Since there's not a lot of area to walk around the condo, I asked Babe to spin some music so I can dance while cooking and so he did. :-) So, I swayed to JLo's songs and he played his music with excitement and fun.
At around 4 pm, we started getting ready for merienda cena with my college friends, Jing, Jo, Erwin and Pao. I was feeling some pain but didn't mind it though we started timing it and it was about 30 minutes apart. It didn't feel like contractions... or maybe it did but I didn't mind it so much.
5 pm, we are at Wildflour Leviste St. for my last baby shower. :-) Lots of good stories... jokes and of course, salted chocolate cake. I was feeling again some pan but I didn't mind it since it was too far apart.
When we got home from the dinner, the pain was getting worse and we started timing it more consistently. It was 5 minutes apart lasting about a minute long each. Since it was too soon, Dra. Faye said that its probably false labor so we should just monitor it. That night, I barely fell asleep. I remembered watching TV at around 2 am onwards just so I can sit up and sleep a bit.
Sunday morning, I messaged Dra. Faye and told her that the contractions remain the same, 5 minutes apart of 1 minute contractions each. She said to just monitor as it may just be false labor. So, off we went to Rockwell to join my family for lunch. I noticed that the pain was still 5 minutes apart but it was getting a bit more intense... of course, the weird person in me still wanted to walk around Rockwell, so we did. When the pain was a bit worsening, I told Glenn that maybe we should just go home. When we got home, it was La Salle vs. Ateneo game so I still cheered for my alma mater... Good thing... we won! :-)
Around 630 pm, I told Glenn that maybe we should check in with Dra. Faye on what to do since it might be difficult to go through the night with worsening pain. So Faye advised us to meet her at her house so she can check.
Once we got to their house in Cubao at around 830pm, she said, "you're in labor..", and when she IE'd me, she said "Punta na kayo sa Manila Doctor's, 6 cm na kayo. Mga 1 or 2 am kayo manganganak. Matutulog muna ko. Sunod na lang ako."
With a bit of excitement and a lot of uncertainty, we checked Waze on how to best get to Manila Doctors Hospital. When we got to the hospital, we went to Admitting section and the person on the desk said, "Sir, mamaya na kayo magpa admit, derecho na kayo sa OB floor." They offered a wheel chair for me but I said I can walk. The attendant with the wheel chair said, that's not possible coz its hospital policy. So even if I can walk, I had to sit on the wheel chair.
They made me lie down on a bed before transferring me to the birthing room, asked me to undress and put all my clothes and belongings in a plastic bag. So when they checked me, they said "Mam, fully dilated na kayo. Tawagan na namin si Doctora."
After that, everything happened so quickly, they kept on asking... "Mam, may epidural ba?". I really can't decide coz I was not sure if I can take the pain.... I was also shaking so badly and to calm down, I had to pray the Hail Mary just to stop my shaking.
When they started wheeling me into the birthing room, I saw my husband Glenn and he said, "I'll see you later." I somehow felt scared that he won't be with me. I just realized that those few minutes when he was dressing up and I was being prepped seemed so quick and yet so long...
Again, while about 8 to 10 people were up and about getting the room ready, they were also getting me ready for delivery, the intern asked me again, "Mam, epidural po?", I said yes. When Faye, got in the room, first thing she said... "Sana sumabay na lang ako sa inyo!" I guess that's how fast everything happened.
For the nth time, they asked me, if I wanted epidural, but this time, they said..."Mam, ang lapit nyo na. Sayang ang epidural.". I only decided when Faye said... "Lysh, wag na tayo mag epid. Malapit ka na." I remember replying, "Basta sabihin mo kaya ko." with then, she said, "Oo naman, kayang kaya mo." I also remembered telling the intern, "Just coach me on what to do and how to breathe. I follow instructions well."
And with that, we started the breathing and pushing when I feel a contraction... In less than 10 pushes and within 30 minutes, Anika Soleia was out. :) It was one amazing experience that I will bring with me to the day I die... best part of it, Glenn was with me every step of the way. From holding my hand everytime I feel a contraction coming, to dancing and swaying with me when the pain was a little too much to handle and being with me in the delivery room, without fainting. :)
I thought that Anika coming out will be painful... apparently the pulling of her level 3 umbilical cord is more painful than getting her out. Also, the pushing out of the placenta was painful and the 2 hours lying down in the recovery room's boring and I was hoping I can see Glenn already.
I don't think I'm the bravest person on earth but being physically active while you're pregnant really prepares you for the birth process... It helps too that my husband and our cousin Dra. Faye Cagayan are super supportive of me, every step of the way.
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