Review: Be Organic Cocoa Butter Diaper Cream

Every mama out there knows how important it is to have a reliable diaper rash cream. From the day the baby is born until the next couple or so years of his/her life, they'd be using diapers, be it disposable or cloth, everyday. Lucky are those moms whose children mastered potty training earlier. As for me, I've been trying to potty train my son but we still get accidents because he tends to forget where to pee especially when he's busy playing. I have no choice but to have him wear diapers during bedtime and when we go out.

Over the course of two years, we have tried a few diaper rash creams with Dermablend Zinc Oxide as the most favorite one. While we're okay with Dermablend, I'm always drawn to organic products so I decided to try Human Heart Nature Natural Nappy Cream. We finished two tubs of it and I knew in my heart I want to try something else so I got Be Organic's Cocoa Butter Diaper Cream.

Product Description

Our natural diaper cream/balm is made from all natural ingredients like cocoa butter, beeswax and olive oil to nourish, repair and create a barrier to protect your little one from wetness and irritations. Calendula is especially useful in soothing rashes, insect bites and other minor irritations.

Friday Photo: 19 | 28

Ice cream, anyone?

Review: Pampers Baby-dry Pants

Previously, I blogged about EQ Pants and Happy Baby Pants. This time, I will be blogging about the latest diaper pants we have tried, the Pampers Baby-dry Pants.

FEATURES

• Magic gel for dry and peaceful sleep
• Air circulation for dry skin
• Baby lotion helps protect baby's skin
• Flexible waistband for soft and comfortable fit
• Wraps your baby's skin with comfort

New Ride: Toy Kingdom's Family Mini Trike

A few weeks ago, we bought a trike for my one year and three months old son Lorenzo. I've been meaning to buy a bike/trike for him for the longest time but I was sort of hesitant since I'm not sure if he will actually use it. But having a fairly big boy who weighs more than 10 kilograms, it's a bit of a struggle to carry him around especially if we are not using our baby carrier. Example, if we are going out for our afternoon strolls. I think it is better if we are using something that will give him a better view of the surroundings. We have a Graco stroller he inherited from his cousin but he is no longer keen on using it hence the decision to buy a new ride.

We got this blue and gray trike from Toy Kingdom (Php 2299.00) because I think it got what I want in a trike for my son.

Removable arm rest

This is to protect him from falling off the sit.

with arm rest up

with arm rest down

Review: Happy Baby Pants

Previously, I reviewed EQ Pants - our favorite diaper pants at the moment. This time, I will be reviewing the second diaper pants we have tried - Happy Baby Pants.

I have been seeing this particular brand each time I go grocery shopping but I wasn't too keen in trying since my son is somehow doing good with EQ Pants. However, he gets garter marks and tends to scratch his waist since EQ's waistband is too tight for his "milk belly" so I decided to find something that is more comfortable for him. So Happy Diaper Pants enter the scenario.

FEATURES

Relaxed Waistband
Elastic waistband so gentle that it won't put pressure on baby's waist.

Tailored like an underwear
Designed and shaped like a regular underwear fit for baby's mobility, with ease and comfort.

Quick absorbing material
Soothing to baby's skin and prevents rash.

Dynamic anti-leak system
Quick fluid absorption and prevents leakage.

Friday Photo: 5 | 28

Mismatched... and I don't care! Such is the life of a child - carefree and fun.

Review: EQ Pants

Every mom, I think, has gone through the challenging phase of putting on taped diaper to an active toddler. That challenge started for me when my son learned how to crawl. After bathing/washing, I would place him on one side of the bed to put on his diaper but after like one second, he is already on the other side and would crawl away each time I try to get near him. That is why I decided to shift to diaper pants, though I still try to put on his cloth diaper or disposable taped diaper from time to time.

EQ Pants is the first brand of diaper pants we tried since we use EQ Plus and EQ Dry.

FEATURES

360° Snug Fit
Waistband is stretchable and made of soft cottony materials that allow for a comfortable fit even when baby is on the move. Its breathable waistband allows air to flow through, giving baby a fresher feeling while helping prevent irritation and rashes.

Leg Cuffs
Leg cuffs stretches with baby's every move for a snug fit. It also prevents leakage.

Stand to Wear
Easy to put on your active toddler; it's just like underwear!

Tear-Away Side Seams
Side seams of waistband are easily torn for quick removal when changing pants.

Super Absorbent Core with LDL
Allows maximum dryness by drawing urine away from baby's skin, keeping baby feeling dry. The LDL (Liquid Distribution Layer) distributes urine evenly to prevent leakage.

Review: Ainon Feeding Bottles

As soon as I learned my son's gender, I started buying the things he would need including a feeding bottle, though I was determined to breastfeed him. Through research, I learned that many moms recommend Avent Natural feeding bottle for it is designed similar to the breast to make mixed feeding easy. So Avent it is! At first, I only got one but later on added three more bottles so we'll have back up when I will be away for a few hours. Now that my son is a year older, and me getting slimmer everyday, I decided that we use formula milk so my body can recover. Subsequently, we need to add more bottles because four is simply not enough. But Avent products can be painful to a frugal mama's pockets so I decided to try other brands. I went "bottle-hunting" and Ainon bottles caught my attention.

Since I'm not quite sure whether my son would love these bottles, I decided to get one of each; wide neck and slim.

WIDE NECK BOTTLE

Pros

• Its capacity is more than 270ml (more than nine ounces)  so it is easy for me to prepare eight ounces of milk for my son considering the 2:1 water and milk ratio. Other nine-ounces bottles like the Avent Natural, the infant formula milk would reach the brim if I fill the bottle with water first, followed by milk.
• Had no problem with my son using it.
• I can add milk to the bottle without spillage since it is wide enough to accommodate the milk's scoop.
• BPA-free and lead-free.
• It is easy to clean.
• Affordable

Cerelac Nutripuffs: My Son Loves It... and so does mama!

As a mother, it's always a joy each time I see something I think my son would love. Just like when I saw Cerelac Nutripuffs for the first time at the local grocery store, I felt happy knowing that snacks such as this can now be purchased easily as opposed to the Gerber Cereal Puffs which can only be purchased in S&R (as far as I know) to which I am not a member and is not easily accessible by public transport. 

Cerelac Nutripuffs comes in two flavors; banana and orange, and banana and strawberry. Banana and orange tastes bland while banana and strawberry is a bit sweet. Lorenzo and I love the two flavors. Yes, you read it right! I love my son's snacks too! The packaging says it is recommended for kids aging ten months to three years but there's nothing wrong if mama eats them as well. LOL!

Surviving a Six-hour Bus Ride With a Toddler

My little boy turned one year last month and to celebrate this milestone, we headed to Boracay for a 4 day/3 night vacation. We originally wanted to go to Davao or Cebu but I wasn't able to get a promo flight (I'm frugal like that!) so we ended up in Boracay. This world-renowned island was the last on our list because of the travel time it entails. Travelling from Iloilo City to Caticlan takes six-hour by bus and not longer than five hours by van (passenger) or private car. We could have opted for a van just so we can arrive sooner but comfort is more important to us so we took the bus since it has bigger leg room.

Long distance travel is not easy, more so with an active toddler in tow. Parents need to have a variety of tricks (or pakulo!) to keep the little one entertained thus a drama-free commute. I am sharing here what we did...

Love and Carry Air: The Budget-friendly Ergonomic Soft Structured Carrier

Before becoming a mother, I have never given babywearing much thought. Actually, I didn't even know that using any type of baby carrier is called babywearing. Well, everything changed when I got pregnant. I discovered a lot of things including this beautiful thing called babywearing.

My first carrier, the one I bought a couple of months after giving birth, was a SaYa SSK. I loved that carrier! Given that it is made of cotton, it is soft which I think is ideal for the baby's fragile body. However, when my son was around seven to eight months, I started to feel uncomfortable when using it. My shoulders would hurt just a few minutes of wearing it. When my son turned nine months and weighed eight to nine kilograms, I knew I needed something that is more comfortable to use, will not break my shoulders and the one that is easy to put on even when I'm alone with my boy since he has become a ball of energy at this age. The solution - a soft structured carrier (SSC)!

However, I find buying a soft structured carrier challenging since they come in various brands and designs. SSC is also the most expensive type of carrier. Safety-tested and ergonomic ones can cost as much as Php 20,000 while the cheapest can cost Php not less than Php 3,500. There are also lots of fake carriers circulating online thus it is important for buyers to be cautious. As much as possible, buy from reputable stores (SM Baby Company, CEO Emporium for Philippines-based mommies) or when purchasing online, buy from the company's website or official distributor to be sure that you won't be fooled into getting a fake one which can be dangerous for your little one.

Review: Dermablend Zinc Oxide 10% Cream with Aloe

For every mother with a child who uses diapers on a daily basis, a diaper rash cream is very important. In our case, I've been applying it to my son's bum and thighs before putting on his diaper, particularly the disposable one. That's what the pediatrician ordered before discharging us when I gave birth to him.

One of the products she recommended is zinc oxide. There are various brands of zinc oxide in the market but I got this Dermablend Zinc Oxide 10% Cream with Aloe since It is also the same product my nephew (a year older than my son) uses and they've nothing but good words for it.

Product Description

Dermablend Zinc Oxide 10% Cream with aloe helps prevent diaper rash. Protects chafed skin due to diaper rash and helps seal out wetness.

Review

Packaging and Appeal. The product comes in a white plastic tube with screw cap. The cream itself is white with just the right consistency. It is a bit thicker than the Nivea Body Lotion thus easy to apply. It doesn't leave an oily feeling either.

Review: SaYa SSK Carrier

I've been meaning to write this review a long time ago but it's just impossible for me to come up with a well-organized article because my thoughts are everywhere. Gawd, being a hands-on-mama without a helper is indeed hard.

Anyway, I'll be writing about the only baby carrier we got (as of this writing) - the SaYa SSK (Semi Stretch Knit) Carrier.

I learned about various types of carriers particularly ring sling and wraps through my co-workers and discovered about the nbc (narrow-based carriers) and ergonomic carriers when I became a member of Baby Wearing Philippines Facebook page. Also, through the page, I learned about pouch and was introduced to SaYa. Not keen on using wraps because I find them complicated nor ring sling because I don't know why 😁, I went for SaYa.

SaYa carriers come in two types, the Verbatek (VTB) and Semi-Stretch Knit (SSK).

While browsing babymama.ph, I was torn between the Verbatek Blend (Php 1400) and Semi-Stretch Knit (Php 950) but I purchased the latter because I think its cloth is cooler than the former. VTB is made of 80% nylon and 20% spandex while SSK is made of 95% cotton and 5% spandex.

I started wearing my son around two months old although others claim to have started as early as two weeks. Maybe I could have started early too but I simply wasn't confident with my babywearing skills back then. Besides, I felt that a baby's body was so fragile and I was afraid of breaking his bones while I was learning to babywear him. 😃

Himalayan Salt Lamp: What Is It and Why We Got One?

Hello everyone? It's been ages since my last post and you probably know why. I'm hoping that I can find a baby-sitter soon so I can get back to using my full earning potential and get back to blogging as well. Good and reliable helpers are indeed hard to find nowadays.

Anyways, going back to the subject of this post, the himalayan salt lamp, we learned about this thing through our friend. She and my husband were talking about the kids and he mentioned about our son's asthma and chronic cough. She then suggested that we get a himalayan salt lamp since reducing allergies, cough and asthma attack are some of the benefits. As parents who would do or get whatever they can to prevent their child from getting sick in the most natural way possible, we got one from a group buying page on Facebook.

Of course before placing our order, we researched about it first and I am sharing what I learned about this lamp that is not only beneficial to our well-being but is also pleasing to the eye.

What I Like... and Dislike About Being a Hands-on Mama

It's been four months since I gave birth to my darling son and so far I'm surviving. LOL! Motherhood is such a lovely experience especially when your child makes eye-to-eye contact with you or clings to you and would never let you go. But honestly, it's not a walk in the park thing. While there are lots of wonderful things being a hands-on (and yayaless) mama gives, there are also some things I dislike about it. Here they are:

1. Lack of sleep

Like most mothers, I find the first couple of months difficult. Aside from having to deal with my CS pain and recovery, I also kept on waking up to feed my child (breastfeeding mama here!), make sure that he is not cold or overheating, check for soiled diaper, and often, to check if he is still breathing (yes, I'm one paranoid mama). Lucky if I can get a three-hour uninterrupted sleep but that is not the case usually. Thankfully, now that my son is a bit older, he no longer needs to be fed every hour or so. Additionally, the number of times he poop has now decreased to once or twice a day from around five times a day when he was younger.

2. Lack of or less me-time

When you become a mom, the concept of "me" seems to disappear instantly. Almost everything you do is dependent on your child's needs, schedule, likes, etc. For moms like me who doesn't have a helper, it is already a luxury if you can enjoy a 15-minute bath time and surely it is hard to find time for a waxing session, bonding with your girlfriends or other activities you used to do before the baby. And now that my son is already four months old, there is nothing in the world that he wants but to be with me, to latch, to see me, hear my voice and maybe even just to smell me. If there is no trace of my presence around, he becomes fussy and will eventually cry. My husband suggested that we get someone to help me take care of him so that I will have time for myself but I think I am not yet ready for him to develop strong attachment to people other than myself, my husband and our families. :D Anyway, this phase won't last long (maybe just five years or so) so I'm willing to sacrifice. I know I can get as much me-time as I want when he is already of school age.

3. Can't leave the house immediately
Mothers are emotional human beings particularly when it comes to their children. Being away, be it for an hour or a day, can be a real struggle and that makes leaving the house difficult. Additionally, it is motherly instinct to ensure that everything is in order before leaving - sterilize feeding bottles, prepare milk, give bath, feed, etc. So when I need to leave the house by 9 am, I should be awake not later than 6:00 am to give me enough time to do all the things that I need to do.

Motherhood is not just about dislikes though. The likes actually outweigh the dislikes in my case.

SSS Maternity Benefit for Separated (from Employers) Members

During the early stages of my pregnancy, I thought of leaving my work in a BPO company to focus on my pregnancy but I was hindered by a misconception that I can only avail of the SSS Maternity benefit when I'm employed. However, upon reading some forums, I learned that every pregnant member, whether employed or not, is entitled to avail of the maternity benefit. So after careful consideration, I handed my resignation letter to the company's HR officer and a month after, I bade good bye to the company after almost nine years of love-hate relationship.

Separated members shouldn't have hard time processing their SSS Maternity benefit if the HR officer is well-informed regarding this matter or if their is enough information available online. In my case, the HR officer from my former company haven't experienced a case similar to mine and the SSS employee in-charge of receiving the documents is not clear with his instructions regarding the requirements, so it took me a little longer to finish processing. But I wouldn't rant about that since the purpose of this post is to share information to other members whose situation is similar to mine.

So here are the requirements/documents separated SSS members need to submit in order to be granted the SSS Maternity benefit:

Hello from the Other Side!

It's been a while since my last post and you probably know why - motherhood! If I've said this before, let me say this again, "It's the most exhausting activity I've ever took." It entails lots of sleepless nights, changing of soiled diapers, feedings, carrying a 13-pound baby and a lot more motherly duties. When you become a mother, you start doing some things you haven't done before and stop doing (at least temporarily) some things you used to do before.

No, I am not saying goodbye to this blog. This is too precious for me to abandon. This post is simply meant to let you know that I'm still alive but is too busy to write relevant articles to be posted. I cannot even work on my tasks for three straight hours. I have to squeeze in breastfeeding or changing soiled diaper in between. Truly a big chunk of my time is spent on motherhood - especially that I did not hire a helper for my son. It is indeed a 24/7 job, no rest days or vacation leaves. But I am not complaining. Seeing my son smile each time he sees me is more than enough to pay off my effort. And I am thankful for the opportunity to earn while at home to be the primary person to care for my son.

Here's hoping I can find a way to update this blog regularly (even if not as often as before) but if if not, I'm sure you will understand that I am having a time of my life with my 2-month old. 

Review: Disney Manual Breast Pump

Having been exposed to breastfeeding moms (co-workers) even before getting married, I have learned about the benefits of breast milk and how amazing a woman's body can be for being able to nourish her child with what s/he needs. From then on, I already made the decision to breastfeed my own child when the time comes. So when I learned about my pregnancy, breastfeeding is one of the topics I often read. I even attended a breastfeeding seminar initiated by breastfeeding advocates here in Iloilo. I also read about breast milk expression, breast pumps and other related topics.

I have been thinking of buying an electric breast pump but since I wasn't sure if I will be able to produce milk in the first place, I decided to go for manual pump first since it isn't as costly. A few weeks before giving birth, I bought this Disney Manual Breast pump at SM City Iloilo.

My breast milk came four days post partum. And since my baby wasn't with me during the first week of his life (left at the hospital due to infection), my breast pump came in handy. During the first session, I was able to express very small amount of breast milk, just a few drops in fact. Imagine, yielding only just a few drops of breast milk after pumping for around 10 minutes?! It was indeed frustrating! I almost give up but then, knowing the importance of colostrum to a baby encouraged me to continue.

My Labor Story

It's been a little over a month since I gave birth and obviously, I got my hands full with everything motherhood related thus explains the scarcity of my posts. But to celebrate our little duck's first month, I am sharing to you my labor story.

It all started on the 25th of April, I was 39 weeks and 4 days (based on my first ultrasound) back then. I went in for my regular prenatal check up. As per my OB, I was only 1cm dilated (been 1cm dilated since my last week's check up). My OB advised that I be admitted on the same day for I'm already overdue based on my last ultrasound (EDD is April 18). Besides, she won't be around on the next few days so she wanted that I give birth before she leave. I know I could have resisted and instead wait for labor to come naturally but since I already wanted to give birth and I never wanted other doctos to handle me, I agreed.

After my check up, I went home and got ready. We left the house at around 5 PM and arrived at the hospital past six in the evening. We could have arrived earlier if it weren't for traffic congestion caused by road repairs.

At the emergency room, I gave the ER personnel the letter with instruction from my OB. I was attended to by the ER nurse and I couldn't recall the number of times I was asked the same set of questions such as the first day of my last menstrual period (LMP), allergy triggers, past pregnancies/miscarriages, etc. I think every resident OB and interns asked every patient the same questions. I wonder why this is so. I think they could have shared the info to each other so that they never have to ask the patient the same questions again and again.

After changing into my hospital gown, blood extraction for my labs and monitoring of fetal heart rate, I was wheeled into the OB ward. The OB ward of IDH is air-condiioned with one sink and CR that can accommodate six patients at a time. When we got there, there were just two other patients so there are spare beds for our "bantays" to sleep in.

At around 10PM, I was wheeled into the labor room for the non-stress test. After the test, IV fluid infused with oxytocin (for induction) was attached to me. Despite the oxytocin, I felt nothing. Still no sign of labor whatsoever. FHR and vital signs were monitored regularly.

Cloth Diapering Journey: Where I Got my Stash

Even before getting pregnant, I have always wanted to provide my future kids the best care I can possibly offer. And since I learned about this pregnancy, I have been searching high and low for tips on how to care for a child in modern times. One of the practices that is becoming popular among modern moms is the use of cloth diapers. No, not the same “lampin” popular during the time of our parents and grandparents but the modern ones tailored like a disposable diaper but washable.

I first learned about cloth diapers from my co-workers who resorted to these. Some of them gave up on using this for some reason while some continue to do so until their kids are potty trained. As for me and my husband, we decided to try this practice firstly because, we care about the environment. We, particularly the husband, have been trying to minimize our waste and avoid activities that could contribute to the destruction of earth and distract the natural order of things so this cloth diaper project is definitely a yes for us.

This cloth diapering system, however, is no joke. It has lots of parts to familiarize and involves washing and preparing as opposed to disposable diapers in which you just have to grab a pack from the grocery and throw them away once soiled. Additionally, with cloth diapers, you need a bit of cash to invest for a number of pieces your child needs. Thankfully, cheaper brands are now available and acquiring them is no longer as hard as before since there are lots of local sellers.

I already purchased 12 pieces from two different sellers and as per advised by other moms from a forum, I got three pieces for each kind/brand to find out which one will best suit my baby. I know my stash may not be enough for a newborn but I’m hesitant to buy more without trying first. And besides, I intend to use disposables for the first two weeks of our son as babies that young may not have established their bowel schedule yet and may use as much as eight diapers daily. Clearly, 12 pieces of cloth diaper is not enough.

Anyway, I am sharing to you the items I got and where I got them.

The above picture shows the first stash I bought. I got them from ThriftyMamaShoppe.com. They are having a Christmas sale that time so I grabbed these few pieces only as these are the only designs/types left. Besides, we were not aware of the baby's gender that time so I made sure to get gender-neutral designs.