My Two Goals In This Twin Pregnancy

Thirty weeks today! Woot woot! I have two main goals in this pregnancy:

1. To deliver the twins at 37 weeks. 
2. To deliver them at a minimum of 5 lbs. each. 

At the onset of this pregnancy I have already been warned that I may not be able to deliver them at 38 weeks. Twins come out earlier. My OB said she would be very very happy if I even reach 37 weeks. I will be delivering via CS method again and we have decided to do it on my 37th week. That will be on October 30. My goal is to reach that date. I haven't been preparing that much compared with our preparations with Xavier before. I've done a little baby shopping but no hospital bag, strollers, etc. I want to prepare when October comes. Putting my mind set to delivering them on Oct. 30. I don't want them to spend time in the NICU and have a lot of complications because they are born prematurely. 

Next goal to is have them at least 5 lbs. each.  I don't want them to have the low birth weight complications. I want both of them to be ready to breathe well and nurse so they can come home with us right away. 

It's very hard to stay positive every time I feel all the pregnancy pains. I hardly sleep now. I wake up every hour to pee and drink plus my itchy stretch marks keep me awake almost all night. I can hardy walk this time. It's a challenge to eat too. Makes my tummy big and it's more difficult for me to breathe. 

With all my discomforts I just tell myself to be patient and carry on because what's important is to see my twins healthy, just like when Xavier was born. Until that day, I will be happy everyday that the twins are doing okay inside my tummy and they're also patiently waiting to meet us on Oct. 30. 

Please send some prayers for us. Thanks!

We're having twin girls!!!

Thank you friends for sharing the joy with us!

Lumbar Pains / Back Pains

I'm now on my 6th month and my tummy is getting heavier and heavier. It's crazy because I've been watching my diet carefully, in fact I've only gained a total of 10lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. Though I've only gained a little (than what I experienced with Xavier), my tummy is definitely bigger this time. It looks like I'm on my 7th month in this picture! 

I've been having a lot of back pains and it's something I don't miss in being pregnant. Last week, I was awaken by the sharp pain in my lower back area radiating through my right leg. I went up to go to the bathroom and was a bit scared that I couldn't walk because of the pain. I was more horrified that I can't even get back to bed! Nash and I went to the hospital right away to see if there's something bad happened to my spine.

My OB referred me to an Ortho doctor then. They can't do any x-ray at the moment and can't give me any pain medications too. The doctors said the babies are hitting some nerves in my spine which is normal when you're pregnant. They referred it as Lumbar Pain. Apparently carrying twins increases your odds of experiencing it. 

I'm only left with hot compress, maternity belt, some non-steroidal cremes, light stretching exercises and pain management. I also have to change positions every hour - from sitting to standing to lying on my sides. 

I have some PT sessions at Medical City to help me with the exercises I can do on my own at home. They make me do a lot of pelvic tilts and wall stretching! I hate!

I'm surprised that maternity belt helps a lot! At first I thought I will be hurting the babies because you have to wear it snug and tight but then I did a little research and found out it's common to wear it when you're expecting twins. You can wear it as snug as you want and it won't hurt the babies. :)  

Maternity Belt

Massages for Preggers

Prenatal massage helps me a lot. During my pregnancy with Xavier, my hubby used to massage me EVERYDAY, especially my feet. It helps me relax and feel good after. It improves the circulation of my blood thus making me sleep better and helps my chronic headache too.

My advise is to ask permission from your OB first, get a well-trained therapist, and learn about the body parts you should avoid massaging.

Of course you cannot lie facedown anymore and it's not a good idea to lie on your back too (the weight of your uterus puts pressure on the vein that returns blood from your legs to your heart) so I suggest you lie on your sides. 

Make sure you know the person massaging you. Some therapists here in Manila would just say they know prenatal massage but actually lacks the knowledge. If possible, get recommendations only from your friends who has personally tried them while pregnant. I have been turned down by some therapists before because they lack the necessary training for that. I'm at least thankful for the honesty. Some therapists will even ask clearance first from your doctors.

A well-trained therapist knows the areas to avoid but in my case I never let her touch my belly part. I let her massage my feet (with minimum pressure), legs, arms, hands, back and head. Change sides every now and then to avoid discomfort from staying on one side too long. 

I know for a fact that you should totally avoid the saunas and hot tubs. It can overheat your body and your baby inside. 

I only do my massages at home because I want to sleep right away. The cost of home service massage is around Php250-300/ per hour but it depends if they will charge you differently because you're pregnant. If you want to try the spas, I know that The Spa is offering prenatal massages for Php2,700/ 1 hour and 45 minutes. Yeah, that's a bit expensive but it's a good reward you can get from carrying your baby (babies, in my case) for 9 months! So ahead pamper yourself because you deserve it! 

My Second Pregnancy with TWINS!

First of all I would like to answer your question if twins run in our family - NO. I guess I started it then! :)

Xavier is now one year and three months old. I know some of you might be surprised that my second pregnancy came too fast considering the fact that I delivered CS the first time. It was actually planned. Last February I was diagnosed with Endometriosis and one of the major complications of that is infertility. To our panic, Nash and I immediately did our homework.... 

...and viola!

What came as a surprise though was the twin pregnancy. Never would I imagine I'd be carrying two babies. My tummy was bigger this time and I repeatedly joked about having twins inside. 

The feeling of seeing them during my TVS was like a roller-coaster ride. I was super happy, scared, shocked, in-denial - all in an instant! I was worried with so many things like can I carry them, how risky it is, will I hire another yaya, can we manage three kids, when are we moving to a new house, how do I breastfeed them, what would be the genders, names etc. etc.. All of a sudden this planned pregnancy made me panic. 

Then I remembered everything about Xavier. How we managed the whole pregnancy that turned out so perfect. I remember how blissful it felt the moment I saw him and every single day of my life I'm still thankful we were blessed with such happiness. It was all worth-it. Now I can just wait and be hopeful about this pregnancy.

So how different is this twin pregnancy from my first?

For one I have a super big tummy. Everyday I am just shocked how big it is already. I'm only on my 4th month but my tummy looks like I'm on my 7th month already!

I have the worst morning sickness though my appetite is uncontrollable! I definitely feel uglier and I hate fixing myself. I feel more tired. I have headache almost everyday. I have frequent asthma attacks and most of all I miss carrying Xavier. I really miss that. 

Whatever lies ahead, I know that God planned this for our family. He will help me through this and I can do this! So please help me pray for a safe twin pregnancy. 

Breastfeeeding Update

Okay now I'm officially decreasing my pumping schedule. Makes me sad to remember my bonding moment with X.E.. I'm down with twice a day - one before going to work and another one before going to sleep. I'm still getting 5oz. each time though. Xavier is turning 8 months and I think I will stop breastfeeding him by them. It's hard when you're working and can't keep up with your baby's appetite! The time needed for pumping every 2-3 hours daily seems impossible to sustain for me - plus since he started on solids it's harder to have him latch on me. Sigh.

Oh well, gonna keep all my BF gadgets for the next baby then. 

Help! He won't stay latched on!

Xav is already 6 months in 3 days and this is the first time I've encountered this kind of problem. To give you a little background on our feeding routine now - Xav is bottle-fed with my expressed breastmilk and NAN HA One formula during the day, then I would consistently nurse him at night before he sleeps. I still religiously pump at work and in the middle of the night but my milk supply can't keep up with my baby's increasing appetite. Just a week ago we've also started introducing rice cereals (Cerelac) but we only feed him with that once everyday.

So everything was running smoothly until the last two nights I wasn't able to nurse him directly before he sleeps. One night he was already too sleepy and the other night he was too full with formula milk. I think. Normally he would just look for my breast as he couldn't fall asleep without directly nursing at me! Until yesterday he just won't latch at all. He would even pull away and squirm! It was really frustrating! I felt that my baby either doesn't know me anymore or he has outgrown the need of latching on me. I tried doing it again upon waking up hungry this morning but no luck, still the same. He still pulls away after a few seconds. I gave him my BM in bottle and he was able to finish it so I'm guessing it's not the taste of my milk. I did a little research and found out it's called the "Nursing Strike".

Here are the things I saw on the net about Nursing Strike: 

Source: http://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/week-21/nursing-strike.aspx

• Reacting to something you ate. If you recently indulged in a lot of spicy or strong-flavored food, the taste of your milk will change — maybe not for the better, according to your baby. Try cutting such foods from your diet to determine his dislikes, then avoid them until your baby has weaned.
• …or to a hormonal change. If you've been cutting down on nursings as your baby begins to eat more solid food, there's a chance that your periods could be returning (or you could be pregnant, gulp!). Either way, changes in your hormones can change the taste of your milk.
• Suffering from a stuffy nose. If he has a cold, plugged nostrils may force your baby to choose between nursing and breathing! Try saline drops and gentle suction with an aspirator to clear his nose (at least long enough for a meal).
• In pain. The sucking movements of nursing can intensify the pain of both teething and earaches. (If a tiny tooth is to blame, your baby will likely begin nursing with gusto, but then stop quickly as his gums begin to ache.) Check with your doctor about pain medications and other signs of an ear infection.
• Having a brush with thrush. This fungal infection is most common in newborns, but can occur in an older baby if he's taking antibiotics. Check for white patches on his tongue and in his mouth that reveal raw, sometimes bloody areas when you try to wipe them away. (Ouch! No wonder he doesn't want to nurse.) See your doctor — you'll bothneed to be treated so that you don't pass the infection back and forth (from his mouth to your nipples and vice versa).
• Simply impatient. If your letdown is slow, your eager eater may turn away from the breast in frustration — he wants his milk now, not in a minute or two or five when it starts flowing in earnest. Try pumping for a few minutes in advance of your nursing session, so that your baby isn't let down by that sluggish letdown.

By the way, the second bullet is very striking for me!!! I'm still trying to identify the real reason for this but I'm guessing it can be the slow letdown of my milk. 

Has anyone encountered this problem before? I'm sure it's not because of a stuffy nose, any pain or fungal infection. He really seems normal to me. Is it time to move on?

H-E-L-P! I still want to nurse him at night! 

On Feeding Baby Xav

I'm happy to say that right now I'm able to exclusively breastfeed my son. Thank you Lord for the gift of milk! I know all mothers would have wanted to give their babies BM but not everyone is gifted with the abundance of it. I myself went through formula feeding when I was hospitalized a week after giving birth and for me it was a painful experience not to breastfeed my son. Doctors recommended not to breastfeed while on antibiotics and it lasted for 2 weeks. Then after my medication, I started mixing formula (NAN HA) and my BM until I successfully eliminate the formula milk in 2 weeks time.


So now here's my daily routine on feeding my baby. 


During the day, I breastfeed my son, no bottles. I can still do this because I'm still on Maternity Leave. When he cries, I offer my breasts for feeding. Crying, as experts say, is a late sign of hunger. In my case, I always try to wake baby Xav up for feeding every 2 hours but when he sleeps- he REALLY sleeps. Mana talaga kay Daddy nya! So I just wait for him to feel hungry again... and cry. Then when he sleeps longer (like 4 hours), I have an opportunity to express my extra milk (because I express my BM every 2 hours) and keep it for future feedings. I need to store as many BM as I can so when I go back to work my baby will have an ample supply of milk. This is during the day, like 6AM-10PM.


During the night, I feed him with my breasts until he sleeps at around 10-11PM (depends on his schedule and if I'm sleepy already). When he is already asleep I will get a frozen BM out from the freezer and place it inside the bedroom, so in time for his next feeding the expressed BM will be completely thawed and ready for bottle feeding. Sometimes I just place my expressed BM inside the refrigerator and not in the freezer. This is okay too as long as you consume it within 7-8 days. I also make it a habit to smell the BM before feeding Xav to be sure that I'm not giving him spoiled milk.


So during the day he feeds from my breasts then during the wee hours he uses bottles for feeding. For me it's more efficient especially at night because he drinks faster in bottles and comes back to sleeping right away. Then I express my milk while hubby is feeding him in bottle to replace the one we thawed. This gives us only 30mins. (every 2-3 hours) of being awake - that's feeding + expressing BM + burping + changing diaper + putting him back to sleep. Of course this is only possible if your baby doesn't have "nipple confusion".  


I found a site that gives complete info on proper storage and handling of BM. I found it very helpful especially for first time mothers like me!


STORAGE AND HANDLING OF BREASTMILK

Maternity Leave: What To Do

I can't believe I've used up 1 1/2 months of my Maternity Leave already. How time flies. Now I only have a month left to be productive! I filed my ML ahead of time, it was hard to decide when because I was always assuming I'll be on labor sooner than the due date given by my doctor. Turned out I was right on my guess! I filed my ML to start on February 6 (on my 37th 1/2 week) and I gave birth February 5! 


I planned to do a lot of things while I'm on ML. I have the perfect schedule for almost everything! First, I gave myself 3 weeks to recover from my Cesarean Section. Actually, one week was supposed to be enough for that but I was confined back in the hospital for another week after giving birth, so again I was right on schedule. I did a lot of things after my recovery, taking care of my baby has the biggest part of that of course, but I also made sure to get enough rest and to use my time away from work productively.  


If you're wondering what to do while you're on ML, here's my personal to-do list:


1. Train your Yaya. - Whether your Yaya is new or not, make sure to train her on how to take care of your baby. You might have special rules on things like cup-feeding or keeping the baby on a particular routine or whatnot, also make sure your Yaya understands the importance of following those rules. If you need help on this, Medela Philippines has a 3-hour Yaya Seminar on Newborn Care and Proper Breastfeeding Support. You might want to check their website for their schedule and other details. 


2. Read. - Do this especially if you're a first-time mom, trust me you'll ask too many questions! Sure you'll have friends, parents and relatives giving you many advises on parenting but it's still best to educate yourself ahead. I bought this book to help us on our common questions on baby's monthly development and also to get more tips.

The book is around Php800.00 at Fully-Booked. If you don't want to buy a book  you may also read from the internet. My favorite links are Baby Center and WTE. Of course on your free time, read other books of your interest too!




3. Sleep during the day. - Or at least try to do so. I know that this is the number one tip everyone gives a new parent, but this may also seem to be hard for some people like me. I'm a light sleeper plus I'm breastfeeding my baby every 2-3 hours during the day. There are times I can sleep with him in the afternoon but sometimes I just don't get sleepy right away then the baby starts to wake up for the next feeding. 


4. Get the baby's Birth Certificate. Schedule when you can get your baby's Birth Certificate from City Hall. It's good to have an authenticated copy in your hands for filing claims or other documents in the future like getting your baby a passport or visa.


5. Plan the baby's Baptism/Christening. You have more time to do so while on ML. You can start deciding the perfect date, church, list the  requirements and start gathering them right away, find the right location for the reception, list your baby's godmothers and godfathers, finalize your guest list, contact suppliers for your cake, souvenirs, invitations etc..


6. Online Shopping. You may not be able to go out right away after giving birth. While spending most of your time with the baby and getting enough rest, this is also the best time to list all the important things you need to buy for the baby. Perhaps things you didn't know you need like a pacifier or a second crib in my case for instance! You can search on the web which is the best product to buy, read reviews, participate in forums, order online and etc. You can also check out discounts or great deals from the many coupon sites available nowadays. Maybe plan your next vacay too! 


7. Fix your home. It won't be too long before you see your house with so many toys everywhere, broken tables, walls with drawings and etc. Try to spend one day just fixing the house. Maybe fix your closet, the baby's closet,  baby-proof the house, change all curtains and linens etc. Get a cleaner to help you on this of course. If you don't have a helper ask for referrals from friends, other maids, office janitors etc. They usually cost P350 a day with a free meal. 


8. Baby Book! It's fun to put your baby's compilation of firsts together! It can be a nice gift to your son/daughter someday. 


9. Warm up. While you still can't go back to the gym, you can start with buying a work-out DVD and do a little exercise at home. 


10. Watch DVDs. If you can't go to the movie house yet, you can still buy a bunch of DVDs and watch them at home. I'm not proud to say this but even though my husband is collecting original DVDs, I sometimes buy pirated ones at Metrowalk. They have good copies there. Hi hi hi...


11. Pamper yourself. Get that home-service mani-pedi and that glorious full-body massage! You must have missed it after a 9-month long pregnancy. For those living in Paranaque, Makati and The Fort areas, I call  SALON AT HOME 473-77-77 for massages. Only P250/hour and I recommend "Lumen" as the therapist.


12. Be creative. Bake. Cook. Start a blog or a small business. Anything!


You can surely do a lot of things while on Maternity Leave as long as you do everything when the baby is sleeping! Make sure to spend quality time with him because you'll miss all these moments alone with your precious one when you start working again.

My Cuddle-holic Baby

While it's true that taking care of your baby is the most wonderful feeling, it can also be frustrating when you can't make your baby stop crying.  I never thought babies cry A LOT! I only see cute little pictures of them, I see them running around, playing, laughing, throwing some cute tantrums but I never imagined the reality of taking care of a newborn baby. It is difficult to a point that I sometimes feel like crying when I can't understand my baby in the middle of the night!

During the first month all he did was sleep, then cry a little when he's hungry. The hardest part was waking up every two to three hours for feeding time but pretty much that's about it. Now on his second month he's starting to be fussier and a bit irritable. My greatest problem now is that he cries when I'm not beside him or when he's not being carried. After feeding he stays awake for a while then fall asleep during burp time but when you bring him back to his crib he'll start crying again after 5 minutes of realizing you're not with him anymore. He definitely wants to be cuddled all the time!

At first I thought it was "Colic" but then he didn't have the symptoms of it. Unlike colic he immediately stops crying after feeding and cuddling. He doesn't even cry for dirty diapers! It's very challenging now for how can you discipline a 1 month old infant to stay on his crib for bedtime??? We can't let him sleep on his tummy (burping position) nor stay in our bed too, those are the common causes of S.I.D.S..I've been reading some tips on light sleeper babies and what to do when baby wants to be carried and cuddled all the time or sleep on their sides and tummies. I'm really hoping for better results!

Baby Xavier's two favorite positions while sleeping:

On Yaya Dilemmas

Almost all working parents have the same dilemma - "Who takes care of the baby when we start working?" Not only we want somebody to take care of our baby but at least treat the baby like their own. Well, it's hard to find someone who will love your baby the same way, which means it's harder to find a Yaya you could REALLY trust your baby with. You're lucky if you have at least one of your parents to help and stay with you. In our case, everyone in the family is working! So there goes our quest to find the perfect Yaya for Xavier and I had 2 and 1/2 months to get one. Now make it 1 and 1/2!

We want an All-Around Yaya because I don't want to crowd our home with helpers. Besides we only have a small house with 2 rooms and Nash and I are both very diligent in cleaning and organizing the house (of course with no baby running and ruining everything inside the house... YET). Our daily household chores remain very light and any maid will be lucky to work with us.

We are now screening the 4th Yaya. Yes, 4th Yaya in 1 month! Since direct referrals didn't quite work well with us, we decided to get from an agency. It's actually more expensive but at least they do the screening for you. You can give them your requirements and they will look for the best person for you. It's also good that they will give you the complete identification of the maid/yaya eg. NBI Clearance, Police Clearance, Work Experiences etc..

Here's the Yaya/Maid Agency we contacted (of course referred by a friend too) :


LYNX AGENCY 
Tel. No.: 437-22-13

They will ask for your requirements, you'll agree on the monthly salary then they will do the all screenings /interviews for you. Once they have the right person, you can interview the yaya/maid via Skype or over the phone. If you like to hire the yaya/maid, the agency will deliver her to your doorstep the same day! You have to pay the agency P3,800 and sign the contract.

The yaya has 6-months contract with the agency, which means she has to stay with her employer for 6 months. After 6 months the yaya can then extend her stay with her employer if she wants to. If the yaya unfortunately has to go before she finishes the 6 months contract, the agency will replace her with a new one ASAP and renew the contract for another 6 months. It's like a guarantee that you'll have a yaya/maid in 6-months (or even longer!). The rate for an All-Around Yaya is P5,000/month. If Yaya duties only it'll be P4,000/month.

So there, we're trying our luck to get a good and experienced Yaya for Xav. We'll see about this one. We're praying for the best person to take care of our precious baby.

For now let me share the picture of her bathing Baby Xav. So far so good.

On Diaper Rash

Just want to share that Calmoseptine, Vandol Ointment and Triderm worked with Baby Xavier's diaper rash. The Calmoseptine is around P30/sachet, the Vandol ointment is around P300 and Triderm is around P700. It's hard to see the baby with diaper rashes so I'm glad to have known that these ointments actually work fast!

Baby G ’ s Perfect Ride

Thinking about baby shopping, the first thing that probably comes to your mind is getting a stroller. Although I have to admit I’m a bit skeptical in seeing couples modeling their newborn babies in the malls (because I think about the immune system of the baby if they’re already ready to mingle with germs), I think it’s better to have my checklist completed before the baby arrives.

The question we had in mind was “What stroller should we buy?”

There are definitely so many out there, and that it’s such an expensive item! Can you imagine buying one for PHP30K- PHP50K? If we are buying an expensive one, we have to make sure that IT HAS EVERYTHING WE NEED. 

So what do we need to consider? 

1. The ones that you can maneuver easily. Perhaps a 4-wheel system that can rotate 360 degrees, making it easy to push, pull and otherwise navigate.
2. Heavier ones if you plan to use it outdoor.
3. Lightweight ones and easy to tag along wherever.
4. The ones that you can fully recline for your newborn.
5. The ones that has a car-seat that can be a carrier too. Basically, a complete travel system.
6. Stylish but not that expensive and with warranty.

Having said those, of course we still have to be realistic about the budget. You’ll be surprised how costly other baby stuff nowadays can be. I know for a fact that we can always count on a number of popular brands that sell PHP30K and above, but if you can’t go there without falling into debt, aim lower. My husband and I decided to get which is most vital for us: lightweight ones (because we travel a lot), easy to fold and can fit in our sedan car, good brand and reputation, can be used from newborn till 3 years old, a color for girl and boy, simple but classy. 

So good thing my friend recommended a warehouse sale by Quirks Marketing Philippines last Saturday. Luckily we saw a perfect stroller for us! 

Obaby Atlas Circles Stroller (from UK)

The Obaby Atlas Circles Stroller is an incredible value for money stroller with a multi-positionable seat recline, adjustable calf rest and rain cover. Suitable from birth to approx 3 years old (15kg) the Obaby Atlas stroller is a winner everytime.

• Multi positional seat - baby can lie completely flat which they can't do in McLarens
• Adjustable 5 point harness
• Ergonomic foam handles
• Carry handle for easy lifting
• Adjustable leg rest
• Detachable hood
• Lockable front swivel wheels
• Wipe clean fabric
• Large shopping basket 

Age suitability: Suitable from birth to 3 years old (15kg)

Weight: 7.7kg – even lighter than McLarens

We got it with a free rain cover. It was perfect! Even if it didn’t include a complete travel system, it was on a great sale (45% off) - which gives us an opportunity for buying a car seat and carrier in one - still a lot cheaper than getting a 3-in-1 travel system. PLUS MOM AND SIS BOUGHT IT FOR US! What else can we ask for??? Ha ha ha!

Stroller (one down on our checklist)

So while you still have time to check out other brands, research for the perfect stroller for you. Even go online to check out feedback from other users too. With all the brands you see around, don’t worry... when you find one - you’ll know it.