The last 3+ months have gone by so quickly, the first couple of weeks chaotically, and this was how it started...
In the wee hours of 2-odd am, close to 3am on 15 Sep, I got up after having about 1.5 hours of sleep because I had a lot of gas, refluxing a little and needed a good burp to release it. After feeling much better, I got up to go to the toilet. It was at that very moment it felt as though a water balloon burst between my legs.
The hubs had just crawled onto bed then and barely closed his eyes. So I quickly rushed to the toilet and checked while shouting, "Dear, I think my water bag broke". We quickly changed and he called for a cab. Reached KKH at about 3.30am. No contractions still, but apparently I'm already 1cm dilated. By 4.15am, I was pushed into the delivery suite and the waiting game started. IV drip was poked into my hand and first contraction was felt slightly after 5am.
Like all births, the contractions got a little more painful, a little more intense and frequency became closer, but this stretched across a very long while for me. My gynae came by after 9am to check on me, dilation barely increased. So, he ordered for induction to begin. I chose to have epidural as I know my threshold of pain is freaking low. Epidural was first administered then followed by the drug for induction. By then, it was already 11-odd am, and the waiting continues.
Epidural kicked in fast, and pain was bearable. However, the block was a little too much for me to take. I was also throwing up air and whatever little liquids my stomach has, and was freaking breathless and drowsy. We called to lower the dosage a little and ended up ding-donging with the midwife and house anaesthetist for the next 1-odd hour. They kept insisting that anti-nausea drug will help with the nausea and that it is normal (we freaking know), but offered no solution for the breathlessness and drowsiness. After our much insistence, the house anaesthetist finally lowered the dosage from 10ml to 8ml and administered the anti-nausea drug. I felt a little better thereafter and was able to breathe normally. The real anaesthetist who jabbed my back came by close to 1pm and assessed the situation. She gave a better review of the situation and made the call to lower the dosage even further to 5ml. She also mentioned that if I'm still not feeling better, we would have a choice to remove a certain content in epidural but it may affect the overall efficacy of epidural. We didn't eventually because I felt way way much even better after the 2nd reduction.
The hubs who by now had not slept for more than 24 hours, is trying to take his forty winks on the couch beside me. I was also trying to catch some sleep, but it was hard to doze off into deep or even proper sleep. Perhaps it was excitement as I can't wait to see my baby after having her for 39 weeks in my womb. Perhaps it was cold IV drip and my hand was hurting from the lousy poking skills. Perhaps it was the frequent beeping of the IV drip machines. Perhaps it was just me listening out to the monitor, listening out for baby's heartbeat as I've heard once water bag breaks, there's a risk of infection to the baby. Gynae came by again in the afternoon. He told the hubs that if I still do not dilate enough, he will make the call for a c-sect as water bag already broke.
The clock ticked by and the waiting game continues... House doctors came by and checked on the dilation every now and then. It was finally at slightly past 7pm when one of the house doctor finally made the call and said, "can start pushing already lah".
Part of me felt delighted and relieved upon hearing that. Finally the waiting is over and the real labour starts, and also because I do not need to get cut open. Another part of me felt really excited because I can finally get to see, hold, touch and kiss my little girl.
So the pushing began close to 8pm and gynae was called back to the hospital. The hubs said with every push, he could see a little of her head. I asked hubs and midwives if baby got hair, haha... And they told me yes. Honestly, the pushing is really exhausting. I don't know if it is because of being awake for 17 hours after a 1.5 hours "nap", or the actual pushing is tiring me out. I actually asked one of the midwives when I can consider assisted delivery using forceps or vacuum because I was really damn shag already.
Gynae arrived, took over from one of the midwives and stood on my side. I don't recall this part, but hubs said gynae got his ok that he is going to make a 2 inch cut. All I could remember was that gynae told me to take a deep breath in and puff out hard through my mouth (I guess that was when he made the cut) and I could feel my little girl coming out of me. Stacey has arrived at 9pm sharp.
I immediately asked the midwife to pass me my little girl so I can carry her. I was so excited n anxious! Midwife agreed and said to give her a minute so she can clean the baby a little. The next minute seemed like eternity... The feeling when I finally held her in my arms was indescribable. I kept kissing her while my tears were dropping non stop and told her that mama loves her, all this while my gynae was stitching me up. Then, Stacey was tagged and taken from my arms for weighing and vital signs checks. Hubs was following the midwife around the room while this happened.
Thereafter, Stacey was brought to the nursery at about 10-ish for bath while I was to remain in the delivery suite first. Midwife asked if I needed painkillers but epidural hasn't worn off yet, so I rejected her offer. If I had known what is gonna happen next, I would not have rejected.
Minutes ticked by like eternity. Finally at 11pm, the house doctor came by but refused to release me to my room apparently because my blood pressure is still too high. The house doctor told my hubs that she will come by 1 hour later. We did a quick mental guesstimation, I should be able to tahan and get to my room for epicool, milo and painkillers.
12.15am and the house doctor still hasn't came by. I'm exhausted, missing my daughter and want to have proper sleep. 12.30am, stilll not yet... I was starting to lose my patience and my cool. Hubs checked with the staff nurse on duty. It was not a case of my room not being ready and the house doctor has been alerted.
1am, at 1-freaking-am, the house doctor finally decided to show up. And by now, my hand with the drip was freaking numb and has swollen to double its size till I thought I saw someone else's hand. Still refused to release me to my room because my blood pressure is still high. But of course, because my blood is boiling and the pain is starting to kick in! We then requested to remove the drip since they are no longer administering anything through it, the house doctor refused saying that it is necessary in case they need the drip again.
Once the house doctor left, I couldn't take it anymore. I told hubs screaming, "of course my blood pressure still high! I'm in pain, haven't slept and ate for 21 hours, exhausted, missing my girl, angry say want to come in 1 hour tu till 2 hours, of course high lah". Hubs pressed the call button and staff nurse came in rather quickly. I immediately broke down, complained about the wait, said that we were not given enough information to make an informed decision because I'm in pain now, told her I want to be with my daughter, if I'm in my room now I would have epicool and won't be suffering now because I can rest, and reasoned why my blood pressure is still high. I don't know if she was taken aback and what exactly happened next was a blur because I was so damn freaking pissed and exhausted. All I recalled, she did a double take on my blood pressure, got help and said to trolley me to my room, make a note to get ward to monitor my blood pressure and took off the damn drip from my swolllen hand.
I finally calmed down when i was being wheeled to my room at 2-blardi am, 5 freaking hours after I delivered Stacey. Once I reached my room, I was given milo. Nurse also help fixed the urine catheter to help drain my bladder, cleaned me up down-there, gave me the wonderful epicool and arranged for painkillers. Tealady also came by to give water and cups. When all these ended close to 3am, I thought I can finally manage to catch some sleep. But no, Stacey was wheeled into my room a few minutes later at 3am and more crazy shit continues...
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