The Gift of Life

It all started last June 20, 2010 when I found out that I was indeed pregnant with our 2nd baby. We had our wedding May 6, 2010 though we had been together for almost 6 years.. but problem with the status of my husband had hindered us from getting married earlier, so we had to wait for everything to be legally settled before we can be married.

my father’s day gift to dad

It was Father’s Day, June 20 last year and we were in Marikina when I took the pregnancy test. I was delayed for 2 weeks & I haven’t told Boots abt it.. When it was positive I made the letter and wrapped it inside a paper together with the pregnancy kit.. I secretly asked my daughter PJ to give it to his Dad as my Father’s Day gift..  Boots kidded me that it was a “cheap” gift.. the wrap was just a creased paper.  When he finally opened it, he was wide eyed & asked me if I’m joking.. I told him I’m not.. I’m pregnant!!!! 

He laughed & hugged me & PJ. Pj knew abt it but I asked her to keep it a secret first ‘til we give the gift to his Dad. As happy as Boots is, he started texting family & friends.  He immediately asked close friends to be ninongs & ninangs.. haha! Talking abt being excited. We prayed & thanked God for this much awaited blessing. Pj is now 5 years old. Just the right time for her to have a sibling. Boot’s & I wanted a baby boy but PJ wanted a baby sister & will name her baby Heart..

After returning home to Capiz, I went for a prenatal checkup to my OB & then started taking vitamins & drinking milk.. I was 3 weeks then. Later, I transferred to an OB friend Ruphil (had been my classmate at UPV) who had just started her practice in Roxas. I was thankful I had her as my OB because I had been a constant patient.. I’ll drop by her clinic or anywhere she is if I feel i have to.. in a month I’d have at least 3-4 prenatals. hehe.. it’s the perk when your doc is a friend.. I took vitamins & supplements as early as 1st month of my pregnancy.

The fears started when I was 2 mos. I had spotting & was given meds. Ultrasound showed placenta previa. I had to be on bedrest for 2 weeks to avoid further spotting. Though I was assured that the placenta would still correct itself as I near term. But if it won’t correct, I need to have a C section when I give birth..Right then, I just need to rest to avoid miscarriage.  So, Pj had to transfer school from Roxas to Ivisan coz I could no longer drive her to school. I was not allowed to drive anymore.

Thank God that my 2^nd ultrasound @ 5 mos. showed that the placenta had indeed moved upward. It’s not placenta previa anymore & I’m having a baby BOY!!! Answered prayer.. after getting out of the ultrasound clinic I told PJ that she will be having a baby brother.. to my dismay PJ cried & it took me a lot of explaining before she finally said it’s ok if it’s a baby boy..hehe..

During my 2^nd trimester, I had spotting again due to fungal infection & I was given neopenotran and isoxuprine for a week. Every time I had spotting I was given tocolytic meds.. Despite the occasional spotting, whole time of my pregnancy baby Edrei had always been active inside my womb & showed excellent heartbeat.

Boots arrived November which was not supposed to be his vacation. He signed a 6mos contract but after learning that I’m having a difficult pregnancy he decided to cut short his contract. He even paid for his fare & that of his reliever since he was only on his 4th month.  I was nevertheless happy because he will be with us on Christmas. His office scheduled him to live after Christmas, before new year.

Preparing for Christmas had then been exciting with Boots around as it is not always that we get to be with him on special occasions.  We placed Christmas tree in our living room & lit Christmas lights.. To complete the season’s feel, we shopped for gifts at Iloilo on Dec 19.. it was a tiring day for we had to buy gifts for family & friends.  We slept in a hotel & it was early morning of Dec 20 that I woke up with wet undies.. I instantly felt concerned & thought that I was leaking my amniotic fluid. I texted my OB abt it & she asked me to have an ultrasound. It was at the ultrasound with Doc Palacios that I found out abt my baby’s congenital problem. Doc told me I’m polyhydramnios. Meaning I have too much amniotic fluid. It is due to my baby’s problem in his intestine. He can’t utilize most of the fluid & it was being retained inside me. She suggested I should see a pedia surgeon & that I must give birth in Iloilo since there’s no pedia doc in Roxas.  

Her findings then were not sure if it was duodenal atresia vs jejunuileal atresia... But she is sure that right after birth my baby’s intestine should be surgically corrected.  I cried in the car as we drove & Boots comforted me saying that it will be alright. We have to be strong for our baby.  We informed our families abt the findings.  When we were home we cried together & prayed for God’s intervention & guidance. I researched abt duodenal artesian in the net & found out that most of those having this kind of artesia will also have Down syndrome. My OB also explained it to us when we went to see her for my last prenatal with her the following day.  


We prayed for miracle that God would heal our baby right inside my womb so he will not undergo surgery & he will not have down syndrome. But we also asked God that whatever His will for our, He will just guide us to the rights persons & the best doctors there is in Iloilo to take care of our baby.

I started asking my OB referrals of doctors that my baby would need in Iloilo. I even asked PJ’s pedia.  They gave me names & Doc Botin even offered to contact a neonatologist friend of hers.


I was again on bed rest and I was not able to cook & prepare for Christmas Eve. We slept at my parent’s house which was just across us so it would be easy for Boots to take care of me without the stairs going up to our room.  We celebrated Christmas Eve with my parents. PJ & Boots went to Mambusao on Christmas day to bring our gifts to relatives & friends.

I was scheduled for another ultrasound on the 27^th of December to have a 2^nd opinion. This time it with Doc Palmers.  However on Christmas day I really felt that I was leaking fluid. My OB asked me to use a sanitary napkin & observe.  I was changing napkins every 4 hrs. I had researched about it & I read in some sites that its smell is sickly sweet..  Mine smelled that way.  I was told that I must be admitted so I could be properly managed to avoid premature birth.  So on Dec 26 we went to Iloilo & I was admitted at Don Benito.  It was confirmed that I was indeed leaking my fluid. 

Doc Maravilla my new OB told me that we will try to delay my baby’s birth for he's just 8mos inside me. I wasn’t tocolized because my bag of water had a rupture. I was given steroids for my baby’s lung development in case he goes out prematurely.. on Dec 28 doc ordered a congenital scan to know if my baby have other anomalies so the pedia surgeon, neonatologist would know what to expect & they could prepare.  However, the sonologist could no longer perform a congenital scan since my fluid level had been down to 4.9..two of the chambers was already empty. It was found out that my baby has JEJUNUILEAL ATRESIA & not duodenal atresia. I was now oligohydramnios & not safe for my baby to stay inside my womb so my OB decided to induce me the following day.

The night after they found out that I am drying up I was transferred to labor room & was attached to a fetal monitor & had a fetal stress test. On Dec 29, they started giving me oxytocin @ 5 drops after lunch but even before that I was already having contractions every 12min.  My mom & Boots would take turns in getting inside the labor room. But when contractions were at short intervals & I was feeling pain at my back Boots could no longer afford to see me in pain. When contraction would come I would ask my mom to stroke my back just like when I gave birth to Pj. 

I was already 8cm when Doc Maravilla arrived & ordered everyone to bring me to the delivery room.. Manang Leslie, my mom’s cousin whose an OR nurse was allowed to be with me inside the delivery room.  It was only about 4 pushes that I finally gave birth to Baby Edrei at 5:05pm of Dec. 29, 2010, 2.05kg & 49cm long. I heard his cry & I thank God for the gift of life & prayed that he will be well & strong as he will be facing a surgical procedure this early in life.. They showed him to me & I smiled seeing my baby for the first time. They rushed him to the door & showed him to Boots.  Boots later told us that it was an unexplainable feeling seeing his son right after birth.  He was not around when I gave birth to PJ.

I never felt exhausted after I gave birth to baby Edrei. I was not even sleepy.. Maybe God made it that way for I was in for the next toughest & longest 49days of our lives..