Monday, June 28, 2010

Aydreanne & I Check Out of the Hospital

The doctor still recommends that Aydreanne continue phototherapy. Or alternatively, to rent the equipment and do it at home.

We said no to either, preferring to bring her home and heal the jaundice the traditional way - a bath in Guinness and some time in the sun.

And being home with family member and a comfortable environment.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Baby Aydreane has Jaundice

I'm totally fine and can check out .... I keep on saying 'check out' instead of discharge because the hospital room is so nice and service is great so it feels like a hotel.

But poor Aydreanne has jaundice. 3 out of 5 babies these days get jaundice. In fact, every one of my friends' babies had jaundice.

The paedetritian recommended that Aydreanne go for the photolight theraphy and that we stay on in the hospital as boarders since I was breast feeding. We agreed because which parent would willingly leave their newborn baby in the hospital?

We brought Aydreanne to the nursery. They stripped her down to her diaper and placed some wool over her eyes (this is really 'pulling wool over her eyes') and placed her tummy down in a basinette and under the blue light. She began to cry. Then I begand to cry. Then she screamed louder and I wailed louder.

Poor Lord Gaga didn't know what to do.

Finally we all calmed down and we left her there and tiny and red and under the blue light. I went back to my room to cry.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

The Birth of Baby Aydreanne

2.15am
I woke up to pee, yet again. I'm totally getting used to waking up and peeing 3 to 4 times in the night.

2.30am
I feel a little strange. Like a mild tummy upset but not really so I decided to lie back down on the bed. The weirdness continued. Could this be contractions? No way .... not when my EDD is more than 2 weeks away. Nevertheless, I started timing them.

4.00am
The weird feelings were 5 to 4 minutes apart. But they don't feel like contractions.

4.30am
The weird feelings were becoming more unfomfortable. I woke Lord Gaga and told him what I felt and we decided to time them together.

5.00am
Still 4 to 5 minutes apart. But no pain. Hmmmm

5.30am
Told Lord Gaga that we should go to the hospital to get it checked out. But not to worry, it CAN'T be contractions. I'm not due and there's no pain.

6.00am
We arrive at the hospital. Told the nurses I'm feeling a little odd. They strap me into this monitor thing for half hour.

6.30am
The nurse comes back in.
Nurse: You're having contractions.
Me: Huh? What do you mean?
Nurse: You're in labour.
Me: Huh? What? Labour? Like real labour? As in, I'm going to have my baby today?
Nurse: (Nonchalantly) Yup, today. Please go to the labour ward.
Me: ????

6.40am
As I was convinced I was not in labour, we didn't bring all of our packed bags, just half of them so, still in shock, we got into the car and headed home.

7.10am
Got home, took a shower, grabbed my bags and told our new Cambodian maid who doesn't speak much English - "Maam. Baby come now. You stay here. Maggi Mee. U eat. Bye!" and we ran out the door

7.12am
Met the neighbour on the way out and chatted for a while. All the time, the contractions were becoming stronger.

7.20am
Told Paul to swing by Mc D as I was hungry. As there were no places to stop and we didn't want to park, he dropped me off while I went in.
Me: 1 big breakfast and 1 sausage McMuffin. To go.
Mc D server: Coffee or tea?
Me: (Deep breathe) 1 coffee and 1 tea (cluthes counter top tightly while bending over in pain)
Mc D server: Here u go.
Me: Thank you (Grabs food and half run, half hobble out the door to Lord Gaga's waiting truck)

7.45am
I go straight to the labour room while Lord Gaga goes to register me. Nurses were already expecting me and made em comfortable and gave me a realy ugly and thick green gown to change into.

8.00am
The doc comes in to check and asks a few questions. Predict's I'll deliver about 1pm or 2pm

8.15am
I go into meditation and practise my Hypnobirthing methods. They work. With every contraction, I breathe and relax and the pain subsided.

8.30am
I ask to try the ethonox gas. It's fun! Tastes funny and every breath gets me high. Giggling, I ask Lord Gaga to try.

8.45am
Lord Gaga puts on some photos of scenic beaches on his laptop for me to see and futher relax. And played my meditation CD.

9.00am
By now, the pain was so strong, I was on all fours on the bed with my ass in the air, rocking back and forth.

9.15am
The doc came in to check me again and asked if I wanted the epidural. I said no, I wanted to do this naturally. He said okay but in his experience, the epi helps mothers relax and therefore able to birth the baby more quickly. And it will be more comfortable too.

9.30am
No amount of breathing (natural or gas), visualisation, rocking, walking or moving is helping. I felt PAIN! I was at 5cm. I was thinking ... if this is the pain at 5cm, what is going to happen at 10cm when the baby is ready to be pushed? Bring on the epi NOW!

9.45am
They administer the epi. I didn't feel any pain apart from when they put the needlle in ... or when they pushed the epi liquid in ... can't tell which. Anyway, i felt an electric jolt then was asked to lay down. I was then shivering uncontrolably, an effect of the epi (some people puke).

10.30am
The epi took on its full effect and while I felt no pain, I could feel movement which was important cos I didn't want to be so numb that I could not push.

10.45am
The doctor came in again and said that I was ready.
Me: Huh? Ready for what?
Doc: Ready to push.
Me: Err ... okay

10.55am
More nurses and midwives came in to hold me hand, monitor me and encourage me. Lord Gaga was standing right next to the doctor.

11.00am
The pushing begins. The nurses tell me when a contraction was happening and told me when to push.

11.30am
The doctor says that I'm pushing very hard and doing a good job but the baby wasn't coming. Lord Gaga says he can see the baby's head. Doctor said he'll need to "help me out". I prayed he didn't say the dreaded "C" word. Whatever it was, I hope no C section was involved. Instead, he took out a vacuum and stuck it on my baby's head.

And before 12 noon
With just 2 more pushes, my baby was out.
And within 3 seconds of being birthed, my baby girl was placed on my tummy.
Eyes wide opened, she looked into my eyes.
It was totally sureal.

Welcome to the world, little baby Aydreanne Alexia Wong!

Mummy and Daddy loves u so much. Good job with the birthing!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Week 38

Believe it or not, I'm now at the 38th week of my pregnancy. While 'normal' gestation is 40 weeks, it is also not unusual for a baby the arrive 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after the 40th week. This means the baby could be here any time now!

I've been busy with work, packing, moving, house reno etc but as i go into my last few weeks, i feel a lack of energy and I do know that I should not strain myself. So I've been taking it easy and putting my feet up whenever possible.

I'm ready to meet my baby and it's all very exciting. With every little pain or ache I feel, I stop and wonder "Is this it"? I have not felt any Braxton Hicks contractions so I really don't know what a contraction feels like, practise or other wise.

But she is moving a lot. Hiccuping or stretching maybe. I can feel her every movement. Sometimes Paul and I lay in bed and watch my belly as it bounces and wobbles around. We talk to her and she responds with a movement. It's totally amazing. And she makes ur laugh out loud with her in-belly antics. I think this is going to be an active baby. Paul say, just like her mother. If that's true, we're in real trouble!

Hope the baby comes on time and not sooner because the new house is still being renovated! Painting is happening today and apparently there's thinner smell all over.

But contractors (they are all liars) promised that the place will be ready today (after postponing the date about 3 times). If so, we can get the place cleaned up and we can move in by this weekend.

Hope the baby doesn't come too late either because I'm beginning to feel like I can't carry this weight around anymore. I've put on 21kgs since I got pregnant! And now that the baby is growing too, try as I might, I cannot walk in a straight line. My belly sways from side to side and if i could look at myself from the back, I'm sure my ass is too!

New house, new baby. Exciting times ahead!