Why Can't We Improve Our Maternity Leave?

Image Source: awaitingourgreenbean.blogspot.com/

For a working mom-to-be like me, any chance of additional paid maternity leaves will be so welcomed! It would give me, and others alike, a chance to fully recuperate and bond more with the baby.

In Sweden, they have a 16-month maternity leave. In UK, they grant up to 52 weeks, in Canada 35 weeks. Read more about paid maternity leaves in other countries here.

Here in the Philippines, we lowly workers are compelled to pay for SSS contributions, but the benefits are not grandstanding. Currently, SSS grants 60 paid days off (including weekends) for normal births, and 78 paid days off for caesarian operations.

I'm still confused as to how they actually compute the rate. Based on my experience a few years back when I applied for a one month sick leave due to my thyroid operation, I was ripped off big time. I received only half of what I was supposed to! I didn't bother complaining anymore because processing in SSS is too taxing!

So when I heard about House Bill 3973 known as "An act increasing maternity leave benefits from 60 to 120 days, or four months", I suddenly became hopeful! There is hope for the Philippines! :)

But before I rejoice too much, the bill was filed 2008, and it's now 2011. In Tagalog, "ANONG PETSA NA?!"

I hope this government puts more importance on women's welfare aka maternity leaves, especially since DOH is actively promoting exclusive breastfeeding until the baby reaches 6th month.

To know more about the house bill, click here.

I Want a FLIP UltraHD Pocket Cam

Once the baby is out, I'm pretty sure I'll be stacking up on pictures and videos of his/her every move. I guess it's pretty normal. I doted on my nephew and nieces too, what more for my own first born!

I do have a good SLR camera, which was a Christmas gift from hubby last 2010. Now I want a handy dandy videocam. I learned about Flip from daphne.ph and chuvaness.com but it didn't interest me that much, until I chanced upon a discount at www.cashcashpinoy.com. It's 50% off for only P4,500, and delivered free nationwide!

Ultra-powerful & ultra-compact Flip UltraHD Pocket Cam 8GB

I tried to search at Amazon to compare prices and in the US, it retails at a discounted rate of $78 which is roughly P3300 at the current exchange rate.

Oh well, gotta think if I'll have it bought in the US, or if I'll ever buy it at all. PRIORITIES!

If someone so rich reads this, I'd love to have this either as a Baby Shower Gift or Christmas Gift! :)

Wedding Bits & Pieces

According to our wedsite, http://www.mywedding.com/siegfredianey, it's been 208 days since our wedding. Wow! Has it been that long already? Feels like it just happened yesterday :)

I love reminiscing our wedding, from the photos, to the videos, and back again to the photos. I still get teary eyed at times, though, I blame it again to the hormones :)

We have loads of photos (5000++) and hours of videos, but I do have my favorites. Here they are!

Was I just too happy, or what? :)

This was my moment :)

So they were actually giving me away :)

My father :)

The chapel called "Palacio"

Our wedding kiss :)

The newlyweds :)

Sieg was really teary eyed on this one :)

My PostBaby Body Peg :)

Admittedly, not all pregnant women are gifted with great genes like Miranda Kerr who can model off her postbaby body less than 3 months after giving birth.

www.people.com

For the lowly ones (like me!), it would be agonizing to think of how much I need to work on to get back (if I ever get it back!) my pre-baby body.

Thanks God, my nose isn't getting big yet, my skin is still clear, stretch marks aren't crawling in my tummy yet, and generally, I still feel good.

I do have my OFF days when I feel like an ugly duckling. I really blame it on the hormones, but who said motherhood is not equal to a lifetime of sacrifice? :)

My Must-Have Pregnancy Stash

Virgin Coconut Oil

ProSource VCO

According to this website, VCO can be a remedy to a lot of pregnancy problems. For me, I swear by how it has helped maintain my skin's balance. It was my sister & sister-in-law who highly recommended that I use it, instead of going for the more popular brands like Palmers. Everyday, I diligently apply it all over my body, and I like it because:
- It keeps my skin itch FREE
- It really moisturizes my skin
- It's not sticky and easily absorbed by the skin
- I'm still stretchmark FREE

I use ProSource because it's the only one available in Watsons.

Himalaya Moisturizer

My daily regimen is so simple: I wash my face and apply my moisturizer, then I dab on face powder and lipstick/gloss, then I'm OK for the entire day. I'm really not a fan of excessive beauty products, and especially dislike those that have perfume-based odors.

When I got pregnant, my OB advised me to stay away from strong chemicals, and this is the reason why  Himalaya moisturizer has been a life-saver for me. It's manufactured in India, and made from organic and natural ingredients. My entire family use it, and we actually hoard Watsons because stocks are easily depleted.

They have a complete personal care line that caters to every possible need. Check their website for more info: www.himalayahealthcare.com.