In an interview with theAsianparent Philippines, Trina Candaza shares her pregnancy journey with her daughter Mithi. She talks about how she went through as a first-time mom, including all the wins and woes of it.
What can you read in this article?
- Trina Candaza on finding out about her pregnancy
- Trina Candaza on her pregnancy journey
- Giving birth to Enola Mithi
Trina Candaza on finding out about her pregnancy
Even before Trina Candaza and then-boyfriend Carlo Aquino found out that they were expecting a baby, Trina narrates that she was able to feel and connect some signs that she was already pregnant when they took a trip to Japan for Christmas and New Year last 2020.
"Nang Japan trip kami nun, tapos nung pag-uwi feel ko talaga pregnant na ako."
She recalls how she would often feel sleepy, even sleeping at a shop counter while Carlo roams around to shop. She even asked Carlo to buy her strawberries in the middle of the night. Yes, in Japan.
After that trip, both went to a family dinner with Carlo’s family and on the same night took a pregnancy test which turned out to be positive.
Trina said that she was in tears after discovering the big news and that Carlo was ultimately excited. She says that Carlo has been really wanting to have a baby already.
The firsts to know
When asked how they first told, Trina said she can’t exactly remember who the first ones are but Carlo was the first to announce it to his friends.
Trina added that it was informing her older sister that was the highlight of her pregnancy announcement. When she finally told her sister, Trina shares how they were both left in so many tears.
Trina was a middle child and her sister was a flight attendant and the breadwinner of the family. It means a lot to Trina as it was her sister who financed her studies as well.
Trina Candaza on her pregnancy journey
It wasn’t exactly all rainbows during Trina Candaza’s pregnancy journey. She recalls how she would often be triggered by various smells like garlic and air freshener, prompting her to be nauseous almost all the time during her first trimester.
She would often go to work with the same difficulty. She might be nauseous in the mornings but she would still be ready for work on the same day. However, on bad days, she would feel the urge to vomit in the middle of working in an event.
She also had difficulty peeing at dawn. She says it got more difficult as she nears giving birth.
But even with that difficulties, she has some sunny days too. Trina Candaza shared how she also had food cravings during her pregnancy, which include strawberries, Breadtalk, and the weirdest one: sliced apples soaked in ice. She recounts how she especially liked her apples cold.
Giving birth to Enola Mithi
Trina Candaza gave birth to Enola Mithi Aquino via Caesarean section. She recalls her birthing experience by being induced at 9 AM, her water breaking at 12 NN, and reaching 8 PM with still no labor. So, they had to perform the CS section to get Mithi out. Most importantly because Trina was due on September 3, and it was already the 8th.
The first look
While Trina did not expect to be feeling a heavy chest and a weird sensation in her belly after the CS operation, she recounts how she was so happy and relieved that Mithi is finally out in the world, healthy and normal. All the worries she’s been feeling all went away after seeing Mithi.
The story behind the name: Enola Mithi
Such a unique and beautiful name, Trina says that Enola was her idea, after watching the trailer of a movie entitled Enola Homes. She says she wanted Mithi to be like the lead character in the series, fearless and adventurous.
Mithi, on the other hand, is Carlo’s choice. The name was taken from a character who was then Carlo’s “love interest” in a show entitled Pahina.
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Postpartum recovery
Like other mothers who just gave birth, Trina relates that she might have experienced postpartum depression too.
Recovering from the stitches
Trina describes the difficulty after the CS operation. She recalls how it was painful even just to sit down and how it feels that all of her organs are in her lower abdomen.
This challenge added to the new responsibility of caring for and breastfeeding your baby.
Exercising and getting fit
She focused on once again getting fit, starting with brisk walking on a treadmill 3 months after giving birth. She shares how she increases her workout as she heals, and is completely guided by her OB-GYNE’s advice.
Stretch marks and loose skin
Trina details how she would often put lotion and oil in targeted areas of her body to avoid getting stretch marks but she reveals that, just like any other mom, she has it too. She says she tries to lessen it by putting lotion in her tummy, legs, and butt area.
Although she has already accepted that the stretch marks are normal, she narrates how loose skin bothers her more. She has been trying out regimens on how to address and lessen this.
One thing she did was consistently wear a binder after giving birth. She thinks it helped in compressing the skin and loose fat right after the delivery.
Trina Candaza as a first time mom
When asked what’s her biggest struggle as a first-time mom, Trina answers that it was breastfeeding. She says how she did not expect it feeling pain in breastfeeding as commercials made it seem calm and serene.
At one point, she even had to stop breastfeeding for a week after experiencing pain and bleeding in her nipples.
Even with that challenge, she continued to breastfeed after recovering and has been doing so for more than a year now. She was able to discover how she could increase her milk supply by consistently introducing breastfeeding to Mithi, and thus, her breasts seem to adjust and produce more milk. She said she also followed advice from older people asking her to drink “sabaw”, take “malunggay, drink lots of water.
Trina’s current challenge: how to wean?
The current challenge now is how Trina will start weaning Mithi. She said that she tried everything from ampalaya leaves to onion but Mithi seems to uncover that the taste wears out if she continues feeding on her Mama’s breasts.
She expresses her milk and has lots in storage but Mithi seems to prefer direct latching to the bottle, specifically when her mom is around. She now hopes to learn how to successfully wean.
Trina Candaza’s greatest lesson
For Trina, one of the biggest lessons of being a first-time mother is the change in how she makes life decisions. She talks about how being a first time also thought her to not only think of herself but of Mithi also. She says that as Mithi grows, she is also learning more and more about being a mother.
She says, “Sa mga life decisions ko, hindi na laging para sa akin lang, kailangan lagi ko siyang isipin sa bawat actions ko, sa sasabihin ko.”