June 28: Good bye Cebu, hello Manila

…or to be more precise "Hello Taguig City". For the last leg of my pregnancy, I moved to Metro Manila, where I will be staying until about 2 weeks after Tisoy is born, which will be roughly two months in total. One big argument for picking this condo is that it is only 10-15 minutes away from the hospital where I will be giving birth at.

I moved into a small but cute Condo in Taguig City, right outside Bonifacio Global City, with a view of the American Cemetery and SM Aura. My partner is with me over the weekend and will visit again next weekend, after that I'll be on my own until the beginning of August, a week before the expected due date. We hope and try to convince Tisoy to stay put until Papa is there!

Room with a view

So far I am enjoying it - I've been here only a few hours. But I already discovered a booth in Market, Market! that sells fresh milk, yoghurt, cream and buttermilk - I'm in dairy heaven! Especially buttermilk I've been craving since the beginning of my pregnancy. It has been the only recurring craving I've had and it could not be satisfied because it is not available in Cebu. So yay! This discovery made my day!

Next I discovered a booksale, and I stocked up. Since I'm on maternity leave already I'll have lots of time during the next few weeks and I want to spend some of it reading, next to doing yoga, going swimming, walking in the park and meeting up with my Manila-based friends.

I'm looking forward to the next few weeks, but I already miss my cats and will miss my partner endlessly once he gets back to Cebu.

Inside Chong Hua Hospital Delivery Department

It's a bit ironic, months ago I asked to tour the Chong Hua Delivery Department in order to get an impression of what to expect if I decide to give birth there. I was denied, about which I posted here.

Last week I was admitted to the labor room with preterm contractions, so I got to see the area after all. 

First: I'm fine, Tisoy is fine, contractions have stopped and I'm back at work (but taking it slow). 

So, now I have the chance to write about my impressions of their delivery department. 

For the first 5 hours, I was admitted to their regular labor room, after which I was transferred to the high-risk labor room. 

Before I say anything else, I want to say: the staff - doctors, nurses, interns, food deliverers, janitors, everybody - was very nice, caring, professional and competent in their respective jobs (at least as far as I can tell). I absolutely felt well cared for. 

However, when it comes to the labor room environment, I am glad that I decided to deliver in St. Luke's, for the following reasons (and I hope, Tisoy waits until I get there):

Privacy and comfort

I am a very private person, and when in discomfort or pain, I need my privacy. However, the labor room is a 10-bed ward (there is another 4-bed labor ward, as far as I could tell, but the big one seems to be the one mostly used). There is 1 restroom for the whole room, without shower. The beds are so close together that one can hear every single word that is said, if you want it or not (now I know when my neighbors last menstruated, what their family health history is and how far apart their contractions are - not that I would want to know). Even though the beds are separated with curtains, this doesn't help to increase privacy either, and they don't close completely.

Since it's a big room, of course a lot of personnel is going around to attend to the laboring women. Which means, that every 10 seconds or so someone passed by my bed.

Since it's a big room, there is not only lots of hustling and bustling but it is lit with glaring halogen lights and the beds are regular wooden beds. There is no soothing/calming atmosphere in the room whatsoever.

Pain management

As soon as you are admitted, you get an IV, whether you need it or not. As soon as you have an IV, you are not allowed to get up and walk around anymore (there isn't enough space to walk around anyways). Now, It's my first pregnancy and I don't have any experience but I have read and heard from several sources, that it is recommended to get up, walk around and take various positions to ease pain while in labor. All this is not possible, and all you can do (and what my neighbors did), was lie in bed and from time to time change from one side to the other or to the back and deal with the pain. The only pain management I could make out was that they offered epidural. But that was it. 

When it is time for delivery, you need to go to the delivery room. To get there, you will be put in a wheelchair and wheeled over. Again, I don't have any experience yet, but I can imagine it to be highly uncomfortable having to transfer to the delivery room sitting in a wheelchair when you are about to give birth.

Support persons

No outside persons are allowed in the labor room, not even the father-to-be. He can wait outside, in the hallway, on a row of chairs that resemble a waiting area in train stations. (As far as I know, the partner is allowed in the delivery room, if he gets an endorsement from the OB and sends a letter to the administration.)

In order to stay in touch with him, I wanted my cellphone. I was allowed to get it in the end but I had to write a letter stating for what reason I needed my cellphone and that I will not hold the staff liable in case of damage or loss.

After 5 hours or so, I was transferred to the high-risk labor room. This room has only two beds, the lights are dimmed and the doors can be closed so that is quieter, especially at night. The same rules for IV, getting up and support persons apply.

All in all, I am glad I made this experience (otherwise I would never have known whether it was the right choice to go to Manila or if I'm just hypersensitive and hysterical). But now I know, I made the right choice. 

If somebody has no problems being alone in a brightly lit, big room, with lots of strangers, Chong Hua Hospital is a good option to give birth in, and as I said, the personnel is highly professional and caring. I, however, felt uncomfortable and irritated in that environment.