Hi mummies!
Thanks for all the well-wishes and congratulatory notes and special thanks to CATZ for making that announcement
It's really a great feeling to be able to hold a newborn baby again and experience a 'new' mum's role all over again...
Birth story:
EDD supposed to be 15 May but Baby Joelle came along a little too early (4 May 09, the day my antenatal leave took effect!) and I wasn't prepared at all...
3 May (Saturday)
10.30pm - was very tired so decided to sleep early. was coughing quite badly as well.
4 May (Sunday)
2.30pm - woke up with a contraction, thought it was due to my cough
2.30 - 4.00am - contractions stronger and intervals of 8 min, then 5 min.
4.00 - 5.00am - contractions quite unbearable but hubby and i thought we could not admit ourselves without the burst of waterbag or the presence of bloody show (we were turned away by hospital for the first delivery so once bitten twice shy)
5.15am - couldn't bear with the pain anymore, rang gynae, was told to admit
6.00am - reached hospital (gynae couldn't check on me cos she was at an emergency c-section for a prematured baby.) Asked for epidural but again dr also busy at the emergency case. Nurse checked, only 2 cm dilated
7.00am - gynae finally saw me, 3 cm dilated and suggested epidural cos my threshold for pain is low.
7.00 - 8.00am - was in great pain waiting for epidural to be administered. Finally, after a long wait, epi was given but TOO LATE!
8.00am - pain was stil intense, no effect from epi. Midwife checked, 6 cm dilated
8.00 - 8.25am - was pushing involuntarily... (still in pain)
8.30am - 9 cm dilated and gynae arrived.
8.33am - pushed, with 4 sets of 10 counts, baby Joelle arrived!
(Actually, I could have made it without this epi this time round cos there was no effect felt at all after the administration. The effect only came after I was transferred to the maternity ward... Complete waste of money!)
So, that's my birth story. Sorry if too long-winded!
Actually, friends... I came in here to post with a very heavy heart... We were discharged on Wednesday. Joelle was cleared by the PD of her jaundice and we were happy... BUT yesterday...
we were at the PD checking on her heat rash when the PD told us about his concern over joelle's jaundice. Was 4pm so we rushed down to polyclinic to do a lab test. True enough, jaundice level was very very high and joelle had to be admitted to hospital straight away. Went home, breastfed her (struggled the first few days cos milk didn't come in and now, milk is coming in and Joelle has no problem latching on... but she has to be away from me...) and then sent her off to the hospital... Cried like mad! I know jaundice is very common in newborns but the thought of admitting her to the hospital really scares me (after julian's heart op). Leaving her at the hospital was possibly the only option we had at that moment cos we really want Joelle to return to us asap (we know can rent the machine but who has the heart to strip Joelle and place her under the light... hubby knows I cant so suggested admission cos of professional help we will get). Came home after that, was crying again... but was overjoyed when I realised that my breastmilk was coming in fast and knew that I could deliver the expressed milk to her.
Please pray for us. Thanks.