Post Partum: The Labor & Delivery

As you all might have guessed, i popped last Saturday!
I'm juggling with baby and lack of rest so this entry will be a short and sweet one until i find the time to update.

If there're 2 things you need for post partum, its a nursing cover and a breast pump.
I'm using spectra S1 and currently producing 100ml of breastmilk, every 3 hourly.
Of course what i really need now is more milk for the LO and quality rest. Haha.

Timeline from labor to delivery:

3.43am leakage in the middle of the night during sleep.

6.00am waterbag burst.

7.25am admin Mount A.

8.08am doctor visited me to check dilation. He confirmed my water bag broke through ultrasound. Baby's head wasn't engaged at this point.

9.22am had hospital breakfast.

10.00am more gooey stuff coming out of my you-know-where. Doctor instructed nurse to start me on fleet enema.

10.30am 1cm dilated only.  So he started me on a drip Syntocinon to get contractions started. He said no need to insert pill for induction cause cervix is soft. I was having contractions as per CTG but i couldn't feel it. So this drip is suppose to give me the "oomph" and get things going.

12.32pm 2cm dilated, menses cramp feeling but it was manageable cause i had laughing gas.

2.50pm couldn't take the sudden pain and decided to get Pethidine injection at my buttock.

3.15pm 5cm dilated.

4.00pm started feeling the urge to push. But my pushes were not efficient, doctor asked if i wanted vacuum since i was getting tired. We opted for it.

4ishpm birth of my baby girl. All the discomfort in the world disappeared when i saw how beautifully made she was (:

Weight of baby was rather close to what my gynae told me on the last visit; 2.2kg.

In short, this is an assisted natural delivery with no epidural. Overall a quick and smooth labor.
Afterwhich Dr Poon sew me up and i played with my placenta to kill time (1 cough was all it took for Stage 3).
Very thankful for a good gynae throughout my 37 weeks of pregnancy.
PD Terence Tan was checking on baby and Marcus was taking photos for me.
Rested, got skin to skin and wheeled up to St Michael's Ward.

It was peak period, so we got the last single suite available.
It was the largest room!

First night, i sent my husband home to set up the cot.
Second (final night), he slept over with me.
Food was ok, nurses were nice but lactation consultation didn't benefit me at all.
I found it so hard to latch.
Service was quick, the moment i call for nurse, they appeared in my room.

We had as many as 18 visitors in the suite at one time.
Thats how roomy it was as compared to the other St Michael's ward rooms.
Baby blessing was done after we checked out of the hospital.

All the food i ate/ordered during my stay:

Day 3 morning (Monday) was a hectic one cause husband had to do a lot of admin stuff (run to pharmacy, get birth cert done at business office....)
So if you have a choice, avoid giving birth on Sat.
I had to wait till Monday (for office to open also) for lactation consultant to see me, and PD was with baby so i didn't get any hands-on lesson with her. Sucks.

So during the stay, baby suckles on my breasts but she is fed with 20-25ml of formula milk.

Transition from hospital to home was pretty alright.
Everyone is trying to adapt.
My dog went mad and jealous haha expected.
She sleeps well with the CocoonAbaby.

I'm still working on the latch.
Till then, i just have to keep pumping since i will be engorged.
On the 4th day, i decided to engage Alice for BF home visitation.
She helped us so much, truly God-sent!
"Money well spent" Marcus said.

Day 5 was polyclinic checkup.
Her jaundice level rose to 256 so we admitted her into KKH for photo.
She is back with us now after 24 hours.
Meanwhile, i pumped at home and bring to hospital for her.
KKH supplemented with formula too, which i am ok with.

She is back home today, she latches on (tricky for me and her but we are trying) and we cup-feed her if she is still hungry. This avoids nipple confusion.

My precious little one (:
Please feel free to add us on instagram @bunchoffluff and follow us on our new journey.

We are so blessed to have her, and she is blessed to have Marcus has her Daddy.
He has been incredibly calm, encouraging and supportive.
Thank God for answering all our prayers, to God be the glory!

Will update again after my checkup.
Cant wait to find out my weight hehe (Day 10 post partum weight update: 46kg).