Time out!

As some of you know, I just started in my new company. Unfortunately, I still do not have a laptop... so forgive me if I have not posted any entry in this blog lately.

Hopefully I can find some time to write here again...

Stay tuned!

Iphone 4: Snatched!!!

I am writing this incident to make the people become more aware, conscious and vigilant especially when riding public mass transportation.

Last Tuesday, April 17, 2012, I decided to get NBI clearance as part of the pre-employment requirements. Of course, my ever loving and helpful husband acccompanied me. We first went to the Alabang branch and arrived at around 9 AM. We were told that they already had their cut-off. The guard suggested that we go back at around 11 PM to get a number so that we will have my clearance processed the following day. I really wanted to have my clearance on that day because there are still other requirements that I did to do the following day. Thus, we decided to go to the main branch at UN avenue.

We decided to park at the mall in Makati, ride the MRT then LRT to go to NBI head office. We thought that it was the fastest way to go there. Besides, we do not know if we will be able to find a decent parking space in UN avenue. We were able to reach NBI at around 11 AM, just in time before their cut off at 12 noon. I was able to finish at 230 PM though I was not able to get my clearance... (hope to find time to blog about that too).

Source

Anyway, we were back at the LRT station at around 4 PM. Since it is already rush hour, people are starting to come in. We had to forego 2 LRT coaches since it was too crowded already. I told Gerard that we should really try to squeeze ourselves in the large crowd so that we can have some space in the next coach. So while we are trying to squeeze our way in, I saw a man who handed a cellphone to a guy at our back. I already knew that he was a snatcher. And when we were finally inside, one man went out and shouted that his cellphone was snatched! Gerard then checked and realized that his Iphone 4 was also gone!

It was so unfortunate that he became a victim of pickpocket. We cannot do anything but of course I have a lot of "what ifs" in my mind...

1) What if I shouted "Snatcher!" Will it make a difference? Will there be any people who will care about it? I realized that maybe if I shouted, we might even be harmed.

2) What if I told Gerard to move back and just wait for another train? Again, I do not know if it will make a difference because we do not know if at the time I saw the man handed off a cellphone, his cellphone might also be gone already. We might also be cornered by the snatchers if we stayed in the station.

3) What if we went out also and ran to the person who said that his cellphone was snatched? It might also be dangerous because we are not sure if he was a victim or he was one of the snatchers. It might be just a distraction.

As I mentioned, we cannot do anything. It happened already. We lost a cellphone but we gained a lot from the experience.

Allow me to share some of our learnings:

1) If possible, do not try to squeeze in crowded places... try to avoid them.

2) Keep your valuables in secured places. Note that Gerard's cellphone was placed in his front pocket. So that means it is not advisable to put it there.

3) Be vigilant. Always. Anytime. Anywhere.

Despite of everything that happened, we still consider it as a blessing since we only lost a cellphone. We managed to go home, unscathed.

Thank God. 

Moving on...

Life sometimes has surprises for us, which was proven to me again just recently when an opportunity presented itself that would hopefully benefit me and my career.  These kinds of decisions are always tough to make, but I have come to accept the fact that it might just be time for me to shake things up by accepting a new challenge and in the process leave some people behind....

The time has come for me to say goodbye to everyone that has made me smile here over the last 5 years.  

I would just like to say that there have been many great people here, both past and present, that have made my job truly enjoyable.  

I have so many people to thank for their support and dedication.  

I can't tell you how difficult it is to describe how sad I am to be leaving.

I have enjoyed my time here and I will miss all that this place represents.

As with any special place it is the people who make it and it will be those I will miss the most.  

This company made me realize that this is more than just a workplace, it is a family.  

Looking back, I would never have realized how connected I would be to such a warm community of people.

Tomorrow I will wake up in my new life, full of yet-to-be realized opportunities, and empty of your company... I will be in a strange limbo.  

My last day at the office with a visit from Giulia 

But I believe that life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.  

Future might be uncertain, but I am confident enough to face new trials, new challenges and whatever life has to offer.  

After all thanks to this company, I am now equipped with a lot of learnings, treasured memories, fond moments and special bond with people and friends.  

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Baby Wearing!

Babywearing is the practice of wearing or carrying a baby or child in a sling or other form of carrier. Babywearing is far from new and has been practised for centuries around the world. In the industrialized world, babywearing has gained popularity in recent decades mainly because it  allows the wearer to have two free hands to accomplish tasks such as laundry while caring for the baby's need to be held or be breastfed. Babywearing offers a safer alternative to placing a car seat on top of a shopping cart. It also allows children to be involved in social interactions and to see their surroundings as an adult would.

Benefits of babywearing include:

•           Mothers' oxytocin is increased through physical contact with the infant, leading to a more intimate maternal bond, easier breastfeeding and better care, thus lowering the incidence of postpartum depression and psychosomatic illness in the mother. Infants who are carried are calmer because all of their primal/survival needs are met. In a study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers found that babywearing for three hours a day reduced infant crying by 43 percent overall and 54 percent during evening hours.

•           Infants who are carried are calmer - all their primal/survival needs are met: caregiver can be seen, heard, smelled, touched, tasted, fed (breastfeeding mother) and motion necessary for continuing neural development, gastrointestinal and respiratory health and to establish balance (inner ear development) and muscle tone, is constant.

•           Infants IQ and brain mass are measurably greater. When primal needs are met, babies spend more time in a quiet state of attentive alertness, ideal for learning - rather than in a panicked survival mode. 

•           Infants are healthier. Premature babies and babies with special needs often enter the world with fragile nervous systems. When a baby rides in a sling attached to his mother, he is in tune with the rhythm of her breathing, the sound of her heartbeat, and the movements his mother makes—walking, bending, and reaching. This stimulation helps him to regulate his own physical responses. Research has even shown that premature babies who are touched and held gain weight faster and are healthier than babies who are not.

•           Infants are "humanized" earlier by developing socially. Babies are closer to people and can study facial expressions, learn languages faster and be familiar with body language.

•           Contrary to western cultural myths, independence is established earlier.

•           Attachment between child and caregiver is more secure. Baby carriers are a great bonding tool for fathers, grandparents, adoptive parents, babysitters, and other caregivers. Imagine a new father going for a walk with his baby in a sling. The baby is becoming used to his voice, heartbeat, movements, and facial expressions, and the two are forging a strong attachment of their own. Baby carriers are beneficial for every adult in a baby’s life. Cuddling up close in the sling is a wonderful way to get to know the baby in your life, and for the baby to get to know you!

•           Decreases risk of positional plagiocephaly ("flat head syndrome") caused by extended time spent in a car seat and by sleeping on the back. Sleeping on the back is recommended to decrease the risk of SIDS. Cranial distortion resulting from non-vehicular time in car seats has shown to be more severe than in children who develop plagiocephaly from back-lying on a mattress. Concern over plagiocephaly has also led the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend that infants “should spend minimal time in car seats (when not a passenger in a vehicle) or other seating that maintains supine positioning. None of the babywearing positions require infants to lie supine while being carried. Infants can even be worn while they sleep, also decreasing sleeping time spent in a supine position.

I was fortunate to have attended the Baby Wearing Meet 4 last March 31. I was really excited to attend since I want to learn how to use the “saya”. It was so great to see a gathering where babywearing is the norm and not the exception. Almost everyone carried their babies and it looks so convenient both for the mom and the baby.

Here are some pictures of me, trying to learn how to use the saya. I was so lucky that my teacher is no less than Bianca Araneta-Elizalde. Thanks to Chronicles of a Nursing Mom for the pictures.

Sample of a Mei Tai
source



I invited my mom to accompany us in the BW4 and she also became interested to baby wear Giulia. Actually, she even bought a Mei Tai! As per definition, Mei Tais is the modern take on a traditional Chinese baby carrier with a body panel, shoulder straps, and waist straps still carries the traditional name, "mei tai" (pronounced"may tie"). The new-generation mei tais typically have either wide, padded shoulder straps, or extra-wide, wrap-style, unpadded straps for the wearer's comfort. They also offer a variety of features such as headrests or sleeping hoods for the baby, pockets for diapers or other essentials, and fabric choices that range from strictly utilitarian to truly luxurious. Mei tais can be used from birth and are ideal for sharing among caregivers.

We have yet to train Giulia to babywear because I know it also needs practice and some getting used to babywearing.

Hopefully, we will be successful soon!

Other sources:

Wikipedia

source2

Let go and let God part 2

Disclaimer: The first part of this speech was actually taken from a previous post on this blog.

This is my speech no. 10 for Toastmasters. Yahoo! I am now a competent communicator!

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Let go and let God. This is the title of my toastmaster’s speech no. 1. It talks about my life, the obstacles that I went through and how I lived by my motto – to just let go and let God.

Now that this is my speech no. 10, I think it is just fitting that I end my toastmaster’s journey with a speech about my new life – a life of a new mother.

Allow me first to share the first instance, a tip of the iceberg, my first pregnancy.

 

Actual photo of my PT

March 2010, I got a pregnancy kit to check if I was positive. I was not expecting anything because I have checked several times and the result was always NEGATIVE... But lo and behold, I saw 2 pink lines on the stick!!! It was around 5:30 AM when I checked and I literally cried. I was overjoyed.

We went to the doctor the next day but we were told to just come back after two weeks. At that time I was only 5 weeks pregnant and it’s too early to see the baby. Those two weeks were filled with joyful anticipation and excitement… I downloaded applications for my iphone for anything related to pregnancy. I even borrowed a book on what to expect during the nine months… I really felt I was pregnant. Though I don’t have the morning sickness, I experienced something really weird… I suddenly dislike Gerard’s cooking… I prefer to eat out or to eat somewhere else… Just the thought of Gerard cooking, makes me feel queasy…

Just a sample of a "blighted ovum" ultrasound
Photo taken from the internet



Oh well, the ultrasound day came, the doctor said that I should not be nervous and honestly, I was not… I was so excited… and then she looked… and all we saw from the monitor was a sac… no sign of the baby…

The doctor said that maybe I am just delayed and we can wait for 2 more weeks… These 2 weeks became weeks of agony instead of excitement… I searched online for similar cases… There I came across of the term – BLIGHTED OVUM. This is also known as “anembryonic pregnancy” which happens when a fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine wall, but the embryo does not develop. Cells develop to form the pregnancy sac, but not the embryo itself. A high level of chromosome abnormalities usually causes a woman’s body to naturally miscarry.
Upon reading all articles, I became 90% sure that my pregnancy is a case of “blighted ovum”. I cannot explain my emotions at that time… it was too painful… too hard to accept… but then, as I have mentioned, I cannot do anything… I just lifted everything to God. Allow me to share my prayer at that time:

Thank you for the 2 weeks of indescribable happiness. Thank you for letting me feel the extreme joy of seeing two lines in my pregnancy test. Thank you for the 2 weeks of feeling pregnant. Thank you for the hope that a baby is about to grow in my womb. Thank you for the wonderful people who made me feel special... Shared the joy and continued to pray for us. I still would like to thank you for the next two weeks. Whatever the outcome may be... Good or bad... We entrust our lives to you. We may not understand Your plan for us... But we know it is the best...as always, we will just let go and let God.

For the meantime... Allow me to grieve and feel this rollercoaster type of emotions... Allow me to weep and show the sign of weakness... I know I will be okay... I just want to let this out...

After another 2 weeks, as expected… it was confirmed. It was an anembryonic pregnancy. The doctor said that I really became pregnant so it is just normal to weep and grieve for our loss. She said that blighted ovum is a fluke of nature. It happens to anyone and it doesn’t mean that we have problems.

At that time, I have accepted my case. I had my D&C, a procedure to remove the sac, after another week in Makati Med.

After sometime, I was ready to move on. I just had to let go. I was able to recover from our loss. Though my pregnancy lasted for only a short period of time, Gerard and I learned a lot from our experience.
It gave us hope. It made our marriage stronger. As I  let go, I let God took over my life.



Actual Photo of PT (4 weeks and 6 days)



A year later, April 2011, I realized that my period is a few days delayed. We were again hopeful that maybe this is the perfect time, our time to have a baby. I again had my pregnancy test and after a few seconds, I saw two lines. I was happy but of course after the first experience, I controlled my emotions. I have a scheduled business trip to Malaysia the following week and another leisure trip to Singapore 2 weeks after so I was afraid that my trips will be harmful to our baby. But the doctor assured us that if the baby is healthy, my pregnancy will push through. It is as if God is telling us to let go and not be worried about our baby. It is a gentle reminder to us to just let God do His mighty works upon me.  



As soon as we arrive from my trips, we scheduled our first ultrasound.



Actual Ultrasound of Giulia Bernice at 8 weeks



It felt like heaven, I already saw our little baby. She was alive, her heart is beating 161 beats per minute. It was so surreal. We will soon be parents. Thank God for this greatest blessing.

As months passed by, Gerard and I had mixed emotions. We cannot wait to see our little princess. As first time parents, we only want the best for our baby. We did a lot of researches, attended birthing and breastfeeding classes and all other things so that we will be equipped with enough knowledge on child rearing. Of course, we also did a lot of shopping of baby stuff. Gerard even bought our stroller, car seat, infant tub in the US and had it shipped here.

I was still due on the 31^st of December but we really hoped that I give birth earlier. True enough, my water bag broke at around 2 am of December 12 and gave birth to a 5.11 lbs cute baby girl at 1:37 PM. Giulia Bernice G. Samson was born.

   
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Giulia Bernice G. Samson







Giulia at 3 1/2 months

Time really flies so fast. Giulia is now 3 ½ months. Having a baby is truly life changing. It is tough but definitely rewarding.

I know we will encounter humps and bumps along the way as we raise our little princess. But I am confident that we will be able to pull through as long as we have complete trust in God.

And now, as I end my toastmaster’s journey, allow me to use the same ending as I have in my first speech, as always, I will let go and let God.

Low, low, low... :(

In my previous post, I said that Breast is Best… however, I am getting frustrated now that it seems I am low in supply.

I have been working for almost a month now and I pump in our office thrice a day then direct feed at night. Sometimes I only get 2 ounce per pumping session. Then at night, Giulia sometimes sleep for 5-6 hours so I get to direct feed only for a couple of times. I also had my period on my 3^rd week at work and I guess that also contributed to my low supply.

I have tried so many things to increase my milk supply. I take malunggay capsule, fenugreek capsule, eat malunggay cookies, drink lots of water, drank “boiled” buko juice and still my supply is low. I already have a back-up formula – S26 Gold HA as suggested by our Pedia. But of course, as much as possible, I want to still breastfeed Giulia.

I will continue to pump until God knows when… I am still hopeful that I will be able to provide enough nourishment for our princess. J

Baby Blues/Post Partum Depression

Baby Blues

The baby blues are a period of mild depression which can occur about three or four days after your baby is born. About 50% - 80% of all mothers go through a patch of baby blues which lasts for a few hours, or, at most, for a few days and then it disappears. Source

Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression (PPD), also called postnatal depression, is a form of clinical depression which can affect women, and less frequently men, typically after childbirth. Studies report prevalence rates among women from 5% to 25%, but methodological differences among the studies make the actual prevalence rate unclear. Among men, in particular new fathers, the incidence of postpartum depression has been estimated to be between 1.2% and 25.5%. Postpartum depression occurs in women after they have carried a child, usually in the first few months, and may last up to several months or even a year. Specifically, the onset of postpartum depression begins within 4 weeks and lasting up to 6 months after giving birth. Symptoms include sadness, fatigue, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, reduced libido, crying episodes, anxiety, and irritability. Although a number of risk factors have been identified, the causes of PPD are not well understood. Many women recover with a treatment consisting of a support group or counseling.
Source

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People know me as an optimistic, always-happy person. I always see that in every situation, there is a different perspective. I always see the brighter side of life.

Don’t get me wrong, not because I am now a mother, I already became grumpy or grouchy. You will still see me smiling all the time.

But of course, like any new mom, I had or still has episodes of baby blues.

I think this is just normal and as statistics shows that 80% of women experiences this after child birth.


Having a baby is really both exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. I have never been this happy, having our little princess around. I am so thankful to God for giving us this greatest blessing.


But of course, childbirth is really life-changing. Raging hormones, having zero sleep, being stuck in the house and dealing with a lot of new responsibilities can really be nerve-wrecking.


As a new mom, I sometimes feel pressured and worried that I might not be able to give the best to our precious little one.


When I find myself being depressed because of small things, I just acknowledge that it is part of my baby blues.


I just look at Giulia and when I see her smile and hear her ‘coos’, all my worries/depression fade away.