Rights of the Filipina Working Mom

I have just about 16 months of motherhood and i could not ask for anything more! Being a mother has totally met, and oftentimes,  exceeded,  my expectations. I also have the rest of my life being the doting mommy to this wonderful little human being! It's been just over a year and i think i've changed a lot, for the better i hope! Mother's Day is just around the corner and what better way to remember this day than to list down some of the rights of Pinay working mommies!

Maternity leave

• Every regularly employed mom should be given about one month paid maternity leave by her company after a normal delivery. Maternity leave after CS is about 78 days (approximately three months). She can also take two weeks off before her expected date of delivery.  The bad news ,  i think this, this applies to REGULAR employees only. The leave arrangement varies for contractual or project-based workers.


• In hindsight, i'm actually thankful that i had c-section, i had 3 months time off with my newborn!  But did you know the Filipino moms have a short period of maternity leave compared to other countries? In Norway, which is among the best place for moms according to the 2013 State of the World's Moms, maternity leave lasts for 36 to 46 weeks! In Denmark, maternity leave is 0ne year! I'd love to have given birth there! haha


• Imagine if Filipino moms have longer time off after giving birth. They'll have longer time to bond with baby.  Surely, they'll breastfeed longer! Some moms stop breastfeeding after the first month because they have to return to work already!

Maternity allowance

• Aside from paid time off, working moms who are pregnant are entitled to   SSS maternity benefit. This is cash allowance for female workers who are not able to work because of  child birth or miscarriage.  Naturally, the SSS maternity benefit is larger for CS cases. Click here for the computation.


• This benefit can only be released to you if your SSS records and contributions are in order.  So better review the records and notify your HR as soon as you confirmed your pregnancy. You'll have to file an SSS maternity notification form. If you undergo cesarean delivery, you should submit a medical certificate from your OB. By the way, even a self- employed or contractual worker moms can avail of this maternity benefit.


• Ideally, you should receive the SSS check one month before your expected date of delivery. The SSS maternity benefit i got was spent to buy a swanky double electric breast pump! So better have this in order, sayang din ang benefit na ito!

Health coverage 

• Working moms are entitled to health benefit coverage when they give birth.  This mean that upon billing, hospitals are required to deduct this  coverage from your bill.  This automatic deduction will only happen if your records are updated and you have processed the required documents. You need to submit Philhealth Claim Form 1 to your hospital (make sure that the hospital is Philhealth-accredited). You also need your latest available Member Data Record, which you can get from your Human Resource Department or from the Philhealth office where you pay your premiums.  Click this for more information on Philhealth  medical availments.


• If these papers are not in order upon your checkout, you'll have to personally file for reimbursement. That's totally a hassle and the reimbursement check will be released after two loooonnggg  months.


• For normal delivery the amount deducted is P6,500 to P8,000 (depending on type of hospital). For cesarean delivery, the Philhealth coverage is P19,000. Read this for more information about Philhealth coverage.


• Lucky are those with HMO that cover at least a portion of the maternity bill!

Lactation breaks

• I know I sound like a broken record when i say, "Breastfeeding is possible even after you return to work"! BUT IT'S TRUE! By law, employers should give lactation breaks - at least 40 minutes within an 8-hour period to pump milk at work.  But the problem is not all offices or companies provide accessible lactation stations, which make expressing breast milk much more comfortable. This is among the reasons why breastfeeding while working is such a challenge!

Skin-to-skin contact right after giving birth

• This is not just for working moms! All moms should be given ample time right after giving birth to bond and experience "breast crawl".  This is among my frustrations, since it was an emergency cs delivery for me and my baby was not well enough. He had a hard time breathing during the first hour!


• According to the Department of Health, "Unang Yakap" helps decrease new born mortality and it increases bonding between mom and her infant. I do hope i get to do this on my next pregnancy! For preggy mommies, ask your OB about the hospital's protocol about this.

Happy Mother's Day to all especially to Pinay working moms!  I wish that every mommy be empowered to KNOW and ASSERT her right!

Also worth reading:

• Downloadables for pregnant moms and mos to be


• Alarming facts about breastfeeding in the Philippines


• For breast milk givers and takers

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Everyday Objects as Baby's Play Things

Stimulating senses is key in baby’s development.  Introducing age-appropriate toys is integral in nourishing his senses. Read this page to check on baby’s developmental stages.

Parents can encourage stimulation by introducing toys. But buying baby toys can drill a hole in our pocket! Believe me, hubby and I often go overboard when we stray in the mall’s baby toy section!  We’ve been tempted to buy a walker worth P3500 but luckily we haven’t given up to the urge. We’re still weighing in on the toy’s pros and cons.

Playing with baby need not be expensive!  There are ordinary things that could be useful tools in stimulating baby’s senses.

Here are of some ordinary objects that work as baby toys:

Baby’s hands

• Baby’s hands are also his first toys. His hands are most attractive to him in the first months as he  just realized that it is part of his body.  Baby’s vision at  1 month is still blurry so he is most attracted to objects near his sight, that includes his hands.


• As early as 1 month our pedia told us to remove baby's mittens. This is so that we can check if baby is able to move his fingers. Being able to do is integral in developing baby's fine motor skills. Just make sure you cut and buff his fingers regularly so he won't scratch his face.


• You are bound to hear “Close open! Close Open!” as your LSS. This is a good way to promote baby’s eye-hand coordination


• At about 6 months, baby learned to play with his hands and feet! At this stage din, kahit anong mahawakan ni baby, isinubo, so make sure to always sanitize baby’s hands and feet.

[caption id="attachment_215" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Favorite past time ni Baby ang paglalaro ng kanyang kamay.[/caption]

 Your hands

• Use his hands to tickle him and stimulate his sense of touch.


• My baby seems to be attracted to anything moving, especially near his eyes. He responds to the funny acrobatics his dad does with his hand. Daddy’s finger plays give baby quite a good laugh.


• Teach baby how to clap, count and point out his body parts.

 Baby’s Face and Your face

• At six months, baby recognizes many faces. He  laughs when you smile at him or when you make ridiculous faces.


• He learns to track persons from across the room. This can be a good time to play "Where's mommy?".  This game teaches him about the non-permanence of things to make both of you deal with separation anxiety better.

Mirror

• I’m surprised to find that baby finds his own face so amusing!Tuwing humaharap sya sa salamin at nakikita ang sarili niya, dahan-dahan pa syang ngumingiti!


• Just make sure you're giving him an unbreakable mirror if you intend to let baby touch it!

Cellular phone and other techie stuff

• The internet is a source anything and everything! My husband downloaded early learning apps on his Itouch.  Baby enjoys "playing these games" like "baby rattles" or "animal sounds". Some apps can be downloaded for free.


• Toy companies like Fisher Price also provides applications like baby games and apps that teach baby colors, animal sounds and numbers!


• Ipads and cellular phone hold tons of dirt  so be sure to always sanitize before letting baby touch them.

TV and Radio

• Expose baby to different sights and sounds.   For sure you've let baby watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Bananas and Pajamas... the list goes on...


• Expose his ears to different voices and music on the radio.

Posters   

• As early as 5 months baby can distinguish bold colors so choose brightly colored posters. Baby will surely spend hours and hours just staring.


• Colorful posters ang kadalasang tinititigan ni Baby pagkagasing.  We bought number and shapes posters from National bookstore for about P50 each.

[caption id="attachment_214" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Tinadtad ni Daddy ng posters showing number, colors, shapes, animals and alphabet ang dingding ng kwarto.[/caption]

Plastic cups and plastic balls

• These can act as shape sorter.  Just show baby how to enjoy them. Show baby how a ball can fit into a plastic cup.


• Avoid giving him small pieces for risks of choking.  Always guide him in playing with these toys.

Wooden spoons and cardboard boxes

• These will encourage him to tap and bang these together, producing sounds and rhythm. Of course babies need adult supervision while handling these stuff.

Flashlights

• At night when almost all lights are off use a flash light to reflect shadows on the ceiling. Baby will stare at shadows and light reflected from the bed. A fancy toy which does almost the same thing can be sold for around P1,500.

Tickle baby's sense of smell by letting him smell the aroma of anything cooking at the kitchen. Or make him smell freshly cut fruits. Or expose him to the scent of mild colognes and soaps.

Let baby interact with other kids. At this age (7 months) i noticed that baby is much more curious and turns toward any source of "new"voices and sounds.   This will serve as foundation of his social skills.

Give him lots of objects to touch and grasp. This will develop his sense of touch. Instead of showing him a picture of an apple, why not let him touch and feel the skin of an actual apple? Let him touch a variety of things  to make him accustomed to different textures. These activities improve baby’s fine motor skills, which are required for him to be able to feed on his tie his shows or dress himself up.

Here's WTE's  list of other non toys that could be baby's playthings.

After seven months as newbie parents, we've discovered that buying for baby could be quite expensive!  Parents need to be practical to better allocate the family budget. Avoid buying on impulse so you won't regret that decision when you get home.  Have a list of pros and cons before buying any toy.

Expensive toys are useless if you don't find time to play with your baby. In the end, quality time spent will make your baby an intelligent and independent little one.

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Breastfeeding Supplies and Tipid Alternatives

Breastfeeding is free! That’s among the main come-ons why I’ve decided to breastfeed. However there are necessary expenses that working moms need in order to establish and maintain breastfeeding. These buys are mainly for pumping and storing breast milk.

Money spent on these products can drill a hole in a family’s tight budget. As a working mom myself, i focused on finding cheaper alternatives .  I have searched high and low to find the most sulit breastfeeding supplies around.

[caption id="attachment_187" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] My pumping at work essentials
Always check your gear before heading out![/caption]

Here’s a list of my breastfeeding essentials and practical alternatives:

Double Electric Breast Pump

My most expensive "for baby" purchase so far is my Medela Pump-in-Style Advanced breast pump. I bought it for P13,000 from an ebay seller. Yes, it was splurge,  but I didn’t regret buying it considering how reliable the pump was. I had manual pump before this and my hand almost gave out after several weeks of pumping regularly for 4 to 5 times daily! The reason i decided to invest on this pump is because i read many good reviews about it.  It's also recommended by my officemates who breastfed. So far, i'm really satisfied with this pump!

Later I’ve read mommy blogs and most of them recommend the Ameda brand as a cheaper alternative. This can be purchased from Baby Mama. Babymama sells double electric pumps for as low as P4900.

You can also learn to express breast milk by hand. This requires skill and a lot of practice. Hand expressing saves the day when you accidentally forgot a piece of your pumping equipment.

You may also settle for a manual single pump. My First Years Manual Pump proved very useful in my first weeks after delivery. But I think double electric pumps are a "must have" for working moms. You might as well invest in a reliable pump when you’re working to save time and effort. You cut the pumping time in half if you use double electric.

Breast milk storage

Moms seeking to build up milk supply before going to work need to store milk efficiently. She needs to decide which type of storage to use depending on her need. Say, if you have limited storage space in the refrigerator or freezer, you may opt to use breast milk storage bags. You may want to use bottles to which you can pump directly then store right away, no need to transfer from container to container. Make sure you're using BPA Free plastic for storage.

These are the most affordable containers i found:

Evenflo Simplymilk 50z (P400 per 4 pcs) - If you have Medela electric breast pump, you can pump directly to these bottles. Medela bottles are much more expensive than Evenflo, each set of 3 50z Medela bottles costs P870 at Medela House.

Playtex bottle liners 8 oz (P425 for 125 pcs) Most blogs I read discouraged using bottle liners because they may be too messy since they don’t seal on their own. My solution is not to fill to its full capacity to avoid spillage. For example, you may put only 4 oz of breast milk in a 8oz bottle lines to make sure you can twist  and securely seal the plastic. Playtex bottle liners come with sealing clips to close the bag, but you can also use rubber bands to seal the storage bags.

Spectra milk bag (200 pesos per 30 pcs) from Baby Mama These are the cheapest self-sealing milk bag i found online. Lansinoh bags cost P350 for 25 pcs. The capacity of Spectra bags is 70z, for Lansinoh bags  12 oz.  Spectra bags have single lock, Lansinoh bags have double sealing system. Both are self-standing. Since these bags are for single use only, please recycle these plastics. I used mine as container of laundry detergent for use when we go to the province on  weekends.

Baby food glass jars with lids (Earth’s Best & Gerber) Glass containers are a good storage alternative. Just make  sure to sterilize these jars, including the caps.  These glass jars have a 1.5 oz and 2.5 oz capacity, good if you intend to store milk in small increments. Using these jars for breast milk storage is a good way to recycle.

Nursing Cover

Nursing covers gave me the confidence to breastfeed outside the house. The cheapest i know is at Php 300 from Nxt9. But a flowing blouse with hem that can be easily lifted might be a good alternative. Any ordinary shawl might also work, just tie the sides around you neck while pumping or breastfeeding and it will provide the cover you need.

Breastfeeding wear

Blouses and shirts specifically designed for discreet breastfeeding are a bit pricey, some up to more than P1,000 per pc. I have not purchased any of these. I just bought ordinary blouses the with buttons that fully open at the front and with wide v-neck designs.

Breastfeeding supplements

My OB recommened supplements to ensure that i get adequate vitamins and minerals while breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding moms are at risk of mineral deficiency as  most of her minerals will be channeled to breast milk. Supplements will also boost moms' milk supply.

My OB prescribed Natalac malunggay capsules twice a day. Each 250 mg costs  around P8.50 per cap. I found a cheaper version of  malunggay capsule at 500 mg per cap at P2.50 from agricultural shops in Quezon Memorial Circle. She also recommended to take Caltrate Plus to ensure adequate calcium supply. From Mercury Drugstore i bought Rhea Calcium Lactate 625mg tablets at P 100 per 100 pieces. The label says the tablets are for lactating moms.

Hands free pump support

I wanted a pump support to hold the horns of my double electric pump to free my hands while expressing milk. But I was surprised to find that it costs about Php 1500 in malls! I’ve decided I won’t shell out P1500 for a pump support so I improvised.

I cut holes on one of my old bras. I just made sure that the diameter of the hole is smaller than the diameter of my breast shield so it won’t slip. I put it on as a normal bra and slip on the breast shield before pumping.  So far, this improvised hands free works.

Kellymom provided a step-by-step guide how to make an ordinary nursing bra a hands free support.

Nursing Bra

A good nursing bra provides easy access and support. The cheapest nursing bra I found were from SOEN, worth P250 to P300. Invest in just 2 – 3 pieces. Breast size is largest 1 - 2 months  before delivery. Breasts may still be engorged from initial milk production until one month post partum. You could go back to using your regular bras 4 to 6 months after delivery because you breast size will normalize.

Pregnancy and breast feeding resources

Whenever I had breastfeeding  questions I turned to books and the internet for answers. I bought second-hand baby books from Booksale . The internet is a universe of free information. Just make sure the source you're using is correct and reliable. These websites are my trusted information provider: Kellymom, Work and Pump and Chronicles of a Nursing Mom

I also downloaded free Android smartphone applications like Baby tracker from Babycenter  and Pregnancy tracker from What to Expect. These applications give day-to-day tips of pregnancy and baby care, also breastfeeding tips.

Moms, armed with the necessary tools, you can be confident in taking your breastfeeding journey. Don't be intimated by the the long list of breastfeeding essentials. The supplies are just nice-to-have but your determination will be a good motivation to explore cheaper breastfeeding options. In the end, YOUR BREAST IS ALL YOU NEED FEED BABY!

Note: I’m not paid by the sellers I mentioned in this post.

Also worth reading:

• Breastfeeding "essentials" you probably won't use


• My DIY Breastfeeding Poncho

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