"One way to measure a baby this size is called crown to rump (CRL). from the crown, or top of your baby's head, to the bottom (rump), your baby measures about 1.5 to 2.5 milimetres by the end of this week. Very small, but very busy.
A couple of major milestones happen this week. Your baby's heart begins to beat and the neural folds (the folds of tissue that become the brain and spinal cord) are fusing. This means that you can almost begin to differentiate the head from the tail (a vestige that reabsorbs into the body as the baby becomes a fetus). However even with ultrasound, you still may not see as much as you'd like." - excerpt from The Complete Illustrated Pregnancy Companion by Robin Elise Weiss with Dr. Marcello Pietrantoni.
I had just adjusted to working life at Petronas and liking the portfolio I was managing when a life changing incident shifted my priorities. Part of my routine duties include going to the lubricant blending plant in Malacca to resolve legal matters and issues.
On 18 August 2009, I drove Bebe to Malacca for one of such meetings. Upon arrival, I went to the water closet before the start of what was to be an all day meeting. What I saw that morning shocked and rocked me to my inner core.
Blood!
Immediately, I texted my GP (had yet to select an Ob-Gyn!) for advice. He replied that I was to remain calm and go to the nearest ER at any good private hospital near by. The nearest good private hospital is located in Malacca town, another good 40 minutes' drive away!
Not wanting to cause another delay to an already late tender issue for the lubricant plant's expansion, I sat down to chair the meeting and tried to remain calm whilst praying hard that everything would be alright for the lil life that was growing within me.
The meeting ended at 6pm and I drove back to KL in the thunderstorm. Z agreed with me that any good private hospital in KL would be better than in Malacca, especially if I were to be admitted.
The nearest private hospital to The Apartment is Gleneagles Ampang. After a quick dinner and solat isya', we drove to Gleneagles Ampang and was made to wait 3 hours before the Medical Officer saw me. It was the peak of Swine Flu too and we had to sit there uncomfortably at the not-so-ER wearing masks!
The Medical Officer "dismissed" that the slight bleeding could be caused by implantation bleeding and I was given a steroid injection to stabilise the fetus. A referral and appointment to the Ob-Gyn was made for the following morning.
The following morning at the ObGyn's office, I was made to wait another 3 hours for a transvaginal ultrasound. We saw Jr's gestational sac and a beating dot a.k.a. the heart.
Thankful that everything was alright, I was so deeply moved that an auto-assessment of what is really important to me in my life kickstarted. Career versus Baby. The plans for me to be based out of Europe for a few months in my professional capacity kind of flew out of the window of my Petronas Tower 1 office as I could not imagine coping with my first pregnancy alone in Italy. Forget the joy of working. Forget all the handbags and shoes designers. Forget all the beautiful sites to visit with Z.
By the way, I swore not to return to Gleneagles Ampang if I could simply because I did not enjoy the long wait!
**Retrospective Wisdom: When Allah presents an opportunity, He may also present another opportunity. What you choose is your trust in Him that He will Provide.**
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