Gapanese Girl at 36 Weeks

    For the benefit of those who haven't seen me with my baby bump, I'm sharing this photo that Jovel took last Sunday. Wala lang, kaming dalawa lang nandito sa bahay so I asked him to shoot some photos dahil wala pa kong picture na kita ang tiyan ko. :D


    I've been staying in Gapan for almost two weeks. I haven't been online as often as before because I'm sharing the desktop with my younger sis, Mitchie, and I haven't been texting much because I left my mobile phone with Jovel who is staying in Manila. (He's now servicing my Sun Life clients)


    Junior Pie and I are now on our 37^th week and Dra. Susan Ancheta Siga-An is taking good care of us for the past two weeks. An OB in Manila diagnosed that I had some pregnancy complications including polyhydramnios and placenta previa on my 33^rd week, but Tita Susan and her associate found no evidence of these conditions when they checked me via an ultrasound last week. She also assured me that there's a good chance that I can have a vaginal delivery. Naiskandalo ako nung sinabi niya while doing an I.E., "ang luwang naman pala ng dadaanan e!". Nakakaloka! :D
    

The DOH Unang Yakap Campaign

   On December 7, 2009, the Department of Health launched the Unang Yakap Campaign. With this campaign, the DOH aims to cut down infant mortality in the Philippines by at least half. The campaign employs Essential Newborn Care (ENC) Protocol as a strategy to improve the health of the newborn through interventions before conception, during pregnancy, at and soon after birth, and in the postnatal period. The ENC Protocol provides an evidence-based, low cost, low technology package of interventions that will save thousands of lives.

    Based on health statistics, the Philippines is one of the 42 countries that account for 90% of under-five mortality worldwide. 82,000 Filipino children under five years old die every year. 37% of them are newborn. Majority of them (3/4) die within the first two days of life. Mostly due to stressful events or conditions during labor, delivery and immediate postpartum period. The current practice of handling newborns, like clamping and cutting the umbilical cord and washing the baby right after birth, have been known to actually contribute to the high incidence of neonatal deaths and illnesses in the country. Thus the need for a paradigm shift from  the prevailing standard procedures into the new protocol.

    Health Secretary Duque explained that the ENC Protocol involves focusing on the first hours of life of the newborn with the manual guiding health workers in providing evidence-based essential newborn care.
 
       The guidelines categorize procedures into time-bound, non time-bound and unnecessary procedures:

• Time bound procedures should be routinely performed first - immediate drying, skin-to-skin contact followed by clamping of the cord after one to three minutes, non-separation of the newborn from the mother and breastfeeding initiation.
  
• Non time-bound intervention should only be done after the first full breastfeed. These are immunizations, eye care, Vitamin K administration and weighing. Washing must be postponed by at least 6 hours.
  
• The so-called unnecessary procedures include routine suctioning, routine separation of newborns for observations, administration of prelacteals like glucose, water formula and footprinting.

       Here's a screen capture of the ENC time-bound intervention flowchart as presented by Dr. Maria Asuncion Silvestre F.A.A.P.

   In celebration of the International Women's Month, the U.P. Manila School of Health Sciences held a symposium with the theme "Unang Yakap: Yakap ng Ina. Yakap ng Buhay" to tackle the New DOH-WHO ENC Protocol. Sadly, some participants from the medical and academe sectors commented that the new protocol is contrary with the common practices of most local hospitals today. The ENC is currently being practiced by three hospitals in Metro Manila: Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, and Fabella Memorial Medical Center and Philippine General Hospital in Manila.

♥♥♥

    Now, one of my concerns as an expectant mom is to ensure that the new protocol would be observed when I give birth to Junior Pie in Gapan. Will probably discuss this with the pedia beforehand and attach a copy of Dra. Silvestre's presentation, the Administrative Order and ENC Guidebook to my birth plan.

Wrong Side

   Pregnant women are advised to avoid sleeping on their back because this sleeping position rests the entire weight of their heavy uterus on their back, intestines and two major blood vessels. This will not only worsen backaches but will also interfere with breathing and cut off the blood circulation to the baby. Sleeping on the left side is recommended to allow for maximum flow of blood and nutrients to the placenta.

   I've been following this advice since I read it in Smart Parenting's "The Smart Mom's guide to Pregnancy and Baby's First Year" book. I was then 2 months pregnant. Seven months into my pregnancy, I would often wake up in the middle of the night feeling sore on my left side. I seldom feel rested or relaxed whenever I lie on my left side. It seems like I'm literally getting tired of lying on my left side and longing to rest my back or right side, after a long while of not being able to.

   Sometimes, when I go to bed early and Jovel is still up or whenever I wake up a little early in the morning, I would try to sneak a few minutes of sleep on my right side. Grabeh, miss na miss ko nang matulog nang nakatihaya or sa right side. I would tell Junior Pie, "Right side muna tayo mag-sleep Junior ha. Sandali lang. Kick mong malakas si mami kapag nahirapan ka." Wala pang 10 minutes, Junior pie would start kicking violently on my right side, as if trying to turn me to the other side by herself and telling me that I'm sleeping on the wrong side. Ang cute noh? So balik ulit ako sa left side. Hay...

Junior Pie's ticker

   It seems no one's scrolling further down enough to notice Junior Pie's Lilypie ticker.