*Updated 1 Oct 2016
1) Hajar’s 16-hr labour VBAC (vaginal birth after ceasarean)
Hajar was expecting her 2nd baby and was 3 days past her due date. Her baby was also growing considerably bigger (scan estimated a 3.6kg baby) and because she had a caesarean before, her doctor wanted to schedule an elective ceasarean for this birth. However Hajar was bent on trying other alternative methods before surrendering herself to this last option. Finally at 6am on the morning of 16 July 2010, Hajar smsed to tell me that she had some bloody show and her contractions were starting to be 5-7 minutes apart lasting about half a minute each. She decided that she would labour at home and would call me again as soon as her contractions got to 3 minutes apart.
About 3 hours later, Hajar informed me that she was getting ready to go to the hospital because she was worried about being caught in rush hour traffic. We arrived at the hospital around 10am but Hajar didn’t want to be admitted worrying that another emergency caesarean would be performed if she didn’t give birth within a stipulated time once admitted. So we decided to sit in TMC’s family waiting lounge. By then, Hajar’s contractions were getting more intense at 4 to 5 minutes apart. She walked around the room to aid labour and rocked her hips side to side everytime a contraction came. I did counter pressure and double hip squeeze for her whenever I could. Other times when sitting, she would grip the sides of the armchair and either me or her husband would furiously massage the lower part of her back.
This went on till about 6pm when she finally decided that it was time to check into the delivery suite. A check by the midwife revealed that she was fully effaced and 4cm dilated but baby’s head was still high. At this point I helped her to get into a variety of positions like doing squats and lunges to help get baby’s head down.
At 11.30pm (and almost nearing the end of the ‘time limit’), Hajar was finally completely dilated and beginning to bear down. After several cycles of pushes, the doctor suggested assisting the birth with the help of forceps. At 12.25am, a 4.34kg baby girl was born and immediately placed on Hajar’s chest, something she didn’t get to do with her first birth. She also managed to nurse the baby within the first hour after she was born, Alhamdulillah.
Doula Hanani says: Hajar’s birth was really special to me because she gave me complete trust to assist her in this VBAC journey. We reached many ‘crossroads’ along the way, not without tears, but all praises to God for blessing this beautiful woman with such strength and faith to proceed with the journey she started. Hajar taught me about courage and about not giving up even when the end seems cloudy. Thank you Hajar for this experience 🙂
3) Siti’s first hospital birth experience (with forceps)
My Birth Story – 1st Pregnancy
I have been postpone-ing writing this story… I think i did wrote it before but due to some error and it wasn’t save… so bubbye for that…Tak kuasa nk tulis lagi…hahaha And today i feel a bit boring and sleepy.. I decided to wake myself up while writing this story… This gonna be a very long story…So im sorry if u feel like I drag a bit…heeee EDD: 5 November 2014 Gynae: Dr. Su**** Baby: Boy Weight: 2.89kg GBS Negative (why is this important? because i dont like drips…heee)
For the GBS part, i did try my very best to eliminate myself from eating too much sweets or Junk Foods and always force myself eating yogurt…I was not a fan of yogurt…Not at All…But pregnancy really change my eating habits so much…heeeee…and Alhamdulillah the result is what i had prayed for…
Few weeks before giving birth Submit my birth plan to my Gynae…She accepted almost most of it..and when she object some, she will explain why…but as from my part, i’ll ask back what should i do to avoid it..Im not questioning her abilities/skills but i want to show that im in charge of this birthing too and i should know what to do to achieve my rights…
Since i chose this hospital as my birthing place, i should be sensible and understand their policy (eventhough i dont agree to all)…If u push too much, they will become defensive and i know i’ll suffer…so I just smile…heeeeeee~ This all i learned from my beloved Kak Nur Hanani Surani…
26 October 2014 10am : Accompanied my Husband to Geylang…Head to my favourite Stall to get Kuih Keria…and suddenly i felt sumtin came out like “blob”..hmmmm…told my husband that we should hurry buy our stuff and have breakfast at Nandos before i pop…but of cos tak sempatttt…hahaha We head to Joo Chiat first as my mom need extra clothing to make “barut” for my baby…we took the lift down and i told my husband, i think my water bag will burst…and no, it does not burst but it leaked…we saw 1 drop on the floor trickled down…ooopssss Msg my mom and she told me to go back home fast before the pain comes…but my husband already went to buy the clothes needed while i stand in the middle of Joo Chiat feeling puzzled….hahaha…i msg-ed my friend about it…and we were all like merepek in the WA group…lol
Since its already leaked, i had to say bubbye to my Nandos…i told my husband to buy for me Nasi Rawon..I dont want to get panic and head to hospital straight away..I remembered after my gynae read my birth plan, she reminded me to only go to Hospital when i cannot tahan anymore…do not come too soon…
i dont feel anything after that 1 trickle/drop…so husband drove back home..we stayed at Bukit Batok previously…so imagine the journey…heee…but no contractions yet…i get off the car and the seat is sooooo wet…oopsss…should kept towel in the car…
12pm : Head to the toilet to check…okay the mucus plug is out like 1 big lump…but no bloody show/pink streak of blood…Msg my friend, she told me to keep on drinking water and have a rest…so after breakfast, i went to sleep…and woke up with a wet…check again…still no bloody show, just clear water…
No parents at home…so i drag my husband to exercise with me…i took stairs from level 1 to level 7..i did that for 3 – 4 times…rest at home…and continue doing my pregnancy yoga (just follow from youtube)…heeeee…and keep on drinking water…
7pm : No sign of contractions yet only braxton hicks..it was not painful, only slight uncomfortable with it…and my tummy looks funny..it became oval for few seconds before turning itself back to normal shape…Msg-ed my fren, she said if still no contractions and im worried maybe i can try to check in to Hospital around 2am or later…
12am: Rest on the sofa…Looking at the time…still contemplating whether to go or not…heeee…but other family members getting panic and persuade us to go to hospital earlier…things get tense and it disrupted my feelings and calmness a bit…so told my husband to just get ready and go out…and i remind him to drive slowlyyyyyy~ if i know what will happen next, i will surely drag my husband for a midnight movie or head for late night dinner…
27 October 2014 2am: so we check our-self in..told the nurse my waterbag leak since 7pm…opppsss ter-tipu…we were sent to one of the room and im super nervous because i heard someone scream…lemah semangat aku nak beranak…and we were alone at the room for quite long actually…kept hearing “code blue code blue” too…but the man sounds very sleepy one…like its urgent but im tired to inform others..LOL 1 Nurse came in and she said sorry because no one attend to me as the newborn baby at the next room doesn’t made any sound..so all nurse panic…ohkayyyyy~ then the nurse in charge came…we had the same name…and obviously i need to change, strap to CTG and stuck lying on the bed..but she’s a very nice lady..she asked if I’m ready or i need some times to pee/poo…LOL…so yah i said i want to go to bathroom first…which i didnt do anything…
Diff nurse came to check VE and i have not dialate at all…and it’s super painfullllllllllllll~ because she forced it to open..and due to that im already 1 cm dialated..pffftt~ and she came again to insert pill, i dont want to but she insist that gynae approved it…so i gave in…bila pikir balik kan..gynae aku tk tido ke?? lol
after 2 hours, im still 1cm…she came again few hrs later and im still at 1cm…they said if i failed to progress they will put me on drips to fasten the labor…the mind threatening begins… nurse asked me the score/rate for my contractions..i told her zero because i dont feel any pain..but actually the contraction is already there and she stared at me…maybe she think i lied or weird? LOL
8am : Gynae came. She checked and understand that im still 1cm dialated. She instructed the nurse to get me off the bed and let me walk for 2 hours inside the labour room only.. freedommmmmmmmmmmmmmm~
but then the senior nurse came (change shift with the previous nurse)…Hallamak banyak bersabar ah dgn nurse ni…i was happily swaying my hips as i already feel the contractions and suddenly she said i need to be back on the bed…I said my gynae let me walk for 2 hours and its only been 1 hour…she still said No..i buat bodoh..she went out and i go to the toilet and found a bloody show…wowww..
11am: and the nightmare nurse came in again..since i malas to argue i got on the bed while grumping…and that VE nurse (LOL!) came again to check..Good news im already 3cm…
12pm: they put me on drips…but they push it too high till i shaked on the bed and scream for my husband…it makes my womb feel that they are gonna burst and i cant control the contractions well as before…and i just feel like i want to puke and poo but i cant…
My husband was so upset and told the nurse to call MO fast…they stop the drip and inject me with sumtin to stabilise the womb back..the MO told me it will make my heart beat faster than before…i said ok…and yes, i can even hear it beat…but im too tired and fall asleep while husband get sumtin to eat..
The irritz nurse put in catheter so that i can pee…the frightful event made me hard to pee on my own…haiz…then she said eh how come the heartbeat is not normal…ko ingat aku doc ke…haiyahhh..she keeps saying that few times until my husband said go and check with MO…she came back and said oh because i got some injections just now so nothing to worry about…korg sabar jelah lau dpt nurse mcm ni…time ni je korg leh dpt pahala banyak sbb istighfar korg mesti dh berbakul2…heeee
2pm: the contractions getting nearer and nearer…they also start back the drip..and push it bit by bit hourly…im still happily WA my fren…even called Sayyidah Mulya for a quick chat…but suddenly the contractions getting unbearable…they checked again and im already 5cm..my back is in pain (dats why it not good to lie down too long)…the feeling to pee came so my husband brought the bowl, the irritz nurse said “no lah she cant use that. i will get catheter” and i dunno what took her so long. so i told my husband i dont care i want to pee and i managed to and she came back surprised that i can do it. geram jeeeee ni.
3pm: cant take the pain anymore…i begin to cry and grip his shirt tightly every time the contractions visit me…the irritz nurse saw me and asked if i want epidural…dekni mmg nak bill aku melambung tau…haiyahhh…aku dh sakit blkg mcm nk patah, ko nk inject lg epidural…and after few times, she asked again…i feel like giving her epidural instead..
My husband cried while i grip his shirt..He tried to persuade me to take the epidural or go for C-sect…yes my husband said that but i reject his idea…i told him not to say that but pls support me here..we both cried…the new change shift nurse saw us crying and almost cried too…hahaha…she keep calming me with her kind words…i remembered she said “i havent seen strong girl like you (they treat me like child sbb aku kecik…lol)…you can do it ok…be strong”
and at one part i did a bit of pushing because i feel like sumtin want me to push…the nurse told me not to push yet as i just 8cm…but how to control…uwaaaaa…she kept telling dont push ok…she just dont want me to get terrible tear..so i shout a bit “not pushing..im holding” the nurse was saying “good girl” hahahaha…
5pm: But she pitied me and said lets practice pushing..and she let me push sideway…but very hard..i dunno how to..mcm kelakar kaki ternaik…heeee…and she said push whenever u feel the contractions…but actually u dont need to push…u can just breath out…tp tulah dh panik kan…the nurse count together with my husband and told me to push…but its very hard to push…i push better when they count in malay…hahahaha…and she said alamak baby suruh cakap melayu lah…nurse ni asik buat klakar je tau…
and she count wrongly and skip no. 6..and she said alamak sori salah kira…we all end up laughing..im laughing in pain…MO came in and checked and told me that i need forceps…felt so down…and i didnt say anything
6pm: Gynae came…yeahhhhhhhhhhhh…she look at me and told my husband to give me water and wash my face with the zamzam he brought…during that time someone said she already drink…My sweet Gynae said its ok let her drink, her lips is so dry…
the funny nurse said wah doc, baby wont let u go back home yet…luckily u r still here…de je tau nurse ni…Gynae check and she said she need to do episiotomy sbb koyak dh merkah banyak and forceps is needed because my baby is facing up….huhu…pape jelah doc…saya dh sakit…and they brought in a surgical tray…macam2 gunting seh de…then suddenly i cant see anything because my husband Muhammad Faizul being very caring and close my eyes so i wont see the scissors…LOL..but u noe u will feel so rimas…
6.59pm: Alhamdulillah i gave birth to my Lil Affan…she put my baby on my chest for skin to skin and my baby latch for awhile…Let my husband did his part by cutting the cord after delaying it..and Gynae pass it to him for azan…sempat dia ckp dia tak tau mcm mana nk pegang baby…hahahaha…
Gynae said “Alhamdulillah, you managed to get all that you planned” and then she turn back to us and said eh let me hold your phone and take picture…hahaha…she said ok tgk baby satu..lg satu tk yh tgk baby…dh jd photographer lak…lol
The funny nurse keep asking me the gender of the baby…and when she asked for the third time, everyone end up laughing..she said sorry its their policy and also to check if im conscious…she said i let u rest first okay..later we will bring you to ur room..
then my husband fed me with rice…i was like eh when the food came? bau pun tk…lol…i eat happily…my fav kuah sup bayam and some fish…nikmat dapat makan…lol another nurse came with wheelchair and small “boya”…cuteee…hahaha…she wheeled me up together with the baby and i look very cheerful…thats what my husband told me..he said i dont look like i just gave birth…heeeee
so can i end my story now? lol…next sal post partum lak…hahaha..tgklah lau de time…
Few Advices: * Go for birthing class especially when you are a first time parents (Husband are encouraged to go together because when your wife in labour you’ll need to be her spokeperson :p) * Do some exercises. Seriously it helps you to keep fit. After you give birth, you’ll understand it seems that you just finished few rounds of marathon. hahahaha~ * Learn about breastfeeding and tips on building up your supply, best position to nurse and any other tips that you can get (if you intend to BF your baby). Wrong latching may bring you to all sorts of depression. Trust me on this because i almost fall into depression. Alhamdulillah my husband was fast enough to detect and give me support & cheered me. * Husband need to learn few things about postpartum. Because believe it or not, first time dad can fall into depression too. * Best to only listen to people who have experienced in birthing, such as gynae, doula and any supportive friend. Do not dwell too much on people who keep scaring you with their old tales. They will make u unsure of our own ability to birth. Knowledge is power.
* VBAC: vaginal-birth-after ceasarean
Yaqyn Birth (Doula Hanani) 