lengthy post first time mum

Question

Hi mummies!! Although the circuit breaker is making me stressful with some things that i couldnt purchase physically (i prefer physical shopping compared to online as i know whats my money worth and besides, its better to shop without having doubts?) - i cant wait for my 1st born to pop out next month. EDD is 26 June and hopefully he comes out on that day hahaha! A few thoughts/questions have been running through my mind and perhaps some mummies can share with me your experience and tips ?Questions : 1) Im currently waiting for my next checkup at 36 weeks, subsequently after that checkup, how frequent will the doctor see me? 2) what do they check for during checkups after 36 weeks? 3) what is the prime week for baby to pop out?(isit according to EDD or baby might pop out early/late?) 4) what does contraction feels like??(mild period cramps or those terrible you cant get out of bed cramps?) 5) what are your experiences giving birth at KKH as a subsidised patient? How are the services rendered to you? (Id have chosen private but since i found out i was pregnant at about 5 months, i decided to go with sub as pregnancy was totally unexpected?) 6) any tips that i should take note of? Like confinement and all(for malays) , foods/drink i should avoid 7) personally, my emotions have always been like a rollercoaster ride even before being preg. I get annoyed at loud noises/people talking really fast and staying with my fiance doesnt help it cause his mother is a really loud person. How do i overcome this?(we live in a 2 room rental btw)Any tips/advises are highly appreciated! Thank you for taking time to read this post ?

Cherlyn · Accepted Answer

Congrats in advance, dear:)1. After 36 weeks, your doctor will likely see you every 1-2 weeks2. They’ll check baby’s size, position, whether the head has gone into the pelvis, the doptone to check baby’s heartbeat. If you are experiencing some labour symptoms, the doctor might do a check of your cervix.3. There is no prime week per se, but full term is 37 weeks onwards, so it’s best that baby comes out after that. There’s a higher risk of stillbirth if baby isn’t out by 42 weeks. So if you still haven’t given birth after your EDD, your gynae may discuss with you about induction. Very few people deliver on their actual EDDs. It’s usually before/after.4. It builds up, but at its maximum...Worse than your can’t get out of bed cramps. And you still need to get out of bed to get to the hospital. Heh. It also starts off less frequent, and then gets stronger/more painful and more frequent.5. Wasn’t a KKH subsidised patient, but the midwives and doctors will take good care of you:)6. Didn’t do confinement, but remember that your body went through a lot for the pregnancy and delivery, so you need time to heal. Ask for help, don’t expect perfection (it’s a learning journey), and enjoy it:)7. Mood swings and strong emotions are pretty common.. but I feel like we can still control what we do in spite of those feelings. I chose to try to chill and relax during the later part of my pregnancy, in terms of how I react to others or situations. I felt a lot happier too. Heh.