Doctor's Appointment

12/25/2015
8:26pm

 

7 weeks 1 day!...A lot got done at today's appt.!

-Urine Analysis for protein, sugar, antibodies,etc.
-Weight check: 60kg  ((~132 lbs)with my clothes on!!)
-Pap Smear: cervical cancer, Chlamydia, Rubella, etc......
-Ultrasound: baby measured about 9mm, heart rate: 148bpm!! :) Corpus luteum still present but a little smaller.

Next appointment is in 2 weeks!!

Vomiting, Nausea, and...Big Ones, etc.

12/24/2015
5:15am

It's Christmas Eve and I'm 7 weeks today, alright!! ^_^



On the 22nd, I vomited for the first time during the pregnancy. Nobody likes to vomit, I think, but its kind of reassuring to me to have these symptoms during the pregnancy because it helps me to really believe that everything is going well with our baby. I have nausea or morning sickness just about everyday. And yesterday I noticed that my boons are growing a lot bigger! They are heavy and fuller. My appetite has kicked up and some smells or tastes repulse me like foods which are too sweet or too salty, the smell of sweet Japanese wine, etc.

This is a pretty important week for baby's development so I want to be sure to get some exercise in, drink healthy fluids, and keep an optimistic mindset. The baby's brain is developing, liver is producing red blood cells, bone marrow is forming, the pancreas and appendix have grown in, and some blood vessels are forming which carries oxygen and nutrients to and from its body. Week 7 has been reported as the most common week for an MC if it will occur so I am nervously excited about passing through this week!
Our doctors appt. is tomorrow. Since going to the OBGYN in Japan is almost nothing like going in the States, I want to call the doctor today to request some tests, checks, and procedures be done, hopefully, starting from tomorrow or the following visit. Im hoping we can get a fetal heart rate, CRL (crown to rump length) of the baby, update on the cyst, weight check, and possible a script to get a blood draw to check for iron deficiency and other thinks US OBGYN usually check in early pregnancy. 

I sure can't wait until we are out of the first trimester, just before Valentine's Day. Then we can tell my husbands parents the good news!! This baby is going to be their first grandchild. So, I think they'll be really excited.

A pretty long entry this time. Now I'm all thirsty!

Officially feeling symptoms!

12/22/2015
11:10am

Since yesterday, I think I can say it's official...morning sickness and really sore boobs coming on strong! 6 weeks and 5 days today. Grow little baby, grow!! <3

Symptoms

12/20/2015
10:04p.m.

I wanted to wait a few days to be sure but now I'm certain I am having morning sickness, usually starting around breakfast time, and m boobs are getting bigger. They feel heavier and I can feel a little pain in I press on the sides just beneath my armpits. 6 weeks and 3 days today! Next appointment is in 5 days (I'll be 7 weeks and a day^_^).

6-Week Appointment, Ultrasound, and Pregnancy Registration at the City Health Center

12/17/2015
5:52p.m.

Today we  had our first appointment with Dr. Orito at his clinic in Toshima-ku. He is an English-speaking doctor and really nice. He took the time to explain things to us, such as procedures and what he's looking for during the ultrasound. And for the first time, we could see the baby and its flickering heart!! While we could see the heartbeat waves, the doctor said it was too early to get a clear detection of the baby's bpm (beats per minute), although we saw it flickering away! Should be able to see next week:)

So baby is doing OK! But the doctor did take note of a 3mm cyst on the right ovary which he told us should just be a corpus luteum cyst which is usually present during early pregnancy and then fades away or breaks down. I haven't had any bad pain so I hope it just goes away in time. According to the doctor, as long as it stays small, it won't affect the baby or me at all.

Moving right along...We got a print out of the baby! Can't see much of it here, but here he or she is!!!
Looks like there's just one. I'm thinking a boy...hmm. Baby's on the left...big cyst on the right :(

 

Our next appointment is...on Christmas day! Hopefully we can get a crown-to-rump length measurement :)

After the appointment we had lunch at a really nice Thai restaurant and afterwards did a little shopping! ^_^ Then, we headed back to Kodaira and headed to the city health center to officially register the pregnancy!

The woman who registered us was so nice. Her name is Betty-san but she's Japanese. She gave us all this great informative stuff!!!...and she was the first person to congratulate us on the baby :)

So, here's some of the stuff that we got...ooooh.

A breakdown of the different types of support mother can receive
during pregnancy and after birth (up to preschool age)

KIFA (Kodaira Int'l Friendship Association) Newsletter,
they offer services such as having a translator at doctors appointments, etc.

Tickets to receive discounted prenatal appointments!

Maternal and Child Health Handbook -English version

Dental Checkup registration - for after the 5th month
and before the 7th month of pregnancy

Hello Baby Class schedule & sign up - for after the 5th month

Notebook for Serious Health Concerns after Birth

Welcome insert

Handbook for PaPa

Child-raising guide for parents of Kodaira

Mother and Child Health Book - Supplementary Reader

Special Pregnancy badge
Gives you permission to hijack train seats!!
Haha, kidding.
If someone is sitting in a priority seat or regular seat,
wearing this badge on a bag, for example,
might encourage someone to give up their seat to an expecting mother.

It was really nice to experience this day with my husband who was excited and very supportive. I'm really grateful for that. See you again on Christmas day, our sweet little baby <3

Neck Pain, Symptoms and Baby Names

12/15/2015
2:56pm

5 weeks and 5 days pregnant today :)

....Today is day 4 of neck pain!! It's not as bad as day 1 now, but on the first day I did take some medicine to help cope with the pain and I hope that it won't hurt the baby. At our next appointment this Thursday, I'll talk to the OBGYN about it and see if there are any medications which are safe to take during the pregnancy.

Symptoms this past week: mild cramping (although it doesn't occurs so frequently like before), increased CM, sometimes sore boobs.

Also my husband and I have started discussing some baby names. If it's a girl, we really like Mei.
We haven't really come up with boys names that we both equally like but I like the idea of the name starting with 'M' and ending in 'i' like our names.

Schedule First Appointment with New OBGYN!

12/10/2015
7:20pm

After work today, I called Orito Clinic to schedule an appointment. It seems the receptionist who answered the phone couldn't speak English and the phone was handed over to the head honcho, Dr. Orito. "My name sounds Italian but it's Japanese" he commented later in the conversation. Nope, sounds Japanese to me, I wanted to say but didn't. He stuttered a lot but had a kindness to him that gave me the feeling he really wanted to take care of foreigner clients. He didn't rush me off the phone at all. He answered all of my questions thoroughly.

So, the appt. day and time will be Thursday, December 17th... one week from today. The cost of a first time appointment is 3300 yen (roughly 33 dollars) plus the cost of an ultrasound/pregnancy confirmation 5500 yen (roughly 55 dollars). He explained to me the reason they don't do urine testing as a pregnancy confirmation in Japan...It's because women have found out they are pregnant via home pregnancy test so they don't see the reason in doing what I've already done. Plus, he said, they can get a visual with an U/S, which is important (Thanks, Dr. Orito!). My weight will be checked at every visit. And I can decline to use the strange curtain in the exam room. He asked me what country I'm from and if I planned to deliver in Japan or in the States because that could change the type of care or tests he has me do. I'm really glad this doctor explained all of this to me. The female doctor at Parkside explained practically nothing. Anyways, I'll be 6 weeks at the next appointment. I wonder if we will be able to see the yolk sac, fetal pole, and or heartbeat??? And I'm so happy hubby will be there, too! ^_^

5 weeks pregnant today (from LMP)! Having some increased CM, tender boob moments, bloatedness, and mild cramping as usual. :)

Deciding on a New Clinic for Prenatal Care

12/8/2015
11:07pm
So when hubby came home, I told him about my experience at Parkside today. After some research, he found an international clinic in Toshima, Tokyo. According to the website , the Japanese doctor speaks fluent English, French, and Chinese. It also seems he has spent some time in the US and his clinic just opened in January 2015. Costs here seem a LOT cheaper, too! And there are evening hours available for appointments (until 7:30pm ^_^). So, I'm going to call tomorrow to make an appointment for next week when I'm at my 6-week mark (according to LMP), Thursday, December 17th.

1st appointment at 4 weeks 5 days after LMP!

(JP time) 12/8/2015
4:55pm

Today I had my first appointment at Parkside Hiroo Ladies Clinc in Tokyo. I went alone since my husband couldn't take off work. I used both English and some Japanese to communicate with the staff there. It was my first time to see a Japanese OBGYN. The appointment went fairly quickly. I gave a urine sample and entered a small exam room with an electric chair that automatically puts you in the right postion for the ultrasound. I sat but refused the curtain they usually draw between the patient and examining doctor. And my legs were left open too long when they doctor left and the nurse was just staring at me so I think I'll take small lap blanket with me next time... It's kind of awkward to sit quietly without some kind of conversation with the doctor. She didn't ask about my diet, previous pregnancy, etc. Although she did tell me gestational sac was almost 3mm and that was ovaries looked fine. She didn't speak English so confidently, though. So, I hope my husband can accompany me next time and then maybe she can be more relaxed and easy going, even if its through speaking Japanese and not English. My husband can just translate to me. Anyways about our baby!!

The gestational sac was very, very small but visible :) And that's all that's visible in the 4th week, haha.I was scheduled for another appointment in one week. I hope we can at least see the yolk sac then. In Japan, it has been said that women are seen by the doctor more often in the beginning and less towards the end. I was really happy to get an ultrasound picture!!












The cost of the entire visit, even after presenting my insurance card, was 12000 yen! That's around 120 dollars, roughly. I don't really have 120 bucks to cough up every week for just an ultrasound picture..... :/

Anyways, its a nice looking clinic.

4th day after BFP - It's My Birthday!

After a morning walk with my husband, I ate mabonasu (ground beef and eggplant stir-fry), rice, and caffeine-free tea for breakfast.

It seems the mild cramping always starts in the early am after I have woken up and moved around a bit, then baby goes to work. I'm still feeling it only on the right side and having some throbbing in my boobs.






It's my birthday today (as well as my triplet sisters)! So I'm happy to share this day with them and the little growing baby inside me :)

Day 3 after BFP :)

Writing as the thoughts come to me!

Today I made an appointment with PH Ladies Clinic here in Tokyo. There are English-speaking doctors there and they have an English website too. My appointment is Tuesday at noon, so in 3 days!! I'm so excited! It seems they'll take an ultrasound too

Since the day before my BFP I've had on and off mild cramping on my right side. And back-of-the-hip pain since the day before my BFP, too. I wonder if the pain is associated with the pregnancy.

The cramps somehow make me feel like everything is going well actually. Maybe I'd worry if I didn't feel anything going on in there. Today at work I felt something leak out down there. I thought maybe its a little bleeding but it was just CM. The boobs tingle with light pain sometimes and my body felt kind of blah after work. I took a rest then slept for about 4-5 hours.

My dreams have been more vivid since before my BFP.

TMI but when I have to make a bowel movement, I get scared if I have to push a bit hard.

My husband has been so supportive since he found out the great news. He made me a healthy lunch today and bought me an air filtration mask since there are a lot of smokers here in Japan.

I'm so excited for this first appointment. I'll receive most of my prenatal care here in Japan but we'll move to the States before the baby comes so I plan to deliver there. Prenatal vitamins don't seems to be so common here so we ordered some online. In the meantime, I try to eat foods with Folic Acid to help the baby's growth.

Second Day, Second BFP!

I couldn't keep quiet!! And I was having dreams my husband found out so at 4 something in the morning I turned over towards him in the bed and said, "We're pregnant." He woke right up and said "Really! Whaat!" o I said again, "We're are pregnant." He said again "Really!!" I realized I could see his face so I got up and turned on the light. He was happy about the news and I showed him the test. I told him how I wanted to wait until Christmas to tell him but couldn't keep this beautiful secret to myself :)

I'll never forget his soothing words: I'm happy and everything's gonna be alright.

After work I took a second HPT which also showed positive. So, I will try to call around to a few hospitals in Tokyo to find a good English-speaking OBGYN. I hope I can get appointment for this Tuesday since I'll be off work.

My husband and I took a walk early this morning, about 45 minutes, stopped to feed the fish and ducks, and I felt that was really good for the baby somehow. I drank bottled water and had a healthy lunch.

I don't know if this is a sign or not but my boobs felt a bit zingy today at work.

Still crampy but that's about it.

I'm praying that things progress well and the baby is always doing ok in there. According to my LMP, I'm 4 weeks now. Already seems to be going fast
 

Thank you, God! We're Pregnant! :)

I went out to pick up a few things from Daiso dollar store and the grocery store when I stopped in the pharmacy next door to pick up a test. When I got home I didn't have an urge to go to the bathroom but decided to give it a try anyways. With just a little but, the test read positive(!!!), a dark positive, right away!! I said a lot several times, "I'm freaking out, I'm freaking out, I'm totally freaking out!" Haha.

I went to my desk and wrote the date and time on the home pregnancy test. I tried to call my sister, Jamii, but there was no answer. So, I came here to start up a blog :D :D

My sister called on the Skype and I had my test up in front of the camera so the first thing she would see would be two pink lines!! And her eyes got so big, haha!

We talked on Skype for about an hour and a half and she congratulated me so many times.
My husband came home for a few minutes to pick something up during our call. So, I had to change the subject until he went back out. Since my head was on BFP mode, I had completely forgot about his Christmas present under the tree--exposed!! I went to the Daiso dollar store to get wrapping paper...to wrap the massage chair that was delivered today. So, he saw the chair--but just said I'll forget what I'll saw.

Well, I don't have any more money for another Christmas present for him but looks like I wont need one!! I'm going to wrap the test in a box and reveal the pregnancy to him on Christmas! I just hope I can keep quite (and not act so strange!!) until then!

I'm so happy!! So so so so so so so happy!!


So My LMP was November 5. I'm not sure when I ovulated but perhaps around November 22nd based on some research. I'm in JP So I took the test today December 3, 2015 at 6:43pm :D

I do feel some cramping. It was pretty heavy and contact yesterday.
I've been forgetful at work....perhaps its a sign or no...but I had trouble remember or recalling things at work...

Other than that, I don't feel pregnant at all. And didn't think twice about the cramping or forgetfulness before I got the BFP. So, I guess just assuming AF would show around my birthday, December 6th.

This is the best bday gift!!! Thank you, God! <3