Pregnancy: 20 weeks - Half Way Mark!

(Source: Babycentre.com.au)

Your baby measures about 6.5 inches/ 16.5 centimetres from crown to rump and is steadily gaining weight. A whitish coat of a slick, fatty substance called vernix caseosa begins to cover your baby and protects the skin during its long immersion in amniotic fluid. It also eases delivery. The baby's swallowing more this week, good practice for the digestive system. After your baby takes in amniotic fluid, his body absorbs the water in the liquid and moves the rest into the large bowel. You may want to look into a childbirth education class if you haven't done so already. Whether you are a first-time parent or want a refresher course, you will benefit from a structured class either way. No matter what the philosophy behind it, an antenatal class can help prepare you for the rigours of labour and delivery. You should plan to have completed the classes by 37 weeks, when you'll be considered full-term and labour could start at any time.

Be extra vigilant about getting enough iron. Your baby needs it to make red blood cells, among other things. In fact, it's almost impossible for you to get too much from food alone without overeating. Iron-rich foods include lean red meat, poultry, fish, lentils, spinach, and iron-fortified cereals. See our eating well guide to round up everything you need to know.

Ok so as per adviced by babycentre, I have since gone to book our Prenatal classes which normally begins sometime btw Week 28-30 of your pregnancy. Since we will only be back in Oz when I'm at 33wks, we've decided to do a crash course instead when I'm at 35&36wks. So two Sundays on Aug 10th & 17th for 4hrs at Knox Private Hospital. The cost is AUD$160 for the full course but your health insurance should cover this (make sure you are on the premium hospital cover).

Just two nights ago, Mr M finally accompanied me to the dreaded maternity wear shop in Novena. Golly gosh I couldn't believe how bad the maternity fashion truly is.. All of the clothes really looked like aunties or if not.. a grandmother! Not only that, the mark up of these clothes is HUGE! A normal elastic black pants is like a whopping $69! Luckily it was 50% off so I bought two - one black, one brown, the more plain the better! Then the lady tried to sell me 'pregnancy shoes' which mind you was extremely comfortable but once again, it was like a whopping $250 for a pair PLUS it truly looked like what a grandmother would wear... *faints*

After patronising this shop, we went next door to the lingerie shop called E2. It was there that the sales assistant showed me how a 'maternity bra' looked like.. and once again.. extremely unsexy, old fashioned, no padding & all filled with lace which I'm sure would pretty much appeal to the typical traditional old English women.. sigh.. I could not believe that in about 5mths time, I too would be joining the clan of an aunty stuck in a young woman's body..

To my dismay, I also discovered that my cup size has also gone up a size! Since I live in Singapore & majority of the women are 'small', the law of demand and supply meant that I have to pay a premium price as my punishment for being the 'outlier' of the normal distribution. The bra costed me $79! yep that's right.. more than my two pair of pants!

Now why didn't anyone tell me about this HUGE hidden cost in pregnancy as well?