Giving Birth to My Baby, Giving Birth to a New Me

On October 15, 2008, around 7 months ago, I gave birth to my son, Gian Timothy. I consider it the biggest day of my life so far. The excitement and the fear of giving birth for the first time far outweighed the excitement and mixed emotions I felt when I got married.

I have always been afraid of giving birth ever since I learned in school how it happens. I really dreaded that day. But giving birth is a necessary passage to motherhood and deep in my heart I knew I must learn to face it with courage. So when I learned that I was already pregnant, I convinced my husband that we enroll in a birthing class. I believe that this was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. The lessons and skills I learned from attending Chiqui Brosas-Hahn's classes not only equipped me for labor, childbirth and motherhood but most importantly, it transformed me into a new person.

On the day that the mucous plug in my uterus got detached, I was calm and very much prepared -- from the things and documents I needed to bring to the much needed strength, courage, knowledge and faith in enduring labor and natural childbirth. Chiqui was right that being well-informed and educated helps a pregnant woman to be confident and calm during labor and childbirth. I have grown to better appreciate God's design of a woman's body and the miracle of pregnancy and childbirth in her classes. And never in my wildest fantasy did I imagine that giving birth to my firstborn would be as easy as I experienced it to be. Many thanks to the breathing techniques and phase by phase description of labor that we learned in our classes. And of course to God's grace which continues to sustain me to this day.

I'm also very grateful for the encouragement I received during our classes to breastfeed my baby. I wasn't breastfed by my mom because she said that she didn't produce milk. I was afraid that it would also happen to me. But hearing the stories that Chiqui shared, I was inspired and determined to also give the best milk for my child. I am happy to share that I continue to breastfeed my son until now. The inspiration and support I got from Chiqui and the lactation consultant she recommended to me (Zeny) has gone a long way. God answered my fervent prayers by sending them to me at the most perfect time.

Thanks again, Chiqui for helping me give birth easily to my son and to a new me. May God continue to use you to bless more moms!