I've Given Birth! - THe short Version

Wed 25th March 09 was admitted @ 10pm to be induced with tablet.



The next 12hours pain scale was only between 2 and 4 out of 10 and was only 1cm dilated the whole time!



My first request to go for a walk instead of being strapped to the damned machine was acceded but confined within the smal space of the delivery suite.



When at 3pm, Dr Endrina checked me, she suggested sending me back up to normal ward so i could do some major walking. COntractions were coming every 3min and painscale 4 then. The Registrar wasnt so keen to agree. She said, "we can wait, but the question is until when? We shld schedule you for a 2nd tablet"



So we agreed to wait till 10pm that night ie 24hrs after first tablet. My apprehension about it is that it might generate double and quadruple amount of pain as compared to contractions brought about naturally.



Thurs 26th Mar 4pm, i was discharged back to normal ward. I straight away went to circle level 3 of the WOmen's Tower and even found a nice outdoor garden. However, i found myself having to pause and take deep breaths everytime i have contractions.



AFter 30mins of walking (and pausing), i decided to take a warm shower. THen dinner was served. Intensed Contractions suddenly came like every min or so. After first bite of this shami kebab looking beefball, i felt like farting.... but i felt liquid rushing out instead. instantly and instinctively i knew it was waterbag and gasped so. and was straight away wheeled back to the delivery suite.



A VE showed i was 3cm dilated. Contraction pain was now 7 out of 10 and coming every 3min. I contemplated EPIDURAL. My thoughts were, if i can;t stand the pain now, how can i stand it if it lasts for another 7hrs based on dilation rate of 1cm/hr? and then the LABOUR some more??? I succumbed.





So i took it cool after that conserving energy for the big push later taking naps. In between i was praying hard in my heart with a special doa given by Hairiah "Inna fatahna laka Fatham Mubina" which roughly means We (Allah) open for you divine openings. So i read that line in earnest and other phrases as well...





Alhamdulillah i was sooo happy to know at 8pm i was 5cm dilated. People say the next 5cm to full dilation should be easier after this. The doctor let me know that some pple could still feel pain even after epidural. That usually means that the baby head is coming down and its diff for the drug to reach the far reaches of the perenium.



I began to feel contractions again. at 11+ the pain was back to no 5 and i requested for a top up of the drug for more effect. But it hardly worked as the pain progressed faster than the drug could work and the score was 7 now!!!


The feeling was more like you wanna go to toilet. Problem is cause i wasnt fully dilated yet, i hafta stop myself from pushing, so i employed the 2 short breaths and 1 long breath technique. I endured that for an hour or so while waiting for the anaesthetist to come and top up some more drug.


Even after the second increment, it wasnt taking any effect. I panicked when i started to feel like my tummy was gonna explode!!!! STOP STOP STOP, i thought. By now the midwife told me to take deep breaths into the oxygen with each pain. It's been an hour already. 1am. 9cm opened.


Shortly after that, she told me to stop the oxygen and fashioned my thighs for ideal birthing position and instructed me to push with the next contraction. I waited after the 3rd one before i pushed. One came and having taken deep breath pushed as hard as i could - she didnt count to 10 but just said YES YES SOME MORE SOME MORE HARDER HARDER. I didnt make a sound as i expelled all my energy pushing but sighed too loudly after! But husband and midwife counted to 3 for next push. So 3 pushes per contraction. 2 contractions. and BABY slithered out!!!! And i really mean SLITHERED somewhat like a fish!!


THe relief i tell you is great! SO GREAT I CRIED. I CRIED because im still alive, because baby is alive, because it had been a very BIG ORDEAL.


Conclusion: Even though my total birthing experience had been a long one (if counted from the tablet insertion would be 28hours) I would say that i was very lucky that it had been easy and a normal one ie not assisted nor c-sect. Even the midwife said I was very lucky baby's head was already down there and i only required 6 pushes to get thru it when other pple had to do a lot just to get the baby's head down. Only downside is, i got about 5 or 6 stitches, midwife said my perenium very short.


Again I would like to stress how grateful i am to have 5 of my best friends who have already given birth before me to guide me thru pregnancy and labour. Esp to Hairiah for that piece of doa advice, because frankly i was at a total loss what to read. And all my other friends who had prayed for me. I LOVE YOU ALL.




BABY DETAILS:

Male. Tentatively named Tufeil Hussain Zubair. 27th March 09 0118hrs

Weighs 3.165kg, 50cm long