Any SAHMTBs?

taslyn, i bought miracle turn at taka over the wkend.. no discount for that lei... =(
u got ur 4th MS pup? How many dogs do u have nw? I have 2 - a yorkie/silky and a jap spitz and I do dog boarding too, so i have a lot of dogs coming in and out regularly. It's very fun to be around dogs huh? =)

j&m, I think my uterus moved up alittle.. Like the lump at my lower abdomen not so obvious already. instead, it's like my lower tummy "pong" abit. I think baby moved up la, otherwise is that I got fatter lo. haha!!
 


hi jamie:
currently i hv 2.. coz the other 2 pass away on me..
it is nice to do boarding huh... lol.. i know who i can find if i go overseas next time.. hehehe...
 
queenie yah I’m working till x’mas… starting to count down to last day liao, getting quite xian… sometimes I dunno whether it’s worth it or not cuz I dun seem to be able to save much from my salary with transport and makan, etc… or maybe I’m just an incorrigible spendthrift!

vanilla jayden is very cute, looks really alert! I’m starting to wonder how mine will look like – kind of hard to imagine…

taslyn oic… ur hubby in electronic field… I’ve heard of certain jobs having such effects…

I hope eviana didn’t get too scared of ur doggie? I know some dogs get jealous… I was lucky, my grandma’s dog loved me n used to help her take care of me… he will jaguar me when I was having my afternoon nap…

I miss having a dog, my previous dog died 2 yrs ago but my hubby isn’t keen to have one… I think he’s scared I will pay more attention to the dog than to baby cuz I’ve always been more of a dog person than a kid person… lol…

When does the taka sale end?

j&m I think everyone is paranoid to some extent… I know I am! If baby happens to kick less on a certain day I start to get worried and start monitoring… had a scare last wed when I tripped and fell, landed on my stomach some more! Good thing nothing happened, esp with my hb being away for another week!

Jamie I wasn’t aware that it’s possible to do pet-boarding at home.. do u need some kind of licence or some thing like that? Are the owners / dogs hard to handle?
 
deluxe:
neh she is okay with them... she can play n coo when they lick her..

now nana's jealousy is okay coz she has kobe to fuss over and hb pays more attention to nana..

taka sale.. i think it will last til xmas..

u must take care now esp when u r near full term.. do keep impt contacts ready on hand just in case...
 
deluxe: u real close to edd rite? im getting excited for u!! =) and yup, taka sale lasts till 25th dec. the burberry's kids auntie told me one.
dog boarding... i dunno, i didn't get a license for it tho law says can only house 1 dog i think.. but i make sure there's not too many I board at a time la.. If many then I'll get those quieter, and smaller ones. Usually will have max of 2 big dogs or 4 small ones. Will play around lor. Dun wanna get in trouble with my neighbors too especially since beside me is indian muslim and in front of me is malay and preggers too!

here's my webbie, u can check it out! =) http://furryville.blogspot.com/

taslyn: go my webbie see see also since ur boarding them tonite!
 
taslyn that's good that eviana din get doggie phobia.. sounds like nana has maternal instincts too.. just not so much towards human babies!

i haven't started packing my hospital bag yet leh.. tot i would be super kan cheong n be ready by now but now i keep putting it off :p

jamie i've got 6 wks more... still feeling quite senang diri..
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took a peep at ur blog... looks interesting.. how long have u been doing it? continuing after giving birth? part of the reason i never got round to doing it is that i'm afraid that dogs from different owners might fight or there might be ticks / fleas.. singaporeans can be very demanding customers so dun wanna get into trouble unnecessarily. U never had any problems so far?
 
deluxe:
lol.. she is okay with eviana.. but she probably attack evianna coz she felt left out coz my hb dun play as much as he used to b4 eviana was born.

hospital bag:
my hb pack for me when my waterbag burst.. lol
 
deluxe: no problems la.. jus dat sometimes i have pups less than 6 mths dat one i bit more kan chiong. cuz they so small i scared they roam ard and hard to find them. But i think owners who board with me usually take gd care of their dogs, ie: no fleas or ticks. I'll also plan my number and size of the dogs so I know I can handle them easily.. been doing it for abt a yr on off.. aft give birth shld b close shop la.. unless gt non barky and easy to take care dogs then ok la.. =)
 
Hi! All,

Sorry..MIA for quite sometime...hehe.

Hi! Jamie,

My gynae also mentioned that my placenta has moved up a bit during the last ultrasound. Really hope it moves again..
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Hi! de_luxe,

You do take good care of yourself. Luckily the baby is protected by the waterbag. I also monitor my baby kicks every now and then..whenever there is no kick, I get worried.
 
de_luxe
haha. sorry abt my miaing.. forgot to come in this thread. :p nvm lar. no matter what, u still have to continue to wrk till the very last day.. juz work for the sake of working and not for the money?

haha im now officially in my 3rd trimester liaos.
im so scared!...
 
taslyn wah.. u wonderful man.. i dunno if i dare to rely on my hubby to pack for me or not, sure to forget something one lor... think he will be more kan cheong than me on d-day... :p

\b(j&m} that's good news..
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My baby has been turning from left to right n is now stuck on the right.. hoping he'll turn to the left n stay put there for delivery

queenie no prob... wah that's fast! wat exactly are u scared of?

A bit hard to work for the sake of working leh, no incentive like that.. i not so hard working... haha
 
deluxe:
where are u having the baby?? coz most of the things are prep by hospital anyway.. u will get ur 1st bag of diapers, baby wipes, diaper cream for bb... n u still can go for natal class in hospital during ur stay..

u only need to pack ur own stuff like PJs, maternity pads and toiletries.... the rest u can still send hb to get when u r still in hospital...else u will end up with alot of things to bring home... coz hospital will give u alot of freebies oso..

for me... i can never get things done til the last min...haha

u opting for natural???

emily:
lol u scared of childbirth ar??? dun worry lar... there is always epidural to help u... n ur hb will be there for u mah...

dun think of those delivery videos images... it always seem exaggerated but when it is ur turn, maternal instincts will kick. when u finally see ur boy boy, evthing is so worth it.
 
de_luxe
haha ya lor. juz when im still enjoying my 2nd trimester den i realised it has ended and entering the last stage. the final and im gg to see the end product real soon.
im scare of the LABOUR PAIN. no matter via natural/c-sect with or without epidural or other aids, i just somehow got a fear with it. eeek,
-shivers-
not only that, im also scare i cant handle my baby when he's out next yr march lor. some pple will say is easy , once baby is out we will learn the way of it. but it kinda of worries me. as im living all alone with hb only. and my parents living faraway frm me and im not staying in the same vinicity as my in laws as well.
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Taslyn
haha ya lor.im afraid of childbirth and epidural also.. lol hb will be there for me? eeek he oso cant go thru the pain for me.. i really praying hard.. now i still cant visualize everything is worth it. cause' i havent see bb.. tts why i really salutes when u said u wan to try for 2nd baby real soon.. cool mom!!!
 
taslyn i'm gg to Mt A... they told us what will be provided during the ante-natal class but i forgot more than 50% of it :p i'm sure they dun provide toiletries tho. Also cuz my doc and records at TMC, i've got to make sure i bring my test results w me cuz was told to do so.

Half the time my HB doesn't know where things are kept, if ask him to get, i've got to draw a road map of the apt for him! haha..

Yah, i'm opting for natural - so far the situation allows me to, not keen on epidural cuz i've got a slipped disc at the lower back ard the area where epidural is normally done. Epidural has a possibility of making it worse if somehow not done properly for whatever reason, n this is one of the last things i want cuz it already took me 2 yrs and a lot of $$$ to get rid of the initial pain which is really no fun n makes walking difficult.. i would consider laughing gas or TENS if i need to tho. Pethidine, not so keen either cuz it crosses the placenta n might make bb sleepy n not want to bf after birth.

Well i'm confident that i can manage, currently taking hypnobirthing class at four trimesters and so far it really helped to boost my confidence. Think it's one of the best things i did for myself so far during the pregnancy.

queenie u know, i wasn't scared of labour till i saw the delivery videos during ante-natal classes... but now that i've seen the hypnobirthing videos, realised that it is possible to have a short, easy and relaxed labour without all the screaming...

i would suggest that u read up on hypnobirthing techniques even if u dun want to go for the class. It's really helpful in helping to overcome ur fears, n one thing i must share, u've got to have more confidence in your natural ability to deliver and to overcome ur fear cuz it's a fact that fear makes pain worse. It's too lengthy to explain here (got to do with hormones, etc) but if u want to know more, i'm happy to share.
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Oh... hubbies are in the room for u to vent on... i heard of someone who took her partner's head and shook him violently, up and down!!
 
de_luxe

haha thank u so much for the brief description on hypnobirthing. i will goin n read it up..
mrs wong frm tmc actually said tt screaming will only exhaust ourselves. coz our strength is converted to sound energy..(so physics hor?
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)so nt advisable.
i trying to keep myself not to go n think of the scary parts. hehes.
will enquire with u if i need any clarifications.

hmm i tink since ur hb donno where ur stuffs kept, u better pack it soon. lols.
pray for u that u will be able to have a succesful natural birth!!!
 
de_luxe:
MT A service is good... the nurses are very friendly and helpful... but i dunno abt the LC there coz i did not deliver there... however when my ger was admited there the last time around and the kids ward was full, they let mi stay in the delivery wards... so i sorta know all the nurses there and they know my ger already..

pain options:
if u can manage pain, then i think gas will suffice but make sure they turn on enuff for u. else it is useless... also dun take pentidine,it is useless... JIA YOU yeah... at least u took hypnobirthing class... i took nothing.. but once the time comes, evthing will be okay... continue to go for ur swims, do brisk walking, stair climbing, it helps a faster delivery..
also they mention raspberry tea aids faster delivery... prolly that is y i had a fast labour of ard 4hrs for my 1st kid...

toiletries:
they do provide the normal stuff.. but coz u on confinement, u may wanna bring ur own confinement shampoo n watever not.

bf: oh... remember to start to massage ur boobs now.. it helps to simulate milk production


emily:
aiya... dun let the videos get to u coz evone's case is different. by now Dr ang would hv told u if u can go for natural.. if u cannot, he also wun ask u to try... sometimes it is the fear which cripple us but once u r there, the fear goes away coz u will only wan the baby to come out fast.. haha.. at least that was on my mind when those stupid contractions set in... n seriously, support from ur partner will help you thru childbirth greatly.

2nd child:
dunno lar.. just take it when it comes... i just want to endure n bite the bullet n bring up the kids... dun wanna to hv too big a gap else hv to go thru the same cycle again
 
taslyn that's gd to know... thks for the tip on gas... i think my mom had pethidine when she had me n my sis, she also couldn't remember...

where do u get raspberry tea from? N start drinking from which wk? I dun want an early baby!

How to do boobs massage? I heard shld not stimulate nipples cuz can cause labour to start if not careful..

BTW, did u shower after the delivery? I dunno how to tahan not showering after all the blood n goo..

Understand wat u mean re 2nd child... my hb laughed at me last nite... say i shld get preggie again soon after this one, since i'm already used to being huge, might as well continue staying huge! :p Also laugh at me when my movements are awkward, like can't stand or sit properly... no sympathy at all!! Men!

queenie no prob... we're all in the same boat.. i can understand ur fear..i was pretty stressed abt labour after watching those labour videos.. my hands would go cold.. after long talks n some arguments w hb, managed to persuade him to go for hypnobirthing (guys are usually quite skeptical). The hubby is also involved in hypnobirthing, he's taught massage techniques n how to help wife go into deep relaxation. Have to practise at home to get the hang of it. Feel free to ask me if u've got questions.

Mrs wong is right that u'll exhaust urself with screaming, actually the hospital style of pushing can also exhaust u.. did she teach u any breathing / relaxation techniques? Mt A classes did, tho not in detail, but i din find them useful nor practical.
 
deluxe:
raspberry tea: some get it online, i know mim webbie sells it.. mi? i took those which i can find in NTUC, lipton raspberry, strawberry and dunno wat berry tea.. lol.. u drink during 38th week bah...

then drink coconut 1mth from due... drink abt 1 coconut a day... this helps cleanse ur body/blood

boobs massage: clockwise/anti clock wise... coz this will help u produce.. massage ard 5 min on each side a day...leave the nipple area alone... tat will trigger contractions.

shower: i cannot tahan on the 3rd day... so shower b4 i go home.. else got hawks ard that will stop me from bathing.. haha...
then i tahan for 2 weeks dun bathe... after that i bathe ev 3-4days...
u get those ba feng cao or confinement shampoo.. the key is to wipe urself 100% n not subject to wind.. i use my baby wet wipes on myself...
i asked my malay fren what they do during confinement, she said they dun do anything special n live on as normal.. so i v puzzled.,.. y chinese so ma fan...

chidlbirth:
just remember to relax and go with the flow... breathing techniques are DOH... dun think they help... i was screaming at every contraction.. hahaha... but luckily i can still manage to push my ger out..
 
hey girls~ i went for check up ytd.. Doc says "70% girl" at 17 wks.. Baby did flash abit n doc paused the scanner thingy when she flashed. She said gt nothing bt still didnt wanna confirm gender.. Sigh... at 17 wks still cant confirm??? Other than baby's health this is also very kan chiong issue for me lo!!
 
haha...
jamie:
then most prob is ger liao lor...
got ger ger is nice mah.. can dress her up n play with her..

my gynae confirm xuan xuan gender @ 15weeks... then at the detailed scan @ 20weeks.. it was further confirmed by the technician coz she was able to detect xuan;s uterus.

u wan a boy or ger?
 
thks taslyn

my mum supposed to get the herbs and whatever else she needs for confinement.. dunno whether she bought already or not..

Yah.. only the chinese got such weird practices... all passed down from china, where weather is colder n harsher (winter, etc)... so guess the malays / indians dun have such concerns cuz their climate is like sg...
 
taslyn: i prefer girl, tho i want 2 kids so either one also can la.. my gynae like dare not confirm gender lei, tho she said a few times "nothing there". Baby didnt EXACTLY open legs big big la.. cuz dat time she scan, the baby was in sitting position, so doc had me lie on my side. When she scan, she scanned frm the like, the baby backside area.. so she say "there's nothing there".

Does everyone get nigra linea? I either dun hv or I dunno hw to recognise it.. When does it show?
 
Hi all, i'm expecting my no. 2 in apr 2009 and also SAHM to 4yo boy. Hope to join in your chats. Happy holidays!
 
deluxe:
agree only chinese got such weird practices... haha.. just make sure that u get all the nourishment u can get during confinement so ur body can recover faster...

jamie:
lol... just wait for detailed scan lor...

nigra line... not so fast de lar.. prolly in late 2nd tri or early 3rd tri.... in meantime moisturise moisture to minimise stretchmarks... hahaha

hi juxta
welcome here... wow sahm to 4 yo... u mean u been at home all this time? how u keep ur sanity? lol
 
Hi Taslyn, thanks for the welcome!!

Thats a question I've been asking myself! It gets easier when he's older and attends school which is why we decided to have another. I really admire those who can give birth 1-2 years apart. I've prob coping with 1 somedays, maybe I'm alone most of the time. Are you a FTWM or SAHM? I supposed you're due sometime soon?

jaime, I didn't get the nigra linea for no. 1. Wonder will it happen this time round.
 
juxta...
no lar.. i m not due anytime soon... coz my girl is out 3.5mths back.. kekeke..

for now i am a SAHM to my girl and dogs.. haha..
 
Taslyn, oh congrats!! she must be real fun now!! sorry i just glimpse thru the previous postings, so not very in the loop!
 
juxta:
yup she is a great bundle of fun now... super playful and naughty...
she loves to go shopping n has expensive taste.. lol... she likes to go to those branded boutiques and look at the stuff there... no interest in her baby toys... can faint ar
 
Taslyn, looks like mummy has introduced her to good taste ya? hahah i missed my boy when he's that young, all round and drooling! argh, time flies!!! You stopped working right after you delivered?
 
Hi! All mummy,

So long never login liao....I just came back from my amniocentesis. Now bedrest at home. My triple blood test result was marginal. My gynae has left the decision to us. We decided to go ahead cos we did not want to worry throughout the whole pregnancy. Now, I just stay positive and wait for the result. It will be ready abt 3 weeks later.
Anyone went through amnio or had triple test with marginal result?
 
juxta:
nope it is not mummy who exposed her to brand names... it was daddy's fault.. hahaha.. i never bear to spend money on branded coz my moolah is always spent travel and modding my car last time...

i stopped working shortly after i got married and pregnant shortly after marriage.

j&m:
hmmm bedrest sounds serious... u take care yeah? i din take these test when i was preggy with eviana so cannot advise.

anyway.. HAPPY NEW YEAR from me n bb eviana frm bkk.. lol
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Hi all..

Happy 2009..
So long didnt come in this thread. hows everyone?

Deluxe
shen le mah?? haha.. looking forward to hear your birthing experience wor. :p

J&M
hope u are doing fine.. havent get ur amino results yet ya?

As for myself.
im currently at 31 weeks and 2 days le.
very excited. every now and then will get BH contractions. and am so worried that it might be real contractions. coz it happened to 3 other mtbs in my march thread. and one of them even delivered liao.. nw i seriously don dare to run chase bus animore, walk too long haha..
 
hi all...

v happy but stressed at the same time... coz i got preggy again... currently at 7 weeks.. n maybe a multiple birth... though the nultiple birth part is not v confirmed yet...
edd is 28th aug
:p
 
hello! happy new year!

queenie m still ard... 38 wks now
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wat ur BH feels like? i'm still trying to figure them out... last 2 days have been getting a tightening feeling across lower stomach but no other signs on anything happening..

wow taslyn congrats!!
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why stressed? u were ttc-ing anyway right?
 
deluxe:
wow.... i guess it can be anytime soon le yeah....

i'm not stressed abt having another bb... but stressed at the thought that it could be multiples! coz i keep having dreams of multiple births ie triplets... scary.. gynae does not wanna confirm on that part yet.

are you dilated yet?
for me.. at the 38th week checkup, i was only dilated 1 cm. then dr say wait til 39th week n see how coz may hv to induce coz my amnoic fluid was going low.. but my ger had her own mind to burst the waterbag 2 days later.. hahaha.. even right til super terok n pain contractions which are 2-3min apart, the dilation was 1cm.. luckily for me, the pain only lasted <4hrs b4 my ger was out.. *phew*


juxta:
i m scared i cannot handle so many bb at 1 time.. plus my ger is just 4mths now.. if it is multiple birth, it means 4 babies and no more overseas trips after 1st trimester plus lots of bedrest..not to mention the exorbitant hospital bill coz most of the time, multiple births mean bb in NICU... worse case senario i heard was to prep 300K... n i refuse to go govt hospital.. hahaha
 
de_luxe
hehe u are still ard! thats so good..
hope u deliver at 40wks? hehe
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but u going to miss cny liao hor?

Re: BH
my bh ah.. suddenly lower tummy will hardens up esp when im sitting down.. on n off it occurs too when im walking.
u oso got that feeling ya? but donno yours is BH or real contractions leh. when u gg check up again?
 
Taslyn, I can understand, first shock then joy and many other practical issues to consider. I know quite a few who's got twins, really admire them! Hey ur really good! 4mths and u're all set to have a new addition! I wouldnt even think of that!
 
juxta:
lol.. no lar.. just wanna hv my kids to be out ard the same time.. then just suffer once n for all... then dunno need to go thru the same cycle a few yrs later.. keke
 
de_luxe

delivered to ur baby alrdy?
been weeks since we last hear frm u..
hope u both are doin fine..
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rem 2 share ur birthing experience ah..
happy cny!
 
hi everyone

gong xi fa cai! how's everyone doing?

I delivered Johann Tsai Wei Schmidt on 10 Jan, early morning
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when i had show in the morning of 9 jan, i told him to wait till 11 Jan so i can attend old fren's wedding but he din listened so ended up apologising to my fren that we can't attend at the last min.

Labour went v well, exactly the way i wanted, compeletely drug free (ie no gas / pethidine / epidural) and also no episotomy.
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Placenta also delivered naturally. Was in the delivery suite for less than 2 hrs when he was born... dr said i can have a few more like this, lol... shall give the details when i've got the time to type out..

Now bb on tbf, can be quite tiring... this morning, he fed for almost 3 hrs non-stop, just wanted to drink and drink and drink.. finally got him to sleep at 3 plus, not gg to wake him till evening to feed...
 
Happy Chinese New Year to All..

hi de_luxe!!!
so happy to know about your newborn baby !!!
wow. u did it drug free! amazing lei. moreover without Episotomy. how i wish i can be like you.
ya i tink TBF is tiring for mothers. but do preserve on ah.. coz BFin is v gd for child and gd for us in someways too.

hope to hear from you again..
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Hi

Im going to be a SAHM soon, gng back wk after my maternity leave but will have to tender on the day i wk, do you all think tis is appropriate??
 
queenie i did lots of prep to achieve the birth i wanted, really glad all the efforts paid off
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TBF is tiring, mom keeps telling me the benefits of FM, m presevring, having v bad blocked ducts now. The pain is worse than labour pain - at least w labour u roughly know how long it will last. Gg to see LC at Mt A later in hope of a solution.

ger hi! r u on ML now? re resigning on the 1st day back, i supposed u r doing that so that ur last day will be asap.. as to whether it's appropriate, it's really personal - of cuz it's not nice since u juz got back n i doubt the bosses will be happy abt it, unless u can cook up a sob story? If u have no qualms abt burning bridges n not concerned abt having gd referrals for later on then it doesn't matter..
 
thanks zeal
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how's everyone? so quiet here these days. I just had surgery yesterday - turned out that i had an abscess in the right breast. So had to make a small cut to drain the stuff inside out.
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finally got my birth story out... it's kinda long so skip it if u're bored. Here goes..

9 Jan 2009
10.30am: Woke up and discovered some staining that seems to be like show when going to the toilet. Wondered if I should cancel my lunch appointment. Decided to observe. Took a shower and sms hb.

11am: No further signs – did not experience any contractions or further show. Started stuffing hospital bag. Made a cup of raspberry leaf tea and told baby J to hang in there and let me attend my sec sch friend’s wedding tomorrow night before he comes.

12pm: Still nothing happening, decided to proceed with day’s plan. Got changed and went to Republic Plaza for lunch.

3pm: Was having dessert when I experienced very mild menstrual-like discomfort. Went to toilet, but no show or bleeding. Hb sms me that he’s meeting his mates for some beer and will be home around 8pm.

4pm: Left Republic Plaza and headed to Carrefour to exchange the night lamps I bought a few days ago. Was fed up when staff said I can’t test the new lamps and I have to come back if I want to exchange them again – can’t she see that I’m heavily pregnant??!! Had to explain that I’m due any time now and don’t want to make another trip here. Had to speak to supervisor before getting exchange done. Took forever and had to stand the whole time.

5pm: Finally could leave. On the way home, felt some mild menstrual-like cramps and backache. Nothing unbearable though.

6pm: Arrived at Boon Lay and felt that I had to do some last minute shopping in case baby decides to arrive. Went to Jurong Point – rushed around to NTUC, book shop and houseware shop – ended up with huge bags of shopping to carry home. Decided to take a cab home.

7pm: Home at last! Started preparing dinner of sausages and ratatouille. Noticed that surges are becoming more regular but didn’t time them as they weren’t bothering me at all.

7.30pm: Hb sms me again to say that he’ll be late and will only be back around 8.30pm. Replied asking him not to drink too much as we may need to go to the hospital tonight.

8.30pm: Had another round of surges during dinner. Made an estimation that surges are occurring every hour or so. Hb gets excited and starts singing, “my son is coming!” He asked if I think we would go to the hospital tomorrow morning or afternoon – I replied that we would probably have to go in the middle of the night today!!

After dinner, did the dishes and last minute tasks and packing.

Asked hb if he knows what to do in the delivery suite. His reply? “No.. you’ll have to tell me what to do..” *faint* oh well… at least I know what to expect now…

9pm: Surges were difficult to time. They would come persistently for 15 to 30 mins then stop, before restarting in 1 hour with the same pattern – what is that supposed to mean?? Found that squatting down during surges helped me feel more comfortable. Continued to breathe normally.

9.30pm: Sms friend to say that I’m having early signs of labour. We’re on standby and probably can’t make it to her wedding.

10pm: Sms gyne that I’m having contractions approximately 1 in 1 hour since 7pm.

Decided to exfoliate and do a deep cleansing facial mask before taking a shower – just in case I wouldn’t be able to for the next 1 month! Also trimmed my nails so that I wouldn’t scratch hb (aren’t I considerate??)…

10.22pm: Gyne replied “Observe yrself at home if the contractions reach 1 in 10 min or too painful go to hospital and the nurses will inform me on yr status. Otherwise see you in my clinic at 8.45am for assessment”.

10.30pm: Double checked hospital bag with hb. Vain pot me threw in more toiletries but decided to give make-up a pass.

10 Jan 2009
12am: Surges felt like they have picked up speed – seems to be 1 in 20 mins. Told hb to start timing. According to timer, surges lasted 50 secs at a frequency of 1 in 7 - 10 mins. Didn’t believe that surges were so close, thought that there must be something wrong with hb’s timing technique – doesn’t feel that intense. So far surges haven’t been painful, just felt like intense tightening sensations.

Kept trying to time until we both got fed up. Decided to try and get some sleep first.

1am: Can’t sleep but still feels too early for hospital.

1.30am: Went to the toilet and saw fresh blood. Surges intensified. Took deep breaths. Went to wake hb who literally jumped out of bed. Instructed him to carry all the stuff down and I will follow once we’re ready to leave. I got changed while he was carrying the bags to the car - had to kneel on the floor several times when surges came in continuous waves.

Finally it’s time to go! When I was sure that the surges were over, I walked down the stairs to the car. A new surge hit just as I reached the car. Tried to get into the car but it was locked and hb is still upstairs!! I swore, thinking he’s nuts to keep the car locked in the middle of the night when no one is around. Kneeled next to the car while waiting for him to arrive. He came down and couldn’t see me kneeling on the opposite side. Once he realized I was there, he got into the car and waited for me to get in. So much so for male chivalry, I thought – couldn’t he at least help me into the car??!!

1.45am: Finally able to move off… called gyne on the way to Mt Alvernia and he sleepily told me to check in first, the nurses will update him.

Darn! I forgot to trim my eye brows!

Had surges in the car, tried timing them and they seemed to be 1 in 5 mins – I still thought that I wasn’t timing them correctly… Told hb that I find surges easier to manage than menstrual cramps as they are regular and consistent.

2am: Arrived at Mt Alvernia. Walked to the registration desk and told the nurse “I’m in labour”. Hb tagged along behind with the bags. A guy came up with a wheelchair. I sat on it even though I felt that I could walk. Was wheeled to the delivery suites on level 3, where the nurses asked for my name and frequency of surges. Was immediately sent to one of the suites with 2 nurses. Hb was told to go downstairs and register while I was given a cup to collect a pee sample and a hospital gown. Went to the bathroom to pee and change – took a while as surges started to intensify even more. Nurse knocked on door to ask if I’m alright.

Finally came out of the bathroom – able to walk once the surges were over. Nurse led me to the bed and I was thinking that hb was taking really long with the registration. Nurse was about to strap on the CTG when another surge came, I had to grip her wrist really hard. I think I must have hurt her but she was nice enough not to complain. Once CTG was on, I could lie down in the semi-supine position. Surges came and went – I stopped counting and lost track of the time. Concentrated on counting and deep breathing. Somebody asked if I wanted gas – I shook my head. A nurse did a V.E. and announced in surprise that I was already 7 to 8 cm dilated! Wow!! I could hardly believe my ears and felt very heartened by the news! I felt inexplicably thirsty and asked for water – gobbled 2 cups of water to the nurse’s surprise.

Hb finally came back and was just as surprised that I’m already so dilated… told him to get the birth plan out and leave it with my notes on the nurses’ counter. He also started playing the Rainbow Relaxation CD and sat next to me. Nurses left us alone after reading our birth plan.

My left hand was gripping his while my right hand gripped the bed rail as we moved through the surges. At some point, I felt hb prying my hand open so that he could transfer my hand to his other hand. He tried to do some light touch massage on my left arm – I couldn’t decide if it was irritating or distracting so I just let him continue. A nurse came back in to free me from the CTG.

Felt a sudden need to pee and hb helped me to the toilet – it took a long while to get there and back with frequent stops and kneeling on floor during surges. Decided that it’s not a good idea to move and that I should just stay in bed.

At some point, hb went to replay the Rainbow Relaxation and I heard him take the opportunity to go to the bathroom. I was doing well and was ok with that… surges came while I was waiting for him to come back out… then suddenly I felt a ‘pop’ sensation and warm water flowing out – my water bag had burst! Hb is still not out – what on earth is he doing in the bathroom!??! Could still wait until I felt an strong feeling of something moving down very quickly – a feeling that I can’t describe in words…. Couldn’t wait anymore and shouted “Bertil!!” at the top of my lungs. Heard a commotion in the bathroom and he came running out, sounding flustered... “Get the nurses!” I said… I don’t know how he did that but a nurse came very quickly… “Water bag has broken” I told her. It felt like there was some action going on but I was too focused to pay any attention to what was happening around me. I felt an intense pressure to push and instinctively started… at some point, the nurse told me not to push, the doctor is not here yet!! I tried but couldn’t stop – the urge was just so primal - she came over and made the bed completely flat despite my protests… this will help you to stop pushing, she said. She then turned me onto my left side and I was left in this position, breathing heavily and gripping hb. I didn’t know how long I was in this position until I couldn’t bear it any longer and really really had to push despite the nurse telling me to “control” and “don’t push”. Thankfully, hb spoke up for me and told her “I think she really needs to push now.”

Dr finally arrived – I was both relieved and angry that he took so long but no time and energy to dwell on it – at last I was allowed to push. Someone must have put me back up into the semi-supine position. Dr asked if I wanted to feel the head – it was distracting and took me some effort to shake my head. I heard him say that an episiotomy is not needed. A surge came and the crowning sensation, so different from the surges that I was used to, took me off-guard and I lost my focus… “I can’t do it… I’m giving up” flashed through my mind. Just then the surge subsided and Dr Kee was still telling me to push… I couldn’t muster up any energy. We waited for the next surge and I felt something large and round (the baby’s head) coming through followed by a wet slithering movement which I assumed to be the body…

3.52am: Dr announced the time of birth. I just closed my eyes and leaned back. When I opened my eyes shortly, I saw Johann, lying bloodied while the cord was clamped and hb cut the cord… it felt like an out of body experience… I didn’t feel like I was physically present. Instead, I felt like a 3rd party observing the scene.

Johann was hastily wrapped in the green hospital sheet and given to me. When I first held him, I felt like it was “hello, stranger…so you’re the guy I’ve been talking to for the past 9 months.” The nurse squeezed out colostrum and helped him to latch on. Meanwhile, Dr was saying that my uterine contractions were very efficient and the placenta could be delivered naturally. He started massaging my uterus. I did not notice when the placenta was delivered. At some point, I said “I can’t believe I just did this.” He told me that I sustained a minor tear and some abrasions and stitched me up.

Things started winding down. Johann was taken to be weighed, measured and cleaned up with Bertil in tow, before being returned to me. Dr ensured that we were fine, changed out of his scrubs and left. Bertil, Johann and I were left alone to spend our first moments as a family together…

After some time, the nurses came back, cleaned me up and transferred me to a gurney as we made the transition to the wards. Bertil wheeled Johann along, while the nurses pushed me out. Just as we passed the reception desk, a nurse there said “next time, come in earlier…” On hindsight, maybe I should have done so, but then again, maybe not! This felt just right!
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deluxe:
keke... just managed to log on... was so busy coz Eviana, hb and i were taking turns going in n out of hospital.. lol... they made a hefty sum from us...

congrats on the birth of Johann... got his pics?? post them... lol
i can concur with u on the part where u just felt like u just had to push though the nurses told u not to.. haha... n lucky u.. no need for episotomy... and i am so envious of u.. 7-8cm dilated.. i was only 1cm dilated when the waterbag burst.

n from the way u describe it, i think my 2nd birth will be at Mt A this time. i find them more patient and nicer than TMC :p...

now i am 15wks into my 2nd pregnancy.. gynae says he is 70% confirm that it is gonna be a boy..n EDD is supposedly on 20th Aug... hb is super elated that he is getting a boy...
 

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