Birth story

My extremely long birth story.. please bear with me yeah :P

It all started on that particular fateful day, 7th January 2007..

I was feeling extremely hot that day, constantly fanning myself even though i was in the air con room. Kept complaining to hb and also realised that i've been drinking more water than usual, probably double my usual intake. I actually commented that i might even give birth that day given all the unusual 'phenomenon' that was happening :P

The day was carried out as per normal, nothing significant happened other than the above until...

10.30pm - i was half way making my 2nd boy sleep when i felt a teeny weeny funny feeling in my tummy, as though it was going in a small circle at one particular place. If i was busy doing something else, i don't think i would have felt 'that' feeling at all. I managed to feel it because i was doing nothing in the darkened room, lying down waiting to sleep. My first thought was 'Could it be it?' and something told me yes.. this is it but i just ignored it at that time since the feeling was too tiny to judge.

10.40pm - the feeling came again. It wasn't painful, more like it was tugging my tummy that's all. Ignored it again.

10.45pm - stomach unwell, as usual.. especially recently, been having stomach ache and 'qionging' the toilet a number of times a day due to bad immune system. Didn't think much of it and went to toilet twice. Told myself if the feeling came again after visiting the loo, i should really sit up and monitor myself.

10.50pm - the 'not painful' cramp came back again but stronger this time. My reaction? -> 'Oh no!!' and sat up straight and time the interval of the cramp.

11pm - Ok, that's it. I decided to change because i felt it again. Packed my toiletries, changed out of my pjs and did something unthinkable too! Lol. I actually tried pleating my hair to 2 sides in the bathroom after changing, like those kawaii school girls for 15 mins! Wanted to kill time before i really confirm the situation and wake hb up.

11.15pm - Called the hospital for advice. Was told by the midwife to go hospital straight since this is my 3rd baby.. cannot 'play play'. She took my name, gynae's name and my hp no to make sure i will really go. She assured me that it'll be ok if it's a false labour, at most just go home, rather than accidentally give birth at home or in car.

11.20pm - Woke hb up. Told hb that i might be in labour already. Hb got ready, i kissed my boys goodbye, informed my maid and off we went to TMC.

11.45pm - Reached TMC. Proceeded to the labour ward. Hb was asked to wait at family lounge. I was put on CTG and midwife VE-ed me. Found out that i was already 3cm dilated. Confirmed in labour. Nurse started to prepare me for birthing.

12.30am - I got Labour Ward Room 7. Nurse wanted to strap me (CTG again) straight to bed but as i wanted to move around more so that dilation will speed up, i told them i wanna call my mom first. Besides that, i also managed to put on my contact lenses (to have a clearer picture of things happening, specs wont do when u're in excruciating pain. You'll probably take it out and flung it to 1 side out of frustration) which is a no no during delivery. This is because if any emergency were to happen, the last thing they'll do is to ask if you are wearing lenses and wait for u to take them out. But i did inform hb and gynae that i'll be wearing the lenses and should anything happens, hb will take it out for me. Yes, u read that right. Hb will take it out for me.. He's my eyes saviour whenever i have problems with my lenses.

1am - Hb came in then went off again to do the registration. I'm still pain free surprisingly, well.. almost. Gynae arrived and commented that i looked really relaxed and doesn't seem to be in labour at all, something which i noticed too! I was actually nicely lying down on the bed watching TV. Doc broke my water bag and did another VE. I was 4cm dilated ONLY. Sigh. Gynae went off to her clinic to rest till i'm ready to birth.

1.30am - The pain started. The calm and cool me before this began to chicken out. I actually cried whenever the pain came. I was scared to death. Hb and midwife tried to calm me but it didn't work of course. The pain came and go and wasn't very intense compare to my 2nd baby and best of all, i get to rest quite a bit in between the pain. It wasn't really frequent which explained why i still have the time to cry aye, unlike my 2nd baby, too pain and too frequent even for me to take a breather.

2am - Midwife VE-ed me again. 7cm already. YES! Finally.. she started preparing the things to receive the baby. After that, she just sit in front of me and stare ahead at me, as though she was watching television. Yes, she actually did that and i was so uncomfortable by it. Told her i wanted to put my legs down. Lol! She asked why and i said, i shy! Aiyoh.. silly hor! Almost wanted to ask hb to leave the room too, not once but a number of times.. Really too embarrassed by the whole thing. The pain was really really bad till i almost feel like vomitting. I was asked a number of times if i wanted the gas and i refused each time but at 1 time, i almost wanted to say yes but didn't. Even the anti drug hb encouraged me to take it seeing the tortured me.

2.05am - Finally feel like pushing. Was guided how to cos i'd totally forgotten about it. I'm very thankful that this time, the time interval for pushing was also quite long. Gave me ample time to rest in between the contractions. However, on the other hand, i was very worried too, worried that this labour of mine will not be a short one judging from the 'slowness' of the contractions and all. BUT i was very very wrong! Just after 3 pushes, baby's crown was seen and i was shocked! Never thought that it would this easy with this baby of mine :) I still remember vividly on my 2nd child's delivery. Almost the whole time i was pushing (for more than an hour) and i barely had time to breathe in between the contractions when the next one came. Anyway, after the baby's crown was seen, the midwife contacted my gynae immediately and the bell was rang, to call for other nurses to come in.

2.21am - Another 3 more pushes and baby was out. Ahhh... boy, did that feel good or what! I actually still manage to remind hb to get the camera asap to capture the magical moment :P Hb later told me that he got quite shocked when he first saw baby because of the colour : PURPLE lol. The other 2 wasn't purple you see. Gynae then moved on the get the blood from the cord because we finally signed up for cord blood banking with StemCord after much procrastinating. Wanted to do it for the 1st and 2nd boy but didn't go about doing it.. :P

Baby with cord still on. See that greenish greyish cord at the belly button? :P

After baby was cleaned, he was placed on my chest. But i was too dead to even look at him. Poor child. Didn't even carry or hug baby and cry as of all movies and dramas lol. I just lied there and stared ahead. Really really too tired even to lift my finger. Yup, that tired.

Cleaned and wrapped, waiting for me outside the delivery ward with hb, to be wheeled together to our assigned room upstairs

One of the first thing hb did after we woke up in the morning, to take my unflattering photo (hb's fav pastime, always!)

Hb burping baby and didi came to visit that very night with my in laws and also my firstborn

My precious.. at 2 weeks old. Photo was taken a week ago :)