I will never forget when I picked up the test result at the lab—it was Brazil’s opening day at the World Cup. POSITIVE. It was so hard to accept and believe—this was not the right moment, I had just moved into my new house and had so many plans. Miguel, my son, was already 5 years old and having another baby wasn’t on my mind. I spent months crying, avoiding people, and soon came the nausea and feeling unwell. My clothes didn’t fit anymore and my denial wouldn’t go away!
It was 5 long months, and with every kick, every change in my body, my heart kept falling in love with this new being, and by 6 months I couldn’t imagine being without him! He was already part of my life and included in my plans. My life would have no meaning without him! On January 27, 2015, at 40 weeks and 6 days, I woke up with a nagging cramp, but since I’d been feeling them all week, I didn’t take it seriously. I got up and went to the bathroom, and there was this brownish ‘goo,’ gross and disgusting, looked like a slug, lol. I went back to sleep since I knew the mucus plug can come out even a week before labor really starts. I woke up at 8:30 with more intense cramping that kept coming and going.
I could feel it was getting close, started timing the intervals, and by 9 a.m., they were 10 minutes apart. I called my husband and asked him to come home—he works two hours from our house—and I was scared for Miguel, my oldest. The pain got a bit stronger, but the interval was the same, and between showers and naps, the contractions kept coming. The day went on and on, and by 9 p.m., the interval was 6 minutes. As soon as ‘Happily Ever After’ ended, lol, the pain started coming every 4 minutes, strong and intense, but still manageable.
We went to the maternity ward. When I got there, I immediately had a cardiotocography—Vicente’s heart was weak, fluctuating, and the nurse would jiggle my belly to see if his heartbeat would pick up, then it would come back. I saw the doctor—he did a cervical exam, and my cervix was closed. Contractions every 4 minutes, very strong. He asked me to walk, do ball and shower exercises, and squat for 2 hours to see if I would dilate. I did everything, and by then there were no more intervals, the pain would just come and I’d close my eyes and wait for it to pass. I walked a lot, and by 5 a.m. my water broke—another cervical exam, still no dilation. They put me on ‘the drip’ and that really set things off. I went to the shower but it wasn’t helping anymore. When I got out, even more fluid came out, but now with meconium. The doctor immediately did another exam—still no progress— and he sat down and explained that he had waited as long as possible, but Vicente had had a bowel movement and they couldn’t wait any longer because his heart was already weak, and meconium was too risky.
He called the nurses to prepare me for a C-section. This was at 8:30 in the morning, and they got me ready and took me in. It was tense because the doctor asked me not to move during the anesthesia, but that was impossible with contractions like that. The moment they managed it, I had a contraction and yelled and squeezed the nurse’s hand—no idea how I didn’t break it, lol—then the pain passed. Vicente was born at 9:26, really purple and not crying. They whisked him away, put him on oxygen, and only a few minutes later did I see my baby, already recovered. He was born weighing 3,820g and 53cm, a beauty. Was I frustrated? A lot. I didn’t get to have the normal delivery I dreamed of—I was in labor for 24 hours—but on the other hand, the C-section saved my son. He’s here now—gorgeous, perfect. And okay, he looks just like his dad… lol… but he’s the most beautiful thing in this world. Oh, this crazy love! My recovery has been smooth. My baby nurses a lot, and it’s wonderful. I’m enjoying every moment, because he’ll be my last baby—this phase will fly by.
See also: Luciana Birth Story – Two Premature Births, Two Victories
Photos: Personal Collection
