Arrival of Sherryn Gan - The PAINFUL process

In the wee hours of 28 Jan 2010, as I was lying in bed, I felt sharp pains on both sides of my abdomen. Dismissing them to be one of the 'fake contractions' I continued to toss around in bed (i couldnt really sleep at all). When morning came, the pain was still there, but was still bearable. Hubby suggested I call the hospital to 'report' and ask for advice. They told me to go straight to hospital for a checkup given that I was already in Week 40. Even at that time, I wasnt too sure whether I was in labour.

Dilly-dallied for half an hour or so before hubby drove me to Thomson Medical Centre. As usual, along the way the great CTE jam was there to greet us. Luckily I wasnt really in great pain.

Timings are estimated
9.45am - Reached TMC and then the usual procedures began - change into the hospital garb, given enema to clear rectum, strapped onto those contraction monitoring devices etc. Ok, now it dawned on me that I could be in labour!

10.30am - Gynae came up to check and broke my water bag. Was 3cm dilated at that time, and there was contraction every 3 minutes. It certainly didnt felt so. Gynae instructed that I should ask for pain relief - the gas mask and injection - if I need it.

Me: What about the epidural? (i had to ask for this, as I am really afraid of pain!)
Gynae: Do you really need it? This is your second pregnancy, so will be much faster than the first. Why dont you try the gas mask and injection first?
Me: But the gas mask didnt work at all for my first pregnancy (I was getting nervous)
Gynae: But did you try it with the injection?
Me: No, but...
Gynae: Try gas mask with injection, it should work.
Me: Ermm.... (very doubtful)

Anyway I didnt have much time to think too much.

11am - I felt the first wave of the strong contractions. Immediately I pressed the button and ask for pain relief. Was whisked off into the labour ward and someone shoved the gas mask onto my face, which as expected did not relieve my pain at all, but instead made me really giddy.

11.10am - Nurse also gave me the so called pain relief injection on my thigh.

11.10am to 11.50am - As the contractions became more and more frequent and intense, I could hear myself shouting and screaming that the pain relief methods didnt work at all. Asked for the epidural but nurse said it was too late - I was 8 cm dilated at that time. That was quick! Only in a matter of about half an hour, I went from 3 cm to 8 cm.

With each contraction, I felt the urge to push the baby out. Believe me, it was THE MOST PAINFUL experience in my entire life. No matter how hard I dug into hubby's arms, shouted, squirmed, changed position etc, nothing I did relieve the pain at all. And the pain just kept coming like every 15 seconds or so. I really have my doubts on the effectiveness of the gas mask and the injection.

11.50am - Gynae appeared, put on her hospital garb and getting ready to help deliver. By this time, I think I was already in a semi conscious state.

11.50am to 12.08pm - With each contraction, I heard people (the gynae, 2 nurses and my hubby) shouting for me to do some things. 'Use the pain to push!' 'Dont waste your energy screaming, push instead!' Nothing made sense to me then, I was already in a daze and felt my energy being zapped up by the pain. But I think subconsciously, I did manage a few big pushes.

12.08pm - Sherryn Gan was finally out of my womb. I did it without epidural! By now, I was already so exhausted that I just laid slumped on the bed while the gynae finished up the job.

Baby Sherryn's statistics:
Weight - 3.85kg
Length - 52cm
Head circumference - 33cm

I have told Hubby that I will NEVER EVER go through this again!! Ever! David - are you reading this?











Kaelyn and her sister Sherryn

Week 40 - Waiting...

It's Week 40 now. And nothing is happening... no contractions, no water bag bursting. Only a throbbing migraine, increasing sleepless nights due to to the weight of the baby and frequent need to visit the toilet etc.

Last check at the gynae on Monday indicated that the baby is estimated to be close to 3.7kg already! Cant imagine if the baby refuses to come out till the actual EDD of 2 Feb, she will be 4kg?? Actually, I'm rather worried that the baby will be too big to come out naturally but the gynae seems to be rather relaxed about it. She said I can manage up till 3.8kg (but it's already 3.7kg now!) and that above 4kg will be more difficult (but I am close to it already!).

So it's now waiting waiting at home everyday for the signs... hoping that it will be soon. It's getting too tiring, both physically and mentally. And we have stopped sending Kaelyn to childcare since yesterday because of a chicken pox outbreak at the centre. So I need to spend more energy playing with her in the mornings...

Baby baby, (by the way, her name is most likely to be Sherryn), when are you going to come out of the comforts of Mama's womb?

Week 39 - At home

Last Friday was my last day at work before I commence by long 6 months break from work. On Friday itself, while I was busy clearing the remaining of my work and handing over, and packing up, I felt some pains at my lower abdominal area. It was something that I have not felt in the last 8+ months of pregnancy. I asked myself 'is this it?' Also told my colleague not to be surprised if I suddenly diasappeared to deliver. But it was a false alarm.

I managed to survive through an early reunion dinner on Saturday with my family (as I will most likely be in confinement during CNY), and a birthday high tea on Sunday with in laws. I dont know why I kept thinking the day is not too far away, so much so that David even brought his camera to our gynae visit yesterday in case I was warded right away... ha ha...

But alas, the gynae hinted that there was still some time to go, the baby has 'dropped' but the cervix was not ready. So, probably will pop only nearer to the EDD of 2 Feb, or at most 1 week earlier like Kaelyn's case. Last check yesterday, baby's weight was 3.38kg. At this rate she is growing, I am afraid she will be too big to come out naturally!

So, what's it like to be not working and staying at home? Well, I simply cant get used to it, and I feel more tired than while at work. Yes, all because of the princess at home demanding attention, throwing tantrums etc all the time. And my easily tired brain and body cant do too much to control her anymore....

But I told myself I should cherish the time with her before her mei mei comes out.

Notes from the teacher

'Dear parents,
Today Kaelyn was better. She joined in the class activities like singing along, listening to story and playing parachute in the music room.
She also spoke to me about her 'Nai nai' and a few other things. As Kaelyn is warming up, I can see that she is rather active. She turns the stools in the class upside down and pushes them around. In the music room, she also pushes the stools around!
Today, she did not eat the lunch served (kway tiao). When I fed her, she spit it out (into her bowl). Importantly, she did not cry or look for grandma. However whenever she saw grandma, she would smile at grandma and resume what she was doing.'

So what do i think of the above?
- I'm glad that she is finally joining her class in the class activities.
- She's stop acting dumb in class
- She's stop crying finally!
- She's starting to show her true colours! - the hyperactive, defiant, disobedient girl..
- Not surprising that she spit out her food - she's very very fussy over food. I heard that she told the teacher she doesnt want to eat the kway tiao and wanted to eat the bread that we packed for her instead. At least she knows how to communicate this to the teacher..
- Overall, a good beginning.

Kaelyn goes to Child care - Part 2

As the week went by, the concept of being left in a strange place without her Papa and Mama seems too scary for Kaelyn. So much so that she started crying at home when we changed her into her school jumper. She would also cling on to me and asked me not to go to work. Usually, she would happily bid us goodbye as we leave for work.

At the centre, as David leaves for work after dropping her there, she started wailing again. The teachers took turns to carry her around to pacify her. If I were there, I probably will be crying with her as well! The poor thing. Hope she doesnt grow to hate school after this 'traumatic' experience.

Kaelyn goes to Child care - Part 1

When I first started nursery many many years back, I was one of those kids who screamed and cried non stop for the first few weeks of school. I remember my mum told me that the principal had to carry me around to pacify me, but I just kept kicking and screaming. And the principal was actually pregnant at that time! I dont remember all these myself but I can imagine the pains that the principal, teachers, my grandma and parents went through trying to settle me in nursery.

Now, almost thirty years later, it's my turn to experience placing my daughter through child care for the first time. We had enrolled her for full day but only starting her on half day only to slowly settle her in. I took leave on the first day to accompany her. As usual, she didnt join the other kids in the activities and either wandered around the compounds on her own, or stayed by my side. There was once when she actually joined them for an activity, and I thought 'ok, that's a good start'. She didnt cry at all on the first day since I am there the whole time with her. But I realise that most of the kids in her class are much more independent and 'easier' to look after than our princess Kaelyn.

For 1, she is a very very slow and fussy eater. Breakfast was cereal and milk. While the other kids fed themselves and finished rather quickly, she was still slowly picking out the 'honey stars' one by one. I could actually count the number of honey stars she ate, and she refused to eat the cornflakes. Lunch was bee hoon soup, with some chicken, carrot, vege and fishcake. Most of the kids fed themselves and finished their food rather quickly, while the rest needed help from the teacher to help them finish their portion. One girl even asked for seconds. Our dear Kaelyn was scooping her bee hoon and eating them almost strand by strand. Even with my help, she barely finished half of the portion, and that took twice as long as the rest!


Secondly, she's not toilet trained. We tried at home but she just refused to use the toilet or potty. Some of the other kids could just inform the teacher that they needed the toilet and just went off on their own. I'm impressed!

Well, I guess each child is different. Hope she picks up all the good things from school!

An addition to the family

I remember I started this blog when I was pregnant with Kaelyn. I was at 31 weeks then. Each gynae visit was documented, together with my weight gain as well as the foetus' weight. At 35 weeks now with Kaelyn's sister, I have yet to introduce her in this blog.

So now, officially introducing Kaelyn's little sister....
- No name yet as Daddy and Mummy cant decide yet
- Currently at 35 weeks, still comfortably relaxing in her mummy's womb
- Last weight check 2 weeks ago was 2kg
- A very active baby, constantly kicking around, sometimes so hard that it woke mummy from sleep at night
- Have been introduced to Daddy, Mummy and her elder sister Kaelyn. Kaelyn speaks to her once every few days - 'Hello, mei mei, I am Yixuan (Kaelyn's chinese name) jie jie. When you come out, I will play with you..'
- Official estimated birthdate is 2 Febraury 2010 (will be in confinement over CNY... sigh...)

Since we are having a girl again, there wasnt much that we needed to buy / prepare - almost everything can be recycled from her elder sis. We didnt seem to put as much effort or attention to this pregnancy - no singing / reading to the baby (she gets to pick those up when we sing/read to Kaelyn); no playing classical music at night before going to bed (we can do that when she gets out, meanwhile, too busy putting Kaelyn to bed every night); no shopping endlessly for clothes, toiletries, stroller, bed etc etc (she can inherit from Kaelyn most of these things).....

I actually feel a little guilty for 'neglecting' the little one. She doesnt even have a name yet! But I think this will all change when she gets out. All attention will be on her, and Kaelyn will be the one who will feel more 'left out' when we fuss over her little sister. Hope we are able to cope with this 'sibling jealousy' thing when the time comes!