-based chemical solution. Kasi naman dito, engineers ang nagpreprepare, not the technicians. I asked my boss to help me, I'm doubting tuloy if I have to tell him na or not. He might find it weird that I'll take all the necessary safety precautions. Bahala na!

7th Week

I'm on my 7th week now, and we could now distinguish my future buddy's face. He starts to grow faster now - heart, brain, eyes, hands and vertebral column are becoming more and more developped.

On my not-to-to list, it's forbidden for me to touch the soil, thus, Laurent does the gardenning alone (it's spring!) while I do the in-house chores. Not a bad deal. I could do internetting at the same time.

We're counting the days and we're more and more impatient to announce the good news to our families and friends. We actually made a deal that we will formally announce it after my second visit to my gynecologist. Oh well, we're both excited!

Amazing Finds

I've been reading the book 'Naître' even before I got pregnant and precise informations and pictures are listed that I could follow the development of my future buddy as we stride along together day by day.

Here are some interesting facts that all mothers should have known. And now, it's my turn:

8th day after ovulation - Arrival of the fertilized ovule in the uterus. Great traveller huh!

15th day - The brain. Nerve cells are now formed. Some experts says that this is the start of a new life as these nerve cells allows perception and expression.

22nd day - His heart starts to beat. And oh my, it pumps twice faster than mine. Kaya ba ako laging pagod?

Ok, i'll stop here. I'm actually reading the book in the same rhythme as my pregnancy. O di ba, every week, I could follow what's new with my future buddy.

18 March, 9:45am

7mm
Originally uploaded by analyse.

Me: Height: 1.65 m, Weight: 47.3 kg

My Future Buddy: still too early to have his exact age

Last Menstruation: February 10, 2005

Highlight 1: My future buddy's first photo!

Highlight 2: Always hungry so i always have a stock of caramel inside my drawer. At 7pm, you could see me on the sofa while the TV watches me. Are these the first signs of pregnancy?

Well, first diagnostic was that I wasn't immunized against toxoplasmose (toxoplasmosis). In consequence, I have a list fixed on my refrigerator door on what I should and shouldn't do. To sum it up, I should stop drinking any kind of alcohol, stop eating half-cooked viands, more so with uncooked sea shells, wash thoroughly all kinds of fruits and vegetables and peel them in preference, I have to disinfect the kitchen as often as possible, I have to wash my hands every meal, and I have to avoid touching the soil. Oh well, there are still some other stuffs I guess that are not so pertinent in my case, so I don't list them here. Oh my, I didn't imagine it to be this complicated. Ok, let the disinfection begin!