This morning when I was transferring the picture files from the PC to the notebook, I looked at this one particular folder containing some pretty awesome pictures, which I've almost forgotten about. Most of the pictures in the folder have me in them. Errrr, well, that's not exactly why I said the pics are awesome. But... camane nk cakap ye?... Ala, let me just share the awesome pictures here so you'll see the awesomeness-es... But before I do that, pls note that these awesomeness-es were from 17 months ago.
 |
Thursday, 22 Apr 2010 : Looking like a *sexy* hippo waiting to pop with the CTG machine strapped to my tummy.
Just how awesome did I look?? Haha. |
I was pregnant with the lovely Miss Princess, with the pregnancy getting overdue at 40 weeks. At the 40th week, I had to go to PCMC everyday to get my belly strapped to the machine for an hour. Basically what the CTG (cardiotocograph) machine did was that it recorded my baby's heart rate (to make sure that she was fine) and my uterine contractions (to check whether I was having contractions or not). Something that I learned from the heart rate trending was, kalau I hadn't eaten and was hungry, her heart rates would be really fast and strong (as she was hungry too, that's why she threw tantrums. Poor baby!). On the other hand, if I just had my meals, her heart rates would record slower and steadier readings. Kira die pon dah kenyang la tu. So she slept. Hehehe... Cute!!!!
After 7 days of CTG monitoring, still there were no signs of contractions. Miss Princess just seemed too comfortable living inside my huge belly. Prolonging the pregnancy was not an option as we didn't want to risk her safety. So the gynae, Dr Seri said, "If she's not out by the weekend, we'll have to induce". Scheduled for induction and expected to deliver on the following Monday, I 'checked-in' at the hospital at 10 pm, Sunday 25 Apr 2010, setia ditemani oleh Mr Soon-to-be-Daddy.
Sunday, 25 Apr 2010 : First things first, cucuk jarum IV. That's the small pink stuff (with the needle inside) and fancy white rubber thingy on the back of my left hand. First IV ever in my life, yeah!!!! It sounded like an achievement.. Next, the CTG machine again on my right side.
And in case you're wondering, I think that was a cartoon programme on the TV (wasn't it?). It's not that I was watching it. I was trying hard to calm myself thinking that the whole 9-months' wait would be over the next day. I was preparing my mental state for a 'battle'. Mr Soon-to-be-Daddy was waiting for his 'battle' too... The MU-Chelsea clash later that night.
 |
| The best pose from me on the last day of my first pregnancy. |
 |
Me looking calm. No contractions yet.
Fetal heart rate was 131, uterine activity intensity was 34. Baby was fine, mommy was OK. |
I slept at around 1 am. Woke up at about 8++ am the next morning, when Dr Seri came checking up on me. She gave me a pill to induce labour. I was expected to be having contractions and be in labour in a couple of hours.
At 1++ pm, I still haven't had any funny crampings. Dr Seri came again to check on my progress. She looked at the CTG and told me I was having my contractions, which I totally didn't notice. Great!! Probably because I was calm before she told me that. Right after, I started panicking and then only I could feel every contractions. Lesson learned : Keep calm!!!!
So back to Dr Seri's visit that afternoon. Since I was still not in labour, and not wanting to jeopardise my baby's safety any longer, she broke my water. I was a little confused when she and the nurses were looking busy all of a sudden. I asked Mr-Soon-to-be-Daddy, and he said, "Air ketuban dah pecah". Being a first-timer, I could say that the experience was not too bad. I didn't feel anything when the doctor broke the water. Just suddenly I felt really warm down there, and when I looked, the bed was wet. The water was yellowish but clear, with some streaks of blood. Then only I was sure that I wasn't peeing or anything.
It was about 2 pm. Once the water broke, the nurses moved me onto a wheelchair and wheeled me into the labour room across the hallway. The nurses started making preparations for my delivery. A urine bag was attached to me (untuk kenc sbb bile dah tied to the machines, nk bangun jalan2 dah tak boleh dah). Mr-Soon-to-be-Daddy informed everybody of my progress. I was tired then, I fell asleep.
 |
| Monday 26 Apr 2010 : 4.22 pm, in the labour room. Was having contractions at 90, but didn't feel it as I was sleeping. |
When I woke up about 5 pm, Mama was already there. She asked me to get something to eat as I didn't eat since afternoon, and I would be needing the energy soon. I just didn't have the appetite as my body was really tired from the active labour pains.
An hour later, the contractions were getting stronger. I was about 8-9 cm dilated. The pains were quite unbearable (thanks to me, panicking all over). So I decided to take the epidural. I wanted to go natural at first, but... maybe next time.. The epidural helped a lot. The pains didn't feel too strong like before, though I still felt some. That's great as I would need to be doing all the pushing everytime I sensed the contraction waves coming.
Dr Seri came again after Maghrib, to check on my opening and told me that I won't be too long. After about 15-20 mins of pushing on cue, with my Mr-Soon-to-be-Daddy-in-the-Nick-of-Time standing by me all along, our baby Miss Princess was born at 9.30 pm.
 |
| My first mother-daughter picture. |
She was born really clean, with only little blood stains (rasanye sbb I banyak minum air kelapa kot. Wallahu'alam). She didn't even cry when she was delivered. The nurse then quickly put her on my body close to my chest. Purposenye sebab, once she's out from the womb, she'd feel insecure. So getting her to be as close to my chest as possible would allow her to hear my heartbeats, which she had been familiar with for the last 9 months. Then the nurse started inserting small tube into Miss Princess' mouth to suck out the liquids in her lungs. That was when we heard her little voice.
This is my favourite picture of her birth. She's so perfect. Notice her body wet from the water, but with very little blood stains (blue cloth underneath).
 |
| Heaven on Earth... Welcome, sayang!!! |
 |
| Getting cleaned up and measured. My fav pic too.. |
After a quick clean & measure in the labour room, she was then brought to the nursery to be properly cleaned and changed. I was cleaned up too. Basically changed into a clean new hospital gown and disposable after-birth underwear with an enormous pad. I was still under the epidural effect. Still numb waist down for the rest of the night.
 |
| It's official. I'm the Mommy. |
 |
| It's official. I'm the Mr-Daddy. |
 |
| It's official. I'm the Miss Princess. |
 |
| Performing my first duty as a mother : feeding my baby. |
Post-delivery... everyone was excited to hold the baby. Of course la kan. The first cucu ever for both families. So memang excited la.. Here are some of us welcoming Miss Princess into the families.
 |
| Mommy of course nak pegang jugak..... |
Unfortunately for Miss Princess, she got jaundice. Poor baby... It's actually a common thing to happen to newborns (I had it too, but that was also because I was born prematured). It's a condition where the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow due to the excess of bilirubin (normally produced when the liver breaks down the old red blood cells) in the blood.
So, due to that, we couldn't go home and had to stay for almost another week for her phototherapy treatment. That means, she had to be put as long as possible under a special blue light that would help the body get rid of the excess bilirubin. The nurse would then perform blood tests twice/thrice a day to check on her bilirubin level. Zaman dulu-dulu time takde machine yang boleh keluarkan blue light camni, kalau ade baby jaundice, dorang letak/jemur kat matahari pagi. Same la conceptnye.
 |
| My poor baby sleeping alone in the incubator |
Kalau anak kena jaundice, the best treatment (apart from the phototherapy) is to constantly breastfeed the baby. Breastmilk kan contains all the best nutrients for the baby, so that will also help the body to process the excretion of the excess bilirubin. So, since Miss Princess couldn't room-in with me, I had to go to the nursery every 3-4 hours to breastfeed her. Orang kate, selain breastmilk, susu kambing pon elok jugak untuk merawat jaundice. Sebab tu la anak-anak kambing takde yang kene jaundice. Iye ke??
 |
| At the nursery breastfeeding Miss Princess. Yang kat sebelah tu tgh tunggu turn.. Haha |
After about a week of treatment at the hospital, Miss Princess got better and we later were discharged and went home. Woooohoooo.... Kat rumah, start la my confinement period, di samping continuous breastfeeding. I'm not going to talk about those things this time, sebab malas nak type dah, plus takde gambar2.. So just enjoy a few more pictures ya...
 |
| View from my room. Best kan? Kalau view camni, beranak 3 hari 3 malam pon takde hal kot... Erk!!! |
 |
| Kimora Lee???? Oh gosh!!!!! |
 |
| Miss Princess kekenyangan... Tido la, ape lagi kan.... |
Hurrrmmmmm, it's hard for me to explain the great labour pains. I know nobody said it was going to be too easy. It wasn't called 'labour' for nothing. However, I don't mind going through it all again. That feeling when you meet your baby for the first time is just too beautiful and so blissful. And nursing her, bonding with her are just the best moments in life. And having your loved ones around you, appreciating the pains you've gone through... you just feel complete...
To my Mr Daddy & Miss Princess, Mommy love you both, darlings!!!
Labels: My Goings-On
