By: Marge De Guzman-Ridzlan

Marge De Guzman-Ridzlan was a colleague in Nokia Philippines.   She was working for Project Documentation while I was in the Legal Department working in coordination with their team.  I like Marge’s personality – one who has a ready smile all the time on her face.  Marge shares with us her experience as a first-time mom.  Thank you and welcome to Lovely Moms Marge!

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I did not want to have a baby right after I got married. A lot of things were going for me at the time and I thought having a baby could wait for a little while.

When I and hubby finally decided to settle down ( He was working in Jakarta and I was working in Dubai ) , the first priority was to have a baby ! I felt like I was more than ready to take on the challenges of  motherhood. I was ready to be a mother.

I  would say motherhood starts even before the baby is delivered. Pregnancy is sort of a prelude to  all the bigger tasks that being a mom entails. You have to learn how to take care of yourself  and be very careful and cautious about what you eat. Even before you give birth , you already have this responsibility to make sure that the baby   is getting the nourishment  while in your womb. The motherhood instinct is already there. And I felt it.

When  I gave birth to my baby, my joy  was so immense that until now, I don’t think I could ever articulate the exact feeling that overcame me the first time I gazed at  my child. I was teary-eyed and it was an emotional moment and it will always be an understatement to say that “I was so excited…” or “ I was so happy…”

But motherhood is not all about joy and happiness alone. It comes with it great deal of sacrifices and responsibility. I guess I always knew that fact,  thus, the delay in finally deciding to have a baby .  I remember , just after we came back from the hospital, our daily sacrifices began. I had to deal with countless sleepless nights which only ended when my Muna turned 8 weeks-old.  Only by then  she can  sleep long stretch during the night. I tell you, when your baby cries nonstop and you barely had one hour of sleep  , the joy and excitement turn into tension. I even recall snapping at my hubby a number of times *blush*blush*blush*

Of course I had all the support from my in-laws and my parents who all wanted to take care of me and the newborn. But for whatever reason, I tend to detest and reject all their well-meaning advices. Even their encouragement about breastfeeding my baby sounded so negative at the time. Blame it on the  engorged milk ducts and sore nipples and  not to mention the fluctuating hormones . I am just so glad that despite my reluctance , I obeyed all the advices .  Now, I am  breastfeeding Muna.

All the things I needed to learn as a mom like changing her diaper, bathing her properly, and carefully clothing her came to me like I have already been doing them before. Again, mother instinct  I also try to read as much as I can about parenting and childcare. I frequent relevant websites and read informative blogs. They all come in handy especially for a first-time mom like me who doesn’t have any house help .

I am so lucky that my job has always been  as an external contractor.  That gave me the choice to just sign up for a contract until the month before my due date. This also gave me the liberty to really be hands-on with my baby even just during  her first three months. I believe that mother’s care is always the best.  If given a choice, I would want to be the one to look after her 24/7.  Unfortunately, I am already reporting back to work next week. I know  it is going to be a very  challenging  thing for me but I believe it’s do-able.  However challenging it is, I am up for it.

Maybe, that is what I will write about the next time I blog—the challenges and apprehensions of a working mom and how I manage to find work and life balance.

I have two friends who are expecting to give birth in August this year.  They are both first time moms.  Their hubbies are so excited for the coming of their first baby.

Looking back, when I was expecting Ivana, I was very organized with everything I needed.  From baby clothes, nappies and upto the bottles, sterilizers and the like.  I have two other sisters who were already moms at that time, and so I got lots of help in preparing for that most awaited day.

Here in LMC, I will provide a checklist, especially for first time moms.  I got this checklist from my favourite shop in Manila and it was very helpful to have this and get ready for everything.  This is a complete list, but you don’t necessarily need all of the things mentioned here.  It’s good to have an idea though on what to purchase and get ready with.

FOR SLEEPING:  BEFORE THE BABY ARRIVES: Crib bassinet, mattress cabinet, chest with drawers, changing table, mosquito net, lamp, fitted sheets, comforters, water proof sheets, lap pads, mattress coverings, crib blankets, bolster cases, clothes hamper, diaper stacker, hangers, thermometer, baby monitor, diaper pail, vaporizer/humidifier, crib bumpers, pillows, bolsters, pillow cases

AFTER THE BABY ARRIVES:  Pajama sets/frog suits, sleeveless shirts, short sleeved shirts, long sleeved shirts, sweaters, abdominal binders, mittens, bonnets/caps, gauze, diaper liners, disposable diapers, socks/booties, bibs, receiving blankets

FOR LEARNING:  Crib toys, crib mobile, musical toys, rattles, parenting/baby books, musical/educational CDs/DVDs/VCDs/VHS/Casette tapes

FOR CARING:  BATHING & GROOMING:  Bath tub, rubber mat, sponge, wash cloth, basin, bath thermometer, organizer tray, mild soap, liquid bath soap, baby shampoo, baby powder, baby oil, baby alcohol, baby lotion, baby cream, baby cologne, petroleum jelly, diaper ointment, diaper rash powder, mosquito repellant, baby wipes, cotton swab, cotton balls, finger toothbrush, nasal aspirator, nail cutter, soap case/powder case, bath toys/squeeze toys, baby hair brush, hooded bath towels

BOTTLE FEEDING:  4oz nursers, 8oz nursers, silicon nipples, milk containers, cups & rings, bottle brush, nipple brush, bottle warmer, sterilizing tong, sterilizer, sterilizer rack, bottle keeper/holder

BREASTFEEDING:  Breastpump, nursing pads, nipple cream, nipple shield, breastfeeding pillows

FOR PLAYING:  OUTDOOR ACCESSORIES & ASSORTED TOYS FOR PLAYTIME:  Carrier, Car seat, head support pad, car and go bag, stroller, nursery bag/bottle bag, changing pad, stroller pad, portable crib/play pen, portabed, insulated bottle keeper, high chair, soft bite spoon, plate warmer, baby bowl, training cups, food maker, stroller toys, activity/educational toys

The aforementioned items are needed from the time the baby was born and some are useful even until toddler years.  Keep this list and pass it to your friends who are pregnant or first time moms…they will surely be happy to be reminded.

I have read this news article in Yahoo news and I was amazed on how good breastmilk really is.  We all know that breastmilk is best for babies.  But how about for adults?  Read on and find some interesting facts based on the true story of this young mom and his father who is battling cancer.

NEWS:  As Georgia Browne breastfeeds her baby son Monty, nothing could seem more normal or natural. At eight months old, Monty thrives on his mother’s milk, but someone else is also thriving on Georgia’s milk – her father Tim!

That’s because Tim’s battling cancer. He drinks his daughter’s breastmilk every day to boost his immune system and give him the strength to fight the disease.

After researching the idea on the internet, Georgia, 27, expresses her breastmilk as often as she can for her father to drink. He has the milk on his bowl of cornflakes every morning. It’s been his daily routine for the past six months and Tim believes the milk has given him a boost.

‘It was a terrible shock. He’d never been ill before,’ Georgia says. ‘He still is really fit. He goes to the gym three times a week.’ Tim endured gruelling chemotherapy and after a year went into remission. But the cancer returned when Georgia was pregnant with her first child.

Life-saving milk
Georgia gave birth to Monty last July and began breastfeeding. A month later, she watched a TV documentary in which an American man believed his prostate cancer had been helped because he drank breastmilk.

‘The man went to a milk bank for his supply of breastmilk and drank it in a milkshake,’ Georgia recalls. ‘I started researching on the internet immediately and found separate studies in America and Scandinavia both supporting the health benefits of breastmilk to cancer sufferers.

‘I watched the documentary and thought it was a really mad idea, if it was true,’ she says. ‘I started looking on the net and found research suggesting breastmilk helps kill cancer cells.

‘Finding out I could help was amazing. I could play my small part in helping my dad do something positive for his illness. ‘When I talked to him about it, he thought it was a great idea. He thought: “Why not?”’

Georgia broached the subject with her family before going ahead. They all thought it was fantastic and supported her 100 per cent. ‘My mum thought it was great and my sisters and brother were supportive,’ she says.

With the family’s blessing, Georgia started expressing her milk for Tim straight away. She dropped the first batch round to her parents’ home in a freezer bag, which her mum popped in the freezer.

Tim spoke to his doctors and nurses about drinking breastmilk and they were more than happy for him to try the unconventional treatment. ‘They told him that anything that could help was positive,’ Georgia explains. ‘They were very supportive and backed the idea.’

A month after starting the regimen, a scan of Tim’s cancer showed a slight, but distinct, improvement. Although doctors can’t say whether the breastmilk’s helped, Georgia says he’s brighter and has more energy.

She has promised to continue feeding Tim for as long as she can. ‘He has been having chemo as well as drinking the milk so there’s no way of really finding out if it is helping,’ Georgia explains. ‘I’m still feeding Monty so I feed him first, then I fill a bag for my dad. We’ll continue as long as I am breastfeeding. (-end-)

Isn’t that amazing?!  I have always believed that God gave this gift of natural milk from a mother’s breast to nourish babies and raise them to become strong and healthy individuals.  But we also are aware that breastmilk is a natural anti-biotic that protects our body by strengthening  our immune system.  It is really amazing how human body was intellectually designed by the Creator to the most advantageous benefit of humanity.