Breastfeeding is Best for Babies...but its not easy!

This is a warning to all mothers out there who plans to breastfeed their newborns. It is not easy but it is important that you are committed to the cause.  I once heard that breastfeeding is fun and easy...and whoever said that is a liar.

I was adamant to exclusively breastfeed my newborn... until on the 3rd day she started developing jaundice and my nipples are sore and cracked. It was so frustrating on the 2nd day when she cannot stop crying. I made her hungry since my I cannot produce enough milk. She lost weight gram by gram until my loving husband suggested to mix up the milk formula and my breast milk so our Peanut can cope up. 

I was committed to the new cause, in favor of ensuring that my newborn already sucked the colostrum out of me. On the day we were discharged from the hospital, she finished a combination of formula and my  milk that total to 100ml. Wow...she was THAT hungry. As per the doctor's advice, we let her feed as long as she wants. Her poo definitely showed that her intestines are working properly.

As for me, I express my milk (yes...im a human milking cow!) until my nipples heal properly. Then I plan to breastfeed my newborn to ensure that the flow of milk will never stop. And I think, that's called a commitment for a healthy bouncing baby. 

I also took Galactivot and ate a lot of malunggay, soup and other veggies that helps produce milk faster. On the 5th day, I was able to express 60ml in one go... so a little more patience and effort is required from me. With prayers, feedings and morning sunbathing with my little one, we get to reduce her jaundice from 10.5 to 7.2. 

The Quick Delivery

So we finally met our Peanut on the 12th of January 2016...and I can clearly remember every details of the delivery. We went to the hospital around 6:40am at the emergency department and I was admitted directly to the Maternity Unit. It was decided that CS is the best and safest way due to some infection and from there, everything was quick as a lightning.

I was brought to the CS Operating Room, given lower back anesthesia and even requested the doctor to have some staff take pictures since my hubby is not allowed in the operating room. I was actually smiling and observing the fast action going on around me. Maybe Im morbidly curious but I was watching a CS operation on Youtube two days back....I was kinda hoping they will allow me to see the operation but of course that will be too much. Medical staff might probably think I'm some kinda weirdo. 

By 8:32am, my whole world had changed when I hear a small cry of a baby for the first time. I was slowly digesting the fact that the baby I carried for 39 weeks is now out in the world. I was waiting for the bonding feeling...some sort of emotional overload that didnt come. When the anesthesiologist informed me that the baby is out... I was almost on the verge of crying. But the moment was ruined when he commented "My God, your baby was loud!" after my newborn daughter started bellowing with all her might. That made me smile...Ah! she's my daughter after all.... I'm apparently loud myself you see, so the crying thing never happened. 

A minute passed by and my 3.38kg bundle of joy was presented to me crying, but she stopped when she heard me calling her name. She turned her head to my face and looked at me weirdly. And off she goes to be cleaned and tested.

Around 9:30am, I was brought to my recuperating room and slowly trying to recover the feeling from my legs. My newborn was brought to my room and her father thinks that he had never seen pink skin until now. Therefore, for the rest of our lives, January 12 is our New Year. 

Pineapple is my Bestfriend

Six months back while I was on my 4th month and had a bleeding episode, I was dearly advised to avoid eating pineapple, papaya, eggplant and parsley as it can cause miscarriage. But since I'm on my 38 weeks going 39, my OB suggested that I should start eating pineapple to naturally induce my labor. 

She told us the baby is already ripe enough added to the fact that I started my ML waiting for my baby Peanut. I am quite enjoying the movements she is making. Sometimes I tried to capture it in video but she knows when she was on cam because she stops moving until I close the video again. But oh boy, how she got the moves! During one prenatal checkup my husband saw her full leg rising up from my tummy. Well, he looks amazed and scared at the same time. I'm pretty sure that I will definitely miss these moments once the baby is out and about. 

For now, I have drank 3 cans of pineapple juice but I am not sure how long will it take effect. But then again, whenever Peanut is ready, I believe she will make her debut to the world. For now, I have to contain the acid reflux that keeps me awake at night. 

xoxo,

 Momma C

Maternity Leave

I will finally take a bow from my site works officially on 10th of January. It's not because I'm giving birth anytime soon, but it seems that I have been gorging myself with a lot...and I mean a LOT of food recently which made me reached 71.1kg in a matter of weeks...that's almost additional 6kg from my weight in December 2015. 

Thus, going up and down my site office stairs is becoming a feat for little old me. Added to the fact that my beautiful and strong Peanut is moving around any crevasses she can find around my ribs even if she already dropped down quite a lot. I can feel fluttery fingers on both side of my pelvic areas and more stretching (and  stretchmarks too...)! Night time sleep is a challenge too as acid reflux and a heart burns are the norms at these times. I tried sleeping half sitting and cold milk to keep it all away but I guess, this is one of the sacrifices a mother has to go through.

For the first time in my whole 35 years in this world, I am taking a leave of absence from work that will define my bonding moments with my soon-to-come little princess. I feel a bit guilty because I cant feel the excitement that much but they said I will feel it once I saw her. I'm holding on to that thought tightly. I do not want to have any post-partum grievances and will try to avoid it. 

Coming next week, I'll probably start nesting as I was freaking out that everything is still haphazard in our house. Too many stuff still floating around and not in place. Oh well, must do some planning for this well-deserved leave then!