Qi Yuwu pampers Joanne Peh due to tough pregnancy
Actress Joanne Peh reveals on Instagram she's three months pregnant
Celebrity couple Joanne Peh and Qi Yuwu were pleasantly surprised to discover they were expecting their second child.
Peh, who is three months pregnant and announced the news via her Instagram account yesterday, said in a phone interview with the media that Qi "could not believe it at first" when the pregnancy test kit was positive.
"He wanted to buy another kit to confirm it, because he somehow thought maybe the result was not accurate," said Peh, 33, in Mandarin.
"But I didn't want to, because I felt (the pregnancy) was quite confirmed by that time."
Qi has been based in his native China for two years, but just signed a new contract with Mediacorp's The Celebrity Agency.
He plans to spend more time with his wife and child next year.
"Of course I'm happy about that, because a wife always hopes her husband will be by her side," said Peh.
The couple have a long-distance relationship. Qi visits Singapore often to see Peh and their child, and Peh goes to China to visit him once in a while.
In a statement, Qi, 39, said the news of the pregnancy came as a happy surprise to them.
The couple have a year-old daughter, who is known by her nickname, Baby Qi.
"Joanne had just given birth a year ago and had just returned to filming, and we never expected she would be pregnant again so soon," Qi said.
"Neither Joanne nor I are the only child, so we both wanted another child after our daughter so she could have a playmate."
Peh said the couple have been taking a relaxed approach to conceiving the second time round.
They had planned to have a small age gap between their two children, but did not want to give themselves "unnecessary pressure" to conceive.
The Mediacorp actress is filming Channel 8 drama Dream Coder, which will air in February next year.
It is her first drama since she got married two years ago.
She plays a woman who joins a mobile app development company after her cheating husband abandons the family.
Although Peh and the producers were concerned she would not be able to film due to her condition, changes to the script were made to accommodate her, so physical activities will be kept to a minimum.
She said Qi has also made it a point to pamper her, as this pregnancy has been harder on her.
"My first pregnancy was quite smooth. This time, I feel nauseous at night and suffer a loss of appetite.
"When my hubby found out, he extended his time here and spent a month with me, sending me to work and brewing me nourishing soups to boost my health and appetite," she said.
She added that she now has shorter filming hours, so she can go home to Baby Qi earlier each day.
OUTNUMBERED
Although it is too early to tell their child's sex, Peh is hoping for a girl while Qi would like a boy.
"Because they are so close in age, I would like my kids to grow up as sisters and share their clothes and bags; I thought that would be really nice.
"I imagine them hiding under the covers together and confiding secrets to each other," said Peh.
She added with a laugh that Qi is daunted by the possibility of having three females in the house.
"I wouldn't have any regrets if we don't have a son, but my husband has said if the household is entirely female, he's doomed because he'll be outnumbered by women," she joked.
Qi, who grew up playing rough with his older brother, would relish the chance for more masculine activities with a son, Peh said.
"He can't play so rough with a daughter. With a son, they can wrestle, watch sports and play basketball together."
Peh said she was unsure if they would reveal their baby's sex before the birth.
"We must wait and see if the baby will cooperate, because if he or she doesn't, we won't even know the sex ourselves."
Although she took a break from acting and hosting during her first pregnancy, Peh would like to continue working even after filming for Dream Coders wraps.
She said: "I just don't know if I can, because my belly will be pretty big by then."
Fans, celebs send well wishes
Peh broke the news of her pregnancy on her Instagrampage yesterday by posting a picture of the feet of their family of three, with a pair of yellow bumblebee baby booties.
"We are so happy to share that our family is growing," she posted, tagging husband Qi Yuwu and daughter Baby Qi.
Congratulatory messages began pouring in, and the post garnered over 1,000 likes within an hour.
Fellow celebrities like Jade Seah and Priscelia Chan sent their well wishes on Instagram, with Seah posting: "Congrats to the both of you!"
Peh said she was grateful for the outpouring of support.
"I saw so many messages from fans, saying they are happy for me," Peh told The New Paper yesterday afternoon, hours after posting the news.
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