The date is Dec 2nd 2007

Alhamdulillah.... (grateful to Allah) I have safely delivered my 4th princess. Her birthday is on the 2nd of December 2007. Remember? I was hoping to deliver after Balqis's kindergarten concert which was on the 1st? What a timing...

Well, let me share my experience with this delivery. It's true that every baby a mother delivers, will somehow introduce her to a new adventure. I had earlier felt mild & irregular contractions since the Tuesday, 27th Nov. Knowing that hubby will be away for a couple of days, we decided to stand by at my parents'. Furthermore the hospital is very nearby.

I kept on having the contractions especilly at the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes strong but most of the time mild. Worried of the condition of my baby, I decided to go to the hospital anyway. Based from the CTG result, my contractions were mostly mild only a couple of strong contractions. A staff nurse conducted a VE and I was only 1.5cm dilated. The nurse also discovered that I had vaginal infection which could cause the contractions. Since my EDD is still a long way (Dec 15th), my ObGyn advised me to go home.

The contractions days after that did not go away. I was very confused then. Though this was my 4th pregnancy, it did not make me an expert. What worried me was due to my pain threshold. I believe mine is high. During my contractions with Wardah, I waited at home until I couldn't bear the pain anymore. Once I reached the hospital, I was already 8cm dilated. 2cm more to a full dilation. Due to the non-stop contractions, hubby did not allow me to attend Balqis's concert on the 1st. It was a wise thing to do. I was in pain (which I still could bear) while my Balqis was having fun on stage.

Once more on that Saturday afternoon, after hubby got home from the concert, we were in the labour room again. No more infection but the VE result was a disappointment. I was only 2cm dilated. After all the pain! But this time, I was told by the nurse that according to the CTG, my baby's heartbeat dropped twice during my strong contractions. But it got back to normal after that. My ObGyn instructed me to be admitted. I had to be monitored with the CTG again at 6 in the evening. That was like another 3 hours of waiting. So, we decided to come back at 6pm again instead of being admitted.

At 6pm, we headed to the hospital once more. Thankfully, the baby was doing well. Her heartbeat was normal again. In fact, she was still active moving in my belly.

My ObGyn suggested for me to be induced. Moreover, based from my history none of the girls delivered on the 40th week. It had always been early for me. Hubby agreed. And I... frankly was tired of getting mixed up between the real contractions and Braxton Hicks (false labour).

I was admitted at midnight on the 2nd. (So that, we don't have to pay the room on the 1st!). I was woken up at 5am. A tablet was inserted to my cervix. I was earlier informed that the labour pain through induction was worse than natural labour. Also that some mothers need more that a tablet for the cervix to soften. As for me, a tablet worked even after 15 minutes being induced. The pain? It was beyond anything I could imagine. Yes, I have experienced natural birth twice but the labour pain this time around was so very painful.

The CTG record.

Half an hour after struggling with the pain, I without hesitate requested for epidural. Anyhow, I had to bear with the pain for almost another 3 hours. Once the anesthetist came to the labour room, he really made my day. The procedure for epidural was rather complicated & I dared not look at the apparatus used to prick holes out of my veins & worse my spinal cord . As true as the anesthetist's remarks, the slight pain that I had to endure during his procedure was nothing compared to my labour pain.


It was true. I behaved like a good girl during the procedure. Once completed, I managed to smile. I even managed to read a novel & let the contraction did what it had to do. I felt nothing. Perhaps at that time I was probably dilated at 3cm - 4cm. At around 10am, I felt a little bit of pain during contractions. I believed, the dilation was almost full to 10cm.

By 1015am, I felt nausea & asked for a kidney dish. I vomited & at the same time broke my water bag. My ObGyn arrived & I was already 10cm dilated & ready to push out my baby. After 4 times pushing hard, I delivered my beautiful baby girl. She weighed 3.03kg.

My baby, seconds after her birth.

A nurse attending to my baby.

I didn't know what got into me. When the nurse handed me my baby girl for her first meal, I suddenly felt quite emotional. I broke down when I was nursing her in the labour room. HB got panic. Thought that I was in pain again. Funny him! Frankly, I never did break down with any of her other sisters. I was only overjoyed with their arrivals. This one I was happy but at the same time felt a little melancholy. Most probably, knowing that the baby in my hand was my last baby. We plan to have for children despite the gender. The birth of my final princess might cause the tears.

Isn't she worth to cry for?

We named her Amirah Nadeen. Her sisters adressed her Nadeen for short. She completes my family of 6. HB, me, Yasmin, Wardah, Balqis & baby Nadeen.

Nadeen with her sisters. (Wardah had a cough...)


Nadeen dear, it was papa who washed your first poo.