Let's Talk About Me Part 7
Since I am on a roll talking about myself and my weight issues, I am temtpted to do another Let's Talk About Me. But allow me to delve on stories of my children, and how they came into this world. Alongside that, you will note that my weight will figure in there somewhere. Whether it is lost or gained.
My pregnancy with Ana was a walk in the park. Literally, I walked. Not in the park, but all over San Fernando, because of work and errands. I felt like I could do anything, like I was on top of the world, perhaps pumped with so much excitement and anticipation of my daughter to arrive and join me in this world. I waited for two years to have her, the other line in the pregnancy test kit was so faint, I was not sure if she was really in my belly already. But indeed she was in there. I introduced her to music even while still in my belly, playing her classical songs through the speakers of a cheap audio player. I read a lot, books, magazines and lectures. I decided to go back to teaching while pregnant with her, in the hope that she would grasp the theories of economics I was discussing in my class (haha). We had luggage ready with baby bottles, diapers, baby blouses, mittens, socks, and my stuff. It was put by the door of this place we were renting so that when the anticipated days comes, all we needed was to pick that up and go.
I was directed by my physician to take a leave of absence a week before I was due in October because my bag of water started to leak. So aside from the day job in government, I had to prepare for my class and the semestral break, their final examinations. It had to be administered by a proctor then because I needed bedrest. So around midnight of October 7th, 1993, I woke to a slight pain in my belly, with Ana already started moving in stress. I got up, took a warm bath, got dressed, woke up the Dad, and we went off to the hospital.
They put me up in a room in the hospital, and started to supervise my labor. My physician was promptly told I was already confined. One of our family friends, Neville, was there together with the gang. The gang, with the Dad, of course needed to have a couple of beers, so they left me and Neville in the room. Neville was singing with a guitar on hand, in the hope that the labor pains would be assuaged by the singing. Nope. I wanted to hit Neville with whatever I could get my hands on to make him stop. The pain was bearable, but it was there. For 9 hours.
I was wheeled in the delivery room at ten minutes before 9am, I remember the time as I was looking at the clock the whole time counting the minutes. My doctor came in the room, all dolled up and looked like she was going to a party: purple dress with feather-like collar, dangling earrings and I could see her lipstick in red smudged carelessly across her lips. She was humming this weird tune. Even if I was half sedated by my favorite anesthaesiologist (ok, I don't know if I spelled that right), I recall these minute things. My doctor said hello then proceeded to position herself between my raised legs, I felt a blade cut somewhere, and we were good to go! I thought I would push hard anytime I wanted. So I did. My doctor said, nooooo, you wait for a contraction. I waited. Felt one coming and pushed. I could feel my legs starting to shake (I thought all my bones would shatter into pieces), but I pushed, held my breath, then pushed again. After about twenty minutes, at 940am, Ana was out!
It was not so bad, as the other mothers described it. In fact, Ana made me tingly, giddy, excited throughout my pregnancy that despite all the difficulties we were in at that time, I did not mind them at all. And she made it so eeaaasssy for me to give birth. Mabait na bata talaga, my Ana. She grew up to be a kind person, simply loving and, well, normal. Milestones on her childhood will be something interesting to read in the next blog, right?
My pregnancy with Ana was a walk in the park. Literally, I walked. Not in the park, but all over San Fernando, because of work and errands. I felt like I could do anything, like I was on top of the world, perhaps pumped with so much excitement and anticipation of my daughter to arrive and join me in this world. I waited for two years to have her, the other line in the pregnancy test kit was so faint, I was not sure if she was really in my belly already. But indeed she was in there. I introduced her to music even while still in my belly, playing her classical songs through the speakers of a cheap audio player. I read a lot, books, magazines and lectures. I decided to go back to teaching while pregnant with her, in the hope that she would grasp the theories of economics I was discussing in my class (haha). We had luggage ready with baby bottles, diapers, baby blouses, mittens, socks, and my stuff. It was put by the door of this place we were renting so that when the anticipated days comes, all we needed was to pick that up and go.
I was directed by my physician to take a leave of absence a week before I was due in October because my bag of water started to leak. So aside from the day job in government, I had to prepare for my class and the semestral break, their final examinations. It had to be administered by a proctor then because I needed bedrest. So around midnight of October 7th, 1993, I woke to a slight pain in my belly, with Ana already started moving in stress. I got up, took a warm bath, got dressed, woke up the Dad, and we went off to the hospital.
They put me up in a room in the hospital, and started to supervise my labor. My physician was promptly told I was already confined. One of our family friends, Neville, was there together with the gang. The gang, with the Dad, of course needed to have a couple of beers, so they left me and Neville in the room. Neville was singing with a guitar on hand, in the hope that the labor pains would be assuaged by the singing. Nope. I wanted to hit Neville with whatever I could get my hands on to make him stop. The pain was bearable, but it was there. For 9 hours.
I was wheeled in the delivery room at ten minutes before 9am, I remember the time as I was looking at the clock the whole time counting the minutes. My doctor came in the room, all dolled up and looked like she was going to a party: purple dress with feather-like collar, dangling earrings and I could see her lipstick in red smudged carelessly across her lips. She was humming this weird tune. Even if I was half sedated by my favorite anesthaesiologist (ok, I don't know if I spelled that right), I recall these minute things. My doctor said hello then proceeded to position herself between my raised legs, I felt a blade cut somewhere, and we were good to go! I thought I would push hard anytime I wanted. So I did. My doctor said, nooooo, you wait for a contraction. I waited. Felt one coming and pushed. I could feel my legs starting to shake (I thought all my bones would shatter into pieces), but I pushed, held my breath, then pushed again. After about twenty minutes, at 940am, Ana was out!
It was not so bad, as the other mothers described it. In fact, Ana made me tingly, giddy, excited throughout my pregnancy that despite all the difficulties we were in at that time, I did not mind them at all. And she made it so eeaaasssy for me to give birth. Mabait na bata talaga, my Ana. She grew up to be a kind person, simply loving and, well, normal. Milestones on her childhood will be something interesting to read in the next blog, right?
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