Growing girth and impending birth.

I will be full term at 37 weeks in a few days. As per doctor's advice, I was to stay ambulated and to keep walking about so that the baby can start engaging and getting into position. Our bodies actually start preparing for labour a month well ahead of it. You'll know that labour is at hand when your baby 'drops' or is what is called 'lightening,' and it happens a few weeks before labour starts. It's when you feel a heaviness on your pelvis and less pressure on your lower rib cage which now makes it easier to breathe.

I walked around the mall and ran errands with my mum until I started to feel a little tired. It's odd walking around and grasping my belly as though I had just stolen a watermelon or bowling ball and was hiding it under my dress. I can feel my baby moving and trying to get into position. There's a slight pinching sensation around the vaginal area and your perineum feels the pressure of the baby weight too. Oh I kept moaning when I got home. Moaning about back pain, moaning about how short of breath I am and how difficult it is to find a comfortable sitting position (or any comfortable position for that matter). 

I am so tempted to just lay down all day! But of course, that doesn't help the baby transition any. There were moments last night when I felt like I might start going into labour. Since I'm a first-time mum, I'm glad I asked my doctor about the things to look out for before checking myself in. Coming into hospital too soon will cost me more money than time. So she basically narrowed it down to looking out for three things:

• If you start having contractions, time them and see if they are within 10 to 15 minutes of each other within a 2-hour span. This is accompanied by extreme pain (duh, you're going into labour!!)

• If your water breaks, then you definitely have to go and get checked in. If you notice a leak and it doesn't smell like urine (yes you'll have to smell to be sure), you'll still have to go in because that means there is a leak in your amniotic sac and that is going to expose your baby to deadly bacterial infection. The most urgent thing is for your baby to be protected. In this scenario, if you haven't started getting contractions or going into labour yet, you will need to be induced.

• If you notice a mucoidal vaginal discharge that's tinged with brown, pink or red blood, that's what's called a "bloody show." This means that you passed your mucus plug and that you are going into labour in about 1-2 days. DON'T GO to the hospital yet. You might want to wait for the two above-mentioned signs instead.

In other news, sleep has become even more elusive to me now. I went to bed at midnight last night and woke at 2am due to pretty bad heartburn. It's like when you swallow a capsule and it doesn't go down at all; it's just stuck in your esophagus. Switching positions is such a painful task because the baby's weight is fully pressing down on you and you need to do it slowly because it's a roll cage for him in there. Your best move when it comes to any feeling, sensation or sign is to get in touch with your practitioner immediately. Text your doctor or midwife no matter what time of night or day if there is something you're experiencing but aren't quite sure about. There's nothing like peace of mind to aid us in our home stretch in this pregnancy.

So here I go. A walkabout I will go and pray that my son comes out soon. :)

Swimming and kneading

It's a sunny Sunday but the skies were pregnant with potential precipitation (I love saying those two words together). The air is heavy and thick with humidity and the best escape for me today was to The Palms Country Club in Alabang. My girl friends Danielle and Feanne and I were excited over some pool time. I love being in the water because it's the one place throughout this pregnancy where I feel weightless and free. It felt so good being able to do laps and get my cardio up. The restaurant at The Palms serves fresh coconut juice and the best part is that they chill the whole coconut before serving it so you don't have to suffer drinking room temperature coconut water. The Palms, however, is a private, members-only country club.

After a poolside lunch, we headed to Alabang Town Center for some air conditioned comfort. A long walk in a buzzing mall on a hot day deserves to be rewarded with a little spa time. We found a quaint little Balinese-inspired spa that turned out to be more than a spa. It's called Kartini and it was a spa, al fresco cafe/resto and herbal garden.  The entrance is a gorgeously-carved wooden door with elephant statuettes flanking it on both sides. As you enter, you are greeted by a stone pathway cutting through the grass which leads to the main reception area.

The services are varied and the masseurs seem to know their stuff. I opted for a neck and shoulder 30-minute massage which we had to sort of discuss because they were apprehensive about taking in a very pregnant client. I explained to them that my doctor had advised only against massages from the waist down (and especially around the legs and feet) due to the risk of bruising and blood clotting that may endanger my baby. It was a good sign for me that they didn't just take me in without firs tasking how far along I was in my pregnancy and telling me about the precautions they needed to take.

Once you decide on a service, they take you down the stone pathway and into a separate room with massage beds lined up. Because I'm pregnant, I was made to lay down on my side while the masseur kneaded my back gently--she refused to put any more pressure on my back in order to avoid any complications or danger to my pregnancy. She did, however, indulge me in my request for a harder kneading on my shoulders and neck. The service cost me P490. Not bad. My friend Danielle got a 30-minute foot spa with leg massage for P300+ which she says she was happy about.

They serve you either a cold beverage or hot tea (depending on what you prefer) after your session. Danielle and I walked around the place to check it out and admire the place. It had such a relaxing ambience, you wouldn't have realized it was chaotic and busy outside with all the cars driving past and the flurry of people walking about. They have these lovely herb gardens that grew Oregano, Chives, Peppermint and a slew of other fresh herbs. They also sell organic skin products like oils, scents, etc. 

Another thing we noticed about Kartini is that nearly all the beautiful wooden furniture in the place were for sale--even the antique mirror in the bathroom! They sell plants, stones, have landscaping and flora services AND you can get all that green-thumbing and massaging done in a place that offers meals and refreshment as well. So if you feel like that massage left you a little too relaxed and you find that you have other errands to run, you can sit outside where the air smells of flowers and herbs and a quietly flowing fountain numbs your senses to the buzzing of the outside world and order yourself a coffee. 


Check them out if you find yourself down south in the Alabang area. You can visit their website or email their president and design principal, Nina Malvar at kartini_nm@yahoo.com. Their contact numbers are: (632) 8074356; (0917) 9080386 / (0915) 8770454.

Hot flashes and heat rashes.

I learned something today that left me feeling like a total idiot.

I just came from my OBGYN for my usual check up and as I was telling her how I'd been feeling the past few weeks, I chanced upon that terrible Sunday morning when I endured nearly 20 minutes of excruciating misery due to hot flashes. I wasn't overly melodramatic but I made sure she understood how horrible that experience was for me-- as I describe how it felt, complete with gesticulations and facial expressions. After my theatrical recount, she let out a light and non-condescending laugh and said, "Those weren't hot flashes. What you experienced was a form of heatstroke."

DOINK.

I can't believe I (along with other much older women who were mothers that I had spoken to) kept calling calling them hot flashes! Apparently, hot flashes occur due to declining levels of estrogen--something I'm obviously not experiencing right now. This is experienced by a woman during the early stages of menopause. I felt so ridiculous but at the same time was happy to learn something new today.

The heat really has been wreaking havoc on my sense of wellbeing (and my electricity bill) and is even causing my skin to develop rashes. While there's nothing I can do to magically draw rain clouds over the city and lower the temperature, I find that drinking lots of icy water is excellent for keeping you hydrated and cooling you down from the inside.

To avoid the sticky sensation on my skin, I apply Nivea Baby Calming Powder. I know it's for babies but who's to say mummies can't use it too? I don't know how much calming powers it actually wields, but it does ease the itching and rawness of rashes. You can also try mentholated body powder that has a cooling effect on your skin. Feels like you've slathered on some mint cream. Luscious.

Picture Perfect

Baby bump photo shoots are all the rage these days. It's really nothing new except for the theme and concept. There's the usual dainty-themed photos that involve a lot of pinks and blues and some doilies or what. One of the more recent themes and shoot concepts I've seen were more racy and involved Moulin Rouge-like boudoir setups. Different strokes for different folks, they always say.

My dad took a photo of my mum in artsy blanc-et-noir nude silhouette. This was back when film was all there was and digital photography was a thing of imaginations. I had it my mind to make sure I got my photos taken so that I can show them to my son when he's a little bigger. I just wasn't sure how to go about it and who to choose as a photographer. I am on such a tight budget being that baby expenses are nothing to laugh at, so it was important for me to find a sensible package. I remembered my friends who are a husband and wife team, Jorem and Sheila Catilo.

However due to the sensitivity of the subject, Sheila would be the one to take my photos. She's a mother of a beautiful 2-year old girl and she's really got such a gifted eye for art. The session was quick and it was relaxed. Sheila's amazing at making you feel comfortable and she's very gentle in directing her subject. We didn't have to go to a studio or some fancy location. We worked with what we had which was my bedroom and nearby spots around my street.

I got the finished photos the very next day and a nice, glossy print out is in the mail on its way to me. I am well pleased with the outcome and can't wait to frame them up! Check out their website and see what other kinds of photography work they do. You won't be disappointed if you get them to take your photos.

 

Cool beans!

The Philippines is well-known by many tourists as tropical paradise. Okay it's known for many other things, but most tourists who hail from cold countries flock to the Philippines to take advantage of the year-long tropical climate whilst getting a tan and a side of alcoholic summer drink. True it can be delightful having the sun all year-round. But for a pregnant woman like me, it is absolute torture.

Summer time in the Philippines takes place from late March until the end of May. While there are cooler regions in the country, the capital city which is called Metro Manila has its own thermal bubble. The past few weeks (or maybe even month) has been the hottest it's ever been--with temperatures reaching up to 97 deg F (36 deg C).  Ridiculous right? The only refuge and respite that we pregnant women have is either the mall, the car or the office--anywhere that's got air conditioning. But with the burgeoning baby bump causing strain on our backs and joints, it now also becomes essential to find a comfortable position: laying down, sitting down, leaning back, etc. The mall is only good for walking around or if you find a cafe that will let you lounge on their couch while you nurse the same decaffeinated blended drink for hours.

Precious 100% Organic Herbal Pillow

I found a nifty little thing that helps me cool down on hellishly-hot days like this one, without having to leave the comforts of my home. I call it "cool beans." The label and tag say Precious 100% Organic Herbal Pillows. It's got these tiny beans that have a mentholated aromatic scent, helping you relax and achieve a sense of calm. These lovely pillows (they're not soft at all like pillows you sleep on--think of Beanie Babies dolls, that's more similar to it). You can microwave it and use it as a hot compress for strained and tired muscles and joints (the baby weight can cause lower back pain and putting a little warm compress can help relax the strained back muscles). And you can pop it in the freezer for 2 hours or overnight and use it as a cold compress or to just cool you down. I've got it propped across my shoulders right now as I type!

I came across it at a Mom Expo at the Rockwell Tent a few weeks ago. It comes in small, medium and large sizes. I got the medium size and it costs about PHP650.00 (USD15.00). Not bad actually. The cold doesn't stay too long but it does work its magic. I feel more relaxed and much cooler (not in a hip sense but in terms of temperature). The pillows come in different styles and fabric designs to suit your taste. Give it a shot and tell me what you think!

Hello!

Okay so my blog title says I'm a mum now, technically I suppose you could say that. But I actually have about three weeks (give or take) until I pop. I just thought I'd get a head start on this blog. I suppose my goal is to start documenting from here on end my journey as a first-time mum, talking about bits and pieces of how I'm taking on this pregnancy, some odd cravings (if any) and trying out mummy and baby-friendly products that might help you (or get some feedback from you that will, in a way, help me too).

So I hope you do enjoy this blog and be a gentle critic since I'm not the tech savvy type who can sort out HTML and whatever nifty technospeak kids have for formatting blogsites and all. 

Cheers!

H xxx