Aftermath of the C-Section

Upon waking up from the surgery, I felt numb and groggy, I could feel the sharp pain on my lower abdomen but just barely. The excitement of having a baby coming out from your belly was just too overwhelming.


When the nurse pushed me into my ward, (thank goodness there was only one more bed and patient in that room) and she asked me to 'slide' onto my bed, did I actually feel the pain amidst the grogginess.


The nurse explained that I would continue feeling groggy not just because of the anaesthesia but also because of the drip.


I slept quite well that night, although, I kept waking up every 3 hours to look at my baby's picture, hoping beyond hope that I was not in a dream.


When I woke up early in the morning, the nurse helped me gargle in my own bed, and gave me something to drink. That was when I realised, I can't get up to a sitting position due to the intensity of the newly stitched wound. I needed to incline the bed continuously to support myself.


My husband came in early the next morning with a smile and a morning kiss to soothe the pain. He kept saying how proud he is of me and kept asking me where Reena was. That was when I felt a strange movement in my tummy. It was a mixture of gastric and the feeling of something actually MOVING in my tummy.


A pang of fear hit me through my chest; "twins?" I thought.


I did a lot of reading in the hospital, I found out that the intestines are a bit sluggish after c-section thus women who have went through c-section will experience bad cases of gastric in their tummy which kinda feel like you are having a little something moving in your tummy.


Nurses will tell you to wiggle your feet to avoid blood clots, that's what I did frequently so. On the 19th April 2012, I was still using the drip and the catheter, the drip was filled with painkillers which causes drowsiness, therefore half of what my guests, doctors, nurses said was not digested by me.


On the night of 19th April 2012, upon my request, they removed the catheter (urinating stings after that) and the drip. I insisted to Dr Chan that I would like to walk to the toilet. The nurse helped me up to my feet and brought me to the toilet. This process took approximately 10 minutes to accomplish. That was how slow and painful the journey was. She helped me removed my undies and sanitary pad, she even wanted to wash my private parts, but I refused and told her that I would pretty much do that by myself.


Every single movement hurt, a stretch, a cough, even a slight maneuver to the right, it was very envious to see my next door neighbour, a very pretty Filipino lady walking confidently right after her vaginal delivery. Sighs.


That night, I decided to be a bit more adventurous by going to the toilet with minimal help, I rang for the nurse, who told me upon her arrival that I needed to use the toilet by myself, she assisted me in standing up but I went to the toilet independently.


I took a few shots of my independence and achievements in walking.

The next day, I had the most delicious hospital breakfast ever. I have been warded in Changi General Hospital twice and the food sucked. Big time.


The food at Parkway East Hospital was so good that it didn't even deserve the title 'hospital food'. No wonder the hospital bill accumulates to $7000+ they hire profound chefs in the kitchen!

 Breakfast 

 Lunch 

Dinner

My husband came shortly after and we took a stroll together around the ward, I took more pictures to commemorate my current achievements in walking. That was the first real tour I had of the hospital ward.

 My ward. 

When Dr Chan came to visit me, I told him that I wanted to be discharged that day itself as I was feeling a lot better. He is a good man who seldom say 'no' to this kind of request. He made the adjustments, and voila! At about 1800 hrs, I was discharged from the hospital, the nurse said we could go after my dinner.


I ate dinner, mom, dad and husband helped me pack and helped Reena get ready. A nurse at the counter waved at us, we waved back. Husband registered us out at the registration counter at the lobby. He held a piece of paper in his hand, another $600 hospital charge for opting the BCG, hearing tests and so forth for the baby.


We should open up a hospital, that way we can be millionaires in a week!


When we finally reached home and I showed Reena her crib, I received a disturbing call from the hospital. The nurse said, "Ma'am you left the hospital? But you didn't see me before you leave, your baby's health booklet, your medication and all other important things are still here, never mind, you have an appointment with Dr Malathi your baby' pediatrician next week right? Can you come to the ward first to collect your stuff before you head off to the clinic?"


Should have seen that coming.

 Welcome home Reena. 

Looking up towards Abah.

My Labour Journey

We have scheduled the C-Section operation on the 27th April 2012, Friday. Her actual estimated date of delivery (EDD) was actually on the 9th May 2012, but since we opted for a c-section due to my weak back, we had to choose a a date which is 1-2 weeks earlier than the EDD. 


27th April was chosen due to its convenience for Idros' sake, (not much leaves to be taken since the next two days are weekends and labour day followed closely by. 


3-4 weeks before the 27th April 2012, Mr Braxton Hicks decided to roll the ball for me. He had been presenting on and off in my abdomen.


The weekly visit to my gynea, Dr Clifford Chan at The Women's Clinic & Surgery, confirmed the sighting of contractions, he concluded, "The baby might come earlier than the scheduled date. If your contractions get stronger, just wait for me at the hospital."


A week before the supposed scheduled c-section date, the contractions WERE getting stronger, on the night of 17th April 2012, the contractions were 1 hour apart. It stopped the next morning, 18th April 2012. Due to my perseverance and gullibility, I went to work. 


The contractions started again during lunch time, gullible and obnoxious as I was, I ate more, in fear of it not being a contraction but gastric pains instead. 
Seeing me in pain, my vice principal, Julie (bless her) told me to time the contractions, I did; they were 6 minutes apart. Julie told me to snap out of it and call my gynea immediately. 


Dr Chan told me to go back home since I just ate and he could not perform the operation, he said the operation could only be done 6 hours after my last meal. I called my panicky husband afterwards, 


Me    : "Babe, she is coming out, I am giving birth."
Idros : "This is not a game. You stop playing with me."
Me    : "But I am giving birth."
Idros : "You are?! Stay on the line! I'll drive over! Don't put down the phone! I need to know how you are doing every second!!"
Me    : "But babe I am not dying. I am giving birth." 


Then I called my mom. She cried on the line. I texted my siblings when I got home (driven home by my husband) : "If I don't see any of your faces tonight, you're breast-feeding the baby." 


Back at home at about 3.20pm, I decided to calm myself down by finishing my ASSIGNMENT for my final module which was due that Friday itself. 


I finished it at about 8pm and headed off to Parkway East Hospital at 8.20pm. 


I was admitted in the delivery ward. They shaved off my pubic hair, inserted the darn catheter, and inserted their fingers into my vagina to check if the cervix has been opened, which was not. Thank god she did it once. 

At precisely 9.40pm, they pushed me into the operating theater, I can't recall the name of the General Anesthetic Technician who had a solemn look on her face, but she told me to relax as she inserted the needle into my hand, by then I was immune to pain, thanks to the catheter. 


The last thing I saw before I went into a deep sleep, was Dr Chan in his surgical outfit and mask. 

Surgery ended at 10.05pm. That was the time my baby was delivered, I regained consciousness at 10.15pm, the first thing I asked the nurse who woke me up was, "Is my baby a girl?"


They pushed me out of the operating theater and I was relieved to see my husband and my entire family members who rushed from wherever they were from just to see me. 


Idros was elated to be the first to carry the baby, the person to azan and qamat int her ears. He took sufficient photos of our baby's first few moments into this world. Idros was puzzled however with her reaction. She did not cry nor uttered a single sound. Idros asked the nurse, "Why isn't she crying?" 


The nurse replied, "Don't worry she will cry tomorrow." True enough, till this day she has exceeded the nurse's prediction. 

My mom told me in tears that I have given birth to a beautiful little girl, she showed me the picture of my baby which was taken behind the nursery glass window. 

I fell in love with a picture. 


That night, I asked the nurse to bring me my baby, who cried when I carried her, nurse said, "She was sleeping that's why." 


The best feeling in the world, like you have just opened up a parcel you have waited for, for 9 months, is finally in your arms, just as how you have pictured her, just as how you have prayed every day in your prayers for, the perfect little baby.  


I apologised to the nurse but kissed my baby continuously.