Tips for Future Mum

Ever since I'm preggy, I have been reading books & doing research on pregnancy.

Frankly speaking, I think all preggy mum most fear will be the ugly stretch marks that will be left on the tummy, thighs & even breast after childbirth.

So what are stretch marks? They are actually small tears that form in the tissue that supports the skin and helps it stretch. Well, obviously they are not harmful or painful and usually fade over time.  Realistically speaking however, the number of stretch marks you get depends on how elastic your skin is. The elasticity of your skin usually relates to your genetic make up. The best thing you can do is find out if your mother got bad stretch marks during pregnancy. If she did, you are probably more prone to stretch marks than other women.

I have checked with my mum, she doesn't have it.  But to play safe, I still apply my stretchmark oil & lotion diligently after each of my bath everyday without fail! :x  Not sure if all these oil & lotion application will help, but so far so good.  Will see about it when I reached my 3rd trimister :p

Anyway, here are the stuffs that I've applied to improve my skin elasticity ever since I know I'm pregnant.

1. Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil (Retail Price: S$80)

Helps to firm, tone & prevent skin slackening by improving skin elasticity, while also helping to prevent the appearance of stretch marks. It leaves skin hydrated, soft and satin-smooth to the touch. 

I've used up one bottle within 3 months, now into my 2nd bottles already :)  If possible, ask those who are going overseas to get for you from airport, you can save S$6 :)  Beside this tonic oil, they also have stretch mark cream which also cost about the same price!  Personally, I feel that oil treatment works more effectively than cream/lotion.  Besides that, I have also consulted a SA at the Clarins counter to recommend me which one is more effective.  In the end, this is still the one she recommended. 

If you find the price is too steep, probably can opt for a more economical body oil - Olive Oil (Less than S$10) from Watson or Guardian. Heard from some of my friends, it helps too!

2. Avent Indulgent Body Cream (Retail Price: S$25)

After applying the tonic oil, I will apply this body cream (more economical compared to Clarins) to the same area immediately to moisturize the skin :)  This one is quite a big tube & I think it can last me through my whole pregnancy. 

There are also a few different brands of stretch mark body cream in the market.  Another famous brand is Cocoa Butter, but heard that it can cause itchiness to Asian skin, that's why I chose Avent instead.  So far so good :)

Once you are preggy, you will probably think that finally can say goodbye to Menses Cramp for 9 months!  But you are so wrong!  In fact, you will still feel cramp occasionally during the 9 months & there will also be a slight increase in vaginal discharge.  Even though you can save some money & stop buying sanituary pad for these 9 months but you still have to spend money to buy panty liner for the heavy vaginal discharge. 

Recently, I went to a motherhood fair at Expo & came upon this store "Mummy Knows Best Shop"  which sell interesting stuffs - Reusable Panty Liners! <-- Click for more info! 

Frankly speaking, I have never heard that panty liners can be reused! :x So out of curiousity, I actually bought home a "packet of 3" to try & I simply love it :)  It is extremely soft & comfy.  It is suitable and highly recommended for mummies with sensitive skin and preggy mummies to be who are prone to yeast infections.  And most importantly, it's money-saving!  But for hygiene purpose, I only used them at night before sleep.  As for day time, I still prefer to use those disaposable panty liners for frequent change :)

As all of you know, now I'm into my 2nd trimister.  In order to counterbalance the baby load, I always tend to arch bacwards which subsequently causing a large amount of stress to my back.  So every now & then, I often experience backache! 

Thus, I will like to recommend those mummies who have the same problem as me to use Maternity Belt!

Farlin Maternity Belt

This is a gift from a friend who just gave birth to a baby boy recently. She finds that Maternity Belt actually helped her to relieve her backache. Thus, she bought this for me to let me have a try. Initially, I really doubt if this works. But amazingly, It works! :x So whenever, I'm going out for a long day, I will usually wear this maternity belt to support my back :)

Beside ugly stretch marks, another fear for preggy lady will be leg cramps, varicose veins & odema (Fluid Retention).  All these are mostly concentrated on one area, that is your pair of beautiful legs!

So what causes all these?

Leg Cramps are usually related to circulatory changes, pressure on the nerves in your legs due to the pelvis pressing on your lower back & even a low calcium level.

Varicose Veins are swollen veins that may bulge near the surface of the skin. These blue or purple, sometimes squiggly veins are most likely to show up in your legs, though you may also get them in your vulva & vagina. They are usually caused by the pressure from the uterus on your veins & often develop if you stand or sit for long periods of time.  You're more likely to get varicose veins if other members of your family have had them.

Odema (Fluid Retention) is considered normal during pregnancy due to the fluid accumulation.  But be aware for signs of pre-eclampsia such as sudden swelling of face or hands, a weight gain of more than 2 kg a week, dizziness, persistent heartburn, visual problems or continuous headaches.

Here are some of the prevention tips for all the above:

- Raise your legs whenever possible. Use a stool or box to rest your legs on when you're sitting.

- Avoid high-heeled shoes & too-tight clothes

- Increase your calcium intake

- Go for a brisk walk daily to help your circulation.

- Strive to keep within the recommended weight range for your stage of pregnancy.

- Don't cross your legs or ankles when sitting.

- Don't sit or stand for long periods without taking breaks to move around.

- Sleep on your left side.

- Wear special support hose known as compression stockings.  They're tight at the ankle and get looser as they go up the leg, making it easier for blood to flow back up toward your heart. As a result, they help prevent swelling and may keep your varicose veins from getting worse.

Personally, I will recommend Solidea Wonder Model Maman 140 Opaque Compression Stockings. 

It can only be found in Maternity Exchange Outlets in SG & it costs about S$115.  As I did a lot of online shopping, I actually manage to get it online from USA at a cheaper rate (abt S$80 incl. shipping fee) from Legluxe.com

Alright just share these for the time being.  Hope that all these information will be of good helps to all those mum-to-be.  If I come across anything interesting, will try to post more & share with you all :)