Bam's Birth Story

A little back story...

When my firstborn and I came to Singapore in 2017 with the intention of staying for as long as husband had a job, we did not plan on having another baby.  But as we were settling in our new home, I felt a sense of alone-ness. Husband was mostly at work, and as I tried to embrace my role as a full-time mom and housewife, there was a desire for another child. I saw a need for Thirdy to have a playmate while I busied myself with household chores. Little did I know, that my heart's silent longing would be granted.

And so I got pregnant around May 2017, the same month we came to Singapura. I knew I was pregnant because I could not take anything in, and I have always had a good appetite. Plus, I was delayed. I lost weight during the first trimester because eating was just not fun at all. But by second trimester, I got my sense of taste back.

Thirdy and I had to go back to Iloilo City again in November 2017 as Bam's due date was February 11, 2018.

THE ACTUAL BIRTH

At 3:30 in the morning of January 24th 2018, I woke up to pee but ended up with my bag of water breaking. I was still not sure, though whether I should wake everyone up and go to the hospital because it might not be my time yet. My due date was 2 weeks away, so I decided to just go back to bed. But at 6 AM, I felt like almost a liter of water came out of me. Well, I thought this must be it. I should go to the hospital pronto or baby might get an infection for steady loss of fluid.

Thirdy was still sleeping then, and I felt a sudden joy that soon he will become a big bro, and at the same time I was feeling sad that I have to leave him for God knows how many days. I was worried because he still had a strep infection and a fever. He was scheduled to have a CBC on that very day in case the fever would persist.

By 7 AM, my sister and I were at the The Medical City - Iloilo. I ended up being induced at around 8 AM  because my cervix was still closed even when my water broke. I was slightly upset that things were not going according to what I had envisioned. It was not like this with Thirdy; he was born exactly on his due date. I was also anxious that my husband was not with me - he was scheduled to come home on February 3rd. From time to time, my thoughts would drift back to my sick toddler, and I would get emotional. I felt that I was not ready at all.

What got me through was the thought that I was not feeling any pain at all. I was waiting for it to come and paralyze me, but at 12 NN, I was still able to enjoy my lunch. My in-laws dropped by to visit me at around 2 PM, and that was when tiny sparks of pain started shooting me already. They were still around when I was told to go to the Labor Room. I gave everyone a hug and braced myself for the labor.

At 3 PM and in the Labor Room, I was told my progress will still take some time as I was just dilated at 4cm. But at 3:30, a giant wave of pain caught me by surprise. It came out of nowhere and out of instinct, I started positioning myself on all fours. The midwife said I shouldn't push. I said I wasn't, my body was just doing the pushing by itself. I was screaming bloody murder because the pain was coming in short gaps, leaving me no time to at least catch my breath. My whole body would tremble after every painful contraction. Even my teeth were chattering. The hospital doctor came, and when she checked me, she let the staff move into action. I was asked to transfer to the delivery room immediately. The sudden turn of events perplexed me. My own OB was not yet there. I asked the doc how far I was going. She said, "You're already 10 cm!" They just managed to put me on the delivery table and put on my green sterile stockings, when doc unceremoniously cut me down there and out came my baby girl!

My OB came a few minutes later. She was the one who delivered the placenta, and sewed me up. In the medical field, they call the sudden and fast dilation as 'precipitation'. I've only understood 'precipitation' as the actual shower of rain in the water cycle.

Medical jargon or not, I find it apt that on January 24th 2018, the heavens poured me a shower of blessing through a tiny bundle of joy.

The pain was all worth it.