Birthing Memories
Baby's finally out!
It's been eighteen and a half weeks, actually, since she popped out. Haha. I just couldn't find the time.
It all started on Tuesday, when I had my 38th week check-up. The resident doctor (who, by the way, was my sister's gradeschool classmate) did an IE and told me that I was already in early labor. I was 3cm dilated, and 50% effaced. Still a long way until active labor, but we decided that I start my Maternity Leave already.
I was feeling some cramping in my abdomen, but since it was my first pregnancy, I didn't know if it was game time already.
Anyway, Wednesday and Thursday came and went with me feeling fine. There were contractions, but they were manageable. Then, early Friday, the contractions started happening more frequently. I tried sleeping through them, but I couldn't. It was, so far, the "worst" cramping that I felt, so we rushed to the hospital.
Upon (the super painful) examination, I was told that my dilation still hadn't progressed. In short, we were sent home. Haha. After a quick nap at home, we did some grocery shopping.
Saturday night, I was getting a bit irritable and the contractions were longer and more frequent. But we avoided going to the hospital because we might get sent home again. By 6pm, I was getting more and more irritable, and I felt like I needed to go to the hospital already. Still, I tried to relax in bed, while we watched a YouTube video. Around 7pm, I decided to take a shower, in case things get real. Everything was starting to ache like crazy, I had such a difficult time in the bathroom! V called my mom, who hurried to help us ready the hospital bags. I wanted to leave for the hospital right away, but my mom decided to pray for me first. Haha. Normally, I'd be grateful for that, but at that time, I was in so much pain already that I had to ask her to stop.
Around 9pm, we arrived at the hospital. The guards wanted me to take a wheelchair but I refused; I still wanted to walk to the maternity area.
As we got there, the nurses gave me the routine check-up. The resident doctor also IE'd me. I remember not being able to answer their questions anymore because of the pain of the contractions coupled with the pain from the IE. The doctor, then, exclaimed that I was already at 8cm. In short, I was admitted.
After that, things were kind of a blur already. They wheeled me to the HRPU Labor Room (they don't allow husbands at the regular labor rooms, so we opted for the HRPU Labor Room instead), where I waited for only about 30 minutes---the residents were trying everything to distract me, while V hurried to settle the hospital stuff.
Right after, I was brought into the Delivery Room. The residents "coached" me to push whenever there was a contraction coming. I remember feeling so tired and sleepy in between the pushing. V came in soon after, wearing scrubs. The delivery room was quiet and calm, save for the chatter of the doctors and nurses. Not what I expected from all those hospital drama shows I've watched in the past. I guess that prompted my OB to ask V if we had prepared our "soundtrack". Haha. So V hurried to get his laptop, and soon enough, I was pushing to Ella FItzgerald's Lullabye of Birdland.
After another hour and a half of pushing, awkward belly-prodding (by the residents) and more pushing, the baby finally popped out. Wheeew!
V, then, exclaimed that it was a girl.
After the baby was placed on my chest, V was asked to cut the umbilical cord. Some of the residents congratulated me, and then off I went to the recovery room.
Hoo, boy. What a crazy, crazy experience. It still feels as if it happened just yesterday, even if my baby is now a few kilos heavier.
It's been eighteen and a half weeks, actually, since she popped out. Haha. I just couldn't find the time.
It all started on Tuesday, when I had my 38th week check-up. The resident doctor (who, by the way, was my sister's gradeschool classmate) did an IE and told me that I was already in early labor. I was 3cm dilated, and 50% effaced. Still a long way until active labor, but we decided that I start my Maternity Leave already.
I was feeling some cramping in my abdomen, but since it was my first pregnancy, I didn't know if it was game time already.
Anyway, Wednesday and Thursday came and went with me feeling fine. There were contractions, but they were manageable. Then, early Friday, the contractions started happening more frequently. I tried sleeping through them, but I couldn't. It was, so far, the "worst" cramping that I felt, so we rushed to the hospital.
Upon (the super painful) examination, I was told that my dilation still hadn't progressed. In short, we were sent home. Haha. After a quick nap at home, we did some grocery shopping.
Saturday night, I was getting a bit irritable and the contractions were longer and more frequent. But we avoided going to the hospital because we might get sent home again. By 6pm, I was getting more and more irritable, and I felt like I needed to go to the hospital already. Still, I tried to relax in bed, while we watched a YouTube video. Around 7pm, I decided to take a shower, in case things get real. Everything was starting to ache like crazy, I had such a difficult time in the bathroom! V called my mom, who hurried to help us ready the hospital bags. I wanted to leave for the hospital right away, but my mom decided to pray for me first. Haha. Normally, I'd be grateful for that, but at that time, I was in so much pain already that I had to ask her to stop.
Around 9pm, we arrived at the hospital. The guards wanted me to take a wheelchair but I refused; I still wanted to walk to the maternity area.
As we got there, the nurses gave me the routine check-up. The resident doctor also IE'd me. I remember not being able to answer their questions anymore because of the pain of the contractions coupled with the pain from the IE. The doctor, then, exclaimed that I was already at 8cm. In short, I was admitted.
After that, things were kind of a blur already. They wheeled me to the HRPU Labor Room (they don't allow husbands at the regular labor rooms, so we opted for the HRPU Labor Room instead), where I waited for only about 30 minutes---the residents were trying everything to distract me, while V hurried to settle the hospital stuff.
Right after, I was brought into the Delivery Room. The residents "coached" me to push whenever there was a contraction coming. I remember feeling so tired and sleepy in between the pushing. V came in soon after, wearing scrubs. The delivery room was quiet and calm, save for the chatter of the doctors and nurses. Not what I expected from all those hospital drama shows I've watched in the past. I guess that prompted my OB to ask V if we had prepared our "soundtrack". Haha. So V hurried to get his laptop, and soon enough, I was pushing to Ella FItzgerald's Lullabye of Birdland.
After another hour and a half of pushing, awkward belly-prodding (by the residents) and more pushing, the baby finally popped out. Wheeew!
V, then, exclaimed that it was a girl.
After the baby was placed on my chest, V was asked to cut the umbilical cord. Some of the residents congratulated me, and then off I went to the recovery room.
Hoo, boy. What a crazy, crazy experience. It still feels as if it happened just yesterday, even if my baby is now a few kilos heavier.
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