After a hiatus of many days in blogging on Hive, I am here to reveal the reason why I have been away.

I gave birth a week ago!

I want to document this important significant even on Hive so I can remember it somewhere on the blockchain. It was last Monday at 5am when I spotted blood and I realised the baby was coming. I was supposed to go to my government clinic for a check that morning but the nurse did advise that if there are signs of labour, I should head straight to the hospital instead. Spotting is one of the signs of labour so I quickly pack up things for the boys. I was ready because I was prepared to be induced on the following day, Tuesday anyway.

So what happened was I slowly let my husband and boys slept till 8am and then had their breakfast before sending them to my mum-in-law.

Then husband and I went to the hospital which is not too far from our place. I did not feel any pain or contractions yet which was my wish to be able to walk into the hospital and not being wheeled in or lying on a bed to go in. I went to register myself and the husband could not enter from then onwards so he had to wait outside. I was told at the counter that there was no bed available till about 5pm. Well, I was sort of mentally orepared that it was going to be that way dince I chose to deliver in a government hospital that comes with super low delivery fees. After registering, they checked my weight and then I was in a queue to wait to be checked by the doctors on opening of the cervix and also scan of the baby.

It was quite a long wait because there were many other pregnant ladies who were due too. I waited patiently for my turn to be called. Upon doctor's check, she said that baby looked ok and was estimated at 3.2kg and I did remarked that I noticed lesser fetal movement or rather the time to hit the 10th movement had moved later. My cervix opening was at 2cm at about 11am.She did a membrane sweep for me and after that yes I could feel the contractions coming. I then was fixed an IV line on my hand.

I went out of the O&G emergency to meet the husband for lunch at the cafeteria. I was still very much craving for milk tea hahaha. Hence I ordered a teh tarik which is pulled milk tea.

I got myself some mee rebus which is Malay style of boiled noodle if it is translated literally.

Oh I love the white fried rice vermicelli too.

Husband got himself some variety of dishes which were the Malays specialties that are spicy.

As I was eating, I could feel some discomfort yet not pain. Those were actually the mild contractions kicking in already but bearable. Soon I said goodbye to the husband as I knew there might be still many hours to wait so I sent him to go home to get some rest first.

"Everything Will Be Fine."

Yes I purposely wore this T-shirt to encourage and motivate myself. It is not my first time going into labour myself. It is not because the husband didnt want to accompany me but rather I find that he cannot help me with anything too when I am in labour pain so for my 2nd and 3rd delivery, I decided to brace it myself.

So I am back to waiting.

After some time, they called my name when the specialist came by to check. They checked me and saw I had some pain and contractions.

They decided to quicken my turn to the ward as I saw my name being written on the board in the waiting list at number 3.

I sat next to another lady and befriended her. She was going to have a c-section because she finally conceived after 7 years of waiting and they did not want to risk anything. After she was warded, finally it was my turn after 8 hours waiting. Did I feel it was that long? Honestly no. I actually was okay with just waiting and staring into nothingness as I anticipated for a local government hospital needs to cater to public hence many people are going to use this service.

They brought me up the ward and I quickly messaged the husband to tell him which ward as the visiting hours would be over soon. Nurses at my ward briefing me an orientation on what to be done and where are some of the things as we need to do self service for most things here including handling our dirty laundry etc.

Finally gotten a bed!

It is an 8-bedded ward so I had neighbours who had delivered and also waiting to be delivered. Some were already having their babies with them. I started befriending my neighbours left and right to me too.
My neighbour next to me had her son to be under the phototherapy light to lower jaundoce level.

Finally husband made it in the last 5 monutes to deliver my bags and food to me! I almost cried seeing him because I know after that I will be braving myself through.

He brought me food and the hospital served me food as well.

They checked my contractions and said I was at omce per 10 minute. Honestly I felt it was way frequent than that. After dinner, I started feeling it more frequently and a bit hard to bear with. The nurses told me it was a long way to go though. Thw doctor told me if I don't naturally have an opening as big as 3cm the next morning, I will be induced at 5am so I thought they would not check me at all till then.

I tried to bear with it and still texting my family to update. At about 10pm, one of the kindest prettiest rounding nurses saw my face looking really reddish and I was frowning non stop and breathing harder so she offered to lwt the doctor to come and check my opening. I really really thank God for her being so so observant even though she was actually checking the blood pressure of the patient opposite me.

Doctor and another nurse came to check and saw I was at 4cm. So they said they would proceed to book a labour room for me. I tried to eat some energy bar down to have some energy to deliver the baby later. This protein bar actually tastes nice.

At 11pm they checked and saw I was at 6cm so immediately they were going to push my bed down to the labour room. I really appreciate my ward's nurses for being so kind to me and kept encouraging me on the way.

At 1145pm, I was at the labour room. They checked me and drain urine off me. However, when I asked for epidural, they said I was not in time for it. I asked for painkiller at the bum whichbwas pethidine and they also said I was not in time. My experience with the labour room nurses weren't too pleasanr as they were harsher and they were also understaffed. So yeah they broke my water bag and after that I was soon ready to deliver, without any painkillers but omly looking to God to sustain me. It was so crazy and intense. I was shaking and shivering through the whole experience.

The baby was finally out at 1248am!!!! She is a baby girl and she weighed 3.005kg. They cleaned her and put her aside while I got stitched up after delivering the placenta after her. Well she is still worth it! After all, she is our whole family's prayers answered.

But yeah this will be my last pregnancy and delivery. Look at me all exhausted after that. I was still uncontrollably shaking and shivering at this point.

At 210am I was sent back to the ward. My ward nurses welcome me back with encouraging words like, You were really fast!, You did so well! Hence even though I felt mistreated by the labour ward nurses, I felt so warmed and comforted by my own ward nurses. They even helped me with going toilet because they worried I might faint in the toilet myself. So grateful for them, you know!

So I was back to trying to regain strength to feed the baby and handle her myself.

This is me and her on day 1! My sweet baby girl with me in less than 24 hour of my admission. My 3rd delibery did take place faster and I could still message and update my family though I was in pain this time. Maybe my pain threshold increased or rather I just had no choice but to go through it without painkillers made me just do it! So yes I must document this to remember while I can still remember the whole process. Hence it becomes my #wednesdaywalk though it happened on a Monday till the next day, Tuesday.

We are now still adjusting and transiting from a family of 4 to 5, though it already has been a week. So introducing our newest addition, Naomi Riley born on April 9, 1248am, weighing 3.005kg and 48.5cm.