We Have an OB

In my last post, I've mentioned that we don't have an OB yet and that we were scheduled to visit one. So yesterday morning, Saturday, we woke up early and went to Ortigas Center. When I called the clinic the day before I was told that clinic hours during Saturdays start at 8am. So when we got there a little past 8am I knew there would already some people waiting but I wasn't expecting to be number 15 on the list! When we arrived the clinic was still closed but it didn't take 5 minutes before the receptionists and the doctors arrived. At that time there were only around 4 of us there without babies/kids so I figured we're the ones listed for the OB. The OB we went to shares a clinic with her husband, who is a pediatrician. The clinic is in green and white colors with pictures of babies all around. Very stimulating to the babies and kids and also the preggy mommies. No rustic decors there.



Anyways, I was kind of hoping the other women in the list will not show up and we'll be bumped up the list and we can get out of there early. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Good thing a friend of mine already told me that I should bring a book to keep me entertained and I always reminded myself of what she said that more patients mean more people believe in this doctor. And I was actually kept entertained by all the people coming and going. Around 10am I was already hungry so Joema and I went out for a brunch at the nearby Rufo's. We were back at the clinic before 11am. But again we had to wait...wait....wait...wait! Alas after 5 hours of waiting it was our turn! All that waiting was actually worth it! We super love our OB - Dr. Concepcion Pijuan-Alfiler. Once we were seated at her clinic I already felt at ease with her. She asked a few things because I already have my first ultrasound and the result of my urine and blood test. And then she asked about some family medical history. She was very pleasant and easy to talk to. She explains things in a motherly way, you know that thing where she wants you to understand it properly and not that in-your-face you should know these things noh! She actually gave me a pen and paper to write down the things she was saying because she said after she took my information she will give me a lecture and I need to write these things for me not to forget. But before her lecture, she led us to the ultrasound machine and I had another ultrasound. We saw our bambino again, this time with the little hands and feet! So cute! Will post a picture when I have a scanned copy of the ultrasound. So anyways, here are the things our wonderful OB told us:

• don't use feminine washes, use only baby soap (unscented) or Cetaphil gentle cleanser to wash your privates


• use light colored cotton underwear, no dark colored ones


• use Perla white to wash underwear


• no cats - they transmit toksoplosmosis that can also be transmited to raw contaminated food


• no to deep sea fissh like mackerel, shark because they have high mercuary


• no to processed foods


• no to soft cheese like brie or the other expensive ones


• no extra salty, extra sweet or extra fatty food


• OK drinks - water and ice, fresh juice and milk (non-soya)


• no to heat - hot sauna, massages, efficacent oils


• if I have fever it's okay to drink Biogesic and then lots of liquid


• if I have LBM, I can't take any medicine but it's okay to drink Gatorade


• no hair coloing, rebonding, hot oil (except for the DIY hot oil where you just cover your hair with a towel)


• when breasts get big, buy new brassieres and avoid tight clothing


• check the lipstick for lead. how? put lipstick on your hand and then rub jewelry on it, if the lipstick darkens then it has lead - don't use it!


• no to retinoin - even when you aren't pregnant but still hoping to get pregnant this should be avoided

Dra. Alfiler told me to continue my folic acid and then gave me hormones because I had some spotting, which I didn't know was already happening, she asked me if I feel some dysmenorrhea, I said yes and then asked if I had some brown discharge, I said yes; then she confirmed the bleeding during the ultrasound. But I wasn't alarmed because she didn't look alarmed by it. She prescribed some hormones to stop the bleeding and then gave me some calcium tablets as well because I don't drink milk hehehe. My next visit will be in August.

Here are her clinic details:

Dr. Concepcion P. Alfiler
814 Medical Plaza Ortigas
Tel. No. 6870872 / 6374894
MWF 9am - 3pm, TTh 8am - 12nn, Sat 8am - 3pm