In fact, I take a few afternoons to finish writing this up!
So before I continue about the birth story, just a disclaimer that there will be a lot of biological terms used in the blog entry.
In case there are many who are uncomfortable with the post.
*lol*
20th Dec 2011:
It was the routine check up with my gynae at KKH. I was hoping that I was already dilated.
1cm dilation will already make me happy because the first stage of labour will be long but it will already mean that I am on my way to the labour ward.
So the checks went ok. Blood pressure was still high at 137/75. That was the lowest reading after 6 readings.
I did not feel nausea nor was I having headaches.
My last admission to the hospital for a night was because of pre-eclampsia.
So that day, my hopes were dashed when the gynae said,"Kosong ah.. you are not dilated yet."
*sigh*
I was somehow disappointed and expressed to my gynae that I would prefer to have a 2011 baby instead of the actual EDD of 13th January together with the dragon babies, something which I made no secret about it.
She set another appointment on the 29th December to see my progress of dilation.
If else, induced labour was the next option.
That night, I went out with mom and had a dinner date with the husband at F.I.S.H.
A nice quiet dinner, just the two of us.
We headed home after that, not sure when will be the next time we get to date again. I did my Mortada orders while the husband was preparing for work the next day.
A little past midnight, the husband urged me to quit doing my orders and prepare to sleep.
I reluctantly agreed.
The husband was in the loo when I was picking up pillows on the floor when I felt a slight gush of water.
I thought it was my weak bladder giving way so I went to the toilet to 'pee'
I got frustrated that I kept peeing so I decided to shower, washed my hair because I had a gut feeling I may need to head to the hospital.
(Thank God I did because I was really admitted)
21st Dec 2011:
Past midnight, after shower and almost 10 times trying to wipe myself dry, I got frustrated.
The husband also got frustrated with my OCD! *lol* He insisted that I just wore my undies with a pad and see what happens.
Well, I was still 'peeing' alright!
2am, I lay in bed with the husband, waiting for 30 mins, of which we dozed off for a while.
When I woke up, I checked my pad.
Wet with clear colour wetness. My husband told me to smell the pad. He said, if it was the waterbag, it will smell like bleach.
Already comfortable on the bed, reluctantly I smelled my pad.
Then I passed it to the husband to double confirm this.
Yes it was the bleach smell.
I did not want to activate my mom. You know how false alarms are like what-the-hell-i-wasted-everyone's-time.
So I called my aunty who is a midwife in Oman.
Yes, I made a long distance call. She confirmed it was the water bag and advised we headed to the hospital.
The husband asked where was my emergency clothes.
"I wore to the clinic this afternoon."
*lol*
So I asked him where was his. He answered the same thing!
*lol*lol*
That of which I happen to take a photo before we headed out for the gynae check.
I was afraid that on the day I need to head down to the hospital, I will not have time to take a picture.
Well, true enough!
So I grabbed a t-shirt and a maternity pants without bothering to iron.
Went to the kitchen to fix drinks for me and the husband and some butter sugar bread, breathing in and out, trying to take it easy.
Then off we went.
On the way to the hospital, I called my siblings, mom and dad to inform them.
Their anticipation was high already.
But somehow I had the feeling I was in for a long ride and I was right.
3.30am , we checked in into the delivery suite.
I got changed into the white gown, managed to head to the toilet for one last time before they made me pee and thank god I did not shit in the bedpan.
That was the worst ever!
Husband went to sleep. I was in major anxiety that I could not sleep.
I was reading the quran and watching the TV. Facebooking and tweeting that many thought I was wierd.
In labour and doing my social networking.
I was yet to be in labour, yet every moment there was tiring.
The midwives did not allow me to move. I could not get off my bed. Peeing was even on the bed.
At one point of time, I wet my whole bed and I requested that I had a change of sheets and gown.
I wanted to feel dry again.
The midwife I had for that shift was very nice.
She agreed and even allowed me to head to the toilet for a proper pee.
Wooo hooo!!! I did.
When I came out, I felt another gush. Took the hand towels and wiped and guess what?
Bloody show!
Ok yes! we are progressing!
I excused myself very quickly and very quickly I locked myself in the toilet.
Had my big business while I can and then I was confined again.
In between, the husband had some urgent things to settle in the office and I was very upset that his company had little sense of compassion. His phone was ringing non -stop.
So mom stepped in to accompany me with the 'Husband's pass'
Even at 8pm that night, I was not contracting yet and that was after my gynae inserted 2 capsules of prostins at 5am and again at 3pm
It's a long haul that's right. I was only 1cm dilated.
The gynae said that if I am not in labour, by midnight, they will have to get me induced.
From then on, it will be no food and drinks.
*groan*
So no pain till midnight and they got the necessary IVs ready. I got my husband ready, only that he is not nocturnal so ended up sleeping on me. I got myself ready.
Had a few kormas to give me the energy and asked the widwife for a cup of ice for me to chew and hydrate myself.
Yes, I have been spending a lot of time reading and searching on the internet on labour.
Even watched on You Tube to be prepared what was expected.
22nd Dec:
1am, the labour kicked in.. it was bearable until 4am.
At that time, one of the team doctors came in and put her hand in and said she could only stretch my dilation to 2.5 to 3cm.
What?!?!?
After all that pain?
Every 2 minutes I was contracting for 1 minute. It was crazy.
Crazier to wake my husband up because he did not hear me at all!!!
Testing moments I tell you.
4.30am, one of the team doctors came to check my dilation.
"It's only 2cm. Maximum is 2.5cm. I can only help to stretch for you up to 3cm."
And then I felt her stretch my cervix.
So uncomfortable I tell you!
Then my gynae came in at 7am.
3.5cm dilated.
3.5cm?!?!?
"You are very tense and you will take a long time to dilate. I already put in 2 hormone pills for you but you are not dilating."
"What should I do," I asked.
"Take the epidural and then you can rest. Only then your cervix may be able to dilate. Even so, I think by lunch time earliest you will give birth. Else by dinner time but I cannot guarantee."
What?!?!?!?
(yeah.. another 'WHAT' moment)
I was reluctant about the epidural so I asked her,"What do you suggest?"
"I already said."
Wah! So determined one ah!
"Take the epidural," she insisted. "Anything longer, you may not be able to take. You better decide - fast!"
I looked at the husband.
He asked the gynae about the side effects which apparently was brushed off.
He looked at me and said,"I cannot see you in this kind of pain and I think you cannot bear with it any longer."
The husband gave the nurses the green light.
Within 5 minutes, the anesthetics came. A friendly indian guy who was very accomodating to our queries and gave us the assurance that everything is going to be ok.
He even did a new plug for me as the earlier one was already painful and was very attentive that my wrist was already swollen.
Not only that, he was full with humour of which I did not bother to laugh but was nonetheless appreciative of it.
He multitasked very well. Within minutes, he had me signed papers, changed my plug and had the procedure ready.
My machine, inducing the oxytocin was switched off. I was still contracting every other minute.
The epidural jab begun. In between, I had two contractions and I told everyone in the room
"I am contracting!!!!" squeezing the hell of my husband's hands of course.
The anesthetics just said,"Ok ok.. just relax"
Each contraction lasted a minute. It was crazy.
But you know what, it felt good to be squeezing the husband's hands (with his wedding band on).
*lol*
Somehow, it feels better that I am sharing the pain.
By the time the epidural was done, I was in heaven!
"Thank you Doctor Miracle"
The husband confiscated my phone, which he did for the upteenth time at the delivery suite and forced me to sleep.
Bummer!
So I did not have a choice.
All these time, I just find it hard to sleep in the hospital.
It's just me.
By that time, I was already in the delivery suite for 30 hours.
Madness!!
Quietly, I was glad the phone and iPad was confiscated. I managed to get solid 4 hours of sleep with 1 blood pressure check in between at 9am.
Blood pressure stablised.
During the epidural period, I was really much at ease. After 11am, another team doctor came and checked on my dilation.
I was praying to God hoping for at least 5cm dilation. I wanted to give birth by dinner time. Max.
I could not stay in there any longer.
I could see (not feel) her pushing her hand, looked around trying to gauge how much I have dilated.
"Please please," I thought in my head.
"Ok," she said "You are 9cm dilated."
I really could not believe my ears. "9cm?,"I asked. "Are you serious?"
"Yes. We will prepare you for delivery."
Anxiety was kicking in and I was telling myself to breathe.
I refused to be hit with asthma at this time.
So the midwife was rushing in and out of the room preparing everything. How could I not get kancheong?
Seriously!!!!
Then I heard a fart. A loud fart.
I laughed. Anixiety broken.
"B," I asked my husband. "Did you hear that?"
"Yes.. is that the machine?"
"NO! It is your wife farting!! Apparently I am on epidural and I can't feel."
That was when I laughed my arse off.
I imagine the bloody and wet mess I would have made without me knowing.
But my midwife that session was nice. She had me cleaned up and dried up before delivery.
My epidural was reduced.
"Do you feel slight pain?"
"Yes," I lied.
Hell no am I going to feel anymore pain. 7 hours was enough.
So the midwife said,"Ok we practise pushing first ah... Breathe in deep and then push."
Thanks to You Tube, I know I had to push for a long time till I need to catch another breath.
So I did.
Within 3 pushes the baby was already crowning. I was told to stop.
My husband went to see and the first thing he said to me was,"Our baby has hair!!!"
"Have?" I sounded so excited.
If you must know, I was born with no hair and the husband with little hair.
*lol*
1.25pm the gynae came in, took her apron and checked a few things.
My midwife gave me an advise.
"Even if the gynae ask you to keep pushing but you cannot breathe, just break the push ok. No need to listed to her."
I thanked her. It was very valuable.
Everyone went into position.
Husband holding my back. My gynae opening up my right leg and allowing me to put my leg on her waist.
The left leg was held open by anther Senior Nurse.
"Ok ready?" the gynae said. "We wait for the contraction to come. Breathe in now... ok push!"
There I was with my first push. I held my push as long as I can.
Everyone was chanting,"Some more some more.."
I was just focused to hold my breath and push it out.
After the second push I said,"I can't. I think my asthma is coming."
"Push! Once baby is out your asthma is gone."
Wah lau! I thought.
So I pushed for the third time and break my push.
You know how I read about people pushing for 1 to 2 hours and it scared the shit outta me.
So I made sure my mind had it.
The fourth push, I felt the whole thing came out and I let out a huge 'whoah!'
My eyes brimming with tears. My husband looked at me, kissed my forehead and lips.
With tears in his eyes, he said,"That's our baby."
I smiled.
It feels good when my husband does all those things, making me feel appreciated.
Our little Rania was born after 36 weeks and 6 days, on 22nd Dec 2011 at 1.46pm, weighing 2.53kg and 46cm
She became Mummy's and Baba's little pride and joy.
Here are pictures to remember the day.
Special thanks to Rania's Mama i.e. my little sis who excitedly takes pictures of everything for memories.
I love you little sis and you will be the best
Here are the KKH Facebook Diary as I kept everyone updated :)
I was warded at 4.30pm. Mom was already there.
Moments later, guests streamed in till midnight. The epidural wore off.
I was in so much pain and everyone was in so much excitement.
I could not sleep. I kept asking for painkillers for the perineal pain.
Ice packs did not help much. I could not move.
I felt super lousy.
My perineal pain just went away today after 19 days!
Yes, that is what happens when you take the epidural. But it's still bearable than labour pain, trust me.
Today, Rania is 20 days old and she still amazes me in many ways.
When many warn me about sleepless nights, I thought I can battle it because I am nocturnal.
I could not!!!
Sleepless nights are really a challenge I tell you!!!
More stories of Rania as I go along definitely.
Except for the first few days (because she stayed back for her jaundice), I have diligently taken daily pictures of her.
I want to digest her growing up days.
xoxo,
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