Baby Diep Finally Here!

I am pleased to announce that our little Tiger has arrived to join his Mummy and Daddy Tiger!  'Junior' made his entrance into the world 3 days later than his expected date - I can only assume he wanted a memorable birth date of 10/08/10!

"Hello!" Minh's first photo

My last blog entry was a quick one as I was due to go into hospital for some ante-natal checks.  They were concerned with protein detected in my urine because if my blood pressure was rasied it could indicate I had pre-eclampsia.  I did not have pre-eclampsia or high blood pressure but there was still protein present in my urine.  As a result, they decided to admit me into hospital that evening and my baby would be induced.  (Labour started artificially.)

Minh in his hospital cot

It was rather scary as I did not expect to have to stay in.  I had even driven myself to hospital that morning as well!  It was a saving grace that my hospital bags were packed and in the boot of my car!  In fact, they had been in there since the end of July in anticipation of Junior's early arrival!  I even called hubbs at work telling him to finish work early as I was going to be induced that evening.  The reason why he didn't accompany me to hospital is that this was my second visit for such tests.  The previous week, my midwife detected protein in urine and also raised blood pressure an referred me to hospital.  I called my hubbs who came home and took me in.  We spent the whole afternoon there with me being strapped to fetal heartbeat monitor for some of the time.  My blood pressure was fine but I still had protein in my urine so blood was taken for testing.  I went home but they rang me the following day to say they wanted to repeat the tests after the weekend.  I did wonder if it would be necessary as Junior was due on the Saturday.  The weekend passed with me feeling pretty much the same and I knew Junior was too comfy to move.  So I did some baking on the Sunday!

Minh would not settle in his cot at night so midwife put him in my bed with me

The induction was carried out by inserting a pessary tablet.  I had a tablet of prostatin administered at 7pm this was after an internal examination and a sweep as the tablet has to go in between the membrane and cervix.  All I can say is that it was very uncomfortable and unpleasant!  Good news for me was my cervix was soft enough to insert the prostatin tablet and was at 1cm dilation.  By around 11pm that evening I was experiencing some pain in my lower abdomen, it was waves of pain similar to when you have a bad tummy ache.  It was bearable enough.  I closed my eyes trying to sleep but found my brain still awake.  This is the problem I have in a strange bed.  At 01:45am the pain was irritating.  Each time I drifted asleep the pain would snap me out of it.  I asked for painkillers and had some paracetamol and codeine.  This is what I needed and managed sleep through to 06:00am.

Dressed and waiting for Daddy to come take him home

I felt shattered the next morning and looked as I'd done 10 rounds with Tyson!  At 09:45am I had my second dose of prostatin.  It was less painful but extremely uncomfortable!  She was not the most delicate of midwives!  After having the prostatin, you have to stay in bed for at least 1 hour as they strap you to the fetal heart beat monitor so they can see how baby reacts to the prostatin.  This was fine as I had my nose in a book.  Unfortunately for me, the pads were not picking up the heartbeat very well and so I had to stay longer on the machine.  The waves of pain increased in intensity at mid-morning.  Lying on my back was not so comfortable anymore.  It seemed to be easier laying on my side but it didn't help the pads detect baby's heartbeat.  I gave up trying to read as the pain was too uncomfortable.  I found it soothing and relaxing to have the small of my back rubbed.  The warmth in the massage helped to ease the pain.  As you can imagine, it again doesn't help the pads pick up baby heartbeat.  Midwife was far from impressed with me.  I took a break from the machine and from lying in bed all day at 12:30pm.  I found the pain distracting and it put me off my food despite my hubbs telling me I needed to eat.  2 forkfuls of salty cottage pie is all I could face. 

Enjoying a cuddle in my dressing gown after a feed

I asked for painkillers in the hope it would take edge of pain.  The paracetamol and codeine had no effect and still I needed to be strapped to machine.  All I could do was close my eyes and try to ignore the pain.  I asked hubbs to keep eye on monitor to ensure it continued to pick up baby's heart beat.  45 minutes later and I tell my husband I'd had enough.  He obediently undid the straps and pads and helped me to my feet.  I began to feel hot and agitated.  I knew where this would lead to, I was beginning to feel very irritated and restless.  I decided to get on all fours and rest my head on the raised end of the bed hoping that being off my back would help ease the pain.  I was not shy in exclaiming "Ow! Ow! OW!!!" when the waves of pain overtook me.  The midwife suggested soaking in a hot bath to help ease the pain.  I misheard her and thought she was off to get me a hot water bottle.  She came back 5 minutes later to tell me bath was ready.  My hubbs helped me to the bathroom and I was horrified to see a raised bath with steps to get into it.  Anything that involved moving against my will seemed like a mountainous task!  Anyway, I clambered in and yes, it was hot and it didn't help me when I was already feeling hot and sweaty but the pain seemed less long and less intense whilst I was soaking.  Poor darling hubbs did his best to cool my face by fanning a towel.  He dabbed at the sweat pouring down my forehead and in all honesty, I wanted to push the towel away and just say, "Just wipe it!  Don't dab it delicately!"  but bless him, I knew he was trying to help and secondly, I couldn't find the energy to complain at him!  I found that turning on my side in the bath and resting my face on the cool porcelain bath soothing and stayed there for some time.

Peaceful slumber in his carrycot

Little did I know but 2 hours passed whilst in the bathtub.  I was still exclaiming "OW!" when necessary but strangely, I started experiencing new pains.  Not only did I get the waves of pain under the bump, I had strange heavy, downward pressure feelings under my bump and in my bowel area.  It was extremely uncomfortable to say the least!  After a while I decided that maybe if I push when I had the pressure feeling it would pass.  I thought it was trapped wind.  I pushed a couple of times and felt small amounts of water being expelled.  During one push I grunted loudly and the midwife heard me and knocked on the door.  She asked if I was pushing and I responded with "I'm trying not to."  She said if I was pushing I would need to get out of bath and be examined.  I stalled her by saying "In a minute."  The thought of moving was too much to bear.  I tried not to push when the urge came and found myself whistling to prevent pushing.  A couple of times it was just too much and I had to push.  Hubbs thought my waters had gone as he saw something brownish in bath water.  I told him waters are clear.  He left me to call a midwife.  They said it was membrane and pulled the plug on my bathwater.  They told me I needed to get out as baby would be born in bath otherwise.  I was feeling far from co-operative and all I could say was "I don't mind."  It took them a few minutes to get me to get out of bath as it seemed to me that if I moved, the pains returned.  Every time they told me to move (they were very nice and extremely patient) I replied with "In a minute, it hurts."  They tempted me by saying "The drugs are downstairs.  That's where the good stuff is." I eventually got out and sat on a chair and was wheeled back to my bed.  They examined me and before I knew it, they were wheeling my bed down the corridor, into the lift and down the next corridor to the delivery suite.  I was still naked and wet with nothing but a sheet to cover my modesty.  My eyes were still shut and I was long past caring whether I was clothed or not!  All the while, I was trying to resist the urge to push and was either whistling rather loudly or pinching great folds of skin from my poor husband's side!

"Yawn!  It's tiring being a baby!"

Once in the delivery suite, I needed to move onto the other bed.  I was not impressed by having to move.  I rose onto all fours and wondered how I was going to make it across the gap.  Roll over they told me.  Umm..not likely I thought - I have a big bump in front of me!  Anyhow, with hubbs support I made it onto the other bed and laid on my side.  They checked me and confirmed they could feel baby's head and I could start pushing.  I heard my hubbs asking about what pain relief I could have.  "It's too late for that," they said, "The baby's coming."  So I pushed with all my might and as loudly as my vocal chords would allow!  I grunted and I even heard myself howl!?!?!?  Exactly as when you watch birthing programmes on TV!!?!  A whoosh of hot wetness and a lump gushed out and the baby was born!  Junior's lungs certainly worked as we heard the loud cries of a baby!

A hot heavy weight was placed next to me and the midwife said to me, "It's your baby!"  "Eurgh!  It's disgusting!" I replied.  My eyes were still shut and I was commenting on the wet yukky mess that I felt between my legs.  I opened my eyes and there was a little wrapped up bundle looking at me.  When I thought how I might react at this point I thought emotion would overcome me and I would be crying.  But no, I was in awe at the little being next to me.  That it was mine.  That I had to take it home with me and look after it.  It was a strange feeling!  Oh, and I did ask my husband what we had and he confirmed it was a boy!  It was as our scan indicated back in March!  Silly surgery midwife putting doubt in my head telling me the heartbeat sounded like a girl's!

He weighed 8lb1oz (3.66kg) at birth and the time was recorded as 16:24pm.  Labour was documented as being 2 hours 32 minutes.  I guess that was from the time I went into the bath to the time that Junior arrived as at no point during the morning was I examined to see how far dilated I was.  In a way I'm glad, I would hate to be suffering in pain only be told that I was only 4cm dilated!  Was rather surprised at myself for going through it without pain relief.  I didn't count the paracetamol in the morning because lets face it - they did not make any difference at all.  I did get to have some gas and air as I was unfortunate to have suffered a second degree tear and needed stitches.  We spent the night in hospital and were finally discharged the following evening.

Here are some recent pictures.

Minh's favourite pasttime - drinking milk!

Minh at 2 wks+3 days