The Birth Story

Since I'm free now and not so exhausted, I want to update life for the past few days. Lexie is sleeping. For the first time in the past few days, I'm not fighting sleep. I feel as if I can fully open my eyes only today.

I didn't get more than 4 hours of sleep the day before I went in to BMC (hospital) to get induced. I got admitted at 8 am on Tuesday morning. After a last sausage and egg McMuffin meal of course. Went in with my hospital bag and was so jittery. Good nerves. Got asked to strip almost immediately and checked in. Felt like being in a hotel to be honest. What do you want for lunch and dinner?

Btw, hospital meals not as bad as I thought. Healthy food. Except the steamed chicken. Bleh bland.

Doc came by about 9 am to induce me. (Induce = shove a pill up your vagina in order to let the pill work its magic and make your cervix open). I have to wait 6 hours till the next one.


Very early on with no pains yet obviously.

 In the meantime, everyone is hoping I'll have contractions. My contractions started late. Just some vagina pains (ouch) when I walk, and lower stomach cramps (like period pains) and lower back pain. I was so excited. Yessss. Its starting. But at the same time super apprehensive. 

Me: shit la. If this is mini contractions, how about the big ones later????

Cs: (didn't say anything). Wise guy. Just continued patting me and consoling me.

3:30 pm (I think): Doc came by to check if my cervix is open.

Doc: Bad news. Not even 1 cm. Not open yet.

Me: whattttttt?????????????????? You lieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.....

So I got induced a second time and he stretched my cervix even more. Might I inform anyone going for this that it hurts. It freaking hurts. I started bleeding. Boo Doc. Should be normal la but so I had to put on a maternity pad already. 

This time it hurts even more and almost immediately. They had me hooked to a machine so I could see my contractions, and baby's heartbeat on the monitor. I used my mp3 player and Cs as a distraction. This time the contractions really hurt but instead of growing stronger like they should, I felt them fading away as the hours went by. My family and his were with my most of the evening so that provided a distraction.

But about after 10 pm, I noticed the contractions becoming less gradually and the bleeding too. By midnight, I was sure that I wasn't going into labour yet. What a freaking waste of time to be in pain all for nothing. That was my thought.

Next morning about 9 am, Doc came to check again. Nope cervix not open yet.

Me: whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?????? 

Shoved another pill up there and informed me: if your cervix is still not open yet, we have to do a C-section this afternoon. 

OK. I was all game. Honestly, the pain and waiting wasn't worth it. Baby's heartbeat started to get lower that morning so that was what worried me and Cs the most. Anything to keep Lexie safe. We were worried that she could be in distress. I noticed that she moved less too already.

The 3rd induction was weird. I felt almost nothing. No pain. I went to take a shower and washed my hair again cos I just knew it didn't work. I walked around feeling bored and updated my Facebook status. Boring.


Walking around trying to speed things up. Didn't work.

11 am: Nurses came to check on me again and informed me they were going to shave me.

Me: so I'm going to have a C-section? Confirmed?

Nurse: Ya.

OK. So that's it. I sure didn't look like I was going into labour nor was I panting in pain like the aftereffects of the second pill. Weird.

2:30 pm: Doc came to check me again and informed me that I'm going to surgery at 3 pm.

3:30pm: Got wheeled into the operating theater. Mom, Win and Cs accompanied me up. Cs could come in only. He went to scrub and gown up.

Me, I went to get a drip and spinal block. Everything seemed to happen very fast then. Doc informed me that they have to be fast due to my low placenta problem. Didn't want me to bleed too much cos he'll be cutting through my placenta. He was very reluctant for me to have a C-section because of this. But thanks to him, I am fine and have a baby right in front of me now.

Anyway. Where was I?

To be honest, the drip hurt more than the spinal block. But honestly, it was nothing compared to the contractions I felt the day before. The stretch and sweep of my vagina hurt much more.

After the spinal block injection, I felt my legs getting warm almost immediately and after that it just felt like being on pins and needles. My entire lower section of my body. I couldn't feel anything from my boobs down.

They put up a screen in front of me so I couldn't see. Started cleaning my abdomen and asked me if I felt anything?

Me: err....nope. You sure I'm numb? Completely sure I'm numb?

Nobody replied me btw. Think I said it too soft or they must be ignoring me. Probably cut into me already lol.

Cs was at my side then and I asked him to distract me. It didn't hurt at all. Mostly it was just the feeling of pushing and tugging when they pulled the baby out.

About 15 mins after I got wheeled into the operating theater, they got Lexie out already. Doc informed me they were going to push her out. The anesthetist helped push from above and two others were doing the same below.

For me, I felt a lot of pressure on my chest and breathlessness but that's it. Tugging feeling but no pain. 

Lexie crying. Cs said she cried even before they clamped the cord. Doc showed her to me briefly (my first thought: she's so tiny!!!) and they took her off to the side to clean her up. I started tearing up and was trying hard not to burst into tears as I heard her cries and when they pushed her to my side. Anesthetist offered to help take photos of us with Cs' phone (thank you!!). They even took some videos of us inside. Super considerate.

The sewing me up part took the next 45 mins. After Lexie was out, I felt dizzy. Really really dizzy and trying not to sleep. Cs was distracting me describing Lexie to me and talking about nonsense to make me smile. I was trying really hard not to doze off. For some weird reason, I'm scared I won't wake up. Hahha.

After the operation, I was wheeled outside and observed for 30 mins. They wrapped me up in blankets and asked if I was cold. Nope. But afterwards in my room at night, I did keep shivering though. Must be the aftereffects of the drug. 

My parents and Winnie were waiting in my room to see Lexie. She's the new princess at home.

I was bleeding heavily the entire night. No vomiting. Good news. That night was hell though.

There were a few births in the middle of the night so the nurses were mostly unavailable. And when nurses are unavailable and you're bleeding profusely, on IV drips, cannot move, have a catheter stuck inside you, and a crying baby, whom you insist on breastfeeding exclusively, it was hell.

Cs and I had no idea what we were doing or how to do it. But thank God one of the nurses helped me find a good breastfeeding position.

The next day, I had the drip and catheter taken out. Aahh much better. I remember the first pee took some effort. I had to go to the toilet 3 or 4 times to squeeze out some pee but after that it got better.

I was allowed to leave the hospital the very next day. They asked if I wanted to stay another night. Me and Cs: NO!!!

For some reason I was itching everywhere throughout my body and felt so dirty and icky. I showered immediately when I reached home. The wound hurt, yes. But the itchiness bothered me more then.

Btw, Doc took out my bandage before I checked out. Risked a peek and was pleasantly surprised: not a very long scar and very neat and clean. Hopefully it'll heal fast. (Right now, it doesn't look like that btw. It looks all yellow green bruised up and quite swollen). He sprayed on a water repellent thingy and I didn't have to put anything on it. I can take a shower like usual now (day 6) but on the 2nd or 3rd day, it still hurt when water touched it.

Also was pleasantly surprised to find that I could look down at myself. I mean, no big stomach in the way anymore hehe. Instead its now a wobbly jelly belly. Guess I have to wait some time before I can properly exercise and lose weight.

I only lost about 3 kg immediately after giving birth, to my surprise. Must be the water retention. I still keep waking up in the middle of the night covered in sweat. After some Googling, I realized this was normal. Just your body's way of getting rid of the water weight.

My days now consist of breastfeeding, pumping, eating, sleeping when she's sleeping, nursing some more, pumping some more, eating and drinking to keep up with her demands, and that's it. Day 6 already. I wrote this post over the past few days btw while she's sleeping. 

There's my little cutie: 

Most people say she has Cs' eyes. Confinement lady and his family thinks she looks like me though..we'll see in the following weeks. :)