He came out really quick and was calm as a cucumber. It was funny because I had to ask Hubby if the baby was ok because he was so quiet. He cried a little and then was quiet. Doc Eee said, it's ok, it's good that baby is calm, no need for a screaming and crying baby.
It was really good that I got to enjoy a portion of the Chinese New Year and not have to spend it in confinement. I ate a lot of Yee Sang and spent time with family and friends. Indeed God's timing is so perfect and wonderful, Public Holidays like Thaipusam and Federal Territory Day gave me added time to prepare personally for the upcoming birth. Even though work was busy, I am glad that I was still relaxed. Three weeks in a row from 25th of January, every Monday was a holiday, Chinese New Year was on the 8th and 9th of February which was also a Monday and Tuesday.
The best part of it all was that I got to spend a little more time with Chapati before Baby #2 arrives. I really treasure the time because I had missed out on so much of his day to day growth and milestones. It really was an enjoyable Chinese New Year 2016!
Since I was pregnant with Chapati, someone shared a book with me called "Supernatural Childbirth" which I really treasured and read throughout his pregnancy and delivery. His was indeed my 1st Supernatural Childbirth and will sit down one day to write about it. With Jo Jo, I only occasionally pulled out the book to read and claim the promises in there as I was beleaguered with all kind of pregnancy issues that you can read here, here and here. (In hindsight, I probably would not have suffered so much if I did!) But thank God for his grace and mercy, what little I did read and declare helped a whole lot.
My due date according to Dr Tan(ultrasound) : 3rd February 2016
My due date according to KKIA and LMP : 13th February 2016
Funny thing was, I didn't realise that I had two different dates. I always thought that my due was the 3rd of February as it was easy to overlook the 1 in 13. So we and the rest of the our world, were happily expecting Baby to come since late January. I must say that when 3rd of February rolled around and there was still no sign...the question "is baby coming yet?" was starting to get a little irritating. Anyway, we went to see Dr Eee and he said that we could still wait until after Chinese New Year and if by the 10th of February I still haven't delivered, he advised me to go straight to the hospital to be induced. So I went home with a heavy heart and we both prayed that Baby would come when he was ready. I was of course getting bigger and bigger as the days went by so much so, I really felt like I would explode like a balloon at anytime.
11th February
I woke up and noticed that I had a little blood on my panty. But it wasn't like before with Chapati where it was so sure it was a bloody show. This time around I wasn't really sure...but it was the first time that I had blood. I was also still working so I kind of forgot all about it in the busyness of the day. I was off in the afternoon as I had my appointments at KKIA and Dr Eee for a check up.
I had a little scare at the KKIA appointment because when the nurse used the fetal doppler to listen to his heartbeat, it was actually around 180 beats. She then referred me to the doctor who did an ultrasound and promptly told me to get to the hospital and get a CTG done because his heartbeat was quite fast and based on the ultrasound, baby was about 3.8 kg (plus minus 500 grams) She said he was a big baby!
So after the KKIA appointment we went to see Dr Eee and we asked him if it was advisable to do a CTG. He was very obliging and the best part was, he had all the necessary equipment and we didn't need to go to the hospital. Thank God that the CTG turned out to be normal and Dr Eee confirmed that according to the ultrasound it was good because baby was active and everything else looked good. ie. amniotic fluid more than enough and Baby was already head down. Though Doc said that he was still facing upwards. It would be easier on the birth if he was facing down.
Still no sign of anything else apart from feeling like an absolute whale that ate too much. Little spots of blood but nothing really significant.
12th February
Woke up in the morning and again there was blood...but nothing else! I remember telling my family that I felt different today. I told Hubby too that most probably the little fella will arrive very soon...deep down I just felt different! Like my waiting was over...I thought I had some contractions but I couldn't be sure that there was no pain at all. So I was still "whaling" around. I just love the little whale icon in Whatsapp.
It was another relaxing day and mother-in-law said that she would cook dinner for us. So we had a good dinner together as a family. We then left to go home at about 9 ish...
11.30 pm
I started to feel something...again, I just couldn't put my finger on it because there was just no pain. I told Hubby that I feel something but can't be sure. He then decided that we should just go for a drive and send Chapati to his parents place and after that we would decide whether to go to the hospital or not. We both got ready, put the bags in the car and then drove to his parents place and dropped Chapati off. Needless to say, he was not a happy that we were leaving him with his grandparents and he didn't quite understand what was happening. Hubby spent some time talking to him and telling him why and where we had to go but he still cried.
We drove out and then I told Hubby that really nothing was happening and we should go home and get some sleep. Baby might come later or not...and were both tired, especially Hubby. We reached home at about 12.30 am and I fell asleep instantaneously. I found out much later on that Hubby couldn't really sleep...and only just fell asleep when I woke him up. (Poor thing)
13th Feburary
3.30 am
I suddenly got woken up by an intense feeling in my stomach. I wasn't sure what it was... so I just continued to lie down and waited to see what else would come up. Nothing happened after a few minutes and I almost fell asleep again. Suddenly, I felt what I can only explain as a very strong contraction as I could hardly breathe and could not move at all for the few seconds until it was over. It was really intense. I closed my eyes and waited to see it it would happen again. Within the next few minutes it happened again and it was even more intense than the previous one and it was also painful. I really couldn't move and it was a struggle to breathe. After it subsided, I reached over to Hubby and woke him up telling him that we have to go the hospital now as something is happening for real.
We both woke up a little groggy and proceeded to leave the house. I was so thankful that we had already make the necessary preparations of putting my hospital bag, other necessities in the car earlier and sending Chapati off to my in-laws. Once again God had perfect timing! I think we left the house about 4 am.
4.15 am
Hubby dropped me off at the front entrance of Pantai Hospital Cheras. There was a little confusion as we weren't sure if we were supposed to use the main entrance or the A&E entrance. So Hubby had to reverse the car to the main entrance and wait for the security guards to get me a wheelchair before driving off to park the car. They then wheeled me in and I handed my documents over to the nurse at the Triage. By this time, I could feel the contractions but I didn't check the frequency of it. I was busy trying to breathe and ride through the intense feelings. For some reason, it was a little overwhelming.
They pushed me to the labour room on the 1st floor and asked me to change out of my clothes and lie down so that they could examine the size of my dilation and put a CTG monitor on my Baby. Hubby walked in just as I was lying down.
4.45 am
I was already 4 cm dilated on the nurses first examination. For some strange reason, I was could not stop shaking/shivering. I didn't feel cold but the shaking and shivering just wouldn't stop. The nurses suggested that I eat and drink something as my glucose levels could be low because it was 4 in the morning. Eating was obviously the last thing on my mind but I told Hubby that I was thirsty. So I drank some water and he got me a packet of cold soy bean drink from the vending machine which I drank up really fast. I was still shivering/shaking uncontrollably so I asked Hubby to sit down and pray with me the prayer for Delivery from the book "Supernatural Childbirth". Slowly, my shivering/shaking subsided.
I tried to stay upright by holding on to the wall and the metal support railings to wait a little longer for the enema to work but it was really difficult with the contractions. I thought of putting the seat cover down and sitting on the toilet bowl but just thinking of sitting on a public hospital toilet bowl cover was a tad gross as I was naked except of the hospital gown. I just couldn't continue to stand anymore and promptly sat down on the toilet bowl only for all the medication to come out and nothing else! What a waste of the enema and my energy going to the toilet. After a few minutes, the nurse outside kept asking me if I was done and I told her that nothing came out except for the medicine. She then told me to go back to the labour room! I would have strangled her if I had the strength!
Now this is where my memory is a little hazy because of the contractions. Some time between the first VE (vaginal examination) and the subsequent ones, they gave me a shot of Pethidine to help with the pain.
5.28 am
They checked again and I was 6 cm dilated. I remember the nurse telling both Hubby and I to call them if I felt a strong urge to poop. They kindly turned off the light to keep me calm and allowed me to rest. Once again this experience was different from Chapati. I remember the labour room at Prince Court being extremely bright with lots of people walking in and out and I even had an IV line put in.
5.55 am
I told the nurses that I felt like the baby was coming and when they checked I was already 8 cm dilated! By then they started rushing around and I think one of the nurses called the doctor. Maybe they called the doctor earlier, but I can't be sure.
I could still smile! Which is good! :)
I told the nurses that I feel like pushing already and I can't help it! They told me don't push yet! I said how not to push?!! I can't help it! They then told me to breathe in deeply the entonox everytime I felt the contractions coming. It seemed like I was going to give birth at anytime! I had to keep breathing in the entonox gas until my mouth and throat felt extremely dry to keep myself from pushing the baby out.
6 am or 6.05 am
Dr Eee arrived and by that time I was already fully dilated to 10 cm. The nurses got me ready for the delivery and Doc said that we are going to have to deliver Baby fast because he had already passed meconium and that is usually a sign of distress. If he didn't come within the next 10 minutes or so, Doc will assist with the vacuum. So I was to push the next time I felt the contraction! What a relief!
I had 3 rounds of pushing and each round I had about 2 pushes each. I wasted the first round because the contractions were so intense I kind of made noise. I wasn't screaming just a loud groan. So the doctor and the nurses had to tell me "no sound!" So the next two rounds, I had to grit my teeth and push really hard. On the last push, the nurses on both sides of me helped by my pushing hard on my tummy with their hands and suddenly Baby came out!! Doctor put him on my tummy whilst waiting for the 2 minutes before clamping and cutting the cord. I could feel his little weight on my tummy, he was so warm and cute! :) I felt so happy and relieved that he came out without any medical intervention needed. I just wish that Hubby had taken a photo of him lying down on my tummy whilst waiting to clamp the cord. He arrived at 6.28 am!
What a supernatural delivery indeed!
- Dr Eee did a great job in helping me deliver little Joel, he was so relaxed and calm when talking to me. He even joked with the nurses in between my pushes so the nurses were relaxed and calm too.
- I lost very little blood. According to Hubby, Dr Eee and floor was clean! He told me that during Chapati's delivery, it looked like a war zone! There was blood everywhere on the floor, he remembers that the labour room floor was coated in blood and he could see blood gushing out from me.
- I delivered Joel in about 10 minutes with about 6-7 pushes. Joel was still facing upwards and he would have come outeasier and faster if he was facing downwards. I am just thankful he came out fast and safely. The nurses was also commenting that they managed to see the "opening" and "closing" of the delivery. Ie. from the start to the baby coming out.
- I had a very small episiotomy but after the delivery, Dr Eee actually mentioned after he sewed me up that he didn't even need to make it for baby to come out.
- Dr Eee didn't need to break my water bag, according to Hubby, it seems that the water bag broke on its own during the delivery.
God is so good and we really thank God for the smooth and safe delivery and for blessing us with another beautiful baby boy!
We are now a family of 4!
God's gift to us, our son Joel!
Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.
Psalm 127:3
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm, plans to give you hope and a future, Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
