A Love Story Rewritten

I was inspired by Wai Han's DIY homebirth. I had 2 smooth pregnancies and hospital births. So with my last pregnancy, I wanted something different. We couldn't find a midwife to support a homebirth. I managed to convince my hubby to be my mid-husband. I felt I have to do it now or never, forever drool over it. We made this decision in my last few weeks of pregnancy. Our OB read through our birth plan, agreed to all of it and jokingly said that he is basically being paid for what nature will take care itself. He said that we are also the perfect low risk group to attempt homebirth. So with a few good cards in the bag, we proceed to explore the undiscovered journey of homebirth.

On the 4th day of CNY,

9am - I had a show. My bb knocks on the door on the dot! I went down stairs, greeted my hubby & 2 boys with the great news. Later hubby took 2 boys and the maid over to my mom's house nearby. Pain came irregularly especially when I was in a hurry. So I walked slowly and rested on the bed waiting for hubby to come back then only go for a shower. Meanwhile I had a few bowel movements and seemed to have cleared out everything.

11am - Hubby came back with lots of goodies - nasi byriani, tosai, roti canai. I told him I wanted some soup. So he went to the kitchen and made me some ABC soup while I took a shower.

12am - We had the most wonderful lunch together in our chosen labour place - our bed room. It is also the most auspicious fengsui place in our house. I have to choose the best place to carry out the mission. Hubby initially suggested downstairs, he feels it is easier to carry me to the car should there be any emergencies. But I feel it is too public and open and lacking inspiration. The ABC soup was so good. I had a bit of roti canai, some CNY cookies.

1 pm - Feeling very happy after the lunch prepared by hubby. I started to concentrate and relax myself on my favourite rattan chair, with the music and hypno instruction playing out from the laptop, while charging the ipod (ipod battery was flat.)

2pm - Contractions come and go regularly. I am feeling the pain and I wonder why. There should be no pain... I took the ipod and plugged it into my ears and have the volume turned up. I lie on the bed by my side because this is the painless position I had for my previous births. I fear the pain...

3pm - 5pm - Time went on, with the photographer taking pictures for every position I changed. Suddenly I felt the "pop". The water bag burst. Warm, clear water leaked out. I quickly moved away from my king-size bed to the pilates mat hubby has prepared. Initially I thought I would move to the nearby toilet for the final stages. But it is easier to sit on a cushioned place. Then I heard the 5pm prayers, feeling worried that it might be taking too long.

5pm -6pm - I decided I cannot fear the pain. I must face it. So I moved to a sitting position again. Then the pain comes regularly. I hummed a low "oum" when the pain comes to help open up the cervix. Meanwhile hubby was timing the interval and surfing the net reading up on labour stages. The contraction comes more frequent and longer. Hubby massaged my right angles to relieve pain. I told myself to welcome the pain as it is bringing me closer to my baby girl. I had a visual of the smiling cervix opening up to a light every time the contraction comes. "When is this going to end?" I opened my eyes and looked at my hubby. He gave me an assuring smile. I have no time to say anything to him then, the pain came very rapidly. I looked at him again, and hope he would say something like, "shall we go to the hospital" then I would have said a big "yes!".

6:18pm - The pushing down force was strong. I tried my best to hold it. More water was squeezed out. Tears rolled. I turned the buddhist musical chant even louder. I felt like I cannot go on further... I flopped from the chair and throw myself to my hubby sitting in front. He calmly positioned me on my knees and placed a towel and pillow on a stool to rest my body on. Then he applied some extra virgin olive oil on the perineum. Then it came - the final contraction, I felt a warm lump falling off from my body. I heard a short cry from the baby. It was finally over! The pain has stopped. Hubby managed to catch the slippery bundle of joy. Wah, I have completed the marathon! What a relief.

We called Mom. Mom was very happy to know that baby and I were safe. Little did they know that we actually called from home.

Hubby brought me the baby for some skin to skin contact for warmth. Baby felt chubby & heavy. The placenta came out in about 10 minutes or so later with one contraction. Hubby put it in a tub. He then helped me to cut open my t-shirt so that I can breastfeed easily. Baby took to the breasts like a pro. More placenta tissues were expelled from the womb as I was breastfeeding. Hubby got me a piece of the placenta to chew on. It tasted salty and chewy. He took a bit too and says it felt warming.

7pm - Hubby went down to the kitchen to make me some tonic (apple cider + honey + cayenne pepper) to keep me warm and also gave me some homeopathy remedy (arnica) to reduce bleeding and bruises. Brought me the ABC soup and a hard boiled egg. It made me feel warm and fuzzy.

8pm - Hubby helped to clean me up with a wet towel. Helped me to stand up. I felt like fainting, then I sat on the chair for a while for the blood pressure to stabilize and proceed to walk downstairs slowly.

9pm - We finally made it to the car with the baby in my arms and the placenta in a tub and drove to the hospital A&E to have a check up for baby and me.

9.15pm – At the Gleneagles A&E, the attending medical personnel was rather amused to see us with baby and a tub of placenta. Baby’s cord was cut, while personnel arranged for admission.

-- Hoi Yan (Jan 09)
http://www.facebook.com/yaphoiyan

Receiving babyHoi Yan and baby