::footprints of ie|en

Heartburn

Been having heartburn problems for the past few weeks. Darn irritating burning sensation in the chest. At first I thought it was "wind" so I kept taking carbonated drinks, which made it even worst. Day time, can still bear with it. But having to wake up in the middle of the night to find regurgitated acid in my mouth, that was not only disgusting but irritates the hell out of me. Had to go to the loo to puke a few times, which helps for a while. Then once I'm fast asleep, I found I have to wake up again with that darn irritating liquid in my mouth.

Irritation got the better of me. So finally went to see the doc. Of course, gotta go through the usual routine lah - urine test, blood pressure, weight, etc. My blood pressure was at 150/90, which, according to the doc was high, and could mean that my baby wasn't getting enough oxygen. Which in turn means that I would have to be admitted and in doc's word "baby must be taken out". Don't know if he meant inducing or caesarean. The latter doesn't sound inviting. I don't want to be cut opened and I don't want to have to go through all those pantang larangs that comes after an operation, like as if there aren't enough pantang larangs from giving birth naturally.

Anyways, doc sent me upstairs for a CTG (erm ... that's what I heard. No idea what it stands for). There, they strapped me to this machine where the baby's heartbeat and any contractions I may have can be monitored for half an hour. From the graph that was to be printed out, the doc will be able to tell if my baby was in fact in distress.

The nurse came in, studied the graph for a while and said: See? You are having contraction here. You feel pain?

I think I must have looked really bodoh at that time. Was I supposed to be feeling pain? Truth was I didn't feel any pain. I felt the baby stretching though. When I didn't respond, she touched my tummy and said: Can you feel your stomach harden? That's contraction. Ah! So that was how I learned that what I thought was the baby stretching were in fact contractions.

Later the doc declared my baby to be healthy and active. For a few seconds there, I was wishing that he will say I would have to be admitted. Don't get me wrong. It's not that I want my baby to be unhealthy. I'm just wishing that he will come out early. Like SM said, I'm kinda tired of being a whale. All you who have been pregnant before, I'm sure you know what I mean.

posted by ie|en @ 4:09 PM