Hi all,


I am soon coming to the end of the first trimester and my stomach is starting to show quite a bit by now... However, I feel really uncomfortable as my stomach is always very bloated and feels very overstretched and hard to the touch... I am just wondering whether it is normal for the stomach to feel really hard, especially at the sides?

Would appreciate your replies as I am totally clueless as to what is normal and what might not be (this is my first pregnancy)... Thanks...

skin tightening is normal....
so pls apply stretch mark cream asap... keke...

I think it's called braxton hicks? Maybe your body is preparing for child birth.... Not to worry too much....

mommydino... Yeah I am applying stretch mark cream already! *wink* Is Palmers good enough or you got better recommendation? I heard from people that Nivea body cream works too as it is quite "oily" and it's cheap!

Agnes... Thanks... it's just weird cos my stomach is like hard at the sides slightly above the level where my navel is and soft from under my breasts...

clarins cream... or oil if u can tahan the sandal wood scent..

oh, i also experience that.. next time i know, i have a bump liao.. its the expanding of the uterus and moving up and out of the space it was in.. something like tat.. im trying to find that article for u.. but i cant seem to find it liao... lol

ahh.. found it

Your Growth and Development
You are growing and expanding! By the end of pregnancy week 12, your uterus will pop out of your pelvis, and appear just above the pubic bone. It will continue to grow into your abdomen. While it may take nine months for your uterus to grow large enough to hold your baby, it will return to its pre-pregnancy size just weeks after delivery!

http://www.womenshealthcaretopics.com/pregnancy_week_12.htm

Thanks, mommydino! OMG... that means I am soon "going-out-of-shape"... The price to pay for pregnancy but not minding it at all...

Clarins one how much is it? Got to buy over their counter is it? Are you using the same one as well?

$80 per tube (cream) or per bottle (oil)
i cannot tahan the sandalwood scent after my 1st tri.. so im using cream now.. non greasy but works the same... i used it during my last pregnancy.. and it has shown good results...

oh, hmm.. i will normally get from tangs but if isetan got sale, i will go there buy...

Ok will check it out! Thanks... By the way, don't know whether you still remember me from the "Smokers" thread but am pleased to say that I finally managed to stop totally...

oh! thats great! im happy for u...
tahan ok? if u can get thru with no smoking for 10 mths, u will have the determination to pull thru ur bf journey!

Ya ya... I guess it was all really because of habit... So far I have been trying to curb that urge and it isn't as bad as I thought would be... Thank God...

So where will you be delivering at? I just wanna ask whether it is true that if we opt to go private hospital, will end up paying a lot of cash?

no wor.. not true..
i will be delivering at TMC...

http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/billsizeDetails.aspx?cId=10

I am still blur about Medisave deductions and the amount of cash that need to be paid... Different hospitals mean different max amount of deductions from Medisave?

if i remember correctly.. max shud be $1700
u can call up the hospital to check de..
or u can check with ur gynae

where are u delivering?

i remembered dr told me tummy hard is no good.

I am thinking of Mount Alvernia... But I think they need deposit right? Or every hospital also needs deposit? By the way, what's the difference between normal delivery and assisted delivery cos I see that the amount is only slightly different...

Could constipation caused "hard tummy"? I just keep eating and eating but not "passing the waste out" regularly... =P

all also need deposit
but ultimately, this amt will be used to deduct the medical fee and they will refund u if got remaining lor

assisted is like... if dr got use vacuum during the delivery lor..

I see... Thanks for explaining...

I am just wondering how much cash is needed and will be used... besides hospital bill, have to pay gynae for delivery package or something like that is it? But delivery package paid to gynae can claim under Medisave or not?

yup.. it will all be in the hospital bill...
when i delivered the last time.. i even got a $300 refund after deduction from the $1.2k deposit...

depending on ur gynae's delivery package also..

actually u can speak to ur gynae about the amt to stand by... i asked my gynae and he adviced me and its quite accurate..

this time round, im getting a single beded.. so i will standby about $2k cash.

What type of delivery was it and where did you deliver?

i had still birth last year.
mine was normal w/o epi.. no assistance..
2 bedded at TMC

Oh... So sorry... That was Julius right? He was loved...

So now this one boy or girl?

wah.. u still remember wor..
THanks for remembering him
Its been a year liao...

Now.. its a baby girl! kekee...

Ya... I read somewhere in the forum about him and think you are such a strong and brave mummy to have went through whatever you went through...

But now, look, you are blessed with a baby girl and yes, her kor kor will be looking after her, as well as you and your family, from the place where he is resting peacefully in and forever remembered...

P.S. Sorry I didn't know it was Julius, I thought you might have had another baby after Julius so I asked about the delivery...

its alright.. its over liao.. right now, im very open to share what i went thru and encourage the rest of the mommies arnd me

everything happens for a reason ma..

actually delivery package varies.. for dr ang, he gives me a chart on his prices like..
c sect, natural with epi, natural without epi, assisted or without assisted... then the $$ will be included in the hospital package, and can be deducted from medisave.

Oh if can be deducted then good lor... So meaning will need to pay for gynae delivery charge, hospital stay charges and "baby care" charges ah?

ya.. they will normally split it up into 2 bills.. Mommy's bill and baby's bill

mommy's bill includes the room, delivery charges and also the cotton buds etc.. lol.. whatever they use on u.. like sanitary pads and stuff all charge to ur bill de.. so u must remember to take home everything that they return to u..

bb's bill is the hospital stay, pampers etc lor..

both bills are medisave deduct-able

then u will jus pass the balance lor..

That's what I like about TMC billing, very clear and concise.
I was initially charged extra for some meds (painkillers) that I only took one piece... coz I developed an allergic reaction so they changed it for me. On my bill they charged me for both painkillers so I told them about it and they changed it immediately after checking my records.

ya.. their bill very clear...
but i never read thru in detail.. haha.. cause they say.. "mdm, we will refund u $300 in chq" hahaha.. no need to pay extra.. so i never see lor..

typical singaporean...... lol

Thanks for your explanation! =D