The baby is out 3 days earlier!

It was early in the morning when Mommy started having abdominal cramp like pains every 1/2 hourly. She was quietly tolerating the pain until around 7.00 am when her 'twisting and turning' in bed woke me up. She told me it was nothing. Then she started having me place my hands on her abdomen to feel the hardening of the abdomen (contractions). Since she was having more frequent contractions (1 in 10 minutes), I told her to pack her things and we called my mother-in-law to help take care of the 2 girls who were still sound asleep.

We arrived at the hospital at 8.30 am and we went straight to the labour ward. We were attended by a nurse who brought my wife to the examination room for Cardiotocograph (CTG). We were left alone in the room while the machine went along printing for 10 minutes (the usual duration). I then informed the nurse that her contractions were 1 in 5 minutes. Mommy was ferried into labour room and I went on to do the admission procedures.

In the labour room, they placed the CTG again on Mommy's abdomen for 10 minutes after changing into the labour gown. At 9.30am, she had more frequent contractions at 1 in 5 minutes but they lasted for only 15 secounds. The nurse examined and found that the cervix was dilated 3cm in diameter. During the examination the 'water bag burst'(amniotic membrane ruptured leaking out clear light yellow amniotic fluid). The nurse was quick to change the sheets.

At 10.30 am the Obstetrician came to examine Mommy. The baby's head was still 'high' but the cervix was dilated 6cm. At 11.30 am, the contractions increased every 2 minutes once lasting a good 20-30 seconds. After another examination, the nurse found that the cervix was dilated 8cm after 'sweep and stretch'. At 12.10pm, the contractions were very strong and Mommy felt the urge to defecate. The doctor was called in and at 12.15pm the baby's head came out and the shoulders followed a few seconds later. "Mommy, you didn't even need to push!", I said.

Ahh! The most important part. The doctor took the baby in two hands and showed the baby to Mommy. It indeed is a boy! (Phew! Now, we don't have to keep on trying to please my parents.) Congratulations to Mommy for good discipline and courage in going through the whole process. Thanks to the doctor who kept the patient calm and comfortable while skillfully doing the delivery.

The moral of the story is, Man plans but God makes things happen His way! Mommy, did I tell you that I prayed in secret that you'd have a painfree delivery? At least, true enough, you didn't have to push in pain. Thank God!

All I did was hold her hands, ensure that she was comfortable, called the the nurse (who in turn called the doctor) and prayed the prayer.

*more about the baby in the next article.