The Birth of My First Son: Benjamin Ezry, in the birth pool - Ezwan Hamdi & Nursuliana - <img src=""

I was updating my resume when I first felt like I’m going to deliver my baby soon. I told my hubby “He will be born on the 080408”…
I remembered people told me that we will somehow know within 40 days in advance when we are going to die, and I experienced that, I guess…
At that very moment, I felt nervous, worried and excited at the same time.

7 April 2008

Nothing really happened on this day… I spent the rest of the day with my beloved hubby and parents and discussed about delivery tips with Mama (she was a retired midwife in GH) that gives me an idea of giving birth. Although we did discuss a lot before … but I really need it this time… to be more prepared because I knew that the baby is coming soon!!

8 April 2008

1.00am
I post a help message to all my IIUM friends in our ‘marvellite’ yahoo group to pray for me … Thanks guys!!

5.00am
I’m 39 weeks pregnant and YES, I am absolutely right! The baby is coming. I went to the toilet at 5am and there’s a show mark on my underwear and I felt pain in my stomach.

I told my hubby and we couldn’t sleep after that … I still remember the Doctor from my Braxton Hicks experience told me, “u will know the actual contraction and your husband will know it too….” Yes, this is it! YEAH!!!

… It felt like a strong period pain. Since I used to have really bad period pain before, I’m kind of used to it… then it become frequent and stop… Abah prepared air selusuh for me.

8.00am
The contraction happened every hour and last for 10 seconds… l had my breakfast at 8am and lunch at 12pm as usual… so I ask my hubby to time the contraction…

1.30pm
After lunch, the contraction occurred every 20 minutes and lasted for 20 seconds. My hubby asks me to call the birth center and talk to the midwife. She asked me how I felt. I told her there is show mark and the contraction happened every 20 minutes. She told me to wait until the contractions become 4 minutes apart and last for 30 seconds before I go to the birth center. So we all wait…

2.30pm
I laid down in bed and tried to sleep… but it didn’t help. Mama stayed with me and timed my contractions.. She asked me to be prepared because I will give birth any time now because the show mark normally happened when u r in labor. OK, now I’m scared but Mama said I have to be strong, the pain will be really really excruciating soon…

I did all the breathing technique that I learned before to ease the pain. Deep breathing through the nose and exhaling through mouth really helped a lot…

4.00pm
As I couldn’t sleep I ask my hubby to get the entire pamphlet that we received during our antenatal class… pain release and helpful positions in labor… first, mama said I better take a shower because it’s going to be long process… I then ask Ezwan to fill in the bath tub with warm water and lavender.. Then I’d stay in the tub for nearly an hour and relaxed. It really helps…

After shower and dress up, we try other positions as u can see in the pictures and those helped me ease the pain as well… and we continue timing the contractions.

5.00pm
I’m so lucky to have my parents with me at this time. Thank you Abah & Mama.

As reluctant as he was Ezwan have to go to work that evening. Before he left home, he said if anything should happened, just give him a call. Mama said “it will not be that soon… so don’t worry, just go to work…abah, mama ada”. So, off to work he went and I stayed with Mama & Abah at home.

9.00pm
Ezwan went back home. Alhamdulillah and I’m still ok …

contraction happened every 10 minutes and last for 20 seconds. We both lie down and watch tv. Abah Ma went to sleep as well.

9 April 2008

1.00am
So, I’m totally wrong about the date…It’s now 090408… however this time, the contractions are getting stronger & stronger, happened every 5 minutes and last for 30 seconds.. and this is the right time for me to go to the birth center…

.. I called the midwife and she ask me to go to hope hospital now… dress up and ready to go… before that I feel like defecating but Mama said don’t because it would not be feces .. I might deliver in the toilet if I push really hard… lucky I manage to walk down the 3 stories staircase. Everyone seems panic.

1.30am
Reach birth center and the midwife is already waiting for me. I’ve been placed in a quiet single room. I’ve change to tshirt & kain batik and lye down. The midwife then checks my blood pressure and it’s high. And also check the opening… its 4cm… and it was the right time to be in the hospital. My parents waited in the guest room. Ezwan be on my side all nite. I ask for gas as pain relief. The midwife came to check the contraction and listen to Amin heartbeat.

5.00am
After drinking air selusuh* abah, the contraction happened for 30 minutes non-stop..

It was really strong…Ezwan help me cool down. After that strong contraction the midwife came and checking the opening… its 8cm … The progress was doing great!... and she ask me how I’m going to deliver…As everything normal with me and the baby, I ask her whether I can use the pool? Yes, absolutely. I’ve decided to use the birth pool and if it didn’t help, I’ll take pethidine and deliver on bed. She starts filling the pool and preparing the room for me.

*air selusuh is the prayer water (from plain boiled tap water) I drank to ease the whole labor process my father's air selusuh is the best helper!

Water Birth – Hands-off delivery and our emergency experience.

7.00am
I went to the birth pool. The water temperature has to be between 37-39 celcius all the time.

Ezwan’s job now is to monitor the water temperature. My parents sitting in the room next to the birth pool… I ask Ezwan to leave the door open so that I can see my parents from the birth pool. Once I’m in the water, my contractions relieved. Being in the water soothed me down. It’s more frequent but less painful. The pool seems quite big for me, as it is designed for European ladies. My leg can’t even reach the end of the pool, and that’s worries me as I have an experience of drowning in KDE some time ago. That makes me a bit phobia with water and pool.

10.00am
Abah, mama went home to prepare food for Ezwan. Ezwan stays with me all the time… Thank you sayang, I love you very much!

He can’t even go to the toilet as I’ll scream if he’s gone…

. He held my hand and supported me every second. My mouth non stop reciting Allah, Allah, Allah… and ask for His forgiveness. I could not imagine the pain will be this great! I’ll ask Ezwan and my parents’ forgiveness as well for many many times.

8.00am – 3.59am
Pushing, pushing and pushing. Everyone supported me, abah & mama from outside, Ezwan and midwife… ‘Push awak, u boleh, push angah, kuat lagi, you are doing great!’ At 3.00pm I surrender and ask for the midwife to help. They said they can’t because water birth is hands-off delivery. Because any help might make the baby breath in the water. That’s the procedure of water birth. And I did ask for other method of delivery, they said I’m doin great, it almost there. I try all position to make it out, but it won’t help.

1.00pm
The midwife check again the opening its 10cm, and after that the water breaks… suddenly I feel my stomach a bit smaller than before…

4.00pm
As I’m struggling with the pain, and new midwife came in for evening shift. Two midwives are with me now… they ask me to push… I heard Along called Abah from Malaysia… Abah ask her to call Atuk, my parent in law and uncles to pray and do sembahyang hajat for me as it’s really hard for me to give birth to this little boy. Suddenly I heard a voice saying that it will be end soon… (I don’t know from where it comes from). I’m really lucky to have my beloved hubby & parents are with me all this while, every little words they say really help me a lot! Thank you so much sayang, mama & abah.

4.30pm – Baby time & it is an emergency one

THE TIME HAS COME! …I can’t push anymore, I’m too tired…

after the contraction, the midwife asks me to feel the baby’s head… when I feel his head…. I knew, I must bring him out now… his already there… just a bit more… The midwife asks me to squat and push…I hang myself to the pool, and the only way I can bring him out is to tare myself, because no one else can help me. Suddenly I feel like great energy coming to me maybe because of all the prayers from family and friends…

I feel like a superwoman… And with no contraction at all, after taking one big breath, I push as hard as I can and with great pain below ….the head’s finally out… Allah hu Akbar!!… The midwives ask me to turn and sit face up and wait for another contraction to push the body out. Apparently there is no contraction and the midwife told me the body is not turning to right position to come out. Although the head is out and was in the water, he didn’t drown as he is still getting his oxygen from his umbilical cord and the water temperature in the poll is the same as in the womb. SO basically to him, it was just like being in the womb.

With the head still in the water, they ask me to stand up. They need to get the body out now… I’ve no more energy that time, I couldn’t stand. One of the midwife push the emergency button, and in sudden about 20 peoples came to the room. The midwives scream at me, “u have to stand up, it’s for your baby. Please stand up.” Suddenly I get the energy again to stand and both of the midwives help me up. My baby’s head is still between my legs and I have to climb a stair to get out of the pool. Two people support my hands and one support the baby’s head. I walk slowly to the bed and lye down facing up…

It happens so fast, and I don’t really know what’s happening to me. as Ezwan told me. In the bed, they pushed my back in sitting position and raise my leg up to my chest and push the baby shoulder out. Ezwan says the baby legs came out like a spring. I saw they cut the cord. They bring the baby to my chest and clean him with towel. And I can see Amin’s eyes open, blinking and look at me

As I cry, I told my son, “Kenapa susah sangat nak kuar dari perut mummy ni, kenapa susah sangat” On the other side of my bed I saw both my parents are crying. I couldn’t see my hubby… and suddenly Ezwan holds my hand with tears. “It’s our baby sayang… finally his out”… Alhamdulillah!

They took the baby from me to check his condition and they injected my backside and after 5 minutes they asked me to give another push, and one more push and they take out the cord and placenta. My stomach feels empty and loose now. Another doctor injected me at my right hand and took some blood.

Then they asked me to open my wet cloths and cover myself with blanket and they give the baby back to me… I hold him for a while and Ezwan cuddle him and recite the Azan to his right ear and Iqamat to his left ear. And put him back to me for skin-to-skin contact. As what I requested in the birth plan, there were only three of us in the room for an hour. Alhamdulillah…

Then they come back with the placenta because we ask for it. And abah & mama came into the room with tears and hug me and kiss Benjamin. Then the midwife dress Amin and I took a bath and dress as well.

When both of us ready, I breastfed him for the first time.

For me:
Advantages of water birth:

1) We are healthy – both me & my baby are healthy, the main conditions to be in the pool before delivery.
2) Natural delivery- gentlest of gentle births
3) The baby came out really healthy (straight away open his eye to see the world) – most effective drug-free choice
4) Better use of gravity – Flexibility in many positions.
5) Relaxation - Relieved contraction pain.
6) Fullest attention - Midwife be with me all the time.
7) Less risk of tear and heal very fast! Amazing
8. Privacy & special care – first class hotel room & luxury bathtub (The tub cost more than £10k). I can bring both of my parents and husband in the labour room. And it is the first delivery experience for my father and hubby. Sampai naik darah tinggi abah.

Disadvantages of water birth:

1) Hands off delivery – do it yourself (DIY) and my mom really hate it, totally against her midwife principles… she did ask a lot whether I can be helped!
2) Emergency situation – Like my experience, the baby’s shoulder stuck …

I LOVE GIVING BIRTH IN THE UK (first class treatment)! and in the pool as well!