Birth of Phoebe

Birth story, normal delivery without epidural:

-Week 35: checked at Clinic. dilated at 1cm. Given 3-day hospitalization leave

-Week 37+6 days: felt some contractions but not near enough and long enough. Decided to leave it alone

-Week 38+1 day: checked at Clinic. Dilated at 4cm. Told to enter labour ward the next time I feel contractions because I’m GBS-positive & need the antibiotics drip for at least 4 hours

-Week 38+3 days: felt a bit of bearable contractions, called Clinic & was told to go labour ward. Admitted at 4.45pm. Dilated only at 4.5cm. Contractions are at half the max intensity & doc said I’ll deliver by that night. Started on the antibiotics dose. Had some porridge dinner

-Doc came in to check at 8pm and burst my water bag. Gave me another dose of antibiotics and some medication that speeds up the contractions intensity & frequency

-Everything moved very fast thereafter. Intensity spiked to maximum every time. Was grabbing my sheets and tugging my hair each time it spiked

-After about 5 contractions, felt the urge to push. Dilation is at 8cm

-Doc was being called but waiting for the doc to come felt like forever. Every time the contractions came, I had to resist the urge to push because it’s not time yet. Thankful the nurse was me throughout and rushed to prepare the equipment in between my contractions

-Finally doc came, told me to take deep breaths in while she prepared herself. Gave me LA injections and then told me to push with each contractions

-Pushed 4 times over 2 contractions and baby was out at 9.38pm

-Could feel the head coming out and pushing through

It was literally a birth experience and I truly understand (or at least in part) the curse of childbirth that God placed on Eve. Oh, what have sin done to us!

If I ever have to do this again, I would still choose to go through it without epidural. It’s like you are truly only a woman if you truly experience the pains of childbirth in its fullness.