I wasn’t given hormone pills at the early stage of the pregnancy to enhance the survival rates of my fetus, despite the unfortunate miscarriage just last year. Nor I was given supplements from my gynae throughout the pregnancy. I didn’t suffer from morning sickness, I eat fairly well all three trimesters — weight gain was moderate and steady. I had very minimal heartburn, occasional constipation, and no gestational diabetes or other complications, despite having my first child at the mature age of 35. Bébé was born post-term at 4.1 KG without jaundice. I am so incredibly blessed with this experience.

I have always been advocating all women who plan to conceive should prepare their bodies for pregnancy. Let’s face it: Pregnancy can bring long-term health issues that last a lifetime. Bearing a child and even birthing carries risks. These are hard truths. While social media tells us how amazing pregnancy and motherhood can be like, growing a healthy baby inside our body isn’t something that should be taken for granted.

Knowing what kind of physical state and health condition a fetus would likely thrive in advance and preparing your body for it can really minimize pregnancy discomforts and risks during our pregnancy. However, each pregnancy is unique and to each their own. This article aims to provide insights for those who are keen to prepare their body for a baby to nest in for a good 9 months. And if you’re looking for such content, I hope this is helpful

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor your medical provider. While I believe that preparing our body well before conceiving will make our pregnancy journey so much more pleasant and enjoyable, what suit me may not suit you. With each individual comes your own choices and circumstances, so whatever you choose is good for you and know that you know yourself better than anyone else.  

Warm-up My Womb

From a TCM perspective, there is a correlation between a cold womb and infertility. I used to have obstructed blood flow, and coldness in the lower abdomen, hands and feet. So I been visiting Physician Lim Sor San at Time Enterprise TCM for a good 2 years before I got married. Back then, all I wanted was to get rid of menstrual cramps so that I can focus better at work during that time of the month. Her medicine worked well. #notsponsored

Before successfully conceiving with bébé Keian, I suffered a spontaneous miscarriage in 2021. Post-miscarriage, I took 2 weeks of confinement food with Chilli Padi Confinement to improve blood circulation and maintain body warmth. Their food always looked appetising (you can expect colourful & nourishing dishes) and I like that everything including the dishes is delivered in thermal flasks. #notsponsored

I also went back to see Physician Lim for 2 months before trying for a baby again. If you are suspecting a cold womb is hindering your chance of conceiving, please know that TCM can be an alternative treatment.

Learn My Family’s Medical History

As K and I are not “young”, we went for a fertility check-up at KKH just to make sure both of us are okay before we take everything seriously. One thing I learnt from the doctor was that collecting our family’s health history can be important for our child’s health. We might not realize that a sister’s heart defect or grandpa’s medical condition could affect the child, so sharing family medical history with your doctor can be important.

We shared our medical condition, as well as our family’s medical information and underwent some recommended tests just to make sure we are all cleared and really, it is for your peace of mind.

Fallopian Tube Test

As part of my fertility check-up, my doctor also suggested a fallopian tube test, or hysterosalpingogram (HSG). This minor test procedure lets the doctor examine the inside walls of our uterus and fallopian tubes, by flushing medical liquids via the cervix into the uterus and the tubes.

It provides information about the shape and contour of our uterus, document other possible conditions, and determine if our fallopian tubes are open. Having a blocked tube or growth in our uterus can reduce our chances of pregnancy as the sperm wouldn’t be able to reach the egg.

I experience more painful menses every alternate month so even though I have very regular menses, to be very sure of my fertility health we went ahead with the test. The report turns out to be perfect. And believe it or not, some ladies actually became more fertile after the test as the procedure clears minor blocks in some women, making it easier for an embryo to implant successfully.

Make Better Lifestyle Choices

Neither I nor K smoke. And prior to conceiving, we keep our casual drinking to a minimum too! We also consider ourselves very fortunate as we do not have other medical conditions that require us to take any medicine that may affect the health of our baby.

Prenatal Supplements

It is a no-brainer that a healthy diet is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals we need. However, if we take a closer look at our diet, most of us would realise that we are not taking enough vegetables and fruits in a day, and may fall short on key nutrients. So prenatal vitamins can help fill any gaps if we are pregnant or hoping to conceive. It is important to get our bodies ready before hosting the baby.

• Folic Acid
Folic Acid or folate is the natural form of vitamin B9. If a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can help prevent major birth defects in the baby’s brain and spine. KKH Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department actually recommend taking folic acid 3 months before trying to conceive. I started taking it 3 months before I successfully conceived back in 2021. While the embryo didn’t make it, I continue to take folic acid daily until I am pregnant again with bébé Keian.

#Tip:  You can purchase Folic Acid tablets off public hospital's pharmacy or on National Healthcare Group's site at a very low cost. It is SGD 2.10 per 30 capsules, so much more affordable compared to the well-known brands in the market. 

• Fish Oil
Omega-3 fatty acid helps promote a baby’s brain development. It is a type of fat found naturally in many kinds of fish. However, if you don’t take fish or other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids due to your choice of diet, it is better to supplement it for the sake of your baby. I took Avance’s Super EPA 2000 as it contains 810mg EPA and DHA in one soft gel, which is one of the purest and highest concentrations of EPA and DHA in the market.

#Tip:  Each Avance fish oil soft gel went through a dual-stage molecular distillation that removes impurities and heavy metals from the fish. Only God knows how much heavy metals one would be accidentally consuming if she's only taking real fish to hit that same amount of Omega-3 fatty acids one needs to grow her baby! 

• Borage Seed Oil
I bet you’ve heard about the benefits of taking evening primrose oil which includes regulating hormones and relieving discomfort associated with monthly cycles. Avance’s Borage Seed Oil contains 22% of GLA, which is much higher compared to evening primrose oil which typically contains 8-10% of GLA. It also helps to improve blood circulation and clear off the clotting that may be one of the reasons for infertility and recurrent miscarriage.

• LB30
Adding probiotics to our arsenal of motherhood must-haves can go a long way to help encourage the absorption of nutrients, nurture our baby’s immune system, and support us in common, uncomfortable roadblocks that can occur during pregnancy and postpartum life (think heartburn and constipation for a whole 9 months!).

I made sure my gut health was in good condition before conceiving, which I believe attributed to the minimum heartburn and constipation during my pregnancy. In fact, I only experienced occasional heartburn and constipation after week 34 when the baby has grown bigger in size.

Avance’s LB30 probiotics have 30 billion good bacteria from 5 clinical strains, and 4 are patented. Each strain is also coated with 5 layers of coating to ensure the stability of the cultures and make sure that they stay alive until they reach our gut.

Taking probiotics during the pre-pregnancy stage helps to lower the risks of vagina infections that may cause pregnancy complications, eczema in babies and many more. Babies actually inherit their entire microbiome from us as they pass through the birth canal, from skin-to-skin contact, and taking our breast milk. These are the building blocks for our child’s immune system, which is why it’s critical to inoculate our newborn with the bacteria needed to set them up for a lifetime of health!

#Tip:  I took 1 stick of LB30 each day before conceiving, continue the same dosage up to the 2nd trimester, and take 2-4 sticks daily in the 3rd trimester. I would increase my intake to 6 sticks in a day when I experience constipation and my problem would usually resolve within the next day. 

Meal Management Camp

Because our modern and instant diet often leaves gaps in our nutritional needs, when it comes to preparing ourselves for pregnancy, we are more than willing to go the extra mile to ensure good health before conceiving.

One thing I did was join a Meal Management Bootcamp that aims to achieve a healthy BMI (of an Asian standard), healthy body fat ratio and cultivate mindful eating. It is a one-month program where members eat 4-5 full meals per day while incorporating just one “5DP” healthy smoothie from Optrimax into our daily meal plan.

The smoothie shake is jam-packed with Vitamin B2, B6, D3, E, Folic Acid and Biotin which are all great to prep our body for baby. I’ll share more about this in another blog. We are thrilled to find out good news from a few ladies who join the camp for at least 3-6 months. So if you want to do something about your diet that may enhance your overall reproductive health, you can DM me on IG

Remove Myself from Stressful Environment

I was in the hospitality industry and it was challenging in the past 3 years due to the pandemic. The high levels of stress, and receiving work emails in the wee hours were taxing to my body and mind. As I managed to establish a stable side income by advocating for DR’s Secret skincare during my downtime, I took the leap of faith to quit my day job as a hospitality marketer.

I took a one-month break, did a Free & Easy trip to South Korea and found out that I got pregnant with bébé Keian when I came home! So please do not downplay the complex interplay between the level of stress you have and your fertility health! Take a break and find a solution for yourself. Remember, our job should not become our whole identity.

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Chat me up on IG, and I’ll be able to give you complimentary advice and recommendations! Download the “BWL Mobile” app on AppStore, and sign up with me to access your member’s only perks and discounts.

In my recent Singapore-South Korea VTL trip, I realised that when we are travelling overseas, it is impossible to always avoid crowded places. The reality is, we can’t possibly travel to a new (or favourite) city and stay in a hotel room most of the time. That’s where our immunity needs to be strengthened. I am not saying that taking supplements will cure and prevent you from the diseases, but keeping our immune system healthy 24/7 is key to enhancing our defence system against viruses. In this blog post, I am sharing the supplement products I brought to my VTL trip to boost my immunity.

Before we start, I’d like to again, stress that supplements are not medicine. While it does enhance your health condition and lower your risk of certain diseases, it should not be a substitute for medicine and proper medical support.

If you have an existing medical condition, please seek your healthcare provider’s instructions before taking any supplements.

Here are the 6 supplement products I take to boost my immunity:

1. Avance LB-30 

I have had a weak stomach since young. As I grow older, to aid in my bowel movement and better digestion, I started taking probiotics.  But not all probiotics are the same.

There are three levels of probiotic identification starting with the genus name (such as Lactobacillus), followed by a species name (such as Paracasei) and lastly a strain name (such as GMNL-133). A strain gives the probiotic its specific function, making it more effective at supporting the body in a specific way.

Let me quote this from one of the training sessions I attended: Strain names are important as clinical studies found probiotics available on one strain cannot be applied to another strain. This means that some strains are stronger than others, even though they may share the same genus and species family. For example, GMNL-133 is different from GMNL-32 though they may both share the same genus and species family – Lactobacillus Paracasei. LB-30 is made of five specific strains that are proven effective in supporting immune and digestive health.

I have been taking LB-30 for about 1.5 years now and not only I am having a smooth bowel movement daily, but I also see improvement in my gut health. I can take a moderate amount of milk without the urge to go toilet immediately! (I used to have mild lactose intolerance and whenever I drink a latte, I would have to make sure there is a toilet nearby but I no longer have this issue now!)

When you are travelling, be it flying on a plane, driving on the open road or exploring a new city, sticking to your normal healthy diet of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins isn’t always a priority or even a possibility. There is always a long list of places we want to go and the food we want to try. Not drinking enough water, stress from travelling (especially the VTL trips), and the food we eat can trigger constipation and lead to abdominal pain, discomfort, gas and bloating. This effective probiotic product will come in handy when you are on the go!

2. Avance SangoCal

As we all know, keeping our body less “acidic” is crucial for body immunity and general defence to diseases and oxidation. An acidic blood and body fluids create the ideal host environment for bacteria, viruses and fungi, which in accumulated amounts can lead to illnesses and health conditions. And when we are travelling, it is not always easy to keep a healthy diet. To combat this and help maintain a less acidic body, I throw one sachet of SangoCal in my drinking water daily whenever I am travelling.

SangoCal consists of natural Okinawan coral sand. It is harvested from the coastal waters of Okinawa and highly purified to replicate the beneficial qualities of Okinawan water in regular drinking water. It helps to keep the drinking water at an Alkaline pH level, removes the odour of chlorine, and helps to replenish other minerals. It is packed in one mini tube for easy consumption especially when you are travelling. Just throw it into your water bottle and voila!

3. Avance V-Propolis 

Some of you may not be familiar with Propolis. It is a sticky natural resin collected from tree barks and leaves by worker bees to protect their hives against invading bacterial, fungal and viral infections. The bees use propolis to seal the entrance of their hives. It works as a sterilising agent against bacterial and viral infections as the bee comes in and out of the hive. It also functions as a natural sterilizer by protecting the inside of the hive from outside contaminants (dust particles and parasites). All in all, propolis contains strong antibacterial, anti-viral and anti-microbial properties, and has the ability to seal up the harmful infection and prevent it from spreading.

When I was young, my mom would always feed me propolis when I have slight respiratory symptoms and usually the symptoms would go away the next day. However, the propolis I had back then tasted really awful. It has an unpleasantly pungent kick that I hated. While with Avance V-Propolis, it tastes like honey so I don’t foresee feeding your kids propolis an issue! You can mix it with water, or just pump the liquid directly into your mouth.

I  brought a bottle of Avance V-Propolis with me to my recent VTL trip. In between the trip there were a few times I got a faint sore throat and felt the “heatiness” or have a runny nose and I would spam the propolis and feel better almost quite instantly!

4. Avance Chewable Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral that performs many functions in the body. It is the 2nd most abundant trace mineral in our bodies after iron. Maintaining an adequate amount of Zinc helps to boost our immune function, and also improve our body’s natural resistance. Hence it is all the more important to keep a sufficient zinc level in our body when we are travelling because we will be out and about and there will be more people we will come in contact with because we are exploring the new city the entire day!

Zinc support cell renewals and growth, hence is widely reputed to be an important healing nutrient. It speeds up recovery through cell repair and tissue renewal. This allows our wounds to heal faster, and it is also known to help to shorten recovery time for common cold symptoms.

One thing that stresses us the most when we are travelling during COVID is the PCR test. For the SG-KR VTL trip, we were required to do a mid-trip PCR on our 7th-day post-arrival to Incheon. Imagine catching a cold on your 6th-day and stressing yourself the entire day waiting for your 7th-day PCR? This is definitely not what we signed up for. So what I would suggest is to take Avance Chewable Zinc whenever you are feeling a little under the weather.

5. Avance ImmuGain

Most mothers would know about “Colostrum”, the first form of milk produced by mammals (including humans) following the delivery of a newborn. Colostrum provides all the nutrients and fluid that your newborn needs in the early days, as well as many substances, to protect your baby against infections. It’s very nutritious and contains high levels of antibodies which are proteins that fight infections and bacteria.

Most colostrum supplements are made from the colostrum of cow, which we called the Bovine colostrum. It is very similar to human colostrum, rich in minerals, vitamins, good proteins and digestive enzymes. Research has shown that it may promote immunity, fight infection, and improve gut health.

Avance’s ImmuGain is a Bovine colostrum supplement that is collected only from pasture-fed cows in New Zealand. Hence it is free from hormones, pesticides and antibiotics. It is also rich in Immunoglobulin G (IgG), an antibody that makes up a major component in our immune system. Loading up our body with IgG helps strengthen our immunity, and it also helps to reduce allergies (especially food allergies) and various hypersensitivity reactions. I take two tablets every morning before meals every day to strengthen my immunity!

6. Optional: Avance Vitamin C

I guess this is a no brainer. All Asian kids grow up knowing that when you are under the weather, pop a Vitamin C tablet. It helps to support our body’s immune functions to fight minor infections and prevent common cold, flu and cough, and speed up the recovery process. It is also a great source of vitamin to build up healthy gums and teeth.

HOW DO I EAT THESE SUPPLEMENTS? 

The 6 items above are what I’d usually bring with me when I am travelling. Given the sky-high confirmed cases reported daily when I was in South Korea, I took LB-30, SangoCal and ImmuGain on a daily basis to strengthen my immunity. The rest were taken when I felt that I need an immunity boost. I am still taking the 3 supplements mentioned here (LB-30, SangoCal, ImmuGain) on a daily basis even when I am back home.

• Avance LB-30 — Daily 
  I take one sachet of LB-30 every morning right after I wake up. Once consumed the probiotics, I’d usually go get prepared and take my breakfast 30 mins++ after taking the probiotics. It helps to digest and pass the toxic, keeping my body light and healthy.
• Avance SangoCal — Daily
  I’d throw 1 sachet into my water tumbler and drink the SangoCal infused water throughout the day. Regardless of whether I am travelling or in Singapore, I want to maintain my body alkaline level so that it won’t be the ideal host environment for infectious viruses.
• Avance V-Propolis — When Needed
  I’d only pop a syringe of propolis when I feel a faint sore throat. My tip is to quickly take 1 syringe of V-Propolis before these faint symptoms developed into something more serious. It usually works!
• Avance Chewable Zinc — When Needed
  I usually take this when I am down with a common cold or flu, and I want a speedy recovery (because I don’t want to miss the itinerary the next day). During one of the nights in Seoul when my husband was having a fever, he pop a panadol followed by Chewable Zinc and felt so much better the next morning!
• Avance ImmuGain — Daily 
  I take 2 tablets in the morning, before or after my breakfast. You may also take this after lunch.
• Avance Vitamin C — When Needed
  I take this when I am feeling a little under the weather. It works as an immunity booster for me.

There’s no right or wrong in taking supplements. All in all, if you’re travelling and keen to take some supplements to help in boosting your immunity, a few key aspects are: Drink plenty of water, and if possible, drink good water to keep your body at an alkaline pH level. And make sure that you poop daily. Take the right supplement when it is needed.

Again, I am not advocating totally skipping healthy food intake and “just take supplements”. After all, there is a reason why these health products are called “supplements” because they can never replace a balanced, healthy diet. What I am saying is with our passion and love for hawker food, the majority of us are not taking enough good oil,  good fibre and antioxidants. Some of us may also be skipping too much carbs than we should which affect our body from functioning properly.

Making healthy lifestyle choices by consuming balanced and nutritious diets, getting enough sleep and exercising are the most important ways to boost your immune system. Supplements are an enhancement, especially in times like this.

Need help purchasing Avance Supplement Products?

Chat me up on IG, and I’ll be able to give you complimentary advice and recommendations! Sign up with me to access your member’s only perk and promotion.

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