The past year had been a truly memorable with my pregnancy and the birth of our little gem, Georgette. My journey to motherhood had been somewhat smooth and my work had kept me busy until I had to go on my maternity leave. I'd posted a few blog entries during my early pregnancy but with making sure that I am healthy for our baby, clearing out my desk from work added with pregnancy hormones that made me so "tamad" to face the computer (again) at home had kept me to keeping you up to date with what's happening. So to make up for it, here's my birthing story.
Before I make kwento on my D-Day, I mentioned that my pregnancy was somewhat smooth. I never got sick even if my colleagues who are seated in the cubicles next to me have all been contacting colds and cough. I was energetic and was religiously having my "walking exercise" at the mall near our office during my lunch break. But during my 3rd trimester, I was diagnosed with GDM or gestational diabetes.
I am not one to have a sweet tooth and I could easily say no to desserts but my carb intake (I was eating a cup of rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes even as afternoon snack) made my blood sugar shoot up. I was at first advised to revise my diet and monitor my blood sugar. But the numbers were still fluctuating so my endocrinologist had me take insulin for the rest of my pregnancy. It wasn't such a big deal for me but it was a bit of a hassle bringing the insulin pen with me especially when I had to eat out. I got through it though :)
Before I make kwento on my D-Day, I mentioned that my pregnancy was somewhat smooth. I never got sick even if my colleagues who are seated in the cubicles next to me have all been contacting colds and cough. I was energetic and was religiously having my "walking exercise" at the mall near our office during my lunch break. But during my 3rd trimester, I was diagnosed with GDM or gestational diabetes.
I am not one to have a sweet tooth and I could easily say no to desserts but my carb intake (I was eating a cup of rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes even as afternoon snack) made my blood sugar shoot up. I was at first advised to revise my diet and monitor my blood sugar. But the numbers were still fluctuating so my endocrinologist had me take insulin for the rest of my pregnancy. It wasn't such a big deal for me but it was a bit of a hassle bringing the insulin pen with me especially when I had to eat out. I got through it though :)
The estimated date for my delivery was Nov. 12 but M and I was hoping that our baby would come out on Nov. 11 (11-11-11) which we think would be nice since she will be our first (1!) baby. But apparently, she wanted to stay in mommy's tummy a bit longer. Hi hi! In November, my OB had me going to her for weekly check-ups and the most we got to for my labor was only 1 cm. She advised me to just continue with my exercise (walking) to encourage labor.
Nov 14. Visited my OB again to see if there is any progress with my dilation. I was still at 1cm so she said she will "strip" me so we could get a move on. She also advised me to continue my daily walks to help me further along. So after my check-up, I went for a walk around the ground of UST. I made three rounds before we headed home.
For the whole day, my mom kept watch over me to see if there are "signs" that we are about to go to the hospital already. I, on the other hand, just kept on doing the usual (or bumming as you would call it). Watched TV, surfed the Net and basically just lazing around the house. I had to keep my cool since my mom tends to be too excited and panicky (makita lang na napapalalim ang hininga ko pag sumasakit ang tiyan e gusto na kaming pasugurin sa ospital) but don't tell her, ok? :P Ako naman, I also kept checking my undies whenever I go to the bathroom to be sure that I wasn't going into labor already. I had the feeling though that I would be giving birth soon since the cramps I was experiencing were more pronounced but the intervals were still far long from each other for me to be rushing to the hospital.
That night, I had some blood smears on my undies so I texted my OB (even though it was late already) if I should go to the delivery room already but got no reply. I took a bath and tried to get some sleep but I was too restless to lay still so I booted the PC and watched the last season of Project Runway. I was on my second episode when I felt a sudden gush of water even though I didn't feel like peeing. So I went to the bathroom and checked that it wasn't indeed pee. I woke my mom and Myke and calmly told them that we are ready to go to the hospital.
Nov 15. I was checked into the hospital at 5.45 am and had the hospital staff notify my OB. Then they made me lie down, strapped on me the IV and fetal monitor. The first few hours in the labor room was uneventful. My dliation was pretty slow so they started to induce me into labor but putting oxytocin onto my IV. The contractions I felt were still mild (or baka nakakaya ko lang) and I still managed to joke around with the nurses. Since nakakaya ko pa naman ang contractions, I tried to nap a little. I kept hearing the nurses conversing na yung contractions ko e malalayo pa rin ang intervals and "mild" pa raw based sa monitor. Di ko maiwasan na mag-alala so I was praying that the baby will be ok and that I give birth soon to avoid running low on amniotic fluid (since one of my water bags have ruptured already) and having to undergo a C-section.
At around noon, my OB came and checked on me. I was still at 4-5cm so she advised the residents to give me Buscopan. One hour after they administered it, ayun na! Ramdam ko na talaga yung hilab! I wasn't screaming though but I was moaning everytime the contractions came. I was squirming on the bed and had to ask the nurses if they have an extra pillow that I could clutch (kung hinde e baka isa sa kanila ang mahablot ko at magkakanda-pasa-pasa pag kinapitan ko). The residents asked me how were my contractions (if I felt that I was gonna poop) and I said yes I was feeling the pain all over especially the back. They IE'd me again and was surprised that I was alread fully dilated (9 cm)! (Di kasi madalas ang pag-IE nila sakin kasi nga pumutok na yung isang water bag ko kaya gulat talaga sila sa bilis ng pag-dilate.) I was wheeled immediately into the delivery room next door at which point, I just shut my eyes to block out all the people inside the room and I could just concentrate. It was pretty late for me for an epidural shot so I given anesthesia intravenously kaya ramdam ko yung paghilab at paglabas ni baby.
Anyway, when I was asked to push the baby out, nakakaubos pala ng hininga! You have to take a deep breath, push for 10 seconds and follow it up immediately after with another push. The doctors were coaching me though - pag umire e parang nagpo-poop ka na constipated. Better if I close my mouth and try not to make a sound when I push so the pressure would be on the abdomen. Funny but I remembered that after 3 pushes, I felt that there was something blocking "down there" and I remembered asking the doctors if they had inserted something (somekind of apparatus maybe to "hold" me "open"?) since it was painful. They told me that it was my baby's head. So when the next wave of contraction came, I just kept pushing and pushing! Di ko na inantay yung susunod na contraction, basta sinunod-sunod ko na ang pag-ire. Naramdaman ko yung paglabas ni baby kasi parang may lumabas na malaki na parang may tubig tapos ramdam ko na nawalan ng laman yung tiyan ko. I heard our baby cry pa before I fell asleep.
Nov 14. Visited my OB again to see if there is any progress with my dilation. I was still at 1cm so she said she will "strip" me so we could get a move on. She also advised me to continue my daily walks to help me further along. So after my check-up, I went for a walk around the ground of UST. I made three rounds before we headed home.
For the whole day, my mom kept watch over me to see if there are "signs" that we are about to go to the hospital already. I, on the other hand, just kept on doing the usual (or bumming as you would call it). Watched TV, surfed the Net and basically just lazing around the house. I had to keep my cool since my mom tends to be too excited and panicky (makita lang na napapalalim ang hininga ko pag sumasakit ang tiyan e gusto na kaming pasugurin sa ospital) but don't tell her, ok? :P Ako naman, I also kept checking my undies whenever I go to the bathroom to be sure that I wasn't going into labor already. I had the feeling though that I would be giving birth soon since the cramps I was experiencing were more pronounced but the intervals were still far long from each other for me to be rushing to the hospital.
That night, I had some blood smears on my undies so I texted my OB (even though it was late already) if I should go to the delivery room already but got no reply. I took a bath and tried to get some sleep but I was too restless to lay still so I booted the PC and watched the last season of Project Runway. I was on my second episode when I felt a sudden gush of water even though I didn't feel like peeing. So I went to the bathroom and checked that it wasn't indeed pee. I woke my mom and Myke and calmly told them that we are ready to go to the hospital.
Nov 15. I was checked into the hospital at 5.45 am and had the hospital staff notify my OB. Then they made me lie down, strapped on me the IV and fetal monitor. The first few hours in the labor room was uneventful. My dliation was pretty slow so they started to induce me into labor but putting oxytocin onto my IV. The contractions I felt were still mild (or baka nakakaya ko lang) and I still managed to joke around with the nurses. Since nakakaya ko pa naman ang contractions, I tried to nap a little. I kept hearing the nurses conversing na yung contractions ko e malalayo pa rin ang intervals and "mild" pa raw based sa monitor. Di ko maiwasan na mag-alala so I was praying that the baby will be ok and that I give birth soon to avoid running low on amniotic fluid (since one of my water bags have ruptured already) and having to undergo a C-section.
At around noon, my OB came and checked on me. I was still at 4-5cm so she advised the residents to give me Buscopan. One hour after they administered it, ayun na! Ramdam ko na talaga yung hilab! I wasn't screaming though but I was moaning everytime the contractions came. I was squirming on the bed and had to ask the nurses if they have an extra pillow that I could clutch (kung hinde e baka isa sa kanila ang mahablot ko at magkakanda-pasa-pasa pag kinapitan ko). The residents asked me how were my contractions (if I felt that I was gonna poop) and I said yes I was feeling the pain all over especially the back. They IE'd me again and was surprised that I was alread fully dilated (9 cm)! (Di kasi madalas ang pag-IE nila sakin kasi nga pumutok na yung isang water bag ko kaya gulat talaga sila sa bilis ng pag-dilate.) I was wheeled immediately into the delivery room next door at which point, I just shut my eyes to block out all the people inside the room and I could just concentrate. It was pretty late for me for an epidural shot so I given anesthesia intravenously kaya ramdam ko yung paghilab at paglabas ni baby.
Anyway, when I was asked to push the baby out, nakakaubos pala ng hininga! You have to take a deep breath, push for 10 seconds and follow it up immediately after with another push. The doctors were coaching me though - pag umire e parang nagpo-poop ka na constipated. Better if I close my mouth and try not to make a sound when I push so the pressure would be on the abdomen. Funny but I remembered that after 3 pushes, I felt that there was something blocking "down there" and I remembered asking the doctors if they had inserted something (somekind of apparatus maybe to "hold" me "open"?) since it was painful. They told me that it was my baby's head. So when the next wave of contraction came, I just kept pushing and pushing! Di ko na inantay yung susunod na contraction, basta sinunod-sunod ko na ang pag-ire. Naramdaman ko yung paglabas ni baby kasi parang may lumabas na malaki na parang may tubig tapos ramdam ko na nawalan ng laman yung tiyan ko. I heard our baby cry pa before I fell asleep.
They woke me up and told me that they'll be letting Georgie latch on to me. Nakakatawa uli but I recall that I kept asking the the nurse if ok ba si baby? Kumpleto ba ang daliri? Hahaha! After a while, they took her away and told me that Georgie will be joining us when I'm roomed in. In my room, M and my mom were waiting for me and M was eager to show me the pictures that were taken during my delivery (mga nurses ang kumuha ng pic kasi di pwede si M sa room). And after a couple of hours, Georgie was roomed in with us. :)
It's almost two months after that blessed day. Giving birth to our baby girl was truly a beautiful experience. Mahirap, masakit but one look at your child, you would definitely say that it was all worth it. Very cliche but true. All mothers would agree. But child bearing is just the start of our journey to parenthood, the first step to starting our family. It's not easy and I had bouts of being high-tempered, depressed (just ask my husband about it) but God-willing we are and will get through. I'll share some more kwento about my life as a mother in my next entries.
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