UnDiplomatic Wife

  • About TDW
    • Contact
    • FAQ
    • AS SEEN ON
    • Collaborate
    • Policies
  • Diplo Picks
    • Diplo Mama
    • Diplo Home
    • Diplo Tummy
    • Diplo Tips
    • Diplo Travel
    • Diplo Style
    • Diplo Baby
    • Diplo Inspiration
  • Living in
    • GENEVA
      • good to know
      • food & drink
      • shopping
    • Berlin
      • Good To know
      • To Dos
      • food & drink
      • Shopping
    • MANILA
      • good to know
      • to do
      • food & drink
      • shopping
    • JAKARTA
      • good to know
      • to do
      • food & drink
      • shopping
  • TRAVEL DIARIES
    • Finland
    • France
    • Greece
    • Germany
      • BERLIN 2022 ITINERARY
      • Willkommen in Berlin
    • Indonesia
    • Italy
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • Myanmar
    • Netherlands
    • Philippines
    • Poland
    • Spain
    • Singapore
    • Switzerland
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam

My New Journey as a Diplo Mum

April 11, 2015

I am so happy to announce that we finally have a Diplo Baby on the way! I am 20 weeks along and due on the 26th of August. I’ve learned so much about myself and my relationships in the past few months!

Diplo Baby Journal

The path to this point has been full of challenges. We decided not to have a baby in Jakarta after a young friend died from a routine appendectomy. It was a difficult to put off something so important to us, but it wasn’t worth risking my well-being and our future child’s.

Then we moved to Berlin. We found English-speaking doctors and specialists to help us tackle the health problems that have made if difficult to get pregnant. TD and I were willing to do AI and IVF, but we took it step by step with the help of our doctors. After minor surgery, we were able to get pregnant naturally.

Learning to trust myself

One thing I learned from the experience is to trust myself and my body. I prefer not to go to much into the details, but for years I was told by several doctors in Manila and Jakarta that the pain and discomfort I was feeling was all in my mind. I began to doubt myself and almost gave up on getting pregnant.

Because of my self-doubt, I didn’t mention the pain to my German OB at first. But I decided to question the diagnosis of my earlier doctors, trust what my body was telling me and ask my German OB about it. Within a few minutes she told me what the problem was and referred me to a surgeon.

It sounds strange to be so relieved to hear that I needed surgery, but I was! Surgery meant that there was a solution and I wasn’t crazy or imagining things. All these years my body was telling me something.

Slowing down & Simplifying

After recovering from surgery, I gained back my confidence and positivity. We could start trying for a baby again. First on the list was to simplify my days.

Though I miss all my Willkommen in Berlin activitities, I also knew that I had to lay low so that I could focus on taking care of my health and connecting on a deeper level with a smaller group of people. Weekends were spent meeting up for long meals with good friends, long walks with TD and Diplo Dog, and evenings on the couch talking to TD about things that mattered to us. I was never happier!

Part of this process was also laying low with the blog and social networks; Striving to be present to enjoy the moments instead of capturing it.

Letting go of negative people

This was not easy because I had to stop talking to certain loved ones, who mean well, but brought only negativity and stress. Imagine not being able to sleep and eat every time you interacted with someone… worrying about problems they tell you to worry about. One day I had a lightbulb moment and realized that this person was actually the one creating the problems. I do not have to get drawn into issues another person has created. It is not my obligation to fulfill someone else’s expectations of me. Very empowering stuff!

From that moment on, I resolved to only do things and surround myself with people that gave me positive energy.

Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself. ― Deborah Reber,

Taking real vacations

We also decided to schedule some relaxing vacations to Nice and Barcelona. This time I told TD I did not want to go to museums and sight-seeing. We took leisurely walks, savored food in restaurants the locals frequented and took siestas in the afternoon. Our only goal was to have a restful and enjoyable time together, away from our regular lives.

seriously vacation from my vacation

image credit via

This was so important because when we traveled in Asia, I noticed that most of the time we felt more tired after a vacation, instead of being rejuvenated and ready to go back to the real world. I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation! Does this happen to you too?

Learning as we go along

TD and I are both thrilled to welcome our first baby and at the same time freaking out because we know absolutely nothing about babies. Both of us have never had practice with baby siblings, so it’s only natural to be scared. We told ourselves that we will figure it out as we go along and that we want to decide for ourselves what is right for us and our baby, instead of blindly believing all the popular beliefs and myths about pregnancy.

Listening to my body

The first trimester was especially difficult for me. My all-day-sickness and nausea was so bad that I could barely move my head without having a dizzy spell. Also my body just wanted to sleep so the doctor said I should just listen to my body and rest during the first trimester. For most of it, I was on bedrest.

The challenges of bed rest

I was looking forward to the second trimester when my doctor said I could start exercising and I would be feeling better all over. It was not meant to be for me because I had a terrible scare on my 17th week. I bled a lot one night and we were terrified we had lost the baby. The OB reassured me that the baby was okay but that I had a hematoma and I need to be on complete bedrest. I was to go from bed to sofa and only get up to eat and go to the bathroom.

When your husband is the only person you see for weeks at a time, it puts too much pressure on your partner. It’s important to socialize and surround yourself with a support network. Lately my doctor told me I can get out of bed if I walked slowly and did not strain myself.  I am so happy that I can go out again, even if it’s just for short periods of time. I feel exhausted having lunch out or an appointment to the doctor so I can only schedule one thing a day – if any at all. Most days I still stay home.

Taking it a day at a time

I cannot say if I will be blogging regularly from now on because I do not know how I will be feeling tomorrow, much less next week. One thing is for sure, we have the strength and wisdom to figure things out along the way and I will remind myself to…

Slow down, simplify and take it one day at a time.

Trust yourself and listen to your body.

In the end, you decide what is best for your family.

Don’t lose sight of what is truly important.

Enjoy and savor the moments in life first. Take pictures later.

 

What lessons did you learn during your own pregnancies? I would love to hear from you.

10 Comments · Diplo Mama

Comments

  1. Viktoria says

    April 15, 2015 at 12:33 PM

    Congratulation and enjoy

    Reply
  2. Ivy Romualdez Jovellana says

    April 15, 2015 at 12:39 PM

    Congratulations! Will be praying for your safe pregnancy and delivery. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Natalie Campbell-Rodriques says

    April 15, 2015 at 1:21 PM

    Congratulations Diplo. Wondered where you had disappeared to. Wise words in this post. All the best.

    Reply
  4. Joy says

    April 15, 2015 at 4:34 PM

    WOW! Congratulations, DW! What wonderful news, I am so happy to hear about this. The journey to parenthood and then finally being a parent is joyful, but not without its pains, so take it easy, and do as you say…listen to your body! You’ll be a wonderful mother!

    Reply
  5. Didi Paterno-Magpali (@didipaterno) says

    April 15, 2015 at 6:45 PM

    Congratulations! Sending love and light for a safe delivery of a healthy, happy Diplo bubba!

    Reply
  6. Humaira says

    April 16, 2015 at 4:38 AM

    Congratulations…….very very very happy for you two. Hugs.

    Reply
  7. Tala says

    April 17, 2015 at 8:33 AM

    Finally it’s public knowledge and we can celebrate out in the open! Hahahaha! I am super happy for you and TD!!! I love your learnings 🙂 Yes you guys do not know a lot about babies like myself and Pau as well when we had Luna but you know how to love and that will lead you on your path 🙂 Post preggy photos please???

    Reply
  8. Joselle Acuna Jamison says

    April 22, 2015 at 4:29 AM

    congratulations diplowife! sending you some warm hugs from Miami.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Useful Babymoon Travel Tips says:
    April 29, 2015 at 9:55 PM

    […] A babymoon is like a honeymoon before the baby comes. It’s a great way for couples to celebrate the coming of a baby; to relax, connect and enjoy a romantic escape before the baby comes. We are lucky that my doctor allowed me to go on a babymoon after our recent scare. […]

    Reply
  2. Unusual Florence says:
    May 16, 2015 at 3:21 PM

    […] but we didn’t want to tire ourselves out with long lines and museum tours. Aside from not being allowed by my doctor to walk too much, we were after a different Firenze […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

READ MORE
 

LET’S GET SOCIAL

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

Tool-Free Bidet Install Hack

Glass Restaurant Rovaniemi

Glass Resort Finland

GENEVA FINDS: Victorinox Souvenirs

Patisserie Sofia Geneva

DISCLOSURE

I am an Amazon affiliate, but all opinions are my own. The content of all my blog and social media posts are products and experiences that I truly enjoy and I only work with brands that fit my life and style.

GOOD TO KNOW GUIDE

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @UNDIPLOMATICWIFE

TOOL FREE BIDET INSTALL One of the things we miss TOOL FREE BIDET INSTALL

One of the things we miss about living in the Philippines & Indonesia is having a bidet in our bathrooms.

Here we have a MUJI TABO & TOTO PORTABLE BIDETS (dm for link if you want), but nothing beats the water pressure & convenience of a handheld bidet that’s connected to your plumbing IMO.

When I was in @jumbo.schweiz recently I saw a bidet that can be installed with the sink.

It only works if your sink is near your toilet so sadly it won’t work on our master’s bathroom.

I wasn’t sure our faucet was the correct size but I took a risk for CHF20.

Today I finally had the time to install it. I was # #mariomama again LOL!

The only time you might need a tool (pliers) is if you can’t loosen the AERATOR to remove it from your faucet.

HOW TO INSTALL HOLDER WITHOUT DRILLING

As a renter, I want to avoid making holes in the walls whenever I can. Even if I weren’t a renter I don’t recommend putting holes on tiles coz they might crack.

So I used the strongest @tesa_de  double sided tape on the bidet holder. You can see how I did it step by step on the video. Be sure to use Teflon scissors so they don’t get damaged by the adhesive. Clear monster tape will also work well for this.

*** Amazon affiliate links on my bio under BIDET HACKS ****

WHY CANT YOU INSTALL IT IN YOUR TOILET

The toilets here are all built in. There are no exposed tubes to connect bidets to like in Asia. 

That’s why this hack is a God send! No plumbing experience or tools needed! YAY!

WHERE TO BUY

https://undiplomaticwife.com/how-to-install-a-bidet-in-a-european-toilet/

Feel free to dm me if you have any questions!

#DiploHome #diplohomegeneva #diy #bidet #bidetlife #expatlife #expatliving #genevaexpats #genevaexpat #genevaexpatwomen #expatinswitzerland
HUMIDIFIER HACK Did you know that each home shoul HUMIDIFIER HACK

Did you know that each home should have humidifiers whether it’s in winter or summer?

Yes! It should be in
- closets
- caves
- storage lockers
- basements
- attics
- bathrooms
- any other area that doesn’t have through air or air conditioner 

To prevent molds from damaging your property!

Here’s the hack: Don’t throw the container because you can buy refills. 

DM me on where to buy wherever you are!

#diplohome #homehacks
WHEN’S THE BEST TIME TO GO TO SANTA CLAUS VILLAG WHEN’S THE BEST TIME TO GO TO SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE?

The concern going to Rovaniemi is that it’s too cold 🥶 I’ve heard of people going in winter & didn’t enjoy it coz they felt like frozen popsicles. You have 2 options:

1. Go in SPRING like us so prices are lower, no long lines/crowds & no need for super thick snow suits, but low chance of seeing Aurora Borealis & some places might be closed/melted. 

3. A friend who lived in Scandinavia told us for Aurora Borealis, the best time is SEPTEMBER coz it’s not too cold yet. Though some resorts might only be opening in OCTOBER like @glass_resort.

FOR US:

❄️ End of first week of April: We didn’t really know  that we picked the perfect time. We were there for only 3 days & 2 nights because that was all our budget would allow. The lows were -3/5 C but the week before it was literally -18C YIKES! 🥶

❄️ At lows of -3/5 and 0-3 highs it’s manageable layering our @uniqloeurope Ultra Light Down Jackets. We didn’t end up using our waterproof snow jackets.

 ❄️ bring waterproof shoes/boots so you don’t get sick if melted snow gets in. 

❄️ If you will touch snow/have snowball fights, waterproof gloves are a must

❄️ Ask hotel if sleds are free to borrow

❄️ Bring SPF coz snow reflects sun

❄️ As you can see in the reel on our first day it was winter wonderland. The day after things started melting. On our last day things were starting to puddle. After I imagine rivers!

❄️ there was this gigantic snowman & I was too tired to take a pic. It disappeared the next day to my disappointment.

❄️ The SNOWMAN WORLD was already closed when we arrived. It would have been so cool to see the ice resto/bar, slides & disco!

❄️ We found out that the day we were leaving was also the last full day of our hotel. So though Santa Claus Office is open 365 days a year, check with the hotels to see which ones are open.

☀️ Summer activities are different. For example the huskies pull sleds with wheels.

🌈 BONUS TIP: If you pick a resort inside @santaclausvillage_rovaniemi, 3 days is enough. Because of the perfect location of @glass_resort we were able to make SO many wonderful memories in such a short time.

#udwinsantaclausvillage
PARTIES & PLUMBING #diplolife + OUR FIRST TIME TO PARTIES & PLUMBING #diplolife

+ OUR FIRST TIME TO HOST AMBASSADORS IN OUR SWISS #DIPLOHOME
(Except for my FIL of course)

This has to have been the most hectic weekend in recent memory here. Each day @diplobaby had a kid’s party to attend. (Thankfully here you leave the child for 2-2.5hrs & parents can do errands while waiting)

TD & I also had commitments for both days. We were hosting a lunch, attending a lunch/ playdate with #diplofriends & meeting up with a fellow Pinoy @remfelrem who has just arrived in Switzerland. 

Last Saturday, TD and I were hosting a lunch for his boss & also a little farewell for the boss of the other mission. And as you guys know we were really stressed with a clogged kitchen sink drain. Not the most convenient or sweet smelling when you are having people over.

So thankfully with the help of a friend I got tips on how to dismantle the pipes to clean them. Guess what? It was still clogged in the pipes inside the wall!

Cleaning the pipes under the sink might NOT HAVE RESOLVED the problem, but at least our home did not smell! Also I learned to do something new! Win-win! 

TD told @diplobaby that I’m #MarioMama (from Mario Bros) 😂🪠

And I am quite relieved that TD & I managed to pull off a lunch in our little home with not just one, but TWO Ambassadors. Having one’s boss is always somewhat nerve-racking right??? I’m so happy we finally did it! 

We had pork adobo with mango, tomato & cilantro salad. And our fave spaghetti bolognese. I bought small cakes from our favorite boulangerie in the little French town next door. 

P.S. 
For those of you were asking if we finally had to call a professional for our kitchen sink. In a way yes we did. After all our best efforts, we finally had to ask for help. We feel so lucky to have such a lovely landlord who came and had the knowledge to remove the clog from the pipes that were built into the wall. We are ever so grateful to him for coming on his weekend.

This is #diplolife guys… PARTIES AND PLUMBING! LOL!!!

#UDWinGeneva #undiplomaticwife #diplofamily #thediplomat #thediplomaticwife
SANTA CLAUS MAIN POST OFFICE So one really meanin SANTA CLAUS MAIN POST OFFICE

So one really meaningful part of our trip was @santaclausmainpostoffice which is right outside of @santaclausoffice.

🎄 @diplobaby wrote a postcard for Santa

🎄 He also wrote some postcards to his friends

🎄 I wrote a postcard to @diplobaby to remember our many firsts in this trip.

For the last 2 we were lucky that our hotel @glass_resort  had many FREE POSTCARDS  and STAMPS and we didn’t have to go to the post office. They conveniently sent it for us.

His close friends were happy to receive them and I also loved getting our own post. So cool!

Please don’t forget to LIKE this post to see more family adventures & travel tips!

If Finland is on your bucket list then definitely SAVE THIS!

#udwinfinland #udwinsantaclausvillage #diplobaby #diilofamily
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Designed by Fancy Girl Design Studio.