Going Healthy and Raw

There's something about eating that will always make someone feel better. It's human nature to feel better and of course eating is usually at the top of everyone's list.

Naturally, when D was starting to grow in front of my eyes (literally!)...the thought of him starting on solids was something quite daunting for a new mom like me. I didn't know where to start or what to feed him first...and I wasn't about to feed him the commercially-prepared food! Mum and Dad were more than happy to share their experience in feeding the three of us when we were still babies. Somehow, I was more of a special case so I took it upon myself to follow their advice.

D was about 5 months and 22 days when we started him on semi-solids (puree). I made sure to wait on D's pedia to give the green light so that I was confident to prepare the food. Doc Monna was very accommodating and was more than happy to recommend that D was ready for semi-solids. She asked if we were going to try the commercial food or do home-made, I told her home-made through and through and she was gladder since she knew that it was safer and that I was happy with my choice.

It's always been a question: What will D eat first? Easy...ground rice from Bios Dynamis! Thankfully, the local Bios Dynamis had enough stock and we got the ground red rice. Mum helped in prepping and D loved it! She made sure that it was puree-style so that D could easily swallow with a bit of chewing since it was a different texture than the usual breastmilk. We started him slow and sure with the ground red rice for three straight days.

D loving his ground red rice puree.

If there's anything that I'd like to delay with D, it's his preference for taste. Whenever he tries new fruits or veggies...he takes his time in understanding the texture and the taste. There are instances that his face changes but he hardly rejects the food. Maybe it also helps that I eat as healthily as I could so my breastmilk would taste like the food that I eat. During our Holy Week trip, he was able to try lettuce and pechay juice, carrot juice, camote tops juice and calamansi juice. He was, quite shockingly, very addicted to the green (lettuce and pechay) juice and camote tops juice. It helped with his digestive system so much that pooping wasn't even an issue during that time! I'm thinking of making our own here at home!

My parents have embraced the lifestyle of eating healthy and raw (especially my Dad!) and I am slowly coursing to that path as well. That doesn't mean that I will completely go vegetarian but I will be more careful with the choices of food that I will eat. Besides, it wouldn't be fair if I make D eat veggies and I'm gobbling on chips. It helps for me to be as fair to my son as possible.

Did we have problems with D's pooping? YES!

He's not the type of baby who poops every after he eats...he poops every other day so naturally, I wasn't too worried when he was still exclusively breastfeeding but when he started solids...I was more vigilant. Papaya is now his best friend. His anti-constipation food...

Now that D's 8 months and 23 days as of writing, he is already eating three times a day. His breakfast is always papaya to make sure that he won't get constipated and that he can manage his poop. Then his lunch and supper is ground red rice and monggo beans with a mix of steamed squash (for this week). We will then switch the squash to carrots next week.

Most common question that I hear: "Isn't it difficult and a lot of preparation?" Yes it is but it takes a certain routine and getting used to. Thankfully, Yaya Wilma has already infused in her schedule the prepping of D's food. She makes it a point to prepare enough for one day so that it's fresh.

Going healthy, whether it be raw or simply being more conscious with what to eat, is a decision that is a slow and steady process. I've made this decision because I want the best for my bubba and to make sure that he isn't exposed to the artificial taste that we are so used to. Who knows...he just might be the one who will make me go back to my roots and love veggies again!

My Breastfeeding Advocate Hubbie

I love the fact that Lau is already an advocate of breastfeeding! Yes, my husband! An advocate! A very strong one at that!

Last night, Lau told me about one of his male colleagues who is a new father. His baby was born a little earlier than the EDD (premature) and asked Lau as to what milk we're using to feed Damien.

"Breastmilk 'pre, ako na ang magtestify sa wonders talaga ng breastmilk." Lau proudly said, "Breastfeeding ba si Gelai karon?"
"Dili na eh. Gamay lang kaayo ang gatas." his colleague said.
"Ayaw mo katingala, gamay pa ang tiyan sa baby...dili jud na daghan dayun2 ang gatas sa mommy. Basehan niya ang kagutom sa baby." Lau said.
"Mao ba? Daghan lagi ka nahibaw-an ana Sir." his colleague said.
"Natakdan na ko kang misis." Lau joked, "Dili pud, breastfed pud mi nga babies."
"Maayo pud na noh." his colleague added.
"Maayo jud kaayo. Buyag, wala jud nagkasakit akong baby. Ug tipid kaayo, ang para sa formula...na-divert na namo para sa vaccines." Lau added.

He told me all about their conversation about breastmilk. Think about it, two fathers talked about breastmilk! I love it! I love the fact that Lau testified and had a lot of information to tell the new father (his baby just turned a month old is being formula-fed fulltime now). I know that his passion comes from his experience of Damien (now 8 months and still being breastfed), but hearing him tell this story with so much gusto is another aspect that I haven't seen!

I must say that it's such a proud moment for me as well. I knew that the moment I made the decision to breastfeed Damien, Lau was behind me all the way. Even coming to he rescue that one time with MIL (will blog about it in a later post!). For a husband to be very supportive that he turned to be an advocate as well is something rare!

I'm too giddy and happy typing this story! It's such a natural high!

Why? Why Not?

Now that D's 8 months and 17 days as of writing, some people tend to ask the one question that I've heard a hundred times (trust me, if I get a peso for everytime I'd be asked the question...I'd probably have enough to buy a stash of GroVia hybrids! LOL!).

"How old na is your baby?" someone asks.
"He's 8 months na." I'd answer.
"Wow, ang lusog niya! Anong milk niya?" someone asks again.
"Breastmilk." I answer with a smile, as normal as I look when I smile.
"Hah? Breastfeeding ka pa rin until now? Why naman?" someone asked.

I'm so tempted to answer with all the sarcasm and frustration in the world, 'Why not?' Seriously, why not? It seems that people in the city (urbanized areas) have already been so exposed to what's on TV that the most natural thing in the world is being questioned and dare I say, criticized. I've been used to be being stared even when I was a kid given that I am born with a cleft lip and palate, so being stared and gawked at when I'm feeding D in public was never an issue to me.

I feel quite strongly about this advocacy because I do not like the fact that people are not being educated. They would rather choose what is convenient as opposed to what is natural and what is readily available. Although I truly respect the choices that mothers make, I also make it a point to speak my mind since it is something truly close to my heart. It breaks whenever I hear babies getting sick because of formula or because they easily contracted a water-borne disease.

In the US, it is even common to hear people say this to nursing mothers, 'I do not masturbate or pee in public, why should you expose your breasts in public?' Again, I would love to answer with all sarcasm in the world, 'Why? Did I expose my breasts to you?' I even saw a motto that said, 'If you're offended by my breastfeeding then you've been staring at it for too long.'

We are luckier here in Davao since breastfeeding in public is not even an issue. I've seen several photos and also read several horror stories in Manila where nursing mothers were asked to leave restaurants because they made the customers feel uncomfortable. Or that it is indecent to be breastfeeding in public so they have to look for a comfort room to feed the baby instead. Wow, I was shocked to hear about this because in our own country where it is still very natural and common to be breastfeeding even in the jeepney (yes, I've seen a mother breastfeed her baby while in the jeepney!), why constrict mothers to feed their children?

Bottomline: There is a law here in the Philippines that protects nursing mothers and yes, they are allowed to nurse in public. Malls and other public establishments are required to have an area where mothers can breastfeed their children in peace (and no, it's not the comfort room!). And if you think that it's indecent for mothers to be "exposing their breasts" to feed their children...then you're staring at it for too long.

Again...they ask why and I answer with a why not.

Birthday Prepping Part 2: Centerpieces Mock-up and Template Invitation

Finally finished with the DIY centerpieces as well as the template for the invitation. It was quite inspiring since there were templates of the characters available online. Also got the pattern for the invite online...everything is just so convenient because it's found online!

D's already asleep (yes, thank God he sleeps at around 7pm) so I'm left with more time to do some research and finish the DIY projects. I'm quite excited because I've already started with some of the goodies for the loot bag! Whee! I also got to talking with my Mum and she was quite happy with the outcome as well, even my Dad is amazed with the things that I found online. Well, I think he's more amazed that I'm so into it. Again, it's been awhile since they saw me getting crafty with anything.

Ocular inspections of the possible venues will be next in line although Lau and I already have favored our wedding reception venue (hehehe!). And I'm usually the type of customer that if I like the place and I also like the way that it was presented to us and the staff and crew are very accommodating...I book and pay on the spot. So, usually I stick with the same suppliers since they already know how keen on details I can be.

Once we've booked the venue...it's time to brainstorm for decor ideas! Glad to see that my long list of to-do's are slowly being ticked off...

Birthday Prepping Part 1: Brainstorming

Ever since April hit...I've been brainstorming ideas for my bubba's upcoming first birthday. If you're asking as to when his birthday is...it's July 27th. I know, it's still months away but if you look at the details and being able to pin down suppliers at a reasonable price, and finalizing the guest list...there's not a lot of time left.

I've always been the type of person who loves to put ideas together and I've been busy brewing ideas already for D's theme for the past few months. Why too advanced you might ask? Because there's still the possibility that I could change my mind. Besides, I'm the one doing most of the planning and Lau's in charge of the legwork. And of course, being able to be within the budget doesn't hurt as well!

The theme's been decided. The template of the invitation is already done as well, only the details are missing including D's photo (shoot is scheduled around mid-June). I've already prepped a mock-up of how the centerpieces will be, there are still some elements missing though but that's all right...all of those will be done by tomorrow (yes, you heard me right...tomorrow!). After the mock-up of the table, I'll go straight to hunting for suppliers for the goodies in the loot bag. There's actually one particular goody that I've been dying to do a craft project on. Once I've got the materials ready, I'll post at how I did it and the outcome as well.

Lau's going to do an ocular tomorrow on our fave spot (where we had our wedding reception) as I've pictured the whole decor in my mind with a bit of tweaking. My goal for this month is to be able to book the venue so that we can already start with a sit-down of how the decor will be and where to put what.

To be honest, I seem to be spending more time planning my son's birthday than I did with our wedding almost two years ago. And yes, it looks like we'll have more guests with this celebration as well! LOL!

The next few weeks will be a huge brainstorming session for my brain...I don't mind, I like the exercise and it's good that I get to do more crafts this time! I can't wait for the outcome...

The Hunt for a MAYA

I grew up around nannies. Of course, there's always that one nanny who saw you grow up until you got married and they were the first ones who cried when you walked down the aisle. Yes, I had a nanny like that. So, it came naturally for me to get a nanny as well when Damien was born. It took us awhile...like 6 months!

I consider it as such a lucky break that we finally found Yaya Wilma. But mind you, she was a replacement of a replacement from the agency. Hehehe, let me tell you the whole story.

It was around November when Laurence and I were desperate to get a nanny since there were a lot of things to do around the house and multi-tasking made it more of a challenge. I'm the type who drops everything for Damien. So I don't care how tall the mountains and piles of laundry there is...as long as I give him what he wants, which is basically me. Being that Laurence was still assigned in Malita, he came home on Saturday evenings and would go back on Monday mornings...not exactly enough time for family and he's squeezing in chores for us as well.

The nanny that Laurence got was a newbie...but I was willing to take it since I just needed her to do the chores for Damien like cleaning the room, doing the laundry and watching over him when I'm having a meal downstairs. But alas, she only lasted for about a month and a half since it really just wasn't working for us. I was desperate since Damien is fully cloth diapering and we need to maintain the laundry chores. I called an agency and they sent me a resume of an applicant...all right, let's give her a try.

This nanny was okay. Really, she was. But she carried a whole lot of emotional baggage and easily loses focus. She also can't seem to calm Damien down when she carries him. And as soon as I take Damien from her, she excuses herself for the rest of the day since she needs to rest her arms coz Damien's already heavy...umm, I don't think she'll last given that Damien's getting heavier by the day! Yup, she barely lasted a month. The agency sent in a replacement.

I already had a different hunch with the replacement since she said in her resume that she prefers to be an all-around helper. I called up the agency and asked them to verify and they told me that she was willing to try becoming a nanny because she was already desperate for a job, the owner of the agency was nice enough to explain to me anyway so I agreed for the trial. However, this nanny didn't want to wear the uniform that I would require when we go out...and she didn't want to accompany us when we go out! Hmmm, this isn't gonna work...I don't think she understood what it took to become a nanny. The agency sent in another replacement.

Then came Yaya Wilma. Her resume was okay. Her background check was all right as well. Widow, mother of 3 boys...I think she can handle Damien well. And true to that, she has handled Damien very well. I appreciate that she gets Damien from our room when he's already giggling and laughing around at around 6:30am, which means that Laurence and I can steal more minutes to doze off. She also makes sure that Damien's diapers are changed every two hours. She's also in charge of the laundry as well as playing with him when I'm out for errands or doing my blog...hehehe! What I appreciate from her the most is that...she prioritizes my Damien above all else especially with meals and making sure that he's fresh and clean.

Damien's reaction after his MMR vaccine. Yaya Wilma was beside him the whole time.

If you ask any mom who's in dire need of a nanny, it's been a challenge these days. With the Kasambahay Law in place as well as demands from the nannies themselves...moms like us just want the nanny that Maya is on the hit soap (yes, I watch that with Yaya Wilma and Damien!). But there will always come a time that will make me understand what things happen, well...it takes a little more time to realize that but it comes.

The 5 solid months that I took care of Damien all by myself also taught me that I am stronger than I thought I was. And this time that Damien's very comfortable with Yaya Wilma, I'm basically a little more free to do things that I want to do.

The hunt for Maya took a little longer than expected but the payback has been great...

Me, Damien and Yaya Wilma (face partly covered) during our monthly visit to Doc Monna.

My Choice of Breastfeeding

When I found out I was pregnant, I wanted to give the best for my baby. And yes, that included me breastfeeding for as long as I could. My Mum breastfed Kuya Paul, Jam and I for about an average of a year...so I knew that I got the support from my parents. This passion was also fueled more when I attended a mommy meet-up at The POD which was all about The Milk Code.

Since I had to give birth via stat CS, Damien was wheeled to the nursery after the Unang Yakap was done on us and I was being stitched up. I was back in our room at around 3 in the morning and I was still a little doozy, awake but quite doozy. Laurence wanted to make sure that I get enough sleep because he needed the sleep as well, we've been in labor since 2pm the day before and I knew he was very tired. I was quite worried since I wanted to make sure that Damien would get my colostrum but I rested my eyes and got a few hours of sleep.

At 8am, my nurse told me that I needed to go to the breastfeeding room to be able to see Damien. I didn't think twice, I stood up and slowly walked to the breastfeeding room a few meters away from the nursery...yes, with IV and catheter in tow. I just wanted to see Damien again. The nurse told me that he just finished feeding so he might not want to latch onto me immediately, but since I made sure that he went through wet nursing...I was confident that latching for him was not an issue. I just wanted to smell him, to be honest! And I wanted to see him again...I only got to see him for a few minutes since I was in and out of consciousness when the Unang Yakap was done. But I remembered his face so clearly...for someone who was in and out during the operation, I had a good memory of how my baby looked like!

It around lunchtime when Damien was finally roomed-in with us. He was still full since he was just fed but the nurse-in-charge told me that he's not a fussy baby. He was quick in latching and would just cry out when hungry or uncomfortable. In my mind, 'Any baby would be fussy once he's out to this noisy world...' So, I knew that cuddling and making sure that he could sense my presence was top priority for me.

During our three-day stay in the hospital, it wasn't a walk in the park for us. He did latch but he wasn't as comfortable as he would like to be. I was still recovering from my C-section so I couldn't really move as much as I would like so he would sleep in our arms...little did we know that he wanted to latch and sleep at the same time. I guess everything was totally new and unexpected for Laurence and I. I wanted to go home and be comfortable in my own space but we needed to spend one more night since Damien's temperature spiked up to 37.7...hence, the third day in the hospital.

As soon as we got home, breastfeeding him was a little easier since I could do it in my own space where we were all familiar with. Our dogs even understood what was happening and lessened their fussiness as well, hardly any barks and they were right outside our door, waiting for something to happen to call out my parents' attention. I mastered the football hold because of my scar but we managed breastfeeding one day at a time. I was so determined to breastfeed...and my parents were as well so they cooked as much soup (malunggay and imbao) to help me with my supply.

Everybody around me was glad that I chose breastfeeding...I also found out on our own that it was the most hassle-free choice as well. I didn't need to prepare or sterilize anything...just pull up my shirt and Damien would start rooting like mad. It was around two weeks later that we mastered the side-lying position, by then I was more comfortable with my scar and I wasn't in too much pain.

Damien's already 8 months and 14 days as of writing and is still exclusively and directly breastfeeding...he has already started semi-solids when he was around 6 months but he refused the bottle for water, even the sippy spout as well. We resorted to cup feeding him water, to which he took very well.

Though my wardrobe has been limited to nursing wear or button-down tops, I never regretted my decision to breastfeed my boy. It was really more of an economical push as well that led me to really be an advocate. People say that I quickly got back to my pre-pregnancy weight because of breastfeeding, that's true. I could eat anything and everything I want since the calories would shed off quickly because of breastfeeding. But I'm also thankful that I chose breastfeeding since I was more conscious of what I was eating. Anything that I ate was going straight to Damien so I needed to choose well. I haven't taken any caffeine since I got pregnant and have maintained that until today. I love that I've been healthier since then.

I was asked during one La Leche League meet-up, "How long do you plan to breastfeed?" If I had the choice, I wish that I could be able to give as much milk to Damien and to other babies as long as I can. But that's not my choice...Damien has the last call if he'd still be willing to feed from me or if he's strong enough to let go and choose to feed from a glass (with expressed breastmilk, of course!). I don't think it'll reach to 4 years old (the average age of weaning worldwide) but I hope that I am brave enough to face that reality one day.