Today, my in-laws came and brought us a box to try out which allows us to have access to the internet. I don't know how long that'll last since we're testing it to see if we like the service. I'm grabbing this opportunity to update you and to post a few pictures.
Anyway, here's the stats:
Joanna Grace Guerra was born September 29th, 2010 at 6:41 a.m., weighing 6 pounds and 9 ounces, and was 20 inches long!
THE STORY BEHIND GIVING BIRTH:
On September 28th in the morning, I went over to my old home to finish packing what I didn't finished and felt a slight pain on my pelvis. I didn't think much about it but found that it was hard for me to even walk at times and other times I was fine. That same day, I attended my last birthing class which didn't end until 9ish. As we headed home, it wasn't until an hour later just when I was getting ready for bed, I felt a fluid leak. I thought it was odd because I'd leaked for no reason. I put a pad on just incase it happened again, and yes it did! That was when I sat down on my bed to lay down. And whoosh! A gush of fluid instantly occurred. I'm guessing did my water just broke?? I told Matt this was strange and that we need to call the doctor's office just to find out what that was. I rather be on the "safe" side, you know? Sure enough after Matt called and explained what happened the nurse on the phone told me to immediately go to the hospital. No, I wasn't in pain or anything but we went to the hospital anyway. Matt was worried but I assured him I was fine since I didn't felt any pain. I wasn't even sure if my water broke and told him I'd be embarrassed if it wasn't. We've arrived at the hospital and headed to the Emergency room, I had to tell them why I was there and waited for my information to go through before being wheeled to the Labor & Delivery area. Who would have thought that I had to sit down on the wheel-chaired?? I'd admit, it was fun having a free ride to the 3rd floor.
As I was wheeled to my room, I was told to take off all my clothes and just wear the hospital robe. No, seriously?? Just a robe. Aww, geez... ugh. I sure was uncomfortable but I had no choice. Then a nurse came and started asking me lots of questions. She even asked how I was feeling on a scale of 1-10 (based on my contractions). At that moment, I said maybe a 1 or 2 since I wasn't feeling pain. This was around midnight. The nurse put monitors on my abdomen: one for contraction and the other for the baby's heartbeat. I didn't felt my contractions (strong ones) until about an hour and a half later. I didn't even know I had them already once I'd arrived at the hospital. I was already 4-5 cm dilated and had contractions every three minutes (upon arrival). The nurse check on me every now and then and asked me the same questions about how I was feeling. I told her that I am finally starting to feel my contractions and I was rating it around 5-6. It wasn't long until it got progressively worse within the next hour. I was asked if I wanted epidural. I told you before that I was going to do it naturally. So with that in mind, I told the nurse "no".
It has gotten worse and worse. Oh how I wish I had epidural at that moment! I was thinking... okay you can do this. But honestly, I was hurting and in pain! A few times, I had to go to the restroom and the nurse let me. Once, twice.... but then I'd lost count. The next time, I had to go really bad. I told her and the nurse let me but as I got off bed... and in such pain, I'd noticed I had some blood. I was dripping blood and fluid on the floor all the way to the restroom. Ohhh... what pain!! Yep, it was on the bed too and I was embarrassed!!! My wonderful husband was with me the whole time. He even followed me because I needed help since I had the machine attached to me (for fluid and penicillin). As I reached the toilet seat, I sat down and all of a sudden I had this urge to use #2! I told the nurse that I had to use #2 instead and she'd freaked out and said, "Ohhhh noooo no no no!!", and immediately rushed in the restroom to pull me out. I seriously had to go!!
Ohhhh... how I was moaning and already "pushing" (I thought I had to poop but found out later that I was already 10 cm dilated) as I was in the toilet... yep, the nurse grabbed my right arm and pulled me off the toilet seat while Matt pulled me to my left. I was fighting them and wanting to sit back down to use the restroom. *sighs* Because the nurse didn't want me to have my baby there, I was dragged back to the bed. I thought I was going to poop when I sat back down on the bed. The pain was unbearable. She told me to lay down, so I did (in pain). I found out all the doctors were busy delivering other babies. There were 12 babies being born around the same time I was in labor. Because I didn't have a doctor around the time I was "pushing", the nurse got scared and closed my legs (I don't know why she thinks that will help) and told me to hold it. No, come on.. hold it??? I moaned and said loud and clear, "I can't help it!" and started pushing. She can't tell me to hold it. How could I?? I couldn't!! Doctor or not, that baby is ready to come out!
Finally, I had a doctor that stayed with me. I'd pushed for 20 minutes and out came baby Joanna! To some people, the baby are beautiful at birth but not always. With my experience, my baby wasn't a pretty sight when she came out. She was bloody and had pointed head and a flat nose!! I'm glad I was educated about the cone-looking head but no one even warned me about the baby's nose being squashed!! I was like.. what happened?!! Why is she ugly!? *frowns* So yes, the doctor did cut me and even stitched me. We'd stayed at the hospital for 2 or 3 days then went home. Everything went well, I was in labor for only 5 or 6 hours and gave birth naturally. I can not believe I did it naturally. I wanted to have 5 more children but I changed my mind. Anyway, I stayed home for 2 weeks and people have been asking me to post pictures and all. As you know, I was at home trying to "heal". It's been almost 3 weeks now and we're all doing good. Joanna's head is finally shaping up nicely and her nose isn't flat anymore. Yeah! And not only that, I've noticed when Joanna smiles, it's beautiful!!
If you asked me how I am doing. I'll tell you now...I am doing much better. These past few weeks, I have been breast-feeding and caring for Joanna. I'd admit, it has been a challenge. Everything was new to me and breast-feeding hurts! Although when it's done right, it's not bad. All Joanna does is eat, sleep, poop, and pee. Easy for her, work for me. I still wake up every 2-3 hours. The first few days and week was rough because I was tired and irritable from struggling with everything that all I wanted to do was get some sleep. That all changed now that I have a somewhat routine established. One good tip I've learned: sleep when the baby sleep.
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