My birth story

(This post contains some graphic photographs. Read on only if you won't faint at the sight of blood.)

July 22, 2009
I woke up at 4.45am for a pee, and when I went back to bed, I suddenly felt this rather strong contraction. I waited for the second, and the third, and the fourth…just to be sure that it's no false alarm again. By then, the contractions were coming fast and furious, about 3 – 5 minutes apart. I quickly woke hubby up, and a moment later, we were on our way to the hospital.

I settled into the labour room at about 5.30am, while hubby sorted out the admission. The midwife performed a vaginal examination, and it was so anti-climatic when I was told that I was 5cm dilated. I mean, it's been a whole day since I was at the obstetrician clinic and I was still ONLY 5cm dilated??!! Anyway, I was strapped to the CTG for foetal heartbeat monitoring and I asked for it to be removed the moment it was done, as I wanted to remain mobile for as long as possible. The contractions were quite bearable and I tried to cope by changing positions, and some relaxing music on my discman (not iPod unfortunately, haha!).

At about 7.15am, the contractions were becoming very intense and I felt the urge to bear down. Another vaginal examination revealed that I was already 7 – 8cm dilated. I asked if it was too late to ask for pethidine, and there was a chorus of YES! They offered me gas and it did take the edge off the contractions. My obstetrician arrived shortly after and I was already fully dilated by then. However, it appeared that the baby's head hadn't descended low enough.

Strangely, at this point, the urge to push had totally dissipated, so I had to just push whenever I felt a contraction coming. I had forgotten how to push effectively and after several waves of contractions, I still couldn't push baby out. By then, I was already feeling rather tired, and my obstetrician asked if I wanted to try vacuuming. I asked to take a short rest and after 2 – 3 waves of contractions, baby finally made her appearance at 7.45am.

Baby was placed on my chest immediately after birth while the nurses placed a suction tube into her mouth and nostrils, and throughout the second stage of labour when the placenta was being delivered.

Placenta and umbilical cord - organs that provided sustenance for baby for the past 40 weeks

Shortly after, the nurses wrapped her up and checked her weight, etc. before passing the baby back to me. I put her on my chest and she immediately suckled like a pro.

Vital stats: Weight - 3.7kg, Length - 52cm, Head circumference - 34cm

Back in mummy's arms

In fact, she suckled twice before I was transferred to the maternity ward at 10.15am. Baby was then cleaned up in the nursery and checked by the paediatrician.

All cleaned up and fresh like morning dew

Flowers from papa and Yiu Yiu

Overall, I had a wonderful, drug-free birth experience, just as I had always wanted it to be. I was alert throughout the whole birthing process, including stitching of the episiotomy, save for a few moments of grogginess after inhaling too much gas. I even had breakfast in the labour room after the birth, and received my first visitors in my room at 11am.

It was very different compared to my first birth where I was induced and had pethidine injection. The pethidine made me really sedated and I was basically drifting in and out of consciousness, not to mention the nausea that followed. The way they handled the baby after birth was also very different. Yiu Yiu was taken away for cleaning up the moment she was birthed, even before I had a chance to look at her. If I remember correctly, I didn't even hold her in my arms till I was transferred to the maternity ward – but then, I'm not sure if it was due to my semi-conscious state. The only memorable part about my first birth was the ease of pushing Yiu Yiu out – she was out with just two pushes. But then, she was only 2.5kg at birth, compared to her sister at 3.7kg.