Warning: I'm trying to squeeze my 22hrs of labour into 1 blog post, so what's coming up is gonna be a super long grandmother story. Bear with it ok!
It happened on a friday morning around 6.45am, GW's alarm clock went off and I woke up with a warm little gush below. Yeah, my waterbag broke and I began leaking water constantly like a broken pipe. Went to the hospital in the afternoon and the midwife confirmed my waters broken but since my contraction wasn't 5min apart, they have to send me home to wait.
Mild contractions kicked in on the next day, however they were not powerful enough to ring the hospital. I had loads of mucus plug discharge but no sign of blood. By night time, my contractions grew closer to 10min intervals and I had GW to time my contraction patterns for me just to make sure they are not Braxton hicks.
The 5min intervals came on Sunday and the pains were much stronger. I took a super long shower and was ready to check in to the hospital.
I was hooked onto the CTG monitor and the midwife came by at 4pm to check my dilation for the first time. I was 4cm dilated! I thought to myself "6cm more before I can push.. I can do it!"
I got up and swayed myself diligently on the gym ball, hoping to fasten the dilation process. The contraction pains got worse as the time goes by, I took a 1hr warm shower and felt better. After dinner at around 8pm, the midwife popped by to check my dilation progress. My heart was beating super fast as she examined me, the anticipation is machiam like waiting for O levels result.
"It's still 4cm", she said. My heart sank.
She advised me to walk more and make good use of the gym ball to help the cervix dilate faster and she will drop by again at 11pm to examine me again. I took her advice and started pacing up and down in the delivery room. It's not easy to move when you are in so much pain but I was hoping to dilate asap so I don't have to take epidural.
When the midwife came to check my dilation for the 3rd time, I really want to go bang my head against the wall liao. What 4cm still!!! How can it be?? After so much walking and gym ball! Why so stingy don't even want to let me dilate 1 more cm?!?
I went to lie on the bed and took my next pain relief option, the laughing gas. The gas that makes you high and distract you from the pain. I was tired and relied heavily on the gas to get some rest. But who knows, I fell asleep with the gas mask, suck in too much and threw up my dinner. I was in a big mess and GW helped me change into a new hospital gown.
The rest of the night was awful. I keep having that hangover feeling and I threw up whatever I eat or drink. I was on the gym ball and crying at the same time as the pain now is getting worse. It's like someone digging hard into your gunshot wound.
The midwife came in at 1am to check on me and I'm still at 4cm. I cried like a mad woman!!! GW hugged me and I told him I don't know how much longer I can tahan, I'm very tired liao. I'm really hesitant to take the epidural cuz it's not part of the plan but looking at the cursed 4cm situation now, I have no motivation to hang on.
The doctor came in at 2am to perform epidural for me and I slept til morning 6am. I couldn't have any breakfast cuz I'm still feeling nauseous but at least I'm not in pain anymore.
Midwife came again at 6.30am, I held my breath and hoped for the best... Please let me be fully dilated. PLEASE!!! Sorry, only 5cm.. improved by 1cm nia. Oh man, I can't describe my feelings in words, I'm like @#$%^&*(!@#$%^&*!!!
I was soon induced as its almost 72hrs since my waterbag broke and I've still yet to deliver. By 11am, I was 10cm dilated and had the urge to push. I keep repeating to GW, my sai wanna come out liao. The midwife could see baby's crown but no matter how much bull strength I used to push, I still couldn't get him out of the birth canal.
This went on for another 2 hours and I heard from one of the midwife that baby's heartbeat rate had dropped and we gotta get him out quick. It sounded crucial and a doctor rushed in to assist me with a metal vacuum cup and Elliot finally slide out with a bullet shape head!
I always have the image that I will weep gently when they throw the baby into my arms. But I didn't.
I WAILED OUT LOUD!!!
Totally unglam.
Couldn't get enough of my precious little cutie pie. I'm a mummy now!
Home sweet home!