January 19, 2010 at around 19:14 PM (PH time) when I gave birth to my first born.

Since it was my first, I never expected that the labor pain is the pain that no one would ever wanted. It feels like my bones are all breaking at the same time. It is the worst pain I have ever experienced - since birth.

I am actually more than a week overdue the time I felt the contractions. If I may recall it correctly, I am 10 days overdue by that day already. My OB Gynecologist prescribed me "Buscopan". As per my memory, she said buscopan will help soften my cervix and prepare it for the delivery.

It was around 02:00 AM in the morning when I started to feel the excruciating pain I never felt in my entire life. I told my husband that I might give birth already. We rushed immediately to the nearby hospital. Luckily, the hospital is only walking distance from our house. I asked my husband to bring me to the hospital when the contraction frequency or rate becomes one in every 5 minutes already.

While in the Emergency Room

As soon as we arrived at the Emergency, one of the nurses approached and assisted us to one of the hospital bed. He asked me if I do have a record at the hospital and who is my OB Gynecologist. They immediately contacted my OB Gynecologist for confirmation of my record and for further instruction.

The nurse continued quizzing me and asked me few more questions about sickness history while I am at the emergency room. Whenever he noticed that there's contraction, he told me

"okay Mam, answer that later after the contraction" .

After few minutes, the resident doctor came by. She wore gloves and immediately checked my cervix opening and told me that it's just 1 cm. She said, we have to wait till it reaches 10cm. I asked them if I can go home and just come back when I think it's about time to give birth but they didn't allowed me to.

I was then admitted to the labor room and there, I am the only patient. I have a resident doctor sitting beside me, monitoring my baby's heartbeat and my vital signs from time to time.

While in the Labor Room

I could barely cope with the pain I felt while I am in the labor room. I cry out loud whenever I felt the cramps. I know that they are annoyed by my loud agonizing but I don't care. I don't know what to do every time there is contractions. I cannot move cause if I did, the monitoring equipment attached to my tummy (to monitor my baby's heart beat) might displace.

I can still clearly recall one of the resident doctor asked me

"was your pain tolerance too low?"

I didn't answered that question but back in my mind, I am talking to myself like

"can't you see how much I am in pain right now?

"can't you see how much I agonized due to the pain?"

I am not allowed to eat or drink anything while I am in the labor room . I believe it is due to the risk of aspiration which happens when food or any liquid inhaled thru lungs.

More than 10 hours has passed already but my cervix opening was still stuck at 1 cm.

It's already 3:00 PM when my OB Gynecologist came. She checked right away the heart beat pattern of my baby.

I think she saw how tired and exhausted I am hence she asked me if I wanted to have a painless labor.

Of course at that moment, that's the most beautiful word I heard. I noded immediately.

She then instructed the assistant doctor to call for anesthesiologist. After few minutes, the anesthesiologist came. He asked me to sit still and arched my back while he is administering the anesthesia. Few minutes after that procedure, I can still feel the contractions but it is not that painful as before. It's more manageable this time.

While monitoring my baby's vital signs, she noticed that my baby's heartbeat is getting weaker and weaker. That was around 18:00 in the evening already. She then stood up, walk through the door and approached my husband who is patiently waiting outside of the labor room. She asked my husband to sign a waiver to conduct a CS section to me. To cut the story short, my husband signed the waiver.

But when they are about to bring me to the operating room, my water bag suddenly broke. That was nearly 19:00 in the evening already. The plan has immediately changed cause when the doctor measured my cervix opening, it's at 6cm already and minute by minute it's going wide till it reaches 10cm. Instead of bringing me to the operating room, I was brought to the delivery room instead.

Delivery time!.

I was so exhausted and tired during the time of delivery. I really feel so weak and so cold at the same time. I can barely push in each contractions hence the other doctor already helped me by adding some pressure on my tummy with her arm. By God's grace, I am able to deliver my son successfully thru vaginal birth at exactly 19:14 on January 19. 2010.

I felt relieved when I heard him cry. After few minutes, one of the doctors told me

"papatulugin na muna kita ha" ("I will put you to sleep temporarily")

And just after few seconds, I fell asleep.

In the Recovery Room : The Unforgettable Dream

After few hours, I woke up at the recovery room from a weird dream.

I have dreamt about my Grandmother and Grandfather who are both dead already by that time.

I was in their house, wearing school uniform having conversation with both of them. Though I cannot recall already what's our conversation by that time but I look so happy while talking to both of them.

And then all of the sudden my grandmother told me:

"Uwi kana Khing, baka hinahanap kana ng nanay mo (go home now Khing as your mother might already looking for you).

I woke up right after I said the word (in my dream) "sige po la, lo uwi na po ako (grandma, grandpa,I'll go home now)".

I told my husband and my mother about that weird dream as soon as I was discharged from the hospital. But they just looked at me, both speechless.

Until now, I don't know what that dream means but I think they just wanted me to know that they are always there, watching me and my family.

This is my entry to @JonicaBradley this week's writing prompt #16: Dreams.

If you would like to join in, the rules are simple.

1. Write anything on Dreams

2. Write 100% original content

3. Write at least 600 words to please Rusty

4. Join and submit your stories to PromptlyJonica

5. Tag @JonicaBradley

6. Have fun!

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Many thanks for your time!.