A new life dawns: Dawn Zulueta-Lagdameo

Chinese writer Lin Yutang once said that of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother. New mom Dawn Zulueta-Lagdameo is undoubtedly relishing the bliss of motherhood to the hilt.

The seemingly perpetual glow that motherhood brings is etched on the face of this first-time mother and actress described by movie critics as one of the most beautiful and finest actresses of the post-Marcosian era.

But Dawn, 37, is not keen on impressing the critics anew by her exquisite performances on the silver screen. Movie roles and the requisite accolades and awards can wait.

What’s keeping her hands full right now is her role as hands-on mother to Jacobo, her firstborn and her miracle of life. On Oct. 19, 2005, the actress, after successfully battling a difficult pregnancy, gave birth to Jacobo Antonio Taleon Lagdameo.

Dawn’s face beams when she’s told that this is going to be her most memorable Mother’s Day. "When I was still pregnant, my friends used to text me quotes on being a mother. Now, I’ll be the one to send them my thoughts on motherhood."

Time had tested Dawn and her husband Anton’s fortitude to have a child. While they have the resources to raise a big family, even an entire barangay, the couple waited for seven years before Jacobo came. Dawn candidly admits that there were moments when she got frustrated and depressed, even entertaining the thought that she was not cut out to be a mother.

Still, the couple went through fertility work-ups hoping that one day, she would get pregnant.

While waiting for the gift of life, Dawn enjoyed her domesticity, learned to cook, joined bazaars and sold cookies and brownies she herself baked.

In the process, Dawn discovered her "wifey" side – that of being a domesticated diva – something she never thought she could be when she was still in showbiz.

Dawn admits she grew impatient after years of hoping. But in the seven years that they painstakingly waited, the couple’s faith in God never wavered.

Dawn found out she was pregnant at a time when she was making a comeback on television.

But the couple would face another problem. Doctors told Dawn that she would have a critical pregnancy. Carrying Jacobo in her womb would not be easy for her because she is suffering from a reproductive immunology problem that makes her uterus a hostile environment for a baby. Dawn says that her immune system produces anti-bodies that attack the fetus.

As if not enough, the actress was also afflicted with a problem called Polycythemia Vera which means her blood is too thick.

Ever the fighter, Dawn faced her health concerns head-on. For months until she gave birth, the actress had to take heparin shots, progesterone, steroids and Aspilets for her thick blood.

On her 33rd week, the actress delivered Jacobo via caesarian section. Seeing Jacobo for the first time, Dawn could only mutter, "He’s heaven sent."

Dawn calls having a child a privilege. "From the moment I conceived him, I knew that this child is God’s gift to us."

Motherhood has introduced some changes in Dawn’s attitude towards life. She elaborates: "Before, I was really OC (obsessive compulsive). I wanted everything to be in order. But with Jacobo, I just lose control of my life. You do not think of yourself all the time now. I have a baby to take care of. It’s not only me and Anton. We’re a family now."

For someone who became famous for her waif-like figure, it’s surprising to know that Dawn now has had to battle the excess poundage that she gained during pregnancy.

She attributes her weight gain to the steroids injected on her when she was pregnant.

Determined to throw the extra pounds, Dawn found the solution at Marie France. "I was desperate to lose weight because a lot of people were commenting on my big belly and tummy." The results were visible after weeks of treatments. Elated, Dawn is now sporting a slimmer figure. "The weight loss is fast and obvious. I already lost eight inches on my waist and tummy alone in just three weeks," she attests.

At 135 lbs., Dawn believes she’s still a work in progress and targets a 118-lb. figure.

Going back to her family life, the actress has already mapped out the future for her son Jacobo. She dreams of sending Jacobo to an Ivy League school for a law degree. Dawn confesses she dreads to see the day that Jacobo asks her permission to become an artista.

"I don’t want him to go through what I experienced. Showbiz is not real."

Definitely, bucolic Davao is where home is even if she maintains two houses in Metro Manila. The southern city is where she wants to raise Jacobo.

She lives a blessed and charmed life. God has given her much and she is returning the blessings by actively participating in cause-oriented activities like joining the war on domestic violence.

Dawn’s mother of all blessings, though, is Jacobo, her life and love.