My 23-hour Endurance Race

It's one race I never expected I had to go through.

After a smooth-sailing 39 weeks of pregnancy I imagined that I would have an easy delivery, though some people say as u get older, it doens't get any easier. But nevertheles I was just being optimistic.

I always will catch a movie every Wed when hubby goes for badminton, but somehow that night on 13th Jan, a Tuesday, I actually asked hubby if he wanted to catch IP-Man. He agreed and so we went. Movie finished 11 plus and by the time we were ready for bed it was about 12plus am. Amazingly, like during some concerts and action movies we've been to, baby moved alot inside me during the kung-fu scenes. I was scheduled for my routine checkup the next day.

I just couldn't drop off to sleep. And just as I realised hubby had drifted to 'dreamland' I was awaken by a strange feeling and I immediately climbed out of bed. Hubby sensed something and he too awakened. I told him my waterbag broke. He panicked. I calmly walked to the bathroom thinking after a while the water would slow down, but no. (So much for ignorance) Told hubby to get me the maternity pads (thank God by then my bags were packed, otherwise lagi kelam kabut).

We changed and he drove me to SJMC at 1245am.

The hospital was so quiet. I waddled to the maternity wad and checked myself in while hubby parked the car. Ok, so it was a leak. I was dilated. HOwever, baby already passed motion. Dr wasn't really worried and she'll attend to me the next morning. So after settling in to 'my delivery room' and getting all the paperwork sorted out, I told hubby to go back and rest and come again in the morning, since I wasn't dilated yet.

Come next morning, they realised by bloodcount was back to 6.9 and still not dilated. So I was given drips with Pitocin and also another pint of blood. Looks like my 2 pints earlier just went to waste. hehe

So on my left i had drips, on my right I was transfused. Aiya so mahuan. And right after breakfast, I was told not to be given anything to intake to prevent baby from passing more motion and to avoid fetal distress. Lying there helplessly listening to the occasional bantering of the midwife I drifted in and out of sleep cos I just didn't have energy. hungry la. Mum was informed and as usual la, she panicked la. Every hour she would call hubby for updates.

Up till almost 4-5pm, then I was only dilated about 4-5cm. Gosh, I sensed a loooong wait. The pain was getting slightly unbearable. I asked for painkiller. It felt better. I was just tired. No food and drinks since 830am. Slowly the contractions were stronger, the pain more unbearable and up till almost 9pm I just became rather 'lost'. Hubby was there trying to calm me down. Gosh, now I know how contractions are supposed to feel like.

By 11pm, I told hubby that it maybe till 12 before its goonna be over. Well, I was almost right. By 1130pm, my gynea said we'll try now. So 1st time. I didn't push right. We waited for the 2nd wave of contractions. This time I did better but suddenly the vacuum dislogded. So we had to try again. The 3rd time, by now I was tired. I pushed and pushed and because I can't see and I dun know wat actually is going on. All they keep telling me is harder and harder and almost there. aiyo....it was the hardest push of my life I tink and suddenly it was a relief when a 'blob' was placed on me. All warm and bloody. The biggest medal of my longest race ever, at 2.92kg. And hubby proceeded to cut the umbilical cord.

So people ask me - was normal delivery painful? Everyone's perception is that the delivery and the push is painful, but to me, it's the ordeal before that, i.e. the contractions. Because right after that, you are already given a jap 'down there' before the Dr prepares to cut you up to prevent unsightly tears. Then when the baby comes out, you don't feel the pain either. And the stiching up after either. I was estatic.

I didn't even realise how my 'bed' was transformed before delivery and when they 're-transformed' it after tat only did I notice. I realised I wasn't tired at all. A friend mentioned her body ached all over after that for the next 2 days. But it didn't hapen to me. I was taken to the ward to rest but I just couldn't. I was excited. Also the fact that every hour the nurse would come and take my temperature and pressure. How to sleep? and suddenly at 4am baby was brought in to be fed. He was soooo tiny and it felt so fragile.

And I was just adjusting to the fact that now I'm a mom.