Dehydration and Systemic Viral Illness

Buting was confined in the hospital due to possible dehydration.  She was having recurring high fever caused by an illness, which was identified only after 24 hours in the hospital. At first, we were hesitant to have her confined when the ER pedia said she could not see anything wrong except that she has a recurring fever. However, dehydration is something that has be taken seriously according to the doctor. Imagine my guilt (having second thoughts re confinement) when another pedia doing the rounds rattled off a list of complications due to dehydration. I almost cried. It was not the cost we were worried about since my company HMO covers everything but the injections and IV and the feeling of being cooped up in a hospital are some things I don't want Buting to experience at such a young age - 1 yr and 10 months...I know such things are bound to happen, and it just did.

All in all, Buting's first hospital confinement is ok. Having a large private suite in SLBGC with a lazy boy, big sofa, and big LCD TV helped too :)

Dear Little Buting,

Getting sick is part of life but I just hope it will not involve any needles since it really pains me and your daddy to see you get hurt. 

Nevertheless, here are the highlights of your first hospital stay:

- although you cry during injections and checking of vitals, it was short and as if nothing happened after
- when the doctor prohibited us from roaming the halls due to infectious diseases like measles, you did not anymore insist on going out
- you started singing the intro song of Frozen when you wanted to let us know you want to watch the movie. Before, you just sing "let it go, let it go..." :)
- you removed your IV in the wee hours of the morning when everybody's asleep. Good thing the doctor did not anymore advise to re-insert the IV since your appetitte has returned to normal and you were very active. Besides, you have used up almost 2 IV bottles already.
- eventually, you have gotten used to having your vitals checked. You were such a good girl!
- when the nurse said it was possible we will be discharged already, you said very clearly "wonderful!".

posted from Bloggeroid

The Labor Bagsss

Note: Drafted na ito nung May 30 pa.  Ngayon lang na-post :)


Dahil bukas, May 31, ay ia-admit na ako sa hospital, kailangan na talagang i-finalize ang pag-empake ng “hospital/labor bag”. Mega-research ako diyan ha kasi ayaw ko nung “ay, sana pala nadala ko yung…”. Empre nobody’s perfect at malamang magkaka-moments ng ganun pero at least masasabi kong I tried my best :D Bedrest lang din naman ako e i-career ko na itong planning for the labor bag.

Eto ang mga references na very useful for me:

• Makati Med Maternity Guide (may checklist sa loob; ask your OB for it. Malamang may ganyan din sa ibang hospital)

• http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/checklist/hospital-packing.aspx

• http://www.babycenter.com.ph/pregnancy/labourandbirth/planningyourbabysbirth/whattopack/

• http://www.mommytopaz.com/2012/05/my-hospital-bag-is-packed.html

• http://manilamommy.com/2009/09/a-practical-hospital-bag-checklist/

Although sinabihan na ko ni OB na advisable na hindi i-room in si buting para maka-recover ako agad from my CS operation (baka wala rin akong silbi sa pagod at anesthesia) at iwas sakit din si buting in case may sakit ang visitors (kulang pa kasi siya talaga ng 2 weeks), nag-empake pa rin ako ng baby things for rooming in. I just want to be flexible at gusto ko may option ako. Eh pano kung magbago isip ko, baka ma-stress lang ako ng kakaisip na sana nagdala ako, etc. Di ko naman sure kung tatamaan ako ng mga mood swings, mga tipong baby blues o post partum depression. So parang security blanket ko na yung baby things niya. Ang resulta, sa isang maliit na maleta, gamit lang ni buting! Halos buong cabinet ni buting ang naimpake ko (sinunod ko lang naman yung hospital checklist tsaka konti lang naman kasi damit niya dahil mabilis lang mapagliitan ang mga newborn clothes) plus toiletries niya at isang pack ng disposable diapers.

clothing
newborn disposable diaper
tie side shirt
booties
bonnet
burping cloth
pajama
mittens
going home outfit
bibs

toiletries
baby wipes
cotton balls
tissue
baby oil
baby shampoo/liquid soap
"toiletry caddy" (actually, libreng see through bag sya sa Watson, tamang tama para organized toiletries ni baby)
others
car seat
bassinet mattress cover

As for my bag of clothes, I think ayos lang laki niya for a 4 day-3 night stay. Aside from the usual clothes, worth highlighting ang items related to breastfeeding:


nursing attire/accessories
robe
nursing pillow
nursing bra
nursing pads
nursing outfit
small towels
nursing cover


May isa pa akong carry anywhere bag na ang laman ay:

clearbook with all the important documents
IDs
marriage cert
SSS and Philhealth forms

gadget/entertainment net bag
pen & notebook – aside from scribbling notes, to monitor time and duration of feedings
pda
cellphone
earphones
flashlight (cum lamp para kung may gusto akong buting-tingin pag lights out na)


others 
Wallet - important sa akin yung Citibank-Mercury Credit Card to avail the discounts for certain MMC services
Pouch with tissue, lip balm, hair accessories, brush, foldable fan

I have another bag na ang laman ay:

basin and tabo – from my previous hospital stays at para di kami i-charge ulit
adult diaper pads – for the heavy blood flow after delivery – yup, kahit CS, me ganun
overnight sanitary pads – pag medyo humina na ang blood flow
toiletry kit – dito ko na lang nilagay para di naman punong puno yung isang bag
tissue
joy ultra and sponge
plate, spoon & fork breast pump kit plus bottles 
what to expect -1st year book - security blanket ulit

Sa bag ni bibi, aside from his clothes:
gadgets
outlet adaptor – weird ang outlet sa MMC
extension cord
chargers
camera
laptop

Hindi naman karamihan ano? Para lang naman kaming titira sa MMC ang peg hehe. Pero ang amin lang ay para di na kami ma-stress dahil may sense of security kami na within reach lang kung ano man kailanganin namin at maiwasan ang mga unplanned purchases. At yan ang aming labor bagsss. :D

Baby Things for Our First Born

One of the things I looked forward to when I became pregnant was shopping for the baby. But since I was hospitalized several times, my shopping budget was slashed. Come to think of it, bibi and I would still be budget conscious whatever situation we may be in because that’s in our nature :)

Here are some of the cost management schemes we did:

1. Second hand items – we asked our family/closest friends if they have baby things which their babies/toddlers are not using anymore and if they would like to sell it. I think it is a win-win situation – instant spring cleaning for our family/friends, savings for us! A generous friend of mine even just gave us a few of her baby’s things stocked in her mom’s house which she left when she and her family migrated abroad. Lucky me!

2. Canvass: online vs mall shops – I blogged before that there are items which are cheaper online. Since I have lots of free time as I am on bedrest, I compare online prices vs the mall’s. Aside from my limited shopping trips, I rely on bibi to do the canvassing in malls which I think he enjoys as long as I give him a list. He is happy to help me on this as canvassing is one of his forms of relaxation. My basis for saying so is that he himself maintains an excel file of prices of grocery items we usually buy from different supermarkets (SM and Puregold). Since his place of work is near these supermarkets, he plans his grocery accordingly with maximum savings in mind. Weird? I don’t think so. Nerdy? Kinda :D I would have loved to go to Divisoria for our baby’s things but bibi is not fond of the place because it is out of the way and going there is more of a hassle to him (traffic, parking, security, crowds, definitely not wheelchair friendly, etc). Naku, pagkapanganak ko, Divi here I come!

3. Maximize “saving tools” – I am referring to discount/membership cards, vouchers and credit card points. So far, we have the SM Advantage card and discount voucher booklet, Baby Company Mom card, A-card (Ayala) and gift certificates bought with credit card points. But there is one thing that bibi will not take advantage of – 3 day sales. No amount of discounts will make him go through crowds and endure long lines. Ako kaya? Can’t wait to try it!

4. Baby showers and Wish lists – good friends of mine wanted to throw me a baby shower. Who am I to refuse :p? And they even requested for a wishlist. It is a common advice for parents to buy stuff after the baby shower to avoid multiple items. As for the wish list, this really makes gift giving easier (I myself ask for this if I am the gift giver). I made my list flexible – generic items and specific items with links to pictures for easy reference. Everything in my wish list are things we haven’t bought yet and included items which I just want for the baby and placed at the bottom of our list of things to buy – who doesn’t want cute stuff for the baby? Lucky me again because my friends were very generous – they gifted me with the big ticket items – crib, infant feeding starter set, sterilizer and baby bouncer!

Baby things can really be costly. But we also have our weak moments when we splurge on items especially if the above do not apply. After all, we are new parents and we only want the best for our first born – we just try our best to be practical about it, a trait which we would like to pass on to our little buting :D

Preggy Memories

Only two nights from now, the little miracle inside me will reveal herself to the world. How time flies! Thinking of this makes me reminisce the months that have passed. Before the anesthesia affects my memory, let me list down some of the things I want to remember about my pregnancy:

1. I did not suffer much from morning sickness. I had a few bouts of nausea which thankfully didn't last long.

2. I did not have weird food cravings but I had a phase wherein I hated chicken, especially chicken fried in olive oil. Even the word chicken makes me uncomfortable. Another food that earned my distaste is canned corned beef. As in yuck! My disgust with chicken eventually disappeared in my 2nd trimester. The same cannot be said for the canned corned beef. Let see after I give birth.

3. I always wake up at around 2am and 4am to pee. Most of the time during the 1st and 2nd trimesters, I would not able to go back to sleep until bibi's cel alarm ring at 530am. I would play Hang Man on my cel then eventually got addicted to solitaire in my pda. Nowadays, it's either I sleep late or if I wake up for my 1st bathroom ritual, I will be able to sleep after the 2nd one. I also added the occasional drafting of blog posts as one of my wee morning activities (actually, this post was drafted two weeks ago during one of those sleepless nights).

4. Pillows! Prior to being pregnant, I only use 1 pillow. Sometimes, I was even more comfortable with a rolled up towel. But now, I cannot sleep without my 8 pillows! Makati Med was my sponsor for the 6 pillows.

5. Bibi has been spoiling me even before except when it comes to junk food. Bibi is a health conscious person that is why junk food is banned from the house particularly chips, ice cream and chocolates (except when these are given by friends :D). When I became pregnant, I just text him and he will try his best to drop by the grocery, no question asked! But since he has trained me well, I only request 1 type of junk food and it takes me at least a week to finish it. Note that he only buys the small packages (pede na!). Paano na kaya after I give birth? Mmm…

The above are just a few of the memories I have of my preggy days...The past 9 months has been a roller coaster adventure for us but everything is worth it. Two more sleeps to go and bibi and I will again embark on a different trip…parenthood!

Plus One...

As a result of last Saturday's OB check-up, we finalized my CS sched to fall on June 1 instead of the original May 25.

Dear Little Buting: The Lower the Weight, the Longer the Wait

5/12/12

Dear Little Buting,

Based on today's ultrasound, you are underweight for your gestational age-falling in the 5th percentile. Looking back at your weight history, your February 4 ultrasound showed that your gestational weight was at the 97th percentile-you were big! This prompted our OB to have me checked if I have gestational diabetes, which fortunately, came out negative.  In your March 24 ultrasound, you were at the 60th percentile and our OB was happy about it.  Come May 12, your weight fell at the 5th percentile!  It was then I realized the recent change in my eating habits.  Nanay is at fault because lately, I am not eating regularly my am & pm snacks for you, even if you are reminding me by squirming a lot come snack time. I don't eat a lot at meal times because I easily get full - nanay drinks a lot of water during meals making me feel full immediately. I preferred sleeping over eating as well. OB advised for nanay to eat more protein and instead of finally seeing you on May 25, the CS sched was moved to June 1 so your development can be maximized without labor risk.  

Anak, nanay is very sorry and I promise to improve my eating habits to prepare you for your big day…

Mall Shopping: Personal Bladeless Fan

We usually buy stuff at SM since “they’ve got it all”, very convenient to go to and our credit card offers 2% rebates for items bought in department stores. When I discovered SM Baby Company Mom card in one of the mommy blogs I have been following - can’t remember which one : ( , this made us buy almost all of our baby’s things at SM.  The Mom card is one cool card to have since it has rebates (Php4 per every Php200 of Baby Company item bought/P1 for every Php200 for non-BC) and promos exclusive to members.  


One promo we took advantage of was this cute personal bladeless fan with colorful lights flashing in its tummy, originally priced at Php799.75 but Mom card holders can buy it at Php499.75 for a minimum single-receipt purchase worth Php500 of any BC products.  I am not totally convinced if we got a good bargain (I’m sure mura ito sa Divi pero kelan pa ko makakapunta?!) and if it will last long but the impulsive nanay really want one-now! I think the offer is until May 31.  I’ve read before how other mommies rave about their bladeless fans and how their babies love to play with it but those were the expensive ones.  I’m happy with this one and hopefully, buting will like it too :)

What to Expect

In 2007, I resigned from my very demanding job and transferred to what I thought would be a manageable one while still doing what I love (plus better compensation!). Di naman ako nagkamali. At super bait pa ng boss ko! We both came from the same auditing firm and I know her by reputation – masungit at terror daw. But when we met for the interview, di ko ma-sense yung sungit. My impression was strict siya and straight to the point. Ok naman sa akin yun kasi ayaw ko ng emotional boss. It turned out, strict when it comes to work, kaaliw pag outside work. Alam niya at the start na I wanted to have a baby and she was very supportive of it. 

In 2008, out of the blue – wala namang okasyon, binigyan niya ako ng book – What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Tuwang-tuwa ako kasi naririnig ko lang yung book na yun. Sabi niya, mahirap daw kasing makakakita nun kaya nung may nakita siya, binili niya agad for me. Sweet di ba? It took me almost 4 years bago ko talaga siya basahin ng page by page dahil hinintay ko muna si buting. Very informative talaga and helpful ang book. 

Kaya nung nakita ko naman online ang What to Expect – the First Year, ay, parang gusto kong bilhin! Yun lang, di ako nakakalabas to look for the book. In terms of budget, dulong-dulo siya ng listahan. Buti na lang, I have a good friend, now based in Canada with her family, who is very generous. Pinakuha niya sa amin from her nanay yung ginamit ng baby niya na car seat (na ang ganda at sosy pa!), pati baby books, pinakuha niya na rin sa amin. At nung makita ko yung What to Expect – the First Year, muntik na kong tumalon sa tuwa, bawal nga lang :) Buti na lang di ko pa kinukulit si bibi na ibili ako (although nung nabanggit ko yung book before, sabi niya ok lang daw na isama sa mga bibilhin). Kumpleto yung books niya ng What to Expect (When You’re Expecting, the First Year and Eating Well). 

Ngayon, cramming ako na basahin yung First Year kasi super lapit na ng CS sched ko! Nasa breastfeeding part na ako at talagang ok yung book – instructional kasi. I even used my favorite stuff toy, si Hobbes, para mas mag-stick sa akin yung mga techniques. Ang cute niya no? Ipapamana ko yan kay buting :)

Hanggang dito na lang muna at magababasa pa ako :)

Outfit of the Day Pics

May 3 - after church

May 6 - after church

Dito na magwawakas ang mga outfit of the day photo-ops ko dahil mukhang na-exhaust ko na lahat ng loose clothes ko. :) Hehe, oo na, dami kong loose clothes dahil... Pero in fairness, mga a few months before kami mag-start ng treatment, I lost a total of 15 pounds in one year - less rice, bawas fast food at regular playing of wii :) Everything's possible for the baby!

Online Shopping Newbie

Dahil sa aking scary moment ng third week of April, kinareer ko na pag-aralan ang online shopping. Di talaga kasi ako nago-online shopping kasi:

1. Traditional shopper ako – sarap kasing mamasyal sa mall.

2. Baka ma-hack ang credit card.

3. Di ko feel umorder from online sellers abroad kasi ang laki ng shipping fee, parang di sulit.

4. Di ako sure kung reliable ang mga local online sellers.

5. Di ako sure sa quality ng products kasi di ko actually nakikita or nahahawakan yung item.

Pero dahil sa mga mommy blogs, na-encourage akong mag-try dahil karamihan sa kanila, nago-online shop at ok naman sila. Napansin ko rin, minsan, mas mura sa online compared sa mall. Eto ang aking guide which helped me feel comfortable with online shopping:

1. To check if the local online seller is reliable, look for reviews by bloogers :)
Parang ok din mag-shop sa Multiply kasi step by step siya tsaka pwede mong i-filter yung trusted sellers.

2. Apply for an online shopping credit card (BDO has this) or have a supplementary credit card with the lowest credit limit possible.
We chose the latter kasi ala naman kaming BDO account at Citibank loyalist kami – don’t want to maintain too many cards. And we took advantage of Citibank’s ongoing promo na free for life ang supplementary cards. Tipid sa annual fees!

3. Try to check if the online item is available in malls so you can check the actual item as well as compare prices if savings is a priority over convenience.
Baka kasi maganda lang sa picture. Tsaka pag di free shipping, baka mapamahal ka pa. Sa case namin, we take into account yung rebate features ng credit card (Citibank Cash Back), rebate sa SM mom card, at discounts pag pwedeng gamitin ang A-Card sa Ayala Malls.

4. Exercise self-restraint when shopping online.
Ang dami kasing cute baby items online kaya magpigil pigil. Just copy the link or add to favorites then sleep it over…pagmunimunihang maigi at baka unnecessary gastos lang siya. Yes, obvious na super cost/budget conscious kami ni bibi and we like to compute – mathematician si bibi, accountant naman ako :)

At ang aking first online purchase: Charlie Banana Cloth Diaper from Caleb's Closet Echostore! Ang ending: tagumpay! May comment lang ako dun sa courier pero syempre, labas na ang Caleb Store dun.  

Hmm, what to buy next? :)

bought this during the site's promo sale

cute!

Outfit of the Day Pic

April 26 - after church

April 28 - after OB check-up

April 29 - after church

Midnight Reflections

Warning: This is a long post, written during one of my many insomnia attacks.  It is full of ramblings and reflections of a mother to be who wants to sleep but just can't.


I have been on bedrest since I got pregnant.  With less than 1 month to go, it seems I will still be until I give birth. I was diagnosed with placenta previa since my first trimester and this causes my scary moments-the spotting incidents. Good thing I resigned already from my job or else, it would have been very stressful.  My Indian boss wouldn't let me at first and offered various working arrangements, including a work from home set-up.   The work from home set-up would have been great but with our OB's advise, I knew from the start that this will not be a normal pregnancy.  Bibi and I decided if we are really serious with our pregnancy plans given all the emotional, physical, financial investment plus other factors involved in this pregnancy, then we should try our best to make our situation conducive to become pregnant and carry our baby to term. Now, I could not imagine how I could work from home when I always have contractions when I use my laptop - and I am just surfing the net!  I could not go around our small condo unit without using a wheelchair.  Good thing I have my ancient but trusty PDA but I think it cannot replace the laptop for work.  I really admire women who are able to work until they go to labor, which I thought I would be one. But reading pregnancy articles made me realize no pregnancies are the same, even if the mother is the same.  What more if different mothers are involved?  Some thought my resignation is going overboard but I just have to follow my instincts.  With all these, I feel very blessed that Bibi is my husband who is very much involved and supportive of my pregnancy. He has been spoiling me ever since we got married more than 6 years ago. With all the treatments, hospitalization even my mood swings, he is still very patient and understanding.  I know how far he would go for me... 


In one of my surfing sessions, I came across this:

"The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices."

http://www.babycenter.com/0_forty-two-things-that-change-when-you-have-a-baby_1452535.bc

Just looking at the 3D pictures of my unborn child already makes me feel that way...

Scary Moment Update

April 22,11pm. Another spotting incident.  May be due to the 3 1/2 hours spent in baby shopping...to think I was in a wheelchair the whole time.  Per OB's text, go to the hospital if there will be subsequent spottings.  Good thing there were no incidents after.  At least I was able to experience shopping for the baby without any dire consequence to my little buting.   I'm a girl after all and who does not enjoy shopping?  Shopping for the baby was even more exciting and fun!  Now, I think there will be no more shopping for me because of this spotting incident.  Usually, my OB does not allow my once-a-week outing for 2 to 3 weeks after a spotting incident.  Given that I only have one month to go, I cannot imagine myself shopping 1 week before my CS operation.  The upside is that bibi finally agreed for me to try online shopping!  I just hope there will be no contractions now that I will be surfing the net more (which I usually experience before).  O well, once buting is here, I'm sure I'd rather spend my time with her than shopping!

Outfit of the Day Pics

April 21 - before baby shopping @ SM Makati

April 22 - after church

Wheeling Around

Here's a picture of my wheelchairs. Yes, I have two.  Both were already used but I don't mind.  A big thank you to bibi's family and to our churchmates who lent us these wheelchairs.  Without these, I wouldn't be able to go around the house, go to church and go to malls (with OB’s clearance of course).

Just a side note-every OB visit I get to eat out since my OB would give us the go signal to do so.  We always go to Greenbelt 5, our favorite mall.  We appreciated Gbelt even more since it is so easy to get a wheelchair from the Concierge.  Thus, no need to lug around our own.:)

And the Countdown Begins...

In my April 14 OB check-up, OB asked if we want to have a normal or cesarean (CS) delivery.  Since the chance of my placenta previa going away is slim, we decided to go with CS.  Our OB did not want to decide for us but when we decided to have a CS delivery, she said CS would be safer for me especially that I have a "complicated pregnancy".  It wasn’t until I heard those two words from my OB did I realize my pregnancy is indeed complicated.  Before I got pregnant, I have thought that once I conceive, pregnancy will be a breeze, despite my OB’s warnings.  I am thinking no one in my family had complicated pregnancies so I’m good.  Gee, was I wrong.  One factor could be the age.  I am the only one who got pregnant in my 30s. Well, there are really some things we cannot control.  


Although my estimated due date is June 13, our OB said it is best that I schedule my CS operation around 3 weeks early to avoid labor.  Laboring with placenta previa can result in bleeding and we wouldn’t want that to happen… Would have wanted the delivery to be on bibi’s birthday (May 22) but OB said it’s too early.  3 days after bibi’s birthday would be ok.  And now, the countdown begins for the big day!

Changed my baby ticker to real time countdown mode :)
Buting's icon is a mushroom - ka-buting!

Dear Little Buting: Squirmy Buting

Dear Little Buting,


At more than 32 weeks, you have stopped kicking. Your movements are more of squirming-sometimes gentle, other times, it feels like a royal rumble wrestling match. This is because my tummy's becoming cramped since you are getting bigger! You move a lot when I'm hungry, during my madaling araw bathroom ritual, around sunrise and when your tatay is watching basketball! Your every move makes me smile because it reminds me of the precious life growing inside my tummy. I love you little buting!

Outfit of the Day Pics

April 14 - after my OB check-up

April 15 - after church

Just realized that ever since I got pregnant, I haven't bought any maternity clothes, except for the Havin' A Baby shorts in the first picture.  Since I do not go out much, my wardrobe are my dusters I inherited from my Inang (my nanay's aunt), hand me down shorts from Sanse and my loose clothes. Tipid! Hehe.   

Outfit of the Day Pics

Since my due date is fast approaching, I decided to take outfit of the day pictures while I still have my big baby bump so I’ll have something to remind me of my pregnancy looks :) 

April 5 - after church

April 8 - after church

Scary Moment Update

April 1, 1245PM.  Another spotting incident. We went to the hospital for fetal and contraction monitoring.  Everything’s ok after an hour, what a relief!  My OB called me and explained that it might be due to my constipation…reminded me to eat more veggies…