My Pregnancy Holy Grails

By Esther Rachel Lai. - 6/21/2015


Since this is my second pregnancy & I'm more "experienced" now, I thought I'd just share the stuff that I've been using for both my current and previous pregnancies! Again, this entry isn't in any way sponsored they're just products I've used that I find works for me so I decided to share them!


Prenatal Vitamins


As with every normal pregnancy, I take prenatal vitamins as instructed by my gynae. These are extremely important for the baby's development (e.g. folic acid which helps prevent certain serious birth defects like spinal cord or brain defects and is also essential in producing red blood cells to prevent a type of anemia, producing/repairing/fuctioning DNA etc. Basically all the good stuff that are crucial for the development of the baby and your placenta). I also buy codfish oil from my gynae cause it is said to be good for the baby's brain development (although I've heard that it's a myth but I'd rather part with the money and bet on it). I'm required to take a pill each everyday & I do so every morning before I start each day. I've never skipped a single day without taking them cause I think these vitamins are really very very important during pregnancy & because I'm like any other kiasu / kiasi pregnant woman, I want my baby to be in tiptop health so I won't take any chances with these vitamins!


Maternal & Lactating Milk

I'm super fortunate to have my gynae give me free maternal milk samples so I didn't have to buy them myself at all for both pregnancies! I've been drinking EnfamamaA+ cause that's what was provided so I'm not sure about other brands but I've tried the chocolate and vanilla one and I prefer the latter cause it isn't as sweet. But if you're not one who's keen on drinking milk, I believe the chocolate flavoured one would appeal to you more. This again, is jam packed with lots of vitamin (folic acid, iron, calcium) but I only drink it once or twice a weak cause I feel it's very "heaty" & also cause it's very...fattening. Heh. I kinda think it helps produce more milk for breastfeeding also. I remember the last time, I had an incredible supply of milk, so much in fact, that I'd always wake up to a soaked mattress. A pity I didn't breastfeed for long then cause it was really painful for me but I'm hoping to breastfeed long-term this time round!


Chicken Essence


I have a super westernised mentality so I don't really believe in all the traditional chinese tonics, I usually drink them only if they're really tasty & contrary to what many people think, I find Brand's chicken essence damn yummy! So plus points that it's good for my body during pregnancy, I kinda wish I could drink more than one bottle a day though. hahaha. But in all seriousness, I noticed that it really helps keep me alert and refreshed through the day compared to the days when I don't drink it so nowadays I try to drink it every morning too! They say it's best drank on an empty stomach, right after you wake up!


Babycentre's Pregnancy App

My list of pregnancy holy grails doesn't just consist of stuff I consume but things I use as well such as babycentre's pregnancy app! Before smartphones were everywhere, I relied on their website to get week-to-week information on my baby's development and facts/helpful information regarding my pregnancy. This second pregnancy I found out that they now have an app that has everything integrated so it's much more convenient and easy to use!

You start off by keying in your EDD (estimated due date) and then you're good to go! The app gives weekly notification on your baby's developmental update & you can scroll to find really handy tips and information like what foods are best when consumed during your pregnancy, activities that you should avoid doing now that you're pregnant etc.

Apart from the app, I also signed up to receive their pregnancy bulletin which they send to me via email. Some of these articles are actually pretty interesting and needless to say, informative. There's always so many new things to learn about being pregnant!


Stretch Mark Prevention Cream



Okay, this is probably something everyone's dying to know - my secret to having no stretch marks! I chanced upon this cream by Elancyl during my first pregnancy and it's worked flawlessly for me (don't say I never tell you hor)! I've heard of many people who used a number of different brands and products to no avail but this! Is a miracle worker. You might be skeptical and say it's probably cause I was/am young or that I've good genes but I also introduced it to a friend of mine who's 5-6 years older than me and it worked for her too! She's got absolutely zero stretch marks too! Coincidental? Maybe. But I'm sticking to this tube of wonder & if it works for me again this time round then you girls should definitely give it a try too! The trick though, is that you CANNOT be lazy! I religiously apply the cream twice a day after my shower to my tummy, butt, upper thighs and even my boobs (because yes, your boobs will get bigger during pregnancy and stretch marks might appear there too). I started using the cream from like 2 months of my pregnancy onwards cause the key here is to PREVENT stretch marks not treat them - stretch marks pretty much cannot be treated unless you go for laser or something. 

The cream comes in a green packaging (as seen above) and you can find it in most Watson's or Guardian outlets. I can't remember how much it costs but they always have twin-pack offers so do keep a look out!


Skincare

It's a well-known fact that pregnancy causes bad breakouts and I'm not spared from the annoying hormonal outbreaks either. To combat the breakouts, I use my regular face creams prescribed to me by my dermatologist from Kim Mun Clinic. The creams prescribed to me work very well, I've been using them for about 4 years now & there's a really big improvement compared to before I started using the creams. The downside is that if you stop then all that acne will just start popping up again so you cannot stop the creams. I usually apply four different types of creams but 2 of which are unsuitable for use during pregnancy/breastfeeding (always check that it's pregnancy-safe before using any product!) so I'm down to just two now, they don't work as well as when I apply all four creams but they keep the blemishes and breakouts under control just enough. Also, pregnancy makes my eyes look really tired and feel really dry. For that, I use NUXE 24 hr moisturiser. It's really super rich and locks in the moisture the entire day! I love applying it in the morning cause it makes me feel so refreshed & rejuvenated!


Makeup

Because my skincare can only do so much when it comes to these hormonal breakouts, I of course, use makeup to hide those blemishes! I won't deny it, I love makeup! It does marvels to one's looks, enhancing features and playing down flaws. I don't put makeup on everyday though (too much makeup will clog your pours and make you breakout even more), only on weekends when I go out but I've to rave about the M.A.C studio fix foundation that I've been using for more than a year now! It's especially great for these pregnancy breakouts cause the coverage is excellent & it's very long-lasting! The only thing is that it can be quite "cakey" sometimes because it's pretty viscous but I've recently found the solution to that - the Secret brush121 by Etude House! It makes application soooo smooth and even and you don't have to apply a thick layer of foundation to cover the blemishes cause the M.A.C studio fix foundation does that with such ease! These two are a match made in heaven!



So that's about all the products that I use and find really helpful during my pregnancy! I hope that was useful for all the mommies-to-be out there & if you have any other good products, do share okay?! :) 

Thanks for reading!
xoxo.



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