Join the One Million Clean Toilets Movement

Did you know that 443 million school days are lost each year because of unsanitary toilets?

According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), children around the world miss an estimated 443 million school days each year because of diseases caused by poor sanitation and hygiene practices, including using unsanitary toilets. Simply put, this number of sick days is equivalent to all grade school and high school classrooms in the Philippines being empty for one month. This sanitation-related concern hinders the children’s learning and significantly reduces their quality of life.

Illnesses due to poor toilet sanitation include diarrhoeal disease and parasitic worm infections which can lead to nutritional deficiencies, physical and mental stunting, and death. Every day, millions of children in rural communities and urban households nationwide are exposed to these health problems by using dirty toilets populated by disease-carrying germs.

According to Dr. Luisa Efren of the Philippine Public Health Association (PPHA), the simple act of proper toilet sanitation can help prevent the spread of these germs. However, children continue to be at risk from these deadly diseases because many households still use ordinary laundry bleach to clean their toilet bowls, which is not enough to kill all toilet germs.

“A toilet that looks clean to the naked eye may not necessarily be free from germs and bacteria. So, it is very important to properly sanitize all surfaces using a germ-kill expert with proven efficacy in eliminating bacteria, and not just any ordinary laundry bleach,” Dr. Efren warned.

For the past three years, Unilever Philippines through its germ-kill expert brand Domex, has been working with UNICEF and PPHA to champion the One Million Clean Toilets Movement. This advocacy program aims to educate Filipinos on proper toilet hygiene and the need for sanitized household toilets to keep their families safe against disease-causing germs.

On November 13, World Toilet Day, join the One Million Clean Toilets Movement in the fight against disease causing germs to save lives, one clean toilet at a time. To learn more about Domex and how you can stay safe from disease with a germ-free home, visit Domex Philippines on Facebook.

You can also help the 1 Million Clean Toilets Movement fight against disease by spreading awareness on the sanitation issue caused unsanitary toilets. Watch and share the “Sick Days” video below to help keep your family and friends germ-free.

3 months of Skyler

Wow, time sure flies! I still remember like it was just yesterday when I was counting down the days until I was about to give birth. And then Skyler finally came out, and I was facing the new challenges of being a mom again. I remember the first few nights in the hospital, the anxiety of being at home with the new baby for the first time, lots of thoughts about how Miley and Sabe will react to their new brother, breastfeeding issues, and the sleepless nights! Even though this is baby #3 already, it still wasn't as easy as you would think.

Breastfeeding wasn't easy at first (I remember being so engorged and the awful pain when Skyler would latch on during the early days), I had hardly slept for more than 2 straight hours and was basically a walking zombie, and I was feeling so guilty about not being able to spend quality time with my 2 other kids who I know needed their mom too. It was definitely overwhelming and I remember looking down at Skyler's little face and tiny hands and thinking "I'm sure in a few months it would all be very different..."

And it sure is!

Skyler just turned 3 months old and is already showing signs of his adorable personality. I love this age when he is starting to interact with us already, with lots of eye contact and smiles. He loves it when I talk to him, even just me saying his name over and over! Singing also helps calm him down when he's fussy or agitated. He's also stronger now, being able to lift his head during tummy time. He's also so siksik and heavy already that my arms are given a workout every time I carry him (which is basically all the time lol!).

one of the first smiles I ever captured

Miley and Sabe are now also used to their baby brother, although they react to him very differently. Miley adores Skyler with all her heart and really is so protective and loving towards him. She always wants to see his face and keeps asking about him. She gets so gigil with him too! Sabe, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. He acknowledges Skyler but doesn't want to be near him... There's still a bit of jealousy going on especially if he sees we're paying more attention to the baby than him. That's why he constantly hug and tell him we love him so that it doesn't develop into a middle-child syndrome. I hope he grows out of it soon though and that they grow up to be best friends. :)

Also one of the best developments is that that breastfeeding doesn't hurt anymore and I am now also able to pump and store milk! And I love it when I feed Skyler and he's just looking up at me with those adorable eyes. Makes all the previous pain so worth it. :)

what a happy, smiley baby!

fist bump

Skyler also loves taking a bath, especially since it's sooo hot these days! He gets so sweaty easily and then super lagkit! You can tell he feels so refreshed after every bath time since he's so calm and happy, and then usually falls asleep.

Don't get me wrong, it will still probably be a while before I get a good night's rest since he still doesn't sleep through most of the night. He'll probably sleep about 2-3 hours straight (4 at the most), but usually he likes it when he's in my arms (ayaw magpababa!). So I have a lot of back pain and stiff neck from nursing and then falling asleep in a sitting down position. We've tried letting him cry it out when he wanted to be carried but I guess we're just too soft-hearted and can't stand seeing his pouty face (super kawawa!). And like most babies, he reserves his long naps in the morning or in the late afternoon... And then wakes up and starts to get fussy right when me and hubby feel sleepy already haha!

oooh, look he has dimples!

He also got sick a few weeks ago, because both Miley and Sabe had colds too. I was so confident that he would be fine since we were exclusively breastfeeding, but he got vaccinated at around the same time so I guess his immune system got weak. You can just imagine how stressed out we all were with 3 sick kids! I was so confused and worried because I kept reading how you shouldn't give months-old babies any medicine yet. So all I did was use saline nasal drops and then suctioning the nose for a whole week. He wasn't getting better and it was torture hearing his sipon and cough get worse. But he never lost his appetite or got matamlay. His colds was just very bothersome when he was feeding since he couldn't breathe properly. Finally, our pedia reassured us that giving medicine would only help him get well. He had colds for about 2 weeks already so not giving him any might only make things worse since it could lead to further complications. So I finally gave in and with lots of prayers, Skyler finally got better after a few days and has been happy and healthy since then. Thank you Lord!

my little man

I'm just so thankful for our 3 children and can't wait for all the surprises and new things to be discovered about them everyday.

Biogesic's Ingat na Damang-Dama Stories

If you've read my posts a couple of days ago, you know that everyone in our house has been sick these past few weeks. One of the things I've been thankful for is that our househelp have been holding up pretty well, especially since they're the ones taking care of the kids with me and hubby sick in bed all day. Well, they aren't superhuman and soon after, I noticed that our Yaya started to get the sniffles too. Hubby immediately gave her Biogesic to help with her headache and colds. He also keeps reminding them that "Dapat mag-ingat tayong lahat mas lalo na uso talaga ang sakit ngayon." One thing we have to remember is to take care not only of ourselves, but also our househelp since they do so much for us. And I'm happy to say that we've all been feeling so much better lately. :)

Do you have your own Ingat na Damang-Dama story to tell? Biogesic is currently running a promo wherein everyone is invited to send in their stories are about the people who took care of us or the people we extend our hands to with the help of Biogesic. You could win P5,000 or have your story made into a short film. For more information on this promo, check out John Lloyd's video below and also visit Biogesic's Facebook page. Ingat! :)

I hate being sick!

Right now, I'm still feeling like crap, much like the past few days. This all started when Miley had sipon a few weeks ago which turned into serious colds and cough. Of course, we all got infected soon after - first Sabe, then me, then hubby. The kids are doing a bit better already, especially Miley who just has some mild cough right now. Sabe had on and off fever the past couple of days. Look how kawawa he looks in this picture with the KoolFever on his head... :(

I especially hate it when the kids are sick since it's so hard for them to drink medicine! The medicines for colds and cough are bad enough, but then their pedia had to give them antibiotics already. And they absolutely HATE it! They can already tell if that's the antibiotic since it's a white thick syrup, as compared to the clear liquid of the regular medicines. And all hell breaks loose! We have to hold them down kicking and screaming and then once they drink it, they've somehow managed to learn how to throw it back up! We've then resorted to mixing it with their milk, but Sabe can tell and refuses to drink it. Haaaay!

At least they seem to be doing so much better already. I just think this is really the time of year when a lot of people get sick. Last year, this was also around the same time we all got colds too. I just hope we all get better SOON! I can't stand having a sore throat, an extremely stuffed nose, and coughing like a dog anymore! :(

CHAMPS Multivitamins: chewable tablets for kids

One thing we struggle with everyday at home is making my kids drink their vitamins / medicines. They hate it so much (especially Sabe) that we literally have to hold them down and force it into their mouths most of the time. It's so heartbreaking to see them crying, kicking and screaming, but you know it's for their own good. One thing that also happens a lot is that they spit out the syrup or throw it back up so we're not sure if they got the right dosage into their system.

Well, good news to parents out there - introducing... CHAMPS® Multivitamins!

The CHAMPS line, from Chemical Company of Malaysia International Philippines, Inc. (CCMIP)*, consists of vitamin preparations for the pediatric age range. It comes in several variants which have been formulated to address the specific needs of various segments of the pediatric population. These variants include CHAMPS Vitamin C, CHAMPS M, CHAMPS M with lysine, CHAMPS C plus lysine, and of course CHAMPS OMEGA 3.

What is unique in CHAMPS is that these multivitamins come in small chewable tablets and in various shapes (hearts, triangles, donuts) and tasty flavors (orange, tutti-fruitti and pineapple). This is clearly an alternative option for mothers like me who have been having headaches in struggling with their children in taking their vitamins in liquid or syrup preparation. No more spills and you can be sure of the exact dosage. :)

thank you to the company for sending these over :)

*CCM is Chemical Company of Malaysia which is the No. 1 generic pharmaceutical company in Malaysia. It has more than 400 products in over 800 SKUs or forms.  It is a public-listed government corporation in Malaysia. The company has received several citations as attestations of quality of its products like cGMP, certificate of manufacturing facility by TGA of Australia and HALAL certification from JAKIM since 1999 to name a few. The company is present in the South East Asian countries and in the Philippines CCM established its office in 2007. 

advertorial

Under the weather

How was your weekend everyone? Between all the shopping sales, the Olympics, the Rob-Kristen cheating scandal, and now the non-stop rains AND even the brown-out last night, mine was certainly an eventful one!

We're all feeling a little bit under the weather now so to speak. I even brought the kids to their pedia last Saturday because Sabe was extremely constipated, had colds and a slight fever. He wasn't able to get his scheduled shot since he was sick, but poor Miley did!

Miley proudly wearing her injection band-aid. She didn't take it off until we got home.

Going the pedia used to be easy when the kids were smaller and they don't really know what's going on yet. But now, OMG! Both kids refuse to have their weight and height taken, as well as have their other body parts checked, so we have to hold them down which they hate even more. There's always a lot of kicking and definitely a whole lot of screaming and crying (which I'm pretty sure the whole floor can hear!). Actually, whenever they get their shots, they cry more because of the holding down part, not because of the actual injection. The poor kids after us look terrified once were done haha!

With this weather, we're definitely staying indoors and I'm hoping we all get well soon. =)

My poor sick kid (part 2): How Sabe got Roseola Rash

Like I mentioned in my previous post, after we had the blood test done for both kids, Miley was already ok. If you notice the blog title, it's "My poor sick kid" na (not "kids" anymore hehe). This post will tackle what happened to Sabe who got Roseola. (*Warning: gross pictures of rashes coming up. It's just that I want other mommies like me who will encounter this virus for the first time to know what it is and what it looks like.)

Day 6 (Friday) – Vins and I went back to Makati Med to get the results of the blood and urine tests – both negative for dengue and normal for the other tests.  We noticed that Sabe’s rashes did spread to his face and legs. He also had difficulty sleeping because I guess it was itchy. We brought him with us so we could again show him to the pedia and she reassured us that it was nothing to be worried about and prescribed Benadryl for itching. Since we were at Makati Med already, I also passed by my OB-GYN and when she saw Sabe, she said it looked like Roseola. I had no idea what all these viruses were, it was the first time I was encountering these terms! When we got home from the hospital at around 1:30pm, Sabe's rashes looked like this:

still smiling!

But by 8:30pm, Sabe’s rashes went from bad to worse! I got so scared with the way he looked even if the doctor warned us about this. I guess I should have been more prepared but it was a LOT! Para siyang rashes na tinubuan ng katawan! Every inch of his skin had rashes! I wanted to cry already when I lifted his shirt and saw his tummy.

We had Miley stay first at my in-laws although the doctor said it wasn’t contagious naman, but better safe than sorry.

I did research on both Hand, Foot and Mouth disease and Roseola:

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a common childhood illness. It causes sores in the mouth and on the hands, feet, and sometimes the buttocks and legs. Mouth sores can be painful and may make it hard for your child to eat. The disease is not serious, and it usually goes away in a week or so.

Roseola (also known as sixth disease, exanthem subitum, and roseola infantum) is a viral illness in young kids, most commonly affecting those between 6 months and 2 years old. It is usually marked by several days of high fever, followed by a distinctive rash just as the fever breaks. 

Sabe definitely had ROSEOLA.

Day 7 (Saturday) – Sabe's rashes were still the same and I think this was really the peak of the outbreak. I was just really getting so depressed at this point. I mean this was the first time that Sabe ever got sick and it hurt me to see him looking like this! Everytime I saw him crying or scratching, I felt my heart breaking.

my poor miserable baby!

more rashes on his legs (it looked worse in real life, trust me)

Day 8 (Sunday) – He still had on and off fever. Then he started vomiting his milk (about 4 times) but I think it was mainly because he kept crying everytime we gave him medicine.

I also read this on the internet though so maybe it was also a symptom: In rare cases, there may be other physical symptoms arising from Roseola Rash and vomiting is one of them. Because of high fever in Roseola Rash toddlers may vomit. 

My mom and sister came to visit and I already warned them about the rash. I was as honest as possible telling them it was a lot so don't get shocked when you see him. But when my mom came in the room and saw Sabe she started crying because she didn't know it looked that bad and he looked so kawawa daw.

Day 9 (Monday) – Fever was gone, Sabe was already active, and the rashes seem to be getting better! I could finally breathe again! I kept praying and thanking God that everything seemed to be okay already.

rashes seemed to be dying up

still a lot but definitely improved

back to his normal self (almost!)

Day 10 (Tuesday) - It seemed all of Sabe's pent up energy from being sick the past couple of days suddenly came out! He was so hyper again, climbing and crawling over everything and anything - and I couldn't be happier!

HAPPY!

rashes were all dried up

almost gone!

Now, I'm just so grateful that both Miley and Sabe are already okay. I'm also thankful that it wasn't serious enough and that nobody had to be confined at the hospital. Hopefully, even though we started this 2012 with getting sick, we'll continue on with being healthy and happy for the rest of the year!

My poor sick kids (part 1)

I’ve been so harassed this past week since both kids and me got sick! It started with Miley getting on and off fever. Then Sabe got it too! Now, both kids are okay so I can finally write about what happened. Anyway, here’s a timeline of our crazy, stress-filled week (and to think this is just the start of the year!)

Day 1 (Sunday) – Miley seemed a bit hot during the evening. She had been having on and off fever for the past few days but nothing serious (she was still very active and playful). That night, she threw up after crying. My mom was concerned (it might be dengue daw). We gave her Tempra and just monitored her fever.

Day 2 (Monday) – Even Sabe got fever already.  We decided to bring both kids to the pedia. After getting them checked, the doctor said that both their throats looked a bit swollen and it was just a bug (especially with all the activities from the Christmas season). And since Sabe got fever too, it seemed he just got the virus from Miley. I relayed my mom’s concern that it might be dengue, so the doctor said to have a blood test done for Miley if fever was still there after 3 days.  Miley was also started on antibiotics.

Day 3 (Tuesday) – Miley seemed so much better so we had her stay at my in-laws since Sabre still had slight fever and even I got sick as well (I didn’t want her to have a relapse).

Day 4 (Wednesday) - Sabe’s fever was about 38C the whole day and didn’t go away.  He was also matamlay and basically looked weak and just kept sleeping. To top it all off, my mother-in-law texted that Miley had slight fever again and was a bit matamlay. I was so worried at this point because a million things were going through my head – maybe it was dengue? could it be something more serious than a bug? I kept texting our pedia and she gave me the go signal to have blood test done for Sabe as well if fever was still there the next day.  I could barely sleep the whole night, Sabe’s head was so hot! We were putting ice compress on his head (even though he kept crying) to try to bring the fever down.

Day 5 (Thursday) -  Sabe still had fever when we woke up. Upon checking with my in-laws, they said Miley was ok already but to have blood test done on her as well to be sure. We brought both kids to Makati Med for CBC, Urinalysis, and Dengue testing. I had no idea how much this was going to cost, so I was so shocked when our bill reached P7000 for both kids! The most expensive was the dengue test at P2500 each! My gosh! I guess that’s what’s hard when magkasunod kids mo, everything is times 2! I didn’t want to think about the bill already, since we had to proceed with the blood extraction. It was so hard holding both of them down! But both of them were so brave. Miley was crying but she was also shouting “Its OK! Its OK!” Sabe also cried but immediately stopped after the needle was removed. My poor babies! 

here's a pic of Miley after her blood test :(

But can I just say, both of them immediately looked and acted better after the blood test! Miley suddenly became active, wanting to go up and down the elevators. So I guess blood test lang pala ang magpapagaling sa kanila noh? =) Haay P7000 is a huge amount but I guess no expense is too big for your child’s health right? In the end, its peace of mind you’re paying for. We also had to do a urinalysis test, but since both are still babies, we had to buy a wee patch (I think that’s what’s it’s called). It’s like a sticker with a plastic bag connected to it that you had to put on the genital area. With Sabe it was easy, we had no problem getting a sample. But it was so hard to put it on Miley! She kept resisting that I didn’t know if I was able to put it in the correct area! We kept checking and checking after but there was no pee! We even ate first in Burger King and kept making her drink water, but still no weewee! (update: we were not able to get a urine sample out of her - instead she pooped on the plastic! haha!)

Anyway, I forgot to mention that Sabe had also developed mild rashes on his tummy and a bit on his legs. We dropped by the pedia again to show her (we were thinking it might be chicken pox or measles), and she diagnosed it as hand, foot and mouth disease. This was viral daw and the rashes would increase in the next couple of days but there was nothing to be worried about.

at Makati Med with slight rashes on his face

When we got home, Miley was already ok the whole day (yey!). But little did I know it was Sabe I should be worried about...

to be continued...