Mommy 101: What's Inside My (Diaper) Bag?

Happy Easter everyone! Finally had some time to write again on my blog after months of adjusting into motherhood. A few years ago, I remembered blogging what's inside my bag...when I was still a "happy-go-lucky-on-her-early-twenties" stage in my life. Now, I am going for the "young-and-cool-late-twenties-but-still-on-twenties" mommy vibe. Now that I am a mom a young and cool mom of a 9-month old baby, bringing my own bag is quite unnecessary as I always carry our baby when we are out. If my husband carries our baby, I am in charge of carrying the diaper bag. Did you know that diaper bags are soooo IN right now?! Kidding! Anyway for any mommy readers out there, here are some of my diaper bag essentials. Hope it helps. :)

1. Diaper Bag - There are A LOT of diaper bags out in the market today for different types of mommies and daddies. Since I don't bring my own bag anymore, I am the type of mommy who wants to have a classy looking diaper bag (aka. maarte mom). And because my husband carries it also, he asked if it can be in a gender neutral color, hence we chose black. We found what we wanted at Mothercare and the brand is SkipHop.

2. Essentials

2.a. Extra clothes and diapers - I usually bring 2 sets of clothes (top and bottom), at least 4 diapers and an extra lampin/bib. I put them in a ziplock bag so that I can pull it out easily and remain clean
2.b. Extra Ziplock bags - for soiled diapers and dirty clothes.
2.c. Fan - I always bring one, especially now that summer season is here.
2.d. Changing Mat - already included when we purchased the diaper bag.
2.e. Wet and Dry Tissue - for easy cleaning of hands, toys and surfaces.
2.f. Alcohol
2.g. Cradles Toy and Surface Cleaner - this is an essential when we eat out in restaurants as we use this to clean high chairs and table surfaces.
2.h. Small Container and Cotton - the empty container comes in handy if we need more water to clean poop and whatnots.
2.i. Anti Mosquito Spray - I am not a fan of Citronella smell that's why I bought the one from Chicco which is not citronella based. We spray it on our baby's clothes before we go out.
2.k.2 to 3 Feeding Bottles and Formula Container
2.k. Changing Diaper Kit. - see below for more details

*Diaper Changing Kit - I put all the necessities inside a small toiletries bag so it's easier to pull out of the bag.

k.1.Diaper Cream - we use Mustela Barrier Cream ever since our baby was born. Effective on our baby.
k.2.Water and Diluted Baby Wash in Spray Bottles - Got this idea from a mommy forum. It really is easier to change diaper using spray bottles and cotton.
k.3.Wet Wipes - we don't use wipes on our baby's bum. We use this instead to clean hands after the diaper change.
k.4.Calmoseptine - Very effective cream. I put it a small round container to avoid spills as its only available in sachets here in Manila.
k.5.Baby Cotton Buds
k.6.Lotion - Our baby has eczema so we put Cetaphil Restoraderm Lotion on him. At first, we bring the big Cetaphil bottle everytime we go out. But it takes up a lot of space and weight so I bought a small squeeze bottle and filled it with the lotion.

3. Eating Essentials - Our baby is already 9 months old. Hence, he's allowed to eat solid foods already!

3.a. Marie Biscuits - handy snacks. this also keeps our baby preoccupied and behaved!

3.b. Small container and spoon - I found this in a supermarket. Nice thing about it is that it is a food masher too.

3.c. Teethers - something to keep our teething baby preoccupied.

So there you have it! What's inside your diaper bag, mommy? :)

Mommy 101: Francesco Matteo's Baptism

Before I gave birth to Cesco, as early as 6 months in my pregnancy, I started planning his baptism. Yeah...I know, I am a very excited mommy. Anyway, the first thing I thought of was the church and venue. Because the possible dates for my son's baptism will fall on the rainy season, my husband and I agreed that the venue should be covered and the proximity of the church from the venue is near. =)

Church: Santuario de San Antonio (Forbes Park, Makati City)

We narrowed down to 2 churches, Christ The King in Greenmeadows or Santuario de San Antonio, and my husband and I decided the latter mainly because of the venue proximity. It was easy booking baptism in SSA. You just need your baby's birth certificate, your list of godparents (max of 5 pairs) and 4,000 pesos for the baptismal fee. Candles and baptismal booklets should be bought from them. Candles are priced at 50 pesos each and the booklet at 35 pesos each.

Venue: Santuario de San Antonio Social Hall (Bays 2 and 3)

I inquired a lot of possible venues near Christ The King and Santuario de San Antonio. Though there are a lot of nice subdivision clubhouses near Christ The King, we chose the social hall of SSA because we will just walk from the church to the venue. We booked 2 bays because we planned on inviting 150 guests. Booking was easy, you just need to go to the parish office and look for Ms. Alice. The venue rental is 7,500 per bay inclusive of sound system and 4 hours rental of the place.

Catering - Queensland Catering

After reading a lot of forums regarding catering services, we decided to book Queensland Catering because they offered the most affordable packages and the quality of food according to the reviews were great.  We attended their free food tasting which they hold every Sunday afternoon at Ysabel's Garden to make sure the food was good. True enough, I got raves from my family and friends on the food.

Our Menu:

Steamed Rice

Roast Beef with mushroom gravy

Pork Spareribs in BBQ sauce

Fish Fillet with Tartar sauce

Chicken Flambe

Garlic Sotanghon Pasta

Buco Pandan Salad

Decorations - CreativeMinds Event Management

Canvassing for decors really paid off for me. After countless email inquiries from different event stylists, I finally found the most affordable package with nice styro artwork design and balloon decors. It was easy transacting with Luchille from CreativeMinds, everything was done via email and text messages and payment was made thru bank deposit. 

Giveaways - Little Bites Cupcakery (Red Velvet Crinkles)

I first tasted these red velvet crinkles from my officemate and had the idea of ordering them as giveaways for Cesco's baptism. I contacted Charmaine and finalized my custom order. It was easy transacting with her. I just paid 50% for downpayment and the balance was paid during delivery at the event. I also emailed the tag I wanted to use and she did the printing and packaging. The red velvet crinkles are also available at SM Megamall and SM Makati Marketplace.

Photography - Photo Carousel Weddings

I first thought only photo coverage for weddings are expensive. Man, was I wrong. Little did I know photo coverage for kiddie parties are also expensive! They could go as high as 15 to 20 thousand pesos and this only includes the raw files stored in a dvd. Good thing I researched until I found Darlene Joy Huab of Photo Carousel Weddings and was able to grab their promo that includes baptismal and reception coverage, 8x8 coffee table album (30 pages) for only 6,000 pesos. Darlene was 1 hour early at the event and she did her work right away when we arrived until the end of the party. I received the dvd with all the raw files from her cameras 4 days after the event and they are in very good quality. The coffee table album will be delivered after a month.

My Birth Story: Francesco Matteo

Well, hello there!

Let me just update you with something...I am now officially a mom!

It's already a month since I had given birth to a bouncing baby boy named, Francesco Matteo. But before I gave birth, I wanted to be super prepared so what I would do is to read other mommy bloggers' birth stories every night. But it is true...every pregnancy is different so I am here to share my own birth story:

On June 19 around 4AM, I woke up to pee in the bathroom and when I wiped, I saw a tinge of blood. The first thing I did was that I smiled to myself. Really. I did smile, because I was already 39 weeks and 2 days then...and it is true when they say that on your final month, it feels like forever to wait for your baby to come out. Anyway, I tried to go back to sleep because I know I'm still at the early stage of labor as I only felt very mild contractions and back pains.

At around 6AM, the pain started to escalate but still bearable. I woke my husband already to tell him and we started timing my contractions for an hour. By 9AM, we agreed to go to The Fort already because the contractions were at 5 minutes apart and the pain was increasing. By 10AM we were already in Fort area but because I can still bear the pain, we went to SM Aura to pass time and for me to walk and walk and walk...and to window shop a little to divert myself from the pain.

By 1PM, we went to the delivery room of St. Lukes - BGC to have myself checked (IE). I did not notify my OB then because I was afraid it was only false contractions. However, when the resident OB IE'd me and informed that (lo and behold) I was 4cm already...it means I was ready for admission. A rush of excitement came to me and my husband and he started calling our parents to inform them. I thought to myself..."THIS IS IT! WE WILL SEE OUR BABY SOON!"

I handed over my OB's admission forms, birth plan and mother's information sheet to the nurse. I changed to a hospital gown and was admitted to the High Risk Pregnancy room so I could be with my husband while I labor. I specified in my birthplan that I did not want IV inserted (just heplock) so that I could still walk to hasten my labor. By 4PM, I was asked to be IE'd again, but to my dismay, I was still 4CM though I was 50% effaced. I wasn't feeling pain in my abdomen as opposed to the birthing stories I read from other moms, instead the pain I was feeling was at my lower back.

By 7PM, the backpain was getting more intense so I started doing breathing exercises I learned in birthing class. (It was really useful!) But again, I was disappointed to learn I only progressed to 5CM. The resident OB assured me though that I was doing good because I was already 90% effaced. My OB also dropped by to check on me and assured me everything is going good.

By 10PM, the IE progressed to only 6CM. Also, the IE came painful because the resident OB stripped my membrane to help hasten my labor. True enough, after a couple of minutes, my water bag broke. When my water bag broke, the backpain was so intense already. And even though I planned to have a natural, unmedicated birth, I finally gave in to ask for epidural because I thought my labor would continue till morning.

At 11PM and 8CM, I was given epidural. And my oh my, it was like the bestfriend that I've been waiting for in my life! It helped me rto rest for a while. 12MN came and my personal OB was the one who IE'd me. I heard her say "Very good!" then she informed the nurses and resident OB to start prepping up the delivery room. I WAS READY! My husband was also being prepped because he was going to be with me in the delivery room.

My husband being prepped for the delivery

At around 12:40 AM, I was wheeled into the delivery room. The nurses and doctors were preparing while I watch them. My OB then asked me to begin practice pushing. I tried to remember what I learned from birthing class and at the same time listened to my OB on what should I do. Note: contrary to what we watch on movies, it is not advisable to scream while you push. Instead, you tuck your head down, make a deep inhale and hold your breath for 10 seconds while you exhale and push at the same time. The nurses, doctors and my husband counted in unison to help me focus. 

My husband with the wonderful doctors and nurses of St. Lukes BGC

At 1:27 AM, after around 7 pushes, they all cheered as my OB announced "BABY OUT!" 

Part of my birth plan was for my husband to cut the umbilical cord of our baby which was truly a memorable experience for him.

Thanks to my BFF epidural, I could smile!

Cutting the cord

Our very first family picture! :)

Meet our little baby boy, Francesco Matteo

Cesco weighing 7.2 lbs and 49 cm in length and 9.9 apgar score

My boys <3

I would like to thank God for this wonderful blessing and safe delivery, to my loving husband who stood by me all the way, to my amazing OB, Dr. Regina Capistrano and her awesome team of doctors and nurses of St. Lukes BGC, to my supportive parents, in laws, family and friends who visited us in the hospital...THANK YOU VERY MUCH! 

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless"

Psalm 84:11

Maternity 101: Hospital Bags...All Packed And Ready!

I feel like I am a ticking time bomb.

As of today, I'm already 39 weeks! It means I can give birth anytime. And just now, I read from my FB newsfeed that 2 more of my birthing classmates gave birth! Ahhh...I am getting more anxious each day. Anyway, while waiting for my baby to come out, I will share with you how I packed my hospital bag.

If you know me personally, I am very OC on packing my things. That is why as early as when I was 6 months pregnant, I started organizing the things I need for the hospital. and as early as 36 weeks, all our bags are in the trunk of our car. Yep. I am OC. And I am proud of it. :)

The below checklist is specifically if you are staying at St. Lukes BGC - because different hospitals vary on what should the mother would bring.

During labor, we will only bring out the diaper bag from our car which consists of the following:


1. Delivery Clothes for the Baby - this is a proof of how OC I am. I love ziplocks and labels. I put my baby's name (not seen on picture) and the content of the pack so the nurses/doctors will know what's inside. Be sure that the baby's clothes are washed. I used Cycles detergent as I got it free from my birthing class. But if you are on a tight budget, I know Perla soap is also good to use for newborn clothes.

Delivery Clothes

2. Baby Bath towel - Just in case we need it during delivery

3. Baby Toiletries - Also, just in case needed. Our baby toiletries bag contains baby wash, baby wipes, Ispropyl Alcohol 70%, cotton, cotton buds and Mustela Physiobebe no rinse wash

4. Binder - I am pushing for normal delivery, but just in case I will undergo for C-section, binder is a must. I bought my Wink binder from Urban Essentials as I got a lot of great reviews on this.

Wink Binder - Image from google

5. Hospital Documents

a. Lamaze Notes - we took Lamaze class during my 7 month of pregnancy and it's best to bring along our notes just in case we need.

b. Hospital Admission Forms - Last week, we went to the admissions office and I asked for admission forms for getting a room. I already filled out the forms needed so it will be easier and faster for my husband to get a room for us to stay.

c. Pregnancy Files - This clearbook contains my:
-Birth Plan
-Admission Forms
-Lamaze Certificate
-Mother's Information Cheat Sheet
-Ultrasound Results
-Urinalysis Results
-CBC Results
-St. Nonnatus Prayer (my Lola's request)

Important Documents

After giving birth, while I will be in the recovery room, my husband will get a private room for us to stay for 2-3 days (or whenever my OB will give me the go signal that we could go home). Only during this time when my husband will unload our luggage. I prepared two bags (1 for the baby and 1 for me and my husband)

BABY BAG:

Baby Bag

MOM and DAD BAG:

Mom and Dad Bag

I will blog more on what I prepared and put inside our luggage...stay tuned :)

"Secret" Baby Shopping Haven: Hello Baby Garments Factory Outlet

For 7 months, I have prevented myself from buying baby clothes because of a pamahiin I read somewhere that you should not buy baby clothes until you are on your third trimester. Though I rarely believe in pamahiins, I was very careful on everything I read because of my miscarriage last year. I told myself there's nothing to lose if I follow them. It will also prevent me not to splurge too much on baby clothes. :)

On my 6th month, I started researching on where I can buy affordable baby clothes. I know Divisoria is the first place to go to, but with my delicate condition and heavy belly, I don't want to exhaust myself in a crowded place. Then I read at femalenetwork forum, some of the girls there mentioned a place in Bel Air, Makati that sells export over runs from Carters, Disney and other baby brands from Australia and States. I researched more on this particular place and found other blogs recommending expecting mothers to go there as it is a baby clothes haven.

Now that I am on my last trimester, I started completing my baby/hospital bag checklist and we have set this morning to check out that baby clothes store called, Hello Baby Garments. It is located at 48 Zodiac Street, Bel Air Subdivision in Makati City. When we got there, we found ourselves in front of a nice house and there was a "baby clothes" sign directing to the back of the house. At the back of the house is a separate storage room where shelves and shelves and shelves of baby clothes are stored. 

I forgot to take a picture of the place as I got excited when the storage room opened. Even though I know what to expect, I still got overwhelmed because there really is A LOT of things you could choose to buy. From booties and mittens to blankets and cute onesies, You name it, they have it! I suggest you be ready with a shopping list of the things you ONLY need. Because once you are there, you might get carried away and over buy baby stuff. I also suggest you bring your mother or mother in law...so they will be the one to pay for the baby clothes. Hahaha!

Grabbed from: https://honeyteodoro.wordpress.com

Grabbed from: https://honeyteodoro.wordpress.com

Grabbed from https://honeyteodoro.wordpress.com

Grabbed from https://honeyteodoro.wordpress.com

I'm very thankful to have a supportive husband who came along and helped my pick our baby's clothes. After almost an hour of rummaging thru the shelves, we bought the following:

6 pairs booties

6 pairs mittens

2 bonnets

4 pajama bottoms

2 bath towels

1 receiving blanket

4 onesies

Things we bought: 6 pairs booties, 2 bonnets and 6 pairs mittens

The quality of the baby clothes are very good. I also learned from the lady who manages the storage room (Ate Vicky) that all the baby clothes are made in the Philippines with international branded names for export to different countries around the world.

2 baby bath towels and 1 receiving blanket

4 pajama bottoms and 4 onesies

They offer clothes from newborn to 6 years. Can you guess how much we spent for the things we bought? Our total bill was Php 1,900. Not bad, right? I did a canvass before at SM and saw onesies cost around 200 per piece and a baby towel costs around 300.  I think if we bought all these at SM, we would be spending twice the money. 

The kimono tie side shirts and burp pads were already bought by my mother in law so I didn't buy anymore at the store. To all mommies, do not buy too much newborn sized clothes because babies grow really fast. :)

Baby shopping done!

_____________

Tomorrow will be our Day 4 birthing class with Rome Kanapi which I will blog very soon. Stay tuned! :)

A Year After...

The month of March will always be very memorable for me and my husband. I can vividly remember everything that happened last year...

January 3, 2014 was the day I got married to the man of my dreams. It was extra extra special because believe it or not, I got my period in the middle of the church ceremony. Funny, right? Anyway, February came and after the second week, I began wondering how come I have not gotten my period yet. So I asked my husband to buy a pregnancy test just to check...and the result was positive. I have to be honest, neither one of us expected to have a baby so soon because we were planning to have one after a year or two. Anyway, we were still happy with the surprise news. A baby is a blessing.

Funny Note: the moment I saw the two red lines that confirmed positive pregnancy, the first thing that came to my mind was...how will I tell my parents about this? Then I realized, hey I am already married. :)

The next day, my husband and I went to St. Lukes BGC to have a checkup. Armed with no experience and knowledge on pregnancy, we went to the first available OB, Dr. Elsie Pascua. She gave a pep talk that pregnancy is not an illness, explained the do's and dont's of pregnancy and handed us a recommendation to have an ultrasound to determine the age, expected due date and if there are any complications. Out of excitement, we got an ultrasound on that same day. The result was I was already at 7 weeks. However, the OB - Sonologist informed me that the gestational sac is still empty. I informed my OB about the result and she told me it is normal and it may be too early as it is still developing. She told me to have a repeat ultrasound in 2 weeks time.

After 2 weeks, we came back for another ultrasound. Because it's our first pregnancy, we weren't aware that husbands can accompany you to the ultrasound room. I was alone with the OB - Sonologist when:

Doctor: "You are already at 9 weeks but the sac is still empty and no heartbeat detected."

Me: "What's that supposed to mean?"

Doctor: "You should ask your OB about this."

I wanted to cry right then and there. From that moment, I knew something was wrong. I asked myself, But how can it be? I feel perfectly fine. The moment my husband saw me at the lounge outside the room, he asked what's wrong because he could see it in my face. I told him what the Sono said. We went to the OB for her to see the result of the ultrasound, she was not happy with the result either, but she was still hopeful. She said give 1 more week to have a final ultrasound because it might just be a late bloomer and that my cycle is just off.

The car ride from BGC going home to Cainta, all I did was to cry my heart out. My husband tried his best to comfort me. I knew he was also very down but he also knew he has to stay strong for both of us. When we got home, I researched possible causes and the most common term I read was BLIGHTED OVUM. 

A blighted ovum occurs when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus but doesn't develop into an embryo. It is also referred to as an anembryonic pregnancy and is a leading cause of early pregnancy failure or miscarriage. Often it occurs so early that you don't even know you are pregnant. - WebMD

Both our families were still hopeful, but I couldn't bring myself to be that way. I want to prepare myself for the worst because I never liked disappointments. I have to be physically, emotionally and spiritually ready for this. That dreaded week came and the ultrasound result showed my gestational sac was still empty. It was indeed a Blighted Ovum. My OB said possible causes could be a weak sperm or egg when they fertilized. But she told us very reassuringly that my husband and I have done nothing wrong to cause this miscarriage and we certainly could not have prevented it.

On March 23, 2014 I got the very first surgery of my life, D&C (Dilation and Curettage) at St. Lukes Hospital in BGC.

Dilation and curettage (D&C) is a brief surgical procedure in which the cervix is dilated and a special instrument is used to scrape the uterine lining - WebMD

My room at St. Lukes Hospital - Bonifacio Global Center

While waiting for my scheduled operation. I was never a fan of needles.

It has almost been a year since then, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't forget that moment. It may have been a very shattering moment for me and my husband, but everything happens for a reason and we believe God will grant you blessings in His right time. 

Though she stumbles, she will not fall. for the Lord upholds her with His right hand.

-Psalm 37:24 

St. Lukes Hospital BGC - Maternity Rooms 101

Hello non-existing readers! Happy 2015!

It's that time of the year again wherein my blog will be updated. I just scanned my previous blog posts and it seems - no matter how few - my blog entries have reflected the different phases of my life. The transition of interest on food and fashion, to travel and wedding plans...and now on my new phase - motherhood!

Yes, my husband and I are so blessed to be expecting our little bundle of joy soon. As of today, I am on my 2nd trimester (19 weeks to be exact). And today, I will share to you information you need to know about St. Lukes Hospital at Bonifacio Global City.

Now, a lot of people, when they hear St. Lukes Hospital - BGC...the first thing that comes to their mind is the word expensive. I will be honest, this hospital may be a bit pricier compared to other private hospitals. But do keep in mind that, you do get what you pay for - bigger rooms, state-of-the-art equipment, nice lobby, and very clean facilities. And if you ask me, when your health is the topic...it's best not to be kuripot about it.

St. Lukes BGC lobby - view from the 2nd floor

My husband and I took a tour of their maternity rooms and suites last weekend. I think this is a very necessary step to expecting parents so you would know how much you need to prepare and save in the coming months before the baby comes.

Now here is what I learned:

If you are already experiencing THE contractions, you need to proceed to the 3rd floor Delivery Room. From there, you will be taken to their admission room wherein the resident OB and nurse will evaluate and assses your status. After that, you have the option of choosing to have your labor at the Labor Room or the High Risk Pregnancy Room. The Labor Room is NOT a private room, there are 6 beds separated by accordion and you will be joined by other mothers in labor. Eating and bringing of companions are NOT allowed in this room. The cost is Php 1,500 for 24 hours.

High Risk Pregnancy Room - It doesn't mean you must be at high risk to be admitted here. You can choose this room when you are in labor and you want more privacy. This room is equipped with an LCD TV, private bathroom and a lazy boy for your companion. Eating is allowed in this room and the cost is Php 4,620 for 24 hours or Php 300 per hour if you do not consume the 24 hour period.

High Risk Pregnancy Room

High Risk Pregnancy Room

After the tour at the 3rd floor, we where then directed to proceed to the 8th Floor which is the Maternity Wing. Located here are the Private rooms and suites. There are 4 types of private rooms (Small Private, Regular Private, Deluxe Private and Executive Private). This will be the room you will go after you give birth to recover. We only viewed the first 3 rooms mentioned as the Executive Private Room is already out of our budget. :)

Small Private Room - This is the smallest room in the private room category. It includes an LCD TV, refrigerator, cabinet and a day bed for your companion  The cost for this room is Php 2,500 per day.

Small Private Room

Regular Private Room - This is around 2 square meters bigger than the Small Private Room and has a better view and larger windows but with same amenities. The cost for this room is Php 3,500 per day.

Regular Private Room

Deluxe Private Room - This is much bigger than the Regular Private Room. It has same amenities as the first two rooms plus an office desk. And there's a bonus lazy boy for your companion or for you when you breastfeed your new born. The cost for this room is Php 4,150 per day.

Deluxe Private Room

Compared to the private rooms, if you choose to be admitted in a Birthing Suite, you don't need to be transferred to different rooms during the different stages of birthing. In here, you will have your labor, delivery (for normal delivery only), and recovery all in one room. There are 5 types of Birthing Suites (Regular Suite, Deluxe Suite, Executive Suite, Ambassador Suite and Presidential Suite). We only viewed 1 Suite Room because the Regular Suite is occupied during our visit and the rest are out of our budget. :)

Deluxe Birthing Suite - This is a quite a big room and has lots of seating for expected visitors. I just don't favor the choice of wallpaper though. I think it's kinda "chaotic looking". The cost for this room is Php 12,000 per day.

Deluxe Birthing Suite

Deluxe Birthing Suite

Keep in mind when choosing the room...Doctor's professional fees are dependent on the room you take. "The more expensive the room is, the higher the doctor fee will be."

That's it for now! I'll be blogging about childbirth classes which my husband and I will take next month! :)