PRECIOUS MOMENTS

FIRST-TIME MOMS ON THE JOYS AND CHALLENGES OF MOTHERHOOD

Motherhood is an exciting yet pressure-filled chapter in a woman’s life. From positive confirmation and nine months of carriage to labor and raising your own little one, being a mom presents its own set of precious moments and challenges at the same time — it’s a life experience like no other, for sure. Read on and get to know these first-time mothers and their sentiments on motherhood.

Banker

LBaby's name: Zach Ashton Barliso Age: 1 year and 5 months

earning that she would soon become a mother scared Hilda. The uncertainty got the best of her and she often questioned herself if she was going to be a good parent to her child especially since she will be raising her baby alone. The thought of this terrified her but nonetheless, Hilda was brave enough to give birth to her son on the 16th of November in 2016.

The day she gave birth was sort of unexpected because she thought that it was only her usual check up at the doctor, but that was actually it. She was going to give birth. She even shared that she was the only one who went to the hospital to deliver her baby, but good thing her aunt showed up later.

Being a first-time mom was challenging for Hilda especially when it came to breastfeeding because she had a low milk supply, which was depressing for her. "As a mom, I wanted to provide what was best for my baby that's why I've been giving it my all with breastfeeding despite having a low milk supply." Up until now, she still breastfeeds her baby.

As a single parent, Hilda also had her troubles and worries. In times when her baby was sick, she considered it as a real challenge because there was no one she can share her worries with and going to the doctor alone with her son was difficult too. But she was also thankful for the company of her parents during the first few months since she wasn't really familiar with what to do yet.

And although motherhood is financially challenging for her, nothing beats the reward of getting the best hugs and kisses from her baby, which make all her worries go away in a flash. Zach, who is now one year and five months old, is Hilda's main source of happiness and strength.

Recruitment Officer Baby's name: Alexander Nathan P. Teves Age: 1 year and 11 months

Catherine was 27 when she got pregnant, and upon learning she was going to be a mother, she was overjoyed and excited. She even got emotional during her first ultrasound when she saw her baby-to-be and heard his heartbeat. Even on the first month of her pregnancy, she was already super excited to buy baby stuff, but of course, that didn't happen until she was six to seven months pregnant.

At 28, Catherine gave birth to Alexander, and with the coming of her baby, challenges presented themselves, too. Every first time mom has her personal challenges to face, and for Catherine, lack of sleep and time management were two of them. "I know it is normal to have sleepless nights when you have a baby, but being a first time mom, I really had difficulty in juggling my time for my baby and work." Catherine added that she only got two to three hours of sleep every day since she needs to wake up early for work.

Despite the lack of sleep and some troubles with time management, moments with her son always shines through and instantly makes everything worth the sleepless nights. "So far, the most rewarding part is when he flashes his sweetest smile at me and calls me "mama" — a very heartwarming moment for me."