The Nitty Gritty of My Birthing Experience 2.0

Now I’m ready to write my nitty gritty of my birthing experience 2.0.

In my previous post I mentioned that 2.0 is different gender from 1.0. Actually, before going to my detail scan appointment, I dreamt that I was pregnant with that particular gender. 

So imagine my surprise when the doctor told me that I was indeed pregnant with that particular gender. I even asked her again during my next visit the gender of my baby - because I couldn’t appreciate when she showed me previously, and this time, I could see it clearly. Retrospectively, the point of me dreaming the gender is sorta important point during my pregnancy. Because guess what else I dreamt about later on?

Yep, my labor date. Well, sort of. I can’t remember exactly what I dreamt, but I dreamt that I had delivered. Lol. 

And I actually delivered for real the next day after I told my friend. And here’s how it went. 

22nd of August, about 2 in the morning. I think I woke up from sleep, and experienced contraction pain. I always wake up in the middle of the night/early in the morning during the pregnancy (and sometimes even when I’m not pregnant), so there’s nothing new here. But the pain, I was lowkey worried if it is true contraction pain or just tightening/Braxton Hicks. I have been experiencing tightening for some time now anyway. I was not truly convinced that it was true contraction because I didn’t feel it regularly, increasing in intensity nor frequency. But it was quite persistent until 4am. Also making me worried was that I couldn’t really feel my baby moved during that period. I know that technically you should count the fetal movement during the designated time, but I could always feel my baby moved at least once whenever I woke up in the middle of the night. So at 4am, when I no longer felt the contraction pain, I woke bae up and told him that I might need to go to the hospital later. 

Around 7am, bae sent me to the hospital before sending 1.0 to school and he himself to work. Initially I thought about getting my hospital bag in my car - since bae is using his car to send us, but we were already late (to send 1.0 to school), and I honestly thought that I will be discharged anyway with an MC or something, so I didn’t. Besides, I was initially a bit more worried as I didn’t feel any movement early in the morning but then I felt it again when I was showering, so at first I even contemplated NOT going to the hospital lol.  So imagine my surprise when the doctor who assessed me told me that I was already 4cm. Actually initially she said it was 3cm, but stretchable to 4cm, hence she said to document as 4cm and off to labour room I can go. Lol. Also when she scanned me, the EFW was 3.4kg. Again, imagine my surprise as I just had my scan the day before and it was only 3.1kg. 

Oh. Back to the MC part. I highkey hoping I was actually in early phase of labour, or false labour, and would get an MC so that I wouldn’t have to go to work because frankly I was so lazy to go to work but I don’t want to take leave because later at night I was supposed to have a dinner meeting for work stuff. Another reason why I was not ready to deliver and in denial about me in labour is because I already booked a prenatal massage session the next day lol. 

Anyway. Called bae and told him about my situation. He ended up taking Grab to the hospital because trying to park there was a nightmare. He even managed to go to the radio dept to settle some work stuff before coming to see me 🙄. After some time, went to the labour room and referred for epidural. Bae - as usual - was hesitant for me to get the epidural and I was like oh heck no, last time I didn’t get my epidural and this time I want it and it’s not you who are giving birth so nope you have no say in this, and the doctor - I think she was a houseman - just looked at him and snickered lol. 

Anaes came, consent taken for epidural, and they did it after attempting twice. Lucky I was in gov hospital or I would need to pay twice for the epidural set if we were in private. Cried when they inserted the epidural thingy because it kinda hurt a little bit and also it was the same time as my contraction. Actually you can just let them know if you’re having contraction, so that they can pause a bit, but I just want to be done with it so I cried while trying not to move while bearing the pain lol. Lowkey was scared taking the epidural because I’ve read some horror stories before that regarding failed epidural. But thankfully, everything went well. I didn’t feel a thing, even when they ARM-ed me, or hooked me up with pitocin. I could even replied messages lol. Epidural is *chefkiss.jpg*

For those of you who are wondering how could you know when to push if you couldn’t feel the contraction, you would know. I guess even more if this is not your first time pushing a baby out. Because you would feel the bearing down sensation. It’s not painful at all, just that you feel something is trying to pop out from under there. I guess it sort of feel like the biggest poop is coming out of your bottom? Haha. 

It was almost 2pm, I was due for next assessment at 3pm. Asked bae if he should go back home for a while to get my hospital bag, and he almost wanted to go, then I said to wait a bit and please call the nurse because I feel like bearing down - been having that sensation for a while but I keep postponing it because before that I was only 5cm (I think) and it should take some time to go to 10cm and I don’t want to be assessed multiple times. 

Nurse came and said I could push if I want to or we could still wait. I tried pushing, and they said to keep going, and they called the doctor to conduct the delivery, and I was pushing and pushing and they said to push a bit more because they could see the head and just a bit more so the forehead could pass, and I was pushing, and I feel this tearing pain and I was like why the eff did I feel the pain why is that damn epidural not numbing that pain, but I still keep pushing and the forehead was out and I was like oh thank God. But they said to push again for the body to be out, and I was like wtf again? I thought we’re done? Lol. But I pushed again with all my might and when the baby was out I just laid back and cried out of relief that it was FINALLY done (on 22/8 at 2.02pm, quite nice amirite?) lol. Like legit, I was sobbing. Haha. And the usual thing, showing the gender, skin to skin, but only for a while because then they had to bring the baby to the headbox as the baby was grunting a bit. 

After my placenta was out, came the next scary thing. Repairing the tears. Yes. Multiple tears. You know the tearing pain I felt? It was because I had labial tears. Yes. Multiple. More than when I had 1.0. Worse is the epidural wouldn’t help in numbing the pain while stitching down there. So they could only give local anaesthesia and me doing a LOT of deep breathing exercises to help me through it. Oh. Bae even joined an online meeting for MDT while I was getting stitches 🙄. 

Once that done, then the anaes came to take off the epidural, had my meal, and baby finally came to me with a diaper on and a hat with mittens and booties that some people had donated to the labour room. Lol. Bae went back home to finally get my hospital bag and came back just in time before I was pushed to the maternity ward. A friend of ours even bought us diapers (because we didn’t have the hospital bag yet at that time) and some biscuits and 3-in-1 drinks because I kept saying I was hungry when I just arrived in the labour room - but I couldn’t eat because that’s the rule sobs. 

Hmm I think I have written quite long. Will continue in next post about the immediate days after delivery.