Last October was the Mommy Welfare Month and it was set on the advocacy that mothers who are well taken care of are able to be at their best. This gives them a bigger capacity to love and to nurture, which are strong foundations of beautiful and enriching motherhood.
Absolute Mommy Welfare month supports the Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) program at Fabella Hospital. Due to the shortage of incubator machines in public hospitals, KMC is a method of helping premature and low-birth-weight newborns through skin-to-skin contact of the parent and the infant. It develops physiological and psychological warmth and bonding of the newborn and the parent and known to allow a higher chance of survival for the infant.
In line with the brand’s advocacy, Absolute Distilled Water held a Fabella Buntis Day where at least a hundred pregnant moms (and dads) attended and listened to a short workshop to help prepare the parents and will-be parents pre- and post-partum.
As a community of moms, Mommy Bloggers Philippines is an avid supporter of Absolute Distilled Water’s campaign to ensure the mother’s wellness through proper nutrition and hydration. But we all know that motherhood, especially on the pregnancy phase, need more than these. Pregnant women need the loving support of their husbands, the whole family, and the whole community. As such, it was an honor to be able to contribute to this aspect as we’ve imparted our own stories as mothers and a few tips and insights for the parent attendees.
Speech shared verbatim:
Take Your Time, Mommy – Tips On How To Recover And Feel Stronger After Giving Birth
Magandang hapon sa inyo mga Mommies. I’m Mommy Lanie and nandito ako ngayon para magbigay ng isang maikling speech tungkol sa kung papaano mag-uumpisang makarecover at maging malakas muli pagkatapos manganak. Ako po ay hindi doktor o isang health worker. Isa po akong ina na katulad ninyong lahat ay nakaranas ng panganganak. Mayroon akong 2 anak na babae na pinanganak ko through cesarean section. My eldest is turning 16 and my youngest is 13 so matagal-tagal na rin po akong nakapanganak.
As a community founder of Mommy Bloggers Philippines, madalas kong makausap ang mga kapwa ko nanay, both new moms na tinatawag ng marami ngayon na mga makabagong nanay o millenial moms at mga nanay na marami naring naging anak. Marami akong nakuhang idea mula sa kanila at galing na rin sa aking sariling experiences tungkol sa recovery after giving birth na gusto kong ibahagi sa inyong lahat.
Unang una – the first 2 months pagkatapos manganak should be your recovery period. Kahit gaano pa kayo kalakas o gaano pa kadali ang inyong pagbubuntis, kailangan nyo paring bigyan ng panahon na makarecover ang inyong katawan.
Tandaan na bawat nanay ay may kanya-kanyang haba ng recovery period. Merong mga nanay na naguumpisa nang makabalik sa regular na gawain sa bahay after isang linggo, pero meron naman na kailangan pa ring magpahinga ng mahaba-haba. Iba-iba rin ito sa pagkakataon na tayo ay nanganganak. Natatandaan ko pa na sa una kong panganganak dati, 3 days after kong manganak ng cesarean, after isang linggo, nagawa ko nang magpunta sa mall para bumili ng crib ng panganay ko. Pero nung ipanganak ko ang bunso ko, it took me 2 years bago nawala ang pananakit ng katawan ko. Pero lahat naman iyon ay normal dahil regular ako sa pagbisita sa aking doktor pagkatapos kong manganak.
Pangalawa – Alagaan ang nutrisyon ng katawan, hindi lamang dahil sa nagpapabreastfeed kundi para na rin sa sariling kalusugan. It will take time bago maging regular ang pagbabawas pero makakatulong ang pagkain ng pagkain na mayaman sa fiber (prutas at gulay), regular na paglalakad at regular na paginom ng tubig.
Laging maglagay ng malinis na tubig – yung tubig na safe at Absolutely pure tulad ng Absolute Pure Distilled drinking water – na madaling abutin. Sa bahay namin, napansin ko na ang mga bata, hindi sila mahilig uminom ng tubig, hindi dahil sa ayaw nila kung hindi dahil sa gusto nila, iinumin na lang kaagad. Kaya laging maglagay ng pitsel ng tubig na may ready na baso o bottled water kaya sa lamesa na iinumin nyo as often sa possible. Nagpapasuso man kayo o hindi, napakaimportante ng paginom ng tubig sa recovery period para mapalitan ang nawalang liquid sa katawan sa panahon ng panganganak. Makakatulong din yon para maging mas regular ang pagbabawas sa pagihi at sa pagdumi.
Pangatlo – no matter how you delivered, the road to recovery ay naguumpisa sa paglalakad. Makakatulong ito sa pag release ng gas, sa pag increase ng circulation ng dugo sa katawan at sa pagpapalakas ulit ng mga muscles. Nakakatulong din ito sa pagpapaganda ng mood.
Pang-apat na I can advice is – to take your time mommies. Sa dami ng mga sinabi ko noong una, ito ang pinaka-importante and that is to go easy on yourself. Ang mga nakikita sa social media na mga nanay na may “glow” pagkatapos manganak ay hindi totoo palagi. May celebrity moms na may ganitong glow ay maaring meron silang mga bagay na wala naman tayo (mga mamahaling cream, mga asssistants, etcetera) at ang mga ganitong bagay ay hindi naman ganoon kaimportante.
Ang pinakamahalaga ay mapanumbalik natin ang lakas ng katawan, lakas ng isipan at ng emosyon. Doon muna tayo magfocus.
Kasama sa pagbibigay ng oras sa ating sarili ang paghingi ng tulong sa iba. Kung kayo ay biniyayaan ng mabuting asawa o mga kamag-anak na willing tumulong, accept everything you can get from them. Take advantage nyo na. Nung mga panahon na kakapanganak ko lang, dahil CS ako, naalala ko noon na ang asawa ko ang naghuhugas sa akin pagkatapos ko magbawas. Mga gestures na ganito ay maaring magpatibay pa sa bond ninyong magasawa.
Kung may mga gustong dumalaw sa baby, wag mahiyang sabihin na maghugas sila ng kamay at dumating sa oras na hindi makakaistorbo sa inyong pagpapahinga, at kung maaari ay magdala sila ng kanilang kakainin at pasalubong.
Bukod sa mga physical signs in recovery, bantayan nyo din ang mga pagbabago sa inyong mood. Post-partum depression is real and marami na akong nanay na nakausap na nakaranas ng depression ng hindi nila nalalaman. Kapag meron kayong mga emotions na hindi maunawaan tulad ng pagkalungkot ng wala sa oras o hindi kayo makatulog dahil sa mga worries na hindi nyo alam kung saan nanggagaling, reach out and talk to someone immediately.
The World Health Organization estimated that around the world about 10 percent of pregnant women and 13 percent of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder, primarily depression. At nangyayari din ito kahit sa mga tatay.
Bumisita agad sa inyong OB or sa doktor ng pamilya ang maging honest sa nararamdaman. Hindi nakakahiya na makaexperience ng post partum depression. Maaari din kayong makipagusap sa mga kapwa nanay na nakaexperience nito or minsan kahit ang simpleng pakikipag-usap or reaching out, will help. Mayroon ding mga non-profit organizations tulad ng Anxiety and Depression Support Philippines na tumutulong sa mga nakakaexperience ng depression.
Ngunit higit sa lahat, pinakamahalaga din na wag kalimutan ang pananalangin. Anuman ang ating relihiyon, reaching out through prayer will help. This will make your path to recovery complete and sustaining.
Sa inyong lahat na mga nanay na narito ngayon, I congratulate you all for your courage and strength in making way for a new life to be born. Your devotion in sustaining this new life will be another journey. But first, take time to enjoy your immense value as a mother, to strengthen your body, mind and spirit, and celebrate this whole new adventure ahead of you.
I hope I’ve shared with you valuable insights this afternoon. Thank you again and good afternoon.
Lanie Lluch – Mommy Bloggers Philippines
https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-health/postpartum-recovery/
https://www.todaysparent.com/baby/postpartum-care/six-ways-youre-sabotaging-your-postpartum-recovery/
https://www.healthline.com/health/postpartum-care#adjusting
http://www.comotomo.com/the-new-mother-taking-care-of-yourself-after-birth/
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/get-your-body-back-after-pregnancy#1
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Follow @AbsoluteDistilled to learn more about the brand’s advocacies.
Awesome post and awareness about the hospitals! Thank you for sharing!
This is such a wonderful initiative to take part in. Thank you for taking the time to educate your readers about it.
It is great to dedicate some time for such an amazing cause! This is really great and thank you for sharing.
It’s so important to take good care of mothers especially after giving birth and during the first months of having a child. Otherwise they won’t have enough energy to take care of their little ones.
These classes are so important. Good on them!
That is a very nice initiative, especially for new moms to be who don’t know what to expect during and after the birth process. I don’t have children so I wouldn’t know either what to do to recover.
Wooow this is an amazing thing to do. I think in the world we forget the struggles mothers do have.
Wow, what a wonderful event. Advocacy for the health of mothers, and just supporting moms in general, is so important. Looks like it was an informative event.
Amazing event, my aunt was just talking about if she participates in such an event and learn from other mommies a lot of things.
This looks like such a fantastic event to be part of. Thank you so much for sharing it with us x
I cannot stress enough how important it is with what you do
This is such an important cause. I’m so glad to hear this event went well and hopefully prepared new moms for all that is happening.