Story of A Woman

Archive for the ‘Motherhood’ Category

I have started convincing my daughter that she is old enough to sleep on a different bed and in the other room. She’s been co-sleeping with us since she was born and it is about time that she gives the turn to her coming sister. We could not all sleep in one bed mattress because the mattress is not big enough to accommodate the four of us.  Plus, she moves a lot when she is sleeping occupying more than half of the mattress.

I know that it will not be easy for my daughter to sleep by herself in a separate room. It will take time but nonetheless, I told her what she could expect if she agrees to sleep on the other room. I promise her that we will repaint the room and we will allow her to choose the color she liked which she immediately answered with Violet. We will also repaint the bed with the color of her choice in which she answered Pink. We will buy room decorations which we will put in her room to make it more girly. And if decorative switch plate covers would add some weight to convince her, then we will replace the switch covers with the switch covers her choice.

As part of the preparation, we transferred the single bed from the other room to our room for her. She was excited to sleep on the bed. But since she could not sleep without reading first a book and being hugged, I am still obliged to lie beside her while she is still awake then I will just transfer to the mattress on the floor when she’s already asleep. During the first and second day, when she woke up in the middle of the night alone in the bed, she would transfer on our mattress. But on the succeeding days, she would just wake up to look for her blanket then continue sleeping on her bed.  Isn’t this is a good sign of success?

Do your kids also co-sleep with you? How did you convince them to sleep by themselves?

I have been looking for wooden crib for months now here in Bohol. I almost visited all the big establishments here like Bohol Quality and Island City Mall but most of the available cribs are not made in wood yet so expensive. Even some of the things I need to buy for my baby are not available here and it is so frustrating.

As I roam around the downtown, I realized that there were still establishments here which do not use the latest POS Hardware. Some establishments are still using the traditional cash register where the amount is manually entered. So obsolete!

Going back to looking for crib, I am already tempted to buy online. The only reason that hinders me is I could not check the quality of the crib before I purchase it. But I might consider it when I have no more choice.

Edema or certain amount of swelling of ankle and feet is normal during pregnancy. This is caused by fluid retention due to the changes happening in the body.  But during my first pregnancy, I didn’t experience this swelling until I gave birth and it didn’t last long. But this time, at my 29th week of pregnancy, I am already experiencing slight swelling.  I feel alarmed but when I checked Mr. Google, I learned that it is normal. I also learned some tips to minimize it. Below are some of the tips to avoid swelling.

• Take plenty of fluids and nothing beats water.
• Avoid standing or sitting for long period of time. If possible, elevate the feet.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Try support stockings rather than elastic topped socks or knee-hi pantyhose.
• Stretch your legs frequently while sitting: Stretch your leg out, heel first, and gently flex your foot to stretch your calf muscles. Rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes.
• When lying down, rest on your left for better blood circulation.
• Eat well, and avoid junk food.
• Do some walking.

Swelling should not last for more than a day. If it does and if the hands and face become puffy too, it may be a sign of more serious health problem and should contact a practitioner as soon as possible.

References:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_swollen-extremities-edema-during-pregnancy_230.bc

http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/symptoms/a/swelling.htm

http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/symptoms-and-solutions/edema.aspx

In the Philippines, children who belong to a non-well to do family usually don’t have a set of sleeping wear. Usually, their everyday clothes are also used as sleep wear. That includes my daughter.

Before she sleeps, I require her to clean herself up and change her clothes. I noticed that she has a favorite top to wear at night. She even changes this top when she wakes up in the morning so she can still use it the next night. So I asked her if she wants a set of pajama and when she agreed, I bought her a pair.

What I want is a long sleeves type of pajama top to protect her arms from mosquito bites. Unfortunately, that kind of pajama is not available. So we settled for a set which looks like scrub tops with Hello Kitty print.

Tomorrow {i mean later}, I will be going to the Tagbilaran to find a clinic or laboratory which offers sonogram or more commonly known as ultrasound. Hubby and daughter will go with me of course.

According to the OB-GYNE who is looking after me, I can have the ultrasound by tomorrow to know the actual gestation age of my baby. Based on my last period, I am already 6 months pregnant by tomorrow. But I have doubts because since I gave birth to my daughter, my monthly period became irregular. So my period is not a reliable reference of the gestation age. Tomorrow, I will find out and I’m excited!

I hope we can find a clinic/laboratory which charge reasonably. I noticed that almost everything here in Bohol is more expensive than in Manila. I hope that sonogram is an exception to the rule.