Celebrating Life at Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital

It has been a year since I gave birth to my second child and I haven't shared my extraordinary experience  when I gave birth to this lovable baby. With my first child Frankie, I was already blessed with a normal delivery. But during the process, I was completely dazed with the medicines and pain killer given to me in the hospital. I was half- awake when I delivered Frankie, but as soon as he was out, I fell asleep immediately that I wasn't able to hold him. It was my husband who held him first.

With my second son Mikee, my husband and I decided to move to a new hospital. My admission letter was addressed to the Labor room of St. Lukes Medical Center, but the day I was going to give birth, I decided to go to a different hospital. And I made the right decision, for I was given a different feel of giving birth with my second baby.

There's 1 reason with the sudden change of hospital:

*Since I'll be spending a short period of time in the hospital, I thought that it is going to be more practical if I get admitted to a private hospital that's not too big and can still cater to my needs and standards as a patient. We chose Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital.

Ever since, Jesus Delgado is known as a Maternity Hospital that has now expanded as a General Hospital. Aside from the fact that Jesus Delgado has been in service for decades, this hospital has been getting good feedback on their facilities and services. Plus, we have friends who highly recommends it. And my mom told me, that during her time, Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital was the "St. Lukes" of Maternity Hospitals. I guess even up to now, because Jesus Delgado is able to maintain that standard that gave me the best experience when I gave birth to my son Mikee.

In my opinion and with my experience, Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital specializes on "traditional" maternity care. I arrived at the labor room exactly 8:30 in the morning with 2 cm. Once they got my admission letter from my OB who's a very known doctor in the industry, the nurse aide immediately began preparing me. I was impressed with the process. It was fast, clean and efficient. And of course, the nurse aide was explaining to me everything in the process and the purpose of each. By 10am I was ready and waiting. My husband was outside waiting as well. My OB doctor dropped by to check on my condition and gave orders.

You know what's amazing with the staff of Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital? (particularly in the labor room and delivery room)  Everyone inside are doctors with nurse aides. So instead of getting a ratio of 1 nurse: 1 patient, it's 1 doctor: 1 patient, how relieving is that? It's something I didn't experience in my previous hospital. I was greatly secured because aside from my OB and Anesthesiologist, there's another doctor looking after me (bedside). They're very pleasant, they're very knowledgeable, they know the whole meaning of health care service.

Labor pain began around 3pm with 5cm. In a matter of minutes the pain went stronger---but--- for me, it was still bearable. Learning from my previous experience on giving birth, pushing while contracting eases down the pain. I was awake the whole time and without any pain killer.

In Jesus Delgado it's different. They will administer the pain killer on the go signal of the patient. Again, basing it on my experience, the doctors told me to give them the go, (as instructed by my Ob-Gyne) if I want the pain killer to be injected. We patients have options and our decisons matter. And I felt I was given value when they asked me to decide on it. By the way, the process with the pain killer was explained to me ahead, the moment I was admitted. Though, it became really, really painful,  thinking of the life that's about to say hi to the world made me endure everything until I reached 10 cm +2. Meaning, I was fully open, my water has broken and the baby's about to come out.
In my opinion, I guess that's how you give birth the traditional way. I pushed and pushed (minus the screaming and all the crying :D) while the doctors helped me get through. It was an amazing experience. I'm very proud of myself as a mom... After, I was able to hold Mikee with his umbilical cord still attached... It's just wonderful and rewarding once I was able to embrace Mikee wide awake.

I stayed in the hospital overnight. That's how fast I recovered. When my OB and the other doctors visited me in my room, they were amazed that I was already mobile and I even walked to the nursery to breastfeed my baby. The recovery was fast because I was well taken cared of. I was a first time patient in that hospital, but it felt so homey. I will never forget the kind hearts who gave me this experience. My Ob- Gyne... she's the best. I look up to her just like my mom. She never introduced or even mentioned C- Section to me even the first time we met. All she kept on saying was " Kaya mo yan mag normal delivery! Kahit 8- lbs pa yung baby" (You can do normal delivery even if the baby weighs 8-lbs). Of course in reality, if the situation asks for a C-section, then if it's for the best... But then again, it's all about the encouraging words to go for a normal delivery which makes it inspiring and that motivated me as a mother to do well and to give my best for the baby.

 Life is a blessed gift. Every individual brought into the world is bestowed with a unique characteristic.