More than halfway through the 1st trimester now, here's sharing the experiences so far.....
Appetite
I tend to eat more properly in the morning, but for lunch and dinner, I can only take half the amount of what I used to consume. I have a dislike for rice right now, so other sources of carbs seem more palatable.
Night sickness and run down
Sicknesses in the form of nauseousness if I consumed the wrong food, or sometimes for no reason tend to occur between evening to night. Got to trust my intuition when eating, and refrain from what causes discomfort or gives rise to a cold throat sensation e.g. rice, too much meat, soft fruits, carbonated drinks and slimy food like yogurt and half boiled eggs, and got to brush my teeth very quickly... it's a compromise on oral hygiene, but what to do? And by 9 pm, I'll be completely run down.
Sensitivity and that weird metallic taste
Highly likely due to rapid hormonal changes, my digestion is much slower nowadays, and my stomach feels gassy quite easily either with the consumption of food that I can't tolerate right now, or if I am too hungry.
I feel a weird metallic taste in my mouth during certain times of the day. The bitterness is worst after I eat anything sweet. I also find that plain water tastes bitter, unless it's lukewarm and so, I only drink warm water nowadays. Or if it's room temperature or colder, it has got to be lime or lemon juice - I'll try to make it very dilute to minimise harm to the teeth.
Scent oh scents....
Slightly different from the past experiences, this time, I have repugnance towards certain smells, e.g. flowery scents from perfumes, body washes and detergents (so I refrain from going into a bathroom immediate after anyone takes a bath), the smell of cooking especially garlic and spices, and most notably, the smells of various ointments such as minyak angin, Yu Yee oil, Tiger Balm, Vicks, and generally any menthol-smelling stuff.
I feel bad at work where there's this lady janitor who is very nice, but unfortunately I felt immediate discomfort when she comes near with the flowery-fragrant spray which she carries around. It's like having to avoid a person whom I have nothing against. In order to mitigate the obviousness, when she comes near, I'll walk somewhere else, e.g. to the washroom or pantry, or on the pretext of ensuring that I do not block her space in performing her duty.
Dislike for what I used to like
No fresh milk, no meat especially fish, meat-based soups, no spicy food, no butter, and no rice. I only feel like eating steamed vegetables, vegetable soups, fried egg and tofu. My former savior mandarin peel also tastes weird to me this time. Gosh, apart from daily folic acid supplement, how to avoid becoming anemic?
Food crave for the first time
In the past, I did not have craves for any particular food. But for this time, I crave chee cheong fun and would have it a few times in a week. As the signature mushroom gravy that's popular in dear hometown Ipoh is not available here, the best alternative would be curry gravy - without additional chili paste because the stomach can't tolerate hot stuff at the moment. Prior to this, I am not a fan of chee cheong fun and used to take its abundance for granted when I used to live in Ipoh with my parents.
Got to feel it to understand it
My pregnancy with Alvin was emotionally alright, although I was missing my mother dearly for she had just departed 6 months before Alvin's conception. But I suppose it's normal for anyone to feel that way regardless of physical state... and further, who isn't keen to share a happy news with a loved one? With Aaron, my state of mind was alright despite having to stay in ward for a long time, I felt occasionally bored, but upon knowing my ward-mates better, I gradually felt more at home.
I used to wonder whether emotional roller-coaster during pregnancy is a truth or myth. Although I've frequently heard of it and think that it may be true, I had no experience. So when one hits me this time, I really have no words to describe it.
Teary spells and thin ice
A short video or advertisement featuring a cute baby, or even a cute puppy could turn on my tear mode. On one fine morning when I saw two ambulances near Hospital Serdang while on my way to work, I was almost moved to tears as I was suddenly reminded of my mom. But strangely, I did not shed any tear with my mom's sudden demise 6 years ago (it was unexpected as she appeared energetic and healthy right before that), and was able to take it positively despite missing her deeply.
I have no idea how long this will last, but the current phenomena makes me feel like walking on thin ice when I easily get snapped by common remarks by close folks around me for trivia things. Hopefully baby no. 3 will no absorb this vibe somehow or else baby will turn up as cry baby.
Conclusion
Not wanting any disappointment later on, I shall not over-expect things around me. And never underestimate the influence of hormones upon the body and mind.
I'm glad that so far, I've been going around without spotting (or threatened abortion), unlike the past 2 experiences - fingers-crossed. The pregnancy symptoms started very early this time - good appetite at week 4, but started to feel the opposite from week 5 onwards, and a mixture of feelings until now.
I am quite afraid to think of the risks of various stuff, but it's a fact that all pregnancies come with risks. If everything works alright, I'll go for an elective cerclage later.
Let's take one thing at a time and see how it works. If the baby can sit in safely until early term, then I shall be more than thankful. Boy or girl, I shall not care much since it's already determined once conceived. I don't know where I want to deliver this one, which will depend on convenience as well as fate. God please let everything be smooth and safe this time, no long medical leaves like previously, and most importantly everyone at home is prepared to embrace a new person, if this new person safely arrives into the world.
