Sketches of Life|Life Lived in Simplicity

Her due date according to Due Date Calculator by BabyCentre and also ultrasound at 12 weeks is 11.01.11. Oh! We really hope that she will be born on that special date. But the government clinic where I go for my monthly check up gave me another due date that is on the 15.01.11. Don’t ask me why, I have no idea how they calculate my due date. It could be that I was not sure whether my last period was dated on the 6th or on the 8th so I gave the later.

Anyway, she decided to come out on the 13th! It was kinda good that she chose that day because the labor ward was kinda empty. I was the last person to give birth during that hour so I got all the attention. During labor, I was attended by 4 midwives! Because everyone was so free. hehehe.

Let’s start from the very beginning…

11.01.11 – Hubby was very anxious the whole day coz nothing is happening to me. No sign of labor at all. He was home the whole day too doing nothing except asking me, “any pain yet?” “why not we just go to the hospital?” Hello! I’m going to give birth in a GH. No labor sign, they’ll kick me out. Lots of expecting mothers who are really in labor need the labor room.

12.01.11 – Still no sign of labor. Carry my day as usual. Get children ready for school, send them, fetch them and make sure they finished their homework. Somehow, I did not manage to breastfeed my 4th child at all today. I got the feeling that this baby gonna come tomorrow.

13.01.11 – The moment the clock strikes 12, I started to feel a very mild contraction; just like period cramp when I was about to sleep. I was contemplating whether to sleep it off or check myself in. The contraction interval was half an hour apart. I tried to sleep but every contraction woke me up. Since this is No.5 already and we are worried that this baby might come out faster and easier than the rest, we left home to GH at around 2am.

2.25am – We arrived safely at the Labor Ward and I was told to change into the pink maternity gown. I don’t like wearing them; they are so huge especially the sarong.

2.45am – They need 1 hour to monitor the fetal heartbeat. New procedure I heard; they need the fetal heartbeat chart to prove that I came with an alive baby in my tummy. But then, if you come in pain; like very very painful, the doctor will check whether your OS has opened or not. Since I hardly show any sign of being in pain, they strap my tummy and left me alone listening to my baby’s heartbeat.

3.45am – After they got the reading then only the doctor inserted his thin and slender fingers (he is a skinny Indian male doctor) into you know what to check whether I have dilated or not. Opened already by 4cm. The nurse gave me enema then asked me to go clear my bowel. Then go get my stuff from the bag; baby’s clothing, diaper and pads. Then a nurse wheeled me off to Labor Room No.7. I can still walk but they insisted that I sit on the wheelchair. I think they do not want me to wander off peeping into other labor rooms. You think I want to see meh? Hear also I don’t want. Make myself even more terrified.

4.00am – A young Chinese doctor came in to clear my bladder. Thank God he was gentle and I hardly feel any pain. Then he broke my water bag to expedite the dilation of the OS. Then they called my hubby in to give me comfort when the real contraction pain starts to come.

5.00am – Started to feel some real contraction but the interval is like 20 minutes apart. OS opened by 6cm.

5.25am – The contraction is more intense but still bearable. Only need hubby’s hand to squeeze when the contraction come; 15mins interval. OS opened by 7cm already. The midwife told me to try to push whenever the contraction come to make the OS opens bigger. Then she left.

6.00am – Contraction gets more intense. I squeezed the metal railing beside my bed instead of hubby’s hand; don’t wanna his hand to turn blue black. hehehehe.

6.15am – After 3 rounds of squeezing the railing, I don’t want to bear the contraction pain anymore. Told hubby to call the midwife telling her that I wanna try to give birth. They came; 4 of them. Hubby was no where beside me coz one of the midwives were quite big size and hubby was made to stand behind her. Hubby was not able to get the full view of the birth process.

6.25am – A pale baby girl was born into this world after one continuous push. It was easy, fast and painless when she came out even though her head is 2cm bigger than her other siblings. I love the warm feeling when she slides out from my down under. This is the first time I did not cry after giving birth.

I really thank God for answering all our prayers. Fast and painless childbirth, perfectly healthy baby and extra ordinary strength to push the baby out. I also got a baby just like how I prayed that she will look like.

A few funny incident in the labor room and maternity ward which got to do with my Malay looking hubby.

1. When he entered the labor room, one of the nurses asked another nurse whether hubby is entering the correct room.

2. After I gave birth to our baby girl, one of the nurses/midwives showed hubby the toilet telling him that he can take his “air sembahyang” there to “Azan” his newborn. Hubby did not hear the nurse clearly and blur blur opened the toilet door thinking that the nurse asked him to help take something from there. After hubby left, all of them had a good laugh.

3. Before they send me to the maternity ward, we stopped at the registration counter at the labor ward to take my belongings. As hubby was carrying my bag out, the nurse at the counter asked; “Betul ke suami dia ni?”

4. At the maternity ward, one of the patients (Malay) did not believe when another patient (Malay) who has had a chat with me told her that my hubby look exactly like a Malay. When hubby came to visit, she came to take a closer look at hubby!

Anyway, this is not new to us. It happened each time I give birth there. They always got a surprised when they call out a Chinese name and a Malay man appeared.

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Here’s a link to the birth story of my other 4 children : The Birth Story of My Children.

And photos of my last 3. As for my 2 older girls, have not buy digital camera yet.