How to Prepare for Breastfeeding

So if you aren't aware, I have a youtube channel where I do daily vlogs, beauty and mommy-related stuff. I have a segment called Mommy Mondays where I tackle about mommy issues (what else?! duh! hehe)

I thought of writing a blog post as well for one of the topics I discussed a couple of weeks back. If you don't want to watch me rambling for 25 minutes then here's a quick summary for you.

With my first born Zeb, I was able to exclusively breastfeed him for exactly 13 months. My first goal was to breastfeed him for AT LEAST 1 whole year but then with my pregnancy, it was getting tough to be honest. I was 11 weeks pregnant at that time.

Anyway, let share with you what I learned about breastfeeding and how you can prepare for it especially if you're a first-time mom.

KNOWLEDGE IS KEY!

- READ! READ! READ! Make yourself informed on proper latching because the success of your breastfeeding journey heavily relies on it. If the baby is not properly latched, it will be difficult for both you and the baby which may end up making you decide to stop nursing. There are a lot of videos on the web on how to properly latch the baby. Here are a couple of links that might help:

http://www.breastfeedingmadesimple.com/animatedlatch.html
http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=videos

- Learn about the different breastfeeding positions that you can do as well especially if you will be undergoing CS. There are certain positions you can do so as to not put pressure on your belly. Luckily for me, with the help of a good quality binder, I didn't experience any pain even when I do the traditional cradle position. I also loved the side-lying position because not only baby got to sleep, mommy too! :)

- Join a breastfeeding support group such as Breastfeeding Pinays on Facebook. Not only will you learn a lot from other mom's experience, you can also post your own questions and concerns and mommies will gladly give you their two cents.

- Breastfeed immediately after birth! Our Department of Health has this Unang Yakap campaign which I'm sure your OB is well aware of but still, mention it to him/her that you want to do it when you deliver. If you cannot breastfeed immediately after birth, at least try to have it done it in the first two hours.

GET YOU PARAPHERNALIA READY!

- Nipple Cream or Extra Virgin Coconut Oil - you can start applying them on your 36th week to prep them. I experienced having cracked nipples because I think Zeb was not properly latched on the first few days and let me tell you - IT WAS PAINFUL!!! I almost dread every single time that I had to go to the nursery and nurse him. I had to close my eyes and bite my lips when I latch him on. Do not underestimate a baby's sucking power!

-Nursing Pillow - this will be your best friend! It definitely makes a lot of difference when you breastfeed with a nursing pillow. Babies tend to feed around 30-45 minutes each time so you can just imagine how sore your arms will be right after. This also gives support and protection and your belly especially if you undergo CS. 

-Nursing Bras/Nursing-friendly Clothes - invest at least in a couple of nursing bras for when you go out. You can forget about it when you're at home hehe :P There aren't a lot of good selections out there so sometimes if both of my bras are in the laundry, I just use a bandeau type of bra. It's as convenient as a nursing bra for me.

-Nursing pads - be prepared for leaks! Haha! At first I thought this was unnecessary but when I experienced it myself, I had to go and get one! I only use it when I go out and when I'm at home I just use the handy dandy lampin. Saved me some moolah!

-Breastpump and breast milk storage bags - It is advisable though not to pump until baby is 6 weeks old because this is the time that you are establishing your milk supply. Pumping might cause an oversupply which in turn may cause breast engorgement which is painful! Try to feed on demand on the first 6 weeks and let your body take its natural course and after that you can start building your stash.

SET YOUR EXPECTATION!

-BREASTFEEDING WILL BE CHALLENGING. It's not gonna be a piece of cake. Keeping that in mind will at least somehow lessen the disappointment if you fail on your first few tries. Do not lose hope and fall into the trap of the common mistake that moms make - "I don't have milk!". This is what happened to both my mom and my sister who never got to experience breastfeeding. I thought I will have the same fate as them but I refused to believe that I won't produce milk so I just kept on nursing Zeb. When I finally pumped and saw the liquid gold, it was as if the heavens opened up and the angels were sang "Hallelujah!" It was really a life-changing moment for me. So never ever doubt your milk supply! 

BONUS TIP:

Try to avoid introducing pacifiers and bottles at least for the first 4 weeks as it may cause nipple confusion. Zeb actually never used a pacifier although I bought one for him when he was 4 months old. My cousin discouraged me to introduce it because she had a hard time weaning his 3-yr old son off of it so I decided not to give him at all and save me the trouble :P

So I hope you enjoy reading through this lengthy blog. Breastfeeding is such a broad topic but I hope I was able to somehow help you prepare for it. If you do have any questions, don't hesitate to leave 'em down below and I will try my best to get back to you ASAP.

Ciao and happy breastfeeding!

My Newborn Must-Haves

Now that I am almost 6 months along in my pregnancy, I find myself making a mental list of what we will be needing once our new bundle of joy says hello to the world. I know I'm not a pro when it comes to newborn babies but having given birth just 15 months ago is definitely an advantage. With my first born, Zeb Gavin, we bought a number of things that we ended up either not using or used it only once or twice so this time around I'll make sure that we just stick to the necessary things.

So whether you are a first-time mom or not, I hope this newborn must-have list help you in preparing for your little one's grand arrival:

CLOTHING
Onesies - for the delicate newborns, it is easier to dress them up with side-tie designed onesies rather than those that go over the head. I also prefer those overalls with zip rather than snaps because it gets the job done faster.

Mittens - for when the nails are still too delicate to cut. We used mittens on Zeb for only a month.

Socks - to keep them extra warm especially at night or when we go out.

Receiving blankets - I considered this under clothing since they are almost always wrapped in them at least on their first three months of life. We bought 2 swaddles last time but Zeb didn't really like it that much. It worked on my niece when she was a baby but it wasn't the case with Zeb so it really depends on the baby. Swaddles can be expensive so this is a cheaper alternative.Tip: Do not splurge a lot on newborn clothes because they grow out of them fast!

HYGIENE

Baby bather - I have tried two ways in bathing Zeb when he was a newborn. First, we bought a baby bath tub and a separate mesh bather which looks something like this:

Honestly, I find it a bit tedious to work with this. Once the bath water start building up and it reaches the baby's body, then you'd have the carry the baby, remove the mesh, throw out the water, put back the mesh then put down the baby. Since you're doing all of that with your newborn on the other arm, I find it a bit unsafe. When we flew back to Singapore, we bought a different bather and this time around it was waaay easier! We got this model from the brand Summer:

Since it can stand on its own, we didn't need to buy a separate tub anymore. Water just goes through so there are no extra steps to do plus it's light and compact! It was indeed a life saver!

Hooded Bath Towels - just to be on the safe side, it's better to keep not just the body but also his/her head warm after taking a bath.

Rubbing Alcohol - coming home from the hospital, we adapted the habit of putting on some rubbing alcohol first on our hands and arms before we carry the baby just to make sure we don't pass on any germs to Zeb. 

ACCESSORIES
Nail cutter/trimmer - baby's nails grows faaaast! Once I got the courage to cut Zeb's delicate nails, I find myself trimming it almost every week. 

Nursing pillow - this is a life saver for your back especially if you intend to breastfeed (which I hope you do!). Newborn babies tend to latch around 30-45 minutes each session and trust me when I say, it hurts! At the end of the day, your arms and back feel sore.

Diaper Changing Mat - such an important item to carry with you especially when you go out to the mall or other public places. You wouldn't want to lay you baby down on a cold diaper changing station would you?

Muslin Cloths/Lampin (and a lot of 'em!) - you're gonna get drooled on and spit up on a lot so better have one of these handy at all times. It's also best for keeping your body's sweat off your baby so make sure you have this on your shoulders or on your arm whenever you carry your baby.

Digital Thermometer - this is one thing in this list you'd hope you wouldn't need to  use at least during the first year but we all know its inevitable especially after getting vaccine shots so better be prepared with a reliable thermometer rather than wondering whether your little bub is feeling warm or not. 

Baby Carrier - you may have the most expensive and the most comfortable stroller in the world but trust me, you'd want your newborn baby attached to you most of the time and vice versa. Babies tend to be happier when carried (especially by their mommies haha!), maybe because they find our chest their comfort zone where they can hear our heartbeat and feel the warmth of our body against them just like when they were still inside our tummy. I learned my lesson the hard way when I decided to scrimp on a baby carrier. I got a cheap one from Safety 1st but I ended up regretting buying it without doing any research! It gave me major back pains because it didn't have enough support. After several months of using it, we finally decided to splurge on some good quality carrier and got ourselves the Ergo. Although it didn't eliminate the back pain 100%, it did give a decent back and shoulder support and Zeb was more comfortable in it.

You might be wondering  how come I don't have milk bottles or sterilizer on the list... Well, I DID have them prepared even before I gave birth but since I wanted to directly and exclusively breastfeed him, I ended up not using them until Zeb turned 1 year old when I weaned him off the boob.

Crib is another expensive baby item that we all get excited to shop for. My parents were generous enough to gift us a crib of our choice but honestly, we barely used it. Zeb slept and still is sleeping on the bed with us. I just wanted him to be close to me all the time and it's also the easiest and most convenient way to breastfeed him in the middle of the night. 

So yes, this list still depends on certain circumstances. I was and still am lucky to be a stay-at-home mom so when Zeb needed milk, I just had to pop one boob out and not bother with bottles. One of the many benefits of breastfeeding!

Anyway, I hope this list help you moms out there one way or another in preparing for your little one's arrival. Wishing you all preggo ladies out there a safe delivery and a healthy baby!

Cheers!

Another Blessing

Sooo... Last time I posted here I was busy preparing for our little man Zeb Gavin's 1st birthday party. Little did I know, there's an even bigger and more exciting news coming our way...Yes, you guessed it right - we're having another baby!!!

Last Jan 14 and 15 was my hubby and I's birthdays (yes we were born just one day apart... ain't that cool?) Anyway, since hubby's birthday fell on a Wednesday, he decided to just take a leave from work on Thursday instead, that way we can have a 4-day long weekend celebration.

On the 15th we went to Resorts World Sentosa and checked in at our usual lodging place - Costa Sands (where Zeb was made, haha!). That day went smoothly. Next day we checked out then headed to the mall and did some window shopping. We took a cab on our way back home and then I suddenly felt nauseous like I wanted to vomit but of course I didn't want to. So I just closed my eyes and kept sniffing hubby's Vicks inhaler to take the nausea away. 

The next day, 17th January, we needed to do some errands at Ikea. We took a cab again going to and from the place and felt nauseous once again and when I reached home, I had a terrible headache! I thought it would be gone after I sleep it off but no - it was still there even until the next day! This time I was already suspecting that it might be pregnancy symptoms. Although I was really hesitant to believe that I could be pregnant because I didn't have my AF last December hence, no egg was released - or so I thought. 

Finally on the 18th, after having our breakfast we decided to make a pit stop at a pharmacy and pick up a pregnancy test but didn't use it until the next day because I wanted to use my FMU (first morning urine) just to be sure. 

So on the 19th of January, as soon as I opened my eyes I went straight to the toilet and peed on the stick. There was no waiting involved... two lines immediately showed up! I went back to our room with a poker face then hubby asked "positive?" I non-chalantly replied "we need to wait 5 minutes" then BAM! I showed the test smiling from ear to ear. But my naive husband didn't know what it meant so I had to tell him "buntis ako!!!" Haha!

On a serious note, so many things came flashing to my mind as soon as I saw the two lines. To be honest, I also felt scared and worried even until now. Of course I worry for my body's health. I don't know if it has recovered fully from my CS with Zeb. I worry that I might not be able to fully take care and cope up with him especially when my tummy gets bigger. I worry about our finances. I am just plain worried. But at the end of the day, we are very grateful for this new blessing from above and we couldn't be more excited to be a family of four on September!

1st Birthday Party Planning

Hi all!

I only have a month to go before our little one turns a year old! Where did the time go? I seriously can't believe how fast the time is flying by. Needless to say, I am absolutely enjoying my motherhood!

On the other hand though, the last quarter of 2014 have been stressful to me. I was busy attending to my small online business, then the holiday season came and then we had a last minute decision to fly back here in Singapore to spend the holidays with dear hubby. The latter actually is what's making my birthday party planning a bit more of a challenge. I thought I still had enough time before THE big day but unfortunately, I have to do everything online. Thanks to the wonders of technology specifically Viber! Lol!

As early as September, I have been scouting and searching for party venues in the south. Zeb had his baptismal reception at Gerry's Grill in MOA so I was already iffy about having his first birthday party again in the same mall because not many resto have their private function rooms. I searched and searched and I always end up with nothing. It would be either too expensive or the location is not the ideal one. Finally, the day before our flight, I was able to book a venue which includes the catering as well. I will give you all the deets on my post-birthday party entry.

So far I am about 70% down with the party details. We already have the host/magician booked. The photo/video coverage plus the photobooth (which my dear sisters will be sponsoring) have been reserved as well. Now I'm busy with the loot bags, giveaways and food carts options then I'm done! The venue decor is also included in the package so I don't have to deal with that - yay!

If there are mommies out there who can share tips on a successful party planning, please do share. I wouldn't learning a thing or two so we'll be more prepared for baby number two! (ooh! that sounded great!)

Thanks for dropping by! 

Ciao!

Zeb's Baby Led Weaning Journey

So it's been two months now since we started the Baby Led Weaning with Zeb and everyday I am still amazed to see my little one feeding himself during mealtimes. To be honest, I did not have any idea at all about this approach until I came across this social media community Baby Led Weaning Philippines. I joined the group and saw pictures and videos of babies eating by themselves and I thought to myself I wouldn't have the courage to do it with Zeb. 

First of all, what is Baby Led Weaning anyway? Well simply put, it means "self-feeding". Baby eats solid finger food. No mashed. No purees. No spoon feeding. It's just letting your baby explore different tastes and textures by themselves which makes eating fun for them. Like what they always say, food before one is just for fun. The baby's main nutrition  would still come from milk - be it breast milk or formula milk. So don't worry if half of the potato ended up on the floor or the avocado turned out as your baby's face and hair mask. This is all part of learning for your little one.

The biggest challenge in this weaning style is the risk of CHOKING. I myself was very worried at first, in fact this was the main reason why I had second thoughts on going this route. But after some reading and research, I felt confident that Zeb will be able to do it. Note that gagging and choking are two different things so better arm yourself with the knowledge first before you actually begin. You can search on Youtube and watch videos about them and learn how to deal with it. Luckily for us, we haven't had any choking incident and only a couple of gagging. Key here is not to panic and observe with caution how your little one will handle it. Babies are smarter than we think. 

I can't help but smile everytime I see  my Zeb eat his veggies (broccoli is his fave!). So far he has not rejected any food that I offered him, he would eat whatever is on the tray and that is a good training right there to have a less picky-eater child. I hope he continues to be this way until his toddler years. That would be awesome! Though this method is messier than the traditional spoon-feeding way, I wouldn't trade that "one proud momma moments" for a cleaner floor. It feels so good to see that Zeb is already learning to be independent in this early stage of his life. 

So to celebrate his two-month journey, I created this short video montage. Hope this will inspire you to go the BLW way :) Enjoy watching!

Customized Mattress for Zeb's Crib

A few weeks before I gave birth, my mom offered to buy Zeb his crib. Of course I took advantage of that offer so off we went to SM department store to pick up one. Instead of the traditional wooden crib, I opted for a playpen type of crib since it's more convenient to travel with. There weren't a lot of choices in SM Harrison Plaza at that time so I just chose the one that I liked the most which was from the brand Goodbaby.

photo credit: www.ugenebaby.com

We also wanted to buy a mattress for when Zeb is big enough to sleep on the lower part of the playpen and not on the "hanging" part but unfortunately we couldn't find a mattress that fits the dimension of the playpen we chose. One of the sales staff recommended to just have it customized by Uratex but I brushed off that idea because I was confident that I will find one that fits and wouldn't cost me a fortune.

Fast forward to today, Zeb is almost 8 months old in a few days and last week, we continued our search for the mattress and yes you guessed it right - we failed! So finally, I succumbed to the idea of having it customized and called Uratex consumer service hotline {888.6800}. I informed the staff about my request and gave her the dimensions - 4 inches thick x 23 inches wide x 46 inches long. She then asked me if I want the foam to be medium-firm or the bouncy type. I chose the former. There's also an option to pick up my order in one of their showrooms but the nearest from my place is either in Muntinlupa or in Cavite which are not that near so I just had it delivered for a fee of Php150. 

When it was time to ask how much the damage would be, I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers hoping it wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. Usual price we found in the malls was Php2000 so I was expecting it would be higher than that since having something "customized" is almost always expensive. I was surprised and smiling from ear to ear when she gave me a quotation of Php1270. She then instructed to wait for a call from another staff to confirm my order and give the details for payment and delivery.

When I got the call, I got an even better news! The final price for my order was lowered down to Php941.32! When I asked why, she said the initial quotation given was based on retail price. Then she gave me instructions for payment to their BPI account and was told that delivery will be either today (Oct 1) or tomorrow. I placed my order last Thursday (Sept 25) and today, it arrived! Yay!

 

I excitedly opened the plastic wrap and immediately fixed Zeb's playpen and tadaaaa!!! Finally, he has a proper mattress to sleep in. I'm hoping that this would somehow give him longer Zs at night :)

Overall, my transaction with Uratex was smooth and hassle-free. I regret not doing this in the first place when the SM sales staff suggested it to us. We could have saved on gas and energy mall hopping. Anywho, it's all in the past and I'm a happy mommy now.


Thank you so much for dropping by. Hope this post could be of help.

Ciao!

6th Month Postpartum Update: Weight Loss, Breastfeeding and More!

Hi guys!

If you don't know yet, our little Zeb turned 6 months old just a little over a week ago. I wrote an entry about it HERE. Today, I'm going to talk about where I'm at in terms of weight loss, breastfeeding and yes, even about sex 6 months after giving birth via Caesarean section.

Okay, let's go straight to the point and begin with the most awkward topic of all...

SEX

First of all, let me explain to you our current "set-up". Since hubby is an OFW, Zeb and I fly back and forth from Manila to Singapore so are in what I call a semi-long distance relationship as of the moment. In terms of sleeping arrangements, well we co-sleep with our little munchkin so with all that said, doing the deed has been put on the back burner for now. If you're wondering if the mood is there? Hmmm I'd say yes. It's just that the situation we are right now just makes it a bit difficult to get into the groove, haha! Besides, I am so not ready for another baby anytime soon so better be safe than sorry right? I won't be seeing my OB until I go back to Manila so we don't really have any contraceptive measure in place as of now. Red witch has made an appearance already just a couple of days ago so I am all the more cautious about it.

WEIGHT LOSS

Around 6 weeks after giving birth, I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 50kg. All thanks to breastfeeding, sleep deprivation and stress. I was back to my old clothes but still with an excess flab on my tummy. No biggie. I only wore my binder for a month because it was uncomfortable. I don't know if that decision will take a toll on me in the future, let's hope not. 

Anyhoo, I did not do any exercise at all, I'm not physically active to begin with. Besides, I ain't got time for that {insert face palm here} LOL! Although I do not suggest that you deprive yourself of sleep, I think that is inevitable especially with a newborn. I strongly believe  though that breastfeeding played a major role in losing all that weight. 

When Zeb was about 5 months old, I once again stepped on that dreaded weighing machine and I was surprised to find out that I lost another 3kg! I was in Manila that time and I was always sweating like a pig every day especially after doing some chores. To add to that, I also do squats. Nope, not to tighten my bum nor tone my thighs but to hush Zeb whenever he's having one of his crying episodes. Our pedia taught us this half-squat technique while singing ABC and it actually works! Try it  and see for yourselves :)

BREASTFEEDING

I think this topic deserve its own entry but I'd like to go ahead and briefly talk about it here. Yes I am proud to say that I have been exclusively breastfeeding our son for the past six months. Well, technically speaking there were a couple of nights when we were still in the hospital that I gave the nurse a go signal to give formula to Zeb. What was I thinking right? Back then, I didn't know any better. Being a newbie mom, I was worried because I was having slight fever from my engorgement and I was scared that I'd pass it on to him.  So for two nights for 12 hrs, Zeb was fed with formula but that's about it. It was all mommy's milk after that and I have never topped-up. 

To be honest, I didn't have any high hopes that I would be able to breastfeed my child. My mom wasn't able to do it to all three of us and my eldest sister also failed in breastfeeding her two kids too. They said they did everything they possibly could but they weren't really blessed with an abundant supply. So thinking that it runs in the family, I was expecting that I won't be able to do it as well. But to my surprise, everything worked out fine for us! I feel so blessed that I am able to do this for Zeb. Aside from saving us tons of moolah, it's the mother-and-son bond that we get from it that I'm really after. THAT is priceless.

LINEA NEGRA & STRETCHMARKS

Oh those battle scars.

It seems like they're not going anywhere anytime soon. Well, I can't blame them. I actually stopped using my stretch mark cream since Zeb came out to the outside world. I just didn't want to bother putting on any lotion or cream on my body. Although some streaks have lightened up, some looks like they're gonna be hanging out for a little longer.

As for my linea negra, it has relatively lightened up a lot. Only the bottom part from my belly button going down to my pubis is left a bit visible. I don't mind them though, I just treat them as "guests". I know they will be gone in time.

So there goes my 6th month post partum update mommies. If you made it up to this point, well THANK YOU! I appreciate your time reading this post. And if you arE on the same boat as me or about to reach you sixth month, I hope this helps :)

Thank you for dropping by.

Ciao!