I WILL RECLAIM MY LIFE!

This is what all mothers should shout after a long, stressful and sleep-deprived life. Do not allow your motherhood to remove all the glamour and happiness from you. You should take care of your self.

Steps to take:
1. Stabilize baby in this world - may take up to 3 months.
2. Shop shop shop! Do things that you wanted to do. Leave your baby if you must. Just make sure you leave him/her to a trusted person.
3. Vacay! You may do it alone or with your husband. But sometimes being alone and masochistically free is not that bad.

Dream for your self. Don't worry, some time soon your life will be yours!

• Your baby will soon grow up and leave you
• Your house will soon be clean because they won't be around too often
• Your laundry will soon be free from poop because they will poop somewhere else, in their dormitory's bathroom probably.
• Your house will be quiet, no crying, shouting, playing, because they're not their.

Soon it will happen. For now, enjoy the suffering and pay attention to them, they won't be babies forever.

Expecting a baby? It's not just all fun, there will be more frustration than happiness.

The pain doesn't stop after delivery
I had a normal delivery/ natural birth with my 6-lb baby after 24 hours of painful labor. The delivery was painful too but not as intense as a day-long suffering. I thought all the pain in the world I experienced from conception will disappear in a flash after that.  What other moms don't tell you is that the pain will continue for some time after giving birth. You will feel the laceration on your vagina, your stomach will ache every now and then, your back will hurt, you will feel dizzy and you just want to sleep the whole day. It will be difficult to poop, wee, eat and you will always cry. It will be intensely painful.

The longest weeks of my life
The day after going home from the hospital is the start of the longest weeks of my life. I counted each day, each second, and pray that it will go by fast. My day consisted of waking up after a nap (it's not even sleep), attending to the baby's needs, soothing her cries, changing her diaper, entertaining her and massaging her. I could barely escape from her to take care of my self. Brushing my teeth and taking a bath would be a marathon.

I was thinking that it would rather be easier if I just went to work so I can escape taking care of this baby. But that will not happen because deep inside I'd rather experience these difficulties than entrust my own child to a complete stranger. I'm on my second week with the baby now. They said that you and your newborn will eventually discover your rhythm. Well, I think we just did. It was a catastrophic rhythm, an unordered chaos.

The strength is from within
I don't know where I'd find all the strength to last the day. I just find comfort in the thought that my child will not be a baby forever. I just have to wait patiently, for how long I do not know, for her to grow up. I know this will forbid me to enjoy this moment but that thought keeps me hopeful. I never felt this incompetent. For years that I've been in corporate life, I've been very tough and proud. But this time I felt like I am out of control and I do not know what I'm doing. I realize clients are easier to please than babies. I also get strength from my ever supportive husband who've been through with me all the way.

Constipation and Indigestion are common problems you may experience any time during your pregnancy. There are lots of articles that explain why pregnant woment but in my own words, I would explain it as "the result of uncommon (BIG) foreign object inside your tummy that blocks normal functionalities of your intestines and rectum".

I've encountered indigestion which feels like the food I ate still resides in my stomach after how many hours when they should be digested already. One way to avoid this is to eat slowly and do not lie down right after eating even if it's so tempting to sleep. Wait for, maybe, an hour or more before hitting the bed.

The feeling of constipation is like you wanted to let go of something but hard-headedly clinges on you. My tips to avoid constipation are the ff:

• Drink Milk suited for pregnant women, twice a day. I love Anmum Chocolate.
• Drink Yakult everyday. This is a probiotic dairy product I've been drinking ever since because I really have bowel movement problems even when I was young. If you do not like the taste of this, you may choose any probiotic drink with live lactubascilusshuratstrain (this is how I hear it but the name is Lactobacillus casei Shirota Strain which are friendly bacterias to help regulate bowel movements). There were lots of issues about the validity of this product's claim, but hey it works for me.
• Yogurt! Everday! No doubt, this will help you a lot. 'Nuff said. I personally love Nestle fruit selection yogurt in mango and Nestle Acti-V.

 


Image sources:
http://www.youbeli.com
http://www.foodprocessing-technology.com
foodrecipetraveltheworld.blogspot.com

 Anatomy of pregnant women according to my perception. :)

Credits to maternityphotographerphoenix.com for the image.

Discovered that you're pregnant? Congratulations! They say pregnancy is a beautiful thing - - - well, they're lying!


Just kidding! Actually, half-kidding. I've got some tips for you new mom, just carry on.


When I discovered I'm pregnant, I'm already halfway through my second month. I was in denial at first, thinking all those symptoms were normal. I wasn't ready to be a mom that time. I always thought that it's selfish to bring a baby in this world, a world full of war, famine and all. Lol.

I had these symptoms and corresponding excuses:

1. Excessive sleepiness - I've said to myself, "I am always sleepy! What's new?"
2. Cravings - I've always craved for something! Chocolates, Siopao, etc!
3. Vomitting - I've always vomit especially when I eat too much. I thought I was just over-eating!
4. Swollen/Tender Breasts - This always happen before my menstruation.
5. Fatigue/Stress/Headache - This is so me, everyday.

Helpful notes: Pregnancy symptoms are different in every woman.

For days, I waited for my menstruation that never came. A few days before I took the pregnancy test, I got extremely aching abdomen that felt like menstruation cramp. I immediately went home from work that time and slept. That should do the trick. I checked, but there were no signs of menstruation until I remembered I was already one month delayed. Next day, my husband and I bought a pregnancy test kit. We felt silly that time. I was like, "I don't think I could be pregnant, right?".

Here's the result:

Yes, that's positive right there.

I bought around 3 test kits and used them all. I thought the results would change.. but they did not. It was really a positive. That time, I didn't know what to feel. The thought of me, being pregnant, did not sink in immediately. But I was anxious afterward. What if I did something that hurt the baby? I drank too much soda, ate too much junk food and had too much stress! I had multiple client meetings, went up and down the stairs and rode the motorcycle on a bumpy road.

I immediately scheduled a visit to an OB-Gyne. It turned out that my menstrual cramp-like pain is due to fatigue. My doctor prescribed a medicine to avoid miscarriage.

Here are my tips for women:

1. If you have been sexually active, don't think you will not get pregnant.

If you do not want to get pregnant, then don't do the deed. I've always thought that it's selfish to bring a baby in this world full of war and hunger but it's even more selfish to enjoy an act which will impact a human being. It's even worst if  you use contraception, there are lots of side effects. Don't play with fire if you're not prepared to get burn. So, if you don't want to get pregnant, abstinence.

2. If you have been sexually active, be careful with your diet.

If you did the "deed" then you got the chance to be pregnant. Avoid soda, avoid any medicine, do not smoke and avoid alcoholic drinks. Just so you know, those are dangerous for the baby.

3. If you felt you were pregnant, yes you could be.

It's called 'intuition' and women are very good at it. Take the pregnancy test immediately since it's 99.99% accurate. If the result is positive, go to the doctor immediately. Your life and your baby's life are at risk. Yes, your life is at risk too. If the baby dies inside you without knowing it, you'll be poisoned and you will die.

If you are pregnant and confused, don't worry, you are not alone. You have to find strength from other people - your husband, mother or anyone you could trust. If you're not ready to be a mom, just don't do it. Remember that even women who thinks they are prepared were not really that prepared at all. Don't let your selfishness cause other human being's misery. Plan your conception and try to conceive when you think you're ready.