YES 933 DJ Lin Peifen on her maternity bag must-have

YES 933 DJ Lin Peifen's second pregnancy has gone by in a flash.

“I think this [pregnancy] is just kind of part of my life in a way that I don’t think too much because it came and then I still have to take care of my son. I was still doing a lot of my mum stuff for my firstborn, and here I am, 37 weeks along!” Peifen told theAsianparent when asked about her second pregnancy.

''According to the mum-of-one, both her pregnancies were “quite similar.”

“I didn’t throw up. I didn’t have a lot of episodes of [feeling nauseated]. But the things that I experienced in my first pregnancy seem to have come back in the same way and more.

Like oedema — the swelling of the hands and legs because of water retention is worse this time,” Peifen said.

But Peifen noted that she worries much less this time around — unlike her first pregnancy, she said she is no longer constantly Google-ing things and reading about what can go wrong.

“I used to Google and Google, and worry about everything, and I just couldn’t sleep!”

YES 933 DJ Lin Peifen on keeping a good mental health during pregnancy

And among the many things Peifen did not want to worry about was looking “social-media-likes-worthy".

During her first pregnancy, she said she felt the pressure of having to look packaged—needing to still “fit into pretty clothes.”

I felt the pressure quite badly back then. And I think I didn’t handle it too well because I’m a big mum as in… I’ve always been on the slightly bigger side in terms of a girl’s sizes,” Peifen shared.

''In one of her recent Instagram posts, Peifen said she had not been posting pictures for a while because it is not the most “IG-inspiring.”

''But unlike previously, she said this pregnancy, coupled with being forced to stay at home because of the ongoing pandemic, has enabled her to be “[her] most comfortable self,” citing that “[she is] most at ease when [she doesn’t] have to doll up.”

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CC26ngpJmW1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link[/embed]

“It was a blessing in disguise for me, because I could just focus on taking care of myself during this whole time because I had to stay at home,” said Peifen.

“It kind of dawned on me that it is very important to maintain that emotional well being. If you are stressed during pregnancy, [it can be] bad for yourself and the baby. So whatever makes you stressed, if you can get it out of the way, it’s good for you.”

“So this time, I found out that actually, [the pressure of looking good] made me so stressed. This time, I felt like don’t have to care [about that]!” the YES 933 DJ quipped.

On self-care and motherhood

But Peifen acknowledges that not all mums are the same and motherhood can’t be the same for everyone.

However, Peifen noted that the definition of self-care varies among mums and it should not be something mums should feel pressured to do as others do.

“With social media and all, the self-care part of motherhood is being emphasised, and sometimes I think it’s being over-emphasised. Yes, you have to take care of yourself, but sometimes, when you just can’t afford the time and effort, it’s okay.

''You know, it’s okay to look like you, you haven’t slept for years, it’s fine. Because it’s all only temporary, once the kids are ready to have their own lives, they’re independent, they can take care of themselves,” Peifen said.

“By then, you can have more time to take care of yourself. So I think you should take care of yourself in terms of [your] health. That’s the basic [self-care].

''You must make sure that you are in good health. But looks-wise, I think it is like a bonus. Once you take care of your health, you will not look too bad,” Peifen added.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/B_B95wsJXKr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link[/embed]

Peifen noted that mums who get stressed because of the pressure to “social-media-pretty,” should consider thinking of letting the stress go and start focusing on their health instead.

“But you know, if being ‘social-media-pretty’ and always ready for the camera makes you happy, and it is doing great for your self-confidence, then, that’s great.”

On preparing for delivery

The mum-of-one, who gave birth to her firstborn five years ago, is now prepping for her second delivery.

“We’ve been cleaning up the house a lot. That’s one big thing that we had to do. You know, I already Marie Kondo it myself before she became famous, but, and then you have a kid, and then it’s impossible!” Peifen laughed.

However, Peifen said the most significant preparation she is doing for her upcoming delivery is mentally preparing herself. [I’ve been] re-reading — about how to breastfeed and all that. Basically, it’s like a revision of the first pregnancy.”

[[nid:500238]]

And speaking of breastfeeding, Peifen said the one must-have she needs in her maternity bag is her breast pump.

“I have the admission letter for the hospital. I think that is one of the most important things. I will be bringing my breast pump, as well. Because the first time I think I wasn’t prepared in this area,” Peifen shared.

“I thought breastfeeding is going to be very natural. I [thought] I’ll just somehow do it. But it didn’t happen that way, so it was pretty tough.

So now, you know, all my friends are like, okay, eat more oats. Drink more, you know, fennel tea, and then pump as soon as you’re in a hospital. So I will definitely bring my breast pump.”

She also said she would need music in the room “to be relaxed and to be able to sleep.”

This article was first published in theAsianparent.