The Sunday Saga: A Day of Unexpected Turns

Sunday dawned with a sense of routine. We checked out of Sukro hotel and made a beeline for SM to pick up a water filter at SM Ace Hardware. Our next stop was Ayala Malls for lunch and a bit of grocery shopping—both for us and our pets. Usually, Lady Jenn is all about exploring every corner of the mall, but today, she was different. She preferred sitting down, mentioning that her bump made long walks uncomfortable and she was feeling a bit of pain. So, Ralph and I took on the shopping duties while she stayed put.

On our way back home, Ken kept urging Ralph to drive slowly because Lady Jenn was experiencing contractions. We didn’t think much of it, given that her OB GYN had given her a clean bill of health the day before. Dr. Evelyn Reinoso assured us that everything was fine and predicted a normal delivery.

But as we approached the Valladolid Emission Center, Ken’s anxiety spiked. He urgently asked us to pull over, announcing that Lady Jenn’s water had broken. My heart raced as we stopped and Jenn checked her situation. Sure enough, she was leaking. We didn’t waste a second, turned the truck around, and sped back to Bacolod while dialing her OB’s number. Dr. Reinoso advised us to head straight to the hospital.

The weather turned stormy, mirroring the panic inside our truck. Upon arrival, I shouted for help, and the hospital staff quickly wheeled Lady Jenn inside. A doctor confirmed her water had indeed broken, and we were ushered to the third floor. We weren’t allowed in the delivery area, so we waited anxiously in the lobby.

After what felt like forever, a resident doctor informed us that Dr. Reinoso had called in Dr. Gatuslao, a perinatologist, to co-manage the situation. They decided to halt Lady Jenn’s labor for 48 hours to administer Dexamethasone. This would help the baby’s lungs mature, reducing the need for intubation since she was only 35 weeks along.

Since Lady Jenn is 20, we didn’t need to give consent. After ensuring Ken had everything he needed, we braved the worsening storm to head back to Hinigaran, drop off the groceries, and pick up essentials for Jenn and the baby. We hadn’t brought baby items because her due date was still a month away.

On the way back, I called Sukro to let them know we’d be checking back in (ironic, since we had just checked out that morning). They reserved room 227 for us again—my favorite room so far! After a quick dinner at McDonald’s La Salle, we returned to Riverside. Jenn was still in her room, texting us updates. She was in significant pain, with frequent, intense contractions, yet she was advised to delay labor. Hearing her distress over the phone was heartbreaking. We coached her on breathing techniques and open awareness practices from our meditation classes. As Reiki healers, we sent her positive energy and asked our friends at Daily Prana and Master G to do the same.

Feeling helpless, all we could do was pray and wait. Reflecting on it, we had agreed to the procedure without realizing how torturous it would be for Jenn. We finally returned to Sukro late at night, staying in constant touch with Jenn, though sleep eluded us.

What happens next? You’ll find out in my next blog post.

Stay tuned for more!

Read the first part of this blog here.