On her 38thweek, Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio gave birth to an 8.8 pounds baby boy via VBAC, or what is commonly known as vaginal birth after caesarian. Rica and her husband decided to go for a homebirth and the second-time mom displayed such strength when she endured the 25 hours of labor without any medication.
Last January 22, Rica wittingly announced her pregnancy through an Instagram post, which shows her “busog” belly. This was followed by an emotional video blog where both husband and wife shared their sentiments on what seemed like a roller coaster journey throughout the pregnancy.
Rica was diagnosed with APAS as well as other health conditions that affected her hormones, thereby putting her pregnancy at risk. Because of APAS, Rica had to inject herself with blood thinners on a daily basis. At 36 weeks, Rica showed her needle-marked yet very lively tummy, which just shows that the baby was doing great!
Come June 9, both husband and wife both shared emotional Instagram posts about the birth of their much-awaited and much-loved son, Manu. On Rica’s post, she shared that there were many times during the 25-hour labor that she wanted to quit, but strength always found its way to her body. The little boy also showed strength with his consistently perfect heart rate throughout the laborious 25 hours of delivery.
Joe, Rica’s husband, shared his admiration for his wife in enduring the 25 hours of labor and still having the energy to push the baby out. He also recognized the amazing support of their birth team. Towards the end of both Rica’s and Joe’s post, they shared how God has been with them throughout the delivery. In Joe’s own words, he shared, “It was definitely God carrying her all throughout.”
The couple waited for 5 years to conceive, 38 weeks of pregnancy, and 25 hours of labor for their new baby. Throughout their roller coaster journey, they never failed to mention that God sustained them. This birth is such a wonderful blessing to a couple with such strong faith! Congratulations, Rica and Joe!
Source: Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio and Joseph Bonifacio’s Instagram
Join our MomCenter Community on our Facebook page and Facebook group for more insights on motherhood and parenting.