The Birth - Part One (The Good Bit)

For those of you who don't know, Buchela was 8.8 lbs and was born via c-section after a long stalled labor.

This time around, after considering normal birth, we decided to go ahead and do a cesarean because of the risks of uterine rupture.

We didn't feel the hospitals here were well equipped to handle such an emergency.

The morning of Brana's birth began with our daily routine. I fed my son oatmeal with banana (which he eats for breakfast every single day) while he and I chatted about dreams and sleep.

I was not supposed to drink or eat anything.

Even though I was hungry and thirsty, I felt incredibly calm and ready for all of it.

The waiting had been long.

I didn't want to dwell on my fears.

I just wanted it to be done.

Fast.

Our wonderful friend Sandy who had been helping me through this whole experience was at the hospital with us translating everything and helping us handling our paper work.

We waited in our room while the hospital staff prepared for surgery. We anxiously eyed the crib where we hoped our daughter would soon sleep.





Our roommate complained. Apparently she was told she could have the room on her own.

We were also disappointed we would have to share a room but in the grand scheme of things, it didn't seem like a big deal.

Soon after, they came for me and wheeled me to the operation room on a stretcher.



My doctor (the one to the left) chatted with another O.R. staff while I got prepped for surgery and anesthesia.



My rock sat beside me and narrated what was going on censoring, he later tells me, the scary bits.

Predictably, just like the last time, the surgical gowns were too small for him.



Then they sliced me open.

The surgery took one hour and thirty minutes. Our little Brana was born at 11:45 am.

My husband was shaking when they took her out.

I could tell because when he held our camera up to take a picture his hands were trembling.

He had a hard time keeping his hands steady so most of our pictures turned out beautifully blurry --- capturing the emotion of the moment.

I cried just when Brana began to cry.



My initial reaction to her birth was a tremendous relief that she was okay.

She wiggled.

She threw her arms about.

Her legs kicked in the air as they brought her to the examination table.

I kept on thinking "She is ok! She is ok! She is ok!"

Then I thought, "Oh my god! She has a lot of hair!"

My husband and I looked at each other after staring at her for what seemed like forever.

We now had a daughter.

We have made another wonderful being.