After Birth

The midwife pushed me out from the labour room to the ward room. I saw Ken waiting patiently outside the ward room. He still looks so worry. I think he is worry about me.

I moved to the ward room. Ken cames in and I asked how is the baby. He said she is healthy and kicking and moving her legs and hands. She was put into the incubator due to her size.

Ken informs that she weights at 1.75kg only. She have to take premature baby powder. He informs that he had informed both our parents on our baby new arrival. I am so excited and wanted to see my little baby but the midwife said I need to get rest. She prohibited me from moving off the bed within 24 hours time.

She is Born

My contraction and pain is getting worse when I am in the labour room. The midwife asks me not to push as the gyne is performing an operation on the another labour room thus unable to deliver my baby now. She asks me to breathe in and out by showing me the correct technique. My contraction pain is reduced by using that technique.

While waiting for the gyne, she performs fetal monitoring on me. It is an external ultrasound monitor whereby a belt is placed on my tummy to monitor the baby’s wellbeing. Usually it is used when the cervix has not fully dilated. By the way, I am not sure how many centimeter (cm) I am dilated as the midwife did not mention to me. As for me, I am too painful to remember all this. She just told me that the baby is ready to be delivered. Maybe all of it happened so sudden that the midwife did not performs enema on me too. Enema is a medication given to empty the colon to prevent defecation (passing of stool) during labour.

Few minutes passed and the gyne is still busy with the other patient. My baby keeps pushing herself out. I tried not to push it but my baby keeps pushing herself out from inside. By now, I am all over sweating from my head to the face and body. I informs the midwife and she said do not push while she busy preparing some utensils for the gyne with other nurse-midwives who came in and out the labour room. She checks me at my vaginal area again. Then, she quickly ran out to the next door.

Less that 30 seconds, she came back in. About 10 seconds later, my gyne came in as well. I am relief that finally my gyne came. Then the midwife informs me that everything is going to be okay now as the gyne is here and I can labour my baby.

"The doctor is here. Don't worry. You may labour now," the midwife assured me.

Upon hearing that, the gyne shouts at her, "Wait! I am not prepared yet!".

Another nurse is helping the gyne to put on the glove. The gyne continued, "How can you asks the patient to labour while I am not ready yet?".

Then, I quickly informs the gyne, "No, doctor. The baby is keeps pushing out,".

The doctor keeps quiet.

After he prepared himself well, he came in front of me at the end of my opening legs and takes a look at me. He grabbed some utensil and performs episiotomy on me. Right after that, he asked me to push. The midwife also asked me to push as hard as I can. I pushed once. Then they asked me to push again. Then I pushed for the second time and third. Suddenly I felt that my baby is delivered! I glaced at the clock hanged on the wall and she is born at 6.30PM sharp! Once my baby was delivered, the feeling is so relief and comfortable just like you put down a very, very heavy bag off your shoulder that you been carry for months!

I takes a look at my baby that is being carried by an Indian midwife while the gyne done his jobs - cutting the umbilical cord. The first impression when I first saw her : She is so white and tiny! She looks white because the blood vessels have not started to flow in her body. She is tiny because she is pre-mature baby. While the gyne cuts off her umbilical cord, I keeps asking is my baby ok and fine. Then, the Chinese midwife who accompany me all the while takes her from the Indian midwife to do some testing and weights her.

She then wrapped her up in a cloth and showed it to me.

"Here is your baby. It is a girl and she is fine,"

What can I say? I felt so tired after the struggle of delivering her and all I can do is nod my head for her acknowledgment. Then, the Indian midwife gave me an injection. I asked the gyne if the placenta is delivered as well. He informs soon.

Out of sudden, I feels another great relief just like when I delivered my baby. It was the placenta. The injection that injected to me earlier is to speed up the placenta delivering. The gyne informs me that the placenta is delivered. Then, he does the stitches on the episiotomy that he performs just now. When everything is done, the gyne went away from the labour room.

The Chinese midwife informs me that everything is fine now and she praised me. She said that I pushed well during my first time delivery and during my second delivery, it would be easier for me to give birth. She also reassured me that my baby although is tiny, just let it me and raise her as normal. Eventually, she will pick-up her own pace of growing up. All I can do is nod my head as I am too tired.

She helped me to push in my piles that being pushed out when my baby was pushing herself out that time. Then, she helped me to change. I glanced the clock again and the whole process just took about 15 minutes to 20 minutes! I cannot imagine that it was that short - from the time I enter the labour room till the gyne done the sticthes. All the time taken is about 15 minutes to 20 minutes!

Delivery

When I am on my way to the ward, I still having my contraction and become more and more frequent. Ken is very worry while driving me there. I am seated at the back of the car and I can feel that he cannot concentrate on his driving. He keeps asking me if I am ok.

Finally we arrive at the ward. I have another contraction when I want to get down from the car. After it is over, I quickly and slowly came down from the car with Ken's help. He hold and help me to walk to the ward stairs.

Yes, the ward is located upstairs at third floors! Slowly and carefully, I step up to the stairs. My contraction still attack me and I am sweating all over to overcome the pain. Ken held out his hand for me to squeeze and tells me to breathe in and out.When the contraction is over, I climb the stairs again. However, the contraction is so frequent that I have to stop for do not know how many times to ease my contraction pain. The pain is so unbearable that I scream out telling Ken that I am so pain. I can sense that he feels very helpless towards me as he cannot share my pain. All he ables to do is hold tight to my hand and ask me to breathe in and out. The situation is keep repeating and repeating. Finally, I managed to climb to the last few steps of the stairs when the contraction strike again.

I stopped at the few steps and breathe in and out and scream. The midwife came out and sees my situation. She ask why came so late. She quickly urges me to the room and checks my situation while Ken is waiting outside the room. She checks my virginia area and she informs that my baby head is very low. Initially, I thought that I just having contraction but never thought that I will need to deliver now! I mean that day when I am discharged from the ward, the baby is not yet moved to the birth canal. I cannot imagine that within one night and one day, the baby is already moved into the birth canal!

The midwife informed me that I no need to feel scare as the gyne is in now. He is in the labour room operating another pregnant patient. She mentioned that I need to go to the labour room now. My contraction still come and go frequently - about 3 minutes apart. The midwife then went out to prepare the necessary. Ken waiting outside the room looks so worry and I asked him to come in. I told him that I need to deliver now. The midwife came back and asked me to change my clothes into theirs.

After changing, with my contraction that keeps striking, they ask me to walk to the labour room to get ready. I hardly walk due to my contraction. The midwife asks me to walk slowly and when the contraction is not taking place. Ken tried to help me and he seems very worry. I never sees him being in this worrying state. He tried to accompany me to the labour room but stopped by the midwife. She asked him to wait at the waiting area.

Initially, when I am in few months pregnancy, Ken and I discussed that whether he wants to accompany me into the labour room to see me deliver or not. He said that he would not accompany me as he afraid of blood. I insisted and even begged him few time but he still refused. But today, he wanted to follow me to the labour room! I think Ken is really really worry about me and the baby.

Labour

The clamp like pain is reduced in the morning but my body is too tired to stay out of bed. So I stayed at bed and sleep. Ken brings me breakfast-lunch together meals which is bread and Milo as I barely have my appetite to foods. Then I took the anti-infection medicine that the doctor prescribed to me.

I continued to sleep for the day but I awake when I have this clamp like pain and it become more frequent and intense. Ken offered his hand to me to hold and squeeze whenever I have this pain and asks me to breathe in and out. I tried my best to breathe in and out till the pain is over. Later that afternoon, Ken brings me for late snack which is bread and Milo as I feel hungary. However, I barely eat or eat very very slowly.

Suddenly, my clamp like pain came and it is unbareable pain. I squeezed Ken hand when the pain striked and do the breathe in and out technique. After it is over, I went to toilet to urine and I found that I have this discharge that looks pinkish or reddish. I tell Ken about it and he asked me to call to the clinic ward.

I called and the pain is still striking me. I told the midwife my situation and luckily the midwife knows my situation - she recognized me and even tell my full name out. She asks me to come to the ward immediately.

I told Ken that I need to go to the ward now. He even ask if I want to bath first as I have not cleaned up since in the morning. I said it is not enough time for me to take a bath as later I might labour at home. When I said that, he become so anxious and rushed me to the door.

However, my contraction (now only I know I having the contraction - really silly me!) become more and more frequent and I barely walk fast. Ken offered me his hand to support me and I squeezed him hard when my contraction strike. Finally I made my way to the lift and to the car.

Contractions Strike Which I Don't Even Know

After I was dischaged from the ward, I rest at home on my bed as advised by the gyne. Nothing much I can do except sleep and do some reading. Ken suggests to buy a 14" television for me to kill my boredom. I said we can discuss this issue later as maybe my condition will be better in these few days. He agreed.

Somehow, I feel clamp like pain in my lower tummy near my uterus. I told the gyne before I was discharged but he did not mention anything to me. The clamp or pain will come and go within 30 seconds or less than a minute. Then the gap time for it to occur will be between one hour to two hours. I experienced this from the morning till mid-night. However, at mid-night, my clamp like pain is getting worst and it occur longer and the gap is shorter - between 30 minutes to one hour.

Ken although very supportive by providing his hand to me to hold when I am in pain, he also very concern about me and the baby. He scares that something wrong with me or the baby and he is very worrying. He keeps asking me to call to the clinic ward (hotline) to ask why I having this pain when my clamp like pain seems very painful to me at mid-night. Finally I gave up and called to ask.

I told the midwife that my water leakage is minimized but I have this clamp like pain. The midwife ask if I have any water discharge that looks reddish or pinkish. I said no. She said is ok and no big issue. She advise me to call again if I got this water discharge that looks reddish or pinkish. Nothing I can said much except ok.

I told Ken but he seems not very satisfying or too worrying about me and the baby. Finally, he suggests me to take the painkiller to ease me. I agreed and with that painkiller I took, I am able to sleep thru the night.

P/S : I do not know it was contraction pain until the very next day when I am nearly in the labour situation!!! Silly me!!! :P

Water Bag Leakage..........

I had a stomache early in the morning, at about 5.45AM. I went to toilet as usual and suddenly I felt that some water just pour down from my virginal area automatically. Althought I felt weird, I just treat it as normal as sometime I have some discharge.

As I am finishing with my bowel movement, I had another automatically pour down again. As I am still in blur of waking up state, I thought it is just an urine but still felt weird about it. I went back to sleep as normal as it is not time to wake up for work.

At about 6.40AM, my alarm rang and I woke up to clean myself up for work. As I am getting my toiletries ready, I had another automatic pour down. This time I am sure something is not right. I called out to Ken. I told him the situation and suspect that my water bag is broken but not sure. He suggested me to call to my mum for advise.

I called my mum and ask her about it. She said might be the water bag is broken but not too sure about it too as she is not physically here at my side. She suggested me to visit gyne to check-up. Then, I called up to my maternity clinic (24 hours hotline) for consultation. The midwife asked me to come to maternity ward for check-up as the clinic is not open yet. I quickly clean up myself and Ken drives me to the maternity ward.

Upon arrival at the maternity ward, I was checked by the midwife and she confirmed that the water that leaks out is from my water bag. She does heart scanning for my baby to ensure that my baby is in good condition. She told me to rest and do not walk around. She also gave me an injection just in case the baby is to be born early to avoid liver infection.

Later, at about 9.30AM, my gyne is here to visit me and he checked the position of the baby. The baby is not engaged to the birth canal yet. He told me to rest a lot and do not move around. He also informs that midwife will give me another injection after 12 hours later for the avoidance of liver infection.

Thus, I have to stay in ward for two days for monitoring. The gyne inform that the water bag is leaking maybe due to the outer layer is broken. As long as I rest and do not move much, the broken area will heals and the water will stop leaking. The gyne advise that it is not adviseable that I gave birth to pre-mature baby at about 34 weeks to avoid any complications. If I can delay the baby birth until the due date, it is good for both of us - mother and baby especially the baby.

The gyne discharge me from ward on the 25 November 2006 and gave me a Medical Leave until Monday, 27 November 2006. He asked me to come back for check-up on Monday to see the situation. He insists that I have to stay in bed and do not move around as the leaking is minimized. As long as I do not move much, the holes will heals and the water will stop leaking.

I went back to my home to rest as advised.