I never expected my labor story to be the way it is, but I’m so grateful for my little one.
About 39 weeks into my pregnancy, my doctors advised me to walk more. I had gestational diabetes, so it was best for me to have the baby early to avoid fetal macrosomia, which is when the baby is bigger than usual.
I Went Into Labor on the Evening of October 29th
I first felt the contractions around the afternoon of October 29 while working on a client’s project. I was rushing to finish the magazine articles and layout so I could submit them before giving birth. That night, though, the pain from the contractions became unmanageable.
I was sure I was in labor, so I told Neil to go home early and take me to Perpetual Succour Hospital.
Labor Room at Perpetual Succour Hospital
We went to the labor and delivery room with the emergency hospital bag, some cash, and the patient folder the hospital had asked us to bring. I was given a clean patient gown while waiting for my doctor to check me. You will only be admitted if you say your water broke.
They check your dilation and the strength of contractions.
Although I was only 2 cm dilated, the contractions were excruciating. They checked the baby’s heart rate and the strength of my contractions with a Nonstress test (NST). Because the baby’s heart rate was normal and my contractions did not become more intense, the doctor dismissed me and asked me to return the next day for an ultrasound.
Coming Back to the Hospital on the Morning of October 30th
The following morning, Neil and I arrived promptly at the hospital where I was being treated. At the Outpatient Department, you can’t come later than 10 AM. I had a checkup with my OB to assess how close I was to giving birth. She indicated that because I was only 2 centimeters dilated, the baby was not yet ready to come out.
After the doctor did an internal exam, she sent me for an ultrasound, where I got the shocking news that my amniotic fluid levels were below normal. I requested that another resident physician read the result and interpret it for me. She decided right then and there that I should be admitted.
3 P.M. Admission at Labor Room (October 30th)
I told Neil that I needed to be admitted that same day. We were ready. We had our emergency bag, and we had prepared some cash. We were both excited, actually.
Except I knew what I was getting into.
I was not in active labor, and at 2 cm, I feared that they would have to induce me. I was right.
When I came to the labor room, they used an intravenous medication called Oxytocin, which helps ripen the cervix and increase dilation. I was at 6cm around 3 AM when a resident doctor broke my water artificially to speed up labor.
But my baby didn’t drop even at 8cm at around 11 AM on October 31. I was in so much pain. I was delirious.
The Doctor Deemed C-Section Necessary
While I wanted a normal birth, once the pain began, all I could think about was getting some painkillers. The pain of contractions is like nothing else. Compared to dysmenorrhea, mine were ten times more painful. Unfortunately, an epidural wasn’t an option. I begged for a C-Section, but the physicians thought I was close enough to a vaginal birth that I could still push for it.
But they still couldn’t get my baby out by 11 AM.
Image from Shutterstock
As I said earlier, I had gestational diabetes, which put my baby and me at a higher risk. The medical staff decided that a C-section was required. Right there, a group of anesthesiologists tended to me, wheeling me to the operating room.
Cyd Was Born at 12:29 PM on October 31, at precisely 12:29 in the afternoon, Cyd was born. At birth, he weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces. He was 51 cm tall. I was able to see him before falling asleep from the medication.
The handsome young man knew my voice and instantly recognized me. Before taking my newborn to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for examination, they let me give him a kiss on the cheek.
In retrospect, I have no regrets about what transpired. Even though we ended up with a larger-than-expected bill, we were relieved to have made it through this challenging phase. I still think about that day, and I’m grateful to be alive and to have given life to a wonderful child.