We welcomed Raio on the 26th of March 2011, Saturday at 10:15 AM. Like my two previous childbirth, his was unique and eventful. I made two trips to the hospital prior to giving birth due to premature contractions which was stopped with terbutalyne (as usual) and pain medications. I was supposed to have my c-section on April 8th when baby hits the 39th week, but as usual baby decides to come out sooner. At least this time, he got to be a full term baby at exactly 37 weeks and 1 day.
My OB was hesitant to deliver Raio because despite being "full term" we can never be too sure of his gestational age and he may have complications, i.e. temperature control which he had on his first 24 hours.
The third trip to the hospital is always the "charmed" one. Although honestly, at the back of my mind I was already expecting to be sent home. This time, my husband and I took our sweet time to the clinic on Friday. I was strapped on the monitor and cervix was checked if I was indeed in labor. Contractions were irregular, although I was already in pain. Cervix was still at 1.5 inches. The OB sent me home, but we didn't.
Instead, we went to the mall (hoping to get an iPad which was out of stock) and watched a movie. We thought we should just be ready in case my discomfort worsens. And it did! Probably in the last quarter of the movie I woke to a nasty cramp and contractions that are almost 3-5 minutes apart (yes, I sleep when I watch a movie LOL!). I was arching my back while the husband was timing how often and how long my contractions lasted. I just had to finish the movie, it was quite good! I suggest you go watch the Adjustment Bureau hehehe!
On our way to the hospital, I rang my OB. As usual, I was strapped and my contractions were boring according to the monitor. My cervix is still at 1.5 inches. But I was in so much pain... no epidural, no pain meds. I was asked to rest overnight at the hospital to relax. I preferred to take the sleeping pill than the pain medication hehehe! The nurse told me that usually when moms rest it will progress labor or will stop it if it's not yet time.
What do you know the next day, I was already at 3cm! "Wohoo!" is what my cool OB said. If you meet her, she is so funny! I was on labor and now scheduled for c-section. Things move fast and I was getting scared. I was so aware this time and rested. I walked to the OR! I saw how it looked, it's better in Grey's Anatomy hehehe! The anesthesiologist was so sweet, she made it entertaining for me.
Oh well the nurses and the doctors noticed that I was wearing make up at the OR! I begged my OB that I take a quick shower before they prep me for the surgery. I wore my tinted moisturizer, powder, and lip gloss. They say I was a "poster child" for the surgery, whatever that means LOL!
I am so tiny that I needed a step stool to get to the operating table. They said it felt like they were going to do a pediatric surgery nyehehehehe! Why am I not surprised? All my life I've always been the smallest and I never cared at all. Bleh!
I could hear everyone talking about their dogs and whatnots. Then they sent my husband with me, a lot earlier than the last surgery. I was so glad to hold his hand and hear his voice and see him with me! I saw his huge grin when my OB said "it's another boy!"... he was expecting we were having a girl this time. My cool OB said "I have three boys at home and I never had to lift my finger when they were grown! I am the queen of the house!", that I am looking forward to.
I was awake the whole time, I saw Raio with Dad while he was being checked and cleaned. The anesthesiologist was so kind to take a family photo. It felt like a picnic. Everything went smoothly. Baby came out healthy at 5lbs and 12oz, and 18.5 inches long! They call him a little peanut... we stayed in the post-op for some time while waiting for our room. The maternity ward was full that day, although quite a lot were scheduled for discharge, we were assigned to the extension wing. Let me just summarize that in the four days, we were moved three times!
And on the third move, the night before we were supposed to come home my health took a detour. Just when I thought everything was going so well compared to my last c-section... I was moving pretty much, no hives, no swelling, no fever, etc.
I had a brewing cold prior to giving birth. After my surgery, I kept eating cough drops and downing lots of water to keep me from coughing. If you've had a c-section and you had to cough (or even laugh), you would know how painful it is! But that very night while having dinner with my friend who brought me nilagang baka (I could have eaten a lot if not for the cough!), I couldn't stop coughing. I was buzzing the nurse for my cough and pain medications. It felt like my stitches were ripped as I coughed. My chest were heavy, I thought I was just engorged because my milk was coming.
When my husband arrived, I got worse. I had to go to the shower for a steam hoping it will make me breathe better. Yes, I couldn't breathe. I thought I was having an anaphylactic shock due to something I ate. When the nurse came, she checked my oxygen level and it was way down than normal. I had to step out of the shower with just the hospital gown, no underwear, and with wet hair.
In bed, I had hot tea to soothe my throat while I was strapped to the monitor. Unfortunately, the nurse left me when I got so much worse! My husband was alarmed why the monitor was beeping... my oxygen level is now crazy low! I was shivering and could not stop. I was like in a shock. When the nurses came, my temperature spiked, blood pressure went up, pulse was very high, and oxygen low.
They rang my OB. It felt like a hundred nurses were hovering over me. They were scared that I had a blood clot. While I was shaking non stop, they had to poke me to find an IV line and to get my blood drawn for tests. Good luck with that! My veins are pretty difficult in a normal state, what more when I'm shaking? So you see, I have so many bruises like I was crucified!
I was wheeled to radiology for an xray with dye contrast. That procedure calmed me down because the dye was warm. Afterwards, I heard the nurses saying I will be transferred to the ICU and they will inform my family, etc. Then I started to panic, I couldn't breathe again. Oh well, I don't really know what was happening to me. I thought that if I'd die that instant my poor baby doesn't even know me yet, I haven't even changed his diaper yet, my two other boys will grow up without a mother, and my poor husband will be left alone. The images of my boys pulled me through my anxieties. I cannot wallow in my morbid thoughts. Despite the heaviness, I tried to calm myself down. The nurses asked me to breathe to slow down my pulse.
"Ayaw papildi, we're here waiting for you!" is what my husband said when the nurses wheeled me out of my room. I held his hand while I was trying to breathe with an oxygen mask on. It's hard not to weep when I recall what happened. My husband said he was scared when he saw half of my face changed, must be because I was low in oxygen.
At the ICU, I was told that I had pulmonary edema (my lungs were filled with fluid). They ruled out pneumonia, pulmonary embolism (blood clot), and cardiomyopathy (a fancy term for heart failure). I was given diuretics to flush out the fluid from my lungs, some antibiotics for my bronchitis, and was sent back to the OB ward.
Oh how delighted I was to be reunited with Raio!
