Happy New Year!

If I would sum up 2013 for our family, it will be one word or specifically, one name: Rui or #ruitotski as we fondly call her. Truly, this year has been a memorable roller-coaster ride for all of us because of her. From the downs of a somewhat difficult pregnancy and personal life adjustments during her first few weeks or even months, to the highs of seeing her early milestones of smiling, pagiging madaldal, turning on her tummy and yes, even crying, everything was worth it and I would not want to change any of it.

So, from my family to yours, Happy New Year! Hope you guys have a good one! And like I said in my Facebook post, thank you for all the good and bad memories. Everything that happened this year has hopefully made me a better person in the coming years (well ideally it should). I'm quite excited about what 2014 will bring, especially as we will be spending it with our dear little Rui.

Managing PUPPPs in this Manila heat

Good news. My PUPPP/atopic dermatitis has somewhat subsided! And in addition to my last post, I have compiled a list and review of the remedies I have tried (please note that some of these are recommended by Dermas). Doing this as during my research, most remedies I found are unavailable here in Manila, such as the Grandpa's Pine Tar soap or something. So this is to help preggy moms out there in Manila who like me, may also be suffering an itchy fate with our weather.

1. Oilawin soap: First soap I used when the PUPPP first made its presence felt. This was from my first derma and according to her, its almost the same with Oilatum soap which is readily available in most Mercury and grocery stores. I don't really like products that are only available via dermas and prefer readily available products. The soap lathers up quite nicely and has an unobtrusive scent. And I think it did help dry up the red bumps. Unfortunately, like all special soaps, this one has a short lifespan and lasted about 1 and 1/2 weeks with me (I take a shower 2x everyday). Price is PhP350 from the derma.
2. Diprolene cream + Petroleum Jelly: This cream was also recommended by the derma and had to be compounded at a Mercury drugstore. While it did dry up the bumps, my main problem with this is its STICKY. Especially when you apply it to all the rashes and you're covered neck to foot in them + the Manila heat = eew. Price including compounding is around PhP1,000++

And then these are the remedies I've been using, and I think that are the most helpful:

1. All Organics Oatmeal soap: Like I said in my previous post, websites recommended oatmeal baths. And since a majority of us here in Manila don't have a bath, I decided there's no harm done in trying out an oatmeal soap. And it was refreshing! The smell's nice and the itsy bitty oatmeal included in the soap are not abrasive to irritate the rashes. In fact, I also find them relieving the itchiness. Unfortunately, like the Oilawin soap, this one also does not last that long. I cut the soap into three parts. I started using this during the start of this week, and I'm now in my second soap slice. So I think one soap can last me around 1 1/2-2 weeks. Available at Sesou stores for PhP75.
2. All Organics Aloe Vera Gel: Again, this was recommended by Google. Aloe vera has a cooling and soothing effect on the skin. Also consulted this with the derma and she said its ok albeit aloe vera also has a tendency to be drying. But with this heat and since the rashes make its presence felt when all your pores are producing sweat, I don't really consider this a bad thing right now. Plus the fact that aloe vera is also anti-bacterial and can also help with hyperpigmentation (for the scarring scratching those rashes will surely give you) does not hurt at all. Available at Sesou stores for PhP175.
3. Tiny Buds in a Rash? cream: This is actually a diaper rash cream. Mommies and preggies in various forums also reported that diaper rash cream helped them manage the itchiness brought about by PUPPPs. The advantage of this one? Its organic and also has aloe vera content (yes, I'm currently an aloe vera addict). I put this in itchy places and I can literally feel the cooling effect. This way, I minimize the scratching, and if ever I did succumb and scratched, applying this to the rash minimizes the redness and dryness. Available at Babyland and Toy Kingdom (not sure about this though) for around PhP200.

Dealing with PUPPPs and Atopic Dermatitis

I survived a stomach-cramps, vomit filled first trimester.

Breezed through my second trimester - wheee!!!

And now, I'm going through a torturous, itchy third trimester. Thanks to the fact that I don't have balat-kalabaw.

Growing up, I've always had allergic rhinitis with a bit of skin asthma or atopic dermatitis. I used to get these itchy, angry red rashes in my alak-alakan (part behind my tuhod), and its counterpart in my arms, mainly due to heat and sweat. What brought me relief from these is Elica lotion and cream. Yes, I'm allergic even to my own sweat.

So with that fact + this stifling heat we are experiencing right now = me with all these red bumps all over my body, mostly in my baby bump, lower back, and extremeties. Yes. I'm the preggy polk-a-dot lady as of last week. I panicked when I woke up that morning that I rushed to St. Luke's just to have it diagnosed. And since I'm kuripot like that, I used our health care card to consult a dermatologist. Shouldn't have bothered since the only thing I got out of that dermatologist is the assurance that its not measles or chicken pox, and a couple of lousy creams which lasted one application with my rashes. To all doctors who may be reading this. I'm sure health care providers are also paying you guys. So please take a moment to explain to patients naman what they are going through. So with trusty google, I googled "preggy rashes" or something like that and learned that what I have are PUPPPs (the whole name is way too complicated but if you are interested, google it yourself), which is basically:

• rashes that affect first-time pregnant women, mostly in their third trimester (sakto ako diba)
• affected parts include tummy, and can spread to legs and arms, but not the face (again, that's me and thank god for the face part)
• there's no known cause and it affects 1 out of 250 women (wow lucky me)

And get this, there's no known cure except to give birth. Oh gee, thanks. But after a bit more googling, I did find ways on how to minimize and manage:

• I did use the cream and soap the lousy derma gave until their last moment, but both were not enough. I saw in some sites that oatmeal baths help with the itch. The main thing is to NOT scratch since once you do, you can't stop (yeah they're worse than pringles). Since I don't have a bath, I settled with oatmeal soap instead. Specifically the ones bought from Sesou. They helped a lot, plus the fact that I can tolerate the smell is a big plus. Now if only they can last for more than a week then I'd be a happy camper.
• After the cream ran out, I decided to try aloe vera gel. Some sites also recommend this as it has a cooling effect on the skin. I bought one again from Sesou and kept it in the refrigerator. It was bliss! While I can still see a few bumps here and there, the redness is totally gone.

This week, I went back to St. Luke's for my blood test and decided to consult another derma while I was there. This time, she was referred by my allergologist and I paid for the services myself. She diagnosed that its PUPPP and my atopic dermatitis acting up (hooray for Google!) and again gave me some creams and meds for the itch. Skipped on the meds since I'm more or less used to the itch by now (but its still a test of willpower!) but is currently trying out the creams. A bit skeptical  though because one of the creams has a mix of petroleum jelly, and aside from the fact that its sticky as hell, its also not that cooling on the skin. Will give it a week though until I see her again next week.

What's still bothering me though is the fact that my legs are peppered with dots - they used to be ugly red dots last week but are reduced to brownish dots right now. Great. Just when I'm trying to have fun dressing my bump and this humid weather makes beach-wear sooo tempting (not that I would wear beach-wear in the city). I wore cropped leggings last week and caught a few people staring at my legs. I used to think that I have a somewhat healthy self-image (or whatever you may call it), but those stares caught me off guard. At first, I wasn't really conscious about my rashes because I have a pretty good reason for them - I'm pregnant! I did not wish or ask for them. But if they're one of the dues I have to pay for the baby then so be it. Well I did get a bit depressed over them because how can I wear my dresses and I don't really want to wear jeans in this weather because it doesn't help with the itchiness. Haay the dilemma.

So today, I wore a dress again. Yes. In spite of the yucky bumps. Stare all you want. Like I said, I have a pretty good reason for them. Those are my preggy battle scars.

Things I Learned as a Newbie Preggy Woman

As my blog title suggests, I am obviously a newbie/noob when it comes to being a pregnant woman and of course, a mom (jitters and cold feet are my constant companion). So here, I'll try to compile a list of things I found out during my 4 months (or if you want to be more specific about it, 18 weeks) of being preggy. Of course, I'll try to add more in the succeeding months.

1. Its a surprise. While we have been trying to become pregnant for the past few months, the positive test still came as a BIG surprise. I would've given anything to our faces when the doctor at the ER said that I tested positive in the pregnancy test. We were actually waiting for my period to start another counting cycle/scheduling when this happened. And a note to all trying to conceive couples, during our last visit to my OB, she asked whether we did anything *wink wink on certain dates, and we didn't. So she said pa "sayang" and that we'd try again the following month. Imagine my next call telling her I tested positive. O diba. Schedule is not everything. Tsambahan din. Take note, we've been through 3 cycles of clomid, pregnil, etc. and both hubby and I have undergone tests. Maybe the stork really comes when you least expect it.
2. Not all pregnancies are the same. As I've said in my previous post, DO NOT COMPARE. Some may breeze through the 9 months, others suffer through it, while some more get a combination of both. Lesson learned: its not the same for all women nor for all pregnancies. Kanya-kanya yan. A word of advice to others who are not pregnant but are around (either at work or at home) preggy women: be considerate. Don't assume nag-iinarte sya or that she can resume her life 100%. You don't know what she's feeling. My advice to preggy women: don't feel bad when you can't function fully. Take time to appreciate and enjoy the fact that you're pregnant no matter if you may be feeling pain or sick (yes, that includes the countless trips to the bathroom). A life is brewing inside you and that takes energy and a lot from you. So don't feel guilty about throwing your weight a bit and admitting to everyone including yourself that you're not 100% normal. Because you are not and there's nothing wrong with that.
3. Biscuits are your new best friend. Never leave home without it. If you can tolerate hunger pangs before getting pregnant, hunger pangs are a whole different thing/level when you are preggy. I don't know if this is the same with everyone, but for me it feels as if a big fat rock will suddenly drop into my stomach from a great height (don't ask me for specifics, basta feeling ko galing sya sa malayo) and settle there until I've eaten something.
4. Not everything you crave for is good for you. During my first trimester, I had this craving for all kinds of fruit juices I can get my hands on. Specifically either mango or dalandan juice. I also ate a lot of green mangoes with bagoong (I've been eating this a lot even before I got pregnant, so what do you expect). And then the pain started. And kept on going until I could not even get out of bed anymore. Turns out hyperacidity is a normal thing for preggies including me, and mine was exacerbated (I think) by the fruit juices and the fruits I've been eating - which are all of course, acidic. So when I learned this, I minimized the fruit intake and ate small and frequent meals. The hyperacidity did not leave me until Christmas - best Christmas gift ever I'm telling you. But if I ever do get pregnant again, I'll take it slowly and surely - especially when it comes to food.
5. Enjoy it. NO matter WHAT you may be feeling.

In addition to my number 1, I'm listing here some other factors that may (or may not) have contributed to this conception. These are just some things/factors that were different during the latter part of last year:

1. The husband had a less stressful workload.
2. We weren't expecting anything because we were still waiting the results of some tests we had done.
3. My friend and I bought these bikram yoga coupons, and we did it everyday for 1 whole week. Dunno if the additional stretching and sweat contributed anything.
4. Both hubby and I drunk igco/colostrum milk once a day - I have to emphasize that this was prescribed by the OB and I was (still a bit) skeptical how this can help. But I'm pregnant na right, so maybe it contributed even a bit.
5. We enjoyed ourselves - a lot. Well this is a bit norm for us. Three years of being married gave us a different sense of independence. But during those months, we went out more: coffee nights, more dinner outs, movies, and even bowling dates.

Anyway, I just learned from the vine (Facebook) that a recently married friend is also pregnant. Whee. Actually I do have a lot of Facebook friends who are pregnant. Our generation must be in that stage na of getting married and settling down. Looking back, I still am thankful that hubby and I decided to get married (a bit early for our age for some), enjoy ourselves for a few years, and then settle down.

A Few Updates and the Reason for the Title Change

So it’s been a while since I’ve last been here, and a few updates are in order. So to make things simple (and easier since I’m a bit rusty in blogging after such a long time of absence), I’ll make it in bullet points.

• After leaving the corporate world for almost a year now, we are finally pregnant (well I am, but of course, I can say my husband and I are expecting). We found out last Dec. 1 at the St. Luke's emergency room after a wedding we coordinated and after downing 4 white rum + chocolate shots. To make the long story short, I thought I was having an allergic reaction to the alcohol or something I ate which is why we ended up in the ER and where I realized I haven't had my period for November (I'm irregular so its quite hard to keep track of), and where they tested me and where I tested positive - for a pregnancy and not for something else. So. Most expensive pregnancy test we ever had.

• When the pregnancy was confirmed, I was already a month or so along (I forgot na, I'm sorry). So my first trimester coincided with the Malditas' busiest month ever: December. We had weddings almost every other day, plus the Holidays = the worst trimester ever. I'm sorry baby but it was the worst. There were days when I just couldn't get out of bed at all. We had another trip to the ER where they said the reason for my pains were hyperacidity + constipation, and basically they could NOT do anything about it. It is considered a normal thing during pregnancy, some women just have it harder than others. Well obviously I was part of the club who had it worse. Aside from hyperacidity, I also couldn't eat. Not a lot. Not even a little. I lost 5 lbs during that month alone, and I thought I'm pregnant, not on diet.

Another thing I realized during those days was no matter how you explain and describe it, no one, and I mean NO ONE gets your pain. Cry and beg all you want, no one gets it. For some, you are just throwing your weight around. For others, nag-iinarte ka lang - for lack of a better term. All I can say is, all pregnant women and moms deserve respect and consideration during these times. And while you may or may not have been pregnant before, you may or may not know someone who was pregnant na "wala lang" and was able to continue with their normal lives, don't assume that the same holds for everyone (even for you). Everyone and every pregnancy is different. During that time, I was crying the whole time to hubby about the pain and why I never knew preggy women who experienced and complained about the pain during the first trimester, hence something must be wrong with me. Needless to say I was a nervous, painful wreck. But as it turned out, it was normal, even if it was painful. And I survived. Talking and comparing notes with other moms (ie those who have been pregnant before me) helped a lot. And for those who haven't been pregnant, be considerate because you never know which club you'd belong to once you do get pregnant: the I got it easy club, or the I got it worse club.

So I guess that's it for now. I'm taking it a bit easy right now, albeit we had a ton of meetings during the start of the year - not that I'm complaining since it is a good thing. I have already declared my maternity leave for June to August (I'm due on July; I don't want to go on pre-term labor because of all the walking and standing we do, hence June; my mom has this rule of 1 month rest after birthing, don't ask I don't even know, hence August), so we'll see.