Vital Statistics

Measurement from head to rump: 42mm
Nuchal fold scan: normal
Limbs: all accounted for


The blob is healthy as of Tuesday. Other than making the mistake of drinking two and a half mugs of water, the nuchal fold scan showed the little blob is 85% chance free of Down's syndrome.

I had my normal morning quota of microwaved bun with butter and mug of milo. The milo was flushed out while I was getting ready. Remembering my doc's advice to drink plenty of water before going in for the scan, I downed 2.5 mugs of water right before getting into the car.

Big mistake.

By the time we got there and I'd parked, I'd difficulty just making those few steps into the doc's office. I swear I looked like I had something stuffed up my ass except that it was more like I had to pee, REALLY bad.

By the time I got up onto the bed and the doc was rolling the scan over my abdomen, I was practically whimpering. The great thing about the technology is that we could see just how distended my bladder was.

Dr. Viknesh turned to me and asked, "Just how much water did you actually drink?"

Still trying not to whimper, I said, "Only 2.5 mugs. Oh I had milo in the morning, but that was flushed out already!"

He took pity on me. "Go to the bathroom. Your bladder's too full and you're too uncomfortable. At the same time, you might as well give me a urine sample."

I just about scrambled to empty my bladder. While I was weeing enough water to put out a small fire, Rizal was left alone with Dr.Viknesh and I wondered if the good doc was recounting his tale of his whole family falling sick in India while on holiday.

Try as i might I couldn't expel all the fluids I taken in. "Phew!! That's is such a relief! But I think there's still more water in there," I announced as I came back into the examining room and clambered up the bed.

"Ah, this is perfect. Now you have just the right amount of fluids in you," he said as he ran the scan over me.

No wonder Dr. Viknesh ordered me to empty my bladder first. I would not have been able to lie still and not whimper or squirm for the next 10 or 15 minutes or even guaranteed that I would nto wet the bed as he tried to get the blob into position so that he could do the nuchal fold scan. To perform this scan, the blob's neck fold and the bridge of its nose needed to be measured. And it was not cooperating. Instead of bobbing and moving about, it was happy to stay stationary in one position.

It was Rizal's first visit to the doc's where a scan is done. For a first timer, there wasn't much of a reaction. I wonder if his expression would be as bland if I'm delivering?

So there I was, with belly exposed, jelly smeared over it and the doc moving the scan all over it and the stubborn blob still wasn't budging. Not even when he tried probing a little. It wasn't until I coughed that the blob decided its water coccoon was not so comfy and moved just a tiny bit. A bit more of a cough and it moved again. Ahah, bingo! Caught on screen.

The test done, Dr. Viknesh took my weight: 51kg. He was not happy. I'd weighed 52 kg four weeks ago. Take into account my brush with fever and gastric, I think I was doing pretty OK. "I want you to put on at least 1-2 kg by the time you come and see me in 5 weeks' time. You need more carbo," he admonished me. OK, we shall try to accomplish that as long as I don't feel too nauseous eating full meals.

So next appointment with the doc will be in early February. Week 16. I wonder if we'll be able to tell if the blob's a she or a he?