Birth of Andrei Han-Ming

Due date: 28th of December

I was having contractions the previous day when I picked my parents from the airport, nice steady ones, every 6 min, then the mucus came out ('the show' - which means labour could start within hours or days). Good sign! So, on the 28th, Ake basically said, 'Ok, I know the doctor said he might be late, but I just wanna go and have you checked out.'
28 December
1 pm
So off we go on the 28th at noon to BNH Hospital to find that I was actually in latent labour and didn't know it. 2 cm dilated. The doc was very reassuring and nice and told us we should definetly check in. I was gonna deliver probably tomorrow am.

Now, the labour suites at BNH are just fantastic, huge plasma screen TV, aromteraphy, exercise ball, mats, pillows, and at my request, a birth stool(a kind of a metal frame which allows you to sit on like you would on a toilet).

6 pm
We relaxed for hours, having KIT KAT and green tea and watching movies on HBO. And some of my favorites too, Lord of war..Anyhow, for hours now I was having contractions every 10 min. At 6, a nurse came to check me out. ONLY 3 cm dilated...I progressed JUST 1 cm in 5 hours...(for those who don't have kids - giving birth happens at 10 cm)...A nice progress is 1 cm / hour and I was dragging on...

From 6 pm onwards contractions started to pick up and by 10 pm I was having full on strong contractions, every 3 min.

11 pm
The doctor comes to check me out. I'm thinking I would be 6-7 cm by now, but bad news, JUST 4 cm...The trouble is, IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO HURT at just 4 cm!!! What the heck I'm gonna do at 10 cm, then...I keep rocking on the ball, doing my yoga breathing and chant with Ake 'Breathe, let the pain goooo!Breeeeathe!'...

I'd progressed 2 cm in 10 hours...that's slower then a pregant snail!

Around 11 pm I had this urge to go to the bathroom..and there was the most painfull 2 min of my life when my waters broke in a gush and I screamed my heart out.AGONY!!..Ake confessed later, THAT was the moment he was really scared.

Strangely enough, the contractions don't get stronger and I find it easier and easier to cope with...rocking on the ball, and pressing my back while in stir-ups really works, while I discover that laying down in bed in THE WORST thing to do.

MIDNIGHT

Doc comes again, and SUPRISE, I'm now 9 cm. I went from 4 to 9 in one hour... This is GREAT GREAT GREAT NEWS. I got such an energy boost...Ake keeps rubbing my back telling me, were nearly there...

1 am

I'm starting to feel the urge to push and make a run for the birth stool...Doc comes in and tells Ake in Thai, this might be couple of hours for a first time mom, so stay cool...Pushing is easy...in fact, getting to bloody 4 cm was the hardest part...and as the nurses slowly get ready, with Ake coaching me to push, OOOPS, THE HEAAAAD IS OUT!! I catch Andrei's head in my hands and push the whole body out. What a feeling! I caught my baby. And it's a little Ake!...My legs are shaking, I start crying with joy while the nurses are running for gloves. Andrei is in my hands crying his heart out. Go ahead son, work out those lungs!

Baby taking care of, and I lay down on the bed to get the placenta out. I'd push so hard that I have muscle spasms in my legs, but no urge to push...half an hour and the doctor can't get the placenta out through massage, cause I'm not relaxed. Luckily I know Thai, cause she says to Ake "were gonna have to prep her for surgery!" WHAT? No way. Not when I've come this far. I'm not letting any scalpel touch me now...I signal to the doctor 'Let me have one more push.' Hurray, the placenta comes out! I'm done!!!!

Sure, I have a 3rd degree tear, but those love hormones we're supposed to have in huge quantaties at birth are really really working. I can't feel anything but pure joy and sheer happiness!

Birth is fantastic!

Following...Postparthum Thoughts