Apart from all the crazy changes going inside the body, pregnancy also has drastic changes on our outside appearance as well. I’ve always thought that it was so amazing when women say that they have never felt more beautiful in their lives and they are embracing this change with all their hearts. I don’t think it is a time to be hard on yourself and try to maintain a certain figure because you need to gain a significant amount of weight in order to have a health pregnancy, but I also found the weight gain to be something that took time getting used to. As much as I feel incredibly blessed to be pregnant and to experience this entire process, I definitely would not say that this is the most beautiful I’ve ever felt. I do recognize that my body is doing something amazing but it was still a bit of a shock when I could no longer pull my leggings over my butt or when I looked in the mirror and saw that my arms and legs have lost all its previous definition.

In the last few years, I have been dedicated to triathlons and have spent countless hours sweating away to a strenuous workout regime. I do not do triathlons in order to look a certain way, but I definitely was proud of the physique that results from the dedicated training. Scaling back on workouts was initially a nice break but soon I was missing the intensity of the workout and it also took a bit of time to get into a healthy eating routine (I was STARVING during the first trimester). I knew that it did not make sense to workout at the same intensity level or expect my body to look the same but it was still something that bothered me at first.

I think it is important to remind yourself all the time of what your body is going through and that the weight gain is there to make sure you have a healthy pregnancy and is beneficial for your baby. The healthy weight gain for a woman with a normal BMI is 25-35 pounds and as long as your doctor says that everything is fine and you are exercising and eating a healthy diet, there is no need to worry or feel bad about your weight gain. However, it is definitely easier said than done though because even though I KNOW that this is healthy and normal, the weight gain is still significant and not what I’m used to. I have been trying to find a balance between recognizing these feelings and trying to stay positive and realistic. These feelings are valid and I don’t have to feel the same way as others. However, there is a fine line between being aware of your feelings and letting it affect you in a negative way.

Here are a few tips if you are also struggling to get used to your new body:

• Remind yourself that this weight gain is important for your pregnancy and the baby! You may already know this, but reminding yourself that you are on the right track can make you feel more accepting and positive.
• Look to positive influences and photos of pregnant mamas of all different shapes and sizes. I think there is an important difference between comparing yourself to others and being inspired by women who exude confidence! You don’t have to look at someone and be like “I wished I looked like her”, you can see a beautiful women and admire her for her confidence.
  • I had a number of maternity photos that I had saved. I thought all the women looked beautiful and it was only after looking a little harder did I realize they all had around the same sized thighs as me. It was weird that I did not notice that at first and when I see photos of myself the first thing I thought of was “my thighs have gotten so much bigger”! It was a great reminder for myself that many of these thoughts are just in my own head and that I was also a super strong and beautiful pregnant woman.
• Maintain a heathy workout and exercise routine. Your health and the health of your growing baby is the most important thing right now. Body image is also important because that affects us psychologically and we want to be happy and healthy in both mind and body. Even if your body changes are taking time to get used to, it would be very encouraging to know that you are doing everything right in terms of eating a nutritious diet and maintaining a heathy workout routine. These things also make you FEEL good and can also increase your confidence level overall.
• Buy clothes that are cute and make you feel good! There are so many cute maternity outfits out there so definitely spoil yourself and get pieces that make you feel confident and sexy! You will definitely feel less confident if you wear super large and badly fitted outfits. Just like regular clothes, some things fit better than others so make sure you pick pieces that make you feel like the strong and gorgeous lady that you are.
• Be honest with how you feel and chat with others to get their experience. It may be helpful to chat with close friends and get their support. Pregnancy is a big process and many may have gone through the same emotions as you.
• Know that this is not permanent. This one is tricky. I think it is amazing to embrace this time period and not see it as a inconvenience, but it may also be beneficial to know that this is not how you will feel or look forever and that you can get back to your normal routine after this incredible process of creative a human being.

Lastly, one major thing that helped me embrace this new body and feel beautiful is my amazing husband! He has taken such good care of me and he also makes me feel so powerful and beautiful every day. I am honest with him when I don’t feel 100% instead of just brushing it off with some generic comment he actually sits down with me to listen and reminds me of what is going on in my body and how I am doing such a good job. It is also heartwarming to see his genuine amazement at the growing belly and changing body shape and I know that every comment is from the heart and not said just to make me feel better. He makes me feel like a Victoria’s Secret Model even when I initially felt like Shrek. So the last tips is to get yourself an awesome husband!

Getting used to this new body is a continuous journey but I am definitely starting to get a better hang of it. I know that I am doing everything right and I am also incredibly proud thankful of what my body is doing. I may never feel like this is the most beautiful period of my life, but I know that I can look back to this time and feel empowered and recognize what a special time it is.

The coronavirus is a major health concern, but it has also been detrimental to our mental wellbeing. I felt like I was going through an emotional rollercoaster of anxiety and was also checking the news religiously to see how things were panning out. I was also extremely pissed off at people who behave in such a disgusting and selfish manner during this outbreak. The pandemic has really revealed the ugly side of human nature with people hoarding groceries, the price gouging of items such as masks, the increase in racist hate crimes, and people breaking quarantine or ignoring the need to social distance. I was so shocked by many of these behaviors and it was very hard for me to understand why people can think that their personal liberties and needs are more important than those of others. I spent an unhealthy amount of time hating on these people and getting frustrated. Let’s not even get started on idiots who want to spew conspiracy theories and compare this outbreak to the flu. However, I realize that there is no point in ruining my mood over the actions of others. I am more than happy to blast people who are putting other people’s wellbeing at risk, but I also want to focus more on the GOOD people of the world who are making a positive difference during this outbreak. Therefore I have been sharing more happy news and contributing to worthwhile causes. Here are some links (1, 2, 3) to uplifting news and also a link to how you can help out during this time.

Having to social distance also takes a toll on our moods. I do consider myself very lucky to be able to be safe at home with my husband and our dog Mister. I love spending time with them and there is a lot to be grateful for. However, I am also a social person who loves spending time with my friends. It is a special period in my life and it is a shame that I am unable to be with my close friends.

There are a lot of things to prepare for during pregnancy and the pandemic definitely changed many plans. Below I have detailed some of these changes that were initially disappointing and how I changed my perspective around them.

Trip to Holland cancelled. We usually go back to Holland every 2 months or so to see Jerry’s family. We cancelled all our travel plans because it was much too risky to travel. We were going to buy a bunch of baby things including the crib and stroller from a specific Dutch brand that I liked. While I was disappointed that I could not make the trip, we were able to find all the things that we wanted in Hong Kong. After a lot of research, we also found a store that delivered that specific stroller to Hong Kong. Problem solved! 

Baby moon cancelled. I was initially thinking of going to Paris after our trip to Amsterdam for our babymoon. I was looking forward to it because it would be the last time Jerry and I would be able to travel as just the two of us. With all travels cancelled, this was just not going to happen. It was a bummer that we would never get this babymoon, but I told myself that it would be just as fun to go as a family with the baby. Also, if I go after the baby, I will be able to enjoy steak tartare and wine! 

Maternity shoot cancelled. My original photographer is also pregnant and we had scheduled the shoot in mid April. She emailed me to cancel because she felt uncomfortable with traveling and work since she was also pregnant. I was initially a bit unhappy but she introduced me to another photographer and we took some AMAZING photos that I am so excited about. It was a blessing in disguise because I really think those new photos are perfect and just what I had in mind.

Antenatal courses cancelled. We had signed up for the antenatal classes at Matilda Hospital along with an Infant First Aid Course. It is our first pregnancy so we were excited to learn as much as possible. I was truly disappointed when they were all cancelled but luckily I signed up for two online courses that I found and that were also recommended by a fellow mama. I would prefer the in-person course, but we will do what we can with the online courses! 

Amazon no longer delivers to Hong Kong. I had gotten SO many goodies from Amazon and had a bunch of things in my basket for my next order. I was shocked to suddenly see that they no longer delivered to Hong Kong. Once again, it was a shame but they were all things that I could find in Hong Kong. There is also time until the baby gets here so hopefully things will be back up and running by then! 

Baby shower up in the air. I was really looking forward to the baby shower and at the moment we are still unsure whether we will be able to have this. If the situation is still very bad in May or June, I may not be able to have one at all. If things are better I could potentially do something something outdoors or at home. 

While I understand that many of those problems are first world problems, I still accept that I am human and my disappointment is valid. However, dwelling on those thoughts won’t get me anywhere and I would rather find a solution and shift my perspective.

During these tense times, I always feel lucky that I have a comfortable home that I love, access to healthcare, access to a well stocked super market, the ability to go on short walks and be near mountains and the ocean, and access to a gym in my building. I also love the extra quality time that I get with my husband who coincidentally is my best friend (and cute pup Mister). I am also incredibly grateful for my health and the blessing of this active little baby growing day by day.

Here are some things I’ve done these past few weeks to stay busy and positive:

• Check in with friends: You might not be able to see your friends, but we have so many apps and tech that allow us to stay in touch 🙂 I also dropped off some food for one of my best friends who is a doctor and it was a happy “errand” in my day.
• Find a tv show to pass time: Crash Landing on You, Tiger King, The Sinner, The Great British Family Cookoff… you name it. There were some shows that I probably would not watch regularly but hey, you got the time!
• Sign up for courses: What a great time to learn something new! I signed up for a bunch of antenatal courses but there are also great classes on Coursera. You can also learn a new language on Duolingo.
• Schedule out the week: This keeps me motivated and excited instead of feeling like each day is drag. Events don’t have to be huge, they could be things like groceries, baking bread, etc.
• Make big batches of food: Ever wanted to make wontons, bread, or other big recipes? This will take up a big chunk of your day and you can also do it with other members of your family. Jerry and I made almost 100 wontons one day and that was a lot of fun.
• Try new recipes: This quarantine seemed to have spurred a lot of cooking… so write out a list of recipes you’ve always wanted to try and get cooking!
• Get your sweat on: Gyms may be closed and hiking trails are full of people, but tons of fitness instructors are doing live workouts and there are lots of other at-home options available!

It’s a tough time, but stay health and safe everyone! We can fight this pandemic together 🙂

The world has been turned upside town with the coronavirus and it is a particularly stressful time to be pregnant. Pregnant women have lower immunity and even common ailments such as the flu could result in much more severe outcomes. There is currently not enough data to know how the coronavirus will affect pregnant people but according to very limited data collected, the virus does not seem to be passed onto the fetus and the virus was also not found in amniotic fluid or breast milk. This article presents some information from the CDC regarding pregnancy and the coronavirus.

Here are also some things that I have done during this time to lower the risk of infection:

• Wear a mask: I know that mask wearing is not promoted in the US or Europe but I wholeheartedly believe that wearing a mask will both protect yourself and others. Droplets are believed to be one of the main transmission routes of the coronavirus, so wearing a mask will definitely act as a barrier (read more on this issue in this Guardian Article). Below are some useful infographics on the benefits of wearing a mask put together by a HKU clinical assistant professor and microbiologist Dr. Siddharth Sridhar. I wear a mask as soon as I go out the front door and only take it off outside when I am eating, walking on a non-crowded hiking trail or beach, or when I’m inside our car.
• Wash hands often: I wash my hands whenever I come home for 20 seconds (remember to turn off the water while you lather up!), before I eat, and after handling packages/delivery.
• Use hand sanitizer when you can’t wash your hands: Make sure you hand sanitizer contains 60% or higher alcohol!
• Try not to touch my face: ah this is a hard one! I love scratching my nose or rubbing my eyes, but I definitely had to change this habit recently.
• Try to not touch surfaces with my hands: I always use my elbow to press lift buttons and my foot to push open doors.
• CLEAN MY PHONE: this one is so important! Our phone is such a petri dish of germs and I never really cleaned it before the virus. We are touching it constantly and it is also always on random surfaces. I always clean it with alcohol once I get home.
• Avoid crowded places/going outside: I am basically at home all the time and only venture out for morning walks, personal training with my prenatal coach, or doctor’s appointments. Earlier in the outbreak, I would still go out for lunch with some close friends at non-crowded and airy places but once things got a little more intense everything was cancelled. I recently did have lunch at an outdoor space but we went right when it opened and it was empty. I would definitely avoid places that had confirmed cases and high risk areas (such as clubs at the moment because many people have returned from overseas).
• Avoid taking public transportation: This might not be practical for everyone but I have completely stopped taking public transportation. Jerry also drives to work when he does go into the office once a week. We have taken cabs extremely sparingly for hikes where we can’t park at the starting point.
• Pick and choose your crowd: This seems a bit harsh but since I want to be super vigilant I only saw some friends that I knew were also super cautious. You need to make the decision that you feel most comfortable with (especially if you are pregnant or someone who is vulnerable at home). Friends have also been very forthcoming (such as if their boyfriend’s colleague is infected or if there is a confirmed case in their building). Don’t be shy to ask and also bow out of events if you feel that is the best decision for yourself. It is such a tense time and I am sure no one will take it personally (and if they do, that’s too bad).

In the next post, I will talk about things I’ve done to feel more positive and happy during this time!

As always, this is from my own research and experience and should not replace the advice from medical and public health professionals. Always consult your doctor and do your own research to figure out what is best for you.

Some time ago, my husband was looking into taking supplements and did a ton of research regarding the best brands and types of supplements to take. While it is true that it is best to get your nutrients from your diet, sometimes you may need a little extra help. This is particularly true for pregnant women who need to ensure that they are taking certain types of nutrients to support a healthy pregnancy. This article by the Mayo Clinic is informative and to the point. I have further summarized its key points below:

• Following a healthy diet is important, but you may still miss some important nutrients during pregnancy. A prenatal vitamin will ensure that you are getting everything you need.
• Some of the key nutrients that you may need to supplement include:
  • Folic acid to prevent neural tube defects.
  • Iron to support the baby’s growth and also to prevent anemia in the mother.
  • DHA to support the baby’s brain development.

It is ideal to start taking prenatal vitamins before conception so I started taking mine 1-2 months before we started trying. I had no trouble taking vitamins but it was a little difficult during the first trimester as sometimes the vitamins made the nausea even worse. So my tip is to take them before bedtime!

There are a lot of vitamins out there and I never really understood the importance of buying a high quality vitamin until Jerry forced me to switch brands. I initially bought a positively reviewed once-a-day prenatal vitamin, but Jerry told me that the quality may not be that high. While a “so so” brand gets the job done, it is way better to get a reliable, high quality brand that you are confident with. I did a little bit of research myself and found this helpful article. Some major points are:

• Supplements are part of a wild field that is mostly unregulated. You want to make sure you are purchasing vitamins from a reputable brand to ensure they are properly tested for safety and purity.
• Supplements that are cheaply made will usually contain forms of the vitamin that are not easily utilized or absorbed by the body. For example, folate is important for preventing neural tube defects, but most vitamins will not use natural folate and use folic acid instead, a form that is poorly converted by most people.
• High quality supplements will contain less toxins, including heavy metals. This is particularly true for supplements such as DHA, where it should be emphasized that the source is wild caught and that what you are buying is non-GMO verified.

By investing in extra testing and procedures to deliver the purest and most effective form of a vitamin, the price for higher quality supplements may be justifiably higher than for low quality supplements. Here are the two brands that I use:

Daily prenatal – Thorne Basic Prenatal: The folate is in the natural form instead of folic acid and B12 is in the natural absorbable form of methylcobalamin instead of cyanocobalamin. Thorne is a very reputable supplement brand and we have used it in the past for non-pregnancy related supplements also.

DHA – Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA: The deep sea fish oil is wild caught and also tested by a third party certified lab for environmental toxins, ensuring its purity and freshness. This brand is also recommended by the American Pregnancy Association.

As always, this information is drawn from my own experience and research, please always consult your doctor or healthcare professional to make decisions that are best for you.

With the body quickly changing, one of the important things to get to make sure you are comfortable during your pregnancy are maternity clothes! I have come to realize that they don’t actually have to be specifically maternity apparel, many “normal” clothes are actually super comfy as well. This of course also depends on how your body changes in your specific pregnancy and your body shape, but I have listed below some of my favorites so far.

Sports bras: I basically live in sports bras regularly and only wear wire bras or nipple stickers for specific outfits. I was able to wear my regular sports bras for most of my first trimester but as my breasts grew bigger I knew I had to get some new sports bras! For reference I am usually a 32C or 34B.

• First to early second trimester: My pre-pregnancy favorites were the Lululemon Born to be Wild Bra (in size 4) and the Nike Pro Indy (in size S). Both are light support bras and I absolutely love them for working out. I was able to wear all of these for most of the first trimester. As the growth started, the Free to be Wild Bra was the first to go as it has the lowest coverage. The Nike Indy was still fitting nicely for a while but got a little restrictive soon. I also had a few Lululemon bras (also in size 4) that I think are called the Flow Y Bra Nulu, these were also more comfortable and I was able to wear them up to early second trimester.
• Second trimester onwards: I ordered the Lounge Bra from Alo Yoga and sized up to a Medium. The fabric was so soft and the bra shape was also very comfortable and non-restrictive. I don’t think this bra is supportive enough for anything other than daily use and low impact sports. I have also changed up my workout routine so these bras worked well for me. I am hoping that they will be ok for the third trimester as well but if not I will update this post 🙂 The photo below shoes the Free to be Wild Bra and the Alo Lounge Bra. 

Leggings: Another item that I live in… I wear a lot of Lululemon (size 4)  and Nike leggings (size XS). Sooner or later I realized that they were getting super tight and then I was having a hard time pulling them over my butt!

• First trimester: I mostly wore my regular leggings
• Second trimester: I ordered some maternity leggings from ASOS and they are high waisted plain black leggings. They are pretty comfortable but don’t offer a lot of support. I also ordered the High Waist Dash Leggings and the Airbrush Legging from Alo Yoga and sized up to a Medium. The Airbrush Legging is super stretchy and comfortable. The Dash Leggings have an annoying decal at the back of the calf that I find a little itchy but the high waisted aspect is nice as it gives the bump a little bit of support. I also ordered the Lululemon Align Leggings, which is supposedly the holy grail of maternity leggings. I got one in my regular size 4 and also one size up to 6 in case I need it for the third trimester. The regular size 4 fits really well for now (I am at 24 weeks) and the high waisted band also feels great on the bump! The material is also soooo soft. 

Dresses: I hate wearing jeans and always find dresses way more comfortable. I was able to wear a lot of my regular clothes such as loose maxi dresses and flowy dresses. A game changer is a T Shirt Dress. I got one from Cotton On and it is SO comfortable. I think I can wear it all the way to the end of my pregnancy. When buying maternity dresses, don’t buy wrap dresses because they usually don’t fit well (not for me at least) and also don’t get things in a restrictive fabric. After buying some things in the first round and seeing what works best, I opted for soft fabrics in flowy shapes with stretchy waistbands in the second order. 

All in all, I was able to get a lot of things that I can still wear even when I am not pregnant. I hope that these tips were helpful and that you find outfits that make you feel comfortable and happy! 

You want to make sure you get the best and safest items for your new baby but unfortunately it can be more difficult than you expect. There are SO many products out there and many are irresponsibly marketed as “safe” when they are not!

I came to this realization after months of research and it has really pissed me off. How can companies be so irresponsible… especially when it comes to the thing we want to protect the most. I was shocked to see the amount of products that companies shamelessly promote to parents that are developed without safety guidelines or scientific evidence regarding the safety for infant use. Coming from a health and research background, I have always been super anal about fact-checking and doing my due diligence. I hope that this post will be helpful for others but of course ALWAYS do your own research as this is just my own experience. I will do more detailed posts regarding specific items I will use for safe sleeping, car seats, etc, but these are some general tips for combing through the mess of baby products out there:

1. Make sure that the claims made by the company for a product are backed by scientifically sound evidence or medical expertise (specifically pediatricians). A lot of companies will promote items in an appealing way, but many of these items actually cause more harm than good. For example, sleep positioners claim to keep your baby in a specific position and reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), when in truth the American Academy of Pediatrics has always recommended AGAINST the use of sleep positioners and sleep positioners may actually increase the risk of suffocation. Read more about it on the FDA’s website here and on a pediatrician reviewed article here.
   

   An example of a sleep positioner and their appealing but unproven claims 

2. Always look up the specific product to check if it has been recalled. Once again, many companies come out with these fancy products claiming that it will solve this and that issue. Once you look it up, you may be shocked to find out that millions of this product have been recalled because it has been linked to numerous infant deaths. For example, inclined sleepers have been promoted as helping babies with indigestion and the ability to create a soothing and safe sleeping position. In truth, inclined sleepers have been linked to numerous SIDS deaths and the actual medically sound advice is for babies to sleep on a FLAT and firm surface. Read more about the recall of millions of inclined sleepers here.
3. Popularity is not everything/beware of pretty instagram posts. This calls back to the examples in the point above. Some of the inclined sleepers that were recalled were extremely popular products and this might make it seem “safe” to some people. I have also noticed that many instagrams post pretty sleeping pictures of babies surrounded by toys, blankets, and crib bumpers – all of which are risk factors for suffocation. These posts may look pretty, but are grossly irresponsible.
4. Know what you are looking for when you read reviews. Yes, reviews are super helpful and I love combing through them whether I am looking for a new restaurant to try or whether I am buying sheets for the nursery. However, make sure you pick out the relevant details. Even if some random woman in the UK thinks this product is amazing and her baby sleeps so well in it, it does not mean it is safe. Reviews are helpful for finding out other details such as quality, personal preference, ease of use, etc, but it is not sufficient for other things such as safety (unless they said the product exploded or had some other explicit safety issues).
5. Look for official safety requirements/standards. This may not apply for everything but for certain items such as car seats, you should always make sure that the product meets certain safety requirements (I will write a separate post regarding car seats).
6. Do a lot of research. This is a pretty general tip… but I could not stress this enough. I have had to look through so many different websites to make sure something was safe or unsafe. Things are not always clear and you should always check a few sources before making up your mind. Don’t just read one person’s review or hear from a friend that something is great and take their word for it. Ultimately it is your decision on what you want to do for your child and you want to make sure you researched the shit out of it and are able to make the best and most informed decision.

 

I was 30 when I found out I was pregnant and this meant that it was the period when most of my friends were getting married or getting ready to have kids. Weddings also mean… bachelorette trips! Two of my best friends were getting married and had super fun overseas bachelorettes planned. One was in mid November where I would only be at around 8/9 weeks and too early for us to be publicly open about the pregnancy. In the second trip, I was just at 12 weeks so everyone already knew. In the first trip, I had only told a very small number of my closest friends at this point. Even though I hardly go out to party anymore, bachelorette trips are the major opportunities to go hard once more with good friends. I was a little nervous about how I would be able to conceal this little secret, especially since I am always the first reach for that vodka soda.

I looked up a few tips online (the internet is awesome), but many of the tips were way too complicated… such as telling the bartender beforehand so that they can switch out your drink when you are there with your friends. I decided that I was going to tell people that I was either sick or not drinking because I was actively trying for a baby. I decided to go with the latter because sickness has never really stopped me from having a drink or two and it also seemed like too big of a lie to pretend to be sick the entire trip.

Here are some tips that I think may be helpful: 

When the pregnancy is still a secret

1. Think of an excuse that you feel comfortable with. If you think that pretending to be on antibiotics or having to make up an entire story of being ill is too much, it probably will be! I thought that my reason that I was actively trying made sense and it was also not too much work to maintain. 
2. Tell a select few. I was not ready to tell everyone about the pregnancy, but I did tell a small number of people on the trip. This made me feel a bit more comfortable because they knew what was going on and they could also keep an eye on me in case I was feeling unwell. You should also consider telling the bride-to-be because this is a trip in her honor so she would appreciate knowing what is happening (and why you are not going all out haha). But obviously this is all up to you! 
   • You may also want to reach out to the person who is planning special activities. For example, if someone is planning a cocktail making party of massage, you should let them know you are pregnant in advance so they can make special arrangements for you. 
3. Don’t worry too much about the secret. Even though you have an excuse ready and will try to keep it up, it is likely that some on the trip will guess that you are pregnant anyways (many have dealt with pregnant friends and have heard that excuse before!). Don’t sweat it too much as most people understand the delicate nature of this time and will be tactful even if they secretly have suspicions.
4. Remember that the safety of you and the baby is the #1 priority. During the trip, I was able to not drink but sometimes situations arise that are less than ideal. We went to this bar and it was extremely smokey. I was not sure if I should leave early at first because I felt like it was too “obvious”, but ultimately I did because me and my baby’s health is way more important that keeping up appearances. If people got suspicious and wanted to speculate, so be it. 

General tips

1. Rest up! Your body is working hard to create a human! This is not the time to rally and see if you can be the last person standing. If you are tired, just go and take a nap or sit back and relax. 
2. If traveling to a hot location, stay hydrated and stay in the shade: This is more of a general travel tip for pregnant people, but since many of our friends have trips in SE Asia locations, this is very important! You are much more prone to fainting and dizziness while pregnant (and high body temp) so you definitely want to be careful. I fainted briefly in Bangkok and it was quite a scary experience. 
3. Do extra research on dietary restrictions. This is another general travel tip, but when you are eating in a group and traveling to a new country, you should do a little more research on what foods are ok for pregnant people to eat. I was unable to eat any of the hairy crab roe while I was in Shanghai and I also had a few items substituted for my meals in Bangkok.
4. Pick and choose parts of the trip. No one wants to miss out on a bachelorette to celebrate your good friend getting married, but sometimes there might be parts of the trip that doesn’t make sense. It is ok to go to parts of it and skip other parts! For example, I went to a trip segment in Bangkok but skipped out on the festival Wonderfruit because I was worried about the heat and mosquitoes. Find ways to be involved that makes sense for you and your pregnancy 🙂
5. Don’t let the pregnancy make you feel boring/less fun! This obviously depends on how your pregnancy is going. While I was more tired than before, I was still able to go to the club with my friends and dance until 2 am. Don’t feel that just because you are pregnant and can’t drink, you are boring and can’t have tons of fun with your girls! 

I did not know too much about pregnancy symptoms except for the stereotypical “woman hugging the bathroom” in the morning scene in movies. I wasn’t sure if I was going to have bad morning sickness and also found out after some research that morning sickness often does not only occur in the morning, it can happen anytime of the day or last all day (awesome…)! I had already researched on some early pregnancy symptoms and soon found out for myself that these symptoms get slightly more severe as the first trimester progresses. The first trimester is a turbulent time because hormones are surging and the placenta is also developing. The body is adjusting to all these changes and this can result in some unpleasant symptoms. Here is a helpful infographic from Flo Health:

Luckily I did not experience severe morning sickness but I did some several bouts of nausea. It basically felt like a hangover all the time. I was also extremely fatigued and this was frustrating to me because I usually had so much energy and loved being active. Jerry would often come home from work and find me in bed because I just did not feel good. However, I was still grateful that I never actually threw up and things were overall manageable.

I was also getting heat flashes, especially after I ate. This was pretty uncomfortable, especially in the warm Hong Kong weather. I was also getting attacked by some serious hunger pangs. Once I was hungry, I HAD to have food or else I felt like I was going to die. After a few hangry attacks, we decided to keep snacks in my bag and also in the car to make sure we are always well equipped. It was crazy to think that this tiny thing was only the size of a poppy seed… yet my body was going a bit crazy! Jerry would sometimes tell me that I didn’t need that much food because the baby was the size of a seed, but he quickly learnt not to challenge me about my food intake.

With the increased appetite and also hormonal changes, my body was also changing. I definitely felt my favorite sports bras getting a bit tighter and it was no longer comfortable (or appropriate!) to wear them. In the first few weeks, my regular clothes were still fitting fine but it soon became a bit too tight as I neared the end of the first trimester.

Apart from the physical symptoms, the first trimester is a strange time because you are always a bit on edge, unsure of whether the pregnancy will go smoothly. We were so excited, but I was also always a bit unsure of whether things would go downhill and did not want to be TOO excited yet. Apart from the slight anxiety of a miscarriage, it was also such a blissful time and I did enjoy the private little joy that Jerry and I shared. It was our little secret. At around 6 weeks, our doctor told us that it was highly unlikely that I would have a miscarriage due to my age and health. It was a reassuring comment, but I was still excited for the first trimester to be over so that I could be even more certain.

The traditional advice is that you are supposed to wait until the 12th week to tell other people of the happy news. Obviously this is your own choice and I had told some close friends earlier than that. Jerry and I did decide to not tell people until around 7-8 weeks. There is no right or wrong way to do it but the understanding is that miscarriages are much more common during the first 12 weeks so it is better to let people know after that time frame. My feeling was that I only told people that I was also comfortable talking to if the worst were to happen. These were my best friends and I knew that if I were to have a miscarriage, they would also be the people I turned to. I was so happy to share the good news with my best friends while Jerry was a little more on the DL and wanted to share the news later.

Overall the first trimester was a time of excitement but also came along with some uncertainty and uncomfortable symptoms. It was still a bit bewildering to me that something was growing inside me!

We had made an appointment to meet our OB-GYN before getting pregnant so that we would get to know him better and to see if we were the right fit. He came highly recommend from our good friend who has 5 kids and his reviews online were also insanely good (one woman even said she might consider getting pregnant again just to have him as a doctor…what?). He seemed quite surprised to see us since we weren’t even pregnant and were perfectly healthy and had no specific questions. He was friendly and told us to go on another honeymoon and find him again when we were pregnant.

After my negative pregnancy test, I was still experiencing crazy mood swings and heat flashes. I noticed myself getting to the edge of tears and rage when we go to a restaurant and they had no seats… and was also getting a bit more fatigued. I decided to take another pregnancy test in a few days. I read online that it was important not to take TOO many pregnancy tests because it will really affect your mood and it can get obsessive. I decided to wait a few days and also bought another brand that had better reviews online. I used First Response for my first test, which claims to be able to detect a pregnancy earlier than other tests. However, online reviews were actually quite bad for this brand and many claimed that this test came back negative while other tests revealed that they were pregnant. I also read that early detection tests can sometimes detect a “chemical pregnancy”, a very early miscarriage that occurs before 5 weeks. Regardless of whether it was the brand’s problem or just that I tested too early, I decided to buy a Clear Blue pregnancy test and carried out the test again. After waiting patiently for a few minutes… the results were in!

Jerry was with me when we saw the result and the bathroom was instantly filled with laughs, cheers, and hugs. It felt a bit surreal because I kept looking at it and even though the instructions on the results were so clear, it still didn’t feel real. Was there was this tiny thing developing inside my body? Should I take another test to be sure? I spent the rest of the day looking at this test a few more times. Staring at these clear lines… as if I had misread them. I then made an appointment with my GP to get the blood test done. A few days later I got the call that it was a confirmed pregnancy but that the HCG levels were a little low and that I should come back for a follow-up test in a week to make sure it is all progressing in the right way. This was my first experience with all the waiting and worrying that comes with pregnancy. You instantly wonder “what could be wrong?”. Luckily, the results from the follow-up test was perfectly normal and the doctor said that the initial low results could just be due to a miscalculation of date of conception. There will be a few more tests, waiting, and other worries in the future!

According to the doctor, I was about 4 weeks pregnant at the time. It definitely happened a lot faster than we expected (less than a month of trying) but we felt so incredibly blessed and lucky! It really took a few days for the idea to dawn on me: I was going to be a mother! We are going to be a family. In many ways I still felt like a child myself! But I also knew that I was ready for this. We are so excited for this new adventure!

From a young age, I have always known that I wanted a family with multiple children. However, as we all know, we spend most of our young adult life praying not to be pregnant and I still saw babies and kids as weird screaming aliens until very recently. The baby fever switch was quite sudden and I suddenly found myself adoringly staring at random stranger’s babies and wondering how amazing it would feel to have my own. I think meeting the love of my life, Jerry, definitely helped in propelling me into this mode. I was so excited to marry him and to start a family, I can only begin to imagine what an amazing father he would be to our children.

We got married in August after being engaged for a little more than 11 months and dating for less than 2 years. In my wedding vows, I likened our relationship to my favorite quote from “When Harry Met Sally”: When you meet the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible”.  Shortly after we were married, we decided we were ready to start trying for a baby. We started living together early on so did not feel the need to have to try out the “married life” feeling, since we already felt that way!

After doing some research in how to prepare my body for a baby, I also realized that getting pregnant is not easy at all. I follow many amazing bloggers who share candidly their struggle with infertility and was surprised to know that it can happen to anyone, not just people who are above a certain age. I think we assume it is easy because people usually post the good news, but very often we do not see the struggle and effort that has gone on behind the scenes. Because of this, I wanted to give myself a realistic time frame for getting pregnant and to have fun! I did not want this to be a unromantic process where the only goal is to make a baby. Ultimately this is about the love I have for my husband and our plans to start and raise a happy family together. I decided to just go at it naturally and not rely on ovulation tests for now as I felt like it made it a bit too planned and structured (however ovulations tests can be very helpful for people with irregular periods!).

After a amazing month long honeymoon trekking across numerous national parks, I returned to Hong Kong and stopped my birth control. I thought it would be good to give my body some time to get back into its regular cycle. I did do a bunch of research about signs of ovulation, but symptoms also differ between each person. In two weeks, I was traveling to Spain, London, and Amsterdam and according to a regular cycle that would be my time of ovulation. When I was back from my trip, I noticed that I was a lot more emotionally volatile (oh no!) than usual and also quite fatigued for no reason. I would also get hot flashes particularly after eating. I decided to get an early response pregnancy test and patiently waited for the results…

After waiting a few minutes, I was surprised and slightly disappointed to see the signs for “Not pregnant” on the pregnancy test.

 

To be continued…