Labour

Wow…this time I’m really way behind.

I’ve been meaning to write this entry for a long time…but as usual time is a luxury I cannot afford to have. So now, as little Emmet is peacefully asleep in his carry cot cum car seat, I hope I can still remember THE MOMENT…

I’m talking about my labour, of course.

As y’all noticed, at 39 weeks my tummy was that big. Sleeping is agonizing. My back, side, hip all hurt quite badly. I was due 10th July but nothing happened that day. Weather was not as good for a few days. But on the 13th, it was a brilliant summer day. Clear sky, bright sunshine, moderate wind and quite warm, so I thought this would be a great day to take my mom and my sister to the beach. But at the back of my mind I thought it could probably be today, so I prepared a sanitary pad in my purse just in case. And I also changed to dark jeans…just in case.

We got to the beach, had a good walk, my sister mandi-mandi, ate our sandwich and just enjoying the sun (we don’t get that many in Ireland). As my sister was about to head to the changing area to change, I got up and dush…. I felt I just peed in my pants and I can’t control it! And dush….it came again like water running from the tap. I immediately told my mom, I thought my waterbag just broke.

So we quickly walked to the changing room, wetting my pants all the way. I only had my panty liner on. Lucky I brought the sanitary pad along. Good thinking. We changed and waited for the train to arrive. I didn’t feel any pain.

I called Rizal,

L: Elo, eh…I think my waterbag just broke la. Basah habis seluar ni.
R: Yeke…dah nak beranak ke?
L: Yela kot
R: Habis tu macam mana?
L: Kitorang nk balik dah la ni, then terus gi hospital la nak check.
R: OK..OK

While on the train, he called,

R: Eh…waterbag dah pecah ke?
L: (Didn’t I just called him and told him that???) yela…
R: ooo…OK. Uumm..
L: Jumpe kat hospital terus la nanti.
R: OK..OK

We rushed (walked) to the hospital which was just around the block from the train station. Rizal was already waiting anxiously.

Checked-in and waited to be examined. No pain. They examined the discharge and said it was just a show, not the waterbag. They examined my vagina but said I wasn’t even opened yet. You know how they did it, they put on gloves, applied some clear cold gel on their fingers and then stuck it inside you. Felt kinda funny down there. They also monitored my contraction. While they are strong but weren’t regular enough. I wasn’t ready. So I was sent home. But in the cab I was starting to feel some pressure.

By the time we got home, they became very painful. We waited until the contractions became regular, then we returned to the hospital. It was close to 11pm. I was again examined but still they said I wasn’t fully in labor yet. I was opened for 0.5cm only. I requested for an Epidural but they said it was too soon. So they gave me Petadine instead. Then they sent me to the ward.

In about a couple of hours, the pain became extremely overwhelming all I could do was moan through them. The painkillers didn’t work. The midwife stuck her fingers in me again and said ‘ok she’s 8.5 cm but let’s get her in the labor room anyway’…thank god!

Oohh…what happened inside the labor room…

Midwife: Would you like any painkiller?
Me: Yes, Epidural please…
Midwife: Oh sorry, I’m afraid it’s too late for that since you are fully dilated. I’ll give you some gas instead is that ok?
Me: (Demmit!) Oh…OK…whatever

Half an hour of pushing later…

Midwife: You’re doing great, keep it going, keep it going, let it go, now breathe in again quickly, hold…hold, keep it going, keep it going, you’re doing brilliant, we’ll have your baby out in 10 minutes…good girl…

Breathing in the gas didn’t work! Sure it makes you dizzy plus I was really tired it was 3am something I was really sleepy I actually dozed off in between contractions. The gas also made your throat really dry I had to drink a lot of water.

Half an hour later…

Midwife: The baby’s not coming out, I’m going to give you Oxytocyn to help with the contraction. Drink more water, your baby’s asleep, we need to wake him up.

So they stuck me with needles for the Oxytocyn drip. You know how painful it is whenever you are given a drip at the back of your hand, well let’s just say I wished they would stick more needles in me to help me forget about the pain of the contractions.

Half an hour later or so…

Midwife: You are doing brilliant, keep it going, keep it going, bla…bla…bla…we’ll have your baby out in 10 minutes, I promise…good girl…
Me: (10 minutes my ass!!!)
Rizal: (with his face on my cheeks holding my hand) Kejap je lagi, kejap je lagi. Dah nampak dah kepala dia sikit.
Me: (rimasnyeeeeee) Jauh la sikit muke tu!
Rizal: Oh ok…ok…

Midwife: (saying to another midwife) I think we need some help here. Call the doctor.

The midwives argued about the oxytocyn drip didn’t work and noticed my hand is swelling. So they changed to the other hand. Great, stick me with more needles pleaasseeee…..

Midwife: The oxytocyn didn’t seem to work, so the doctor is going to perform a procedure to help the baby out ok…
Me: (nod my head)

Doctor arrived and examined the situation…

Doctor: Hi I’m Shereen, I’m going to put a cap on the baby’s head and when you push I’ll pull the baby out ok.
Me: (nod my head)

I don’t know how many timed have they stuck their fingers inside my vagina, this time they are sticking this cap thing!....whatever just do it quickly please…

More pushing…dokter pun tarik-tarik

Doctor: It’s not coming. I’m going to cut you a bit.
Me: (Demmit…bosannye nanti ada stitches) (nod head)
Midwife: You’re doing great girl, bla…bla…bla…
Me: (Shut up laaa!)

Pushing…pushing…

It was 5.54am and the sun was already high up. Suddenly I felt this gush of thing came out of me and my tummy tiba-tiba kempis. Tadaaa!...they put the baby on my tummy. Rasa lega gile macam baru lepas berak. I held the baby for some time while they cut the cords and attached a clip. Right then, honestly, I couldn’t care less about the baby, I just felt so relieve it was over!!! Yeyyyyy, I did it!!!!

The doctor pulled out the placenta and sewed back the cut. I didn’t feel a thing. The midwife cleaned and swaddled the baby, with Rizal watching and forgetting all about me there lying in the bed sweating and bloody.

Midwife: Would you like to hold the baby?
Me: (Are you kidding me?) No thanks, later…give him to daddy (and I dozed off to sleep finally…)

The midwife woke me up about half an hour later and took me to the maternity ward. And I dozed off to sleep again…with my baby beside me in his cot…and Rizal beside my bed…every one of us exhausted…