Baby Eden's estimated due date was 3rd March, however for the whole of my pregnancy I had heard about some first born will be out earlier while some would be overdue. As I was still studying full-time diploma in polytechnic and my final semester examinations are in that first week of March, I was so afraid he might just pop when I'm in school or during the exam period. I think for the whole 9 months he had heard me nagging nonstop about the dates that he should see the world.
While my Edd was two weeks after Chinese New Year, my most favourited holiday because of the food and CNY goodies, I was praying really hard that I get to enjoy at least two days of the new year. Imagine I give birth at 38 weeks and missing the new year festive mood while everybody's out visiting and me doing confinement then. My family and I were joking to the still-baking-in-wombs baby Eden that he should only come out after lunar day four. And every time I get Braxton Hicks in my third trimester, everyone would panic a little. I guess everybody's as excited to little Eden's arrival? On a second note, I actually got to satisfy all my food craves from everyone!
At my 38 weeks gynae check up, he was weighing at 2.8 kg. Then just four days after CNY I went for my 39 weeks check, he weighs 3.4 kg. That was the only time where Dr Adrian told me I had to watch my diet as the baby is getting a little too big for me if I want to do normal vaginal birth. And we also did a cervical check and was told that baby Eden will be coming anytime soon. So hubby and I asked if we could choose when to give birth as we wanted that Thursday, 26 Feb. In the end, Dr Adrian says he would be more free on Wednesday 25 Feb, so we settled on that date.
Counting down the two days, that was when hubby and I really felt the tension and started panicking. Did the final check on my hospital bag, cleared off school assignments for me, while he settled work stuffs. I met up with my sister on Tuesday to satisfy my sushi craving at Changi Airport. Walked around there and at Tampines Mall because the next one month on I would be confined at home. That is really something I don't know if I could survive.
Right past midnight on a Tuesday night, I started feeling pain below and it was quite unbearable despite me lying in bed and trying to relax. I could feel a strong pressure pressing downwards and hubby noticed that my baby bump looked lower than before. We were contemplating if we should head to the hospital already or just wait till 7.30 am as we were supposed to meet the doctor at Mount Alvernia that timing. I tried my best to get a long shower and forced myself to sleep while hubby talked to baby bump telling baby Eden to wait for 9 more hours. Does he really know and understand what we told him?
Morning was mad rush for us and we arrived at the hospital late at 7.55 am. Did admission while the nurses settled me in the delivery ward. A cervical check was done and I was 2 cm dilated at 8.00 am. So I was told to wait for doctor's instructions as he needs to pop a pill to do the induction. At 8.05 am, another nurse came to do cervical check again before proceeding with doctor's instructions, just right then, I felt a warm gush of water flowing out. There, my water bag broke on its own and my contraction pain started coming in fast. Baby Eden just couldn't wait for Dr. Adrian!
I couldn't remember how I endured the pain till 10 am where the doctor came in to check and told me I was 4 cm dilated and by that day I will give birth. Estimated timing was 8 hours labour, so we were expecting baby Eden to be out at probably late afternoon. As my dilation was a bit slow, so I was on drip with some liquid to speed up my contractions in order to fasten the dilaton. I had zero ideas about labour contraction pain from what I heard are all different. Some say menstrual cramps, some say diarrhoea pain. What went through my mind during my painful 2 hours were all $@+%*+\%~ because I was in so much pain that I just couldn't stop crying. Yes. I cried for 2 hours.
My birth plan was to do natural delivery without epidural. So I took thigh pain relief jab and relied on the laughing gas. But the laughing gas made me felt really uncomfortable so I keep refusing to use it. But nurses were telling my husband that I have to take it else I will waste all my energy fighting the pain. And while I was crying, he just kept stuffing the gas mask on my face and I was in delirious state. I couldn't remember how the two hours passed by from 10 am to 12 pm, I could only remember that I didn't stop crying. And when we finally decided to take epidural as it was way more painful than I expected, it was too late, I was already 8cm dilated. And after awhile I was told I'm 9cm dilated and I could start pushing each time I feel a contraction. Oh crap, I was feeling the pain the whole time, how do I know when to push and when to not!
I didn't even know when did Dr Adrian came in, I only know I felt some sharp pain on top of the strong pressure that is pushing its way through my pelvis and vagina, then suddenly it was very wet and warm there and a loud crying could be heard. Baby Eden was out! And my husband described to me what happened in that 5 mins at around 12.15 pm. Dr Adrian wore his robe, put on his gloves, sat down, two nurses/midwives each pushing one side of my tummy, and one two push while doctor vacuum baby's head, baby then popped out with blood flying everywhere like fireworks. He said the whole floor was covered with blood and it even splashed onto doctor's face. :O
All that emotional ups and downs for 9 months, fatigue, food craves everything, was over. Stepping into another phase where I embraced motherhood with baby Eden in my arms, I couldn't describe how I felt. Happy, tired, excited, scared, nervous. I was overwhelmed with emotions already. I felt in love with this chubby face at the first second I got to carry and look at him!
Lastly, I was very grateful that baby Eden was born healthily and loud and really appreciated all the well wishes and gifts we received! Thank you!
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