A Blessed Birthing in 2020

 July 31, 2020

At 12 midnight, I felt cramps and had to go to the bathroom. I suddenly felt that this time, the contractions were different. I thought " This is it!"

I can't sleep and was feeling my body. At 2 am, contractions were getting more frequent. I told my husband that I think I'm about to give birth. We messaged our midwife and she instructed us to record the intervals and duration of each contractions.

I started recording my contractions from 2:30 am - 3:30 am. The duration and intervals were consistent, 40 seconds to 1 minute duration with 5 mins. interval.

We sent the record to the midwife and she told us that we can go to the clinic during active labor.

I slept for a while from 4 am to 5:30 am. At 6:30 am, we already packed everything and went to Marikina Lying in Clinic. We arrived at 8:00 am and prepared all the things needed while waiting.

The midwife checked my cervix at around 10 am. This time it was dilated 2 - 3 cm. After an hour, it progressed to 5 cm. At 12 noon, 8cm and at 1 pm fully dilated to 10cm. 

During active labor, I remember that I played a soft OM sound to energetically cleanse the room, I asked for my Pranic Healer friends to do distant healing on me as I give birth, the midwives prepared soothing essential oils for relaxation and I even received a very therapeutic massage from midwife Ms. Aileen Vinoya. 

I finally dipped in the pool, midwives continued to give me some massage, and gave me some fruits for energy. It was so relaxing that my contractions stopped progressing.

I heard the midwife said that I will give birth at around 2 - 4 pm. Once in a while, they checked my baby's heartbeat.

Past 4 pm, they told me to move out of the pool so the contractions will progress. So it did, I went out and it was really challenging. We tried different positions so that the baby can descend. One midwife said , try to squat down, and as I squat down, I felt the urge of bearing down. I also positioned myself in all fours/ table top position on top of the bed. Then they said that the baby is coming, the head is now crowning. We immediately transferred to the birthing pool, I positioned again, down on my knees. I felt the urge to push. As far as I can remember, I pushed and felt the head coming out, another push for the shoulders and body, finally releasing him all out. The midwife said, his cord was coiled around his neck so his elbows were bent with hand closed to his neck, making it hard for him to descend. He also vomited all the poop he consumed due to meconium staining. Immediately they put Zach on top of my chest for skin to skin moment.

We were supposed to video document everything, but we just forgot about it. haha

at 5:10 pm, baby Zach was born!

Thank you to Marikina Lying - in Clinic Team

My very healthy baby with placenta.

                           Smoothie with a bit of my fresh placenta ( so wild haha but empowering)

                        For placenta encapsulation and birthing workshop please contact Doula Irina

    Ms. Aileen cooked all vegan meal for recovery.

Lessons learned:

Looking back during my first birthing, I realized I really had to go through it all. Experiencing all the pain during labor and enduring it without any assistance and medications. I really would like to feel it and experiment on my own. It was truly a gift because everything was normal in terms of my physical condition. Now with this second baby, again I thought I had prepared everything already, from physical, emotional, mental and spiritual preparations, I think I did it well. But there are many factors to consider during this time as we need to change the plan from hospital birthing to a lying - in clinic. 

This time, I learned another lesson on honesty. Being honest to myself that I really need to learn more about a Woman's body specially in birthing. I realized that I should've studied a more gentle and proper way of moving a Mother's body, since I used to move in a very dynamic way. I realized I need to slow down in terms of really feeling every surge of contractions, and feel it more deeply within me. I thought I know all the concepts already but there are many things I've learned with this blissful (yet still painful but tolerable for me) moment. Our bodies are truly amazing, all we need to do is to prepare, to be fully present, and also awareness that as Mothers, we co - create this miracles with God. And as we fully surrender that we already did our part, at this moment of birthing, let's fully trust and surrender that our bundle of joy - our babies, are given to us by God.

And lastly, we are super blessed and lucky to have Ms. Aileen Vinoya as our midwife, imagine amidst the lockdown, we felt at peace, comfortable and at home in their lying - in clinic. We are also blessed to have 2 more midwives present in that moment, Ms. Norma and Ms. Alaina. We would like to also give thanks to the Pranic Healing Team, who also helped me all through out my pregnancy until postpartum months. We are truly blessed. 

May God's blessings be with all Mothers. 

Check this safe space for Mothers and babies Marikina Maternity Clinic & Lying in

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