36 Weeks

Just a short one this week. 36 weeks is great! I am getting all that little bit closer. I finished work on Saturday so am officially on 'maternity leave'. I have the inverted commas as technically I am not really. My company doesn't have a policy on leave, so it is more that my contract didn't get renewed from April. We are calling it maternity leave, because my boss wants me back in the future. I suppose now I have the title of housewife until Pi comes along. Not that I am being very housewifey lately.

I am really happy that I finished work with no issues either. I was certain that I was going to have a pregnancy related issue- either vomiting at work, or the baby kicking me in the bladder suddenly, or my water breaking (most women finish work at 34 weeks here).

Spring has finally come. I think it is about 20 degrees today, and it is magic. I am sitting on the top balcony (wishing it was bigger though) and watching the waves roll in, and the cherry blossom trees sway in the breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. It's magic.

As for the pregnancy- all is going well. The heartburn has eased off in the last few days, which is nice. I am still as tired as ever, but at least now I have the luxury of napping in the day if I want to.

We thought, given baby is full term next week that we should look at getting the hospital bag ready. Luckily in Japan we only need to bring a few things:
Mother and child hand book
Clinic card
Post-partum corset
5 gauze hankercheifs (have already bought)
5 face sized towels for breastfeeding (have already bought)
underpants
nursing bra

Most I have, but the corset, grannypants and nursing bra I still needed to get. The corset was difficult to choose, as I had no idea what size I would need after pregnancy. I went for the large, hoping that I can take it back if it is too small, or too big. The underpants they mean are hideous granny pants, with ruffled elastic. Needless to say I bought a threepack for 1000yen so I can throw them promptly in the garbage after I no longer need them. The maternity bra was a bit of a find. I was really worried about buying one before birth, as I wouldn't know what size I would end up being after I the milk comes in. Then I found what looks like nursing bra crop tops. They had a two pack for 1000yen as well, so I snatched them up, knowing that if I only use them for a few weeks until things settle down it is no big waste. The only problem is that they are racerbacks, which are a little uncomfortable. I will probably pack the bag today, as well as put in a few other things that I bought. It's all coming together now...

Week: 36
Baby bump: Nice and big. It's easy for people to notice that I am pregnant now.
Movement: A lot less movement, which still has me worried, but now I am trying not to stress.
Complaints: Niggles here are there, but nothing I will complain about. Especially while sitting in the sunshine.
Maternity clothes/Baby purchases: Granny pants, a corset, nursing bras, a pair of 'room wear' type pants for comfort and a men's chequered shirt that buttons for easy feeding and comfort...

Clinic information class

From week 28 onwards, my clinic hosts an information class for new mothers. They have another one up until 28 weeks of pregnancy that mainly focusses on diet, etc. However as diet guidelines vary from country to country, I have been following the western instructions. After all, I don't really care for raw fish in the first place.
So today's session went for about 2 hrs, with an option to stay later if one is interested in the aroma therapy birth. Because it's too late for me for that option, I went home after the information.
First, the OBGYN came and spoke to us. Basically about the signs to look for labour, which is waters breaking, blood, labour pains, and just to introduce the hospital a little bit. Next, we had a lady from a company talk to us about skincare for the baby. Luckily, I have done my own reading on the subject in baby books as well as on line and it kind of followed the same thing. Though these days the baby books say just washing in water is fine unless there is a 'mess'- aka 'poo', where as she was showing pictures of very soapy babies.
A nurse ran the show, and lucky for me it was the same nurse who speaks English and helped me fill out that form yesterday. It was great, because at the start she came to me and said that if I have any questions, to write them down and ask her later. We also had to purchase a 'text book' for the class for Y500, which is more of an oversized brochure, but contains most of what I already knew. I think that because the nurse knew that my kanji reading is crap, when she got to a new important Kanji in the book she would point to it and say what it is- I am assuming it was for my benefit anyway.
So after she spoke a little about things to bring for labour- food and energy drinks or juice, and something to relax me. Also when to come, which is when the contractions get under 10 mins apart.
We then watched a video about childbirth and it kind of worried me. Not so much the birthing video as I had watched one before, but about how calm that woman was. She was barely making any noise! I found that the most difficult to watch. We also saw the placenta delivered, which I hadn't really seen before, and is kind of gross.... but part of childbirth.
Next we went though the page on how to be calm during labour, where to rub when it hurts.
After that, it was stretches that is good to do prior to giving birth, how to make your nipples poke out if they are inverted, and general nipple fondling.
Then, the things we need to bring to the hospital- but she also showed us the goodie bag that we will receive, which is very nice. Filled with bra's, pads, pants, baby wipes, lots of things.
We also received a goody bag filled with lots of different baby samples- lotion, cream, laundry detergent, formula and also a toothbrush and toothpaste pack. I love freebies, so I am not complaining.
The bad thing about today was that I learned some things that is not so good. For example, due to litigation, breech babies are always c-sectioned. Labour is always on ones back, but maybe we can sit up a little. And in order for my husband to be in the room, he needs to watch the tachiai video. So I might need to change my appointment.
Also, we didn't get to see the rooms because they were in use- or something like that. But we were told we might be able to book in at reception....
So, it was informative- not super informative but at least I know a little more about the clinic's policies. I hand in my birth plan next week, so we shall see how well that is received. I might need to do some tweaking...

Here are some pictures of my clinic..



labour room


delivery room


the more expensive stateroom


the regular room.

All rooms are private, and I think the fancy room is only Y100,000 more for the stay, but I think I will just take the cheaper room. After all, it's not like my husband can share the double bed...

35 Week clinic visit

Today was an expensive visit- 4700 (after the 3000 discount). All the usual was checked, blood pressure, weight (I have only gained 15gms in the last 2 weeks) and urine test. Then the doctor did the ultrasound and all was fine. He did say Pi has a big nose though. I am hoping it is in comparison to Japanese babies. Gah...

Lately, Pi's movements have been few and far between, and yesterday it got me a little worried. So after the appointment, I told the doctor that baby hasn't been moving much, and asked if I should be worried- but obviously my Japanese was crap, because the question seemed to confuse the hell out of him. Maybe they don't have a minimum movement per few hours or so over here (back home, I think it's about 10 times per hour, or something). Over here they have never informed me of what to watch out for.

After the ultrasound, they took a blood test (not sure what for), and also did a non stress test. I couldn't tell whether the non stress test was done because of the question about not moving much, or if it is routine at 35 weeks. I think because of the question though.

The non stress test consisted of being hooked up to a machine with two sensors around my waist (see picture below), and given a button to push when baby moves. I was a little worried it wouldn't be effective because Pi had already moved a lot before the ultrasound so I figured baby might be asleep, but luckily there was still a bit of movement. Maybe I just need to pay closer attention. They took blood at the same time, which wasn't nice (especially as it was from my left arm, and in a weird place). The non stress test wasn't painful, obviously, but it was really stressful. Pi's heartbeat was about the 160bpm, but a few times it shot past 180bpms, and right at the end it dropped all the way down to 80ish, which caused a small alarm to sound, and then the nurse to get the doctor. So now I am worried about Pi's heart. But maybe it's normal.
Either way, afterwards the doctor said the baby is fine, so that is something.

I am feeling really overwhelmed by my lack of Japanese skills today. During the non stress test, the nurse wanted me to fill out a form, and she asked if I could read Kanji, to which my answer was- not really- and then if my husband was Japanese, which he isn't... After a bit though, another nurse came, who helped me with my medical history right at the start of the pregnancy and filled out the form with me, which was really lovely. They also wanted another emergency contact in Japan- so I had to give a friends number, but felt really awkward doing so.

I paid the 200000 deposit for the hospital stay- but she told me something in Japanese which I didn't quite get, and usually I would have gotten her to repeat it, but it was so noisy and I didn't want to take up too much of her time. I figure that it was about getting the refund of the deposit back once I am out of the hospital, and that it will probably be explained later, otherwise I can ask. I also signed up for the class tomorrow.

Today's visit took about 2 hours though, which is one of the longest so far. From now on, the doctors visits are every week...



Baby Pi-

35 weeks

35 weeks is a great week in terms of development. Apparently, Pi's kidneys and liver is functioning- which is great news for health on the outside. This week I have an appointment as well as a hospital tour, which I am looking forward to. As you can probably guess, I have decided to go down the natural birth route. For many reasons, really, but mainly that it is the way that it is done over here, and from what I have been reading, the less medical interventions that happen, the better. Now I just need to translate my birth plan. I really should do that today...

Not much is new in the Pregnancy. It's my last week of work this week- yay! I can't wait to not have to worry about make up, or class preparation. Luckily, I have finished most of my child classes now, so it is mainly adults. I have been sleeping terribly. All of last night I was up every two hours needing to Pee. Needless to say, I am very tired today. The heartburn has been getting worse too. Only 5 more weeks though. I am really looking forward to it, especially having our baby with us, instead of inside me.




Week: 35
Baby bump: I can't wait for full time tracksuit pants.
Movement: Lots of Braxton Hicks and hiccups, but a lot less movement, which has me a little worried.
Complaints: Heartburn and terrible sleep.
Maternity clothes/Baby purchases: Some photo frames for the nursery

34 weeks

The belly has finally expanded, and is now often bordering on uncomfortable (I think things are getting uncomfortable in there for Pichan too). 34 weeks has seen the return of being dead tired, bad heartburn, shinsplints and middle of the night insomnia-I fall asleep okay, but I wake up several times a night for no reason and can take a while to get back to sleep. I have heard it is a way of one's body preparing for the baby, but I think that is just a nice story. My body is swelling a little, so I will be glad to get off my feet (not that I teach on my feet most of the time) to help with circulation when I go on 'Maternity leave' (really, my contract is not being renewed). Plus, the extra weight from Pichan is starting to mildly hurt my hips and legs.

Wow, I am sounding awfully complain-y. I can see why the second trimester is considered the best, but I am lucky that I am only just starting to get uncomfortable now, and not weeks ago. Pichan is moving less at the moment, I think due to cramped quarters, but still is moving often enough. We went to Tsujido mall yesterday to the H&M store there and bought some pants (not sure if it will be cold enough for pants- but I didn't like the idea of not having any pants should it get a little cold). We also picked up the cutest little raccoon outfit (onesie with a cute raccoon and striped pants and a matching 'eared' hat). I am now in love with H&M baby and will be buying most of our baby clothes in the future from there. It's so easy to spend money on Pichan though, so I must be careful.

I am looking forward to 35 weeks, as I have read that most babies born from then onwards are perfectly healthy. Only another week to go until then, and 6 weeks until I am at 40 weeks. Yay. I am reading pregnancy books, but need to read more/faster. So much to read and so little time. Maybe that is my cue to get off the internet...




Week: 34
Baby bump: I am now running into doorways if I am not careful.
Movement: Lots of Braxton Hicks still and the occasional expanding of my belly at Pichan moves position.
Complaints: Heartburn, shinsplints, insomnia, exhaustion.
Maternity clothes/Baby purchases: Two pairs of pants, a newborn raccoon outfit (H&M Japan) and some more burp cloths (100yen store)- I hear you can't have too many.

33 weeks and appointment

Pichan is growing well and is about 2kgs now. I can't believe there is less than 7 weeks until the due date. It is coming by really, really fast. Sometimes I am confident about giving birth, and sometimes, not so much. Unfortunately, I have a bit of a time issue which keeps me flip-flopping. If I want an epidural, I need to notify them by next week. The problem is, I have no idea how I will cope, nor how this labour will actually be. Unlike in Australia, where you can pretty much make the decision up until the point of the head emerging, here it is all or nothing. Not being able to have the choice at the time is what is making me so nervous.

As for Pichan, our appointment went well. The blood results from last week came back with 'no problems'. This week they also took some swabs for Strep B. I was glad I had read about all that in my baby book, because then it was much easier to translate what he wanted to do and why. The receptionist also told me about the direct payment system that they have, where the health insurance pays the hospital the bonus of Y420,000 directly. The only thing is, because it is an expensive hospital, I need to bring Y200,000 extra to the next appointment which will cover any extra medical services (hopefully I get change).

 During this appointment I also signed up for the Angel Memory that I think I have spoken about before. There was a few terms and conditions to read out, of which I probably got about 30%. Then I was issued with a card to give the doctor every time I want him to do it. I think, after the initial payment for the card, the service might be free. I will confirm it next time- but if it's true I wish I would have known about it weeks ago. It is so nice to see little sleeping Pichan, or moving Pichan.

Here is the video:

As for the rest of the baby preparing, I have washed all of Pichan's clothes and blankets (they are so small). I have heard that shops spray clothes with a chemical to keep them looking nice. I figured it was better safe than sorry, and so washed them in the special baby laundry wash that I bought at babies 'r' us in Japan to keep the chemicals away from Pi. I am still working on decorations to make it look more like a babies room and can't wait until it is all done.

Week: 33
Baby bump: I am at the stage where I am stealing my husbands clothes for comfort.
Movement: Lots of Braxton Hicks and digs up under the ribs.
Complaints: This week it has been all about heartburn.. Thank goodness for Tums.
Maternity clothes/Baby purchases: Nappy bag, changepad cover, a changetable storage organiser and a set of pacifiers (all from amazon.com).

32 weeks

I am officially in the 9th month of pregnancy in Japan- which sounds so much more impressive than being 8 western months pregnant. Either way, baby will come out when baby is ready.
Finally buying up the last of everything. I think I have all on the list that is needed. Though, I do think the only things a baby really needs is a few basic outfits and boobies, but where is the fun (or debt) in that.
A hospital bag will have to be packed soon, but luckily I really don't need to bring anything from home- they provide it all at my clinic. Only a few burp cloths, and a change of underwear. Nice and simple. Mind you, I will probably still pack a lot of different things in my bag.
I am still getting bigger and bigger each week- still not huge, but my bump is starting to get in the way and uncomfortable. The braxton hicks are getting more frequent, too.
Yesterday, I was out with Husband when they wouldn't stop. After about an hour and a half of it, we ended up heading home so I could lay down because they were getting bad. I have heard they often come with dehydration (which I wasn't) and can stop with a change of positions. Two hours later, they were still coming every 2-3 mins, about 50 seconds in length. As always, we looked on the internet for a clue and everywhere was written- "if you get more than 4 in an hour, speak to your healthcare professional". I was having four in 10 minutes, but I really didn't want to make a call or go to the clinic (especially as I was already in my pyjamas, and I wanted to communicate effectively, and I didn't have any other signs of labour). I remembered my sister in law telling me about an emergency midwife number at her hospital in Australia, so I found it and gave them a call. The midwife thought it was odd, but as long as there were no other signs of labour, she said to hold off and that it might be an irritable uterus, but keep an eye on it. It was reassuring hearing someone not being concerned (she was very nice though, so it wasn't like she didn't care- she was quite happy and surprised to be speaking to someone in Japan).
They continued on for a while, but I decided to try and ignore them, lest I be creating the problem in my head. Eventually they slowed down to the usual one or two per hour.  While I was looking up all about Braxton Hicks, I found this great table from Kidspot which I thought I would share:

True labour or false labour?

Consideration	True Labour	False Labour
Contractions	Regular	Irregular
Time between contractions	Come closer together	Do not get closer together
Contraction intensity	Increases	Doesn't change
Location of contraction	Entire abdomen	Various locations or back
Effect of anasthetic or pain reliveres	Will not stop labour	Sedation may stop or alter frequency of contractions
Cervical change	Progressive cervical change	No cervical change

Week: 32
Baby bump: Starting to bump the bump when I underestimate the amount of space I need.
Movement: Lots of Braxton Hicks.
Complaints: I am going to put down braxton hicks here too.
Maternity clothes/Baby purchases: Breastmilk bags and some waterproof sheets for the crib.