my eldest leonglet is 6 years old today.
just realised i'd never documented her birth as i started to blog only in late 2004, so i'm now making up for lost time.
i can still remember, 6 years ago, how i woke up early on that fateful wednesday morning and instinctively felt that the baby was going to pop. as a first time mother, i was totally clueless about childbirth and didn't realise that i was experiencing early labour - the contractions were too far apart but i was feeling uncomfortable and decided to visit the doctor.
trouble was that my gynae, dr lim, was away on vacation and my next check-up was on a friday, in 2 days' time. she had made arrangements with another covering doctor so i called dr heng and made my way down with the hub and MIL to bedok dr heng's clinic.
the foetus had just turned 38 weeks and i was surprised when dr heng checked my cervix and informed us that i was 3cm dilated. back then, i had no idea what she was talking about so she translated her med-speak to layman terms: "you've started your contractions though they're still too irregular. but you are due anytime. the baby could be out today, tomorrow or even next week. if you want, you can check yourself into the hospital or wait at home till the contractions become more regular and painful. hopefully the baby waits for dr lim to come back!"
my MIL was quite sure the baby wasn't due yet, but i remember telling myself that it's MY BODY and i know something's about to happen. we headed back to chinatown to buy a few last minute essentials (pots and such), rested at the hub's office where i called my now ex-boos to inform him that i'd be taking maternity leave and lunched. all this while, i was discomforted by several contractions. when we got home, i remember taking an afternoon nap, only to be rudely awakened by a more severe pain in the abdomen. and i also felt like i needed to crap...
that's when MIL reckoned it was time to go. i had a nice good scrub and shower, aware that i'd have to forfeit my usual showers once i started my confinement. i also had an early dinner at about 5-ish, called my parents to tell that i was going to the hospital, and the hub drove us (MIL in tow) to the hospital.
they wheeled me into the maternity ward at about 7pm - that's when my contractions became longer, got more painful and were spaced at about 15 minutes apart. i was till able to take it all in my stride and remained rather calm...and foolish.
but my cool and endurance were soon put to the test. at 9.15pm, the contractions were *killing* me. the nurses came in to check and realised i was about 5cm dilated. and then they broke the news that it was too late to administer the epidural, and my only relief for the pain was the gas. they later gave me a pethidine, but said it wasn't going to make much of a difference...
ARGHHHHHHHH.
it was too late to panic. i'd never even attended any pre-natal classes, so the hub and i just reacted to the best of our abilities and according to the situation. another stand-in doc arrived to deliver the baby and just before 10.30pm, xian was born.
and here she is now, 6 years later:
just realised i'd never documented her birth as i started to blog only in late 2004, so i'm now making up for lost time.
i can still remember, 6 years ago, how i woke up early on that fateful wednesday morning and instinctively felt that the baby was going to pop. as a first time mother, i was totally clueless about childbirth and didn't realise that i was experiencing early labour - the contractions were too far apart but i was feeling uncomfortable and decided to visit the doctor.
trouble was that my gynae, dr lim, was away on vacation and my next check-up was on a friday, in 2 days' time. she had made arrangements with another covering doctor so i called dr heng and made my way down with the hub and MIL to bedok dr heng's clinic.
the foetus had just turned 38 weeks and i was surprised when dr heng checked my cervix and informed us that i was 3cm dilated. back then, i had no idea what she was talking about so she translated her med-speak to layman terms: "you've started your contractions though they're still too irregular. but you are due anytime. the baby could be out today, tomorrow or even next week. if you want, you can check yourself into the hospital or wait at home till the contractions become more regular and painful. hopefully the baby waits for dr lim to come back!"
my MIL was quite sure the baby wasn't due yet, but i remember telling myself that it's MY BODY and i know something's about to happen. we headed back to chinatown to buy a few last minute essentials (pots and such), rested at the hub's office where i called my now ex-boos to inform him that i'd be taking maternity leave and lunched. all this while, i was discomforted by several contractions. when we got home, i remember taking an afternoon nap, only to be rudely awakened by a more severe pain in the abdomen. and i also felt like i needed to crap...
that's when MIL reckoned it was time to go. i had a nice good scrub and shower, aware that i'd have to forfeit my usual showers once i started my confinement. i also had an early dinner at about 5-ish, called my parents to tell that i was going to the hospital, and the hub drove us (MIL in tow) to the hospital.
they wheeled me into the maternity ward at about 7pm - that's when my contractions became longer, got more painful and were spaced at about 15 minutes apart. i was till able to take it all in my stride and remained rather calm...and foolish.
but my cool and endurance were soon put to the test. at 9.15pm, the contractions were *killing* me. the nurses came in to check and realised i was about 5cm dilated. and then they broke the news that it was too late to administer the epidural, and my only relief for the pain was the gas. they later gave me a pethidine, but said it wasn't going to make much of a difference...
ARGHHHHHHHH.
it was too late to panic. i'd never even attended any pre-natal classes, so the hub and i just reacted to the best of our abilities and according to the situation. another stand-in doc arrived to deliver the baby and just before 10.30pm, xian was born.
and here she is now, 6 years later:
xian with her birthday cake
our first family photo with the latest addition, wei
we actually celebrated her birthday early this year as her cousins were going on a holiday and would've missed the cake-cutting.
how time flies. and she's embarking on a scary mission next year: primary school education. and my nightmare will officially begin as well.but for now, i intend to let her relax, at least for the 6 remaining months before she steps into primary school.
happy 6th birthday, my beloved xian!
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