If you google "pregnancy must-haves", you'll find lots of suggestions from pregnant ladies everywhere.
So here's my list of pregnancy must-haves for the first trimester.
1. Big U pregnancy pillow - just ordered this from Lazada. I hope it's as comfy as they say! I've been having this backache whenever I go shopping or walk for too long. The miracle pillow is supposed to help.
2. Extra virgin coconut oil - my friend who had her daughter over a year ago swears by this. Finally found a bottle in Jaya Grocer. Lathered it all over and yes, the hubs says it smells like rendang.
3. Larger tights - I've been loving the versatile black tights from Uniqlo but had to go from M to L since last week. Was going to invest in more when I chanced upon this neat rubberband maternity trick. Tried it out today on my jeans and it worked beautifully :)
4. Comfortable wireless bra - for when the nights are squishy times for your bosom. I've been wearing one that actually has wires, but is a sort of T-shirt bra that is super comfy.
5. Gas/gastric medicine - we don't have Tums here but anything else will just do. I tend to get this heartburny feeling whenever I eat red chillies. But I can't do without them or I won't feel like eating my meal.
6. Soft gel ice pack - for when the headaches strike! I bought this nice gel-like one that never freezes from Guardian a while back and it works like a dream. Bought another one so I can sleep on one and have another on my forehead.
7. Various snacks - salty chips, gerkins, salsa, kimchi, candy, lollipops -- just throw 'em in the trolley. Half of those things I've stopped eating but hey, I may like em later. This is for when the nausea
8. Soda crackers + air tight box - I've been eating a sugary soda cracker the first thing I wake up. I don't know if it helps with the nausea as I still do get a bit queasy later on but it sure is easy to munch on. I put them in a snap tight box beside my bed.
9. Babycentre app - like this one. It alerts me week by week. Just told me yesterday that I'm 8 weeks! And tells me what's happening to my babies. Loads of tips included too. Sure beats reading the What to Expect book.
10. Canned soup - the powdered packet ones just aren't the same. Sure soothes the salty cravings at night. The hubs is preparing a cream of chicken soup for me as we speak. Ugh. I'm feeling a little sick now.
Will update the list if I can think of anything else! Oh and this is another must-have:
11. Flat shoes - I've been wearing my Tiamo brogues for the longest time and they are perfect for pregnant ladies. Super comfy and doesn't trip me over and matches well with absolutely everything.
New update at 15 weeks: More must-haves!
12. Bra extender - I got these fabulous bra extender hooks from here for just RM1.50! I am not a fan of shopping for bras, so having these are great! I reckon I can still wear my current bra perhaps till delivery time...(or is that wishful thinking?)
13. Salt lemon candy - Super life savers! I popped one into my mouth each time I felt like puking and it works like a charm. You can get them here.
Sunday, 28 June 2015
Tofu, lounge pants and Little Miss Princess
Oh and today we went grocery shopping to buy even more food.
Awhile back I cleverly bought a box of dashi miso paste. After one meal, I decided I couldn't stand the taste of it. I seem to have developed an aversion to cooking my usual foods. So the agenda today was to get ingredients that I could stomach.
So I came home with:
Msg-free chicken stock - to make chicken soup noodles
Crispy spicy prawn sambal - to make aglio olio
Mince pork - for mapo tofu which I had been craving, and also for porridge if that's all I feel like
Campbell's chicken and vegetable soup + chicken soup - for the 11pm hunger pangs (thank God I bought these as the hubs forgot to buy the mashed potato for me again!)
Grapefruit - citrusy fruits suppose to make me feel better
Orange juice - ditto
Tofu - for said mapo tofu, though I wish they had the japanese mapo tofu box spice that I wanted to try
Mango salsa - salsa! Have been craving for something tangy to dip my chips in
Kellogg's cereal bars - for in-between snacks at work
Snickers - as above
Waffles - for breakfast! Have been having trouble finding breakfast food that I feel like eating
I've cut out milk products for now as they give me diarrhea and bloating almost immediately. Even a cup of soup in a packet, creamy mushroom, doubles up my stomach size.
Oh and I'd love to share that I bought myself L sized Moomin lounge pants from Uniqlo! They are super comfy -- have been eyeing them for a while and even told my mom that she could get a few for me for my birthday. There was a sale today so I just got two pairs on my own. Super love how they look and feel! Think they should last till the second trimester at least. Mom said to buy XL, but I'd better not.
Also bought a book: Toxic Chilhood: How the modern world is damaging our children and what we can do about it. Definitely looked more interesting than the What to Expect when you're Expecting books which keep telling me about my pregnancy, when I'd really love to know how to prepare for my babies' first year.
Also bought a Little Miss Princess book. Couldn't resist as it was too cute! Think I'll get a box set when the kids come along :)
Awhile back I cleverly bought a box of dashi miso paste. After one meal, I decided I couldn't stand the taste of it. I seem to have developed an aversion to cooking my usual foods. So the agenda today was to get ingredients that I could stomach.
So I came home with:
Msg-free chicken stock - to make chicken soup noodles
Crispy spicy prawn sambal - to make aglio olio
Mince pork - for mapo tofu which I had been craving, and also for porridge if that's all I feel like
Campbell's chicken and vegetable soup + chicken soup - for the 11pm hunger pangs (thank God I bought these as the hubs forgot to buy the mashed potato for me again!)
Grapefruit - citrusy fruits suppose to make me feel better
Orange juice - ditto
Tofu - for said mapo tofu, though I wish they had the japanese mapo tofu box spice that I wanted to try
Mango salsa - salsa! Have been craving for something tangy to dip my chips in
Kellogg's cereal bars - for in-between snacks at work
Snickers - as above
Waffles - for breakfast! Have been having trouble finding breakfast food that I feel like eating
I've cut out milk products for now as they give me diarrhea and bloating almost immediately. Even a cup of soup in a packet, creamy mushroom, doubles up my stomach size.
Oh and I'd love to share that I bought myself L sized Moomin lounge pants from Uniqlo! They are super comfy -- have been eyeing them for a while and even told my mom that she could get a few for me for my birthday. There was a sale today so I just got two pairs on my own. Super love how they look and feel! Think they should last till the second trimester at least. Mom said to buy XL, but I'd better not.
Also bought a book: Toxic Chilhood: How the modern world is damaging our children and what we can do about it. Definitely looked more interesting than the What to Expect when you're Expecting books which keep telling me about my pregnancy, when I'd really love to know how to prepare for my babies' first year.
Also bought a Little Miss Princess book. Couldn't resist as it was too cute! Think I'll get a box set when the kids come along :)
Let's talk about food
Lately, I've been eating a lot.
And I mean A LOT.
Like yesterday.
For breakfast at eight, a few crackers and milo. Had a nap, woke up and had a slice of bread with honey. Then felt immense hunger around 12 and had Ipoh kuey teow soup at Pappa Rich. Two hours later, it was satay -- five sticks of chicken and five of beef. Had to chew some gum to get the onions out of my breath. It left an ickier taste than usual. We walked for a bit then we stopped at Bing's, this new Korean dessert place, and I ordered a Sakura waffle set. It wasn't too big, but it was fulfilling. The hubs had a tall glass of ginseng honey milk (don't ask) and a mango pineapple bingsu parfait which tasted super yummy (I was only allowed a few spoonfuls).
For dinner, it was spicy basil and chicken spaghetti from Black Canyon. Was craving for KFC's mashed potato but the hubs conveniently forgot to buy any for me -- he said it had a lot of msg. So he cut up some fruits instead. Apples, a donut peach and a persimmon. After a few slices of the apple, I started to feel bloated so I had some nacho chips. I'm such a glutton!
But it was a good day for food.
And I mean A LOT.
Like yesterday.
For breakfast at eight, a few crackers and milo. Had a nap, woke up and had a slice of bread with honey. Then felt immense hunger around 12 and had Ipoh kuey teow soup at Pappa Rich. Two hours later, it was satay -- five sticks of chicken and five of beef. Had to chew some gum to get the onions out of my breath. It left an ickier taste than usual. We walked for a bit then we stopped at Bing's, this new Korean dessert place, and I ordered a Sakura waffle set. It wasn't too big, but it was fulfilling. The hubs had a tall glass of ginseng honey milk (don't ask) and a mango pineapple bingsu parfait which tasted super yummy (I was only allowed a few spoonfuls).
For dinner, it was spicy basil and chicken spaghetti from Black Canyon. Was craving for KFC's mashed potato but the hubs conveniently forgot to buy any for me -- he said it had a lot of msg. So he cut up some fruits instead. Apples, a donut peach and a persimmon. After a few slices of the apple, I started to feel bloated so I had some nacho chips. I'm such a glutton!
But it was a good day for food.
Wednesday, 24 June 2015
Revisiting the two week wait
I said I would return to talk about my two week wait, and I have!
So my FET happened on May 20th. Because the house next door was in the midst of being renovated, we decided to rent a service suite for two weeks so I could rest better. We found one with a kitchen and also washer/dryer, and at a decent rate. We moved in the night before so that I could just rest right after the transfer.
I remember wearing my new Miffy children's T that I bought from Uniqlo over the weekend. It has a big cute Miffy bunny down the front, to symbolise the cute baby I hoped to have soon.
So all went well (despite the ultra-difficult task of holding my pee in after the procedure!).
We went hope and the next few days were bliss, as the hubs also took some time off to spend with me at the suite. Because I had to wake up like clockwork to take my pills and also insert the icky Cyclogest pills, we would wake up by eight every morn and stroll down for breakfast (free with the room). The selections were meh, but also because I couldn't eat the sausages, cold cuts or fruits.
I spent most of my time watching depressing Japanese movies online (check out Nobody Knows, you'll cry buckets!) but it was fun! When the hubs went to work, I basically filled up most of the time cooking lunch and dinner. I also crocheted a bit, but was a bit too tired for much.
It was towards the middle of the two week wait that I thought I felt a bit nauseous, but thinking back, it was probably a bit too early for that. Phantom pregnancy symptoms at work!
I did get a bit worried when the nausea went off and I didn't see any signs of spotting at all.
But lo and behold, it was a Saturday (May 30th) when we went back home for a while to pack some more stuff, and there were bits of spotting. Very light, almost non-existent, but a brown spot nevertheless. I told the hubs and he started grinning from ear to ear.
We immediately went to a pharmacy and the hubs told the cashier to hand him five packs of pregnancy tests (to which the cashier said: Wah, so excited?).
I waited till the next morning to test. Woke up bright and early and just did it. I was a bit nervous when I saw the control line first, and no sign of the other line. But a minute later I looked back and there it was! Staring back at me! My first ever double line! I hobbled over to the hubs and shook him awake. I thought he would still be groggy but he gave me a big smile and we both prayed a little.
I tested in the morning the next few days just for fun (always wanted to do that!). The double lines didn't really get darker -- they were about the same.
Ooh and a few days prior to this I did feel some tugging in my tummy, kinda like tugging cramps.
And so we did the beta test on June 2nd and we got THE NEWS!
Still can't believe it's been more than a month since then :)
I really enjoyed my two week break at the service suite and wished we could've stayed longer. Perhaps we'll do that when it's closer to the time I deliver :0
So my FET happened on May 20th. Because the house next door was in the midst of being renovated, we decided to rent a service suite for two weeks so I could rest better. We found one with a kitchen and also washer/dryer, and at a decent rate. We moved in the night before so that I could just rest right after the transfer.
I remember wearing my new Miffy children's T that I bought from Uniqlo over the weekend. It has a big cute Miffy bunny down the front, to symbolise the cute baby I hoped to have soon.
So all went well (despite the ultra-difficult task of holding my pee in after the procedure!).
We went hope and the next few days were bliss, as the hubs also took some time off to spend with me at the suite. Because I had to wake up like clockwork to take my pills and also insert the icky Cyclogest pills, we would wake up by eight every morn and stroll down for breakfast (free with the room). The selections were meh, but also because I couldn't eat the sausages, cold cuts or fruits.
I spent most of my time watching depressing Japanese movies online (check out Nobody Knows, you'll cry buckets!) but it was fun! When the hubs went to work, I basically filled up most of the time cooking lunch and dinner. I also crocheted a bit, but was a bit too tired for much.
It was towards the middle of the two week wait that I thought I felt a bit nauseous, but thinking back, it was probably a bit too early for that. Phantom pregnancy symptoms at work!
I did get a bit worried when the nausea went off and I didn't see any signs of spotting at all.
But lo and behold, it was a Saturday (May 30th) when we went back home for a while to pack some more stuff, and there were bits of spotting. Very light, almost non-existent, but a brown spot nevertheless. I told the hubs and he started grinning from ear to ear.
We immediately went to a pharmacy and the hubs told the cashier to hand him five packs of pregnancy tests (to which the cashier said: Wah, so excited?).
I waited till the next morning to test. Woke up bright and early and just did it. I was a bit nervous when I saw the control line first, and no sign of the other line. But a minute later I looked back and there it was! Staring back at me! My first ever double line! I hobbled over to the hubs and shook him awake. I thought he would still be groggy but he gave me a big smile and we both prayed a little.
I tested in the morning the next few days just for fun (always wanted to do that!). The double lines didn't really get darker -- they were about the same.
Ooh and a few days prior to this I did feel some tugging in my tummy, kinda like tugging cramps.
And so we did the beta test on June 2nd and we got THE NEWS!
Still can't believe it's been more than a month since then :)
I really enjoyed my two week break at the service suite and wished we could've stayed longer. Perhaps we'll do that when it's closer to the time I deliver :0
This sour taste
I'm seven and a half weeks pregnant today!
I'm still on my Progynova pills (three times a day) and Cyclogest pessaries (twice a day). Oh and a proluton jab every three days. Yesterday I visited a normal GP for my jab and she told me that I should try taking apple cider vinegar first thing in the morning. That that would cure the sour stomach feeling I've been having all day.
Well I tried it this morning, added a little manuka honey and I must say, IT DID NOT WORK. In fact, I feel even more nauseous today! Had a small packet of nasi lemak (been craving it for days) and felt much better :)
I'm now trying to find a "cure" for this sour taste that I have in my mouth, which persists all day. It's not even noon but I feel like crawling back into bed already.
Thank God I'm off tomorrow! It'll be our first scan for heartbeats at the doctor's :)
Monday, 15 June 2015
Pregnant!
I haven't been here in three months!
Apart from keeping busy to pass the days quickly (after finding out that I had to wait two more months to do a FET instead of a fresh transfer, I was a little disappointed and a little down), I was literally up to my neck with work and clearing up some personal projects.
But I have good news! I am now 6 weeks pregnant! It still feels surreal ....
Let me do a quick recap:
Feb 28: Egg pick-up day. It all went smoothly, despite the fact that I only dozed off after the procedure, and not during. Collected 23 eggs!
The embryologist called a few days later to say that they have successfully fertilised 6 eggs via natural IVF and 9 via ICSI. The end result though, was just 6 day-3 frozen eggs.
April 25: Back to the doctor's, all excited to start on the Frozen cycle. My period was late again that month so I was prescribed some pills to hasten the chase.
May 6: Routine check during Day-3 of period and to start on new pills to thicken the lining. Was asked to see Dr Eeson, a new partner at Sunfert. Dr Wong said it was a non-crucial check-up and that he wanted to cut down on waiting time. A good move! It felt a bit awkward since we had a failed IUI last year with Dr E, but he didn't seem to have recognised us at all :)
May 16: The day of reckoning! Today would tell us if I responded well to the treatment and if my uterine lining is thick enough to house the embryos. Test passed! Counting down the days!
May 20th: FET day! Was told to empty my bladder at 11am and start drinking 250ml of water. Did just that and was ushered into the ward at about 12pm. Had to take off everything and don an open-back hospital gown. Didnt have my glasses or phone so had no idea how time passed. The need to pee was halfway there. Perhaps there were some delays in the other surgeries -- I was only wheeled in at about 1pm. By then, my bladder was one big tight ball ready to burst. The nurse said hold it in, so I did. The procedure was quick! It felt almost like I was watching the first man landing on the moon. These words were repeated throughout: going through, going through. And I could see a white line moving through some tube; it wasn't very clear because I was as blind as a bat without my glasses. Then I sorta glimpsed two small discs being deposited onto a surface and doc said: completed. Easy peasy! The hardest part was yet to come...I had to hold my pee for another hour, as it was recommended to lie down right after the procedure. I cannot begin to tell you how difficult that was! As I had no idea how long an hour was, I had to resort to counting in the hundreds to take my mind off that gnawing discomfort down below. Thankfully, the nurses were very professional and came to the rescue just in time! I rushed to the loo and had a good long 10 minute pee. The nurse had to knock to see if I was doing ok because I was taking so long!
Oh yes, we were given the lowdown on our two best embryos before the procedure. Both were thawed the night before and survived (yippee). One retained all nine of its cells, while the other lost one cell in the battle of the frost, going from 8 cells to 7 cells (could be a boy? Haha) Doc said they were still quite good!
June 2: And so the 2ww happened and it was time for beta test day! I'll def write more about my two week wait in the next post as it was one of the funnest and most relaxing time I've ever shared with the hubs. But now, back to the test! My blood was taken at 8am. We were told to come back in an hour to see the doc. We came back and waited....each time the nurse called a name our hearts skipped a beat. 11 something it was when we got called in. Hubs lagged behind because he had to lug all my bags with him. When I entered, doc looked super serious and told me to sit down. A slightly sickening feeling welled up in my tummy. Hubby came in and sat down. Doc continued fiddling with his comp. Then turned to say: well, today we have good news! Ahhh.....a grin quickly spread on my hubby's face, which is quite a rare sight! Doc then pushed a piece of paper in front of us. 839.1 for hcg! That's super high! And here I was praying for at least 200. Doc said: we don't know how many is in there but it looks like twins! I think we were both in shock because we left the room without giving the doc a hug, which was what I always thought I'd do when the day finally came....we were both grinning like mad when we left the room, hopefully not to the chagrin of the many couples who looked very serious there that day.
And whew! It took me forever to write this recap. More good news next!
Apart from keeping busy to pass the days quickly (after finding out that I had to wait two more months to do a FET instead of a fresh transfer, I was a little disappointed and a little down), I was literally up to my neck with work and clearing up some personal projects.
But I have good news! I am now 6 weeks pregnant! It still feels surreal ....
Let me do a quick recap:
Feb 28: Egg pick-up day. It all went smoothly, despite the fact that I only dozed off after the procedure, and not during. Collected 23 eggs!
The embryologist called a few days later to say that they have successfully fertilised 6 eggs via natural IVF and 9 via ICSI. The end result though, was just 6 day-3 frozen eggs.
April 25: Back to the doctor's, all excited to start on the Frozen cycle. My period was late again that month so I was prescribed some pills to hasten the chase.
May 6: Routine check during Day-3 of period and to start on new pills to thicken the lining. Was asked to see Dr Eeson, a new partner at Sunfert. Dr Wong said it was a non-crucial check-up and that he wanted to cut down on waiting time. A good move! It felt a bit awkward since we had a failed IUI last year with Dr E, but he didn't seem to have recognised us at all :)
May 16: The day of reckoning! Today would tell us if I responded well to the treatment and if my uterine lining is thick enough to house the embryos. Test passed! Counting down the days!
May 20th: FET day! Was told to empty my bladder at 11am and start drinking 250ml of water. Did just that and was ushered into the ward at about 12pm. Had to take off everything and don an open-back hospital gown. Didnt have my glasses or phone so had no idea how time passed. The need to pee was halfway there. Perhaps there were some delays in the other surgeries -- I was only wheeled in at about 1pm. By then, my bladder was one big tight ball ready to burst. The nurse said hold it in, so I did. The procedure was quick! It felt almost like I was watching the first man landing on the moon. These words were repeated throughout: going through, going through. And I could see a white line moving through some tube; it wasn't very clear because I was as blind as a bat without my glasses. Then I sorta glimpsed two small discs being deposited onto a surface and doc said: completed. Easy peasy! The hardest part was yet to come...I had to hold my pee for another hour, as it was recommended to lie down right after the procedure. I cannot begin to tell you how difficult that was! As I had no idea how long an hour was, I had to resort to counting in the hundreds to take my mind off that gnawing discomfort down below. Thankfully, the nurses were very professional and came to the rescue just in time! I rushed to the loo and had a good long 10 minute pee. The nurse had to knock to see if I was doing ok because I was taking so long!
Oh yes, we were given the lowdown on our two best embryos before the procedure. Both were thawed the night before and survived (yippee). One retained all nine of its cells, while the other lost one cell in the battle of the frost, going from 8 cells to 7 cells (could be a boy? Haha) Doc said they were still quite good!
June 2: And so the 2ww happened and it was time for beta test day! I'll def write more about my two week wait in the next post as it was one of the funnest and most relaxing time I've ever shared with the hubs. But now, back to the test! My blood was taken at 8am. We were told to come back in an hour to see the doc. We came back and waited....each time the nurse called a name our hearts skipped a beat. 11 something it was when we got called in. Hubs lagged behind because he had to lug all my bags with him. When I entered, doc looked super serious and told me to sit down. A slightly sickening feeling welled up in my tummy. Hubby came in and sat down. Doc continued fiddling with his comp. Then turned to say: well, today we have good news! Ahhh.....a grin quickly spread on my hubby's face, which is quite a rare sight! Doc then pushed a piece of paper in front of us. 839.1 for hcg! That's super high! And here I was praying for at least 200. Doc said: we don't know how many is in there but it looks like twins! I think we were both in shock because we left the room without giving the doc a hug, which was what I always thought I'd do when the day finally came....we were both grinning like mad when we left the room, hopefully not to the chagrin of the many couples who looked very serious there that day.
And whew! It took me forever to write this recap. More good news next!
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