Mom’s Daily

(I gave birth on Feb. 28th due to pre-eclampsia. I was only 36 weeks pregnant. It was an emergency c-sec. This is my re-collections written on March 3rd, 2003. Taken from my mail archive in the msianursingmom Yahoo mail. )

PART ONE

Mon Mar 3, 2003 8:01 pm
Subject: MISSING IN ACTION!

Ladies!

Guess what? Everything happened so fast! I am supposed to deliver on 5/3 but on 27/2 I suspected something was wrong with my BP and went to ob. He scheduled me for c-sec on 28/3 and now I am home with my bundle of joy. My baby Matthew arrived at 36 wks weighing 3.6kg, all perfect! Please give an applause!!

And now, the boo-boo : My milk came in less than 48 hours after birth. But he had been running on 2 ozs formula every 3 hourly, cup feeding upon birth. So, eventhough now I can get him to latch on and b/f, he has been opening his mouth for more, more, more. I gave all I have, expressed with my hands when he sleeps and yet, tak cukup lah. So, to remain sane and to shut him up so that he will sleep, I have to supplement with formula maybe at every alternate 2 feeds. I am still positive that when my milk comes in more regularly, and when he is better at latching on, I could ‘torture him’ to take only b/f. BTW, have human evolved so much ah? Back then, my previous babies never open their eyes till after one week. Now this little guy of mine not only opens his eyes, he turn around looking at the house! Gee, worry lah what the nights are going to be like! Better to catch some sleep now.

BTW, hope everyone misses me! :O) I do not have time to read all the postings and my internet connnection will be disrupted these two days because I am moving apartment. Right now, my computer is still at my old apartment which is six doors away. So, I am like in cybercafe now.

Lilian

PART TWO

Mon Mar 3, 2003 8:13 pm

Subject: Spinal block

Let me get this off my chest! I am a very brave person I thought. I was expecting spinal block to be fun and exciting! I have lots of people I know in the OT, like the matron who is something like my god mother for my baptism, my son’s paed who has described me as the most courageous and brave parent he had ever met, some nurses who used to to know me when I was taking care of Vincent. My gentle ob-gyn and a wonderful, fatherly anasthetist who holds my hand, call me young-lady and all that. But eeeuse…… the whole thing is rather scary too. I am totally out of control, despite all the birth stories, birth plans, positive thoughts and all that.

I got injected three times, the whole lower part turned heavy and numbed. Thrown over to the operating table, got both my hands tied up (so that I do not accidentally swipe all the instruments placed on my chest), all my lower body naked, upper body wrapped with warming blankets and covered with layers and layers of green cloth. So many hands were dealing with me and I can still feel the sensation of being touched. I have to keep reciting the rosary and Lord’s prayer to avoid getting panic. I do not know how someone like me can get the waves of panic. I felt a little nausea at the beginning but just cannot find the strength to say it out loud. I got a nurse station over my head to listen to me but I totally have no desire to talk or ask questions. I can’t even remember all the Lord’s prayers! And when my ob pulled out the baby, it was an earthquake! The nurses gotta hold me down! Can you imagine that? Being yanked out like that? Then I felt like elephants walking all over my abdomen because my ob was trying to push everything out, I guess. But the only relief I got is when I heard the baby’s cries and when my paed came to my face to show me a thumbs up.

Got more to tell, but that’s for now.

Lilian