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Friday, November 23, 2018

Pregnancy Tips for Surviving the First Trimester

Before I move on, I would like to sincerely congratulate you on stepping into another new phase of life. Whether it is planned or unplanned (like us!), acknowledge that this is a great gift from God. Although the journey of being pregnant and beyond is going to be tough, it will be one that's gonna be the most rewarding.


What to expect during your first trimester
So, you are pregnant. What now? Chances are that you are starting to feel bodily changes in your body, largely due to the increased secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) a.k.a pregnancy hormone. 

Disclaimer: Tips provided are based on our own personal experience. It may work for some, but not others. We are not medical professionals. If symptoms aggravate or persist, please seek a trained doctor.

#1. Morning sickness
The bad news is that hCG positively correlates (ugh, such academic terms) - the higher hCG levels in your body, the more you may nauseate. As shown in the graph below, hCG peaks at the 9th week of pregnancy. 

The good news is that hCG is essential for fetal development - you wouldn't want it another way, right? Although most mummies will feel nausea, the spectrum ranges from vomiting a hell lot to not vomiting at all. Throughout the pregnancy, my wife did not vomit even once, so it really depends.

Tried and tested:
- Seaband: Provides a fast-relief for nausea by stimulating an acupuncture point on both wrists. We got the normal Seaband (doesn't have to be specifically Seaband Mama) at Guardian for about SGD$18.
- Ginger: Take water boiled with ginger in the morning to alleviate nausea symptoms. According to traditional Chinese medicine practice, do not take ginger at night.
- Red dates: Highly nutritious food that provides energy and circulates blood flow, while preventing anaemia and constipation.
- When you're nauseating, you become hypersensitive to certain foods. Plain crackers and hard-boiled eggs are perfect in filling mummy's tummy while providing nutrients to the fetus.

Friday, November 16, 2018

What You Should Do After Finding Out That You're Pregnant

If you're reading this right now, chances are that you just found out that you are pregnant. Yay, congratulations! Okay, now what? After the initial excitement (and disbelief - trust me) gets over, a hundred and one questions now occupy your mind. Oh no, what should I do? What should I eat? Is this safe for the baby? I heard the first trimester is unstable, should I let out the news? As Lady M and I stepped into another phase of our lives, I suddenly felt qualified to write about a brand new topic - Pregnancy.


Our pregnancy story
My wife had a hunch that she is pregnant, although her menstrual due date is still a few days away. How she did it still remains a mystery to me, perhaps it's the prompting of God, who knows. We bought a pregnancy testing kit (#1) from 7-11, and we tested the next morning since the human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) a.k.a. pregnancy hormone is at its peak in the morning pee. Hmm. An extremely fade, undisguisable line, are we pregnant? Maybe not. Later that day, we got another pregnancy kit, this time an expensive one (#2), and the line was clear...