Pinangunahan nina Iza Calzado at Ms. Bela Gupta D’ Souza ang ribbon-cutting ceremony ng edamama New Mama Expo 2023 nitong Abril 14, Biyernes ng hapon, sa Megatrade Hall 2 ng SM Megamall.
Si Ms. Bela at ang asawa niyang si Nish D’ Souza ang founders ng edamama.ph, ang e-commerce platform designed by mamas for mamas.
READ: Iza Calzado shares partial glimpse of baby Deia Amihan
Bahagi ng mensahe ni Iza bago ang ribbon-cutting, “Ang ku-cute ng babies! I just want to say thank you of course to edamama.
“It’s so wonderful to be part of this company, to be part of this expo as a new mama.
“And you know… andami palang nararamdaman ng bagong ina. Hahaha!”
Ani Iza, eleven weeks pala ang postpartum na dinaranas ng bagong ina.
Pagpapatuloy ng aktres, “And this is my first time working. Back to work today. And it’s a fun job.
“And it’s first time for something mom-related, and there’s so much to learn about motherhood, parenthood.
“And there’s no one formula that works for everybody. And so I’m learning as I go, and it’s so wonderful that there’s something like New Mama Expo.”
Ikalawang taon na ito ng parenting convention na New Mama Expo, kung saan mahigit 160+ trusted brands ang kabahagi. Tatlong araw ang event na ito.
IZA RELISHES THE JOYS OF MOTHERHOOD
Nilibot ni Iza ang iba’t ibang booth ng New Mama Expo. Magiliw siyang nagpa-picture sa mga ina, na karamihan ay kasama ang kani-kanyang anak.
May mga tumatawag kay Iza na Mama Mary, in reference sa role niya sa pelikulang Starting Over Again (2014) with Piolo Pascual and Toni Gonzaga.
Meron ding mga nagkomento na ang ganda-ganda niya at parang hindi nanganak ang itsura.
“What is that comment? That’s a lot of pressure on moms, ha?!” sambit ni Iza nang makapanayam ng mga taga-media sa booth ng edamama.
“Siyempre hindi naman ako gumising na ganito yung itsura ko. We had a glam team who helped me get ready today, style me.
“But of course, I take all blessings and I accept it, so thank you. But yun, it’s just so nice to be back. Naayusan ako, so siyempre, nagpaganda ako.”
Matagal-tagal ding hindi nasilayan si Iza in person ng publiko. First time niyang magtrabaho at makisalamuha sa mga tao pagkatapos isilang si Deia Amihan noong Enero 26. Kumusta na siya ngayon?
“Better by the day. I think all moms understand that it’s not very easy. If you say that it is, ikaw na. Ikaw na! Sana all!” bulalas ni Iza.
“So, better siya because you know, it’s challenging. Kasi bago lahat. Parang… for a new mother, ha? Parang bago lahat ito and there’s no… there’s no… that tells you everything.
“And you don’t know what’s coming talaga, what to expect. And when it’s there, parang you’re absorbing pa everyday as the day goes by.
“Pero seeing the smile now, my baby smiling, seeing the smile on my baby’s face…. or before it was just like looking at her eyes makes everything worth it.
“Sobrang sarap talaga ng feeling! I never knew it was this wonderful!”
IZA NOT YET SURE ABOUT SHOWBIZ COMEBACK
May offer na kay Iza para sa isang teleserye. Ready na ba siyang magbalik-akting? Kailan siya magbabalik sa pag-aartista?
“I don’t know. Hindi ko talaga alam. Depends siguro if there is a project that… it’s hard to say!” pagtatapat ni Iza.
“It’s hard to say kung kailan. Because actually dati, sabi ko, ‘Oh, in three months I’ll be back on set.’ I was wrong.
“Hindi ko alam yung sinasabi ko noon. Kasi, ni hindi ko maiwan yung baby ko for more than three or four hours at the moment.
“So I’ll take it one day at a time. And I’ll know when that project is there, I’ll know when to say it’s time for me to go back.
“That this project is really, you know, worth the time, and I’m coming from a very privileged perspective to, I mean… it’s hard, ‘no?
“Kasi parang a lot of people have to go back to work right away. And this is part of my work.
“But to go back on set… kasi alam nyo naman yung oras ng pag-aartista, halos walang oras. I mean, walang set hours.
“So yun lang naman ang sa akin. I would really like to focus on my baby as much as I can. And napakasuwerte ko and I do not take that lightly.
“I am so grateful that I get to spend time with my child as she grows more animated each day and stronger each day.
“So yun, hindi ko pa masabi kung kalian, but of course, when there is a project na talaga namang hindi natin maitatanggi e gusto ko nang gawin for whatever reasons — storyline, of course, it normally starts with a script, yung mga kasama mo na makakatrabaho…
“I also miss being on set. But ang tagal ko din naman, almost 20 years akong laging nasa set. So iba yung set ko ngayon, nagwu-workshop ako ngayon.
“Ang galing ng teacher ko! Ang pangalan niya, si Deia Amihan. She’s the best teacher so far.
“Kasi bago lahat ito, e. It’s a workshop. I think motherhood is a great workshop.”
IZA DESCRIBES HERSELF AS A CHILL MOM
Anong klase bang mom si Iza? Chill lang ba siya?
“I think I’m pretty chill… I’m clingy,” pag-amin ni Iza.
“I can’t leave her yet. She’s actually quite near lang. I have to get ready somewhere near.
“Because feeling ko kasi, if I did this today, I’ll be gone for quite some time. So andun lang siya, medyo malapit.
“Hindi pa ako nakakalayo. So that’s how I am now… I think Ben and I are relatively chill.
“Pero we have our moments at saka… Basta yun. I don’t know how to describe myself. Maybe Ben can describe how I am. Kasi it’s hard how to describe yourself, di ba?”
Kumusta ang asawa niyang Ben Wintle as a father? Paano ito tumutulong sa pag-aalaga sa panganay nilang si Deia Amihan?
“Ben is in charge of the activities, like reading to her in the morning, ganyan. Ayan siya,” salaysay ni Iza.
“Busy kasi si Ben with Booky, so you know. But he makes time everyday, takes her out for sunning.
“And then we read to her, we play with her. Every morning iyan, talagang si Ben iyan. Naghe-help siya.”
Dahil nae-enjoy niya ang motherhood, naiisip ba niyang masundan na sana si Deia Amihan?
Gusto na ba niya ng another baby, o huwag muna?
“Bahala na ang Panginoon. We’ll see.”
IZA PROUD OF HER SUPPORT GROUP
Meron bang yaya si Deia Amihan?
Mabilis na tugon ni Iza, “Of course! Of course! You know hindi po ako magpe-pretend dito na kaya ko lahat. Actually, I can’t.
“And I’m so grateful for the help and support of the people around me. Coz you know, I don’t have parents anymore. Ben’s parents are away.
“And of course, you can’t naman keep bugging your friends, di ba? So I don’t have that kind of support system around me.
“So I have hired help which I find, there should be no shame in that. Because they are there and you treat them as family and they treat you as family, they take care of you, they help you.
“And I’m very, very deeply grateful for that kind of support that I’m given.”
Sinu-sino sa celebrity moms na kaibigan niya ang nakakakuwentuhan niya at nagbibigay sa kanya ng advice?
“Marami, marami, marami. I must say the Mama… I call them the Mamavengers, di ba?” saad ni Iza.
“You know, bago pa ako manganak, parang everybody was helping, especially like the last two weeks, and then the first few weeks of giving birth.
“After that, I felt the love and support of all these amazing mothers.”