TRANSCRIPT OF EP7
Welcome to Every Mother Matters.  I’m Sharon and in this episode, I will be sharing with you the birth of my beautiful daughter

My 2nd birth was 3.5 hrs.  When my husband came home from work, he asked if I needed to go to the hospital.  I was not sure because my 1st labour was 40 hours. So, I told him maybe not so soon.  He brought my boy to my mother-in-law’s house, which was nearby.  When they left about 5 mins later, I called my husband to come home.  I thought I birthed my baby girl already but my husband said only half the baby’s head.  I breathe in and breathe down to my baby to birth my baby.  My husband then received our baby. The 1st question I asked was whether it is a boy or girl because I wanted 2 boys but the doctor said it was a girl.  My boy was hard to manage and I told my daughter that it is so nice to have a daughter.  If not, two boys attack mummy at the same time how.

Shortly after I birthed my girl, my confinement nanny arrived then followed shortly by my birth doula.

I experienced water bag leakage throughout 10 over hours before I birthed my baby.  There was not much painful contraction.  I only felt the pain like I had a small cut and the wound over the running tap water.  With my 1st baby, I only felt tightening of the abdominal muscles and mainly the nerve pain at my sacrum area when my baby shifted his position 2 days before labour.  Both my births were drug free because I did not want anything to be injected into my body.  It was not about the needle.  I believe my body knows how to carry a baby to full term and how it should birth the baby.  My basic belief is why natural birth should be painful.  I was not affected by the outside voices that said that women need pain management during labour because the fear the putting drugs into my body was too much for me.

When my water bag started to leak, I called my doula to come to my house but she did not feel the need to come yet.  I was home and the leaking continued for more than 10 hours. When I felt some tightening of muscles at the belly area, I called my doula again.  I birthed within 3.5hr.  There was a traffic jam during peak hour when my doula was on her way to my house so she did not support me during my labour. 

After baby was born, my doula arrived. My birth doula did not know what to do and she called her boss to guide her. I was fine with that since I already birthed my baby.  At that time, I did not feel the different between an experienced and a new doula.  I was her 5th client. She helped me latched my baby and my baby had very strong suck.  I breastfed for an hour. 

I had leg cramp and she helped to massage me.  I put my baby on my breast after birth.  I did not realise that 2 hours had passed.  I tried to sit up to go to the hospital.  My husband and doula were in the room with me but they did not give me a helping hand when I was trying to sit up.  After numerous attempts to sit up, I fainted.  Then my doula tried to call for ambulance. It was quite long after I birthed my baby.

Planned home birth was costly.  It was an intended homebirth so I still need to go to the hospital.

When the paramedic came, he took out a very big needle, which was meant to help me deliver the placenta.  I told him I did not need it.  I would settle it in the hospital.

The hospital viewed the delay in going to the hospital and the fact the umbilical cord clamping was much delayed was dangerous to my baby.  Quite soon after we arrived at the hospital, Baby was sent to the ICU under observation.  She was soon transferred to the normal nursery when the baby doctor was happy with her condition.

Baby jaundice

On the 3rd day, my baby girl got jaundice.

I was very weak n dizzy.  I dragged myself to the ICU to see my baby, which was at a different level.

When I put my baby vertically on my chest. My baby tried to lift up her head twice to see my face but failed.  On the third attempt, she finally did it.  I was glad.

On the 3rd day, baby had jaundice. To save medical bills and prevent my husband from nagging about the cost, I decided to be discharged. I told the nurse that I was at the discharge lodge and she could call me anytime to breastfeed my baby. 

I was not strong enough to sit upright and due to the bad sitting position, I suffered lower backache for many years. Medical bill for both of us was S$998 only.

Separation and observation affected the breastfeeding.  Back home, baby could not come to my breast.  I ended up doing pumping and feeding breastmilk using the bottle.

 3 takeaways:-

I felt that it was important to listen to our inner voice and instinct.  Find the right people I trusted to support me during the birth so that I felt confident, supported of my wish and I could relax, tune in to my body to focus on birthing my baby.

Take charge of my own birthing.  I could have told the doula how she could support me instead of just let her sit opposite me and watch me. 

Conclusion

Every doula is different. I cannot expect them to know exactly what I want without me telling them properly.  In life is the same as birthing, we need to take charge and control the situation even though they may be professionals.  The power is in our hands.

You can connect with me through my facebook, instagram and Linkedin and my links will be in the show notes.  I look forward to seeing you in my next episode where I will be sharing with you more stories and tips.