Having a child grow inside me is something I've dreamt about for a very long time and now that I'm finally pregnant, I'm VERY happy and trying my best to live with the accompanying symptoms of being with child.
Here's how I felt about my symptoms
Here were some of the symptoms I had at some point during the first trimester of pregnancy:Morning (ALL DAY!) sickness
Nausea
Constipation (HELPPPPP!!)
Bloatedness & Heartburn
Tender swollen breasts
Fatigue
Backaches
Frequent Urination
Worsened skin condition
Random emotional roller coaster rides
Starting from Week 6 of my pregnancy, I've experienced all of these symptoms in varying degrees, some the whole time up till now, others for a period of time. Sometimes I find myself complaining & being grouchy about them & then I think about the miracle growing inside, and I remember it's all worth it. It was not always bad, there were a lot of wonderful experiences along the way as well!
- The wonderful cravings & food I ate because "baby wanted it"
- My tummy started to show, a sign that our baby is growing inside
- First time I felt the baby kick
- The pampering by loved ones
- Hearing the heartbeat of baby with our home doppler
- Talking to our baby & having him/her respond to us
- Feeling the baby move more (& stronger kicks) as the weeks went by
- And many more.....
I was allowed A FEW SEEDS of durian to satisfy my cravings!
FIRST TRIMESTER
First thing most friends ask me when they find out I am pregnant was - "Did you experience morning sickness?"
I could never fully understand how bad & weak this makes one feel until the inability to keep my food (and sometimes fluids) plagued me and that started around pregnancy week 7 for me. I had lost almost 2 kg over the next 4-6 weeks & I had almost no appetite all the time. Sometimes, the smell & even the thought of food made me feel nauseous. That was bad for a person who absolutely LOVES to eat.
On top of that, I was feeling weak & nauseous constantly and I could only lie on my sofa to rest most of the day. Due to the low levels of progesterone I had, I would also experience cramps if I walked too much or over-exerted myself physically so my gynaecologist also suggested I rest at home, on the bed if possible.
The "seh" (exhasuted) look: This was how I looked during those weeks - pale, tired & sickly most days.
We didn't tell anybody about our pregnancy throughout this time and it felt like time was passing by so slowly before we could, but we had each other to talk to, pray with and look to for comfort. We were counting down the days till the end of the first trimester as our gynaecologist said the baby would then have a much higher chance of making it to full term & then we could share this good news to our family & loved ones. We were just bursting on the inside to share of this joyful testimony to the whole world!
On 1 April 2015, we shared our good news & many were wondering if it was April Fool's joke ;)
SECOND TRIMESTER
This was the honeymoon period for me! I could eat again (YAYYYYY!!), I ate more and food could actually stay in during this period. I didn't tire so easily and had much more energy to do things as basic as talking & walking.
Unfortunately, the constipation situation was still quite bad but I realised taking a glass of prune juice a day helped make things a little more smooth. So by now, I got a hang of some of the bad experiences and how to handle it. Overall, it was a good time to just enjoy being pregnant & plan for the baby - things to buy, what to name our baby, the living arrangements, do our hospital tours and sign up for pre-natal classes to name a few. It was quite fun!
When we went back to our gynaecologist, he told us that the placenta had moved up to the right position and this was good news because he was a little concerned that I had low-lying placenta in the earlier weeks. It was also during this trimester that we did our detailed scan, which you can read more about here.
Dr. Fong wanted me to start monitoring the movement of the baby to ensure that he or she is growing well inside. So I started to do so faithfully - once a day, I counted 10 of baby's kicks and recorded the time it took each day. As long as baby was active & did 10 kicks in less than 2 hours, it is good!
One of the things I enjoyed most being pregnant, other than being pampered real good by Kenneth, was feeling the baby grow & move within me. It is a feeling and experience that I am not able to express adequately with words, AMAZING & SURREAL comes closest I would say.
Everyday, I look forward to the time Ken & I can bond with the baby, talking to the little one, reading the bible, feel the kicks & movements and listen to baby's heartbeat using our home doppler. The first thing we do when we wake up is to say "Good morning baby, Mummy & Daddy love you!", the last thing we say would be "Good night baby, Mummy & Daddy love you very much!". We believe the baby can hear & sense the love he or she is surrounded by as we do this daily.
I had shared previously about the beginning of our pregnancy & the struggle we had because of the low progesterone levels, as well as the worries we had that the baby would not make it. You see, that was just the beginning of a million and one other times I was filled with worries & anxieties, constantly asking myself if baby's doing OK, if what I'm doing or eating would harm the baby unknowingly, whether we are preparing ourselves enough for baby's arrival (TONS of planning & shopping to do to stock up!), will the baby be born prematurely.
Thankfully I've got God to depend on and these few verses really sustained me so that I didn't drive myself crazy with all the "What ifs"!
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7
I know I didn't have to fight the battle alone - getting pregnant, carrying a growing miracle in my womb, delivering the baby then bringing him or her up would be a very challenging road ahead if we had to do it alone since so many things are out of our control! So Ken & I made it a point to always leave everything in God's hands & know that He is control and whatever happens, we will go through it together as a family.
Sometime during week 25 of my pregnancy, I had an accidental fall, landed on my butt & sprained my ankle (whoops!). I definitely gave Kenneth a huge scare when I screamed during the fall. I was really afraid that my own clumsiness would have caused the baby harm & when I called up my gynaecologist, was told to monitor if there's any cramps or bleeding the next few days. They told me that baby should be safe because there is lots of cushioning with all the amniotic fluid surrounding him or her, so I tried to think positively, pray and just monitor the situation.
Thankfully, other than a swollen ankle & bruised tailbone, baby was fine & growing well. It was a very scary experience that made me more conscious about every step I take because I am now responsible for another living being inside me!
Slurpee was a big concern for me as I used to bring him out to the dog park & pool every weekend, walk him in the night, played with him, bathed him on Sundays and groomed him but with the fatigue and growing tummy, it was very hard to do so. So I am very thankful to have my 2 sisters, Jolie & Audrey, who love Slurpee (and me, I think) so much, they would help us bathe Slurpee on weekends, bring Slurpee to the dog run, walk over to our place on nights they are free to jog and walk Slurpee. They sacrificed their time & energy just to be good sisters to us, and for that, we are blessed.
My parents were also very supportive & attentive to us, my dad would cut boxes of fresh fruits for Ken & I, which we would pick up once every 3-4 days. If I had any cravings, my mum would go out of the way just to buy them for me. My parents-in-law bought me bird's nest, as they heard that it's supposed to be good for the baby's skin, and put up with the clutter at home as we started to stock up on Baby Lim's items.
This was the honeymoon period for me! I could eat again (YAYYYYY!!), I ate more and food could actually stay in during this period. I didn't tire so easily and had much more energy to do things as basic as talking & walking.
Unfortunately, the constipation situation was still quite bad but I realised taking a glass of prune juice a day helped make things a little more smooth. So by now, I got a hang of some of the bad experiences and how to handle it. Overall, it was a good time to just enjoy being pregnant & plan for the baby - things to buy, what to name our baby, the living arrangements, do our hospital tours and sign up for pre-natal classes to name a few. It was quite fun!
When we went back to our gynaecologist, he told us that the placenta had moved up to the right position and this was good news because he was a little concerned that I had low-lying placenta in the earlier weeks. It was also during this trimester that we did our detailed scan, which you can read more about here.
Dr. Fong wanted me to start monitoring the movement of the baby to ensure that he or she is growing well inside. So I started to do so faithfully - once a day, I counted 10 of baby's kicks and recorded the time it took each day. As long as baby was active & did 10 kicks in less than 2 hours, it is good!
Everyday, I look forward to the time Ken & I can bond with the baby, talking to the little one, reading the bible, feel the kicks & movements and listen to baby's heartbeat using our home doppler. The first thing we do when we wake up is to say "Good morning baby, Mummy & Daddy love you!", the last thing we say would be "Good night baby, Mummy & Daddy love you very much!". We believe the baby can hear & sense the love he or she is surrounded by as we do this daily.
Daily routine of saying "We love you baby!"
Thankfully I've got God to depend on and these few verses really sustained me so that I didn't drive myself crazy with all the "What ifs"!
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7
I know I didn't have to fight the battle alone - getting pregnant, carrying a growing miracle in my womb, delivering the baby then bringing him or her up would be a very challenging road ahead if we had to do it alone since so many things are out of our control! So Ken & I made it a point to always leave everything in God's hands & know that He is control and whatever happens, we will go through it together as a family.
Sometime during week 25 of my pregnancy, I had an accidental fall, landed on my butt & sprained my ankle (whoops!). I definitely gave Kenneth a huge scare when I screamed during the fall. I was really afraid that my own clumsiness would have caused the baby harm & when I called up my gynaecologist, was told to monitor if there's any cramps or bleeding the next few days. They told me that baby should be safe because there is lots of cushioning with all the amniotic fluid surrounding him or her, so I tried to think positively, pray and just monitor the situation.
Thankfully, other than a swollen ankle & bruised tailbone, baby was fine & growing well. It was a very scary experience that made me more conscious about every step I take because I am now responsible for another living being inside me!
Pregnancy @ Week 23. Baby Lim's starting to show now.
I think the only way I could have the rest I needed all these months was because I have got great family members & a fantastic man in my life - My husband, Kenneth. He was always patient, logical, stable, dependable, dedicated and loving every step of the way.
When we found out we were pregnant, Kenneth's life changed overnight and he had to take on the burden of EVERYTHING - walk, feed & bathe the dog, do all the housework, chauffeur me around, carry all the things when we were out, walking up and down the stairs a million times to get things I'd left in the room so I could stay and rest on the first floor, shop for the baby's things, did all the set up for the baby nursery, put up with my mood swings and tantrums when I was emotionally frustrated and worked hard late into the night so that he could go with me to the gynaecologist appointments.
Kenneth surprised me with my first Mother's Day flowers ;)
He is my superman & I am sure he will be the best father for our children!
Pregnancy @ Week 26. Our furkid, Slurpee, saying Hi to Baby Lim.
Slurpee was a big concern for me as I used to bring him out to the dog park & pool every weekend, walk him in the night, played with him, bathed him on Sundays and groomed him but with the fatigue and growing tummy, it was very hard to do so. So I am very thankful to have my 2 sisters, Jolie & Audrey, who love Slurpee (and me, I think) so much, they would help us bathe Slurpee on weekends, bring Slurpee to the dog run, walk over to our place on nights they are free to jog and walk Slurpee. They sacrificed their time & energy just to be good sisters to us, and for that, we are blessed.
My parents were also very supportive & attentive to us, my dad would cut boxes of fresh fruits for Ken & I, which we would pick up once every 3-4 days. If I had any cravings, my mum would go out of the way just to buy them for me. My parents-in-law bought me bird's nest, as they heard that it's supposed to be good for the baby's skin, and put up with the clutter at home as we started to stock up on Baby Lim's items.
With all the ups & downs throughout the first 6 months of our pregnancy, I am thankful that I had God, Kenneth & family around for support & the love they have showered us with. We were really excited and were anticipating moving into the last leg of the pregnancy - the Third Trimester. We would share more on that in another blog post so stay tuned for more updates of Baby Lim!
If you haven't already, let us know if you think Baby Lim is a boy or girl below. ;)
To see more of Baby Lim's Ultrasound scans, click here.
If you haven't already, let us know if you think Baby Lim is a boy or girl below. ;)
To see more of Baby Lim's Ultrasound scans, click here.
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