Heidi's Birth Story - Part 2

After the stressful episodes of spotting at 7 weeks, the triple A blood test that showed “high risk of down syndrome” and the amniocentesis test, Angeline’s pregnancy had progressed smoothly until the beginning of 3^rd trimester when we were hit by another episode of spotting! We immediately rushed to see the OB. After a thorough examination, the OB told us that the spotting could be from the placenta or could be purely external and since the scan did not show any ruptured of placenta, there was a high possibility that the spotting was external which would eventually stop in 2 or 3 days time. The OB advised us to come back if the bleeding persisted and THANK GOD the spotting had completely stopped the following day after the examination. Thereafter, baby was progressing well week by week. 

However, at 37 weeks check up (Tuesday, 3^rd of April), the ultrasound scan indicated some maturity of the placenta, which would cause resistance of the blood flow to the baby.  In such circumstances, the OB had expressly told us that the pregnancy should not be allowed to proceed until the full term of 40 weeks and had to be induced. Since it was only 37 weeks, the OB advised us to wait for another week (38 weeks) as the successful rate of inducing the baby at 37 weeks was rather slim and could end up in C-Section instead. The OB also said that hopefully the labour would ensue soon to avoid the inevitability of inducement. Angeline was worried that she had to be induced as she heard from friends that such a procedure was very painful. So she kept telling the baby to come out any time within that week. We even bet on when the labour would occur and Angeline told me that she preferred 8^th of April as it coincided with Easter Day but we both consensually wanted the labour to come within that week to avoid the process of inducement.

We were semi anxiously waiting for the labour to come day by day within that week but there was no sign of labour and it was already Saturday (7^th of April)! That Saturday night we went out to have dinner with our friends at Tan Jetty Thai Food and it was a farewell dinner for one of our friends, Teera, who was moving back to Miri, Sarawak on the following week. We told them about Angeline’s condition and Teera  half jokingly told the baby to come out tomorrow so that she could still see her before she left for Miri.

Around 9pm after the dinner, Angeline and I went to my mum’s place to fetch Hannah. Instead of going home   straight away, we ended up staying there until 1.00am chit-chatting with my sisters. By the time we reached home it was already 1.30am and Hannah had fallen asleep when we  were on our way home. At around 3.15am, I was awakened by Angeline who complained to me that she had stomach pains. The first thing that I asked her was, “Is it contractions?” She described to me that the pain was like having minor cramps around the abdominal and she then asked me back, “Is this contractions?” I told her half-jokingly that I wouldn’t know as I never gave birth before but I remembered I read somewhere that a real contraction will also cause backache and she told me the pain did go until her back. I told her to get ready to go to the hospital as we still need to send Hannah to my parents' house first. Hannah was way too tired and she didn’t wake up even though we were carrying and moving her here and there, which we were glad as we definitely did not want her to wake up and make a fuss at such moment!  After we sent her to my parents' house, we headed to Adventist Hospital. Her contractions at that time were still mild and were like 5 to 10 minutes apart. We also stopped at 7-Eleven to buy a bottle of mineral water and some biscuits in case we needed to wait long before the cervix was fully dilated. We completely forgot to bring food and water before leaving the house!

When we reached the hospital, it was around 4.15am. We headed to the emergency department and Angeline was sent to labour room while I was asked to proceed with the registration. I think at that time back in our minds we still have the thought of what if it was a false alarm since Angeline’s contractions were still not building up. In the labour room Angeline was strapped with a device called CTG to monitor the contractions. Our minds were finally settled after the nurse had read the CTG report and examined her cervix and told us that “It is real contractions” and “she is already 7 cm dilated”. At that moment we both knew that we would meet our 2^nd princess very soon!!! I was definitely excited and I think Angeline was also excited but at the same time terrified of the whole process, which was natural. Around 6.30am her contractions had started to build up and getting more and more intense and to the extent that she had to use the laughing gas to soothe the pain.

At about 7.10am, the nurse finally asked the other nurse to call the OB as the cervix had fully dilated and thereafter the pushing sessions ensued and finally with a last gentle push, our baby Lim Heidi (2.82kg) was delivered and her non-stop loud cries “WA...WA...WA...WA...WA.........” brought beams to our faces. It was 7.26am when we both became 2^nd time parents on Easter Day! We were really thankful that the whole labour process did not drag long and both mother and baby were safe. This time I did record the moment when Heidi was delivered and as usual snapped photos of the baby in her birthday suit ;-) Here are some of the photos which are appropriate to share: -

Looking back at the ups and downs for the past 9 months really make us appreciate more of our lives together with our 2 princesses. Like most parents, we vowed to give the best to our children and it is indeed a blessing to watch them grow up healthily each and every day. Also because we are parents now, we certainly know it is not trouble-free to be parents and what’s more responsible ones! A BIG THANKS to our own parents!

As for me, it is still a sweet dream which I won’t trade for anything in the world that I have from 1 person became 2 persons in 2008, from 2 persons became 3 persons in 2009 and from 3 persons became 4 persons in 2012 and my family is still growing .......J