Welcome Madison

After 39 weeks of waiting and planning, Madison finally arrived... On 13th March 2008 at exactly 1222h, weighing a good 3235g, length 49cm and head circumference of 33cm

Madison's arrival was fairly smooth by most standards...

I'd been having what I thought were probably strong Braxton Hicks contractions during the week prior to the 13th... we visited Prof Tee at KKH on the 12th March, where he checked and told me that I was hardly dilated so we had an appointment for the next week.

We had a sumptous dinner at home that night, and I felt pretty well...

At exactly 0323h on the 13th, I was suddenly awakened by a short sharp cramp in the lower pelvis. Thinking it was probably another Braxton Hick I waited until another similar pain struck. It was exactly 10 minutes later.

The contractions continued for an hour, after which it grew closer together at 7 minutes apart. The intensity increased to a point that I was no longer comfortable lying in bed. 45 minutes later they became 5minutes apart and Chris noticed that I was not lying in bed. He immediately got up and started to get ready, while I was still in denial, thinking that it could be a false alarm.

Nonetheless, Chris insisted that I got myself ready, while we watched television and timed the contractions. By 6am the intensity grew to a point that it was pure SUFFERING, and we threw the towel in and left for KKH.

On arrival at the delivery suite on level 2, the kind nurses checked us in and examined me. I was strapped to the CTG machine, and told that I was only 1 cm dilated! After suffering 3 hours of pain! Lying flat on the couch waiting for the CTG trace to be done was pure agony.

At 0730h Natalie Chua came to examine me, and proclaimed that I was now 2 cm dilated and partially effaced and so I was admitted directly to a delivery suite.

As I was being wheeled into the room, I met Sng Ban Leong! Old friend from anaesthesia. He promised to pop by and see how I was doing later on.. and give me the epidural if I desired it.

The contractions were increasing in intensity, and I started to try Entonox for analgesia. The nurse was surprised that I was able to manipulate the face mask, but I suppose they didn't realize that I used to do this for a living! Entonox was a surprising experience, making me rather lightheaded and giggly, with some level of anaesthesia.

At 0800h I decided to go for the epidural, taking into account that Dr Tee was probably going to artificially rupture my membranes and augment the labour ( thanks Natalie for the forewarning! ) Ban Leong was so obliging, doing my intravenous plug and then subsequently administering the combined spinal epidural anaesthesia for me at 0830h, despite the fact that he was post call that morning. I also received a patient controlled analgesia device which I liberally used towards the end of the first stage.

At 0930h Dr Tee arrived and proclaimed that I was now 3cm dilated and partially effaced. He then proceeded to rupture the membranes and started an oxytocin drip. Boy, was I glad for the epidural! I could feel the contractions but the edge was taken off by the epidural.

By 1130, a midwife came to examine me, and was surprised that I was fully dilated! She then told me to call her if I felt the need to push and told me not to give myself any
more doses from the PCA device.

We started to have trial runs of 2nd stage pushing, which progressed pretty well, to the point that she had to call Dr Tee to attend. The process was surprisingly tolerable, except that my head felt like it was about to explode with the effort!

DR Tee arrived just after 12noon and we were in business! My legs were hiked up to his and the midwives' hips, and with several pushes our dearest Madison was out. The sensation as she left me was truly strange and magical, like a heavy weight being pushed out of my body as she left in a watery mess. Her loud wails announced her arrival at 1222h and she was then brought to the heater to clean and warm up.

The placenta was then delivered and Dr Tee stitched the episotomy site up. He then took blood from the umbilical cord for cord blood banking.

When Madison was all cleaned up, the midwife brought her over for me to start her first meal.. colostrum. Our dear Madison was truly a natural, latching on perfectly at the very start.. BUT THE PAIN!!

Finally we were both cleaned up and ready to transfer to the ward at 1330h...where lots of family were in wait to see us all!