36 weeks

And just like that, we're on our 36th week already.  We went to see Dr. Menefrida Reyes and now we'll be having weekly appointments with her.  She will email us a form about our birth plan then we'll do some last minute check ups to make sure everything is okay with the baby and me.  Everything seemed okay with her except when she checked my tummy, she found it a little small (fundal height) She advised me to drink my Obimin vitamins again, prescribed Moriamin (multivitamins with amino acids) and my Sangobion Plus.  I got worried with what she said and i cannot believe that i'm carrying a smaller baby bump.  She also requested for an ultrasound before we meet next week and told us that baby should be at least 2.3kg in estimated weight.  

I pray everything will be normal and that my baby just knows how to position herself well.  Velvet, my doula, called me right after  i texted.  She really knows the right words to say and to be fair, she just advised to have the ultrasound two days before i meet with Dr. Reyes again, so that at least i could have started with taking the additional vitamins needed and the five days would be a lot of help for the baby, and a repeat ultrasound won't be needed anymore.

Just a couple of weeks to go baby and we'll see you!

Birthing class

In my first pregnancy, we were set to attend a birthing class but i had a bedrest for a month at the time we were supposed to attend plus we thought 5k was a big money to spend for a birth class.  We definitely were wrong about this decision.  That's why with this pregnancy, we are really decided we will attend a birth class.  We attended a birthing class with Chiqui Brosas last Sunday (Batch 238).  Velvet, our doula, recommended that we attend one so we readily researched which class to go to. She highly recommended Lin Fernando but after several attempts to contact her, i was'nt able to get hold of her. So we contacted Chiqui Brosas.  She was very prompt in replying to our queries and asked us to pre-register immediately.  Fee is 4,900/couple for 4 consecutive sundays, from 2-5pm.  Every month, she holds birth classes and venue will depend on which venue would accommodate her participants.  For our batch, we had it in Makati.

When we went to their Makati venue, we had a hard time parking. We're new to Makati so we're not familiar with the parking rules and we're scared our car might be towed.  We parked near Makati Square, had lunch then walked to the venue.

Soliman Corporation Center 2182 Don Chino Roces Ave. (fromerly Pasong Tamo), Makati

Ask lobby receptionist which room and floor, (Usually 3rd F/ Room 1)

on the ground floor of the building is a BPI atm,

it is located between Herald Suites & Oriental Plaza buildings.

Near Makati Cinema Square and Japanese Town restaurants.

Park on the available slots along the road.

Things I love about Chiqui's class:
-  She loves to talk about her birthing experiences and for the five natural births she gave, she talks about it like it just happened recently.  You can feel the passion, sincerity and delight.  That's what i desire, to share my birthing with love, and joy and not in a traumatizing way.
-  She's an advocate of natural birthing.
-  She always incorporates faith, prayers and God in her sessions.  I love to be surrounded by people who love God and share the same love to birthing and faith.
-  Her technique (lamaze bradley) is easy to understand.
- She's very pleasing to look at because she's soo pretty haha.
- She's OC so the manual that comes along with the class even has a list of things you need to bring to the hospital.  She even checked the labor kit bags we're gonna use and see if it will be allowed in the hospital that we are giving birth at.
- She does placenta encapsulation which we are considering as well.

You can contact chiqui here for inquiries and pre-registration:

Text SMART: +63920-905-27-37 (for texting only) 

Call GLOBE: +63917-477-06-28 (you may call Dorz)

EMAIL: birthtimes@gmail.com
BLOG: http://chiquibrosas.blogspot.com/

Those Braxton Hicks

I started having these when I was about 33 weeks. They're irregular, feels like something is tightening your tummy and it should'nt really have a pattern, meaning it may come and go. In my first pregnancy, I don't recall monitoring these braxton hicks thus, when we first had some symptoms, it was just false labor.  To recognize a true contraction from a braxton hick, you can do the ff:

- walk it out. if after walking and it goes out, it's not a contraction
- rule out thirst
- rule out hunger
- rest and look for a pattern. note down the time and how long the hicks were.

It may be false labor but braxton hicks can be a good way to start practicing your breating patterns :)

Changing doctors

I’ve always felt I’m looking for someone who will comfort me when it comes to my pregnancy and our decision to do VBAC. And after every check up, I’d always feel something is lacking.  I yearn for that emotional support from a doctor, that kind of encouragement to say that yes I will support you in any way I can.  I envy those women who have a special relationship with their doctors.  My doctors are good, don't get me wrong, we just feel that finding your doctor is like looking for a friend, your personality should fit with your doctor. For disclosure purposes, i won't reveal their names.  

I'm on the 32nd week when we went to Dr. Menefrida Reyes of St. Luke's QC.  We are TMC patients since i was younger.  We never tried other hospitals except when we need to do some laboratory works but confinement and check ups are all under TMC so it's quite a new environment having to transfer hospitals...last minute.

I knew about Dr. Reyes thru my online friend, Pinky Dy.  She gave birth to all her three kids thru lamaze and she is just an inspiration to me.  When i was so desperate about finding the right OB, i asked about her doctor and gave it a try.  I told her this will be my last try. If we feel that we'd have to go back to the first two doctors, we'll just choose between them. We met with her last tuesday.  Her clinic hours are only from 5pm onwards. We were 6th in line. We were seen around 645pm. 

Meeting her is like meeting a new friend.  She talks very calmly.  She's like a mom, but not the old type. :)  When i told her about our situation, she simply told me, "This is your best time to try VBAC and i will support you" it's like i wanted to cry. Did i hear it right? Did she really say she will support me.  I've always wanted VBAC, we've always wanted to have a natural birth but to me, the process of this pregnancy and the birth is our ultimate goal...having to be in control of everything, making informed decisions and being involved in every step of the way.  We're tired of being like a dog obeying its master.  We want to learn, and then decide what's best for our baby and us.  She checked my history. She asked me a lot of questions which i so appreciated.  My sugar level is normal, my tummy size is okay, she does'nt have any concern about my accessory lobe placenta.  When she said that it does'nt pose a problem, it was like music to my ears.  Can't believe how easy it is to talk to her.  I know there will always be risks, specially in my condition but I also believe that support from my caregiver and people around us will be a great factor as well. At least I can say that I've done everything i could and if i still end up with CS, i would'nt regret the decision. 

Oh and she's a Christian too. Among the OBs i've seen, she's the first one who touched my tummy and talked to my baby "God bless you baby". wow! simple gesture, big impact! 

So yes, we've finally met the one. thank you Lord. here is Dr. Menefrida Reyes' digits (via Secretary Ms. Mildred):

St. Luke's Medical Arts Room 224

Contact number: (02) 725.6854

Prenatal exercises

And so i started with prenatal exercises. Walking is a part of my life. I love to walk...in the malls, around the village, while doing some grocery shopping so i'm confident i always reach the needed walking exercise everyday. Here are some exercises i considered. I'm not the type who sticks to a routine but better have some than nothing. :)

Kegel Exercises
I did'nt do this (well, none that i'm aware of) in my first pregnancy so i'm decided to try this as this will help me with my labor and birthing as well.  To explain furthere, here's a link to help you do Kegels the right way :)

Prenatal yoga
I bought a mommy yoga video because I can't seem to find the right time to do yoga in Urban Ashram since their prenatal yogas are during Saturdays only.  My husband downloaded a prenatal yoga.  Since i don't do yoga regularly, I chose the poses which are safer for me for the first few sessions then later on, maybe I can complete the whole session effortlessly. Tip: make sure to rest if you feel tired or stressed. do not force yourself to do the poses since every body is different.  Here's a picture to give you an idea of what the poses look like

Perineal massage
I have'nt started with this one since i read in the VBAC Companion book that this should be done on the last month of pregnancy.  Here's a part of the article i got for more info:

When can you start?

You can start perineal massage in the third trimester, or around week 34 or 35 of pregnancy. Try doing the massage for five to ten minutes daily, twice a day, washing your hands before and afterwards.

How do you do it?

Perineal massage can be done by you or your partner. If you've never tried it before, take a mirror and look at your perineum first, as this will make it easier when you begin massaging. Also make sure there are no rough edges on your fingernails.

Next, find a comfortable position. This might be lying on a sofa or bed, adopting a semi-sitting position or standing with one foot on the edge of the bath or a chair. You can also do perineal massage in the shower.

What's a good technique?

Lubricate your fingers with a special massage oil or KY jelly. You can also use vegetable oils, such as olive oil, but don't use mineral oil or petroleum jelly. Rub enough oil into the perineum so your fingers can move smoothly over the perineum and vaginal wall.

If you're doing the massage yourself, try using your thumb (although it might be easier for your partner to use his index fingers). Put the fingers or thumb well inside the vagina, moving them from side to side along the sides of the vagina in a U-shaped movement, to stretch the skin and muscles surrounding the vagina and the perineum.

Next, rub the skin of your vagina and perineum between the thumb and forefinger (putting your thumb on the inside, and your finger on the outside, or vice versa). After a few days of doing this, the muscles should relax and the tissue will start to stretch. Always remember to try and relax your muscles as you apply pressure.

As you become more comfortable massaging, increase the pressure just enough to make the perineum begin to sting from the stretching. This is the same stinging you will experience when your baby's head is about to crown during childbirth

Happy exercising! :)

VBAC Companion book

So my ever reliable doula, Velvet, gave me books to read.  VBAC companion and Silent Knife. I'm scheduled to finish four books all in all (five, if you'll include the one of Dr. Jack Newman's) by the end of September. I hope I can finish all of them. Anyway, the book is so nice. it's an easy read one, very easy to understand and the testimonies of those who gave VBAC birth are so encouraging.  One thing that struck me was when a birth doula, in one of her classes, mentioned to make circles of 10cm diameter and place them in places where you can always see them, your workplace, your bedroom, bathroom and remind yourself of your birth goal..to dilate 10cm :)

I also liked all the summary points and plan to retype them and compile so i can easily review them when i'm near my due date already.

I'll start with Birth partner this week and hopefully I get to finish it so i can start with Silent Knife. whew! bookworm in an instant :)

Nanay Rich and prenatal massage

Nanay Rich prenatal massage

So I got to reach Nanay Rich again for yet another massage session.  This is the only luxury i have for this pregnancy. It felt so relaxing. I was so relieved of my back pains. She has been taking care of me and massaging me once a month.  She’s really a lactation therapist (I don’t know how they really call it) but she also does prenatal massages. Here’s her number if you want to get in touch with her.

Nanay Rich – 0916.308.6434

Her rate is 1,200 per session.  This is home service so you don’t need to go and prepare. After taking a bath, you can just lie on your bed and then have a really good massage.