My Amazing Waterbirth Journey

I have two uncomplicated full term spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD) prior to this pregnancy. My pregnancy usually carries till 39^th week and after show I will usually in my active phase of labour 6-7hrs before delivery. My babies range from 3.0-3.15kg before. I was thinking of something more natural with the pain killers part.During my first delivery I requested IM nubine, but felt too exhausted and dizzy ..i took nubine when I was 5-6cm dilated and not soon after that I delivered. The effect of nubine really troubled me and I felt so horrible. 

For my second delivery I tried effective breathing technique taught by k.nor. Sadly towards the end of labour, I felt exhausted sampai menggeletar seluruh kaki tangan that I decided to take enthonox gas. Relieved but was somewhat bruised with the painkiller, I needed something more natural to help with labour pain…

Hence I decided to do waterbirth for this pregnancy not long after my senior MO dr herlina’s presented on 9 soalan tv9. Fully inspired and overzealous, I browsed thru the internet to find out more on waterbirthing. Eventho waterbirth is so popular overseas, it is still new in msia. There are only 2 places in msia to do waterbirth, one in Pantai Hospital Bangsar and the other one in Gleanegles Penang. 

I contacted Pantai Hospital and made an appointment with Dr Idora. Semuanya bermula dari situ… sembang2 dengan Dr Idora, I was actually the 3^rd planned waterbirth so far after dr herlina and the other one patient. Pantai usually handles waterbirth with the other male Chinese dr, Dr Chung. From my first visit, doctor also advised me to take some form of relaxation therapy to pair my waterbirth with so that it can be more effective. She passed me Mdm Swai Han’s no ( hypnobirthing therapist) and I headed back to Terengganu. 

The next week, I called up Mdm Swai Han and sembang panjang 2 about hypnobirthing. She posted me the book on Hypnobirthing and 2 relaxation therapy cd’s in case I have no time to attend the hypnobirthing class. As I live  far far away in tganu, I just registered for the class very near to my EDD.

I must admit that the hypnobirthing is the best book about pregnancy and labour that I’ve ever read before. X ingat the 4 basic techniques of hypnobirthing; but the one yang really effective is the Breathing, Visualisation and Relaxation. Visualized yourself in a red strawberry mist, let the mist surround your hand and arms and now it feels numbs.. yadda yadda yadda… 

The next part is choosing a birth companion. Who else if not zaujiy habiby? Hehe yang part ni agak payah sket sbb my hubby jenis yang tak bape nak sporting plus malu2 kucing nak buat light touch massage..even ajak masuk skali dalam air dia gelikan darah la plak..huhu.. but after so much pleading he turns out the best birth companion EVA!

THE DAY!

The day came when I had my show around 5am. Memang terasa sakit sangat pinggang sampai kebas peha2 n perut mengeras irregularly. Strong enough sampai rasa nak menggeletar. Betul dah kut ni.. jom bi pegi hospital. So kitorang relax sembang2 ..take our own sweet time together.. bila sakit datang baca kuat2 Laa ilaaha illa anta..subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zolimeen... 

Sampai kat emergency nurse A+E bawak naik ke labour room dengan wheel chair. Biasanya mesti nak nangis sbb rasa really helpless tapi haritu tak plak. Rasa excited nak try waterbirth, tapi dalam hati tak putus2 doa supaya CTG ok and boleh deliver as planned. 

They did CTG and Alhamdulillah Nampak ok, heart beat maintain 135-140bpm, dengan contraction sampai 70 pun still tak nampak Type 1 decelleration ke.. Alhamdulillah sangat .. sbb masa Syifa’ dulu mmg perasan ada decel rupanya masa lahir ada cord round neck tight… 

So sbb dah sign consent for waterbirth, they put me in the waterbirth suite. Nice suit (tapi  better kat prince court. Kan best kalau ada waterbirth kat Price court *sigh*) VE time tu os 4 cm, tapi still tubular n posterior ( bishops score tak favourable sangat) repeat VE by Dr Idora adalah dalam 4-5cm, but cervix dah anterior..alhamdulillah. Dr said “so Fatiha, if u want to main2 dalam air boleh masuk dah k..if sakit boleh masuk ya… “

If ikut perjanjian dengan Dr before, there are certain case yang takleh buat waterbirth, Post date, CTG tak cantik, poor progress,  baby kecik ie IUGR, air ketuban tak cukup atau lebih ( Oligohydromnios @ polyhydromnios..) and the list goes on.. sbb tu I really2 pray before this to avoid complications and make waterbirth happen.. 

refreshing the techniques..

Hence makan2 dulu, no hook to the CTG machine, jalan sikit2, buang air etc.. bila rasa dah mula nak sakit lelebih sket, I nak masuk air la. Rupanya once kita masuk air, staffnurse akan tunggu n observe kita.

Alangkah gembiranya bila masuk air, tergolek terlentang main2 air.. I did all the maneuvers – all 4’s, supine, frog like, but the best suits me to relieve pain is the left lateral and supine. Ada stool dalam pool so that bila nak buat all 4’s I’ll go to the stool sangkut dagu kat brim pool and start hypnobirthing..

filling in the pool with warm water..there's inflated stool at the base..

Sangat perlu untuk buat endorphine releasing technique. That’s the main idea of relaxation. To release endorphine and to avoid cathecolamines. If u are in fear, cathecholamines akan banyak dalam badan thus inhibiting uterus to relax, body jadi spasm and the baby cannot naturally get into the pelvic bone.

Antara technique utk release endorphine adalah Light Touch Massage. Here our birth companion kena buat very light touch at our back, from sacral ( tulang ekor @ tailbone) buat bentuk V ke atas sampai shoulders. Buat sampai naik goosebumps.. tu yang release endorphine n u will feel relax..

The other one is distraction. My husband did light touch n cakap je’’ imagine baby nak masuk dah tu.. bagi baby keluar.. relax.. jangan cramp kan kaki.. You know it’s a very simple phrase.. but really really helpful… 

Ada duckie pakai sunglasses yang akan maintain water dalam pool 37-37.5 degrees..so u know when the water getting cold, the nurse will cedok air pakai pail besar n masukkan warm water baru..

The other thing is you need to get out from the pool to urinate. Geli jugakla if ter PU dalam air. Hence bergerak adalah nak dekat 6-7x gak kuar masuk pool untuk PU. Help with the mobilization part. 

The time comes when I SROM ( spontaneous rupture of membrane) in the pool. I was in All 4’s position and the urge comes so strong and pushhh..membrane pun rupture.. time tu contraction mmg sangat strong.. they did VE I was fully.. Dr came into the scene.. waiting for me to BREATHE my baby.. 

Now this is the part I like most. Hypnobirthing lets you breathe your baby not PUSH your baby. Gentle breathing to BREATHE your baby towards its canal. I can feel  my baby encroaching thru the pelvis and sooner after I felt the ring of fire. Teringat sangat dengan kak kama punya pesan..” if dah fully pun jangan teran lagi, tunggu sampai dah rasa tak leh nak tahan sangat baru berakkan..baru la tak koyak.. 

Huhu.. really kak kama, I breathe slowly and steadily.. dekat depan dah ada my staffnurse, dr andn 1 hypnobirthing nurse waiting for me to breathe my baby.. When the ring of fire ( really berapi rasa kat perineum tu) I takbir and ALLAHUAKBAR! My baby was born! 

Rasa cam dalam mimpi when dr angkat baby n put her onto my chest. Yang ni pun cord round neck jugak. But we release the cord dari baby’s neck and with cord still attached, I was directed to go out from the pool onto the bed.

my pool of blood..

Dari atas bed, my husband got to cut the cord and after that placenta was out. NO syntometrin given at all,. I was repaired for 1^st degree tear. Really ini first time bersalin without episotomy. I was so relieved. Sket je tear. 

I was to hug my baby long enough..enough to initiate breastfeeding, do bonding and skin contact. My baby looks like syifa’ …sayang anak ummi! 

Alhamdulillah, a VERY EXCITING n adventurous  journey with my baby. Introducing our first water baby- 

AMNAA SAFIYYAH BT MOHD NASRUL MUHAIMIN,

WATERBIRTHED @ 20/12/2012 4.13PM, PANTAI HOSPITAL BANGSAR

BURIKA LAKI BIL MAUHUB, WA SYAKARTIL WAHIB, WA RAZAQTI BIRRAHU,  WA BALAGHA ASYUDDAH.. 

thanks abg hakim n kak nurul for visiting..:)

my family..opah mi n ntuk waled now has 3 grandchildren..along next month insyaALLAH..

jemur amnaa yang nampak clinically jaundice..bang ngah sibuk nak pegang muka amnaa..:)