D-Day

My darling baby’s EDD (Estimated Due Date) is today, 17th November 2006.

A couple of days ago, Wan & I went for our routine check-up at the obgyns. The nurses were surprised to see me and greeted me with a friendly volley of “Tak bersalin lagi?” and “Ehhhh, dah sarat dah tuu...” I was asked the question “Ada rasa sakit tak?” countless of times and I repeatedly answered “Tak lagi...”

The second I walked into the doctor’s office, she asked me the same question. “Are you feeling any pains? Tightening of stomach muscles? Back-aches? Pelvic strains?” and once again, I sighed “Nope...”

She looked at my record and said that this was odd, as at the last visit, I was already ‘showing’ and my ‘cervix was softened’. She then made me go for a CTG [cardiotocograph].

A CTG is where the baby’s heart rate is monitored along with any contractions of the uterus. A print out of the baby’s heart rate and contractions is made and compared.

So off we went to the labor unit where they hooked me up to the CTG monitor. I had to lie down there for 20 minutes while the CTG took my reading. Wan was by my side the entire time and we passed a pleasant 20 minutes chatting and joking against the soothing background music of our baby’s heartbeat.

Once we got the results, we went back to see the obgyn. She reviewed the slip of paper and gave me a funny look.

“You’re already having contractions. Regular ones. See?” she pointed to this graph at the bottom of the paper. I saw a static line with intermittent spikes at regular intervals.

“Oh” was my brilliant response.

“You’re not feeling them?” asked the good doctor. At my sheepish grin, she continued, “Well, they’re regular, but they’re not that strong yet. But you should be feeling them getting stronger soon. The labor process is steadily beginning.”

Wan and I looked at each other with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. The doctor then told us to wait and see for the next couple of days. If the baby still doesn’t come, I was to check-in at the hospital on midnight Friday (baby’s EDD) for her to check-up on me and perform another CTG. Then she will help the labor process along. Basically, God Willing, the baby is to be born sometime on Friday. [That is, today (17.11.06)]

By this time, I was in a haze... Too much information all at once! Contractions already? Labor process well on the way? Baby coming on Friday?
Whoaa...

I spent the next couple of days being well-tuned to the goings-on of my body. I’d lie down quietly on the bed and feel the contractions coming. And BOY did I feel ‘em! The stomach muscles would suddenly tighten, my back would go all strained and uncomfortable and my pelvis would experience a sharp twinge. These occurred regularly but didn’t get much stronger. I could still go around shopping and watch movies at TGV KLCC (It’s just 5 minutes away from Ampang Puteri, mommmm).

And then Thursday came. If the baby didn’t come during the day, later that night, we were supposed to check-into Ampang Puteri. And the baby seemed quite contented staying in my belly. Despite being told that ‘usually when contractions start, the baby’s movement will lessen’, this little tyke is doing his whole samba-routine as per usual. It’s a really odd feeling when you feel a contraction AND your baby tumbles around in there at the same time.

I guess this little Sultan doesn’t want to spend his energy in pushing his way out on his own and wants the privilege of experiencing the midnight drama that the doctor had planned for him. I could feel him packing up his bags in there and getting ready for his big debut.

Drama King.

Then, in the late afternoon, my mom knocked at my door. She had a funny look on her face and said she wanted to ‘talk’. When I was a teenager, that phrase always gave me chills. Usually it meant that I’m in big trouble. But hey, I’m a 27 year old, married, heavily-pregnant woman, a “We need to talk” from my mother shouldn’t scare me.

Mama voiced her concerns. She was not too keen on the idea of me checking into the hospital to have the labor induced. She had talked to a lot of her medical personnel friends and her matron-sister and her sister who actually experienced labor inducement and they all told her that there will be extra pain.

A couple of weeks ago, when mom and I were chatting nonchalantly about the baby, she had started to sniffle when she talked about labor pains. Mama said that I’d probably be crying out for her when I go through the agony. The very idea of her firstborn daughter experiencing the pain of giving birth reduced this lovely, soft-hearted lady into tears.

So, when she heard that inducing labor might cause EXTRA pain, my dear mom couldn’t contain herself. She HAD to try and coax me out of it. “I don’t want you to suffer any more pain than necessary, darling” she had said, as she stroked my back. That’s when I realized something.

I may be a 27 year old, married, heavily-pregnant woman... But I’m still my Mama’s baby.

So, to make a long story short... if no natural labor starts today, my little baby is gonna miss his EDD.

We’re waiting for him to come out naturally and on his own time.

And knowing this wilful little Sultan, it can be today, tomorrow, next week, or next year even. At this point in time, I feel like he’s planning to come out only when he turns 18 and only if we promise to buy him a car.

*sigh*

Come on, baby. Come on out. We’re all so very excited to meet you.
Please, little darling, come on out into the world.

I’m ready.

One never knows what each day is going to bring. The important thing is to be open and ready for it.
Henry Moore (1898 - 1986)