Labour Story 2 Part 2

29th December 2009

2.00 pm: Hubby and I watched that night's Desperate Housewives episode online. Only watched halfway and planned to continue later cos we needed to get ready for appt with gynae.

3.30 pm: Picked Humaira from school

4.00 pm: Gynae appt @ Bedok. Gynae confirmed that I was 3 cm dilated and effaced.

5.00 pm: Walking out of clinic with tummy and back constantly aching. Thought that it was a result of the gynae's 'poking ard' in the you-know-what.

5.20 pm: Having ice-kachang and chendol at Bedok Interchange's well-known Hollywood stall. While eating, had to stand up and lean against the table when the pain became more severe. Then, I would sit down again and continue having another few mouthfuls before standing up again.

5.30 pm: Went to Sheng Siong to buy stuff to make Hakeem's ice-cream cake for his 8th birthday on 31st Dec. There, had to stop and squat/stop and lean against hubby/stop and lean against a wall every so often when pain became more severe. Still had no idea that labour was imminent..sheesh.

6.00 pm: Managed to get out of Sheng Siong alive and with all the needed stuff bought. Couldn't bear to walk to the car, so I leaned on a railing while hubby and Humaira went to fetch the car. A nice Chinese uncle came over and asked if I was ok. I just told him I had a stomachache.

6.20 pm: Reached in-law's place in Bedok for dinner. Before I could go up though, I threw up beside the lift...A LOT. There went the ice-kachang and the maggi I had for lunch. Happy to report that the cleaners have yet to clear the stuff. And while vomiting, I peed in my pants. So much that the front of my jeans were wet at the thighs. Still NO IDEA that I was having contractions or going into labour.
6.30 pm - 7.00 pm: Waited for sis-in-law to come home so that I could ask her opinion on what's going on. Meanwhile, rolling ard in my mil's clothes on her bed, wishing that the constant aching would go away.

7.00 pm - 8.30 pm: Everyone thinks I'm in labour. Not believing it, I told them that we need to scotch tape the 'place' up so that I would only deliver in 2009. Everyone from hubby's side of the family but sil Tahirah was around. Mil and sil Wiah played nurse. Mil was sure I was in labour, made me Milo, helped bathe Humaira and generally took care of her. Sil kept going in and out of the room, taking water, food (satay), taking my blood pressure with the blood pressure machine and had to consult the pregnancy book to see if b.p. usually goes up/down when in labour. She also passed me Aqeel's toy that vibrated to put against my back. Initially didn't want to go to hospital but later on relented just to check out what's happening to me. Felt very confident that it was a false alarm and that I would be sent back though. that Hubby went home to retrieve diaper bag and admission letter. By then, I had regular contractions coming and going. At every contraction I was on all fours, rocking back and forth (which helped reduce the pain by the way). Humaira who was sitting beside me and was silent and watchful decided to speak up,"Ibu become cat?" And in the midst of the rocking, I had to tell her," Yes, Ibu become cat. Meow." Bro-in-law Faie went to the shop to but Wether's Original sweet which I felt like sucking. My other two bro-in-law's were on stand-by to bring me to the hospital in case hubby didn't get back on time. The whole scene was so comical that I think that it should be a scene in a TV show.

8.30pm: Hubby returned but wanted to eat dinner first. I could still handle the contractions and didn't mind. As I went out the door, bit into 2 sticks of satay.

9.00pm: Reached hospital and was in labour ward by 9.10 pm after telling Humaira that we were going to work. Poor girl.

9.15pm: Nurse confirmed 3 cm dilation and monitored the contractions. said that we were going to be there until I gave birth. We were shocked. What? Now? In 2008? Messaged direct family members. We estimated that I would deliver by the next day.

10.00 pm: After changing into the hospital gown and was checked and finished the toilet thing, asked hubby to turn on the TV so that we could catch Desperate Housewives and watch the second part.

10.30pm: Going crazy with pain although the machine didn't register strong contractions. Too bad cos could still watch Desperate Housewives but could not register the dialogue cos I was writhing in pain. Very upset with the gas mask which didn't help one bit this time around. Hubby quickly decided on the baby's name.

11.00pm: Contractions going fast and strong. Crying out,"Mak, help. Mak, help. Ya Allah. Mummy, mummy.... Go away, go away (telling the pain to go away)" while trashing my body about in the bed. Looking desperately into hubby's eyes while he was reciting doa. Caved in and ask for epidural.

11.10pm: Epidural administered. Still upset as I was still in pain and it doesn't seem to work like the first time. Could feel my cervix dilating and stretching at 50 % pain level. At every stretch, I would shiver from head to toe from the pain. Cried and told the nurse that I didn't want to give birth. Could feel that stuff were coming out form me. Nurse checked and told us that I was fully-dilated, blood was coming out, baby's head can already be seen down there and we were only waiting for Dr Heng.

11.30pm: Dr Heng came, suited up and we pushed. Baby came out quickly at 11.38pm cos she was small. Immediately after the delivery, I threw up (while being stitched up) my satay. Hubby said that it wasn't even digested yet.

1.00am: Was in ward 3801. Both of us were very surprised by how quick the whole thing was. Hubby was saying that the night before, we wouldn't even have thought that we would see the baby the next day. I was very tired but couldn't sleep until 4 am.

Alhamdulillah, the baby emerged safe and sound. But next time, I'm getting that epidural early on.