Eto na siya...

She's Here Guys!

We are proud parents of a new baby girl

Raine Bella Ralston

May 26, 2010

5:45 am

7.14lbs and 20 inches long

Everything happened so quick.
I started feeling the labor pains around 4 in the morning. I got up in bed having that intense pressure on my back, then I felt a lil gush of liquid, at first I thought it was just more of my mucus plugs because there's a lot of the mucusy stuff that came out with a lil amount of liquid. But then when the pressure didn't go away, I decided that I should really time how many minutes apart the contractions are.

I sat in my exercise ball. And tried to relax and focus, but trust me it was hard. I was like waiting for the contraction to come, my brain is sending signals to my body that I should really try to ignore.

Pain. Pain. Pain. That's a lot of ouch ouch ouch!

I asked Jason to start getting the towels and baby's receiving blankets and hat ready in the oven. Yup, we were asked that it should be warmed up for the baby. I asked him also call the midwife and let her know what's going on.

So when I got up to go to the bathroom there was more fluid that came out, I asked Jason to get the yellow strip that our midwife gave us, and the strip changed its color to purple which means that my membranes ruptured. Yup, my water broke.

Contractions were getting more intense and really painful. I was trying so hard to focus and be strong.

"I am gonna have this baby natural, I can do it!"

Brushed my teeth, put my hair up, and put my robe on! More pain... Gosh!

My midwife got in the house as soon as 20min. She asked me how I'm doing and if I timed the contractions, I told her that everything is happening so quick, now I'm getting it every 4min.

She asked me if I want to get in the water already? And of course I said yes.

The pain was so intense. Happy place? Oooh where's my happy place? I should go there and try to ignore this physical torture...

Ya know what came into my mind?

I pictured my mom in my head. That put a smile on my face and eased my worries a lil bit.

Jason got in the water with me, he was putting pressure on my back and on my knees every time contractions starts. My other midwife came shortly to assist us. When I was in the transition part of the contractions, which means I was probably 7-8cm dilated then, I could feel my whole body trembling already and was getting scared that I will not be able to focus through the next only God-Knows how long...

I felt bad coz I wasn't very nice to Jason during the contractions, he would try and kiss me just to let me know that I am doing a great job. He was so supportive, but I wasn't very loving in return! Heller? I'm having a baby?! I'm dying here! Lol!

My midwife kept asking me to change position.

Sometimes I'm on my knee, or on my back. Then she would ask me to rock back and forth.

By the time the baby's ready to come out, all I could here is myself saying

"I can't do this anymore!"

Then the 3 of them are there, with their sympathetic faces and assuring me that I was doing a great job!

The last 20minutes of the labor was the most intense.

That was the time when I felt like I couldn't do it anymore,

I cannot take take another torture. My body was just shaking...

And I felt like anytime I'm gonna lose it and faint.

My midwifes were great, Suzanne and Sarah were very helpful. My husband was the best.

When the "Ring of Fire" started. (It means that the baby's head was crowning)

I could literally feel like my private was being ripped apart, all I could here is their voices saying

"Lhey, your baby's almost here..."

Right at that moment when I felt baby Raine's head I stopped whining and crying already. it was the moment of truth, I stopped pushing and just fully let go of what my body's supposed to do to deliver the baby out. I could also feel that she is pushing herself out...

It was the longest 10 minutes since her head first crowned.

I felt the most intense pain, and most fulfilling feeling after she was born.

I was so overwhelmed when I fist held her,

her umbilical cord was still attached and they didn't wanna cut while its still beating.

They want her transition to be as smooth as possible. For her breathing and all that.

She was the most beautiful thing in the world at that moment, she didn't looked like a newborn to me,

she didn't look swollen and pale, not at all!

Me and Jason were crying like babies.

The whole experience was so special.

It is very memorable.

I will go through the same pain again, if in the end, the reward would be as beautiful as my little angel.

Natural birth is not easy...
But I am glad I went through the whole experience.
I salute all the mother's out there who gave birth naturally without any epidural.
My deepest appreciation to my friends, sisters, and my Mother. We are Superwoman indeed!