Healthy skin during and after pregnancy

Posted on March 29, 2013

I’ve had clear skin before and during my pregnancy. But I’ve been getting acnes since my last trimester or so after giving birth. Beside the hormonal changes, it’s also the stress and tiredness of being a new parenthood that can be the causes of ance. I also have drier skin after I gave birth to my baby girl. Acne and dry skin, both are my nightmare. And trust me, it’s not easy to get rid of them especially during and after your pregnancy. Some of these stupid acne just won’t go away and worst of all, they turn into dark spots. Unfortunately I have experienced that a little bit even though I take a good care of my skin. Good but not good enough. Now I’m taking EXTRA care of my skin and it really helps. Beauty is vain, really vain. You won’t look ugly if you are not lazy.

So here are some of my easy tips on how to take care of your skin throughout and after your pregnancy.

1) Stretch mark cream/oil is a must.

I applied them 2-3 times daily during my pregnancy and after birth. Apply EVERYDAY on your body especially tummy, backside, and thigh. Don’t be lazy and don’t think that those stretch marks won’t appear on your legs and arms too. I compared myself with those who didn’t put these cream regularly, and the difference is big.

2) Use only mild cleanser.

Clean your face maximum twice a day with mild cleanser and try not to scrub at all. Be very gentle to your skin. Skin during pregnancy can be very sensitive and you may have rashes or red, flaky patches on the face so I highly recommend you to use very mild products (and fragrance-free) not only for facial cleanser but also body soap etc. You may consider something organic.

3) Avoid certain foods.

Those that are high in saturated fats are not good. Soft drinks and sweets for examples. I think it would be tough. I’ve had bad craving for chocolate and ice-cream throughout my pregnancy but I did control myself somehow. Drink plenty of water and stay in a healthy diet. Fruits help too.

Hope these tips help. Have a beautiful skin always and happy weekend.

Love.- nira

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The peaceful part of Bali

Posted on March 24, 2013

Everyone deserves a holiday especially after hard work. My husband has been flying around very often and I’m so glad that he made it happen as he planned for everyone including my in-laws. It was also baby Terena’s second trip to overseas.

We spent 4 days and 3 nights in a stunning villa called ‘Villa Mandalay’ with full services boutique. There are 7 bedrooms, private pool, entertainment room, the spa areas, and also the living room areas with a bar etc. The best of all, it has a beautiful view of traditional rice terraces and the ocean.

And this is my favourite spot.

The next day was even better. Because baby Terena went into a pool for the first time and we could easily tell that she LOVED it. Baby happy, daddy and mummy happier.

So much fun, so much laughter, that moment.

More relaxing moments with a bottle of Indonesia beer and good foot massage. I recommend you guys to try their massage not manicure/pedicure.

Thank you for the great time and good services. Also, thanks to sweet my father-in-law who bought this rose for me on a Valentine’s day. My mum&sis-in-law got one too.

A lucky girl I am. Looking for more great time with a big family.

Love.- nira

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Caesarean or natural birth?

Posted on March 12, 2013

Many people have been asking me this since I was pregnant until now.

Caesarean or natural birth?

I took quite a long time to consider. Which is better? What are pros and cons? What would be the best option for my baby and me? After 2 months of consideration, I chose to go for caesarean birth or C-section.

You might want to stop reading this entry now if you are planning to give birth anytime soon, especially natural birth. 

Before I continue writing this post, I have something to say to some people who are/were against my personal decision here.

I already got comments like “why not natural? Isn’t it better for your baby? etc.” or some people even gave me THAT kind of look, like as if it was wrong for me to do it. I’m telling you now that your such comments doesn’t mean anything to me, especially when you don’t know me. Every new mother have to go through 9 months of pregnancy, childbirth, and a lot more real work after that. If you haven’t been through it, just listen. Or if you had a natural birth before and it was tough then that was your choice. But it doesn’t mean my choice is wrong and I should go through the same thing as you. And after all, it’s my life not yours. My baby, not yours.

However, I thank and appreciate those comments from people who really care and try to help NOT those that acting like they know everything and they are always right. Please. No one is always right.

Ok that’s enough. So what made me choose to go for a C-section?

1) Caesarean can be scheduled.

Because my husband travels a lot. What happen if my water broke when he is many thousands miles away from me? This is one way we can be sure that both of us will go through this together.

2) Disadvantage of a natural birth.

True that the recovering period is much shorter with natural birth. You just need 1 day to stay in a hospital and 1-2 weeks for full recovery when C-section needs at least 3 days, and 1-2 months for full recovery (also depends on the individual).

According to 8 women (I know personally) who have gone through a natural birth, they said that their private parts do not look the same after a natural birth. In fact, they said it will never be exactly the same. Even if you have only 1 sleeping partner for the rest of your life and you wouldn’t care? Maybe. But I believe most of us do care. However, health science and medical technology has improved a lot so there might be a solution for that too. I don’t know.

What about a scar on lower stomach after C-section? I know I will have my way out for that. A secret for now. Plus, I trust my Gynae a lot. She is great and famous for her C-section. My scar looks fine and not as bad as I thought it would be. Thank you.

3) Pain Level

I’d rather feel the most pain after and NOT during labour which I don’t know how long it will last. I had an epidural and I was awake during the C-section. (you can choose to sleep throughout the whole process but you won’t be the first to see your baby). I didn’t feel any pain at all during the process, not even when they jabbed an epidural into my spine to numb sensation and provide pain relief before they cut me open. Some mothers also take an epidural during their natural birth if they can’t stand the pain.

However, the pain came the next day when I woke up. Very painful, my wound. I couldn’t eat much and definitely couldn’t move at all for at least a day. Let’s skip the part where I needed to go to a toilet. The worst part was when I coughed and my (seven layers cut) wound vibrated. I couldn’t describe how freaking painful it was. You imagine. But a good thing is, painkiller helps a lot.

4) It’s safe, for the baby.

Many of you might not know this. According to what my Gynae told me, caesarean is safer for baby but not good for a mother. The chance of getting wound infections is higher. There are seven layers of muscles doctor have to cut through during C-section. If the cord is around baby’s neck, it would be unsafe to do a natural birth too. And unfortunately, the cord was around my baby’s face and neck at 37th week. Even if I decided to go for a natural birth (which I most likely won’t), I’d have to do a C-section instead.

5) I consider a Caesarean as a modern way to have baby.

Women today have choice, something that women in the olden days did not have. Giving birth can be fast and safe with the used of latest technological equipments and so why not?

.

After all, I’m not saying that a natural birth is not a good choice and I’m just giving my personal opinions. It’s your choice so you should know the best for you and your baby. People who have gone through a natural birth is brave and tough. I admire them. Either way, the most important thing is to make sure your baby (and you) is safe.

Congratulation to every new mother. Let’s have fun, enjoy the process and keep the joy in motherhood.

Love.- Nira

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Black Magic for Skin

Posted on February 28, 2013

I found myself a new place to pamper and take a good short break from the hustle & bustle of work and looking after my baby. Please take note this is not an ad.

It’s Porcelain the Face Spa.

There are many good reviews about their treatments so I decided to give it a try. I have a good first impression when I stepped inside. The place is cozy, clean, friendly and they play good jazz and classical.

I’ll leave a surprise to you by not uploading any more pictures. You will get what I mean when you step in yourself.

My first treatment was Black Magic IPL and The Pick Me up. It took about 90 minutes. My skin seem more radiant, firm, and pores look much smaller. My skin is now looking more clear and fresh. Thank you for not disappointing me.

You can read more about their treatment here.

Love.- nira

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The most amazing day of my life

Posted on February 21, 2013

Yes, I think you can guess.

I finally gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

Thankful for everything. That’s what I’m always praying for. I have to be honest.. My pregnancy was already considered quite good and smooth compared to some of my friends. Thanks god and people who always helping me out. I truly appreciate it. And I thank to myself too, for doing my best throughout this pregnancy. Forcing myself to eat stuffs I hate everyday (I drank at least 6-7 glasses of milk a day), giving up something I love, etc. It was all worth it.

That day when I was in a hospital waiting to give birth, I was scared, really scared. I have never felt so scared in my life till my body was uncontrollably shaking . Without courage from all the loved ones, it could be a lot harder than it was. That moment, his hands held my hands and helped me through it. Thank you.

Giving our little precious love and happiness is now one of my top priority. And to keep her healthy too of course. I will make mistakes and I will learn from it. Thank you father, mother, for raising me, and loving me. Never knew it would be so hard to become a parent until today and I know it’s just the beginning.

Enough said. here is my baby girl, Terena. And that’s how a first-born looks like.

First time in mummy’s hands. I cried.
They had to take her away from me to do all the weighing, measuring etc.

An hour later, my baby girl looks like this. Terena day 1.

Her head was the same size as my husband’s fist. So small, so fragile.

First time pumping out breast milk, in this bottle. I always thought mother’s milk is supposed to be white in color but I was wrong.

It may seem amazing but my breasts was in PAIN and I hate that feeling! Furthermore, I had to wake up every 3 hours to breastfeed since I was on full breastfeeding. I won’t lie. That part was bad, really bad.

And oh, I almost forgot to mention about my confinement period. IT WAS SUCK. To me, it was the worst. I’m not trying to scare you but it’s really like living in a jail. Can you imagine you can’t wash your hair for a week or a month and you can’t get out of your house at all? Yes, it happened to me. At least my confinement lady was more of a modern type so thanks god! I don’t think I can stand doing all those for one full month. I showered every 3-5 days with ginger water and I sneaked out a little bit, or maybe not just a little bit.  However, I wore a long sleeve and long pant when I was out. In a confinement period, wind = your worst enemy.

A lot of complaining here. Don’t mind me. I’m just trying to share.

There will be more complaining in the future so be prepared for that too. But also more of good thing to share with. After all, I love being a mother. Who doesn’t anyway?

Love.- nira

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