Archive for August 2012

Welcome to YELLOWMUM! It’s my new category sharing with you my journey as an expectant mum! 🙂

So I guess it goes without saying- I haven’t been blogging regularly because o my pregnancy. Wow, when they say morning sickness, I never knew that it meant “whole day sickness”. I mentioned in one of the videos that I did that I was sick (my all day sickness) and it really took a toll on me. I learned from my mum to listen to my body. If I feel tired or dizzy- I rest. And for the past how many months, I always get dizzy when I’m in front of the computer. So what’s the solution? To turn it off and take a nap. Lousy I know, but I feel like it’s one of the best advises I have received from anyone so far. “Listen to your body.” It’s not just me anymore, it’s me and my munchkin.

Anyways, I want to talk about the supplements that I currently take. My doctor is pretty practical and she doesn’t make me take so many supplements that she feels I don’t really need.

Nature’s Bounty

Folic Acid

Folic acid or folate is a B vitamin B9. The best food sources of folic acid are in leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach, orange juice, and enriched grains like cereals.

I have been taking Folic Acid for a little over a year now even before my pregnancy. Folic Acid can help prevent birth defects of the baby’s brain and spinal cord. It helps in the baby’s neural tube develop in the brain and spinal cord. I was advised to take it even before pregnancy because birth defects actually occurs within the first 3-4 weeks of pregnancy and by that time, women generally don’t know that they’re already pregnant.

I chose to buy a bottle of Folic Acid from a store in Greenhills (similar to GNC and Healthy Options but I forgot the name) because it will end up cheaper than buying it per pc from the drugstore. 1 tablet is 800mcg and I take 1 a day.

During my last check up (when I was 12 weeks pregnant), my doctor actually said that I can already stop taking it or I can just finish what I have. It’s not necessary anymore because my baby has already finished developing his/her brain and spinal cord. I plan to just finish my bottle of folic acid. I think I still have about half of it. 🙂

Watson’s Compliance Pack

Metformin

Like what I mentioned, I was diagnosed with PCOS. Here’s a short description that I was able to research about it:

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that causes irregular menstrual periods because monthly ovulation is not occurring and levels of androgens (male hormones) in women are elevated. The condition occurs in about 5 to 10 percent of women. The elevated androgen levels can sometimes cause excessive facial hair growth, acne, and/or male-pattern hair thinning. Some, but not all, women with PCOS are overweight or obese, and they are at higher than average risk of developing diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. For women with PCOS who want to become pregnant, fertility pills or injections are often needed to help women ovulate.
Although PCOS is not completely reversible, there are a number of treatments that can reduce or minimize bothersome symptoms. Most women with PCOS are able to lead a normal life without significant complications

Upon discussing this with some of my friends, I learned that one of them also has PCOS. Apparently it’s not as uncommon as we thought. I found out via ultrasound. I was so shocked when I learned that I have it because I’ve always had regular menstruation. My friend was even told that she only has 50% chance of getting pregnant. How scary is that right?

Anyways, because of this situation, I was prescribed medication for it. Ever since I learned about my PCOS, I have been taking Metformin. It is supposedly intended for diabetic people since it’s a hypoglycemic agent. But it’s also being used to treat PCOS. Metformin improves the effectiveness of insulin produced by the body.

Even though I’m already pregnant, my doctor advised me to continue taking it because she says that it’s a very good supplement. It helps reduce chances of gestational diabetes and since those who have PCOS are at higher risk for miscarriage, Metformin reduces risk of miscarrying.

I was able to get a Compliance Pack which has 30pcs Metformin tablets from Watson’s. It’s a generic brand, Rite Med, but I don’t really mind. I’ve tried the branded ones (P7.00-9.00 each) and it didn’t really do anything differently so I think I’ll stick to the generic brand.

Early this year I also took Clomid which is to help me ovulate. Since I was diagnosed PCOS, it meant that I don’t ovulate every month and since we’re already trying to start a family, I have to make sure that I ovulate everytime. I took that for 5 days per month. It was after a cycle of 3 months before I got pregnant. After that 3 months, I already stopped taking Clomid. The downside when drinking Clomid? Aside from it’s hella expensive, if I remember correctly it was about P200+ per tablet, multiple births is also possible- yes meaning twins, triplets, quadruplets, and so on. (I already learned that I only have 1 baby inside me. :))

So in conclusion, at the moment I’m taking 2 supplements a day. I know that there’s also Prenatal Vitamins. And I asked my doctor if I need to take that, but she said no need for me.

For moms out there, do you have any recommendations or suggestions of what else to buy? Not only for supplements but any maternity stuff? 🙂 Please share with me.

Welcome to YELLOWMUM! It's my new category sharing with you my journey as an expectant mum! :)

So I guess it goes without saying- I haven't been blogging regularly because o my pregnancy. Wow, when they say morning sickness, I never knew that it meant "whole day sickness". I mentioned in one of the videos that I did that I was sick (my all day sickness) and it really took a toll on me. I learned from my mum to listen to my body. If I feel tired or dizzy- I rest. And for the past how many months, I always get dizzy when I'm in front of the computer. So what's the solution? To turn it off and take a nap. Lousy I know, but I feel like it's one of the best advises I have received from anyone so far. "Listen to your body." It's not just me anymore, it's me and my munchkin.

Anyways, I want to talk about the supplements that I currently take. My doctor is pretty practical and she doesn't make me take so many supplements that she feels I don't really need.

Nature's Bounty

Folic Acid

Folic acid or folate is a B vitamin B9. The best food sources of folic acid are in leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach, orange juice, and enriched grains like cereals.

I have been taking Folic Acid for a little over a year now even before my pregnancy. Folic Acid can help prevent birth defects of the baby's brain and spinal cord. It helps in the baby's neural tube develop in the brain and spinal cord. I was advised to take it even before pregnancy because birth defects actually occurs within the first 3-4 weeks of pregnancy and by that time, women generally don't know that they're already pregnant.

During my last check up (when I was 12 weeks pregnant), my doctor actually said that I can already stop taking it or I can just finish what I have. It's not necessary anymore because my baby has already finished developing his/her brain and spinal cord. I plan to just finish my bottle of folic acid. I think I still have about half of it. :)

Watson's Compliance Pack

Metformin

Like what I mentioned, I was diagnosed with PCOS. Here's a short description that I was able to research about it:

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that causes irregular menstrual periods because monthly ovulation is not occurring and levels of androgens (male hormones) in women are elevated. The condition occurs in about 5 to 10 percent of women. The elevated androgen levels can sometimes cause excessive facial hair growth, acne, and/or male-pattern hair thinning. Some, but not all, women with PCOS are overweight or obese, and they are at higher than average risk of developing diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. For women with PCOS who want to become pregnant, fertility pills or injections are often needed to help women ovulate.

Although PCOS is not completely reversible, there are a number of treatments that can reduce or minimize bothersome symptoms. Most women with PCOS are able to lead a normal life without significant complications

Upon discussing this with some of my friends, I learned that one of them also has PCOS. Apparently it's not as uncommon as we thought. I found out via ultrasound. I was so shocked when I learned that I have it because I've always had regular menstruation. My friend was even told that she only has 50% chance of getting pregnant. How scary is that right?

Anyways, because of this situation, I was prescribed medication for it. Ever since I learned about my PCOS, I have been taking Metformin. It is supposedly intended for diabetic people since it's a hypoglycemic agent. But it's also being used to treat PCOS. Metformin improves the effectiveness of insulin produced by the body.

Even though I'm already pregnant, my doctor advised me to continue taking it because she says that it's a very good supplement. It helps reduce chances of gestational diabetes and since those who have PCOS are at higher risk for miscarriage, Metformin reduces risk of miscarrying.

I was able to get a Compliance Pack which has 30pcs Metformin tablets from Watson's. It's a generic brand, Rite Med, but I don't really mind. I've tried the branded ones (P7.00-9.00 each) and it didn't really do anything differently so I think I'll stick to the generic brand.

Early this year I also took Clomid which is to help me ovulate. Since I was diagnosed PCOS, it meant that I don't ovulate every month and since we're already trying to start a family, I have to make sure that I ovulate everytime. I took that for 5 days per month. It was after a cycle of 3 months before I got pregnant. After that 3 months, I already stopped taking Clomid. The downside when drinking Clomid? Aside from it's hella expensive, if I remember correctly it was about P200+ per tablet, multiple births is also possible- yes meaning twins, triplets, quadruplets, and so on. (I already learned that I only have 1 baby inside me. :))

So in conclusion, at the moment I'm taking 2 supplements a day. I know that there's also Prenatal Vitamins. And I asked my doctor if I need to take that, but she said no need for me.

For moms out there, do you have any recommendations or suggestions of what else to buy? Not only for supplements but any maternity stuff? :) Please share with me.

Welcome to YELLOWMUM! It’s my new category sharing with you my journey as an expectant mum! 🙂

I have been tracking my period for more than a year now and I’ve also been checked by my doctor. I was actually diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and was prescribed medication for it. And since we were trying to get pregnant, I started drinking folic acid.

A few days after my supposedly date of menstruation, I was already praying and hoping that this is it. We waited for about a week and then I took a pregnancy test. (No, I am not going to post a photo of my pregnancy test anymore.) Three minutes later, there was a faint second line or a faint positive. My hubby was so happy but I told him I wanted to check again. I wasn’t sure if it was indeed positive because the second line was extremely light. Good thing we bought 2 pregnancy kits. The second test also showed a second line and it was already darker. We were both so so happy and we hugged each other tight but I knew that we were both praying that this was real.

But since I wanted to make sure and I kinda felt that the kits that we bought weren’t the good ones. (I forgot the brands because I threw the boxes away after using), I bought another kit and took the test after 2 days. I read that sometimes when you test early the HcG levels aren’t at its peak yet. So I made sure to buy a “better looking” kit thinking that maybe this is a better quality kit. So anyways, I did my business first thing in the morning and yes, finally, second line showed! No more doubts, I was really pregnant!

I went to the doctor when I was around 6 weeks and she was delighted when we told her. I was prescribed some medications early this year to help me ovulate since apparently, I wasn’t ovulating or releasing an egg every month (which was really shocking to me since my period is regular and heavy even). I took that 5 days a month and after a cycle of three months, I stopped and two months later, I found out I was pregnant. She checked me and said that my cervix was closed meaning I was really pregnant. She asked me to continue my folic acid because it’s very important during the development of the baby. And that was it. She asked me to come back after a month for my follow up check up. 🙂 I remember feeling “high” when I left the clinic. I was so happy. H was as happy as I was because he really really really wanted this too.

Anyways, we decided to keep it to ourselves first and we didn’t tell the family right away. I think we told them when I was already almost 7 weeks. I remember it was a few days before Father’s Day and H and I visited my family and I asked my dad if he already wanted to receive his Father’s Day gift. Obviously he said yes, and I told them I was pregnant. Everyone was stunned, jaws open, eyes wide. But like my mum said, “wag usugin”. I was still very early in my pregnancy then.

As for my in laws, H told them when I was already in 8 weeks just in time because my sister in law who’s not based here was also in town. They were also happy and gave me a lot of tips for pregnancy.

During these times, I also had to do an emergency visit to my doctor because I encountered a no-no in pregnancy. But it’s a long emotional story and I think that’s for a different blog post. 🙂

So yeah, the whole family is happy and very very excited to meet the little one. He/She will be the first grandchild in my family and the only baby in my in laws side. I wonder if the family will spoil the baby. Hmm… well we’ll get to that next time! Ciao! 🙂

Welcome to YELLOWMUM! It's my new category sharing with you my journey as an expectant mum! :)

I have been tracking my period for more than a year now and I've also been checked by my doctor. I was actually diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and was prescribed medication for it. And since we were trying to get pregnant, I started drinking folic acid.

A few days after my supposedly date of menstruation, I was already praying and hoping that this is it. We waited for about a week and then I took a pregnancy test. (No, I am not going to post a photo of my pregnancy test anymore.) Three minutes later, there was a faint second line or a faint positive. My hubby was so happy but I told him I wanted to check again. I wasn't sure if it was indeed positive because the second line was extremely light. Good thing we bought 2 pregnancy kits. The second test also showed a second line and it was already darker. We were both so so happy and we hugged each other tight but I knew that we were both praying that this was real.

But since I wanted to make sure and I kinda felt that the kits that we bought weren't the good ones. (I forgot the brands because I threw the boxes away after using), I bought another kit and took the test after 2 days. I read that sometimes when you test early the HcG levels aren't at its peak yet. So I made sure to buy a "better looking" kit thinking that maybe this is a better quality kit. So anyways, I did my business first thing in the morning and yes, finally, second line showed! No more doubts, I was really pregnant!

I went to the doctor when I was around 6 weeks and she was delighted when we told her. I was prescribed some medications early this year to help me ovulate since apparently, I wasn't ovulating or releasing an egg every month (which was really shocking to me since my period is regular and heavy even). I took that 5 days a month and after a cycle of three months, I stopped and two months later, I found out I was pregnant. She checked me and said that my cervix was closed meaning I was really pregnant. She asked me to continue my folic acid because it's very important during the development of the baby. And that was it. She asked me to come back after a month for my follow up check up. :) I remember feeling "high" when I left the clinic. I was so happy. H was as happy as I was because he really really really wanted this too.

Anyways, we decided to keep it to ourselves first and we didn't tell the family right away. I think we told them when I was already almost 7 weeks. I remember it was a few days before Father's Day and H and I visited my family and I asked my dad if he already wanted to receive his Father's Day gift. Obviously he said yes, and I told them I was pregnant. Everyone was stunned, jaws open, eyes wide. But like my mum said, "wag usugin". I was still very early in my pregnancy then.

As for my in laws, H told them when I was already in 8 weeks just in time because my sister in law who's not based here was also in town. They were also happy and gave me a lot of tips for pregnancy.

During these times, I also had to do an emergency visit to my doctor because I encountered a no-no in pregnancy. But it's a long emotional story and I think that's for a different blog post. :)

For some reason, I find my skin oilier nowadays even though it's been raining nonstop and it's pretty cool outside; usually my skin tends to be a little bit more on the dry side when it's the rainy season and most especially if it's cold. However, I find myself needing to blot every 2 hours just to remove excess oil.

I found one powder foundation that lets my skin be a little bit more matte and saves me from retouching ever so often. (Oh I hate retouching many times throughout the day.)

Colour Collection Skin Perfecting Dual Powder Foundation in Medium Beige

I have finally used my Skin Perfecting Dual Powder Foundation- I've had this for the longest time but just haven't had time to roadtest it yet since I still have some powder foundation on my makeup table that I want to finish first. And since I became just a little bit more adventurous and wanted to find something that would help keep my oiliness at bay, I gave this a try, not knowing what to expect.

First of all, let's talk packaging! As always, since it's from the Makeup Artist Edition, it comes in a sleek shiny black compact with a small mirror and a washable sponge. It's very handy too.

I've tried using the product as powder using a kabuki brush and I've also used a wet sponge in applying the product. I would have to say that if it's used dry, it gives a very light coverage to the face. It works just like a pressed powder. It won't cover any blemishes or scars. But when used wet, it gives medium to almost full coverage. It reduces appearance of blemishes and imperfection of the skin.

(No blush/contour/primer)

2 hours after makeup application

What's also perfect about this product is that it gives a matte finish but leaves the skin still feeling silky. Some matte products tend to make the face look flat and dull because it absorbs all the hydration of the skin, but the Skin Perfecting Dual Powder doesn't. And my face stays matte for 3-3.5 hours before the oil starts to build up. And that's a really good news for me given my skin condition nowadays!

Medium Beige is a little bit light for my skin tone in my opinion but I still enjoy wearing it for an ordinary day. It would look really really light on me in flash photography but what the heck, it keeps my face from making me a grease pan! :p Haha!

So to whom do I recommend this product to? I guess it's pretty obvious. To those who have oily skin, you might want to check this out. It worked for me and I just had to blot my skin after 4 hours (take note that my skin has been acting up lately). I would use this wet for parties or when I'm off to an event but other than that, for an ordinary day that you don't need much coverage, apply it with a powder brush and you're good to go! :D

All in all, I have to say that the only downside is that it's a little bit hard to find. A lot of people have been asking me where they can get Colour Collection products. Well, you have to buy it from a Colour Collection seller. But here's their facebook page to check out the collection.

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