Nadine Samonte gets real with APAS, PCOS in maternity photo shoot

Nadine Samonte took to Instagram to share the difficult and real side of suffering from health problems during her third pregnancy.

Sharing flatlay photos of herself in a beige dress while being surrounded by sonograms, prescriptions, medicine, bills, and injections, Nadine said this was the “reality of having APAS and PCOS.”

The actress detailed some of the procedures she had undergone for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (APAS), including sessions with 12 injections each.

Apart from taking lots of medicine, the soon-to-be mom of three said she went to a checkup every 10 days and had her blood taken every month for monitoring.

Nadine admitted to having a hard time, adding it came to a point where she broke down in tears.

She said she became depressed without knowing it, which was “very unusual” for her, but she overcame it.

“Ang hirap ng feeling ng hindi mo alam kung ano nangyayari sa ’yo (it’s hard not knowing what’s happening to you),” she added.

Thankfully, Nadine said, God and her loved ones served as her support system.

She also addressed the negative comments she was getting, saying she couldn’t care less.

“I know after posting this, madaming comments na negative na sasabihin ang taba taba ko na (there will be many comments saying I’ve gotten fat),” said Nadine.

“Well, that’s normal,” she said, adding some that mothers grew big when they’re pregnant. “All I can say is I don’t care.”

Nadine said the “one thing (she) learned” was to stop being affected by people who gave negative comments. “We are all doing this for our baby,” she said.

Despite the hardships, the actress said she loved being pregnant and believed that it’s a “blessing” from the Lord.

“I’ll be forever grateful na biniyayaan pa kami ng isa pa (that we were blessed with one more child),” she said

She added that she had been through a lot with pregnancies, and these were all “super worth it.”

Nadine added that many people wanted to have a child and she considered herself one of those blessed to have one “kaya iniingatan ko ito (I am taking good care of this).”

She encouraged those who were hoping to be pregnant to not lose hope, saying the Lord would give it to them at the right time.

In July, Nadine revealed that she and her husband Richard Chua almost lost their third baby because of PCOS and APAS, sharing a photo of her bruised belly and medicines.

Nadine and Richard, who tied the knot in 2013, have two kids named Heather and Titus.

According to Mayo Clinic, PCOS is a hormonal syndrome that can cause pregnancy complications like miscarriage or premature birth.

APAS, meanwhile, is said to be “an autoimmune disorder [that] occurs when the body’s immune system makes abnormal antibodies that attack and damage tissues or cells.” – Franchesca Viernes/RC, GMA News