Papal Visit 2015

Yesterday, His Holiness Pope Francis arrived in Manila for a five-day state and apostolic visit. I wish I'd get a chance to see him in flesh, but that's highly unlikely as I am stuck at home. :(  If I weren't pregnant, I might join the crowds gathering in places where the Pope has been set to traverse, but my belly as big as a watermelon won't permit me.  Thank God there's non-stop media coverage, I get to see him on TV. :) 

Well, welcome to the Philippines, Pope Francis! :) Thank You for your compassion, humility, and love. Your malasakit means so much to us, Filipino Catholics.  We love you! :)

A proud Catholic,

Childbirth Class by Rome Kanapi: Day 2

Rolly and I learned so much today! :)  As stated in the class outline I shared in my Day 1 post, for Day 2 the topics for discussion include presentation, position, and station; stages and phases of labor, and breathing techniques, among others.

According to Ms. Rome, the baby's presentation in the uterus could either be cephalic/vertex or head-first, breech or butt-first with flexed hips and knees, or transverse where the shoulder, arm, or trunk is first. 

Photo from http://medicinembbs.blogspot.com

As many of us may know, the normal presentation is cephalic which occurs in 97% of pregnancies.  If the baby is in a breech or transverse position, CS is inevitable. =\  We don't want that mommies, do we?  Thank God our little munchkin was head-first the last time we checked.  Hope she won't do a somersault and get stuck butt-first anytime in the next several weeks. =S

How will mommies know when it's almost labor time?  Among the early stages are cervical effacement and dilation. Effacement refers to the thinning of the cervix, measured in percentage; while dilation refers to the opening of the cervix, measured in centimeters. Around the 37th week of pregnancy, the doctor will already begin to look for cervical indicators that labor is near.  

Today, the class also learned the phases of labor.

1)  Early Labor - this is the longest and the least intense phase. The cervix begins to thin (efface) and start to open up (dilate) from 0 to 3cm.  The bag of waters may break and the mucus plug might come out. Contractions will be mild to moderate lasting 30-45 seconds and are spaced 5-20 minutes apart.

What to do during this phase? Relax and rest, save your strength for later on! :) 

2)  Active Labor - by this phase, the cervix has already dilated to about 5 to 7cm.  If the bag of waters hasn't ruptured or the mucus plug hasn't come out, they may happen now.  Contractions are now more frequent, coming every 3-4 minutes and lasting for about 40-60 seconds. 

What to do during this phase?  Walk or move about to keep the labor moving; go to the bathroom often.

3)  Transitional (Advanced) Labor - this is the last and most intense phase.  The cervix dilates from 7 to its final 10cm.  Contractions come hard and fast, usually 60-90 seconds long spaced about 2 or 3 minutes apart.  We did not get to discuss this phase in detail today, Ms. Rome saved it for next week, probably because she didn't want to scare us just yet. =S

I can relate!!! Photo from http://suzyz.blogspot.com =D

Before the class ended, we did our routine exercises again.

That's me trying to stretch as far down as possible.  You could see I'm not that flexible, hehe.

The husbands were also tasked to "inflict pain" on the wives by pressing a portion of our shoulders, just so we could simulate the discomfort of labor (but of course that pain will be 100x more!) and practice our breathing with it. And so that the boys could feel it too, they did the same among themselves!  Pero bakit parang hindi sila nasasaktan? =))

Ang saya pa ng asawa ko. It seemed like only the girls were affected by the shoulder pinch! =D

And that's about it for Day 2! :)  Next week ulit!


#BellyBlessed,

Childbirth Class by Rome Kanapi: Day 1

Clueless.

That is how I describe myself as far as giving birth or caring for a newborn is concerned.  I guess that's pretty understandable, given that this is the very first bun in my oven. :)  Thank heavens there's the world wide web now, so answers to my hopelessly ignorant questions are just a click away.  Still, I never felt that relying solely on my own research was enough.  It's the welfare of our precious little munchkin that's at stake here, so Rolly and I wanted to be at our most prepared state when the moment comes.  This resolve was what drove us to look for a childbirth/newborn care class for expectant parents.

When I googled the phrase "childbirth class Philippines," the top search results led me to Ms. Rome Kanapi.  She's a certified childbirth educator under the Philippine Association for Childbirth Education and a member of the International Childbirth Education Association.  I did further research and saw many good reviews about her and her classes, so Rolly and I decided to get in touch with her and signed up right away.  

Today's Day 1 of our 6 Sunday classes held at the Institute of Social Order, Ateneo de Manila University.  Upon arrival at the venue, we were given name tags and handouts. 

This was the course outline given to us.  I'm looking forward to Day 4 the most! :)

After introducing ourselves to everyone in class, we were given an overview of the course just like what the outline above says.  Then Ms. Rome gave us a lesson on maternal anatomy; she showed us a real pelvic bone and illustrated how the baby will pass through it during delivery.  

That's hubby with a baby doll and the pelvic bone.

My key learning today: it's important for the baby not to get too large inside the tummy so it would be easier for her to pass through the pelvis when D-day comes.  For Asians like me, a 6-pound 'passenger' is ideal.  This is why as early as now, I should learn how to curb my appetite, especially for sweets.  Waaaah.  I'm not sure I can do it. :(

Next up was prenatal stretching.  We were requested to bring a mat and a pillow, and the ladies were told to wear leggings, pants, or shorts.  We did the shoulder roll, the hand roll, pelvic rock, semi-squat, lunges, and Kegel/pelvic floor contraction exercises, among others.

Aside from stretching, we were also taught how to lie down and get up the correct way.

The hubbies joined the fun, too! :) They did the "leg swing" exercise.

After the exercises, progressive relaxation was next.  The lights were turned off, and we were asked to close our eyes.  We were told to focus on a particular muscle group, then let go and relax.  In fairness, it worked for me!  I would definitely try to do this regularly especially when I find myself burned out after along day at work.

And that's basically it for Day 1! :)  

Oh, let me share with you our 'first day high' photos!  There were fourteen couples in the class. Ms. Rome's always fully booked! :)

Presenting the husbands and wives of Rome Kanapi's Jan-Feb 2015 morning classes! :)
Almost all ladies plan to give birth either at St. Luke's BGC, Makati Med, or Asian Hospital.
That's Ms. Rome on the leftmost and in the middle (top and bottom shots, respectively).

So far so good! :)  For those expectant parents who are also interested to enroll in Ms. Rome's childbirth classes, you may reach her at (0917) 541 5114 or (02) 436 1757.   The fee is PhP 5,000 per couple inclusive of six Sunday sessions at Ateneo.  It's best to start the course when you're 5 to 6 months pregnant. :)  Hope this helps!

#BellyBlessed,

Souvenir Stretch Marks

Ever since my baby bump has started to balloon, I've always made it a point to check myself out in the mirror daily to see if not-so-pleasant pregnancy souvenirs, a.k.a. STRETCH MARKS, have started to appear. I had always been proud having seen nothing. During one of my OB visits, my doctor even made a comment that my tummy skin seemed well moisturized, and she's hoping I won't get the dreaded red streaks ever.

Well, today is a different story. :( Today, my tummy has changed forever.  

See those purple marks? It's their birthday today, when I'm exactly 25 weeks & 3 days pregnant.
My apologies if you're squeamish and you find this photo gross. =S Huhu.
(The dark line at the center is the "linea nigra", FYI.)

The stretch marks are unsightly, obviously.  Imagine my shock when I discovered them after shower; hubby even heard me shriek!  Oh well, though I was fervently hoping I won't get them, part of me somehow knew it was inevitable.  More than half of all expectant mommies get these red 'roadmaps', when the belly is already rapidly expanding to accommodate the growing sweet pea.   Unfortunately, there isn't much one can do to prevent them, there's no proof that these creams and oils promising a flawless pregnant belly actually work, though they may reduce the itch.  Take it from me.  Hubby and I have been doing our part, him slathering lotion on and around my tummy every night to keep the skin hydrated, but still, THIS happened. 

But what really causes stretch marks anyway?

Let me borrow this paragraph from www.whattoexpect.com:

"Stretch marks are actually tiny tears in the supporting layers of tissue under your skin as it's pulled tight to the limit during pregnancy. Susceptibility has lots to do with GENETICS: Chances are, if your mother got them, you probably will too - while if she sailed through her pregnancies with smooth skin intact, you'll probably stay as smooth as your baby's butt. Rapid pregnancy weight gain can also make you more likely to get stretch marks. And darker-skinned women are less likely to get stretch marks as fair-skinned gals (plus they're not as visible on dark skin)."

In my case, I'm pretty sure genetics is to blame.  Up to this day, my mom's belly still has her zigzagging souvenir from me and kuya.  And now the streaks have begun zigzagging in mine. Waaah!  

But kidding and kaartehan aside, this is a very small price women have to pay in their journey to becoming a mommy.  The joy that a child can bring to a home is priceless, and no amount of stretch marks could outweigh that.  I look forward to the day when our baby doll is already old enough to understand, when I can show her this photo and tell her how she has left a mark on mommy's belly while she was growing inside.  I bet she'd be delighted (and grossed out, haha), the same way I was when my mom showed me hers. :)

Thank you for the souvenir, baby doll!  :) If these marks mean you're growing steadily and healthily inside me, then keep them coming! ;)  Daddy and I love you!

#BellyBlessed,