I Gave Birth to a 4.5kg Baby - Mother Challenge

So, I read yet another challenge here on read, and right there and then I knew I must join. Thanks to @Micontingsabit for posting and for @Janz for creating this challenge for moms.

What is the challenge all about?

Share a picture of your baby bump while you were pregnant, picture of your child as a newborn and current picture of your child.

Motherhood

I had shared this before and I will state this once again, I never thought that I will be a mother after an ectopic operation and I didn't realize how strong a mother's body can be until I became one.

True enough, motherhood is also hard. There are so many changes from the physical aspect, to the emotional, and the responsibilities that we can't get away at all. When I became a mother, I came to appreciate more what my mother had done for us. Having four children with just a few years gap means tending to a newborn child while there's also a toddler.

So, guys out there, you must appreciate the women in your life, your mom, your grandmother if they are still alive, your wife, your aunties, cousins, and more.

But anyway, I salute all the mothers out there and my prayer is for us to continue loving being a mother, to always do our best in all our endeavors. Aja mga mommies!

Baby Bump

I was not very proud of my baby bump when I was pregnant because it was very huge! I remember one time during my doctor's appointment, there was another preggy opposite to where I was seated, we were both waiting for the OB. She came in first so she will be entertained next. I noticed her tummy is not yet that big while I was looking like about to burst. I was still around eight months pregnant at that time I guess, so I still have another month before giving birth.

Our conversation went like this:

Me: Hi mommy! Are you also going to see Doc Honey?

Preggy: Yes mommy, I need to ask for an admission slip. I am scheduled for CS next week.

Me: (curios) ahh, so how many weeks are you pregnant?

Preggy: I am 38 weeks pregnant.

Me: (jaw dropped) What? my tummy looks way way bigger than yours! I even look like I am already due!

We both laughed.

But really, because of the pandemic, I had only stayed at home the entire time. I will only go out for a quick walk or go out to see my doctor. I had been busy with my YouTube channel at that time and so most of my time was spent in front of a computer making videos or live streaming. Then I would be scrolling through Food Panda or Grab to order food. I craved pasta, pizza, chicken wings, and everything in between. I didn't drink soft drinks that much but I always ask for milk tea.

And although I know eating those would make me fuller, I never really thought of that as the craving was strong during that time. I didn't even eat much rice. I limit myself to 3/4 cup rice. But it was still surprising especially when I go out and meet other pregnant women who look like they just ate a few pieces of apples while I ate an entire giant watermelon!

I also had some concerns with my ectopic operation keloid. It was itchy during my pregnancy and it darkened together with my linya negra. I can't help but feel pity looking at my tummy. Before becoming pregnant, I had feared that my tummy would just pop open because of the long scar from my belly button down for around four inches long.

Here's a bigger view of my tummy:

And our virtual gender reveal:

My husband posted this video on his YouTube channel.

Newborn Picture

After pushing and passing out, I was awakened by Matti's cry. I tried holding him but his arms were waving here and there and it was slimy so I didn't exert much effort to hold him. Doc Honey placed him in my tummy and a nurse took him for clean up. I didn't have my unang yakap moment and I felt sad.

Anyway, I slept during the stitching part. It took longer because my OB stitched it but found out later that there was something wrong so she redid the stitching until it was all done. I felt like I was being punished during that time and when I looked at Doc Honey after the stitching, she had blood all over her suit, I imagined that she had just butchered something.

I didn't have the strength to ask them to take photographs of my baby. I was just very exhausted as my last meal was at three in the afternoon the other day and I gave birth at 11:15 AM. But gladly, Doc Honey sent photos and a video clip of Matti and I am grateful she did.

Here's Matti:

I gave birth to a bouncing 4.5 kg baby boy! Imagine how big Matti was and that's due to all the carbs I ate while still pregnant. Matti was very fat and was the biggest at the nursery and most of the nurses would scream at how huge the baby was. I remember one nurse who would love checking on Matti and when we were about to check out of the hospital, she gave Matti a nicely tucked swaddle.

Matti lost a few of his birth weight in the first week but he was surely a bigger baby because when my sister-in-law gave birth, her baby was very light when I carried her compared to when Matti was a newborn.

However, he regained it in the second week and he was truly a big baby up until he learned how to walk and play around.

Recent Photo

Fifteen months postpartum, this is Matti:

The photo above was taken when we were on the way to Cebu, we were still on the ship.

And this one just a few hours earlier, we had lunch at Serenity Farm and Resort and his father was already tired from running after Matti so he carried him and that's Matti's face when his papa told him no more running.

He still looks chubby but he had already lost a lot. He is already able to talk to us and give some statements such as:

Mama, dede... (asking for milk)

Papa, ta ta ta! (asking papa to take him outside)

He loves watching Cocomelon, he also enjoys playing with stackable cups, he recognizes a lot of animals, instruments, and things which are visible in our place like camera, light, and more.

He knows how to kiss us and is a sweet baby. He knows when we are praying and would clasp his hands together then says ameeen. He learned how to do the "mano po" gesture and already recognizes everyone in the family.

Mama note...

Having a baby is a miracle, I can talk about my baby boy for hours and let you bore with more but really, mothers deserve being loved as growing a baby even from pregnancy, giving birth, and post-partum, it is truly a selfless act of love. Love drives us to get up and feed our babies, and it is love that we needed for us to continue.

I must say that our husbands play a vital role in our postpartum recovery and beyond. Without the help of a husband, a mother might end up depressed. I am grateful to my husband for being very hands-on in taking care of Matti and me as well. He was there for me all the time, even missed sleeping.

So, to you reading this, make an extra effort to appreciate your mom, your wife, and all the mothers out there. Don't judge her if she sleeps whenever she has the time, or if she is just on her phone, or if she wasn't able to cook so she just ordered food outside. Mothers know their responsibilities and doing all the house chores takes a lot of time plus there's a baby to attend to. Give her the support she needed and if there's a mother who just gave birth, ask how she is doing, give her a massage, offer to cook for her, and more. Just make her feel loved!

That's it! Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

momentswithmatti

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