I had my first son when I was 23 years old. It was tough because of a condition called threatened miscarriage and my job required long hours of walking and standing. Admissions, bed rest, injections, CTG, and so on becomes part of my pregnancy routine. However, I had a fast labour and smooth delivery that makes me not fearing about giving birth. The decision of getting a sibling for my eldest son came when he was turning 2 years old. After a few months of trying, I'm pregnant. Sadly, baby's heartbeat stopped at 11 weeks 5 days old. It was a missed miscarriage.
6 months after my D&C, I'm not sure whether I have recovered from the lost but we start to try again. 6 months after trying, I thought I have some luck and conceived. However, I lost it again at 5 weeks.
Thereafter, every month I become very paranoid about my menses cycles. It was getting all messed up. On the other hand, I always thought that I have conceived when menses is late. I went for blood tests, CT scan, ultrasound and even scopes, to make sure I'm fine and ready to conceive. But I have no luck at all.
Last year March, I resigned from my job and be a Stay at Home Mom. Hopefully, my body can adjust back to normal and I could spend more time with my family. The daily routine isn't boring but challenging. After awhile, I become more focus on my eldest son and have decided to let nature take its course of conceiving a second child.
On my eldest son 4th birthday, hubby won a big prize. We were in blessing mode and I was pregnant during the same month--- 31 August 2014. My husband was in denial stage about the pregnancy news because of my previous miscarriages. We kept it secretly to ourselves even my eldest son does not know about it.
The very first check up for this pregnancy was like a boom. Yes, it was what my husband expected, the doctor said: "can't see the foetus's heart beats need to come back for a second ultrasound 10 days later." Actually, I wasn't having much hope, and keep telling myself to take it easy.
I believe that my husband also struggling with the news. Our conversation for the 10days period only consists of "do you have any vomiting? Any discomfort? Any bleeding? Any backache? etc " Besides that, he offered to buy more pregnancy test kits to confirm my pregnancy. That sounds awful to me.
10 days passed, we went for the second check up with a heavy heart. We're grateful for being able to see the fetus heartbeats this time. My doctor officially declared my pregnancy and given me my EDD -- 15 May 2015. I felt relieved but thinking of the 3 critical months ahead, I reminded myself to take it easy.
A few weeks later, I went for my pregnancy check up. During a routine ultrasound, the doctor found out there is a big bruise in my womb, a condition called sub chorionic hematoma. I didn't know how bad it is but my doctor sounds very worried. I have been instructed to walk less, no climbing up the staircase, no carry of heavy things, no heavy housework, more bed rest and most importantly watch for bleeding.
Checking for signs of bleeds become a habit to me, especially after every visit to the toilet. At the same time, my pregnancy symptoms kick in. I am having poor appetite due to hyperemesis. My highest record is two weeks without rice, only survived with some drinks like Ribena and fruit juice. Fortunately, at 10 weeks pregnant, my baby is growing well and no signs of bleeding.
While I was counting down to 3 months pregnant, I met a car accident. Luckily baby and I both are fine. The only one that injured badly is our new car after it was kissed by a ruthless driver. Hubby felt so bad because I was the only one who felt the most impact from the incident as the other car knocked in from behind.
After the incident, it was quite a smooth sailing to me. At least I don't have to visit hospital so frequently like my first pregnancy, and I have more time to rest at home. I am also able to satisfy my craving as I have more time to do my own cooking.
Hubby was on an overseas trip when I was 5 - 6 months pregnant. The plan for tag-along hubby to overseas with my eldest son was canceled because I was banned from traveling by my doctor. Before that, I went for my detail scan and found out that baby is a boy. Hubby was hoping for a baby girl.
During late pregnancy, I was not able to sleep at night and unable to take my normal meals due to my big bump. I tried sitting position but only last for awhile as I can still feel the pain of baby kicking in my ribs. Good day, I was able to take 2 meals a day; sometimes I rather not eat anything as the indigestion is killing me.
At 36 weeks, doctor offered induced labour but I rejected. As I was hoping for a May baby. Furthermore, I have no signs of labour yet. So, I decided to endure until May.
At 38 weeks, I had insomnia that night with some discomfort. It was like Braxton hicks contractions, comes and goes. I was looking at the clock and counting my contractions but it doesn't get stronger. I was really confused as I am not sure it's labour or just false alarm.
In the morning, I SMS to my doctor to seek advice. Doctor asked me to walk-in to labour ward immediately and no food or drinks. I walked into the ward at around 10.30 am, upon checking my cervix was 5 cm dilated. Everyone was stunned and the nurses quickly transfer me to the labour room.
Around 11 am inside the labour room, we were discussing whether to take epidural or not. Nurses and doctor suggested that there's no need for me to take epidural injection as my cervix already 5 cm dilated but I have no signs of pain. I was in dilemma for this.
Recalling my first labor, it was so painful despite with epidural. Due to the fast labour of my eldest son, nurses were fast getting everything ready while I was thinking of the epidural. Yes, while I was still considering about the epidural, I was 8 cm dilated. Without an answer from me, everyone takes it as no epidural for me and it was already too late to ask for epidural.
At 12.25 hours, I was still waiting for my contractions and the urge to push. However, I can only see my contractions on the monitor. My doctor walked in to check on me and asked about my pain, I can't feel the contractions and or no urges to push yet. The doctor ordered IV medication to speed up my cervix dilation and because of the medication, I starting to feel the urge to push.
At around 13.10 hours, I told my doctor that I have the urge to push. The pushing and labour pain makes me restless. I started to scream, I don't know why. After few rounds of pushing, baby head is out but stuck. The whole delivery team was panicking because baby's head stuck with wrong shoulder out. My doctor activated the NICU team to come down and asked nurses to get him the assisted delivery tools. Within seconds two more nurses rush in to help, they almost turned me upside down to get the baby out.
Gratefully, at 14.04 hours baby is out without using any assisted tools thanks to big help from the nurses. After weighing, my little boy is a big surprise at 3.59 kg.
Finally, I met my rainbow baby who gives me sleepless nights of joy and worries. This birth journey ends here and we look forward to life long challenges ahead.
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