Finally...here's my labor experience:
Soraya’s birth story
A little background, my expected date of delivery (EDD) is Jan. 25, 2011, just around before my 37th week my blood pressure (BP) went up to 140/90 hence I was diagnosed with the case of Gestational Hypertension in which the only treatment is to deliver the baby. I was then advised by my OB to rest and avoid stress so that the BP won’t go any higher than that, she also told me that if on my 38th week I don’t go into labor, I need to be induced so as not to risk my life and the baby’s because of my condition.
Jan. 12,2011, wednesday – I was 37 weeks and 7 days (just a day before my supposed 38th week)
11:30am - I went to Ob for my scheduled checkup, my BP was 160/90! My Ob IE’d me - 1cm, and the cervix is still posterior (floating pa). My Ob didn’t want to risk the possibility of pre-eclampsia so she ordered na my admission that day for labor induction which is estimated to progress within 12 hours, otherwise I have to deliver via CS.
I then gave to my ob my birthplan which emphasized my desire to breastfeed, instructed to immediately let the baby latch on to my breast within minutes after delivery (DOH’s Unang Yakap/Essential Newborn Care Protocol). I also specifically instructed to keep me awake and conscious during and after delivery because I want to witness everything. With Salma kasi, my firstborn, I was so high and groggy with the meds they gave me and as soon as she came out, I was knocked out.
So anyway, we went back home to eat lunch first and get my things and also arranged to whom to leave Salma with. I just ate fruits (pineapple included – which is said to help in ripening the cervix).
2:00pm – went back to the hospital, was admitted at 2:15pm in the Labor Room – gave them my birthplan, they interviewed me, performed tests, changed to hospital gown. By the way, while I was being interviewed by the resident doctor, my Ob dropped by the Labor Room (she will perform CS delivery to another patient at 3pm), she approached me and lightheartedly introduced me to the doctors there in the labor room as a breastfeeding and rooming-in advocate.
3:30pm – insertion of Cerviprime vaginally (the medicine in gel form that should make the ripening of my cervix faster). Very grueling, awful, agonizing, excruciating, most painful experience – as in ang sakit talaga! Since posterior pa kasi my cervix, the resident doctor couldn’t place it on my cervix, sobrang layo pa daw, hindi nya maabot, even with the use of a speculum – ouch! It took us almost 10-15mins just trying to get that thing inside of me – I almost cried and I was sweating thick and cold sweat because of the pain. From the time it was successfully put in my cervix, I wasn’t allowed to sit or stand anymore. So the waiting time and boredom has officially begun.
4:30pm – they hooked me on NST (baby monitor), contractions are starting na and becoming more frequent, I feel a little pain na din and naninigas na din tyan ko.
5:00pm – feeling the contractions, becoming more painful but still tolerable for me, I just did breathing exercises with every wave of contractions coming. I knew my family were at the church that moment, so I imagined I was with them singing and praying as I sing and hum the songs to ease the labor pains.
6:00pm – IE:4cm, and the intervals between contractions were becoming shorter and shorter, hence more and more painful. The midwife was commending me for my very high pain threshold kasi she noticed na I was stretching my legs and twitching my toes from time to time - everytime I feel contractions.
7:30pm – they started to administer thru IV the Syntocinon – I think that’s the ‘pampahilab’ to induce the labor. After putting that on my dextrose, I was told that I can ask for pain meds anytime if hindi ko na kaya – but I wasn’t even considering that, kasi bilib ako masyado sa sarili ko sabi ko kaya ko ‘to. I then asked kung gano katagal pa kaya ako maghihintay, they’re all saying depende..so I thought to myself baka bukas pa ng medaling araw ito lalabas. So I anticipated being bored again.
8:00pm – in spite of being bored, I found myself softly moaning during every contraction, mina-masasge ko na yung balakang ko kasi umaabot na dun yung pain paikot sa puson ko. The midwife saw me doing that so she asked me if I want the pain meds – I declined still. That time pala, I was also starting to leak something out of me, pinasilip ko sa midwife, blood daw nagsisimula na..normal daw yon.
8:15pm – I was starting to think of asking na for the pain meds, sabi ko sige pag 8:30 at di ko pa din kaya, hihingi na ko.
8:30pm – I asked for it na. Pagka-inject sakin medyo guminhawa na pakiramdam ko so I decided to nap thinking na bukas pa ko manganganak at kailangan ko ng energy, so tulog muna ako.
And so I fell asleep, maybe that was 30 minutes to 1 hour. I was awakened by a strong thud inside my belly, which I think was a kick from my baby, napadilat ako agad then biglang may lumabas na gush of fluid from me, different from the feeling of the blood leaking earlier, then biglang humilab ng malaks at masakit, napatawag na ko “Doc.. sumipa yata sya ang lakas tapos may lumabas sakin” The doctor said “okay wait i-IE kita” so she went to get gloves pero paghakbang pa lang nya palayo from me, humilab na naman ng suuuperrrrrr sakit na parang mamatay na ko sa sakit – note, for those who know me they can attest that I’m a very softspoken person, hindi ako basta basta napapasigaw – but that time, sigaw talaga ako “DOC!!!!” and as if on cue, pagkasigaw ko, bumulusok palabas yung amniotic fluid galling sakin, as in ang dami overflowing sa thighs ko, tapos humilab na naman, as in parang di na nawawala yung pamatay na sakit so I kept on shouting “Ahhhh!! Ahhhh!! Doc!!!”
Then the doctor IE’d me, di pa nga nya napapasok I heard her say “Oh, she’s here na.” (referring to my baby). Then proceeded in performing the IE as she counts it “1..2..3..4..5…6..7..8..8cm. Tawagin nyo na si Doctora (my OB).” The doctors and midwife there were all commenting “Grabe..ang bilis! Ang galling mo, mommy!” since they/ we were all thinking na aabutin pa ko ng umaga. Take note ha, hindi nawawala ang hilab at sumisigaw pa din ako “Ahhh, help help!” Sila din nagkakagulo na shouting “ER! ER!” Habang ako sumisigaw kasi I feel na parang lalabas na si baby parang naka-crown na yung head nya “Doc!! Ayan na sya..ayan na lalabas na!” panic mode ako, so one doctor positioned herself down *there* and blocked it with her fingers, as she said “hindi mommy, hindi sya lalabas, hawak ko sya” that somehow gave me assurance na hindi basta magpopop out si baby.
I overheard one doctor said “Ring lang ng ring, hindi sumasagot si doctora.” So that panicked me, “Ahhhhhhh!!! Lalabas na!!!” To illustrate the feeling, sorry medyo gross – imagine na may LBM ka at sobrang sakit na humihilab tyan mo, then yung pwet mo nag-aalburoto na din at ramdam mo na lalabas na, sasabog na, pero nasa public place ka kaya kelangan mong pigilan yung paglabas, but hen yung tyan mo humihilab and telling you to let go and let it come out, pero hindi nga pwede kasi. Well x10 non ang pakiramdam!
As they were transferring me to the Delivery Room na habang nagsisisigaw pa din ako, sabi ko “AAhhhhhhhhh!! Napu-poo poo ako!!!” Nadinig ko ang boses ni Doctora “Sam, sam, andito na ko…re;ax lang, wag kang sisigaw” So ayun, medyo kumalma na ko. Pero ang sakit pa din kaya napapasigaw pa din ako. “Aahhhhh!!! Aray!!! Help!!!” The resident doctors said “mommy relax lang, wag kang sisigaw inhale exhale lang”. Sabi ko “I can’t I can’t!! AAhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!” Sagot na naman sila, “mommy, inhale, exhale” Pero sumigaw pa din ako pero eto comedy kasi nga nakukulitan na ko sa kanila na pinapatigil akong sumigaw eh di ko nga magawa, pinapa inhale exhale ako eh din a nga ako makaconcentrate so napasigaw ako instead ng: “Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! Inhale!!!!!! Exhale!!!!” LOL! Grabe, sobrang sakit kasi talaga na parang the only way to cope is to shout my lungs out, para na kong malalagutan ng hininga sa sakit.
My OB said “Sam teka lang ha, nireready lang yung gamot mo, diba sabi mo gusto mo yung gising ka” Apparently, tinitimpla pa yung anesthesia ko, yung timpla na I will remain awake all throughout delivery.
With the help of a tall and strong man, pinapwesto na ko na parang fetus (letter C) position so they can administer na yung anesthesia sa spine ko, bawal ako gumalaw so hawak nung lalake yung ulo at mga paa ko, I tried my best too na wag gumalaw kahit humihilab tyan ko, syempre baka pag gumalaw ako magkaron pa lalo ng problema and delay diba, I wanted to get it over and done with asap. So para mapigilan ko ang sarili ko to move, with every hilab, I grab the man’s shirt and I squeeze it – ayy grabe lukot na lukot ang damit nya pagkatapos. LOL
After maturukan ako ng anesthesia, biglang nangalay at namanhid yung legs ko! To the point that it scared me kasi sobrang ngalay na ngalay yung hips and legs ko pero di ko maigalaw waist down..yeah yun naman expected ko, pero sobrang bilis kasi nung effect nakakabigla at medyo nakakapanic pala. But anyway, yung hilab sa tyan di pa din nawawala so medyo sumisigaw pa din ako, and nafifeel ko pa din yung pag-crown ni baby dun sa baba pero hindi na masakit *duon*. My anesthesiologist was nice, he’s an old man at para ma-kalma ako, ineexplain nya sakin what’s happening, sabi nya normal yan mamanhid talaga yan pero yung sakit sa tyan mo di mawawala..so that sort of calmed me down.
Then ayan na, pinapa-push na ko, pero dahil sa sobrang dami ng nangyayari parang di ko na maisip kung pano nga ba magpush? I tried, pero sabi nung assisting doctor mali daw hindi daw ganon, then I heard my OB said, “wag na wag mo na sya ipa-push”, na-relieve ako kasi nawala yung stress ko sa pag iisip kung pano ba magpush, then suddenly nafeel ko na lang lumabas na si baby napasigaw ako kasi nafeel ko yung paglabas! “Ahhh!” baby out! 10:01PM! ginhawa ng pakiramdam paglabas nya, tingin ako agad kay baby…the Pedia cleaned her up, while cleaning her up may nafeel na naman akong lumabas “Awww!” sabi ni OB “nililinis lang Sam, nililinis lang” I think that was the placenta kasi parang ang laki din nung lumabas eh.
After cleaning my baby the pedia brought her to my breast at pina-latch on agad. Sabi nung Pedia “Ayan…ayy, ang sweet naman ng mag-inang to!” and I also heard her say to her colleagues “Oo ganyan nga, yan yung Unang Yakap”
I was soooo exhausted, yet so happy na nakikita ko at nafifeel ko skin-to-skin at nasa chest ko si Soraya. Then they got her na…sabi ko “wait, wait lang” then inilapit sa cheek ko si Soraya, then I kissed her cheek. Hayyyyyyy…heaven ang feeling.
Pagkakuha kay baby, the remaining doctors there congratulated me, I said my sincere, heartfelt Thank you to all of them, then my OB told me to rest at matulog na muna. Sa sobrang pagod ko, I really said, “yes doc, matutulog po talaga ako.”
