Moving On...

Thank you for reading my pregnancy notes. Currently, I'm a busy new mom. Visit my official site on the web Jarminator to know more about me, and my life as a wife and a new mom.

Thank you!

The Birth Story of Mavie

Its been hard to find the time to get away and update my blogs. I've been a Mom for the 5days, and it has been the best thing that ever happened to me. At the same time, I have never seen my husband so happy, seeing our little guy.

So for all of my friends and family out there, this is my baby's birth story. And for you, sweet Mavie, I have been your home for the past nine months, I have been feeding and protecting you in any way I can. Now, it's time for you to meet Mom and Dad in person, and see the beautiful world that our God has created.

Mavie, this is the story of your physical arrival into our world, making us a family!

August 26, 8:45 AM

• I woke up with a slight lowerback ache. It's somewhat similar to menstrual cramps. It was not painful, it's just bothering me. Then gumising nalang ako to prepare for my routine checkup with my OB. After my morning pee, and wiping that thing down there, I saw blood and some mucous on the the wipe! Nakakapanibago kasi sympre ang tagal na hindi ako nag menstruate hehehe. I was ecstatic and excited! This is it!! Ginising ko bigla ang Nanay ko, and showed it to her. She told me we have to prepare, kasi baka nag didilate na ako. She started calling the hospital na for room reservation.
  
• Nag panic na rin ang Kasambahay namin, she told me I have to take a bath na and prepare to be checked-in sa hospital. So ayun sinunod ko silang lahat, good thing we have already prepared my hospital bags ahead so konting pag aayos nalang.
• Note that at this point, I don't have any contractions yets.

August 26, 11:00 AM

• We arrived at my OB's clinic and we waited for her. Kapag umuupo ako, no contractions, pero naglalakad, ayun meron, again parang menstrual cramps sya. Nung dumating na ang OB ko, she immediately did an internal examination. Grabe it was so painful!! I was already 3cm dilated, and may dugo (and mucous) pa nga ulit na lumabas after she made the examination.
  

August 26, 12:00NN-1PM

• Since I still don't feel any pain yet sa contractions ko, we still went to Robinson's Place to have lunch first and at the same time walk pa ng konti to increase the speed of my dilation.

August 26, 1PM

• By 1PM, we arrived at the hospital and I went straight into the Labor/Delivery Room. I was all alone, no watchers or visitors allowed inside. I showed them the admittance form and then had me filled up some papers. May resident OB doon, who interviewed me about my medical history, if I have food allergies, history of high blood, diabetes, have previous pregnancie, deliveries, operations etc. They also have me weighed, I was 138lbs. Then I was ordered to went straight to the Labor Room. Dito, may dalawang patient na, both naka IV and are suffering na sa painful contractions. Hindi na ma i-drawing mukha nila
  
• A female nurse gave me a hospital dress.
  

August 26, 2PM

• A medical staff came again, and dito kinunan na ako ng dugo for laboratory test. Then may isang nurse na kumuha ng blood pressure ko. Then a male doctor (bata pa, same age as mine siguro, gwapo) came in and interview me again.
  
• After 30mins, dumating na naman ang nurse and cleaned that thing down there. Waaah, kakaiba. Then she told me to prepare kasi Enemas nila ako.

August 26, 3PM

• Eto na ang Enemas. Ano ito? A nurse inserted a tube (flexible) sa anus, naglalagay sila ng water solution with chemicals on it to soften my bowel and release all the toxics sa katawan. Maraming tubig ang nilagay, siguro mga isang quartz rin un. This is to prevent all patients sa pagdudumi during delivery and to avoid infection sa baby.
• Immediately, I feel the need to go to the bathroom. Grabe! Nilabas nga lahat, para kang na LBM... ganun ang effect ng Enemas.
• The resident OB did an internal examation, I was 4cm dilated. Yes! Happy ako sa result. 6cms more to go. Pero masakit ang IE nya, posterior kasi ako, so she really needs to dig in para ma measure nya.
  

August 26, 6PM

• I started having strong but tolerable contractions, na IE rin ako ulit.. still at 4cm. They also did a fetal monitoring. This is to check the heartbeat, the movements of the baby in response sa contractions. Had a soft diet for my dinner. They were expecting me to give birth around midnight or early morning.
  
• Around 9PM, IE ulit. Since I was still 4cm dilated they adviced me to go to sleep and rest para sa umaga pag nanganak ako, I still have the strength and the energy daw.
  

August 27, 3AM

• IE ulit, pero 4cm parin. They told me they would have to induce me in the morning since mahaba na ang latent phase ng labor ko.
  
• I fell asleep around 3AM na. From 9AM onwards kasi, ang sakit na ng contractions. They were coming in in irregular intervals pero masakit na ang contractions. A student nurse was there at my side the whole time to monitor my contractions and fetal monitoring.

August 27, 6AM

• A nurse woke me up para lagyan na ako ng IV. I told her I need to have breakfast first bago nila ako induce. So mga around 7AM na ako na lagyan ng IV.
• Another male doctor came in around 8AM to check the fetal monitoring. I was advised to eat something sweet para daw maganda ang result ng fetal monitoring ko.
  
• My OB came around at 8AM also dito na IE ako ulit. 5-6cm na ako. Waaah... malapit na. Masakit na this time ang contractions, I fell asleep pa nga in between contractions kasi wla ako masyadong tulog.

August 27, 10AM

• Bumalik ang OB ko, and asked me if nabreak na daw ang waterbag ko. I told her wla. So she ruptured my membrane manually. Imagine mo nalang un kung paano, basta from the opening down there, kinut nya ang lining ng water-bag ko. Grabe ang daming tubig lumabas sa akin!! Ganun pala un. Sabi nya, expect na ako ng stronger contractions daw, since mabilis na lang ako mag dilate

August 27, 1PM

• Dito na mabilis nag proprogress ang dilation ko. Every hour ata nag iincrease ang dilation ko. At kasabay nito ang masakit na masakit na masakit na contractions. Hindi ko ma explain kung gaano kasakit pero siguro lahat ng Nanay alam yan kung ano. I kept on praying the rosary in the midst of the pain. Ang nakakatawa, kapag nag cocontract, nakakalimutan ko kung saan na ako at nakakalimutan ko na ang 'Our Father' and 'Hail Mary' na prayers hehehe sa sobrang sakit.
• Nag chichill na rin ako dito. Nauubusan na kasi ako ng lakas since wla akong kinain from 6AM. Pagod na pagod na rin ako. Ang pangit pangit na talaga ng pakiramdam ko. I kept on asking the prensence of Mama inside the labor room to massage my back. So andun sya from time to time, pero hindi rin nakakatulong ang massage.
  

Contraction Waveform

• Every 30mins na akon na IE until I reached 9cm. Grabe, ito ba ung pina kamasakit. Halos nawawalan na ako ng malay dito pero pinipilit kon magising at labanan ang temptation na sumuko. When they are about to transfer sa Delivery Room, dito ko na nararamdaman ang mag pupu. Ganun pala paglalabas na ang bata, you'll feel that need.
• Since I am starting to loose my energy and breathing is difficult, inoxygen na nila ako. Then practice practice pushing na. Dito you have to push hard.. during the peak of your contractions. Napakahirap mag push.. sobra. I thought all the while na malalaman ko yun at alam ko paano gawin, but I was wrong... ibang klaseng "push" pala talaga. Halos naka 30mins of practice rin ako while my OB and the nurses where coaching me. Then.. at 1:30PM my OB says it's time I'm 10cm na.
• After 1:30... eto na ang pinakamahirap sa lahat. Ang palabasin ang bata. Grabe... napakasakit at hirap. Sasabihin sayo na push hard.. hard and longer.. ginagawa ko naman sa abot na makakaya ko, pero sasabihin sakin ng OB ko na that's wrong and that kind of push is not enough. Kung ganyan daw ako, there's no way we can have the baby out. I was really scared na, hopeless, and frustrated of myself. So paulit ulit nyang ginagawa un, papagalitan ako because I was not doing my job. Then she told me I needed a fundal (tama ba spelling?). Ito ung may tutulong na nurse sa pag push ng baby by putting pressure sa tyan mo. I heard about this a lot of times through friends, pero hindi nila sinabi na ang hirap pala. Napakasakit ng fundal, parang dinaganan ka ng truck sa tyan mo while pushing the baby out. Sympre.. I need to push first, then fundal nila ang tyan. ANG HIRAP talaga! Tapos sasabihin pa sayo na.... "okay... hold your breath.. then higop ka ulit ng hangin etc..."
• My OB had to perform an Episiotomy, alam nyo na un, search nalang sa google, kasi hindi talaga kaya. Naramdaman ko talaga ang pag hiwa nito... waaah! Ang ngilo. Then push na naman ulit. Mali parin push ko and not working parin daw, at hindi parin lumalabas si baby. This time, the heartbeat of the baby declines na. She told me it's too late to perform CS so I really need to push it right and harder else baby's life will be in danger. Grabe wla na akong malay dito, sabog na sabog na, wlang kina-in, how can I do that??
• Tapos umiiyak nako, sinsabi ko sa OB ko... "ayoko na doc, ayoko na" tapos sinasagot nya ako na "ganyan talaga ang paghihirap ng Nanay"
  

August 27, 2PM

• Nag pray ako.. kahit mali mali na ang order ng 'Our Father' ko hehehe. Tapos the nurses were encouraging me that I should do it for my baby. So ayun, with all my might.. sa last push ko, tinodo todo ko na kahit hindi na ako nakakahinga... parang feeling ko mamatay na ako... but then I suddenly feel the "swooosh" at may umiyak na.
• Yun na, si baby na pala. The next thing I knew, I was crying.. crying hard talaga.. na parang bata rin hehehe. Nakisabay ako sa iyak ng baby ko. Wlang luha, iyak lang talaga na humahagolgol. I don't know if cry of pity un sa sarili ko for suffering too much, for all the pains I've been through, parang nag self-pity ako na parang bakit ganun, ang hirap hirap. Or maybe a cry of relief rin kasi tapos na, or cry dahil masaya ako at tapos na and baby is safe. Basta mixed emotions. Sinabihan ako ng OB ko, "Bakit ka umiiyak, Nanay ka na.. dapat hindi ka na ganyan"..
• After which, they started to stitch na. Masakit sya (again), but I requested my OB to add more anaesthesia, halos 1 hour rin ang stitching, mahaba kasi, since malaki ang ulo ng baby ko hehehe. Tapos kung ano ano ang ininject sakin ng nurse, mga tatlong injections siguro. Ang alam ko, the last one was pampatulog.. pero I was fighting the urge to sleep kasi sinistitch ako hehe. While the OB is stitching, nag pray ako ulit, thanking our dear Lord for making me last this long, for the being with me all the time and for not puting me nor my baby in danger.

The New Mom!

August 27, 3:30PM

• At last nakalabas narin ako sa Delivery Room and off to my room for rest and sleep na. I remembered before leaving the Delivery, I was thanking my OB and all the nurses doon. Oo nga pala while pushing, nagsusuka rin ako hehehe. Basta pinasalamatan ko silang lahat... "Doc thank you", "Nurse thank you.." "Thank you sa inyo... " parang ganun.. habang nawawalan na ako ng malay hehe.
• Si Mama naka tambay na sa labas ng Delivery Room kasi hehehe excited kasi ang Lola, isa pa she was waiting for my OB kasi kailangan nyang makausap.. my OB pala is a friend of my Mom. By the time I arrived sa room ko, Papa and Lola was already there. I was really exhausted, and feeling ko galing ako sa boxing ring. Sakit na sakit ang mga braso ko from pushing.. at ang mga paa ko nag cracramps. I suddenly fell asleep na.

So that's it...Mavie's Birth Story. Maraming nagsasabi na ayaw na nila hehe.. masakit manganak, pero masarap ang magkaroon ng anak. I still wanted to have one or two pa hehehe... depende sa ibigay ni Lord. Kahit mahirap sya, traumatic, the happiness that it gives me seeing my baby is priceless. The thought that I have a family of my own na.. with Alvin and Mavie.. the sufferings and pains are soooo worth-it.

Two days after my last entry, I finally met Mavie!

August 27, 2008

2:06 PM
7 pounds, 6 ounces
54cm cm long
by Normal Delivery
at Riverside Medical Center

More pictures soon!!

I've Been Inducing My Labor

I've been doing it for the past two weeks.

Walking - they say that walking induces labor. Imagine, I could do 12 rounds of walking in the lagoon. Ang bilis ko pang maglakad ha... halos lahat ng tao nakatingin na sa akin. Pero wla parin, no progress at all.

Foot Massage - yes, it induces labor, but as for me who has been doing this since I got pregnant, no effect. Nada.

Aerobics/Bouncing - this used to be bawal for me, especially during my first/second trimester, pero ngayon as in ginagawa ko na sya. I slightly jog in place, bounce myself through dancing, weight lifting etc. Lahat na lang. All I get is leukorrhea !!

So tomorrow, I'll be having my checkup again. I don't want to expect any progress at all. It's really frustrating, sasabihin na naman ng OB ko, wla parin. Haaay. So here I am, tinatamad na bumalik sa OB. Ayoko ko nang umasa.

Still Here

Yup, no signs of labor yet. As in still doing my morning aerobics, weight-lifting and having my afternoon maternity walk.

I came across an article, it says that only 4% of women deliver (give birth) on their due dates. While 98% of women will give birth 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after. So since I am already out of the league on the '2 weeks before', I might probably be giving birth 2 weeks after my due date. If this is the case, goodluck to me! I still have 2 weeks of being... single??

Imagine all the changes that a baby can bring once the little one is already out. In all aspects, I think I am ready for that changes. When I got married, I have already psyched myself that in the next few months or so, I will be pregnant and will be a mother soon. That was easy for me, because I've always wanted to become a mother.

Anyway, I realized that I still have a lot of things to learn about labor and delivery. I've been studying the stages of labor for weeks now, to orient myself of what's gonna happen once those painful contractions starts and what to do and not to do on the labor and delivery room. But I haven't learned how to time my contractions yet. Though it's pretty simple but I need to practice before I go into labor. Then there's this relaxation technique, I just scanned through them pero hindi ko na tinutukan. Tamad eh. Lastly, I still have no idea about the proper breathing during labor. Hmmm... I have a Ninang who's a midwife, according to my Mom, she'll arrange a mini-orientation for me so that my Ninang can give me tips, do's and don'ts and all that there is to learn during labor/delivery.

Aside from the labor and delivery thing, I am keeping myself pre-occupied by planning my niece's birthday. Yup, I am actively planning, doing some errands for my SIL (she's working kasi). Since I love to organize parties, I am doing an extra effort right now for my beloved niece even though I am pregnant. Did some checklist today, in the next few days, I will layout the invitations and tarpaulin. Then plan on the giveaways, on what to put on the lootbags, the decors etc.

I have less than two weeks to prepare all these.

My Birthing Plans

My OB is not really particular about birthing plans, but just to be safe, I'd to like to prepare my own birthday plans so I can discuss it to her the next time I have my prenatal checkup.

1. By all MEANS and as long as I can bear the pain.. I want to undergo a normal delivery.
   
2. If I can have a slight snack during active labor.
3. My husband doesn't want to have a camera inside the delivery room to give me privacy. But my OB says it's okay to have a camera inside.
4. No mirrors will be used during delivery. I usually faint when I see a blood, so as much as I wanted to see the "birth", I might loose my energy or faint in the middle of the birthing activity.
5. Pain medication will only be applied if I'm gonna request it. As much as possible, avoid the use of epidurals.
6. I'd like to have an external fetal monitoring at all times during labor.
7. Induce labor if needed.
8. Hold the baby immediately after birth. If possible, breastfeed right away.
9. I want to room in my baby if there are no complications.
10. Have a copy of my baby's finger and footprints.
    

Am I Having a Flu?

Two days ago, I woke up with a sore throat.

It's been very hot this past few days, so I tried to sleep (noon and night) with a full blast cool air and look what I've got, a very achy throat.

Then yesterday I was out in lagoon, doing my usual maternity walk and I got home with a flu. I was wearing a thin layered shirt, and was sweating hard. The problem was it was so windy I forgot to wipe out all the sweats.

I was too focused on my exercise that I forgot to take precautionary measures of avoiding getting sick.

Bad Momma.