The most important food for confinement.Although it was expected, it was still very much unexpected.
It started with "show", a bright pinkish patch of blood the size of our 50 sen coin. We just enjoyed the first half of the first match of World Cup 2006, the one where Germany beat Costa Rica 2 - 0. Mommy wanted to go to bed but discovered "show" on her panties after a bathroom visit. Then the contractions came. Irregular and irratic at first.
10 minutes apart... 15 minutes apart... 5 minutes apart... 15 minutes apart...
As our doc have said, contractions are an unmistakable feeling. None which mommy have ever experienced before. The time was about 12.45am.
Mommy was a bit restless and could not go to sleep. Doc advised to go to the hospital when contractions are about 15 minutes apart, but a knowledgeable friend told us not to hurry and only go when they are 5 minutes apart. Spend as much time as is safe in the comforts of your own home. Once in the hospital, their clock will start, and you might be pressured and rushed into ARM (artificial rupture of membranes) and other birth induction methods when mother and baby is not quite ready.
Our friend is a proponent of
hypno-birthing (or
here and
here), a movement that promotes the use of meditation and self-hypnosis to empower women to give birth naturally without any medical intervention (analgesics like pethidine and pitocin via epidural or injection), unless necessary, and to give birth in a mind-state and environment of peace and calm. She told us she have a mother who was out shopping even with contractions coming every 5 minutes. More about analgesia
here.
Calm and peace is a birthing mother's good companions. Fear and panic can easily lead to maternal and fetal distress, and hence a caesarean.
Daddy did some last minute packing while mommy started reading "What to Expect When You Are Expecting". Both our hearts were beating faster. Daddy kept asking mommy if she's alrite. Mommy is a tough cookie and told daddy to sleep and she will wake him when it's time. Even granny was excited and got up to boil red dates water. Mommy rested on the couch and experienced her contractions without distractions.
It was about 5am when we reached our birth-site or hospital. Daddy drove with extra caution. Granny keeping a watchful eye from behind. Mommy was in her birthing zone in the front.
Mommy & granny went straight up to the delivery ward via entrance at the Emergency ward.
Once there, her cervix dilation was checked. 6 cm already! Then she was strapped with the
EFM (electronic fetal monitoring) listening device. Fetal heart rate in the CTG (cardiotocography) seems stable to us but the nurse insisted that mommy remain strapped since our baby's heartbeat is a bit lower than they expected. Base line of 110.
Her contractions were coming fast and furious, 3 minutes or less.
To be continued...