Maternal
.
My 3 year-old's mommy dog and pup not feeling too well.
(yes that's a bobble head dog we bought off a street vendor)
I am constantly amazed at how natural it is for little girls to feel maternal. The concept of "mother-baby" is something they learn at the earliest stage of play. It's natural. Moms are always there from the very start of life (in most cases). Even Sophia's toy dinosaurs had babies; one dino mom adopted a little pony. See the photo here.
If you've been reading my blog for sometime, you've figured out that I tend to ramble on about my motherhood. I don't do it on purpose. And I'm sure I've alienated some male readers early on (I've been told). Its just that... this is what I really do. The show, the jewelry designs, the home brand and all the media stuff are bonuses that I've been lucky at. And at some point I should let a professional handle managing those little enterprises for me. But for now, I still have to work. Hence the daily juggling act of being a mother with a cool part-time job.
How honoured was I to find out that I could channel this motherhood "passion" further and possibly make a difference in many people's lives? I had a very interesting meeting with Unicef yesterday. It was really amazing to find out about their programs in the Philippines.
Unicef invited me to support their work in Maternal and Newborn Health starting with breast-feeding. I am so excited to work with them. From what I understand, being a supporter of Unicef allows one to actively participate in the programs and be an advocate. It's a lot of voluntary work and it's up to you how far you want to take it. Gary Valenciano has been Unicef's national ambassador since 1997 focusing on education, health, nutrition and child protection. For more of Unicef's programs, check their website.
The meeting reminded of the work I used to do... last decade (I'm still coming to terms with my age LOL). As I've mentioned a few times, development work and urban planning were the reasons why I went back to the Philippines. TV/media was accidental. I lived and worked in Guimaras for one year.
Guimaras. The rest of the story is in this photo, click to see the caption in flickr.
Guimaras 1996. I've always wanted to become a mother. My fondness of babies led me to a bit of trouble though. I found out that one doesn't just go up to a baby and call her/him "cute." I got told off by a few mothers in the barangays and quickly learned the meaning of USOG.
I am reading the thick Unicef report and am stuck at the section about how so many women still die from pregnancy complications and childbirth. Locally a lot of women rely on hilot method of giving birth. It's worked this way for hundreds of years. Every barangay has a mang-hihilot. Delivery may not be the problem. It's the fact that women and midwives can't recognize that they're having real complications (like hemorrhage) and that they should be brought to a health centre for medical attention. I know I have some doctor readers, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this.
I feel energized. I really hope we can encourage more moms in this country to breast feed. It'll help reduce exposure to bacteria and infection. It really is the best for babies. Like I always say, breast feeding is love. It's free, it's natural, it's healthy and it can help you lose weight. I also hope we can convince companies to be mother-friendly: to have rooms where moms can express milk, to allow 20+ minute breaks every 4 hours so moms can pump and to provide refrigerators for milk storage. I hope shopping malls provide "family rooms" so it's easier and cleaner to change babies' diapers. Is it too much to ask for a breastfeeding lounge in Rockwell? They have them in SM malls already. My wish list continues...
I took this photo across the street from the Hyatt in Malate.
I wish this didn't have to happen anymore.
.
My 3 year-old's mommy dog and pup not feeling too well.
(yes that's a bobble head dog we bought off a street vendor)
I am constantly amazed at how natural it is for little girls to feel maternal. The concept of "mother-baby" is something they learn at the earliest stage of play. It's natural. Moms are always there from the very start of life (in most cases). Even Sophia's toy dinosaurs had babies; one dino mom adopted a little pony. See the photo here.
If you've been reading my blog for sometime, you've figured out that I tend to ramble on about my motherhood. I don't do it on purpose. And I'm sure I've alienated some male readers early on (I've been told). Its just that... this is what I really do. The show, the jewelry designs, the home brand and all the media stuff are bonuses that I've been lucky at. And at some point I should let a professional handle managing those little enterprises for me. But for now, I still have to work. Hence the daily juggling act of being a mother with a cool part-time job.
How honoured was I to find out that I could channel this motherhood "passion" further and possibly make a difference in many people's lives? I had a very interesting meeting with Unicef yesterday. It was really amazing to find out about their programs in the Philippines.
Click to viewUnicef invited me to support their work in Maternal and Newborn Health starting with breast-feeding. I am so excited to work with them. From what I understand, being a supporter of Unicef allows one to actively participate in the programs and be an advocate. It's a lot of voluntary work and it's up to you how far you want to take it. Gary Valenciano has been Unicef's national ambassador since 1997 focusing on education, health, nutrition and child protection. For more of Unicef's programs, check their website.
The meeting reminded of the work I used to do... last decade (I'm still coming to terms with my age LOL). As I've mentioned a few times, development work and urban planning were the reasons why I went back to the Philippines. TV/media was accidental. I lived and worked in Guimaras for one year.
Guimaras. The rest of the story is in this photo, click to see the caption in flickr.
Guimaras 1996. I've always wanted to become a mother. My fondness of babies led me to a bit of trouble though. I found out that one doesn't just go up to a baby and call her/him "cute." I got told off by a few mothers in the barangays and quickly learned the meaning of USOG.
I am reading the thick Unicef report and am stuck at the section about how so many women still die from pregnancy complications and childbirth. Locally a lot of women rely on hilot method of giving birth. It's worked this way for hundreds of years. Every barangay has a mang-hihilot. Delivery may not be the problem. It's the fact that women and midwives can't recognize that they're having real complications (like hemorrhage) and that they should be brought to a health centre for medical attention. I know I have some doctor readers, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this.
I feel energized. I really hope we can encourage more moms in this country to breast feed. It'll help reduce exposure to bacteria and infection. It really is the best for babies. Like I always say, breast feeding is love. It's free, it's natural, it's healthy and it can help you lose weight. I also hope we can convince companies to be mother-friendly: to have rooms where moms can express milk, to allow 20+ minute breaks every 4 hours so moms can pump and to provide refrigerators for milk storage. I hope shopping malls provide "family rooms" so it's easier and cleaner to change babies' diapers. Is it too much to ask for a breastfeeding lounge in Rockwell? They have them in SM malls already. My wish list continues...
I took this photo across the street from the Hyatt in Malate.
I wish this didn't have to happen anymore.
.