My pregnancy is unplanned and I’m not ashamed of it, though it was scary at first, anxious, worried and a lot of emotions going on. However, through the days and months, I’m thankful and happy that my partner, our family and friends are very supportive of my pregnancy. And this doesn’t stop me to enjoy my pregnancy and experiencing everything that I deserved. Me and my partner supposed to have Babymoon in Phuket, but due to the surge of a new variant, I’m very worried that I get caught in this pandemic. I mean I can take all the risks of travelling if it’s just me but there is someone already inside me and I got to be responsible for all my decision in life. So, we decided instead of going to Phuket why not do the Maternity Shoot in Bangkok with a real Photographer.
MATERNITY SHOOT
It took me a very long time to decide who, where and when to have the maternity shoot. Who will be the photographer, I want a Filipino photographer for easy communication, and I did my research on Facebook until I found Kenny Valeza Photography and Films based in Bangkok. What captivated me with his works is that his work vibe is like a professional but at the same time freelancer. I mean I’m looking for a freelance photographer and I wanted it to be a small crew, not fancy but have an amazing work outcome. I also like his photo edits fresh, clean and not saturated at all, for photos of important events in my life I don’t want a saturated, cinematic, dramatic or too much edit in the photos, I want it to be simple, airy, clean and fresh. I also saw his travel videos and I like the edits it reminds me of Sam Kolder's edits. Then it was decided I booked Mr Kenny Valeza for a maternity shoot in Bangkok, we paid him 3500 THB for an indoor shoot, I prefer to be indoor to make it safer from crowded people. He responded to my inquiry so fast, love the service and really take note of my request before the shoot, easy to talk to and that’s what it makes so hassle and stress-free. On the shoot day, I was surprised that he was also on time not the “Filipino time” LOL! I am having a hard time during the shoot not because of him, but because of myself. I love taking photos of myself, but I’m used to doing it by myself, or with my partner or with my close friends, but with a real professional photographer? I haven’t done it. That’s why I’m very anxious, a little bit shy and uncomfortable with myself, however, he gives tips on how should I position my body, how should I smile and reminded me to always feel relaxed and just be myself. He also made some jokes to loosen me up a bit and with also the effort of my partner to make me laugh every second make things easier for me later on. Remember that I only booked him for an indoor shoot? Mr Kenny was so generous enough to suggest to try to have a shoot outside and we love the experience. As far as I remember, we got the edited photos after a week it was fast and we love the photos like totally love it. It is all I wanted, fresh, airy, clean and not saturated. Me and my partner look amazing it’s like we are in a fairytale.
The location of the maternity shoot was easy for me to find, I’ve been eyeing Chum Bangkok for a long time already before we decided to have a Maternity Shoot or before I get pregnant, it’s on my list. A long time ago, I was looking for a studio or a place in Bangkok or Pattaya to have a product shoot for our bag business and I saw this review on Facebook Chum Bangkok and I was dazzled by how chic and aesthetic the room is plus you can use their room just for a day for a shoot for a very affordable price. That’s why I decided to reserve their room for the maternity shoot. Chum Bangkok is located at 188/26 Wang Mai, Pathum Wan District, Bangkok 10330, they have 5 rooms with different themes and I reserved Room No. 4. Room No. 4 in photos feels like home and Korean vibe, I was going for a homey vibe for a maternity shoot. They responded to my inquiry very fast, friendly and they really give so much information, they also speak English which is easier for me. We paid in advance for 700 THB, they have different rates for each room, the one that I choose is 140 THB/ hr minimum of 5 hours, I just booked for 5 hours. They also have 3 choices of time to use the room, from 7:00 AM – 12:00 noon, 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM and after 7:00 PM. We prefer a convenient time for us 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM. On the day of our maternity shoot we travelled to Bangkok from Pattaya, we just had a little problem in finding Chum Bangkok, but when we find it I felt safe (not crowded) around the area, it’s like an old Chinese alley, feels like you are transported to a different place in the world like China or Hongkong. We arrived in Chum Bangkok around 11:00 AM, and our booking is 1:00 PM, so we waited. When it was our time we checked in smoothly and my next dilemma was the stairs, with my condition I hate stairs and we are on the 4th floor, however, when we arrived in our room it was all worth it. Room no. 4 is so clean, fresh, the AC is good, overall amazing.
GENDER REVEAL
As far as I’m concerned “Gender Reveal” is like revealing to your family and friends the gender of your baby, I wasn’t sure about the rules. So we ended up me and my partner knowing the gender at the same time LoL! with our OB Doctor. My colleagues at work told me that gender reveal supposed to be either family, or friends, or my partner or me should know the gender, the other partner or both couple should be the one getting surprised. LOL! I didn’t know. Well! The damage has been done, next on the list is revealing the gender to everyone including our family, friends and workmates, I was planning to have a small gathering for gender reveal but it’s kinda unfair because 90% of the people in our lives are in the Philippines and we are in Thailand. I was also thinking virtual party but our parents are too old to have online conferences they are not that tech-savvy. Until I saw this idea from ToThe9s Youtube Video Cassie propose gifts to her girlfriends to be her bridesmaid. And I was like why not do it the same but for gender reveal, inside the gift box are items that can be useful for both men and women, I don’t want it to be a traditional gender reveal color the blue and pink, I want their reaction to being priceless and when they open the box they don’t have a clue at first until they figured it out. I was contemplating whether to buy the items here in Thailand and send them to the Philippines or just buy the items in the Philippines, It will cost me a lot if I will buy here in Thailand so I asked assistance from my cousin in the Philippines to help me with the surprise, luckily she agreed. I bought 4 items, 3 from Shopee Philippines and 1 from a Facebook Seller, for Shopee Philippines I bought an insulated tumbler with color gray (199 Php does not include Shipping), a baseball cap in color cream with a quote “Life is Fantastic” (79 Php not include Shipping ) and a large tote bag from Tatak Mnl with a quote “Happier times are coming” (120 Php not include shipping). On Facebook I found this seller SoaphisticatedPH who sells different kinds, shapes and styles of soaps, I was enchanted with this small block letters soap and decided to order from them for 5 Php per block letters. I just had a problem with SoaphisticatedPH they responded very poorly in their Facebook messenger and also in text messages, however they responded very quickly in their Shopee store. Their reason was they have a problem with their Facebook page, anyways, I’ve been stressed with them already but the soaps arrived in my cousin safely and beautifully. I almost forgot, I also bought the customized curated box in Shopee Philippines for 29 Php in color white and size large. When all gift items are completed, I made my card with a short letter at the back for our family and friends expressing our gratitude for our upcoming baby and sent it to my cousin to print and also the photo of the latest baby ultrasound we have. Everything is now complete and my dear cousin sent it to our family and friends.
When they received it at first they have no clue what's going on and what's in the box because normally "gender reveal" is like gathering in person. Everyone was so happy when they found out that we are having a baby boy. Especially in my family where a boy is very unusual, LOL, my sister has two daughters, my closest aunt (sister of my mom) have two daughters as well.
BABY REGISTRY
I don’t have a compulsive buying attitude but sometimes shopping is one of my many ways of overcoming stressful days. Shopping for my little boy’s stuff is such an enjoyment for me. I honestly don’t know what to buy at first so I did my researched and watched a lot of Youtube videos and made a list. While absorbing this so much information, I get so many tips from mommy's around the world on what to buy:
- Don’t buy a lot of baby clothes, they grow up so fast and some of the clothes either they can’t wear anymore because it’s too small or you have a lot of baby clothes and you forgot one until it outgrows the baby.
- Not all babies love to be swaddled, don’t buy a lot of swaddle blankets you might end up not using them because the baby is not comfortable. Suggested 1 pcs. first.
- Newborn skin is delicate it doesn’t need to have a lot of baby skincare products, just a body and shampoo baby soap is enough.
- Don’t buy galloons or a lot of baby products yet like baby soap, baby laundry soap, baby bottle soap or even diapers because a newborn baby is a trial and error, they might like the brand of the products or maybe not. So, it’s best to buy small packs or small pcs. of products to avoid waste of money or unused products.
- Baby crib doesn’t always work out, especially for those mommies who like to co-sleep with their baby. And I guessed crib is also not ideal for us who live in a small type condo unit. A co-sleeper bed is recommended or a baby nest.
- Don’t buy a lot of baby bottles, especially if you are going to breastfeed for a long time. Just buy a set of baby bottles that baby can use from newborn till he or she reaches the age of not using the bottle anymore or maybe just one or two bottles in case you need to use a formula. Also, don’t buy yet breastmilk storage because you will never know if you will have a lot of supply of breastmilk or none at all, it’s a waste to have all those storage standbys and not being used. You can use a haka or manual pump then store the breastmilk in your baby bottles.
So far, all the suggestions and advice I get makes sense, having a newborn is like a trial and error, hoarding a lot of things before the baby arrives is a risk especially if you spent all the money and ended up the baby doesn’t use it. It’s better to think twice, make it basic, simple, minimal and think about the future. We are almost done completing our baby stuff, below are the few items that we still need and are on our wish list. That’s what’s “Baby Registry” is all about right? **wink**
- Baby Bed
We actually wanted a co-sleeper at first but then we realized our space in our condo is very small and when the baby gets bigger and older co-sleeper is so pointless. That's why we decided to have a baby bed like a nest bed. I found this baby bed in สินค้าแม่และเด็ก ที่นอนเด็ก Total Kids Zone, what I found fascinating with their baby bed is that you can remove the bolster if the baby will outgrow the baby bed nest we can remove the bolster and he can sleep in the mattress in between with me and my partner.
- Air Purifier
We live in a close indoor condominium and honestly speaking no matter how deep I clean I can still see dust flying around the room. It's like never-ending dust, I did my research on Air purifiers it is a great way to prevent colds, asthma, flu, and allergies in babies. Air purifiers with HEPA filters are safe for the baby than those air purifiers that used negative ions. Air purifiers clean the air in a room by up to 99.96%, they remove dust, bacteria, pollen, and many other allergens. I found this amazing air purifier from Philips the Philips 800 Series air purifier, it is great for small spaces and I like the design that it's circular, which means this can take in air from all 360-degrees. I found the official store of Philips in Shopee TH
- Baby Bottle Sterilizer
I don't have any preferences when it comes to baby bottle sterilizer, as long as it works, is minimal, easy to use and safe for the baby
- Baby Carrier
I'm not quite sure what's the best brand for Baby Carrier, but one thing I'm sure of through my research is if you plan to use one carrier until the baby gets to 1 year old then find a carrier that has an option for the front-facing position. Second, it should have padded shoulder and lumbar support, third lightweight fabrics and breathable mesh and lastly, the seat of the carrier should allow your baby's legs to be in hip health "M" position. I found all these tips in a Thai brand Pognae No. 5 Max
You can find Pognae No. 5 Max in their official Shopee TH account.
And that's it loves my Baby registry. Thank you for reading.
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