Karla Kaye Lawas-Maglasang, 22

Receptionist Baby's name: Karlos Roque L. Maglasang Age: 1 year old

Karla was ecstatic and beyond ready when she learned she was going to be a mother because having her own beautiful family was something she always dreamed of. This dream was then realized on March 3, 2017 when she gave birth to a baby boy who she named Karlos. For a first-time mom like her, she initially thought that taking care of a baby was just a walk in the park. "When I was already in the situation, I realized that every woman should be mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially prepared before having a baby."

She could mention all the challenges she had to face after having her baby, but if she were to focus on two, one would be waking up every hour to attend to the needs of her son. She shared that Karlos cried a lot and it was tough for her because before she had him, Karla slept for eight to 10 hours straight. Sharing that she is a hands- on mom, Karla didn't want to depend on other people to take care of her son. "I want to do everything by myself even if getting up seems unbearable. I don’t want a nanny to take my place. I want to do everything on my own because I am the mother and it’s my responsibility."

Another challenge she had to face was breastfeeding. Karla had no milk when she gave birth and out of her desperation, she did everything she could to produce milk because feeding formula milk was never an option. All these, however, are temporary challenges and they are nothing compared to the rewarding feeling you get as a mother.

For Karla, the most rewarding part is witnessing his son grow and achieve the developmental milestones of a baby. "I enjoyed all the firsts of my baby. I even have a list of the date and what he accomplished. The first word, smile, laugh, grasp, sit, stand, crawl, roll over, walk, dance, name it all." Karla added that although taking care of a baby is really tiring, God still blessed here with the sweetest and clingiest baby any mom could ask for.