In the cafeteria after lunch just the other day, I met someone I used to work with, and her first words when she saw me were, “You put on weight huh?”
Not “How are you?”, “How have you been?” or “How’s life?”, but those little words that spoke a gallon of truth.
Thankfully I had the perfect comeback to her statement.
Pregnancy gives one plenty of excuses, doesn’t it?
Weight gain is definitely lauded in every pregnancy but it must be a reasonable one. This time round however, I definitely gained more weight than before. I think I’ve already gained about 6 kilos, and I’ve only just recently started my 2nd trimester! *Gasp!* It’s inevitable, yes, but it is not something I look forward to in pregnancy.
I do look forward to:
- Eating yummy nutritious food. Just the other weekend, I thought I would definitely benefit from some homemade chicken essence, just like my Mom made for me, after I gave birth to Ethan last time round. Since I don’t have a double boiler (yet), my Mom had improvised by using a steamer rack placed over an empty bowl, placed in a water bath in the slow cooker. We used free-range chicken, with the skin removed and had the poultry seller smash the bones of the chicken. For all it’s worth, it certainly gave me a more restful sleep!
- Thicker, fuller-bodied hair. For someone with fine hair like me, being pregnant means that I get to enjoy a fuller head of hair, at least for those few months. Oh, and let’s not forget the glowing complexion!
- NO PERIODS!!! Woohooo!!!!
- Feeling that first baby movement. The indescribable joy of that fluttering feeling in the tummy region is pure bliss.
- Succumbing to my food cravings. A few weekends ago, while I was in Ipoh, I was blessed enough to be able to savor the famous Canning Garden chee cheong fun. Not the one that is in Canning Garden now, manned by a man wielding a cigarette the whole time, but the one that was ORIGINALLY from Canning Garden, and has now emigrated to a stall in one of the coffee shops downtown. Craving satisfied…
- Starting out on that breastfeeding journey all over again.
I do not look forward to:
- Excessive fatigue. Contrary to what people think, life doesn’t stop when one becomes pregnant. It doesn’t mean you get to lie back and enjoy everything once you get those test results showing two lines. And when you’ve got a house to clean, laundry to wash and a toddler to tend to, fatigue does become bothersome. I try to be SuperMom and SuperWoman sometimes, but at other times, I just throw in the towel, and hit the sack. Thankfully, the first trimester is behind me now, and hopefully, there will be more *joyful* times ahead in the second.
- Nausea. Almost every single smell is revolting to me now. I can’t find a suitable shower gel to use either. And you know, it’s no fun when you feel like puking most of the times you step into the bathroom. No fun at all. I hope this goes away soon. But then I’m afraid nausea in the first trimester will pave its way for heartburn in the second and third.
- Backache. Those mild aching pains in the lower back get worse at night. Rubbing it a little helps, but I have had to shift my sleeping position countless times before it gets comfy.
- Leg cramps. I got these in the later stages of my first pregnancy, and they used to attack me in the wee hours of the morning. Not looking forward to these at all.
- Itchy belly. Not looking forward to becoming a monkey either, but this is inevitable.
- Labor pains. ’nuff said.
Well, I’m tired now. And I got to get my sleep. YAWN. Sweet dreams, y’all!
Little Miracles
Our Journey of Love
I count that you have exactly 6 pros of pregnancy and another 6 cons to balance it up. Teehee!
The Giddy Tigress says: I didn’t even realize it when I posted this! Good observation!
You can get those fruity soap, it smell nice.
The Giddy Tigress says: Errr… yeah, when I was not pregnant. Now that I am, fruity soaps really turn me off.
With faith & hope, the blues will be overtaken by the rainbow in no time. 🙂
The Giddy Tigress says: That’s a great way of putting it, Jem! Thanks!
eat eat…just eat. haha dun care!
The Giddy Tigress says: Yup…licensed to eat huh?
i wish i had the chi cheong fun too…:)
The Giddy Tigress says: Ooops, sorry…next time, come to Ipoh la.
home-made chicken essence is deliciously concentrated and yummy. not to mention free of preservatives and all.
and the chee cheong fun looks fab! 😀
hope u’ll be able to endure all these blues!
The Giddy Tigress says: Yeah, I am missing the homemade chicken essence now too!
Here’s hoping that you will be able to shed off those 6 kilos after delivery! Hehe…
The Giddy Tigress says: With breastfeeding and running after a toddler and caring for a baby, I have faith 🙂
2nd trimester already! How time flies… and it comes with a license to eat 🙂 I love those chee cheong fun too, but nope I haven’t tried those from Canning Garden yet. Don’t worry, when you started breastfeeding, all the excess kilos will be burnt down the drain 🙂 Have a good rest, ya. And oh yes, take more calciums. I didn’t get as much cramps during my 2nd one – and I think the calcium that I was taking is the more absorbent type.
The Giddy Tigress says: Thanks for the tip….although calcium gives me a headache 🙁 I took it before, but it didn’t work for me. I’m on some prenatal vits now, and I suppose that contain calcium too.
ah so really preggy keke. congrats dear ;). wah the chick essence looks good, any recipe for that 😀
The Giddy Tigress says: Thanks. Chicken essence very easy only…just get the kampong chicken and ask the butcher to break all the bones inside the chicken, then steam in a double boiler (or use a modified one like me) for about 3-4 hours. The longer you steam, the more chicken essence you’ll get!
Oh hey, never did congratulate you on your second one. Congratulations! 🙂
The Giddy Tigress says: Thanks Tine!
and also a second cute baby to look forward to! 🙂
The Giddy Tigress says: Yeah 🙂
at least u have a backup and a very good reason. for me i got none!
The Giddy Tigress says: Make one up lo 😛
haha…ya….im in my 2nd tri too! and this is the first time i am at peace with myself for being FAT! no guilt while eating and no pressure to loose weight either!!!
The Giddy Tigress says: Congratulations! Have a great pregnancy and be sure to enjoy yourself!
Rest while you can, babe. It is something you don’t get with one toddler and one infant 🙂
The Giddy Tigress says: I know….just thinking about it sometimes gives me the chills 😛
Oh! I must have miss out a lot! Now only I know you are preggy. 😛
The Giddy Tigress says: Oh yes I am 🙂
Mmm…I love this chicken essence! My confinement lady made it for me when I delivered.
Wah…which ex-colleague is that? Poor PR skills, eh. Just enjoy the pregnancy as you wish to, dear 🙂
The Giddy Tigress says: Yeah, craving for the chicken essence now!
Try getting a shower gel with no perfume. There’s this brand called Aveeno, probably can get from pharmacy.
The Giddy Tigress says: Yay! I got it from the States! Thanks for the tip!
yea man! with my first pregnancy, I look as if I was only 5 months pregnant. with my 2nd pregnancy, I look full term at 4 months !! with first delivery, zoom back to original weight within the 3rd month. with 2nd delivery. haiyoh, the scale wont budge. maybe its my age, too old to have babies.
The Giddy Tigress says: It took me about 8 months to get back to my original weight with the first pregnancy wor….what does that mean? 🙁
the best part about pregnancy is really the eating for me. Haha.. and having the husband fulfilled all the cravings/demands for food.
The Giddy Tigress says: After pregnancy, actually still can eat…if still breastfeeding. But after the breastfeeding stops, must really watch what we eat la.
Hi can I check with you how often do you drink the homemade chicken essence? I’ve just found out that I am 5 weeks pregnant with my first child and I have heard from a couple of people that the chicken essence is good for pregnancy. Thanks and congrats on your pregnancy ; )
The Giddy Tigress says: Hey there, I dropped you an email regarding your query. You can take the chicken essence as often as you like…at least that’s what I do…although it HAS been a while since my last chicken essence meal 😛