I officially ended my Accutane dose on end Feb. As I was planning
for baby and to be sure that I do not cause any side effects to my little one,
I avoid any unprotected intercourse until after end March. Meanwhile, I was
tracking my period cycle. It used to be 28-days cycle but towards the last 2
months of dose, it was +/- 3 days from the usual cycle and the month right
after my last dose, it was 36-days cycle. Not too sure if it is because the
body or hormone level is adjusting back, or it could be purely influenced by
emotion and sub-conscious stress on baby planning. In April, my husband and I
made our first attempt and to our pleasant surprise, we succeeded.
Now I am already on my 3rd trimester (31 Weeks
Pregnancy). So far, it was a rather smooth journey for me. No issue with baby’s
growth, no vomiting, not much nauseous feeling, no particular food craving or
abhorrence. I eat as per normal, drink cold drinks whenever I feel like. I
still go for my occasional walks. I do not fully abstain from foods which in Chinese
terms “cold food” which apparently are not good for baby such as Chin Chow,
Pineapple, Watermelon, soda drink, etc. In terms of nutrition, I was well-conditioned
as I was on this NiPPeR study which involves
researchers in the United Kingdom (Southampton), Singapore and New Zealand
(Auckland) from the EpiGen Global Research Consortium who are trialling the use
of a combination of nutrients and probiotics before and during pregnancy to
improve the health of mothers and their babies.
Not sure if it is due to pregnancy or due to long-lasting
effect of Accutane, I stopped having acne. My skin has improved and recovered. I
barely have any acne. Maybe one or two during first trimester which matured and
dried up really fast. I didn’t have to do anything or apply any acne cream or
sorts. My facial cleansing and maintenance routine became very simple. Just a
simple make-up remover, facial wash (Vitamin A cleanser from Niks Maple Clinic)
and facial moisturizer (Skin Repair Cream from Niks Maple Clinic). For the
facial moisturizer, I have tried also Intensive Barrier Repair Cream from Niks
Maple Clinic which is half the price of the Skin Repair Cream, but I feel Skin
Repair Cream is much better. Not only is it more effective in protecting my
skin and the texture is better, my makeup also stays better on the skin without
turning cakey at the end of the day.
