An Almost Painless Labor

I am the type of person who shuns doctors and hospitals so it is quite a surprise that in the labor room, I felt so calm. Of course there was a slight moment of panic when I entered the labor room and I realized that my husband and mom cannot accompany me there but I quickly reminded myself to be strong.

When I lied down on the hospital bed, I felt fear again and wonder why I can’t be with my husband or mom at this important time. But when the nurse did an interview, I started to feel comfortable. It really helps that the nurses and other medical staff are all smiling and nice.

There was another pregnant woman in the other bed when I arrived and I smiled at her but she seems to be in so much pain that she can’t respond. She constantly cries and begs for relief. I felt pity for her although her cries bothered me.

For almost 7 hours, I am stuck at 5 cm but can you believe that I felt no pain at all. I am really anticipating pain and actually praying for it when I realized that I am not progressing but I did not experience it. Either I have such a high tolerance for pain or the anesthesia really get into me. I would like to think that my baby is so considerate and kind. But alas the pain started after the operation and until now, I am still in the healing process.

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My Birth Story

I am writing this post 13 days after giving birth but everything is still fresh in my mind. Looking back, my birth story is something that I never expected. Maybe it is right to say that everything that happened that day was a surprise.

I woke up early the morning of September 5, although I barely slept the night before because I am scheduled to have a check up with my OB. It will be my mom who will accompany me to the hospital because my husband had to work on a Saturday.

Since the night before and a few days before that, I noticed that the white mens discharge is getting heavier. That morning, when I went to the cr to pee, I noticed pinkish mucus but thought it was not blood so I just ignored it. I ate a hearty breakfast and around 9:30, my mom and I went to the hospital while my husband went to his office.

At the hospital, my OB did an IE as I am already 39 weeks pregnant and that’s when she found out that I am already 3 cm dilated. I am feeling no pain, just a slight discomfort but I am already in labor. So my supposed checkup turned out to be the day for me to give birth. That surprised, scared and excited me. She immediately called my mom to explain my condition and the birth procedure. She said that I am supposed to progress to 1 cm dilation every hour so I assume that I would deliver around 4 or 5 in the afternoon. She wants us to go straight to the delivery room but since my house is only minutes away, I said I would like to go home first.

At home, I managed to have a quick warm shower and gather all of the things that we need to bring and called my husband. My husband went home and when he arrived, we went to the hospital.

I am praying when I went to the labor room but I am so calm and ready. The nurses are all nice and at 1:30, they said I am already 5cm dilated. They all said I am progressing pretty fast and I will soon give birth as they also think that the baby is not that big.

Around 3pm, another IE, I am still feeling no pain and I am still 5cm dilated. At 5:30, my OB arrived and still I am 5cm dilated—my baby seemed to be asleep.

At 6pm, pm, I was surprised when my OB asked if I want to discuss things with my husband because at 7pm, if I am still at 5cm, then the next best option is for me to deliver via C-section. That alarmed me because from the start, I really want to give birth the normal way. I asked if I can wait for another hour and my OB said okay.

The OB and the nurses are all wondering why I am still feeling no pain. This time, I am already praying for pain if that would be the sign that i would soon give birth. But alas at 7 pm, there is no improvement and I had to talk to my husband via phone while my mother went to the labor room to talk to me and see how I am doing. We said we want to wait for another hour. At 8 pm, I am still at 5cm and I was transferred to the operating room. We made a decision because my OB said that the more the labor hours are prolonged, the chance for successful delivery become slim.

So that’s how I gave birth--via caesarian section which is totally unexpected and at some point made me so sad. But there is probably a reason why I end up giving birth that way. Besides what is important is that my baby is fine and healthy and so am I.

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The 5th of September 2009

If you will search my blog posts, you will find an entry entitled, Marking My Calendars and there you will see that I mentioned the possible dates when I will give birth. I said the earliest would be August 22 but the most likely will be September 5 and that I put a large circle on that date on my calendar. I am just amazed because I actually gave birth on that date! On September 5, 2009 at 8:47 pm, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. We named her Sophia Isabel and we are just grateful for this wonderful blessing. I will post my birth story next time.

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A New Way to Earn From Blogs

There’s a new venue where bloggers can earn easy money- that is LinkfromBlog.com. I learned about this from the blog of PinayMommy and got encouraged because according to her, she got paid after just 10 days of signing up. That is pretty fast so I said it’s’worth a try.

Earning money here is indeed not so hard as it works like other paid to post companies except that they give bonuses for each blog you activate. I want to share this new find to all who also want to earn some money from their blogs.

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At The Beginning

I am at the office when one of my friends sent me a message via YM saying she is depressed– well apparently because of her menstrual period. To be honest, I don’t like using that excuse for one to be depressed. But she is not feeling well and as a friend, I tried my best to cheer her up. One of the things I suggested for her to feel better is to listen to lively songs. And a song that came to our mind is At the Beginning sang by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis. It’s a song from the Disney movie, Anastasia.

I really like this song because of the beat, the rhythm and the lyrics. It’s also memorable for me because we used this song for the audio-visual presentation shown during my wedding reception. Well, just want to share this wonderful song to the rest. Enjoy!

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I Am 39 Weeks Pregnant!

Wow I can’t believe the last 9 months have gone by in a flash. I can give birth anytime now but I am still working. My OB said it will be better if I start my maternity leave when the baby arrives. But I plan to take a leave on September 15, in case I still haven’t given birth by then.

So this is how it feels to carry a baby inside for 9 months- a mixture of disbelief, amazement and gratefulness. I believe that the most important part of this journey is about to happen in a few days and I am both excited and nervous.

I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of my baby. Please help me pray for a safe and happy delivery. By the way, here are some facts about being 39 weeks pregnant:


The average baby is about 20.5 inches / 51 centimeters long from head to toe and weighs approximately 7.5 pounds / 3.4 kilograms at birth, but anywhere between 5 pounds 11.5 ounces and 8 pounds 5.75 ounces / 2.5 and 3.8 kilograms is a healthy range for newborns.

Your amniotic fluid, once clear, is now pale and milky from your baby's shedding vernix caseosa. The outer layers of skin are also sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

In TV programs, labor always begins with the waters breaking - in the middle of a crowded room, of course - just before contractions start. If you've been worrying that this scenario will happen to you, you can stop. Membranes rupture in less than 15 per cent of pregnancies and when it does happen, the baby's head tends to act like a cork at the opening of the uterus. (If you lie down, however, you may notice fluid leaking.) You should stay calm - it may be hours before you feel your first contraction - and call your doctor right away. Your body will produce more amniotic fluid until the baby is born, so your carers may suggest you wait at home until contractions are under way or may suggest an induction.

And if the week passes and there's still no baby? Don't panic - only 5 per cent of babies are born on their scheduled due date. Most doctors wait another two weeks before considering a pregnancy overdue.

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September: Another Special Month

The ber months has started. Here in the Philippines, September 1 is special because it signifies the start of the Christmas season. But for this year, I have another reason to consider September as very special month. And that is because I am due to give birth this month. I wonder what will be the birth date of my daughter.

I have a number of favorite months- February- because it is my birthday month. August because for some reason, my current and past relationships started at the month of August. January is also a favorite because it is the month I got married and of course July because it is hubby’s birthday month. Now, it’s September. my daughter birthday moth. Here are some interesting facts about the month of September:

According to the Georgian calendar, September is the ninth month. But, on the Roman calendar, it was the seventh month. September has had 29 days, and 31 days; but, since the time of the emperor Augustus, it has had only 30 days.

September is one of the warmest months in the Southern United States. Northern states have warm September days, but the nights get much cooler. It is also harvest time for crops. And, in Switzerland, it's called Harvest Month.

The sapphire is the gem for September.

The morning glory is the flower for the month of September.

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