Thursday. 5th November. 2.40pm.
Being pregnant can bring about constipation. I think you know where this is going. No need for embarassing public display of my waters breaking. No mess! And true to the fact, like they mentioned at the antenatal classes, contractions do not happen straight away once your waters break. I quickly called Hubby, my doctor and the hospital's emergency department who told me to get to the hospital as soon as I can.
We grabbed my bags and quickly left for the hospital as soon as Hubby got home from work. By 4pm, I was already having regular contractions that were about 5 minutes apart. Whatever happened to the contractions that were supposed to start gradually starting from 30 minutes apart? Liars I thought to myself! At that point, I was coping with the pains, which felt alot like period cramps, which I used to have severe cases of.
This was only the start of a looOOooong night ahead of us.
Time : 4pm.
Got the hospital, still smiling and coping. Midwife strapped me onto the machine that tracks my contractions and baby's galloping heartbeat. She officially tells me I am now in labour.
Obstetrician was with another patient delivering her baby, so I had to wait until he was done. Meanwhile, while waiting, my contractions were getting stronger. And the pain was getting to me. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, Hubby keeps reminding me.Time: 7.30pm
Obstetrician finally arrives and tells me I am 3cm dialated. We took a slow short walk to my birthing suite. Midwife settles me into the calm and serene room, dimmed the lights and brought out a fit ball and a beanbag and tells me what positions I can use to help with the pain. But, all I could think of was I feel soooo feral. Waters still trickling and all I wanted was a shower. So I did. I must have been in there for the longest time. The 2 shower jets designed for the birthing suite aimed at my belly, and my lower back gave me some relief at last. Still, the contractions were getting even stronger. Back in the birthing suite, midwife asked if I wanted to try some of the gas to take my mind off the pain. It helped.
Until around 10.30pm.
After 3 agonizing hours, I was devastated when my obstetrician checks and tells me that I am 4cm dilated now. What!?!? After all that and only 1cm!!?? Arrrrrrrrrrrgh! I was ready to strangle someone. He suggested I go for an epidural. I declined but somehow ended up with a pethidine injection. It lasts about 3 hours he tells me and we are still a long way from delivering baby, so it will not affect baby when he arrives. (Pethidine makes the baby drowsy and hard to feed after delivery). I say yes, just do it already.
My anesthesist who was on standby this whole time, comes into the birthing suite to tell me he lives 1/2hour away. And he is going home to rest for the night. He asks me if I wanted the epidural now. I said no. Not yet. GO! Do whatever u want to do and leave me alone!! Obstetrician later tells me I didn't want to talk to anyone then LOL!
Friday. 6th November. 1am.
Not coping with the contractions anymore. I told hubby lets do the epidural. From there things happened fast. Anesthesist quickly returns and performs the insertion of the epidural. By 2am, I was pain free!!! I finally relaxed and managed to get some rest. Extremely strong contractions were still happening, but I was numb from chest down. Midwife had to keep an extremely close eye on me from then. I was only meant to be numb from waist down with even a little feeling in my feet. They were afraid it would seize my lungs up and cause me to stop breathing. I was extremely sensitive to the epidural.
8am.
Obstetriciam returns and tells me I am now 9cm dilated. YAY! Instructs the midwives to get ready for baby's delivery at 9am and I was to start pushing then.
9.24am.
Baby Kayden's cries filled the birthing suite. Hubby cuts the cord and Kayden was promptly handed to me bright and alert. He weighs 3.05kgs, head 33cm and 48cms in length. Midwife assisted me at breastfeeding shortly after. He was a natural at suckling at the breast , I heard some babies don't know how to.
Kayden is an averaged sized baby, but was considered large for my small frame. Obstetrician describes his birth like a train that came crashing through me. He told me shortly after that he had to perform an episiotomy, and that I was badly bruised internally because of his size. My long labour lasted 19 hours. Boy! Do I have a story to tell him when he is older!
The delivery was considered very successful, and the medical team left us 3 to bond.
Welcome to our world my baby boy!
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