The mysterious case of the low-lying placenta

I had my first pregnancy scare at the weekend as I experienced slight spotting (or bleeding). Apparently bleeding during pregnancy is not as rare as you might think and can be caused by any number of things, although miscarriage is naturally the first thing which springs to an anxious mother-to-be's mind! In any case, the general advice is to ring the hospital straight away - and when I did, I was told to come in immediately.

Fortunately a quick check and a scan put my mind at rest. The ultrasound showed that I have what is known as a low-lying placenta. This happens when the placenta is near (or covering) the cervix, with the result that as everything grows and moves about, bits of the placenta break off and cause bleeding. Apparently this condition usually resolves itself as the pregnancy progresses. As the uterus grows, the placenta literally moves up with it. Meanwhile the best thing to do is take it easy.

If you're one of the unlucky few whose placenta doesn't play ball, in later pregnancy the condition becomes known as Placenta Praevia, an altogether more serious diagnosis due to the increased risk of haemorrhage. This usually means that a caesarean section is on the cards. So if my placenta is listening, onwards and upwards I say!

CAMNAB: The Campaign For Non-Alcoholic Beer

Spot the difference: NAB (left); Normal version (right)

In England there is a society called CAMRA - The Campaign for Real Ale. Well I'm now starting my own version in Singapore: CAMNAB - The Campaign for Non-Alcoholic Beer. First, let me say that giving up alcohol during pregnancy has so far proved much easier than I thought. Let's face it, during the first three months I would puke as soon as think about drinking a glass of wine. The fine Chablis which I once savoured suddenly tasted like weed killer.

But now I'm in the second trimester and the horrible morning sickness has passed, there are times when I quite fancy something that at least resembles a proper drink. Fortunately, alcohol-free beer has moved on since the Kaliber days and it's now possible to buy stuff which looks and tastes just like the real thing. (I should point out that technically alcohol-free beer is not totally alcohol free. It's normally 0.3-0.5% ABV, although by pre-pregnancy standards that's not even the fumes off my G&T).

Despite these great advances, alcohol-free beer often doesn't even get a look in as many places in Singapore seem to have other ideas for tee-totallers. If I see one more bar menu giving me an option of a Shirley Temple (a sickly sweet mixture of Grenadine and lemonade) or a Gunner (a sickly sweet mixture of ginger ale and ginger beer) I think I will scream. Clearly I have a lot more research to do (ahem!) in the quest for alcohol-free beer but so far here's what I found:

Cheers to:

Brotzeit - Top marks for offering a choice of not one but two alcohol free beers: "regular" lager and a superb Weissbier, both under the Paulaner brand. (Presumably this means that Paulaner Bauhaus at Millenia Walk is also a possibility!). http://www.brotzeit1516.com/

Handle Bar - Serves Becks Non-Alcoholic bottles in cool "Stolen from the Handlebar" stubbie holders. http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/clubs/venues/bars/handle-bar

Brussels Sprouts - Hot off the press! After hearing rumours on the preggo grapevine of NAB at this place, I emailed them and it's confirmed that they stock Juliper N.A. http://www.brusselssprouts.com.sg/

Bottled Out:

Wala Wala - A NAB-free zone, our former perennial favourite loses additional marks as soft drinks are not included in their one-for-one promo. It's almost as expensive to drink soft drinks as beer!

Harry's Bar - Unbelievably, the biggest bar chain in Singapore is stuck in the Shirley Temple rut.

Muddy Murphys - What can I say? They're Irish!

Brewerkz - Their own brewery on site, yet still not able to whip up an alcohol-free batch? Shame on you Brewerkz!

Belly Belt

What better way to kick off Bellytastic than with the Belly Belt? This ingenious device, which I found in Mothercare, allows you to continue wearing your normal clothes by adjusting to your expanding waistline. It consists of four sections of elasticated waist band (two with buttons and two with clips), which are threaded through a panel of white, blue or black material. You hook up the belt to either side of your normal trousers and tuck the panel in behind the open zip area and hey presto!

It's a great idea for pregnant ladies who have a wardrobe full of decent clothes and dread going into the style-bypass wasteland of maternity wear. However I can't help but think that The Belly Belt has missed an even larger market: fat people who insist on wearing their trousers two sizes too small. Well okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, but what about after Christmas dinner when you immediately loosen off your belt to make more breathing space? There are times when even the most saintly of us could use a Belly Belt!

Welcome!

Ask my opinion on childbirth a few years ago and I'd usually say "not until science comes up with a big enough test tube!" Balancing a hectic work and social life, frankly I could think of better things to do than changing nappies and mopping up baby sick. But hey, time marches on and things change. Finally, 14 weeks pregnant with my first child, it's time to eat those words as I look forward to our new arrival with a mixture of excitement and sheer terror!

Have we bitten off more than we can chew? Was it really wise to move into a penthouse with a Jacuzzi and three balconies? Are my breasts on a one-way trip to the South Pole? Where is the baby going to sleep? What on earth is a perineum, and why would one want cream for it? Please tell me I won't have to wear clothes like that! Are those pads really meant for me, or for loft insulation?! And most of all, where's the instruction manual?

Bellytastic tracks my mission to find the answers to these (and no doubt many other) questions. It's going to be a rollercoaster ride, but I'm sure it will be a lot of fun at the same time. As a first-timer I really have no idea what to expect, what to buy (or where to shop), so while I'll share everything I find along the way, hints and tips are most welcome!