August 2
11:30 AM
I was working from home that day and a few weeks prior due to high bp. I initially planned to stop working Friday as it was a Tueday but decided to extend it to two more days to complete all my pending work.
I just finished a call and went to the restroom and found that my spotting has increased. I messaged your mama's mommy mentor, April, and she told me that those are normal close to delivery. I've been spotting for a few days now and have been getting increasingly worried.
I was comforted by the fact that your Tita Ninang Lala and your Lola Ligaya were flying in and would be here in time for mama's scheduled c-section on August 4. As soon as they arrived, we had lunch and I shared my worries on the spotting with them. I called the clinic and they advised me to just monitor as the bloody discharge is normal close to labor.
I was getting agitated and decided to come to the clinic with your Tita Ninang Lala to just get myself checked.
3pm - 8pm
During the routine checks, my bp registered a bit high, I think around 150/90. At the same time, I peed into the stick they usually gave me and for the first time, the color was different. It would usually be the same color which is blue but this time, it turned green! That scared me so I messaged your Papa and he went on his way to the clinic to join me and your Tita Ninang Lala. When I got to see Dr Paul Tseng, he checked and said that my cervix was still closed so the bloody discharge is also not a problem. He was more concerned about ensuring I didn't have pre-enclampsia so he ordered a blood test. Your Ninang Lala and I waited for the blood test results to come back. When we went up after an hour, I started to feel a bit strange so I requested one of the nurses to take my bp. The nurse had to take my bp multiple times and switch machines to make sure what she was seeing was correct: 180/110!!! It was way too high!
By this time, Dr Paul was already out of the clinic so the nurses informed him and he said that we'll have to do the CS earlier tomorrow morning or afternoon. They checked and there were no rooms in Alvernia at 8am, only 4pm next day.
The blood test came back and fortunately, it was ok. Just the same, I knew I would not be able to sleep the night worrying about you so I asked Dr Paul if we can do it sooner. The nurses were also getting worried and they spoke to him. Finally he said yes and said he'll do it at 8pm! It was 6pm so that was quite a huge turn of events.
We were instructed to head down directly to Alvernia from Thompson. Unlike with your Kuya, the preps were a lot shorter because I did not go on active labor so I was simply prepped for CS. They hooked me up to the fetal and bp monitor. Your Ninang went home to pick up our hospital bag. I informed your Lola and Ate Jinky about my impending delivery and they were surprised as I just went for check up and will now deliver. Another thing that was different this time around was that your Kuya Rafa was left at home. I was feeling emotional so I talked to your Kuya telling him that Mama and Papa cannot go home that night because we are at the hospital with Miguel. I also don't know if it's because I've gone thru it before but I felt more afraid this time. The nurse placed the catheter on me and I was in pain! I kept imagining the next steps of the operation and it scared me even more. Your Papa was more calm this time. I even had the time to chat with some friends telling them I'm giving birth soon. Pretty soon your Lola and Ninang arrived but I did not get to see them because at near 8pm, I was already rolled into the holding room before I go into the operating room.
In there, a Pinay nurse was asking me to sign a couple of documents because apparently some details were incorrectly filled from the clinic. I remember looking around and seeing the others who just finished with their operation or were being prepared like me.
The anaesthesiologist came over. He was less jolly than your Kuya's anaesthesiologist but I did notice that both seemed to want to be a bit chatty perhaps to relax me.
At exactly 8am, they rolled us into the operating room and they began to transfer me to the operating bed. In there, the anaesthesiologist took my iv which he had to redo (it gave me black bruises later). That made me a bit panicky about the next steps: the injections to the spine for the epi. He asked me to curl and started to inject but it was painful and I could feel his struggle and heard comments from him and the nurses. It was taking some time and getting painful and scary so I asked the Pinay nurse what's going on. She said he's having a hard time finding the spaces between my spine. I was so scared but I just gritted my teeth, closed my eyes and thought of your Kuya Rafa's face to calm myself down. It was the first time I experienced drawing strength and the will to live through my children.
Finally, it was over. The feeling went away at my left side and I panicked a little saying I can still feel from the right but that quickly went away too.
Finally, Dr Paul came in. He was finally going to be able to help with the delivery. He was your Kuya's ob as well but he went on leave the day your Kuya was born.
He was quite fast and pretty soon your Papa was asked to come in. A few minutes later, I heard the most beautiful sound. Your cries. I kept asking your Papa if you're ok and he was not answering as fast as I wanted to :) Finally he said, you were alright and for the first time in 9 months and that day, I felt so relieved.
I remember the first time I saw you! You looked like a Duarte, Mama's baby!!! They wrapped you up and had you lay near me. We asked that they take our family photo. See how happy we were below:
After the procedure, I became chatty and told the doctor that I'm glad we did it tonight and he said he was quite sure he would get woken up in the middle of the night so it was better to do it now. Haha!
A few minutes later they rolled me back to the recovery area then finally to our room in St Dominique's ward.
Another difference this time around was that your Ninang and Lola were here instead of just me and your Papa. I could hear their excited whispers. I could see the welcome balloon they had for you!
I was wondering where your Papa was and they told me he was processing some papers. I thought it was odd and suspected that he went back to the office so he can pick up his work laptop. A few minutes later he arrived and confirmed it! He was so excited to share to the world that you have arrived that went all the way to the office so he can edit our first family pic and share you with the world! Haha!
Once they rolled you in from the nursery for the first time, they asked me if I was going to breastfeed and I said yes so they helped me latch you on and this time, it was so much easier. I had a sense even when you were inside me that you would be so much like me and indeed you were. You had such a strong latch that I found it so endearing.
To this day, I find a lot of me in you and that makes you very close to my heart.
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