the Day when i had her...and the story goes on...

23rd June 2005

i think the time has come...! i realized i had show at 11.00pm . that evening, me, asrul and zizie went to bangi (dahlia's house) to settle the SPA forms. late that evening, i managed to bake an apple crumble cake (actually, the baby was the one who really wants it). anyway, mild contraction started at about 1 am(24/6/05).

24th June 2005

so, lafter subuh we went to hukm ...had ctg done ( which was reactive), and VE (vaginal examination)....it was damn painful when VE was done...(all this while i simply like to VE patients...) and i was so frustrated to find out that i was only 1 cm dilated....DR ask me to go home first and wait for the contraction to get stronger.

when reached home , the contraction seized, mum said it was a false alarm, but the bloody show was heavier...! the contraction started back at 3 pm after eating nasi baryani and was getting regular n stronger since then (2:10).

at 6 pm i couldn't bear the pain anymore...so, we went back to HUKM...had CTG done....and VE..wah!! at 7 pm already 3 cm and DR said, "let's make u a mommy tonight.." and he did stretch and swipe (S&S) to make it bigger....! it was damn painful and i stopped him as he wanted to make it till 5 cm...!so dilated to 4 cm (save 1 hour!).

he called Prof J for his consent to do ARM (artificial rupture of membrane - break the waterbag) and sent me to the labour room at 8pm. at the labour room...the birthing suite was nice (room no 4), the nurses were very kind...Prof J came at 8.20pm, repeat the VE (still 4 cm) and ordered pitocin after epidural is done...and i waited for the anaesthetist to come for the epidural...in the mean time, the nurse offered me Enthonox (gas for pain relief) but it didn't work that well..(asrul's hand was full with nail marks!!)

At last Dr O (the anaesthetist MO) came at 9.20 pm, set the epidural catheter in and VOILA!! the contraction pain was gone....! so, i managed to get some sleep from 9.45pm till 10.30pm while Asrul ate his dinner outside the labour room with mak n abah..epidural is really a wonder...a real gift to women in labour!!i really love it!!!

i realized that my uterus was hyperstimulating at 10.30 pm and some sort of pain can be felt at the anus, vagina..the sacroiliac joint was tearing up and the lumbosacral region was pulled apart...!!! felt like pushing already but it was too early!!! the nurse came by at 11.00 pm and i told her that i was hyperstimulating..she did the VE and to my surprise she told me that i was already fully!!..she asked me to slowly bear down so that the head will come down just in time for Prof J to arrive to conduct the delivery...

11.20, Prof Jamil arrived...he was also surprised with my excellent progress...he thought that i will only deliver after 2 am...anyway, i started pushing at 11.20pm....after putting all the efforts and hardwork, my baby girl is finally delivered at 11.44 pm.....!!!

aLHAMDULILLAH...the epidural was a miracle..i did not even realize that i had an episiotomy! and stitching was fine...no pain felt!

the first thing that was so obvious about her was her glowing big pair of eyes...!! she weighed 3.18 kg, with the length of 53 cm and head circumference of 34 cm...APGAR score was 9 at 1st minutes and 10 at 5 minutes....she was a wonderful and great, healthy, cute-looking baby... i'm a mommy now...!!! forgot all about the pain coz i have a lovely princess that enlightened our lives now...

then, begins all the excitement and the determination to breastfeed my baby...as a 1st time mother, it was a very difficult moment...to get the baby properly latched, with no milk being secreted yet for the first 3days...and the breasts getting engorged like a shining watermelon (haiyaa!)

my milk started to established on the 3rd day after i got a good massage from the mak bidan...at that time, i was delightful and excited and alhamdulillah seeing my milk spurting out and Jihan excitedly gulping every drop of milk...but then i started to have cracke nipples (ouchhh!)....so , i bought a nipple protecter to wear it temporarily, and applied the nipple cream as well..alhamdulillah, i didn't have problem with moral support...everybody encouraged fully breastfeeding and my parents were excited telling their colleagues that i fully breastfeed my Jihan...

when starting to work (1st time working experience in life - as a houseman), alhamdulillah Allah made it easier for me to express the milk..and i invested quite a lot (RM) to fully breastfeed my Jihan for at least 6 months( and Allah grants my wishes- maybe for the next baby i hope to breastfeed him longer to save money on formula milk)..i bought an expensive breastpump but it was worth it...i can continue using it for the next baby as well..

like the experience of beinig pregnant, giving birth and breastfeeding and taking care of my baby (even though my confinement period was quite stressful- i had a bleeding haemorrhoid)..i want to experience that again and again, insya allah...may Allah, bless us with many children who can contribute towards the ummah and nation...