New Arrival -our latest addition

Hellloooo everybody!

Woo hoo~ 

Guess most friends know by now that I have already delivered and the date of arrival of our second bundle of joy was on 8th December 2013 (Sunday -5:07am), weighing in at 3.31kg, length -49cm.

So, let me present to you our latest addition to the SimonYap clan,

Mason Simon Yap

So whats the birth story mama, you ask...

Well, ever since our last checkup on Monday Dec 2nd, my gynae mentioned since I was already 2cm dilated, he thinks that it was gonna be around that week.. but I was feeling quite skeptical. You know how women instinct works, especially for your own body. I didn't feel any contractions nor do I sense a sign, although I felt that I might just pop on the 40th week itself.

Should it be any consolation, I was looking at the dates I thought would be beautiful or easy to remember and that was 8th Dec (because if you pronounce it in Canto, for Dec 8th, it would be 1-2-8) then, there is the special 11/12/13 (just a day before Mason's EDD) and of course 12/12/13 or 13/12/13 was also good.. 

I actually busybodied and went online to search the Chinese astrology signs, compatibality and all that beliefs.. supposedly this year, Water Snake babies are generally good but they also have certain dates born, which supposedly, their fate would be shaped better and because of that, I was in the danger of popping before the 'not-so-fabulous' dates. So I just kept talking to baby in me, tell him that weekend would be just perfect, not weekdays as Jaden kor kor still have school and its a busy week.. weekend onwards we will all be ready and then...

On Saturday morning, Dec 7th 2013, my sister called me up and asked if we all would like to have a family dinner, since my parents are down and they have yet to seen me since Jaden's 6th birthday party and the very fact that she is pregnant too, I want to see her too at her 5th month of pregnancy.

We all went out for a good meal of banana leaf rice:-

Simon, Jaden, me, Mummy, Daddy, sis, David and Howard.. we ate till we could not eat anymore and then she was just telling me that the day before she popped Howard, she too, had a big meal. She asked me if I had any signs of popping, I said no with confidence!

Then as Hubs settled down to watch football, ManU vs Newcastle, baby in me was kicking around quite furiously. As I tried to walk around the house, I keep feeling the sharp intense vaginal gravity pull feel. I remembered telling my gynae about this before, that I have felt it before when I walk, and he mentioned it was normal.. so I did not think much about it except that it was more painful than normal. 

After a while, I just could not take it. I told Hubs that I think we need to go to the hospital just to check it out because my tummy feels tighter than before, the skin, the space and the sharp pain. Wouldn't hurt to just go check it out as the hospital is down the road.

So we called Iz, and he fetched us to the hospital while my parents took care of Jaden at home. I told them we will be back in a while after checking, as I did not even bother to bring my hospital bag along. I really thought I would be send home after being checked and saying its just a nerve or baby ter-press on my ligaments or something like that...

Went to the A&E as it was already 1130-ish pm, asked for the labour delivery room nurses, midwives to come get me to be checked.. instead of letting me walk, they wheelchaired me instead. Felt funny though as I thought to myself, I am still fine to walk..

Little did I know, this is when all the drama begins..

At 12am, nurse came, asked me to change into the hospital gown so they can check on my dilation.

Damn..and they strapped on the CTG to me.. crap! I hate that thing that constraints you to the bed. 

"Oh.. you are about 5cm dilated already, Husband, please do go get her hospital bag and proceed on with admissions."

I was like WTF ???? But I have no contractions at all.. they then told me, you do.. look at the chart.. and I was like REALLY? BUT I DIDN'T FEEL A THING..

Anyway I asked if I could go home first with my husband to take my hospital bag as I wanted to say goodnight to Jaden and leave instructions first to my parents how to put him to bed and all.. but NARP! I was left alone in the hospital while Iz quickly drove Hubs back to get all the hospital bag and his own change of clothes.

My gynae, then arrived before Hubs came back and he checked me again.. I was like WHAT? ONCE NOT ENOUGH? Trust me, its painful when they have to check you for dilation. 

He then said, you are 4cm dilated and do you want to break your water bag.. and before I could reply anything, he proceeded on to break it. Brings back memories to when I had to induce Jaden out. He, too, was the one that broke my water bag but I don't remember squishing out water so much.. the warm water that flows out, and never stopped after that...

I was a little disappointed that my water bag did not break naturally as I wanted to try to go through this pregnancy experience as natural as I could.. but oh well, what done is done and there is no way he could plug up the hole and stop the water from coming out.. so the next best thing was to let labour take place at its own pace.

Gynae did ask if I wanted epidural, I said not sure but that is possible but I would like to wait it out as long as I can stand the pain, then he asked to put on the oxytocin drip. I told him NO. He said, I might be in labour till morning or the next day, I said, its ok, I would prefer to wait it out then to induce... He said he would check back with me again in an hour to see if I wanted the drip.. when Hubs reached, I told him to tell the gynae, that we are adamant in not using the drips. 

I remember once they put the drip on me, the contraction hit me like a truck. That pain.. its unforgettable, the one that makes you just want to twitch and die. Ok, maybe I am just being a little overdramatic here but you get the picture. I have low tolerance for pain anyway.

So, thankfully for data plans on smartphones, facebooking and whatsapping friends to chat was the best way to do your research on the spot, and getting distracted when contraction creeps up on you..

Hubs? Well, since there was 7-11 downstairs, he went down to get himself a bunch of food to eat in my labour room, having a small little party to himself while I was just lying there feeling scared of what may come next.

Don't get me wrong. Hubs was really supportive.. just that its funny how he was in the mood to eat and felt sleepy when if hes at home, he would be all bright-eyed at that very hour.

Somehow I was not feeling the least tired. Tried to rest but the CTG strap was uncomfortable for me.. and 2.5 hours passed by with just contractions I could bear.. when they gradually became closer and started to be more intense when the nurse came in to asked if I wanted epidural as the doctor is here giving epidural to another lady next door. I said, no, I would like to hold it out still but what are the other options of painkillers?

She offered either injection in the butt or gas. 

Guess which one I took.. of course the gas.. What? Already having contractions and I have to take a needle? NO WAY !!

So I opt for Entonox and breathed into it whenever I felt that I could not take the contraction pain. 

About 1/2 hr later, I started asking Hubs to call the nurse as I knew I needed epidural then but wasn't sure if I am allowed to as they said, once I hit 6cm dilation, there is no way they are giving me so I prayed hard.

Turned out I was still at 5cm when the painful contractions are coming in, so I said, please call the doctor back.. which is going to take about 20mins for the doctor to arrive but I COULD NOT CARE LESS.. I JUST WANTED THE EPIDURAL!!

I hung on to the gas mask like it was my savior for the moment. Sort of make you high and drowsy at the same time, taking your mind off the pain. Its mind over body for now.. because you will still feel like writhing but at least your mind is much more relax.

Suddenly I hear the anaesthesian has arrived, asked me to sign some stuff, explained to me the procedures hes about to take and all I wanted to do was to scream at him to just DO IT!

Told me to sit up and that was one of the worst moments of my life.

Contractions hit me like a bitch real hard, and even much more frequently. Thankfully for Hubs who stood by me, and let me hold his hands.. or squeezing it to almost breaking it.. when my contractions hit me.

Just as the anaesthesian wanted to poke the needle into my backbone, contraction hit and we all have to wait it out and suddenly I was just having the urge to push.

I kept saying I have the urge to push, urge to push.. FML!

As I felt the cold drip of the epidural flows in me, I felt a bit relieved yet I was like WHEN THE FxxK THE DRUG IS GOING TO KICK IN? FML FOR BEING STUBBORN because WHERE GOT DRUG KICK IN INSTANTLY ONE????? FML FML FML.. and I was breathing in the gas as though my life depended on it, taking so many breaths..

and then I thought I saw my savior sitting at the base of my feet, with all his ka-chang! ( equipments ) My gynae is here, all dressed up in his delivery gear ready to help me deliver baby.. THANK GOD!!!!!!!

I was already feeling kinda woozy and high from breathing in the gas, so I just let them prepped me ready, and had me hold on to the clutch, legs up and PUSH EMILY PUSH! PUSH MACAM YOU MAO BERAK!! PUSH YOU CAN DO IT! 

I could still feel each contractions but at a lower pain, must be the drug slowly kicking in but the pushing, that was painful. Its almost like something was going to burst out your arsehole!

Now, I understand why they said, PUSH MACAM YOU MAO BERAK!

I hadn't felt this before.. all these are new to me as I was a happily epidural woman when giving birth to Jaden, thats why I couldn't push with all my strength, resulting in getting Jaden forcep-ed out!

So with baby no.2, although its not a very beautiful painted vision that every woman that is going to give birth would have after reading this.. it is worth the experience and its a beautiful moment after everything has ended.

We had about 6-7 pushes before I heard someone said, they could see baby crowning.. and with the last push, out came Mason, crying.. It was beautiful but what happened next wasn't for me.

Almost immediately after he came out of me, my body went into some muscle spasm mode and started shaking furiously.. Seems like its normal.. while my gynae and his poker face, was just waiting to deliver my placenta and sewing up a small tear that I had. *sigh* Had another episiotomy done on me. :p

Hubs were assigned to follow baby around, no matter what, so that he did his job real well while I was just trying to stop myself from shaking and praying that my gynae will quickly deal with my stitches, as I could actually quite 'feel' each time he sews me up there.

While the nurses scurried around, weighing baby, draining excess fluid out from Mason, I was trying to get over my physically tired body. 

Then, right after they did everything, they put him on me to get some skin to skin contact, and after a while, they took him away to wipe him down clean, which he was screaming bloody murder so loud.

While me being all sewed up and the nurse putting a catheter into me to drain out all the urine, which was really alot according to them, it was rather a painful affair having them push my bladder clean of urine. 

After an hour or two of monitoring me in the labour delivery room, the nurses have me changed into the ward gown and pushed me upstairs to my room with Mason in my arms. :)

Tried to breastfeed him almost immediately after that, but knowing myself well, milk still has not arrived for me. Mason did latch on well too, just like his brother and he was suckling.. not sure was it comforting to him but it was good to know he and I have no conflict with each other in breastfeeding.

Hubs hung out with me till about 10-11am before I send him home to get some sleep, and also so he could bring my parents over with Jaden to visit Mason.

They were one of the firsts people to see Mason after Hubs, of course.. :p

Though we did take a suite ward for me, I asked Hubs to go home to sleep with Jaden so Jaden won't feel as if we abandon him for baby, even if he doesnt say it or show it.. We want to create a positive loving feeling for Jaden towards the whole new scenario he is about to take on for the rest of his life, having a new addition family member in our lives. 

As for me, Mason was screaming for food right after Hubs left for home, near midnight. Since I did not have milk just yet, I asked the nurse to supplement him with a formula milk first.. it might be a taboo nono to those die-hard breastfeeding mamas but I know that just by doing so, I won't go off my goal of wanting to breastfeed Mason until he turns TWO at least. 

In total, Mason prolly have four formula feeds at around 15ml tops, and milk did come to me on Monday night onwards.. and we have been breastfeeding since.. was even striked with engorged breasts on Tuesday night but all is well now, since Mason direct latches and have helped it go away. 

So there.. the birth story of our second prince, Mason Simon Yap.