It actually started last night. My son got into my room telling me that he wasn’t feeling well. He said he felt dizzy.

So, I got something for him to make him feel better. It seemed like he did. When I checked him in his room at 4 am, he was sleeping peacefully.

But this morning he said he got dizzy again. He also looked a bit pale.

Then I asked him not to go to school. But, he insisted to go. And, I couldn’t do anything but telling my self that he’s a big boy now and he can make his own decision.

Yet, a mother always knows best. Just now he rang me telling me that he was at home already. He almost fainted. Of course, I didn’t tell him, “I told you so.” That would be very mean.

He asked me to go home earlier.

Yes, baby, of course. I’ll be there soon y your side, baby.

Hope he’s just being tired. Hope there’s nothing to worry about.

Carrying your baby for the whole nine months during your pregnancy gets you to hope that the baby will be just fine and of course, healthy.

That was how I felt when I was pregnant with my baby. Right after he was born, I asked his Apgar Score to the doctor. Thank God the score was not disappointing at all.

What is Apgar Score? You might then ask.

Apgar Score is a measurement of a newborn’s response to birth and life outside the womb. It was first developed in 1952 by an anesthesiologist named Virginia Apgar to quickly evaluate a newborn’s physical condition after delivery and to determine any immediate need for extra medical or emergency care.

The score is obtained by doing a test to the newborn. Normally, it is done twice, once at one minute after birth, and again at five minutes after birth. If the results of both tests are low, the third one should be done at ten minutes after birth.

There are five factors used to evaluate the baby’s condition. Each factor is scored on a scale of 0 to 2. The factors are

• heart rate (pulse)
• breathing (rate and effort)
• activity and muscle tone
• grimace response (medically known as “reflex irritability”)
• appearance (skin coloration)

The highest score possible is ten. Yet, if the result of the first test is less than ten, no need to worry too much. A slightly low Apgar Score (especially at 1 minute) is normal for some newborns, especially those born after a high-risk pregnancy, cesarean section, or a complicated labor and delivery. A healthy premature baby might also have a low Apgar Score.

However, you also need to know that the test was not designed to predict a baby’s long-term health, behavior, intellectual status, or outcome.

So, are you laboring soon? Don’t forget to ask the score to your doctor or midwife, ok?

:)

Mouth ulcer is the loss or erosion of part of the delicate tissue that lines the inside of the mouth. The cause can be accidental biting of the cheek, burns from eating hot food, poor oral hygiene, irritation from strong antiseptics such as a mouthwash, oral thrush infection.

The symptoms of mouth ulcer are a round sore or sores inside the mouth, swollen skin around the sores, irritation of sores by salty, spicy or sour foods.

I’m so sorry knowing that you had it, SJ.

I remember having posted about mouth ulcer or Mark of Death, the way SJ called it. I wrote both how to treat it and how to prevent it.

FYI, I have just got it last month. It was a small one that dissapeared in less than two days. Yet, it was killing me! No wonder SJ called it Mark of Death.

Since you were a kid, you were told to brush your teeth regularly and consume enough calcium to make your teeth healthy.

But, actually, there is another way to help you avoid cavities in your teeth. Simply watch what you eat.

So, what should you eat to make your teeth healthy?

• Apples - Apples require chewing, which forces your teeth into stimulating action. The malic acid content cleanses the teeth. They help increasing saliva production, ‘wash away’ bacteria from your mouth and keep your mouth’s humidity level as needed.
• Soybean and egg - Both are rich in protein. They help forming cells and flowing the blood.
• Carrot, celery, paprika - All clean and stimulate your gum. They’re rich in vitamin C which can generate collagen, a protein that supports the gums.
• Dark chocolate - It’s chemical substance can help avoiding plaque.

With me, it’s always fun and easy to be healthy. Not to mention, yummy!