Are Tintin and Julius sleeping in separate beds?

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Yes, it’s true: Brand-new parents Tintin Bersola and Julius Babao have been sleeping in separate beds – in separate rooms! – since Tintin gave birth to their first child, Antonia Sofia Julia, last Feb. 26.

"It’s the ideal set-up for us for the time being," Tintin told Funfare in an exclusive interview. "For six months, a midwife, Maggie Seisa (from Manila Doctors Hospital), has been sleeping with us in the masters bedroom. Antonia’s crib is right beside me while the bed on which Maggie sleeps on is beside Antonia’s crib. Julius feels uneasy with the set-up, naiilang siya, so he has decided to sleep by himself in the media room."

By August, when Maggie’s six-month contract expires, Baby Antonia will be moved to her nursery, just beside the masters bedroom (accessible through an adjoining door), and the yaya, Shirley Villena, will take over from the midwife. That’s also the time Baby Antonia will be weaned from her mama’s breast and start feeding on formula milk and solid food.

Meanwhile, according to Tintin, Baby Antonia will be nourished with milk out of the world’s best source – mother’s breast.

"I am an advocate of breastfeeding," said Tintin, "and I’m behind Sen. Pia Cayetano’s crusade for breastfeeding. "As part of my advocacy, I’ve been making a research. You’ll be surprised but only .5 percent of Filipino mothers practise breastfeeding because of laziness and misinformation. Majority of Filipino husbands believe that breastfeeding can deform their wives’ nipples but it’s not true. I’ve been breastfeeding for more than five months now and okay naman ang nipples ko."

Told that poor nutrition could also be a factor since many Filipino mothers are too deprived to buy food (subsisting mostly on instant noodles), Tintin said, "But the best source of mother’s milk is malunggay which is very cheap. I boil malunggay all the time, along with tahong. Anything masabaw (soupy) is good for nursing mothers."

Tintin said that she has so much milk that she has decided to donate some to the triplets confined at the St. Luke’s Hospital (but one died recently due to sudden infant death syndrome) and the twins at the Philippine General Hospital, making her those babies’ surrogate mother.

"Even at work," said Tintin, "I bring my electric breast pump. I store up the milk in the ref’s freezer. I have so much milk, I tell you! Matiyaga ako mag-breastfeed kay Antonia who, at more than three months, now weighs 20 lbs., the average weight of a one-year-old. Matakaw kasi, e!"

Since giving birth, Tintin has shed more than 20 of the 150-pound weight she had put on – "Simply by breastfeeding!"

She ended her two-month-and-two weeks maternity leave and gone back to co-hosting (with Julius, among others) the ABS-CBN early-morning show Magandang Umaga Bayan (MUB).

"Did I suffer from postpartum depression? Not exactly," said Tintin, "just a mild case of a ‘low’ period."

You see, Baby Antonia was so big that Tintin had a tough time delivering her (the natural way).

"I kept holding my breast while I was laboring and I suffered a blood clot in my eyes when a blood vessel burst. To help me deliver, my OB-GYNE pressed her body against my tummy and accidentally pressed my gall bladder. I had to wear a catheter for one day. When the catheter was removed, the function of my kidneys was affected, so I got bloated for three days. When I gave birth, they had to perform episiotomy on me. (Episiotomy is the surgical incision of the perineum during childbirth to facilitate delivery.) So for three days, I was a bit miserable but not really depressed."

Except for changes in especially her sleeping schedule, Baby Antonia’s arrival hasn’t radically affected Tintin and Julius’ lifestyle.

"I do the breastfeeding and Julius is the one who makes Antonia burp and puts her to sleep. I don’t mind waking up every two or three hours to breastfeed Antonia. Sometimes, I’d wake up at 4 a.m. and breastfeed Antonia before Julius and I rush to ABS-CBN for MUB. ABS-CBN is only 20 minutes away from where we live."

Back from work, Papa Julius cradles Baby Antonia in his arms while making faces and baby-talks to her. Mama Tintin reads books to the baby – you know, the ABC’s – and tells her baby stories.

"Antonia is growing up to be smart," said the proud mom. "Even when she’s sleepy, when I show her her favorite baby picture book, she perks up. Talagang nagri-react siya."

And when do they plan to have their next baby?

"Saka na muna," said Tintin. "Later on. First, we want to enjoy Antonia’s company. Babies grow up fast. You blink and they are not babies anymore. We want to be with Antonia every step of the way, from the time she flashes her first smile to the time she starts teething and making coo-cooing sounds to the time she starts saying Papa and Mama to the time she starts taking her first step."

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