We’re having a baby!
week 37: last pregnancy photo
Hello hello! Finally got time to finish this post! I haven’t been that occupied but writing a blog post needs continuity and when you’re having a newborn, continuous free time is sooo precious that you better dash to bed. Or like now, I’m writing this while holding my baby on the other arm. Having a baby teaches you to do things one handed. Haha.
On 27 July 2014, or 8 days before the due date, my little man decided that he had spent enough time in my tummy! Such a surprise for us but apparently he wants to share the same birthday with my granddad who passed away early last year.
We gladly welcomed Nathanael Judah Phodiansa; measured at 48 cm long, weighted 2720 grams and had a head circumference of 32 cm. And I’m happy to say that both the bub and I had quick recovery after the labour.
hello from the 3 of us!
I’d like to thank Phodi who never left my side during the whole process, the nurses who were extremely supportive, my parents & brother who came straight away to Bandung, my aunt who was with us when my parents haven’t arrived and everyone who prayed for us. THANK YOU!
So here’s Nathanael’s birth story… and of course, Phodi made a video to capture the day. Don’t worry, any bloody detail has been completely omitted. Enjoy!
Saturday, 26 July 2014
11.45
Half asleep, went to the toilet and “Oops, did I just pee again?! Eh, why do I keep leaking? Ooohhh… this MIGHT be THE water! Wake up Phodi dear, grab our hospital bag and let’s go!”
Sunday, 27 July 2014
00.05
Arrived at the maternity ward, getting checked by 2 nurses and being connected to the CTG scan. Irregular contractions were captured by the CTG scan but I didn’t feel any contraction yet and no cervix dilation yet. I was as happy as a bee while Phodi was calling our parents to let them know that we’re in the business.
Checking in at the hospital
00.45
Being transferred to room 204, waiting for this baby to make his next move. Half sleepy (hey, I was in bed!), 2 of my aunts who happened to be in Bandung came to visit and told me to get some rest while I could. So I tried to sleep and later invited Phodi to came to bed with me. He snored straight away while I did my best to doze off. There was no pain just yet but the excitement was too hard to contain.
Enjoying my fave chocolate sandwich. Still no pain.
03.00
Gosh… someone was moaning every few minutes and interrupting my sleep nap. Oh actually, would I sound the same later?
04.05
4 hours on. A nurse came to check on my dilation and good news, 1 cm dilation. Haha. She came back 10 minutes later and told us that the doctor recommended me to be induced because my water has broken and we had to have this baby within 18 hours. Being totally unaware of what could happen with induction, I asked for more information. After being told that the success rate of induction is 50%, I asked for 2 more hours before I made any decision.
06.10
Still no regular contraction and I could easily manage the pain through breathing. Phodi asked me if I had made my mind. In a way he “pushed” me to do it so we could progress this labour. After considering that this baby should go out regardless how, I decided to go with induction. The nurse set up the induction and set the drip to 70.
Induction started!
07.00
My parents and brother arrived at the hospital. At this stage the pain was real. Breathing technique? What breathing technique!!
08.20
I was so desperate waiting for the nurse to come and check on my dilation. I scolded Phodi for not pushing the nurse hard enough to check in. The nurse finally came and said that it’s now 2 cm. Whoaaa… 2 hours on and only 1 cm progress?! I asked for epidural and was denied because it’s too soon as I need to be at least 4 cm dilated.
I started considering having C-section but the nurses were really determined to talk me out of it. They kept saying things like, “Are you sure, Ma’am? If you’re going through C-section then you’ll spend a day in bed. But if you go through natural birth, you’ll only need 6 hours to recover.”
09.00
I couldn’t take it any longer! I asked for C-section and I wanted it now! Phodi, my parents and my aunt prayed over myself so I could make the right decision. Phodi then requested to talk personally with me regarding my decision. A decision that was never in our conversation, let alone an option that I would consider. By that time though, I was so over the process that I just wanted the baby to come out immediately!
A nurse came with a surgery agreement for Phodi to sign. Phodi was reading the paper when another nurse came in and said, “Just to make sure, let me check your dilation.” and this was what happened in the next hour;
Nurse A (while checking for dilation): “Oh, it’s on 4 now.”
Me (while “managing the pain”): “Ok, I want epidural and I want it now!”
Nurse B: “I’ll see if there’s any anaesthetic doctor available.”
Nurse A (while still in ‘it’): “Actually I can feel the head. It’s actually 7-8 now.”
Phodi: “Eh, are you sure? So how long can we expect?”
Nurse A: “Usually it takes an hour for 1 additional dilation.”
Phodi: “Jess, can you wait another 2 hours?”
Me: “I’ll die if I have to wait for 2 hours!! Go pray so this baby will come out in 30 minutes!”
Phodi (sounded unsure): “Ok, let’s pray.”
…. I can’t even remember if Phodi actually prayed… Haha.
Me: “Okay, I need to poop now! Like now!”
My aunt: “Are you sure? Are you really sure?”
Me: “I need to poop NOW!”
My parents & aunt rushed to call the nurse. Within minutes I was transferred to another bed and a nurse told me to keep breathing and hold pushing. How on earth did I know which one was pushing? Amazingly though, once I was fully dilated the pain went away – puff! – just like that. In between the chaos, I heard someone saying that the doctor was still on the way.
Few minutes in the labour room, my doctor came in a rush, put on his apron, ordered the nurse to get into position, ordered Phodi to hold my right leg (remember my dislocated shoulder?) and started the process. Game on!!
I barely remember what happened next but I remember that pushing the baby out was easy and painless. And I remember the doctor said that he could see the head and Phodi shouted that he could also see the baby’s head. Then another push before we hear the baby’s cries. Such a relief! A nurse then cleaned the baby and put him on my chest. I was so sleepy by then that I was half asleep as the baby was doing the breast crawl (IMD / Inisiasi Menyusui Dini) and as the doctor was fixing my tears down there.
holding my baby for the first time <3
I’m forever grateful that God has taken care of us during the labour. When I gave up, God sped up the process that even the nurses were amazed. Phodi later said that when I told him to pray for 30 minutes, he thought that I was going gaga because you know, my request was way too far. But after that day, we’re reminded that God will give you the best even if it’s on the eleventh hour. After all, He has promised to make everything beautiful in its time 
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