My Birth Story

Mummy has officially handed over the reins of this blog to my tiny hands. I shall chronicle as best as I can on the new world that I have been brought into. Let me start by telling you about my birth story...

April 10, Good Friday @ 9pm

Mummy was telling Josh a bedtime story when she felt a kicking sensation at her bladder and that's when her water bag broke. She called Daddy and they prepared to go to the hospital. Josh was smiling all the time saying, "I am so lucky." Thankfully, Uncle Ben, Aunt Vicky and Mama were around so he was in good hands.

@ 9.45pm

There was bloody show. Mummy's dilation was only 1cm. The contractions were mild and infrequent. So she was moved from the observation ward to her room to wait. That night, both of them were sleepless with anticipation.

April 11, Holy Saturday

The contractions were getting stronger but still irregular. The OB mentioned to wait another 24 hours before considering induction or other alternative intervention. The water bag was still trickling by then. By the afternoon, there were hardly any contractions and I didn't move much, prompting mummy to alert the nurses. Back we went to the observation ward where my heartbeat and movements were monitored. That was when I decided to put them at ease and did the jig-a-jig. Everyone was relieved!

April 12, Easter Sunday @ 3am

The contractions got worst and came every 10 min. Daddy had to stay virgil most of the hours to massage mummy's aching back. Needless to say, another sleepless night for both of them. I suppose that's when the labour started. Mummy was in such pain that she contemplated succumbing to the knife. She also felt bad Daddy missed his sleep.

@ 10am

She was brought to the labour ward and dilation at 2-3 cm. The OB prescribed inducing the labour at its minimal dose much to my chagrin! My heartbeat plummeted and they didn't consider increasing its dosage. Mummy decided to go for the epidural (more like "happy"-dural) and it was godsend! She could rest well after that and the contractions speeded up to every 3 minutes. Soon her dilation was 5cm and before you know it, it reached 9cm! Yahoo! Now, my parents' could refocus on the VBAC. But mummy was worried she couldn't feel like pushing. So the nurse advised her to imagine pushing.

@ 3.30pm

The happy-dural was taken away to aid mummy in getting some sensation to push. She went into the labour room shivering (effects of the drug). After the epidural wore off some of its numbness, the midwife coached her to start pushing. Daddy had to flex some muscles in supporting her back to a semi-upright position. Soon, you could see some of my hair! Later the OB came in and the whole pushing business started to take off! At one point, Daddy had to remove his jacket as it was getting too "hot" to handle! At every contraction, mummy pushed and pushed until crowning. Then I slipped out 45 minutes later @ 4.14pm. Daddy cut my cord! I was brought immediately to mummy who comforted me. Aah, the familiar voice! Then I started nursing.... aah, the smell! Finally I was whisked away to be cleaned, weighed and checked. Poor mummy tore (naturally) and had to be stitched. She also threw up after that (again effects of the drug). We three were all exhausted from all that childbirthing business.

Mummy wanted me to put a special mention here that VBAC is possible (once a c-section, not always a c-section!) for mothers who desire it. During labour, she totally forgot about the risks of uterine rupture and pushed with all her might! Hands down, she would go for natural birthing again. It is not about the pain of childbirth or the speed of the healing process. The after-effects of both childbirth methods are different. The feeling of accomplishment as nature would have it surpasses everything else. I am sure Daddy felt just as accomplished and involved, having witnessed and participated in my birthing. And on a good note, VBAC also made her more adamant with a renewed confidence to breastfeed me.

As I came out only weighing 2.46kg, mummy's milk (and formula given that I had jaundice and low birth weight) has me putting on the kgs!

For another version of my birth story (thanks to Aunty Sharon for writing it), please go to http://www.babycenter.com.sg/pregnancy/labourandbirth/birthstories/sophia_low/