Happy Mother's Day To Myself

Happy Mother's Day To Myself

• 5.13.2018

It's Mother's day today and i bet most of you guys would be out and away from you phones so what better way to sneak in a surprise blog entry for you guys to read up when Monday (blues) rolls in lol. 

As you all know that i've mentioned it in many of my previous posts that once a mother always a mother regardless whether your child is far away from you or no longer among us. As long you have spent time nurturing and loving your child, it's one of the memories that no one can take away from you. But i am not here to make you guys cry over a sad post instead i wanted to share something with all of you, as i've gotten quite a number of DMs or questions from people i met recently and they asked what actually happened to my blog?

Spotted a heart in my cereal!

I used to update so frequently about my life that readers felt that they could connect with me, walk a mile in my shoes and all of a sudden i just shut the door on everyone's faces like leaving a dude with blue balls (crude reference but you get what i mean lol :P).

It was a real shock to everyone, "what happened to Arisa?" That question seem to be floating around for quite some time and the only recent personal update i made was a letter to my husband lol ("since when Arisa got married?") Surprise!

For that i would like to apologize to my readers, last year had took its toll on me and i took a step back to reevaluate what i shared on social media, no doubt i became more cautious as people like us tend to be targets of cyber bullying or gossip material. Can't help what's being spread but we ourselves can always control what goes up online. 

Okay with all that aside, here is another surprise for you guys!

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No that's just me after a large buffet session, mom pouch will always be there.

For those who has been speculating that i am expecting another and Mariko is going to have a sibling, congratulations on your sharp observation lol, vomiting frequently isn't exactly the most funnest part of being a mother but it's one of the packages that comes together with pregnancy. 

This time it's pretty bad because all i felt was sitting in front of the toilet bowl 24/7, focusing on work became rather difficult and i couldn't stomach anything at all that i lost 2-3kg from morning sickness alone. I felt to sluggish, and all i wanted to do i cry.. there are some rare days where i could drag myself out to the gym to do some light exercises since i didn't walk much during the first trimester.

Morning Sickness and Moving Stress

When they say that each pregnancy is different, no joke man because it didn't feel like roses and sunshine to me. When i first found out i was expecting, i wasn't exactly all too trilled on getting my vagina torn (ouch!) nor my mommy pouch hanging again but danna-san was over the moon, wait till he has to experience sleepless nights then probably he'll think twice on the next kid lol.

I am happy and blessed nonetheless even with the 20% conceiving chance, i was still able to get one, but worry, doubt, fear and all those things are definitely going to stick with me because you'll never know what can happen next.

Also i've been busy moving out from my current unit after 2 years of staying there because i am migrating overseas (Surprise! Another big news lol) so with all the stress added up, i was at the brink of breaking down due to physical and mental exhaustion. I had to request for an early resignation (2 weeks) so that i could rest and finish packing up because i was worried that i might end up miscarrying this round due to frequent nightmares about bloody mess. Yea, when you are stressed out your brain starts messing with you, feels real enough for you to run to the toilet every time you feel a dampness (sorry TMI).

For a fact i know that my tiny penguin (ペンギン) chan* is growing healthy despite the lack of nutrients that i'm supposed to be getting from my daily food intake. 

I was till the point of severe dehydration because i couldn't keep water in without throwing up and i realised if it's warm or cold drinks (anything but water) i am able to stomach it longer.

It might be different from some mother but this is my 2nd pregnancy now and i learned some tricks that some of you guys might find useful if you are suffering from unusual prolong morning sickness and lacking of appetite like me. Seriously, i eat mostly twice a day, breakfast is a must and lunch, after that dinner time i'll still be feeling full from the lunch i had, not sure why my digestive track is working slower than usual. My Obgyn says don't worry too much about it because all those discomforts i'm experiencing are normal (boo!)

*Disclaimer: I wasn't the one who came up with that name lol, the danna did and it was thanks to this video

A real life saver meal

This is how i usually look like, half dead most of the time lol

Tips for Morning Sickness / Lack of Appetite

1. Eat whenever you can but in small portions like 2-3 bites, if you feel unwell just stop and don't force yourself to finish it. Let your husband eat finish it because both of you are meant to grow sideways together lol.
2. Learn to detect foods that trigger your stomach discomforts, i found out mine was all kinds of processed meat and beef because after 6 hours the food still comes up (Puke) in the form that's been chewed and swallowed. 
3. Wear face mask to avoid all kinds of smells as our scent sensory is heighten by like x10000, EVERYTHING smells TERRIBLE. For me i had to even switch my dishwasher soap because i couldn't stand the strong scent.
4. Do light exercises whenever you are able to (with consent from Obgyn please) as this helps you to feel better overall and increase your appetite abit.
5. Rest whenever possible, if you need to drop everything and lie down, just do it because your body is exhausted.
6. Sneak in various kinds of liquids to keep your body hydrated, even if it means drinking a sip every 15 mins. My best friend was Pocari Sweat (non gassy & sweet isotonic drink), cold/ hot water (can't take lukewarm) or hot green tea, rather than being dehydrated. 
7. If you can't stomach any kinds of solid foods at all, my favorite is to always eat oats with warm milk and some chopped dried fruits in it for a hint of sweetness. And not just any normal milk, i take PROMAMA milk that is designed specially for expecting mothers as it contains the necessary nutrients to support both mother and growing fetus since we aren't eating enough overall. This milk works like a smooth natural laxative for me thanks to its soluble fibres especially now that i'm constantly constipated from the pregnancy. (One of my hacks for constipation lol)

This is what i learned this round, probably the next one would be another different story altogether lol. 

Drinking my meals is one of the only reasons why i am still standing here or else i would have been blown away by the wind liao, at least now i've gained back the weight i've lost and penguin chan is the size of a Zucchini, no gender detected on scan yet so don't ask me about it lol, all my kids likes playing the element of surprise. 

Prior to pregnancy i always have a habit of drinking milk in the morning with my cereal because that's the fastest way i could fill my stomach without having to wash anything but my cup and spoon afterwards and when it transitioned to pregnancy normal fresh milk (especially cold) alone didn't sit too well with my stomach nor it had what i needed for myself and the child's growth so i had to switch milk.

When i got to know about PROMAMA by Wyeth Nutrition, i wondered if it was totally necessary for me to take it till i read up on its ingredients, it isn't just a marketing gimmick in fact those who were never pregnant before wouldn't know about the various challenges a mother's body go through everytime she conceives. My teeth got weak due to lack of calcium overall, it started chipping even at the slight chewing of cereal (if nuts i would have lost the entire tooth), hair started falling, skin dried up, and the list goes on. This happens because i am lacking nutrients inside, duh from vomiting and not eating normal meals, not a surprise factor and having a penguin that sucks everything from you.  

So now that you know, that is why the created special formulated MATERNITY MILK for MOTHERS whether you are trying to get pregnant, currently pregnant or lactating (breastfeeding). 

It also contains less sugar and low fat content, suitable for those who don't really like their milk sweet like me (i can't understand people who drinks their milk with honey or brown sugar lol). You won't gain weight drinking this milk alone if you practice a balanced diet and healthy lifestyke, it's one of those misconceptions where they assume the mother and child will grow too big ("fatten up") due to consuming these kind of maternity milk. 

• PROMAMA is a range of nutritional supplements tailormade scientifically for pregnancy and breastfeeding .

• PROMAMA comes with expert-developed services, tools and tips designed to support you throughout your pregnancy and breastfeeding journey. 

• PROMAMA ensures the right balance of nutrients for a healthy pregnancy and our baby’s physical and mental development

There are powdered milks for kids, those with cholesterol problems or elderly in the market but hardly mothers pay attention to the fact that they themselves need milk too and not everyone is too keen to swallow a couple of vitamin pills daily, i rather drink or eat them instead, this practice teaches me to me mindful of what i consume daily. 

Also i'm a super forgetful person who tends to forgo my prenatal multivitamins but one thing i'll never forget is to have a cup of milk daily either in the morning or before bed when i'm feeling abit peckish.  

PROMAMA milk contains:

• DHA & Choline
• Iron & Folic Acid
• Vitamins and minerals
• High in soluble fibre

All the stuff we need that can be found in your usual bottle of prenatal multivitamins.

Here is to more updates on penguin chan, and i pray for a healthy and smooth pregnancy so that i can greet him/her towards end of this year. Now i'm trying to convince the danna why it's more practical to deliver in Malaysia rather than Japan because it's more cost effective and we have confinement homes here lol. 

So to all my readers, thank you so much for the well wishes on my previous post from the danna and i, we were really touched by the support and blessings you guys showered us with. 

Here is to a new adventure in life and i promise not to leave you guys out of it :)

Happy Mother's day to all the Mothers out there, always remember that you have made a huge sacrifice to bring life into this world and its not any easy task. Whenever you feel incompetent, reminds yourself that you are doing more than enough, don't be afraid to ask your spouse for help because at the end of the day a child that sees their parents supporting each other as a team will develop a better understanding of a healthy relationship when they are grown ups.

XOXO,