I read a couple of birth or labor stories from a magazine called “Today Parents” and I just love to read them. Now looking back, I have my own labor story to tell too.

Labor Story Part 1 (First Child):

I was carrying my first son, over 40 weeks. I had to stop working because of my company policy. I was doing nothing at home eagerly waiting for the signs or symptoms of labor. Nothing. I set an appointment with my gynae to check how many cm dilated. He told me only 1 cm but the head is engaged. He gave me a few options, either to wait for a few more days or to go for induction.

I have heard many horror stories about how painful it is, to induce labor. Anyway, I was really bored at home. My hubby and I decided to go for induction.

A day before I went to the hospital, my MIL and FIL came by to work out my son’s chinese name. As my hubby and I do not know any chinese, so they have the honor to give my son a chinese name. As for the english name, my hubby and I decided very long time ago.

On 14 March, at 7am in the morning, my hubby and I scroll down our neighborhood. Some folks say, labor will come faster if I walk a lot. Actually I had been walking a lot when working but some how it didn’t work. We walk for 30 mins and it was time to go to the hospital. The hospital is very close by, only 5 mins away from my house.

By the way, my hubby bought a video camera and he was all nicely dress up to welcome our first child.

Register myself and a nurse came by with the wheel chair to bring me to the labor room. I felt funny sitting on the wheel chair. At the labor room, the nurse asked me to change my clothes into the hospital gown. Then she shaved me. After which she pump a bottle of liquid into my bowel to clean my bowel. Upon returning, the nurse turned on a machine to hear my baby’s heartbeat. It is an amazing feeling hearing my baby’s heartbeat.

My gynae came at 8 am, he greeted me with a happy face, telling me there were a few mums waiting to deliver. I think there were 3. The hospital has individual room for each mum. I like it because I love the privacy. I can’t imagine someone screaming next to me, I will be terrified. My gynae did a check on how many cm I was dilated and then he put a pill in. When the doc left, I asked the midwife, “will it hurt? will it hurt?” The midwife told me if it doesn’t hurt, meaning no contraction how to dilate?

After 2 hours or so, I felt nothing and began to feel bored. Luckily, I bought a book to read. Later, I couldn’t remember how many hour pass, my gynae insert another pill in. Every time he does that, I have the urge to pass urine. I was not allowed to do that immediately as it will wash away the medicine.

At 3:30pm, the nurse started the drip. I had a light snack, “tau fu far”. By the way, no dilation, still 1 cm and no pain. Even after the drip. The nurse push in a TV set for me to watch. I did nap for a while.

At 7:00pm, I felt tightening of my womb, the nurse say it is contraction but I don’t feel any pain, just discomfort. In between 3 to 7pm, my gynae tried to burst my water bag but couldn’t as it was too high up.

At 8pm, my gynae came again. I told him I am tired, can I have a c-sect instead. He told me all those mums who check in before me and after me had delivered and you are still here. You are a tough gal, and the medicine just did not work on you. Jokingly I told him that it is in my family history and I told you to give me a c-sect and you rejected. He is a good doc as he always belief in natural birth. He rejected my request to have a c-sect during my visitations.

Anyway, he finally did a c-sect for me. Fortunately he did it and I guess God was there, as my baby already passed motion in the womb. He couldn’t cry when he was taken out. The paed was on stand by took him and suck the meconium out from his lungs. He is fine. I was very tired and knew about his situation until the next morning.