I started feeling contractions on Monday June 20. After half a day of what's called "false labor" (although the pain felt pretty damn real to me), the contractions quickly turned into "REAL" labor by early afternoon. After some scrambling around the house to gather our things and arrange for our friends Raul & Rachel to pick up Corser, Russell and I rushed to UCSF Children's Hospital around 8pm.
They strapped me with belts and sensors to monitor the baby's heart rate & my contractions. Unfortunately, the contractions came too fast and too strong, which stressed the baby, causing her heart rate to go dangerously low. I was rushed... I mean, RUSHED (just like on TV & movies, with the hospital staff running through the halls, yelling out for help) to the Operating Room twice, to prepare for a possible emergency caesarian section. The doctors pumped me full of drugs to slow down the contractions, which brought the baby's heart rate back to normal. This happened twice over the course of a few hours. But the doctors informed us that if this happened again, they strongly recommended to proceed with delivering via C-section due to possible risk of losing the baby.
So when the heart rate dropped a 3rd time, we went for it. It was a truly frightening and stressful experience. I was rushed to the OR, while Russell had to stay in the hospital room. Our little girl arrived in the wee hours of the morning, kicking and screaming from the get go.
Clementine de Joya Gong was born on 4:38am. 6 lbs, 4 oz. 19.5 inches long.
The delivery went smoothly. The medical staff at UCSF were extremely attentive and supporrtive; I felt genuinely cared for during our stay. Clementine stayed in the room with us, and Russell was at our side the entire time. We stayed 4 more nights, through Saturday morning, so I could adequately recover from the surgery.
Click HERE to see our pics from that first week at the hospital.
Here are video journals to chronicle our first days with the baby.
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
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