I'm now approaching my 20th week! From my last check-up, I gained 3 kilos. From 44 kgs., I'm now 47 kg. I also had my second leg cramps attack the other night, sigh..but aside from that, I'm feeling perfectly well. I can also feel now that the baby's moving. I think the moves are the baby's reaction when I'm hungry, bloated (LOL!) or when the baby do hiccups. I'm happy whenever I feel the movements.

My next prenatal checkup will be on the 7th of November. I'm hoping that by that time I'm not yet overweight. I'm eating too much lately (lol!). I'm also busy now choosing for the baby's name. We want the baby to have the same initial as my lovely daughter JM. I'm enjoying looking and mix-matching names, haha. I'll post the name here when I already made the final decision and when we already kew baby #2's gender.

When I was searching the internet for room interior designs for our house, one of the things I searched is bathroom designs. Then I stumbled upon betterbathrooms.com and I can’t help but drool over the luxurious bathroom fixtures I saw from their site. It was also the time I learned that there’s such a term as bathroom suites. Betterbathrooms.com is a company based in UK and a one stop shop for those who want to have their own bathroom suite. There you can find all the things you’ll need for a nice, luxurious bathroom. They have everything from tiles, shower items, sinks, bath tubs to Jacuzzi. They also have package deals that customers can choose from. Everything you need to know is on their website so customers will be guided properly. You can also read various reviews from their satisfied customers.

So, who wouldn’t want to have nice, comfortable and relaxing bathrooms, right? I guess everyone would really love to be in a place in the house where one can relax, and the bathroom is one of that places where we can also have our “me” times specially if a bathroom is spacious, and complete with all bathroom furniture and fixtures including a Jacuzzi! If I'll have that bathroom, I'm sure I’ll spend many times in that place :D.

When I learned that I'm pregnant I immediately asked my OB all the foods that I need to avoid until after the baby's born. She told me to avoid tuna because of it's high mercury content. So for now I'm avoiding tuna even those that are canned. I seldom eat tuna so I know I can survive even if I don't eat them. My only problem is that I didn't know that "tulingan" is also a fish that belongs to the tuna family :(. I'm scared since I ate "sinaing na tulingan" two days in a row last week...I just pray that it won't cause any harm to my baby...

Anyway, here are some other foods that pregnant women should avoid according to American Pregnancy:

Raw Meat: Uncooked seafood and rare or undercooked beef or poultry should be avoided because of the risk of contamination with coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella.

Deli Meat: Deli meats have been known to be contaminated with listeria, which can cause miscarriage. Listeria has the ability to cross the placenta and may infect the baby leading to infection or blood poisoning, which may be life-threatening. If you are pregnant and you are considering eating deli meats, make certain that you reheat the meat until it is steaming.

Fish with Mercury: Fish that contain high levels of mercury should be avoided. Mercury consumed during pregnancy has been linked to developmental delays and brain damage. A sample of these types of fish include: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. Canned, chunk light tuna generally has a lower amount of mercury than other tuna, but still should only be eaten in moderation. Certain types of fish used in sushi should also be avoided due to high levels of mercury. Please see Mercury in Fish for specific types of fish and further information on how to calculate mercury levels.

Smoked Seafood -Refrigerated, smoked seafood often labeled as lox, nova style, kippered, or jerky should be avoided because it could be contaminated with Listeria. (These are safe to eat when they are in an ingredient in a meal that has been cooked, like a casserole.) This type of fish is often found in the deli section of your grocery store. Canned or shelf-safe smoked seafood is usually OK to eat.

Fish Exposed to Industrial Pollutants: Avoid fish from contaminated lakes and rivers that may be exposed to high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls. This is primarily for those who fish in local lakes and streams. These fish include: bluefish, striped bass, salmon, pike, trout, and walleye. Contact the local health department or Environmental Protection Agency to determine which fish are safe to eat in your area. Remember, this is regarding fish caught in local waters and not fish from your local grocery store.

Raw Shellfish: The majority of seafood-borne illness is caused by undercooked shellfish, which include oysters, clams, and mussels. Cooking helps prevent some types of infection, but it does not prevent the algae-related infections that are associated with red tides. Raw shellfish pose a concern for everybody, and they should be avoided altogether during pregnancy.

Raw Eggs: Raw eggs or any foods that contain raw eggs should be avoided because of the potential exposure to salmonella. Some homemade Caesar dressings, mayonnaise, homemade ice cream or custards, and Hollandaise sauces may be made with raw eggs.

If the recipe is cooked at some point, this will reduce the exposure to salmonella. Commercially manufactured ice cream, dressings, and eggnog are made with pasteurized eggs and do not increase the risk of salmonella. Restaurants should be using pasteurized eggs in any recipe that is made with raw eggs, such as Hollandaise sauce or dressings.

Soft Cheeses: Imported soft cheeses may contain bacteria called Listeria, which can cause miscarriage. Listeria has the ability to cross the placenta and may infect the baby leading to infection or blood poisoning, which can be life-threatening. You would need to avoid soft cheeses such as: Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, Feta, Gorgonzola and Mexican style cheeses that include queso blanco and queso fresco, unless they clearly state that they are made from pasteurized milk. All soft non-imported cheeses made with pasteurized milk are safe to eat.

Unpasteurized Milk: Unpasteurized milk may contain bacteria called listeria, which can cause miscarriage. Listeria has the ability to cross the placenta and may infect the baby leading to infection or blood poisoning, which can be life-threatening. Make sure that any milk you drink is pasteurized.

Pate: Refrigerated pate or meat spreads should be avoided because they may contain the bacteria listeria. Canned pate, or shelf-safe meat spreads can be eaten.

Caffeine: Although most studies show that caffeine intake in moderation is OK, there are others that show that caffeine intake may be related to miscarriages. Avoid caffeine during the first trimester to reduce the likelihood of a miscarriage. As a general rule, caffeine should be limited to fewer than 300 mg per day during pregnancy. Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it helps eliminate fluids from the body. This can result in water and calcium loss. It is important that you are drinking plenty of water, juice, and milk rather than caffeinated beverages. Some research shows that large amounts of caffeine are associated with miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight, and withdrawal symptoms in infants. The safest thing is to refrain from consuming caffeine.

Alcohol: There is NO amount of alcohol that is known to be safe during pregnancy, and therefore alcohol should be avoided during pregnancy. Prenatal exposure to alcohol can interfere with the healthy development of the baby. Depending on the amount, timing, and pattern of use, alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or other developmental disorders. If you consumed alcohol before you knew you were pregnant, stop drinking now. You should continue to avoid alcohol during breastfeeding. Exposure of alcohol to an infant poses harmful risks, and alcohol does reach the baby during breastfeeding.

Unwashed Vegetables: Yes, vegetables are safe to eat, so you still need to eat them. However, it is essential to make sure they are washed to avoid potential exposure to toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis may contaminate the soil where the vegetables were grown.

Yes, I experienced my first leg cramps at 6 am this morning.The pain woke me up that I almost cried. I thought I'm just having a nightmare but no, it was real and until this time, I can still feel a little pain on my legs. I'm thankful that I have a nurse-husband that I can depend on. He immediately straightened my legs and massaged my legs and calf muscle so the pain did not reached my thigh. I also experienced leg cramps during my first pregnancy but not as early as 19 weeks! Anyway, I'll just accept that every pregnancy is different

I searched about leg cramps and here's what I got from babycenter.com:

Why am I having leg cramps during pregnancy?

No one really knows why women have more leg cramps when they're pregnant. It's possible that your leg muscles are tired from carrying around all of your extra weight. Or they may be aggravated by the pressure your expanding uterus puts on the blood vessels that return blood from your legs to your heart and the nerves that lead from your trunk to your legs.

Leg cramps may start to plague you during your second trimester and may get worse as your pregnancy progresses and your belly gets bigger. While these cramps can occur during the day, you'll probably notice them most at night.
How can I prevent these cramps?

Try these tips for keeping leg cramps at bay:

• Avoid standing or sitting with your legs crossed for long periods of time.
• Stretch your calf muscles regularly during the day and several times before you go to bed.
• Rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes when you sit, eat dinner, or watch TV.
• Take a walk every day, unless your midwife or doctor has advised you not to exercise.
• Avoid getting too tired. Lie down on your left side to improve circulation to and from your legs.
• Stay hydrated during the day by drinking water regularly.
• Try a warm bath before bed to relax your muscles.
• There's some evidence that taking a magnesium supplement in addition to a prenatal vitamin may help some women. Check with your provider before taking any kind of supplement during pregnancy.

You may have heard that having leg cramps is a sign that you need more calcium, and that calcium supplements will relieve the problem. Though it's certainly important to get enough calcium, there's no good evidence that taking extra calcium will help prevent leg cramps during pregnancy. In fact, in one well-designed study, pregnant women taking calcium got no more relief from leg cramps than those taking a placebo.

What's the best way to relieve a cramp when I get one?

If you do get a cramp, immediately stretch your calf muscles: Straighten your leg, heel first, and gently flex your toes back toward your shins. It might hurt at first, but it will ease the spasm and the pain will gradually go away.

You can try to relax the cramp by massaging the muscle or warming it with a hot water bottle. Walking around for a few minutes may help too.

What if the pain persists?

If your muscle pain is constant and not just an occasional cramp — or if you notice swelling or tenderness in your leg — call your practitioner. These may be signs of a blood clot, which requires immediate medical attention. Blood clots are rare, but your risk is higher during pregnancy.

It's been quite a while..it's already October and where's my updates?

I'm now on my 18th week. So far so good. I have no more food aversions. I have a scheduled prenatal checkup last Saturday but I wasn't able to come. It was raining hard so I just told my OB that I'll go next week. I just hope that the baby is okay.

The last week's events gave me so much stress. We were one of those affected by the flood and the water level was above my chest. I was on panic last Saturday when the water began to rise. We were caught unprepared. The week after that I felt achy all over. I got tired cleaning up and washing some clothes. It was really a traumatic and tiring experience but I am so thankful that we're all safe. The Lord has been on our side and He never leave us during that time that we really need Him most. He game me strength and reminded me to just be still and trust Him.

For now, I believe that we're okay. I'm just praying that nothing happened with my baby.