The beauty of being a Mom

In the first few months after I gave birth to baby  J, I couldn't imagine myself going through the whole pregnancy process again.  Sure, I knew my baby had to have a sibling, but, the thought of getting pregnant again, with all the symptoms I had plus going through the post-op pain of a C-section, I didn't even want to think of getting pregnant.


But, I fell in love with my daughter; and the hubby and I have been having a blast raising her that after awhile, I felt myself wanting to be  pregnant again. When I saw pregnant ladies  in the mall, I would think to myself how nice it was to be pregnant again.  That was my cue that I was ready for another baby.  I no longer remembered my past pregnancy discomforts, rather, I remembered how much  fun it was to have a little person in the house.


And so, here we are, on another exhilarating journey of pregnancy, but this time, with a two-year old to take care of as well.  This is why I haven't been able to write in the last few months. Between work, family, and pregnancy symptoms, I am bushed!


Things have been more difficult now compared to the first pregnancy, since you not only have to take care of the baby growing inside you, but also the little lady jumping and running around the house who also needs your love and attention.


But of course, with all the difficulties, comes the joy of knowing that soon, there will not  be one, but two sources of joy!  And being the resilient human beings  that we are, we trudge on through the nausea,  vomiting, and what-have-you to experience this overwhelming joy all over again.  That is the beauty of being a mom! 

A story of hope

As parents, the only thing we always ask for when we're on the family way, is to have a healthy baby.  We may have gender preferences when we find out we are pregnant, but as soon as you hear your baby cry for the first time, gender will not really matter anymore.  We all fall in love with our babies at first sight (maybe even before we see them).


When I was pregnant with baby J, I vowed to myself that I will try to be as healthy as I possibly could.  I tried to do everything that would make her as healthy as possible.  I stopped eating sashimi, stopped drinking caffeinated beverages, took vitamins and drank milk religiously, and tried not to expose myself to viruses. So, naturally, I had a very smooth pregnancy.  All our check-ups were normal and baby J was at par with age every step of the way.


Because everything was normal, we knew we had a healthy baby.  When I delivered, we naturally agreed to everything that would benefit our baby (that included Hearing screening, Neonatal screening, vaccines, etc.).  We never worried about anything because even my delivery went smoothly.


But three weeks after delivery, I suddenly received a call from baby J's pediatrician.  The Neonatal screening test results were back!  And there was something wrong with my baby.  Based on the screening test, baby J tested positive for Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD).  Being a doctor, I knew it was not a serious problem, that we just had to be very careful with her food, environment, etc.  But, despite this, my world still crumbled at the news.  I cried after I put the phone down because I was already thinking about how her life would be when she grew up, with so many restrictions (on food, on drugs, even on the environment).  I started educating my relatives about the restrictions for baby J when she got older. 


At the same time that I was educating my family about G6PD, I was questioning the validity of the result because both the hubby's family and my family never had a relative with G6PD.  I could not reconcile the positive result with the absence of a family history.  The hubby and I decided to go to the National Institute of Health (NIH) to get a confirmatory test for baby J as well as for both of us, plus a cousin of mine.  Baby J's result confirmed G6PD, and all our results didn't help either.


Despite the confirmatory test, I was still questioning the probability of baby J having it.  So, during one discussion with a pediatrician about this, I was told that we can have the test repeated when baby J turned 6-8 months.  So, when we moved back to our country of residence, I told baby J's new pediatrician about the result and the absent family history.  Baby J's pediatrician then told me that we can do another test when she turned 8 months.  So when the time came, I requested to do the test for baby J, despite knowing that she had to suffer another blood extraction.  I was still hoping that we would get a different result since a lot of factors can affect the initial result.


After about two weeks, I then got a call from the pediatrician.  The result for the test was... NORMAL!!!  I felt so relieved and happy about it.  I trusted my instinct and knowledge of science. 


This is the first time I am openly sharing this.  But I just wanted to share how an unhappy situation had a happy ending.  I guess, there really is some truth to a mother's instinct!  There's more than enough sad news out there, I hope this story sends out a message of happiness and hope.

Going on a road trip with your baby

Even before baby J went on her first plane ride, the hubby and I have already been bringing her around.  In fact, she went on her first road trip when she was just 6 weeks old. 


To prepare for road trips, these are a few things I bring along:




1. Car seat


The use of infant car seats are a must, especially when travelling long distances.  There have been a lot of reported cases of mothers not being able to hold on to their babies when an accident does happen.  Because of this, we always made it a point to put baby J in her car seat whenever we travel, be it short or long distances.  The only problem with putting babies in a car seat is that babies do not like staying there for prolonged periods.


Of course, infant car seats are different from toddlers' car seats.  Do check to make sure you have the correct size for your baby and make sure the seatbelt has been strapped in correctly.




2. Toys


When baby J was very young, I would bring her musical toys and other stuffed animals to try to entertain her for the long ride ahead.  But as she grew older, toys were replaced by my repertoire of songs for her as well as pointing out things we saw out the window.


3. Food


Neonates and infants are very "oral".  They like putting things in their mouth.  So, if you are travelling with a wee little one, then it is best to prepare their milk formula.  If you are breastfeeding, then it is best to bring your nursing cover wherever you go, as babies tend to ask for milk anywhere, anytime.


For toddlers, it is best if you have a few snack choices for them.  Baby J does not like eating only one type of snack, so we always make sure to carry with us many food choices for her.


4. Pacifiers/ teethers


Again, depending on the age of your baby, they may prefer sucking on a pacifier during the long drive or they may want to chew on to something.


5. Extra set of clothes and bib


Because babies' satiety center is still immature, there is a tendency to overfeed them since they will never say no to milk.  They may vomit often because of this.


I had such problem with baby J.  She enjoyed breastfeeding, and as such, had a tendency to feed for prolonged periods and at very short intervals.  This led to her vomiting almost daily, anytime and anywhere.  Because of this, I always made it a point to bring extra sets of clothes for her as well as for myself.


6. Blanket


Our little ones do not have enough fats to insulate them from the cold, so I always came prepared with a nice comfortable blanket for baby J.


On the other end of the spectrum, we also need to make sure that do not become too hot either.


Travelling with babies, whether it is only to go to the mall or to take long road trips, will always mean bringing around a lot of stuff.  But, all the stresses of preparation are worth it just to be able to spend time with our little ones.


So, go out and explore with your babies.  Good luck! Trust me, it gets easier with time.

What you need to know about air travel with an infant

The hubby and I started air travel with baby J when she was just 2 months old.  Being a first time Mom, I was of course, very apprehensive about travelling with my wee little one. But travelling with a baby entails more than the plane ride.  There are countless preparations involved,  beginning with the passport (if you are planning to travel overseas).


Because I knew we were travelling when baby J turned 2 months, I applied for her passport when she was just a month old.  Luckily, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has a courtesy lane for young children as well as senior citizens so we did not have to wait very long during the application process.


What do you need when applying for your baby's passport?   
1.  The officials will ask for a National Statistics Office (NSO) copy of your child's birth certificate.  But, because the NSO copy for one so young was not available so soon, they will allow you to just  submit the Birth Certificate released by the  hospital.  But, they will ask you to sign an agreement that when the time comes to renew the passport, you need  to submit an NSO  copy of the birth certificate then or your child  will not be granted a passport.
2. Duly filled application form
3. Picture taking  will be done on site.
4. The passport will be released between 2 weeks to 1 month from the date of the application, depending on the applicant load.  When collecting the passport, your little does not have to make an appearance at the DFA anymore.  You just need to bring the receipt.


Different countries will of course have different requirements for passport application so be sure to check with the respective government offices.


Now, you are ready to make your flight booking. 


Here are some things you need to know about air travel with a baby:
1. When booking your baby's ticket, some airline companies may ask you if you are paying for "Infant on Lap" or "Infant on seat".  If you decide to get a seat for your infant, you will of course have to pay the full adult fare or 75% of the adult fare (again depending on the airline).
2. A child from 0 - 2 years old will only be charged 10% of the published fare if the infant will sit on your lap.
3. Each infant is given 10kg baggage allowance.  Strollers and car seats are not charged.
4.  You may check-in your stroller or you may bring it all the way to the boarding gate and leave it with the ground crew before entering the plane.  When you disembark at the point of destination, check with the ground crew whether they will be bringing up the stroller at the boarding gate or it will be brought directly to the baggage claim area.
5.  If you wish to use your infant's car seat on the plane, make sure that the car seat is certified for use in the aircraft.
6.  Bassinets are provided for infants once the fasten seatbelt sign has been switched off.  However, babies need to be removed from the bassinet when there is turbulence and before landing.
7.  There is a height and weight limit for the bassinet as well.  Check with the flight attendant as different airlines use different sizes of bassinets.
8. When placing your infant in the bassinet, do make sure that the head is directed towards the window.  This is to ensure that should the overhead compartment suddenly open mid-flight, any contents that may fall out will not hit your baby's head.
9.  When booking your infant or toddler's ticket, make sure you have requested the correct meal for your baby.  Some companies give the option of feeds for starters or post-weaning meal for toddlers.
10.  In the event that you forget to bring diapers on the plane, the staff will usually have one or two diapers available.
11.  Depending on the company, others may give toys for the little one while others may actually give a diaper care kit.
12. Not all lavatories will have the changing table.  Always check the label on the door before you go in with the little one.


But, how do we actually make sure that our baby is comfortable during the flight?  How do we help our babies cope with the pressure changes in-flight?  These were the apprehensions I had during baby J's first flight.  So, what did I do to address this?


Tips for a comfortable flight for your baby:
 1. Feed your baby during take-off and shortly before landing (once the captain announces that "descent will be commencing".  If your little one is not hungry, you may also offer a pacifier or water to drink for take-off or landing.
2.  If you are breastfeeding, bring your nursing cover and make sure to let your infant latch on during take off and landing.
3.  Bring one or two toys on-board to keep your little one entertained.
4.  Bring teethers when your infant is teething.
5.  Prepare your repertoire.  Singing to your baby will help entertain him/ her throughout the duration of the flight.
6. Make sure your baby is wearing comfortable clothes in-flight. 
7. Make sure that a jacket or blanket is readily available.
8. For toddlers, make sure snacks are available.  Offer it to them during take off and landing as well, to help prevent ear pain from the cabin pressure changes.
9. For longer flights, you may even accompany your toddler to take walks around the plane.


Baby J has been to 12 countries already and has been on short, medium, and even long-haul flights already.  For the 20 or so times she has travelled, I made sure that I had everything ready on-board.  Because of all these preparations, baby J never once cried on the plane.  Now that she is a toddler, she doesn't even make a fuss on board.  She is so used to flying that everything on-board is normal to her.  She would even tell me: " Baby crying" when she sees other infants or toddlers crying on the plane.


Travelling with an infant or toddler should not have to be so difficult.  As long as you are prepared, travelling with an infant or toddler is so worth it.  By the time they are toddlers, you will see that a well-travelled baby looks at things differently.  They also have this appreciation for every new thing they see.  So, go travel with your baby.  The travel experiences you have with them is stimulating both for the heart and mind.

Keeping fit... with baby

The hubby and I have not had any decent exercise since baby J was born.  Juggling our erratic work schedule and the care of our baby does not leave us a lot of time on our hands to plan and actually stick to a fitness regimen.

I already gave up my gym membership and the hubby's bike has been gathering dust for the last 22 months.

Now that baby J is more grown up, I've been thinking about what exercise we can do that would still allow us to spend time with our baby, something that would also get her involved.  I initially thought about going jogging again, but that would mean buying a new stroller, one that is really meant to be able to withstand the stresses of being pushed around through different terrains.  So, jogging was out.  

I started thinking about what we had in our neighborhood, something that is easily accessible and would not cost much.  So, the idea of playing badminton again came to mind. Since we had rackets already, we just had to buy the shuttlecock and the net.  It was also a bonus that the badminton court was free of charge.

We have only started playing badminton for approximately two weeks, but at least, we are no longer couch potatoes.  Baby J also joins us when we play.  She would explore the play area with her nanny and meet other kids her age and watch us play in between her activities.  She enjoys those times we bring her to the court.  The next step is to think of a sports activity where baby J will have an active part in the activity as well...

It is actually a blessing that the hubby and I are on the same page when it comes to the care of our baby.  Hubby works twenty-seven to twenty-eight days in a month, so naturally, every spare time we have, we try to spend together as a family. So far, we have managed to work around this situation, not without effort, but we are still managing to give full-time hands-on parenting to baby J, and for that I am grateful.

Travelling Mom (plus two)

Travelling through 200 miles of wilderness during a recent business trip gave me time to reflect on my situation as a travelling mom. 

I travel heavily for work, sometimes being in 2 countries in one week and then travelling again the following week to another part of the globe.  Many families have been affected by this type of work situation.  But I am glad that my work has never affected my home life. In fact, it has brought my family even closer.

I am lucky that I have a very supportive husband who, working in the hospital, also does not have a fixed predictable schedule.  Because of this, we were able to turn our situation to our advantage.  Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves that we are spending a lot of time apart, we made it work for us.

I have to admit though, it has not been easy.  We both try to adjust to each other's schedules and plan for every last minute changes. When I am required to be in a country for only a few hours of work, I choose the earliest flight out and take the last flight back, just so I can be beside my hubby and baby at night. When work requires me to be away for a longer period, my husband then adjusts his schedule so they can join me on my trip. Of course it is not as easy as it sounds, and this set-up has not been very kind to our pockets. But one thing is clear, the husband and I have always made our family our first priority.

It takes a lot of work to keep a family together.  We need to identify our priorities and make sure we stick to it.  We need to ensure that we have work-life balance.  We need to give 100% at work and do the same for the family.

Instead of being away from them on my business trips, they instead, join me! They have their father-daughter bonding sessions while I am at work, and then we all go to explore the place after I finish work. 

We have never travelled as much as we are doing now.  And I must admit, it has been a very expensive solution for our situation. Some people may not even agree with what we are doing. But, for all the memories we are creating, for all the learning and discovery that baby J has been having, and for the love and attention that we are giving our baby, I think it is totally worth it.  

Why we celebrate our baby's first birthday

When baby J was turning one, I felt very happy and very sentimental at the same time.  I decided to put those emotions in writing.  Now that baby J is turning 2 in 2 months' time, I am once again reliving the wave of emotions I felt 10 months ago.  I would like to share with you what I wrote then:

Our baby is turning one in a few days. Looking back at the past year, I would say it has been the most difficult but most fulfilling twelve months of our lives. We grew up from adults to parents in the blink of an eye.

Caring for a baby can be quite scary (especially if it is your firstborn) because the care of that tiny bundle of joy is solely in your hands. What if you do a bad job at it? What if you harm your baby because of your ineptitude? All these things run through the minds of first time parents. That's why the baby's first birthday is always a cause for celebration, celebration for the parents that they did not botch the job of raising their baby! :)

But seriously, it has been an overwhelming year for my husband and I. We knew it would be a very tiring first year for us. But we didn't know it would be so much fun as well. Despite the year-round lack of sleep for me, having Iya around has brought so much joy not only to us parents but to the rest of the family as well.

The last twelve months has been a year of so many firsts as well, both for us and baby J. It was my first time to be admitted in a hospital, it was my first time to have an operation, it was our first time being parents. But what is more important are the firsts we have witnessed in our daughter, like the first time she uttered a sound, the first time she slept through the night, the first time she ate, her first tooth. There are so many firsts happening, and we never thought those small things can actually make a person happy. But it did! And it still continues to make us happy.

Last night, baby J wanted to eat the bread we were having for our midnight snack. It was her first time to eat bread. And she ate quite a big portion of it! Telling you now about it may seem a normal thing for you, but for us parents, we couldn't seem to stop smiling about it, seeing her eagerness to try the bread, and how happy she was when she was eating it. Remembering it now still brings a smile to my face. Such is the effect of a child on any parent.

It has been a wonderful roller coaster ride. Having a baby teaches us to stop and smell the roses and to appreciate the seemingly mundane things of everyday life.

Truly it has been a year of firsts for us, it is the first year we have truly lived!

Now that we are better at parenting than we were when baby J arrived, one thing remains the same, having baby J around makes us look at the world in a new light.  You will only stop and smell the roses when you have a little one around.  Babies teach us to appreciate and find joy in the littlest things.  Everyday we thank the Lord for blessing us with baby J who made us truly alive.