A 1st For Everything

I can still vividly recall the day I gave birth to my kids Jasmine & Juro. Both firsts were memorable. I was lucky I had a privilege to get settled in a night before I delivered both my kids. It was as if we just checked-in at a hotel on Christmas Eve, waiting for Santa to give us his present.

Here’s Mr. GJG & I hours before we got to meet lil’ Ms. GJG. We were clueless but we were excited of what’s to happen.

I gave birth to Gabbie at Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa. I know it’s super far from our home but it’s one of the affiliated hospitals of my OB-Gynecologist and she herself recommended I give birth there because of the hotel-like accommodation.

Here’s our spacious suite when I gave birth to lil’ Mr. GJG.

Selfie shot hours before I delivered my gwapito.

I gave birth to Juro at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Global City. I even wrote a detailed post about it here. I am truly blessed that on both my deliveries I had an option and choice to go for a private suite. It may not be a big deal for most but recovering after giving birth isn’t as easy as it looks and having some space and privacy can really help you relax and rest. Having such privacy where you can celebrate and create bonding moments with your baby after giving birth is something I think all moms deserve, don’t you think?

Seeing both my kids for the first time was the first bonding moment I’ve ever created with them. The immediate connection I felt validated the fact that I am theirs and they are mine. That truly is priceless.

Lil’ Ms. GJG a few hours old.

Lil’ Mr. GJG just a few hours old.

A mom’s 1^st smile. A baby’s 1^st cry. Their 1^st bonding moment.

I know moms-to-be are excited to create their own first bonding moment with their baby. But not everyone gets the privilege to enjoy it even in the most simplest comfortable manner. Most of them never did, like the moms of Fabella.

Have you ever heard of the maternity hospital Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial? I have. I know about Fabella hospital even before I became a mom. I’ve been hearing about how wonderful it is that they get to deliver an average of 55 babies in a day. Earning them the moniker “baby factory”. Their reputation of accommodating hundreds of moms and babies is easily followed with an expression of amazement on how they manage to do so.

One can easily picture how each day goes at Fabella, where hundreds of families flock to avail of the low-cost maternal care. Fabella caters to premature and high-risk babies and most of the families you see here are those who cannot afford quality hospitalisation. It is evident that Fabella needs better facilities to accommodate the volume of maternity patients every day.

The absence of waiting chairs and hospital beds among others. Oxygen tanks are even placed along the corridors together with the waiting families and visitors. Worn out walls, windows and floors are evident and ventilation is also limited, making the recovery ward swelter in midday heat.

Most of the time, a bed is shared by two even four moms and their newborns. It’s too crowded there’s not enough space for privacy or an intimate moment with your newborn.

How heartbreaking is it to look at these premies sharing a baby cot. Lack of it along with other proper facilities such as storage cabinets or hygienic wash areas are some of the ongoing concerns the The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit faces.

The reality that Fabella’s breastfeeding station looks like this. A poorly ventilated room where a handful of moms cram together on a tiny, thin-foamed wooden benches. Looking at this photo, I can only assume it isn’t as comfortable and as joyful to breastfeed a newborn.

Despite all of these, Fabella remains to be a beacon of hope as it continues to provide low-cost maternity care services. Keen as the hospital is in providing the best that it can for its patients, Fabella urgently needs help—because these babies and their mothers deserve nothing less than better, happier and brighter experiences.

Good thing, NIVEA BABY takes the 1st Step to Caring Beyond Skincare. They have big plans to renovate the maternity wing of Dr. Jose Fabella Memorail Hospital. Hooray for this! This is a first for NIVEA BABY. I believe they completely understand that each mom and child deserve nothing but the best the moment they created their first bonding experience. Through this project of renovating Fabella hospital, it would certainly bring much joy to the hundreds of moms and their newborns together with their families in creating their first step towards their wonderful journey of motherhood.

I am so lucky to be part of this beautiful project, where not only Fabella maternity hospital will undergo change but as well as the hundreds of moms and babies who will benefit from this transformation. This project through NIVEA BABY aims to improve the Welcome Area, Breastfeeding Station, Intermediate Area, Maternity Wards and most especially the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I am honored to be one of the bloggers NIVEA BABY chose to partner in sharing the good news to everyone. Join me as I keep you updated on the step by step transition towards change.

Here’s a look at the first step of NIVEA BABY in making a great change to Fabella.

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Change is coming and it’s going to be great and good! You too can be part of the #CaringBeyondSkincare movement by visiting www.facebook.com/NIVEABABYPhilippines

Have a great weekend ahead everyone!

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