My son was induced on Wednesday, 25 May 2013, when he was 40w + 4 days overdue. He was induced for social reasons - my parents-in-law and brother in law's family flew in from Jakarta for the birth but as my son was overdue, and their return flight was approaching, we decided to have him induced so their trip to Australia was not wasted.
Choosing an induction date depended on the availability of Dr Harry Ngo, myself and Westmead Private Hospital. So unlike in Jakarta, where the patient gets to choose the date, and usually they choose an auspicious date for good luck, we just went with what was available. At the time, we only had 2 dates to choose from, and they were one week apart so we chose the date before my family-in-law had to fly back.
That morning, on instructions by Dr Harry Ngo, we went straight to the birthing suite of Westmead Private at 8am. The midwife, Louisa, performed a few routine hospital tests like take my weight, and blood pressure. I had gained 19-20kg by the end of the pregnancy! She said I was already 3cm dilated when I arrived and that the baby was in a 'favourable' position, meaning she expected a fast labour. She hooked me up to an IV drip so from about 8:30am I had to move about the room, including the toilet, with the drip in tow. My method of induction was ARM using oxytocin.
My waters were artificially broken by Louisa using an amnihook instrument. It was a strange feeling as I laid on the hospital bed and warm liquid slowly started spilling out between my legs, kinda like you're peeing but you have no control over your bladder. The bed was laid with white and blue waterproof lining to keep the amniotic fluid from soaking the bed. The leaking continued for about 2 hours so I didn't feel like moving about the room whilst I was leaking.
I started to feel mild cramps by about 9:20am. It was manageable.
By about 11am ish, Louisa checked me again and said I was about 5cm dilated. I asked for gas around then. Gas is niceeeee. Only time I've been high and I loved it! You close your eyes to concentrate and then you just drift into black nothingness. It takes a while to kick in each time so when you feel a contraction start, you need to start breathing in the gas and then stop when the pain starts to ease.
When the contractions started getting very close to each other, gas was not the appropriate answer to pain relief. It's not good to be constantly on gas because you need to be 'in the moment' not escaping from it by getting high. I ended up on gas for one contraction, living through the next contraction without gas, then going back on gas.
When I was about 7cm dilated, I asked for the epidural on the assumption that the anesthetist was going to take 30 mins to get the hospital, as I was told beforehand. Luckily though, he was in the next birthing suite as another woman had asked for him earlier. The first epidural didn't work, so I had to lie on my side for the meds to drain to the other side of my body. That was uncomfortable, lying sideways with a big pregnany belly on a narrow hospital bed. The second shot worked.
I was on gas the whole time while they gave me the second epidural so it took me a while to come out of my high. Things slowed down when I was high. One second in real life seemed like 30 seconds. And everything was so funny. I caught bits of people's conversations and just thought it was the funniest thing ever. When I stopped taking the gas, I did not have sight for a few minutes (or maybe my eyes were closed and I couldn't open them?). Everything was black. And I could not talk. But I could move my hand so I tried to reach out to the voice closest to me. Eventually, everything comes back so it was all good.
When I was about 8cm Louisa started to call Dr Harry Ngo to come to the hospital. She called him a few times. Eventually he arrived at about 2pm ish? He took his time reading over the Cryosite cord blood kit instructions which I appreciated because I didn't want him to mess things up. He prepared the kits, checked my cervix, drained my bladder with a catheter because I was unaware of bladder fullness (due to epidural) and then it was time to push.
I think I pushed for over an hour? Maybe 1.5 hours? I could not tell when to push because of the epidural, nor did I feel an urge to push. I relied on Louisa and Dr Harry Ngo to tell me when to push.
Despite draining my bladder with the catheter, I still leaked some urine during pushing. I guess my bladder wasn't completely empty. But at least I didn't poo. I made sure to empty my bowels early on before the contractions started.
I had trouble pushing the baby out even though Louisa and Dr Harry Ngo said I was doing it right. Dr Harry kept checking the fetal heart rate and decided that I needed ventouse extraction, perhaps the heart rate was an indicator of fetal distress? He didn't use those terms though. Because a ventouse extraction was needed, they had to call in an extra nurse/midwife to be present. I can't remember this lady's name. She mainly watched to make sure everything was okay. She tried to be helpful and told my husband that he doesn't need to see the gory part where I get cut and vacuumed (in case he fainted) but I would have liked for him to see it. My husband would have been able to handle it. At her suggestion, he moved to the side so he didn't see it happen. The important thing is he was present and saw the head and body of the baby come out.
After a few attempts, I managed to push the head out with the help of the vacuum, and I also got an episiotomy (a cut to the perineum). I pushed the shoulder out in two great pushes and I think that's when I tore on top of the cut. An awful second-degree tear in the shape of a J that almost reached the anus.
My son, Ash, was born at 3:45pm on 25 May 2013 via vaginal delivery with vacuum extraction and epidural. Praise the Lord!
As soon as he came out, Dr Harry Ngo put him on my chest, on top of my blue hospital gown. He did not cry. He was slimy and slippery to hold, and had white gooey stuff all over his body and hair. I held him for about 15 seconds before Louisa took him off me to do all the necessary health checks. He weighed 3995 grams and measured 53cm. Louisa said that's a big baby for me.
Meanwhile, Dr Harry Ngo gave me an injection to make the placenta come out quick. I think about five minutes passed before it slid out of me. I didn't get to see it but my husband said it looked pretty big.
Dr Harry Ngo then proceeded to stitch me up and he took a while. It seemed like a good 30-45mins and he did it all while I was lying on the hospital bed in the birthing suite. I didn't need local anesthesia as I was still under the epidural but I think it was starting to wear off because I could feel some pinching down there. According to my Obstetric Discharge Summary, I lost about 200ml of blood. I don't know if that's a lot but I assume not? I don't recall them mopping up a lot of blood.
I think I pushed for over an hour? Maybe 1.5 hours? I could not tell when to push because of the epidural, nor did I feel an urge to push. I relied on Louisa and Dr Harry Ngo to tell me when to push.
Despite draining my bladder with the catheter, I still leaked some urine during pushing. I guess my bladder wasn't completely empty. But at least I didn't poo. I made sure to empty my bowels early on before the contractions started.
I had trouble pushing the baby out even though Louisa and Dr Harry Ngo said I was doing it right. Dr Harry kept checking the fetal heart rate and decided that I needed ventouse extraction, perhaps the heart rate was an indicator of fetal distress? He didn't use those terms though. Because a ventouse extraction was needed, they had to call in an extra nurse/midwife to be present. I can't remember this lady's name. She mainly watched to make sure everything was okay. She tried to be helpful and told my husband that he doesn't need to see the gory part where I get cut and vacuumed (in case he fainted) but I would have liked for him to see it. My husband would have been able to handle it. At her suggestion, he moved to the side so he didn't see it happen. The important thing is he was present and saw the head and body of the baby come out.
After a few attempts, I managed to push the head out with the help of the vacuum, and I also got an episiotomy (a cut to the perineum). I pushed the shoulder out in two great pushes and I think that's when I tore on top of the cut. An awful second-degree tear in the shape of a J that almost reached the anus.
My son, Ash, was born at 3:45pm on 25 May 2013 via vaginal delivery with vacuum extraction and epidural. Praise the Lord!
As soon as he came out, Dr Harry Ngo put him on my chest, on top of my blue hospital gown. He did not cry. He was slimy and slippery to hold, and had white gooey stuff all over his body and hair. I held him for about 15 seconds before Louisa took him off me to do all the necessary health checks. He weighed 3995 grams and measured 53cm. Louisa said that's a big baby for me.
Meanwhile, Dr Harry Ngo gave me an injection to make the placenta come out quick. I think about five minutes passed before it slid out of me. I didn't get to see it but my husband said it looked pretty big.
Dr Harry Ngo then proceeded to stitch me up and he took a while. It seemed like a good 30-45mins and he did it all while I was lying on the hospital bed in the birthing suite. I didn't need local anesthesia as I was still under the epidural but I think it was starting to wear off because I could feel some pinching down there. According to my Obstetric Discharge Summary, I lost about 200ml of blood. I don't know if that's a lot but I assume not? I don't recall them mopping up a lot of blood.
After all that, I think about 1-2 hours later, my family was allowed to see me and the baby briefly.
At about 8pm, 4 hours after the birth, and by now I think the epidural had worn off, I was helped by two nurses to the bathroom for a quick body rinse. I sat on a plastic chair and when I was done, I stood up but felt faint and after taking a few steps with the help of my husband, I blacked out for about 2 mins. The two nurses were just outside the room at the time but came straight in when my husband called out for help. An 'Incident Report' was written to document my fall.
My son was admitted to Special Care Nursery later that evening because he would not take to the breast or bottle and was 'jittery'. The overseeing Pediatrician was Dr Arun Shanker. Blood tests confirmed he had low glucose (hypoglycaemia). He was in Special Care for 3 nights and received IV antibiotics (Penicillin and Gentamicin). He was discharged on May 28, only to be re-admitted the following day for hyperbilirubinaemia (jaundice). He received phototherapy in a humidcrib and was in Special Care for 2 nights. He was eventually discharged on May 31 when his blood test results were better. It took almost one month for his jaundice to clear up.
On afterthought, his 3 conditions, being a large baby, having low glucose and jaundice at birth all point to possible hidden gestational diabetes. I did fail the glucose challenge but passed the 2 hour GTT.
At about 8pm, 4 hours after the birth, and by now I think the epidural had worn off, I was helped by two nurses to the bathroom for a quick body rinse. I sat on a plastic chair and when I was done, I stood up but felt faint and after taking a few steps with the help of my husband, I blacked out for about 2 mins. The two nurses were just outside the room at the time but came straight in when my husband called out for help. An 'Incident Report' was written to document my fall.
My son was admitted to Special Care Nursery later that evening because he would not take to the breast or bottle and was 'jittery'. The overseeing Pediatrician was Dr Arun Shanker. Blood tests confirmed he had low glucose (hypoglycaemia). He was in Special Care for 3 nights and received IV antibiotics (Penicillin and Gentamicin). He was discharged on May 28, only to be re-admitted the following day for hyperbilirubinaemia (jaundice). He received phototherapy in a humidcrib and was in Special Care for 2 nights. He was eventually discharged on May 31 when his blood test results were better. It took almost one month for his jaundice to clear up.
On afterthought, his 3 conditions, being a large baby, having low glucose and jaundice at birth all point to possible hidden gestational diabetes. I did fail the glucose challenge but passed the 2 hour GTT.
