Yesterday was my 15 weeks pregnancy milestone. Hard to believe that in five weeks I will be half way there. Seems strange even thinking about it.
On Saturday I had a dr`s appointment at my clinic and since I had my boshi techo and insurance they started writing everything in there and did some extra tests like take blood. I also got another ultrasound, this time it was done externally so while goma-chan has doubled in size in three weeks (!) it is not as clear as my last ultrasound. It was funny however to see goma-chan gaining control over his limbs and he was kicking and punching about while laying on his back. He was very low down this time as well but the doctor did not seem worried about this.
He/she grew from less than 4.5cm to approximately 9cm from crown to rump. So he is definitely growing, and growing fast. I still do not feel much movement. I felt my first “real” movement a couple of days ago and it was a bit like popcorn popping inside my belly. Nothing really yet though and very very sporadic. The doctor did say again though that it won`t be long til I am feeling movement.
I am starting to pop a little bit. While I used to be able to suck my belly in it now seems that there is a bump that is impossible to suck in. Albeit it is still mostly fat or bloating I think. They weighed me at the surgery and I was surprised to find out I had put on less weight since getting pregnant than I thought. Approximately 500g-1kg during the first 15 weeks is not bad I am told. They checked my blood pressure as well which was 118/69 which for me is actually a little high since I have naturally low blood pressure but of course they were not at all concerned since it is still very normal.
I also met the owner of the hospital on Saturday as he was the doctor on shift. He seemed nice enough but I did prefer the doctor I met last time who spoke English like a five year old boy on helium. Next time I will be seeing him again as Shun preferred him to and he was much more chatty. Although, next time I will go on a Friday by myself and apparantly they might be able to tell me the sex if the baby is in a good position. I will be almost 19 weeks by then. If they can`t tell me then Shun wants me to request a 3D scan (I allowed one or two during the pregnancy apparently) on a day that he can come and see as well for a time when I am about 22 weeks. I am excited to find out the sex but I really do think it is a boy- but at least once I know for sure I can start planning ahead and organizing what I need to buy.
Happy to report have had no morning sickness in almost 2 weeks and for that I am really grateful. I hope that is the end of it! I am finding it hard to lie on my stomach now- not because I think I am squashing the tiny baby or anything but more because it feels funny. Not uncomfortable, just weird. So I bought one of those long pillows that you can kind of lay up against and cuddle and it is great!!! I am kind of half lying on it now while I type up this post…
So all in all things are going well on the pregnancy front. We have officially singed up to give birth at that clinic and I will pay a huge sum of money next time I go. We have to pay half by the time I am 20 weeks but Shun and I will just pay it all (430,000yen) next time and then they will either charge us more when I am discharged if I had anything extra (like giving birth on a Sunday) or refund us some if I choose to have a shared room. I have requested a private room though and they seem to think that is fine as they have something like 8 of them anyway. So far I am liking my clinic. It seems to be the norm though that the dr`s are not very informative? If you speak up and ask questions though they will answer them but I often forget all my questions when I go in (Is this mummy brain?) but next time I will write them down.
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I am just a twenty something Aussie girl living in Chiba, Japan with my Japanese husband trying to make sense of the crazy Japanese world we live in! We welcomed our first son in December 2009 (Noah) and a second son in January 2011, 2 months premature (Shion). I am working hard at raising them to be confident, bilingual, happy kids!
Wow, this is all so surreal. Private bed, love your Doctors and the clinic, it doesn’t get better than that… for the exception og no pain during delivery.
I can not believe how much he/she has grown.
It’s so interesting to read your descriptions of your weird stomach sensations, like lying down on it, and such!
I’ve always been really curious about the details on how it feels in the very beginning.
He’s such a cutie! Glad to hear your pregnancy is going smoothly. Hopefully you get to find out the sex next time…. but if it’s anything like us it’ll take a few appointments to confirm that it’s “still” a girl or boy. I know Sophie was told boy at first, and then the next appointment girl. I was so worried about that happening!
That’s pretty affordable :O How much does your city give back after the birth?
It’s a very good thing you like your clinic, hopefully they are cooperative with your needs/wants. =)
April-Marie- I was pretty insistant to Shun that if I had to spend a week in hospital I wanted a private room even if it didn`t have its own shower since I want the baby to room in with me so we can get used to each other as such (sounds like a pet hey! lol) and that is often impossible in shared room situations.
The no pain during delivery sounds like an awesome thing also- however I have come to terms with the fact it won`t be like that. As much as I pray and hope.
So far I would totally recommend my clinic to others living in the area. Not sure how they go with actual births but I guess I am going to find out (and I have only heard good things so far)
Laura- Yeah lying on my tummy now without a pillow feels weird. Kind of makes me quesy but not enough to actualy be sick. I think it is actually goma-chan saying “hey you are squashing me lady, get up” although I am not feeling much movement.
I am hoping by the time I go to my next appt I will be feeling a lot more, and hopefully soon after that Shun will be able to feel it too.
Oh Khea you snuck in!
Yeah I am really happy I like my clinic and that Shun does too. I had a look at some other hospitals and for private rooms most seem to charge a similar amount. The standard stay is 5 nights, 6 days. Which is also shorter than some hospitals. I have the option of checking out a day earlier if I wish apparently too.
I think we get 380,000 back from our city. Not 100% sure and since we will move it might be less (although definitely not more)
I hope to find out next time too! I definitely am thinking boy for Ponyo (or M-chan) to play with!
You already have a real cutie there! Great to hear that all is going so weel and that you felt the first flutters of movement.So exciting! And well done on requesting a private room…you don’t really need a shower in it but your own space will be lovely:)And I bet you stay the full stay too;)
Can’t believe that the time is going by so fast…
I can’t believe you are almost half way there! Funny that you described goma chan moving like popcorn popping! Thanks so much for sharing the excitement with us!
It’s amazing to think that not that long ago you were telling Sara and I that you were pregnant (well it feels like it was only a short time ago!). I can’t believe that you are nearly half through your pregnancy already!! I loved reading your update on Goma Chan – it must be such an amazing feeling to watch him swim around in your tummy
And now you are starting to feel little goma chan move too!! That is definitely something to be excited about 
I hope that once you can feel himher from the outside that I will have the chance to feel him. It’s an amazing experience for me to feel a baby move so I can’t begin to imagine how it feels for the pregnant woman herself 
It’s great news that you like your clinic as well. I’m sure that will make the clinic appointments a lot easier – and a lot more stressfree which is always a great thing. It sounds like you are controlling your weight well too. When it comes time for me to be worrying about my weight, you will have to give me some pointers
I’m not sure if I have asked you this already, forgive me if I have (you know how bad my memory can be), but are you going to share the sex of the baby on your blog? I am still getting ‘boy’ vibes from you!! It will be interesting to see who ends up being right – you & I or Sara!! I hope you find out before I go home in August because I really want to buy some presents for Goma Chan will I am home
Marianne and Katie- thanks to you both!
I probably will stay the full stay Marianne- especially if I am late because then Shun will almost be on new years holidays (and he may take a couple extra days) and my mum is probably coming on December 26th. I was pretty adamant about wanting a private room!
Katie- haha, it is kind of sporadic popcorn- like kernals that pop every 4-5 hours or so! LOL
Wow what a great pic!!! Goma-chan is already such a cutie!!!
I am so jealous of your clinic since you know some of the concerns I have about mine. I “applied” for a private room as well but was told “first come, first served”
Bleh – maybe I will come stay in Tokyo with you for the next baby
Can’t believe that you will finding out next time!!!! Its going to be so exciting I can’t wait to shop for Goma-chan!!!
Oh wow! I am so excited for you. It’s amazing to think you’ve got a little life inside you though it’s not so much a sesame seed anymore! What sized fruit are you up to now?
Clinic sounds awesome…private room is great so you can avoid any snorers!
Tom and I are so coming to visit next year! xxxx
(I reckon boy as well!!!)
My comment went into your spam folder again… I should really learn to stop using smiley faces!
Exciting exciting!! Your own room is definately the way to go – remember to take your own pillow – unless you like those bean shit ones.
Our town gave back 38 man too – but the bunster only cost 41 and that was including my whole day dossing round the week before in false labor and having the birth on a Sunday. I hope you get nice meals and a private shower and toilet at yours too. Makes big difference:)
The no pain birth experience – I always thought that would be the way I would go – unless things didn’t go smoothly. Having a baby anyway is a great experience but must say that after doing it without drugs you do feel like you have done what nature intended. I think the no drugs thing is more popular in Japan than NZ. My NZ friends definately seem more suprised when I say I had no drugs than my Japanese friends do.
I like your scan pic. The bunster was down low for the first part too – in fact right until the end when he suddenly moved as high as he could.
This is absolute nonsense on my part – but even though the bunster is only two weeks old and in absolute fairness I should still be feeling the pains of pushing him out, just hearing about other people’s pregnancies is soooo exciting. Especially the first time.
And LOVE those long pillows – in the last few months with Shou it was THE ONLY THING I was getting a leg over.
Oh I am so jealous that they gave you an external ultrasound at 15 weeks, I thought mine was never going to get over the dildo cam. Although they examined my internally at 18weeks, the actual ultrasound was external.
Can`t wait to see more pictures.
Nay- I saved your comment! WOO! Okay, I will probably share the sex of the baby on my blog just cos I will not be able to keep it a secret. Oh and of course you can have a feel of goma-chan next time I see you- as long as I let Shun “cop” the first feel then anything after that is fair game! So you can poke away and get him to move.
I think you and I are going to be right about the sex! But then again I was wrong about Sarah! LOL
Sarah- I am under the impression that getting a private room is fairly easy at my place- of course if they are all gone then I guess I will have a shared one too at least until one opens up. Which would suck, but I could deal with it.
It is 8000yen more a night for a room with a private shower so I am going the “no shower” route and will just shower with the others. Shun took this to mean I would not shower for the week but I set him straight on that. LOL
You are welcome in Tokyo anytime. I am actually giving birth in Chiba though
Right near disneyland in fact!
Mandy- haha yeah a private room, no snorers but I will have screaming baby. LOL!
Um, had a check on the baby compared to fruit site and it is now the size of an orange. So there you go. A classic fruit the orange!!!!
You and Tom better visit next year! I will try to get back to Oz too and you guys will be back by then so I am sure I will see you then too- if I do not make it in the April after Easter then definitely for the Christmas later in the year when I will stay about a month (so goma-chan`s first birthday will be in Australia, probably without Shun but I have told him the 2nd birthday is much more exciting!)
Gaijinwife- The no drugs thing is definitely more popular here than in Australia too. Most people are like “WTF” when I tell them epidurals and drugs are not common. They do give gas at my hospital though, or something similar. Not sure if yours did???
The bunster only cost 41man? That is not bad! I am hoping we don`t end up having to pay more on the 43man but we might have to, i guess it depends. I looked at the cost of epidurals and it is 15man and I was like screw that. I might regret that later though, but who knows!
I love hearing about others pregnancies too- it is definitely fun to share. I am enjoying the updates on Ryu as well- he is such a cutie and I think he takes after you a lot more than Shou and Marina. Or is that just me??
Melanie- I was sure I would have an internal scan this time as well (as you put it the dildocam, that cracked me up, you should trade mark it!) I was still examined internally at the 15 weeks appointment. I think that is the norm every time but I am not sure. I have to say, as sad as it sounds I am getting used to showing people my crotch now! LOL.
Looking forward to your next ultrasound pic too, especially since you will almost definitely learn the sex. So exciting!
Aww what a cute picture! It’s weird feeling movement for the first time hey, I don’t know how Shun is with those things but when I started to see/feel movement from the outside Ryota would just point to my stomach and say “Oh my god, Alien!” in a really girly voice…hehe, hopefully Shun will handle it a little better…
I hope you can find out the sex next time, although my clinic was sooooo cautious and vague with telling me for fear of mistake.
I loved my long pillow too! I called mine ‘Kate’ fr some reason. Bizarre. Anyway, glad the morning sickness has stayed away, hopefully it stays that way! Looking forward to reading more about Goma-chan!
That is all so exciting! Really glad to hear you’re not sick anymore, too.
A private room is definitely the way to go. I had Ali on the public system here, because we moved back when I was already pregnant so I hadn’t done the waiting period to be covered by health insurance, and while the midwives and medical care were fantastic the shared room sucked. I shared with a lady who had zillions of really noisy relatives come to visit every day and her baby cried all night even though Ali slept. It was awful! I escaped 36 hours after giving birth and would have left earlier if I could have!!!
wow, 15 weeks already. so exciting! cute goma-chan you have there!
Corinne- I think Shun is excited to see movement and feel it- however it took a bit of convincing for him to agree to be in the birthing room as he is afraid of blood and needles and the like. I basically told him he had to though.
I can`t wait til I can see movement from the outside- but I feel it will be awhile yet!!!
I spoke to my clinic about the gender/sex etc before we went there and they seemed to think that most couples have it confirmed by 22 weeks at the latest. I think if they can`t tell from a 2D scan they do a 3D one- so if I don`t find out next time I hope it will be the time after. Sarah had the same problem though with her clinic in Kobe though hey, and they never told her that BG was a girl.
Suzy- Oh I forgot you were already pregnant when you went back to Australia- how was the experience in the Aussie public system? You said the care was pretty good though right? Yeah I am definitely glad I went for a private room too even though they are a bit more expensive- especially since I want baby to room with me after the first night AND in Japan you have to stay almost a week. I wouldnt cope well in a shared room with 4-8 other new mums.
Illahee- Thanks! I am more than alittle biased but I think he is a bit of a cutie too myself!
Congrats on 15 weeks Lulu! I’m 17 weeks this week and should be able to find out the sex at my next appointment too, if they tell me that is. Exciting, isn’t it? I’m not feeling a whole lot of movement either yet, I figure it will be any day now though. I felt my son at around 18 weeks I think, but a lot of people say they feel it pretty early. Right now the baby is naturally pretty low (still below the belly button) so that’s sort of how you’ll be able to tell what is the baby and what isn’t, the location of the movement. The first movements I felt with DS were way way way down low, and then as he got bigger the movements gradually started spreading out.
Don’t worry about the no pain thing. Most hospitals here don’t offer the option here either and it all works out ok somehow. I always imagined I’d do it with drugs and never considered myself the natural childbirth type, but after my first I’m a convert. In this case I’m so glad I was sort of “forced” to do something I probably wouldn’t do back home and that I had that experience. I’m sure you’ll do great!
Wonderful news for you and Shun! It really is your year – and when gomachan appears, it’ll be his/her year too.