Weeks 32-34: Packing my Hospital Bag

17 March 201630 March 20162 Comments

Time flies and the due date is slowly but surely approaching! A bit more than a month to go! Time to think about my hospital bag. I don’t want to make the last mistakes than last time though😉 So, in this post, I will share my list of things to take to the hospital as well as a list of items that I will definitely leave at home this time. Enjoy!

The symptoms I am supposed to have in weeks 32 to 34 (and how I am really feeling)

Belly button pops out: Umm, yes. My belly does indeed look like a balloon. I don’t mind it that much though, I have to say. I know that some pregnant ladies are hiding this under large tops and dresses. But I don’t bother really. Especially as my belly button will pop back to its normal shape after pregnancy. At least, that’s what it did the last time.
Itchy skin: Apparently, many pregnant women’s skin on their bump is becoming increasingly itchy towards the end of their pregnancy as the skin in this area stretches and thins. I would say that the area around my previous C-section is itchy from time to time, yes. Nothing major though. If your abdomen, the palm of your hands or soles of your feet are severely itching, you should see a doctor as it can indicate a problem.
Braxton Hicks: Yup, I remember these from my last pregnancy. I could feel how my uterus suddenly became hard as the muscles tightened. Braxton Hicks are contractions, but no “real” ones if that makes any sense. Personally, I don’t feel that they are uncomfortable but this seems to be different for every woman. As opposed to real contractions, they are usually irregular, do not last for long (less than a minute, I’ve read) and do not increase in intensity. So far, I’ve had a few of them.
Back pain: Still here and unfortunately getting worse and worse… I tried to make an appointment with an osteopath but they seem to be busy when I have time and vice versa haha. Really need to go!

Little Miss M
Last time, I told you that Miss M was in the perfect position (head down) for birth. Well, apparently, she has decided to turn around again… I am happy for her that she has enough space to move freely around in my super huge belly but, honestly, our little Miss is playing a bit with mummy’s nerves here… So, I am doing the “Forward-leaning Inversion” daily, as advised by my Hypnobirthing teacher (for more information, click here). At 34 weeks, I really would like her to turn around again. Well, let’s wait and see and try to convince her😉

Otherwise, Miss M seems to do very well. She is now about the size of a pineapple or even a cantaloupe melon! The problem is that she never really shows herself when we go see Dr. A for the monthly scan… She is always hiding her face! Such a pity as our doctor told us that now would be the perfect time to get a nice picture of our little princess in the bump. So, instead, I post this (very nice) picture of a pineapple haha

Source: My Little Baby App

This week’s topic

The famous hospital bag
With only few weeks to go until Miss M’s due date, I guess the time has come to start packing my hospital bag for labor…

It’s the second time I will pack this famous hospital bag and the least I can say is that I will make some adjustments this time haha😉 I took loads (honestly, loads!!) of things with me for the birth of Luca. Well, I didn’t use half of them. And every day, I gave my husband a new list of things he needed to buy or bring from home to the hospital because I realized I had completely forgotten to bring them (especially as I had a C-section the first time and stayed in hospital for 5 days).

So, let me share with you a list of things I will make sure to take to the hospital this time – as well as a list of things I will not waste any space on anymore😉

This goes in the bag for sure:

For labor:

Definitely my Hypnobirthing mp3s. I have seen my Hypnobirthing teacher 4 times so far and, honestly, I have never learned so much about my body. Not only about birth. In general. I will probably still use these relaxation mp3s after Miss M’s birth. I can only recommend Hypnobirthing and will maybe try to write a separate post about it soon.
My birthplan and medical notes (hubby will need to take care of them)
An old (ideally dark-colored) pregnancy T-shirt (or just a big and comfortable one) that can get ruined
Socks: Apparently, your feet can get really cold when in labor
A pillow: One that I like but not a super nice and expensive one neither
Other things that might help me feel comfortable: a yoga mat, a birthing ball (if there’s not already one available at the hospital), a TENS machine (I will ask my doula to take one with her)
Snacks and drinks: my Hypnobirthing teacher recommended coconut water and to bring a straw; otherwise, nuts, dried fruits etc.
My glasses: I never really wear them and actually hate to wear but for the birth of little L, the doctor asked me to remove my contact lenses as it was a C-section)
My mobile (note to myself: remember to make some space on it in the next days or weeks for the 100 pictures we will probably take of Miss M!!)
Ideally my husband if he is not travelling

For the day(s) after the delivery:

Nursing bras as I plan to breastfeed
Nursing pads (they are actually useful even if you’re not planning to nurse, trust me. It’s not super sexy to have two wet circles on your shirts, especially when you have visitors).
Nipple cream (I used it quite a lot last time)
A nursing cushion: very useful when nursing a newborn I find, especially if you’ve had a C-section. Honestly, the nursing cushion made things so much easier for me the last time. So, will definitely not miss it this time.
Pyjamas or a night shirt: both should be very light as I remember I was sweating like crazy after Luca’s birth; if you’re planning to breastfeed, it might be a good idea to take some that can be unbuttoned in the front.
A dressing gown (in order to look half-decent within a second when someone is coming in the room)
Slippers
Dry shampoo: Oh, how happy would I have been to have dry shampoo with me last time! My doctor told me not to shower immediately after the C-section… Not great if you have not had the time to wash your hair before the C-section neither because you had an induction for 24h that didn’t work out… (especially, if people want to take pictures of you and the baby)
The usual toiletries, especially make-up, concealer and mascara that make you look (a little bit more) human after a sleepless night
Scent-free shower gel: After little L’s birth, a midwife explained me that babies want to smell their mum’s natural odor and not any rose-scented shower gel or so. This is especially good to know if you plan to breastfeed. Still need to find one here in Dubai though…
A hair dryer (I usually don’t like the ones in hospitals and hotels)
A little blank booklet to take notes: I took many notes after little L’s birth. And, yes, the weirdest ones. Like, for how long Luca drank on each side of my boobs, the color of his poo, how often his nappy was dirty or wet etc. I also wrote down any questions I wanted to ask the doc or nurse (and I had many, many of them after Luca’s birth) as well as any good advice we got from the midwives
A list of people I want to contact when Miss M is here (it might also be a good idea to think about the text…Hmmm)
Biscuits and chocolate: I was constantly hungry after little L’s birth…

For my hubby:

A change of clothes (you never know how long it will take…)
A toothbrush (for the same reason)
Swimwear in case I might want to use the birthing pool and he might come with me
Snacks (loads?… Last time, my husband kept eating my desserts and drinking my smoothies when I was at the hospital after the C-section haha)
Energy drinks
An iPad, smartphone (+ headphones as I don’t necessarily want to listen to Italian football games or similar things) or any other kind of entertainment
Some cash
Chargers for our mobiles, iPads, cameras etc.

For Miss M:

Some bodysuits and sleepsuits: It’s a good idea to take different sizes as you never really know how big your baby will actually be… And to take quite a few of them cause they get dirty very quickly. The other lesson I have learned is to take only super practical ones that you can open in the front. Honestly, you don’t care about super cute at 2, 4 or 6am when you need to change your little one’s diaper…
A hat: we never really used one for Luca but I am honestly afraid of the AC here in Dubai
Socks
The hospital usually provides nappies, wipes etc. but I am a bit picky, so I will bring some.
Cotton and saline solution: In Switzerland, we were advised to use this to clean little L’s eyes and nose. Actually, we still use it…
A swaddling blanket or (light) sleeping bag
Muslin squares
A foldable changing mat: I didn’t bring one for Luca’s birth but wished I had thought of it
A baby car seat and a blanket for the way home

For little L:

A gift for him that Miss M will offer him when they will meet for the first time

No way, won’t take that with me this time:

Anything else than maternity (or at least super comfortable and loose-fitting) clothes. When I had Luca I honestly packed a pair of pre-pregnancy jeans in my hospital bag. Haha. Well, I don’t think I wore it until months after little L’s birth…
Any thongs or G-strings. They rarely go with the super huge pad you’re wearing in the days after the delivery. I’ll go for maternity knickers this time – as much as I hate them…
Books. Novels. Took them with me the first time as I thought I would get bored (??!!! I honestly thought that??!) at the hospital while the baby was sleeping haha. Magazines or surfing on your mobile / iPad seems much more realistic.
All these super cute, super expensive baby clothes that you need to pull over baby’s head or (un)button at the back… Think liquid yellowish poo all over your baby’s back at 3am… If I have learned one thing from the first weeks with little L than it is to appreciate baby bodies and sleepsuits that you can open in the front.
“Le Petit Larousse des Enfants de 0 à 3 ans” or any other baby encyclopedia that explains the life of a baby / toddler during the first three years and weights about 2-3kg. Honestly, what was I thinking?!
A baby book where you can write down the baby’s weight, size etc. and add a first picture. I know it’s a very nice idea. But I just had no motivation whatsoever to fill it in… and it added to the weight of the baby encyclopedia and the novels I took with me…
Our camera… Yes, we filmed little L after his birth but no, we never used our big camera for that. Only our iPhone. Yup, that’s the truth…

If you have any other ideas about what to take or not to take to the hospital, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment! I would love to hear about your thoughts😉

Must haves for Miss M:
It happened last weekend at the ARTE market at Times Square Centre: I fell in love with a little owl. Well, to be honest, I fell in love with a whole bunch of absolutely beautiful crocheted little animals, all handmade in Dubai:

You can’t but adore the little toys made by Komeropuoti! They are simply super cute. One of the little owls has been adopted by us and is now sitting in Miss M’s bed, patiently waiting for her arrival😉

If you want to have a look at the whole collection, simply check out or, even better, visit the Komeropuoti Little Craft Shop twice a month during the ARTE market at Times Square Center.

Weeks 28-29: My Birth Plan

11 February 201630 March 2016Leave a comment

Wow… Just like that I am in the third pregnancy trimester already! Suddenly, everything is going quite fast! Next week, we will start the HypnoBirthing classes and I am starting to think more and more about the D-Day… So, this post will be about delivery and birth. And about why I think I will write a birth plan this time😉

The symptoms I am supposed to have in weeks 28 and 29 (and how I am really feeling)

Breathlessness: In the last trimester, the baby pushes more and more up and squashes the mum’s lungs. This can cause breathlessness and, even though I am only at the beginning of the third trimester, I can confirm this. Well, I am not the sportiest person on earth, I have to admit. And I gained quite some weight during this pregnancy already (well, actually less then in my first pregnancy but it feels so much more!!). So, when I climb stairs or run after little L, I become out of breath quite quickly…
Restless legs syndrome (RLS): Honestly, I had never heard of this before. Not even during my first pregnancy. Apparently, pregnant woman can get an uncomfortable crawly sensation in their lower legs towards the end of their pregnancy. This sensation appears when you’re resting and only goes away when you move your legs. Lack of iron is one of the main causes of RLS; too much caffeine can make it worse. My legs do feel heavy and I sometimes (rarely) have some cramps at night but, thankfully, no sign of RLS for now.
Insomnia: Yes. Unfortunately. Is it due to the bizarre dreams that make me wake up every second night or so? Or rather little L and his lovely 18-months sleep regression? Or maybe my hurting hips (guess this comes from changing my sleeping position… I try to sleep on the side as this is suggested during pregnancy but all the weight that is put on my right leg and hip make them hurt a lot! Maybe I should start using the nursing cushion at night…)? I don’t know really. But fact is that I am up quite often at night these days…
Return of tiredness: Well. What can I say? See point “insomnia” above haha. Yes, there is definitely a return of tiredness. There are days when I don’t feel like doing anything. Like, anything at all. I’m glad I have little L who keeps me busy and makes me forget my tiredness. But it is eventually coming back at 8pm when Luca is in bed… I hardly make it through one film or TV show without falling asleep on the sofa…

Little Miss M
Last Saturday, I had my 28 weeks scan. Oh, and the glucose tolerance test. How could I forget about this… I didn’t do the so-called oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) back in Switzerland when I was pregnant with little L as my gynecologist didn’t see the need to do so (THANK YOU, Dr. S!). Here in Dubai, it is however advised to do the OGTT (or even required by some hospitals if I got Dr. Anni right). The latter is used to detect gestational diabetes, which can be hard to diagnose sometimes and can represent a risk for pregnant women and their babies. So, on Saturday, I went to the doctor without having eaten anything (I never, really NEVER, go out of the house without having had breakfast… So, you can imagine my mood haha…). At the doctor’s, the nurse took a first blood sample to measure the level of sugar in my blood and gave me a sweet, sugary mixture to drink. Well, the least I can say is that it tasted disgusting… I felt drowsy during the next two hours when I was waiting for the other blood samples to be taken (still no food or water at this point)… Miss M on the other hand was moving around in my belly “like a headless chicken” after all the sugar she got to swallow… poor her. A second blood test one hour and a third blood test two hours later and I was finally done. Then the result after 48h that everything was ok But back to the 28 weeks scan. Miss M now weights a bit over 1.2kg and has already turned head down! This is much earlier than it was the case for Luca… Not sure if I should be happy or worried about it. Especially as my doctor told me to calm down a bit. Hmmm, we’ll see. Otherwise, Miss M seems to be perfectly fine – and that’s the good news She was hiding her face though, meaning that we didn’t really see much of her. I also learned that, at this stage in pregnancy, Miss M starts to sleep and wake at regular intervals. This sleep-wake cycle is actually quite similar to the one she will have in the first weeks after birth. So, I guess I will start writing down when she is awake to be able to prepare myself mentally😉

This week’s topic

Why I will have a birth plan this time
I didn’t have a birth plan for my first delivery back in Switzerland. I didn’t even know there was such thing as a birth plan. Funny enough cause the idea of having a “plan” for the “birth” of your child couldn’t sound more German or Swiss😉 But no, I had never heard of it before coming to Dubai.

Of course, I know that writing down a birth plan will not give me the power to control what will actually happen on the D-Day. I can hope and wish for a natural, easy, quick and painless delivery as much as I want (and, man, trust me, I do haha), if there are complications or if Miss M doesn’t want to show up at all, what can you do… But at least, I can write down my wishes and make them clear to my doctor, my doula and maybe even the midwives at Al Zahra Hospital.

Cause I think I was extremely lucky last time, when I had little L. No, not because I had the easy and painless delivery I wished for back then (this was not the case… read the whole birth story here). After the medical induction of labor failed to work, Luca was born by C-section. But I was still very lucky, I feel. Because I had an amazing midwife on my side during the operation. One who strongly believed in the positive effects of immediate skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding after birth. Not only did she make sure that little L stayed with me for a while after he was born (even though I was still in the operating room), she also arranged that my husband could hold him until I was brought to the recovery room where I started nursing Luca. She even took pictures of the whole operation and of the moment when Luca was born. Well, that’s another story but I cannot thank her enough for having suggested doing this for us. I wouldn’t even have thought of it and it is such a feeling thing to look at these pictures now. Especially when you had a C-section and felt a bit “left out” of the whole birthing process.

If we have had a different midwife or if the induction had actually worked and I have had a natural delivery, oh my, it probably would have been a different story all together.

I had never thought about the benefits of immediate skin-to-skin contact or breastfeeding before having little L. I had no clue about my preferences during labor neither. Nobody, not my doctor, nor my husband or the midwives, not even myself knew if I preferred to lay down or walk around during the first stage of labor. Nobody knew which methods of pain relief I was considering, if I wanted an episiotomy and if we wanted to stay with our baby for a while before the medical exam and procedures were given. Nobody knew if we were ok with formula or a pacifier. And honestly, I cannot imagine that I would have been able to give a response to all these questions immediately before or during labor…

It’s very unlike me not to have thought about all this. But it was our first child. We were clueless. And nobody had told us all the points we should think about. Not even the midwives during the antenatal “crash course” that we attended some weeks before the birth because we had no time to attend the regular classes. (Well, maybe I should have read the last chapter of the dozens of books on birth I had bought but I never got to the last chapter haha).

This time though, I know much better what I want. I still believe that you cannot “plan” anything when it comes to giving birth. There is something unpredictable about labor that forces you to remain flexible. But I certainly know what kind of labor I am wishing for. And I know my preferences. So, I will make sure my doctor and doula do know them as well this time.

That’s the reason why I will write down a birth plan this time. “An outline of how you would like things to go during your baby’s birth”. Sounds simple. But it is not that easy. I had a look at different examples and one of the most comprehensive ones I’ve found is the one suggested by TheBump.com. Of course, Al Zahra hospital might not “allow” or offer all the options included in this plan BUT reading them made me think about my preferences and raised some questions, which I will need to discuss with my gynecologist and doula next time I see them. It’s important to talk through all questions. For example, I was quite keen on a water birth. But my gynecologist told me that this sadly was no option for a VBAC.

I also like the idea of writing down some open questions and trying to answer them for myself, such as:

What would be the idea birth environment for me? For example, do I like to listen to music or do I prefer a quiet environment? If music, which kind of music? And so on.

What exercises and labor positions do I think I will feel comfortable with? Do I like to get a massage or do I prefer not to be “touched”?

What does my partner feel comfortable with? (It might actually be a good thing to discuss this with my husband at one point cause, even though we briefly discussed things before Luca’s birth, we never really talked about his “role” during labor… Does he want to cut the umbilical cord or even “catch the baby”??).

There are also more complex questions that might be worth talking about, such as the question of stem cell collection. Or placenta encapsulation. I won’t discuss these questions in detail now but they are certainly worth thinking about.

It’s funny how unprepared and anxious I still feel for the delivery of my second child and how much better prepared I feel at the same time. Sounds weird, I know. And, probably, this doesn’t make any sense. It’s just that you think of so many more things and know so much better what you want for your second delivery. But, at the same time, every birth is different. It will be a completely new and unpredictable experience this time. Just like Miss M will be a completely different person than little L…

So, writing a birth plan is not that much about planning the D-Day. I think it’s more about knowing what you want and what you feel comfortable with – for you, your partner and your baby. It’s about making sure that everyone is working as a team. You, your partner, your doc and doula, and the midwives. It’s about communicating and making things easier.

That’s why I will write a birth plan this time.

Facebook groups
At this point, I would like to share some Facebook groups with you, which I find quite useful as a pregnant mummy here in Dubai:

Must haves for Miss M:
Shoes… I know what you think. Babies don’t need shoes. I agree. They don’t. I bought quite a few pairs of shoes for little L when he was a tiny little baby. And he rarely (never?!) wore them. But that doesn’t keep me from checking out baby shoes for Miss M. And she’s a girl after all. Girls do need nice shoes. And there will be her Christening coming up. And little L’s second birthday… Well, a lot of good reasons to check out shoes, I would say haha. And they are simply so damn cute. So, here are two of my favorite brands for baby shoes:

Moxilicious
Not only do I love the trendy design of Moxilicious’ soft sole moccs, they are also made out of genuine leather and super comfortable! Plus, I really like the ladies who created the brand. Enough reasons for me to be in the starting blocks already to buy Miss M her first pair of Moxilicious😉 Two of my favorite models for my little princess are definitely the bow moccs and the ballerinas with Swarovski stones. Another advantage: the moccs are made here in Dubai, meaning that you can order online and get them immediately. If you want to meet the fabulous ladies who create them, head to the Ripe Market that takes place in Zabeel Park every Friday!

Website: www.moxilicious.com
IG: @moxiliciousdxb

Wren’s Nest Creations
I came across this IG account quite recently and all I can say is that I immediately fell in love with the beautiful handmade soft-soled shoes this mum creates! They are lined with organic cotton and even have a padded insole for extra comfort. I am sure Miss M will love that😉 Also good to know: the smaller sizes have elastic over the arch so that the shoes don’t slip off our little princess’ tiny feet. Only thing to consider: you need to wait patiently until these little beauties, which are made to order in the US, arrive here in Dubai.

Website: www.wrensnestcreations.com
IG: @wrensnestcreations

Weeks 19 & 20: In the Emergency Section

11 December 201530 March 20162 Comments

Well, apparently, there really is no time for writing at the moment… The last two weeks have once again been full of emotions… Not only was hubby home for 4 days (to celebrate the national day of the beautiful country that has welcomed us one year ago already!), we also welcomed Luca’s new granny (a German nanny of a certain age) in our family. Little L had his first operation with full anesthesia (all went well but I am more than glad that it is behind us now…) and I rushed to Al Zahra emergency section one night… The latter was not really planned I have to say. I’ll tell you more about it in this post.

The symptoms I am supposed to have in weeks 19 & 20 (and how I am really feeling)

Dizziness: Apparently, a lot of pregnant women feel dizzy, especially in the second trimester. This is due to many reasons, including the low blood pressure and low levels of iron in the blood. Thankfully, I haven’t experienced dizziness so far. At least, not very often.
Leg pain: No real pain but my legs definitely feel much heavier than usual, especially after a long day spent running after little L and carrying him…
Stretch marks: No sign of stretch marks for now and I am really happy about this. Maybe the fabulous products I am using have something to do with it (see previous post😉
Itchy skin: I’ve experienced this a lot during my first pregnancy but not that much in my second one. Well, it might still come. Let’s wait and see.

Little Miss M
We had a special meeting in week 19, little Miss M and me. I was happy to see her on the screen of my doc, of course, but I would have preferred to see her under other circumstances… But the most important thing is that she seemed to be perfectly fine. She has grown so much again and is now nearly the size of a banana! Apparently, our little miss can now clearly hear my voice (she will know all the nursery rhythms I am singing for little L before even being born haha). I should talk more to her but it has been so busy the last days or even weeks that I barely had the time to sit down and spend a moment only concentrating on the two of us. Will make that a priority on my to-to-list: spend more time with Miss M ;-)

This week’s topic

Take care of yourself…
…even though you might think that you don’t have time to do so. And even if it is you’re second pregnancy and you might think that all will be fine anyways.

When I was pregnant with little L I wanted to do everything right. I paid attention to every little sign that could indicate a potential problem. But when you’re pregnant for the second time and have a toddler to look after, well, everything is a bit different. In general, you are more easygoing. After all, you’ve all done it before – and everything went well. I am not as worried as I was in my first pregnancy. I know that I shouldn’t carry any heavy things. But my 16-months old doesn’t know about it. Or rather, he doesn’t care. So, when he wants to be picked up and carried, I do it. Because I love him (and because I don’t have the choice anyways haha).

When you’re pregnant with your second child you also have much less time to think about the little bean growing inside your body. Of course, you’re excited but you don’t think about it 24/7 (which I feel I did when I was expecting little L😉 )… But then, suddenly, something happens that reminds you that you’re carrying another human being and that you should pay a bit more attention to yourself…

The last weeks have been super busy. Moving flats, an ill toddler at home who hasn’t gone to nursery for weeks and who wasn’t sleeping that well, a new granny arriving, a first operation for Luca… There was not much time for sleep or a nap during the day. Then, one evening, I saw blood in my urine. (Sorry for the details…. I was hesitating to writing about it but then, I thought it might be good to share this experience as well as it is also part of the whole pregnancy journey). When I saw it, I was a bit scared at first but not too much to be honest as I felt no pain whatsoever. I called my gynecologist to ask her if there was any risk for the baby and any reason to worry. She told me to go directly to an emergency section as all doctor cabinets were already closed and the long National Holiday weekend was about to come up.

Even at that point, I was still more or less relaxed, mostly due to the fact that I had no pain. Our new granny and me went to Al Zahra Emergency section while my husband stayed home with little L (it was the first day after our granny’s arrival in Dubai… Not exactly the welcome package we had planned for her but what can you do…). At this point, I would like to underline how well organized Al Zahra Emergency section is (at least, that’s the impression I got). Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable as well. Plus, they were constantly in contact with my gynecologist, Dr. Anni Engberg Faelling. That’s something I really appreciated.

We hesitated quite a long time before choosing a hospital where I would give birth. If you want your own gynecologist to be present at that moment, it’s quite important which hospital you choose as gynecologists don’t do deliveries in just any hospital. We considered three hospitals in Dubai: American Hospital, Mediclinic City Hospital and Al Zahra Hospital. All of them give you the possibility to visit their respective maternity sections, which is quite useful and nice.

Here are the timings:

Al Zahra Hospital
Saturday afternoons and Wednesday evenings
For exact timings call 04 378 6666
On appointment only

Mediclinic City Hospital
There are 3 session every Friday, at 11am, 2pm, 4pm
No need to make an appointment
For more info call 04 435 9999

American Hospital
When I called they told me that there was no maternity tour organized but that we could come and have a look at the maternity and talk to a nurse. Very friendly staff on the phone
For more info call 04 336 7777

We had a look at the maternity sections of Al Zahra and City Hospital. Both of them were satisfying, really, although the one of Al Zahra seems to give more options for women who want to go for a natural birth. They even have Dubai’s first water birth facility, which is part of a new suite offering a unique environment for hypnobirthing and active birth! Read more about it in Sassymama’s article and on Gulfnews.com.

But this was not the only reason why we finally opted for Al Zahra Hospital. It’s also much closer to Dubai Marina where we live. You can of course reach Dubai Health Care City in less than half an hour from here but this depends on the traffic… And who knows when little Miss M will decide to say hello! It might just as well be at rush hour haha

So, well, back to last week’s events.

We spent the whole evening at the emergency section of Al Zahra Hospital doing different tests, talking to different nurses and doctors. I was much calmer than I would have been during my first pregnancy, for sure. Also, talking to our new granny helped. I even went home before we got the results of the tests as I was pretty sure that everything was ok.

It’s only when the doctor called me one hour after arriving at home and told me that I had a severe urinary tract infection (UTI) that might have reached my kidneys that I got concerned. He asked me to come back immediately and prescribed antibiotics and a check with my gynecologist as soon as possible after the bank holiday…

Hopefully, this stupid UTI has gone away by now, after a 5-days treatment with antibiotics… I will have a second check with my gynecologist soon. Let’s wait and see.

I wanted to share this experience for several reasons. First, I had no idea that you could get a urinary tract infection and have no symptoms whatsoever. Usually, UTI is very painful, so, I was not expecting this. This makes it so much more dangerous… So, drink loads and loads of water when you’re pregnant (and even when you’re not😉 ) and go to the toilet as soon as you feel the need to do so to prevent it (no more “first, I finish preparing my toddler’s lunch and then I will go” and then you forget about it). You can also drink cranberry juice or take cranberry capsules.

Second, listen to your body. I had some light pain in the lower part of my tummy and in the back, felt a bit tired and had a headache before discovering the blood in the urine. But I completely ignored these symptoms as I thought that they meant nothing at all. Just a bit too much stress the last days. Well, fact is that you should never ignore this kind of pain when you’re pregnant (have a look here to discover, which symptoms you should watch out for).

Must haves for Miss M:
Let’s continue with something a bit more joyful😉 One of the things I am really looking forward to is to go shopping for little Miss M. Of course, there are really nice clothes for boys as well – but dressing a baby girl simply is something different. Just have a look at this super cute top and bloomer from Jules & Juliette (music box from Annabel Kern)! Can’t wait to start the shopping You can have a look at Jules & Juliette’s beautiful collections the next time you walk across Ripe Market. Or simply check out #julesandjuliette on Instagram or on .

xxx Tani

Tag: pregnan in Dubai

Weeks 32-34: Packing my Hospital Bag

Weeks 28-29: My Birth Plan

Weeks 19 & 20: In the Emergency Section

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