Choosing books for your toddler

Hubby and I are hoping to encourage baby to love books! We say "encourage" because we really can't be pushy about making him love reading and books. All we can do is to nudge him in that direction.

[caption id="attachment_3082" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Now is the best time to lay down the foundation for his love for reading.[/caption]

We think having lots of books is the best step for him to love learning! We've purchased several...eerr ... so many books, already! But i think one can't really have enough books! So with a limited budget, we try to get him a lot of carefully selected books.

Books help kids learn basic concepts. There's a lot of baby books about shapes, colors,sounds, alphabets and numbers.  He does not seem attentive all the time, but with patience, he'll soon start to know and understand these concepts.

Books introduce our kids to the world of literature. By reading to him regularly,  we hope he'll start to appreciate simple stories. I do hope we lay the foundation for him to love reading novels and literary masterpieces later in life.

Here are some things to consider when choosing books for your toddler:

Simple but attractive

Don't get the book just by looking at the cover, browse through what's inside!

• Get simple stories  and familiar concepts.


• Get those with short sentences per page.


• Look for colorful images that will catch you kid's attention.

Choose board books

Board books are  hard bound, solid and sturdy! Toddlers have this habit of biting, throwing and,  in P's case, standing on anything they grab! Your books must be durable to survive such wear and tear. All our thin picture books are already tattered and worn out.

[caption id="attachment_2730" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Source of Photo: Adarna House[/caption]

Get the right size

Look for board books that can easily be handled by kids. This way, he can learn to turn the pages on his own.  The smallest board books we have are just 4 inches in height and 4 inches in length. They are just the right size of a toddler's hand.

We get most of our toddler books from:

Adarna House

We have all of their board books! I love how they have books catered for the Filipino  child. They have the song book Bahay Kubo and Sampung mga Daliri! Checkout their website here.

Books for Less

They have stalls in malls and some tables of books for sale in some offices. We got some books after our hospital visits! They have second hand books by Sandra Boyntoyn! I like the Snoozers: 7 Short Short Bedtime Stories for Lively Little Kids because it has several bed time short stories, perfect for short reading sessions before bedtime.

UP Shopping Center

We love the stall at the mezzanine in front of the fruit stand! We get most of P's Baby Einstein board books for just P85 per piece.

I hope you get an idea how to get books for the kiddos! Happy reading!

***

Philhealth for Kasambahay

So finally, our helper has enrolled with Philhealth. She finally got her Philhealth number plus a Philhealth ID, too.  One down,  two more agencies to go! It took us a whole afternoon to register in a Philhealth office along Quezon Avenue. We did not know then that we can also register in their service desks is most Robinsons malls like  Galleria or Metro East!  

Philhealth coverage for the helper and her dependents provides some cushion when, God forbid, they get sick! Philhealth members can claim the benefit in the form of automatic deduction to the  bill after a hospital confinement.  That's if her records are updated and you pay the premium regularly. Medical cases like dengue, pneumonia, typhoid fever and gastroenteritis are covered.  When she gives birth, the amount of coverage is P8,000 if normal or P19,000 if cesarean. That's a lot of help for every one who's covered right! This can be some form of HMO for your helper, although the Philhealth coverage works only for confined patients, it's still a great help.

Applicants are required to present any of the following: birth certificate, baptismal certificate, or government-issued IDs like passport, driver's license or NBI Clearance. You can download the registration form here.

Refer to the table below for the monthly contribution. By law, the minimum monthly salary for kasambahay in Metro Manila is P2500. This means the monthly Philhealth premium is P175 - that's going to be fully paid by the employer!

[caption id="attachment_2585" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Source of Table: Philhealth
View the complete table here[/caption]

You can pay the premium through Philhealth collecting partners like big banks like BDO, BPI or LandBank. View the complete list of banks that accept Philhealth payment here. Get a copy of the payment slip here. Online payment is also accepted by BPI, Security Bank and Union Bank.

So the saga continues. We hope no more problems when dealing with SSS and PAGIBIG!

Also worth reading: 

• PAGIBIG sa Kasambahay

***

A tale of three breast pumps

I'm kinda reminiscing on those times when i yield ounces and ounces of breast milk after a pump! Now, after 18 months of breastfeeding, i'm lucky to get 3 oz per pump. So give this mama some time to contemplate on her old breastfeeding buddy - the breast pump! Without the pump, i think i would not have lasted to nurse this long!

I had two breast pumps before i found that one true pump for me.

First was the First Years single manual pump.  

Hubby and i got this out of necessity, really! We bought it for around P1300 (i'm not sure about the exact price anymore). It was a good single manual breast pump for beginners. Yup beginners, because hubby bought it for me got it right after i gave birth.  I could imagine him looking for a breast pump in the baby section, asking the sales lady for a demo. Hehehe. He got this pump the next day after i gave birth.

My baby can't latch after birth and he was stuck in the NICU for one week. So we really really needed a pump, just to facilitate breast milk production.

[caption id="attachment_2537" align="aligncenter" width="242"] This pump was my breastfriend in my first weeks of breastfeeding.[/caption]

I was actually very masipag  to pump back then, i religiously pumped every 3 hours.  If i remember correctly, i got around 6 ounces per session using this manual pump. I was really pleased with my pumping output back then.

But my hand hurt after all those squeeze and release motion, i felt my fingers were about to fall off. Also, i wrecked the valve within 2 weeks! It was my own fault actually, because i brushed the insides of the valve. This was a no-no pala, since the pump should be kept "vacuum". When i brushed the insides of valve, the sides cracked, hence the "vacuum" was disturbed!

So we had to get extra spare parts right way.  Luckily, the department store also sells spare parts for this kind of pump!

So to the rescue naman si husband. We had an emergency trip to the mall to get a cheap electric pump.

Next was the Precious Moments single electric pump.

We got it for around P1700. Cheap diba? But so was the quality!  It was a single electric pump but you still have to squeeze and release to control the sucking motion. You have to learn the ropes to work with this pump. Kahit electric sya, you still have to press the release button when you need the pump to let go of your nipple. Ayyy.. it really sounds painful.After using this for two weeks , my  nipple bled. Thankfully, after several days, it healed.

[caption id="attachment_2538" align="aligncenter" width="292"] This was the cheapest single electric breast pump in the mall.[/caption]

I think i did not have the knack to learn how the squeeze-release system for this pump works.  Actually, there's really a technique to breast pumping. Minsan, kahit naman hindi high-end na pump, it still works, moms just have to learn to get a hang of it.

Last was Medela Pump in Style Advanced double electric breast pump. 

When my nipple bled, that's when i really decided i need a good breast pump. This is precisely the reason why i recommend splurging on a pump!

We spent about P 13,000 for the Medela Pump in Style pump! Hubby bought it right after we got my maternity allowance check from SSS. He got this from an online seller  on EBAy. It was really expensive but i tell you, it was worth every centavo! So pikit mata na lang nung binili namin.

[caption id="attachment_2539" align="aligncenter" width="235"] We got the one with backpack. In hindsight, i should have gotten a shoulder bag type, para bagay naman sa kahit anong outfit![/caption]

What i love about this Medela pump is the 2-Phase Expression technology - wherein there's fast sucking motion  in the first two minutes. Then next na ung long sucking motions - ito na daw ung let down stage. According to Medela, this 2-phase expression mimics how direct nursing works. On first minutes, baby sucks to stimulate the breast flow. Then later, baby sucks longer and deeper to get more milk.

This technology is not present in other double electric pumps.  What you can do with other pumps is adjust the intensity or speed of suction, depending on your own let down. Well, who knew that longer and deeper suctions let out more milk than faster suctions!

Sana magamit ko pa ito for the next baby para todo sulit na!

Just some important notes:

Hand expressing is vital.

•  I can not underestimate this skill, especially during those days when you accidentally left behind some itty-bitty parts like the valves or membrane. On page 9 of this booklet from Unicef, there are tips on how to express breast milk by hand.

Direct nursing  is better than breast pumping.

• I still find breast pumping mechanical and such a job! Direct nursing is still the best way to feed baby. You can cuddle and hug the little bunch while you're at it. Plus, the baby's sucking empties the breasts more than any other pump.

Also worth reading:

• Get more milk from every pump


• Breastfeeding essentials and tipid alternatives

Breast Talk

Hmmmm.

I'm going to talk about my boobies now, a bit TMI for most.

But still, i'm still talking about them.

Breasts and my body image

I have always been self conscious about my breasts. When i hit puberty, my peers often teased me about how my breasts were getting bigger.  Let's just say that i was among those kids who needed to grow up earlier than most, because of my developing body. I've avoided playing skip ropes, chinese garters and those games that require jumping and running when i was 10 years old.  I guess much of it involves how uncomfortable i was about carrying a heavy front load.

I was teased all the more during my high school days! I even resented wearing body-hugging shirts and blouses because i did not feel comfortable about my body image.

When i was in college, that's when i started appreciating my built. It was then i've accepted my God-given big boobies!  It was not like i flaunted them, but i've accepted them as part of being me. My barkada would often call me "Busty" but i didn't care much about that. I just laughed off my nickname. I guess every girl have a body issue - some being flat chested. And then there are girls like me, who's issue was their full bust.

Of  course, let's not underestimate the power of the breast. Admittedly, "the girls"  helped me snag a husband....  to a limited degree... somehow... wahahaha... 

When i got pregnant the big boobies got even bigger. This was to prepare my body for its ultimate function. I was a milk machine in the works!  And boy, am i ever so proud raising an exclusively breastfed baby! He was slightly underweight as a newborn  and with my milk,  he grew up healthy and strong!

[caption id="attachment_3259" align="aligncenter" width="253"] Body changes takes a backseat, my boy's health comes first.[/caption]

Breast changes after giving birth nursing

Now after 18 months of breastfeeding, i really feel and see changes with my breasts! First - the size, they got smaller.  I'm now a cup size smaller than before i got pregnant!  Second - the shape. They're not as round and perky anymore.  I also feel "empty" breasts especially now since i'm not oozing with BM anymore. Last, they sagged.  I noticed that they drooped a bit - like down to my tummy. But I can't blame gravity for this right?  Sagging or drooping is more noticeable for women with big boobs, to begin with.

But I'm not really sure if i should attribute these boob changes to breastfeeding.  Kellymom , citing a study published by the  National Center for Biotechnology Information, says breastfeeding is not the cause of breast sagging or breast ptosis, which is its technical term.  The study  listed these risk factors to be possible and more apparent causes of breast sagging -

• age (as we age, our skin becomes less tight, hence possible wrinkles) 


• 
  

  history of significant (>50 lbs) weight loss - preggy women  have rapid weight loss on d-day... yehey!!!!

  
  


• higher body mass index - being overweight puts women at risk to breast ptosis?


• 
  

  larger bra cup size - hmmm i fall under this category

  
  


• number of pregnancies - what???   but i'm still on baby number 1! 


• 
  

  smoking history - hmmmm... attention smokers... this is another good reason to quit... right now!

  
  

Ayun naman pala!  So the sagging  is not directly caused by breastfeeding. According to this WebMD article,  the stretched out look may be due to the shrinking of milk-making structures in the breasts. These milk-making structures go on overdrive as your near delivery to trigger breast milk production. They then shrink after pregnancy.  The good news is, saggy breasts, is more often not a medical concern.

When i became a mom, I understood the higher purpose of my breasts! No, they're not not just for aesthetics, or for the pleasure of my husband!  These are for nourishing my offspring.  As mammals,  we are equipped with the machinery to care for our babies. Breastfeeding  is the most natural  way to nourish our young.

Possible sagging or drooping should take the back seat when moms are weighing in on breastfeeding! Undeniably, breastfeeding and being a mom, has taken a toll in my looks.  The saggy breasts, along with the stretch marks, i shall wear them proudly as battle scars of motherhood. Why should i waste time over this when the reward is much much more precious - it's the special bond my boy and i  had developed through nursing!  I'll just get me some more push up bras!

I'm not really THAT bothered by the sagging issue, thankfully, so is my husband.  Sabi nya, superficial lang kung ang dahilan nang hindi pagpapasuso ay dahil sa pag-sag ng boobs. Para naman  sa akin, kahit umabot pa lampas ng tuhod ang dede ko, magpapasuso pa rin ako!

Also worth reading: 

• Top 10 reasons why Breast is best 


• Alarming facts about breastfeeding in the Philippines