Labour Diary

39 weeks and 4 days later, we say hello to a new member of our family. Another lady boss around the house has arrived. Baby Kristabelle was delivered on 29 April 2011 at 2.24pm.

It was like any other morning, wet and rainy like it has been for the past week. I literally had to drag myself out of bed that Friday morning and headed to Sunway Hospital for my weekly check ups. Sis so kindly offered to drive me there, while mom accompanied. It was as though they sensed I would be checking in and not return home that very day. And they were right...

Arrived at the hospital at 8.15am, got my weight and urine checked and was #1 in queue to see Doc.

9am - still waiting for Doc to arrive...

10am - still waiting... Was told by his assistant, Emily, that he would be caught up in labour room as there were 3 other patients about to deliver. So mom, sis and I decided to go have our breakfast at the cafe opposite the clinic. Just as I was about the pay for the fried noodles and drinks we ordered, Emily rushed over and told me Doc is in his clinic already. So I hurriedly followed her back while mom and sis continued having their breakfast.

Doc checked my blood pressure and subsequently did a scan. Everything seemed normal. "No signs of labour?" he asked. "None, but I begin to see a lot of mucus like discharge though not reddish in colour". Then Doc said that it was better to check my cervix. He found that I was already 3-4cm dilated. "Better to get admitted now and proceed with labour" Doc added. Hmmm, seems like deja vu all over again. It is the exact same experience I had with Isabelle. Dilation with no signs at all. My girls just love to give me surprises!

Called Pete immediately and told him to get his a** to the hospital ASAP. Went back to the cafe and informed mom and sis. Everyone started to get nervous. Sis got my hospital bag out of the car and I told them to head home since there was nothing else left for them to do anyway. So off they went, and I was all alone again and the nerves started kicking in.

11.30am - I walked to the labour room and checked in myself (sounds familiar, eh?).

12.00 noon - Nurse gave me a dose of Enema (a form of laxative) to clear my bowel.

12.20pm - All set. Laid on the bed, waiting for Doc to arrive.

1.00pm - Doc arrived and broke my water bag. Clear water *phew*. Was then given Oxytocin to induce labour.

1.10pm - Father of the baby arrived. I felt a great sense of relief. He missed the delivery of our first child, so no way he was going to miss this one! I started to feel the contractions, stronger and more painful each time. 20 minutes later, it became exceptionally unbearable.

2.00pm - the height of the contractions and the pain... gosh... I already wanted to push the baby out. The nurse keeps telling me "Not yet, not yet". I snapped back " It's coming, it's coming" (I thought to myself: What do you mean not yet? I can feel it coming out!!). The nurse checked my cervix again and I was already 8cm dilated. Faintly, I overheard the nurses telling Pete that there was another lady next door, also dilated by 8cm and was sharing the same Doc as mine. Great. Now it was like a competition - competing to see who reaches the 10cm mark first.

2.10pm - I was fully dilated and ready to push. Seconds later, my Doc appeared and I was THRILLED to see him. I guess I won.

With Pete by my bedside, I squeezed his hands so tight like never before. All it took was 5 big pushes and the baby was out. Sounds easy, eh? Believe you me, it was not! With the first to pushes, I felt the head popping out. I felt the shoulder and the rest of the body all out after 3 more strong, hard push. I plunked back to the bed and I felt nothing but relief that it was all over.

Still huffing and puffing away, I saw her tiny legs from a far. I heared her wail and cry - I teared and knew everything was just fine. Doc took a while to mend me up. The Episiotomy wound was quite severe. At that point, nothing seemed to hurt anymore. My attention was all on the little one. Pete was busy snapping away. Though he has performed several deliveries before, I guess it is never the same when it is your own.

2.40pm - All done with the suture. Doc came over, congratulated us and hurriedly went off. We continued snapping more pictures, until I fell asleep! I was so drained and tired by the end of it all.

3.30pm - I was wheeled to the Deluxe Suite at 2332-1. Turned on the tellie and caught up with the "other" highlight of the day - the marriage of HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton. What an auspicious day, it was!

So that was my story and here she is... Our home is even more complete now, especially when it is filled with "XX" :)