Ying Ying's unexpected homebirth
Maia was born on 4 January 2015, 5.05am, at home in Penang, weighed 3.07kg and was 51cm of height.
Below is our birth story.
3 January 2015(Saturday)
I woke up around 3am when my water leaked. I was thinking that the wishes of the family visiting Penang came true. Everyone has been asking me, "When baby will be here?" And they hope to see Maia before they leave Penang. (Most family are back in Penang for my sister's wedding on Dec 29 and stayed through New Year).
I couldn't get back to sleep so I got up to text Dr Narinder, Sandi (our doula friend), Daphne (a friend who processed my placenta), Cherlyn (from Stemlife), and the family (for the plan of taking care Ania during my labor). I got breakfast ready for everyone so that when labor is going strong, they can take care of Ania instead of taking care of the breakfast. Then, I packed our bags for the hospital. Surges happened about 4 times an hour so I went back to sleep until 9am.
The surge slowed down when I was up and about to just once in a while all day. Chris had been talking and texting to Dr Narinder to keep him updated and he said, "It's fine to stay at home for now."
We stayed in to relax and played with Ania, had an early dinner, then went to bed early. Daphne had dropped by with her ice box for the placenta encapsulation. Our doula friend Sandi came with the essential oils, castor oil and primrose oil after dinner. She taught me two induction points, one above ankles and one on the web of thumb and index finger. I was too tired to try castor oil or primrose oil but I massaged the points with Ania's massage oil mixed with the lavender essential oil from Sandi before we went to bed.
4 January 2015(Sunday)
Perhaps it was around midnight or 1am that surges started again. I did not get up to look at the time. I just practiced the breathing technique from Hypnobirthing through surges until about 2.30am when I got up to use the toilet.
I labored both on the toilet seat and in bed until about 3.30am when I woke Chris up. He helped me through the surges and I realized I needed my dad to drive so that Chris can help me through labor on the way to the hospital. Chris called Dr Narinder and woke my parents up at about 4am. I remember coming out of the bathroom and I told him that I might need epidural this time but he just kept saying, "You are amazing!" and "You can do it (to have natural birth) again this time." On hindsight, we should have realized that I was nearing completion then and really should be in the hospital by then. When I had Ania, towards the end of labor, I remember yelling out, "Just cut me up and get the baby out!" Everyone in the room laughed and said, "Now you know the baby will be out soon."
Ania got up from all the noise and comforted me too. She gave me more strength through the surges. When we were ready, I said I needed to use the toilet one last time. I felt like pooing. Chris had just left to let everyone know that we were getting in the car but my mom came in. After a few surges that got stronger and closer apart, I realized baby was coming out instead! I got on all fours polar bear position, then baby came out in two pushes and my mom caught Maia!
Maia cried and I remember hearing Ania said, "Mei Mei came out!" and I heard Chris was on the phone with Dr Narinder. Ania was about to run upstairs to the room with bags of diapers that we bought together but Mee Lee Jie Jie and Jia Jia told her to just bring a change of clothes instead. I just breastfed for an hour while waiting for the ambulance.
Chris said that when he called Dr Narinder again and told him that Maia was born, his first response was "Huh!" Then, he asked Chris if baby had a good cry (she did) and if there is a lot of blood. It's good that this is our second baby so...yes, there's blood everywhere that took my mom and my cousin, Mee Lee JieJie, who was flying back to Tokyo that day, a few hours to clean them up. But Chris knew how much blood to expect I guess, so he said "No, it's normal." Dr Narinder was telling Chris how to cut the cord so papa and Chris was running around looking for thread and scissors. I realized maybe it wasn't a good idea and I told Chris that we could have a lotus birth instead. I was still thinking of going to the hospital in the car but JiuMa said to call for an ambulance. Papa called for an ambulance and Dr Narinder called that he sent his midwife and nurse in the ambulance. JiuMa made me ginger egg to restore my energy. It was peaceful for about an hour when I breastfed Maia. She had a good latch and I am thankful she was born at home and there was no complication.
When the midwife arrived, she offered pictocin to push the placenta out but I politely refused and told her that I would like to let it come out naturally. Chris cut the cord and held Maia skin-to-skin until we reached the hospital. I guess skin-to-skin isn't common here as the ambulance driver asked if Chris wants to put his shirt on. The ambulance ride was turbulent to one point that the nurse said I looked pale. I said it's the motion sickness from the bumpiness of the ambulance. Surges happened throughout until we got to the hospital when Dr Narinder helped to push the placenta out.
Dr Narinder said that I telepathically woke him up at 3.30am to check his phone eventhough I haven't called or texted him yet.
The downside of birthing at home is that we can't store our cord blood as the blood had clotted by the time the midwife arrived. And, Maia needed a painful blood-draw from her hand for blood test which is usually done with the cord blood.
Papa and Ween Fung followed the ambulance with the ice box for placenta storage and things we need at the hospital. The nurses were very helpful and respected baby's and mommy's rest time at the labor ward. After Dr Narinder stitched me up, one nurse cleaned me off the dried blood and let us slept for a couple of hours before Chris cleaned and weighed the baby. Apparently Chris is the first father to get his own baby's footprint. We didn't bathe the baby until the next day because Maia just breastfed, pooed and slept all the time.
Maia weighed 3.09kg (6lb 12oz), much smaller compared to Ania at 8lb. But Maia is looking more like Ania now after she put on some weight. Maia has green brownish eyes and brown hair. Ania had green greyish eyes and blonde hair. Aside from that, they look quite alike.
We are thankful for a safe home birth. We are thankful for the love from our big family, thankful for their support, care for Ania and help cleaning up the mess. We are thankful for the help and support from Sandi (our doula friend), Daphne (for the placenta and icebox), Jaye (for sharing the knowledge of hypnobirthing) and our friends. Thank you all very much!
Tan Ying Ying/Maia(baby)
Maia was born on 4 January 2015, 5.05am, at home in Penang, weighed 3.07kg and was 51cm of height.
Below is our birth story.
3 January 2015(Saturday)
I woke up around 3am when my water leaked. I was thinking that the wishes of the family visiting Penang came true. Everyone has been asking me, "When baby will be here?" And they hope to see Maia before they leave Penang. (Most family are back in Penang for my sister's wedding on Dec 29 and stayed through New Year).
I couldn't get back to sleep so I got up to text Dr Narinder, Sandi (our doula friend), Daphne (a friend who processed my placenta), Cherlyn (from Stemlife), and the family (for the plan of taking care Ania during my labor). I got breakfast ready for everyone so that when labor is going strong, they can take care of Ania instead of taking care of the breakfast. Then, I packed our bags for the hospital. Surges happened about 4 times an hour so I went back to sleep until 9am.
The surge slowed down when I was up and about to just once in a while all day. Chris had been talking and texting to Dr Narinder to keep him updated and he said, "It's fine to stay at home for now."
We stayed in to relax and played with Ania, had an early dinner, then went to bed early. Daphne had dropped by with her ice box for the placenta encapsulation. Our doula friend Sandi came with the essential oils, castor oil and primrose oil after dinner. She taught me two induction points, one above ankles and one on the web of thumb and index finger. I was too tired to try castor oil or primrose oil but I massaged the points with Ania's massage oil mixed with the lavender essential oil from Sandi before we went to bed.
4 January 2015(Sunday)
Perhaps it was around midnight or 1am that surges started again. I did not get up to look at the time. I just practiced the breathing technique from Hypnobirthing through surges until about 2.30am when I got up to use the toilet.
I labored both on the toilet seat and in bed until about 3.30am when I woke Chris up. He helped me through the surges and I realized I needed my dad to drive so that Chris can help me through labor on the way to the hospital. Chris called Dr Narinder and woke my parents up at about 4am. I remember coming out of the bathroom and I told him that I might need epidural this time but he just kept saying, "You are amazing!" and "You can do it (to have natural birth) again this time." On hindsight, we should have realized that I was nearing completion then and really should be in the hospital by then. When I had Ania, towards the end of labor, I remember yelling out, "Just cut me up and get the baby out!" Everyone in the room laughed and said, "Now you know the baby will be out soon."
Ania got up from all the noise and comforted me too. She gave me more strength through the surges. When we were ready, I said I needed to use the toilet one last time. I felt like pooing. Chris had just left to let everyone know that we were getting in the car but my mom came in. After a few surges that got stronger and closer apart, I realized baby was coming out instead! I got on all fours polar bear position, then baby came out in two pushes and my mom caught Maia!
Maia cried and I remember hearing Ania said, "Mei Mei came out!" and I heard Chris was on the phone with Dr Narinder. Ania was about to run upstairs to the room with bags of diapers that we bought together but Mee Lee Jie Jie and Jia Jia told her to just bring a change of clothes instead. I just breastfed for an hour while waiting for the ambulance.
Chris said that when he called Dr Narinder again and told him that Maia was born, his first response was "Huh!" Then, he asked Chris if baby had a good cry (she did) and if there is a lot of blood. It's good that this is our second baby so...yes, there's blood everywhere that took my mom and my cousin, Mee Lee JieJie, who was flying back to Tokyo that day, a few hours to clean them up. But Chris knew how much blood to expect I guess, so he said "No, it's normal." Dr Narinder was telling Chris how to cut the cord so papa and Chris was running around looking for thread and scissors. I realized maybe it wasn't a good idea and I told Chris that we could have a lotus birth instead. I was still thinking of going to the hospital in the car but JiuMa said to call for an ambulance. Papa called for an ambulance and Dr Narinder called that he sent his midwife and nurse in the ambulance. JiuMa made me ginger egg to restore my energy. It was peaceful for about an hour when I breastfed Maia. She had a good latch and I am thankful she was born at home and there was no complication.
When the midwife arrived, she offered pictocin to push the placenta out but I politely refused and told her that I would like to let it come out naturally. Chris cut the cord and held Maia skin-to-skin until we reached the hospital. I guess skin-to-skin isn't common here as the ambulance driver asked if Chris wants to put his shirt on. The ambulance ride was turbulent to one point that the nurse said I looked pale. I said it's the motion sickness from the bumpiness of the ambulance. Surges happened throughout until we got to the hospital when Dr Narinder helped to push the placenta out.
Dr Narinder said that I telepathically woke him up at 3.30am to check his phone eventhough I haven't called or texted him yet.
The downside of birthing at home is that we can't store our cord blood as the blood had clotted by the time the midwife arrived. And, Maia needed a painful blood-draw from her hand for blood test which is usually done with the cord blood.
Papa and Ween Fung followed the ambulance with the ice box for placenta storage and things we need at the hospital. The nurses were very helpful and respected baby's and mommy's rest time at the labor ward. After Dr Narinder stitched me up, one nurse cleaned me off the dried blood and let us slept for a couple of hours before Chris cleaned and weighed the baby. Apparently Chris is the first father to get his own baby's footprint. We didn't bathe the baby until the next day because Maia just breastfed, pooed and slept all the time.
Maia weighed 3.09kg (6lb 12oz), much smaller compared to Ania at 8lb. But Maia is looking more like Ania now after she put on some weight. Maia has green brownish eyes and brown hair. Ania had green greyish eyes and blonde hair. Aside from that, they look quite alike.
We are thankful for a safe home birth. We are thankful for the love from our big family, thankful for their support, care for Ania and help cleaning up the mess. We are thankful for the help and support from Sandi (our doula friend), Daphne (for the placenta and icebox), Jaye (for sharing the knowledge of hypnobirthing) and our friends. Thank you all very much!
Tan Ying Ying/Maia(baby)
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