26 Weeks - Big Bad Belly Shots

This is the final week of my second trimester. I was surprise to see my tummy, it suddenly looked like this (seen on the photo), it just showed itself one day. Now it looks like as if I just swallowed a watermelon.

Another surprise, my feet got bigger this week. I was forced to buy a one size bigger flat shoe, haaaa, another additional expenses. My SIL said that it can get back to my normal size after delivery while my Aunt said that my feet will permanently stick to a half size bigger than my normal. What will happen to shoes???

For fetal development, my little swimmer can finally see my womb. Baby M’s little eyelids have finally separated (they were fused closed previously) and he's probably having his first moments of sight as I read my favorite Twilight series or watching CSI/Gossip Girl or something. My little super star’s head hair is starting to grow too! A cute little cowlick or two may be springing into position right now, getting ready for years of cute-but-stubborn bed-head. Most importantly, Baby M's brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace, increasing his (genius-level?) brain activity and will continue to function at accelerated levels for the first seven to eight years of childhood!

Hay, last trimester. The time when I will do nothing but exercise, drink more plenty of waer, watch my diet carefully, prepare my nursery/baby's checklist and savour my last three months of being pregnant.

Baby Plastic Bottles CAN Be TOXIC

"With a taste of your lips I’m on a ride You're toxic I'm slipping under"

Weeks ago, while doing my research, I came across about a very serious issue. Environmental California Research and Policy Center has found out some pretty shocking results on toxic chemicals leached into milk or formulate from a baby's bottle.

Bisphenol-A or "BPA", the most problematic substance identified in plastic baby bottles has been linked to serious diseases even at low levels of exposure. BPA is commonly used in the manufacturing of clear polycarbonate plastic because of its beneficial characteristics for injection molding. You can click here for the full research report

The Research Center tested major brands like Avent, Dr. Brown's Gerber, Evenflo and Playtex for their propensity to leach Bisphenol A at levels considered harmful to humans/infants.

BPA has estrogen properties and has been found to cause the following problems:

• prostate and breast cancer
• uro-genital abnormalities in male babies
• a decline in semen quality in men
• early onset of puberty in girls
• metabolic disorders including insulin-resistant (Type 2) diabetes
• obesity
• neurobehavioral problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

AVENT, one of the most popular baby bottle manufacturers has already addressed this issue and made a statement about BPA in their bottles. They still stand behind their current bottle - saying that the BPA level in it is safe. But my friend told me that Avent is currently BANNED in Canada, and retailers have already been giving refunds to new and used Avent bottles. AVENT Statement can be viewed here. This doesn't really do anything for us here in the Philippines, does it?

I'm just putting this out there so parents and parents to be, like me, can make an intelligent decision based on studies. The last thing I want to do is expose my kids to harm. We give them the best of everything.

Still it is YOUR decision to make. I don't want to be an alarmist, but as what Dr. Maida Galvez, a pediatrician studying BPA said , "We know the animal studies raise concerns, but there aren't human studies showing effects yet ... so, when we don't have the evidence, what we recommend is that parents try to err on the side of caution.", it is indeed recommendable to stay away from bottles containing this chemical.

I was supposed to purchase Pigeon Glass Bottles in a department store when my friend who works at Rustan's informed me that they're selling BFree bottles (BPA Free). BFree bottles, the first line in the world to be sold with an explicit reference to their lack of Bisphenol-A, are still being sold online in Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, Romania, and numerous other countries throughout the world, none of which appear to have been immediately impacted by this judgment. And yes luckily, they're onlyy sold here at Rustan's. So I immediately bought some bottles because the clerk told me they're selling like hotcakes nowadays. I mean all of us were raised in baby plastic bottles but it seems that at those times, nobody knew about BPA. I am just being cautious.


I also bought a set of Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Feeding set. These are known for it's unique internal vent that eliminates the vacuum and air bubbles, to help reduce colic, spit-up, burping and gas. By eliminating the negative pressure, it can help reduce build up of fluid in baby's ear. The positive-pressure design mimics breastfeeding and is ideal for breast milk and formula alike.

Here are some sites where your readers can check on the list of BPA free bottles/sippy cups etc.

www.thesoftlanding.com
www.zrecs.blogspot.com
www.safemama.com (it has a cheat sheet - a list of all BPA free bottles & plastics)

My Favorite Pregnancy Exercises

Unknown to some, Exercise is good and safe for pregnant women. It appears that women who don't get any exercise during pregnanct come progressively less fit as the months pass by. It is important to have a good exercise program, that can counteract decreasing fitness. In fact, it can give you more energy, help you feel better both physically and mentally, improve your sleeping, strengthen muscles and increase endurance, help you handle imbalance of an enlarging abdomen, reduce backache, constipation, bloating and swelling.

Some pointers:

• Don't work out on an empty stomach.
• Wear clothes that are loose or that stretch when you move.
• Select the right surface, indoor floors and carpeted surface are better than tiles or concrete.
• Divide your exercise schedule in two or three brief sessions rather than one long session a day.
• Do everything in moderation. NEVER exercise to the point of exhaustion, the chemical by-products of overexertion are not good for the fetus.
• Know when to stop.
• Stay off your back and don't your toes, it could lead to cramping in your calves.
• Even when you're not working out, just don't sit there. Sitting for an extended period without break causes blood pool in your veins.
• STAY ACTIVE
  

Here's a few of my favorite exercise that's been part of my daily routine since I reached 5 months.


SQUAT STRETCH EXERCISE

To strengthen and stretch around your hips, in preparation for labor.

♥ Squat down as low as you can, keeping your feet flat on the ground if possible.
♥ Press your knees apart with your elbows.
♥ Hold for a few minutes, or even longer if you are comfortable in that position.







WALL PRESS

To strengthen your chest (pectorals), shoulder (deltoid), back and arm (triceps) muscles.

♥ Stand a couple of feet from the wall. Place hands on the wall, shoulder width apart.
♥ Keep you torso and legs aligned.
♥ Bend your arms and lower your chest to the wall, then straighten your arms and return to the starting position






SIDE LUNGES

To strengthen your adductor and abductor muscles, thighs and buttocks.

♥ Start by standing with your feet comfortably apart with your toes pointed forward.
♥ Step to the side with one leg and lower your body slightly at both knees. Don’t step out too far. Keep your weight evenly between your heels and toes.
♥ Push up and back to the starting position





FORWARD BEND

To strengthen your lower back.

♥ Bend slowly forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
♥ Breathe deeply for a few breaths, before raising you torso back to the standing position.









DROMEDARY DROOP

To strengthen your lower back.

♥ Start on your hands and knees, with your back in a natural relaxed position (don't let your spine sag).
♥ By tightening your abdomen and buttocks, push your back up into a hump, and drop your head down.
♥ Hold this position for a couple of seconds before slowly returning to the starting position.




Sources: What To Expect When You're Expecting

6 Months

I'm on my sixth months of pregnancy, weighing 118lbs! I started at 98lbs hehehe. By the end of this week, my little Noybi will be weighing around 2 lbs and 14 inches long. My cutie-patootie may even be a little more plump, but isn't anywhere near their full baby-fatted cute-self. I read that most of the “filling out” is coming up in that long awaited (and slightly dreaded?) third trimester. Woo-hoo!

As for me, I can't sleep well at night. My little swimmer is very active at night when Momma seems to rest by reading books. My little one is moving (spinning, kicking, pirouetting, shimmying) or maybe jumping up and down. Weirdest thing, my tummy seem to shook every time he moves.

I'm trying to get enough exercise and monitor my weight so as not to experience swelling of hands and feet, and Toxemia. Yes, exercise, aside from walking I still do my routinary aerobic exercise at home. My bestfriend Saph was surprised to hear about this, but it's definitely safe to exercise during pregnancy. Will talk about it soon, and will show some examples to help future preggy moms!

Drool... My Wishlist!

Approaching 24 weeks and here I am excited over of a bunch of things to buy for baby Noybi. I already have a checklist of what I will be needing... and wanting. Haaay, preparing for a baby is something new and exciting! These days I love to surf the net for adorable baby items shown below:

Ohhh la la. This is what you call "High Mommy Fashion."

Loved this slings to the max! Yes, babywearing is a must for me! Despite the growing number of local babysling suppliers, I noticed there hasn't been much mums in Manila babywearing....where could they be hiding?! It's so sad that parents still insist on those bulky & boring prams! Thanks to my Aunt who bought one for me from US. I will probably add another one, the one with rings. I will definitely study the pattern and make more for myself as baby grows. I have to buy the fabrics here in Manila though: 97% cotton/3% lycra blend.

Boppy pillows!!! Wow so cuuuuttte! Definitely a must have, for feeding, tummy time, playing, sitting and popping.

Complete cribset for my little boy. His Papa loves to play soccer, so I wanted to have this theme instead of Disney or Pooh (I don't like Pooh). I have canvassed some cribset on the market, but I'm very picky with the designs. Most of them are Disney and Pooh themed, which I believe are overused . I wanted something different.


Ah and of course, Travel System. Graco and Chicco has Travel System, but Graco is much cheaper than Chicco. Travel System comes with Car Seat, Stroller and Carrier in one. I will probably be needing this once we move with my husband. Carriers are allowed in International flights but the stroller will have to be in the baggage.

Our Baby Pics

I'm still contemplating if I'm gonna have a 3D/4D ultrasound scan or not. My husband wanted me to skip that part. He said that in just a few months, we'll be seeing our baby anyway, and in fact it would be more exciting to really wait and see what he'll look like outside his Majka's womb.

So while cleaning up my hard disk yesterday, I found these baby pictures of me and my hubby. Hmmm, sour graping for not undergoing 3D/4D scan. My little boy would either look like his Majka or would be a carbon copy of his Papa.

For me, it would be really really nice if he gets all his features from his Papa. Hubby is such a cutie when he was a baby: angelic face, twinkling eyes, curly hair. While moi, just take a look at my face, so scary! I look like a guy while I was young.

Waiting... it's agonizing. I just can't wait to meet our beloved little boy.