A beautiful pregnancy
Beauty queen and glamour mom Ruffa Gutierrez-Bektas reveals how she coped with stress during her pregnancy, and managed to stay beautiful and fashionable in the process. By Katherine Magsanoc

The Filipino public has seen Ruffa Gutierrez go through many milestones in her life--from budding teenage actress to glorious seasons as Miss World Second Princess and as on-cam talent for Century Productions in Hollywood.

And so when Ruffa and long-time boyfriend, young Turkish businessman Ylmaz Bektas, announced their engagement and got married last year, many thought it was the perfect time. Ruffa had come of age. In August 2003, Ruffa gave birth to 18-inches, 7.8-ounces Lorin Gabrielle. Her family, friends and fans rejoiced.

Coping with stress during pregnancy
Ruffa had to make some tough decisions just before her due date. Ylmaz, who at that time had just bought a company in Turkey, was tied up with last-minute negotiations. Ruffa was torn between giving birth in Turkey, unfamiliar terrain to her, or in the U.S. where she's more at home.

"Ylmaz said it was up to me, and that he would support my decision 100 percent," says Ruffa. "My parents and manager were telling me to give birth in Turkey, but I don't know the laws there. What if I give birth there and something happens in Turkey? What's going to happen to Lorin?"

In the end, Ruffa chose to give birth in the States. "I really wanted [Lorin] to be an American citizen. There were a lot of people who took care of me there--aunties, godmothers and friends. When the doctor ordered 3 weeks of bed rest, I didn't feel sad at all. A lot of my friends came and visited. They brought food and we watched movies on DVD. I had a lot of fun."

When a woman learns she is pregnant, everyday stresses are compounded by the physical and psychological changes of the next 9 months. Nausea, weight gain and back pain are just some of the effects of pregnancy that can increase stress. Things that weigh on a woman's mind when she's pregnant--worry over the health of her baby, fear of delivery, a changing relationship with her partner--also add stress.

How a woman copes with stress will affect the health of her baby. Studies show that stress during pregnancy can cause numerous problems, including high blood pressure during pregnancy, stunted fetal brain development and long-term infant health problems.

Ruffa certainly coped with stress the right way: She asked for help from her husband, family and friends, found ways to relax and have fun, and kept her body healthy through the right diet and exercise.

"I was active up to my eighth month of pregnancy," she proudly says.

Embracing changes
Thanks to her winning attitude and bright outlook in life, Ruffa never succumbed to depression during the difficult days of her pregnancy.

"I embraced the changes in my body with open arms because I was ready for them," she says. "In Los Angeles, there's this store called Mom on Melrose that sold really hip and fashionable stuff like tube tops, cargo pants and sandals. They were perfect summer wear for me. Thank God I had skinny arms!"