My Childbirth Experience

There is something very special about childbirth because while there are so many people around you that have been through it, no two are the same. When I had Nuha, it was really quite strange. I absolutely had no idea what to expect. To tell you the truth, I was not really ready for this whole 'motherhood' thingy. I was scared all the time when I had her in my tummy. Anyway, here's how it all began.....

That Tuesday afternoon, I showed up at the hospital for my 39-weeks pregnancy check up. I was alone that day because my husband had to work and couldn't take a time off. My water still hadn't broken and I remember feeling so energetic that day. It was around 12 pm when I brought my pregnancy check up book to the nurse for my CTG scan. A few nurses came in the room while I had my CTG scan. One of them keep popping in and out of the room and told me that I had to do another CTG. I wasn't in pain at all at that time and felt so hungry. I slept all the way for my 2nd CTG scan. I was only awake when the doctor came in to check on me. He was quite surprised when he saw me sleeping and said "Eh, you are sleeping? Don't you feel any pain?" Apparently, I was already 4cm dilated when he did the VE on me. The first thing that I said to him was "But doctor, I still haven't had my Nasi Ayam.. I am not ready." I had my eye on the Nasi Ayam in front of Ampang Puteri while I was driving to the hospital. He then laughed and said to me that I can have my Nasi Ayam and should come back to the labour room at 3pm. Can you guess what happens next? Yes!! I had 2 plates of roasted Nasi Ayam while waiting for my husband to come to the hospital. At the same time, mom kept on calling me and reminding me to recite all the necessary Quranic verses. 

It was 3pm and I went straight to the labor room without bringing anything with me. My bag was at home and I had to wait for my husband to pick it up before we met. The nurses prepped me up and I waited but I wasn't so sure what I was waiting for. In my mind, I was like "Am i waiting for my husband or my doctor?" Like I told you, I wasn't ready when Nuha wanted to come out of my tummy. Doctor came in and asked me whether I want an epidural or not. I was about to answer yes when he said "No need la.. I think you can go through this whole thing without an epidural" and I went along with it. To cut the story short, husband was already there when the doctor broke my water. I remember feeling in pain when it was 6 pm. The pain was excruciating that I felt like kicking and punching my husband. I took the happy gas and my doctor gave me a shot of pain killer. Trust me, those things weren't helping at all. 

0800 pm and I was 8 cm dilated. At this point, I regretted that I went along with my doctor when he told me that I shouldn't take the epidural. 

1130  pm, 10 cm dilated. The contraction pains were killing me! The doctor briefed me on how to push my baby out. I listened to his instructions. I remember a nurse cheering me up after every push. 7 pushes and Nuha was out. I could hear her cry immediately. She was so loud that my doctor and the nurses said "wow! kuat nya suara dia.. panggil dia Miss melalak.."

This was Nuha when she was just a few seconds old. 2.93 kg and she was a very very loud newborn baby that every nurse in the hospital gave her a nickname "Miss Melalak." 

This is Nuha now. 6 kg at 3++ months old. Having a kid changes your life. Everyone knows that having a baby is a life-altering experience. Things that were once important seem meaningless, hours of free time soon shrink into seconds, and you find yourself having conversations about subject that you never thought you would. it is as if you have been invited into a secret world of wonder and shame, embarrassment and joy, and a thousand little quirks that only another parent can understand. For better or for worse it is a change that can not be undone.