I know I was on a lot of amnesia during that time but I still remember it clearly like it was just yesterday. October 17 2011, was truly one of the best days of my life....
Throughout my doctor's appointments, my OB-GYN kept telling me how smoothly my pregnancy was going. And that I could definitely be able to deliver normally. She also told me that from the looks of it, my little Rain was in the perfect delivery position already and i could give birth sooner than expected. I was scared but I was more excited at the same time. I couldn't wait to finally see my baby in living color. Not just through the black and white sonogram.
Days went by... Weeks went by... Before I knew it, Rain was past her due date. I tell you, those last few weeks of pregnancy are the loooooooooongest. You feel uncomfortable, heavy, and irritable. Why won't she come out already?!? In fact I hold a record with my OB-GYN because she says I'm the only overdue patient she had in a very long time.
October 16, my sweet husband took me to a breakfast buffet. He knew how much I loved breakfast. I ate my heart out. But I had also already noticed that I was feeling mild contractions not too far apart from each other. But I was fine.
That night, i slept very uncomfortably. Like I had menstruational cramps. But i was too exhausted to tell my husband. I would rather sleep it in. Around 6am, I felt the paid grow stronger. It was time.
My calm husband rushed me to The Medical City after confirming with my doctor that I had I should check in already. This was finally the day I had been waiting for!
I don't really know why but giving birth in the hospitals here are different from the labor hospitals in the states. In the states, you can have your husband with you in the room during the whole duration of the labor until delivery. I wish it was liketdhat here. But it's not. Unless you pay for a really expansive birthing suite fit for delivering a baby. But it will cost you an arm and a leg. So I had to be confined inside a semi private delivery room alone with other moms in labor and nurses. This thought was terrifying. That I could not hold my husband's hand during labor. That I didn't know anyone in the room.
So I was checked in at around 6 or 7am. But I was not fully dilated. My yoohoo needs to open at 10 cm to be able to deliver normaly. And so the waiting game begun...
10am...
1pm....
3pm...
Falling in and out of consciousness because I was falling asleep from exhaustion. At least the bits and pieces of personal life conversations between the nurses there were quite entertaining.I felt like Iwas in an episode of Grey's Anatomy.
4pm...
5pm...
You know those labor scenes we usually see on TV or in movies? The mother-to-be screaming bloody murder in the labor room... For me, it was nothing like that. I was quiet. The whole time. And I didn't realize that I was frowning until the nurse told me "ma'am... You don't have to endur the pain. We can give you an epidural if you'll allow us. You're frowning already from the pain". So I said yes. I tried not to look at the tools they brought in because I knew that it had something to do with a really huge needle that will be injected in my spine. It was a sight I did not need to see.
Next thing I remember was feeling something cold run down my back, relieving all the pain. Whoever invented the epidural is a genius! Then I fell back to sleep.
6pm...
7pm...
9pm...
I was only at 6 or 7cm I think. To quote Phoebe from the Friends TV series, "The miracle of birth sure is a snooze fest!" I was beginning to wonder what my husband was doing outside the delivery room. Poor hubby!
Around 10pm, I finally reached 10cm. I remember hearing the nurses that were looking after celebrating like they had just gotten their 13th month pay haha! My OB arrived and I tried to pushing for around an hour if I remember correctly... But turns out there was a small obstacle...
Turns out the pathway outside my uterus was a bit curved or something so no moatter how hard I pushed, Rain just kept pulling back after each push. And it was already stressing her out. So my OB suggested to go CS. Yep... all those hours, around 16 hours, for nothing. Had I known, I would have had Rain hours ago. But this just shows how pregnancy and labor can be so unpredictable. It's really hard to prepare yourself based on someone elses experience.
So they rolled me in the delivery room and started giving me anesthesia.
Anesthesiologist : Ma'am can you feel that (pinch) ?
Me: ... konti. Nafeefeel ko pa (a bit... I can still feel it) ---> with a sound of panic that they might crack me open and I might feel the pain
Anesthesiologist: Wala na yan... okay na yan... (Nah, the anesthesia has kicked in. That's nothing.)
Me: Meron pa talaga! (I can still really feel it!!!)......*Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz*
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And then the next thing I knew, I woke up in the middle of the procedure and I remember thinking "Richie should be here by now!" I looked around and my poor husband was in the corner of the room behind me in scrubs, looking a bit terrified, holding our camera. I remember saying hi.
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And then I felt my OB-GYN move my tummy back and fourth, and then some other details I won't scare you with right now.
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And then finally, at 11:58 PM, I heard the nurse say "BABY OUT!"
And then I heard the sweetest almost singing sound of a baby's cry. MY baby's cry. It was literally like music to my ears! And then I felt tears roll down my cheeks. Suddenly all the pain I felt in the past 16 hours was nothing.
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I feel so lucky that my whole pregnancy was smooth sailing. It was the best uncomfortable 9 months of my life and I would do it all again in a heartbeat! Nothing else is as magical as giving birth to a tiny human being. Now I know why they call it "Labor of love".
To my dear sweet two year old, I'm honestly terrified about the saying "terrible twos" but as my cousin, your ninang, once told me, just think of it as the Terrific Twos instead. And I know that's exactly what you'll be! Mommy and Daddy loves you so much!
Throughout my doctor's appointments, my OB-GYN kept telling me how smoothly my pregnancy was going. And that I could definitely be able to deliver normally. She also told me that from the looks of it, my little Rain was in the perfect delivery position already and i could give birth sooner than expected. I was scared but I was more excited at the same time. I couldn't wait to finally see my baby in living color. Not just through the black and white sonogram.
Days went by... Weeks went by... Before I knew it, Rain was past her due date. I tell you, those last few weeks of pregnancy are the loooooooooongest. You feel uncomfortable, heavy, and irritable. Why won't she come out already?!? In fact I hold a record with my OB-GYN because she says I'm the only overdue patient she had in a very long time.
October 16, my sweet husband took me to a breakfast buffet. He knew how much I loved breakfast. I ate my heart out. But I had also already noticed that I was feeling mild contractions not too far apart from each other. But I was fine.
That night, i slept very uncomfortably. Like I had menstruational cramps. But i was too exhausted to tell my husband. I would rather sleep it in. Around 6am, I felt the paid grow stronger. It was time.
My calm husband rushed me to The Medical City after confirming with my doctor that I had I should check in already. This was finally the day I had been waiting for!
I don't really know why but giving birth in the hospitals here are different from the labor hospitals in the states. In the states, you can have your husband with you in the room during the whole duration of the labor until delivery. I wish it was liketdhat here. But it's not. Unless you pay for a really expansive birthing suite fit for delivering a baby. But it will cost you an arm and a leg. So I had to be confined inside a semi private delivery room alone with other moms in labor and nurses. This thought was terrifying. That I could not hold my husband's hand during labor. That I didn't know anyone in the room.
So I was checked in at around 6 or 7am. But I was not fully dilated. My yoohoo needs to open at 10 cm to be able to deliver normaly. And so the waiting game begun...
10am...
1pm....
3pm...
Falling in and out of consciousness because I was falling asleep from exhaustion. At least the bits and pieces of personal life conversations between the nurses there were quite entertaining.I felt like Iwas in an episode of Grey's Anatomy.
4pm...
5pm...
You know those labor scenes we usually see on TV or in movies? The mother-to-be screaming bloody murder in the labor room... For me, it was nothing like that. I was quiet. The whole time. And I didn't realize that I was frowning until the nurse told me "ma'am... You don't have to endur the pain. We can give you an epidural if you'll allow us. You're frowning already from the pain". So I said yes. I tried not to look at the tools they brought in because I knew that it had something to do with a really huge needle that will be injected in my spine. It was a sight I did not need to see.
Next thing I remember was feeling something cold run down my back, relieving all the pain. Whoever invented the epidural is a genius! Then I fell back to sleep.
6pm...
7pm...
9pm...
I was only at 6 or 7cm I think. To quote Phoebe from the Friends TV series, "The miracle of birth sure is a snooze fest!" I was beginning to wonder what my husband was doing outside the delivery room. Poor hubby!
Around 10pm, I finally reached 10cm. I remember hearing the nurses that were looking after celebrating like they had just gotten their 13th month pay haha! My OB arrived and I tried to pushing for around an hour if I remember correctly... But turns out there was a small obstacle...
Turns out the pathway outside my uterus was a bit curved or something so no moatter how hard I pushed, Rain just kept pulling back after each push. And it was already stressing her out. So my OB suggested to go CS. Yep... all those hours, around 16 hours, for nothing. Had I known, I would have had Rain hours ago. But this just shows how pregnancy and labor can be so unpredictable. It's really hard to prepare yourself based on someone elses experience.
So they rolled me in the delivery room and started giving me anesthesia.
Anesthesiologist : Ma'am can you feel that (pinch) ?
Me: ... konti. Nafeefeel ko pa (a bit... I can still feel it) ---> with a sound of panic that they might crack me open and I might feel the pain
Anesthesiologist: Wala na yan... okay na yan... (Nah, the anesthesia has kicked in. That's nothing.)
Me: Meron pa talaga! (I can still really feel it!!!)......*Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz*
And then I felt my OB-GYN move my tummy back and fourth, and then some other details I won't scare you with right now.
And then finally, at 11:58 PM, I heard the nurse say "BABY OUT!"
And then I heard the sweetest almost singing sound of a baby's cry. MY baby's cry. It was literally like music to my ears! And then I felt tears roll down my cheeks. Suddenly all the pain I felt in the past 16 hours was nothing.
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| While I we were overflowing with happiness, Rain on the other hand was not amused. Hehehe :-) |
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| This was the first time I laid eyes on her. She was so beautiful! (But at the same time I was thinking, why does she look so Chinese?!? Hahaha!) |
I feel so lucky that my whole pregnancy was smooth sailing. It was the best uncomfortable 9 months of my life and I would do it all again in a heartbeat! Nothing else is as magical as giving birth to a tiny human being. Now I know why they call it "Labor of love".
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| Baby Girl Zamora :-) |
To my dear sweet two year old, I'm honestly terrified about the saying "terrible twos" but as my cousin, your ninang, once told me, just think of it as the Terrific Twos instead. And I know that's exactly what you'll be! Mommy and Daddy loves you so much!