When to take a home pregnancy test?

According to babycenter.com.ph, here are the top 10 signs of pregnancy:

Am I pregnant? I missed my period last month. It's been thirty days and I haven't got my monthly visit! Damn.

In this article, we are going to focus on the last two symptoms of pregnancy as specified by babycenter.com. Most of us, women, are not that aware whether we are pregnant or not. Missing our monthly period is just one way of determining if we are really carrying a baby.

A urine sample early in the morning is best to use when using a pregnancy test; but most of the questions I heard was "when am I going to do the test?".

The time when there is greatest chance of becoming pregnant is in the five days either side of your normal ovulation time. This is usually 14 days before the due date of your next menstrual period. About two weeks after her period starts, the woman ovulates, which means that she releases an egg. This egg travels down the fallopian tubes towards the uterus. If the egg does not  run into any sperm along the way and get fertilized, the egg leaves the woman's body and she has her next period like usual. Otherwise, there is a chance for you to get pregnant since a sperm can live inside a woman for up to five to seven days.

During the Cosmo Anniversary party treat in Trinoma not so long ago, there was a free OB-Gyne consultation in one of their booths. I asked the doctor if it is just okay that my menstrual period takes 32 days after the previous month. I asked this because normally, it will just take 28 days to have my period again. She then clarified that the cycle is different from one woman to another as a woman can ovulate at any time. A woman's cycle would also depend on different factors like your diet and environment. Stress is a big factor. One advise that I could not forget was when she told me that,

"If you have a normal menstrual cycle, and you still haven't had your period on the 36th day after the first day of your previous menstrual period, you need to see your OB."

I made a diagram to better understand what I am saying...

Here's how I calculate when I am going to have my next period. (February 1st = Day 1 of next menstrual cycle.)
Your 35th day will fall on the 8th.

Correction on number 3 >> That's FACTORS,  not factos, huh!
 and
that's NORMALLY on number 2.. OMG!
BLAME MY FAST HANDS!

Usually, I just deduct three days from my previous cycle if the current month consists of 31 days (and minus 2 days if there are 30 days). Let's say you had your period on the 4th.. that is 4 - 3 = 1. The next period will be on February 1st. In the calendar above, if you would not have your monthly period until the 8th of February, you may want to buy a home pregnancy kit from a local drugstore and test your urine the following day. I suggest that you buy two of them just to be sure. This computation is beneficial for those who have regular monthly period.

Please take note that this is only applicable to those who have a regular menstrual cycle. The situation may be different for those irregular ones. You may want to check other symptoms such as tender breasts, frequent urination, and morning sickness. 

So, for women who took the test, and have a positive result, consult your doctor immediately so you'll know...

1/. if you are carrying the mini you;

2/. what proper care and vitamins should your body require for your child to grow healthy inside your womb (Folic Acid is a must!); and

3/. the truth, and so you can say to yourself that you aren't dreaming - It's for real! You're a mom, and you should be proud of becoming one like me!

Congratulations, soon-to-be mommies!

Sources:

• http://www.positive.org - Could I be pregnant?
• http://www.babycenter.com.ph/ - Top 10 signs of pregnancy

A star was born ♥

Trent's winning pic, published in SP Mag (Nov 2011 issue)

Most of the people who saw Trent thought they saw him in a commercial of baby products. As a proud Nanay, it was a big compliment knowing that these people appreciate his looks. Most of the time, people would ask me this, "Foreigner ang tatay? Anong lahi?", and I would say, "No. Pinoy po."

These compliments encouraged me to send his pictures to a known casting studio in Makati hoping that he'll get a spot in any baby commercials as early as six months. Lucky enough, the casting studio emailed me back a day after, asking for my son to undergo a VTR.

Always remember that prior to sending your child's photos online, make sure that you have done research, and that it is a reputable modeling and talent agency. Check for any negative feedback on them, or if they collect up-front fees. Reputable agencies usually won't charge a fee when you sign your baby with them.*

My sister Lirio, Trent, and I traveled 55 km from our town to Makati City to undergo a VTR. Good thing, he just slept the entire travel, and just woke up on our way to Chino Roces Avenue. We came to the office at lunch time, when there was no one waiting for his name to be called as what the officer mentioned is a common scene during their business hours. Aspiring commercial models need to wait for a couple of hours to do a 2-minute show-your-personality-face-to-the-left-and-right photo shoot. 

This is what's good about bringing a baby along, we always get prioritized. Even if that was lunch time, the lady in red advised us to have Trent undergone the VTR.

 "Mommy, harap sa kanan. Sa kaliwa naman po, mommy." Parang ako yung kinukunan.

They have taken pictures and video of Trent wearing just his nappy. It was a fun experience as I didn't know what's in store for him. The agency emailed the following day, but unfortunately, I was able to read it two weeks after since I am always busy at work. I realized that it was not easy to be a stage mom. Taking your baby to casting calls and auditions will require effort, time, and patience for him to get chances of  being seen on mags, billboards, and TVCs. 

I finally decided to leave it without trying much too hard in taking him to these VTRs. After all, he was so young then, and I could not afford seeing him enduring the two to three hours of travel to the city for a 3-minute shoot, and same time going back to our crib. I do not want to torture him with these scenarios every time he'll be asked to do these things.

Anyway, a local magazine have this monthly promo for kids who are celebrating their birthdays. I  tried and sent Trent's pictures as advised by my kumare, who believed he will win in the said promo. His face first landed in Smart Parenting Magazine's November 2011 issue. He won in their Kiddie Greets section, vied against a number of kids who are equally cute and charming, not to mention those who sent their child's pictures but did not make it to the final 30.

It was such a wonderful feeling seeing him in one of the pages of SP Magazine, making me more proud of him. I  hope I would not become obsessed with the idea of my baby being a star. Maybe I can deal with it later once he knows  the pros and cons of doing tv commercials. As a mom, we should always respect what our baby wants. We do not have to force them do these things (casting and modeling) if they are not ready for it. Otherwise, we might become selfish of not giving our kids their right to choose what they wanted to do.

Read more: * How to Get a Baby on a TV Commercial | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2221648_get-baby-tv-commercial.html#ixzz1k9Ia3N3W

A Preemie Surprise!

Contractions.. Blood... These were the symptoms when I was about to give birth..but wait, my tummy's just on its 34th week (+ 2 days) then. My OB said that I need at least three more weeks so that my baby won't be at risk. Or else, he will surely stay in the incubator for days until his organs are well-developed.

My OB prescribed meds that would delay the moment we've been waiting for, but it was no help at all. At 11 am the following day, I was rushed to the hospital as my cervix was open at about six cm. We reached the hospital after 30 minutes. I cannot explain the pain, and all I could think of was not just for the me and the baby to be safe, but also for my nephew who was rushed to PGH as he was having convulsion at the same time. 

Preemie, excerpt from Wikipedia

Goosebumps got into me after hearing about the old saying "Palit Buhay" as we were clueless whether all of us will survive that day.  

On November 30, 2010, Tuesday at 12:15 p.m., Trent was born and weighed 1.9 kgs. Maybe because of lack of sleep (since Monday afternoon), I fainted, and all I could remember was I had a glimpse of his nose and his sex organ (as I wanted to make sure if it is a boy :D).

I had vague memories of what happened later. Good thing, video camera and camera phone were invented for me to still experience the highlights of being a mom - giving birth. My sister, my cousin and Trent's dad were able to capture my after birth experience. His dad told me that Trent's lips were almost black as he lacks oxygen and was gasping for air. It was a wonderful feeling though after the doctor placed him on my bare chest. :D

Many were asking what is the cause of preterm birth. As per Wiki, a preterm birth refers to the birth of a baby of less than 37 weeks gestational age. At the time of this writing, the cause behind preterm birth is still unsolved. The cause of 50% of preterm births is never determined. It was said that anxiety and depression have been linked to preterm birth.

Kangaroo Care for Preemies

As for me, I think the biggest factor could be because I travel from Bacoor to Roxas Boulevard (MOA) everyday when I was pregnant, and from Bacoor to Tagaytay (Mendez) every week, which could have stressed me out. I also did the "squat" exercise due to fear that my cervix would be too small for the baby (as they say, "maliit ang sipit-sipitan). I didn't know that the exercise is best done during the third trimester. That I would recommend, but not during the 5th nor 6th month of pregnancy like I did! ☺

Going back to my son, it was a big surprise to the doctors (my OB, and Trent's pedia) that his organs seem to be well-developed, and do not show as if he is a preemie. All the tests though (including the ultrasound) say that he is just 34 weeks, and two days then. We had expected for him to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for the next few days, but to our surprise, he stayed there only within the first eight hours of his life. He needed two drop lights in order to give him heat aside from my warm embrace. Preemies need Kangaroo care as they need warmth from their mothers.

What's also surprising is that he has strong bones and limbs that would make you doubtful if he's really a preemie.

My compliments to Anmum Materna and Herbalife (ex-deal?) as they both helped in the growth and development of Trent inside my womb. Optimism is another factor. Just think of positive thoughts, and no doubt that your preemie will be able to make it. Last but not the least, "prayers". Did I mention I used to go to Baclaran church every Wednesday to thank Him for giving me a chance to be a mother, which a lot of women wants to experience? I didn't ask for a "cute" baby, but just a normal and healthy one. However, he granted me much more than I expected. God is so good. :D

DIY Letter Toppers

Excerpt from kidsparties.about.com

I like personalizing things only if I really have the time to do it. My son's birthday fell on a Wednesday, from which I thought Holidays will be moved from Wednesday to Monday. Hence, I thought no kids would be around to celebrate his birthday with us. On the day itself, I struggled to find a cake for him. I prefer two small rolls instead of a big one as we will also have a cake on the party itself. Then, I thought of making a letter topper for the cake to be more personalized (like the Halloween-themed cupcakes above) if not that big.

Here are the materials that I used:

1. Art papers (different colors since the theme is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse)
2. Scissors
3. Glue
4. Black cartolina
5. Toothpicks

Materials used for the topper

According to your theme, you can make cutouts of the letters that you want to use. For my son, I used his entire name (minus the last name. hehe).

Cut the letters out of the art papers, and paste it on the cartolina leaving a space for the toothpick as that will serve as its stand. Insert the half of the toothpick at the bottom of each letters securing them with glue.

So easy, huh?

Outcome of my DIY Letter Topper

The story behind my son's name

Okay. Just like the Megastar, who has given in to Tweeting, I have finally given in to Blogging.


For obvious reasons, I love being a mom. Hence, the name of my blog.

Mega's first tweet was about her adopted son Miguel. So am I. Oh no, not about Miguel, but it is about my son, Trent. Cute name, huh?

Lucas Trent

There was a long story behind my son's name. His father and I had considered a number of names before coming up with his registered name. On the day I told him that I was pregnant, his dad came up with Jordan Telegonus (OMG!) if our baby's going to be a boy, and Mary Penelope if it is a girl.

In Greek mythology, Telegonus was the youngest son of Circe and Odysseus. Well, for obvious reasons, he wants it because his name is Odysseus. Good thing, he changed his mind (maybe because he knew I don't like it) and wants it to be Jordan Rudess. Jordan Rudess is an American keyboardist, and an American member for the progressive metal band, Dream Theater. Tren't dad wants his son/s name to have their first names according to the members of this band (John, James, Mike, Jordan). A fanatic as he is, he would not still win over me as everytime I hear Rudess, I tend to resemble it to "rudeness". :D

It was August 21th 2010 when I had the result of my ultrasound, and we found out that it's going to be a boy. He then wants our baby to be named Trent Reznor after Michael Trent Reznor, vocalist of Nine Inch Nails. (He's really into music, huh!). I just don't like the idea that his second name would be difficult for our friends to say. I just want it to be simple, but with "angas".

Lucas Eugene Scott

I always want my son's name to be Lucas. I derived my son's first name from Lucas Eugene Scott, Chad Michael Murray's character in One Tree Hill. I have always loved Lucas' character, being a typical high school guy who loves his mom so much. (I can relate to Karen Roe's story. :D)


It was a friend, Don Deihl from Oklahoma who gave me the idea of making it Lucas Trent as it sounds nice, and so his dad and I won't fight over it. :D)

Always make sure that you plan for your baby's name ahead as you do not want your child to hate his name, and get teased over a hilarious nick once he grow up. There were so many names that we have considered, and good thing, we have picked the right one for him. :D