Happy 3rd months

Happy 3rd months to my 2 Dinos. In a blink of eyes, my maternity leave is ending in 4weeks time and I would not have so much time to spend with my Dinos. Now I understand the feelings of mummies who are heading back to work after their ML. Really cannot bear to leave my Dinos.

The Dinos are getting more and more interactive nowadays since they found their voice and make goo ahh sounds. Its beginning to seems like they are trying to talk to us whenever we engaged them in "conversations". Haha

Louis and Papa chatting

They also learnt quite a few tricks during this month. Like sucking of fingers LOUDLY to alert us that they are hungry. Both did it at different times. Haha It's funny cause sometimes we don't realised they are awake in their cradle till we hear the sucking sounds.

Louis sucking his fingers

Lucas with the same trick

Their wardrobe also upsize faster than I can say "Upsize". We suddenly realised they have outgrown alot of clothes and scrambled to let them wear those which still fits before it gets store away for good. Its a bit emotional to see their new born clothes get kept away for it reminds me that once upon a time they were only this small and they are now growing well though it's always in the 25 percentile. But I am not complaining already since I'm afraid they might get my genes and ballon up haha.

1st month photo where the romper is still quite roomy

3rd month photo. Going to burst the seams already

I would like to think that they know how to recognise the work "Gai Gai" which means shopping. Usually I would inform them in the every morning if we are going out and they would get excited and refuse to nap. Especially Louis, it's like he is afraid we might leave him out of the action. Even if he falls asleep, he would soon wake up. Haha Tried a few times and got the same results everytime. So I concluded that they knew what I am talking about.

Lucas at Day5 going to KKH for follow up

Louis at KKH follow up during Day 5

Louis during 1st month injection outing

Lucas during 1st mth injection outing

Initially, Lucas will be sleeping away during outing no matter where we bring them. Haha Louis is the curious one who refuse to sleep and tries take in all the sights but will become cranky when we reached home since he will be too tired .

Curious Louis who refuse to sleep

Always sleepy Lucas

 And starting from 2weeks back, Lucas also decided that he would need observe the surroundings and not only sleep during outings. Quite a funny sight since you literally see them fighting the zzz monster to keep their eyes open. But when they become cranky upon returning home, suddenly it was not that funny anymore.

 We also tried strapping them to the car seat and let them get use to car rides since I planned to bring them back to my mum's hometown. But it seems they still cannot handle long distance and would be irritated when the car stops.

They also don't really like to be strapped to the seat. I guess we need more training on this part.

Louis on car seat

Lucas on car seat

 And we brought them out to dinner using the double stroller. Again they didn't like to sit inside for long and the double stroller was too big and got in the way of other shoppers since we need reclined the seats all the way for the Dinos.

Regretted buying this stroller since I reckon we will not be bringing them to the mall in this. I would prefer baby wearing and a single stroller if tired.

This is how we roll

Large eyes

Baby wearing Louis

How we had our lunch in Swensens

All dressed up to go buy lunch on a Sat

I guess when I go back to work, we will not be bringing them out that often since one will be at my mil house during the day. Hopefully we have got the energy to bring them out during weekends.

Happy 3rd months my darling boys. May you two grow up healthy and happy.

Being a twins' mum - 60days later thoughts

Its been 2 months plus since Dinos' arrival and I'm learning something new everyday through them. Here's a list of what I've learnt.

1). Sleep is a luxury.

Everyone keep telling me this prior to giving birth since I'm well known for sleeping alot. But you never know till you get to experience it. Have officially took over the night duties and I kid you not. Literally have no sleep especially from 3-6am. Since I staggered the twins' feeding time. It would meant an hour of feeding and burping. That is if they wake up 1 after another. Sometimes, there is an half hour break between and I get to rest abit but not sleep. Then on bad days, in between the feeds, they demand diaper change or take longer time to fall asleep back. I try to handle all on my own since Mr Love is working while I'm on ML. If both are demanding attention then Mr Love gotta lend a helping hand. 

2). Shopping is no longer for your stuff 

Got a little break the other day while I went back for post natal check up and I went for a little round in the mall hoping to get a back pack for Mr Love and our yearly matching jerseys. No such luck. I got bored looking at adult stuff and end up at the kid's department buying bigger bottles for the Dinos since they are increasing the feeding amount. Then I decided I missed them and went home. 

3). Amazed at your endurance level

You will endured the child bearing pain in my case the c sect pain to bring your children safely to the world. I always thought I have zero tolerance to pain and is scared stiff of child birth process. But now that I think back, its not as scary as I thought. In fact, I was up and about by 2nd day latching my Dinos despite the pain. Was carrying 1 of them home during discharge. Didn't even remember the pain when the time arises to care of them. Was off pain killer after 2weeks as I need breast feed them and didn't want extra medication in my system. 

Breastfeeding is painful too especially initially. But since breast milk is the best you can give to your children, I ignored the pain and pressed on. Even when the ducts are blocked and inflamed, I latch them on religiously though my supply is not much to speak off.

4). You never knew you can love a person (or 2) so much

Sure, I love Mr Love a lot, love my mum tons but the love for my Dinos is a whole new level. On some days when I hold them or watched them sleep, the sudden gush of love just come rushing out. They look like perfect little human being to me.

I couldn't bear to see them cry, see them get poke for blood test, take injections.

Sometimes when Mr Love is coaxing them when they cry, it takes all self control not to interfere since they dun response to Papa's coaxing that well. 

5). You are never that happy to see poo

Poo and urine are essential for new born. Especially for those with jaundice like our case. I was obsessed with their colour, amount and number of poo and urine they have each day. Would supervised the nappy change initially during confinement just to ensure the colour and texture is correct as per doctors' advice.

Never been so happy to see poo in my whole life.

The obsession didn't go away even after we cleared jaundice after Day 25. In fact, I started a record book just like what KKH taught us to do for the 1st 14days. I took it upon myself to continue the homework.

It's especially helpful for twins since I can keep track of their feeding time, amount and also their poo and urine history.

Sometimes, I will review the feeding amount if I noticed the feeding time lapse got nearer. 

6). Boobs are magical

Yes, I find my boobs to be magical. It does wonders to calm a cranky baby down in matter of seconds be it whether there is milk or not. They take comfort in sucking their mom's nipples I think. I try not to latch them that much now since am going back to work and I don't want them to get use to latching and then give my mum trouble when I am not around. But sometimes to calm them down, I would take the easy way out and latch them on.

7). Sometimes they just want mummy

There are times when Papa just couldn't calm them down no matter how hard he tries, especially with Louis. But when I take over and start to pacify him, he would he quieten down. Not immediately but still I am  able to pacify him by keep talking to him.

Papa is a bit jealous on this point since he is trying his best to pacify Louis also but to no avail. The methods we used are the same but I guess babies are able to relate to my voice more since they have been hearing it from the day they exist in this world. 

8). Patience is all it takes

Our free time are all gone, in fact we time our meal, bath and toilet breaks around the Dinos' schedule. Sometimes, we are impatient to get them to sleep after a feed so that we can get a little break in between. But trust me, the more impatient you are, the more they don't cooperate with you. I have since gave up trying to find time for myself.

9). Get use to it not get out of it

A few people me how do I cope with the Dinos' night duties without help of a helper. I seriously cannot answer. I guess I just got used to it instead of wanting to get out of the night duties. Over time, it became a habit to wake up at night. Now I will wake up automatically near their next feeding time since I keep a record of the timings.

This is useful to prevent them from crying out loud for milk since I would have prepared the milk already instead of rushing to prepare it when they cry. Once they stirred, I would start preparing the milk and then carry them for diaper change before the feed.

On days when I'm too tired then I will be awake by their cries which by then I will have to move in lighting speed. Mr Love had the luxury to sleep through the feedings since he had to work. That being said, he would help out if the 2 of them wakes up at the same time which is not often. Also on Friday and Saturday near dawn feed to allow me have a longer sleeping period of 3-4 hours.

As scary as it sounds for twins night feeding duties, it is not impossible once you get the hang of it. But the price paid is you get a most of 2hrs sleep straight if you are lucky. Else 45mins is considered god send. Haha

10). Don't be shy to ask for help

This is especially essential for families with twins.

On some days, we just feel very worn out from taking care of the Dinos and would welcome any form of help.

We are on our own on weekends as my mum only help out during weekdays day time. But she does alot more than looking after the Dinos. She does the bottles washing, laundry of theirs and our clothes and even house work.

Come weekend, these tasks are past back to us on top of looking after Dinos. Being first time parents, we are naturally slower when it comes to taking care of Dinos and therefore spent more time on them. So when any of my brothers visit, it is always welcome since they can help keep an eye on Dinos while I get busy with chores.

And yes, I am not shy when it comes to asking them to help. My elder brother would help rock them to sleep and call out to me if they cry for attention. While my younger brother does alot more by helping to feed, burp the Dinos and making them sleep.

Even if they drop by for a few hours, I would be very grateful for the extra help we get.

My Babies @ 2months

Why I choose to give birth in KKH

I get quite a few asking me why I chose to give birth in KKH when there are private hospitals in Singapore. A lot of people's perception of KKH still remains at the era when my mum give birth to me i.e 1980s where the nurses can holler at you as and when they happy.

Can still see quite a few comments of the ill manners of KKH staff  but usually its from subsidize clinics. Truth to be told, I did not encounter any of ill manners staff even when I was with subsidize clinic for check ups prior to conceiving.

There was this instance when I went to draw blood at the treatment room and the nurse told me that I'm the first patient of the day to smile at her though its already 3pm when I went in. You can imagine how her day passes when most of the patients came in with long faces but yet expect the staff to be nice, friendly to them. In a nutshell, you get what you reap. If you be nice to them, the nurses will reciprocate.

But I must say that the junior doctors of KKH are not very desirable. I find them not very knowledgeable and also not very good at handling or breaking news to patients. For instance when they found that my Dinos are MC twins, the house doctor who is on duty in ADC clinic told me that this is not necessary a happy news to be carrying MC twins since its considered a high risk pregnancy and complications are common. I was shocked at her attitude. I mean how can  you say this to a pregnant woman who is over the moon on her twin pregnancy? I wrote a feedback letter to KKH straight after my check up haha.

Another instance is when I was diagnosed with incompetence cervix at week 21 and again the house doctor on duty in ADC told me that I had miscarriage and I nearly had a meltdown there and then. It was only later when my gynae sent a specialist dealing with IC up to see me then she explained to me that I am facing the risk of miscarriage not suffering from it. It makes such a huge difference in the explanation given by 2 different doctors, 1 senior and the other 1 junior.

Again during when I was admitted at the hospital for bed rest and cerclage, the resident doctor who does rounds everyday was pretty unhelpful. While I know the decision of whether to go for the operation lies with me but the resident doctor was not very helpful when my mum questions her the risks of the operation since we are at week 21 of pregnancy stage already. Her reply to my mum is  "Auntie, even crossing the road has its risk, how can an operation carry no risk? My mum was offended. She was just concerned about her daughter and grandchildren.

The senior doctor who is performing the operation for me on the other hand was much more assuring. She told me she was confident of performing a successful surgery though there isn't much results on how long twins pregnancy can hold after stitching up the cervix. I chose to go for the surgery since the doctor performing is so confident. Had the choice of not doing but I don't want to risk it.

In a nutshell, there is still room for improvement for the junior doctors to catch up on how to handle patients but then the senior doctor are more confident and experienced which makes me feel assured of my them handling my pregnancy.

Another factor of choosing KKH is cost factor. Many private gynae charges a package fee for 20visits after week 16 while KKH doesn't have a package. We pay by per visit for private patient in KKH. Each visit sets us back by 110bucks for a scan and routine test. For my case, the costs is much higher since I need to check every 2 weeks and also certain check ups for twins are much more expensive. The final tabulation by KKH for my pre natal check ups is 3.5K which is really much higher than private gynae.

But if you take a step back to think in longer term (i.e all the way to delivery) the total costs is actually much lower. I actually cannot understand why some women are not able to see this or is it because I'm trained in accountancy and therefore more sensitive to overall costs?

While all private gynae will have a delivery fee (different charges for different kind of delivery), KKH's delivery package is all inclusive. Meaning to say if you don't get charge extra by the gynae delivering for you even though you are a private patient with them.

For my case, we paid SGD 2,439 as an initial deposit for a B1 class for elective c-sect where I would be staying 4D3N at the hospital. The amount is after taking into consideration of SGD 3,950 claimable from Medisave. Of course this is just an estimation based on median prices most patients paid. Should you face any complications or stay lesser than required days, KKH will refund or collect more from you after discharge where they would send a final bill to you. I was entitled to refund some 400bucks. All these are exclusive of babies' stay.

I heard stories of friends paying a good 10K cash for delivering in private hospital with c sect. This is scary to us since we are having twins and should any of the babies require extra stay or care the costs will be unthinkable.

Even with my pre natal check up costs, the total I paid for delivering my twins is around 6K. Its way lower than any of the private hospital charges. I get questioned at not choosing A1 class in KKH since it's charges will be lower than private hospital. Again I don't see the rationale of it. Yes, my hubby may bunk in with me if I stayed in an A1 ward but for what use? I paid for the hospital fees and should I need help at night, I can call for the nurses. My hubby need not tired himself out by staying there with me doing what the nurses can do and we must pay extra for it some more. That being said, Mr Love was usually with me during visiting hours and only leave at 8pm to go home and rest.

I do realised that many think that since women now is having less kids or having a kid is not that easy on a woman, therefore we should choose the best during our delivery and not scrimp on the costs. But if you take a step back and think, I rather save the monies for my kids' use. I mean what's is the different between staying in a C ward and A ward when I don't feel at home at all in the hospital? It's just a bed to me and if I can get my way, I would choose the lowest class to go to. But for a private patient, we can only choose B1 or A1.

For my Dinos, Lucas was all along in the normal nursery and his final bill is SGD 16.50 after deduction of SGD450 /day from Medisave. Louis was warded to Special Care for a day. We are being cleared for discharged on the same day and need no further stay. But you never know before you deliver especially in my case when I had complications during pregnancy. All the more we need prepare ourselves in case of any emergency arises which will results in early birth of the children.

In conclusion, I am happy with my decision to have my check ups done and deliver in KKH. Besides the costs, I do find them having more state to art equipment for scanning. Also my own gynae was an assuring one where I feel safe in his hands. Also I know KKH is more well equip to handle the complications that might arise during my twin pregnancy which is an essential factor to consider since we faced pre term delivery back then and Dinos' well being is top on my list.

Finally Cleared

It's back to polyclinic for Dino's jaundice check after 5days wait. The boys were cooperative but mummy still don't dare to bring them in for drawing blood. Daddy and Ah Ma had to do the job while I sit outside waiting.

Heard them let out a scream and my heart shattered.

Then we hurried calm them down with 1 getting the bottle, the other one being breast feed.

The doctor was asking me how I ration my breast milk, I told her each boys get 1 breast each. Haha Sometimes when I get to express the milk out, I will divide into 2 for them during feeds and top up with formula milk later. Wanna them to get equal nutrients though it is not easy.

Yeah, even the doctor was telling me it's not easy. The good thing is I am not hard on myself on breast feeding. I will latch them during the day and pump before sleep but I will not wake up during the night to pump unless it gets too painful to sleep. Then at 6am, I will wake up again to give them a feed to clear my supply. So far so good though they need top up but I am not complaining. Why be so hard on yourself over this? I have enough on my plate to deal with.

Anyways we cleared the bloody jaundice today. Louis is 119 down from 143 while Lucas is 108 down from 141 from last week. It's a good thing we are seen by a senior doctor today who decided they my boys would not need any more blood checks. The younger doctors keep telling me must fall below 100 before we can be discharged for blood checks. So thankful for it.

Growth chart for Dinos are:

Louis - 3kg, height 48.7cm
Lucas - 2.98kg, height 49cm

Taken on the day we cleared jaundice

So we are good till 2 weeks later for immunisation and first month development check.

Dinos' 3rd week check

We are still subjected to jaundice checking for my Dinos after today's check. Am starting to get frustrated at all the poking and drawing blood from my babies.

The results today stands at 143 for both. A drop from 157 & 161 from last Wednesday. But still not enough for the doctor to release us from check.

Instead next check is 5days away which is shorter than this round. I guess different doctor order differently for no. of days in between checks. Some are more chill, some more cautious.

I've been trying my best to breastfeed them or at least pump whatever limited amount of milk I have for them. I realised that they poo better when feed on breast milk haha.

Today's weight check is 2.75kg each for both of them. Grandma is super happy at the 400g jump since last week check.

Mummy on the other hand is happy about her own weight lost. I've lost all pregnancy gained weight (6kg) when I first weighted myself 1 day after discharged at KKH when I brought twinnies back for check up.

Last week when I weight, I lost another 5kg. Not sure is it due to the TCM soups that I'm drinking (but stop at advise of doc since it might affect Dinos' jaundice).

Or is due to the fact that I'm waking up early at 5am during the first week when only mummy and me took shift work to care of the Dinos.

Or is it due to breast feeding where some claimed will make you lose weight fast.

Anyhow I'm grateful that I lost all pregnancy gained weight and lost more in the process.

Today my weight went down by another kg. Not as fast as initially but I'm still happy. Haha. No need buy new clothes since I can still wear pre pregnancy clothes. Yay..

May I lost more and my babies gain more. And no more poking of their feet by next week.

Still adjusting

Today marks the 2nd week of Dinos' birth and 2 weeks down from my confinement.  Frankly speaking, we are still at the adjustment period.

We managed to survive the crazy 1st week with mummy taking night shift and me waking up at 5am to take over. She will then take naps in between during day time to catch up on sleep. Luckily help had arrived and we are also more used to twinnies' sleeping and feeding patterns.

We are now taking turns to care of the Dinos with me feeding them every 3-4hrs depending on when they wake up. They are now sleeping longer as compared to last week and PD said its ok as long as we hit 8 feeds per day. But they are more active at night, something which I need to make them adjust soon.

Their jaundice is still not at optimal level of below 100. Louis is at 157 and Lucas is at 161 as per yesterday check. But we still need to go back once a week for blood test to monitor the level. This is already much better than a return of every other day. Their weight is at 2.36kg for Louis and 2.35kg for Lucas.

Breastfeeding is also on track now. Sometimes after a feed of 20min, they can hold for an hour or 2 before asking for more milk which we will have to top up formula. Initially they can only last 30min before making noise. Though not possible to let them go on total breast feeding. But I'm trying my best to let them have as much as I can. 

Though a lot of people keep telling me to rest more whenever I can but it is just not possible even with 3 people helping. Breast feeding each twin takes 20 min excluding burping and letting them settle down after feed. This will take at least an hour or so and in between there is 2hours break. 

All in all, the only rest time I have totally is during night time when my mummy and aunt takes over night shift from 10pm onward and I get to sleep till 5am before the whole routine starts again. Recently I will bring 1 twin to our room and nap with us till 8am. Also to let them get use to our room when they will have to sleep after my confinement period. 

I do hope I can get the hang of taking care of Dinos soon as mummy is going to Japan for 7 days in March where I would be left alone with them for 4 days in between as Mr Love is going back to work. Am still feeling the strain of my c sect wound some times since the pain will act up sometime.

My twins birth story

My boys were delivered safely on 4th Feb at exactly 36weeks via elective c sect. It was an exciting and scary day for me since I'll be awake during the operation due to regional anesthetic.

Operation was scheduled at 8.30am and we were instructed to reach at 7am to prepare. I was pushed into OT by 8am to prepare the epidural. This time it was administrate to me while I was sitting down bending over a pillow. The last time I took, I need curl up like a shrimp.

It doesn't make the injection less painful but I kinda know what is going to happen. Can even say hi to my gynae when he walks into the OT.

I suffered from the side effects of the epidural quite immediate after the jab. Started to shiver once I was lay on the operating table. Nothing they do can make me feel better. I was silently enduring the shiver and suddenly I heard Mr Love calling me. Haha turns out he was let in when they were ready to cut me up.

Actually Mr Love was there for 3min only before I heard the 1st cry and follow by the 2nd one. I remembered telling Mr Love that they are here already and I was tearing from relieve that they are finally born safely. Really no words can describe how I feel.

Before I knew it, Mr Love was called away to see the babies and I'm left alone in the OT while gynae stitch me up and also remove my cerclage. Before the twinnies were sent up to the nursery, the mid wives were kind enough to let me kiss my twinnies though no skin to skin contact is allow as they are consider premmies.

The whole process took nearly 45min and I was wheeled out to the recovery area where they try keep me warm so that I wouldn't shiver too much but it is of little help. I was shivering all the way though they put a heated blanket on me.

Was sent back to the ward after 30min of observations where I was bounded to bed by a series of wires. Not food was allowed till 3.30pm though I was fasting from 12am last night. No food also meant no medication and when the epidural went off, I started to feel the pain from the operated area.

Louis aka the older twin was sent to special care nursery as they detect lower blood sugar in him. But I was told it was for observation only. The nurse also did push him to me for a quick hug in my ward before sending him down to SCN. 

1st photo of my twinnies

Lucas aka the younger twin was able to stay with is in the ward where I can shower him with hugs and kisses though I was more tired more than anything. 

But despite everything, I felt relieve that my babies are delivered safely:)

Real soon -35wks 5days

Yeah its getting nearer and nearer. In fact 2 more days only till I deliver my boys.

It's back to gynae for a final check to clear us before the big day and my boys are at 2.2kg each. Not fantastic weight but not an easy feat for twinnies already. Mummy gained 400g from last check and I guess its all with bbs since they both gained 400g together too.

Took me 15min to clear my bp and am grateful to the nurse at Clinic A who is so patient with me. Chatting to allow me to relax and took like 15readings before she recorded the more decent looking reading muhaha.

Gynae was looking relax when I went in. Can even joke abit with me. Many complained that he look stern but I think he's ok. Usually he will crack jokes with me while I'm in for a visit. Maybe I got joker look.

But really he is a man of few words. And to deal with a man of few words, you gotta be the one asking whatever questions you have so that you can get an answer. Take it from me who have an elder brother and husband who are men of few words. You don't talk then I talk lo.

My mum says I talk like a machine gun when throwing questions at my gynae. That's becuz he is always chop chop so I dun wanna waste his time but yet I need clear my doubts too.

And unexpectedly, my gynae announced that I have to take the steroid jabs for babies' lungs. I was caught off guard cause all along I thought it is required for 34wks and below delivery. Was still telling Mr Love the other day that we managed to skip this as I heard it was damn painful and I'm afraid of it. Happy too fast. Basket.

I tried whinning to my gynae saying that I'm afraid of needles and his exact words are "You bo bian, its for your babies good" ok lo. Whatever you say doc, babies good are my priority. But the good thing is I'm only required for 1 instead of 2 jabs.

It was later the pre admission doctor told me that its a requirement from the PD side that all c sect deliveries before 39weeks are required to take the jab. Oh well. 

No running away I guess. But it was really damn painful. The injection itself was ok. Not really as painful as the oil based hormones I took thrice during 22nd-24th weeks. Its the after effect that is painful when the medication moves through your veins. I couldn't get down of the bed for 1st 2min and had trouble working properly back to my wheelchair. Luckily for the wheelchair since it saved me from walking long distance.

Then I was pushed down to the pre admission services for an ad hoc blood test for blood type and blood count which is to be sent to operating theatre for my operation records. 

So there you are 1 blood test and 1 jab in the same day for the scary cat me. And I was at KKH from 9am to 3pm where the waiting time outweighs the consultation time. 

Okie..hopefully my next update will be my boys picture hehe.

Praying for all to be smooth.

A step closer -34wks 5days

Today is my last scan with ADC and to quote the MO's word. I officially 'graduated' from their clinic.

Everyone was happy for us to be able to graduate from this clinic and was told that twinnies are 2.04kg and 2.08kg each now. Water bag is at 3.1cm and 2.3 cm.

Mummy gained 200g since last week check.

I was nearly in tears when the sonograhper and MO told me separately that we did good for MC twins pregnancy. It was the 1st time I've heard encouraging words from ADC. Haha.

You have no idea how much it was for me for the past 14weeks and as we advanced nearer to our scheduled date, I felt more relax. I thanked my boys for listening to their mummy, I thank them for hanging on with me despite all the scares, I thank them for beefing up to prepare themselves for the world and I thank them for being active everyday( or mostly night time) to let me know they are doing good inside me.

It was emotional to just think of the mid stage where all the scares are. But like the MO said. Worst is over, I should be happily awaiting their arrival :)

My gynae cleared my report since bp is in control with the medication and told me to book my package with KKH. With this done, we are another step closer though there will be one final check 2 days before delivery next week.

Am really looking forward to holding my boys in my arms not via my belly. Haha

 May god protect us and bless my boys to be healthy and strong.

Back to Gynae 33wks 6days

So I was transferred back to my original gynae cuz he is back to delivering babies. Yay.

And he requested me to go down for a follow up due to my high bp readings and my blood test.

Was scared stiff when his nurse told me that my blood test results wasn't too good. Am bracing myself for stay in hospital. Any other issue is twinnies' weight which is a bit on the low side at 1.4kg and 1.58kg at last check.

Haven hit minimum 2kg mark. But I tried my best already. Its not easy since I cannot over eat due to high bp and high sugar risks. Also we dunno which twin will absorb the food. Lastly, I get full easily since I think there isnt much space already. Haha

Gynae has assured me that they are growing steadily though small. Weight difference is insignificant which is an important check for MC twins. So we are on track.

Anyways the stupid machine again gave readings of 164/90 when I'm already on medication. Damn. 

The nurse was very nice to ask me to rest there and chat then we take the readings after 5 min. And I passed with 115/75. Ahhh thats more like it. Since my home readings after medication is usually around this range. Mummy even brought along our own machine should I cannot get any good readings at the hospital machines. Haha

The blood test after the scare set us back by 250bucks and it is the 2nd time they ordered the same test due to my high bp readings. Both results came back fine. Though heart pain about the monies, at least we are cleared of the risks.

Gynae didn't mentioned anything about my blood test and I didn't probe further since he is well know for not saying much if your pregnancy is smooth. I also didn't want him to scold his nurse for scaring me on the phone. So I just accept that all is good.

Weight gain for me today is 500g. And he did an estimated check on twinnies and told me both are in 1.8-1.9kg range which means we need wait another week after my initial scheduled date for the babies to hit 2kg. Was super happy since they suddenly gained 400-500g within a week. Haha.

He also checked my cervix length which is at 2.5cm and is still acceptable and told me that he needs see me weekly to monitor my bp readings before confirming my csect date. But he is confident 4th Feb should be ok to deliver my twinnies.

And so I went home happily. No need stay and all is good at the moment. Waiting for 1 more 34th week scan in ADC before they officially discharged from ADC and put me back into my gynae's hand.

Hope all will go well.

Throwback- 33wk 3days

And so the good news is I need not get admitted. Just went observation and we came home. Though I will need report weekly to gynae to monitor now with 3wks left to D-day but I'm grateful to come home to sleep on my bed.

Blood pressure is still within control with the kiasu me taking readings every hr. Haha Gynae say I need not get too stress. He gave me a table to record thrice a day only. But the medications did have side effects of giddiness and headache for me so I'm drowsy the whole day.

We will do a check on my cervical length to decide whether we can hold till 37th weeks for full term babies. Gynae also told me not too worry too much on the babies being smaller since its the normal for twinnies. He is happy with them passing 1.4kg and hopefully they can hit 2kg when we deliver. 

So I just lie down and relax and hope we can last more haha.

Anyways was watching The Return of Superman and saw Sarang and her Dad visiting Busan and Haedong Dragon Temple. Ahh it brought back fond memories of Mr Love and I making a trip there. I remembered mentioning somewhere that I touched the Buddha of Granting Son twice and to my stomach just to be in the kiasu side. Haha not sure whether this is the reason that I conceived twins.

Taken with The temple as background

I remember the hike up to the temple and the many steps to Godness of Mercy where I prayed sincerely to her to grant our wish of having a baby. I remember how we initially didn't have this place in our plan but slot in last minute and kick out the shopping plans. Am very glad we saw this beautiful seaside temple. 

The fact that we will managed to conceived after making a trip here makes it extra special. For the next time when we visit, we will be a family of 4 instead of 2. And also this is our last couple trip where we could explore anywhere so freely. 

Buddha of Granting A Son whom I touched twice

In fact I missed alot of things about Busan. Its food, scenery, friendly people, more relax pace than Seoul and the time we spent there exploring. I wasn't that impressed with Seoul haha. Perhaps we might not be able to visit in these upcoming few years but I'll always remember this city where we visited that hold a special palce in my heart.

Speaking of which. I have yet to complete my Korea trip entries haha. Too difficult to sit up and type with my tummy. And not easy to type using phone since uploading pictures here is a chore.

Shall continue after my confinement IF I have the time and enegry.

Not very good- 32 Weeks 5days

We did our 32 wks doppler scan yest and sonographer confirm the blood flow are good for twinnies.

However twinnies are abit on the small side though both did gain 200g each. Sonographer also told me no point to increased food intake since we dont know which twin will absorb the food.

But their weight difference is at 8% which is pretty good and means that they are on the small side only. Twin A is at 1.4kg and Twin B is at 1.585kg. Water bags are at 3.1cm. Mummy gained 400g since last visit.

The not so good news mummy's blood pressure which is kinda high at 146/90 which didn't get better despite repeated tests. It was enough for the house doc to call for help from my gynae's cover since she is on leave.

They will looking to admit me for 48hrs for observation where my bp will be monitor every 4hours and will be given medication to bring down my bp.

However I was not keen on staying in hospital as I usually cannot rest well there. Moreover I can monitor my own bp with the equipment at home and since I'm not moving around, I should be ok.

Doc agreed to let me go home with med and ask me monitor my bp every 4hours. I will have to report back immediately if my bp remains high or shoot up. Was also sent to a blood test before going home and given a temporary follow up appointment with my gynae next wed which he might change if he decides I need an earlier one after they brief him on my case.

However this morning, my gynae's nurse called and told me that I will need report back to my gynae tmr as my blood test report findings were not favourable.

I'm actually pretty scared by the appt tmr since it sounds like he's gonna admit me for observation 

already. We are 3weeks and 2days away from D day and I do hope we can last till then to allow twinnies to bake more and gain weight.

Also so far readings at home had been good and much lower after I took the medication. Mummy said to bring our equipment there to show them how I used it to ensure I'm recording correct readings.

The pelvic pain kicks in 2days ago and had been bothering me since when I walked. It is painful and will acts up when I walked and turn sides while lying down.
 

Quite painful but I suppose its part of the pregnancy package.

I can only pray hard now that the medication is working well on me and my bp drop back to optimal range and also the blood result findings are not too serious to ask for admission. I do want to rest at home where its more comfortable. But above all else if I should need to be admitted then I will have to accept it for the well being of my twinnies.

Please let everything be well till they are of good weight to come out. Please.

Why me-31weeks 5days

Mummy was relating to me the other day about 1 of my uncle feeling down cause he was sick. Not very sick but enough to get him into OT twice in span of months. He was not young but still active prior to this. And after his operations, he was asked to stay at home quitting his job and to forgo his weekly trips down town.

It was enough to make him down and his temper which was non existence till now took a turn for worst. He kept questioning why he was down with this kind of illness when all his life he did nothing evil.

The thing about this is the "Why Me" part.

Told mum that's life and nothing is fair in life. You can do nothing wrong in your whole life but also got hit by a certain illness or misfortune. There is no explanation for things that are sometimes fated.

The thing about us is we only tend to question " Why Me" in bad times but in good times, we just 

accept the good fortune happily.

Take me for instance. When I first lost XB in 2012. I had thousands of these tots in me. Why is it that some women can have such easy pregnancy and I had to be part of the 15-20% of women who will miscarriage. I was careful all along yet it still happens.

Why is it that I yearn so much to have a child and it took us 3 years to conceive after multiple trips to TCM and hospital for check ups and finally we hit the jackpot one fine day.

But I stopped having these thinking one day when I realised there is no point questioning. There are many more couples who is still trying with no luck or going the even more harder way than us. We are consider lucky that we managed to conceive before doctor took us to a more advance step of medical help.

But when I realised I'm carrying twinnies, I didn't question "Why me". I accepted this blessing from god happily cause I thought god had took pity on me after waiting for 3 years and gave me 2 babies at one shot. I was still very careful in the pregnancy but was over the moon about having twins.

Then the incompetence cervix issue hit us at week 21 check up and the junior doc mentioned I might miscarriage. I was devastated. Well into my 2nd trimester which many told me its a honeymoon trimester and the safest of all, I was hit by this news. I was hysterical in the room. Begging the doctors to do whatever they can to help keep my babies.

The "why me" question hit me again. In the wake of the few days while I bed rest completely in hospital I questioned that why is it that I need faced this all over again. Even more scary is there is not enough studies on successful cases on how twins pregnancy can hold for IC cases. And most around me had not heard about IC till I was diagnosed with it.

Many was curious, sympathetic but some were skeptical about how serious my condition was. I was in a daze not knowing what's next and can only pray for the best. I went ahead with the cerclage surgery though doctors would not commit on the successful rate. The other option is to do nothing and ride it out but I was too chicken not to do anything. I need to do something that might be able to help my babies no matter what.

You know how scared I'm of needles? To go through surgery with half anaesthetic is a breakthrough for me. Never did I know I was this strong mentally till I faced the crossroads and took the chosen path. I took the leap of faith and went ahead with my heart when no one can give me any assurance of the future of us. I stop asking the "Why me" question and focus on being strong enough for my babies.

Even lying in bed all day worrying and feeling upset, I forced myself to eat well for the sake of them. I started to request mummy to cook extra food for me since hospital food sucks and I wanted extra nutrients for my twins. I would shamelessly request for snacks whenever my family is visiting me to make sure I don't go hungry. Even when mil cooked soups for me, I would accept it without 2nd thoughts of troubling her with all the travelling. This was how desperate I am to be strong for my babies. I don't give a damn about any other things and only focus on being well enough for them. 

With this, we pulled through the week and was let home.

Nothing in this world can describe the feelings I have for the past 10wks of hospitalization leave at home trying my best to keep the babies still baking. Every 2 weeks we checked for their well being at the hospital and every follow up is a milestone passed.

I've learnt not to question too much on why I was subjected to this since every pregnancy is different and there are other women suffering in other form of risks. I've learnt to accept help from people be it family or friends who had so kindly offered their hands in times of need. I've learnt to throw every other thoughts out of the window and solely focus on my babies well being as the main priority.

Most importantly, I've learnt not to question why this happen to me and wallow in self pity but to instead count my blessings for everyday past.

This doesn't only apply to my situation. It can apply to any situation should you be able to find light in it no matter how dim the light is.

Cravings of a pregnant woman- 31wks1 day

Happy 2016!!! Though we did nothing to usher the new year haha. Slept through the count down and babies woke up early at 6am to call me up for toilet break. Took 2hrs to go back to sleep since they are very active after my visit to toilet haha.

I certainly look forward to 2016 since twinnies will be arriving in this year. Man how long have we waited. Things are not easy towards the last part of 2015 and I'm glad we tide through it. Hopefully everything will be smooth from now on for this pregnancy.

So there are alot of things that pregnant woman stay off and because of the bed rest order, I'm not able to go out at all to enjoy whatever food I crave for. Mr Love did his best to da bao back but it's just not the same. Furthermore, my mummy watches my intake of food strictly. Mr Love recently cut me some slack since he finds me pitiful haha but still there are certain restrictions.

So here's the list of food I wanna have after giving birth in no order of preference.

1). Japanese food especially sushi.
Been craving for this ever since preggies but its a big no no for pregnant woman. Don't even dare to eat the cook sushi items.

2). Korean BBQ. Its not I cannot eat during pregnancy. Is because I'm not able to go out and eat this now. And dun forget kimchi, sondubu, Ginseng chicken soup, seafood pancake etc. Haha

3). Crabs. Salted egg and chilli flavour. Crabs are deem to be too cooling for pregnant women. So I need stay off this for the entire pregnancy and crab is my favourite seafood.

4). All other food cooked in salted egg. Squid, fried chicken etc. Haha

5). My self cook budaejjigae. Since it contains ham,luncheon meat and Maggie mee, its prohibited in my diet. I crave for the spiciness and instant noodles.

6). Ice cream. Rum & raisin, peppermint flavours.

7). Coke. A can by myself. My mum ration a super small cup for me once it a while but it's not shiok at all.

8). Durains. Some pregnant woman can take it during pregnancy but gynae advised against it in my case. Since I'm carrying twins, it will not be advisable if they are too big sized and it will causes spike in sugar level.

9). Mala hotpot. Not sure why got this craving but anything too spicy now is no no. But I reckon I need wait longer for this if I am breastfeeding the twinnies.

10). The plum and rice wine in my fridge. Haha I'm no drinker but since its sitting in my fridge, I'm very tempted to drink on some days.

Haha I think I just listed down most of the prohibited food for pregnant women. Hehe.

Nevermind, I will tolerate for a 2 months plus and I'll be free to eat whatever I am or so I hoped. Hehe.

30wks 4days

We did our 30th week check up on mon and boy it was a close one.

Twin A is now 1.2kg which doc says is abit on the smaller side. Twin B is 1.385kg which is within range. Both water bags are around 3cm which is of acceptable size. Mummy gained 1kg since last check up. I guess I will continue to gain weight le..bye bye to the days where bbs gain weight and mummy didnt. Boo hoo.

But the problem lies with mummy me. Didnt clear the urine test 1st thing in the morning. Little traces of sugar were found in my urine sample. But I did pass my OGTT 4wks ago.. Scary lo. The nurse told me perhaps its due to my breakfast that morning. 2 pancakes and a cup of coffee. Muz take note le. Gynae however was not very concern on this and let it slide.

The more pressing issue is my blood pressure which will have different readings using different machines. And the damn machine in ADC always give a rocket high reading that sent the doc into panic mode. Imagine seeing my blood pressure at 152/90 early in the morning. It is enough to call for admission straight away.

Anyways I always got this problem there la. Not sure is whether I too kan cheong or what. But then I managed to clear the readings at downstairs clinic and was let home. Heng ar. Please let my pressure be good for the next few check ups till birth can? I try to control my salt intake too which is not alot to start with since mummy did most of the cooking now.

And ya I met my new gynae already who still remmebers me as once her patient for cerclage. She told me that she was happy that we managed to hold till now and is pleased with our progress. She foresee that if we continue to do as good, we will be able to hold till the scheduled date for birth.

Am really relieve to hear this from her since it was stated that she deals with high risk pregnancies. In contrast, I sometimes dread to meet the doc on duty in ADC. While they are expressionless while we are in good shape, if the report comes out abit bad they make it sound a lot worse. Many a times it makes me kan cheong over what they say.

I was telling my new gynae that the docs in ADC were not trained well enough to deal with pregnant mothers and I hate their review sessions. Not all of them la but most of them since its on rotation basis. I'm so glad that this check up was reviewed and cleared by my new gynae since twin A is abit small now and my sugar and bp was borderline passing. Not sure what how they will deal with it had it been them who cleared me.

And so the latest news is ADC forgot about me when they say they will call me back with an appointment time once my gynae review that day's result. I had to call back to KKH central booking to check who in turn check with ADC. I suspect that my case notes were not sent up after my review and ADC confirm the same. Its likr what my Sonographer told me, I'm more or less quite well versed with their procedures since been reporting there bi weekly.

The next scan at 32nd weeks will check for blood flow in babies again which is more detailed than normal weight and water bag checking. So I'm not keen to miss it. Oh well, I give then till new Monday to get back to me since they need go search for my case file and should they not call. I'm going call n chase again.

Sometimes it's just frustrating that as a private patient with KKH, I'm not getting the premium service since many a times I need to be more alert than them. But for sake of my twinnies, I would choose KKH even I get to choose again.

Happy holidays everyone. Its counting down to 5weeks before twinnies’s scheduled birth. Please let it be a smooth wait till then.

A Quiet Christmas_ 30wks 3days

This is by far the most quiet Xmas we had with me lying in bed most of the time since it is not comfortable lying on sofa anymore with me needing more space to turn now. However, I'm looking pretty forward to next yr Xmas where we will have 2new family members in our household.

Mummy went back to Msia with piggy bro over the wkend and came back with alot of juicy news to entertain me haha. So next week will be a busy week while we 2 have topics to discuss haha.

I had realised a cool party trick of my twinnies. Not sure is my voice or tapping on my tum tum but twin B will respond by tapping too whenever I tap my tum tum and call his name.. wanna let him get use to his name 1st.. haha and they will give a. hard kick to their papa's ear whenever he calls out to them. Its cool and Mr Love enjoy putting his ears close to my tum tum to listen to their movements.

Their papa also cooked our favourite food- Salmon with pasta over the Xmas weekend as our Xmas dinner this year. After having all chinese food whole week while mummy is cooking, Mr Love would make western food for us to give us a change in variety. But this Xmas, I'm actually craving for Korean food. Haha.

Mr Love brought back from his colleague a changing station and some goodies they had left over from their boy and he spend the night fixing the station. 1st time he did on his own and I'm proud of him since he is not very good in handy work.

This poor papa had to go shopping for his new year clothes on his own too. I will accompany him to choose and buy clothes previously. He is pretty dependent on me so much so that he forgot his shirt and shoes size and had to text me from the mall. Faints. How can someone not know his own sizes? 

Not surprisingly he didn't managed to get new shirts since he couldn't decide on the designs and furthermore he is rushing through the shopping since I'm home alone. Well gotta wait till after I give birth then we can maybe sneak out for some quick shopping some day. Haha. But since he is taking long leave for my confinement, he is in no hurry to buy new shirts yet.

I'm actually contemplating to buy new clothes for twinnies to wear for the 1st day of CNY but on 2nd tots, we will not be going out and I do have some new onesies that piggy bro brought from Aust. Just not sure whether they fits or not.

Well Xmas weekend is coming to an end soon and tomorrow will be a brand new week. Time pretty much flew by fast this week and we enjoyed the time Mr Love is with us full day.

Gotta go for our 30th week follow up tomorrow morning and hope all will be well. Count down to D day in 5+weeks time and I hope everything will be fine in tomorrow check up.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Randomness on Christmas Eve 2015

>> It's Xmas eve today and for once I need not work. Hohoho Will usually not take leave on today since 1). My leave will be consumed by this time. 2). It's year end period 3). I secretly love gifts exchange on today. Haha But I'm now lying in bed with my twinnies waiting for their daddy to come home with breakfast. Hohoho.

>> My much trusted LG G4 died on me yesterday. FML. Was really dependent on a phone nowadays for entertainment. Lucky Mr Love have got a spare Redmi Note 2 to loan me. Abit laggy la this phone but better than the ancient Nokia non smart phone right. The not so lucky part is I didnt do a backup for my phone and everything from contacts, photos, apps and of course my games progress are gone. Really FML.

>> Thank god for Mr Love who tried his best to save my phone but to no avail. But he woke 

up early this morning to send it to repair centre for me.

>> We skipped on Xmas gift exchange this year at home. With me grounded and the twinnies arriving, there is simply no time to shop or spare monies to buy much. The sweet hubby did ask me whether I want continue my usual request for gold bracelets. But I reckon to wait till I give birth since I'm afraid my hands will swell later on and size would change. Then again, I don't have the luxury to go shopping now. And he didn't even bother to tell me what he wants this year. Guess the biggest gift to us are the twinnies and their well being.

>>  I'm so tempted to buy the pretty dresses that the online shops are selling for CNY now but am afraid I couldn't fit in after birth. Please dont let me become even fatter..

>> On the other hand, gave my mummy some monies to ask her get CNY clothes for herself. This is the 1st time in many years that I didn't accompany her to shop for her clothes. Not even last year when I had the op. She asked me go for an quick round on the day I'm discharge. She is a fussy shopper and not many can stand her shopping habits or know what she wants. Furthermore, I'm the paymaster of her CNY clothes. We will agree on a lump sum and she gets refunded on the unused amount in cash after shopping. This way she will not lost out if the clothes turns out to be cheaper than my budget. Haha.

>> I'm waiting eagerly for the new Melissa shoes I've got during black Friday sales. Realized from my time hop that its exactly 2years ago today that my 1st 2 pairs of Melissa shoes arrived. Think I got from some promotions from the same online seller. Hehe. It's off season shoes but who cares? It's much cheaper and have got the designs I like. Win win situation for me hehe. Furthermore the shoes damn lasting. Still wearing them now though my collection certainly expand during these 2 years.

>> For the longest time, I'm drawn to the Pandora charm braclets but couldn't bear to buy because of the pricing. I mean with the same amount of monies, I could buy my gold bracelet which will appreciate in time to come. I've finally found the solution without breaking my bank. Haha Buy the charms from Taobao at a fraction of it's cost. The wonder of MIC they copied every design. Haha the only thing I hope is, it's really silver that they are using. But you never know. I've yet to buy since there are alot of sellers around and I wanna compare the prices and also reviews to get the best replica at best price. Muhaha cheapo much? Buy anyways the bracelet I brought is the real deal though is a discount item from past season. Maybe just maybe I would slowly buy the charms from store here to reward myself once in a while. But I doubt so since my expenses will be rocket high very soon.

>> I realised as we advanced through the pregnancy, I can feel my moods more readily. Not sure how to explain but sometimes when I lie there feeling the twinnies kick, I can suddenly feel a 

gush of love from them travelling to my heart. And I will give them a hug to let them know I love them too. Beauty of carrying children, Mr Love totally don't get it when I relate to him. Haha He only can look at me enviously. Muhaha.

>>We are at exactly week 30 today and have 6more weeks to go. Praying hard that we can hold till then. On the end hand, twinnies' action are getting more and more vigorous. Yesterday, 1 of twin A's limb protruded out of my tum tum while he stretches himself haha. Making me abit painful while lying on his side since its poking out. I gave him a gentle rub and told him to change to a more comfortable position for both of us and he did! Such good boy. Haha Hopefully he will be as good when he comes out. Haha

>>Mr Love had finally decide on their Christian names. Haha told him to make the decision since he actually don't wanna give them a Christian name initially. But he reckons its easier for them to have one too. So he finally decided on the names 2nights ago. Their chinese names are decided by me and my mum. Haha so we are settled on their names yay...

Ok, I shall end this random posting here and go for my breakfast. Happy holidays everyone and may your 2016 be a blast!

Battling insomnia-29wks3days

I wasn't someone to suffer from insomnia since can usually sleep alot but to be lying down for at least 22hrs a day, sometimes I will fall asleep at random time and therefore suffer from insomnia now during nights.

I also realised that twinnies are more active during night time. Both will be kicking actively when I lie on either sides and sometimes it takes me quite a while to sleep cuz of the kicking.

I try all sorts of way to tired myself out just before bed time but even though I managed to sleep, sometimes will wake up at 2am and stay awake till 6am. Then when eventually sleep back, Mr Love will be up for work at 6.45am. We will usually be awake as Mr Love gets ready and try to sleep back after daddy gives his morning goodbye kisses. This is the timing we sleep best till 9.30am when twinnies will start asking for breakie.

So what do I do when there is no way to sleep? I let things be and start surfing net. Haha. But then it is not that easy given I need lie on sides and gets abit uncomfortable if I hold the phone for too long. Changing sides is another challenge since my tum tum is getting bigger.

Some nights if we get too bored from surfing net, we will just turn to papa's side and watch him sleep. Haha. Sometimes his gentle snores will put us to sleep too.

If all else fails I would just toss n turn in bed, allowing myself to day dream abit on how life would be when the twinnies are out. Despite many telling me that life will be hard when the twinnies come along, I really look forward to carrying them in my arms instead of hugging my tum tum now only.

I would also do some prayers at night hoping that my twinnies will be born matured and healthy. This is usually my quiet time trying to seek solace from god.

I know this insomnia phase would past somehow and soon I might get not much sleep with arrival of the twinnies. Which is why I try to enjoy this phase now. It's actually quite therapeutic to just lie there and feel the twinnies kick around. It makes me relieve that they are active, it makes me grateful that they are holding on as per what I told them. Most of all it makes every passing day a blessing knowing that they will be more healthy when they are born as we advanced through the pregnancy.

Till they are ready for the world, I would continue to lie and overcome whatever it may come. For this is for the twinnies' best interest.

28wks 1day

We did our 28wks Doppler scan today and was happy to hear the twinnies' growth are on track. Not sure about singleton pregnancy but for multiples pregnancy, we are subjected to Doppler test every 4 weeks to check the blood flow to brain, heart and cord.

And in between every 2wks is checking of babies' growth and water bag level. So we report to the hospital bi-weekly for scan. So much so that the sonographer commented I'm quite familiar with their procedures already.

So today's weight check for twinnies are 950g and 1.05kg with both having 4.1cm water bag. Gynae say they are on track for growth.  But I gained 1 freaking kg from last check. This is the biggest jump yet. Haha. Hopefully don't jump so fast else I will become a fatty soon.

And the news today is my gynae informed us that he is not delivering any more from next year and he is gonna transfer me to another gynae. Luckily for me, the transfer is to the gynae who did my cerclage and she is the HOD of dunno what department in KKH which essentially makes her an experience doc too. 

But I'm actually puzzled on why my gynae did not informed me when he first took up my case. I could have changed to another gynae instead of waiting till now. But in my case, there is not much of a difference since twinnies are monitored by ADC instead of chosen gynae. Just that dun really feel good about mid way transfer.

I keep wondering whether is my case that gets transferred only due to the complications or what. There isn't much review on my new gynae and she runs limited clinic sessions. Not exactly full time delivering babies I think. But there is no doubt on her expertise since she did my cerclage and she is considered the top in this area. 

Also I managed to clear my OGTT and I'm over the moon. Was stressed about having to prick myself should I not pass. But I'm warned to still watch my diet since I'm carrying twinnies.

Doc say risk they are monitoring now is my blood pressure which is on the high side though still within range. Sianz. Not sure whether is because I'm kan cheong but the bloody bp is usually high when I go for bi weekly tests. Not willing to go back for half day monitoring at ODAC again to waste monies. So far my urine tests are still good. 

Please let it be good all the way till the twinnies are ready for appearance. And of cuz my babies to be growing well and on par till then.

Korea Late Winter Sonata 2015 -Seoul - Visit to DMZ JSA area

I am always fascinated by the DMZ separating 2 countries that could have been one. There is no greater difference of 2 countries that is so near yet so far. While many others had reunified, these 2 remains technically at war.

When we visited South Korea in 2009 for our honeymoon, DMZ was not part of my tour group itinerary. Because we are having a free & easy tour this time, I decided to book a local tour group to DMZ to see for myself just how divided the 2 Korea are.

There are a few agencies that offer such tour but I chose to book one with Koridoor for their prices and comprehensive itineraries after much consideration.

Our tour pass

Cost of each Adult is priced at KRW 96,000 ( SGD 120) and we can choose to submit our credit card details and sign the slip on the day of the tour or to pay cash 3 days before the tour.

I wasn't too comfortable to submit my CC details and therefore choose to make a trip down on our day of arrival to pay the fee 1st before going to Busan.


To get to Camp Kim USO:

1). Take subway to Samgakji station (Line4,6)
 2). Take exit 10 (Line 6) or exit 6 (Line 4)

3a). For Line 6, exit 10 after exiting, walk straight for 500m and you will see the main gate that states Camp Kim. 

3b). For Line 4, exit 6 walk straight and cross the zebra crossing and you will come to face to face  with a big junction. Cross opposite and walk straight and you will see Line 6, exit 10. Then walk straight to Camp Kim.

Barricade nearing JSA

Barren lands along the way

We were told to report to Camp Kim at 7am for departure and also to wear proper attire to avoid rejected for the tour. We are also required to bring our passports for re-verification. There were quite a lot of people for this tour and we are the only 2 from our country. The journey up to the border is about 2 hours which we took the chance to catch up on sleep.

Barbed wire nearing border

You can actually feel the difference as we neared the DMZ. Barbed wires, barricades, barren lands, increased presence of military all indicates the tension, never in our life had we seen borders like that. The tour guide also informed us that no photo taking are allowed in the camp unless told.

Waiting outside the camp

We were brought into Camp Bonifas which have Korean and US armies stationed there. A US soldier were assigned as our chaperon who will accompany us in the camp and to ensure our safety.

We were brought to a briefing next on the history and also safety around this camp.

Thumb of rule here is to be orderly at all times, staying in twos while walking around. No rude gestures should be made towards the North side to prevent unnecessary trouble. No photos of the South side building is to be taken at any time unless permission granted by chaperon. We can however take photos of the North side from where we are standing from the South. Not that it had much scenery though.

Freedom House

The greyish building behind Freedom House belongs to North Korea. There are Guards there watching us as we tour the area here. Actually inside the Freedom House, it's divided into 2 where after the line, it's essentially North Korea soil. This is the closest that we could get to the North side.

There are 2 South Korean soldiers inside the Freedom House on duty and we are allowed to take pictures not the room.

This is essentially a neutral ground meeting room where representatives from both side can meet and discuss matters. Not dude whether anything had taken place here or not. 

One interesting thing to note is that the soldiers here are standing with their fists clenched in a fighting stance so as to prepare for any emergency situation. And boy, they sure look fierce.

We were then brought back to our bus where it will take us to an incident side which soldiers were hack to death over a tree.