I'm going to be a mom. Its like someone hit me with something on the head.. or has been hitting me for the past seven months, and hitting just a bit harder as we go along.
I never really thought about being a mom until it was an inevitable round reality staring me in the face. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited, thankful, anxious, giddy.. all the things expectant moms are. However, there's so much to learn! There's so much to plan and think about just for this special little person coming into our lives.
So here's what I've learned so far:
Useful Apps:
I use my phone a lot. Its my alarm clock, music player, entertainment center, camera, gallery, storage device.. oh and it makes calls too.
I'm Expecting - This app updates you on the bodily changes you go through as well as the baby's development week by week. It also has a weight tracker to tell you if you're gaining too much or not enough. Of course, nothing beats asking the doctor about this but its nice to have this on hand all the time.
What to Expect - its little excerpts from the book. I haven't bought any books since there's so much information anyway online, I don't have so much time to read and this one has bits of information to read everyday.
Kickme - Its a baby kick counter. My mom thinks its silly to count kicks since she never had to do it but I feel safer tracking my baby's movements and its fun to note the times of t
he day that he or she is more active. Makes me feel just a little bit more connected to my little one.
I downloaded several other apps to try out but these are the most comprehensive and easy to use in my opinion anyway.
Most Important To Do Items:
I was clueless. I would log on to the Female Network forum and read up on posts by new moms a lot to calm my panicky nerves. Here's a list of the things you really, really need to do and when:
1.) See a doctor. Do this as soon as you find out you're pregnant. You have to know when you're due, how the little one is doing and what pre-natal vitamins you need. I've never been the type to regularly see an OB so I didn't really have a regular one. A lot of my friends are singletons and those who have had babies are out of the country so I couldn't ask them to refer me to their doctors. I have been to 6 doctors since I got prego and I'm glad and relieved to say am sticking to this one. Not that the other doctors were bad or anything but I'm more comfortable seeing a doctor who's helped a family friend give birth just recently plus she seems really friendly and practical.
My doctor is Dra. Leonor Leonardo and she has clinic schedules in Prime Care in SM Bicutan (traffic is a nightmare), Medical Center Paranaque, Asian Hospital and Healthway in Festival Mall. Consultations are on a first com first served basis and she imposes a cut off on patients so its best to come early.
2.) Make arrangements at work. This can be done on your fifth month and you already start to show. I had just transferred to a new company when I got prego and I made sure to inform my new employer of my condition, luckily it wasn't a problem that kept them from hiring me. I also requested for a reliever to take my place (I'm sort of like a consultant) once I go on leave and constantly casually remind them of this. Maternity leave is 60 days for NSD (Normal Spontaneous Delivery) and 78 days for CS (Ceasarean Section) so its best to make arrangements and not just disappear. I'm quite the workaholic so I want to make sure everything's in order when I go on leave.
3.) File you SSS Maternity Notification and update your Philhealth data. I finished this about 3 months before my expected delivery date. Its a boring task, the line at Philhealth is long (but there's a preggy courtesy lane) but its better to iron out these things before you're too big and clunky and risk having your benefits delayed. I'm expecting 30k from my SSS to be advanced by my employer, that's actually your pay for the days on leave. Philhealth I don't really understand so much but for NSD the benefit is 6,700.00 and for CS its 18,000 plus about 1750.00 for newborn tests. I think there's also a portion of the hospital bill that they cover but am not sure.
4.) Take your pre-natal vitamins and eat healthy not doubly. I eat when I'm hungry and do my best to take my vitamins. Sadly I was dieting when I got pregnant so am doing my best to make up for being undernourished then by taking the vitamins doc prescribed, drinking milk (Promam tastes awful. Anmun though, I love) and taking more fruits and veggies. I do indulge myself with sweets and baked goodies from time to time but do my my best not to use being pregnant as an excuse to gorge myself.
5.) Pick a hospital. Best to do this early and scout for their rates. Some hospitals offer packages but these aren't for the entire process. Some do not include professional fees for doctors (about half the cost as you'll have your OB, a pedia, an anesthesiologist and a surgeon if you're giving birth by CS), epidurals, etc. etc... A sneaky tip is to call the hospitals' billing office and ask the clerks there how much they usually bill for NSD and CS. I asked my doctor which hospital she recommends and she thankfully said Medical Center Paranaque because the staff is experienced plus some of the rooms have been renovated recently. So its nearby, cost is estimated at 50k for NSD and less than a hundred for CS.. that's doable.
I never really thought about being a mom until it was an inevitable round reality staring me in the face. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited, thankful, anxious, giddy.. all the things expectant moms are. However, there's so much to learn! There's so much to plan and think about just for this special little person coming into our lives.
So here's what I've learned so far:
Useful Apps:
I use my phone a lot. Its my alarm clock, music player, entertainment center, camera, gallery, storage device.. oh and it makes calls too.
I'm Expecting - This app updates you on the bodily changes you go through as well as the baby's development week by week. It also has a weight tracker to tell you if you're gaining too much or not enough. Of course, nothing beats asking the doctor about this but its nice to have this on hand all the time.
What to Expect - its little excerpts from the book. I haven't bought any books since there's so much information anyway online, I don't have so much time to read and this one has bits of information to read everyday.
Kickme - Its a baby kick counter. My mom thinks its silly to count kicks since she never had to do it but I feel safer tracking my baby's movements and its fun to note the times of the day that he or she is more active. Makes me feel just a little bit more connected to my little one.
I downloaded several other apps to try out but these are the most comprehensive and easy to use in my opinion anyway.
Most Important To Do Items:
I was clueless. I would log on to the Female Network forum and read up on posts by new moms a lot to calm my panicky nerves. Here's a list of the things you really, really need to do and when:
1.) See a doctor. Do this as soon as you find out you're pregnant. You have to know when you're due, how the little one is doing and what pre-natal vitamins you need. I've never been the type to regularly see an OB so I didn't really have a regular one. A lot of my friends are singletons and those who have had babies are out of the country so I couldn't ask them to refer me to their doctors. I have been to 6 doctors since I got prego and I'm glad and relieved to say am sticking to this one. Not that the other doctors were bad or anything but I'm more comfortable seeing a doctor who's helped a family friend give birth just recently plus she seems really friendly and practical.
My doctor is Dra. Leonor Leonardo and she has clinic schedules in Prime Care in SM Bicutan (traffic is a nightmare), Medical Center Paranaque, Asian Hospital and Healthway in Festival Mall. Consultations are on a first com first served basis and she imposes a cut off on patients so its best to come early.
2.) Make arrangements at work. This can be done on your fifth month and you already start to show. I had just transferred to a new company when I got prego and I made sure to inform my new employer of my condition, luckily it wasn't a problem that kept them from hiring me. I also requested for a reliever to take my place (I'm sort of like a consultant) once I go on leave and constantly casually remind them of this. Maternity leave is 60 days for NSD (Normal Spontaneous Delivery) and 78 days for CS (Ceasarean Section) so its best to make arrangements and not just disappear. I'm quite the workaholic so I want to make sure everything's in order when I go on leave.
3.) File you SSS Maternity Notification and update your Philhealth data. I finished this about 3 months before my expected delivery date. Its a boring task, the line at Philhealth is long (but there's a preggy courtesy lane) but its better to iron out these things before you're too big and clunky and risk having your benefits delayed. I'm expecting 30k from my SSS to be advanced by my employer, that's actually your pay for the days on leave. Philhealth I don't really understand so much but for NSD the benefit is 6,700.00 and for CS its 18,000 plus about 1750.00 for newborn tests. I think there's also a portion of the hospital bill that they cover but am not sure.
4.) Take your pre-natal vitamins and eat healthy not doubly. I eat when I'm hungry and do my best to take my vitamins. Sadly I was dieting when I got pregnant so am doing my best to make up for being undernourished then by taking the vitamins doc prescribed, drinking milk (Promam tastes awful. Anmun though, I love) and taking more fruits and veggies. I do indulge myself with sweets and baked goodies from time to time but do my my best not to use being pregnant as an excuse to gorge myself.
5.) Pick a hospital. Best to do this early and scout for their rates. Some hospitals offer packages but these aren't for the entire process. Some do not include professional fees for doctors (about half the cost as you'll have your OB, a pedia, an anesthesiologist and a surgeon if you're giving birth by CS), epidurals, etc. etc... A sneaky tip is to call the hospitals' billing office and ask the clerks there how much they usually bill for NSD and CS. I asked my doctor which hospital she recommends and she thankfully said Medical Center Paranaque because the staff is experienced plus some of the rooms have been renovated recently. So its nearby, cost is estimated at 50k for NSD and less than a hundred for CS.. that's doable.
6.) Pack your hospital bag and daddy's too. This you should start doing at 7 months. Some babies come early so its best to be ready by this time. There are a lot of lists online on what you should have in your bag but here's my list:
- Going home clothes (2 sets because I want to have choices) this includes undies of course, you might want to include daddy's set of clothes too or he may want his own bag with a stash of snacks.
- Maternity napkins. Not something I want to discuss.
- A set of sheets, blanket and pillow cover (I have allergic rhinitis so just in case.. plus its also good to have these for whoever's staying in the hospital with you.)
- Books (I packed 2. Just light reading for me and my bantay)
- A camera or your phone if its clear enough. Be sure to pack the charger too.
- Baby stuff:
- 2 receiving blankets
- 2 sets of clothes (side ties, hat, mittens and booties)
- 3 Diapers
- 2 baby bottles
Don't overpack. whatever else you need you can probably have it bought at the nearby or even brought from your house.
7.) Shop. Oh this part I love. Along with prepping the hospital bag we started this at 7 months too. Here's what I absolutely need according to my mom who has been very strict err supportive and practical when it comes to telling me and stopping me from buying stuff.
- Maternity Clothes. Total spent is roughly at about 3,000.00 for everything. I got most of my clothes from Gingersnaps (on sale). They have these pants and shorts that come with adjustable garter waistband thingies that I believe to be a feat of engineering. Here's what I got:
- 3 pairs of pants
- a pair of shorts
- 3 pairs of leggings
- 2 dresses
- undies
- comfy flat shoes (for work and for weekends) I had to give up my daily 3" heels.. I still sneak wearing them from time to time. I have no problem walking comfortable in them but I don't want to risk tripping on something. You're supposedly more prone to injuries while prego due to hormones that relax your hips' ligaments.. same hormone makes your feet bigger.
- A place for baby to sleep. Well, this isn't really necessary right away as newborns don't really move around yet but I refused to have the baby sleep on my bed where 2 poodles jump up whenever they want and am terrified that I might accidentally squish an arm or something. I wanted one of those classic wooden cribs but they are expensive! There are cheaper options out there too and you might want to consider buying second hand (check Abebe Beybishop on Facebook) but we opted for a playpen instead. Why? Well, I'm paranoid. I want something without hinges and bolts that might accidentally unlatch, or give way, slats where the baby's arem could go through or a doggie could slip his little snout. We got one super cheap from HMR at 2,450.00 it didn't come with a box or manual, just a friendly sales person who taught us how to fold it and set it up. We checked and all the parts seemed there and working so we snatched it up. I would love to buy one of those 16k cribs at the mall just because its pretty but hospital expenses have to come first. I can get a crib and move the playpen downstairs eventually anyway.
- Diapers. Am going to use the traditional lampin and we're buying 4 dozens of these. This was recommended by my mom who claims we never had diaper rash. Its also supposed to be cheaper. That's a huge plus but personally I wanted to use those new fangled cloth diaper thingies with all the snaps and diaper inserts. They cost 350 to 1500 per set (1 cover and an insert) depending on the brand. However, the lola says to stick with the gauze old school types.. at least for now. I figured the baby would be too small and might not fit into the snappy cloth diapers anyway.
- Bottles. We have 5 bottles now and figured that should be enough. I tried out 1 Dr. Brown's bottle because its supposed to reduce Colic (baby irritability because of a still developing digestive system, contrary to popular notion its not actually kabag daw) and 4 Breastflow bottles which my sister in law's sister in law recommended. Its cheaper than Dr. Brown's by about a hundred per bottle and has its own anti-Colic claims.
- Clothes. This one I was kept on a tight leash from. Friends and family usually give clothes as gifts for the new baby (because its easy and cheap to buy) so we only have 3 side ties, 4 pairs of mittens and booties, 3 hats and 2 blankets. I know that sounds really.. depressing actually. My dogs have more outfits. This is with good reason though, babies grow fast. While there are a lot of practically prices clothes for babies, it would be a shame if they outgrew the outfits before even getting to use them. We also did not get baby bedsheets and towels (though I probably will sneak off and buy a set or two) because we'll be using sheets we have at home.
- Strerilizer. I wanted to get the microwave type because it takes up less space but I was outvoted by Baby Daddy and the lola. We're getting a Chicco sterilizer which will cost about 1,500.00.
- Breastpump. This makes me feel like a cow. Anyway, I haven't bought this yet but have already picked out a model by Breastflow which costs about 2,000.00 in Rustans I think. Am getting the manual type because it allows you to time your pumps on your own, this is another recommendation of my sister in law's sister in law and her kids look healthy and are extremely bright so I'll believe her. We'll buy this after I give birth, just because I want to be sure first that I'll have milk to pump out.
- Breastpads. Also something that Baby Daddy will have to buy after I give birth.
- Bathtub! This is cute. I have no idea how to bathe a baby. There's this net thing to support him or her too. We're getting this along with the sterilizer next week. No soap yet as we'll wait for the pedia's advice but I personally want to use an all natural soap.
That's it. No toys, no bells and whistles.. I know its so tempting to get a bassinet, a stroller, baby monitor and other accessories.. but they're just not needed yet. I have no plans of taking my baby out of the house for a couple of months except for visits to the doctor and to the grandparents. I really don't see the point in risking exposing him or her to other people and germs early on.
I hope this was helpful. Am looking forward to seeing my little one and the long vacation I'll have to take care of him or her =)
Comments
Post a Comment