EYS M2B

Embracing The Baby

First Trimester: Conception to 3 Months

TCM with You, All the Way

An extraordinary journey lies ahead of you.

In your first trimester, marked by moments of joy, nausea, fatigue, mood swings, and body changes, let Traditional Chinese Medicine's time-honoured principles, natural remedies, and nourishing herbs ensure optimal well-being for both Mum and the developing baby within.

Nourishing Your Baby’s Foundation

In TCM, we perceive that the human body is intricately linked to the wider universe. By embracing nature's rhythm and harmony, TCM empowers us to lead healthy lives through the flow of vital Qi (Energy) and Blood (Nutrients), maintaining a delicate balance for your overall health.

TCM believes that the health of pregnant mothers and the foods they eat during pregnancy directly affect the congenital jing (congenital essence). “When the baby is inside the mother, the food that (the mother) eats and her constitution (matter). She will pass some of them to the baby. That forms the basic constitution for the baby when they’re born,” explains Eu Yan Sang’s Associate Senior TCM physician Lin Jia Yi. She adds that this foundation will support the baby’s early development.

How can TCM help?

Managing morning sickness by providing natural remedies, such as herbal formulations to alleviate nausea and vomiting

Balancing hormones by ensuring a smoother transition and reducing potential discomfort caused by hormonal fluctuations immune system

Boosting energy and vitality while strengthening the defences of the immune system

Supporting healthy blood flow. TCM can aid in the nourishment of the developing baby and support the mother’s health

Reducing stress and anxiety with relaxation techniques and meditation to reduce stress and anxiety, promoting emotional well-being for the expectant mother

Supporting digestive health by addressing issues such as bloating and constipation with herbal remedies

In the crucial first 13 weeks of pregnancy, here are nourishing foods, tips and TCM recommendations to guide your family’s journey:

Leafy green vegetables: Spinach, beet greens, collard greens, lettuce, and kale are abundant sources of fibre and other essential nutrients, which include beta-carotene, folate, and vitamins C and K.

TCM Perspective: Many vegetables are cooling in nature. To warm and lessen the “cooling effects” of foods, you may cook the vegetables before eating, for instance, try stir-frying or whipping up some vegetable soups.

Well-cooked red meat is beneficial for a pregnant woman’s blood supply. It is also important for ensuring an adequate intake of essential nutrients like iron, protein, and zinc.

What to Avoid: Organ meats such as the liver, tongue, heart, and kidneys are loaded with vitamin A. Eating these meats can trigger a condition known as Hypervitaminosis A. This condition can cause problems to your baby’s development, including their nervous system, eyes, face, kidneys, heart, thyroid, and skeletal development – especially during the early stage of pregnancy.

Ginger is a traditional remedy for various health problems, such as coughs, indigestion, and metabolic disorders.

TCM perspective: Ginger is predominantly yang and is directly linked to three meridians — the spleen, stomach, and lungs. Specifically, ginger can disperse Wind-Cold, warming the stomach and spleen, draining dampness, and supporting a healthy flow of qi. You can make an easy concoction by steeping fresh or dried ginger in hot water to alleviate nausea and vomiting during the first trimester of pregnancy.

From Conception to Formation

It all starts when fertilisation happens, when the egg meets the sperm.

The Weekly Wonders

Three weeks after your last period (around one week after fertilisation), your baby is just a tiny ball of several hundred cells that are multiplying quickly.

Hitting four weeks, the embryo now has two layers, with the placenta starting to form. Each day, the embryo grows so does your pregnancy discomfort.

At six weeks, your baby's heart is beating!

*Did you know:
It is said that the heart rate can even go up to 105 beats per minute as observed under the ultrasound.

Reaching the seventh week, the eyes, nose, mouth and ears are taking shape. You may be visiting the toilet more frequently due to constant urge to pee.

At two months, your baby's hands and feet have developed. This may also be the time you feel most nauseous.

TCM Perspective on Morning Sickness

Traditional Chinese Medicine understands and translates morning sickness as ‘pernicious vomiting with pregnancy’. According to Physician Chen Yan Fang from the Eu Yan Sang TCM Clinic @ Novena, located in Royal Square, three common types of body constitutions are mostly likely to result in morning sickness:

People with weak stomachs and spleens
Those who have accumulated excessive phlegm and dampness in the stomach
Patients with a ‘heaty’ body constitution

Treatments such as herbal remedies and acupuncture are prescribed according to the patient’s constitution. However, acupuncture is not always recommended and acupoints must be carefully chosen. For those with a weak stomach and spleen, treatment is targeted at strengthening those systems before treating the vomiting. Similarly, for the two other body constitutions, treatment seeks to remove phlegm and dampness in the body and clear away the heat, before prescribing any further treatment for vomiting.

TCM Recommends

Those with weak stomachs should stay away from fried, oily and spicy foods. They should also limit their intake of ‘cold’ foods, such as raw vegetables. Fresh ginger tea may also be taken to ‘warm’ the stomach and alleviate nausea. Pregnant mothers can also take health supplements like Vitamin B6.

Fertility Feasts to Prepare for Your Baby

With the joy and anticipation of welcoming your baby, now is the time to ensure that your body receives the essential nutrients and nourishment it needs for your baby to grow in health and strength!

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that the key to a successful pregnancy lies in building up the life-giving essence through healthy lifestyle and nutrition. To enhance the quality and quantity of this vital essence, future mothers are encouraged to follow a balanced diet that is rich in nutrients and fibre while limiting bad fats and cholesterol.

Nutrients to look out for:

Calcium-rich foods like broccoli, leafy green vegetables, salmon and dairy products.

Manganese found in spinach, carrots, nuts, bananas, and whole grains.

Zinc from sources like pork, chicken, almonds, eggs, and shellfish.

Well-balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins is vital for overall health and well-being.

How TCM can help during the 1st Trimester:

Supplement meals with extra herbs and spices if you prefer a meat-free and animal-product-free pregnancy diet. TCM Physician Lim Sock Ling suggests ginger (gan jiang, 干姜), cumin, and cinnamon (rou gui, 肉桂), which can warm the stomach and Spleen yang, balancing the yin obtained from most vegetables.

Goji berries (gou qi zi, 枸杞子) contain antioxidants that nourish the kidneys, liver, and blood. They also include the essential amino acids to fulfil your protein needs. Similarly, black sesame seeds (hei zhi ma, 黑芝麻) and longan (long yan rou, 龙眼肉) are beneficial in nourishing the blood.