Traditional Beliefs and Myths about Pregnancy

1. Do not stand or sit on any door or openings - you might have miscarriage

2. Do not put anything on your neck like necklaces - the umbilical cord of your baby will coil around his neck

3. During evening/night, cover your head if you're still outside - if not, you're baby will be prone to sickness like colds

4. Do not do any planting activities - it will be difficult for you to deliver the baby

5. Always have a garlic pin on your dress - to defend you from what they called 'witches'

6. Guessing Game: The baby's sex - if you look pretty during your pregnancy, then it's a girl if it's the opposite then it's a boy; if the mother's belly is rounded then it's a girl if it's pointed, it's a boy

7. If you see or like something ugly, then your baby will look the same

8. You should double your calorie intake since you already have another one also eating in your tummy

9. If you didn't eat the food you like during 'paglilihi', then it will mark on your baby's body

Disclaimer: These are not my beliefs and myths, I just learned them from the older member of the family as I go along with my pregnancy.

Do you wonder If I followed them ALL?!?!?! Hahaha!!! The answer is YES, who knows they might be true. That's the reason why the guard in the office would always ask me where's my ID lace because I am not wearing my ID - see # 2. Hehehe!

My Prenatal Vitamins

My prenatal vitamins -

NATALBES - multivitamins and multiminerals
FUMIRON + B - iron and vitamins
CALTRATE PLUS - calcium with vitamin D and minerals

I took Natalbes and Fumiron+B on the start of my pregnancy. Then Caltrate Plus was added on the start of my second trimester (4th month).

These will be my best buddies to make my baby strong and healthy. These need to be taken once a day.

Hayzz, I'm definitely a happy mommy! I can't wait to see my little angel soon. Thanks God for making every day a meaningful one for all of us.

Deng, we are missing you soooo much!!!

xoxo

OFW Lovers ;)

Every check up I had with the doctor, I see to it that Daddy gets the latest update about his baby eventhough he's on the other part of the world... here's the life of the OFW lovers, hehehe ;)

Check-Up Days!

My monthly checkups-

And meet my OB - Dra. Mary Ann B. Orlanda

My 6-Month Journey

The first time I confirmed that I'm pregnant, I got so excited... My mom gave me all these advices and reminded me of some 'pamahiin' during pregnancy. My in-laws were even more excited (who would not get excited if it's a first grandchild to an only child! hahaha). Everyone in the family were full of enthusiasm for the upcoming angel in our home...

1st month

- hmnn nothing unusual yet. I don't feel anything yet except that I know in my mind that there's already a live thing in my tummy that reminds me the I should be careful all the times. My tummy is like just normal. In short no physical signs yet of pregnancy except that I am not having my period. Based on some articles I've read on the internet, normally some pregnant women would start to feel dizzy and vomiting on this stage.

2nd month to 3rd month

- there you go... the misery has started. I now feel dizzy every afternoon. I feel like I want to vomit every food I intake. I want to sleep all day and just lie down all the time but I can't do that since I am working. I can't eat well and I don't even know what I want to eat either. But there was like a week-long wherein I was looking for some dishes that has a lot of dark sauce in it like soy sauce like adobong maraming toyo, adobong kangkong and dinuguan. Oldies would like to stop me because they were all afraid that my child would get black skin but I can't help it. HAHAHA! Now, I am starting to feel my tummy getting bigger. I hate to smell foul odor. I think this is what they called 'paglilihi' and now is my time. I start to take pre-natal vitamins (Natalbes and Fumiron).

The craziest thing that happened to me on this stage was that I got spotting. There were some spot of blood that came out. I was very very shocked when my OB told me that it's dangerous and it's a sign of possible miscarriage. What?!?!?! OMG! I'm still on my first trimester and I was already feeling the pressure of carrying a baby. To be pregnant is NOT THAT EASY well in my case! I was advised to get a vacation from work. I was bed rest for three weeks while I was taking up Isoxilan medicine that will help the baby to stay in my womb. I followed all the instructions of my OB. NOOOO, of course I don't want to loose the baby. If it's hard for me to think what was happening to me, tripled that with what my hubby was feeling. As much as he wanted to take care me and assist me during my pregnancy, he can't because he's abroad. He was calling me everyday just to check on me. My mom, in-laws, siblings and everyone in the family including my friends were all very supportive and guess what, the baby is saved. We were all very thankful to Him for not letting that disappointment to happen.

4th month to 5th month

- some would say that it's already a start to enjoy the pregnancy as you will no longer feel what they called 'paglilihi' but that was not my case. Huhuhuhu. As much as I want to enjoy the whole thing about pregnancy, I can't because I can't still eat well and I'm worried that my baby is not getting all the nutrition he should have. I make sure that I go to my monthly checkup and everything is still in good shape. On the latter part of my 5th month, it's starting to get normal again. Aside from having a big tummy, I no longer feel anything that would make me feel uncomfortable during pregnancy.

6th month

- wow, it's a festive month, December. Now my problem is how to stop wanting to eat food. I consulted my OB about that but she said that I can still eat what I want  except that I should minimize eating salty foods and sweets. Though, I can already feel the heaviness of my tummy, I still do my daily acitivities like going to work. But everything I do of course is with extra care.

My hubby came home to enjoy the holidays with us. He was here for Christmas and New Year celebration. This was the first time he saw me with big tummy. He was so excited!!! Every night, he would talk to our baby and even sing for our baby. I don't know the title of the song he used to sing for our baby, but it was like - "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey...". Waaaa it was a precious moment for us. I got even more excited to see our baby. I know we will be a one great happy family! I am super super excited!!! I love you baby, I love you Daddy! You both complete the whole thing about me... mwaahhhhhh.

Here are my pics during my 6-month journey... notice how I got bigger every month and how my excitement get tripled every month :)

at 6 months - with my hubby (first time to have a pic with preggy mommy rish :P)

Closer Look...

Take a closer look at the expectant parents!

Meet Daddy Sherwin ->

And meet Mommy Rish ->

I wonder what would be our baby look like... *wink* *excited*

BIG Question: + or - ???

We were now both ready but there's one more to check... argh! Our work schedule... I filed a one-month vacation leave (July 17 - Aug 17) and I was lucky enough to have it aprroved, well I told them the truth why I was filing for vacation that long. During that vacation, I stayed in Malaysia with him and we had our moments together. We never had that moment since we got married so it was sooo precious for me. We visited Singapore, Thailand and different places in Malaysia. Days flew sooo fast! My long vacation has now ended and I was hoping that I'll gonna bring back home the good news.

Was it a good news!?!?!?!?! After using three types of pregnancy test and consultation with an OB - IT'S POSITIVE!!! When my hubby knew it, he was like the happiest man ever lived. I was asking him for any words but he was speechless... and teary eyed! God is good... He knows that we will be a good parent of the angel He will soon be giving to us.

100% sure it's positive!

 Here's the first ultrasound that confirmed it's positive!

And please meet the excited soon to be parents!!!

at Petronas Twin Tower, KL Malaysia

at KLCC Park, KL Malaysia

The Preparation...

I got married last 2008. It's a wonderful marriage... so far and I am looking forward for a more fuitful years with my loveable hubby. We decided to have our first baby by 2009, well we are not getting any younger though... hehehe. But how? We are oceans apart. He's working in Malaysia and I am working here in the Philippines. But since we are persistent... HAHAHA! I have subscribed in an online ovulation calendar so I can monitor my best times of the month (that's what internet can do nowadays). I started monitoring it early part of 2009 while hubby was monitoring the ticket sale on Cebu Pacific so he could at least get a cheaper air fare (sounds like a plan huh!). But since we both working on a hectic toxic field of IT, our schedules didn't match so in short we failed.

Again, but since we are persistent, hahaha, giving up was never an option. Around July, I consulted an OB from Medical City on how to effectively set things up, as they called it how to have a "sure ball" plan. I had a series of tests that I haven't done before. Tests include pap smear and transvaginal ultrasound which check the health of the ovary and uterus. Everything is in good state in short I am a healthy carrier of a baby! That was my greatest fear even before, I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to give birth to a child but that has been crossed out now since science has already proved that I am a healthy carrier! Yey! Hehehe... After the series of tests, the OB gave me a vitamins as part of the preparation for my ovulation. She gave me a Vitamin E and Folic Acid that will be taken up once a day. I took it two weeks before my ovulation week. Isn't it sounds like a systematic plan?! The OB also gave a Vitamin B for my hubby. The doctor also asked my hubby to stop his daily Vitamin C for now while we were prepaparing...