SINGAPORE – Playing a pregnant mother has not prepared Rebecca Lim for what is coming.

The home-grown actress, who stars in psychological thriller Confinement, had a “preview” of what it would be like to be pregnant.

Lim plays Si Ling, a single mother who experiences strange happenings in the house when her confinement nanny –played by local actress Cynthia Koh – moves in to take care of her newborn.

Directed by Singaporean film-maker Kelvin Tong, the movie opens in Singapore cinemas on Thursday.

“Wearing a fake baby bump, learning to walk like a pregnant lady, how to use breast pumps – it’s like an orientation,” the actress tells The Straits Times.

Lim and her husband Matthew Webster tied the knot in November 2022 and were trying for a baby before the production of Confinement started in February.

“There were many times when I had the baby bump on, and I would think how nice it would be if one day I were really pregnant.”

The 37-year-old actress is now into her sixth month of pregnancy and coming to terms with her changing body.

“I’m learning to accept how my body is ballooning every day, and I can’t picture how much more I’ll grow,” says Lim with a laugh.

“I gain weight easily, and staying trim is harder now compared with when I was in my early 30s,” she adds.

The Mediacorp star already feels the pressure to get back in shape after childbirth due to the nature of her job.

While Lim is unsure when she will resume working after childbirth, she says filming will have to stop for a while until she gets back into tip-top condition.

She adds: “Unless a role calls for a chubbier me or a producer is looking for a new mother.”

Her health is of the utmost priority, she asserts.

“Pregnancy weight gain is very normal, so I’m trying not to pressure myself to get back in shape, especially during the confinement period.

“I’m just going to eat whatever I want. Health is more important. Then I’ll think about working out.”

The concept of confinement is the post-partum period when a person specialised in preparing herbal medicines and nutritious meals temporarily moves in with families to help look after the newborn.

In the movie, Lim’s character commented that the month-long confinement period is like imprisonment, when rules such as no stepping out of the house and no showers were doled out by Koh’s nanny.

The actress, on the other hand, is looking forward to being taken care of during her planned 40-day confinement period.

She particularly loves the confinement dish of pig trotters in black vinegar.

“I think I just can’t cope with the ‘no showering’ rule, especially in our hot weather,” says Lim, adding that the poor baby “will be gagging from the smell and sweat” during breastfeeding.

According to strict traditional confinement practices, it is believed that taking showers or baths would increase the chance of the mother catching a cold.

She could also suffer from headaches and rheumatism in later years.

“I’ll just go with the flow. Perhaps dry my hair immediately after a wash?” she ponders.

Lim is enjoying the little privileges that come with being pregnant.

For instance, she does not need to pack or move any boxes in preparation for the move to her new home, which is still under renovation.

“I also didn’t have to carry my luggage when we were going to Busan. And I get to use the priority lane at the airport immigration,” Lim says.

She was in the South Korean city on Oct 8 for the Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards.

She was nominated for Best Leading Actress for the English-language drama Third Rail (2022), but lost to India’s Karishma Tanna for the crime drama Scoop (2023).

Lim is looking forward to setting up the nursery. Apart from a cot that a friend gave her, she has yet to buy anything for the baby.

“We were supposed to move in six months ago. Now, we’re not sure when we can move in,” she says. “The baby’s room is small. I don’t want to buy anything until I know what can fit into the nursery.”

She will, however, decorate the room in neutral colours so baby No. 2 can use it too.

“I actually want to have only one child, but Matthew hopes to have two,” Lim says.

“We will decide later. Aside from my age being an issue, the most important is his performance. Let’s see how hands-on he is as a father.”

• Confinement opens on Thursday. Director Kelvin Tong and actresses Rebecca Lim and Cynthia Koh will be having a dialogue session at GV Suntec (03-373 Suntec City, 3 Temasek Boulevard) that day at 7.15pm. Tickets at $18 are available on gv.com.sg.