Hi Mummies! Thanks for all the well wishes and kind words!
Finally got time and energy to write down my birth story! Couldn't have completed the story without my hubby's help, bec labour was long (32 hrs) that my memory also became fuzzy after some time, haha!!
Mon, 22 Nov 2010:
5.30am:
- small red blob of discharge. Ignore, went back to sleep.
2.30pm to 7pm:
- Contractions abt 20min apart, lasting 30sec to 1min. Never mind, since it's not 3-5min apart contractions, I can still get on with doing my own stuff. Went to bath and do final packing. Hubby entertained my tot.
- Went Changi Airport with hubby and tot for dinner. During dinner, contractions became closer, like 5-10min apart. Ate my food halfway also must stop a bit to let contraction ease off.
7.45pm:
- Called gynae to inform him of contractions interval. He said I can admit to hospital if contractions are 5-10min apart. Then I went "huh?" in my head bec I remember he said I can wait till 3-5 min apart. He said if I want pain relief, can also admit earlier.
- I was still thinking of my hair, haha, and thought I must endure and get my hair done before baby comes out. I don't want to look like mad woman after giving birth, hehe. I think my hubby must have thought his wife went nuts, still so vain when contractions are quite close.
8pm:
- Arrived at hair salon for wash and blow hair nicely, hehe! First thing I ask was: "How fast can you finish the job? I'm in a rush." Salon staff said "30min". Ok, and in I went!
- Salon gal shampooed my hair while I sat down on chair. When she wanted to rinse my hair and asked me to move to the hair rinsing area, I told her I got tummy pain, must wait a while. She looked blur like she didn't understand, so I said I got contractions. Haha she looked more blur, but she continued to shampoo my hair at the chair. Then I said ok, no more pain and moved to the rinsing area. Then I explained to her I'm gonna give birth tonight or tomorrow, then she looked more shocked! Like why am I still in the salon when I'm abt to give birth, hahahaha! Anyway, she's pretty young in her early 20s only, so she thought as long as got pain, must rush to hospital.
- She's very scared that I would fall down bec steps were uneven, so she kept saying "be careful, be careful" Haha, felt like royalty!
- Salon girl and her colleague help to blow myh hair nicely and job done in 30min. Ok, ready to cheong back home with hubby and tot.
8.30pm to 12mn:
- Contraction getting closer, still 5-10min apart, with a few that was less than 5min apart, also the contraction getting more intense. Each time it hits me, I gotta stop in my tracks.
- I told myself cannot admit before midnight, if not the hospital will charge me EXTRA 1 DAY for the ward fee. So I grinned and grinned, bear and bear with the contractions. The difficult period was from 9plus to 11plus. Sweat!
- At 11pm, I told my hubby to call his mum to come over to our house to take care of our tot.
- My tot knew something was up, so didn't sleep at her usual bedtime of around 10plus. My hubby got problem putting her to bed. We already pre-empt her a few times that day that daddy has to bring mummy to the hospital to give birth to meimei, so grandma will be there for her when she wakes up in the morning. Still didn't wanna go to bed.
- MIL came at 11.30pm and tot knew something special is going on. Bec her grandma won't visit us so late at night. Hubby & I were all set and ready to go.
- Said bye bye to our tot and got out of the door. Thought our tot would take it well but she started crying for her daddy and MIL quickly closed the door. So heartpain when I heard her cry like that. She cried for daddy bed daddy puts her to bed at night, that special time between them every day.
Tue, 23 Nov 2010:
12.05am: Called gynae to tell him I'm on my way to hospital. He said he'll be there shortly.
12.35am: Arrived at Gleneagles and brought to labour ward.
1am: Nurse did 1st baseline VE, 2.5cm dilated. I thought it strange bec 3 days ago at gynae's clinic, he said 3cm.
1.10am: Enema administered. Felt ticklish and was told to hold for at least 10min, the longer the better.
1.15am: Gynae arrived, did VE, 4cm dilated, cervix very ripe, baby's head lower but not fully engaged. Funny, when he said he's gonna do VE, I said nurse just gave me enema, so he asked if I can hold. I said ok and I was hoping I won't leak, haha! He then said should deliver by abt mid morning. I was happy, finally can see my baby!
1.20am: Finally buay tahan, went toilet to poo due to enema!
1.25am: Contractions suddenly every 5min.
2.15am: Requested for Enthonox laughing gas. Not luffing, quite angry bec it didn't seem to work on me. The more I breathed, the more my nose seemed to get stuck and can't breathe. Asked nurse if I was using it correctly, I was! Sometimes I went without the gas bec it seems like it's not working! [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/sad.gif]
6.10am: Nurse did VE, 5cm dilated. I thought, "Alamak, 5 hrs work and only dilated 1cm more?!?"
7.40am: Gynae came, did VE, slightly more than 5cm dilated, baby's head lower. I thought there was not much progress since an hour ago.
7.45am: Nurse served breakfast - 2 slices bread with butter and jam, plus milo. Gobbled up, very hungry. When contraction hit, I stopped chewing. Time passed very fast from 6-9am. Very happy, waiting for mid morning but only 5cm dilated! Eagerly waiting for next VE at 12 noon.
9am - 1pm:
- Needed something else to distract myself bec contraction getting really painful. Started using the birthing ball. After an hour plus, it's not working anymore. Pain hits, grabbed hubby's hand and squeezed, only never break his bones. ;p
- Then moved myself to the swivel chair to sit. Contractions darn painful, wanna mati liao! Pain hits, abuse hubby's hand. Can see red patch on his hand by now.
- Another hr passed and the chair is useless too. Told my hubby I needed to stop sitting down and start walking. So we walked around the room, from bed to dividing curtain, pain hits, hugged my hubby, almost digging my nails into his shoulder! He didn't scream although I know it's very painful for him too.
- From curtain to toilet, pain and repeat shoulder abuse on hubby. Went toilet to pee, dunno why, kept wanting to pee, although very little pee came out each time. Pain hits, abuse repeated on hubby's hand. Worst pain felt when sitting on toilet bowl! Wash hands, pain came again, abuse hubby's shoulder again!
- Contractions seem like 3min apart, faint!! Just stepped out of toilet only and pain hits AGAIN!! Abused hubby's shoulder.
- By 1pm, wondering why no nurse come and do VE, supposed to be 12pm. Hubby went to ask and finally nurse came in.
1.30pm: Nurse did VE, 6-7cm dilated. Yay, thought the walking helps!
1.45pm - 2.15pm:
- Pain getting unbearable, started crying dunno why. Feeling out of control already. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/sad.gif] Hubby heartpain to see me like that. Discussed pain relief option with hubby again - Pethidine or Epidural or just Enthonox gas which was not working for me. My mind already not working bec too painful to think straight. Good thing hubby reminded us to look at our birth plan again.
- Decided against Pethidine bec (follow birth plan) if my labour did not progress to 10cm within 4 hours, baby will come out groggy. Now thinking if it's too late for Epidural, bec already 6-7cm dilated. Want to take Epidural so I can get some rest and later got energy to push. I was falling asleep while talking to my hubby - whether I was sitting or standing.
- Nurse did a final VE, still 6-7cm dilated. She called gynae to check and gynae gave the go ahead.
2.15pm: Requested Epidural and anaesthetist arrived within half an hour. He got a comical way of talking and sound like scolding pple but I think he's just loud.
2.45pm: Epidural administered. But process was quite scary bec I was having contraction and still needed to curl up like a prawn. He also warned me that when tube is inserted, it might touch the nerve and leg will move, and my leg really did move. Aiyo, when my leg jerked twice, he said loudly "Don't move your legs!", but I told him I didn't purposely move my legs!! He just asked me to breath in the gas. And breathed in the gas I did, whether it helped or not I don't know, my mind was already in a swirl.
3pm: Enjoying my Happy-dural. Finally no more pain, until can't even wriggle my toes. Nurse got me a nice pink pillow in a fat boomerang shape to prop my head and back so I can lie on my side. I complained to hubby abt anaesthetist who "scolded" me. Hubby said when anaesthetist said "Don't move your legs", he was loud but smiling. Har?!!? He sid that was his way of talking. Faint. How come talking with smile also sound like scolding pple?!!?? Finally got some rest, slept abt 1-2 hrs.
5pm: Gynae arrive to do VE, 6-7cm. Oh dear, no progress since 1plus. Not a good sign I thought. My contraction on the chart also tailing off. Gynae decided to break my water bag to induce contractions naturally. Saw him holding a slim, beige plastic stick, again in boomerang shape. Why was everything in boomerang shape??
6pm: Shifted to lie on right side and slept for 1-2hrs again.
7.30pm: Contractions still weak, like no progress. So decided to sit up on bed, nurse came in to help move me upright in bed, hubby helped too. Asked to lower Epidural dosage a few times bec I could not feel my toes and need to feel some sensation if I need to push. Contractions started again, hubby said the chart showed large peaks abt 5min apart.
8.30pm: Now thinking with hubby that might need c-sect if no progress, although haven't heard from nurse or gynae yet.
9pm: Nurse did VE, still 6-7cm. No feeling down there bec of epidural. Mentally prepared for c-sect. Wondering why didn't dilate further although strong contractions were recorded.
10pm:
- Gynae came, did VE, still 6-7cm. Sigh. He recommended 2 options - either do a section or can give me oxytoxin and wait 2hrs. But 2nd choice got higher risk of womb rupture and will endanger baby and me, and end up with GA, then hubby can't be in OT. He thinks 2nd option might not work bec my contractions are good so it's not the contraction problem, so oxytoxin would probably not work. He said baby could be in OP (Occiput Posterior) position that why progress stalled. OP = baby's spine facing my spine.
- Gynae was kind and asked if we needed some time alone to discuss. We said yes and gynae plus 2 nurses went out of room to give us privacy. I was very reluctant to say yes to another section but know in my heart that that's the best thing to do for myself and baby at this point in time. Also I see my efforts in bearing with the contraction pains going down the drain and felt I was left with no choice. At the same time, I know I can see my baby very soon if I opt for a section. I was very tired by then - physically, mentally and emotionally.
- Told gynae we opt to go for a section and all the preps started. Gynae comforted me that we have already tried hard enough. Think it was at this time I started shivering badly from the Epidural bec dosage was increased.
10.30pm: Pushed into OT for c-sect and my baby Andrea was born abt half an hour later! Gynae said baby was indeed in OP position. Thank God we didn't opt for option 2 for the Oxytoxin. OT staff gotta suck mucus outta her nose and she cried bec she didn't like it. But stopped crying when they put her on my chest. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]
11plus: Gynae doing up the stitching etc and sent to recovery room. Still shivering but not too badly. Was given warm air in recovery room and it made me feel better. I was back in my ward by 12.30am. Breastfed baby and she suckle well immediately. I was so glad to cradle her in my arms and still am!!! [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]
BTW, my hubby went back home after I have settled nicely in the ward and reported bruises on his shoulder and hand the next day, haha!! ;p
