This is one of the prayers I recited because I really was desperate with my baby's IUGR. My request was granted in less time.
POWERFUL NOVENA TO CHILD JESUS
(for the individual's urgent need)
(this novena is to be said at the same time every hour for nine consecutive hours -- just one day.)
O Jesus, you said:
"Ask and you shall receive,
seek and you shall find,
knock and it shall be opened to you"
Through the intercession of Mary,
your most holy mother,
I knock, I seek, and I ask
that my prayer be granted.
(state your request here)
O Jesus, you said:
"All that you ask the Father in my name he will grant you."
Through the intercession of Mary your most holy mother,
I humbly and urgently ask
your Father in your name
that my prayer be granted.
(repeat your request here)
O Jesus you said:
"heaven and earth shall pass away but my word
shall not pass."
Through the intercession of Mary,
your most holy mother,
I feel confident that my prayer
will be granted.
(repeat your request here)
My source: Straight from the Heart - A Prayer Companion
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Sharing everything that makes my life as a wife and a mom a blissful experience.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Bored With Bed Rest But All Worth It
Hubby and I talked about me taking a leave from work a month before my due date so I could rest. At the back of my mind, that would be so cool. At least I could be a domestic diva for a month. I imagined myself cooking him breakfast, preparing his lunch and again preparing his dinner. And picture myself organizing our place, the closet, the baby needs and all that, doing some gardening, etcetera. But something bursted my bubble. Sure I will be resting, bed rest that is.
As I have mentioned in my previous post, I had a self-imposed bed rest due to the IUGR thing the baby is having. He is not growing at the right pace. His measurements were small for his age. According to my researches, mothers with this condition were adviced to have a bed rest. My doctor did not ask me to undergo one, but still I did it for my baby's sake.
Bed rest was not at all that fun. Sure it was an opportunity for me to really have a full-day rest, come sun up to sun down, but really I did not enjoy it that much. I had to gather all the things I would be needing near my bed so I could just grab them without moving much of my muscles. My books and magazines were there, my hubby's portable DVD player and all the dvd's were set, 1 gallon of water ( i needed lots of water to increase my amniotic fluid) and a tumbler, some healthy nick nacks, and our baby's classical cd's were all beside me. I only had limited privileges to get up and that was to go to the rest room to either pee or take a bath, and to take my lunch and dinner at the nearby dining set. I felt like a sick person. To add, I also had to watch my diet. I needed to load on protein, cut some of carbohydrates, total no-no to sodium, fats and oily foods. So that meant I had to say goodbye to longganisa and tocino and all other processed food that always complete my breakfast, some of my favorite junk food that perk me up, and just stick to grill, stewed or broiled food. I felt so helpless. This was not the "rest" or leave from work that I was looking forward to. This was not at all being a domestic diva that I pictured myself would be. But again, as what I have said, I had to sacrifice for my baby.
I also prayed hard to the Authority upstairs. I knew deep in my heart that He was the only one who could divert this situation and help with our dilemma. I prayed a novena hourly for every day. My special request was to give my baby the right measurement he needed.
April 30, 2009-- that was the next appointment to my doctor. Hubby was supportive for he left really early from work just to accompany me to the doctor. I told him days before that I could not bear to hear another bad news all by myself and I needed him there. Good thing he made all effort to be with me, considering that his work always required him to go overtime every end of the month.
Sure I was nervous. Nervous of what the doctor's news would be. I was #5 in line and waiting for my name to be called seemed like an agony for me. I only waited around forty minutes but it seemed I waited forever.
My blood pressure was read, and it went up a bit, but the doc said it was still within the normal range. My weight, as expected, was up from 147 pounds to 150 pounds and again, that was normal. At last she asked me to lie down so she could measure my tummy's fundal height. The last time was 26 inches, not normal for 32 weeks. Now it was up to 29 inches!! And it was just right for 34 weeks!! That was the first good news I heard!! I thanked God on an instant upon hearing that. Now it was time to go to the ultrasound room to check the measurements. Another round of nervouseness for me. As she was applying that cold gel in my tummy, I was praying real hard that the measurement would be all okay by now, even if I only had a short time for bed rest and healthy eating. The doctor was smiling, and told me that everything is okay. EVERYTHING IS OKAY!! The baby already coped up with his measurement, but still on the border line side, but atleast he coped up already!! I never felt so happy!! Thank God for all that!
I asked her if I needed a bed rest, and she said not at all. But I have to go on leave and just relax at home. She gave me new batch of vitamins. One would be for my baby's brain development and one for preparation of my breast milk. She also asked me to start taking a 30-minute walk routine in the morning and at night.
On my way home, I was just so happy that the smile on my face was fixed all through out. I never thought bed rest could be this helpful. I dreaded it, but it really helped. And I again decided and self-imposed to continue this bed rest. But this time not as much, for I also needed to tidy up our place and prepare the things of our baby. For he will be coming in just a month and I may not have time to prepare all his stuff. But of course to take a bed rest is still the top priority.
Lastly, these will not all be possible without the prayers and faith in God. I trully believe that nothing is impossible in prayers, and this happening is one proof that God really hears ours prayers.
::::::::::::::::
As I have mentioned in my previous post, I had a self-imposed bed rest due to the IUGR thing the baby is having. He is not growing at the right pace. His measurements were small for his age. According to my researches, mothers with this condition were adviced to have a bed rest. My doctor did not ask me to undergo one, but still I did it for my baby's sake.
Bed rest was not at all that fun. Sure it was an opportunity for me to really have a full-day rest, come sun up to sun down, but really I did not enjoy it that much. I had to gather all the things I would be needing near my bed so I could just grab them without moving much of my muscles. My books and magazines were there, my hubby's portable DVD player and all the dvd's were set, 1 gallon of water ( i needed lots of water to increase my amniotic fluid) and a tumbler, some healthy nick nacks, and our baby's classical cd's were all beside me. I only had limited privileges to get up and that was to go to the rest room to either pee or take a bath, and to take my lunch and dinner at the nearby dining set. I felt like a sick person. To add, I also had to watch my diet. I needed to load on protein, cut some of carbohydrates, total no-no to sodium, fats and oily foods. So that meant I had to say goodbye to longganisa and tocino and all other processed food that always complete my breakfast, some of my favorite junk food that perk me up, and just stick to grill, stewed or broiled food. I felt so helpless. This was not the "rest" or leave from work that I was looking forward to. This was not at all being a domestic diva that I pictured myself would be. But again, as what I have said, I had to sacrifice for my baby.
I also prayed hard to the Authority upstairs. I knew deep in my heart that He was the only one who could divert this situation and help with our dilemma. I prayed a novena hourly for every day. My special request was to give my baby the right measurement he needed.
April 30, 2009-- that was the next appointment to my doctor. Hubby was supportive for he left really early from work just to accompany me to the doctor. I told him days before that I could not bear to hear another bad news all by myself and I needed him there. Good thing he made all effort to be with me, considering that his work always required him to go overtime every end of the month.
Sure I was nervous. Nervous of what the doctor's news would be. I was #5 in line and waiting for my name to be called seemed like an agony for me. I only waited around forty minutes but it seemed I waited forever.
My blood pressure was read, and it went up a bit, but the doc said it was still within the normal range. My weight, as expected, was up from 147 pounds to 150 pounds and again, that was normal. At last she asked me to lie down so she could measure my tummy's fundal height. The last time was 26 inches, not normal for 32 weeks. Now it was up to 29 inches!! And it was just right for 34 weeks!! That was the first good news I heard!! I thanked God on an instant upon hearing that. Now it was time to go to the ultrasound room to check the measurements. Another round of nervouseness for me. As she was applying that cold gel in my tummy, I was praying real hard that the measurement would be all okay by now, even if I only had a short time for bed rest and healthy eating. The doctor was smiling, and told me that everything is okay. EVERYTHING IS OKAY!! The baby already coped up with his measurement, but still on the border line side, but atleast he coped up already!! I never felt so happy!! Thank God for all that!
I asked her if I needed a bed rest, and she said not at all. But I have to go on leave and just relax at home. She gave me new batch of vitamins. One would be for my baby's brain development and one for preparation of my breast milk. She also asked me to start taking a 30-minute walk routine in the morning and at night.
On my way home, I was just so happy that the smile on my face was fixed all through out. I never thought bed rest could be this helpful. I dreaded it, but it really helped. And I again decided and self-imposed to continue this bed rest. But this time not as much, for I also needed to tidy up our place and prepare the things of our baby. For he will be coming in just a month and I may not have time to prepare all his stuff. But of course to take a bed rest is still the top priority.
Lastly, these will not all be possible without the prayers and faith in God. I trully believe that nothing is impossible in prayers, and this happening is one proof that God really hears ours prayers.
::::::::::::::::
Friday, April 24, 2009
Time for Bed Rest
My last check up with my OB was April 19, 2009-- still no good news for the growth of our little one. He's still behind when it comes to weight, only weighing 3.6 pounds when he's supposed to be around 4 pounds already at 32 weeks. His abdominal cirmcumference is also small for his age. His head and limbs though are okay, but in the border line measurement. His lack of weight and measurement is due to the notch found on my left side which hinders the nutrients he is supposed to be getting from the food i am eating. His eating activity is not normal at all. My amniotic fluid is also low since he is not urinating that much due to the lack of fluid and food he is getting from me. I researched what this condition is and my researches showed that this condition is called Intra Uterine Growth Restriction.
Management for IUGR is still unknown, and the causes are not fully defined since there could be a lot of factors. I am certain that the notch found in me is causing this IUGR. According to my research, bed rest is often requested to mothers with this condition. My OB has mentioned this to me during the last check up, but did not ask me to undergo one yet since we still have to find out the baby's development on my next appointment. If he copes with his weight, she will not ask me to bed rest, but if the situation is still the same, she will impose one. However, I cannot wait for the next check up and I cannot bear another bad news. So I decided for myself to go a bed rest. Hope this could really help my baby grow.
::::::::::::::::
Management for IUGR is still unknown, and the causes are not fully defined since there could be a lot of factors. I am certain that the notch found in me is causing this IUGR. According to my research, bed rest is often requested to mothers with this condition. My OB has mentioned this to me during the last check up, but did not ask me to undergo one yet since we still have to find out the baby's development on my next appointment. If he copes with his weight, she will not ask me to bed rest, but if the situation is still the same, she will impose one. However, I cannot wait for the next check up and I cannot bear another bad news. So I decided for myself to go a bed rest. Hope this could really help my baby grow.
::::::::::::::::
Monday, April 6, 2009
A Complicated Pregnancy All of a Sudden ;(
April 2, 2009 --- That was my appointment to my ob-gyne. She measured my tummy and as expected, it was still quite small for my being thirty weeks pregnant. My weight was continuously shooting up but the measurement of my tummy, or what they call fundal measurement, is not at all matched with the weight gain I am having. Her facial expression was full of worry so I got scared too. Was there anything wrong with my pregnancy, or my baby? She then asked me to step to the ultrasound room to check on the measurement of the baby and to know if there is anyting wrong inside. The result showed that all the parts of the baby is quite okay and so far are measuring normal to his age, except the abdominal area. That shows, according to her, an early sign of malnutrition. I could not believe what I heard, for I know I have been eating for two, one for me and one for the baby. So how come he is having signs of malnutrition?
I know there is something wrong when she asked me to meet again the next day at St. Luke's Hospital to do another round up of ultrasound. This is a more extensive type of ultrasound which they call maternal and fetal doppler. There we will see the full details of what's going on inside my womb.
April 3, 2009 --- St. Luke's Hospital. Hubby and I went there early just to be sure. I was nervously waiting for my turn. At around 11:30am, my name was called and my obgyne performed what she had to do. This kind of ultrasound took us for like 45 minutes to complete. According to her, there is a notch somewhere in my left uterinary artery and she asked me to buy Aspilet to be taken once a day. She also asked me to buy a steriod and meet her again the next day to explain the results of the doppler. The next day? So that meant I had to see her again. This kind of appointment is really not normal anymore, for we would just usually meet once or twice a month. But here we are now, having three check ups in a row.
April 4, 2009--- Healthway Clinic. The doctor interpreted the results of my ultrasound. According to the report, there is a notch in my left uterinary artery and that means it is sort of blocking the nutrients or food that is supposed to be for the baby. Good thing though, according to her, my placenta which is also responsible for the transmition of food to the baby, is mostly concentrated on my right area. And good thing also that my right artery is not having any problems. So that means that the baby is "so far" still okay. But then, there is still bad news. The notch on my left side also shows that I am a candidate for pre-eclamptia. Pre-eclamptia is a condition affecting pregnant women wherein the blood pressure shoots up during the course of pregnancy. It is a fetal condition that compromises the mother and the baby. There is no other treatment but to take the baby out,meaning the baby has to be born earlier that expected. Otherwise, mother may suffer stroke, or worst, even death. Hearing that, I got extremely furious. Why is this happening to me all of a sudden? I have been bragging about how easy my pregnancy is, then all of a sudden I am hearing all this? I wanted to cry right there and then. Good thing the doctor told me that pregnant moms now a days are so lucky because these conditions can be predicted and can be avoided. That sort of gave me a peace of mind.
She then shot the steriods to me. The steriods is for the baby's lungs. It will prepare the baby and will make him mature ahead of his age so just in case worst case scenario of preeclamptia attacks and he has to be taken out, he is prepared to the outside world. I also have to take aspilet once a day to avoid thickening of my blood, again, another prevention for preeclamptia. I also have to take anibiotics 4x a day for my UTI. Some of my vitamins were increased: Amino vita to be taken twice a day, calcium to be taken thrice, vitamin c to be taken thrice, macrobee once a day, milk twice a day, and lots and lots of water. I was also asked to load on protein for the baby's sake. I never had this so many medications in my entire life!!
I am hoping and praying that all the preparations are worth it, for I really wanted to have a normal and easy birth for our baby. And of course I do not want to compromise the condition of our little angel. I am looking forward to my next appointment and this time I want to hear some good news.
::::::::::::::::
I know there is something wrong when she asked me to meet again the next day at St. Luke's Hospital to do another round up of ultrasound. This is a more extensive type of ultrasound which they call maternal and fetal doppler. There we will see the full details of what's going on inside my womb.
April 3, 2009 --- St. Luke's Hospital. Hubby and I went there early just to be sure. I was nervously waiting for my turn. At around 11:30am, my name was called and my obgyne performed what she had to do. This kind of ultrasound took us for like 45 minutes to complete. According to her, there is a notch somewhere in my left uterinary artery and she asked me to buy Aspilet to be taken once a day. She also asked me to buy a steriod and meet her again the next day to explain the results of the doppler. The next day? So that meant I had to see her again. This kind of appointment is really not normal anymore, for we would just usually meet once or twice a month. But here we are now, having three check ups in a row.
April 4, 2009--- Healthway Clinic. The doctor interpreted the results of my ultrasound. According to the report, there is a notch in my left uterinary artery and that means it is sort of blocking the nutrients or food that is supposed to be for the baby. Good thing though, according to her, my placenta which is also responsible for the transmition of food to the baby, is mostly concentrated on my right area. And good thing also that my right artery is not having any problems. So that means that the baby is "so far" still okay. But then, there is still bad news. The notch on my left side also shows that I am a candidate for pre-eclamptia. Pre-eclamptia is a condition affecting pregnant women wherein the blood pressure shoots up during the course of pregnancy. It is a fetal condition that compromises the mother and the baby. There is no other treatment but to take the baby out,meaning the baby has to be born earlier that expected. Otherwise, mother may suffer stroke, or worst, even death. Hearing that, I got extremely furious. Why is this happening to me all of a sudden? I have been bragging about how easy my pregnancy is, then all of a sudden I am hearing all this? I wanted to cry right there and then. Good thing the doctor told me that pregnant moms now a days are so lucky because these conditions can be predicted and can be avoided. That sort of gave me a peace of mind.
She then shot the steriods to me. The steriods is for the baby's lungs. It will prepare the baby and will make him mature ahead of his age so just in case worst case scenario of preeclamptia attacks and he has to be taken out, he is prepared to the outside world. I also have to take aspilet once a day to avoid thickening of my blood, again, another prevention for preeclamptia. I also have to take anibiotics 4x a day for my UTI. Some of my vitamins were increased: Amino vita to be taken twice a day, calcium to be taken thrice, vitamin c to be taken thrice, macrobee once a day, milk twice a day, and lots and lots of water. I was also asked to load on protein for the baby's sake. I never had this so many medications in my entire life!!
I am hoping and praying that all the preparations are worth it, for I really wanted to have a normal and easy birth for our baby. And of course I do not want to compromise the condition of our little angel. I am looking forward to my next appointment and this time I want to hear some good news.
::::::::::::::::
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Buying Baby Stuff For the First Time
Two weeks ago, hubby and I went to SM megamall to buy few of baby stuff. It was a combination of hesitation and excitement on my part. Hesitation because as a first time mommy, honestly, I am not sure if I knew exactly what I am doing, or what I will be buying for the tiny kiddo. Excitement because this is a different kind of bonding moment for me and hubby. After years of buying stuff for ourselves, for the house, for the car, and all other things, now we are facing a different phase of buying stuff for our own firstborn.
First stop-the pram, or commonly known here as the stroller. We were already sure of what we were going to buy since we scouted for it several weeks ahead. We were set to get Chicco Trevi. It is within our budget and it's quite okay for us. But when we went there to get it, they already run out of stock. They actually had one left, but it was the display unit. For obvious reasons, we did not want the display unit. So we looked for another brand and we landed to Graco station. Graco prams have a reputation of being one of the best brands when it comes to baby prams, cribs, carriers and the likes. Like Chicco, it is one of the best brands for baby carriers. We agreed to get the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe in elegant green and brown combo. It's quite big and much expensive than Chicco Trevi, but the added features it has, are so convincing, we did not have doubts at all.
-It can be both for a newbord and a toddler, meaning our kiddo can use it from day one up to say three years old.
-The frames are all made of aluminum so we are talking of rust-free material here.
-There are lots of compartment available for baby stuff--baby tray and cup holder in front, parent tray at the back, 2 cup boards at the side, and a load basket below.
-Canopy can be rotated from front to back.
-Wheels made of rubber.
-Washable linings.
-Four stages reclining position.
-And the "it" and "deciding factor" for hubby-the one-touch-easy-fold.
Next stop, baby bottles. We were deciding wether to buy the ever popular feeding bottle brand Avent or the one as equally as popular brand Pigeon. Philips Avent from the UK is no doubt The Man of all feeding bottles. This brand has a superior quality to boost, and it has all the features the baby needs when feeding. With all its top most advantages, the price is no doubt higher than the usual brands. I believe this brand is the most expensive when it comes to feeding bottles, but then it's all worth it. But I did not buy it. We agreed to get Pigeon brand instead. The simple reason we had in mind: We have to know first what the baby's reaction to feeding bottles would be before we indulge into something expensive. We got Pigeon because its quality is not far behind. In fact, it's one of the expensive and saleable brands too. I just got particular with the nipple, since they say the nipple must be patterned from the nipple of the mother, so i bought this type they call peristaltic nipple. This type of nipple allows the baby to suck in the same way they would from a mother's nipple. We bought 3 cutely printed bottles and 3 plain transparent bottles and some extra peristaltic nipples.
Last stop-the crib comforter. We do not have a crib yet, but then we agreed on buying this wooden crib that suits the theme of our place (our pad has sort of all-wood theme). We did not buy it yet since we did not have much space in the car anymore. We just bought the comforter first. The comforter is such a cutey!! It's creamy yellow and light brown color with teddy bear prints. First time I saw it, I did not look for other designs anymore. The set includes the overall side linings, one head pillow, two bolsters, one fitted sheet for the mattress, and one blankie. I know our baby Migo will definitely love it!
I never thought buying baby stuff can be this toxic, but then who cares? I enjoyed every second of it!! This is a first time for me and so far, I am loving it. As a matter of fact, I cannot wait for our next date. I am looking forward to buying some more baby needs. I really love the experience!
::::::::::::::::
First stop-the pram, or commonly known here as the stroller. We were already sure of what we were going to buy since we scouted for it several weeks ahead. We were set to get Chicco Trevi. It is within our budget and it's quite okay for us. But when we went there to get it, they already run out of stock. They actually had one left, but it was the display unit. For obvious reasons, we did not want the display unit. So we looked for another brand and we landed to Graco station. Graco prams have a reputation of being one of the best brands when it comes to baby prams, cribs, carriers and the likes. Like Chicco, it is one of the best brands for baby carriers. We agreed to get the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe in elegant green and brown combo. It's quite big and much expensive than Chicco Trevi, but the added features it has, are so convincing, we did not have doubts at all.
-It can be both for a newbord and a toddler, meaning our kiddo can use it from day one up to say three years old.
-The frames are all made of aluminum so we are talking of rust-free material here.
-There are lots of compartment available for baby stuff--baby tray and cup holder in front, parent tray at the back, 2 cup boards at the side, and a load basket below.
-Canopy can be rotated from front to back.
-Wheels made of rubber.
-Washable linings.
-Four stages reclining position.
-And the "it" and "deciding factor" for hubby-the one-touch-easy-fold.
Next stop, baby bottles. We were deciding wether to buy the ever popular feeding bottle brand Avent or the one as equally as popular brand Pigeon. Philips Avent from the UK is no doubt The Man of all feeding bottles. This brand has a superior quality to boost, and it has all the features the baby needs when feeding. With all its top most advantages, the price is no doubt higher than the usual brands. I believe this brand is the most expensive when it comes to feeding bottles, but then it's all worth it. But I did not buy it. We agreed to get Pigeon brand instead. The simple reason we had in mind: We have to know first what the baby's reaction to feeding bottles would be before we indulge into something expensive. We got Pigeon because its quality is not far behind. In fact, it's one of the expensive and saleable brands too. I just got particular with the nipple, since they say the nipple must be patterned from the nipple of the mother, so i bought this type they call peristaltic nipple. This type of nipple allows the baby to suck in the same way they would from a mother's nipple. We bought 3 cutely printed bottles and 3 plain transparent bottles and some extra peristaltic nipples.
Last stop-the crib comforter. We do not have a crib yet, but then we agreed on buying this wooden crib that suits the theme of our place (our pad has sort of all-wood theme). We did not buy it yet since we did not have much space in the car anymore. We just bought the comforter first. The comforter is such a cutey!! It's creamy yellow and light brown color with teddy bear prints. First time I saw it, I did not look for other designs anymore. The set includes the overall side linings, one head pillow, two bolsters, one fitted sheet for the mattress, and one blankie. I know our baby Migo will definitely love it!
I never thought buying baby stuff can be this toxic, but then who cares? I enjoyed every second of it!! This is a first time for me and so far, I am loving it. As a matter of fact, I cannot wait for our next date. I am looking forward to buying some more baby needs. I really love the experience!
::::::::::::::::
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