22nd June 2012, Friday
Hubby accompanied me home for some dumplings. Before I got off the car, I felt something weird. A slight menstrual ache at my abdomen. It wasn't anything close to the kind of contractions people have been telling me.
Went up to my mom's place and noticed that I was having menses! Which probably meant that I could be in labour within these few days as told by my mom. Didn't want to tell Hubby's parents about the menses as Hubby needed to drive to work and telling that would mean that he has to take public transport.
Well, a moment after Hubby left house, my MIL saw me with a sanitary pad and asked if I was bleeding there. She called the clinic and managed to get in contact with my gynae, Dr Ooi, who told her to bring me to the hospital. FIL called my hubby to come back and we took all that was pre-packed for the hospital stay. Hubby drove our moms and I to Mount E.
Didn't feel any bad ache but it felt exactly like when I was having menses. The sour sour feeling at the lower abdomen. Well, I was pushed to the delivery suite in a wheelchair as the nurse insisted that I have to be.
(9+pm) No one else was allowed into the suite except for my hubby. The cramp started getting more obvious.
I laid on the bed and was put on some devices to check the frequency and intensity of the contractions, as well as, the heartbeat of my baby girl.
The contractions started to get more intensified, with the meter showing 100+ max. Whenever it hit over 50, I'd start to feel the tightening of my lower abdomen, together with some sore feeling. Overnight, the contractions got regular with a 15minutes interval.
23rd June 2012, Saturday
Could still walk and move around until a while after the gynae burst my water bag at 10am the next morning. He told me that this could speed up the labour time. However, my cervix did not dilate any further than 3cm until the afternoon which only hit 5cm. They did a drip on me to speed up the dilating process (which also means stronger contractions to be experienced). By then it was too painful as the contractions were closer and more intensed, with the maximum intensity recorded 120-130. I finally agreed to having some pain relief - an injection at the bum!
My cervix did not dilate even with the drip. It was already 7pm and I was seriously in a bad shape because of the pain. I couldn't talk to anyone who wished to talk to me on the phone - my MIL and mom. I couldn't respond much to my hubby too. I didn't want to touch my phone at all, not to mention replying any messages! My hubby was the one doing the job in replying.
I gave in and took the epidural. My gynae said I was tough to have endured the pain for so long. My hubby asked the doctor who gave me the epidural, the side effects of this injection - long and short term. I couldn't quite listen to what she said and all I know was "I need to get it injected". I couldn't take the pain no longer and I know it was not gonna help the dilating process. If I don't make this decision, I would have gone into a c-section delivery. It was about 8pm plus when I had the epidural injected. The contraction interval was already once every <5min. That pain was beyond imagination. Not that I have a low pain threshold. (if I had, I wouldn't have endured so long)
I cried to Hubby and held his hand real tight. I cried as the gynae check the cervix when it was still 5cm at 8plus. It was that check which made me surrender to epidural. However, I smiled after the injection. I couldn't feel the contractions anymore and I could finally breathe and rest awhile. Soon, a nurse came in to check the cervix at approx. 10pm and she told me it had dilated to 9cm. I was so happy. She called Dr Ooi and he came to deliver the baby at 11pm.
The epidural helped me relaxed and that was why my cervix could open up. Being too tensed will hinder the opening of the cervix, and the longer time I take, the more it will make the baby feel distress. Which, of course, can be very dangerous.
The pushing process was swift as I couldn't feel any pain. It was numbed and all I see was the reflection of my baby coming out ! haha~! Hubby was not taken aback by the sight and he said it wasn't scary or that bloody. He was actually doubting the midwife who told him that something black at the opening was the baby's head. He looked again to double confirm. He was a helper in the delivery suite. During the process of labour and before.
(11.20pm) Finally the 'fight' was over. Baby came out safely! A moment ago, I was still smiling and laughing away during the pushing as hubby was quite funny during the process. The next moment, I was so drained, tired and cold. Hubby told me that he talked to me but I didn't reply him. But when the nurse asked me questions, I could reply. HAHA! I seriously didn't know that. :/
Not gonna elaborate on what's next. This post is meant to show how tough it can get during the contractions and labour. Oh, there are things about after labour!! The stitches which affected my mobility!! I AM still in pain! And the first time I got off the ward bed to the toilet, I actually had a black out. Luckily a nurse was with me. I gave her a fright too! :X
Everyone has a different threshold of pain. I believe I have a slightly higher than average tolerance. BUT, labour pain is just too much. Imagine the frequency and intensity of the contractions.. If I have dilated faster, I wouldn't be in so much pain. I wouldn't have taken epidural which many people suggested not to. But here, I am really thankful I took it. It prevented a C-section and I managed to have a normal delivery.
Anyways, thanks to all the people who congratulated me for the arrival of my babygirl, Claire.
She is a wonder and a gift.
Needa go rest awhile before feeding her again.. Ciaos!
23rd June 2012, Saturday
Could still walk and move around until a while after the gynae burst my water bag at 10am the next morning. He told me that this could speed up the labour time. However, my cervix did not dilate any further than 3cm until the afternoon which only hit 5cm. They did a drip on me to speed up the dilating process (which also means stronger contractions to be experienced). By then it was too painful as the contractions were closer and more intensed, with the maximum intensity recorded 120-130. I finally agreed to having some pain relief - an injection at the bum!
My cervix did not dilate even with the drip. It was already 7pm and I was seriously in a bad shape because of the pain. I couldn't talk to anyone who wished to talk to me on the phone - my MIL and mom. I couldn't respond much to my hubby too. I didn't want to touch my phone at all, not to mention replying any messages! My hubby was the one doing the job in replying.
I gave in and took the epidural. My gynae said I was tough to have endured the pain for so long. My hubby asked the doctor who gave me the epidural, the side effects of this injection - long and short term. I couldn't quite listen to what she said and all I know was "I need to get it injected". I couldn't take the pain no longer and I know it was not gonna help the dilating process. If I don't make this decision, I would have gone into a c-section delivery. It was about 8pm plus when I had the epidural injected. The contraction interval was already once every <5min. That pain was beyond imagination. Not that I have a low pain threshold. (if I had, I wouldn't have endured so long)
I cried to Hubby and held his hand real tight. I cried as the gynae check the cervix when it was still 5cm at 8plus. It was that check which made me surrender to epidural. However, I smiled after the injection. I couldn't feel the contractions anymore and I could finally breathe and rest awhile. Soon, a nurse came in to check the cervix at approx. 10pm and she told me it had dilated to 9cm. I was so happy. She called Dr Ooi and he came to deliver the baby at 11pm.
The epidural helped me relaxed and that was why my cervix could open up. Being too tensed will hinder the opening of the cervix, and the longer time I take, the more it will make the baby feel distress. Which, of course, can be very dangerous.
The pushing process was swift as I couldn't feel any pain. It was numbed and all I see was the reflection of my baby coming out ! haha~! Hubby was not taken aback by the sight and he said it wasn't scary or that bloody. He was actually doubting the midwife who told him that something black at the opening was the baby's head. He looked again to double confirm. He was a helper in the delivery suite. During the process of labour and before.
Not gonna elaborate on what's next. This post is meant to show how tough it can get during the contractions and labour. Oh, there are things about after labour!! The stitches which affected my mobility!! I AM still in pain! And the first time I got off the ward bed to the toilet, I actually had a black out. Luckily a nurse was with me. I gave her a fright too! :X
Everyone has a different threshold of pain. I believe I have a slightly higher than average tolerance. BUT, labour pain is just too much. Imagine the frequency and intensity of the contractions.. If I have dilated faster, I wouldn't be in so much pain. I wouldn't have taken epidural which many people suggested not to. But here, I am really thankful I took it. It prevented a C-section and I managed to have a normal delivery.
Anyways, thanks to all the people who congratulated me for the arrival of my babygirl, Claire.
She is a wonder and a gift.
Needa go rest awhile before feeding her again.. Ciaos!
Kong Hee! Kong Hee! (恭喜! 恭喜!)
ReplyDeleteCongrats! So happy for you and your families. :)
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