Before becoming an actress, Isabelle Daza was a preschool teacher.
She graduated from De La Salle University with a degree in Early Childhood Education.
Now that the actress is a parent to her six-month-old son Balthazar "Baltie" Daza-Semblat, did her experience with preschool kids lessen her anxiety as a new mom?
Isabelle, who is also a social media influencer, quickly replied, "No, I think it gives you a lot more—not pressure, but a lot more information that you want to remember.
"Because you're like, 'Okay, what did Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs say?'… you kind of look back at that.
"But I think this is a different age, and we have to evolve, so I'd like to take different theories and come up with my own."
One of the teachings that Isabelle took to heart was understanding the "power of speech" at Baltie's age.
"A lot of people don’t understand or don’t realize that when a child is zero to seven, that's the time they absorb the most," the celebrity mom explained.
"They think, 'Ah, baby lang iyan,' but everything you feel—well, at least with me and Baltazar, when I’m stressed, he’s irritable. When I’m calm, he’s calm.
"Whatever your energy is, they absorb.
"I’d like to emphasize to parents that it's crucial at this age to pay the most attention to them."
MOTHERHOOD SO FAR
Isabelle didn't sugarcoat her first few days as a parent.
During the quick interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), the celebrity mom recalled she was then constantly short-tempered.
"I didn’t sleep, and I was just always irritable and feeling really warm, like hot flashes," she said.
"When you’re pregnant, when you’re breastfeeding, everything's sticky and warm.
"I was feeling just highly irritable always, and that's part of postpartum."
Isabelle was vocal about how tiring breastfeeding can get as well.
She said in a previous interview that she often cried because of it.
But as the time went on, Isabelle has learned to dwell on its benefits.
"I seem to like it in a weird way, and I love that connection that we have," she continued during our exclusive chat.
"It's like when he cries so much, nobody else can appease him but me. It makes me feel special...
"But I think breastfeeding, the hardest part is really—first, getting him to latch and, second, doing it everywhere because that's what has happened.
"Everyone has their own journey, I think."