It was Monday night. My last dinner cooked was chicken rice with soya sauce chicken and vegetable with onion oil. I would say that is so far the best meal I cooked ever since we stayed here. Right after the dinner, I felt some mild contractions. I wonder if it is going to be real. Throughout the whole night, on and off I had to go to toilet. Had diarrhea for 3 times, then I thought perhaps it is not contractions after all. Still the pain did not go off right until 5.30am. I found out there's slight bleeding. At first, if the bleeding didn't happen, I wanted to go back to office just to check things out and made final wrap up before proceeding to the hospital.
I had my bath and washed my hair, asked hubby to wake up. I guess he is nervous, he ended up changing into his work clothes. I asked him why, he said he will work after sending me there. And I said "Hello, aren't you suppose to accompany me throughout the whole process? There's paternity leave right?" Then he said "Oh ya, how could I forget?" And I just had a glass of warm water. Reached there around 6.20am and there goes my 18 hours journey.
I went to Level 1, Maternity building. I said I had bleeding. The nurses confirmed if I wanted to be admitted or wait to be examined by the doctors at the maternity clinic. I said I wanted to be admitted. Hubby wasn't allowed to enter. I changed into the uniform and they checked my blood pressure, temperature and baby's heartbeat. The nurse then put in a medicine at my buttock to let me pass out all before I start to deliver.
I was placed on a bed and the nurse placed a hearing machine on my tummy, to check the baby heartbeat and the frequency of my contractions. A doctor came in and had his hand inserted into my vagina. 2cm he said. Another trainee doctor came and asked a series of questions. He really tested my memory, as to understand my medical history.
I need to wait until 10cm before I can proceed to deliver. They transferred to the normal ward at level 2. It is considered a waiting ward. I can't remember how many doctors came to examine me, but what they said is to ask me to go back home and come again when the contractions become frequent. I said I want to stay here as I might turn out to be nervous if I am at home or work. Hubby was with me at the waiting ward and he saw the contractions I had throughout the morning right till 12noon. My contractions become frequent and at about 2pm, I asked the doctor to examine me again. 4cm this time, and they instructed the nurse to bring me down to the labour ward. I started to get very sleepy as I did not sleep well throughout the night.
They did not allow hubby to enter the labour ward. I was all alone and only God and Angel knew the pain I went through. Nurses there encouraged me to walk around and not to sleep on the bed to encourage faster delivery. It become harder to walk when contractions came. I reminded myself to be strong and prayed for the process to be easier to me to go through.
At about 6cm, it is 4cm. They did ARM on me, which is to break my waterbag. So I asked how long do I need to wait before it can go to 10cm. They said it is normally a cm an hour. But case to case, it might be different for each person. I must remain lying on the bed, and I felt water flowing out. At about 8pm, my contractions become more frequent, and the nurse asked if I needed epidural jab or painkillers. I said No, and the nurse asked if I can take in the labour pain as it is unbearable. I insisted No.
After half an hour, I can't bear the pain anymore. I quickily asked for painkiller, but it wasn't helpful at all, maybe only 10%. At about 9pm, I felt the urge to push, like passing out. The doc said it is about 7cm and I can't push yet as I might rip off the vagina. So I wait and wait until 9.45pm, the doc confirmed it is 10cm. Doc said I can practice pushing out. I had to take in deep breath, lift the head to the front and push to the fullest. This can be done provided the contraction is there.
My pushing started from there, and many times I felt sleepy and drowsy. Perhaps also I did not take much food, I got no energy to push her out. My breath is not deep enough and my techniques is not right. Thanks to all the nurses and doctors there. They really encouraged me throughout the session. The session lasted for almost two hours when at the very last minute, 11.20pm, I just push to the end and the baby came out. First feeling, I felt awake and I felt relieved. The doctor praised me for my good effort, and gave me an option, "boy or girl". I said I wanted a girl, and she smiled at me and showed Angel to me. A girl, she said. But another nurse said she passed out motion in my womb and swallowed some into herself. She needed to clean her up first and she wasn't crying that loud yet.
They proceeded by taking out my placenta and stiched the wound. The doctor, Ms. Premilla, she was good, she mentioned there's alot of cases today and she felt tired. I thanked her for the good job she did. She injected painkillers and started to stich. I felt the process and not as painful as I thought it can be. She must have done a good stiching.
After that the nurse pushed the baby to me and said she given her oxygen gas as she is quite weak. Her head is slightly longer and red as I delayed the pushing time, her head is in and out. But she will be recovering soon.
The nurse pushed me to the ward at Level 3 at about 1am. She bathed Angel and brought her to me to breastfeed. But I think she doesn't like it and I don't have much breastmilk yet. And she pushed her to the baby room after that. Hubby was there when I complete my labouring process. He went back home and constantly calling the nurse to check out on my status. We both were thinking that Angel will be out the next day. Guess she wanted to be born on the same day with her Uncle cum my Brother. Husband brought me a flask of hot water, cereal and bread. I ate a bit, went to the toilet and slept. That is the end of my 18 hours journey.
The next morning, at about 6.3oam, the nurse brought Angel to me. We were told to eat breakfast and changed our clothes. The doctor will come to examine us. They checked out on the stiches, body temperature and blood pressure. Everything is normal.
I received alot of calls and SMSes from family and friends. Thanks you to them. Thank you to my office colleagues who bought me a hamper of Eu Yan Sang products and my Taiping friends who bought me a bottle of DOM wine. My mother-in-law also reached KL and cooked me lunch. My sister's parents in law also cooked me red dates and her brother-in-law brought it to me. Thank you. Baby and me were discharged at about 7.30pm.
I managed to capture a few shots of Angel in the hospital:-
Daddy's girl
She's very alert and look around!
All prepared to go back to home sweet home
Daddy is still finalizing her name. To me, she's always my Angel. And prayed that Angel will grow healthily to become a smart and beautiful lady in future.
