#YolandaPH : Yet Another Reason to Go Back to the Breast

Being able to breastfeed is equal to empowering all moms to feed a hungry baby at any time, no matter how worse the situation may be! I can only imagine how bad the situation in Yolanda-hit areas - still no electricity after more than a week since the brunt of the storm and almost all the establishments leveled - but I am sure that among the supplies quickly depleted is clean and potable water.  Such water plus clean feeding bottles are the among the things you need should you decide to formula feed.  Such may be difficult or in most cases, impossible to come by during emergency situations. This is the main reason why breastfeeding is the safest option, emergency or not.

The World Health Organization puts is in much simpler terms, " Infant formula usually needs to be mixed with water. When there isn’t sufficient safe water available, babies who drink it can get very sick".  

The Art of Saying "Nooooh!"

My son is a big talker now! Wooohhoooo...

He's been naming several basic body parts in English and in Filipino!
He's been repeating most word's we've been teaching him, like a parrot!
He's talking to us too! He's replying to almost all our questions in one to two syllables! We hardly understand what he means, but at least he's babbling!

We can't be any prouder.

But my oh my...... i did not expect these:

Mommy: "Anak,Ligo na?"
P: "No!"

Mommy: "Baby, wanna read?"
P: "No!"(with head shaking)

Mommy:"Anak, tulog na."
P: "Hindi" (Halos mabali na ang leeg sa pag-iling)

Breastfeeding Stats in the Philippines

'Been swamped at work and family time, but as i was doing some research i found this! I just want to share some findings from National Statistics Office' 2011 Family Health Survey. The survey has some interesting breastfeeding statistics!

The good news: 92% of children were breastfed for some time! Hooray for moms who attempt and keep on breastfeeding! Some breastfeeding is better than none at all right?

Some more good news -  higher percentage of poor children than non-poor children were exclusively breastfed. 34% of babies from poor household are exclusively breastfed. For higher-earning households, that only24%. This means that babies from poor families usually get breast milk. That's good news because this means poor households won't spend on formula.

Eating Out with a Toddler

I have to admit it, i dread dining out with my 22-month old! Don't get me wrong, i do love eating out and I love being with my child. But i'm just really bothered by the mess he makes when he eats! I've been letting him eat on his own. This is the only way he'll learn to eat independently.

As he eats food gets all over his face! I find this really cute. Actually i don't mind the mess he makes when he eats. At home, he's eating a lot, He also makes so much mess, half his food just lands on floor.  I think this is just ok and we cleanup right away.

But when we dine out, cleaning is all up to the restaurant crew and  I'm shy about leaving behind crumbs of food on the floor or spills of drinks on the table.

My life without breastfeeding

My son is nearing his 20^th month and we’re 4 months shy of my 2-year nursing goal.  Now I’m reading up on weaning stories from other moms. I realized, weaning is not easy! You need to be firm in not offering the breast despite the child’s pleading.  Gosh how can i do that when breastfeeding is in our routine? This makes me wonder how to initiate the weaning process. Anyway, I have about four more months to reflect on my weaning strategy. Or maybe I’ll see if he weans naturally? Read more on weaning from Kellymom and La Leche League International.

SAVE or SPLURGE: A new mom's guide to saving (Part 3)

Raising a child can really be costly, don't you agree? But practical parents always find baby products and gear that give the best bang for their precious bucks!

Here's the third installment of my series on buying guide for your baby and/or toddler.

Surviving 10 minutes of hell

Are you like us who struggle when using a nebulizer with a sick child? My son's been sick for the past days - a bad cold plus weeks of coughing. His pediatrician heard some wheezing during his lung checkup and my kid is now being monitored for asthma. Hayy... i hope everything clears up.

Anyway, his doctor prescribed medicine that should be given through a nebulizer at home. The nebulizer turns medicine, especially those for asthma, into mist so it goes easier into the lungs. The solution for his age and weight totals to 2 ml (1ml salbutamol diluted in 1 ml saline solution). This takes about 10 to 15 minutes to consume on the nebulizer. That means he has to hold still for that period. And it's been hell for all of us. He would cry during the entire period. Husband and i get into each other's nerves as we try to restrain the crying child. It was a total nightmare, considering that we had to nebulize every four hours.