We arrived at Mt Elizabeth Hospital on the 23rd of March at 5am or so... was brought to ward 4B, bed 36, where I was to stay for the next 4 days. The nurses came to do their routine thing at 6am, to prepare me for the elective lower section caesarian section, my third one. The nurse then said that someone from the operating theatre will get me at 7am for my operation scheduled at 730am. So we waited patiently in the room. This being my third one, I had mixed feelings. Firstly, I knew exactly what to expect from the surgery, and the recovery process of it all. However, having experienced the failed epidural the last time made me very nervous, as I wanted daddy K to be able to join me in the OT for our last planned baby. I also remembered how uncomfortable and painful injecting the epidural was, and was totally not looking forward to it. The staff from the OT finally came to get me at 720am... by the time we got down there, the place seemed to be in mayhem. I heard that we were late, there were 3 caesarians scheduled at the same time, and they thought that I had checked in late, as they were told that I was not ready yet... when in fact we were waiting up there for almost an hour!
Well, anyway, the anaesthetist (not the one I had the last time, like I thought) was very reassuring, and was so nice to assure me, and to calm my nerves. She found out about the failed epidural, and went a step extra to add an additional injection in to make sure that it worked this time... yes, which meant that I had 2 injections into the spine (ouch!), but eventually, I couldn't feel anything in my legs soon after. Soon after, I started to shiver (the side effects of the epidural), and daddy K came in to reassure me. However, although I couldn't feel pain/ sharp pricks, I could still feel a hand or some movements happening behind the screen that was put up in front of me. I suddenly had fears that I may still be able to feel the pain of the incision, and with the discomfort of the shivering, I suddenly regretted choosing to go through it under epidural...
After about 5 mins, with the surgery going on, I calmed down. The fact that daddy K was there to soothe me really helped. Suddenly, the anaesthetist said that the baby was almost out, and that she was going to reach over me and push the baby out. After she did, i heard a very strong, high-pitched cry, and K was asked to stand and see the baby being taken out. As I was being sewn up and all, baby D was taken to the warmer, and was soon after put on my chest for a cuddle and some photos.
My first impression of baby D in the OT is that he is a squealer... and he proved that later on in the ward when he cried! Visitors who have heard him have likened his cry to that of a cat's cry!
The recovery from the OT to the ward was rather uneventful, and I was just eager to see my baby, and start nursing him. I was also eager to start eating again, as I was starving. However, the kind nurses were just so cautious, and insisted that I take drinks only first. Finally they were convinced that I was fine, and I had lunch at 2pm!
The next day, I was ready to get out of bed, and to walk around. The attachments were taken off me, and I felt ready to flee from the confines of the hospital bed. I managed to get out of bed and walk around without as much pain as I remembered from before.
The next 3 days passed by rather uneventfully, not without the usual pains of breastfeeding. The 2 girls coming to visit in the evenings, not wanting to leave to go home, insisting that I went home with them, or that they sat on the bed with me etc...
I'm just wary that their excitement to see baby D is short-lived, especially with mei K. We'll have to see how they take to the new addition to the household now that we are home, and when the 'vacation' comes to an end...
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