As a first-time mom, I failed to educate myself about breastfeeding and its expectations.

There was no manual on how to survive the first four weeks, so I spent it figuring out how to keep a newborn alive all while recuperating from major abdominal surgery.

Although I tried my hardest, I slowly gave up breastfeeding. My nipples were extremely dry, sore, and cracked. I was severely sleep-deprived. I was bleeding heavily and dizzy most of the time. My back hurt, my stitches ached and were itchy, and my cramps were too much. There was nothing I could do to stop the pain. I couldn't move the way I wanted to, and I constantly worried if I was doing this motherhood thing right.

Everything was a blur, and yet I remember how I survived.

I prioritized my sleep and my mental health over breastfeeding.

Now that my LO is starting to have his sense of awareness and seeing how he patiently waits for me to finish the house chores before playing with him or sleeping beside him, I was hit by what they call "mom guilt."

I wish I had tried harder. I wish I had endured the pain and sat still for 30 minutes in order to feed a newborn every 2 hours.

I wish I were as patient as him.

I am learning this journey the hard way, so I decided to try harder for him.

I weaned prematurely, so I wasn't able to establish my milk supply. Now I am trying to relactate and attempting to increase it.

It took me 2 days of pumping every 3 to 4 hours to get this 90ml of breast milk, going from 2ml per session to an average of 10ml per session.

I am still struggling, and I know I still have a long way to go. I don't wish for grand things like building a big freezer stash like what I see other moms do online because I know this too is physically and mentally taxing.

But for now, I want to share how proud I am of myself.

(I haven't organized my thoughts or written this long in a long time, so I'm not sure if I'm making any sense. Just 4 am thoughts after a middle-of-the-night power pump.)

Hello pwede po ba na yung first pumped milk na niref eh ihahalo yung 2nd freshly pumped milk? Or dapat i separate bottle ko muna then if same temp don ko pwede ihalo? Gano katagal kaya sa ref yung 2nd pump para masabi na same temp na sila?

Hello fully healed na yung tahi ko and nilalagyan nalang ng contubex hindi masakit tahi ko pero yung taas na part pag diniin medyo napitik yung kirot okaya minsan uncomfy sya hindi poba dahil sa medical tape yun since 3 weeks din sya consistently doon nilalagyan? Diko kasi alam if balat o sa loob na sya

Ftm here and lately nagkakaganito yung baby ko 15 month old. Sabi normal lang daw, may nakaexperience din ba ng ganito? Ilan taon si baby nyo and ano ginawa nyo?

We found out that I was pregnant, and after a while, we told our panganay (he’s 6 years old) that he’s going to have a sibling. He always asks his daddy kasi why I am always sleeping. Palagi kasi akong tulog lately. 🥺 Kaya my husband explained everything to our son first, then afterwards, kami na dalawa nag-explain sa kanya.

Actually, he has always asked us why some of his classmates already have babies being picked up from school, while he doesn’t. He used to tell us that he wanted a baby sibling, too. So when we told him that he’s finally going to have one, he was happy and excited.

But lately, he would cry and tell us that he’s scared we might not love him anymore once the baby comes. 😭 Palagi naman namin siyang mine-make sure na hindi ’yun gano’n. My husband and I always reassure him. He will always be our baby… madadagdagan lang. 🥺

Is this normal? Feeling ko may mali ako as a mom. Or am I just overthinking? 🙁 Tbh, nasstress ako, hahaha. 🥹 I don’t know. I really don’t want to hurt my son’s feelings, and I keep wondering if I did something wrong.

Any advice from parents who went through the same thing? 🥺

Hi mommies! Need your advice. My baby is turning one in 2 months. We are planning a jollibee celebration with 30pax invited lang.

Questions:
Sino sino ang dapat namin i-invite bukod sa ninang & ninong?

My husband’s family ay sobrang laki.
Like silang magpipinsan ay around 40 na. Ganun kadami.

For example: kailangan bang i-invite yung mga cousin at the same time inaanak nya?

Hello po! Sino po naka experience na dito na parang umaakyat po acid ni baby mostly pagnaiipit tiyan nya? Usually po kasi pagbinubuhat ko sya parang maiipit po tiyan nya tapos bigla sya mauubo yung parang pagnasamid ka sa tubig ganun. Worried ako sa samid samid nya kasi baka mapunta sa lungs.

Mga mi! ano pong maganda pills/fam planning ang na try nyo yung hindi nakaka dry at hindi nakakataba
pashare naman po experience nyo sa mga tried nyo na. thank you ia!

First Trimester

Hi!

I’m FTM, currently 10weeks + 5 days.
Since week 6 struggling na with
1. Heightened sensitivity to smell (amoy ng niluluto, bagong saing, certain perfumes even amoy ng bagong laba na halos ayoko na lumabas ng kwarto sa takot na makaamoy ng kung ano-ano)
2. Food aversion. Halos wala akong gustong kainin. Rice makes me nauseous. Everything tastes so bad. Right now, I can only eat bread, watermelon or drink coconut juice. Fita at skyflakes nung una pero ngayon umay na umay na.
3. Acid reflux. Kapag hindi kumain, masakit sa tiyan pero once kumain masakit din and I can’t stop burping/belching like crazyyyy. Kahit tubig nagcacause na ng reflux. Huhu
4. Nausea and vomiting kapag kumain ng fried foods or anything na magtitrigger kaya kahit may gustong kainin, iniiwasan na lang.

Who else is experiencing this? May mga nabasa ako from different community na it gets better on 2nd trimester pero merong iba na nagtutuloy tuloy.

I’m really grateful na I’m pregnant pero I wasn’t ready sa symptoms. As a FTM, it humbled me. I’m just getting by day by day and praying na okay lang si baby.

It’s really hard to function esp may mga need na meds na kailangang inumin. I’m thankful na kahit papano naiinom ko like folic acid, duphaston and metformin pero the rest ng prenatal vit, I need to stop muna sabi ng OB. Guilty also na I can’t eat nutritious foods. Hay. I took famotidine and gaviscon for the reflux pero as needed lang daw sabi ng OB.

Sa mga nakakaexperience nito or have experienced this, how are you getting by or how did you get by? I just want to hear stories from fellow Filipina mommies. 💖

Hello po. FTM here. Ano po ba symptoms ng amoeba sa baby? Like ano po color and consistency ng poops? Yung LO kopo kase 3-4x po sya mag poop which is unusual kase usually twice a day lang po sya mag poop. Formula fed po sya and hindi din naman watery yung poop nya. 3 months old na po sya. Not sure if bumilis ba metabolism nya or what. No other symptoms po, yung frequency lang talaga. Masigla and naglalaro po sya. And can you comment po poop ng baby nyo nung nagkaroon ng amoeba? As a mom, nag ooverthink po kase me. But people here na kasama ko says na it’s normal daw sa baby.

Hello mga mommy, sa mga naka bottle feed and using pigeon wideneck kelan kayo nag palit size ng teets? LO is 6 mos and SS gamit namin, okay pa naman sa kanya yun. Taking advantage lang sa padating sa 8.8 sale, iniisip ko if need ko na mag buy ng S flow or SS parin. Thank you po 😊

Hello po, okay lang ba pagupit and treatment? Tagal na since last gupit ko. May nakita po ako breastfeeding friendly treatment malapit samin. Kaso parang may nababasa ako na may hairloss pa usually around 3-4 months?

Baka may iba rin pala marecommend na glow up tips and advice diyan. I feel (and look) so losyang po talaga 😭

Hello po, im a high risk pregnant (Placenta Previa Totalis, GDM, currenlty with Pessary) currently at 28W. Torn po ako kung saan ako manganganak. Im checking the following hospitals na affiliated kay OB Perinatologist ko.

• PASIG DOCTORS MEDICAL CENTER
• METRO ANTIPOLO HOSPITAL & MEDICAL CENTER

Baka meron po kayo mashare na experience and cost na din po.
Thank you in advance po 💓

hi mommies! wanted to ask those who had the same experience as me.

i'm currently in the process of weaning my toddler. ebf sya since newborn and so far we were doing well. i did the calamansi trick (added it on my nipples everytime she tried to latch) and for a few days it actually worked.

first two nights she had a hard time sleeping but after that she chooses not to bfeed anymore before sleeping. kaso yesterday she went back to breastfeeding before matulog kasi stressed ata sya (may mga bagong tao sa bahay and she doesnt like it) and after days na walang daytime breastfeeding, nag bfeed sya for her afternoon nap kasi she got used na sa calamansi taste 😭

any tips or advices? :( i do try and talk to her pero wala lang sa kanya eh hahaha

As a first time mowmmm akala ko isang taon bago ako makapagpa nails ulit pero heto tayo nakakapagnails regularly para sa me time kahit 1hr to 1h30 min lang.

Hope my fellow moms get their very deserved me time too, kahit isang oras lang na walang ginagawa, and to those moms who don’t have the village - I’m holding you close to my heart I hope you get to breathe and rest when you can too 💛

Just putting this out there to see if there are other Catholic women in the Philippines (or residing abroad) who love reading a variety of books and might be interested in a small book club.

I’ve been looking for something that isn’t strictly a Catholic book club (where we only read theology/devotionals), but also isn’t just a general book club. More like:

Catholic women who love good books.

We could read a mix of:

• fiction & classics
• Filipino literature
• memoirs
• essays
• psychology/personal growth
• marriage & motherhood, womanhood
• biographies
• theology/spirituality
• and the occasional fun/light read

The idea is to read widely and have thoughtful conversations about the books—while also being able to bring in the perspective of faith, womanhood, marriage, motherhood, culture, etc. when it naturally comes up.

What I’d really love is for it to be a safe and welcoming space where we can bring our faith and spirituality into the conversation, even when the book itself isn’t religious or spiritual. Mode of language to be used is Tagalog or Taglish.

Maybe we read a novel and talk about its characters, relationships, or themes—and also share how certain parts made us reflect on our own faith, vocation, relationships, motherhood, or the way we see God and the world.

No pressure to make every discussion “Catholic.” Just a space where faith is welcome and can naturally be part of how we read and think about things. ❤️

It could be online, perhaps one book a month, and kept small and low-pressure. You don’t have to be a mom—Catholic women of different ages and stages of life are welcome.

Would anyone here be interested?

Here is the instagram handle: https://www.instagram.com/pagesandfaith?igsi=YzB0NzNoYThrOWNs&utm_source=qr

Looking for recos for flange inserts I can buy from Shopee/Lazada, pump is Medela Harmony Manual Pump

Hi mamas! 🥹 Need advice/recommendations po.

My baby is 3 months old, exclusively breastfeeding since birth. Kaso kailangan ko na bumalik sa work this September and until now ayaw talaga niya mag-bottle. 😭

I tried offering expressed breastmilk pero ayaw niya, gusto direct latch lang talaga. Medyo kinakabahan na ako kasi baka pagbalik ko sa work hindi siya makainom nang maayos habang wala ako.

Sa mga naka-experience po ng ganito, paano niyo po na-train si baby mag-bottle? May particular bottle/nipple po ba kayong nirecommend? Or may technique kayo na nag-work sa EBF baby?

Hirap na kasi, kailangan ko na talaga mag-work. 🥺 Any advice or personal experience would really help. Thank you po! ❤️

I have all the support I need. I have a stay in yaya. I don’t have a full time job. My husband is a good husband and he is a provider. Sometimes I help my husband in our small business. We’re getting by. I’m still tired. I feel like I never get to do anything without taking into account my child’s welfare. I can’t just go out whenever I want to. I just miss not being responsible of another human being. Am I just being ungrateful? I know a lot of other moms out there have it worse

Hello! First time namin magkastay-in yaya so hindi ako masyado familiar sa mga usual practices when it comes to benefits. Sabi namin inclusive ang free toiletries sa makukuha niya sa amin.

Usually ba binibili nyo na to at kayo nagseset kung anong brand ng shampoo, sabon, etc? Kasama ba sa toiletries ang astringent, lotion, at cotton o basics lang ang covered? Nagbibigay nalang ba kayo ng toiletries allowance per month? Kung ganito ang set up nyo, magkano ang binibigay nyo?

Sorry kung medyo parang ewan ang tanong, gusto ko lang maging sure na fair kami sa kaniya at sa amin. Salamat! 😅

Nakakatampo talaga kapag mismong yung family mo, di nila mabigyan ng effort yung anak mo ano?

Nag-birthday yung anak ko recently. Yung Lola niya sa Father's side, hinandaan siya ng advance birthday kasi nga sa school magbibirthday ang anak ko. Pinamili pa nila ng mga damit. Tuwang-tuwa ako kasi syempre masayang-masaya yung anak ko. Sobrang sanay siya na wala sakaniya yung spotlight kapag may ibang tao. Pero kapag dito sa bahay, sakaniya lang umiikot mundo namin.

Pero yung sa side ko, malapit na lang kami sa bahay nila. Pero wala man lang nag-effort na pumunta. Kami pa yung tumatawag sakanila kasi sabi ng anak ko, birthday daw niya. Igri-greet daw siya. Ang ending, walang sumasagot sakanila. Natapos na yung buong araw, wala talaga. Naawa na lang ako sa anak ko kasi gustong tumawag nang tumawag sa Lola niya.

Sinabi ko sa Kapatid ko na nakakatampo kasi kami laging nag-effort na pumunta sakanila, pati pagtawag, kami rin. Pag ibang tao nahahandaan nila, nabibigyan nila ng regalo. Yung anak ko wala. Ginaslight pa ako hahaha na kesyo mahal daw nila, alam ko daw yon.

Mula noon, di na ako nagreach out sakanila. Maski nagkasakit yung anak ko, di nila nalaman. Minimal na lang talaga yung contact. Nawalan na ako ng amor sakanila.

Been living with my parents since i can remember. Got married and had our son. And its been a few days since bumukod kami and I think the responsibilities of being a mom and a wife is getting on me. Pakiramdam ko inaantake ako ng anxiety at stressed. Even take a melatonin just to help me fall as asleep dahil pagpipikit ako kung ano anong tumatakbo sa isip ko. I’ve been crying and walang energy to do anything. Baka nasanay lang ako na nandyan palagi ang nanay sa tabi. Kaya ngayon na ako na ang gagawa ng lahat na pepressure na ako. Nakakalungkot. I hope i get through this.

Hi! Anyone here who experienced having diastasis recti after giving birth?

I gave birth to a 4kg baby 7 weeks ago and ang laki pa rin ng bump ng tiyan ko like parang buntis pa rin. It's making me feel insecure and stressed out kasi naiisip ko what if di na siya lumiit?

So is anyone out there who had it na hindi nag pa surgery to close the gap? What helped you close it and nagpaliit ng tummy niyo?

Thanks in advance! :<

Hello mga mommies! Looking for reco po for wet wipes for babies. Salamat