She said the tightening in my stomach are contractions. I was speechless. I was numb. Should I be panicking? Am I supposed to cry now? Is my baby gonna be okay? The doctor proceeded trying to trigger my baby's heartbeat and for a few intense moments, with my eyes glued to the heart monitor, I felt my heart practically explode with intense fear. I said a small prayer to God, Mama Mary, St. Clare and St. Gerard Majella and lo and behold, Archie's heartbeat rose up and stabilized.
I was rushed to the Operating Room and was immediately prepped for a c-section. I was such in a daze that all I could think about was having Henry with me so, I asked one of the nurses if I could use her phone to call my husband. Please be here soon, I told Henry.
I remember the bright lights inside the facility, the cold brass bed, the unusually cold temperature and the hustle of all the nurses. I remember the anesthesiologist explaining things to me and suddenly I was held in fetal position so she could inject the epidural at the right point in my spine. Suddenly, I was numbed from the waist down.
Maybe it was the medicines, but suddenly, I felt calm. I was ready to meet my son.
Half an hour after the fiasco started, Dra. Valerie Guinto walked in the OR all prepped and ready to go. Seeing her gave me such a sense of relief because I know that she will take care of me and my baby. She then calmly told me that we need to get Archie out now to ensure his safety. Ten minutes later, Henry arrived as well.
I never knew that a major operation like C-section can be so calm - I can hear Dra. Guinto making light kwentos with the other doctors, my anes by my side calmly telling me that I might feel some discomfort at specific points during the procedure and that all of it was normal.
A few minutes later, they hauled Archie out of me and I heard him cry his small cry once. My heart almost gave out. He was a healthy 35 weeker and did not need to be incubated. He was immediately roomed in with me. I can still remember how I was awaken when I heard him cry beside me inside the recovery room; how strong my yearning was to hold him and look at him and love him with all my life.
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| Our first family picture |
