At 37th Week

My baby is kam bing soon. (pun intended). He will be born in the Year of the Goat.

What did I learnt so far of being pregnant (FTM)? :-

- I learnt that you can eat anything you want (just like before you were pregnant) but in moderation e.g. cold drinks i.e. teh ais, pineapple, seafood, sushi, sashimi, coffee, tea and even half-boiled eggs.

- I learnt that everybody is happy for you when you announce it for the first time to the world, but when the and old-wives tales / advises begin to come in, you wished you told no one about it.

- I learnt that you don't put on that much weight and don't show until your 7th month. Mine only showed at 32nd week (8 month). My Head of Department did not notice my pregnancy just until she asked me if I did gained some weight from Holland biz trip due to the cheeses.

- I learnt that some people do treat you like OKU, and you must be grateful because no other time in the world you get such amazing treatment. It made you believe in people once again:

• You will start seeing crowds of people opening up a lane just for you to pass, like the opening of the Red Sea and Moses seems to be on the other end;

• Copyright: http://aquarianradio.com/

  The waiter will give you the best table and view in the restaurant you patronize; You don't have to wait long in queues because people let you cut queue;
• Taxi driver open the door for you to enter and alight from the car;
• The air-hostess kept asking me if I need more snacks;
• My boss frequently asked me if I need to go home for being so pale-looking every day (I don't have the pregnancy glow); 
• I get to walk around the office with my Havaiana slippers and allowed to do so by the HSE even inside the laboratory!! How about that for getting to break rules!

- This thing called 'Baby-Luck' is real: I get parkings all the time in peak periods at shopping malls and banks; I get documents approved by big bosses, and project endorsed by people I do not know; I get to close more gaps in the recent technical assessment tests, unlike previous years; I get food orders at the hawker stalls faster than everyone else. 

-  I learnt to ask more (stupid) questions to my doctor. Because I start wondering why some many people can be with their O&G for consultation >20 minutes, while I went in and came out in only 5 minutes. 

- You can still swim and jog, but when comes to the 35th week, your feet look like a those of a hobbit (minus the hairyness) that waddle like a duck on land. What's worse: you feel like you will never get to run a marathon again.

- Just realised I don't have to wear a seat belt while driving if preggers. Good one there, as the seat belt has recently has a life of its own and starts to strangle my tummy.

- People starts giving you suggestions on baby's names. And you then you end up with your baby's name nothing like any of those people have suggested. Reverse psychology.

- People asked you if you had a boy or girl. And if you say you are having a boy, they will be like: "Good for you!!" "Boy will make you parents happy". Thus I did wonder if I told them I had girl, what would these say or will they still be happy for me? I think in the lines of: "Oh, for your second baby, no worries, you will get a boy" or "Nevermind, girls are easier to take care and smarter", etc. WTF!

- I learnt that my mental state does not sync with my physical state. Rest/sleep = back/pelvic pain. Now I am in a zombie / insomnia state despite wanting to sleep so badly.

- I learnt that it is not entirely a joy to be pregnant. Tell you, I don't have the pregnancy glow at all. If glow means fatness, then yes, I have that.

- My fear is not on the pain of giving birth. My greatest fear is giving birth to a baby sooo adorable, I will have to quit my job (I hope not as I really love being in the corporate world). 

It's 37th week yo! Excited that little notti baby could pop out anytime soon. Til then, Ivy-out.

Another Milestone

Yes, I am pregnant.

Not a surprise to many because I was caught NOT drinking coffee and tea anymore. I was caught NOT going for runs and races. And I was caught nauseating and sleeping on the job.


How about that for not announcing until after 1st trimester, eh....FAIL terus!


So when people at work asked, just tell them the truth. Especially my manager because as of now, I must reduce my duration and exposure to the many chemicals in the laboratory. As a chemist (nama pun chemist, susah), there's no way to avoid the laboratory. So I told my bosses early to so they understand I will be delegating most of the hazardous jobs to other colleagues. I learnt to let go for 3 months di, and it felt great! Because my priorities of changed okay. Baby comes first.

While writing this, I do feel like a piece of useless person - lying on the sofa whole day cause I just feel tired WHOLE damn day, stealing a nap every moment I can, and having super bad nausea if I smell something weird from any place or foods. Belacan (no asam laksa please!), any form of fish dish, milk and seafood are big no-nos. But I have no complains because my dear mother and mother-in-law got it worse (e.g. bed-ridden for 4-7 months), so I am relatively grateful that my morning(and night) sickness is not as bad as many that's I've known. But it sure didn't subside yet!

My mum said it's already a blessing that I could still eat and not puke any thing I put on my mouth. But still, at my current standards, I felt: effing useless. Fatigue is so real!!! Every time I sit down, I just want to sleep -be it at work or at home. I must move. When I move, I feel slightly less nauseous, but not too much because then I would feel soo tired. *you tell me confusing boh?*

People said that NOW is the time to rest and sleep all you want. Because you won't have sleep anymore when the baby pops out. That's true, right. I've seen it in my friends and relatives. Why am I resisting sleep/rest? Because it's just so me to NOT to feel useless. I am such a go-getter and still want to do everything even during pregnant.

Then comes the "advices". From every part of the universe and this earth. Can really die ok hearing people telling me this and that cause it gets you freaking confuse:-  Eat this not that, do this not that, don't eat cold things, don't eat too hot things, don't drink caffeine, tea also kenot, don't drink Chinese herbs at all, drink ginseng (but don't drink this whatever Chinese name), don't squat, don't watch ugly movies like my fav. Walking Dead, don't go to lab at all, don't even go to office cause our office got chemicals in ventilation (wtf, quit job meh), don't drink Bird's nest, please drink Bird's nest (getting more confused), don't eat tofu, don't drink soya bean, don't eat banana, don't eat apple too cooling (I have cravings for green apples and I am piling up on them), don't run, but jog (wtf), swim but not butterfly (wtf advice), don't use phone, nanti kena cancer otak,...............etc. Haiyorr, can die ok, although they are for my good (but no phone, hello??!).

BEST IS MY OWN MUM. She only advice me 4 things:
1. Don't eat pineapple
2. Don't take Cincau
3. Don't take Chinese herbs because I am still super healthy and not weak. (Take only if I am super weak and like no energy and bed-ridden).
4. Don't overeat and get too fat, cause I look terrible when I am fat (but what if I can't help it?). LOL mum!?

Otherwise, eat whatever you want in moderate amounts. I am lucky to be able to still eat and not puke (just nauseous) and my mum said I should be grateful. Alhamdulillah. People tell me to take this herb and that but because I don't know Chinese and don't remember Chinese herbs names, so I neglect all advice if there's any Chinese herb name on that 'advice'.

When hubby first knew, he was super delighted - told my MIL, FIL. I called my parents after telling hubby. Not surprising, the news spread (in Ipoh) as quick as wild fire because my mum's mouth is wild fire. lol. In KL, news was slower to spread, but colleagues got to know first because...what else...caught sleeping on job watt.

I don't know what to expect at this point, but sorry to say, I have had quite enough of the many advices. I research myself is better cause I myself is researcher/chemist and judge myself. The other day I drank Teh Ais also kenot; kena reprimanded from friend. But that's like okay, right? My Malay colleague drank Teh Ais day in day out during pregnant, 5 bijik baby already pun no problem.

Just go through day after day, trying not to listen to too many advice. I hear only, but tak masuk dalam telinga. I am also NOT trying to read too many pregnant articles and forums cause sometimes they suck for giving you anxiety and panic for no reason. Now I just trying to relax and enjoy doing NOTHING the whole day. Currently reading a book on Stephen Hawking called The Grand Design on how the universe is being modeled and perceived by normal people like you and me. How about that for baby's reading session, eh? Hehehe.



Ivy-out.



P/S: If you are thinking this baby was the product of our honeymoon in Turkey, no it isn't! I am so glad it wasn't Made In Turkey cause Fong will sure name my baby Mustapha or Constantinople Fong.