Today of 3 years ago...

Warning: This is a very long post. When I was writing this, I amazed by myself that how much detail that I still can remember.

Today is Lynn's birthday. She turns three today. My mom told me, my late grandmother told her that birthday, is a day to remember your mom as she gave birth to you on that day. So today, I am going to write about the birth story of Lynn here (since I had not started blogging back then), while me still can remember all the details in my mind. :)

Lynn's due date was 25 May 2006. Since she’s our first baby, we knew nothing about baby and childbirth. Hubby and I went to attend a pre-natal class, recommended by a friend. It costs us RM400 ++, for 6 sessions x 2 hours for each session (the price increased to > RM600 in the following year). It looks costly but worth going. The pre-natal class covered from pregnancy, to detailed childbirth process, breastfeeding and taking care of newborn. She’s also a lactation consultant. So I get to clear some doubts about breastfeeding from her.

When I went for the routine check up at Week 38, the gynae told me I would deliver at any time. I already have packed the bag to the hospital, getting myself ready for the arrival of the baby. Feeling excited and nervous too. Even though I have learnt about the childbirth, but still it’s first time for me. Everyday I will tell the baby, be good girl when she comes out. Don’t let mommy in pain for too long, don’t be naughty, and come out smoothly. :) Just few months before that, 2 friends of mine had to go for last minute C-sec, as the baby was distress during the delivery process and poo-poo while still inside mommy’s womb. I do not want this happen to me.

May 16, 2006 (Tuesday)
2.30am – I woke up from stomach ache. I went to the toilet.  Thought may have eaten something not clean. The pain did not go away. Suddenly, this thought come into my mind – am I having contraction pain? I checked the interval – regular pain at every 5 minutes. Yes, five minutes apart. Alright, so yes it was a contraction pain.

I was kind of worry – is 5 minutes apart too close for stage 1? Am I going to reach stage 2 very fast? Should I wake up hubby now? I quickly go to check all the reading materials that I have – printed from internet, from the pre-natal class, parenting magazine etc, and confirmed that 5 minutes interval is normal for stage 1. I decided not to wake up hubby. People said normally first baby would have longer labour process. I would not want hubby to be sleepy and tired when reaching the time I need his support.

5 minutes interval, seems long and fast – feel the pain last very long and soon after some rest, another contraction pain come again. I went down stair (so that I won’t wake up hubby), and try to find the best position during contraction pain. I tried sitting on the floor with head resting on the sofa, lying down sideway, sitting on the sofa with lots of cushion to support the back, walking etc. And the best position for me – walking. And the worst position? Lying on the back. (Which made me feel so bad while in the hospital as I had to lie down on the bed?)

I was feeling very hungry, looking for some food to replenish my energy. Unfortunately, no food available at home. :( Found some biscuit, but not appetizing to me. I also cooked the Chinese herb tea (十三太保) that my mom bought for me (not say I believe or not believe in it, just try to be good daughter since my mom had bought it for me). It took 3 hours to cook that.
5.30am – The Chinese herb tea was done. I went to take a hot bath, clean my body and my hair. First sight of some blood but water bag still no broke. After coming out from bath, I woke up hubby. Telling him that his daughter want to come out today. :)

Still feeling very hungry. I was very tempted to have a bowl of hot porridge for breakfast. However, at the sane time, I was also worrying that the baby maybe coming out soon. My instinct told me that I should just go to hospital. Maybe I should not take the Chinese herb tea with empty stomach? I throw out everything outside the house, just before I get into the car.

7am (4.5 hours after contraction started) – We off to go to the hospital. As it was a working day, slightly slow traffic but no traffic jam. I sat on a pillow, to avoid dirty the car if the water bag broke. And on the way, I kept on telling the baby, don’t come out first, mommy had not reached the hospital yet. :P

7.30am reached the hospital. After registration, the normal blood pressure and urine test etc, at 8am the nurse put the belt over my stomach to check the baby heart beat and contraction. Waited for quite some time for the gynae to come down to check on me. Was told that the gynae was engaged. Hubby was not allowed to be there. He was waiting for me outside the waiting hall. Still the water bag did not break. And I could feel the contraction become more and more intense, and the pain becoming more and more unbearable.

Finally after a long wait, the gynae came. Wow, I was shocked to hear that I was already 8-9cm dilated! He told me that the baby would come out within 1 hour. When I was pushed into the labour ward, I looked at the clock – close to 9am. Still the water bag did not break. And I could feel the baby had started to ‘push’ herself out.
It was a very small labour ward and cold. The wall clock was facing me directly so I could check the time easily. Hubby went to register himself so that he could come into the labour ward with me. There were two mid wives inside the labour ward. One of them broke the water bag for me in my next contraction. Still no sight of hubby yet. And they kept telling me not to push yet. (Kind of difficult, as during that time each contraction I could feel the baby was ‘pushing’ herself out.) I asked for sitting more upright so that easier for me to push, and hoping that I would feel less pain. No anaesthetic, no oxygen tank was given. However I did not ask for it too (my mind was focus on get the baby out). And no time for me to do so too.

Finally, I saw hubby coming in to the labour ward. Then the mid wife told me, I can push in the next contraction (Oh what a relief to hear that). Soon when the next contraction came, I pushed. Well, was not trained how to push but somehow you just know how to do it. :) In total, after one short and one long push, I could feel the baby was ‘sliding’ out from my body.

My feeling seeing the baby out – Amazing, amazing, and amazing. A new life was born. And I could not believe that I had done it. It was a very touching moment. My eyes were filled with tears actually. It was like – so magical. I looked at the wall clock in front of me – closed to 9.30am. From first contraction pain until baby was born – 7 hours.

After the baby was born, they wrapped her in a towel, and put her on the baby cubicle next to me. Still not over for me yet. They gave me a jap on my thigh, so that the placenta would come out faster. Then the stitching. Gosh, it was even more pain than giving birth! The mid wife told me that anaesthetic was given to me and there were in total three layers that she needed to stitch, being the outer layer is the most pain one. Oh yes hubby was being required to wait outside after the baby was out.

I doubt the anaesthetic was working. The whole stitching lasted more than 30 minutes. It was even more unbearable than the contraction pain. Finally the stitches were done. I was given a hot drink and some biscuit to eat, before I get to hold my newborn.

I still could not believe that I had delivered a baby. :) They had cleaned and weighted her – 2.67kg. Holding her in my arm, admiring her face, soon she cried looking for my breast. The nurse taught me how to breastfeed her. She did not suck for too long. Very soon, she fell asleep.