The Calm Before the Storm…Contractions started around 5am in the morning 1st of March and by 12pm, the intensity of pain have increased and interval at less than 5mins apart so we slowly made our way to the hospital. However, we found out that I have only dilated at 2cm and most likely will not give birth till 8:00 or 9:00 in the evening =O

With the pain still in control and tolerable, we passed time by watching Winter Olympics Figure Skating and listening to Andrea Bocelli for that much needed calming effect.

The Gathering of the Storm…5 hours into labor… the pain has reached the threshold of my tolerance level. Cleansing breaths 1, 2 and 3… Trying my best to focus on lamaze breathing techniques…

Alfred, how can you stand taking photos of me when I am clearly in so much pain?!? And you were supposed to be my breathing coach! Hahaha!

Almost 8 hours into labor… Trying to relieve at least some of the pain by using the Etonox Mask (laughing gas) to no avail. I was in danger of the vicious cycle – (what my sister has warned me against ): fear (not relax) – causes more pain – causes cervix to unripen – and the cycle continues…

5:00 pm

6:30 pm

7:30 pm

The Light at the end of the Birth Canal…Whew! WE MADE IT! The good thing about natural birth without anesthesia is once you’ve reached 10 cm, the urge to really push is so intense that nature does indeed take its course … and in less than 15mins our little angel finally came out to live on earth =)

Good to know that Mommy’s sacrifice has its rewards. Baby is born drug-free- very alert (10 - perfect on 5min Apgar score), no crying (except when Daddy cut the umbilical cord of course hehehe!) and a successful latch on.

Thanks also to Daddy who has the presence of mind to coach Mommy when she’s at the point of delirium.

With our wonderful doctor who promised me next time I will deliver on all fours since I can better handle the pain that way.

Ava Christiane Buyco SyBorn on: 01 March 2010 (Monday)

Time: 8:44 pm

Weight: 2670 grams / 2.67 kilos

Height: 49.5 cm

Apgar Score: 1 min – 9; 5 mins – 10

Hearing Test: Passed

The First Night…Look mom, “clean and fresh”!

After baby’s first bath, she spent the night with Mommy and Daddy who immediately lavishes her with so much love and admiration!

A New Break of Dawn…Mom and Dad spent the day at the hospital with us.

Flowers and gifts for the new mom and newborn baby

A Daddy’s girl in the making… she spent the second night sleeping on Daddy’s chest.

Received a ‘thank you’ card from the Singapore Cord Blood Bank since we donated baby’s cord blood. You’d think no epidural is torture enough, they have to get 30ml of blood during active labor as part of the requirement . And the nurse had to poke me thrice!

Home Sweet Home!

The empty crib which was sitting empty for a month is finally slept in… with our little precious princess…

Getting some spoiling from Nana… Now I also have to sing and rock the baby to sleep!

Eat, Burp, Sleep, sleep, sleep…

Very lucky that all is doing great with breastfeeding. Baby has successfully latched on at day 1 and milk has continuously flowed since then…

Daddy says this sitting technique is the most effective way of burping after testing 3 different ways…

Now, she’s growing bigger and bigger each day =)