Birth Story #2

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I was determined this time round to not go in too early!

But I didn’t know when to go in. Also I didn’t know what a waterbag bursting on its own felt like. Many told me that there will be a huge gush and the amniotic fluid would just flow non-stop. So armed with this “knowledge”, I waited for D-Day.

Braxton-Hicks contractions

At 38weeks, I had very strong contractions. It was progressing at every 7 – 10mins regularly and didn’t change in pattern even when I sat up or lay down. Hmm….labour?

I prayed.

God didn’t say to go in so I didn’t. The contractions did not become closer. After 2 hrs, the contractions stopped. I was grateful that I didn’t panic and checked myself into the hospital where I most likely would have been induced.

Prayed for a clear sign

One day before my EDD, while reading in my bed before sleeping, I felt a strong pressure down at my cervix. With that pressure came a small leak of waters. Hmm….waterbag breaking? But it was such a small leak.

Again, I prayed, asking for a sure sign.

Then I went to bed. That was about 11pm. At 2+am, there was such a huge contraction and with that, a gush of waters came through. But, no, it didn’t gush non-stop. But I knew that was God’s sign. I immediately woke Henson up and then went to shower and change. Then I called my parents to come over and help with minding our #1.

By the time I checked into the hospital, it was about 3am. The nurse asked if I wanted a pethedine shot. Not knowing any better, I said ok. After the shot, I promptly fell asleep till the midwife came running in and shouting at me to not push!

Don’t push!!!

I was in a daze, being rudely woken up and almost immediately, I felt the bearing down sensation. Apparently my body had gone into active labour while I slept! They yelled for me to not push and to wait until the doctor came. On hindsight, it was quite hilarious. He strode in, put on his white boots and with a few pushes, the baby was out at 6am!

My 1st truly supernatural childbirth

All in all, I had spent only 3hrs in the hospital. I was definitely not as tired as after my first birth!

Praise God!

Now that was a supernatural childbirth! There was no pain! The recovery this time round was even better. The nurses couldn’t believe that I had just given birth when they came into make the bed at 8am, 2 hours after I had birthed Sarah.

No pethedine, please!

Not going in early is a fantastic lesson to learn! But I learnt something else – the pethedine shot I took with both David and Sarah can cause a blue baby syndrome in the baby when administered too late. My room mate’s baby had this condition because her baby had come out faster than they had expected. So the baby had to go into ICU for monitoring. After reading up some more, I found out that all the drugs given to a mother during labour affects the baby somehow.

All drugs have side effects

Much later on, I had friends who shared that due to the epidural they took, their babies were so sleepy, they couldn’t nurse. I personally tried to help a friend to get her baby to nurse. But her baby was so drugged that he didn’t even have the natural instinct of rooting that all newborns have! All he did was sleep! And even when bottlefed, he only took one bottle in the 3 days he was at the hospital!

Of course there are many women who have taken the epidural with no obvious effects on either the mom or the baby. But be aware that there are risks involved whenever the mum takes any drug during labour and the benefits need to be weighed carefully against the baby’s health.

Read my other birth stories

• Birth Story #1
• Birth Story #3
• Birth Story #4
• Birth Story #5
• Birth Story #6
• Birth Story #7

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