Second Trimester Anamoly Scan

Finally get to do the long awaited second trimester scan at Fetal Care Center. This scan is included in my NUH Antenatal package ($984 for senior consultation). The scan lasted about half an hour, the sonographer took measurements of Bee on his body, head circumference, abdominal circumference, length of bones on hands and legs, spines...etc. Baby Bee is very active during the scan, keep moving around which makes the sonographer a hard time to take his measurements.

After ultrasound, we went to the Ruby clinic to see Prof Su, but she held on at the operation theater, therefore we had a long wait (about 2hrs) before we get to see her. My scan wasn't ideal, baby Bee is measured too small again (this has happen since first scan), but Bee seems to be much smaller than expectation. Prof Wong (from Fetal Care Center) had schedule another scan for me on week 28 to monitor on Bee's growth.

Prof Su want me a take a blood test ($178) to check if there's any virus hindering baby's growth and she prescribe low doses of 100mg Aspirin for me to the increase my blood flow so that it can deliver more nutrients to Bee. Prof Su also advise me to eat more proteins (meat, eggs, birdnest...) to help baby to grow bigger. Grow Baby GROW!!

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First consultation at NUH Ruby Clinic (A/prof Su Lin Lin)

My first visit to the private clinic (Ruby clinic), the outlook and atmosphere is totally different from G clinic. The private clinic is well furnished with comfortable chairs and sofas (unlike G clinic that looks like polyclinic). 

The registration took a bit long for first-timer, the receptionist show me to the restroom for pee stick test and took my height & weight measurements.

We sat the sofa outside the doctor's room and waited for about 20 mins to get to see Dr Su. 

My first impression of her is very good, she is a very very soft spoken lady as per reviews online. She gave me my result of previous swab test and told me that I have Gardnerella Vaginalis infection but she assured me that this is a very common infection and it will not affect the fetus. 

She prescribed some medications for me and then we proceed to a scan room to check on Bee’s heartbeat. We managed to catch a glimpse of Bee moving his hand during the scan.

He seems to be waving to us, it is really heart warming to see that Bee is doing well and moving actively inside. 

His heartbeat was captured at normal rate of 150. We are given a few ultrasound shots of Bee... he is sooo dxxx CUTE!! I love him to the max even before he is born. I pray for Bee's good health and well being daily. Mummy loves you always!

~~~

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Last visit at G clinic

Today is my last visit to the subsidies clinic (G clinic) and it is the first time I attend my prenatal appointment alone. DH did not come because we had a fight yesterday. Feeling very down and lonely. The pregnancy hormones and discomfort is torturing me and yet DH gave me additional stress and fights, so sad!

This appointment is just like previous visits on the same routine (urine strip test & weight). Waiting time about 30 mins, the doctor took my blood pressure and then start scanning for Bee’s heartbeat using a Doppler. She did a vga check as I complained to her about recent heavy discharge and itch discomfort. The doctor suspect it could an infection so she took some samples to check for infections. The results will be advise and follow up on the next visit with Dr Su.

All consultations and tests done today are charged under subsidized rate (which is about -60%). I am feeling well, I feels like crying all the time yet I am afraid that crying will harm Baby Bee. I feel very very stress!

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Appointment secured with Ruby Clinic @ NUH

Few days later, I decide to try my luck on changing doctor to Prof Dr Su. I called the appointment line again and to my surprise, it is my lucky day! There is a cancellation of appointment in mid Jan, so I quickly grab it. The first consultation with senior consultant for NUH private is around $130+, thereafter repeat consultation will be $95+ each. If my first visit is good, likely I will take up the Antenatal package from Week 22 onwards.

The Antenatal package includes 2 main obstetrics scan (week 22 & week 32) plus all consultations from week 22 until delivery. The package cost about $950 (for senior consultants). 

I can't wait to see how's my little Bee growing till the next obstetric scan in Feb :)

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*** I am not representing nor advertising for any products or company. All items posted are purchased and owned by myself, posted just for fun & sharing :) ***

Switching from Subsidized to Private clinic in NUH

Initially, I intend to see Dr Phyllis Liauw (of Thomson Hospital) recommended by my sister after my first trimester but after much considerations, I decide to stay with NUH since all my records are here and it is more economical to choose the government hospital where I can fully utilize the $$$ that I have intended to spend at Thomson and get more at NUH (eg. the B class ward in Thomson hospital cost almost the same as A class ward in NUH.

There are many good gynaes in NUH and they have the best facilities for any unpredictable / unexpected circumstances therefore NUH should be a better place in my point of view.

Switching from subsidize clinic to private clinic is very simple, just make a call to their appointment hotline and schedule an appointment with the private clinic gynae that you wish to see and follow up with will do. I prefer a female senior consultant, therefore I did a little research online on the most popular female gynaes in NUH. I saw tons of good reviews about Dr Su Lin Lin, however she so popular that her appointment dates were all fully booked till mid Feb next year (too late), so I booked an appointment with Dr Chua who is a pro in Csect.

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iGene test with optimal results & it's a BOY!

Right after we disembark from the Sapphire Princess cruise, we drop our bags at home and rush to NUH to collect our iGene report. Dr Arun reveal the results to us with a smile and tell us that its good news, all screen results are negative and Bee is a BOY! 

DH & I are overwhelmed by the good news. We have been praying hard that Bee is all healthy and good, BOY is a bonus to us. Thank god!

My conclusion over the FTS screening scare is, this test is really un-necessary. 

It is well-known for giving false positive results and causing us all the unnecessary stress & agony. If anyone wants do such screening, I would suggest her to take the more precise screening tests (eg. iGene, Harmony, Panorama...etc) instead.

After taking the report, another lady doctor offered to give a scan on Bee's heartbeat using a doppler. She's brought in an understudy male doctor and demonstrate to him on the usage of doppler on ME, both of them were talking to each other about the usage of droppler. 

That moment, I am like a specimen to them, I feel very offended but am too happy to be angry with them.

After this appointment, I was told that I will no longer need to see the high risk clinic (group of senior doctors), so I will be seeing any doctors (meaning the junior doctors) from the next appointment onward.

I discuss with hubby about my uneasiness of seeing different doctors all the time especially with the under-study doctors around so we decided to find a private gynae from next appointment onward.

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The iGene Test

DH & I went to the G clinic again to see Dr Arun (senior doctor). She gave us the FTS results, the screening results for Trisomy 21 (down syndrome) was fall under positive of 1 in 263, meaning it was less than 0.5% of a chance that my baby would have d/s, it is not as bad as what we imagined.

I felt a little relieve after knowing KKH will only consider high risk if the index is 1 in >200. Not sure why the 2 hospital having difference standards. However Dr Arun still recommend us to do a more specific screening/diagnostic test to confirm the result. She gave us 2 options, first is the invasion test CVS which may contribute a small risk of miscarriage which we reject immediately. Secondly, we can opt for an non-invasion test call 'iGene' (similar to Harmony test in KKH/Thomson) which has an accuracy of 99% on Trisomy 21, 18 & 13 with very very little chance of getting false positive and false negative (less than 0.05%). 

The iGene cost about $800 (no govt subsidy). DH and I discussed and we both agreed that instead of stressing ourselves over this d/s thing for the next 7 months, we decided to do the non-invasion iGene test to re-confirm it. We made payment immediately and I had 2 tubes of blood drawn for the test. The results will be out in 2 weeks time.

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Another Nightmare!

On the following day after the first trimester screening, I received a call from NUH (shocked), ask me to see the doctor as soon as possible. The caller said it's due to a positive (means no good) result of my FTS, meaning I am at a higher risk of having a child with down syndrome. I was blank, dunno what to do and they schedule an appointment for me to see the doctor on the next day.

Whole day since the call, I was feeling WTF! Why me? What is wrong? 

We are both healthy, no such family history. I am very ad and can't stop crying. 

I did some research on this FTS and it was said that this test tends to give high percentage of FALSE positives. I keep convince myself and DH that the result is FALSE. This was the longest night for us :(

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First Trimester Screening

After a long month, I had my first trimester screening at the NUH Fetal Care Centre. 

we did a NT scan (ultrasound scan) to measure the fluid behind the baby's neck. Bee has grown a lot bigger now, he/she measured at 63.5mm. The sonographer has no expression on her face, you can't tell the results from her face. Not a word heard from her until the end of the scan, she smile and said everything okay, the scan looks good. 

After the scan, they draw my blood for some lab tests. The nurse is very good pro at drawing bllod, total 3 tubes and not painful at all. Feels a bit numb when drawing the 3rd tube tho. We then waited more than half an hour for payment and then happily go home.

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*** I am not representing nor advertising for any products or company. All items posted are purchased and owned by myself, posted just for fun & sharing :) ***

First Antenatal Care appointment @ NUH

After the spotting nightmare, it's due for my first antenatal care appointment (Week 8) at NUH G clinic (for subsidized patients). Due to the episodes of spotting at A&E, I am referred to see the group of senior doctors. The waiting time is short, I get to see the doctor within 15 mins after my BP (Blood Pressure) measurement. 

I had my first obstetrics scan and Bee (fetal pole) was found and measured at 15.2mm. He is smaller then his gestational age, probably due to my longer cycle and late ovulation. Heartbeat was detected, everything seems okay. The doctor prescribe me with more Dydrogesterone that have to be taken all the way until the end of first trimester (week 12).

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Visit A&E again!

There is no improvements after taking the Dydrogesterone pills for days. I am still having dark brown spotting that resembles old blood on the last days of menses and it is getting heavier. 

I went back to A&E on the 3rd day, did an ultrasound again. Doctor has detected fetal pole of 4mm (grow double the size in 3 days) with a faint heartbeat. Bee is still safely growing inside me :)

To maintain the pregnancy, I was given a jab of Proluton 250mg (synthetic progesterone, was said to be a very painful jab), I guess I was too worried to bother about the pain therefore I feel nothing at all. Doctor advise me to continue the Dydrogesterone pills daily and have plenty of rest. After the powerful jab, no more spotting from the next day onwards.

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*** I am not representing nor advertising for any products or company. All items posted are purchased and owned by myself, posted just for fun & sharing :) ***

Spotting & Bleeding

Shortly after a few happy days, something bad happens. I start to get pink spotting on & off. I checked online and found that this is a very common symptom for early pregnancy so long it does not accompany with cramps and heavy bleeding. 

It doesn't bother me much until one evening, I spotted RED on a Wednesday evening. 

It wasn't heavy, just an episode without cramps and stopped. Eventually, I start to spot brown for many days. 

This morning, I feel very uneasy on the way to work, therefore I decide to see the doctor at the gynae clinic of NUH, but they refuse to let me see the doctor because I don't have an appointment and refer me to A&E instead. 

The gynae at A&E did an pelvic ultrasound and show me the baby sac. Bee (fetal pole at this time) is only at size of 2mm with a very faint heartbeat. Bee is too tiny to measure his heart rate, but this scan does conclude that the baby sac is still in my uterus (at the right place) and the doctor has eliminated the possibility of ectopic pregnancy (feeling a little relieved). Doctor advise me to have more bed rest and given me a week of MC & some Dydrogesterone pills (10mg x 2 daily). I was told to come back again if the spotting persists. NUH A&E consultation fee $100 (for SG citizen)

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Confirmed pregnancy with doctor's test

On a Saturday morning, we went to the Polyclinic for a doctor's pregnancy test. The doctors test is more convincing that we are going to become parents, 

YEAH! FINALLY OUR TURN! 

I'm not a paranoid person but I always want to be prepared for the worse. 

I always have the mentality of "WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS", therefore I decide to go thru the subsidised route with a government hospital for in the beginning until the baby is stabilised (probably after Week 12). 

Between the 2 choice of government hospital (KKH & NUH), I decide to go NUH due to it's location than the latter. We received a referral letter (as subsidised patient) and an appointment date from the polyclinic and given a dose of 5mg folic acid pills to be taken daily for 30 days.


Little yellow pills (Folic Acid)

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Why Bee

I am diagnosed with PCOS 2 years ago due to spotting in between of cycles, I know pregnancy route may not be as smooth as I wanted it to be. After trying of 6 months, I went to a gynae (Thomson clinic @ Jurong) for a check, spend $300, nothing was done, just pelvic scan and the doctor recommended a series of lab tests to do that cost lotsa $$$. I am very disappointed with the clinic, no advise were given and the doctor said he can't help me without any tests done <angry>.

One day, I happened to visit a website online recommending on bee products that help some women with PCOS in conceiving. I did a little more research on these bee products about their wonders and side effects. I start taking the royal jelly and bee propolis capsule alternately everyday. Royal jelly is to nourish the egg in ovaries and Bee propolis improves fertility for women with Endometriosis (not sure if i have). To my surprise, I get my first positive test within 3 months. Am not sure if it has to do with the bee supplements that I have took but I still decide to give my unborn baby the nickname "Bee".

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Positive results

The happiest day in my life. I was so excited when I saw a faint line (positive) on the Watson's pregnancy test strip. After months of trying and wasting countless of test strips, this is the very first time that I saw something different on the positive window. I wasn't convince with the faint positive line therefore I went to purchase the Clear Blue test kit. The 2nd test kit gave a clear result "+", I show it to hubby immediately, after seeing the results, our eyes were filled with tears. We are overwhelmed by this surprise and we hugged in silence. Thank god!

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*** I am not representing nor advertising for any products or company. All items posted are purchased and owned by myself, posted just for fun & sharing :) ***