My labor story 15.5 months later

Look what the stalk brought

On Wednesday, 6th June 2007 I started feeling cramps in my lower abdomen. I woke up in the morning to find myself spotting. I had been feeling like I was about to explode for a week or so. Hubs brings me to the OBgyn. My doctor, Dr. I was on leave so we went to see her neighbor Dr. M (Ot's OBgyn). He does his thing and tells me I'm 1 cm dilated and not to worry because I probably have a few days to go. We (hubs and I) leave the hopspital feeling a bit disturbed. 1 cm? I've started dilating but it might take a few days? "Trust the experienced doctor Pu", I tell myself. But just in case, I stay home the next couple of days. My mummy's flight was booked on the 14th June, 1 week to my due date on the 21st. "Mummy, I want you here now! I think the little angel will come out anytime soon!". So on Thursday, 7th June mummy is in town to care for her 3rd born who is preparing for her 1st born.

7th June, in the middle of the night and wee hours of the morning of the 8th. Major cramps don't allow me the sleep I so desperately need. Every half hour or so, I toss and turn in bed. I would not describe it as pain. It was more like major cramps and discomfort. I am in this state the whole night. Hubs is out entertaining customers and I am tempted to call him. But I don't. Mummy is in the next room and Assunta Hospital is a 5 minute drive away. By morning, I am pale and spotting a little more. The aches turn into pains and I can hardly stand up. However, surprisingly, I am calm. It's my mummy, mother of 4 who is in panic. "I really think you should go to the hospital now", she kept telling me. We decide to call Ots (in JB at the time) who is calm and tells me to go if I really feel I should. Again mummy, "I really think you should go coz I won't be in the right state of mind to drive if you are in uimaginable pain and screaming next to me". Seeing as if i waited any longer I may not have a driver to get me to the hopsital, I grabbed my maternity bag (that was packed months in advance), informed hubs and off we went,mummy daughter and sister's maid. We are directed straight to the labor ward. Here I am instructed to change into hospital gear. It is a little after 9 am.

They call in Dr. I, she is off duty but thank goodness she lives nearby. In the meantime, a nurse comes along and gives me the check. "Oh you are 1 cm dilated", she tells me. What? 1 cm? "But nurse, I was 1 cm two days ago!" I practically scream to the nurse. On top of that the pains were gaining frequency, like every 15 minutes. AND they were inconsistent, sometimes they came as close as 7 minutes. Finally, Dr. I comes in, her serene face, soothing voice and gentleness calms me immediately. Mummy tells me I have the sweetest, nicest doctor. I agree. Once again I am given the check for the 3rd time. The good doc confirms the 1 cm thing and instructs the nurse to hook me up to this machine that monitors my contractions as well as baby's heartbeat. It seems baby is ready to come out but mummy's cervix not ready to give way. Fear builds as I think of complications but the nurses do not look alarmed so I tell myself to stop worrying. The contractions are consistently closer. 5-7 minutes apart.

A while later, the nurse comes in to give me the check me again, apologizing politely everytime she does so. I find this very professional. It would be the polite thing to do huh, "Excuse me mam, I am now going to touch your most intimate private area". And I didn't even know her name. I tried to act as normal as possible and hoped I didnt blush. By noon, hubs was in the hospital. And a couple of hours later the IL's and Punes were around. I am now making my rounds outside the labor ward, my hands in hub's. I don't like the walking, it adds to the pain and discomfort. However, I was advised to walk to quicken the dilating of the cervix and induce the labor. Hours go by, Dr. I is back and after another check tells me I am still only 1 cm dilated. I am moved to the maternity ward as it seems baby won't be coming out too soon. I didn't know that a woman could stay 1 cm dilated for soooo long. Plus the pains were coming evey 5 minutes.

By 9 pm, I am exausted. Everyone but hubs has gone home to rest. He stays with me in the maternity ward. We walk around my room and I try to focus on the tele. The pain is horrible. And I am still only 1 cm. The frustration is mounting. "When will you come out little angel? When mummy's body allows you I guess." Over 12 hours in and out of pain and I press the button to call the nurse. "Could I have the (pentadine) jab?" An hour later the pain is reduced and the drug gets me through the night without too much pain. Some time in between (its all a blur to me) I am moved back to the labor ward. Even the nurses were unsure of where to keep me. So the labor ward it was!

The next day, 9th June. Dr. I comes in all cheerful asking how mummy is doing. Mummy is not too good. She wishes this was all over. And is eager to set her eyes on her little daughter. But alas, mummy is STILL only 1 cm! The pains are becoming unbearable. I cannot, refuse to walk. Hooked up to the machine permanently now. Mummy and baby need closer monitoring. Baby's heatbeat is fine throughout, doctor and nurses expressions allow me to remain calm. By noon I ask for my second shot of pentadine. Hey, 27 hours and still no baby ok! 3 checks and 3 hours later I am told I am 3 cm! Thank you God! Dr. I tells me that she can break my water for me to quicken labor but this will dramatically increase the pain. "Anything that gets baby out sooner", I tell her. I feel nothing as she breaks my water bag but the release of the waters felt odd, a gush of water coming out from my vagina was like the release of a dam. It is blood stained and this is normal. Almost immediately the pain increases 10 folds. Argh! You must know that I have a VERY LOW threshold for pain. I seriously cannot take pain. By now I am in tears. So is my mummy. She cannot see me in pain and suggested hours before that I just go for the c-section.

I had been through the cycle twice, as in the nurses shifts. All the nurses in the labor ward knew me! Most of them had visited my most intimate and private area. All apologizing everytime they entered. They seemed eager for me to deliver as well. Women came and went (in silence mind you, probably all on the epidural) and there I was close to 30 hours and entering my 4th cm. Dr. I is empathatic (not just for me but for my mom as well), she gets the nurses to give me oxygen. Which honestly helps very little. It does nothing for the pain. It's more of a mind relaxer that gets you high if you inhale too much. Which I did and well I didn't quite like the floating in air out-of-control state it left me in. FINALLY, I give in. I told myself not to, especially for the 1st birth, but I'm chicken shi* that way I guess. I say the words I tried so long to avoid, " Doc, is it too late for the epidural?" I ask. She replies, "No it's not, you are 5 cm dilated". Only 5 cm, sigh.

The anesthesist is called in and comes in about 45 minutes later (not soon enough believe me). He asks me if I have any back problems. No, my back is fine. He tells me to sit at the edge of the bed with my body arched forward in a c-shape with a pillow for support. He injects me with something and I feel something tiny move up inside my spine. It does not hurt. The doc tapes everything down securely and I am allowed to lie down on my back again. He says it takes about a half hour to kick in. 20 minutes later I can feel the effects and begin to relax. Another 20 minutes pass and the whole left side of my body is numb but there is feeling along my right side. Shi*! "Urm nurse, could you help with the pain? I feel it still. Up the dose maybe?" She ups the does, no change. Just take the pain away somebody! So alang-alang half of me still suffering. Another nurse comes in and gets me to rest on my right side. Almost instantly the pain subsides. Praise the Lord! From this point on NO MORE PAIN! Nothing!

Within 3 hours I am 8 cm dilated. And at about 8:30 pm I reach 10 cm and the nurses prepare the bed. My feet are in stirrups and are way above my head. My legs are open. Dr. I tells me to push. I feel nothing but try my hardest. Hubs is right next to me holding my hand but peering down to get a better view of the birthing process. I had troubles pushing at first, didnt quite get the breathing part. Blame it on the nerves as there was NO pain. After a while I got the hang of it and just focused on pushing as hard as possible. After baby's head was out, the rest of the body slipped out easily. At 8:49, after 36 hours of labor, Elil Arasi was born weighing 2.8 kg and 12 days early. Dr. I lifted her up to the delight of her proud parents. My first memory of her was her eyes, those round ever-alert eyes so bright and shining. I remember thinking to myself, oh goodness she looks exactly like me! She has changed back and forth many times since then but I still see a lot of me in her, and a lot of her daddy too. A good mix of us both I guess. I tried breastfeeding immediately but she found it a little hard to suckle. She was tagged baby number 25 and I was mummy number 25. I would never forget that face, never! I remember feeling very cold soon after, shivering uncontrollably. Hubs got me a blanket and I was wheeled to the maternity ward. Elil was off being weighed and cleaned and sent to the nursery. I noticed later that the nurses whose shifts had ended stayed back just to have a glance of little Elil. I'm sure they looked at mummy then at daddy and figured the product should be pretty interesting! Haha!

I don't remember feeling tired that night at the hospital. I was anxious and excited and wanted to be with my baby. I felt sore down there, that I remember. I did not and could not sleep. I was alone that night except for when they brought little Elil to me for feeding. Oh such a precious one she was, and is! One last thing, days later as we were filling up the forms for Elil's birthcert, we realized that Elil and Dr. I share the same birthdate! No wonder, she tried to delay inducing me!