Our First Pregnancy
Since I didn't have any mood with social media or even browsing when I was pregnant, I didn't even want to share anything about my pregnancy.
All I did only reading, helping my husband with his thesis (it's only accompanying, actually :p), and playing game on my phone. I rarely cooked, too, by the way.
But it had over now.
I wish I could save a little memory of bringing our beautiful little girl inside my belly for 38 weeks and 5 days in this article.
So where should I start?
Ah!
July 2017
I felt sick.
In Indonesia, we called it "masuk angin".
But now I believe it was one of these feeling: indigestion, bloating, heartburn, every feeling you know when you're pregnant.
And then, I asked my beloved husband to scrub my back so I might be feel better.
Unfortunately, it wasn't getting better for 3 days.
Suddenly I had this thought: buying test packs just to make sure if I was pregnant or not.
So, Bayu bought 3 types of pregnancy test pack from different brands and the result was ...
TWO STRIPES for all test packs, which means POSITIVE!
We were very surprised and almost didn't believe it.
We haven't had any plan having a baby at that time.
I mean, we didn't do any program for having a baby. We just wanted to let it flow.
But God is so amazing!
He gave us this blessing only a month after I arrived in Japan and officially living with my husband.
After we tested, we didn't tell our family directly.
We searched a clinic or hospital that had gynecologist and made sure before everyone know.
Then we found a ladies clinic, the nearest clinic from our apartment.
And then we revealed that this pregnancy was real!
So that was the time we called our parents and told them that they would have a grandchild.
The first grandchild for my parents and the seventh grandchild for Bayu's parents.
My pregnancy was 4 weeks and 5 days at the first time we checked it.
I guess almost everyone knows that pregnancy age is counted from the first day of the latest menstruation.
Mine was at the end of May on 2017. And it was few days before I arrived at Japan.
So, I believed that I was in fertility period when I met my husband at that time.
Additional information about our first time pregnancy check up.
In this clinic, we had to make appointment first before we did the check up.
The clinic only open from 9 am to 5 pm for examination and it has break time for 1 and a half hour from 1 pm to 2:30 pm.
I wasn't sure if it is for all clinic or hospital in Japan.
But from its system, I think it is applied for all health facility, except for emergency.
So, we don't need to come first and wait until our turn come.
We just need to come before the time that we had been scheduled.
In our case, we went to clinic a day after we tested the pregnancy because they didn't have any free schedule on the day we figured it out.
Then what I had to do when I arrived at the clinic was registering my identity and independently checking my weight and blood pressure, and also collecting my urine for the examination, while waiting for my registration number to be called up.
When I entered the examination room, for the very first time I was checked by trans-vaginal ultrasound.
Husband could not join to the examination room.
Oh, by the way, in here, mostly only woman came to do the check up alone. It was rarely husband accompany the wife to go to the clinic.
This trans-vaginal ultrasound was done for the first trimester and some on the last trimester.
After been checked by the trans-vaginal ultrasound, I've been asked to wait again in the waiting room for the doctor to explain about the examination with my husband later.
And as we've already known, I was REALLY PREGNANT!
Okay, I like to say that "we were pregnant".
We were soon to be parents! (Now, we are..)
Then after the doctor explained about my pregnancy, we paid the examination fee and made a schedule for next check up, which was two weeks after the first check up.
It was in second week of August 2017, I think.
August 2017
On this month check-up, we got a recommendation letter from the clinic to register my pregnancy to the government office.
In Japan, when the pregnancy has entered the 7th or 8th week, we should register to the City Hall or Municipal Health Center for getting a Maternity and Child Handbook (in Japanese, it's called Boshikenkotecho or shortly, Boshitecho).
After registering it, we got a lot of brochures and information (bonus gifts from maternity brands) from the government.
And also, the government's staff explained about what benefit we got for maternity and delivery.
Japan's government really concerns about parents and child.
So, they provided classes for parents to be well-prepared for having baby.
For delivery, they gave subsidize about 420,000 Japanese Yen.
Therefore, if the delivery fee is more than 420,000 Yen, we only need to pay the rest.
But if it's less than 420,000 Yen, the money will be given to us.
And then at the end of August 2017, we went to clinic again and did the examination similar to the other two check-ups. But this time, I was asked to take blood test for deeper examination.
Oh! Because we already got the Boshitecho and some papers for pregnancy check-ups, we didn't pay anything anymore.
After the examination, we were also given a bag full of brochures with information about pregnancy and maternity products with additional gifts and a photo album to keep our ultrasound photos.
Earlier on August, I still could go out enjoying Toyama Matsuri and also met Bayu's friends from Kanazawa at Toyama Castle.
September 2017
On this month I was not getting better than last month. It was much worse, I think. I couldn't handle any smell outside my bedroom, especially in the kitchen. Mostly, it was Bayu who cooked or prepare the meal for me. I couldn't eat too much as well.
Bayu always asked me what to eat before the time come.
Sometimes it was fried rice, mostly McNugget, or corn soup.
At earlier month, I loved avocado juice, but then I stopped it within a week.
Banana was my favorite too, but it wasn't long enough to be chosen.
Then I only ate candies and snacks for pregnancy that Bayu found at the drugstore.
This month was very tough. I also felt sorry for Bayu that should be more concerned on his thesis, but also had to think about what I wanted to eat on that day.
Every morning before he went to campus, he prepared breakfast and lunch for me inside the bedroom. Sometimes he could come home at lunch time and we had lunch together.
In the night, he went home for dinner and continued his research at home, but sometimes he went back to campus after dinner time.
This month was the toughest but also the most lovely month for us, because we could really be mindful of our companionship for the baby.
October 2017
This was the "getting better" month. I could smell better and even I started cooking for both of us.
I still played game on my free time because I didn't have any passion at working on laptop or even checking my social media.
So, started cooking was important for me.
I also tried to be more active by doing some paper craft as I did when I worked at my office.
I felt much more productive at this month.
November 2017
On the 1st date of this month, I first felt a little movement on my belly.
It was like a tickle or maybe wave-like movement even though only for a while.
We were so excited for this.
Because I already felt better, I joined Bayu to attend Toyama International Fair at Toyama Station on November 3rd.
We assisted people who came and visited our Indonesian booth and enjoyed a short trip to the park after the event.
Other days were filled by me cooking and accompanying Bayu doing his research.
I felt so so so much better on this month.
December 2017
It was a month that I waited the most.
My first snow, my first Christmas with our new family, my friend came to visit us at Toyama, and I also could do more activities rather than sleep inside my bedroom.
But, I still didn't have any mood on social medias, which was good. Hahahaha...
So, all we did was only enjoying this month with a dancing baby inside my belly who was also exciting with this month.
January 2018
People said it was the heaviest snow after 30 years of winter in Toyama Prefecture (and it was also happened in all Japan).
So we enjoyed that winter by making snowman at Fugan Unga Kansui Park and also visited Gokayama on this month.
Because I wore a big coat, I bet no one knew that I was pregnant if they didn't see my belly, hehehe..
This month we started to buy some baby stuffs and kept some of it in our hospital bag in case I would deliver soon.
February 2018
We still went out to other city in this month. We met our friends in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture who the wife was also pregnant. They are the same friends who visited us on August.
My pregnancy was 37 weeks and hers was 25 weeks.
We also joined classes from the hospital and government which all were free and very useful for us as new parents.
But mostly, we prepared for Bayu's thesis final defense in the middle of the month. And he did great!
March 2018
It was the final month of our pregnancy. We didn't only focus on the delivery this month.
We were also preparing for Bayu's graduation, visit of his parents, documents for him starting his work, and moving to new apartment.
It was unexpected that the day we were searching things for our apartment was the day of me delivering our baby.
And it was only two days before we moved.
In Japan's rule for baby delivery in normal birth, mother and baby should stay at the hospital for five days.
So, Bayu moved out from the old apartment to the new one by himself. Luckily, he asked his friend to help him moving and luckier because Bayu's company provided a home moving service that helped them moving all the stuffs so they nearly didn't do anything to move.
After 5 days, I went out from the hospital and entered a new home. A new home for a new family member too.
How blessed we are.
The delivery was so smooth.
It wasn't a long story to tell, but I want to separate the story of my delivery process in other article so we can remind that moment truly as a time of a whole new life for all of us.
All I did only reading, helping my husband with his thesis (it's only accompanying, actually :p), and playing game on my phone. I rarely cooked, too, by the way.
But it had over now.
I wish I could save a little memory of bringing our beautiful little girl inside my belly for 38 weeks and 5 days in this article.
So where should I start?
Ah!
July 2017
I felt sick.
In Indonesia, we called it "masuk angin".
But now I believe it was one of these feeling: indigestion, bloating, heartburn, every feeling you know when you're pregnant.
And then, I asked my beloved husband to scrub my back so I might be feel better.
Unfortunately, it wasn't getting better for 3 days.
Suddenly I had this thought: buying test packs just to make sure if I was pregnant or not.
So, Bayu bought 3 types of pregnancy test pack from different brands and the result was ...
TWO STRIPES for all test packs, which means POSITIVE!
 |
| | Test Packs and First Ultrasound Picture | |
We were very surprised and almost didn't believe it.
We haven't had any plan having a baby at that time.
I mean, we didn't do any program for having a baby. We just wanted to let it flow.
But God is so amazing!
He gave us this blessing only a month after I arrived in Japan and officially living with my husband.
After we tested, we didn't tell our family directly.
We searched a clinic or hospital that had gynecologist and made sure before everyone know.
Then we found a ladies clinic, the nearest clinic from our apartment.
And then we revealed that this pregnancy was real!
So that was the time we called our parents and told them that they would have a grandchild.
The first grandchild for my parents and the seventh grandchild for Bayu's parents.
My pregnancy was 4 weeks and 5 days at the first time we checked it.
I guess almost everyone knows that pregnancy age is counted from the first day of the latest menstruation.
Mine was at the end of May on 2017. And it was few days before I arrived at Japan.
So, I believed that I was in fertility period when I met my husband at that time.
Additional information about our first time pregnancy check up.
In this clinic, we had to make appointment first before we did the check up.
The clinic only open from 9 am to 5 pm for examination and it has break time for 1 and a half hour from 1 pm to 2:30 pm.
I wasn't sure if it is for all clinic or hospital in Japan.
But from its system, I think it is applied for all health facility, except for emergency.
So, we don't need to come first and wait until our turn come.
We just need to come before the time that we had been scheduled.
In our case, we went to clinic a day after we tested the pregnancy because they didn't have any free schedule on the day we figured it out.
Then what I had to do when I arrived at the clinic was registering my identity and independently checking my weight and blood pressure, and also collecting my urine for the examination, while waiting for my registration number to be called up.
When I entered the examination room, for the very first time I was checked by trans-vaginal ultrasound.
Husband could not join to the examination room.
Oh, by the way, in here, mostly only woman came to do the check up alone. It was rarely husband accompany the wife to go to the clinic.
This trans-vaginal ultrasound was done for the first trimester and some on the last trimester.
After been checked by the trans-vaginal ultrasound, I've been asked to wait again in the waiting room for the doctor to explain about the examination with my husband later.
And as we've already known, I was REALLY PREGNANT!
Okay, I like to say that "we were pregnant".
We were soon to be parents! (Now, we are..)
Then after the doctor explained about my pregnancy, we paid the examination fee and made a schedule for next check up, which was two weeks after the first check up.
It was in second week of August 2017, I think.
August 2017
On this month check-up, we got a recommendation letter from the clinic to register my pregnancy to the government office.
In Japan, when the pregnancy has entered the 7th or 8th week, we should register to the City Hall or Municipal Health Center for getting a Maternity and Child Handbook (in Japanese, it's called Boshikenkotecho or shortly, Boshitecho).
 |
| | Boshikenkotecho | |
After registering it, we got a lot of brochures and information (bonus gifts from maternity brands) from the government.
And also, the government's staff explained about what benefit we got for maternity and delivery.
Japan's government really concerns about parents and child.
So, they provided classes for parents to be well-prepared for having baby.
For delivery, they gave subsidize about 420,000 Japanese Yen.
Therefore, if the delivery fee is more than 420,000 Yen, we only need to pay the rest.
But if it's less than 420,000 Yen, the money will be given to us.
And then at the end of August 2017, we went to clinic again and did the examination similar to the other two check-ups. But this time, I was asked to take blood test for deeper examination.
Oh! Because we already got the Boshitecho and some papers for pregnancy check-ups, we didn't pay anything anymore.
After the examination, we were also given a bag full of brochures with information about pregnancy and maternity products with additional gifts and a photo album to keep our ultrasound photos.
Earlier on August, I still could go out enjoying Toyama Matsuri and also met Bayu's friends from Kanazawa at Toyama Castle.
 |
| | Our friends from Kanazawa came to visit us for the first time | |
 |
| | People enjoying Toyama Matsuri | |
 |
| | Toyama traditional dance was performed outside Toyama Castle | |
September 2017
On this month I was not getting better than last month. It was much worse, I think. I couldn't handle any smell outside my bedroom, especially in the kitchen. Mostly, it was Bayu who cooked or prepare the meal for me. I couldn't eat too much as well.
Bayu always asked me what to eat before the time come.
Sometimes it was fried rice, mostly McNugget, or corn soup.
At earlier month, I loved avocado juice, but then I stopped it within a week.
Banana was my favorite too, but it wasn't long enough to be chosen.
Then I only ate candies and snacks for pregnancy that Bayu found at the drugstore.
This month was very tough. I also felt sorry for Bayu that should be more concerned on his thesis, but also had to think about what I wanted to eat on that day.
Every morning before he went to campus, he prepared breakfast and lunch for me inside the bedroom. Sometimes he could come home at lunch time and we had lunch together.
In the night, he went home for dinner and continued his research at home, but sometimes he went back to campus after dinner time.
This month was the toughest but also the most lovely month for us, because we could really be mindful of our companionship for the baby.
October 2017
This was the "getting better" month. I could smell better and even I started cooking for both of us.
I still played game on my free time because I didn't have any passion at working on laptop or even checking my social media.
So, started cooking was important for me.
I also tried to be more active by doing some paper craft as I did when I worked at my office.
I felt much more productive at this month.
 |
| | Canon Creative Park: Kaminarimon Gate of Sensoji Temple | |
 |
| | Canon Creative Park: Himeji Castle | |
 |
| | Paper Crane Origami | |
 |
| | First Satay in Toyama | |
November 2017
On the 1st date of this month, I first felt a little movement on my belly.
It was like a tickle or maybe wave-like movement even though only for a while.
We were so excited for this.
Because I already felt better, I joined Bayu to attend Toyama International Fair at Toyama Station on November 3rd.
We assisted people who came and visited our Indonesian booth and enjoyed a short trip to the park after the event.
Other days were filled by me cooking and accompanying Bayu doing his research.
I felt so so so much better on this month.
 |
| | Indonesia's Booth at Toyama International Fair 2017 | |
 |
| | Maternity Photo on Autumn | |
 |
| | Pregnant on Week 20 | |
December 2017
It was a month that I waited the most.
My first snow, my first Christmas with our new family, my friend came to visit us at Toyama, and I also could do more activities rather than sleep inside my bedroom.
But, I still didn't have any mood on social medias, which was good. Hahahaha...
So, all we did was only enjoying this month with a dancing baby inside my belly who was also exciting with this month.
 |
| | My friend, Lalita, came to visit us to Toyama | |
 |
| | Our Chrismas 2017 Photo Shoot | |
January 2018
People said it was the heaviest snow after 30 years of winter in Toyama Prefecture (and it was also happened in all Japan).
So we enjoyed that winter by making snowman at Fugan Unga Kansui Park and also visited Gokayama on this month.
Because I wore a big coat, I bet no one knew that I was pregnant if they didn't see my belly, hehehe..
This month we started to buy some baby stuffs and kept some of it in our hospital bag in case I would deliver soon.
 |
| | We made a snowman at Fugan Unga Kansui Park (but this wasn't our snowman, lol) | |
 |
| | Visit Gokayama on our 30 Weeks of Pregnancy | |
February 2018
We still went out to other city in this month. We met our friends in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture who the wife was also pregnant. They are the same friends who visited us on August.
My pregnancy was 37 weeks and hers was 25 weeks.
We also joined classes from the hospital and government which all were free and very useful for us as new parents.
But mostly, we prepared for Bayu's thesis final defense in the middle of the month. And he did great!
 |
| | Our Second Meeting with Them at Kanazawa | |
 |
| | Visit Toyama Prefectural Art and Design Museum | |
 |
| | Bayu's Thesis Final Defense | |
March 2018
It was the final month of our pregnancy. We didn't only focus on the delivery this month.
We were also preparing for Bayu's graduation, visit of his parents, documents for him starting his work, and moving to new apartment.
It was unexpected that the day we were searching things for our apartment was the day of me delivering our baby.
And it was only two days before we moved.
In Japan's rule for baby delivery in normal birth, mother and baby should stay at the hospital for five days.
So, Bayu moved out from the old apartment to the new one by himself. Luckily, he asked his friend to help him moving and luckier because Bayu's company provided a home moving service that helped them moving all the stuffs so they nearly didn't do anything to move.
After 5 days, I went out from the hospital and entered a new home. A new home for a new family member too.
How blessed we are.
 |
| | Here she is, our beloved first born | |
The delivery was so smooth.
It wasn't a long story to tell, but I want to separate the story of my delivery process in other article so we can remind that moment truly as a time of a whole new life for all of us.
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