The Guide to Yaya Hunting

I won't say "I have no idea how my mother raised me without the help of a Yaya", because I do.

For the first month after giving birth, I was hands-on on everything. Not a single help from anyone, not even my mother (who did not live with us then but was in the process of moving in). Our household help is only dedicated to doing household chores and she was over fifty years old, so I did not really expect her to do more, since she's got her hands full with the housework alone.

It took me 30 days looking for the ideal Yaya and I've learned a lot from the process of Yaya Hunting. Here are a list of things I prepared for before starting the hunt:
1. Have a biodata sheet ready. - You can just make a biodata sheet of your own and have it filled out by your potential Yaya prior to the interview. You can just put questions you want to know the answers to. For instance, if it matters to you that she knows how to speak English, then have a question there that asks what languages or dialects she speaks. Make sure you have her completely filled out biodata with you when you do the interview. Having this file also allows you to verify her identity and claims later on.Believe me, you want to know what the biodata reveals ---- such as underlying illness, civil status, number of children, religion, etc.

2. It pays to know what exactly you're looking for. - Have a list of things you expect your Yaya to have moderate experience on and things you expect her to be an expert on. Do you prefer a married Yaya with children or would you rather hire someone who does not have a dependent? Once you have the list of your Preferred Yaya, make sure you have it with you during all potential Yaya interviews. If they fit the criteria, then it will be easier for you to make the decision whether to hire them or not.

Don't forget to consider the following factors when setting the criteria:
a. How old is the ward? (new born, 6 months, 3 years old, etc)
b. Will you be giving allowances? (load allowances, clothing allowance/uniforms, etc.)
c. Full-time Yaya or just assistance to the mother?
d. Will there be benefits? (SSS after a year, health, etc.)
e. Do you prefer the ones from provinces far away or just hours away from where you live?
f. Will you consider relatives and family of your existing household help or not?

3. Have her job description ready. - Some yayas expect to only take care of the kid and nothing else. However, some Yayas also wash the kids' clothes. Some Yayas prepare everything day-in to day-out, while some only takes care and assist the mom. Make sure it is clear what the Yaya's schedule is and what her tasks are. For instance, bottle feeding, diaper duty, wash the kids' clothes on Saturdays and Day Offs on Sundays. Don't forget to specify her salary, allowances and bonuses. Again, it helps to have these things listed.

4. Have them sign. - Once you and your yaya have agreed on the terms of her employment, you can make a contract of your own. Something that proves her understanding of the job description, conditions, and requirements. One thing that I put in my Yaya's 'mini-contract' is that she needs to advise us 30 days before she plans to leave to give us time to look for a replacement and she must not have any existing advances at the time of her separation.

5. Make copies to give away. - I photocopied a blank biodata and list of the criteria of my preferred Yaya and gave few copies to chosen and trusted friends and relatives to help me find and set up a pool of potential Yayas. It's easier to spot the right one when you have choices.

One thing I learned from fellow mother friends, avoid hiring a Yaya from an agency as much as possible. Not only do you not know their real background, but you also will have very little idea of their attitude, behavior and work ethics. These things are normally not found on biodatas. But if the agency you're looking at hiring from is an agency you trust and know, then perhaps it's okay.

Also, if you are considering the idea of referrals, make sure the Yaya is from a trustworthy source. A "friend of a friend of a friend's yaya" is not really a safe bet. Since you will have to find the "friend of a friend of a friend's Yaya" before you can confirm your Yaya's identity, claims and background. And sometimes, because of the long process of the search, the confirmation never gets done. You still end up not knowing the person you leave your child with for more than half the day.

Try not to be too desperate during the hunt to the point of putting signboards on your gate saying Wanted Yaya. Walk-in Applicants or those who knock on your door to apply are possibly the scariest and the most dangerous of all. You don't know them --- at all.

Good luck !!!

Pregnancy Rash

It's a last trimester pregnancy rash called P.U.P.P --- Pruritic Urticarial Papules of Pregnancy. 70% of pregnant women who suffer from this rash carry a boy and it breaks out during the last trimester of a pregnancy. 1 out of 200 women suffer from P.U.P.P and unfortunately, I was 1 out of 200.

I was on my 32nd week when I started having stretch marks on my tummy. Something i did not really freak out about. I was pregnant, it was natural and there were very little of them. But then I started experiencing a weird itch on my tummy, right where my stretchmarks were. I didn't really pay attention, i just scratched when i itch, thinking it was my skin stretching. That was until I noticed small wheels on my tummy, wheels that looked like mosquito bites. It itched like crazy, I ended up with scars below my bellybutton.

After a week, the rash started appearing on my legs and I thought that it would stop there. Oh but it didn't. The rash eventually spread to my thighs, arms, legs, even my hands and feet. Only my back, neck and face were spared. I'd wake up crying in the middle of the night. I drove my husband crazy asking him to fill the tub with ice so I can dip myself into it to numb my skin, which makes the itching stop ---- for about 10 minutes. In short, 85% of my body itched 24 hours a day.

I suffered from this morally damaging rash until my 38th week. It disappeared almost instantly an hour after I gave birth to my son via normal delivery.

When i still had it, I religiously saw my dermatologist everyweek for a checkup. Although there's really no cure for P.U.P.P, except to give birth to the baby (the baby's male DNA is the allergen), she had to do something to help control the itch. She worked hand-in-hand with my OB-Gyn to make sure that whatever medication I had to take would do no harm to the baby. They both let me take steroids starting with 20mg once a day during the first big rash breakout. They took the dosage down to 10mg and then to 5mg as my due date neared. Honestly, the steroids did not really help. Nothing did.

Now, looking back, I am glad that phase is over. It actually made me kind of a stronger mom, like i can take on anything. Of course I'd rather not go through that again, but it's okay that I did. Another reason I'm Spider-Mom. ;)

Big Toy for the Small Boy

It's true. Shopping for baby is a lot more fun than fitting fancy dresses that end up too tight.

We were looking for a developmental toy for our 4 1/2 month old son. I wanted something that would help him discover "cause and effect".

The Jumperoo is an Award-Winner. From http://www.fisher-price.com/, the Rainforest Jumperoo is described as: A place full of wonderful sights and sounds. The Rainforest Jumperoo brings it all down to size for little explorers! Still tons of safe jumping fun (which will activate rainforest music and lights!), but now there are toys all around the rainforest—and overhead—with a spinning seat that helps baby explore them all. This baby jumper features a bobbing elephant, swinging monkey, spinning lizard and more that baby will just “go wild” for! Baby spins drum to activate lights and music (Mom can activate for four minutes of continuous play). The baby jumper's soft spring covers keep little fingers safe and three-position height adjustment ensures a custom fit for your child.

The Jumperoo's price tag in Toy Town, Eastwood City Mall is P11,999.00

When we took the Jumperoo, Toy Town gave away a free Fisher-Price 2-in-1 Turtle Gym, which works kind of like the play gym but is ideally used when the baby is on his tummy instead of his back.

Because of this giant cause and effect toy, I had to rearrange furniture in his room to give space to the Jumperoo. It is quite big. I'm 5 foot 4 and it's about as high as my hips. It is foldable, though, but it doesn't fold as small as other toys do. That's understandable, given that the Jumperoo has a height limit of 81 cm (32 inch babies) and a weight limit of 25 lbs. (11.3 kilo babies). But it should only be used for a child who is able to hold his/her head up unassisted but who is not able to climb out or walk.