Monday dawned with the familiar fog of sleep deprivation. Ralph and I barely caught a wink all night. Lady Jenn’s labor pains were relentless, but any attempt to push was restricted. My desperation drove me to contact Dr. Evelyn Reinoso late Sunday night, begging for some relief for Jenn. Her reply came at the crack of dawn, suggesting epidural anesthesia. I couldn’t help but wonder why this wasn’t our first option! With no hope of falling back asleep, I took a shower, ordered breakfast via Grabfood, and hustled back to the hospital for any update on Jenn’s situation.

Arriving at the hospital, we found Ken sprawled out in the private room meant for Jenn, had she not been detained in the delivery room. I dropped off the breakfast for him and whisked Ralph away to Ayala to buy a new pair of sneakers for his aching foot. Despite our early arrival, a bit of sweet-talking got us rooftop parking since Starbucks was already open. While sipping our coffees, I received a text from Dr. Reinoso. She and Dr. Gatuslao had decided it was time for Jenn to deliver, meaning they would stop the Dexamethasone. Relief washed over me—finally, Jenn’s ordeal was nearing an end, and we would soon meet the baby!

After shelling out for Ralph’s outrageously priced Adidas sneakers, we headed back to the hospital, bracing ourselves for the wait. The scene was straight out of a movie, with all of us huddled outside the delivery room, waiting for news.

Ken mentioned a particular nurse in Station 11 had been giving him and Jenn’s mother a hard time, insisting only one watcher could come and go from the private room. Ken handed me the watcher’s pass, warning me I might get the same treatment. Far from concerned, I was actually eager for the encounter. I pay a hefty sum for this confinement—no one was going to tell me I couldn’t access the room I was footing the bill for!

To my surprise, I passed by Station 11 without a peep from the nurse. They merely looked at me, my eyebrows likely already in a defensive arch. I settled into the private room to wait, with Ralph joining me later to do some distance Reiki. Meanwhile, Jenn was still in the delivery room, enduring her labor. We stepped out before 4 pm, finding Jenn’s mother already outside, waiting. Ken, glued to his phone, confessed gaming was his way of passing the agonizing time, but his anxiety was palpable.

At 4:34 pm, a nurse peeked out of the delivery room door, calling out Jenn’s last name. We all rushed forward, holding our breath. The nurse announced Jenn had delivered her baby girl and would soon be moved to her private room. However, the baby’s condition was still under observation, but for now, Jenn’s pain was over.

Shortly after, Dr. Evelyn Reinoso came out of the delivery room with a relieved smile. She informed us that the baby weighed 5.15 pounds. However, she noted that Jenn had been given medication for a heart problem no one knew about, which would limit her ability to breastfeed immediately. Despite this, the delivery had gone well.

I took Jenn’s mom to Bob’s Restaurant across the hospital for a late lunch, picking up Jenn’s requested food to-go. We were all in high spirits, but little did we know, darker news about the baby awaited us upon our return.

But that’s a story for the next blog, so stay tuned!