Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from 2009

My Mommy Entry # 19: My Birthing Experience (Part 2)

When we reached the hospital, my cousin dropped us off at the main entrance and will just meet us inside. Meanwhile, hubby and I were figuring out were to go since we didn’t have time to explore the birthing center of the hospital during our visits. When we reached Genesis, the birthing center, my OB was already there dressed in her scrub suit and the nurses were already waiting for me. When my OB saw me, she asked me to proceed inside for the preparation. Meanwhile, hubby was tasked to arrange my admitting papers. Inside the room, I was prepped. The nurses asked me to change into a hospital gown and then they asked me to lie down. At this point, I was already thinking to myself, “This is it!” In a few hours time, I will be seeing my baby. I waited for the nurses to do their “thing”. I was then hooked on an IV (my first time, and it hurts!!). One of the nurses was conducting an interview on me. She asked me about my medical history, etc. Then another nurse came and sha

My Mommy Entry # 18: My Birthing Experience (Part 1)

It’s been 2 months since I gave birth to our precious little princess Jenika Mikayla. And until now, I can still vividly recall that most unforgettable day. I want to share with you the story of the last few weeks of my pregnancy and of course, the D-Day itself. Week 35 (September 5 – September 11) I was on my 35 th week and things haven’t been easy for me. I was having a hard time sleeping at night. I can barely walk because of the heavy weight I am carrying around, and I can’t seem to find a position which could ease the pain and discomfort I am feeling. I was already praying that days would pass by faster than usual. I was already feeling uneasy. Week 36 (September 12 – September 18) On my 36 th week, my OB then decided that I will be having a weekly checkup. I was so excited because I knew that the big day is fast approaching. I took several days off from work this week because I couldn’t function well because of the discomfort and heaviness in my stomach. I

My Mommy Entry # 17

Week 37: And we're ready for take off! Fetal development in pregnancy week 37: fetus in ninth month It’s the calm before the storm. Changes in your baby's weight have leveled off with only a few ounces of fat added this week. At this point your baby should weigh in at around 7 lbs and 20 inches (with boys somewhat heavier and longer than girls). Happily, as far as internal organs go, they are now developed enough to function in the outside world although the oh-so-important immune system is still developing and will continue to do so after birth. With a large boost of antibodies provided by breast milk when nursing begins. Fighting infection and staying healthy should be well within their physical capacity when your little fighter is born. And how's mom doing? Your health care provider will assess the likelihood of where you are relative to your upcoming birthing process—seeing as you’ve now arrived at that waiting phase that could turn into labor at

My Mommy Entry # 16

Week 36: Wee fingers o' steel Fetal development in pregnancy week 36: The countdown continues… and in fetal developments: most of the bones (soft skull aside) in their little body are now completely hardened, providing a solid structure from which they can now make their grand debut into the world. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are structurally ready for a secure launch. In physical fitness news: their muscle tone has also improved over these past few weeks, and you’ll definitely be impressed by their steel-like Ulnar grasp (a newborn reflex that occurs if you lay your finger in their palm). And in genital development: if you’re having a girl, her labia are now fully developed. Finally, in the fluids/excretion department: the amniotic fluid-to-baby ratio has fallen over these past weeks, although they’re still swallowing fluid (building up even more meconium for that historic first poop), and some vernix caseosa. They will be more than ready to swallow and digest milk after b

My Mommy Entry # 15

Week 35: Hey! It IS getting cramped in here. Fetal development in pregnancy week 35: Congratulations! You’re now carrying nearly 6 lbs of baby not counting their amniotic fluid, the umbilical cord, or the placenta itself. We’re impressed because that’s a LOT of work non-stop. Are you feeling proud of yourself yet? Well, get to it—you’ve done an amazing job! At this point, your little grower is almost busting out of the womb size-wise, which make their restricted attempts to move much challenging. Of course, your stubborn little sucker is still trying to move around as if they weren’t in a cramped space. And the accumulationg baby fat deposits are starting to level off so your little butter ball will be padded and warm when they head out of their super snug little home. And how's mom doing? We’re sure you’ve noted that the contractions are picking up and despite the obvious appeal of getting the pregnancy over with at this point, try not to jump the gun too s

My Mommy Entry # 14

A nice surprise from Ericsson/Kuriray friends Last Friday, September 4, was really a fun day. I had a nice suprise from my Ericsson colleagues. They hosted a nice and cute baby shower for me. It was really a surprise coz i didn't really have any idea that they were planning on giving me one. Backtrack: Wednesday, September 2, I stayed at home coz I was not feeling really well. I've been having abdominal cramps since the night before. So I just decided to take a break from work. Thursday, September 3, I went back to work, feeling a bit normal. It was just an ordinary day for me. Nothing unusual happened. Until hubby Jake sent me a text message, asking me, "Bakit tumatawag sakin si Lala?" Hmmm, bakit nga? and then just before going home, Yuwan told me twice, "Jen, pasok ka bukas ha". And Lala asked me also if I was going to work the next day. =) Friday, September 4, I was late for work. I missed the 7:45 AM shuttle. So i had to wait for the 8:15 shuttle.

My Mommy Entry # 13

Week 34: Upside-down baby! Fetal development in pregnancy week 34: Your amazing baby is on the move! They’ve been riding fairly high in your stretched-out womb till now (while kindly compressing your poor internal organs), but now they’re planning on making the big move to your pelvis this week. If you haven’t noticed it already, you’ll be feeling the weight shift that signals that your baby is most likely out of breech position, with their head now resting on your pubic bone. In liver news: although not quite fully formed, your little miracle’s liver is now capable of processing a certain amount of waste. In general, most of your child’s prenatal physical development is pretty much up to snuff and ready for the outside world. Naturally, further weight gain is expected—so you’re still not at maximum capacity despite probably feeling like you definitely are maxed out. And how's mom doing? Obviously the big change for you is the notable weight shift (known as

My Mommy Entry # 12

Week 33: Is it just me or is getting a little cramped in here? Fetal development in pregnancy week 33: For all the weight and bulk you’re lugging around these days, you’d think your little champ should weigh much more than a mere 5 lbs and measly 17 inches in height, but nope, that’s about the average size for a baby in its thirty-third week. In terms of appearances, they’re getting cuter and pudgier every minute as they pile on the baby fat for those adorable little wrist rolls and chubby toes. And as we’re sure you’ve already noticed they’re getting stronger with every passing day. Nowadays, it’s possible to observe a well-placed kick just by watching your belly—but you already knew that didn’t you? Although they’re getting stronger, your bigger-by-the-day baby is losing space to move around, so the actual rate of movement will drop off in the last few weeks, despite that powerful drop-kick they’ve been working on. Hey, did you know you’ll continue feeling their movements even

My Mommy Entry # 11

Week 32: Mommy, you're HOT! Fetal development in pregnancy week 32: In the latest womb reports, your amazing baby has now developed sensitivity to temperature! This means you’ll probably get a swift kick if you put a hot pad on your ginormous belly. For the Elton John lovers out there-- yes, baby’s got blue eyes. At this point, all babies do, although depending on their chromosomal disposition, this could easily change after birth (or even between now and labor), but for the time being, blue it is. Thanks to their recently matured lungs and a remarkably strong immune system, over 90% of babies born in their 32nd week, survive premature births. So it’s pretty much a done deal. Even if your little monkey’s planning on heading out early, their survival odds are in everyone’s favor. Time to celebrate (no, no, wait until after the birth to crack open the champagne!) We’re talking baby-showers and alcohol-free punch! And how's mom doing? If your family or significant ot

My Mommy Entry # 10

As I have mentioned during my previous post, I had my 3d/4d ultrasound at In My Womb, The Link, Glorietta Makati. We finally got the video last Saturday (Aug.8). And now, I want to share our precious little one's first ever video. Please feel free to comment. =) ENJOY!! For more information on 3d/4d ultrasound, visit www.inmywomb.com

My Mommy Entry # 9

Week 31: Another day... another ounce Fetal development in pregnancy week 31: Your not-so-little-one is just a bit closer to their birth weight and height at around 4 pounds and 17 inches. With each added layer of baby fat, your baby's skin starts to look more and more like it will when they finally get to see the light of day. The heavy news: you can expect your miracle-gro muffin to gain about a half a pound of weight per week from now until about two weeks before birth. Great. That's just what you needed. Even more weight to carry around! Your baby's still-developing immune system has gained substantial strength over the past few weeks getting them in full gear to face our disease-ridden world o’ wonders. Obviously, a large majority of your child’s immune strength will be derived from exposure to breast milk as well as the outside elements. Their cute little noggin’ (which could already be covered with luscious locks or just purty peach fuzz), is still soft because

Worries

I have always been a worrier...i worry about a lot of things. even small ones. but i have never been THIS worried in my entire existence. it's bad for me, i know. but, what can i do? i simply can't help it. i don't know how to cope with it...it's so hard...especially when you don't know who to turn to... i just hope everything will be ok...

Mikaela

Mikaela The girl's name Mikaela \m(i)-kae- la \ is a variant of Michaela ( Hebrew ) and Michelle ( French , Hebrew ), and the meaning of Mikaela is "who resembles God ". Mikaela is an uncommon female first name and a very rare surname (source: 1990 U.S. Census). [ 3 syll. mi - kae - la , mik -a- ela ] The girl name Mikaela is pronounced as MiyK EY Lah KEY . Mikaela is largely used in the Scandinavian language and its origin is Hebrew . Mikaela is a variant of the name Michaela (Dutch, English, and German). Mikaela is rather popular as a baby girl name. The name's popularity rose from the 1980s up to the 1990s; before that, it was of very light use only. At the modest peak of its usage in 1997, 0.056% of baby girls were given the name Mikaela. It had a ranking of #273 then. The baby name has experienced a fall in popularity since then. In 2008, its usage was 0.027% and its ranking #540. Out of the family of girl names directly linked to Mikaela, Michaela

My Mommy Entry # 8

Week 30: Goodbye monkey baby, hello roly poly! Fetal development in pregnancy week 30: The light is visible at the end of the tunnel! Your oversized self and amazing growing baby have finally reached the single digits (in terms of weeks till birth)! The fine lanugo hair that has been growing all over their little monkey-like body is going to start falling off this week in preparation for the big day. But don’t be shocked if they’re hairier than you’d anticipated, some babies keep their lanugo until after birth. Still, it’s not any cause to be concerned as it will fall off eventually. No surprises here: your little porker is getting even cuter with increasingly pudgy arms and legs this week thanks to the ever-growing layers of subcutaneous fat. In terms of numbers, your baby should be weighing in at around 3 pounds 12 ounces (or more!) and be nearly 16 inches long. And how's mom doing? On a very serious note: you should make sure to determine both you and you

Keep it to yourself...

Why are there people who always tell you what to do? Why cant they mind their own business? Why do some people tell you that this is better than the one you chose? Why cant they just keep their opinions to themselves?? We have our own lives to live... Makes sense, right??

Jenika

Jenika Meaning: Its source is Yochana, a Hebrew name meaning "God's grace." Alternative Spellings: Jenicka and Jennica Variant Forms: Jeniqua Narrative: The Hebrew Yochana was translated into Latin as Joanna or Johanna. Over time these developed into the Old French Jehan(n)e. At various points this string of ancestors spun off many modern variations that have enjoyed a great deal of popularity. Most of them share the quality of simplicity. Whether we call to mind the fictitious Jane Q. Public or the legendary Joan of Arc (Jeanne D'Arc in French), these names seem to emerge from the heart of the people. [ syll. je - ni - ca , jen - ica ] The girl name Jenica is pronounced JH EH NahKah KEY . Jenica's origin is Hebrew , and its use, English and Romanian . Jenica is a variant form of the English Jane . Jenica is not commonly used as a baby girl name. It is not in the top 1000 names. In 2008, within the family of girl names directly related to Je

My Mommy Entry # 7

My In My Womb 3d/4d Ultrasound Experience Last Saturday, we had our 6th checkup with our OB-Gynecologist. So far, everything's ok. I passed my Glucose Challenge test, but I still need to cut on my sugar intake. We were also able to hear our little one's heartbeat. Next week I will be having my Tetanus Toxoid shot -- scary!! After the checkup, we proceeded to Makati for our scheduled 3d4d ultrasound at In My Womb. I have heard lots of great reviews about this ultrasound center so we have decided to have our ultrasound there. Their center is located at 2f, The Link Bldg, Ayala Makati. The building is beside Landmark. Before proceeding, we had our lunch first at Ineng's Special BBQ -- great food, terrible customer service! After eating, we then proceded to the 2nd level. We were greeted by a courteous nurse and I told her that I was scheduled for an ultrasound with Dra. Ramos. I would actually like to have the procedure done by the owner, Dra. Shiela Illescas, since i

My Mommy Entry # 6

Week 29: To pee or not to pee... Fetal development in pregnancy week 29: If you’ve been feeling butterflies moving around in your belly, it’s not just your run-of-the-mill pre-birth performance anxiety. No, it’s your amazing baby with a case of the hiccups: a fairly common occurrence at this point resulting from practicing breathing for their big birthday. In addition, to getting a round of butterfly-like hiccups, your little swimmer has arduously managed to accumulate enough baby fat to account for nearly 3.5% of their overall body weight. Yeah, compared to we adults, it’s not a lot, but when they’re little like that—it’s certainly a healthy (and warming) accomplishment in its way. Another fantastic accomplishment: your baby's spleen is now in charge of hematopoiesis—the 10 dollar name for the process involved in building up certain important blood components. Another fantastic-accomplishment: your little monkey has been peeing into their amniotic sac for a little while now

My Mommy Entry # 5

Week 28: Why, you look positively bovine! Fetal development in pregnancy week 28: You know how you’ve been feeling a bit like a barn with legs? Well, that feeling won’t subside before… well, you know, when you finally give birth. For the time being, you’ve got yourself a baby in the business of collecting fat and lots of it! In spite of the dubious joys of being a human-barn, this baby fat business is very serious and you’ve got to put up with it because it’s going to keep your little porker warm and healthy after birth. Other good stuff from inside: their eyes are doing lots of blinking this week because they’re now able to respond to light and dark. Also, their industrious little bone marrow is now a major construction site for developing red blood cells, while their super-cute adrenal glands are actually producing androgen and estrogen—which will stimulate your hormones to begin milk production. Can you say, “Moo?” And how's mom doing? If you’re not already fully e

Harry Potter Mania Strikes Again!

Once again, Harry and the rest of his Hogwarts friends are back for another thrilling adventure...Tomorrow is the opening day for the 6th movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I personally like the book, though the ending is really, really sad... I'm a self-confessed Potter fan...in fact, I got the title of this blog from the series. I just love the magic, the mystery, the adventure, the friendship that forms the whole of the story. I have read the 7 books (not once, not twice, not thrice...i actually lost count already) and they are all great. JK Rowling never fails to amuse her readers. And I hope the movie won't be such a disappointment for us Potter fans. I usually watch Harry Potter on its first screening day. But this time, I'll save it for the weekend. ;) I am so excited to watch it with my hubby. I have made him a fan of Harry too. And hopefully we'd be able to reserve tickets today. I'll surely write something about the movie once I watch it,

My Mommy Entry # 4

Week 27: I'm a survivor, I'm gonna make it! Fetal development in pregnancy week 27: Your not-so-tiny-anymore brilliant baby(about 2 pounds and 14.5 inches long!) is slowly rotating in preparation to “head out.” Obviously, this doesn’t happen overnight, but when you start to feel an unfamiliar pressure on your cervix, you’ll know you’ve got a fully flipped baby locked and loaded for the countdown to their birthday! Even now, at the beginning of the third trimester, their little lungs are already capable of breathing air while the pulmonary vascular system can provide sufficient gas exchange and the central nervous system can generally regulate rhythmic breathing as well as their basal body temperature. For what it’s worth, at this point in a healthy pregnancy a premature child (with intensive care) could easily win on the show: “Survivor: The Early Years.” And how's mom doing? You’ve worked hard, done your research, endured a plethora of joyless sympto