Weaning Baby J

If you’ve been reading my blog you know that I have been having difficulty getting Baby J to gain weight. In fact, we were recommended to start him on formula and to only breastfeed at night. I’ve tried lactation sessions and malunggay capsules but the only time he did gain weight was when we were giving him mostly formula. In time, I couldn’t deal with only breastfeeding at night because he would latch and unlatch several times in a row and it was quite uncomfortable.  After a few weeks of doing this I just decided to give him formula as well and stop breastfeeding.

The first few days of giving Baby J formula were very difficult since I was so used to feeding him every two hours. My breasts would be full with milk and quite hard. I would usually give in and breastfeed when I couldn’t stand it anymore. Then over time it would take longer for me to be uncomfortable. When I stopped breastfeeding at night, I still felt some lumps in my breasts but I was able to live with the feeling.

It has been almost a month now since I totally stopped breastfeeding and I feel both relief and sadness. I feel relieved because finally I can wear regular clothes when I go out. I don’t have to be wary of my breasts getting hard from milk that has not been expressed. I feel sad because breastfeeding was such an amazing bonding experience between me and my son. I literally fed him with my own body’s supply of milk for several months with no need for outside food! Breastfeeding used to calm him down and help him go to sleep.

Now I have to rely on a bottle of milk. It used to be quite easy at night since I would just pull up my shirt and sleep while he nursed. But once you give him formula the dynamic just changes. Baby J also had to adapt but he was already used to drinking from a bottle. However, he was very picky about the formula’s taste. We went through several brands before we were able to get him to drink Pediasure. Someone should have warned me not to buy the big can at first to check if he likes the taste.

Right now Baby J likes eating solid food. In fact, he seems to like it more than milk! We feed him banana yogurt, pureed vegetables and meat with rice. We’re trying to get him to eat pancakes to test his reaction to eggs but he’s not liking pancakes so much. He’s still below the graph for his weight. But at least his length and head circumference are always steadily increasing.

Now the only other concern on my mind is planning for his 1st birthday. It’s going to be an amazing party. Heck, I never had something like this when I was a kid. His cake will be more expensive than our wedding cake. The grandma doesn’t want to have a Jollibee party and said to just choose whatever I wanted because she’ll pay for it! Hubby thinks his mom is making up for his childhood.

Anyway we’ve reserved the place na at the Big Red Barn in Fun Ranch and the theme is Formula 1 at the request of the father. I’ve found a place where I can purchase his costume and I even have a Ferrari T-shirt for my costume. Everything is falling into place.

Limbo

Our current helper and yaya have been around for almost a month and I’m getting comfortable with them. What I really feel right now is that I need to get a job. I guess it was never my dream to become a stay at home mom. I can see that I could enjoy this lifestyle where you just prepare everything for the family but I don’t like being dependent on my hubby. Nevermind that my job wasn’t as spectacular as I’d hope it would be. It was something I enjoyed a lot and it gave me spending money. I guess it is like my pride telling me that I can do more than just stay at home.

When I was at my 9th month and we still didn’t have a yaya or maid I didn’t hesitate to resign. Hubby and I were used to fending for ourselves with me cooking and cleaning except for the bathroom which was hubby’s specialty. However I did my research and knew that I would be courting post partum depression if I tried to do everything and take care of the baby.

I do not regret any decision I made at all. However right now I am wondering if I just killed my career? I’ve contacted numerous headhunters and recruitment firms. I’m constantly checking jobstreet and jobsdb but nada. I’ve been to several job interviews where hubby tells me that I can do better so I don’t pursue them. I’ve had a VP tell me that I’m overqualified. Maybe I should swallow my pride and work for someone who is more junior than me? I think it would just grate on me and the resentment would build up. Sigh.

What if I am supposed to be a stay at home mom? Is it destiny? I don’t think so. I think we make our own destiny. I am in this situation right now because of the decision I made.  The only thing I can do right now is to keep on trying and play the waiting game.  Perhaps when the economy picks up I will have an easier time finding a job.

Agency to the rescue

After one month of trying to contact maids who were on vacation in the province and asking everyone for referrals for maids or yayas we have finally succumbed to hiring from an agency. The agency we went to is one that a friend’s family uses regularly so we felt a bit ok with it.

The funny thing is the maid and yaya started last Sunday but yesterday wanted to leave us na. The yaya couldn’t handle my 8 month old while the maid felt that there was too much laundry. This is laundry for me, my hubby and our baby ha. Well, what can I do? At least nagpaalam sila ng maayos. Plus, they’re from an agency so the agency replaced them that same day. So now I have a yaya and maid who started yesterday.

Baby J is getting used to his new yaya. I am more comfortable with her. She’s much older than the first one the agency sent and more experienced. However Baby J is in that stranger anxiety stage. So whenever he doesn’t see me, he cries like he is panicking. So I have to show him that yes I am around.

New maid is also seemingly better. She’s supposed to be a good cook so we’ll see tonight if her adobo is up to scratch.

Now I have to train them to our routine and I really hope they stick around longer than the previous ones.

a new challenge

I write this as I gaze upon my baby boy who is asleep knowing that he is the most important thing in my life right now.

Our yaya (nanny) went on her monthly day off last Sunday and did not return. Her husband texted us that she went to the dentist and needed to rest since she had some teeth pulled. However, she never said anything before leaving and we even discussed what time she would be back. As per her husband, she would be back on Wed.

This morning I awoke to find out that our maid had left as well. She just left a note saying that the pay was too low and that the food was not enough. Not once did she raise these concerns to me.  I always ask them at the grocery what food they want and I make it a point to buy stuff they need when it runs out. We even bought them a cushion because I didn’t want them sleeping on the floor.

Turns out that this was premeditated all along and both the yaya and maid are going back to the province. They didn’t even have the decency to tell me the truth to my face. The maid left like a thief in the night just leaving a note. Maybe I should be thankful they didn’t steal anything. However, her salary was advanced for this month since she wanted to send it to her kid so we obliged. Our yaya still has the cellphone hubby lent her in case we needed immediate feedback on baby J. She has not even repaid the fare we gave for her to go to Manila from the province.

I took care of baby J when his first yaya lied to us. This is a bigger challenge right now because I am alone in our condo and baby J is now mobile. He is very insistent on his demands. He is now formula fed so I have to sterilize his bottles and feeding utensils too.

I had a few minutes of self pity before hubby went off to work. Then I pushed them aside. I never wanted to be a stay at home mom. But I do what is needed because my baby is the most important thing in my life right now.

My bag

I rarely get comments on this blog and when I do I always make it a point to check out the commenter’s blog. I then checked out Posh Pinay’s blog where she is having an online contest! Well, you know me! I’m a sucker for these online contests.

Anyway, I’m supposed to post a picture of my bag and what the contents are. So here’s my current bag in use, a Rootote that I bought online after reading a post about it in shopcrazy or some other site.

So let’s see what the contents are…

1. Wallet – this is a given

2. Tissue, Alcogel, Shades, Hair brush, lip balm – must always have this.

3. Pen, umbrella – you never know when you will need one

4. weird paper -this is actually my membership doc for Fitness First. They don’t have my membership card yet so I have to give this to them every time I want to go to the gym.

5. Keys – given.

6. Tiffany bracelet – hubby gave this as a Valentine’s slash birthday gift and I always wear it so it stays in my bad.

7. Cell phone – not pictured because it was not in my bag at the time. 

 

I really hope I win!

Project: Self Improvement

I admit it. I sort of let myself go these past 6 months since I gave birth. Now, I am reaping the sorrows of my laziness. I went to the dentist and found out that I had an incredible amount of cavities not to mention gingivitis. I went to the dermatologist to have my post-preggy warts cauterized. Last but not least I signed up for the gym.

I had already been walking slash jogging around the park when I bring baby J out in the afternoon. However I noticed that my feet were hurting from the pounding and decided to walk. Still didn’t feel good then realized that my running shoes were over 2 years old and the rubber was probably not as good anymore. That’s when I decided to do a little research on the latest running slash cross-training shoes available.

It was good timing that Nike came out with the Nike Sister One shoes in such cute colors. I admit I am hesitant to even try purchasing Nikes since my last two pairs of running shoes were New Balance and Adidas. Unfortunately I am a sucker for advertising. I did a lot of online research and browsed the malls. This pair was definitely going to put a dent in my wallet but I didn’t want to have any excuse not to regularly go to the gym so I splurged. 

I really wanted the fuschia colored pair but turns out that was the first color they came out with. Now there’s like silver, purple and even orange! No way was I getting orange since my last pair was orange. Silver seemed so blah so I went for the purple kicks and am quite happy. 

I tried them out at the gym today and they were lightweight but able to cushion my feet as I did my time on the treadmill. They were also able to support me as I did my weights and machines routine. My previous running shoes were quite cumbersome and I like the fact that these Nikes allowed my feet to better grip the floor. 

I actually can’t wait to try them out in some group exercises. So, I’d better check the group x schedules of Fitness First.

New Beauty blog in town

I’m an Internet junkie and I spend a lot of time on Twitter, Plurk, Facebook and on blogs. A new blog about beauty has gone up and the author is giving away prizes if you just link to her entry here. 

The first prize is a Shu Uemura brush set but there are others and best of all she will shoulder the shipping!

I really hope I win!

Hello Fro-Yo

I think I must have mentioned before in older posts that I have tried the I Love Berries frozen yogurt at the Rockwell Urban Bazaar. I didn’t feel compelled to really measure it against the other fro-yo stores until now.

I was first able to try Red Mango in Trinoma since my family lives in QC and Trinoma is their favorite haunt. My sister insisted that she absolutely loves Red Mango and that I had to try it. So try it with my hubby I did. I like its tart taste and creaminess. They also had many varied toppings but I usually either get banana or mango as a topping. I also noticed that their spoon is quite different and seems better made than other plastic spoons.

My other sister likes fro-yo but her favorite brand was the one simply names Fro-Yo and though there is one branch located on Morato in QC, they are also found in the Hobbes and Landes stores. Meandering around Greenbelt 5 I was able to convince hubby that we should try this brand as well. It is definitely creamy but not quite as tart as Red Mango. I unfortunately have not tried any toppings since I wanted only the plain yogurt. 

Last week in Rockwell, I tried Lulubelle’s frozen yogurt. Unfortunately this was the one I liked the least. The taste was definitely blander and not as creamy as the other brands. I also tried a bit of their strawberry and green tea yogurt. I didn’t like them at all too. Their green tea yogurt was like a watered down version of the Fruits in Ice Cream Green Tea ice-cream and not as good as the Red Mango Green Tea yogurt. I think Lulubelle’s strength lies in the FIC ice-cream they serve. I must admit though that I want to try their shakes next.

In conclusion, I still consider I Love Berries my favorite yogurt because it is tart with a bit of sweetness. However, I have to catch them at the Urban Bazaar since I don’t know of any branches. For a quick fix in Makati I’ll go for the Fro-Yo in Hobbes in Landes. While in QC it will definitely have to be Red Mango.

Operation: Baboy

For Baby J’s 6 month check-up we were alarmed to discover that he did not gain any weight! In short, he stayed at 6kg despite gaining 3cm in length and also growing his head circumference. Although our pedia says that she will wait for 3 incidences of no weight gain, she advised us to give formula to Baby J as it has a higher caloric content.

We have tried so many formula brands like Nan, Promil and Bonamil. We even tried Similac but Baby J will spit it out despite being hungry. I am at my wit’s end having just bought Pediasure at over P800 for a can. I am really hoping that he’ll drink it if hungry.

On the other hand, our pedia was pleasantly surprised to see that Baby J is now pulling himself up to stand at the tender age of 6 months old. He literally has the motor skills of a 9 month old baby. Personally, I’m a bit scared because it means he’ll start walking and running around soon! At least hubby said he’ll chase after Baby J. 

So, I am doing my best to fatten Baby J up by feeding him  banana yogurt and pureed beef with rice cereal. I will then update our pedia at the end of the week.

I want it back

The whole title should be “I want my breasts back, thank you.” I have been breastfeeding for almost 6 months since baby J turns  6 months old this coming April 11. I cannot believe I have actually lasted this long. One of the most pressing reasons that I have been able to do so is that I resigned from my job thinking that 2 months maternity leave is too short and it is. I gloried in the ability to spend as much time and give as much attention to my little one  is these precious first few months. However there are other things that I think really helped me continue even though I thought I couldn’t last a month.

1. Breastfeeding information and support – I’d like to thank my friend Jane for acting like a breastfeeding helpdesk! I would text her at all hours and she unfailingly gave me support and information in those first few days of craziness. I had also surfed the internet for information on breastfeeding and what to expect. I repeated to myself the many benefits breastfeeding would give to both mother and child. I also resigned myself to being half naked every 2 hours or so. Hehehe.

2. My Breastfriend breastfeeding pillow – Not only does it go all around your waist and fasten but it is quite firm and can support you little one as he feeds. My arms used to get so tired holding up the little guy nevermind if he was just 5 pounds or so. Try holding the same position for half an hour to 45 mins and do it every 2 hours or so. I found out about this pillow from an officemate who also used one and had breastfed her children for months. It is a godsend.

3. Entertainment – or more specifically something to do while breastfeeding. In my case I always had my Nintendo DS with me. I played all sorts of games and managed to finish off some of the RPGs as well. At night I couldn’t very well watch TV as hubby would wake up and TV is kinda useless if I can’t hear what they’re saying. Oh but playing on my DS didn’t need sound and I was fully entertained while baby J took his time eating.

4. A good pump – Of course after a month of being shackled indoors you’d want to go out and have some fun but cannot very well bring the baby with you. We bought the Medela Pump in Style Advanced and although it looked and felt a little freaky at first I am now at ease pumping my milk. Storage guidelines are easy enough to follow and training our help in how to warm up the milk was easy. 

5. A session with a lactation consultant – Baby J was around 5 months old when his checkup revealed he didn’t gain enough weight. So I thought my milk production was going down and recommended to start supplementing with formula. Good thing I opted to meet with an LC and it turns out I had lumps in my breasts because baby J wouldn’t finish one breast so the flow of milk slowed down. I actually had a lot of milk! She was able to teach me how to improve the flow and another bfing position.

  There are times when I still sigh as my son grabs my shirt in his hunger. But when I see all the good breastmilk has done for him I’m so proud. I am looking for work now but do not regret resigning at all.