The Bad OB Experience

Lesson in life. Never settle for an ordinary OB. No, I don't mean that your OB has to be the best one available and that you have to book three weeks in advance for your check up. What I mean is that you should be comfortable with your OB. I don't know if it rarely happens to other people but my OB and I had a falling out. She wasn't really like the OB - Gyne of my choice, because when we first knew that I was pregnant, we went directly to the first OB available.

Anyway, back to her. We had a falling out. You see, when I was eight months on the way we talked about the possible amount we were expecting to pay for a normal delivery. We told her we wanted to save, so we didn't mind if it was the smallest private room available as long as it was private. So she quoted an amount for us to prepare, and that was fine with us because it was still within our budget. After two weeks (I was two weeks away from my due date already), I went back for my routine check up and issued an admitting note to me. I was shocked when I saw this written on the admitting note: "admit to ward". Then she even suggested (which was more like a it's-your-first-time-and-you'll-have-a-hard-time-because-giving-birth-is-painful-plus-your-stomach-is-awfully-big kind of suggestion) that I should have an epidural.

The thought of having an epidural was okay, but what didn't sit well with me was that the suggestion sounded like a threat, and that she didn't keep her word on the amount for delivery. Imagine, the next amount she quoted was twice the price of the original amount!

So after much contemplation, I decided (and it was a bit foolish, I admit) to change OBs 2 weeks before my due date.

It wasn't so much about the money. It was more about trusting your life to someone whom you could trust. And after that incident, I just felt that I couldn't do that with her.

glad to be back

I haven't found much time to blog right before and after I gave birth. Most specially after I gave birth. Hell, sometimes I don't even have time to take a five - minute shower. And when I do have the time, I'd just be downright exhausted. It takes a lot of getting used to, late night, poop wiping, baby handling - the like.

I've never really had that much experience. I was ten years old when my youngest brother was born, and he had a yaya (and two other house helps), so I really didn't care much and I don't have nieces or nephews. So I guess I had to start from scratch. Add the fact that my mom just visits every two weeks (she works in Davao), and that my baby doesn't have a yaya, let's just say that parenthood has been quite experimental. Lucky that I'm a big reader, so I spent my whole third trimester reading baby books, visiting baby sites, which in turn lead to me visiting baby products sites (where I found myself impulsively buying). But again, the fact is, I was completely clueless about the whole pregnancy, childbirth and baby care thing, but did what I had to - read.

So I've made it through the pregnancy and childbirth stage (thank God I didn't die..hehe). And when it comes to bringing up my baby, I think I'm faring pretty well.

I guess before I begin with everything there is with regards to mothering a kid, I'll probably start telling you about October 2 then.

shopping for baby.

here are a couple (okay, my mistake - A LOT) of things that need to be prepared before baby (aka pipit) arrives:

FURNITURE and BIG THINGS
baby crib/playpen, bassinet (or both if you have money to spend)
baby tub (and what goes with it like cloth/ sponge tub supporters & seaters)
stroller
baby seater or bouncer
diaper changing table (some cribs have diaper changers attached to them)
baby mattress
diaper pail
dresser for clothing storage


CRIB EXTRAS

fitted crib sheets (a couple of them, since babies are pee machines)
waterproof pads (can also be used for diaper changing)
comforter sets/extra sheets (to cover the waterproof pads to allow air circulation)

studies have shown that babies don't need pillows or anything else in their crib as these extra things may be dangerous or may possibly suffocate them.

LAYETTE

a couple of:

tees ( short & long sleeved: side ties, pull-overs, kimonos)
short sleeved onesies (i like these because they look like bathing suits)
rompers and body suits (for cold nights)
receiving blankets (also a couple as they can be used as towels)
cloth diapers (unfolded ones can double as burp cloths)
baby washcloths
socks, booties, mittens, hats


FEEDING ITEMS

breast pump (if breast - feeding)
a lot of baby bottles
milk storage bottles or bags (some baby bottles come
with sealing discs and can double as storage bottles)
extra nipples for baby bottles
bottle brush
bottle sterilizer (some sterilizers double as drying racks and bottle keepers)
drying rack
bottle keepers/containers
nursing bra, breast pads & lanolin cream (not for baby. haha)
pacifiers


DIAPERS & WASH ITEMS

disposable/cloth diapers
diaper pail
changing pads
wet wipes
baby wash
alcohol
lotion/oil/powder
rash cream/petroleum jelly
cotton pads, cotton buds
washcloths

EXTRA THINGS

first aid kit (includes medicine feeders, thermometer, nasal aspirators etc2)
nightlight
baby sling/carrier

well, these are probably the basic things one would need for a newborn. and it's weird because i'm in my eight month already (33 weeks) but i only have the layette part complete oh. the feeding items too, but they wont be here by mid - September pa because they're coming from america pa (from bear's sis and some that i ordered online). i have parts of the diaper/wash items covered (ordered baby wipes and disposable diapers in bulk) already. but other than those, i'm still not ready.

well, i would love to buy baby's mattress and sheets already but i still don't know the color of the crib. and since i'm being my usual arte and kikay self, i'd like to wait until we have Pipit's crib so that i can match the sheets with the crib color. not that the baby really cares.

oh, well. i still have seven weeks. or five. or nine. whichever. =)

baby shower for pipit star

thanks to everyone who came for pipit star's baby shower (and my b-day at the same time).
pictures will be uploaded soon. =)

GirLy Boi

see. i always felt Pipit Star was a girl.

not that i really prayed hard for my baby to be a girl. having a baby boi or a baby girl didn't matter as long as she/he was healthy. well guess what? she's a she! (funny sounding sentence.)

we went to the doctor this afternoon, and since pipit star was already 28 weeks (7 months), it was the right time to know if the baby was a girl or a boy (we had two previous ultrasounds na, for various reasons at 2months and 5months).

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well, bear and i waited for almost an hour (madonna hospital only has one radiologist - but believe me, the doctor was very great & accommodating so it was worth the wait) before it was our turn, so this is what we did to pass the time. -->

hehehehe. we had the normal ultrasound, not the 3d/4d whatever you call that. anyway, our turn came and pipit star refused to cooperate. her position kasi was breech and her legs were in my pelvic area, so they were pressed together. because of that, the doctor had a hard time telling whether pipit was a girl or a boy.

after over fifteen minutes, unsuccessful pa rin, so the doctor told me to take a walk outside. which we did. finally when we came back pipit decided to cooperate. and so we found out.

it's a GIRL!

i found i found!!!

bear (little angel's dad) and i hung out, window shopped and had dinner at limketkai yesterday (you can actually include DID PRENATAL WALKING in the itinerary.) we were just going around, looking at some stuff when we decided to go to that toy store behind robinson's sOooOO much and made my heart jump.

the store sell playtex ventaire bottles!!!! (read my previous posts.) i may sound crazy, and yes but i have been eyeing on them for months, never mind the facts that i can't actually afford them. but they look so cute. they have this ventaire system (which makes it anti- colic), and they're bpa free. okay, so let me get this straight. avent bottles also have those features, but taking bottle design and look into consideration, these babies are waaaay more fashionable (see picture above.) bear even agrees.

bottles in threes. they're sold individually, or by five (which is called a starter pack.) i saw pink, green, blue and purple. i guess they used to be available in SM but SM phased them out, and that broke my heart. so it's really great that they're still available locally. the only downside is that they don't sell the ventairei'll wait for awhile, maybe they'll have boxes of threes.

well, if anything else, they're still available (AT A LOWER PRICE) from two manila based merchant sites moirahjing.multiply.com and babyuno.multiply.com (they ship orders too). so there. =)