The delivery of Baby Ho Min
Today is my EDD. However baby decides to come out one week earlier. Last Wednesday 7th May at around 4 am, I woke up with a painful contraction. My first thought was “Is this another heartburn?” I suffered many heartburn attacks during this last month of my pregnancy and the last one was so severe I had to be admitted to the hospital overnight for observation. But this time the pain was felt from below. Didn’t think much about it cos the pain was soon gone. But when the pain comes again I somehow suspect that this might be it. I went to the bathroom and saw some blood (mucus plug). I was elated cos I knew this is the day. I calmly washed my hair (don’t ask me why I do that), prepare myself while at the same time experiencing strong contractions all the while. I woke Siong up at 5am who jumped up when I told him. Too bad Tyler woke up before we went off and the last thing we heard from him was his cries for mommy to sleep with him. Luckily we got Jenny to pacify and accompany him.
It was good that it happen in the wee morning hours cos traffic was smooth. Siong drove fast and my contractions were extremely painful. By time we got to the hospital it was 5.30am and my contractions were 4 mins apart. It so happen that my gynae was on leave on that day but luckily there was another doctor around who was really good. There were already 3 women ahead of me in labour and I was the 4th one. The doctor examined me and found that I was already 5cm dilated. I can’t believe it was happening so fast! But I had to wait in the doctor’s room as there wasn’t enough labour rooms. (It is a small hospital) So I had to wait an hour for them to move one of the ladies out as I was progressing faster. When the room was finally ready they asked whether I can walk to the labour room. SO I wrapped my naked lower body with hospital sheets and quickly waddle to the labour room which was totally unglamorous. I was then already 7cm dilated and still didn’t have anything to reduce my pain. They finally gave me gas which made me high but the contractions were still unbelievably painful. The gynae then showed me a long stick which looks like a knitting needle and asked permission to break my water bag to fasten things up. I readily agree and then so much water gushes out! I felt really comforted with Siong besides me all this time as my rock. When it was time to push, I was groaning and shouting which explains my painful throat after that. I had many mixed feelings; I was dreading the contractions to come and dreading the pushing part but at same time hoping it to come as well so it can all end soon. I thought the pushing would be easy the 2nd time round but it was still difficult. After 5 pushes I was exhausted already. The gynae didn’t cut my perineum; she was stretching it all the time which I was quite uncomfortable at that time but now I am grateful to her cos I tear only a bit (compared to my first delivery when the gyane cut it quite long and I recovered much slower after that) After the 5th unsuccessful push, the gynae warn me that I must make it in the next push as baby is showing signs of distress. That was enough motivation for me as caesarean would be doubly more expensive! So the baby finally came out in the next push and I felt so so relieved! She cries the minute she came out. Siong took pictures of her while they stitch up my small tear. Baby came out at exactly 7.52am weighs 2.99kg and she’s 49cm. My labour took 4 hours only compared to my first one which was around 14 hrs.
This is the beginning of our lives with baby, and I am so relieved that the labour part is over!
It was good that it happen in the wee morning hours cos traffic was smooth. Siong drove fast and my contractions were extremely painful. By time we got to the hospital it was 5.30am and my contractions were 4 mins apart. It so happen that my gynae was on leave on that day but luckily there was another doctor around who was really good. There were already 3 women ahead of me in labour and I was the 4th one. The doctor examined me and found that I was already 5cm dilated. I can’t believe it was happening so fast! But I had to wait in the doctor’s room as there wasn’t enough labour rooms. (It is a small hospital) So I had to wait an hour for them to move one of the ladies out as I was progressing faster. When the room was finally ready they asked whether I can walk to the labour room. SO I wrapped my naked lower body with hospital sheets and quickly waddle to the labour room which was totally unglamorous. I was then already 7cm dilated and still didn’t have anything to reduce my pain. They finally gave me gas which made me high but the contractions were still unbelievably painful. The gynae then showed me a long stick which looks like a knitting needle and asked permission to break my water bag to fasten things up. I readily agree and then so much water gushes out! I felt really comforted with Siong besides me all this time as my rock. When it was time to push, I was groaning and shouting which explains my painful throat after that. I had many mixed feelings; I was dreading the contractions to come and dreading the pushing part but at same time hoping it to come as well so it can all end soon. I thought the pushing would be easy the 2nd time round but it was still difficult. After 5 pushes I was exhausted already. The gynae didn’t cut my perineum; she was stretching it all the time which I was quite uncomfortable at that time but now I am grateful to her cos I tear only a bit (compared to my first delivery when the gyane cut it quite long and I recovered much slower after that) After the 5th unsuccessful push, the gynae warn me that I must make it in the next push as baby is showing signs of distress. That was enough motivation for me as caesarean would be doubly more expensive! So the baby finally came out in the next push and I felt so so relieved! She cries the minute she came out. Siong took pictures of her while they stitch up my small tear. Baby came out at exactly 7.52am weighs 2.99kg and she’s 49cm. My labour took 4 hours only compared to my first one which was around 14 hrs.
This is the beginning of our lives with baby, and I am so relieved that the labour part is over!