How It All Started

It all started, well sort of started on my birthday, 28th of January. My family were expecting and kind of hoping that I will give birth on my birthday. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before in my blog but the 28th is kind of special with my father's side of the family. Aside from my birthday, it's my great grandmother and my grandmother's birthday. It's also my parent's wedding anniversary. This year the 28th fell on a Friday so I opted to take a leave on that day. But since Joema had work we didn't really celebrate the day by going out, he just bought food and cake instead and took them home. Anyways, the next day the 29th, I was scheduled for my OB visit. When we got to the clinic there were no parking slots available, so Joema dropped me off and then went to my office to park the car. He was planning on just picking me up if my checkup was just for a short time. You see, every Friday night before my Saturday checkup he signs me up in the list outside the doctor's clinic. So if we're number 1 on the list, even if they were already checking on number 7 I will be the next patient the doctor will see. Hence, we were kind of expecting that the checkup won't take that long. When I came in I think another patient just got in so I called Joema to tell him he had lots of time to follow and I really wanted him there (it would have been the first time that he didn't accompany me inside the clinic if his plan pushed through). Which was a good thing because I was already 3cm dilated when my OB did an internal exam. But I'm already getting ahead of myself. When we got in the clinic, my OB did the usual ultrasound. And then she did a 4D ultrasound (which I thought was not possible after the 5th month). Later on she told us she did the ultrasound because the baby was facing her the right way, thus we got a clear picture of her.


After my ultrasound, my OB said she'll do an IE since my tummy's so hard. As mentioned in my previous posts, I've been having contractions since September. The contractions aren't really new to me. So when I feel a tightening in my belly, that was a usual thing. And I really thought the baby was just moving inside me. After the IE, my OB asked "Wala ka talagang nararamdaman? 3cm ka na." It turned out I was already in labor. As I've said, I was already 3cm dilated so she told me (Joema was outside in her clinic and not inside the ultrasound room when she did the IE) that we should eat lunch first and then after two hours we can go to the hospital to get admitted. I'm not sure how I felt then, it must've been a mixture of emotions but I remember feeling a certain calmness take over me. Which was the complete opposite with Joema. When the OB told him what's happening, the idea of me giving birth that day didn't really sink in haha! After being told to have lunch then go to the hospital, he asked "So Doc, ngayon na po sya manganganak?" (or something to that effect), to which our OB replied that it is possible or I can give birth the next day, it all depends on the progress of my labor. So after our OB gave us final instructions (go to the 5th floor where the pre-labor room is, we should park in Rockwell instead of at The Medical City so that we can save on parking fee, take off contact lens) and gave us a slip for the admission in the hospital, we paid the bill and went straight to Megamall.

We bought old showbiz magazines (since we weren't sure how long we'll wait for the delivery and we were advised that we can bring in magazines in the labor room) before going to HK Choi for lunch. By this time, I was texting our family and friends that I'm about to be admitted to the hospital. There was a Baby & Co. sale that time at Megamall and I really wanted to go but Joema didn't want to go anymore. "Nagle-labor ka na nga gusto mo pa magshopping," he said.

Lunch at HK Choi

For posterity's sake, at 37 weeks and 4 days

After lunch, we went to the groceries to buy a few essentials like snacks, bottled water (my OB said I can still drink while I'm in labor). I even saw an officemate at the groceries and told her I was already in labor. I was really excited while Joema was a nervous wreck haha! We had to drop by the office to get the car and wait for a few more minutes because Doc said to go to the hospital 2 hours after having lunch. We didn't have to go back home for our things because they were already packed in our car's trunk.

We got to the pre-labor room around 2:30pm. Joema was asked to leave me there and wait for instructions if he had to go and reserve a room for us. I guess they had to check first if I should be really admitted or be sent back home. But I had the admission slip from my OB which I gave to them. I was asked to change into the hospital robe and then was placed in a bed. The pre-labor room in Medical City is a small room with, I think only, 3 beds inside it separated by curtains. I was strapped into a device that monitored the contractions. That's when I realized the tightening I was feeling was contractions and not the baby moving inside me because they were monitoring each tightening of my tummy. I wasn't really feeling anything, I only know I'm having contractions which I realized only then at the pre-labor room. In the pre-labor room they had to ask me a bunch of questions for their forms, blood was drawn, enema was done. The resident also did another IE (IE's are hell!!!), she advised me that I was dilated 4-5cm already. After she talked to my OB over the phone she told me they can transfer me already. In my birthplan, we asked to be roomed into the lamaze room only during active labor, otherwise I should be transferred to the labor room first. But since they said that 4-5cm is already considered active labor they will transfer me to the lamaze room instead of the labor room. That was fine by me, atleast Joema will be with me all the way. Take note, I wasn't still feeling any pain. I think I was wheeled into the lamaze room before 4pm.

To be continued...