Abby's Birth Legend!

I checked in at Mt E on Sat 31 July around 11plus after going to the Singapore Food Fest! Felt mild contractions from around 6 onwards. In fact, earlier during the day, I went for my weekly gynae checkup and doc said I was abt 1cm dilated. My hubby was so excited until I told him that there are many women walking around with 3cm dilation for weeks! Then he calmed down. But around 5plus in the evening, I started feeling mild contractions. It was quite exciting! But nevertheless, my similarly preggie gf, hubby and I went to the Food Fest to whack the food! Eat first, give birth later! Heheh... Around 8plus, we were still walking around the Fest, and stopped at a booth and made small talk. One of the guys asked, "Oh, both of u pregnant uh, so when are u due uh? Next month?" (By the way, people already suspected me of carrying twins coz i'm THAT big.) I replied, "oh no. In a few hours' time." You could see those guys' eyes pop out and jaws drop! Hahaha... quite farni.

Okie, back to serious stuff. :D Sent my gf back and then started timing contractions. It's pretty impossible to time them at crowded places - it's very distracting lah, some more not THAT painful also (yet). So when we finally timed them in the car, we found that they were getting closer, 45secs with 3min intervals! In ante-natal classes, we were told to go hospital once we had contractions that were about 10 min apart. So I called my doc who sounded like he was attending a function and he asked me to meet him there immediately.

When I reached there, I was wheel-chaired into the delivery suite. Fwah, very exciting! The moment's finally here! But then again, I've read so many articles about women who were sent back home coz they weren't ready yet, and others who seemed like they were in labour but then the contractions stopped suddenly - repeating its pattern for 3 days! So when I went to the suite, I told the nurse that I wasn't sure if this was it. Well, from the look on her face (and the comment she made to my hubby), she believed it wasn't time yet. Coz I was still joking and walking about, and when she asked me if I was in pain, I told her I wasn't. Just tightenings.

When I was hooked up to the CTG monitor, she saw that I had regular 1 min contractions about 3min apart. So I WAS OFFICIALLY IN LABOUR. So on and off the monitor I went and my hubby and I slept alot throughout. That was 31 July 11pm.

Doc arrived and checked me repeatedly. He's the most patient doctor EVER! At 8am the next day, I was still have the same contractions and only 3cm dilated since the nite before. So he offered to break my waters. I'd heard so much about the HOOK that is used to break the bag, so I was very afraid (think fishing hook) until I saw the hook. It wasn't anything I had imagined! :) Thank God. So he broke it and felt this sudden gush. Then we all thought that it'd speed things up (I was already 8hrs in bed.) Well, contractions started getting stronger, I threw in the towel and asked for my best friend - the anesthetist! Heh. Epidural is a god-given magical potion... hahah... :D So he did his stuff and I slept on and off. Still 3 cm dilated. He'd bet we see Abby by noon.

Noon came and went. Nothing. Still 3cm. Gosh. I had watched so much telly that I was drifting in and out of sleep, out of boredom. Doc was quite worried, coz I wasn't dilating much and Abby's head was still quite high. But he still waited coz I told him I really wanted to go natural. By 8pm, he administered some stuff - can't remember - for stronger contractions to help me. I had been tossing and turning coz it was darn uncomfortable - lying in bed for more than 24 hrs already - so I shifted and fetal monitor came off. Nurses rushed in coz couldn't detect bb's heartbeat on their screen! Then they checked and found i was fully dilated!

So the whole team - 2 nurses and my darling obstetrician who was sleeping in the next room waiting for me to be fully dilated! As well as my hubby - did counts for me to push. Hubby could see bb's hair in the first push! :D The whole delivery was over in about 20 minutes (I needed episiotomy coz darling girl is big!!), and on 2 Aug 0016hrs, Abigail Teo Hui En arrived into the world, weighing 3.72kg, measuring 52cm in length with head circ 36cm.

Really thank God! Had an entire group of people praying with us - I think really prayer marathon for them!

Well, we thought everything was over and hubby left coz he had to pack up some stuff at home (We thought I'd sleep through the nite). But the post delivery was my ordeal. Due to the epidural, I puked when I tried to sit up to boobfeed Abby. It was sick. Then in my ward, I slept and woke up crying coz I was cold, feverish, nauseous and shivering. Epidural side effects. And coupled with not having Abby within me nor with me (she was at the nursery) and hubby not around, I cried so badly. Body was aching all over also - I was in bed for 30 hours! :p I was totally unprepared for the 'aftermath'. It was only when the nurse wheeled Abby in coz she was crying for a feed that I felt strength return. If not, I was a total wreck.

Things picked up after that and was discharged the next day. :) Praise God! :D I was glad I was able to be discharged with Abby.

Not exactly the birth I hoped for, but still I was a relatively 'smooth' (I slept for most part) and 'painless' (epidural is great nevertheless!) labour and delivery.

And kudos and a big bouquet of flowers to Dr Yap Lip Kee of Mount Elizabeth for being the most patient doctor I've ever known or heard of, and for performing magic to a badly mutilated site (so says my hubby).