My baby girl Anabela was exactly three weeks yesterday. These three weeks today seem like they just flew by but during our six day hospital stay I felt like every minute lasted forever and I just wanted to take my baby and go home.
MORNING LIKE ANY OTHER
It all started on the morning of February 16th. I started my morning like any other with an early shower, my morning coffee and drafting new blog post with quick salad recipes (I haven't yet published) and walking Papi.
The plan for the day after I finish work around five o'clock was to pick up balloons and cake for my boyfriend's birthday and finish wrapping his presents. We decided to celebrate in the evening of February 16th, day before his actual birthday as he was traveling to important tournament early in the morning.
NO DRAMA MAMA
While I was walking Papi I felt light cramping bellow my already quite large belly. It felt like period cramps so as I was stepping into my apartment I called my doctor to tell her I feel light cramps, nothing very painful (at the time I was 36 weeks and 5 days).
Doctor said it could be anything at this point, fake contractions or real ones as I am approaching my delivery date so I should just come over to her office (as I live 10 minutes from her office) so she can take a quick look.
I took a cab to doctor's office, she took a look and said "Your water broke, you are dilated, nurse will take you downstairs to delivery room, you will have your baby today." As she was preparing some paperwork quickly I walked around her office as I felt cramps/contractions becoming stronger but not super painful and we concluded that my water broke when I was in the shower so I haven't noticed anything.
I texted my boyfriend that I have a very special gift for his birthday so he should pick up my bags from home after practice and meet me at delivery room 'pronto'. I got a lot of comments after publishing video post on what to pack in baby hospital bag saying how I over-prepared/over-packed for the hospital and how I was ready to early.... and there you go! I had a premature baby!
So better be safe then sorry ladies, once you enter your second trimester, get those bags ready! You don't want to call your boyfriend/husband from the hospital while having contractions and try to explain him what to pack and where to find it in your home or worse in the store.
EPIDURAL RULES
A nurse brought me to the prep-room before delivery room, introduced me to the team who will introduce the mobile epidural (it didn't hurt a bit and I am usually afraid of needles), talked me through the details and helped me complete some paperwork. My team of doctors came to say hi and walked me through the details of what will happen in delivery room. They said I will give birth within an hour and brought me my phone so I can notify my boyfriend to hurry up.
I was given epidural and I stopped feeling contractions, I still felt my legs and everything but I was really relaxed. I mean REALLY relaxed. I was a bit anxious, but not scared.
QUICK DELIVERY & RECOVERY
My boyfriend Ante arrived just on time to check me into the room, leave my stuff there and be back down on time to go with me to delivery room. He stood behind my head during delivery and held my head and my hand. I am so so happy he was there because he gave me strength to push through during those few minutes when it really mattered and when I felt stronger pain.
Overall my delivery was very short, between 15-30 minutes, all together with a taxi ride, doctor's check up and a prep I was done in 3 hours. I had no tearing and no stitches (luckily). Doctor said he contributes my quick and not so painful delivery to a few factors: strong core muscles (from being an athlete), premature thus a bit smaller baby and good prep during pregnancy.
My preparation during pregnancy which included: taking vitamins, trying to eat healthy, exercising and sleeping well, doing my Kegel exercises and perineal massage during last trimester, practicing breathing and writing a delivery plan (if you would like to see mine you can email me) and communicating my delivery wishes to my doctors.
FIRST LOOK AT ANABELA
The first seconds after I delivered Anabela and she started screaming I felt a huge relief, relief that the pain and pushing was over (as you know I wasn't to bubbly pregnant women) and relief that she was live and well! Immediately after they placed Anabela on my chest Ante and I counted her fingers and toes. We looked at each other, then looked at her. It was strange, new, thrilling... love at first sight! She was/is perfect! We were just trying to realize that all this is real, we have became parents. All of a sudden we are a family of four (Papi is our first furry baby).
Due to some respiratory problems and out of precaution as she was a bit premature doctors kept Anabela in incubator for the first three days and then three more days under the lamp for jaundice, both of which is common for premature babies. I stayed in my hospital room and went to breastfeed her every three hours and then we finally took her home after six days.
I would like to write a 'disclaimer' saying that I was fortunate to be able to deliver my baby in a private hospital in Barcelona -Teknon with very kind and professional team of doctors and so I really have no traumas but only positive memories of my delivery and hospital stay.
Thanks to my supportive boyfriend and great care I really feel extremely fortunate and I always say I really had a 'royal treatment' for which I am extremely grateful as I know this is not a standard everywhere and for every mum and it definitely should be!
XoXo
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