Friday, November 4, 2011

Weird Concoctions for the Pregnant




There are people who really believe in concoctions. My mother is one of them :) She uses a lot of herbal, organic or alternative products, especially when hearing good reviews about the product.

Well this time, she told me she had an office staff whose wife was able to give birth through spontaneous vaginal delivery, an 8 pound baby. That's huge! The secret (daw) is she drank snake's oil during labor, which helped eased the big baby out of her vagina smoothly.

I actually read of snake's oil being used during labor among Chinese believers, but I wouldn't dare use that on myself! Gross!!!! I have a huge phobia on snakes!

I could see the look in Sieg's face while Mama was telling the story (haha!). Sieg is a scientific believer, and he dislikes taking any form of medication (pharmaceutical or herbal) unless prescribed by a doctor.

Mama told us she would ask for the oil and have it shipped to us. I didn't want to offend her, so I said OK.

This morning, Mama asked for our address again because she would ship the bottle. I told Sieg about it (knowing it would irritate him, haha!) and indeed, he ranted.  He kept on ranting on me because he couldn't do so with mama :)

"Bangin may halas ito ha botelya!" (There might be a snake inside the bottle!)
"Kun mabasag ito, magbabaho aton balay!" (If the bottle breaks, our house will smell!)
"Ayaw gud paggamit hito ha, upaya la!" (Don't you dare use it!)

As Sieg said, labor and delivery is a natural process. The female human body is designed for it. Honestly, I wouldn't use it. It's not proven anyway, and there might be side effects which I might regret for the rest of my life. If others say it worked for them, then good for them.

For me, I just have to trust my doctors that they'll take good care of me, and will do everything to keep me and my baby safe from harm.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

My Hospital Bag Must-Haves

I'm already 36 weeks pregnant. On November 11, my 37th week, I will officially be full-term and can deliver my baby anytime he wishes to make a grand entrance.

Since the B-DAY is still unknown, it's best to be prepared. I searched the internet and asked my sister on what to bring to the hospital, and finally came up with my own list.

Friends who also gave birth in Chong-Hua Hospital told me to not bring any toiletries since the hospital will provide those, but I may not like their brands, so I decided to still bring my own.

Here's my list!

FOR MAMA (that's me!):

Toiletries
1. Bathing soap
2. 1 dozen shampoo  in sachet
3. 1 dozen conditioner in sachet
**I prefer in sachet so it won't be bulky. My Mama told me to not take a bath after delivering the baby and to wait at least 10 days. I'll see how I can hold off the washing of the hair part.
4. Toothbrush
5. Toothpaste
6. Mouthwash
7. Shave
8. Deodorant
9. Alcohol
10. Virgin Coconut Oil (my life saver!)
11. Gynepro (since it's antiseptic and anti-bacterial, a must have after delivery)
12. Napkins (I hoarded on this. They said it's likely to have heavy menstrual flow after delivery.)
13. toilet paper

Clothes & Stuff
1. Going home clothes
2. Nursing bras
3. Panties
4. Robe
5. Socks
6. Rubber slippers (so it can be doubled as comfort room slippers)
7. Shower towel
8. Towelettes
9. Thick blanket (for sleeping)
10. Extra pillow/s

Breastfeeding
1. Breastpump
2. Lansinoh Nipple Cream

Others
1. Abdominal binder
2. Headband
3. Clips

FOR ROCCO (our little rookie!):
1. 4 receiving blankets
2. 4 wrap around clothes
3. 4 pajamas
4. 2 bonnets
5. 4 pairs mittens and booties
6. newborn diapers (Ate said to use EQ Dry. We'll use cloth diapers once we're back home)
7. lampins/ (a lot)
8. baby wipes
9. sterilized bottles (just in case)


DOCUMENTS:
1. Philheath MDF
2. Philhealth Form 1 signed by employer
3. Marriage contract photocopy
4. Govt IDs photocopy
5. Company IDs photocopy
6. Prenatal docs and lab tests photocopies
7. Sieg's DR waiver
8. Sieg's Inpatient insurance form
9. Signed birth plan
10. Admittance request signed by OB

Haaaay! The list is too long, but we've prepared them all. Lacking are Sieg's stuff. He said he'll take care of packing his stuff :) Everything is ready now, all stacked at the car.

We're just patiently waiting for Rocco to finally say HELLO WORLD, UHAAAAA!

Friday, October 21, 2011

35 Weeks!

It's been a very busy October, and I just realized that I am now on my 35th week! A few more weeks to go and I'm so ready to pop!

Almost all of  Rocco's stuff are in place already, thanks to very generous family who's been showering us with endless gifts, but  I have yet to start preparing the hospital bag and birth documents.

We've had visitors since last week. My Papa came, then my in-laws just went home from a week-long visit, then we have Sieg's cousins coming over this weekend. Next week, my whole family, together with the kiddos are coming to spend the long weekend with us.

As soon as they're all back home, we will be in full baby-mode.

So how am I doing on my 35th week? Simply put..I'm really feeling pregnant.

I couldn't sleep well, because the baby keeps on waking me up. I'm a right side sleeper, so I feel a constant shortness of breath when I sleep on my right side.

I pee more! As in more! I have to make sure that the places I go to have CRs or else, I will have to put on a diaper because I can't contain my pee :)

My feet just started to swell, and they call it pregnancy edema. I think my toes look funny and cute, but the sad part is, I can't wear my shoes anymore.

I sweat a lot, and I always feel hot. Even when I'm taking a bath, I can feel sweat trekking through my skin. I won't survive without aircon or electric fan.

Because I sweat a lot, I keep catching a cold. I'm sick again, but thank God I felt better with just a few days of rest.

Other than that, I feel so A-OK.  Let's see how the next weeks would go. Every week is becoming a challenge for me with all the changes I'm going through. Hopefully, I can get through all these with flying colors :)

Till the next week! :)

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

How Am I Doing at 33 Weeks?

My baby is making his presence felt every day. From his kicks and somersaults, to my growing tummy, it always gives me a warm feeling to have this tiny being inside of me.

I am on my 33rd week going on my 34th this Friday. My pocket pregnancy tracker tells me that:
1. He is 17 to 19 inches long already
2. He weighs around 4.5 lbs
3. He could still grow an inch next week!

Let's see how our baby is actually doing after I'm done with my OB checkup this Friday.

For the mommy (that's me!):

1. Insomnia will strike more.
I am not feeling this because I'm asleep as soon as I hit the bed because of exhaustion from work.

2. More midnight trips to the bathrooms.
I have my CR trip before I go to bed. Sometimes I wake up early morning to take a pee. Usually, it can hold off till I wake up.

3. Frequent leg cramps.
I've had a lot of this lately. Banana to the rescue!


4. Hearburn.
I eat light meals spread throughout the day so I haven't experienced heartburn yet.


5. Uncomfortable while sleeping.
I feel this when I lie down longer on the right side. I always try to sleep on the left side, but I always wake up on the right side.


6. Constipation.
Thanks to my high fiber and liquid intake, I haven't experienced pregnancy constipation yet!

I try to have my daily walk, either during lunchtime or after dinner, but I get so "hingal" lately because of this watermelon-sized tummy that I'm carrying.

A few more weeks to go and we'll be seeing this cute bundle of joy. Happy (and tiring) days are coming!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Our 1st Year Civil Wedding Anniversary

Tomorrow, October 8, Sieg and I will celebrate our 1st year civil wedding anniversary. Time flies so fast. I vividly remember that day. We took an early trip to Tacloban, rested a bit when we got home, and then headed off to the judge who officiated the ceremony. It was very simple and intimate, just family and a very few close friends. We didn't even invite many people to our dinner celebration at home.

Here are a few snapshots :)


Judge Bitas explaining the family code :)

Judge Bitas explaining our rights :)

It was very quick!

Our parents :)

Our sponsors :)

Saying our vows!

Blooper! I forgot to remove my sporty watch :)

Judge Bitas :)
Cheers to a happy married year that passed! I'm so blessed to have Siegfred in my life. He is simply the best, and I love him in many ways I cannot even explain :) Now, we look forward to being a family, with Iñigo Rocco making his grand entrance soon.

To infinity and beyond!

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