Moving Mondays: Moving While Pregnant

Hello friends! I know it’s been more than a week since I last blogged, but I promise I have a good excuse! You’ll have to tune in tomorrow to find out what it is, though! J

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you my experience moving while pregnant. I didn’t blog about it before, because the move took place during the first trimester when I kept the fantastic news hush hush. But now that I am well past the safety mark, I think it’s time I shared my story, don’t you?

The movers arrive to pack up our household goods in Monterey, Calif.

I discovered I was pregnant with my second child just a few days before My Traveling Troop moved half way around the world to Singapore from California. I was absolutely thrilled to pieces and couldn’t wait to share the "news" with husband using a newspaper, pregnancy test, ribbon and a little note card.

The second line is faint in this picture, but there are definitely two! :)

That said, I was also incredibly nervous. The last time I hopped on a plane, I was in midst of a miscarriage (although, I wouldn’t discover that fact until a few days later). And, this pregnancy came on the heels of that heart-breaking loss.

With another plane ride looming, I scheduled an appointment with my doctor in California to make sure I could safely make the 20-plus hour flight. He gave me the green light to fly, along with advice on how to prevent blood clots during such a long journey (pregnant women are more susceptible to blood clots while on long flights, he said).

Thankfully, I landed in Singapore feeling great. But I still wanted to meet with a doctor in the city-state as soon as I could to make sure everything was okay after the long journey from the U.S. Unfortunately, the doctor discovered a little problem. Coupled with my recent miscarriage, he decided to put me on a form of bed rest for the rest of the first trimester. It was certainly a challenge to move to a new country, unpack a house full of boxes, research schools and activities for my little girl, get settled in the community and develop friendships (aka. a support system) while I was supposed to be resting in bed!

On top of that, I had been looking forward to exploring Singapore and sampling its diverse cuisine after reading rave reviews about it. Unfortunately, I suffered from morning sickness during my first few months in Singapore and couldn’t stand all the new smells and tastes, especially if it involved meat. Thankfully, my bout with morning sickness ended with the start of the second trimester and I have since enjoyed the great food the little red dot has to offer, including fragrant chicken rice, spicy mutton biryani, delicate soup dumplings and sushi that melts in your mouth.

Soup dumplings = soft pillows of delicious goodness!

Looking back, those first few months in Singapore were tough. But I survived and so did the baby growing in my belly! J

Have you ever moved while pregnant? What was your experience like?

Cheers,

Kristina

* Tune in each Monday for tips and stories aimed at helping your next move or deployment go more smoothly. If you have questions, tips or stories you would like to share, send a brief email to mytravelingtroop@gmail.com for consideration.