The Belo Baby Guarantee

As a first time mom, I worry about A LOOOOOT of things that concern my baby. Is she on track with most babies’ developmental milestones? Am I giving her the right amount of milk and food every day? Are all her toys safe and BPA-free? The list is endless, and so is my research! Since getting pregnant and especially after having Lia, Google has become my best buddy and the internet has been among the few things I can’t live without. Call me paranoid, but it’s just the way it is. I guess that is one thing motherhood does – make one qualify for a post at the CIA. Hehe.

When Lia was still very small, one of the things I spent time on was asking Google what types and brands of products I can use on her which are guaranteed safe and gentle for her very delicate baby skin. Getting a conclusive answer was difficult, because there are just too many brands out there that all promise to be safe for babies. Only one brand stood out because it is made from all natural ingredients, but the thing is, it’s not available in the Philippines. Importing it from the States would cost me an arm and a leg so it was certainly not an option, huhu. :( The ending – I settled for brands available locally. 

But very recently, a fairy godmother flew in and delivered some good news! Finally, there’s a new brand in the Philippines that will grant the desire of every mom’s heart – BELO BABY.

The packaging is too cute! :) I got so kilig the first time I saw it!
SRPs: Soap - P79.75; Wash - P219.75; Lotion - P224.75.

Yes!!!  Belo Baby is 100% natural with 0% harmful ingredients! How cool is that? As what the packaging says, it’s crafted with care for your baby and the whole family. Obviously, meticulous attention was given not only on the ingredients put in, but also on the ingredients left out. Definitely perfect for the most delicate skin and the most meticulous moms (like myself!). :)

Belo Baby has a Hair & Body Wash, a Bar Soap, and a Face & Body Lotion. All of these are absolutely free of SLS, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, dyes, sodium chloride, formaldehyde, MEA, DEA, TEA, EDTA, silicones, formaldehyde, sodium tallowate, tetrasodium etidronate, triclosan, synthetic preservatives, paraffin, petrochemicals, and other allergens. If you are as fussy as I am, you would check the label of the products you are now using on your baby and you will be shocked to see several of these dangerous ingredients in the most popular baby brands today. :( I did this, and they all found their way into the trash can in no time. It’s alarming how brands which assure us of our baby’s safety intentionally hide harsh chemicals underneath all their nicely worded commercials and print ads. It’s sad and it’s bad. :(

Anyway, Belo Baby also has cologne products in the range.  The different scents are called Sweet Snuggle, Happy Tickle, and Cool Drizzle.  

This bunch is such an eye candy! :) Sweet Snuggle is my personal favorite. :)
SRP: P79.75

Unlike other colognes which only have a very basic formulation of water, alcohol, and fragrance, Belo Baby is infused with mild moisturizers to ensure gentleness on skin.  It is also absolutely free of parabens, phthalates, and coloring agents. :) Again, two thumbs up for Belo Baby! 

Speaking as a mother, I can't help but say again how glad I am that a product line like Belo Baby is now available. Now Filipino mommies do not have to settle for less, because now we have an excellent option available to us. Because when it's about our baby and our family, we know in our hearts that there should be no compromise. :)

  

Cheers,

Lia's First Ash Wednesday

10 February 2016.

It's the season of Lent once again, and it's our baby's first time to have a cross of ashes on her forehead (though hers doesn't look like a cross at all =P). As she grows up, we will teach her to repent and believe in the Gospel, as what was said when she received the ash.  

Can't wait for Easter! :)

Cheers,

To The Baby That Didn't Come This Month

Several weeks ago, I received a message from my husband with a link to an article. His message said, "An accurate description of what we went through while waiting for Lia."  It got me curious, so I clicked on the link that led me to babble.com and the article I am pasting below.

***********

To The Baby That Didn't Come This Month

by Chaunie Brusie

It’s funny isn’t it, how I imagined the morning sickness, my stomach turning as I sautéed garlic and peppers and carrots in the tarnished pan I can never get quite clean, no matter how much I scrub?

It’s funny isn’t it, how I was so sure those weird side twinges were the beginnings of you, my body’s signal as you burrowed life into me?

It’s funny isn’t it, how I felt exhaustion taking hold, longing for a nap that never came, already hoping you were here?

It’s funny isn’t it, how even when I told myself this time would be different, and this time I wouldn’t be silly and take the test early, I did it anyways?

It’s funny isn’t it, how even as I watched the fluid move across the screen and even as I held my breath, I could have sworn there were two lines when there was only one?

And it’s funny isn’t it, how I sat there on the toilet, the test still in my hand, and didn’t know if I should laugh or cry?

Because already in my head, baby, I had made room for you.

Already, I had plugged our dates into the online due date calculator, thrilled with the timing of what would have been a late-June birth. Not too hot and not too cold, I thought to myself, smiling a little. A perfect time of year for a baby. 

Already, I had pictured you in our car, mentally adjusting and readjusting our seating arrangements to make way for you — a you that didn’t even really exist.

Already, I had imagined labor, once again, wondering if I could be one of those women I admired, the kind who looked beautiful even while giving birth, roaring with the power of womanhood as you came rushing into the world.

Already, I had listed what gear we would need and what we had, ticking off checkboxes in my head, pleased I had not thrown away the bouncy seat after all.

I wanted you, baby, and I didn’t know how much until you weren’t here.

And when I texted your father, who had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of a period that stubbornly persisted in being a week late, despite our most cautious behavior, I watched as the dots of his pending text filled my screen.

No baby, I sent him. We r good. 

His text bubble seemed to pause, looking at the weight of the words I didn’t say. Not a “My period came,” or “I started” or “Bring home tampons,” but a loss of what was not there.

“R u OK?” he replied. “With no baby?”

And what could I say, oh baby, that wasn’t meant to be? What could I say, but yes, yes of course. I am OK, because it was bad timing, right? I am OK because we have been planning and dreaming for the honeymoon we never had, right? I am OK because we weren’t trying to get pregnant, not right now, not this month, right? I am OK because we have so much already, right?

I am OK because really, what other choice do I have?

Month after month, I know I will do this to myself, wondering and waiting and hoping for a baby or hoping to not have a baby. It’s funny, isn’t it, how I have been the same woman all along, some months praying for an empty womb and others, disappointed when that same womb remains empty, swept out of what could have been?

I feel the loss of something I never had, like I’m almost embarrassed of it; my cheeks burning a little as I text my husband back, “Yes, of course. Hawaii here we come!!” hurriedly burying my phone back in my lap before the tears sting my eyes.

Because you were never here, baby. Not really, anyways.

Not this month.

***********

My husband's right, this is indeed what we went through.  Our TTC (trying-to-conceive) journey was about a year and a half. You might think that's actually not very long compared to others, that's right. But to us, it felt like forever.  Month after month, we would wait. If I missed my period for a couple of days, I would silently rejoice and hope it's "the month." There were even times when secretly, I took a pregnancy test that early.  At night outs, I would not take even a sip of alcohol, thinking I could be pregnant that month and it might hurt the baby.  This list could go on and on, and the heartache when Aunt Flo arrived was always the same. :(  Whenever my husband and I would ask each other if we're okay, we always said we're okay.  But deep inside, I died each time. And I knew he felt the same.

Indeed, it's only God who knows when, and why.  Cliche as this may sound, but you will understand it when you get to that perfect time He has prepared for you all along.  Now that our dream number one, our precious Lia, is here, we have realized more and more that His timing is always ideal, always the best.

If you are on a TTC mission too like we were, hang in there, and pray. Do what you can, but know that it is not up to you, it is up to Him. Trust, trust, trust while you try, try, try. God knows best. ;)

Cheers,

Conquering Constipation

During Lia's first seven months of life, we never had any issues in her bowel habits.  She would poop without difficulty even if sometimes, she would skip a day or two without soiling her nappy with #2. However, after I stopped expressing breast milk and we started giving her 100% formula every day, we started encountering challenges in her bowel movement. :(  Our battle against constipation has begun.

How does one know a baby is constipated?  According to Baby Center, these are some of the usual signs:

1. Crying and discomfort, irritability or pain before doing a poo.
2. Dry, hard, pellet-like poo that she has trouble passing.
3. Fewer than three bowel movements a week.
4. Foul-smelling wind and poo.
5. Loss of appetite.
6. A hard belly.

In Lia's case, signs #1, #2, #3, and #6 are spot on. She would grimace and grunt and sometimes, there's even blood. :( It's always very difficult for me seeing her strain to poop, she would even cry. We tried a lot of things with the guidance of her pedia: we encouraged her to drink more water, we gave her laxatives and even suppositories (which she hated a lot), and we tried a number of milk brands to find out which would be hiyang with her tummy.  I researched and researched and researched and nothing worked. This went on for several months and it bothered us greatly. :(  Even our choice of solid food for her became very limited, as any wrong type of food may aggravate her constipation. 

Two weeks ago, we went back to her pedia to discuss the issue once again, and this time, a new milk brand came up, one we haven't heard before. It's Hipp Organic. Doc Nik said she heard it's good with constipation because the formulation is closer to that of breast milk.  The brand isn't popular but we went for it.  Anything that may help our baby.

You know what I think about it? It's heaven sent!!! Lia has been taking it for a week and since she started, she would poop 'beautifully' everyday. (I never imagined myself describing poop as beautiful, ever!!! Hehe.) She also seems to like the taste.  With Promil Gold, she would only consume 30 ounces everyday on the average, but with Hipp, she's drinking up to 44! So far, I'm really loving Hipp! 

Let me tell you more about Hipp based on what I've researched so far:

HiPP Organic, as the name suggests, is an organic milk brand from Germany. According to its USA website, HiPP "contains important prebiotics and omegas, but doesn’t contain any of the questionable additives of other brands, and no brown rice syrup like the US Organic formulas. HiPP uses the finest organic ingredients in milk, which means no chemical pesticides and no GM ingredients. The company has been researching breastmilk for over 50 years, so you can rely on their formula including the ingredients your baby needs to grow strong and healthy (like iron, vitamins A, C and D and PRÆBIOTIK® oligosaccharides (GOS)."

HiPP is not yet popular in the Philippines because it was only introduced here towards the end of 2013 (if not early 2014), and it's far from being the top-of-mind brand among pediatricians yet. But to moms who struggle against constipation in their babies, I super swear by it! Of course, every kid is different, and one thing that works on one baby may not work for the other. But still, it's worth a try, especially if you've tried several other ways to no avail like I did. As for the price, it's a little bit more expensive than other brands. Promil Gold's 1.8kg costs around PhP2,100, while Hipp's 900g is already PhP1,340 which makes it PhP2,680 if only it had a 1.8kg SKU. HiPP is sold in all Mercury Drug outlets but not in SM.

Hooray for HiPP! :) By the way, this is NOT a sponsored post. I am just overjoyed to conquer Lia's constipation that I couldn't help but share. ;)

Cheers,