My natural childbirth experience, Part 3 of 3: Delivery

Dear Baby P,

It's just three days before your homecoming and we are all excited to be finally with you. I'm also very glad to see your strong appetite for my breast milk at the nursery of Capitol Medical Center yesterday that you latched strongly despite the bottle feeding you temporarily received from the nursery. I can't wait to visit you again today. I was able to pump 2 ounces of breast milk this morning and I'll bring it to you this afternoon.

In this post, I would like to share with you the toughest and yet the best part of my childbirth experience wherein your Papa and I finally welcomed you into the world. 

My natural childbirth experience, Part 2 of 3: Induced labor

Dear Baby P,

I just got home with your Mommy today after successfully breastfeeding you for the first time in the nursery of Capitol Medical Center. We're also very glad to know from your pediatrician, Dr. Belleza, that your WBC (white blood cells) count is finally normal. We'll all just have to wait for you to finish your seven-day intake of antibiotics before you could finally come home to us on Monday. It's only Thursday today and I can't wait to see you again tomorrow. And as your Papa and I wait for your homecoming, I'll continue writing my birth story. 

Mama and Papa, in between contractions during active labor

In this post, I would like to share with you the progress of my labor which happened before you finally came out into the world. 

My natural childbirth experience, Part 1 of 3: Pre-labor

Dear Baby P,

I am now at home with your Papa for the first time as I write to you three days after your birth. You are still in the nursery of Capitol Medical Center for the continuation of your antibiotics as your white blood cells count are under observation. Your Papa and I miss you so much and we feel incomplete at home. I keep myself busy by writing to you to help pass the time until we could finally take you home. 

Baby P at 39 weeks

I would like to share with you our birth story, wherein your Papa and I had a wonderful childbirth experience together. In this post, I have recalled the things that happened before I started being in labor.

A flashback on Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai in Manila (July 2011) – with my husband’s stage act!

I don’t really have a bucket list, but one of the many things I would like to experience is the thrill of witnessing live acts in the sophisticatedly mad world of performing arts. I am not at all a knowledgeable critic of the arts. I am just an average person who appreciates it and likes to be highly entertained. So when I learned that Cirque du Soleil was coming to Manila, I grabbed the chance to experience a world-class circus spectacle live. The touring production that came to Manila was “Varekai”.


Promotional ad by BDO

Travel flashback: Baragatan Festival in Puerto Princesa, Palawan (June 2011)

Right after our Coron trip that gave me my first ever breathtaking experience of Palawan, I promised myself to go back to this beautiful island province and explore its other parts. It turned out that my promise came to form unplanned when I was able to catch a PhP 88 promo fare by Cebu Pacific to all domestic destinations like Puerto Princesa! I initially booked myself, Pol and my mom with the promo fare and it was yet six months before the travel period. And when my brother came home from the US a month before our flight, we booked him with the regular fare.





Breech and transverse baby no more!

Dear Baby P,

You and I are halfway through our 39th week now and I had just been to our doctor last Saturday to have my first IE (internal exam). But before that, I had become an anxious momma because of my worries about your presentation during the earlier weeks of my third trimester.



Photo from SpinningBabies.com



Music scene flashback: Mr. Big in Manila (May 10, 2011)

I always knew that Mr. Big would come to Manila but I never expected that to be courtesy of Pulp! This meant the tickets would be much more affordable! As with my experience with Arch Enemy, their VIP tickets were only PhP 2,000. I couldn’t believe that Patron tickets for the Mr. Big concert were only PhP 3,500! It could have been PhP 5,000 or more had it been by other production companies like Splintr or Ovation. But despite the production and ticket price, I’d still go to this supergroup’s concert no matter what.


Promotional poster by Pulp Live World



Travel flashback: Legazpi City and Daraga, Albay (May 2011)

My trip to my beloved Pol’s home province Albay was very much last-minute. Pol had already booked a flight to Legazpi well in advance for himself to celebrate the Feast of San Vicente Ferrer in his barangay with his family. When his flight was coming near, his twin nieces suggested that I come with him. And since I had just gained freedom from my old job during that time, I had all the time in the world to have fun and it was a perfect time to visit because of the fiesta. I booked myself just a few days before the flight. It was my first time to ever visit his hometown, Legazpi City.



 

My second baby shower, care of my DKS colleagues

Dear Baby P,

A month after our first baby shower courtesy of Vivaca and your Papa, I am so blessed and thankful for having the most thoughtful colleagues from DKS who also threw me one! It was March 26 and I was 35 weeks pregnant.

Travel flashback: A glorious getaway in Bali (Indonesia, Part 2, March 2011)

This post is a continuation of our Indonesia tour. Click here for our Jakarta side trip (Day 0, Day1, & Day 2, Part 1)


Because Cebu Pacific only flies to Indonesia through Jakarta, we had to book domestic flights from Jakarta to Bali. We only spent one day of touring Jakarta and really wanted to stay in Bali for as many days as we could. I took the chance for us to stay in Indonesia for almost a week.