“I cried every time I saw my baby on the monitor!”

Chessy Alejandro’s motherhood journey

Most every woman is familiar with the pregnancy test kit. It’s an unassuming little device, all in white, with a little window that has the potential to change her whole world. This is is exactly what happened to Chessy Alejandro, mom of two and blogger over at Chessy.PH.

Chessy remembers the very first time she found out that she was going to be a mom. She says, “I was not feeling well all of a sudden and I thought of taking a pregnancy test. Lo and behold, it read positive!”

She called her husband to tell him about the double lines. In the afternoon, they went to her Ob-Gyne for confirmation.

Unlike most moms who had morning sickness during the first trimester, Chessy didn’t experience any of the usual symptoms. She says, “I even went to the States and walked around New York!”

Joys and challenges

During her third trimester, however, Chessy was confined to her bed as she was having early contractions. Fortunately, she and her husband had already done the rounds of prenatal classes before then. The couple attended Rome Kanapi’s prenatal classes and Abbie Yabot’s Breastfeeding 101. They also talked with CordLife for cord blood banking. Chessy did not want to leave any stone unturned when it came to preparing for the arrival of her bundle of joy.

But what Chessy looked forward to most was her ultrasound visits. She recalls, “I think I cried every time I saw my baby on the monitor! It was surreal seeing a life form in me.”

Which was not to say that Chessy did not have any worries. She did, and had plenty.

“I had an aunt who delivered prematurely when we were supposed to deliver on the same month. That really got me worried and read up on premature babies. I think whenever pregnant moms hear of such stories, they will think that it will happen to them also.”

Chessy worried about chemicals in food, cosmetics, and everyday materials. She made the switch to organic and kept a food journal.

Chessy’s second pregnancy

Though Chessy’s second pregnancy was not planned, she was far more relaxed than the first one. She recalls, “My second pregnancy came as a surprise. We were planning to have a second baby when our firstborn is five years old, but he became a big brother at three! During my second pregnancy, I was more confident and didn’t bother reading books or going to classes.”

She did pray hard for a baby girl, and worried about how her son would adjust.

The good and the bad

But whether it was her first pregnancy or her second, there were some things that Chessy liked and didn’t like about bring pregnant. She loved that she felt good in anything she wore, she loved being able to eat whatever she liked, and she was super happy that she had great, strong nails and hair. The constant peeing, the itchy belly, and the dark underarms she didn’t like much though.

There was one other element that was constant in her two pregnancies: Mommy Mundo. She says, “For both my pregnancies, I attended Mommy Mundo’s Pregnant Pause. It was just funny that both events happened at the same venue.”

At Pregnant Pause, Chessy learned about nursing wear, making her breastfeeding journey easier. She also met the mommy-bloggers who inspired her to blog at Pregnant Pause.

Expo Mom: The Motherhood Journey

This is Chessy’s pregnancy story; how was yours like? We’d love to hear it. Share your journey at Expo Mom: The Motherhood Journey when it comes to Cebu on June 18, Saturday, at the Ayala Center, Cebu and to Negros on June 25, Saturday, at the North Point Mall, Bacolod City.

Let’s celebrate the miracle of life together!

Chessy Alejandro publishes the blog Chessy at www.chessy.ph. Visit Expo Mom: The Motherhood Journey goes to Cebu on June 18, Saturday, at the Ayala Center, Cebu and to Negros on June 25, Saturday, at the North Point Mall, Bacolod City.