That thought never left me since this morning. As I make my way through the aisles at the grocery, lots of topics and ideas are running through my head and although I've already lined up a few things to share in the coming weeks, today just seems so uninspiring.
Just as my girl is unloading her chips on the conveyor, a friend appeared behind the next counter, all glowing and seven months heavy with her second child! I wished her well.
Topic solved.
1, 2, 3, 4, ...
If you got to read my earlier post on the baby checklist, it was dedicated to my pregnant friends to help them get started with the baby stuff. This time, I just want to share the experience and re-live it at least for a few paragraphs.
At my cousin's wedding, of which I was the planner/coordinator,3 weeks before I 'popped out' my 2nd
It's been almost three years since my last pregnancy. I had two, and both via C-Section (CS). Contrary to common beliefs, having a CS was a good experience for me, during and after the procedure. Quick, convenient, no labor pains, no pushing, no waiting.
Our boy, at 1 month, holding on to daddy's fingerWith my first-born, it was an unplanned CS.
My water broke at around 5:45 one November morning in 2003.
Wait, I was not supposed to deliver yet. My hospital bag is not even packed! But I'm leaking like a broken pipe already. After instructing my dazed and confused husband to hurry packing some essentials, off we go to the hospital. I was psyched for a smooth normal delivery.
6:30 AM - I was dilating, prepped by the nurses, then told:
"Ma'am, he's in breech position, you will need a Caesarean section."
Huwhaaaat!?!? I can't believe my ears! My mind went blank for a few seconds after hearing that "C" word.
You can say I was in shock, not just because of the frenzy in the prep room, but because I was totally NOT prepared for it. Me and my hubby J were not "educated" for a CS delivery. I demanded one last ultra-sound. I just didn't trust them saying that my baby turned upside down! I have to see it with my two wide-awake-from-shock eyes.
Fast forward to the O.R.
My entire body is shaking -- either from the freezing-cold room, the meds, my nerves, or all of them combined.
I was awake the whole time, with my lower half completely numb. And with a few tugs the baby was out. Perfect!
10:30 AM - I was in recovery. Ahh...it was a beautiful day.
JT @ 1Second time around, we get to choose the date. It was a Monday, in January 2007.
Sunday dinner I binged on pasta, pizza and ice cream sundae - my "last" full meal. That night we checked-in at the hospital in preparation for the 8 AM procedure.
Having gone through a CS before, I thought I'd be more relaxed. But I was still terrified, with a feeling of uncertainty.
8:00 AM - My OB-Gyne reassured me that it will be a breeze, and we are fortunate that we are in a newly equipped O.R. She even noted 9 nurses on call just for just 1 patient (me). But for me, they were just a curious audience with a full view of my fore and nether region.
Here comes the epidural.
"Doc, bone-y...", was all the anesthesiologist said. I was already curling 'til my knees reached my chin! I felt a few pricks at my lower back already and he still can't get it in. Curl, and curl some more...
"Where's my baby?"
"Ma'am, you're already in recovery, the baby is in the nursery."
What the *@#%! I missed the whole thing!!! I was knocked out! Curling was the last thing I remembered.
I was sort of expecting the same experience as my first -- hear him cry, seeing him being cleaned, and brought to me for the first time. With my girl, I sadly missed the whole thing. I only learned what happened after I was brought to my room.
Read Part 2 here
More about babies:
Baby Checklist
To Breastfeed or Not To Breastfeed
World Breastfeeding Week
