Mama Mads

I was 8 days early from my due date when I experienced mild contractions. I also felt less fetal movements since morning which got me concerned.  The contractions were so mild, like painful nudges, but I was able to sit through the car ride to Cuban Hospital which was my designated hospital. The emergency team took me to do multiple CTG scans every few hours to measure any change and even did ultrasounds to see how the baby is functioning. They put me on IV, soon after which the fetal movements increased (yay!). Soon after, they decided to keep me under observation for 24 hours.

A peaceful night was spent on the comfortable hospital bed at The Cuban Hospital. The morning after, the ultrasound was done, and during medical rounds, the CTG scan was still ongoing and I was having mild contractions yet again. The doctors in charge recommended induction due to changes in the AFI and since I was strep positive. Upon a cervix check, yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like, a hand going inside the body to check the cervix! It was dilated to 2 cm, hence induction seemed like the best option. The induction simply felt like something was being inserted at regular intervals in my body. Induction by oxytocin started at 11 AM with 3 ml, but my body was not responding to it. They increased it to 6 ml, upon which my contractions started getting stronger. At 12 ml, boy, the contractions hit me at a regular rate like a boxer practicing his moves. I opted for natural pain management through deep breathing, thinking positive thoughts. I didn’t want to opt for epidural so early on, because I was not expecting to move to active labour anytime soon. After a while of enduring contractions, the doctor checked the cervix again, and it was dilated to 5 cm. They gave me the option of opting for epidural or morphine for pain management. By now, I was feeling very tired, having contractions since the previous day. I opted for epidural, which was administered at around 6:15 PM. I was asked to remain still, and inform the doctor and nurses if there is a contraction coming in, then they will accordingly stop the process. Before administering an epidural, I was asked to sign a consent form. This document ensures that you understand the procedure, its purpose, and the potential risks involved. My husband was not allowed in the room during the procedure. By this moment, I was in a lot of pain with contractions coming in like crazy and making me feel almost dizzy. I did sense a jab during epidural, but the rest of the pain and procedure is very hazy in my head.

After the epidural, the nurses helped me on the bed again in the labour room. My husband was allowed in, and we were just talking. I suddenly realized I wanted to poop, but I was uncomfortable. I requested for a bed pan, as the nurse had warned me prior to this, that if I have to visit the bathroom, I cannot move from the bed. The nurse nodded, and checked me. She exclaimed that I have to wait, and the baby is coming! What I thought was a poop sensation was actually my baby eagerly coming out. At 6:48 PM , my water broke. And at 6:59 PM, my healthy little baby girl was finally out in the world. 

Post delivery experience:

Being high on epidural medication and seeing my baby girl, the details were quite hazy in my head. The staff was surprised that it was my first delivery, hence I sensed some kind of hesitation and hurry to complete their night shifts when I requested for help. Nevertheless, the staff made sure my baby latched on and helped me out the first few times when I was learning to breastfeed. They taught my husband on changing diapers, learning how to monitor hunger cues. They asked us to follow the 3 golden rules to keep a newborn baby happy- clean diaper, full stomach, and the parents’ safe and warm hands to hug them.

I was kept under observation for the next 2 days, where they regularly monitored my oxygen levels, episiotomy tear, recovery, mental and physical health.

A few tips especially for first time parents:

1. We went to Aster Hospital, Old Airport Road for our regular consultations. The Aster Nurture program was a life-saver as we purchased ‘packages’ for each trimester and it was well worth it. We also opened a file at our health center, which is recommended for all parents, even if you are consulting with a private hospital. The health center scheduled ultrasounds as well as doctors’ appointments a bit later than the due weeks, but as long as you are on their system, you are going to be well taken care of. We decided in the 36th week that we would opt for delivery at Cuban Hospital based on the reviews we got from others. Financially, it was also a better choice given I didn’t have maternity cover on my insurance.
2. Whether it be private or government hospital, during and post delivery, don’t hesitate to ask for help, as many times as you want! You don’t have to be embarrassed.
3. If you aren’t feeling up for doing work-outs or yoga, do kegels at least 10 times a day at regular intervals. My private hospital doctor kept insisting I do it, and I strongly believe that helped in shortening my labour as well as making sure it was a normal delivery. Linking here the tutorial I used to religiously follow.
4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Don’t beat me up, but that is a must. In fact, at the very end of the third trimester, I drank 3l waters in a day, and that was also not enough because of the heat in Qatar. I also developed a strong fondness for coconut water during my entire pregnancy. More on what I ate and didn’t here.

Good luck, mummas and papas! You got this!