The Birth Experience

This can be pretty graphic, so read at your own risk.

So by my calculations, my EDD aka Due Date for Baby Josiah was Feb 6. However, by Monday Feb 2 I was starting to get some contractions. By Wednesday, I finished all the work I can so I don’t have to go back to work on Thursday. So many people were asking me to take 2 days off before the due date. On Wednesday whole, I was timing the contractions, and it was getting pretty regular at 5-10 minutes apart, lasting at least 30 seconds. That was from early morning, then as at around midnight, it became closer and closer. I really wanted the water to break before going to the hospital, but chances of that happening are quite small.

So, by 12.30am, John decided that we should pack and get ready to go to Putrajaya. On the way, we stopped by McD to pack a burger, not knowing how long the labour would last.

So we reached there and went to the counter to check in. That was when the problem starts. The nurse took a look at Dr Bedi’s letter and straight away said it was not acceptable. I tried to reason with her that I had already came a few weeks earlier and that time the nurse said the letter was enough. Well, finally after some exchange of words, she asked me to go inside to monitor the baby. They checked my blood pressure and then asked me to lie down on this really hard, uncomfortable bed.

I was strapped to a machine that monitored the baby’s heart beat as well as the contractions. It was a good one hour in there, before a doctor came in and started asking me a lot of questions. She asked questions in medical terms that I couldn’t even understand, and then she kept scolding me for having not enough documents. I told her that it’s coz my doc said nothing was needed, furthermore I had checked earlier at Putrajaya and they never gave me a red card or anything. Well, the doc went on with some harsh words, like I’m being ridiculous etc. Surprisingly I took everything she said calmly and it didn’t affect my emotions or anything. After about an hour, she had to check the dilation. That’s when it really hurts, as she had to put her whole hand inside. So, at that time I was at 3cm.

Then I was given a medication to make me clear by bowels. It was already paining at that time. I was then sent to the labour room immediately. I guess that’s where many women have their traumatic experience. By that time, it was about 3.30pm. Finally, John was allowed to come in to stay with me while I was put on the bed, strapped to the same machine. A doctor then came in to break the water at 4.30am. That was no fun either. It was after the water break that the real labour begins. The real contraction began and it was really quite painful. I was given the gas but that really didn’t help. It only made my nose red and bruised after using it too much. By that time I was at 4cm, and it jumped to 9cm by 7.30am. Throughout the whole time, when the contraction peaked, it was a bit crazy. Doctors, maybe more than 10 of them came in and out and checked the dilation. I was even given a pain killer in the butt, but that really took no effect either.

I think at about 8.30am, when they started asking me to try to push when the contraction comes. They tried and gave up a few times. Until the last moment at 9 something am, that I really had to start pushing. Several nurses and docs came in and encouraged me on. I felt my neck muscles were most paining when pushing, and I was probably red coz out of breathe. I had to hold my breathe for up to 10 counts while pushing, and also cannot scream. It was around this time I had thoughts of dying, seriously. However, I must admit too that the pain was not as bad as I had heard it to be. It was really just a bad period cramp, but it comes in intervals of 3 minutes that last only a few seconds, and the actual birth feeling was more a feeling of a really big bowel movement.

I had no idea how many pushes I did before Josiah came into the world, but all in all, the labour was about 5 hours. Josiah came into the world at 9.25am, and immediately after that, there was no more pain. I guess I immediately fell in love with my baby, wrapped all in white.

I had a rather big tear as I did not want an episiotomy. A 1st degree tear they say. I just read so many bad things about it. Anyways, next came the stitching part, but the worse pain was the perineum checking a few hours after. I don’t know what they poke into me to check and it was very rough, considering the wounds. Well, there was another check even after I was warded later on.

After the delivery, I immediately fell asleep due to the high dose of gas that made you dreamy. I didn’t even wake up to nurse Josiah until about 11am. Then, I thought I’d better nurse him as it was supposed to be the first 30 minutes. Then I was wheeled with baby in my arms to the ward, it was a four bedded ward. There, I was given some time to rest, eat and nurse the baby.

Putrajaya Hospital’s food was fine. They were served in nice utensils..

John insisted I took a pic immediately, even though I had not combed my hair and my pupils were dilated from all the drugs. At about 8pm, I was discharged. I was so happy, as it was less than 24 hours in the hospital.