The Bump: Danielle Yang

Gorgeous Singapore maternity photos in this month’s ‘The Bump’!

Get ready for some major cuteness, mama! In addition to gorgeous maternity photos, this month’s ‘The Bump’ also includes too-precious newborn shots courtesy of photographer Julia Whale’s “Fresh 48” series. The stars of the show are Malaysian-British mama Danielle Yang and her adorable bub Casper, who was born this past November. We love Danielle’s down-to-earth reflections and super helpful tips (our first ever podcast recommendation!), and know that you will too, mama!

What was your reaction when you first found out you were pregnant?
We had been trying to conceive for a while (thanks to PCOS) and were considering IUI when I found out I was pregnant. Despite a long, frustrating and, at times, devastating process, my reaction was unusually muted. I texted a photo of the pregnancy test result to my husband and captioned it with an emoji.

I owe the pregnancy almost entirely to the Clearblue Advanced Fertility Monitor – not cheap, but a lot less hassle than taking drugs and being knocked up by your doctor.

Your funniest memory over the nine months?
I couldn’t fall asleep one night, as thoughts of melons consumed my mind, so I decided to trek to the nearest petrol station in the hopes of finding any fruit to satisfy my craving.

Halfway there, I realised I’d left my purse so turned back, then decided it was too much effort to repeat the journey, so I sat at the dining table googling images of cantaloupes and weeping. I might also have written my husband a passive-aggressive email about my need for fruit.

Any great books and resources that prepared you for when your baby arrived?
Mum friends for questions that typically end with “…is this normal?”; the Longest Shortest Time podcast for entertainment, and the very readable Expecting Better by Emily Oster for debunking many pregnancy myths.

What do you think every woman should know before getting pregnant?
There’s no wrong or right way to do pregnancy – be as careful or as carefree as you like; you alone determine your comfort level. It is a season that is at once hopeful and terrifying; I’ve never felt more conscious of my mortality than when I was giving life.

What was the easiest trimester and which one proved most difficult?
I had a fairly typical pregnancy – nausea in the first, coasted through the second, aches and pains and fatigue (and bronchitis, and gestational diabetes) in the third. If you haven’t already guessed, the last trimester was by far the toughest for me.

Did you follow a fitness programme while you were pregnant?
Nausea knocked me sideways in the first trimester, but I signed up for barre in the second trimester and prenatal yoga in the third.

Any fashion tips and tricks for maternity dressing?
I found local maternity style a little mumsy, so I shopped online at Seraphine and – for special occasions – Tiffany Rose. COS and H&M are great too for casual and workwear, I just bought clothes a size or two larger.

Read More: Top 10 Online Maternity Stores that Ship to Singapore

What did you struggle with most being pregnant?
Having to restrict my sugar intake after the diabetes diagnosis. I was a miserable git the entire time.

Name a mama you find inspiring and why?
Michelle Obama, for her grit, class and humanity.

What are your thoughts about finding out the sex in advance?
It’s an entirely personal choice. I had a strong hunch I would have a boy, so the news merely confirmed what I already knew!

What kind of birth did you have? (hospital, home, epidural, C-section, with a doula, etc.).
The day of my third wedding anniversary was the same day my son arrived.

I laboured at home for over 10 hours before heading to the hospital. Days spent obsessing about labour signs apparently paid off, as I was calm and collected throughout the entire process – until the real contractions hit. It was a shuddering, jaw-clenching, white-knuckled affair. Even with the epidural, I could feel the baby crowning. Six hours after admission my son was delivered with the help of a vacuum. Moments before, his heart rate had fallen for the second time. To this day I’m grateful my OBGYN made the call to extract him before he went into further distress.

What helped you get your groove back after being pregnant?
Learning to accept and ask for help. It’s far too easy to fall into the trap of thinking you can handle it by yourself, but no one can, and that’s perfectly fine. Carving out time to listen to podcasts and putting on makeup just to head to the shops helped to maintain a semblance of normality, too.

Do you have any mama-friendly favourite places (restaurants, parks, etc.) to hang out with your baby? Why?
I’m quite fond of Great World City. The changing rooms are awesome (a fact impossible to establish in my pre-baby life) and it has all the shops you’d need to cater to an infant.

Any local businesses (or websites) that made your pregnancy journey easier?
All the food delivery apps for days when I could not bring myself to step into the kitchen!

What are your hopes and dreams for your baby?
That he will never encounter or perpetrate racism and bigotry.

Thank you Danielle! And many thanks to the wonderful Julia Whale Photography for all of the beautiful images above! Follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/juliawhalephotography.