When I gave birth to our firstborn Lia, the choice of hospital was easy from the beginning. It was my first time then and we wanted D-day to happen at Asian Hospital so we wouldn’t have anything to worry about - the facilities were state-of-the-art and we knew the medical team would give me and the baby the best care possible. This time with our second baby, I entertained the idea of giving birth at another hospital for practical reasons. Hubby shot down the suggestion, however, and he won. Asian might cost us an arm and a leg again, but it’s worth the peace of mind, he said.
Last Tuesday was my birthday, and it was also the day when we had Dumpling’s CAS (congenital anomaly scan) scheduled. My husband and I were supposed to go on a road trip to Tagaytay, but I changed my mind because I knew that on my birthday, the gift I wanted to receive is the knowledge that our baby is doing well in my tummy. Thank God there was still an available slot at Asian Hospital, so off we went.
Three and a half years ago, I wrote about my "glucose challenge" when I was pregnant with Lia. And now that I'm preggers with Dumpling, I just went thru another glucose test! It happened last Saturday, 16th of June.
The process this time wasn't exactly the same as my first, though I still had to fast for 8-10 hours prior to the blood extraction. When I got to the lab at Asian Hospital, I was given this super cold glucose drink that I had to drink within 5 minutes while the nurse was watching. They say others can't stand how sweet this tastes, but to me, it was easy-peasy!👌 I think I finished it in less than a minute! Hehe. It just tasted like sweet samalamig without the gulaman, yuuum!
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," says a popular line from Benjamin Franklin. This is very true especially when we're talking about preventing diseases in babies who are very fragile and delicate. Thank God for vaccines, ailments that used to claim countless lives can now be prevented! We can all have peace of mind knowing that our frail babies are not at risk of infectious illnesses once they've received immunization.
Of course, prevention has a price. In my baby's immunization record, not a single vaccine was worth less than a thousand pesos. It could be less (or more) with other pedias or clinics, but I don't think the price difference would be significant. Listing down below the vaccines Lia has received so far, the cost of each, and the dates when she got them. Her pedia is Dr. Trinidad 'Nik' Lombos and her clinic that we go to is the one at Asian Hospital.
BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin)
What it does: protects babies from serious forms of Tuberculosis (TB) such as TB Meningitis (an infection of the brain) and Miliary TB (wide spread infection)
Cost: PhP 1,400
Given on: March 28, 2015 (the day she was born)
Hep B
What it does: protects against the hepatitis B virus
Cost: PhP 1,400
Given on: March 28 (the day she was born), June 11 (at 2.5 mos), October 03, 2015 (at 6.5 mos), and July 10, 2020 (5 years and 3 months)
Rotavirus
What it does: protects against Rotavirus which causes severe acute gastroenteritis with diarrhea and vomiting
Cost: PhP 3,200
Given on: May 09 (at 1.5 mos) and July 11, 2015 (at 3.5 mos)
6 in 1
What it does: protects against Hep B, DPT (bacterial infection affecting the nose and throat, and sometimes the skin), OPV/IPV (polio), and H. Influenza (bacterial infections including meningitis, septicaemia, pneumonia, etc.)
Cost: PhP 3,500
Given on: June 11 (at 2.5 mos) and October 03, 2015 (at 6.5 mos)
DPT, OPV/IPV, H. Influenza
What it does: similiar to the 6-in-1 vaccine but doesn't include Hep B
Cost: PhP 3,000
Given on: June 11 (at 2.5 mos) and August 15 (at 5 mos) and October 3, 2015 (at 6.5 mos); October 15 (at 1.5 years old), December 10, 2016 (at 1 year & 8 mos), and June 04, 2020 (at 5 years & 2 mos)
Measles
What it does: protects against the virus that causes measles
Cost: PhP 1,300
Given on: November 21, 2015 (at 8 mos)
Varicella
What it does: protects against chickenpox
Cost: PhP 3,600 in 2016; PhP 3,900 in 2019
Given on: April 02, 2016 (at 1 year old); April 13, 2019 (at 4 years old)
MMR
What it does: protects against measles, mumps, and rubella (similar to measles)
Cost: PhP 1,500, booster shot PhP 1,600
Given on: May 07, 2016 (at 1 year & 1 mo); booster shot on March 16, 2019 (3 years and 11mos)
Hep A
What it does: protects against the hepatitis A virus
Cost: PhP 2,200
Given on: June 11 (at 1 year & 2.5 mos) and December 10, 2016 (at 1 year & 8.5 mos)
Flu Shot
What it does: protects kids from the flu and the problems that come along with it
Cost: PhP 1,500
Given on: July 16 (at 1 year & 4 mos) and August 20, 2016 (at 1 year & 5 mos) and September 9, 2017 (at 2 years & 5.5 mos) July 7, 2018 (at 3 years & 3 mos), and June 04, 2020 (at 5 years & 2 mos)
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)
What it does: protects against diseases caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae that can lead to infections in the lungs, blood, and brain
Cost: PhP 5,000
Given on: November 18, 2016 (at 1 year & 8 mos) and February 18, 2017 (at 1 year & 11 mos)
Imojev
What it does: protects against Japanese encephalitis, a disease spread through mosquito bites
Cost: PhP 3,100
Given on: May 6, 2017 (at 2 years & 1 mo)
Pneumo23
What it does: prevents pneumonia caused by the 23 different types of pneumococci bacteria
Cost: PhP 2,600
Given on: June 3, 2017 (at 2 years & 2 mos)
Menactra
What it does: prevents invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135
Cost: PhP 3,900
Given on: July 8, 2017 (at 2 years & 3 mos)
For sure, the schedule and costs may not be the same for all pedias. but this is how it is for my Lia. :) As of this update (15 Sept 2017), Lia is done! We will just go back to the doctor next year, after she turns three, then again after she turns four. I'll still keep on updating this post as we go along.
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UPDATE as of November 2018: I am now a mother of two! This section below will state the costs and dates of my second baby's shots so that our list is more recent. :) Like what I did above, I will keep on updating this as my baby and I go along.
Hep B (P1,400) - given on the day he was born, 13 October 2018.
BCG (P1,400) - typically given on the day the baby is born, but in my son's case, this was given 2 weeks after, 26 October 2018.
Rotavirus (P3,300) - given at one month, 23 November 2018.
6-in-1 (P3,650) - given at 3 months, 19 January 2019 (but this can be given earlier, Rocco just had colds the previous month so this shot was delayed)
Rotavirus (P3,300) - the second dose was given at 3 months, 16 Feb 2019.
5-in-1 (P3,200) - given at 4 months, 16 March 2019
6-in-1 (P3,650) - second dose given at 6 months, 13 April 2019.
MMR (P1,600) - given at almost 7 months, 04 May 2019 (this was only given due to the measles outbreak; this is usually given past one year)
Flu (P1,600) - given at 8 months, 15 June 2019.
Imojev (P3,500) - given at 9.5 months, 03 August 2019.
Flu (P1,600) - second dose given at almost 11 months, 08 September 2019.
Varicella (P3,900)- given at 15 months, 18 January 2020 (but this can be given as soon as the baby turns 12 months, Rocco just had colds last October, and everyone was busy the past two months)
Hep A (2,200) - given at 16 months, 22 February 2020
MMR (1,600) - given at 1 year and 7 months, 04 June 2020
PCV (5,100) - given at 1 year and 8 months, 10 July 2020
To fellow moms asking about baby immunizations and costs in the Philippines, hope this helps! :)
It was Saturday, 28th of March 2015, when the world welcomed God's answer to our prayers - our little Lia. It's been a week, and the details are still very vivid in my mind's eye. I thought I'd share her birth story here so I could preserve every single memory. smile emoticon
That day was my scheduled weekly checkup with my OB-GYN, Dr. Lany Gabilo, at Asian Hospital. I was exactly 37 weeks and 3 days along. Yup, I was already full term, but I never expected anything to happen that early as many people say delivery of firstborn babies usually happens on the 38th or 39th week. The doctor's assistant even told me she's hoping that Lia won't come out on Good Friday, and I said I was wishing that, too.
12nn
Dr. Gabilo arrived and when it was my turn, she did an internal exam. Much to my shock/surprise, she said, "Mommy, you're already in labor!" Turned out my cervix was already 4cm dilated and I had no clue. I wasn't feeling any contractions or pain and my water bag hadn't ruptured. I thought I felt something weird around my pelvic area that morning, but I brushed it off for I knew that my baby should already be down there somewhere since I was already full term. Anyway, my OB instructed hubby to have me admitted right away. Waaah, bigla akong kinabahan! We went straight to Genesis and I was admitted to the Triage where my cervix dilation and effacement would progress. Yep, things happened THAT fast.
1pm
I was hooked to different kinds of monitors so the staff could keep an eye on the fetal heart rate, my blood pressure, etc. At this point, I was left alone because Rolly had to go down to fix my admission papers. Then he dashed home to get our hospital bag plus other stuff and to fetch my mom too who, fortunately, was spending that weekend with us.
At the Triage. :) I was even able to take a selfie! Hahaha.
3:05pm
Second IE. My cervix was already 5cm dilated.
4:17pm
They administered a drug (Hyoscine something, I think) to soften my cervix and help things move a little bit faster.
4:30pm
I was given Oxytocin to make the contractions more regular.
5:25pm
6cm naaaa!
6:00pm
By this time, I could already feel that pain moms who have gone through labor often describe. It felt like menstrual cramps for me but these were much more intense and yes, too much to handle. Like what I knew I would definitely do, I asked for epidural.
6:36pm
My cervix was already 7cm dilated.
8:00pm
I was 8cm dilated but my water bag still hadn't ruptured, the resident OB had to do it manually. I heard a funny popping sound, the same sound you'd hear if a balloon filled with water would blow up and burst.
9:10pm
The final point for my cervix was reached. I was already 10cm dilated and 100% effaced.
At this point, the resident OB seemed concerned. He (yes, he's a guy but he doesn't look like he's straight so it was all good, hehe) said the baby was still at the upper station of my pelvis, when she should already be at a lower station - ready to come out. Something must be hindering her from descending, and he suspected it to be the umbilical cord which could be wrapped around a part of baby's body. Whenever she tried to go down, her heartbeat would drop as well. :( He got on the phone with my OB who was on her way, and she presumed the same thing. Delivering normally would put our baby at risk if her heart rate would continue to be unstable. The CS route was already being considered and we immediately agreed, just to keep our little munchkin safe. Again, we prayed and prayed and prayed. And again after a few minutes, God answered us. Baby's heartbeat stabilized, and the team decided we could proceed with a normal delivery.
From the Triage, I was transferred to the birthing room where I was prepped. I remember my throat being so dry, I repeatedly asked for water (pero dahil bawal, hindi ako binigyan). I had never been that thirsty in my life. Anyway, because of the epidural, I couldn't feel a thing except for the huge but painless waves of contractions on my belly. When it was time to push, I did. At one point, I heard my OB ask her assistant OB, "Kumusta diyan?" referring to baby's heartbeat monitor. I didn't hear a response. She asked again, and once more, he did not reply. I figured, something must be wrong because the assistant OB didn't want me to hear it. I got very worried, determined that in my next pushes, little munchkin would surely come out. And it happened. After about 8 epic pushes that zapped all the energy out of me, I heard her first cry. I realized that's my baby, and she's already out, she's safe. I cried and cried and cried. Maraming salamat po, Panginoon! smile emoticon
Our "Unang Yakap"
Our very first family photo! :)
Lia all cleaned up! :) Her eyes, nose, and lips still looking pretty puffy.
After my pep squad a.k.a. team of doctors and nurses evaluated our little munchkin and determined she's perfectly okay, that's the only time they told Rolly and I what happened during delivery. As I was pushing and baby was descending, her heartbeat decelerated to 50 (the normal BPM ranges from 120 to 160) and that was definitely alarming. The reason for the drop was as they initially suspected, Lia's cord was coiled around her neck. :( Haaaay. God was indeed with us during that hour, as He always is. He didn't allow any harm to happen to our precious little one, and for that, we are extremely grateful.
So there you have it, the story behind the birth of our Riella Noelle. The day that officially marked the end of her 37-week long stay inside my tummy. e emoticonon! smile emoticoarm to happen to our precious little one, and for that, we are extremely grateful.
Cheers,
Thursday, April 2, 2015
"I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me
what I asked of Him."
~ 1 Samuel 1:27
Meet our precious little angel, our greatest answered prayer to date,
Riella Noelle Del Pilar - Delos Reyes, or Lia for short.
Born on March 28, 2015 at Asian Hospital.
5lbs 6oz
45cm long.
smile emoticon
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Yippee, we're now a family of three! smile emoticon
Munchkin and I are exactly 30 weeks and 3 days along today, and this morning was our scheduled monthly appointment with the OB at her clinic in Asian Hospital. Since Rolly and I plan to have our baby doll delivered at Asian, we spent the morning (while waiting for the doctor) getting to know it better, checking out the birthing facilities, the inpatient rooms, and of course, the rates. We thought it would be good to be familiar with the hospital surroundings in order to plan our route for D-day, so we won't have to scramble for directions when I'm already having labor contractions.
Okay, let's imagine that my Munchkin moment has arrived. My bag of waters breaks, and I'm already experiencing moderate contractions. Hubby and I decide that it's already time to go to the hospital. Where will he bring me exactly?
To Genesis at the 3rd floor of Asian's right wing! Genesis is what they call the hospital's birthing center. :)
It's better to head straight to Genesis instead of the E.R. when you're about to give birth to avoid
unnecessary E.R. charges.. The E.R. guys will just also bring you to Genesis anyway.
Upon arrival at Genesis, I will be wheeled to the Triage Room. This room is where I will continue on with labor until my cervix dilates to about 8cm. Hubby can stay with me inside Triage as I fight my way through the pain (ouch!).
The Triage Room is pretty big separated by curtains. There's nobody there when we went to have a look,
but when we were about to leave, we saw a nurse wheeling in a pregnant woman in active labor. :)
When I finally reach 8cm, I will be transferred to one of the birthing rooms where I will wait 'til my cervix fully dilates to 10cm. The photo below was taken from the door since we weren't allowed to go in, but from where we stood, the room looked spacious and comfortable. I'm sure that at the peak of labor, I wouldn't care how the room looks like, but at least hubby will be cozy here, as he waits with me for our little bundle of joy. :) And oops before I forget, this birthing room is for normal delivery only. Genesis has a different one for CS, that one we didn't get to see anymore.
The birthing room we checked out was just right across Triage.
And yes, 1 is to 1 for the room. No sharing! :)
The nurse says that after delivery, I will have to stay at the birthing room for about a couple of hours. Assuming that our Litttle Munchkin is 100% healthy and has no special needs, she gets to stay with me and daddy, too, after she's cleaned up! :) Here, I will get to cuddle and breastfeed my baby for the first time. Just imagining it now makes me cry in happiness. *tears*
After resting for a bit post-delivery is the time when I will be transferred to my room at the 5th floor for our small family's private time together. :) Asian Hospital has different types of rooms for maternity patients: Presidential Suite, Executive Private, Junior Executive Private, Standard Private, and a Four-Bedded Room or ward. Choosing a room is critical because in one of our childbirth classes with Ms. Rome Kanapi, she mentioned that in most hospitals, the more exclusive the room is, the higher the miscellaneous fees are! I was surprised because I always thought the fees were standard, only the room rates differ. Well, I asked the admissions staff at Asian, and she confirmed it! That being said, the presidential suite and executive private rooms are definitely out of our options list when I give birth. Hehe. Hopefully, there will be one standard private room available when my time comes, because that is what we're eyeing.
STANDARD PRIVATE ROOM.
Across the bed is the dresser and closet, a small ref, and a TV.
The Guest Services staff told me that in other standard rooms, the TV is flat screen. :)
There's a built-in couch and easy chair with ottoman by the window. :)
And another comfy chair beside the bedside table. :)
The toilet and bath. There's no tub obviously. :)
The Standard Private room is roomy! :) It's the most in-demand room for maternity patients at Asian Hospital, thus is the first to run out. In the event that I need to be admitted already and there's none of this room available, our second option is the Junior Executive Private room. We got a chance to check it out as well, and its only difference from the Standard Private is the fact that it has a two-seater coffee table, a better-looking closet, and a bigger flat screen TV. It's also a little more spacious, but the size difference is really not so much. But the price difference? Huge. Junior Exec is 65% more expensive than Standard Private.
The coffee table inside the Junior Executive Private room.
The better-looking closet. Bow.
According to the hospital staff, even after we're admitted in the junior exec room, we can always tell them that we want to be transferred to a standard private when one becomes available. :) We also asked about the room's cut-off time, and they said it's always at 11am of the following day. That means if I get admitted at any time on April 15, for instance, I get charged for the room only at 11am of April 16. ;)
Here are photos of the lobby areas at the 5th floor where visitors could lounge.
This is the lobby near the Standard Private room we checked out.
This is nearer the Junior Executive room.
Now after the labor pains and the bliss of holding our healthy Little Munchkin, it's time to go home! :) But before that, hubby has to first settle the hospital bill. Hehe. So how much would it really cost to deliver a baby at Asian Hospital? The truth is, there is no definite answer. The admissions officer could only tell you an estimate, because the actual amount depends on many factors, such as the procedure (NSD or CS), how many your doctors are and how much their rates are (of course some doctors are more expensive than others), the length of your hospital stay, the room you got, the condition of your baby (does s/he need to be in an incubator, other special needs s/he may have), et cetera. We asked for estimated costs at Genesis, and were given a sheet of paper. Note that the prices here are all "estimated for uncomplicated cases; professional fees of doctors (OB, anesthesiologist, and pedia) and room are NOT INCLUDED."
Now let's do a sample computation for an uncomplicated normal spontaneous delivery:
Delivery at Genesis: PhP 60,000
3-day stay at a Junior Executive room: PhP 18,000
OB's PF: PhP 60,000
Anesthesiologist PF: PhP 20,000
Pedia's PF: PhP 20,000
TOTAL: PhP 178,000
To reiterate, this is only a sample. It could go much higher or slightly lower depending on the individual case and your choices. Obviously, if you choose to stay in a 4-bedded room instead of junior executive, the room rate is much less expensive. If you have super famous dream doctors in the team, it follows that their fees are much more as well. If you're having a boy and you'll have him circumcised right after birth, then that would be added to the cost, too. Again, it depends on you and your baby's condition and the choices you make. :)
That wraps up our tour of Asian Hospital for my maternity needs. :) If you have questions or would like a copy of the latest room rates, let me know by writing a comment so I could email it to you. :)
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UPDATE as of 31 October 2018:
I just gave birth again at Asian Hospital last 13 October 2018, and this time it was a Caesarian delivery and was very different from when I gave birth in 2015 (reasons here). Hit the comment section below if you're curious about the rates and/or the experience. 🙂
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UPDATE as of 19 March 2020:
If you are into watching videos, just watch our vlog entry below and you'll get the same details!
Expecting a baby sometimes feels like a roller coaster ride as far as emotions are concerned. One day you're in cloud 9 as you imagine your sweet pea's stubby fingers and toes and chubby cheeks, the next day you're a bundle of nerves as you fear that there might be a problem with your still unborn child.
It's a good thing there's CAS or Congenital Anomaly Scan, sometimes also called mid-pregnancy ultrasound scan, offered during the second trimester between weeks 18 and 23. This scan is more thorough than the usual ultrasound procedure as it takes a closer look at the baby and the uterus. For worrywart moms-to-be like myself, having CAS done could offer reassurance that the baby is developing perfectly, and that nothing alarming is going on in the womb.
Anyway, I had my CAS scheduled yesterday; I was exactly 22 weeks and one day along. Hubby and I prayed as we drove to Asian Hospital, trusting that the scan would give us positive results, that no "anomaly" will be seen in our Little Munchkin. We knew we would also finally find out the gender, but more than that, it's the certainty that s/he's fine is what's important.
It was 10:30am when the sonologist, Dr. Maria Niza Reyes, arrived. The first question she asked us was, "Do you want to know the gender?" We said yes. Then she started gelling up my abdomen.
It was fascinating to see our Little Munchkin again! :) Together, we watched as the doctor zoomed in on every part of our baby's body and listened fervently as she explained to us what she was seeing. As I mentioned in my previous post, we were delighted to hear that Munchkin is a baby girl, Dr. Reyes even mentioned that she's "very sure" of it as our baby's "hamburger" was really obvious in between her legs, as if she was displaying it and saying "I'm a girl!" :) She also said that our baby was mabait! She allowed her to see easily the critical parts that she needed to see... her head and brains, every part of her face, her heart, abdomen, umbilical cord, spine, neck, and extremities. However, during the last few minutes, our baby fell asleep while tucking her left hand and foot where the doctor couldn't find them. Hehe. The doctor used a bell to somehow wake her up, and she did! We were finally able to count all her fingers and toes - ten each! Perfect! :)
Because our baby doll was relatively cooperative, the scan only took 20 minutes to complete.
And the results? Everything's NORMAL! :)
Thank God, we've been reassured that our baby doll is developing well! :) Just as the Lord promised, He will give us a perfectly healthy baby. Salamat po! :) Little Munchkin will always be our most precious blessing! :)
The long wait is over. Today, we already know for sure what our Little Munchkin has been hiding in between those legs. Our baby is a SHE! We're expecting a baby girl! :) :) :)
I used this photo as my "gender reveal" post on Instagram. :)
Rolly and I are very, very happy! Though we kept on saying that it doesn't matter whether it's a boy or a girl, in my heart of hearts, I was secretly wishing that Munchkin's a she, that I may be blessed with a mini-me that I can doll up with ruffles and ribbons and all things pink. Haha. :) Rolly's excited, too! He said munchkin is going to be daddy's sweet little girl, and she would always be his kakampi. Hmm.. Let's see about that. ;)
I've always had a sweet tooth, pregnant or not. But ever since I got a bun in the oven, my sweet tooth has gotten ten times sweeter, and eating chocolates and cakes has been much harder to resist! You'd probably guess I'm prone to gestational diabetes (a condition in which women without previously diagnosed diabetes exhibit high blood glucose levels during pregnancy). Huhu. Glad my OB ordered an OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) for me, so that we could catch it early on, if ever.
My OGTT schedule was last Saturday, and to prepare for it, I had to fast for 8 to 10 hours prior. My last food and liquid intake was at 12:30 midnight, just in time for my 8:30am arrival at Asian Hospital.
Minutes after hubby and I got to the lab, a blood sample was taken from my arm. Then I was asked to drink a sugar solution containing 75 grams of glucose.
Wasn't able to take a photo of the bottle, so I just grabbed this from Google Images. :)
The orange one was exactly what I drank. It tasted like a very sweet soda pop, think Sunny Orange (haha so 90s)! =D I was happy that at least it was chilled, I was already very hungry and thirsty at that time from almost 9 hours of not eating or drinking anything. After that, I had to endure another two hours of starvation. My blood sample was taken again at around 11:30am, then finally, I was already allowed to eat. Well, I didn't just eat. I pigged out! =D
The OGTT results would be forwarded to my OB two days later, so I will just know if I passed the glucose challenge when I pay another visit to her clinic within the week. :) Munchkin and I will be keeping our fingers crossed! :)
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UPDATE as of 11 Dec 2014:
I passed! My numbers are in the second column below, and they're within the normal range.
