TWV Pregnancy Guide 2023
Introduction
Chapter 2
my pregnancy journey overview
This chapter will share an overview on my pregnancy journey.
Think of it as a crash course. It is quite lengthy, but I found that all these information is important and worthy to note for your pregnancy. It will also give you an idea of what to expect in my upcoming chapters.
I’ve tried to condense it, so I will expand more on each of the topics in my upcoming chapters with you, along with sharing my choice and tips. I hope that you will find it useful!
Please feel free to reply with any questions or feedback you may have. Let’s get started!
- 1) Choosing your OB-GYN & maternity hospital
If you have a preferred obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) through referral/word-of-mouth, you can simply head down to his/her clinic. Otherwise, there are two routes you can take, going public/restructured or private. Here are the best maternity hospitals in Singapore. I personally went to Thomson Medical Center and enjoyed the experience very much there. The nurses were very kind and the facilities were good too.
I will go through the pros and cons of public vs private in my next chapter to you.
2) Prenatal Checkups
After you have chosen your ob-gyn/hospital, you will start going for your prenatal checkups. You will likely go about 2-4 visits during your first trimester, depending on how far along you were when you first found out you were pregnant.
During the second trimester, you will go for your appointments monthly. For your third trimester, when you are about 26/27 weeks you will visit bi-weekly. At about 30+ weeks, following up to your due date, you will have weekly visits to the doctor.
I will share about costs in my upcoming chapters.
3) Pregnancy Tests
During your pregnancy, you will have to take tests to ensure that your baby is healthy. Here is a summary of tests you will need to take.
- 6 – 12 weeks: Full Blood Count Test
- 11-14 weeks: First Trimester Screening (FTS) for Down Syndrome
- 18 – 22 Weeks: Detailed Ultrasound Scan
- 24 – 28 weeks: Glucose Tolerance Test for Gestational Diabetes
- At every prenatal checkup: your blood pressure, urine test, and weight will be taken.
I will share the details of each test in my upcoming emails with you.
4) Pregnancy Vaccinations
During your pregnancy, you may be advised to go for some pregnancy vaccinations, such as:
- – Influenza
- – Whooping cough (TDAP vaccination)
- – Click here for more information.
Prior to pregnancy, you should get yourself vaccinated against the following. Get your vaccinations at least 3 months before pregnancy.
AVOID getting “live” virus vaccines (measles, mumps, rubella) that contain small parts of the virus DURING pregnancy as though small, it may cause miscarriage or birth defects to the baby.
- – Rubella (German measles)
- – Varicella (chick pox)
- – Hepatitis B
- – Click here for more information.
5) Prenatal Supplements
During your pregnancy, you will take supplements to ensure you are getting enough nutrition for your baby’s healthy development and yourself. Here is a list of the supplements you may be taking.
- – Folic acid
- – Calcium
- – DHA /Omega-3 Fish Oil
- – Iron
- – Vitamin C
- – Prenatal Multivitamin like OBIMIN
6) Normal Vaginal Delivery vs C-Section
Many of my friends asked me whether I was opting for normal vaginal delivery or C-section. I personally would opt for normal delivery unless I am faced with any complications.
Personally, I suggest to take C-section as an option if you have existing health conditions, delivery complications, or if your baby is in the breech position, or if you really need to plan your delivery to the T due to circumstances.
More information on this to come in my upcoming chapters.
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