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!

My First Mother's Day

I know I am a day early to do a Mother's Day post but I think it's only fitting for me to write this today considering where I was in my life exactly one year ago.

May 10, 2013

We were at the Hong Kong International Airport waiting to board our flight back to Singapore as we conclude a 5-day family vacation. Just when we were about to board the plane, I suddenly felt something down there. I remember praying in the toilet hoping that it's not what I was thinking but unfortunately it was. Yes, the red witch made an appearance once again! That was already the third month after my laparoscopic surgery to remove the cyst on my left ovary which I blogged about here. I had high hopes to get pregnant right away so needless to say, I was crying in the plane on our way back. That was definitely not a good way to end a family vacay.

Fast forward to today, who would've thought that I will be holding my precious baby in my arms as I am writing this Mother's Day post? My life has made a complete turn around and this is just a reminder that God answers our prayers in His own perfect time. I am very happy beyond words can ever express to be celebrating my very first Mother's Day with our baby Zeb and my loving husband. 

It has been a challenging three months being a mom I must say but I wouldn't trade this for anything else in the world. I am blessed that I am able to be a stay at home mom and be really hands on with our child. There have been numerous sleepless night especially in the beginning and I went through a lot of frustrations and fears but at the end of the day, I am still grateful that I am given this opportunity to go through and experience motherhood. It has made me realize that my heart is capable of loving someone as much as I love my son.

So to all hardworking moms  like my mom, my mother-in-law and my sister and to those soon-to-be moms - Happy Mother's Day! Let us all celebrate this wonderful day for being a woman and thank the Lord for giving us this  very challenging but fulfilling role as a mother. 

And to those who are trying to be one, hang in there and keep the faith.

Again, Happy Mother's Day!

Zeb's First Baby Spa Experience and Review

I have been looking forward to bringing my little one to the baby spa ever since he was 1 month old. Today, I finally did... Yay! I was so excited for my baby because I know he will enjoy the experience. He loves his bath time and after each session he will start to be fussy. I know that cry means he still wants to stay in the tub. I think he will be a swimmer like mommy :)

There are several health benefits of swimming including but not limited to the following:

• Helps strengthen the muscles, ligaments, heart and lungs
• Develop motor control, agility, coordination and balance
• Enhances and stimulates senses and immune system
• Fosters social stimulation and interaction among babies
• Sets foundation for babies and adapt positive and long-term attitude towards learning
• Builds trust and confidence between parents and babies especially in water environment

I have heard about Baby Spa long time ago so today I brought him to their branch in Katong V Mall, which luckily, is just a walking distance away from where we stay.

As soon as we stepped in, we were greeted by the Chinese staff and handed over to me their flyer showing the rates.

A. Member Rates (with registration fee of $10 and with free towel with hood)

10 Swimming Sessions (valid for 6months) - $350

20 Swimming Sessions (valid for 12 months) - $590

Golden Card (Unlimited within one year) - $1,090

B. Non-Member

Trial - $45 with free 1 swim diaper

Aside from baby swimming, they also offer 2 other services which are baby massage and baby haircut. For those babies getting their hair cut for the first time, they also give a First Haircut Certificate with the baby's picture. So cute!!!

 

I didn't sign up for the membership though because let's be honest, the rates are pretty darn expensive! I just wanted my baby to try it at least once to satisfy my curiosity :) 

While baby's getting changed to a swim diaper

After the staff changed him into swim diaper, she did a few arms and legs exercise on baby to warm him up. The other staff then filled one of the four single tubs with lukewarm water. She kept asking me from time to time to touch the water to see if the temperature is fine with me. They also have some kind of a thermometer which they dip into the water and will then show if it's too hot, too cold or just right.

Zeb with the friendly staff of Baby Spa

Once all set, they put on the neck floater on Zeb and slowly dipped him into the tub. As expected, he didn't cry but instead he started kicking his legs. Weeeee!!!! That was a "proud momma moment" and I was smiling from ear to ear. That was the first time I felt like a "stage mother" haha!

Rubber duckie! Haha!

 

After about 20 minutes, it's time to take Zeb out from the tub (boooo!). It was noted in the flyer that first time babies cannot stay in the water for too long. It is better to gradually lengthen their swimming time each visit. Such a shame that we were the only customer when we dropped by. Would have been more fun if he was able to interact and be with other babies in the bigger pool.

So after I took him out, the staff asked me if I want to have my baby massaged. I thought at first that it was included in the $45 charge but ooops! I was wrong! I ended up paying an additional $24 ($10 for members) for the massage. It was good though that I was able to see massage techniques for babies so now I can do it to him at home after every bath :)

Overall, I think the $69 charge is a steep price to pay for a 30-minute experience but the smile on my baby's face and seeing how much he enjoyed it was PRICELESS! I'd say give it a try if you have the chance!

My ratings:
Service - 4/5
Cleanliness and Hygiene - 4/5
Staff - 3/5
**The staff were friendly but it was a little difficult to communicate with them since they don't speak english that well.





Price - 2/5

On OPKs and Ovulation

Hello everyone!

Today I want to share with you my OPK (ovulation predictor kit) results from my cycle day 14 up to 18 (which is today).

Okay so before I continue, let me give you a brief explanation on what an OPK is. Basically it detects a surge of Luteinizing Hormone (or most commonly referred to as LH) that is present in your urine. So what does that mean if you have a surge? Well, an increase in LH actually triggers ovulation which is when the egg is released for the the sperm to fertilize it. This does not mean though that  when you get the a positive result, you are ovulating right at that instant. Ovulation occurs after 24-48 hours following a positive result therefore it is recommended to baby dance on the following days. This is the reason why it is recommended to do an OPK for atleast 5 consecutive days starting on your cycle day 10 so you could monitor the surge.

Now, this is not 100% guarantee. Based on what I've read here in the magical world of internet, some women would experience a surge in LH but still end up not ovulating. Hopefully that is not my case.

Anyhoo, after my last ultrasound check up (read all about it here), I decided to get me some OPKs. I've used it before but didn't really find it helpful since I didn't get preggers so I decided to stop it. These stuff are expensive, well atleast for me. But since I have been spending so much money on my ultrasounds, then why not get a better chance in getting pregnant by detecting when I ovulate. Luckily that day, Watsons was having a buy 1 get 1 free on their brand so I picked up these...

I was on my cycle day 14 then and I did my test around 5:45 in the afternoon. It is recommended to do the test around the same time for the next 5 days for a more accurate result. Try to prevent from drinking too much liquid as well 2 hours before you take the test as it can dilute the hormone in your urine. Below are the my OPKs for the past 5 days, I noticed that the color faded a little bit but it is still visible.

OPKs are different from pregnancy tests in terms of reading the result. If you would look at it like a PT, you would think that all these are positive results right? Wrong. OPKs are supposed to show two lines (showing only one line would mean the test is invalid) and the difference between a positive and a negative test is how dark the Test band (on the right) is compared to the Control band (on the left). 

This is one thing that I hate about these OPKs. It is so difficult to figure out if it is a positive or negative. Sometimes when you want something really bad, like a positive OPK for example, you will trick your mind into thinking that the Test band is indeed darker than the Control band therefore convincing yourself that it is a positive result. Raise your hand if you agree. LOL!

Looking at my OPKs above, the only day that I got a dark test band was on the 25th. It doesn't look as dark as it used to be when I first tested but you can compare it with the rest of the sticks and it's the only one that has a test band that is still really visible. So I then convinced myself that it was a positive but unfortunately though, we didn't BD that night because of a petty fight (nice timing right?) but we made sure we made up for it the next day and today! Hopefully my hubby's soldiers will be motile enough and fertilize my egg as I ovulate *crossing fingers*.

Now all I have to do is be patient (which I am totally not) as I enter my two week wait (2WW). Hopefully I can fight the urge to do a pregnancy test earlier than when I'm supposed to which I highly doubt.. lol! 

So there you have it ladies. I hope I enlightened you a little bit on how to use and read OPKs. If you have any comments on my OPK results please leave them down below. I would love to know your thoughts on this. Please keep us in your prayers that we may be able to finally complete our family.

Baby dust to all those trying as well!

Till my next update!

Ciao!

Overwhelmed

Hello ladies! Hope you all had a wonderful day!

I'm just here to say my BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has been very supportive and inspiring me through this journey. Ever since I started this blog my friends and relatives, whom mostly I haven't talk to in years, has been contacting me via Facebook and sharing me their TTC experience and giving me tips on how to be successful in our baby-making journey. Today alone, I received five messages from different people and I'm just so amazed how my situation can bring people together. It's like having my own little support group.

I am so appreciative to all those who have shown their care and concern and willingly shared to me their personal stories. Once again, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I just couldn't end my day without expressing my gratitude. I am overwhelmed.

PS.

We are planning to change gynae if this cycle becomes unsuccessful *crossing fingers that it's not*. For those here in Singapore, please let me know if you have any good recommendations preferably here in the East area.

Ciao ladies!

Sweet dreams and baby dust to all!

TTC Cycle 2

Here we go again.

So I'm back with another TTC cycle post which means our  attempt last month was a failure (booo!). I had really high hopes for last month since it was our first month to try after the surgery but that didn't go well as expected. Anyway, I don't want to be a Debbie Downer here and go on and on with my frustrations so let me just fill you in with the details from my last 2 visits with my gynae.

I was scheduled to see her on the 8th of April for a check-up and so I went. I was directed to their Fetal Care Centre for an ultrasound scan. The day I went was the day before my expected AF to come. I did a pregnancy test 2 days before that {so much for being patient} and I got a negative result but I was still hopeful that I can be pregnant. She first did a typical scan on my abdomen and I thought that was it but then seconds after she took out THE thing again... the one that they insert down there. Even after going through that kind of scan for several times already, I still can't help but cringe. Definitely not the most comfortable feeling on earth.

So anyway,  after looking on the screen for a few minutes, the sonographer suddenly asked me if my period is coming soon and so I told her I am expecting it the next day. After that she asked me to wait outside. She must have seen something in there that made her ask that question so then I ditched the idea that I can be pregnant.

I waited half an hour again to see my gynae this time. She reviewed the scan result and said it was all good. I was somehow scared that the cyst may have come back but fortunately, everything's looking  fine. She then uttered "so why is it not happening?" and as much as I want to tell her "you tell me you're the doctor here!" I just kept silent and shrugged. So she gave me a rundown of the next steps that we will be doing to make it a success:

• First, she asked me to call for an appointment for a TOO (Time Of Ovulation) as soon as my AF comes. I have to be scanned on my cycle day 12 {which is today} to see the progress of my egg cells whether it's maturing or not. From there she will tell us when is right day to do our serious baby-making business. Lol!
• There might be a possibility that maybe I am not ovulating so she said if that is the case, she will prescribe me a medicine to help me ovulate. We will try this for 2-3 months and if still unsuccessful then we proceed to the next step...
• ...and that is IUI or Intrauterine Insemination Treatment which basically takes out the fun in baby-making.. haha! This is a process where in my hubby's sperm will be taken and then they will insert it into my uterus on the day of ovulation. Watch this for a better understanding :)

I am hoping that we don't need to do the IUI because first, it will be expensive {around $700+} and second, I want to get pregnant as naturally as possible with less "medical" or "science" intervention. But for the sake of having our own bundle of joy, we are willing to do everything.

Total bill for this visit:
Consulation Fee..........$80.25
Gynae Scan.................$90.95
Total..........................$171.20

********************************************************************************


So today I went back to hospital for my TOO. I honestly don't know what to expect and what procedure I will be undergoing but yeah, you guessed it right, I went through that uncomfortable scanning again. I laid down on that bed for like a minute or two while my gynae checked on my ovaries. She saw a follicle growing on my left ovary but she said it's not big enough and asked me to go back again on Thursday {but I can't make it so we rescheduled it on Wednesday instead} so she can see the progress of the follicle.

That was about it. And oh by the way, she told us to do the deed tomorrow and then after that, no more sex {poor hubby.. lol!} for the meantime. I'm really hopeful, like how I have been hopeful for the past year, that it will work this time. Cross your fingers and toes for us. Hehe :)

The bill for this visit was $90.95. We were only charged for the gynae scan (hallelujah!). We were in and out her office in like a snap so if she would have charged us with $80 again, I will be having second thoughts to come back.. lol!

So that's it ladies! Wish us luck this month. I'm really hoping and praying to get a positive result after this.

Baby dust to all!

*UPDATE ON TODAY'S VISIT 24/04/13*

Had another scan and my gynae said it is still not big enough. She said that it's best to do the deed again tomorrow, Saturday and Monday. That was it! Another $90.95 down the drain. It seems like I paid for someone to tell me when to have sex.. Lol!

Anyhoo, I'm just having breakfast now and then I'm off to work! Good luck to me!

Ciao!