Every mom remembers her experience of childbirth and the very first time she saw her baby. She may have gone through hours and hours of excruciating labor, but the minute she laid her eyes on her baby, everything became happy, and sunny, and bright!
Childbirth experience #1: Kaye Carag-Platon
Kaye Carag-Platon remembers the day she gave birth to her daughter, Tala.
Kaye went to her doctor for her regular checkup. A few seconds into the internal exam, however, her ObGyne said that she was already 3cm to 4cm dilated. Since she lived near the hospital, her doctor said it was okay for her to go home first and pack up her things. She and her husband then went to Greenbelt 5 to do some walking. She says, “After an hour of walking, I was contracting every three to seven minutes. I called my doctor and she told us to go to the hospital.”
Kaye was admitted to one of the birthing rooms at about 6PM. By 9PM, she was 6cm dilated.
“Although I could handle the pain, I decided that I wanted epidural during birth. But then I got stuck at 6cm for the next six hours. By early morning or around 4:30AM or so, it was finally time to push. After just three pushes, Tala gave a little cry and then stopped to take a good look around her. She had her eyes wide open! When they laid her on my chest, she looked up, reached up, and touched my face. I guess I was wired from the medicine because I didn’t cry. I just wanted to smile until my face cracked wide open and giggle with joy. She is still the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life.”
Childbirth experience #2: Ines Lovina
Ines Lovina received a most wonderful present for her birthday. She recalls, “I was scheduled for a repeat C-Section but Gab wanted to surprise me and came a day before my birthday. I went into extremely painful labor at 2AM and was rushed to the hospital. I thought that this time around, I would be spared from the dreaded labor pains since my birth was scheduled, but Gab had other plans. But since this was the second time around, I was more relaxed. Gab came as the best birthday gift.”
Childbirth experience #3: Maybelle Ti
Maybelle Ti, mom of Gavin, also gave birth via C-Section.
She says, “I first gave birth ten years ago via emergency C-Section. Because of this, my ObGyne felt it would be safer for me to have a scheduled C-Section for the delivery of my second baby, my little boy.”
“I had always hoped for the experience of a natural birth. Unfortunately, the odds were against me. Having a scheduled C-Section though did not stop me from seeking a beautiful beginning with my baby. I requested for continuous epidural to stay awake during the entire procedure. It’s actually tough to be waiting for it all to be over and done while you hear everything the doctors talk as they open you up and pull your baby out. But it was all worth it in the end. After my baby was delivered, our pediatrician quickly wrapped him and brought him to me for immediate skin-to-skin contact, latching on, and nuzzling. As I sung him a lullaby I had been singing to him in utero, he immediately quieted down knowing he was safe with his mama. This beautiful memory will be forever etched in my heart.”
Image courtesy of nenetus at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
This story first appeared in Urban Mom magazine.
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