hi hi,
Since flo already announced by bb's arrival
, I shall post my birth story here. All the timings are approximate cos I really didn't know
As she mentioned, I was due 31 Jan but baby didn't want to come out on the due date. Visited Dr Han that afternoon at AMK clinic, and fluid was low, so he arranged for prostin induction on the wee hours of Mon. By that day I already had some contractions, strong, but very very far between. 1 cm dilated.
Sunday 1 Feb
Having contractions sometimes 10 mins apart during Saturday night, but once I got up in the morning, the contractions practically disappeared, occuring maybe once every half hour. Sian. Didn't do much that day except walk to the nearby shopping mall for lunch with hb to try to get contractions going more regularly. Still not much progress. Slept in afternoon to get ready for induction at night. My 2 older kids were already at my parents' place, so I could sleep
.
10 pm - contractions started to become more regular, 10 minutes and stronger. Was pacing the floor during the contractions to relax the legs.
10.30 - Was worried that we would have to check in 'early' and 'lose' a day of our package. Contractions about 8 mins/
11.30 pm - Set off in my bil's car. During the journey, contractions sort of stopped *darn*. Only one very strong contraction occurred during the 20 minute journey.
Midnight (Monday) - arrived at Delivery Suite. Waited til 0003 to check in.
Walked to Rm 12 and did CTG monitoring. - not much contractions. Not regular at all.
VE showed 3 cm.
Check with Dr - He decided not to induce with prostin, but to stay in delivery room and allow spontaneous labour to progress.
~1 am - Contractions started getting regular again, about 8 mins and strong.
~2 am - I asked for the use of the gas, though it was still bearable. Didn't want to wait til too late. The stupid gas mask was faulty but one of the midwives said 'nothing wrong' mah.
~3 am - Quite painful already, and gas mask was still acting up, so I 'demanded' a change. Much better.
~5 am - Bladder felt really full (yeah, like I could feel it), Tried to pee, but couldn't, so midwives inserted catether to drain urine. Hahhhh relief (for the time being)
~6 am - Quite unbearable already. Gas was not really working! Didn't make me dizzy at all. I reckon that it was just the act of concentrating on the breathing into the mask was helping, but it wasn't really having any effect otherwise. I was struggling with the pain, and groaning away.
~6.30 - midwife wanted to do VE but I just couldn't uncurl myself to let her. She scolded me, and said how could she tell the progress if I wouldn't let her check. I was too in pain to care. I told her that the water hadn't broken so baby couldn't possibly come down yet!
~7.30 - midwife scolded me again cos I curled up and she couldn't get the heartbeat to see if everything was alright. Wah with an enormous effort I had to straighten up during the contractions to let her hold the monitor steady. I can't quite remember, but I think I eventually let her check. I managed to ask if Dr Han was going to come soon. They said soon, soon. I figured that if he came he could burst the water bag and get the bb out fast.
~ 7.45 - Finally he came. So again with great effort, I had to lie on my back and straighten up. And I was already crowning. The Dr said the waters had broken already but there was very little fluid that's why I hadn't realised it.
So I was ready to push. Anyway the contractions had been the pushing (pang sai) kind for >1 hour already.
But this time, Dr Han just held my legs on the bed, and said DON"T PUSH!!! Head is nearly out already. Just cough. I managed to look at him and say 'huh'? So he said cough cough, not too hard. Enormous effort to control again, so I obeyed. He instructed me to cough harder a bit, and encouraged me that the baby's head had popped out. Cough cough again and the body came out. New technique! No need episiotomy. Just a small tear, with 4 stitches. I think we were all happy that things turned out well. But I said 3x during the aftermath to my hb that this was our last baby. No more!
My baby was 3.454 kg. 50 cm long,
So that's my birth story. Sorry so long winded.
Recovery has been much easier without the episiotomy, though of course with the usual muscle aches now.