• About
  • Author
  • Contact
  • Sponsors
  • Site
  • Privacy
  • Home

The Mommy Abroad

Adventures of a Working Expat Mom in the Middle East

  • Baby
  • Buys
  • Family
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Mom
  • Work
  • Links

Thursday, 15 September 2016

The Mommy Abroad Reloaded

Now a family
Welcome to The Mommy Abroad, reloaded.

That is, this is not the first time I have created a “mommy blog.” It was late in November 2014, seemingly a lifetime ago, when I found out I was seven weeks pregnant. To celebrate the occasion in true webbie fashion, I bought a .com, created a separate cPanel account on my reseller for my WordPress CMS, and signed up for matching Pinterest, Tumblr and Twitter accounts. I even created a FaceBook Page that people could like. The title was The Mommy Abroad, to indicate my impending induction into motherhood and the fact that I am an expatriate.

This initial incarnation of my motherhood journal was officially launched on 28th November. Sadly, my online project barely lasted a month. Read on, from the very beginning.

It was on 26 November 2014 when I went to see my dentist for the surgical extraction of my bottom-left wisdom tooth. The tooth had been bothering me since earlier that month. As I age, the tooth sunk deeper into my gums, incomplete in terms of growth since it had no space to fully develop. Like my top-left wisdom tooth, which was removed in 2010, it started to hurt as time went by and removing it was the best solution to get rid of the recurring pain.

Earlier that same week, another health-related occurrence had been bothering me: my period was late. I never had a delayed period in my entire life, since I first started getting the monthlies when I was 11 years old. It was due middle of November, but almost two weeks on, there were no signs of my period. I mentioned this to my husband and we decided to wait until the end of the month before I took a pregnancy test, since climate changes often cause delayed periods.

When it was my turn at the dentist’s chair, she asked me if I was pregnant, which was standard procedure for all her female patients who would be administered anesthesia. I informed her about my delayed period and she asked me how often do I get delayed. I, of course, told her “never.” She advised me and my husband straightaway to get a pregnancy test kit from a nearby pharmacy. She would not proceed with the surgical tooth extraction until she was certain that I was not pregnant.

My husband got the kit and I used it right there at the dental clinic. Three minutes later, I saw two stripes. Positive.

Needless to say, the dentist did not proceed with the dental surgery. Instead, she put temporary filling on my problematic wisdom tooth and advised us to see an obstetrician as soon as possible, recommending a few in our part of the city.

That very evening, my husband and I went to see the specialist doctor at the medical centre close to our apartment building. She recommended that I go through some laboratory tests, including an ultrasound. I was prescribed some vitamin supplements for a healthy pregnancy. I was also advised to stop intense exercises and, generally, change my diet and fitness routine. It was figured out that I was six weeks into my pregnancy and, thus, well into the first half of the delicate, crucial first trimester.

This was my first pregnancy. The news was met with joy and excitement by my our family and friends. More so when they saw me in person, already showing, when we went home to the Philippines in the first week of December.

Midway through the month, at around 10 weeks of pregnancy, I had my first ultrasound that had a heartbreaking result: I was pregnant with twins. Neither twin had a heartbeat. I was advised to give it two more weeks and given medication that could potentially turn the situation around. We traveled back to Oman, with mixed emotions of anxiety, hope and sadness.

I had another ultrasound on the 1st of January 2015, following two days of increasingly heavier bleeding. The results were, tragically, the same. Given the fact that I was already bleeding significantly by then, the obstetrician/gynecologist at the hospital advised that I should get a D&C as soon as possible. Further delay could cost my own life.

My husband and I decided right then and there to have the procedure the following day. On January 2nd, I checked into the hospital at 7:30 AM, got prepped by the nurses and was put to sleep around noon with a general anesthetic. I woke up a few hours later, alive and safe, my belly emptied of my babies. I was home that evening, crying most of the time.

The road to physical recovery was fairly easy, due to my natural strength and athletic background. The emotional bit was much harder; even after more than a year, sometimes I still remember the twins, who never had their shot a life, and shed tears.

In August 2015, I found out I was pregnant again. The child was conceived in July. In an ultrasound the following month, the baby (not twins this time) was found to be healthy. More scans in the last quarter of 2015 informed us that our child was a girl. Her due date was 14 April 2016.

Our daughter Arya was born in Muscat a few days before she was due, at 39 weeks and two days of gestational age. I was in labor for 25 hours, but every minute of anticipation, pain and tension was well worth it.

I did not really think to go back to blogging and web design until after my first child was born. It took me a few more months to decide to return to writing my experiences as a first-time mother. I am an author and journalist, after all, and I will always go back to words to complete my life.

Thank you very much for visiting my site, and for reading this. You are in for a ride. And I have a feeling this is only the start of something amazing and beautiful.

Image credit: Pixabay

Related

By: Shi · In: Baby, Mom, Site · Tagged: blog, childbirth, dentist, doctor, miscarriage, motherhood, pregnancy, social media, teeth, twins, ultrasound, welcome

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Shi is a multi-lingual published author, award-winning journalist, blogger, web savant, grad student and master home chef. By trade, she is a finance advisor, international fitness coach and pro shopper. Originally from Philippines, she and her husband have lived in Muscat since October 2007. Their first child, a bouncing baby girl, was born in Oman on April 2016. Please feel free to share some love ♥

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Mailing List

Ads & Sponsors

Advertise here/sponsor a post

Pinterest

FaceBook

FaceBook

Twitter

My Tweets

Tumblr

Grocery shopping like a boss

Archives

Disclosure

Affiliate links are used in some posts, from which a commission may be received from purchase. Reviews of products and businesses are based on the author's own experiences. AdSense and sponsor banners appear throughout this domain. Blog owner takes no responsibility for their website content.

Colophon

The Mommy Abroad is Shi's journal on her journey and experiences as a first-time mother living and working in the Middle East as an expatriate. It has been live since 15 September 2016, with visitors to date. Donations and sponsorships are welcome for site upkeep.

Connect

Tags

baby shower blog blood test childbirth cramps dentist doctor doppler scan expecting first trimester first words fitness glucose test gross motor skills hospital bag kissing marriage milestones miscarriage morning sickness motherhood nutrition pregnancy second trimester sitting skin problems social media talking teeth third trimester twins ultrasound walkers weight gain welcome

follow @themommyabroad

Exploring #music at 3! #piano #musician #preschool Exploring #music at 3! #piano #musician #preschooler #babiesofinstagram #unicorngirl #rainbows #kids #kidsfashion #girlsfashion #unicorn
Her first swim at six months old! #swimming #swimm Her first swim at six months old! #swimming #swimmingpool #babies #babiesofinstagram #throwback #mommyanddaughter
My daughter #grocery #shopping at #16months old! S My daughter #grocery #shopping at #16months old! She picks out her own #food now that she's a young lady. #babies #babiesofinstagram #cute #minniemouse #mickeymouse #disney #toys #muscat #toddlers #toddlerfashion
#Dancing at #14monthsold! #babies #babiesofinstagr #Dancing at #14monthsold! #babies #babiesofinstagram #toddlers #toddlerfashion #hellokitty #cute #toddler #dance #kids #jeans #hearts #candid
At one year old, she was all about #mickeymouse ge At one year old, she was all about #mickeymouse gear. #disney #minniemouse #babies #babiesofinstagram #cute #babyfashion #rideordie #cars #fastandfurious
When your husband and daughter go #shopping for #a When your husband and daughter go #shopping for #accessories... #kids #fathersanddaughters #toddlers  #sunglasses #rainbow #cute #selfie #dads #babiesofinstagram #babies
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Privacy Policy

© 2021 Shi · Powered by A2 Hosting ♥