Baby Lim 2 decided to make her appearance today, despite us having scheduled an inducement on the 3rd. Well, at least it's an easy date to remember though she will hear no end of April Fool jokes!
Here are all the gory birth details...
6+ am:
Woke up to pee and thought I felt intermittent contractions, which I ignore and go back to sleep.
8.12 am:
Uh-oh, was that a contraction? I sure hope not, Swana and I have a whole afternoon of shopping planned, including a UOB preview of the Lee Hwa sale at Marriott!
8.27 am:
Hmm, another cramp-like spasm, let's see how regular these are.
8.41 am:
Another contraction! That makes it 13-15 mins apart...is this it?
8.51 am:
The munchkin is awake and I tell Arlyn and Swana about the cramps. Nick just left for work, though he was home when I felt the first one, I wanted to be sure they were the real thing before informing him, knowing how kancheong he can get. I hit the shower and get confirmation that labour has started...there goes the mucus plug!
9.10 am:
When I emerge from the bathroom, I find out Nick is already on his way home. Who told him? I'm not ready to go to KK yet!
9.15 - 9.35 am:
I get ready and ask Arlyn to pack some bread with Nutella. I blow dry my hair, slap on some make up, pack my phones, chargers and laptop into the hospital kit (plus a bag of Cheezels!) while Nick taps his feet and urges me to hurry up. This is precisely why I didn't want to tell him till I was ready to leave the house!
9.40 am:
We are out of the house to drop Nat and Arlyn off at Membina, I nibble on a Nutella sandwich and Swana offers to bring me a bacon one, plus Ma throws in a grape Yakult which I relish en route to the hospital. Meanwhile Nick is getting on my nerves with his fussing and rushing, while I am cool as a cucumber.
10.02 - 11.05 am:
We reach KK and head straight to the delivery suites. I get hooked up to some monitors to be observed for an hour, while Nick waits outside. The bed is so narrow, and I have an assortment of gadgets on my lap to keep me occupied, i.e. blackberry to message Joanne, phone and camera. Contractions are still far apart.
11.42 am - 12.07 pm:
It is ascertained that I am indeed in the early stages of labour and am transferred to a delivery room, no.6. I send Nick down to grab a bite and get me a Mills and Boon from the bookshop to kill the time. Fill out some forms and watch CNA and have the bag of Cheezels for lunch!
1.15 - 1.41 pm:
Dr Siow makes an appearance and says am 4cm dilated, he bursts the waterbag and takes blood from me for the cord blood banking we signed up for. Out the water gushes and an antibiotic is administered for previous history of GBS, just in case. After he leave, Nick and I watch 'The Price is Right' and I update various folks via sms.
2.00 pm:
Yikes, is that blood in my drip tube? Hmm, there's a blur nurse in the house! Dunno what she did for that to happen! Hmm, the contractions are not painful yet, but I request for the epidural anyway before it gets too late.
2.45 - 3.20 pm:
In comes Dr David Woo to administer the epidural. I opt for the kind that provides a moderate dose, with the option to click a button when I need a boost. Ooh, my back is all tingly. After he leaves, I realise I am abandoned and helpless. The call button is out of reach, so are my phones, Nick had gone to wait outside. The machines are beeping away and no one is within hearing distance. I contemplate giving a little shout for help, but decide to just wait a few more minutes till someone checks in on me.
3.53 pm:
Now that the epidural and antibiotics have started, the nurse proceeds to start me on oxytocin to speed things along. The nurse assigned is Norliza and the laptop hooked up to the epidural to monitor the self-administered boosts keeps beeping because of some software issues.
4.23 - 7.44 pm:
I try to nap for it looks like a long wait. Initially we thought she could be out between 6-8 pm but she's taking her own sweet time. With the epidural, I haven't felt any pain at all, just some twinges of stomach tightening but nothing like the dilation pressure or contractions like the first time. I love epidurals! Last time round I had the shivers, this time it's just an itch around my stomach and arms which is easily relieved by scratching. I only clicked twice on the epidural booster, and had a video call with Nat. The nurse has given me the maximum dose of oxytocin and I still don't feel as if I am dilating or anything, but contractions are peaking at 2-3 mins apart. There is a change of nurse to Zaleha, she's strong and sturdy!
8.00 pm:
On Dr Siow's instructions, am checked for dilation and what do you know, am fully dilated! Honestly didn't feel a thing, how did I get to this stage? I can start pushing soon, but a bit hard when I can't feel the contractions! The epidural dose is finishing and they are not topping up. I have a moment of panic, what if the effects wear off while I am still pushing? Am told I have a good hour left before it wears off.
8.10 pm:
Dr Siow's been informed to make his way back to the delivery suite and in the meantime, we try a little pushing first.
8.35 pm:
Dr Siow arrives and the stage is all set. He gets down to business and apparently the baby's head is way down already...how did I not feel all this? Again, I reiterate...epidurals are amazing! The next 20 mins are spent actively pushing, Nick tells the doctor it's because I don't do sports that I can't coordinate my breathing and pushing, while I yak away in between pushes to the amusement of the doctor. I'm very quiet during the pushing, unlike some people next door I could hear screaming earlier! In the process though, I suffer a bit of a brain freeze from holding my breath. I feel some pulling and tugging, I tell Dr Siow not to tell me if he does an episiotomy.
8.56 pm:
And out she comes! Whoosh and she's plonked on the bed. I hear wailing and catch a glimpse of a tubby bubba. I raise my camera above my knees and snap away! She's cleaned up and immediately falls asleep in my arms...so lazy! 3.065kg, 49 cm long. Doc says I'm cool. ;-)
9.30 - 11.00 pm:
Dr Siow takes his leave while we wait for a ward number. Nick has bought me a Fillet 'O' Fish but having not eaten all day or perhaps it was the effects of the epidural, I feel nauseous after a bite and am soon puking into a plastic bag. Am transferred to Ward 72 Bed 14 but the epidural has worn off and am having the worse cramps ever! They say it's the uterus contracting but I don't remember this the first time. I request for a hot water bottle but the hospital has none. Swana and Kevin visit and bring a borrowed one from Sham while Nick goes home to shower and pack a few things more.
Here are all the gory birth details...
6+ am:
Woke up to pee and thought I felt intermittent contractions, which I ignore and go back to sleep.
8.12 am:
Uh-oh, was that a contraction? I sure hope not, Swana and I have a whole afternoon of shopping planned, including a UOB preview of the Lee Hwa sale at Marriott!
8.27 am:
Hmm, another cramp-like spasm, let's see how regular these are.
8.41 am:
Another contraction! That makes it 13-15 mins apart...is this it?
8.51 am:
The munchkin is awake and I tell Arlyn and Swana about the cramps. Nick just left for work, though he was home when I felt the first one, I wanted to be sure they were the real thing before informing him, knowing how kancheong he can get. I hit the shower and get confirmation that labour has started...there goes the mucus plug!
9.10 am:
When I emerge from the bathroom, I find out Nick is already on his way home. Who told him? I'm not ready to go to KK yet!
9.15 - 9.35 am:
I get ready and ask Arlyn to pack some bread with Nutella. I blow dry my hair, slap on some make up, pack my phones, chargers and laptop into the hospital kit (plus a bag of Cheezels!) while Nick taps his feet and urges me to hurry up. This is precisely why I didn't want to tell him till I was ready to leave the house!
9.40 am:
We are out of the house to drop Nat and Arlyn off at Membina, I nibble on a Nutella sandwich and Swana offers to bring me a bacon one, plus Ma throws in a grape Yakult which I relish en route to the hospital. Meanwhile Nick is getting on my nerves with his fussing and rushing, while I am cool as a cucumber.
10.02 - 11.05 am:
We reach KK and head straight to the delivery suites. I get hooked up to some monitors to be observed for an hour, while Nick waits outside. The bed is so narrow, and I have an assortment of gadgets on my lap to keep me occupied, i.e. blackberry to message Joanne, phone and camera. Contractions are still far apart.
11.42 am - 12.07 pm:
It is ascertained that I am indeed in the early stages of labour and am transferred to a delivery room, no.6. I send Nick down to grab a bite and get me a Mills and Boon from the bookshop to kill the time. Fill out some forms and watch CNA and have the bag of Cheezels for lunch!
1.15 - 1.41 pm:
Dr Siow makes an appearance and says am 4cm dilated, he bursts the waterbag and takes blood from me for the cord blood banking we signed up for. Out the water gushes and an antibiotic is administered for previous history of GBS, just in case. After he leave, Nick and I watch 'The Price is Right' and I update various folks via sms.
2.00 pm:
Yikes, is that blood in my drip tube? Hmm, there's a blur nurse in the house! Dunno what she did for that to happen! Hmm, the contractions are not painful yet, but I request for the epidural anyway before it gets too late.
2.45 - 3.20 pm:
In comes Dr David Woo to administer the epidural. I opt for the kind that provides a moderate dose, with the option to click a button when I need a boost. Ooh, my back is all tingly. After he leaves, I realise I am abandoned and helpless. The call button is out of reach, so are my phones, Nick had gone to wait outside. The machines are beeping away and no one is within hearing distance. I contemplate giving a little shout for help, but decide to just wait a few more minutes till someone checks in on me.
3.53 pm:
Now that the epidural and antibiotics have started, the nurse proceeds to start me on oxytocin to speed things along. The nurse assigned is Norliza and the laptop hooked up to the epidural to monitor the self-administered boosts keeps beeping because of some software issues.
4.23 - 7.44 pm:
I try to nap for it looks like a long wait. Initially we thought she could be out between 6-8 pm but she's taking her own sweet time. With the epidural, I haven't felt any pain at all, just some twinges of stomach tightening but nothing like the dilation pressure or contractions like the first time. I love epidurals! Last time round I had the shivers, this time it's just an itch around my stomach and arms which is easily relieved by scratching. I only clicked twice on the epidural booster, and had a video call with Nat. The nurse has given me the maximum dose of oxytocin and I still don't feel as if I am dilating or anything, but contractions are peaking at 2-3 mins apart. There is a change of nurse to Zaleha, she's strong and sturdy!
8.00 pm:
On Dr Siow's instructions, am checked for dilation and what do you know, am fully dilated! Honestly didn't feel a thing, how did I get to this stage? I can start pushing soon, but a bit hard when I can't feel the contractions! The epidural dose is finishing and they are not topping up. I have a moment of panic, what if the effects wear off while I am still pushing? Am told I have a good hour left before it wears off.
8.10 pm:
Dr Siow's been informed to make his way back to the delivery suite and in the meantime, we try a little pushing first.
8.35 pm:
Dr Siow arrives and the stage is all set. He gets down to business and apparently the baby's head is way down already...how did I not feel all this? Again, I reiterate...epidurals are amazing! The next 20 mins are spent actively pushing, Nick tells the doctor it's because I don't do sports that I can't coordinate my breathing and pushing, while I yak away in between pushes to the amusement of the doctor. I'm very quiet during the pushing, unlike some people next door I could hear screaming earlier! In the process though, I suffer a bit of a brain freeze from holding my breath. I feel some pulling and tugging, I tell Dr Siow not to tell me if he does an episiotomy.
8.56 pm:
And out she comes! Whoosh and she's plonked on the bed. I hear wailing and catch a glimpse of a tubby bubba. I raise my camera above my knees and snap away! She's cleaned up and immediately falls asleep in my arms...so lazy! 3.065kg, 49 cm long. Doc says I'm cool. ;-)
9.30 - 11.00 pm:
Dr Siow takes his leave while we wait for a ward number. Nick has bought me a Fillet 'O' Fish but having not eaten all day or perhaps it was the effects of the epidural, I feel nauseous after a bite and am soon puking into a plastic bag. Am transferred to Ward 72 Bed 14 but the epidural has worn off and am having the worse cramps ever! They say it's the uterus contracting but I don't remember this the first time. I request for a hot water bottle but the hospital has none. Swana and Kevin visit and bring a borrowed one from Sham while Nick goes home to shower and pack a few things more.
4 comments:
You know what I'm truly amazed by? That you can snap your OWN picture after giving birth!
You go girl. *kowtow*
Ha, Nick was against taking any pictures at all, and if I wasn't busy pushing I would have taken a video if possible!
Makes me feel so nostalgic! That pic of her just out was um, very graphic - so unreal! Did you seriously not feel anything?
No Yus, hardly felt anything at all, honestly...don't know what was in the epidural! Could feel some pulling and tugging by the doc but it wasn't uncomfortable. Didn't feel the contractions and only my head hurt during pushing! They need to invent some other painkiller for the recovery bit!
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