Baby's Corner

I made this collection of things that I like to be in our baby’s corner. We’re not decorating a nursery for him due to space constraints, and more particularly because we want him to sleep in our room. In fact, I’m thinking of co-sleeping with baby so these things might really end up to be unnecessary. But at any rate, I still want to decorate a simple corner for him and here are some of the things I’ll be bringing in.

{1. a simple convertible 3-in-1 or 4-in-1 white crib. we already got one for around 15-16,000pesos in rockwell. 2. i saw this in etsy and this would probably end up as a DIY project for me. it’s a quote painted on canvas and i like it because we’ve been waiting for our baby for 7 years and having him now is really in God’s perfect time. 3. i like the wall paper, i like the colors. 4. letter J for our baby’s initial. not necessarily in that color but it can be in wood, or cardboard, or whatever material i can find. another DIY project for me. 5. that’s the nursing chair that i like but i can’t still find one that looks close to it in any of the shops i’ve been to lately. 6. and i like that floor lamp too!}

Will update you with photos once baby’s corner is up!

On Nuchal Cord and An Update

Non-Stress Test. Captures fetal heart rate and contraction rate.

During my 32nd-going-33rd week appointment with my OB-Gyne, it was found out on ultrasound that there's an umbilical cord loop/coil near my baby's neck, or what is referred to as a nuchal cord. I was reassured by my doctor that all throughout her practice (and she's a really prominent practitioner here in Manila), she has seen nuchal cords in about 70% of her patients and that it is, by itself, not deadly. 

However, because it is a condition that may pose risks to the baby, I was advised to immediately undergo what they call a Non-Stress Test (NST) and a Doppler Test. Apart from that, I was advised to be very very vigilant in monitoring my baby's movement. Our protocol was that whenever I don't feel any movement in an hour, I will stuff myself with food and lie on my left and wait for 30 minutes until I feel my baby move. If there's still no movement, I should go see her immediately. I was told that it is always better to be over-vigilant and safe about it than be sorry.

Since then, I've been closely monitoring my baby's movement even while at work. Just a day after I hit my 33 weeks, I noticed that my baby wasn't moving from 5am until I reached work around 6am. I grabbed a sandwich and waited for 30 minutes. There's no movement. I was thinking that maybe my baby was just sleeping. I continued working and noticed that around 9am, my baby's still not kicking. I ate a heavy breakfast and in fact even took a very sweet drink and dessert. 30 minutes came by and my baby's still not moving. Around 11am, I'm already very worried and scared. I know that our protocol calls only for an hour of no or decreased fetal movement and that in my case, I already allowed 6 hours to pass by!

I was picked up by hubby from work and my OB-Gyne advised me to have an ultrasound and a repeat Non-Stress Test. While the NST is being conducted, I was holding a gadget which I had to press any time I feel a fetal movement. And in the 40 minutes that I was undergoing the test, I recorded 19 movements. I felt relieved that the baby's heart rate is fine, that he's moving, and that my contraction rate is very low.

My doctor was advised of the results of the NST but to be very sure about it, I was advised to be on a 24-hour monitoring in the hospital. Even if we're not prepared for it, we can't decline because it's all for the baby. We feel safer being there, with straps all around my belly, just to make sure that the baby's fine.

I had routine urinalysis and complete blood count tests as soon as I was admitted. I was scheduled for a Doppler Test the following day. Everything was fine until the following morning when the baseline of my baby's heart rate became lower then 120. At first, we're seeing 115-119, then it became 108-110, and then went as low as 104-105. Not alarmingly low but it's not a good sign. I was put on oxygen and was given steroid shots for baby's lung development so that in case he gets delivered earlier than 37 weeks, we're assured that his lungs are mature enough. That time, it's around 5 in the morning to 6:30am. Same time when I didn't feel my baby move just before I got confined.

I was given breakfast and was told to eat a heavy one. Soon enough, my baby's heart rate picked up and went back to 130-140. And that's the reading until we got discharged in the afternoon. We're so relieved! Whew!

As of this post, my baby's fine and really very active. However, during my previous check-up, I was told that on ultrasound, it looks like my baby has a double coil :( Anyways, I'm due for another appointment tomorrow and moving forward, it's gonna be a weekly appointment for us. We're preparing for a C-section sometime February 22 onwards and that's just basically 3 weeks from now!

Before I end this post, I would like to share this article with you.

Even though nuchal cords are common and occur 25% – 35% of the time, rarely a baby’s cord will be wrapped so tightly around their body that the cord is compressed and oxygen delivery to the baby is compromised.  When this occurs, a cesarean is prudent and in its absence, a stillbirth could occur.  Fortunately, stillbirth from cord accidents, which include nuchal cords and nuchal knots, are rare and occur in 1.5 per 1,000 (0.15%) deliveries.  If your baby does have a nuchal cord, the risk of infant death is less than 0.4% – 0.6%. Thus, even though nuchal cords occur in about one third of births, they rarely result in the death of a baby. However, this is no consolation to those who have experienced the horror of their child’s death because when you are the statistic, it doesn’t matter how rarely something occurs.

To wrap this post up, I just want to tell all preggy ladies out there whose babies also have nuchal cords to not be afraid. Just keep on praying and be very observant of your baby's movement. Let's all do our best and if need be, make certain sacrifices if only to really monitor fetal movement. I was advised to stop working because I can monitor baby's movements properly when lying down and not when sitting in front of the computer busy doing something. Again, keep on praying and have faith that God will not want anything harmful to our babies. 

Take care everyone!

My Preggy Belly

Top left: 8 weeks. Top right: 15 weeks.

Bottom left: 26 weeks. Bottom right: 32 weeks.

I'm now on my 34th week and just about at the start of this week, I've been asked twice: "are you carrying twins?" Hah! I guess my preggy belly is really that big.

A Coed Baby Shower Party!

Our friends and partners from Monsees Cafe honored me and hubby with a coed baby shower party last Saturday. The invite was sent via email and Facebook and we’re glad that almost everyone we invited came :)

It wasn’t a surprise party which I absolutely prefer because I wanted to have a say in the menu and in the guest list. I wanted it to be a small party to be attended only by my immediate family and the closest friends from elementary school all the way to my current workplace. Everything was sort of in a rush and was finalized only in less than a week. We didn’t even want to register the baby shower but we ended up agreeing to do so because some of our guests said it is easier for them that we have a wishlist rather than guessing what to gift us with.

My family’s the first one to arrive at the cafe. My mom and sister helped me with the guest tokens. They’re just small brown bags filled with Hershey’s kisses. When we got to the cafe, there’s a huge wedding cake sample on display, and some really cute baby boy cupcake toppers in royal icing are scattered on the cake table. My sister decided to put the brown bags around the cake tiers and I asked her to take a picture of me while her work is in progress :)

And then another friend/partner from Monsees Cafe came and started decorating the tables. She placed flowers and tea light candles on every table and put baby shower book marks with “It’s A Boy” stickers on the floral arrangement.

Breadsticks were also placed in glass bottles and served on every guest table. Soon enough, the buffet spread was ready and upon seeing the food, I got really excited!

Tables were served with dinner rolls that were freshly baked in our brick oven. Everyone also enjoyed free-flowing coffee, hot tea, soda, or iced tea. Let’s go check out the food in detail…

peach danish

 

blueberry danish (strawberry danish was also served but not in photos)

assorted cold cuts. these are not from monsees cafe (they’re from santi’s) but i wanted them to be served so there ya go

mashed potatoes (left)

baby back ribs

baked spaghetti (to the right of the ribs)

side dishes: plain rice, java rice (pefect with the baby back ribs) and corn & carrots

roast angus beef (we also had an egg/omelet station but not in photos...)

freshly baked baguettes which some guests were able to take home!

nd for dessert…. we had flan (oh em gee so good) and cotton cake (my super favorite and was actually complimented by almost everyone)

The party started at 10 in the morning and with guests returning to the buffet spread and enjoying their 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th serving, we were only able to wrap up the party with three games that ended past 3pm. My guests enjoyed the food and got comfy with everyone else. I never had problems about guests not being comfortable because they’re seated with people they don’t know. My friends are all friendly and they ended up talking to each other. My mom enjoyed the party so much that she joined my friends’ table and even played games with them!

 

While we really just wanted them to be there because hanging out with them before the big day is all that we want, our friends still showered us with so many gifts. Our baby boy is so lucky to that we have generous friends!

I had a really great time at the Coed Baby Shower Party. I loved the food, everything was delicious, and I enjoyed the company of my family and friends. And I’d like to thank everyone who came: my parents, sister, brother in law, nephew Lahi, my in-laws from hubby’s side, friends from high school (Lorenz, Albert, Charles), friends from JGLaw (Maricor, Hera), friends from EMCI (Pam, Tara, Romy, Gio), friends from Integreon (Cherie, Christian, Paola, Bibit),  hubby’s friends from La Salle Greenhills (GP, V-Anne), and cousins Nikka, April, and Gielene. Of course, I also like to thank my friends and partners from Monsees Cafe (Marina, Charles, Karen, Terence), as well as all the staff (Epi, Jeff, Michelle, Billy, Arvin, etc), who tirelessly prepared for this party considering that they just catered a wedding event like two days prior to the baby shower. And last but definitely not the least, I want to thank hubby for coordinating with Monsees Cafe about the menu, the schedule, and guest list.

You guys are so awesome! With some more prayers, we’ll get there in a few weeks  (32 weeks now!) and before we all know it, we’ll be seeing each other again at our baby’s baptism. Hugs and kisses to all of you! :)

*This is a repost from my food blog, I Love, Therefore, I Cook.

[Review] Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion and The Body Shop Cocoa Body Butter

Most women develop stretch marks during pregnancy but no one can tell who's gonna get them or who won't. The chances of getting stretch marks depend on a lot of factors but they say that if you get them whenever you gain weight, you most probably will get them when you're pregnant.

Can you prevent them? Most probably not but you can do something to minimize them and/or to reduce itching. They say that you can help yourself by not gaining too much weight, i.e., gaining weight more than 25-35 lbs. or what your doctor tells you. To achieve this, you should eat healthy food particularly those that will help you nourish your skin and of course, you should drink at least 8 glasses of water to keep your skin hydrated and elastic.

You can also put on creams, ointments, or oils to keep your body moisturized and to reduce itchiness, especially on your belly, breasts, sides, and thighs. And for this part, what usually comes up as a very good cream to put on during pregnancy is COCOA BUTTER. There is no indisputable proof that cocoa butter eliminates stretch marks but studies showed that it can penetrate the top layer of the skin and reach the dermis (the second layer) which gives it a better opportunity to repair any area of the skin that has been damaged. 

Having said these, let me tell you about what I honestly think of two cocoa butter products that I have tried recently.

Palmer's Organics Cocoa Butter Massage Lotion

Php607, PCX Power Plant Mall

What I love about Palmer's is that it has more ingredients and some of them are certified organic. It has aloe, cocoa extract, cocoa butter, lanolin, shea butter, soybean oil, ginseng root extract, and soluble collagen among others. 

It also has a strong cocoa scent, at least for me it's stronger than the one from The Body Shop. If you've been using Victoria's Secret or Bath and Body Works, you might like the scent of Palmer's. But if you like Aveeno or Cetaphil or Eucerin like me, your sense of smell might be a little shocked if you smell the strength of cocoa in this lotion. However, it's not totally foul-smelling or something like that. You just need to get used to it especially while you're pregnant and when your sense of smell just turns really weird.

As for the texture, it's less sticky and a bit more runny than the cocoa butter body butter from The Body Shop so I enjoy applying it on my body. However, my body doesn't feel moisturized after about 8-10 hours and I start getting itchy around my belly area. This gives me the signal that I have to re-apply the lotion.

I haven't really hopped around malls or did anything as strenuous as that during my pregnancy so I can't say whether this lotion is readily available anywhere. As far as I know, you can buy it from Rustan's or in my case, I grabbed it from PCX at the Power Plant Mall. The 250-ml bottle costs P607 and is cheaper than the body butter from The Body Shop.

The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter

P695, The Body Shop Power Plant Mall

I prefer the scent of this cocoa butter over the one from Palmer's. It's very subtle and feminine, and you smell nice even after you take your clothes off. However, it has less ingredients than Palmer's. It also has soybean oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, and lanolin among others but unlike Palmer's, it doesn't have ginseng root extract and soluble collagen.

Ginseng tones and revitalizes skin and it's commonly found in many skin care products. It helps balance the production of oil glands and can make fine lines appear less. On the other hand, collagen is a protein that helps firm the skin and reduce the signs of aging. Soluble collagen is designed that way so that it can easily pass through the pores of the skin. These two important ingredients are not in the body butter from The Body Shop.

Texture-wise, it is stickier and creamier than the one from Palmer's which makes it a little icky to apply. But once it's there on your skin, it gets absorbed pretty well and you won't feel that icky-ness unless you sweat too much. It also keeps my skin moisturized for a longer period of time, like about for 12-14 hours, and even after that period of time, I don't get any itchiness around my belly area.

There's no problem finding a Body Shop store. You can find it in any mall. You can even find a stall inside SM. Even in our province, specifically at SM Batangas, there's a store. However, it's a little more expensive than Palmer's because a 200-ml container costs P695.

My Verdict:

While the body butter from The Body Shop keeps my skin hydrated for a longer period of time, I'm more keen about getting those extra benefits that come from Palmer's additional ingredients like ginseng and soluble collagen. Also, while the scent of Palmer's is stronger, I already learned to like it because I'm reminded about chocolates anyway. And while I only know of a few shops where I can find Palmer's, I can still count on the fact that it's cheaper and that every few pesos saved can go a long way.

What about you? What's your regimen against stretch marks during pregnancy?

Favorite Recipes from My Food Blog

Because I love cooking, I'm gonna share with you some of my favorite recipes as well as those frequently searched for by my blog readers. If you love cooking, please visit my food blog. It's called I Love. Therefore, I Cook.

Our Baby's First Gadget: LULLABELLY PRENATAL MUSICAL BELT

According to BabyCenter.com, some studies show that fetuses can hear and react to sound by moving but that no one knows what those movements exactly mean. The website also says that while kids get smarter in math when exposed to music, these studies are focused on kids or older children, not fetuses. Still, there are some who say that newborns can recognize music their parents played for them when they were in the womb and even perk up or fall asleep when they hear a familiar song. However, some psychologists believe that these are purely anecdotal conclusions and aren't based on true research.

What then is the proven connection between music and the baby in the womb? The answer to that is that there's no proven link but that it is a bonding moment between the mom-to-be and the baby. 

BabyCenter.com further says that playing music to the baby in the womb must be done with caution and in moderation. Moms should not push too hard in creating a genius. It says that we should play music because we enjoy it and not because we're trying to make our baby smarter.

Because I love music and I want to bond with our baby, I decided to get a prenatal musical belt called Lullabelly. We ordered it online via Amazon.com and we had it delivered to the New York office of Johnny Air. In turn, Johnny Air-NY shipped it to their branch in SM Megamall and that's where we picked up our Lullabelly package.

Lullabelly has been featured in NBC News and Fox News and there are a lot of good reviews about it. Our package came at the right time, i.e., when we're on our 20th week. It's just about the time when the baby can hear noises from outside the womb.

The package came with the belt which is of soft material. It is lightweight, machine washable, and easy to wear. There's a large pocket inside where you can put in the portable music player or other accessories. I just use my iPhone 4S and it fits just right. It also comes with earphones and a splitter so that you can also listen to the music. The earphones have built-in control dials to adjust the volume. They say that when playing music to the baby, the volume should not be louder than 65 decibels which is similar to the volume of any background music played in a music store, or in terms of household sounds, it should not be louder than the sound of a vacuum cleaner or a hair dryer.

As for the music, I have in my playlist the songs from Lovely Baby Mozart and I use the Lullabelly daily for about 30-45 minutes. I haven't experienced anything unusual but that it's a relaxing routine which is perfect around bedtime. I started feeling my baby's kicks as early as the 16th week but they became more regular beginning my 22nd week. I can't tell for sure if it's the Lullabelly working because I read that fetal movement becomes more defined and frequent around the 20th week.

Regardless of whether Lullabelly actually works or not, I'm just happy bonding with my baby through music. I just trust that the reviews and testimonials about Lullabelly are true and that they also get to benefit our baby.

What about you? What are your prenatal gadgets? Do you also use musical belts? Please share your story :)