The Birth Story

Meant to pen this down earlier but I can't pull myself away from the TV...yes not the baby. I was so engrossed in watching 'The Cruel Temptation' that I even bought the DVDs as Channel U is showing it in a snail pace. Was watching till 3-4am everyday, so addicted!! Finally finished 129 episodes of it and realised that I no longer have any programme in late night.

Ok back to the birth story - She didn't come out on those dates that many would wanted her to, instead like her strong character, she chose her own birthday!

THE DAY BEFORE

I was due on 14 Nov and i have plans to take a week off if i have not 'pop' by 1 Nov. Was supposed to go ahead with the 1 week leave starting 2 Nov but was feeling so lazy and tired that i went on leave on 30th instead. I kept praying that hopefully i dont have to waste my maternity leave and please let her be out soon.

THE DAY

I was due for another checkup on 31 Oct which i kept praying that'll be my last checkup. It's so tiring to wake up at 8.30 and rush to Eastshore every weekend with a cranky 5 yrs old. My prayers have been heard!

My gynae wanted to monitor the baby's heartbeat and placed me in another room and hooked me on the machine for 20 mins. Baby was not moving much (very sleepy) and the nurse had to move my tummy left and right to wake her up. No contractions and baby inactive so most probably i'll have to make another trip next week.

My gynae did the ultrascan and said Baby is already down but he'll do a physical check to see how 'down' she is. Can you imagine how shocked i was when i heard he said i'm already 6-7 dilated and Baby's position is very very low at the birth canal?? Wait a min, i don't have contractions, my waterbag didn't break and Baby is very inactive, are you sure we are ready for the birth?? Apparently my gynae think so and doesn't want to risk having me delivering at home, he wants me to be admitted to the labour suite by 4pm.

Immediately, i sent out smses notifying my family/friends and made arrangements to send Eili to my SIL's place after lunch. This time i'm more prepared and i'll settle my hungry tummy before going for 'war'. I thought with an experience behind me, i'm able to handle the delivery easily. Oh boy i was so so wrong!! Upon checking in, the nurse broke my water bag and insisted that i have to be dripped to move the contractions. Again i refused epidural like 5 years back.

I didn't panic until i saw the nurses rushing in and out of the delivery suite and told me that my gynae is already on his way. What's the rush i thought? A quick hand check and I'm already 8-9cm dilated and cervix softened. After the water bag broke, i can feel the contractions kicking in every 2 mins, very fast and furious. It's was so painful that I can feel the soreness of my chest ribs whenever the contractions come. I was tempted to take the pethidine jab at the thigh to reduce 20-30% of pain but my gynae told me i'm due to deliver in the next 30 mins. Nurse wasn't sure whether how much the painkiller can be absorbed in such a short time. So i did the most stupidest decision - by refusing any painkillers. I think Hub regretted in not pushing me to take it when he saw the deep nail marks on his hand.

The etonox gas DOESN'T help at all, it merely gives you a giddy head and dry throat. The time has come, i kept telling the indian midwife that I have the urge to push and she kept telling me to hold. After 3-4 pushes, Elysha was out at 6.44pm weighing 3.365kg. The pain is excruciating especially the last push when i can feel her shoulders squeezing out of the canal but when she's out, phew, nothing else matters, till later. My gynae then retrieved the cord blood which I donated to the S'pore Cord Bank. I almost kick my gynae right on his face when he starting to stitch me up, i can feel the needle moving to and forth. What happen to the anaesthetic????

When i thought the worst has passed, my gynae told me that he had to restitch as the thread came out when he tries to clean the wound. WHAT???? All in all i was stitched a good 3 times and the stupid gas doesn't help a bit. I was sobbing and screaming my head off. My gynae stroked my head and apologised before going off. Hub wiped off my tears and told me that they are preparing to move me to the ward and Elysha has already been taken to the nursery for her first bathe.

I was resting when 3-4 nurses came in, whispering in low voices and another senior nurse came in. At that moment, i know something is wrong. They told me that I'm oozing blood and that's shouldn't be the case after delivery. Apparently my uterus refuses to contract and is lazing inside thus causing the bleeding. A strong medicine was then added to my drip and i can feel an rushing icy feeling on my veins as they have put on full speed for the drip, hoping to stop the bleeding. I had the Post-Partum Haemorrhage (PPH) and this only happens to 6% during delivery. I'm the suay 6%.

For the next 1.5 hours, the nurses took turn to massage my tummy violently which I had to bite my lips to endure the pain coming from the stitches and womb. I think by now i have probably used up the maternity pads given by the hospital as they changed me every 10 mins but the bleeding still don't stop. The senior nurse came and told me that they have to do a procedure to drain my bladder and this will definitely stop the bleeding. The problem is they'll have to insert a long tube inside. I begged them to give me the painkiller, any painkiller but i was refused as it's too late for one. My hub was asked to wait outside. Seriously, i'm so worried that my stitches will tear and i have to go thru another round of stitching. Again, they told me to use the useless gas which obviously are of no help. I think i have screamed my lungs out that night and the feeling was as if I have died on the operating table due to a failed operation.

I'm really going crazy with all the poking and stitching experience that I told Hub right at the labour ward that I'm not going to have another kid after this. Not at all!! I cried a good 5 mins after going thru such a bad delivery though the consolation is that Elysha is healthy.

That's why Mothers are the greatest beings on earth.

Elysha