Has it been that long?

Has it been that long since my last blog post?! Mommyhood sure is busy! Baby number one is now coming to 22 months and baby number two is on her way =). Baby number two came as a pleasant surprise as my husband and I were still discussing if we should use the frozen embryos we still have stored at KKH. I discovered this pregnancy much later than must first one though (@ 2 weeks from the blood test) as my Division was undergoing a sudden restructuring and much was attributed to stress.

Preparations are now more or less complete for my baby girl's arrival in March. There's much less shopping to be done this time round as we can still use all/many of the baby items. Wanted to list down some of the really useful and practical items purchased (in case I forget when my bestie's turn comes!):-

For the preggy

1. Bra extenders (at least 2)
2. Low waisted 99-100% cotton undies
3. Comfortable elastic shorts and tees for sleeping in (pick XL for non-maternity wear), bought Ts (Girls - XXL) from Old Navy during the annual Black Friday sales below USD 5 each
4. Sorella's seamless bras (good for fitting in breastpads for breast feeding too), in different cup sizes
5. Maternity bottoms - 1 pair of denim shorts, 1 pair of black shorts, 1 pair of long work pants (extendable in black/brown), 1 denim skirt, Jeans (optional, got mine from H&M during a sale)
6. Maternity dresses especially for the later stages of pregnancy - Work and casual (can purchase them online as well from Old Navy, Motherhood, JCPenny during sales and free shipping periods, could wear sizes S and M)
7. Inner slips and camis - as dresses become shorter and necklines get lower
8. Cropped tops paired with comfy long singlets
9. Stretch mark cream - Bio Oil worked nicely in the 1st pregnancy but for the 2nd it caused an itch and so did many other creams
10. Comfy flat shoes with non-slip soles

I decided to stick to my gynae, Dr Sadhana from KKH from my first pregnancy but she now focuses only on IVF conception and births. She recommended another senior female colleague of hers, Dr June Tan. She's really nice and gentle but it takes way too long a wait to see her each time. Each gynae visit takes half a day (3-4 hours) and the actual consultation barely 5-10 mins?! She must be very experienced because she has so so many patients and often out for delivery. Fortunately each time i get an MC for the day and my husband and I will take the opportunity to have some couple time. Our favourite pre-check-up activity is brunch @ Tim Ho Wan (Plaza Sing) and the must have dishes are the Four Heavenly Kings of which we can have 2 helpings of the soft and fluffy 马来糕!
 
I did not have a cervical cerclage done this time round but instead had more frequent gynae visits to monitor and measure the cervix length. Did have a scare when the cervix length shortened to 1.5 - 1.6cm from the usual > 2cm and that very weekend felt contraction like symptoms!! Baby was only 1.3kg and much too early to arrive at 30 weeks. Had 2 weeks of bed rest and felt much better J Now I am back at work but getting clumsier and walking much slower - awaiting the arrival of my princess!