Bunso's Birth Story

I ended my previous story with checking out of the hospital on my 35th week.

17 February 2016

We were back at the hospital because I experienced contractions the night before. My OB instructed us to go straight to the hospital instead of going to her clinic. I was again attached to the monitor for contractions when I got to the pre-labor room. There were no contractions and when my OB did an IE on me, I was dilated by only 3cm and the head of the baby was still floating. So she told us to go back home and come back the following week, my 37th week, so that she can already induce me by then. That was my understanding then. Basta her exact words, "Sige balik ka na lang next week, saktong 37 weeks papaanakin na kita." So I went back home, back to my bed rest.

I thought I was going to give birth that day na. May obligatory last family photo pa sana hehe. 

22 February

I texted my OB and asked if I can already stand and walk around and she gave her go signal. That morning when I took a bath I had a discharge which I would describe as like sipon na madami but it was clear (no blood) but yellowish and sticky. When I texted this to my OB she said it was mucus plug and was a sign of coming labor and instructed me to go to the hospital that day if I feel frequent contractions. Anyway, with my OB's go signal,  Joema and I went out on a date to watch Deadpool hihi. But the whole time we were at the cinema, I knew I was already having contractions. This went on until the next day on the ride to the hospital.

The last supper

23 February

9:30am - 11am

Photo before leaving for the hospital

We were supposed to be at the hospital by 9:30-10 but traffic was heavy so we arrived around 11am already. When I went into the pre-labor room and they did an IE I was already 5cm. So I was admitted and transferred to the labor room.

12:30pm - 1:30pm

I was transferred to the labor room. I was initially brought to room 5 and then after an hour was transferred to room 1 of the labor room. After I was transferred they did an IE, turned out I was already 6cm. But I was still not feeling any pain from the contractions. The resident OB suggested that I have my epidural already, so I said yes. They called the anesthesiologist to administer the epidural. However, when I requested for the button thingy that I had with my previous two births the resident anesthesiologist told me that Dr. Mike (anesthesiologist) said sayang lang coz we only had 4cm to go. Tawagan na lang daw sila when I need another dose.

3pm

Joema was still not inside the labor room. He left me at the pre-labor room to have lunch and get admitted (get a room). Good thing our OB was inside the labor room so I told her that Joema was still not with me. Since alam nga nya that I want Joema to be with me the whole time, she told me she'll look for him. Yes, ganon sya kabait. Maya-maya bumalik na sya sa kin. Sabi nya, "Wag ka magalit. Papasok na si Joma, ayaw pala sya papasukin kanina." Later on kwento ni Joema, paglabas nga daw ni Doc at nakita sya dun sinabi ni Joma sa kanya na ayaw sya papasukin, sabi daw ni Doc, "Sino dito ayaw magpapasok sayo?" Hahaha But I think Joma went inside the LR around 3:30pm already.

At the pre-LR

4pm

The resident OB did another IE and I was still 6cm. Since hindi nagprogress ang labor they gave me meds to induce the labor and told me they will pop my waterbag. The resident cautioned me that I will feel the pain once they pop my waterbag. Kaso while doing the IE, talaga namang kung isuksok niya yung daliri nya dun (sorry TMI ahead and medyo gross) he felt na may poop ako. That's the only time I recalled na di ako in-edema sa pre-LR like my previous births. At dahil ginalaw galaw nya yung poop I had the urge to poop. This all happened simultaneously and quickly ha -  I dont remember na pano talaga yung sunod-sunod ng events at this time! When they popped my waterbag, the water was stained a bit color brown or green. Medyo delikado coz may color baka mainfect si baby because that's meconium or poop ng baby. So they administered another round of meds to my IV line. I asked my OB if I would have CS because of this. Sabi nya as long as magprogress ang labor and okay naman ang heartbeat ni baby, no need for CS. Maya-maya I felt the pain of the contractions na so I asked if I can have another round of epidural. They called naman the anes kaso hindi agad dumating. At the same time I felt the urge to poop so I thought napopoopoo talaga ko. And told this to the nurse. Sabi nya they have to tell the OB kasi hindi pwedeng magpoop lang ako basta sa bedpan. So the resident OB did an IE again, and asked me to push when a contraction came. Sabi ni resident, I was ready to go na daw and give birth.  Si Joma, hindi pa dala yung camera sa loob ng LR dahil pinagbawalan daw syang dalhin. So he had to go back pa to our room and get the effing camera hahaha! When he went out, I think that's the time they did the IE and told me they had to wheel me na to the Delivery Room because I was asking them na if I can poop. Dun na lang daw sa DR pagkadeliver ng baby, lilinisin na rin daw nila yung passageway ko.

4:30pm

So agad agad they wheeled me to the DR but the pain was extreme already, di pa dumating yung anesthesiologist. When I got to the DR, sumisigaw na ko sa sakit as in "Aaaaaahhhhhh!" Ganyan! It was my first time to experience that! Tapos pa feeling ko mapoopoop ako. In hindsight I think the urge to poop was really contractions, I wasn't familiar lang with that feeling. Tapos sinasabihan pa nila ko nang "Wag kang iire! Wag kang iire!" everytime I have a contraction. E anong gagawin ko? Ganon pala yun, when you push during a contraction as in wala akong nararamdaman na pain but pag dun sa times na I can't push with a contraction dun yung sobrang sakit. All those breathing exercises I practiced flew out the window! Wala na, yung instinct ko na lang na sumigaw at magmoan habang nasasaktan ang nag take over. Yung OB ko ngayon lang ako nakitang ganon kaya parang medyo nataranta din sya sa kin. Ang bilis din kumilos ng mga nurse to prep me. Kaso sa sobrang kaguluhan sa DR hindi pa pantay yung pagshave sa kin hahaha. Narinig ko pa yung resident asking our OB, san daw ba kukunin yung camera baka daw sa parking lot pa hahaha! Kasi naman wala pa si Joma sa DR non, gustong gusto ko nang umiri. Yung isang OB pa nga dun approached me and told me "Iha, wag kang sumigaw!" Kalerks! Dumating lang yung anesthesiologist nung naka-prep na ko. E syempre di pa agad nagwork yung anesthesia. Buti dumating na din si Joma kaso he needed to put on gloves pa when he got in dahil sya magcucut ng cord. In my mind pag ang tagal nyang maglagay ng gloves and another wave of contractions come, mamumura ko sya talaga hahaha! Siguro mga 2 or 3 times na nagcontractions ako in the DR (with matching "Aaaaaabhhh" na sigaw/moaning) before everyone was settled and pde na kong magpush. I only pushed twice and ayun lumabas na agad si baby. I gave birth at 5pm. The first thing I looked at were the genitals. It's a girl!

And she's out!

Bunso's Birth Story - Prologue

Her birth story started before my 35th week. Around this time I was having difficulties walking, sitting for long stretch of time, well basically moving around because of a piercing ache in my groin. On my 34th week check-up I complained this to my OB and she told me it was pubic bone instability and advised me to wear a maternity belt. Everyone was actually telling me to go on leave already. Pero ewan ko ba for this pregnancy talagang kinaya ko all the difficulties without going on leave. Maybe because I know my body much better after my first two pregnancies. For example, if I experience some back pain I'll just go in one or two days sick leave. Unlike before I'll really go pa to my OB who will then advise me to go on a one-week leave. 

Feb 5 - I went on sick leave because I wasn't feeling well. No contractions though. 

Feb 8 (a day before my 35th week) - I was having contractions the whole day. i texted my OB if I should come in for a checkup the next day. She said to come in between 10am-12nn.

Feb 9 (35th week) - the morning before we left, Joema and I finished packing our hospital bags and put them in the car before leaving for the clinic. My OB did an IE during our checkup and it turned out I was 1-2cm dilated. Since I was only on my 35th week, she told us to proceed to the hospital so that I can be admitted into the intensive maternity unit. Her instructions was go to the emergency room and ask for me to be wheeled in instead of walking). Sa ER pala you can leave your car parked temporarily infront before getting admitted. You can transfer your car to the parking after admitting. That's what Joema did. Anyway, from the ER the nurse took us to the pre-labor room where they hooked me up to the machine which counts the contractions. My OB already called the pre-LR so they know not to do an IE on me and I was for admitting into the IMU. Around 4pm, I was transferred to the IMU and from then on was not allowed to stand up (no bathroom privileges whatsoever). Visitors were not allowed inside the IMU. Joema visited me only when I was transferred, then he left me there na. He brought cheese roll from Mary Grace and bottled water which I was allowed to eat for dinner. 

I spent the night at the IMU. Medyo nahirapan ako matulog coz the intern who was there to oversee me was bumping her table to my bed everytime she moves. Buti na lang another mommy was roomed in the IMU  (it was a shared room with another pregnant mommy), the intern transferred her table in between the two beds. And I guess di ako nakatulog din because I was worrying, I didn't know what will happen to us.

           At the IMU when Joema came to visit me. 

The IMU was near the deliver rooms. While there, I was counting off the babies being born from the number of crying babies that I hear. I think I counted around 8 babies born during my stay there. Tapos pa nung madaling araw may nanganganak na ilang beses na nagpupush di pa rin nanganganak. Di ksi ako sanay na ganon coz in my case after one or two pushes the baby's out already. 

My OB checked in on my first night at the hospital. She explained to me the things that were done to me.  Steroids was injected to me twice for baby's lung development and I was hooked to an IV of magnesium sulfate for baby's brain development. She said an IE will be done to me the next day and then she will decide if I can transfer to a regular room. Naku eto pa pala, while she was there the resident OB was also there as she was giving instructions. Binuking pa ko na dominante daw ako coz I required Joma to stay with me the whole time at the labor room when I gave birth to Javi hahaha sabay kabig na girl power daw. Ewan ko ba why she only knew then. We told her the story when we discussed our birth plan on my 34th week and she scolded me for being a demanding wife - "Naku ikaw napakadominante mo talaga! Kawawa naman si Joema" nyahahaha!

Feb 10 - I was allowed to eat breakfast when I woke up. Warning TMI: After eating I felt the urge to poop. I had to tell the nurse.  Since I was on bed rest with no bathroom privileges I had to poop in a bedpan. Hay naku! I was trying to control it kaso humihilab tiyan ko.  Good thing the pregnant woman beside me was already transferred to a regular room and I was the only patient left in the IMU. Kaso naman there were two interns with me. Hiyang hiya ako buti na lang they brought in a partition to cover me from the interns. They washed me naman with soap and water afterwards and I felt really clean after. 

Anyway, my OB checked in on me that morning. Although the IE was done by the resident OB before she came in. Dilation did not progressed but my cervical lining thinned and was effaced from 50% when admitted to 60% that morning. She explained that I can be transferred to a regular room but will still be on bedrest. I had to finish the IV of magnesium sulfate and then after that, IV drip of duvadilan for 24 hours then oral intake of duvadilan for another 24 hours. By the coming Saturday she will decide if we can go home. 

          Finally transferred to a regular room

Feb 11 - I thought I had contractions that night so they brought me in to the pre-LR and hooked to me to the machine. Fortunately, there were no contractions.

Feb 12 - My OB ordered an ultrasound for me that morning and checked on me at the ultrasound room. Size of baby from the ultrasound resulted to 36 weeks. She said she checked my records and mentioned that the size of the baby is indeed 36 weeks at that time. So if we do go on labor, the baby's size will be okay. 

That night he kids visited me. I was so happy to see them again after so many nights away from them. My parents brought them to the hospital, they also stayed with them at our home while we were at the hospital. 

Mek and Joy also visited us that night. Miya even asked them bakit wala daw yung mga anak nila hahaha.

Feb 13 - our final day at the hospital, finally! The nurse in charge on our last night was medyo tamad. All throughout my stay here the other nurses would position the bedpan at my bed and wait for me to finish peeing. But our last nurse would ask if I already finished, expecting Joma to do her job. So everytime I asked for her help, I was always in a hurry to finish. The last time I did it tuloy nagspill yung pee sa bed ko and my hospital gown.  When my OB came to do my IE ang panghi tuloy and she became alarmed because the bed was wet. Napagsabihan nya yung nurse buti na lang. Anyway, when my OB did the IE she said I'm still 2cm dilated so she allowed us to go home bit gave strict orders for me to be on bedrest until I gave birth. 

To be continued...

Baby Minion's Birth Story

22 Sept 2014

It was our scheduled weekly check-up at our OB. I was exactly 37 weeks pregnant. Before the check-up, I was actually thinking if I should still go to work after our check-up because I wanted to properly hand over my "to-do"things to my colleague. But I was so tired from the previous weekend that I decided to fill the whole day off from work. I was so tired I actually thought I would give birth the night before (Sunday). See, it was my mother's 60th birthday on the 23rd and we celebrated it over the weakend so I was a but exhausted. 

Anyway, as with our usual check-ups even though I won't be going to work I still leave in the morning with Joema. He goes to work and I while away the time in a nearby Starbucks. The perks of having your workplace and OB's clinic within walking distance. After eating breakfast and reading a few chapters of the book I'm reading around 10am, I headed to our OB's clinic. She wasn't there yet when I arrived and I was fourth in line. I texted Joema as a soon as I arrived at the clinic and told him I might be there until lunch time since I was fourth and Dra. wasn't there yet. But as fate would have it, Dra arrived after 10mins and that the first two patients were not yet in the clinic so technically I was already second in line. The first patient was only for blood extraction so that won't take much time so I already texted Joema to come to the clinic quickly. He arrived just in time before we were ushered in inside the ultrasound room for our turn. Dra. checked the baby's weight and she was a bit concerned that the baby's getting too big for me to give birth normally, he was almost 7 lbs based on the ultrasound. Dra. mentioned that if I give birth by the 39th or 39th week, the baby might be too big already. I told her I will give birth that week, I'm pretty sure of it hehe. After the ultrasound, Joema was asked to leave the room and wait at the clinic while Dra. did an internal exam (IE) on me. It turned out I was correct because I was already 4cm dilated. Woopee!!! She told us to have lunch first and then we can proceed to the hospital to be admitted. When I went inside the clinic, Joema immediately asked if we're going to the hospital already, I told him yes and that I was 4cm dilated. He was so sweet, he kept on saying "I love you" to me hehe. I'm glad my husband appreciates the fact that I carried our offspring for 9 months and I was about to give birth to our son right that moment. 

So Joema and I went home first to have lunch even though we already have our hospital bags with us in the car. So we ate lunch first at home, packed a few more items in the hospital. I even took a nap while Joema went to the laundry shop to leave some laundry and had the car washed.

Let's do this!!!

4pm - Pre-labor Room

We left for the hospital around 3pm and was admitted at the pre-labor room around 4pm. When the resident OB did that IE at the pre-labor room I was already 4cm dilated. Although she mentioned that the contractions are irregular and not that strong. Which was true since I don't feel any pain at all at that time. After they did all the initial screening, Joema was asked to get a room for us while they ready me to be transferred to the labor room. I told the resident OB and nurse that I want Joema to be with me inside the labor room but they kept on telling me that it was still to be cleared with our OB. Anyways, I just told Joema to go to the labor room after he gets our room.

6pm - Labor Room

I thought it was only 5pm by the time I was transferred to the labor room. It turned out the clock in my cubicle in the labor from was one hour late. Gosh hahaha! They only found out after the epidural was administered to me. When I was transferred to the labor room, an IE was done again and I was already 5cm dilated. So that was 5pm labor room time but 6pm real time. Joema was not yet around then, I had to remind the nurse who administered my IVs to let Joema inside the labor room once he arrived. They tracked him down and apparently he was still at the admission office waiting for our room. He was able to go to the labor room at 6pm (labor room time, 7pm real time). Another IE was done to me before he arrived and I was already 6cm dilated then. 

See it was really after 6pm when I thought it was only around 5pm haha! Hardly feeling any pain at this point. The number in orange shows my heart rate while the green one shows the level of contractions.

Smiling through a contraction.

The resident OB asked me if I want the epidural already administered. I asked her if there's a limit or time as to when I should have the epidural administered because I wasn't feeling any pain at that time. She mentioned it really depends on my threshold for pain but that at the latest not until I was 8cm dilated. After a few minutes I asked them if I could have my epidural because I didn't want to go through another IE without it. Did I mention that IEs are hell? I hated it, so I told the resident OB I want my epidural before the next IE. The anaesthesiologist arrived a few minutes after that which was also about time because I already started feeling some cramps in my abdomen. The drug they administered via IV to help the contractions progress was already working. At 7:30pm (real time) epidural was administered to me. After this time, they found out the clock in our cubicle was one hour late so they corrected it hahaha. I requested for the magic button that I can just press to administer the epidural every 15minutes. But it was only given to me after the first shot ran out. I was feeling the cramping sensation almost every 5minutes by this time. When I got the button I pressed it every 15minutes or so to ease the pain. 

So the next IE was done I think around 9pm and I was still 6cm dilated by then. Our OB also arrived by then. The next IE was done around 10:30pm, the resident OB who was doing the IE and while doing the IE I think poked my water bag by mistake so it broke. I mentioned in a previous post that I had a  lot of amniotic fluid, so when my water broke at the labor room amniotic fluid was gushing out of me. The resident OB whose hand was still inside me (TMI I know!) was wet all over hahaha. My bed was soaking and my back was almost wet from the amniotic fluid. The nurses had to change my beddings after that. Anyway, the resident OB said I was 8-9cm dilated by then. I thought I could give birth any time then. 

On a side note, Joema who was with me at the labor room was texting our friends on the updates. There's an inside joke within our group that Sept 22 is a no-no date for a birthday hehe. So they were betting and teasing Joema that the baby will come out on the 22nd. I really thought I could give birth after a few minutes when my water bag broke. So after that I only pressed the button for the epidural every 30minutes to an hour thinking that I woul give birth soon. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.  The IE was done to me every hour. By 11pm, I was 9cm dilated and the resident OB asked me to practice pushing because although my contractions are regular the baby wasn't going down th birth canal. The resident OB had to teach me how to push again because I already forgot hahaha (inhale and then hold your breath and push for 10 counts). Pushing helped and it was also a great relief for me to get through the wave of contractions. 

23 September 2014

I think around 12midnight after another IE was done, I was almost fully dilated as the resident OB put it. 

Sleeping through contractions. This time around I think the monitor wasn't correctly reflecting the contractions. Medyo nagalaw yung belt na nakakabit sa tummy ko to monitor the contractions kaya di na nagreregister ng tama yung level sa monitor, the highest point it got to was around 40 when I felt the cramps. 

By 1am I was fully dilated but the position of baby is +2. Also around this time I can really feel the contractions (like painful cramps although still manageable). This was a bit new to me because with Miya I didn't feel as much pain. This time around I felt that I wanted to pushy the baby out already so I asked the resident OB what we were waiting for. They did another IE around 1:15am and said that the position of the baby is +1 I think. See the position of the baby on the birth canal is +2, +1, 0 -1, -2. They were waiting for baby to come down to the lowest position.  

Not smiling anymore hahaha! I wanted to give birth na at this time. 

By 2am they did another IE and voila…baby was ready to come out. 

Being wheeled to the delivery room. See the clock - 2:10am. 

The took me to the delivery room and the medical team prepped. I think I was there for only a few minutes before baby came out, 5-10minutes for them to prep and then it was show time. I only pushed maybe three big pushes through one contraction and then he was there. He was crying and our OB put him on top of my tummy. I had the overwhelming sensation to cry when I saw him, all the bed rest and difficulties we had to endure when I was pregnant all came back to me. but I held back my tears as I thought I might embarrass myself if I cried like a baby (pun intended).       

Can you see him?

There he is!

He was sobrang likot while Dra. was trying to put him on top of my tummy that Dra. had to tell him, "Wag ka malikot!"  LOL

thie

As with Miya, Joema got to cut the cord

With Miya before, I held her only for a few minutes then she was taken from me and was cleaned inside the lamaze room by the pedia team while I was closed up by the OB team. This time around, baby was with me the entire time we were at the delivery room right after his birth until I was led to the recovery room. That was awesome! Unfortunately, since he was with me the entire time and was not cleaned up in the delivery room, Joema didn't have the chance to have a photo with him just the two of them before baby was led to the nursery.

Unang Yakap. I finally got to hold him. 

Yep, he's a Medical City baby alright.

So happy to finally hold him and see him!

First photo with Mommy and Daddy

By the way, we didn't use the lamaze room in Medical City this time around because it was under renovation. Our OB assured us that Joema can still be with me in the labor room and delivery room which turned out to be right. This was one of my worries before giving birth. But as I've said our OB assured us that the hospital now allows one companion inside. In fact, our OB was the one who took the initiative to push this policy - one companion when giving birth. She said the hospital required so many things for this policy, good thing that the World Health Organization required this in all hospitals all over the world (according to our OB). Hence, this is now practiced in Medical City - even if you don't get the lamaze room.