We had our third visit to the doctor today. Being only 16 weeks pregnant, I wasn’t really expecting to find out the sex of our baby. Gavin, on the other hand, was ever eager to ask the doctor and had been busy practicing his lines all day, “Excuse me, doctor, am I going to have a baby brother or sister?”
When we made it to the doctor’s office, his courage failed him and all he managed to mutter was, “Excuse me, doctor…” and “baby brother or sister” trailed off into a barely intelligible whisper.
Initially, Dr Wong told us that the baby was not in a good position to display its gender, but while he was taking the usual measurements, he discovered an appendage that revealed a baby boy.
To say that I am not disappointed would be a huge lie. I had so been hoping that this one would be a girl. Damned hubby! I told him to eat more veggies! In case you’re wondering, that’s one of the ways to help promote the likelihood of getting a girl – for Daddy to eat more veggies and for Mummy to eat more meat. I must have eaten so much meat when we were trying to conceive that I’m sure I reeked of ketones.
In my desperation, I did ask the doctor on the probability of it being a mistake and me having a girl. It is possible for a baby girl’s private parts to be enlarged due to the high levels of oestrogen, however, I seemed to get the impression that the appendage on my baby was a little too large for that possibility. Dang!
On Sinuses
When you’re pregnant, there’s always a concern whenever it comes to taking medications of any kind. Ideally, if you can tolerate the discomfort, it is better to err on the side of caution and avoid taking medications. But after the dreadful sinus attack I had the other night, I decided some medication on hand would be helpful.
Dr Wong said a nasal spray like Afrin can help clear congestion and acts locally. For the sneezing, an antihistamine would be necessary. Something like Zyrtec is okay to take, or you can take the sedating antihistamines like Piriton. The general advice was to bear the symptoms if possible but if it is really bad, then you can still take the meds.
NB. This advice is not a replacement for your own doctor’s advice. Please always consult your doctor before taking any medications while pregnant or otherwise.
As it is, my nose has been very sensitive of late. It almost feels as if I have hayfever again. I suspect it might also be partly due to the haze that seems to hit us about this time every year (thanks to our neighbours and their forest burning practices). Running the air purifier at night while we sleep seems to help – the night I had the sinus attack was the one night when we didn’t turn on the air purifier.
Other things that have helped – applying a bit of eucalyptus oil to my nose. That stings a bit but I find it really effective. Alternatively, you can apply the oil onto a tissue and breathe through the tissue. I find that doesn’t really work so well for me and prefer to apply it directly to my nose.
On Lying on Your Back
It is generally recommended that pregnant women avoid sleeping on their backs during the second half of pregnancy. One of the reasons for this is because the weight of the baby compresses the aorta (the main blood vessel that supplies blood to the body). Although it is unlikely to cause any serious damage to you or the baby if you do happen to roll onto your back while you are sleeping, it is still advisable to avoid it whenever possible.
If I thought it was difficult trying not to sleep on my back during the first pregnancy, it is even more difficult now that I’m co-sleeping with a toddler. Well, the good news is that you don’t necessarily have to sleep on your side. Sleeping with a pillow propped under one side of your body is apparently sufficient. As long as your body is tilted slightly to one side, it should be enough. I find this a lot easier than trying to sleep on my side.
The other alternative is to sleep hugging a bolster pillow. I have also seen pregnancy pillows which are a sort of u-shaped version of the bolster pillow – they offer you something to hug and something to prop up against your back. Personally, I find the prices for these rather steep and have managed to make do with two bolster pillows – one to hug and one to prop up against my back – at a fraction of the cost.
Nurture for the Future 
Hi there, been reading your blog occasionally & i must commend you for all yoru well-written articles.
Anyway, just to inform you for sinus during pregnancy, if you must take a pill, take those anti-histamine which has the “drowsy” effect. Don’t take zyrtec (which is non-drowsy) bcos if you read their leaflet correctly, you will see that it is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women (something about being absorbed into bloodstream & into the baby’s bloodstream). I am an anti-histamine taker for many years so I know a few different types of anti-his suitable or not for what kind of usage. 😛 (Anti-histamine popper!)
Keep up the good writing!
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hehehehehehehe…..Baby Boy 2… 🙂
Ok dont know why..i cannot answer u why either…somehow that time when u told me u are pregnant with no.2 and i just felt that it was going to be baby boy again for u..or probably it was just a Wild Guess..hehehe
hmmm…..so 3rd one nxt time baby gal?heh~ 🙂
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hmmm is it a corticosteroid nasal spray? If yes, Did he say the side effect would be thinning of the mucosal layer of the nose?
Have u tried Using/sniffing Vicks…or u know those Kwan Loong oil @ like Minyak Cap kapak,u dab a few drops on a small hanky, and u sniff it once awhile when your nose is block..i usually use Kwan Loong oil for symptomatic relieve…ermm but if you;ve never used before u might find it too strong..like a wasabi attack to your nose..
oh! and u know what..i realised this by accident…when u’re having sinus or flu…try wasabi..and when it hits your nose..ahhh after that no more blocked nose..hahaha… 😉
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oh and u can try drinking Peppermint tea too..it helps…i drink that too when i’ve got flu or sinus in the morning..
*sorry for writing multiple comments…dont mean to flood your blog..i just thought of it after clicking “submit comments”
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Hi Tsu Lin – thanks for sharing! Yes, you’re right. Actually I should have been clearer about the doc’s instructions. He did say if you can bear the symptoms, don’t take anything but if you really need to, you can still take antihistamines or use the nasal spray when it gets really bad. He also mentioned the sedating ones but I can’t for the life of me remember the names – blasted pregnant memory! That’s why I didn’t write them down. Will go back and ammend the post.
The doc also referred to the Zyrtec leaflet but that it is more to be cautious. Dunno. If in doubt, be cautious.
Valerie – re: baby boy – there’s a long story about that one… I’m reluctant to try for a third on the possibility of getting a girl because I really don’t want another boy.
The spray the doc recommended is Afrin – I couldn’t remember the name but he wrote it down on a piece of paper and I couldn’t find the paper.
Oh yes, I have used the minyak cap kapak – that is pretty helpful. I’m pretty excessive with it. I actually apply it directly to my nose. It stings the skin but it really works. I find sniffing it from a tissue isn’t as helpful as a direct application. Thanks! I should add these to my post… Will edit later.
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hmm…dont know lah i feel once u start using the nasal spray right..u will rely on it nxt time…
Dont waste tissue lah my dear..have u forgotten that those minyak cap kapak is like alcohol swab or alcohol dab in tissue which will evaporates fast?
Borrow one of Gavin’s small hanky knot it in one corner and dab some minyak cap kapak on it and sniff it whenever u need it.hehehe..
And i think Kwan Loong medicated oil is better than the minyak cap kapak http://www.kwanloongoil.com/benefits.htm
ahh..it’s not right to say ” i dont wan another boy lah”..it’s god’s gift..so many other ppl out there hopes to get a boy and here u are stating that you dont want another boy…hmmm..that’s not right lah to think that way…dont say that already..
btw u know, last time my coach thought his youngest son would be a daughter but turns out later on it was a Boy actually…hehe..
so who knows we wait for few more weeks to get a clearer view perhaps?..hehehe =)
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oh oh..and try the Peppermint tea…
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Don’t worry – I haven’t succumbed to using the nasal spray. Just that it is an option. My isn’t severe enough for me to take it.
Still prefer to swab my nose directly with the stuff – much more potent.
Will remember Kwan Loong next time. Didn’t know there was a difference. I currently have three bottles of minyak cap kapak lying around the house so lets use that first.
Sweetie, I didn’t want another child. I was perfectly content to stop at one but I felt it was too lonely for Gavin to be an only child. That’s the primary reason why I had number two. The possibility of having a girl was an added benefit.
I also think it is wrong for me to have a third child if I’m not mentally prepared to give it the kind of attention I gave Gavin. Frankly, after this second child, I do want to move on with other things in my life that are on hold right now because of the kind of mother I want to be. You could say I’m being selfish or you could say I’m being fair to the third child.
My dear… if it is a mistake I will be very happy, but I’m not hinging on hopes. Doc seemed quite clear on the gender. Besides, boy mistaken for girl is a lot more common than girl mistaken for a boy. It is easy to miss the penis but I think harder to mistake the penis for a vagina, no? Besides, no point getting my hopes up again for nothing.
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but if u apply directly to your nose wont it sort of makes the part of your nose a lil dry? hhehe
as for me, when i apply directly it feels like that region of the nose dries up a little or stings. then when i apply moisturizer after that it hurts a lil..hmm i dont know how to explain..it’s the same feelng when u’ve got a sunburn and u apply some certain moisturizer it stings..hehehe…
probably i just have sensitive skin lor..
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