Our Second Water Birth Story

I feel so bad this took years to post. My baby is turning three already. I’ve taken a long hiatus from blogging but I’m hoping somebody is still out there to read my stuff.

Anyway, for our third child, we decided to have water birth again. If you’ve been following my blog, you might’ve read about our previous water birth here. This time around, we had our birth at Mother and Child’s Cradle of Health clinic with Doc Bev Ferrer. (Tip: You might want to follow her if you’re an expecting mom cause she has a lot of informative posts!)

This birth was totally different than my first two. My labor was different and I can say that I had a harder time in this birth than my previous two. I felt my contractions starting to get more consistent on November 3 which had the 1-minute long and 5 minutes apart pattern. Based on my birth history, I thought this birth will be fast too. I was wrong. When we went to the clinic in the afternoon, I was only 2cm and my contractions became erratic again but we decided to stay because I thought it won’t be long.

November 4 came and the progress of my labor was slow. I was only at 4 cm by morning and I was beginning to feel impatient and tired already. I tried walking in the morning with my husband and rested again by midday. My OB visited me and instructed me to do certain movements because my baby’s head wasn’t in the right position yet. I tried some side lunges to nudge my baby’s head into position. By afternoon I was 5 or 6cm already and the contractions were getting stronger but I was surprised it was still becoming erratic.

By nighttime, I remembered I had some raspberry leaf tea, so I steeped two bags and drank it while I was doing some labor movements. For my labor to progress, my contractions had to become even stronger and more consistent so I asked my second child to breastfeed again. It worked! I instantly felt the intensity! By around 9pm I was on the ball and still doing movements while my kids were just around me playing. By 10pm, I felt the pushing sensation already. I was at 8cm and we had to get our kids ready for sleeping, so we helped them change clothes and brush their teeth.

By 11pm I think I said I really feel like the baby is coming out already so we all went to the birthing room where the tub was. I went in and the water was just so soothing. The pain level decreased and I was able to rest for a few minutes. My kids were there watching and playing with the water. I really wanted to give birth on November 4th because my two older kids were also born on the 4th. So it was something significant to us. I had a hard time breathing my baby out when I was in the reclined position. It was already past twelve and I was pushing for probably an hour already. I kept asking what time it was. (LOL don’t do this, you’ll only get pressured like me! haha) I was exhausted already.

My OB told me to try and change to an all-fours position, so I did. That position worked! I was able to bring out my baby in the all-fours position! Can you believe that?! So when my baby came out, he was placed on my back instead of my chest. Our unang yakap position was on my back! After a few minutes, I went back to the reclined position and rested with our third baby, Noah. He was born on November 5th, 2019.

Water Birth Philippines

Water Birth Price

You might also be wondering “How much does water birth cost?” It really depends on where you will give birth.

It’s probably best to inquire directly through their pages.

The more affordable options are:

1. Shiphrah Birthing Home
2. Shalom Christian Lying-In and Maternity Clinic.

Mid-range options are:

1. Marikina Maternity Clinic & Lying In

2. Camillus Doctors Medical Lab and Lying- in, Inc.

3. Mother and Child’s Cradle of Health

And as you’d expect, the ones on the higher range are in the hospitals:

1. Clinica Antipolo
2. Cornel Medical Center
3. St. Luke’s Medical Center BGC

Do you have any more questions about birth? You can send me a message or comment below! I’m a doula-in-training with Bebo Mia, by the way!

Visit my doula social media accounts Facebook and Instagram.

Our photos were shot by Ruby Vercide. See the full album here.

Lactation Cookie Giveaway!

I’m very lucky to have a supportive husband who greatly encourages me to breastfeed our babies. He made this cookie recipe to help me make more milk!

And since it’s breastfeeding month, I’d like to support all the breastfeeding mothers by having a lactation cookie giveaway!

Join the Mommy Moo giveaway  on my FB page and have a chance to win the yummiest chocolate chip lactation cookies! 3 pieces for each winner!

Mechanics:

1. Like the Mommy Moo FB page
2. Like the Mo’s Kitchen FB page
3. Comment reasons/benefits why you breastfeed your baby OR the worst problem you ever had with breastfeeding and how you overcame it.
4. Tag at least 3 breast friends!
5. Share the FB page giveaway post!

*Open to Metro Manila residents only

*3 winners will be picked via Random.org

* Contest runs for the whole month of August

* Prize will be shipped to winners via GrabExpress

Let’s spread the love for breastfeeding! Happy breastfeeding month!

Getting Ready for Gentle Birth

“We have a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong.” – Laura Stavoe Harm

Giving birth can be considered as one of the most unforgettable experiences in a woman’s life, a moment where a mother needs calmness, peace and where her needs and preferences will be heard and listened to.  Not only is this a time for the mother but also for the child being born. These are some reasons why having a gentle birth matters but how can one be ready for it?

Gentle birth does not necessarily mean unmedicated birth as what most people think. It refers to having your birth plan acknowledged by your birth team and allowing you to have the birth that you want.

I was lucky enough to have a gentle birth for our second pregnancy. Our first birth was okay, unforgettable too but a bit traumatizing. Something I surely did not want to experience again, which made me and my husband decide to have a gentle birth. How did we make ourselves ready? Read on to know.

Birth plan

Get your birth plan ready and be specific and detailed with what you want. This is crucial to achieving a gentle birth. Write down what you want for yourself, for your child, and have your doctor or midwife acknowledge it.

Health care provider

This is probably the most important decision you’ll make next to choosing a gentle birth. Choose your health care provider wisely, ask around for gentle birth advocate doctors, and ask for referrals from experienced moms.

It is important that your health care provider is someone you feel you have a connection with because they will be the one to support your birth plan. I had an unpleasant experience with my first OB. I wanted to have a natural birth but she discouraged me by saying that it’s something that she doesn’t do and that I won’t be able to do it. Being a first-time mom, I blindly trusted her and listened to her because I didn’t know better. I was too succumbed by fear so I didn’t have the courage and knowledge to switch to a gentle birth OB.

With our second, I gained the strength and confidence I needed and transferred to another doctor whom I loved and who cared very dearly for her patients, including me. She was very encouraging because she believed that I can achieve my dream birth.

Choose your birth team

Your birth team will be with you throughout your pregnancy and most importantly during your delivery. These people may consist of your OB, pediatrician, doula, and partner. It is important that they fully understand what you want to achieve in your birth and that they support you all the way.

Having a birth team can give you additional push to reach your goals and to educate you well about what you are about to experience.

Attend birth classes

Equip yourself with the knowledge about pregnancy, different stages of labor, labor techniques and exercises, etc. There are an increasing number of birth classes in Manila now but pioneering this informed birth advocacy is Birthing is a Blessing by couple mentor Doula Betty San Luis and her husband Manny. They regularly hold classes once a month called the Birth Basics Workshop which aims to empower partners to have a positive and gentle birth experience.

I also got Ms. Betty as my Doula and getting one is entirely up to you but I felt the need for it because I wanted a lot of encouragement and guidance especially in decision-making. I’m really happy with her because she is very caring and professional at the same time. She answers all my questions and reassures me when I doubt myself.

Visualize

Nothing beats getting yourself ready for battle. Watching videos of childbirth or whichever birth preference you want will surely make yourself more ready for what’s going to happen during the delivery day. Beyond the beauty of life in childbirth is pain and it is important to see how much other mothers go through during this event so that you will have a grasp of what to expect when your little one is about to come.

Exercise and stay active

One secret of having a fast and easy labor and birth is exercising and staying active during pregnancy. As long as you are not having complications and bleeding, this is very safe. There are numerous activities you can do safely during pregnancy like yoga, swimming and walking to name a few.

I used to just go to YouTube and search for pregnancy workouts or prenatal yoga exercises. I only go for around 20-30 minutes per day and they help loosen and widen hips to get ready for birth, especially nearing your due date.

Relax and let go

Staying positive is very important during pregnancy because your emotions may affect your unborn baby. I was lucky to attend the first Blessingway session by doula Irina Otmakhova and doula Betty San Luis and to experience it firsthand. There, pregnant mothers like me gathered and celebrated pregnancy, let go of the stresses in life, released anxieties and worries, visualized positive life events and just let everything go. This is very helpful for expectant mothers because carrying heavy emotional baggage can also affect how fast your labor progresses, so it is best to release this before giving birth.

Giving birth is truly amazing and women are very strong to endure such pain. Getting ready, equipping with the right knowledge, and having the best support group is the best way to be ready for this life-changing experience.

Water Birth

It has been exactly a month since our breathtaking and unforgettable water birth experience and I can say that it really expresses and epitomizes what motherhood is. It is pain, suffering, endurance, and life. It is truly amazing what our bodies can do and to be more specific, what our bodies as women can do. So I want to share and narrate our water birth story as a present to you mothers, whether expecting or not because we all need that empowerment to lift our mommy spirits up.

June 3 started like any other day. The only thing different was we were finally going to lay our dad to rest 2 years after passing away. I had the usual contractions that day and since June 7 was my expected date of delivery, I thought that I still had a few days left to wait and that my contractions that day could still be Braxton Hicks.

After that we had a small and short gathering with our relatives, then we headed to the mall and all the while I was monitoring my constant and seemingly getting stronger contractions. I even had a “last supper” of my favorites matcha latte and chococro. My family and I kept chatting that I might give birth the next day. I somewhat brushed it off and just said maybe or maybe not! Who knows right? So after eating, we went to the department store because my mom had to look for a dress. I was patiently waiting until I felt the seriousness of my contractions. It felt like the real thing and I knew it because it’s my second pregnancy already. I irritably told them “LET’S GO HOME SO I CAN MONITOR THE CONTRACTIONS AND IF IT CONTINUOUSLY GETS STRONGER LET’S GO TO THE HOSPITAL ALREADY!” I started feeling uneasy so we left and went home.

Once at home, I spent the time soothing myself with the labor exercises I learned from The Birth Basics Workshop of Doula Betty San Luis. The exercises greatly helped in easing the pain but the feeling was still there and it won’t go away no matter what my position or activity was so I decided that it was time to go to the hospital.

My husband was at work that time and we just agreed to meet at St. Luke’s BGC. On the way, I contacted my doula, photographer, and OB. I headed to the hospital’s maternity complex and had myself initially checked and monitored there. At that moment I knew my contractions were real labor already. I told myself “It’s time!” Doula Betty said that my contractions were mild to strong based on the monitor. After a few minutes of waiting, a resident doctor checked my dilation and effacement and to my (our) surprise, I was only 1cm dilated with a still very thick cervix. I said, “Not again!” I didn’t want to be sent home again. (This happened during my previous pregnancy too.) They advised me to go home and take some rest.

At 10 pm we went home very disappointed. It wasn’t time yet. But my contractions felt really painful. I complained and said it’s impossible. How can that be? I didn’t want to stress over it so I tried to relax, clear my mind, and slept at 11 pm. I woke up at 2 am to really painful contractions but I tried to put myself to sleep again. I couldn’t! I said, “This must be it because I couldn’t sleep anymore!” I kept myself busy by doing labor exercises because the contractions kept coming and increasing in pain. At 5 am I tried to sleep again. I rested on my left side and suddenly felt something pop! I seriously thought I put too much weight on baby with that position. When I stood up, it was my water bag! It trickled down my legs then I felt much more intense waves of contractions! I woke my husband up and told him that my water bag broke, we need to head to the hospital!

We just left the house and on the way, we suddenly heard a faint ding! It was our gas! Our gas was running low! Of all the times this could happen why now??? I was in the backseat on all fours and this! Okay, we were along the highway already then my husband blurts out “Do you have cash?” HAHA! WHAT! I couldn’t really laugh that time but what a series of unfortunate events! Good thing he found some in the car and in his wallet.

We reached the hospital at 6 am and headed to the maternity complex again and I was in a wheelchair. I couldn’t walk anymore, it was too painful! While being monitored, I felt waves and waves of pain. At that time I almost asked for an epidural. Instead, I thought positive and that each wave brought me closer to seeing my child. I breathed through it mostly but being monitored and restrained to lie down on the bed was even more painful. I asked the nurses if I could be transferred to the birthing suite already because I could feel the baby coming out!

My photographer was there first and she kind of assisted me with the pain and she even gave me tips on how to push because she also had a water birth for her child. (Thank you Cherry!) Then Doula Betty arrived. Things went faster then! They wheeled me to the birthing suite while I kept making faces on the wheelchair because of the anguish!

When we came to the birthing suite at around 7:50 am, they still had to ready the room and tidy it up a bit, plus they had to fill the tub with water! I swear I felt like I wasn’t going to make it to the tub! I initially went to the bed first and was on all fours to slow things down a little. But my contractions were too much already. My tummy was pushing my baby out. I couldn’t help it anymore. I asked Doula Betty if I could go inside the tub already. She said “They’re still filling it up. Just do your exercises for a few more minutes.” I hugged her cause I felt the bearing down feeling already. I felt weak. The baby was coming out real soon! When the tub was half-filled, Doula Betty told me that I could go in already.

When I went in, WOW, the warm water felt really relaxing, soothing, easing and whatever! I FELT WAY BETTER! I regained my energy and probably had some adrenaline rush. My husband joined me in the tub and I rested my back against him. I felt relaxed. It felt great to have someone in that experience with you. I held his hands. At first, I pushed with a lot of pressure and force but Doula Betty told me to breathe fast and small breaths through each contraction. It went fast. The baby was crowning already. I barely pushed but I felt the baby coming down! I wanted to smile cause feeling the contractions was a huge difference compared to birthing with an epidural. It was easier to push! I breathed and just breathed. I felt his head first then his body followed. At 8:38 am on June 4, the baby came out! What a relief.

It was a very fast and easy birth and something I didn’t really expect. Things may not have gone how I planned or expected it to but it happened perfectly. Timing was perfect. God works in such unique ways. He made me let go of my dad first before delivering this new life on earth. So welcome earthside Dylan, son of the wave.

Thank you to our wonderful and very supportive birth team for helping us achieve our dream birth.

Thank you, Doula Betty San Luis of Birthing is a Blessing Childbirth Mentoring and Doula Support Service for the support, guidance, love, and care. Too bad we weren’t able to use the birthing ball and peanut! 😂 My labor was too fast! And thanks to you I reached the birthing pool in time. Thank you for the very informative classes and labor exercises. Thank you for helping me equip myself in this birth and for helping me be very ready. What you have is a gift! Thanks to you, doula Irina and miss Yeyette for the Blessingway session and for the sound healing for removing my fears, stresses, and anxieties to get me ready for this birth.

Thank you to my husband who supported me in my decision to water birth despite deciding late and spontaneously. Thanks for being with me in the birthing classes, for massaging my achy back and feet, for laboring with me, and for being in that birth pool with me. I couldn’t have done it without you believing in me. Thanks for holding my hands to help me push our baby out!

Thank you Bearthside Photography – Manila Birth for the wonderful photos and for spending the time to document our birth story.

Thank you, Lord, for this reminder that life is beautiful.

Baby shower no. 1

Ahoy! It’s a Boy! was our theme for our first son’s baby shower in 2015. I love DIY-ing stuff so almost everything for the party was made by us because we didn’t want to spend so much for it.

I can’t remember why we chose the theme but it was probably because it was a fun theme and it was easy to find printables. Oh and I wanted seafood! We brainstormed and discussed what food we will serve.

My husband made the different sandwiches and we served it as appetizers to our guests.

Croque monsieur, Cucumber & greek yogurt, Tuna wrap

Good thing we had our own plates and chafing dishes for catering (thanks mom!) so we just rented tables and chairs.

Clams in white wine, Mussels with chorizo & salted egg, FIsh fingers with tartar sauce and Roast beef with roasted veggies

I searched the internet for free printables so we didn’t have to spend on banners. Although the one I printed was a bit small hehe. I also looked for a themed background and edited it in photoshop to become food labels, cake pop sails and cupcake flags.

A closer look at the food tag

There’s the small banner I downloaded and printed

For the desserts, I mostly used the cake trimmings I got from my previous cake orders and turned them into cake pops and s’mores cups. Minimal cost but still very tasty! I also just printed out the boat and used it as a cake topper.

Closer look at the desserts: Cake pops, Smores and Brownies