Since this is the first baby for both my wife and I, we both have a lot of learning to do … and I of course need to know as much as possible about how to jaga my beautiful wife and our baby (rafa?). Following are some of the questions I had and what I found out:

How much to eat?

Hahah since I am in health and fitness, thats the first question I had. So based on what I read here, she needs some 200-300 extra calories per day but most importantly these should NOT come from junk food. A balanced diet is always the way to go. She would normally need some 1700 calories per day so now its roughly around 2000 calories per day.
What to eat? A balanced diet. We are aiming for a 55:30:15 ratio of carbs, protein and fats. For supplements it is recommended to look up the following: Folic acid , iron, zinc and calcium.

What to drink?

They say stick to water, milk, juices, vegetable juice. Chocolate milk is ok as well.

Avoid drinking alcohol, soft drinks, sport drinks, herbal teas and go easy on caffeine.

What foods to avoid when you are pregnant?

Ok I am new to this as well but this is what I found out to AVOID

• Large Fish: Swordfish, shark etc due to higher levels of methylymercury, a metal detrimental to a growing child’s brain and nervous system.
• Fish caught in rivers: Something to do with recreational anglers may hook fish contaminated with bacteria or chemicals.
• Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood and eggs: Due to possible bacteria etc
• Hot dogs and luncheon meats: also coz of some bacterias
• Alcohol: well obviously as it robs developing cells of oxygen, making normal development impossible.

What about exercise?

My dad said to avoid excessive movements around her pelvic as the embryo needs time to properly position and stabilize during the first trimester. But generally stretching and walking are good and encouraged but we ought to consult our gynie terlebih dahulu.

What she can and cannot do?

Its commonsense for smoking and other vices. Hmm what else?

What about sex? According to this article, yeah sex is ok as long as there are no complications of course. Most sexual positions are OK. But by the third trimester, weight gain, back pain etc “may dampen your enthusiasm for sex”.

How much does a pregnancy cost?

Couldn’t find much about actual costs in Malaysia and I sure it depends on the kind of treatments, hospitals, gynie that you choose. Based on some estimates, probably around RM10,000 – RM15,000 or more depending on complications if any.

…in the US, the costs of raising a baby to age 18 costs between $125,000-$250,000 and that’s not including college tuition!…

Can we still travel?

According to this website, it is generally ok to travel but best during the 2nd trimester.
Thats it for now kot! 🙂