Maternity support

I had my prenatal check-up last Saturday and I gained a whooping 4 lbs. From 120lbs, I am now officially 124 lbs heavy. My OB told me that my tummy looks like 7months already and from the look of it, the baby inside is 6 lbs heavy.

After which, I lied down to check the baby’s heartbeat. She commented that, indeed, my tummy looks deceiving as it’s all FAT. I told her that I really felt heavy already and she advised me to use a maternity support. And since I am starting to have cramps at night, she prescribed Vitamin B complex for me and I need to take twice a day. I’ll continue taking up OB Max (vitamins), Hemarate (iron supplement), Vitamin C and of course a glass of Anmum a day.

*I am schedule to have my ultrasound on the 15th. Excited as usual.

26 weeks pregnant

From BabyCenter

Measuring your baby from top to toe with his legs extended, he is about 14 inches/ 35.6 centimeters. He weighs a little more than 1.6 pounds/ 760 grams. Your baby's eyes begin to open around now. Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. He also continues to take small breaths and although he's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when he's born.

Since your baby is now growing so fast, and brain development is so intense at this stage, your nutrition is very important. Continue to eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of grains and vegetables. Fiber-rich foods, including whole-grain breads and cereals, lentils and brown rice are high in vitamin B and help fend off constipation.

Your prenatal classes should start sometime in the next few weeks, if it hasn't already. Classes should provide you with good, clear information about the birth and the early days of parenthood. Keeping informed goes a long way toward calming any concerns you may have about giving birth.

Hair, Beautiful Hair!

Short, long, high & tight, sculpted, point cut, dread locks, mohawk ... different climates, cultures, locations seem to demand different hair styles. Who leads the way in hairstyling ... Paul Mitchell, Vidal Sasson ... or is it the celebs with their personal stylists ... regardless the media picks it up, judges it, and we adjust.

Postponed prenatal

I was supposed to have my prenatal check-up last Saturday and planned to ask my OB for an ultrasound referral to know my baby’s gender. However, seems the baby isn’t prepared yet as my OB wasn’t able to held clinic at Margareth. She was in OsMun and advised us to go back next week instead.

Oh well, the waiting game will take another week or so.

Memorial Day

In U.S. we remember those that have fought for our freedom ... we don't take freedom lightly, but sometimes we take those defenders of freedom for granted ... jeez, they're there, it's a job, do your thing, let me do my thing ... not quite that easy ... let's not forget that they also fought alongside our friends in many other nations to preserve a peacefully, free way of life for others, worldwide.

25 weeks pregnant

According to BabyCenter

The baby now weighs nearly 1.5 pounds / 660 grams and is approximately 13.5 inches / 35 centimeters long from crown to heel. He makes breathing movements but has no air in his lungs yet. At 26 weeks, fetal brain scans show response to touch. If you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn his head, which according to researchers, means his optic nerve is working.

At every prenatal visit, your doctor will take your blood pressure and do tests on a sample of your urine. In this way, pregnancy-related conditions such as pre-eclampsia and diabetes can be detected and treated.

Your fingers, wrists and hands may be feeling achy and numb. The carpal tunnel in the wrist is swollen, as are many other tissues in your body. Nerves that run through the tunnel end up pinched, creating pressure that manifests itself as shooting or burning pain. Wearing a brace may help; so will taking vitamin B6. Talk to your doctor about other ways to cope.

Kicking hard

The baby’s kicks are getting harder and harder every single day. It even gets harder when I feel full, that is, after lunch or dinner. I often hear myself say “ouch” as the baby often times kicks my navel. It’s really painful.

I have my prenatal checkup on Saturday. I bet my OB would scold me again as I gained 3lbs for this month. My bad, I love eating rice. The husband even told me to cut my rice intake as I might have gestational diabetes.

I felt so big now. I felt my tummy is going to explode. I can’t wait for three more months…

Kuya Joshua

There are times I felt guilty as I don’t have enough time to spend with the little boy. My weekend is always full with activities. The only rest day I have is during Saturdays as I have class during Sundays.

Luckily, my little boy is still young enough to not notice this. I know when he grows a little older, he’ll be asking a lot of questions as to why Mommy and Daddy needs to work everyday while he stays with Mama Emily.

Let me share a few facts about Joshua this past few days:

Prefers to be called Kuya Joshua rather than Joshua or Baby

Enrolled in a Day Care Center near the husband’s home place and will be in L2 on June

Gets addicted playing what he calls “PSP” but the fact is, it’s a simple MP5 player with built-in games (we often fight over this as he still doesn’t want to sleep even at 12mn

Finally memorized the ABC and is now learning to seriously identify colors

Loves the baby inside my tummy which he calls “his baby” (or sometimes he calls anak)

Doesn’t want to drink milk anymore (which gets me alarmed all the time that I usually scold him at night time)

The decision

We have finally made a decision about this.

I just made a down payment today with Anjela Moirah’s e-store for the bottles that I ordered.  Since we don’t have relatives in the US and there is no other way for me to buy BPA-free products than the pre-orders of multiply sites.

The decision as to what brand will it be: Some additional info about the bottles from their site:

Why is Born Free™ a Safe Bottle?

• Softer Nipples that Don't Collapse: The Born Free™ nipples are extremely soft and gentle for your baby to suckle. The nipples are available in 5 different flow rates to suit the requirements of your baby from 0-18 months.

• The Revolutionary Inner Valve and Air Vent: The new innovative air vent helps keep a low level of vacuum which is known to help reduce colic symptoms such as gas, spit up and the risk of middle ear infection. The unique inner valve helps prevent the hard suckling needed with conventional bottles and unlike other vented bottles, it prevents side leak and allows you to shake freely when mixing.

• Safe for Breast Fed Babies: The Born Free™ feeding system is especially suitable for breast fed babies who are being introduced to bottle feeding. The unique air valve begins the steady flow of liquid when baby starts to nurse - just like with breast feeding.

Born Free's™ products are endorsed by: Children's Health Environmental Coalition.

24 weeks pregnant

According to Baby Center

Your fetus weighs more than 1.3 pounds/ 600 grams. Though she still has little body fat and her skin is thin and fragile, she's now well-proportioned. Her brain is growing rapidly, and she is starting to fill the space in your uterus. From crown to heel she could measure 11.8 inches/ 30 centimeters. If you went into labor at this time, however, many obstetricians and doctors would make every effort to halt the progress of premature labor to enable your baby to continue maturing.

You may be noticing faint, red or brown streaks known as striae or stretch marks on your abdomen, hips and breasts. While creams won't erase them, wearing a supportive bra may help prevent or minimize them on your breasts. They are very common at this stage of the pregnancy - about 90 per cent of women get them. After you've given birth, the reddish or brown pigmentation in the stretch marks gradually fades, and the streaks become lighter than the surrounding skin.

Also, your eyes may be light-sensitive and may feel gritty and dry. This is a perfectly normal pregnancy symptom known as “dry-eye”. To ease your discomfort, use an “artificial tears” solution to add moisture.

Aveeno or Burt’s Bees

If feeding bottles have BPA issue, skin products have paraben and phthalate issue. After making a decision as to which bottle should we buy for the baby inside me (we still didn't know the gender as my sonologist is out of the country), I am again torn as to what soap should I get. J&J products, which are readily available here in our country, are out of the picture as they contain paraben and phthalate. Sometimes it pays off to check the label. Wink! Wink!

I gather some info about the two brands. This are from drugstore.com

Aveeno

Natural Oat Formula with Lavender & Vanilla

*Tear-Free
*Helps Calm Babies Before Bedtime

Aveeno® Baby Calming Comfort™ Bath contains Lavender and Vanilla - natural ingredients known for their calming and relaxing properties.  Combined with natural colloidal oatmeal, known for its skin-soothing benefits, this rich lathering cleanser helps retain moisture and gently soothes baby's delicate skin, leaving baby's skin feeling clean, soft and healthy. This tear-free formula cleans without drying because it is soap-free. It's even gentle enough for babies with sensitive skin.

When combined with a warm bath, Aveeno® Baby Calming Comfort™ Bath is clinically shown to calm and comfort your fussy baby, helping improve well-being so baby can sleep more restfully.

The Aveeno® brand has been Pediatrician recommended for nearly 60 years.

Discover nature's secret for baby's healthy skin.

Ingredients:
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, PEG 80 Sorbitan Laurate, Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate, Lauryl Methyl Gluceth 10 Hydroxypropyl Dimonium Chloride, Di PPG 2 Myreth 10 Adipate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract (Oat), Hydrolyzed Oats, Coco Glucoside, Glycerol Oleate, PEG 150 Distearate, Glycol Distearate, Acrylates/C10 30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Laureth 4, Polyquaternium 10, PEG 14M, Quaternium 15, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Fragrance (Lavender, Vanilla)

Burt's Bees

98.08% Natural

Our pure, tear-free formula contains a gentle cleansing blend of Coconut and Sunflower oils. We add Soy Protein to nourish and moisturize, and sugar Esters to soothe and soften for an all-in-one shampoo and wash that will leave your body natural clean, soft, and snuggable.  Shouldn't all baby shampoos be this natural?

* pH Balanced
* Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate Free
* Paraben Free
* Phthalate Free
* Not Tested on animals

Burt's Bees Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash uses truly natural ingredients for delicate nature of your baby's hair and skin.

Ingredients:
Water, Decyl, Lauryl Glucosides (Natural Coconut Oil, Corn, Starch, Sugar Soap Blend), Coco Betaine (Coconut Oil Moisturizer), Soy Protein, Coco Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate (Natural Sunflower, Coconut Oil Soap Blend), Surcrose Laurate (Sugar Ester), Vegetable Glycerin, Betaine (Sugar Beet), Glucose Sugar, Fragrance, Orange Oil, Anise Oil, Lemon Oil, Vanilla Extract, Clove Oil, Xanthan Gum (Natural Thickener), Glucose Oxidase, Lactoperoxidase

So will it be Aveeno or Burt's Bees?

buzzTrendz ... Bringing Twitter and YouTube together!

buzzTrendz combines the latest tweets with like-subject matter YouTube videos to give you "what's hot now" ... as I'm writing this the most recent trends are Mewcastle, Miss California, Shuttle Atlantis ... wait a few minutes and there will be others ... and don't ignore the "random trends" ... everytime you refresh, a new set of the hottest keywords used on the internet show you both the tweets and the YouTube videos that are making the keyword hot. Oh yeah, go to buzzTrendz.com.

Happy Mother's Day

To my mom, Mama Emily
To my mother-in-law, Mama Dori
To Nanay
To all the other mommies in the world

and to MYSELF

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

23 weeks pregnant

From BabyCenter

Your baby now weighs a little over one pound/ 500 grams and measures about 11.4 inches/ 29 centimeters from crown to heel. Her hearing is well established and she can make out a distorted version of your voice, the beating of your heart and your stomach rumblings. Loud noises often heard in utero, such as the barking of a dog next door or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother your child when she hears them outside the womb.

Some studies seem to indicate that the unborn prefer classical music.

In addition to advances in your baby's hearing, her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing. She's swallowing but she normally won't pass her first stool (called meconium) until after birth.

If your baby were to be born now, she would have a small chance of survival (about 16 per cent) with the right care. Every day in the womb makes a difference at this stage. If she was born at 24 weeks her chance of survival would rise to 44 per cent.

As for you, you may feel clumsy now that your centre of gravity has shifted. Your gums may bleed when you brush your teeth and your belly button, once an 'innie', may now stick out. Don't worry. It'll revert to its pre-baby state soon after you give birth.

The middle months are a good time to think about a holiday. Find out all you need to know from suntans to vaccinations in our travel section.

Leg cramps

I've been anticipating this to happen, but not too soon. But last night, I had my very first leg cramps for this pregnancy. Gawd! It was painful. Good thing the husband is easy to wake up as he's the one assisting me whenever I had one. I can even remember when I had Joshua, I had leg cramps while paying our groceries. The husband knelt on the floor to flex my ankle. He's so sweet.

According to BabyCenter

What is causing my painful leg cramps?

Your heart, kidneys, and circulatory system work extra hard to help you function normally during pregnancy, and your muscles, which are bearing the increasing weight of your pregnancy, feel the strain, too. So as a result, your tired leg muscles may seize up and cramp in protest, especially during your second and third trimester. The pain can wake you from a deep sleep.

Muscle fatigue isn't the only reason you may be suffering from leg cramps. Too much phosphorus (found in processed meat, snack foods, and soda) and too little calcium and potassium circulating in your blood can also cause muscle spasms.

And a third reason is that as your uterus expands, it can put pressure on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs.

Is there anything I can do to stop it from happening?

Try our BabyCentre tip and eat a banana or drink a glass of milk before bed for a quick calcium and potassium boost. Don't take any herbal or vitamin supplements without first discussing it with a medical herbalist.

Here are some other tips for keeping muscle spasms at bay:

• Avoid standing or sitting with your legs crossed for long periods of time.
• Rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes when you sit, eat dinner, or watch TV.
• Stretch your calf muscles (see How to get rid of leg cramps, below) several times before you go to bed.

How to get rid of leg cramps

If you do get a cramp, stretch the muscle straight away. Straighten your leg, heel first, and gently flex your ankles and toes. It might hurt at first, but the pain will gradually go away. You can also relax the cramp by massaging the muscle or warming it with a hot-water bottle. Walking around for a few minutes may help, too.

If your muscle pain is constant and not just an occasional cramp, or if you notice swelling or tenderness in your leg, contact your doctor. In rare cases (one in 2,000) a pregnant woman can develop venous thrombosis, or a blood clot, which requires immediate medical attention.

Avent or Born Free

At first, I am hesitant as to what bottles to use for the upcoming baby. And since the BPA issues aroused last year, I was pondering whether to get new bottles for the little boy. Eventually, I shove off the idea of buying new bots as we are already weaning him.

But with the new baby arriving this August, I am already toying the idea of getting bottles as early as today as BPA-free bottles are still not common or should I stay not available here in our country. Should I buy the new Avent BPA-free bottles or the Born Free bottles?

I am not pretty sure whether the Born Free bottles consists more than the usual bottle, collar, nipple and cap as like the Avent does. I read from a few mommies that the new Avent leaks. I was one of the few lucky mommies who never had any leaking problems with the Avent Naturally before. Any idea, which one should I get?

whoCelebsTweet.com - Celebrities on Twitter

Twitter is all the rage these days. WhoCelsbsTweet.com allows you to see what celebs are saying and who they're saying it about.