The extended circuit breaker is really stressing me out. It seems like my gender reveal "party" might be jeopardised. So far the vendors whom I am working with can't give me affirmatives that the show will go on...Sigh. This just means I probably have to come out with more creative way to surprise the Hubs without him knowing hmm.
On a side note, we got new lovelies for the ears. Personally, I love this series of photos on Zoey K. It is quite different from the usual style I go for...but I should always try new things out. Even for the try-outs, I literally did them in bed and hence the title :P
This is a very unique set and there is every reason to love this. The stud are pearl bits so wear it the other way round, you get 2 earrings instead of one. The highlights are nonetheless still the natural dried flowers. There is a lot of variety and it is so difficult to pick a fav (others that caught my eye include the Leaf, Summer and Late Autumn). I settled for coral because the turquoise colour was unique and I might want to feature it in another shoot. Hehe. So I shall not ramble too much here.
My fascination with pearls have been growing in my twenties. And this piece is gorgeous. It is like big mother pearl being surrounded by little baby pearls. Generally, the pearl pieces from Zoey K. are very classy. From experience, pearls look good both small and big, but if you want people mistake your fakes for reals, go for small pearls because natural pearls usually ain't that big and juicy hehe. But for me, I like my fakes big because the designs are usually more intricate and impossible to get at jewellery shops.
I can go on and on about pearls. Lol, hit me up if you are a pearl fanatic or are looking to invest in some nice pearls (that are not from the typical jeweller) cos I have made some purchases at the last jewellery fair so I think I have quite a sense now on who's good for the overseas retailers. Ciao~~~
Really wanted to do more this weekend, but exhaustion has unfortunately struck me. Since I am too drained to delve into anything deeper, I will share something lighter this weekend. As a first time mum, I relied on some support group/ app to go through bad days like this and I thought I will share it here :D
1. Telegram Private Chat
So this is the group which the hubs always call them a cult. I found them on a forum and apparently there is a group for each delivery month. My group is quite chatty and talks about healthy topics (heard some groups talk about sex and complains about their husbands all day). Generally, we compare symptoms, share good news and dish out advise (for experienced mums). Sometimes, the Mums also share when they received bad news from their gynae and other women would comfort them.
Hubs thinks I am overly active and involved with a group of women I don't even know. But the thing is when I was going through rough morning sickness, this was the group that "understood". My friends didn't go through as bad pukes as me. And this was the group that was patient enough to keep comforting me. To return the kindness of my virtual pals, I also do try to be there as often as possible, particularly for mums going through a bad day (because I have been through it and knows how shitty it is like).
This was the first app I used to track my pregnancy during the first trimester (recommended by the cult too). I downloaded it simply because it was cute and it was the closest interaction we had to the baby. The Hubs also downloaded the app so he could monitor my journals which I filled in quite religiously and he could also send "customised" encouraging message.
Apart from the cute icons of the babies which would change movement everytime you refresh the page, this app didn't hold much use. I soon moved on to the Asian Parent App which had a bigger community and had a whole library of food that could be taken during pregnancy etc. which I thought was a lot more useful.
As of now, this is my more frequently used app cos there is a lot more going on. Apart from the pregnancy tracker, there are polls, articles and libraries of facts to tap on. And you get points which you can use to redeem stuff. But between you and me, the stuff ain't that attractive and it is very hard to accumulate to a substantial amount.
This app was also recommended by the cult. In fact, the cult also introduced an app that can measure/ track the fetus' heartbeat. Personally, I think placing the phone at the tummy just didn't seem smart so I didn't download it. So far, I just feel my tummy for movements (which Hubs say they are not baby but my gas rolling about in the tummy) Oh wells...but call it a mummy's instinct but I am pretty sure some of them are made my little one trying to connect with me :D
Update: Managed to redeem quite a decent set of toothpaste and mouthwash from Mama's Choice. Will be packing it into my hospital bag. :D
Honestly, motherhood during COVID is tough. As a first time parent, I had wanted to attend some prenatal classes to help me through this journey. Now, it is just simply self-learning with limited support. Most of the things I have learnt about new borns are either from the vendors or online and this is why I decided no matter how shitty I feel, I will write down every nibble of information I got because it probably can help another mum-to-be out there.
So today, I thought I will share with you all I have learnt about swaddling. Initially, when the Hubs and I came across this, we were a bit bewildered as to why would a new born want to sleep with restricted movements? I mean hasn't you been confined in a womb for 9+ months? Now that you escape from it, wouldn't you want all the freedom in the world?!?
So the Hub and I did a silly experiment, he "swaddled" me up in our comforter to let me experience it myself. And I concluded it was rather comfy and secure, though warm. I would think when swaddled a new born would feel like it is still in the womb, letting it feel safe. On further research, swaddling is also supposed to help restrict movements from the baby so it doesn't accidentally suffocate itself by its blanket.
But swaddling with a cloth is really like doing some origami and I doubt the impatient woman in me will be able to swaddle a soft newborn when it is born. This was when I decided I need to find a simpler alternative. I was surfing through Bambino and came across their swaddles.
The swaddle-up ($55.90) looks like a little onesie. The Hubs and I picked this colour cos we thought it looked like a dog bone HAHAHA. If you want something fuss-free, this is a easy solution. Just put baby in and zip it up. I was quite thankful that the material was really soft and breezy. Because the Hubs and I can't take humidity and warm weather very well so we don't really expect baby to be too different from me and the Hubs.
We are also extremly pleased that the material was quite stretchy. Reason being, the little one seems to be on the bigger side (despite making me puke and all, it is getting quite a bit or just sucking nutrients off me) >_< But actually we don't need that big a piece because most babies stop swadling by 2 months (or when they start wanting to flip). The baby can be suffocated if it accidentally flip on its tummy!
Apart from the swaddles we saw, Bambino also hold other babies' needs and mummies' wants. We also received milestone cards ($19.90)...Whee. This is definitely more if a mummy's want. I thought it was cute if we could document baby's journey. There are even a notes section at the back to jot down fun facts of our little one. I have repacked the cards so that I won't fumble when our little one presents itself.
If you are into simple, classy designs, these milestone cards would be up your alley. Looking at the cards, I was quite inspired to also make a welcome card for our baby. Hehe. Now that it is the circuit breaker, I just might be able to squeeze out some time for handicraft. :D
During this period, I have to admit the most of the shopping or site-shopping given that we are all forced to stay in, has been mainly baby's. But, there are certain gifts that are really for the Mother more than the child. One of them is the breast pumps. The Breast pumps is going to be one of the bigger investments during the journey.
I am quite proud to say despite the constant tummy cramps, I managed to convince the baby in me to cooperate so that we can do some reading-up together. Whether you would even need breast pumps would depend on whether you are able to produce any breast milk. Some mothers would advise doing the necessary read-up first then purchasing what you need, so that you won't panic when you need it.
One key thing to consider when you decide to get a breast pump is whether you want a manual or electric one. An electric pump is a lot more convenient but will set you back in terms of finance a bit more. You can easily get a manual pump within a hundred dollars but an electric one would usually be around $300-$400 for a reputatable brand.
The second question you need to ask yourself is whether if you need a single or double expressor. If are time-strapped, go for the double pumps. I am a working mum, so I wanted something that helps me save time and is easy to carry about. For me, Hegen is quite a good choice.
First of all, the packaging is awesome. This actually makes a very good maternity gift for friends/ co-workers. I have been in quite a bit of pain lately and receiving a pink package nicely bowed up really makes me feel young, lovely and very feminine. I was very pleased to know that the pumping machine came charged so you could immediately use it (not that i need to) without charging. It is also very light weight and came with a manual pump.
Before I received my set, I asked around my "mothers cult" on Hegen. Many people just told me that it was highly reputable but expensive. But I think a lot of people missed out the reason why there was a price premium to it. The pump machine didn't just act as a pump and could be used as a massager before or after birth. You can also customise the massage and suction to obtain more milk. For one gift set, you are actually receiving quite a bit. And I think many people miss out the point that if you have one portable pump, you don't need to invest in two.
Although the advise I have received thus far is invest after you are you have breast milk, I don't quite agree with that. The pumps mechanisms are a bit more complexed than what I expected and I actually read the manual (first time ever). I think you also need to take into account the cleaning instructions for the specific parts. I actually even highlighted the important parts. Haha.
The thing is if you are going to hurriedly buy a pump 4-6 weeks after birth, would you even be in the sane mind to process the manual? Cos the manual does provide very good information on the storage of milk etc. Also, I have to admit, I fumbled a bit with the bottles initially, but after a few practice I was quite smooth. I can totally imagine if a newborn was wailing away, I might have spilled precious milk and be so frustrated with the pump, myself and the baby.
Here are some Hegen videos which I find quite helpful for the assembling of the breast pumps. On a side note, Hegen is running a campaign for a group of women doing extremely commendable work. For a year-long, Hegen will be giving 1000 sets ofHegen PCTOTM Express Store Feed Starter Kit (worth $175) to pregnant healthcare workers from the medical institutions in Singapore dealing directly with COVID-19 cases.
To these mums-to-be, my heart goes out to you. Please redeem for youself the kit because you more than deserve it. It must be tough going through the days (with nausea, morning sickness, body aches) while saving lives. I can't imagine myself (with my crazy, paranoid mind) in the same situation as you. Please find the redemption information at Hegen's blog. Also, readers, do share this information with your friends whom you know are eligible for this campaign! Lots of love to all and please stay safe.
Cos my photos in my last post were filtered, so some of you wondered if I have acne etc. all over my face. I think I have been fortunate in that area (thanks baby?) cos my skin has been relatively clear and I have a nice blush-like glow all day. But it wasn't always like that because the first month of pregnancy, everyone kept commenting I looked tired and I had very ridiculously bad outbreaks. There was a point I had Derma Angel pimple patch plastered all over my face.
It was during this period Artisan Glam sent me some their masks to try out. It was very exciting because Artisan Glam held a lot of brands and some of the masks were very interesting such as bubble tea flavoured. To sooth my skin, I tried the Forest Beauty Tea - Oriental Beauty Tea Moisturising Mask. It helped to repair the skin and replenish the moisture and after that I didn't use further products and my skin more or less maintained its condition for the next 2 months.
Given its effectiveness, I actually wanted to continue masking my face weekly and at the same time satisfy my own curiosity on the other flavours, but I got pregnant. You may not know, not all facial products (including makeup) are safe during pregnancy. That's because the ingredients may not be safe for the baby. During the first trimester, I was too exhausted to do that much research on each and every ingredient, so I decided to stop using all facial/ cosmetics products. The only product that remains thus far is Cetaphil face wash.
Given the drastic decision I made, I have to say I am quite thankful for all the preliminary work I have done on my face. I am not sure whether pregnancy hormones enhance your skin or merely just maintain your skin condition. But I did heard of some mothers who started having break outs. Artisan Glam was really kind about it and told me I could take my time to review the rest of them after I pop. And really, it is such a waste because the circuit breaker period is such a good time to do home spa considering you can't go out. I haven't tried the rest of the products, but Forest Beauty Tea - Oriental Beauty Tea Moisturising Mask is good so you guys can give that a try first! You should be able to find it in Watsons, which is fortunately still open during this period. :)
I think it is true that after getting pregnant/ becoming a mum, the whole focus tends to shift to the fetus or the child. Lately, I have just been blabbering about the baby. I think the problem is that with this circuit breaker, I don't have much of a life. With my growing tummy, I am slowly growing one with the bed. I can't do indoor exercises without being scolded by my parents. T.T
Apart from watching mindless dramas and reading books, I am happy to proclaim I have the energy and confidence to continue to copywrite for fashion. So today I decided to do a review of my earrings from The Dainty Store. If you are looking for simple, chic designs that doesn't burn a huge hole in your pocket, please continue reading on :)
This is definitely my favourite in the series. There is just something very feminine about this piece and I like the amount of details that is being put into it. Part of me really want to wear this for our baby's gender reveal party (OMG, why are we talking about baby again, haha), but yea I don't really want the Hubs and others to immediately assume it is a girl. If you would like a bolder design, try out Fannie for its striking colour. Maybe on a side thought, I should wear a Fannie on one side and a Francoise on the other side. Hmm....
Scarlett is a chain design, and I am quite surprise how much I like it on myself. Compared to the rest, this piece was a bit of a plain jane and my Mum commented "not your style", but I guess there is beauty in simplicity. I like that it is really no frills and baby probably can't yank it off my ear (Oh man, I am acting up again). It is a good daily staple that doesn't draw too much unnecessary attention to yourself. *Thumbs up* for exploring out of comfort zone!
Freida is currently the middle child that I don't love as much. I think it is just a timing issue. Normally, I would be digging such a piece, but I guess I like accessories that are broader and conspicuous like myself for now. I have to give credit to the crystals used cos they are rather high-grade and sparkle quite a bit. Wrong timing Freida, but when the time comes, I am sure I won't shy away from flaunting you on my ears.
In the meanwhile, stay safe at home. And stay at home! I will try to post more and continue to entertain you. Teehee. And support local too!
Was reading around that mothers start nesting in second trimester and I guess it is somewhat true. Before the little one has passed its gene test, I have started looking out for cute items. In my own words, "We need to start getting presents to welcome it when it arrives..." Hubs looked at me as though I was mad. At that point, it was just a grubby looking thing in the womb. Haha.
So here is one of the gifts we have gotten it. It is a Philips Avent surprise box from Lazada. For just S$28, you can get S$150 worth of items. I shared the deal with some of the mothers and a few told me that only the storage bottle was worth it as some of the items would depends whether your baby was fussy.
The thing is before I bothered walking around the kids/ babies section, I never knew that there were different bottles/ pacifiers for different months. Yea, I thought milk bottle is just milk bottle...HAHAHA. I have to admit I was a bit panicky when I realised that but you know it was too late to cancel on Lazada and I am glad I didn't cos the products that came in the box looks legitly good.
From Left to Right, Top to bottom:
Pillow and Bolster: This is definitely not the highlight but some nice covers should make this lovely regardless of the gender.
Breast Pads: After briefly reading the instructions, I still have no clue what it does, but you know what I am pretty sure I will figure it all out by the time comes.
Feeding Bottle (3m+): I am presuming I am expected to breastfeed during the earlier stages.
Drinking Bottle (9m+): Personally, I don't really like the design of the bottle and the colour looks more like it is for a little boy. *Oh dear, what if ours is a lady*
Pacifiers (0 to 6m): I am actually quite pleased with this cos it comes in 2 colours...haha and maybe cos there is a spare.
Milk Storage Bottles: I have to agree with the mothers this is worth the whole box's price cos itself alone cost more than the box.
If you are a first time mum who have yet to gotten yourself anything, I think this box is quite a good starting point. I mean you are likely to be able to use everything in it and you can supplement whatever that is missing from there. I hope I am getting you guys excited about our little one because weirdly, I am growing more and more excitable with the size of my belly. :P
Keeping mum about becoming a mum is really quite tough. I have to say Trimester 1 has been quite rough on me. (Either that I am a little princess.) I would think that I experience most possible symptoms/ health scares in the first 3 months till I lost quite a bit of will power and any form of power in fact.
9 Things I realised from this pregnancy
1. You will be lethargic most of the time.
This might have been my first sign of pregnancy. I was so tired every day, that I knocked out around 9+ daily. During the weekends, I would even need afternoon nap. During the first month, I still went for gym classes etc. But I got exhausted quicker. I took a lot more cab rides too and the Hub even berated me for being princessy. The truth was, I really wanted to sleep. And this last till maybe week 12 of pregnancy.
2. I needed to pee a lot more often.
Around week 5, I had the desire to pee once every half an hour. That was when I concluded there could be something wrong with me. I could be pregnant or had some urinary tract infection. And so that very evening, I used my free pregnancy kit from I Love Children (which I really didn't want to waste for a false alarm). It showed 2 lines almost immediately, unlike my last false scare which I wasted 3 test kits. The Hub made me do another test 2 days later and it showed the same results. I was quite relieved that it was pregnancy instead of some other diseases cos it really seemed like the lesser of the 2 evils haha. Till now, I am still waking up around 3am for a toilet break. Sigh.
3. I had insanely vivid dreams.
I think I dream a lot. But during this period, my dreams were a lot on children running and miscarriages. Especially after I watched "The Time-traveller's wife" and knew how a miscarriage was like, I kept dreaming of blood-filled bedsheets. Kudos to the hubs for comforting me during this moments. Cos usually, I wake up quite voilently with sharp movements but fall back to sleep quite fast again haha I love sleeping that much. Hehe.
4. Food was a huge problem.
Initally, it was just about my family cooking healthier meals for me. Sadly, at week 6 or was it 7, morning sickness kicked in for me. It came as quite a surprise cos my Mum never had morning sickness and I was likely to take after her. My taste changed as well. My aversions included my favourite mushrooms, and anything with a strong smell. I hated water as well. I grew a love for pasta and pizza. Baby was difficult cos its preference changed rather fast and it was very hard to keep up.
5. I panicked a lot.
The first month was pretty good. Even with the nausea, I was quite calm and maybe not quite connected to the kid. Until I had my first spotting incident (which I always call it bleeding), I was sent to the A&E...twice in fact. The third time spotting happened, I was tearing in bed. All thes hospital trips made me more "attached" to the fetus. I even got a hormones jab, that was how bad it was cos not a single doctor could explain what was happening.
6. Bee Stings won't affect a fetus during pregnancy.
Yes, I got a bee sting. By then, I was so sick of hospital visits and very annoyed by my luck. What is the chance of being stung by a bee...Fortunately. a bee sting doesn't cause much damage and the itch was soon gone. But the thing was...with nausea, puke fest, constant medication and my butt still stinging from the jab (FYI, it hurt like crap and I couldn't even sleep on that side for the longest period), everything just sucks.
7. Finding a gynae was hard.
I wanted a female gynae and the pool of them were quite limited. Deciding between government and private was tough as well, but eventually we decided a dedicated doctor who was familiar with my condition was probably better in the long run since I had quite a bit of health complications. We finally settled on the Hub's family doc recommendation whom I was initially worried as she was in her 50s. But she is very assuring and highly competent, so I am actually quite relieve we got her.
8. Our ultrascan photos are blurry.
Unlike what I always saw on social media, my ultrascan photos are not the clearest. Haha. Our little one is like the father, a bit camera shy and will never give the doctor an opportunity to snap a good shot of it. Plus, it is very active too (energy level from me and athletic genes from the hubs) so it has been difficult to keep it at one spot, one pose. And me, being really bad at filing etc. hasn't been doing too good a job at keeping the photos in its pristine condition. Oops.
9. I have been growing emotional.
I don't usually watch drama, but because I was too drained to maintain the website or do anything else, I started binge watching. Fortunately, my desk buddy transfered me a bunch of movies and shows to keep me distracted during this period. And I realised something odd about me - I keep crying at the romantic scenes. Erms...fetus, are you anti-romance? Hehe. Fortunately, I am now slowly becoming back to myself. My parasite is now learning how to share the body of the host with the host. Gah. It is quite an interesting journey cos there is so much to learn. Will share it here because information does help...I did read up a lot of blogs/ website etc. during this period just to determine whether I was normal...
This is not an April Fool's Joke. It is true, we are expecting a little one. At this point, I still don't know its gender and the viability of the pregnancy. But if this post is eventually published, I guess everything went well!
Perhaps you have already guessed it since I have been dropping some clues here and there. Hehe...I guess future reviews are going to be very adulting-related. I mean I can't do much food reviews because of my food restrictions, fashion may be limited as well cos I am growing chubby. I am avoiding skincare products for now as well and I have cancelled all streneous activites. So, it will probably just be house-baby-house-baby...But still as and when, I will throw in some exciting updates and reviews...so just keep reading :D Baby series will be named "Baby Talk" for other mums or mums-to-be out there who wants to be updated.
