Arrival of Aaron - 30 July 2008 - I

Aaron was supposed to be due on 27 July 2008 but as of 26 July, when I went for a check up, there was still no signs of labour. My gynae then said that if by Wednesday, 30 July 2008, if I have not gone into labour yet, I should check myself into the labour ward, SJMC, at 7 a.m. in the morning for induction. We waited and waited but still no sign of Aaron's entry.

So on the morning of 30 July, after dropping off Arielle at the babysitter, we headed to SJMC. By the time we arrived it was already 7.30 a.m. cos of the usual morning jam at the federal highway. I was really getting very "kan cheong" more of the fear of pain rather than anything else. The nurses got me ready and by 8.30 a.m. I was on drip to induce Aaron out. Note that this time round there were quite a number of student trainee nurses around, apparently under schorlarship and bonded to the hospital. So it was rather irritating to hear the more experienced nurses teaching the trainees esp during the painful periods.

Anyhow, mild contractions came every 15 mins between 9.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. Gynae came to check and only dialated one finger tip..:(. From then on I prayed hard for the cervix to loosen up but I guess God had other plans. The contractions came stronger every 5, and then 4 and then 3 mins until about 12 p.m. when the mid wife checked and found no progress at all. The next moment we knew, they took me off the drip and told me I am headed for the op theatre (OT). We looked at each other in surprise and told the mid wife that we wanted my gynae to check and tell us his opinion directly. The mid wife told us that she will call the gynae but normally he would trusts their judgement. I was prepared to be bundled to the OT by 4 trainees who was asking each other how to trasnfer me to the moveable bed and there I was writhing in pain from the contractions. Jon jon and I got kind of cheez off and told them to get in the more experienced nurses.

Arrived at the OT for an apparently 1.30 p.m. schedule but was then told later that the op would be at 2 p.m. Contractions were still coming and I was really getting impatient. Heard the mid-wife complaining that she was told that it was 1.30 p.m. if not she would not have wheeled me down so early and that she has another patient to jaga, and her shift is only until 2 p.m...unfortunately did not manage to eavesdrop on any hospital hot gossips ha ha...

Finally the anaesthetician arrived with another confusion. Apparently it was written down that she was to administer the epidural i.e. only paralysing half the body. The mid wife told her that I have not been asked and no explanations have been given re the choices. The last time with Arielle I took full GA as I was already in so much pain and was fearful to go on half. This time round actually I told Jon that if I was not on a position to decide at the time of entry to the OT pls choose half for me, so I thought it was he who did the selection for me. But while waiting for the op I changed my mind and requested for full, again cos of fear that I can feel the knife. The anaesthetician got confused and informed that all have been prepared for half. Went between half and full several times but thank God for a patient anaesthetician. Finally I agreed to go for the half.

2 p.m. and in I went....more at the op table later....