Pregnancy as seen through my eyes!: 29 Weeks!

It's been quite awhile since my last blog entry. I am now 29 weeks and 3 days. Going into my 30th week of pregnancy! Can't believe how fast time has gone by! I technically have only 10 weeks more to go. It's exciting yet frightening all at the same time. There is still so much to do before the baby gets here. We haven't got anything except for a baby cot and some baby clothes, socks and mittens. The husband decided that we should go "panic shopping" sometime in mid-late October and get everything that we need in one go. Necessary purchases include diapers, baby wet wipes, nappy rash cream, milk bottles, pacifiers, baby bath tub, baby bath towels, pajamas, bottle sterilizer, milk bottle warmer, cotton buds, cotton wool, baby strap-on carrier, car seat, stroller, high-chair and the list goes on.

We went for our doctor's check up yesterday morning and all is well with me and baby. As of yesterday, he weighed approximately 1.2 kg and he was in the birthing position (head down on bladder). This explains why I have been needing to pee every hour or so. No joke, people. No joke. But the doctor said that this was a fantastic position for the baby to be in and we are hoping he stays put till he's ready to greet the world. My tummy has definitely grown in the last 3 weeks and it's going to keep growing till I pop. My tummy is starting to feel itchy at times but I've been resisting all urges to scratch and I try my best to apply moisturizer to my stomach before bedtime. My belly button is half way popped already. That is due to the enlarging uterus putting pressure on my belly.
Next doctor's check up will be at 33 weeks (17 October).

Total weight gain as of 21 September : 9 kg

I am now suffering from slight water retention in my calves and feet. It gets especially bad at the end of the day when I'm home from work. So once I hit home, I prop my feet up and try to get as much rest as I can. The haze has also gotten pretty bad, hitting PSI's of 170 and even 230 on a few occasions. I've bought the N95 mask which I wear on days when it gets bad. The haze is so bad that it is the equivalent of smoking a packet or two of cigarettes.

I also managed to do a quick pregnancy photo shoot with Shuli at her place on 12 September (28 weeks). The pictures turned out lovely! I just love the ideas Shuli has for photo shoot poses! She's a natural! We shall be doing another shoot when I'm about 35-36 weeks. By then, the belly should be about as big as it will get. The line down from my belly button has also darkened (called the linea nigra and caused by pregnancy hormones). And my enemy, heartburn, has returned with a vengeance. It tends to occur at night after dinner so I'm trying to eat lighter meals during dinner time to help with the heartburn. This too I was told is extremely common in pregnant women and will worsen in the last month of pregnancy. Yikes. That's something to look forward to. NOT. Bending down has become an increasingly difficult task for me too these days. My stomach hurts whenever I bend down. Imagine a hard soccer ball in your way when you're trying to bend down to feed your dog. Thankfully, I can still see my toes. FOR NOW.

Here are some pictures from the last 4 weeks or so.