New Mom Chronicles: A Journey of Love and Surprises!

Coleen Arroyo San-Jose

"My pregnancy journey has been a whirlwind of emotions! Found out I was expecting just before New Year's Eve, and from there, it's been a rollercoaster of moments.

Sailed through the 1st trimester, but hit a bump in the 2nd when I discovered I was hypertensive. However, my cravings for Cowhead milk, Lemon garlic broccoli, hot chocolate, and fried fish never wavered!

I powered through work until my 8th month - but then, a sudden twist- ICU'd due to pre-eclampsia risks, followed by 2 weeks of bed rest on a low salt, low-fat diet.

On a rainy Saturday morning, my OB began induced labor since my cervix was 4-5cm, but no contractions. 6 intense hours later and just 8 pushes - baby girl is out! She is 2 weeks early to due date, but all is well.

Post-delivery, a minor UTI threw in another curveball, but after 5 days, I'm back home with my little one! Will I go back and do it all over again? Absolutely!"