"Baka SARS na yan?" exclaimed my worried husband, Nonong, referring to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) scare which hit the country last year. My boss, ABS-CBN News director DJ Sta. Ana, had all of us reporters on their toes looking for exclusive features on this headliner. And a few days after having interviewed the fellow passengers of Adela Catalon, the OFW who died from SARS a few days after she arrived in the Philippines, I came down with severe colds and cough, the primary symptoms of SARS. Little did I know that instead of SARS, what awaited me was the wonderful but scary world of motherhood.
Our anxiety turned to excitement when my pregnancy test confirmed that I was one month pregnant. My OB-gynecologist said that for some women, colds and cough are among the first indications of pregnancy.
I thought I was going to have an easy journey, but I was wrong. I had spotting and was bedridden for months due to a hemorrhage in my uterus. I would always cry every time I experienced bleeding, scared that I might lose my baby. My psoriasis, a stress-related skin disease, was at its worst, afflicting not just my scalp but my body as well. To top it all, I had a huge myoma which eventually prevented me from having a normal delivery.
Family and friends stormed the heavens with prayers for my little angel. Tita Gina de Venecia offered Masses at the Our Lady of Manaoag. I was also barraged with texts of support. ABS-CBN SVP for Integrated News and Current Affairs Dong Puno was firm in saying that saving the baby was clearly the priority. Close friend Larry Murillo, one of Cardinal Santos Hospital’s top honchos, also assured us of all-out support for any eventuality. Vcds, dvds, baby magazines and books lent by friends prevented me from going crazy during my four-month hiatus. Tita Connie Duldulao, who is awesome in the kitchen, would always whip up my favorite dishes to perk up my deteriorating appetite. And of course, my sweet hubby, Nonong, no matter how tired, would always be only too willing to get up at 12 midnight to buy my favorite hotdog sandwich!
It also helped that several colleagues in ABS-CBN were infanticipating as well. We – Karen Padilla-Tulfo, Mariton Pacheco, Ria Tanjuatco-Trillo and Connie Sison – would spend hours over the phone comparing notes, from the first time we felt the baby’s kick, to the staggering costs of giving birth. I remember Ria even texting at 4 a.m. that her water broke! When the stork flew over ABS-CBN, most of us must have been wide awake waiting for the fertility pill.
And as if all the excitement and difficulty during my pregnancy weren’t enough, the day baby Fiana was born was riddled with suspense as well! Of all the days Nonong had to have dengue fever, it had to be the week of Christmas, the same week when I was scheduled to give birth! I kept on praying for him to get well fast – as in ASAP! It would really be tragic if he missed the birth of our firstborn. And guess what? Just to prove that the Lord answers prayers with His own brand of humor, the morning I was taken to the labor room was the same time Nonong was discharged. It helped that Cardinal Santos Hospital, where we were both confined, had an excellent staff. While I was transferred to the delivery room, I had my cell phone with me, giving instructions to the Billing Section for Nonong’s release. Talk about a close call! So before I allowed myself to doze off, my hubby was finally beside me, holding my hand in the operating room, armed with a video and digital camera, ready to document each and every second of Fiana’s arrival.
There’s nothing like having a baby to literally change a woman’s life in every way. Physically, I feel like my body has aged a million years, due to my difficult pregnancy and because of the two surgeries I had to undergo – one for the caesarean section and the second, to remove the myoma. But now that I’m a mother myself, I realize the truth in what people say about all the hardships of giving birth somehow melting away when you gaze at your adorable baby. Nonong and I are enjoying every minute of Fiana’s infancy, watching her grow and develop different skills. We spend hours just staring at her, watching her sleep, smelling her breath. No amount of excitement from bagging an exclusive news report can compare to the thrill of hearing her first giggle.
Emotionally, I’ve become more meticulous, reading everything I can get my hands-on about raising kids and always consulting with her super patient pediatrician, Dr. Merle Sacdalan-Faustino. I’ve also become more selfless, putting Fiana’s welfare above all things. I’m very protective of her. I will fight for what I believe is best. With our little one now dependent on us, my husband and I realize the importance of being in control of our family life, developing what we believe would be the right family culture and parenting style. After all, raising a human being is such a huge responsibility.
Lastly, I’ve become more appreciative of what my own mom went through in raising me and my siblings.
I believe that the most difficult part of being a parent is balancing the old and the new schools of thought in raising kids. Just like any first-time mom, I am still developing my own style, from the seemingly trivial bath techniques for baby, to the more complicated principles of disciplining my little angel. This is where I am grateful to my own mother for. She doesn’t "crowd-in on me." She shares her own style without being insistent. As a first-time lola, it must be difficult for her not to share what’s on her mind. Yet she makes sure that she doesn’t go beyond her role, knowing that it’s more important for me to gain confidence as a mother, and to have a sense of motherhood over my daughter.