oh, finally!

39weeks + 1day today, and I have to say I’m impressed by my gynae’s prediction that we would most likely be able to make it for today’s visit before the arrival of baby chungkin.

We had a lovely start today – the husband took the day off and we caught a movie this morning (he’s been waiting for it to open in cinemas and have been asking the little one to hang in there), had some yummy lunch at our favorite cantonese shop before heading to the clinic for our appointment. And for the first time in many visits, I got to see the man who would be delivering our baby in under 10 minutes wait time!

There really wasn’t much to ask about during the consultation, considering how we’ve covered most grounds during previous visits except for a few reminders/clarifications here & there. So doc asked if I was okay to do a VE  (and I know hearing from others that it is one unpleasant experience), warned  me that it would definitely hurt (especially if I was keen to know if we were even progressing) before doing our usual scan.

He stressed that it would hurt (so that I would be mentally prepared), and to my surprise it didn’t hurt as much as I thought (yes, it started getting a little uncomfortable after a while). Perhaps the breathing exercise from yoga did really came in handy – I remember concentrating so hard on my inhalations & exhalations that I felt a little “floaty” while hearing “good”, “wow, you’re okay with this!” etc. He was surprised at me resisting the urge to kick around or at his face, while nurse gave me the thumbs up, worried that I might burst into tears. There was even a suggestion that perhaps I could get through labour without any epidural. I managed a weak laughter. My yoga sessions are usually 90 minutes long of focused breathings while labour…goodness it could be for hours!

So baby chungkin was measuring at a good 3.1kg, I was already 3cm dilated. Turns out that I’ve been having contractions without realizing. Doc could also feel baby’s head during the check, which meant that baby chungkin’s head was relatively low with the only “obstacle” being was the very initially stubborn cervix which was probably blocking any of the obvious labour signs I needed. Urgh, I regret not being hardworking on perineal massages.

We were then given the option to check in at midnight today and to “wait it out” till dilation and contractions get stronger. And since amniotic fluid was also getting low and baby movements were starting to get a little sporadic (one day he can be a sleepy head and the next he’s just all over the place punching and kicking my ribs), the Bo & I concluded that this may be the best option after all – getting the monitoring we need.

Now I’d probably get slapped for saying this but I was quite expecting my D-Day to be like a scene from the movies “Bo, I think my water just broke!” or “Bo, I’m in pain! Hospital NOW!” and then off we would be, rushing to the hospital. Dramatic, I know!!!

And more often than not, ideal birth plans and deliveries don’t happen as how we intend for them to be. So although getting scheduled to be admitted to the hospital tonight wasn’t quite what I had in mind (as with being dilated and getting contractions without realizing), I am still hoping that my dream plan of 4 pushes till I see baby chungkin stands a chance. Who knows, a drug-free labour may even be possible now that I’m aware of my new pain threshold level.

Till the next update 🙂