Mirriam shares Joy of having 'miracle babies' after 40
Miriam Quiambao recently opened up about the challenges, risks, but ultimately, the pride and joy of giving birth to two “miracle babies” in her 40s.
After marrying author and entrepreneur Ardy Roberto in 2014, the TV host and former beauty queen first became pregnant at 43 and welcomed their son Elijah in 2019. In July of this year, at the age of 46, she had another baby boy named Ezekiel Isaiah or Ziki. The couple are also parents to 13-year-old Joshua, Ardy’s son from his marriage to his late wife.
Miriam called them “miracle” pregnancies and rightly so.
“Aside from lesser chances of getting pregnant and according to my research, people in their 40s, (there’s) only one to two percent chances of getting pregnant, which is why when I got pregnant the first time when I was 43, talagang miracle na yun,” she told The STAR.
Miriam recalled there were so many risks in both instances, especially due to advanced maternal age. Before the first pregnancy, both Miriam and her husband were diagnosed as partially infertile.
“We had to go through workups and treatments. It took us four years to get pregnant with Elijah. The risks with late-age pregnancy are marami ng complications. Like ako meron akong APAS (antiphospholipid syndrome), an autoimmune syndrome where the woman doesn’t recognize the baby as her own because it’s half the husband’s, di ba? So, ang basa nun foreign body. So, ginagawa ng katawan nire-reject yung embryo by forming blood clots in the uterus, which is why I had to inject (heparin, etc.) and if necessary other treatments in order to counteract what the body was doing to the baby,” Miriam shared.
Other complications she encountered were gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia, which she described as a condition in pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure.
Conceiving the second time around was “a very pleasant surprise” after she had a failed in-vitro fertilization. “We actually reached the implantation, but it failed. Out of 11 eggs, there were seven eggs that were successfully inseminated, but only one developed into a (five-day embryo) which was implanted in my womb but it was not successful. That was two years after I gave birth to Elijah. Sabi namin, baka naman plano ni Lord natural. Ganun na nga ang plano ni Lord so that the glory will be His.”
Nevertheless, the pregnancy was made more challenging by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“But despite the challenge, the joy is there because having a baby is a sign of hope and now in this time of pandemic, maraming istorya ng namamatay, nagkakasakit at saka hindi natin alam kailan ba siya matatapos, parang yun ang kailangan natin ngayon -- hope,” Miriam reflected.
What she also realized is that her experiences are not unique and a lot of people resonated with and somehow found inspiration in her motherhood journey, which she has been sharing on her YouTube channel.
“Natutuwa lang ako na hindi lang nakakadulot ng pag-asa and joy yung bata para sa family namin. Sa karamihan, kasi na-realize ko, dahil nga shini-share namin yung journey namin sa social media, parang marami ding natutuwa, na-i-inspire din sila sa story behind my pregnancy. They’re happy to be journeying with us and that there’s hope even in the time of a pandemic. And to the mothers who are hoping to get pregnant, if it happened to me, it can also happen to them.”
The subject of motherhood was brought up when The STAR had the chance to talk to Miriam last week about her being the celebrity endorser of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.’s mWell PH. It’s the newly-launched fully-integrated health and wellness mobile app for moms or individuals who put a premium on their health and wellbeing with features such as 24/7 access to doctors, fitness and diet programs, wellness tips and parenting articles, among others. As part of its introduction to the public, the app’s new users will have the chance to score health and wellness gift items like air purifiers, UV-C lamps and e-vouchers from Southstar Drug and Philcare until Nov. 30. Other celebrity parents endorsing mWell PH are Nina Corpuz, Ara Mina, Sunshine Cruz, Geneva Cruz, Nikki Valdes and Empress Shuck.
On the topic of parenting, The STAR asked Miriam for some tips on how to prepare older children for a new baby in the family.
Miriam said that long before she gave birth, she already told Elijah that there was a baby in her tummy. “So, bini-build namin yung relationship between my toddler and the baby that’s about to come. I remember he would kiss the baby in my tummy. Hinihimas-himas niya. Tapos, I was spending intentional time with him because I knew that when the baby came, my attention would be divided.”
Along with the arrival of Baby Ezekiel was a gift they prepared for Elijah. “(We would say) gift galing kay Baby Ziki. It wins Elijah’s heart and it’s not just one time. Until now, may gift pa rin binibigay si Baby Ziki, three months na (laughs). After he receives the gift, (he’ll go) wow, thank you, Baby Ziki, at iki-kiss niya,” shared Miriam who added that it’s also one of the strategies they did in preparing their eldest Joshua for the birth of Elijah.
They also try to give their sons opportunities to connect with each other. “So, the brother asks, ‘Can I carry the baby?’ Pinapa-carry namin… kahit nakaupo lang. So, we give him opportunities to care for his brother.” And if they are in the same room, she will ask the older brother if he can help change the diaper or assist in other small stuff because in that way “the older brother feels he’s contributing in the care of the younger sibling.”
Miriam also continues to have one-on-one bonding time with Elijah. She observed though there are still instances where her son gets jealous of the little one, “his reaction enhanced” whenever he sees Miriam breastfeeding Baby Ziki.
Her solution? “Tandem feeding.”
“Para akong may kambal,” she laughed.
“So, when I see him attempting to touch his brother’s face, I’d say, ‘Elijah, gentle, soft hands, you may touch and stroke his hair softly or his back.’ ‘Pag sumusunod naman si Elijah, meron siyang natutunan about gentleness, about soft touch,” added Miriam who through tandem feeding also teaches Elijah about boundaries.
She noted, “I also noticed he’s become gentle with Baby Ziki, less aggressive, alam na niya sharing is caring,” jokingly adding, “pero kailangan pabor sa kanya, hahaha!”
Meanwhile, asked what advice she could offer to women in their 40s who are still dreaming, hoping and praying to become mothers, Miriam said, “It’s very possible. I mean, for me, with the case of infertility, God has allowed me to be pregnant. Nothing is impossible with God.”
She continued, “But I suggest that they consult with their OB-gyne, they go through their workups, their fertility levels, the viability of their wombs and their ovaries. Siempre yung husband din, yung fertility ng husband, para ma-identify kung ilan yung mga treatments na kailangan (needed). And they get properly diagnosed and then given the proper treatment.”
Miriam stressed that guidance and assistance are easily accessible now to ensure a healthy and safe pregnancy.
“There are doctors and health care professionals who can guide us. There are already medicines that have been prepared and concocted in order to treat whatever illnesses that come up,” she said.
“Of course, protect yourself. Be extra-extra careful going out of the house in this time of pandemic. If you need to consult, use the mWell app so you don’t have to be exposed when you’re in hospitals. Read articles there to learn how you can better prepare yourself, and manage your pregnancy and giving birth. And when you need to order food and medicines, it’s all available in the app. That’s one way you can protect yourself and the family,” she suggested.
She readily acknowledged that getting pregnant in your 40s is risky, but that there are many ways now to manage the risks.
She further encouraged: “So, if you want to get pregnant and you’re already in the late stage, go ahead by God’s grace. God has already given us and supplied us with everything that we need.”
Miriam remains open to having another child. “Sana, God willing, mabuntis pa ako, tapos girl naman. Wala naman impossible kay God eh. If He gave us two miracle babies, why not a third!”
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