Hi everyone! After a while of silence, I'm back again - as a new mummy! I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on the 2nd of February 2019 and currently undergoing my confinement period (sighs, lol).
I've been meaning to share my birthing experience with my readers because as a first time mummy, the birthing experience can be an overwhelming one.
After four months of checking up at PPUM, the day finally arrived. My expected due date was supposed to be on the 31st of January so I was already sort of naturally prepared (well, I didn't really know what to prepare. I just knew I was due to deliver soon). 31st Jan came, yet no signs of birth. That morning, I thought I was not going to deliver that day so the night before I spent the night playing League until Subuh (BAD IDEA).
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| This is a heavily-pregnant me enjoying my ice-cream |
After Subuh I was craving for roti canai Melayu so we went to get some and came back around 8am to sleep. At 11am I woke up and felt ~wet~ (get used to the nasty descriptions, please) and suspected that my water was leaking. FYI, not all water breaking is like what you see in the movies when the water breaks and everybody panics to get themselves to the hospital lol. I did my last minute packing and off we went to the hospital.
When I arrived and explained to the nurse of what I suspected, the nurse immediately admitted me (... so drastic). Everything became surreal and frankly quite depressing then. Most of the time I was not allowed to have my phone. When I was admitted, I was told to strip myself of all belongings and my husband was not allowed to be in the ward with me. I wasn't mentally prepared to be alone! And not having my phone made my time in the ward worse. In the ward, the doctor checked me and confirmed that my water was leaking but I wasn't dilated at all (means I'm not in active labour yet) and soon I was admitted as a patient for realz.
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| First day admitted T_T |
Thank God, I was allowed to have my phone, bags and see my husband. FYI, husbands are only allowed to see you only during visiting hours T_T (I cried internally when he had to go back). Mind you, visiting hours are really, really short at government hospitals.
Hours went by and a few nurses and doctors came to check me, yet I was no where near dilated! The next day, doctors came in again and I was hoping I would be dilated by a few centimeters but NO - I WAS STILL NOT DILATED AT ALL. I was told that if my dilation doesn't progress I would have to be induced the next day. I've heard stories and I did NOT want to be induced.
Next day came and that morning a doctor came to check. Guess what, I WAS STILL NOT DILATED. Lol. My baby didn't want to part with my body I guess. So, like it or not, I had to be induced. I was sent to another ward where 3 other expectant mothers stayed for induction. There again, I had to part with my belongings including my phone. I've never felt more depressed and lonely in my life lol. More doctors came to check me and I was left to wait for more than another day. That's what, 48 hours of just waiting?
Oh, being induced wasn't so bad lol. After being induced, a few hours or so this really lovely doctor came to check me but I was only ONE FREAKIN CENTIMETERS DILATED. 😑 I've already planned to get an epidural for my birth so I needed to be at least 4cm dilated to have it. To my horror, I was told that there is an epidural administration limit to patients. Only two patients in labour at a time can have it. I was so, so scared I wouldn't get it. My ward was just next to the labour room and the whole time I could hear women groaning and screaming in pain.
Somehow after another day of agonizing period of waiting I was barely dilated at 4cm. They told me that I would be moved to the labour room (so... it begins, I thought). Again, I didn't have anything with me except a bottle of water. How did I go 3 days without my phone? The great news was the doctors told me that I was given priority to an epidural because I wasn't dilating! YASSS.
So first thing they did when I was moved to the labour room was administer the epidural. The only thing that hurt during the process was when the doctor pushed the little tubes in my spine. But after all that was done, omg... heaven. I couldn't feel a single del of pain and I could even sleep. But when the epidural wore off, WORST PAIN EVER. Oh, by this time my husband could accompany me YAYZ. I was ugly-crying whenever the pain kicked in. It was the worst pain I've ever felt. Whenever the anesthesiologist came to top up my epidural, I was elated.
Again, I went through the same process of doctors and nurses coming to check - only this time it was more frequent. Every four hours the doctors would come to check my dilation and still I was NOT progressing until the next day. It was more than 2 days since my water leaked and my dilation stayed at 5cm. The next morning, the doctor did one last check and told the nurses that I was progressing poorly and turned off the epidural and IV machines. She finally decided that I had to go for a C-Sect and briefed me about what to expect as well as elaborated the pros and risks of a C-Sect. Not like I had a choice anyway.
After half an hour of painful waiting, I was wheeled off to the surgery room and administered stronger dosage of epidural. Every time they administer epidural into my body, I would shiver uncontrollably - it's one of the reactions from taking it. During the whole time of surgery I was shivering crazily to the point of cramping. I couldn't feel them cutting me although I could feel pressure. It didn't hurt up to that point. However, I did not expect them to push my abdomen so hard to get the baby out! When they finally pulled my baby out, I was so, so relieved and teared up a little. That time, I still couldn't see my baby until I was stitched up and placed outside of the surgery room. I was still shivering so hard but the epidural was wearing off and I was in SO MUCH PAIN. But when I held my baby, the pain seem to fade a bit. The moment I've been waiting all my life has finally come - I finally have a child I can call my own.
After the surgery, I still couldn't go back for the next 3 days because of the surgery. For two days I was in great pain. During this time, doctors and nurses came to check me and my baby consistently. I was forced by the doctors to walk and take care of my baby myself after the second day though I was in pain. By the third day, the doctors gave me the okay to be discharged! YASS.
So that is my labour story. I will do another entry on my review on PPUM services if I'm not lazy. Hehe. Thanks for reading!
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