SINGAPORE - Local actors Qi Yuwu, 40, and actress Joanne Peh, 33, welcomed a baby boy on Friday afternoon (April 21). The couple's second child arrived after a 16-hour labour, during which Peh chose not to use any pain relief again.
Well-meaning friends have been assuring the couple that the second delivery would be much smoother, but this was not the case for Peh who is thoroughly exhausted, says Qi.
Speaking over the phone, he says: "Experienced mothers have been telling us that giving birth to the second child will easier. But it isn't true.
After 16 hours in labour, Joanne told me that it was just as painful and as long as the first child. We felt a little cheated."
The couple have been wanting to give a playmate to their one-year-old daughter.
"We have been telling her that she will have a little brother. We are not sure if she understands, but sometimes our daughter would kiss and touch Joanne's belly," says Qi, who tied the knot with Peh in 2014.
Fiercely protective of their children's privacy, Qi would reveal only that the baby boy weighs 3.1kg. Also, Qi will be in charge of giving the boy his Chinese name, while Peh will choose his English name.
The hands-on father will be taking care of his wife and two children, before starting to film a Mediacorp drama in July. Peh may take a few months off, he says, but she enjoys acting and will be open to taking up projects with good scripts.
Plans for a third child are not on the cards for now, says Qi.
He says: "It was very tough on Joanne after the first childbirth. But the second day after giving birth, she told me that she didn't mind having a second child. She changed her mind really fast. So maybe the next time you ask me, who knows what Joanne will say."
The bundle of joy comes shortly after Peh received the coveted All-Time Favourite Artiste Award at the Star Awards on April 16. The prize is given to stars with 10 Top 10 Most Popular Artiste wins.
Accompanied by Qi, a heavily pregnant Peh, said then: "Now that I've got the award, I can go give birth in peace."
