The first week of our parenthood was like a war at home - three adults battling with a little baby! Trying to understand her cries and responding to her needs was already hard to master. On top of it, I was also struggling with my breastfeeding technique and it really added to my frustration. During the first week, I couldn't nurse the baby properly due to sore nipples and engorgement. I was so depressed that I wanted to give up breastfeeding altogether. I thought why do I have to waste so much time feeding the baby and expressing out the milk. I could have used the time to accomplish other things instead. For a while, I felt I had lost control of my life - instead it is now dictated by the needs of the little one.
Thank God for my husband who was with me during that whole week, comforting me and encouraging me. In fact, I thought he would have made a better mother than me during that first week. We tried to establish a feeding routine for the baby so that we can manage our time more efficiently and not to get "lost" in midst her demands. Very soon, things took a turn for the better with my soreness healed and I was able to resume my breastfeeding again.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Announcing the Arrival of Baby Adele
1 July 2007 is another significant turning point in my life - the day of the arrival of Adele. After 39 weeks of anticipation and excitement, and enduring her kicks and turns in my womb, I finally get to see my baby!
My contractions started pretty unexpectedly on 28 June, Thursday. It was still bearable and I could even go for a hair-cut on Friday afternoon, followed by cell meeting that night. It intensified on early Saturday morning around 2 am. However, again it subsided slightly during the Saturday daytime. As I did not experienced any other signs of labour such as rupturing of my water bag or blood discharge, I did not even regard it as the onset of labour. However, the pain became so unbearable on Saturday night 10 pm onwards that I began to get worried. Since there were still no other signs, I thought to myself: am I supposed to bear with the excruciating pain for another week till my due date on 7 July? We decided to inform my gynae about my contractions. Immediately we were told to go to the hospital and I was admitted to the labour ward.
Being a person with "zero" pain tolerance, I requested for the epidural without any hesitation. Thank God for the pain relief. Can't imagine how I can still have the strength to deliver my baby if I have to endured the pain. It was a long 14 hours of waiting in the labour ward because my dilation was so moving at snail's pace. At one point, I was even given a drip to speed up my dilation, unformantely, my baby resisted it so badly that her heartbeat dropped. Finally, at 3 pm, my gynae came and prepared me for delivery. After about 3-4 pushes, a loud wailing sound greeted us and my baby was placed on my chest. It was such an emotional experience for me that I didn't know how to react but to cry with joy. I guess only the mothers can truly understand my feelings at that moment. The mother and child bond that was seeded 39 weeks ago has eventually crystallized into a little life.
My contractions started pretty unexpectedly on 28 June, Thursday. It was still bearable and I could even go for a hair-cut on Friday afternoon, followed by cell meeting that night. It intensified on early Saturday morning around 2 am. However, again it subsided slightly during the Saturday daytime. As I did not experienced any other signs of labour such as rupturing of my water bag or blood discharge, I did not even regard it as the onset of labour. However, the pain became so unbearable on Saturday night 10 pm onwards that I began to get worried. Since there were still no other signs, I thought to myself: am I supposed to bear with the excruciating pain for another week till my due date on 7 July? We decided to inform my gynae about my contractions. Immediately we were told to go to the hospital and I was admitted to the labour ward.
Being a person with "zero" pain tolerance, I requested for the epidural without any hesitation. Thank God for the pain relief. Can't imagine how I can still have the strength to deliver my baby if I have to endured the pain. It was a long 14 hours of waiting in the labour ward because my dilation was so moving at snail's pace. At one point, I was even given a drip to speed up my dilation, unformantely, my baby resisted it so badly that her heartbeat dropped. Finally, at 3 pm, my gynae came and prepared me for delivery. After about 3-4 pushes, a loud wailing sound greeted us and my baby was placed on my chest. It was such an emotional experience for me that I didn't know how to react but to cry with joy. I guess only the mothers can truly understand my feelings at that moment. The mother and child bond that was seeded 39 weeks ago has eventually crystallized into a little life.
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