Inspiring Quotes from Maria

Mummy Maria had a successful VBAC in July this year.

Be inspired by some words from her VBAC experience:

"I have to deliver my baby in the most natural way possible – because that’s what I was made for."

"IT WAS THE MOST WONDERFUL FEELING EVER. I am finally a mom who experienced it all."

"It was 22 hours of excruciating pain, AND I WILL DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN."

Maria Luzviminda Barcega's Birth Story

5 July 2016
11:54pm
VBAC
Baby weighs 3.3kg
Exactly 40 weeks

I didn’t experience labour pain during my first pregnancy, so this VBAC is literally my first pregnancy. In my first pregnancy – I was so afraid of the pain that I already asked for epidural during my 2cm dilation. I progressed till 6cm and after 14 hours of labour (lying down, half body numb waiting for the next thing that could happen) the doctor decided I am progressing slow and should undergo emergency caesarean operation.
We wanted to wait some more, but when the doctor told us we are risking the baby then we opt for CS. I tell you what, my body didn’t agree to it and once they laid me down on the operating table they said I was hysterical so they had to put me to sleep, and the rest as they say is history. I have given birth to my very pretty, sweetest angel – Ysobel.

Am I a good candidate for VBAC? This was my first question, my doctor said yes but to tell you honestly even the doctors cannot answer straight as nobody can really tell, well there are some medical items that you have to pass for example your stitch wound from your last CS operation should be more than 2mm (which you can only find out on your 38th week), your baby is not too big (but my baby is big and I still decided to do it), of course you don’t have pregnancy complications that really requires CS such as high blood. Or the position of the baby is not right. But in my opinion (this is me saying it without medical background ok) it is only you who can decide if you want to do it and if you will stand by your decision and do everything for it to be successful.

How did I prepare? Besides physical preparations such as walking (lots of it), and pre-natal exercises. I prepared mentally and emotionally, I prayed a lot! Pain is only in the mind they say – I have a very low pain tolerance and that’s what I prepared for conditioning myself to think that pain is a matter of thought. Besides, I read somewhere that that’s what epidural does – sending something to your brain to disable the thought of pain. And no matter what, I have to deliver my baby in the most natural way possible – because that’s what I was made for. Bear a child and bring it to the world. So whether I like it or not, painful or not – I have to do it. No choice. So I better do it right!

My birth story. My due date was 5th of July and up to the night of July 4 I am not feeling anything, not much discharge (I was looking for the mucus plug) and no pain at all. I was a little worried cause I don’t want to be induced (remember I am hoping for the most natural birth possible). So around 12:30 of July 5 – I woke up with a sharp pain in my back, the pain that will wake you up but still tolerable. It come and goes, so I said maybe its contractions and I have to monitor the timing. I didn’t wake my Gerald up just yet because like me he would need the energy in case I am in active labour already.  The interval is within 4-5 minutes already by 3am and the pain is getting worse. But as what we have agreed (me and hubby) we will labour as much as we can at home! No medical interventions, no nurses to ask you if you want gas or epidural to help you in your pain. Plainly at home, if I feel like the head is coming out then that’s the only time we will go. But the pain is terrible and by 7am I can feel that urge to poop which they say is the sign that she will soon come out. So I took a bath (took my time) because the hot water helps lessen the pain, and asked my hubby to bring me to the hospital.

Around 8:30am – we are already there after 10 minutes or so the doctor arrived. Dr. Paul Tseng of TMC not to mention a very handsome guy and such a gentleman, asked me to rate the pain and I cannot because I don’t have a comparison since I didn’t felt the pain in my first pregnancy, so just to answer him I said 6 (because 5 for me is tolerable and 6 is pass that point). And the nurse said, according to the monitor I am already 10/10 in pain. So my doctor had to check (VE) and I was surprised when he said I am already 6cm!!! And so me and the hubby exchanged look and in our minds “this will be fast!” (and so we thought)

Delivery room: Pain, pain and pain. I danced, I sang, I hugged the giant yoga ball. I prayed. I danced, danced and danced and danced (as it is the most effective pain reliever for me) but dear Lord it is so painful. And my hubby cannot stop laughing of me dancing wearing a hospital gown (as he said he can see my butt) and I don’t care!! I just want the pain to go away and proceed pushing. And it was like that till I reached 8cm.

8cm – at 11am. I told my Gerald I wanted to give up and take epidural already, and then he said no! We can do it, so he said all the pep-talks he could for me to realized that we have come so far. But my progress is so slow and all because my water bag is still intact and I don’t want the doctor to burst it (remember most natural way). So we waited, and bear the pain.

Until 2pm, 3pm, 4pm I am still 8cm! 430pm we decided to ask the doctor to burst it and I progress to 9cm. Then at 730pm, I am still 9cm, so the doctor said I might need to take epidural to relax the cervix so it could finally open up to 10 and I can push! My God after hours of pain you want me to take epidural when I am already 9cm! But who would say No! So we did. And at around 9pm, finally I am 10cm dilated. I slept, oh yeah! Finally.

They woke me up to ask me to tell them if I am already feeling the urge to push, and I can’t feel anything, so they said they already lessen the epidural and I should feel it already. So I said to myself I wanted to feel the “pushing” and asked them to turn down the epidural off. And its painful, but what the heck this is it! I am pushing. The nurse gave me an impromptu push lessons and it was good. 2 pushes – ah she’s not going out. 3rd push – she called the doctor. On the 4th to 5th push – Doctor looking at my Gerald - Gerald gesturing in my open legs – “do you want to see the head?” Confused and hesitant my Gerald did and I saw a very funny “what’s that” face from him when he saw the head. He said seeing the hair felt gross, hahahaha! 6th push – yey!!! She was out!!!

Gerald cut the cord – and he looked like he was about to faint. Thank God he didn’t. He deserved to do it for all the pain, scratches and quick punch he got from me. He is my best support ever! I cannot do it without him.

They put Laura in my chest, and directly latch. IT WAS THE MOST WONDERFUL FEELING EVER. I am finally a mom who experienced it all.

It was 22 hours of excruciating pain, AND I WILL DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.