Abi's Birth Story

Thursday, March 12, 2009

I started this on Feb16 and publishing this only now. It's a long entry, if I may warn you and it's not even finished, LOL! But at least I got to that point in the story where Klaire was announced out :)

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January 30 was just an ordinary day. I was scheduled to visit my OB for the weekly check-up (I was then on my 4oth week) while Baby Dot was scheduled for the Non-Stress Test (NST). Ane and I decided to come in a little later because I knew the nurse who will do the NST will be in by 10am and I won't be attended to by the OB until after the NST.

1030am. We arrived at the the clinic and as told that Doc A won't be in until 1pm due to some family emergency. But since I was already due, we talked on the phone and decided that we should just go on with the NST and the Dra. Pineda will see me instead and see if we need to wait for Dra. Connie. So they hooked me up on the machine. Then later, Dra. P perfomed an IE, which hurt a lot! The result? Baby Dot was about 3700 grams, I had no contractions yet, Dot was still floating, she grew significantly (she was just a 6 pounder on my 36th week!), amniotic fluid is ample and I was about 1-2cm dilated. Dra. P had to call my OB and then Dra. A explained the situation to me. She said that Dot was more or less 3400 grams (give or take 300 grams less than the Ultrasound weight) and that the baby's too big for my frame. I was given six hours to go on active labor otherwise she will open me up (waiting for Dot to position herself would be futile at that point, given the circumstances). I was advised to have light lunch then go to the hospital already 2-3 hours after. I was nearly in tears while talking to her on the phone and I was tensed!

Before noon. We decided to walk a bit more and went to Megamall (also to buy my brother something for his RO). I talked to my mom on the way to the mall and told her the news. My voice was cracking and she offered to be with me later on. I said we can talk about it after she's done with work. I didn't want to cause panic to anyone. Then Ane called his parents. Ane allowed me to eat fries fro KFC because he felt I needed something to loosen up my nerves. (Fries being one of my comfort food) Hehe. And he let me buy ballpens! (I'm too OC with pens and I just cannot go without at least two pens in the bag...earlier, I realized I lost my pens in my bag!) We bumped into Mami Carmie just before we left and told her about our visit. She wished us luck, and later we received text messages from the E's. Mami Carmie apparently informed them already :)

1pm-4pm. We were back in the apartment. My dad was there and we told him what happened. We had late lunch and I was taking my time, trying to absorb that fact that I will be meeting our princess that night. After lunch, I fixed and checked our things. Then I took a nap :) I was really stalling! By 230pm, Mom was already around! Turned out she chose to be with us and just let my Dad go to their bank appointment. I dragged myself from bed and prepared. Took a shower and enjoyed every minute of it. I was even able to blog that we were off to the hospital and post a note in a forum and send an email to my siblings.

5pm. I was received in the Pre-Labor Room and was asked to change into a hospital gown, and collect some urine for Urinalysis. Ane and Mom were asked to wait outside. I brought a book (I planned to read Time traveller's wife for the 3rd time) with me thinking I will still have the time to read! Around 530pm I was hooked on a Fetal Monitor machine (used in NST too), while a gorgeous young doctor interviewed me for history (insert kilig here :)). The resident OB, Dra. Luna performed an IE. NST and IE results were the same as in the morning's test's results. I heard Dra. Luna talking to my my OB.

6pm. The PLR nurse summoned my husband and informed him that I will be officially admitted at the hospital. Ane was joking that I was disturbing him and Mom because Deal or No deal was already showing on TV (with Piolo Pascual and his Mom as players, eheh). The nurse gave him instructions and told him to wait for updates in the room. This time I was being prepped for the labor room. I was given enema, it was heaven. Funny, I was holding in the urge to go thinking that it will take time. Of course I was wrong, I was running to the toilet in no time, LOL! The PLR doctor told me that they will bring me to the Labor room already and start with the induction of labor. I was still hoping to give birth the natural way and was expecting to push the baby out a little past midnight.

630pm. By this time, I was already in the Labor Room. I was again hooked on the same machines. The nurses and the doctors were all nice. I was also hooked on an IV and another bottle where they will put the inducing med, Oxytocin (?). Someone from the laboratory came by to extract blood from me, for CBC test. After all these preps, I was left on my own, they even offered to leave the lights on, in case I wanted to read. But I was too anxious for that.

A little past 7pm. They started tracing the NST results and the Labor Room OB intern told me I still wasn't contracting. In a few minutes, they infused the first of a series of inducing meds. And then they offered to give me oxygen, the OB intern saying the baby's heartbeat went a little faster. I heard the OB intern talk to my OB on the phone explaining what was happening. I was lying on my side, my back to the Labor room peeps when I heard them talking and discussing things I do not comprehend. The OB intern said I'm okay and the baby's okay so I need not worry. I remember closing my eyes, focusing on my breathing, and silently praying...

735pm. I felt a touch and when opened my eyes and turned, I saw my Dra. A, my OB already by my side. In my mind, I was telling myself, "Wow, that was fast!". She came rushing to my side from her clinic and thought it was sweet of her to be with me right away. By this time, I was still convincing myself that I can deliver Baby Dot the normal way. And I just found it sweet and weird at the same time that my doctor decided to not rest yet and wait for the 6hour deadline to lapse. She told me, "You're fine, Khristine." I gave her a weak smile. She looked for my pulse and counted. And then she went to the other side of the bed so we can talk more seriously. I took off the oxygen mask. "Here's the thing," she said. Uh-oh. I knew I wasn't ready for a conversation that starts with that phrase! She continued, something like, "Your pulse rate is 80 and your baby's heartbeat, is well, you know naman the normal bpm is 140-160, right? Your baby's is 180." I was just nodding at every word, trying to digest what she's trying to say. She asked the labor room nurse to hand her the NST tracings from both pre-labor room and labor room. I was told Dot's little heart was already racing even after just one shot of Oxytocin and we weren't sharing the rate since mine was just 80. Dra. A. showed me the tracings to explain further, that I wasn't contracting yet and the baby's started to get stressed already. So I asked, since she can't seem to blurt it out, "I-cut mo na ako Doc?" And she nodded. It started to sink in that a painful, feel na feel, delivery won't happen as I imagined it. She instructed the nurses to have the delivery room prepared and she asked me what kind of cut I want. I said I don't mind whatever cut she does as long as the baby gets out safely. I wasn't thinking anymore. Since the bikini cut will take longer to heal, I agreed to the regular cut. I was asked to sign the waiver and then Dra. A came to ask for Ane's mobile number to update him. It took her long before she got him, apparently he was walking from his dinner to buy some stuff at the drugstore. Then the nurse came to shave me. And chatted with me. I asked what's the name of one of the interns, "Ah, that's Dra. Ada," she said. And when she told me the family name, I knew I know her. She was a schoolmate in high school and she probably wouldn't remember me since she was in the honor's class the entire HS. In a while, Dra. Ada comes in to see me, surprised that there's someone in there who knows her, hehehe. We exchanged memories and we were laughing. We didn't go to the same university but I would see her in mine because her ex was my bestfriend's ex-boyfriend's high school barkada. Another nurse came in to do a skin test, to see whether I have allergies to the anaesthesia, I think, that they will use on me. And it hurt! Good thing Dra. Ada was there to amuse me, hehehe. It was also nice to know that Dra. Ada will assist my OB in the delivery of Baby Dot.

810pm. I was wheeled in the delivery room. I couldn't wait to see Ane again! While being wheeled, I asked the nurse if I could still stand up coz I needed to pee. She said, "Huwag na, isosonda ka naman." Whatever that is. True enough, after a few minutes of them prepping me up, the urge to pee was gone. Later I found out I was attached a catheter, hehehe. The anaesthesiologist introduced himself as Dr. Mike. Earlier, another doctor told me he was Dr. Mike's resident. I was injected something in the arm, I felt sleepy, then I was strapped and my hair was covered with cloth and tape. Oh before I was strapped, they injected the anaesthesia in my spine. I could not imagine how I was able to curl up, I just remembered a man pulling me together. A lot of things are happening at this time I can't remember anymore the series of events. One time, I also felt my thighs and legs spread out like frog and felt that they were cleaning me or something. A few minutes later, Dra. A was already around and heard her say to the crew that "the husband's here." Ane said hi, and I was fighting off the urge to sleep. I felt I was being cut, but there was no pain. And at

835pm Dr. Mike announced, "Baby Out! 835pm!" And I heard the most wonderful sound I've heard in years...Baby Dot was crying out loud :)

To be continued :)

3 comments:

Jhari said...

Ano ba yan te, nabitin ako! Hehehe! Partida nung Feb 16 mo pa 'to sinulat ha. What more dun sa continuation? Hehehe!

Worth it naman yung long wait diba ate? Congrats ulit. Na touch ako sa story. All mother's labor is unique talaga. I did my birthing kwento sa blog ko din ;) and parehas tayo, ang haba! hehehe!

Anonymous said...

so "isosonda" means, ika-catheter??

it took you weeks to post this.. unti-unti ko din nabasa (ninamnam ba).. haaayyy i still wish i was there.

MARE! >:D<

Kaje said...

@mae - mare si badong may ibang depinisyon niyan mwahahah at hindi ko alam na nakacatheter ako. the morning after ko na narealize kasi hindi pa rin ako nagka-urge magwiwi kahit nasa room na hehe

@jhari and mae - 35 million years bago ko natapos yan. may matinding bisyo si Abi -- kapag daytime, only sleeps on my chest! i can't be productive heheh

wait for the next installment...heheheh