What's the best Baby Bottle?

Well if you asked me my criteria for the best baby bottle is it should be sturdy, leak-proof, easy to clean, safe, and reasonably priced.
We've tried four kinds of baby bottle, Tommee Tippee Anti Collic Bottle, Philips Avent, Playtex BPA Free VentAire Bottle, and Farlin.

Tommee Tippee Anti Collic Bottle is sturdy, wide mouth and nipple base that has a wide base. The nipple mimics that natural feel, flex, and movement of the actual breast. This is great if you are switching from breat to bottle feeding, since the baby won't get used to different nipple style and subsequently reject breastfeeding. This bottle has a vent that is designed to prevent gas and colic. The bad thing about it is, the seperate vent system are harder to clean. It is hard to get all the milk out.

~ $11.59 from Amazon

Philips Avent Natural Bottle is also a wide mouth bottle that has ergonomic design for easy grip. It has an Advanced anti-colic venting system, which is good since there are no extra parts to clean. The wide breast shaped nipple teach your baby how to latch properly that is similar to the breast. This makes it easier for your baby to transfer from breast and bottle feeding.

~ $11.35 from Amazon

Playtex BPA Free VentAire Bottle, this is a thin and tall bottle with an angled neck. The great think about this bottle is that it encourages babies to feed up right, and easier to get all the milk out. It also has a silicon part at the bottom for its venting system.

~ $9.99 from Amazon

Farlin is a standard short with a small nipple. It is a no frills, straight forward traditional baby bottle. Easy to clean and easy to carry when you are on the go. This is the personal favorite of our baby.

Store bought

Disposable Diapers

A Baby makes a lot of poo and pee, they make more than you expect. So if you are going to use disposable diapers you should be well stocked and choose diapers that is reliable. What you need to do at first is buy small amount of each brand so you'll know what fits your baby best. You should also choose the one that has the best absorption since it is really important that the diaper can keep moisture away from baby's skin. If it can't, and if the baby suffers continuous dampness it can lead to diaper rash.
Here are the brands that I've tried already:

Pampers baby dry stretchy tapes - this is my top choice since it has really good absorbency, provides leakage protection, and gives my baby comfort. I really like the stretchy tapes which makes it easy to tighten and secure the diaper.

Huggies Snug & Dry  - This is my second choice since it is cheaper than Pampers and is also absorbent.

MamyPoko Dry in Blue packaging - good fit for my baby, it is really absorbent. The materials use is soft.

MamyPoko Slim Yellow packaging - it has a nice fit but it don't last that long and after a few hours there will be a leak.

EQ Diaper - it is absorbent, very affordable, but the tape can lose its stickiness.

Drypers - good materials, absorbent but it doesn't hold liquid the same as Huggies and Pampers.

Diaper Rash Cream

Diaper rash is a nasty and very common infection that causes your baby's skin to become sore, red, scaly, and tender. It usually occurs in infants and children who are 2 years old and below.

The best way to prevent diaper rash is by using diaper rash cream. It contains soothing and healing ingredients. It also acts as a “barrier” between your baby’s very sensitive skin and the diaper.

Diaper rash cream will help soothe, heal and prevent diaper rash.

I have tried 3 kinds of Diaper rash cream, Drapolene, NoRash, and Baby Bottom's Cream. Drapolene is very effective specially if your baby is already suffering from diaper rash, however this cream is the most expensive among the three. NoRash and Baby Bottom's Cream are more of a prevention cream.

Our baby had a diaper rash for a few weeks his pedia recommends Drapolene and it worked after 4 to 5 days the rash cleared up.

1. Drapolene - manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.
             - Active ingredients Benzalkonium Cl and Cetrimide.
             - Cost about Php 300 bought at SM Supermarket
             - It has a light smell of baby powder
             - color pink

2. Baby Bottom's Cream - product of Health Amendments, Inc.
             - Active ingredients Zinc Oxide and Virgin Coconut Oil
             - Cost about Php 150 at SM department store
             - It has a light flowery scent.
             - color white
3. NoRash    - manufactured by Mix N' Pack Philippines, Inc.
             - Active ingredients Zinc Oxide, Allantoin, Excipients.
             - Cost Php200 at Generika drugstore.
             - It smells like a real baby powder.
             - color white

Halo SleepSack Swaddle Blanket 2-in-1

Babies love to be the cuddled and it also keeps them warm. Swaddling makes the baby feel snug, comfortable, warm, secure and cozy. It helps them sleep longer. It also calm and soothe babies who are fussy or crying.

Newborn babies don't have the ability to regulate their body temperature like an adult, to keep them warm babies needs to be swaddled. However, check the baby from time to time to make sure that the baby is not too hot. It also helps the baby to sleep longer since it prevents them from startling or sudden movements that wakes them up in the middle of the sleep.

Swaddling can also help a baby focus on breastfeeding, it keeps their arms and legs out of the way. It also prevents a newborn baby from scratching themselves with their nails.

Another benefit of Swaddle Blanket is that unlike loose blankets in the crib that can cover your baby's face and interfere the baby's breathing.

I really love this product since it worked out so perfectly. It has an adjustable wrap with fastener strip for easy and secure swaddling. It also washes very well and holds up to repeated use.


HALO SleepSack 100% Cotton Wearable Blanket $17.99 


Follow this instruction for Safe Swaddling:

Post-pregnancy Body

  

After giving birth to your precious baby don't expect that your body will return back to the way they were before having a baby. Your tummies will still look pregnant and you will still wear those awful maternity clothes. Your uterus were stretched for nine months so it won't pop back into place immediately.

What you need for faster results is a postpartum belly band to shrink your belly. I used the Original Belly Bandit which was designed specifically for a woman's post-pregnant body. This basic belly wrap will help tighten and shrink your belly, waist and hips post pregnancy.

It also provides comfort for mothers who had C-Section. It also accelerates healing and helps minimize stretch marks.

Here's how to check what size you are.

This product shows results. I started wearing it a week after my delivery and it helped with the pain, and after wearing it for 4 weeks my belly has visibly shrunk. It takes a little getting used to before you get the hang of it.

Maxton

Things have been crazy lately that I haven't even been able to update. So anyway, we had a baby, yay, he's finally here! We named him Maxton, which means "greatest". Our delivery, just like our pregnancy was totally unexpected. One minute I was at my OB's office for my 37th week appointment and then the next, I was at the hospital being prepped for surgery. Apparently, my baby's umbilical cord has prolapsed, meaning if I go into labor, the cord will come out before the baby does causing oxygen loss which may then result in a stillbirth. It's a very rare obstetric emergency, so of course, it had to happen to us. Also, I may have developed pre-eclampsia. So I had a C-section. I was unconscious the whole time. I went in to surgery at 6.30PM, baby Max was out by 6.52PM. He weighed 6 lbs and was 49 cm long. I bled a lot during surgery so it wasn't until 1AM that they were able to put me back together. I didn't see Max til late that afternoon. He was swollen and squishy but still so darn cute. Anyway, it's been 2 weeks and baby and I, even dad are all doing great. We haven't had a good night's sleep in a while and I haven't truly known exhaustion until now but we're getting a handle on things. 

Today's post will mostly be photos - baby bump (long overdue!) and nursery - those I planned on posting but didn't get the chance to until now.

30 WEEKS

32 WEEKS

34 WEEKS

36 WEEKS

I gained a total of 18 lbs in 9 months but already lost 13 of it in 2 weeks. A few more sleepless nights I guess and we'll call it even. I didn't get stretch marks but now, I have a hell of a C-section scar. My tummy is still a bit saggy but I trust my Belly Bandit will do its job. I'll have before and after pictures soon.

Here's a glimpse into our baby's nursery.

I'm too tired and sleepy to take more photos, Max's cry-nurse-poop cycle leaves me with no time to do anything else but I'll definitely post more pictures when I can. Happy New Year, everyone!

3rd Trimester Update

So I had the dreaded OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) last week which thank goodness, turned out fine. I also had a CAS (Congenital Anomaly Scan) done and it looked good. I had to get an HBT (Liver-Biliary) scan though because of abdominal pain, but it came back normal. Who knew gas could be so excruciating? My back hurts a lot as well, I can't sleep at all, I'm always tired, and sometimes, I can't even breathe. I pee every 5 minutes, I'm hungry all the time, and as you can see, my belly button has stuck out (and quite obscenely too, if I may add). My face is now like that of a teenage boy's - oily and pimply, and from size 0, I am rapidly getting closer and closer to becoming a size 4. But other than those, I really thank God that we're fine and that we've made it this far and that I'm fortunate enough to have had a pretty uneventful pregnancy so far.

22 WEEKS

24 WEEKS

26 WEEKS

28 WEEKS

Resto love (?): Tim Ho Wan

We're early for my congenital anomaly scan appointment so the hubs and I decided to drop by Tim Ho Wan to see what all the fuss was about. We didn't have to wait in line to be seated (thank goodness!), but the restaurant filled up very quickly and it was only half past ten. Anyway, here's what we ordered.

Baked Bun with BBQ Pork, Php145

Pork Dumpling with Shrimp, Php150

Prawn Dumpling, Php160

Rice with Beef and Fried Egg, Php180

So I like the baked buns, they're soft, kind of flaky, and the barbecued pork inside is really yummy. The har gow and siomai are OK too, I guess. Though I'd say I like King Bee Restaurant's selection of dimsums and fresh chili sauce better. I didn't care much for the rice topping, the beef looked to me like steak tartare and it tasted nothing out of the ordinary. Their pricing is really cheap for a Michelin star restaurant but all in all, I don't really think they're worth lining up for, just another one of those places I can cross off my list.

Stretch Marks

Wednesday marked my 6th month of pregnancy. I don't have stretch marks yet but my skin is starting to get really dry and itchy. Research suggests that genetics plays a role in whether you get stretch marks or not. Meaning if your mom or sister got them during pregnancy, then chances are, you'll get them too. You can have gradual weight gain, drink lots and lots of water and slather on creams and oils and still have them pop up like mushrooms. Being a product junkie however, I couldn't help but try these pregnancy friendly stretch marks products I've been reading so much about. They may or may not work to prevent stretch marks, but if they can at least help with the dryness and itching, then I'm okay with it. Here's my haul for the month.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Tummy Butter for Stretch Marks

Php595 (about $15)

Bio-Oil

Php495 (about $12)

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion For Stretch Marks

Php475 (about $11)

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E

Php295 (about $7)

St. Ives Naturally Soothing Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Lotion

Php239.75 (about $6)

Who knows, I might be one of those lucky ones who come out of it unscathed with not a single mark. But who am I kidding? I'll let you know how everything goes, of course.