[Come May]

Can't believe I'll soon be in my 3rd trimester. Time flies! Baby girl, looking forward to meeting you next week (in scans at least). Here's to being fair (as Sakura keeps emphasising) - a ticker for princess H (yes, we potentially have a name!)

[the final lap]

Baby has made it past 38 weeks. In 39th week now.  Good going darling. Please hang in there till Baba comes ok? Thank you.

It hasn't been an easy past few weeks; what with decisions to make and being comfortable with them.  It's been an emotional rollercoaster.  It seems as if everything that my natural birthing coach talked about that could happen/go wrong in a highly structured organisation, i.e. a hospital, happened.  Among which:

Doctor will prefer me not to go into natural labour, more so because she is going on leave and won't be around should baby decide to come out beyound 27th Dec;

I will not be able to have skin-to-skin contact once baby is out because of the c-section;

I will have to be proactive (read: stern) about no formula feeding and that baby be given to me in the recovery room to be breastfed;

I can only hold him if they deem me stable;

Doctor has even tried to persuade me to take baby out earlier since he's big;

Doctor tried to persuade me to have the c-section earlier since she will be on leave.

From my research I've read that:

Fewer complications are likely to occur if I let baby go into spontaneous labour, even if it is followed by a C-section. Cos then at least we know that he is really ready to come out. Afterall, nature knows best right?

The first hour is important for skin-to-skin contact so that baby still feels the familiarity of his mummy's heartbeat that he was hearing for 9-10 months.

C-section babies have a harder time latching on so it's important to start breastfeeding asap.

I don't want him to have separation anxiety by being not beside me when he comes into this world.

Baby size has no relation to whether he needs to be taken out earlier, if both mummy and baby are otherwise doing well.

Doctors are known for scheduling patients around their own leave, whether baby is truly ready or not.

I've tried my best to put my views across to the doctor, but ultimately in such a healthcare setting I don't think I have much say because we have a very "doctor knows best" perception.  The only thing that she didn't disagree to was delayed cord clamping; which I was surprised that she agreed to immediately. She even wrote it down on the front of my case sheet the moment I told her, especially when I asked whether I had to remind her on the day itself or not.

Thursday's appointment (15/12) was again very messy.  I very much felt like seeing the doctor alone and was secretly agreeing with her that the room was too crowded. Doctor even said "Next time I'll charge each extra person in the room." Ha. If I had a choice, well, you know who I'd have in the room with me.  Unfortunately even though Auntie had good intentions, she somehow managed to complicate things and ask more of Dr S, which I'm feeling very bad about. To top things off, now I'm not even sure if I'll be able to pick Mr F up from the airport on Friday because of her little arrangement. Haiz.

Had a little scare on Fri (16/12) when what I thought was my waterbag leaking happened.  The strog, although painless, contractions didn't help either. A trip to the hospital just to be safe and two hours later, seems that everything is still as it is; baby is not ready to come out yet. Thank God.  My first thought throughout the exciting morning was: I can't go for the c-section without Baba around. Thank you Allah for letting it be a false alarm.  Please let him come soon.  Unfortunately, flights are fully booked so he can't come earlier. Sigh. Can't imagine the relief I'll feel when he's finally here.  I'm literally counting down the days till he comes.  On another note, I'm glad I have Sakura who appeared so calm when I woke her up to tell her my symptoms. God bless her. With her around, I was able to go through the false alarm very calmly.

I'm confining myself at home for this final lap.  Don't want to take any chances.  Don't want extra activity to induce labour. Baba please come soon so that Mummy can be relieved and go for the c-section smoothly.  Right now I'm just praying relentlessly that things will go smoothly and Baba will be here on time.

[time to let go]

I broke down at the doctor's office day before yesterday. I knew I'd been stressed and was at the breaking point. Just didn't expect it to be in front of Dr S. Ha. Before long even Auntie who wasn't there because she was too tired, knew about it thanks to Dr S telling her. What happened to patient-doctor confidentiality?? :P

The reason for the meltdown?

Baby is still in breech position and it was the day to make a decision on the turning procedure or C-section. The two weeks we had to make that decision went by so fast. Even after the things I did, even after coming up with a plan with Mr F, the "confirmation" of the decision suddenly felt wrong. We had planned to do the turning procedure as a last resort; but when Dr S said I had to do it by latest next week, I just couldn't say yes.  Biggest reason being that there was a risk of going into spontaneous labour or putting baby in distress. And no, I can't risk that, especially without habibi around.

As you can tell, this C-section thing has caught me totally off-guard. From not wanting baby to be born on a "wrong day" (what if he's not ready to come out on the day that we plan the c-section for him?), to being afraid of a major surgery, to not being able to give him the best birth, to wondering whether I/we can be the first one to hold him instead of strange nurses, to asking what if I didn't have a misaligned pelvis - I had to finally accept the fact that I will probably not have the birthing that I wanted.

Although it's not the ideal situation that I was hoping for, I've come to terms with it. Yes, I know I've tried. And frankly speaking, Sakura and mum have a point - I should enjoy the last few weeks of my pregnancy instead of mind-f*ing myself over what to do and running around trying to correct things. Afterall, I have tried my best, I have worked hard. Although I'm still not-so-secretly hoping for a "miracle", I've decided to leave it to His will.  I felt a little comforted when Dr S said that it seems baby has made his decision so let's now leave it to Allah's will.  Now just have to sit back and pray that everything will go smoothly InshaAllah.

[HB classes]

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been attending HB classes. To read more on it, click here. One of the biggest disadvantages of a long distance relationship is the fact that some things you can't do with your husband.  And in this case, I found it quite sad that the other 4 preggies could go with their hubbies, but I was there with my sister.  Of course, I'm not complaining that I had to go with my sister. By all means, I was so happy that she agreed to come along, and felt so grateful I had her support and didn't have to turn up there alone.  But, it's just a little different, as if something missing, when the person you created this life with isn't there to prepare for the birth with you.

I first heard about HB several years ago when I did hypnotherapy to overcome my PTSD.  The hypnosis sessions really worked, so I thought why not try it for birthing as well.  One of my friends is also a doula and she had trained under GP so that's why I was even more open to the idea.  The classes started of by tackling what our issues/fears about birthing were and how to replace them with positive affirmations. We were also thought some relaxation techniques which will help us cope with labour. It seems that HB mums have shorter, and less painful labours. In fact, instead of painful, strong contractions, HB mums were more likely to describe them as just intense surges.  Lesser need for drugs, lesser need for interventions, lesser rates of caesareans.  It's a pity it didn't include post-natal/parenting tips (have to pay separately for that!) or I'd have attended them too. There's still time to sign up lah...but must think of the cost. Heh. I'm not too worried about that because there are lactation consultants in hospitals that can help with issues like breastfeeding.

I hope I get to experience the natural birth that I have envisioned.  Otherwise, all these nights of listening to the ahem..very interesting...hypnosis tracks would be wasted. Heh. Then again, I guess I could use them for other aspects of my life, or for baby #2.  Again, got to just wait and see the outcome. Wish me luck!

[the final countdown]

9 months! 36 weeks! 1 more month to go! Time flies!

Can't believe 9 months has passed so fast. Ok well, while I was "suffering" it seemed to go slowly but now that we're here, nearly approaching December, it seems that time has zoomed by. My lil peanut has become a 2.4kg human being, at the last appointment at least, I'm sure he's grown even more. My stomach seems to have grown exponentially since I came back, and I'm pretty sure it's not me who's putting on the weight heh.  If he were to come out next week, he'd be considered a full term baby (but of course my dear H, you know you have to wait till daddy comes :P). My little H! And the end of life as we know it...

Had some not so good news at the first appointment at KK.  Dr S was very nice, saying how we should listen to babies and let nature take it's course as to when H should greet the world. Then she dropped the not-so-unexpected but still worrying bomb that H is still in breech position so I had to 2 options - to turn him manually from the outside, or to schedule a C-section.  While some women might be very comfortable with the idea of a C-section, I was very much inclined from the beginning to have a natural, unmedicated birth (read: do not even want an epidural. Laugh at me, but that's how I feel).  Having a bio background has has it's benefits and downsides, the more I read about what drugs can do to babies (and adults), coupled with new research about how birth experience moulds a child into an adult, I was very keen to give H the best start in his life. Not just that, I guess I have to admit that I'm pretty much afraid of a major surgery and it's post-recovery period. Sooooo, as Dr S said, it was a decision hubby and I have to make by next appointment, which is the day after tomorrow. Sigh.

I'm trying all sorts of non-invasive interventions now, like moxabustion (TCM thing), pelvic tilt, polar bear positioning, putting ice/heat packs and lately chiropractice. Also listening to hypnosis tracks coupled with the relaxation techniques I learnt during HypnoBirthing classes.  I feel like a bad mum when the chiro said H can't turn probably cos of my tilted pelvis, a problem I've had for ages that has caused my lower back pains. I guess if things do result in a C-section, I can console myself by saying I've tried all possible avenues. Sorry lil one, if I could, I would have given you a better start. Some people are comforting me by saying that he might turn at the last moment, so well, I guess I'll leave it in His hands and pray for the best.

Right now the only dreams I'm having seem to be of me going into labour. Either we did too much role playing during classes or that's all my mind is preoccupied with haha.  It'll be interesting to see how things work out. How will my labour start? When will I be at the hospital? How long will labour take?  Some things cannot be planned. That's kind of what has put me off balance ever since the breech news. Me, the one who loves to "plan ahead", can't plan on how things will turn out when it's time for me to greet my baby.  On the other hand, God is the best planner and at this point, I guess I should just put my trust in Him that everything will happen as it is supposed to.

See you soon my darling. Everyone is so excited to meet you.  May you have a safe journey into this world. =)

[the final lap]

I can't believe so much time has passed that it's already the 3rd trimester of the pregnancy. Wow! How did the 6 months pass by so quickly???  Still remember the time I was convincing Mr F that we should go to the dr to check out my lower abdominal pain, followed by the surreal feeling when the doctor said our pregnancy test was positive.  One significant obstacle I've overcome, and am deeply grateful for, is the passing of the morning sickness that lasted till the 4th month.

Tummy is growing steadily bigger.  Baby is kicking steadily harder lol.  He's been a really good boy, cooperating during ultrasounds and such. I love the way he responds when his dada sings to him.  Sniff sniff he doesn't respond when I sing to him heh. He's gonna be daddy's boy!!

Not sure if I blogged about this but a lot of people around me have a lot of unwanted comments.  Nose puffy, darker skin, carrying big, acne breakout and so on. Other than the big tummy, I think the other things they just see because they want to see. Especially after telling them the gender.  The DHs never fail to bring up one comment or another every single time we meet. Like come on, I feel conscious enough, it doesn't help that you're helping to point out my "flaws". These days I've learnt to filter these people out. Am focusing on the people who acknowledge that H is a good boy and that I can't control the way I look during this hormone-crazy period.  Why can't people just keep comments to themselves??

According to the ticker there's 82 days to go. Sounds really soon!  Are we ready to be parents? Will we be good parents? Will I survive the labour pains according to my birth plan?  Will baby wait for daddy to arrive in Sg before he greets the world ? (I really hope so!) So many questions that can't be answered till the time comes.  This sentence (not ad verbatim) I found on a baby site rings so true; at this point, we are fluctuating between feelings of "Yay it's the last trimester, can't wait to welcome baby into this world!" and "Oh dear, are we ready to be parents? It's coming to soon!"  I guess some things you can never fully prepare for.  As in my friend's experience, her baby greeted the world 3 weeks early and it's still sinking in that she's a mother.

Well our dear H, we are ready to meet you. Till then, all we can do is say our usual prayers - that you be a strong and healthy boy who is always happy. Love you so much. xoxo

[glow or grow?]

Someone commented that I should be having a pregnancy glow now that I'm in the 5th month.

Frankly speaking, I don't see any pregnancy glow but instead just pregnancy grow. Growing swollen ankles, growing tummy, growing number of stretch marks so soon..gah.

Feels like I'm having one of the most unglamorous pregnancies actually.  Hopefully the anecdote "it gets better" will be true for subsequent pregnancies.

I have rashes on my shoulders, and the weirdest part is that they're concentrated solely on where the sleeves of my tops are (is that supposed to be a comfort?).  I have stretch marks so soon. My tummy is expanding so fast I feel like a walrus who will soon be promoted to a whale.  I have swollen ankles which have become so big I only have one pair of shoes I can fit into, and they're wearing out fast.  I have facial acne outbreaks more often and some on my back too, which unfortunately some people like to point out and make me feel even worse.  I have a sour taste in my mouth quite often which I don't know how to eliminate and makes eating somewhat unappealing.  I have some hyperpigmented creases at my neck and the linea nigra down my belly.  My fainting episode has apparently been attributed to low-ish iron levels so I hope the iron pills do a better job otherwise I've been warned that I might need iron infusions in month 7 onwards.  As if these pleasures of pregnancy were not bad enough, yesterday came the epitomy of all embarrassments, I had blood in my stool.  I shall not go into details the embarrassing part but thank goodness no one checked me when I was at the ER, just some tests and lots of questions to rule out anything more serious. Diagnosis: hemorrhoids.  Seems it's common during pregnancy because of the pressure on the blood vessels in the you-know-where, go figure, I would've never associated the two at all.  I feel like if there were a checklist of the side effects of pregnancy, most of them would be ticked by now.

Some people's theories are that since it's a boy, my body is reacting to the extra testosterone.  Others comfort me that when it's a girl, I will feel the glow. Let's hope.

Whatever it is, I'm grateful to have hubby's support. Yeah he tries to annoy me sometimes (and succeeds) by going "Eeee, look at the rashes on your shoulders", but most times, he comforts me by saying I'm still the most beautiful woman to him, if not more.  One time I was feeling so insecure, he reassured me by saying that even though I felt I had a hideous tummy, when he sees it, he doesn't think of me as a walrus, but instead that it's our boy growing inside of me. I'm tearing just thinking of his sweet words =)

I know this is all going to go away when baby comes. Right now I just have to convince myself that walrus or not, whatever I'm going through is worth it.

[it's a....]

So we know the gender of our baby. Seems our instincts were right after all. Woot!

Actually we have known for awhile (like two entries ago..which was why I wanted to update on bubs), but we didn't tell non-family till our most recent scan last weekend. I was quite freaked out by the term "foetal anomaly scan" and kept worrying about the outcome but Alhamdulillah, bubs is doing good.  He was so cheerful during our scan and cooperative as always.  I was already grinning when I saw the shadow of his face on the normal ultrasound, when we could see his image more clearly during the 3D version, I was so excited the radiologist told me to keep still so she could do her job. Haha. Aiyah, let mummy be excited lah!  He seemed to be smiling throughout the scan, at first covering his face then letting us see it clearly.  Everyone I've showed the pic to says he's just adorable...of course lah...my baby what...hahaha. Sakura says it's because he's in a no stress environment so he's happy...maybe if he's in Sg he won't smile as much lol.

Ok, so I guess I've already said it's a he..so no need to declare explicitly.  My emotions were mixed - from the excitement of determining "the baby's" gender (now we can call it a "he" instead of "it" for sure) to being a little disappointed that I won't be buying cute pretty (pink) dresses anytime soon, to being totally in love with hubby again thinking that a part of him is in me.  It's like I've fallen all over in love with Mr F again, on a different level (note: not that I'd fallen out of love with him heh). 

If there's one way of describing how I'm feeling these days it's this: I've always been skeptical but now I know what it means to fall in love with someone even before knowing them.  SG's song "I knew I loved you before I met you" rings so true now... No way is that line cliche anymore.  Call it mushy motherhood feelings, but it's totally real.  We talk to him everyday, I stare at his ultrasound pics constantly, am amazed everytime I see the "alien" movements in my tummy. I simply can't wait to meet him.  4 months suddenly seems so long!

He's a really good boy and InshaAllah he will come out healthy, happy and calm like he is right now.  My little one, we love you so much. Hope to see you soon!

 

Our cheerful boy at 21 weeks...thank God for technology eh?

(labels were added for the in-laws :P)

[tick tick ticker]

Yay I finally have my ticker up. Been wanting to have one for some time...well, the last one was our wedding ticker.  But these baby ones are sooo cute.  Maybe now I'll be able to track the days/weeks better, or with less thinking. At least I'm not the only one who seems to have trouble keeping track...other mummies experience it too!

I still don't know how to put it as a tagboard, so it's not that I'm predicting the date to be 30th Dec. Since one dr said 28th and another said 30th, I'm just assuming that's roughly when lil baby will come out.

Oh and if you notice, I deliberately did not choose a baby boy or girl.  Firstly, we don't know yet and secondly, I shall not assume (based on our hunches or desires). So there you go, ala emancipated Mimi's style, our baby will be gender neutral till we find out it's gender (well she took it a step further by not announcing it to the world till they were born, but I shan't do that. and no, i'm not a fan, i just happened to watch her interview on tv one day :P).

[changes]

I'm not too sure if I should title this post as "changes" or "pregnancy symptoms".  I guess it's an overlap, since pregnancy is a huge change.

Zzzzzz

One of the biggest change is my current lack of energy. It started right after our MS trip, when even Ez commented that I've been tired ever since returning.  On hindsight, our little peanut had a mighty adventurous first few weeks of life since at that time we were very active during weekends. Maybe it will be inspired to take on mummy's travel adventures.  Since the 5th week or so, energy levels have dipped to an all time low. I admit I was never very energetic upon returning home from work, but these days it seems like a nap is almost a must.  Last week I was determined to stay fresh after work so I didn't give in to the bed the moment I returned, but apparently, when you're this tired, even sitting upright on the sofa can let you fall asleep.  A full meal and Beethoven's symphony can also put me asleep on the drive home.  Poor Mr F, surprised a couple of times when his passenger didn't respond to him. :P

Baby bump

I officially have a baby bump, I think.  At least hubby says so and I guess my tummy IS growing bigger. My hesitation is that I'm not sure if it's really a bump or I'm growing fatter, since I wasn't stick thin to begin with hence the changes are less noticeable.  Have taken a photo or two to show Auntie and Jam (yes, they're quite eager to see me growing), so let's hope they see the difference and not say I'm just fatter. Haha.  Still a bit conscious so till I have a fully rounded belly, don't think I'm going to post pictures up just yet.

Emo street

Even before we got the news, I was getting more and more emo.   Crying at little things, or upset over trivial things.  So much so hubby commented one evening: You're so emo these days, maybe you're preggie. Needless to say, things are even more dramatic now. Yesterday, after finding out that I wasted about $130 on bras that were too small and couldn't be exchanged, I stopped in my tracks and started apologising (and sobbing) to hubby for wasting money.  And I mean stopped in my tracks in the middle of the shopping centre! (On a side note, what a stupid system! Can't try on the bra cos no changing rooms, and yet can't exchange or return it...wtf! The first maternity bra I bought was too big because of this, and the current ones, which are a size smaller, are too small...fantastic! And no, I'm not about to ask the salesMEN for help on sizing because I do not want them checking out my boobs...roar!!!  Not that they seemed very helpful anyway.  Point to note, shall buy oversized undies from now on, better to wait to grow into them than having them wasted...I guess I have to wait till I get back to my pre-pregnancy size.)  There've been numerous other instances to cry as well..such as worrying about hubby possibly not wanting me anymore once I get fat and ugly, wanting to go home or get out of here for good desperately (well, that's not a new one :P), and not having a fall-asleep-with buddy almost every night (consequences of yawning out loud and dozing off on the sofa: being dragged by hubby to the bedroom keke).  I think hubby is immune to my tears now.

Dreams

I've always been a vivid dreamer but it seems as if my dreams have become more and more outrageous of late. Apparently it's common for first time mummies-to-be to have strange dreams, which more often than not reveal some sort of anxiety about being a good mum or insecurities that have been lingering in the subconscious mind.  My conclusion...if I were to make my dreams into a movie, they'd sell even better than a Spielberg blockbuster!

Aversions i.e. nausea

I've developed strange aversions, mostly to smells and food.  I can't stand the kitchen now, just entering it makes me nauseated. It doesn't help that the sink sucks, but little things such as just opening the onion plastic can make me gag. Let's not talk about the garbage... Needless to say, because of these reasons cooking has become an even bigger chore.  At times, I'm so averse to being in the kitchen that as long as I get to fry an egg for dinner, I'm happy.  I also can't stand the sell of burnt popcorn, so hubby now has to make popcorn only after I sleep (poor guy). I also get quesy at the sight of red meat, and often times throw up after eating meat.  I always try to tell baby, mummy needs the iron, so please cooperate. Heheh.  Most of the times feeling hungry makes me puke (strange!), but eating the wrong thing also does the same, so it's a tricky situtation.  The only fool proof thing that works right now is work.  But work = exhaustion, so go figure!

The one thing I can't wait to get rid off is the nausea and I'm glad it's gradually improving.  Let's hope I get to experience the so-called easy trimester soon, and enjoy the baby glow.  Looking forward to our next appointment eagerly, want to see little peanut waving at us again.  Wee!

[another new beginning]

This place, as much as I still haven't developed an affinity to, has seen several new beginnings in our lives.  A new beginning for us as a couple, a new beginning in owning a home (well renting, same difference :P), a new beginning in living abroad for me.

As of April 27, we discovered we will be making another new beginning. InshaAllah, come end of the year, we will be celebrating the culmination of our love - as parents. I'm being melodramatic I know, but in this instance, I think I have the perogative to.

I have not announced it to the world (i.e. using the very reliable no-privacy tool - FB) and neither do I intend to.  Based on the previous post, I have not been able to tell certain people as soon as I would have liked and have yet to tell them the news personally.  As unideal as it is, I guess a certain few will have to find out through my blog. Then I'll also be able to find out who still reads it...haha.  For now, a select few have been informed of their impending new roles :P

I'm usually kaypoh about how my friends found out they were expecting, etc, so I shall indulge with the details, if you want to know (otherwise ignore the next section). To make a long story short, it was kind of unexpected although we'd already been trying (and panicking at the lack of instant results lol).  Neither did we expect to find out the news the way we did - at the ER because I was complaining of lower left abdominal pain for a couple of weeks.  After a couple of almost-scares, All Praise be to Allah, little peanut and mummy are doing well now at 3 months and 1 week.  Here was our initial "adventure" with the doctors:

April 27 - Finally we go to the ER at 9pm because pain becomes unbearable. 

First qs dr asks is whether I'm pg.  I say I'm a week late so test #1 is a pg test. Suspect: ectopic pg.  Us: WORRIED.  After a gruelling 1 hr wait in the paed ER (bcos they had no beds in the adult section), Test: Positive. Reaction: Wow, really? :P

April 28 - No female radiologist the night before so we have to come early morning for an emergency ultrasound in the ob/gyn dept.  ER dr (not the same one who attended to us the night before) scares the shit out of us by saying that although it's not an ectopic pg, some fluid which is not supposed to be there is present.  To confirm with ob in 2 wks time.

So for 2 weeks we sit biting our nails...even Auntie who's a female reproductive system specialised nurse can't make the link between what the dr said and why it's bad.

May 10: Good news comes in 3s!  Dad signed our BTO lease papers, got news of a possible promotion, and most importantly, there is nothing wrong with the baby. Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah.  We can't thank God enough.  (On a side note, we felt like kicking that dr's you-know-where.)  Baby is roughly 8 weeks old and I am privileged to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time - MashaAllah, no words could describe the miraculous moment!  Unfortunately daddy-to-be could not come into the room, but I described it to him.

June 16: Appt #2 - detailed scan. Corrected EDD is 28 Dec 2011.  Baby, can wait 3 days for new year? Lol.  Baby waves to us during ultrasound and this time hubby got to be in the room. Yay Dr I, my new gynae. Changed gynae bcos the previous one seemed uninterested in her job.  Good decision I made.

The first few weeks were very smooth, but in the 3rd month I got morning sickness to the core.  My record was 3 times one evening followed by 5 times the next day.  IV fluids the moment I went to the ER but good thing I was not officially dehydrated yet.  These days I go to work just to keep distracted, and so far it seems to be working.  The more I work, the less I puke...yay.  I've got wonderful colleagues who have been doting on me, from making sure I eat on time to reminding me that I should drink milk and buy only decaff coffee.  Mr F has been a doll too, helping me with the housework and comforting me each time I have to visit the toilet for unglamorous throwing up sessions. Blessed I am.

Everyone at home is excited of course.  Sakura has seen a need to define roles for everyone, or rather titles.  I'm not sure but I think she will be "Auntie", mum will be "Nana" and dad "Petapa". Ah, the multicultural family lives on (English - English - Tamil).  Auntie has been supportive all the way, even staying up till 1am everytime we have an appointment so that she can be up to date with what the dr said. Jam has coined a new term - nieson - niece + cousin.  Very creative.  In laws were elated over the phone and MIL constantly gets updates about me thru Mr F.

Ah a mighty long post. Which reminds me...have you thought about what a long process pregnancy is - 9 months (10 to be exact)! Have to be patient, and InshaAllah the end results will be marvelous.  Wee!