When Fetus Ladaga Became Infant Ladaga Part 2

December 25, 2010

…So I went home and ate again.  But barely an hour after, the contractions’ duration was longer and the intervals between one another were shorter.  I texted Doc Guada again, and she told me to return to LBDH.  It was around 5 p.m. when I returned to LBDH.  Instead of getting the same female doctor, Doc Guada instructed the ER staff to get a seasoned midwife to check by how much my cervix has expanded.  And so a seasoned midwife checked my cervix (another painful lesbian experience).  The midwife said that my cervix has dilated to 5 cm (to those who do not know, active labor or the iri-iri starts when a mom’s cervix has dilated to 10 cm).  The midwife predicted that the baby may be out as early as 10 p.m.  Randy expressed that he prefers that the baby be born on Dec. 26 instead of Dec. 25, because if baby gets born on Dec. 25, his birthday wouldn’t have an “identity”.  He might have no guests on his birthday parties and he wouldn’t feel that Dec. 25 is “his day”.  So the midwfe said that Randy shouldn’t let me walk to delay my giving birth.  We talked to Doc Guada, and she instructed me to go to the Asian Hospital right away with my admitting order slip from her.

So we went home, and the contractions had gotten really painful, longer, and more frequent.  I added some more items to my ready hospital bag and forced myself to poop because that was what I really felt like doing plus I didn’t want to poop while giving birth (I’d read that some women giving birth really poop while pushing).  Randy took a bath and got dressed.  Our driver Junjun was on the wheels.

We were able to leave at around 7.30 pm.  On the way, the contractions were getting closer and closer, yet crazy me requested Randy to buy Cinnabon along SLEX.  Alangan namang hindi niya ako pagbigyan ‘di ba?  So in between contractions, I was munching on yummy Classic Cinnabon Roll.

Thank God there was no heavy traffic.  Randy initially wanted to buy an e-pass gadget because of this.  But since it was Christmas evening, the traffic was light and there was no queue at the toll fee gates.  Thus we reached the Asian Hospital quite quickly.

Upon reaching Asian, the guard immediately assisted me.  I proceeded to the restroom, and he even followed me up to the door to open the door for me.  When I went out, a wheelchair was already waiting for me.  The next details are now a blur.  What I remember vividly was when I was brought to the waiting room: it looked like an ER of ordinary hospitals, but it was really clean and nice.  The nurses there were very nice and smelled nice (when you’re in pain, the last thing you need are hands touching your face reeking of nicotine or mouths talking close to your nostrils smelling like dead rat or garlic).  They were very courteous too.  The nurses and the attending physician asked whether I wanted an anaesthesia, but when they asked that question I was between contractions and not in pain.  I was well aware that the services of the Asian Hospital were expensive, and so I thought that I’ll do everything in my power not to incur unnecessary expenses such as anaesthesia.  The doctor and nurses were encouraging me to get anesthetized, as they’ve seen how I winced earlier.  I told them I’ve read somewhere that getting anaesthesia increases the risk of CS, and I think they disagreed with that.  They said that when I have already decided I want to, let me just tell them.  And so they left me and Randy alone for a few minutes.  During that short period, I whispered to Randy that he should ask how much the anaesthesia would cost, as it would help me decide whether to get one or not.  He said, “Ay naku!  Baka sabihin pa tinitipid kita nahihirapan ka na nga!  Kung gusto mo magpa-anaesthesia ka.”  Then the nurses and the physician returned.  This time, I was already having contractions and then I said, “Sige na sige na anaesthesia na!”  They asked me when my last meal was, and then I told them about the Cinnabon.  They seemed surprised that in my labor, we still stopped at SLEX to buy Cinnabon.  I told them that I ate but a few bites (apparently, you can’t have anaesthesia if you’ve eaten plenty within the last few hours).  They then called the anesthesiologist.  On their way out, I heard them talking about craving for Cinnabon.  The anesthesiologist, who happened to be male, came and injected me with the anaesthesia at my back (I thought it was going to be somewhere in my groin!) When I felt the anesthesia entering my back, it felt funny–funny as in my back felt itchy, like ants were crawling in.  The nurses said that that feeling was normal.  But oh, what a relief!!!  I could no longer feel the contractions and the pain was non-existent!  I was glad I had it.  The attending physician even said, “O di ba ang sarap ng feeling?  Usually ang mga pasyente best friends with Dr. [name of anes, which I forgot] after niyang turukan.”  I couldn’t agree more.  When I had my 3rd lesbian experience for the day, 5 cm pa lang din daw.  And you know what?  It was my 1st lesbian experience that wasn’t painful!  I was then told to rest.  Randy was somewhere paying the deposit.  He even got my credit card and had me sign it because apparently, his was rejected although he said he has just paid for it online.  He was also regularly on the phone, talking to my mom and my dad.  We instructed our driver to stay in the private room we got and sleep there instead of going home via public transport.  I was able to rest fitfully, but not  really sleep.  At around 11 p.m.,  Doc Guada arrived and checked my cervix (4th lesbian experience for the day; it wasn’t that painful pa rin).  She said 9 cm na ako, malapit na!  I could also feel the anaesthesia wearing off, and I told them I want another shot (apparently 2 hours lang talaga yung effects ng anaesthesia).  But she said hindi na raw puwede, because I have to feel pain so I would iri.  She asked the birthday we want for the baby—Dec. 25 or 26?  I answered for Randy, that he wants it to be 26.  Doc Guada said that we’ll wait a little longer so that the baby would be born on 26.  But when it became too painful for me again, I think I said Bahala na kung ano’ng birthday!  Then it was already 11.35 pm.  Oh by the way, a gadget that measures my contractions was placed on my belly.  And at 11.35, Doc Guada said, “This is it na, galingan mo ha!”  I got scared a tad, but I was determined to give birth normally!  Ang mahal kaya kung CS!!!  I remember what my cousin who is a nurse said on my FB account: Sayang ang malaking balakang at hita ng lahi natin kung hindi pang-normal na panganganak!  And then I was wheeled into the birthing room/Genesis room.  Randy and everyone else had to wear a gown and plastic on their hair and shoes.  Doc Guada said Randy may take pictures but not video.  So he started doing so.

At around 11:45 pm, I was instructed to start pushing.  The gadget on my tummy helped determine when I should push.  Contrary to what I (and I’m sure many others) thought, the pushing should be timed and not done anytime.  I remember shouting but Doc Guada said, “Uy ang poise mo.”  Honestly I couldn’t care less about my poise.  I imagined (and dreamed) myself even hurling curses at Randy while I was pushing, just like what I’ve seen on TV, hehe.  But then I was told later that I’m not supposed to shout not because of my poise but because I’d be wasting energy.  If I remember it correctly, I was supposed to just take deep breaths and when the doctors gie the go signal, that’s only when I was supposed to push again.

Anyway I think I gave out 6 timed pushes until they said, “Isa na lang, lumalabas na yung ulo, give us yung malakas na push.”  And so I did, but I was surprised na ganun lang kabilis!  I was expecting to be in active labor for at least 2 hours.  After I did, wala pa rin.  So Doc Guada said, “Isa pa!”, and I gave it my all, push kung push!  Honestly I was inspired when I learned malapit na.  And then I felt something really painful coming out of me, and then I also felt a blade ripping my vajayjay (this I was dreading so much!  But when it happeened, the pain was negligible compared to the coming out of the  baby), and then I felt relief.  I heard a loud, deep cry of my baby. T hen I was again administered anaesthesia (Dr. Anesthesia was there again) before Doc Guada sewed my vajayjay.  Again, I dreaded this but it wasn’t that painful, thanks to Doc Anesthesia.  By the way, I was able to look at the clock when the baby was born, and even uttered, “12:10 am lumabas si baby.”