Bad Experiences during Delivery - Part 2

As a continuation from PART 1, here I'll recount the bad experiences that I'd been through during the day of the delivery.


As I missed going into labour on my EDD (Estimated delivery date), I was scheduled to be induced a few day later. The day before the planned delivery date, I was induced and admitted into the Hospital. During the process, my Gynae had told me a few times that the next morning at 7am I would need to be put on drip, followed by epidural insertion, then the Gynea will break my water bag.

So I stayed in the Hospital that night and at 7am the next morning, I was whisked into the labour waiting room. The attending nurse asked me what I want to do. So I recounted my Gynae's words the previous day. However, and to my astonishment, the nurse kept on asking a few times what I PREFER her to do. I am not a doctor, how would I know what's the best for me, if I do not follow my Gynae's instructions? So I kept on repeating the Gynae's instructions. Seeing that she was still confused, so I told her to check with my Gynae, which she agreed. Before she went off, she put me on enema to ensure my bowel is cleared.

Just halfway through my bowel clearing process, the Gynae appeared in front of my toilet cubicle and rushed me to finish my business. The moment I stepped out of the toilet, the Gynae rushed me to my ward and scolded me for not getting my drip and epidural done earlier. Isn't this the job of the nurse? Some more I had given instruction to the nurse, it is the nurse who delayed the whole process as she was unsure and need some verification from the Gynae.

The moment I lie on the bed, the Gynae exclaimed that cannot wait for me to put on drip and epidural because got another appointment at 8am. So straightaway, the Gynae insert hand into cervix and tried pulling the water bag a few times before managed to break it with hook in the end. As I could feel the hand movements and the pulling sensation inside, I was feeling lots of discomfort. I gave out some moans. And you know what the Gynae said to me? "You see, if you had inserted the epidural earlier, you don't have to moan now!". In the first place, the Gynae was the one very rough (based on feedback from others, there isn't supposed to be much sensation during water bag breaking) during the process and even dare to say this kind of comment!!

Then the Gynae instructed the nurse to quickly hook me up on drip and call in the Anaesthetist (or Anaesthesiologist) for epidural. And then the Gynae was gone in an instant. The whole process happened in just a few minutes time. I was told by friends later that it is possible for me to go into active labour any moment after my water bag broke. It seems to me that my Gynae's personal appointment was more important than my safety!

After around 15 minutes, the Anaesthetist arrived and promptly administered the epidural. However, as my contraction became stronger and stronger, I felt more and more pain until I could not bear any longer. I asked the nurse why is it possible that I could still felt very strong contraction pains whereas I was given epidural? The nurse's reply was that the pain is normal even with epidural. So I had no choice and had to endure the pain.

Five hours later after the the beginning of contraction, my Gynae finally appeared and saw that I was in intense pain. The Gynae mentioned that it is impossible for people hooked up with epidural to have these intense sensations. Thus the Gynae asked the nurse to monitor my situation for 5 minutes. If my condition persist, then call in the Anaesthetist to check the epidural flow. After 5 minutes, the nurse asked me whether I want to call in the Anaesthetist, I told her no need as my pain instensity didn't get worse, just maintain at the same level. But the nurse said that she had better call him in, since she could sense that I was in much pain. What the hell is this? 5 hours ago, I was told this is normal. But now I was told the pain is too much for me!

After the Anaesthetist came in and adjusted the epidural tubing and flow rate, finally my contraction pain was gone totally within half an hour! I am too dumbfounded to say anymore on this. As I was too tired due to the previous contraction pains, I fell into slumber immediately.

Five hours later, I was woken up and sent to the delivery ward. Finally, my baby is coming out soon and then everything will be done with!

In the delivery room, there was a nurse attending to me and my hubby. But sometimes, when the nurse left the room to do something, we were left alone in the midst of contractions. We went through the pushing exercise while waiting for the Gynae. However, as there was not enough nurses, my hubby need to help out in pushing the baby through each contraction, and also to support my weight. Sometimes my hubby also need to hold onto a bucket for me to vomit (due to epidural side effect) in between contractions. As he was behind me all the while, he missed out watching the whole action in front. I wonder if every husbands need to do these kind of tasks in labour room? What if my hubby wasn't there? Why can't the Hospital provide more manpower? My hubby's initial idea of taking photographs was abandoned in the end as he was too busy supporting my labour.

The moment crowning happened, my Gynae was called in. Prior to this, my hubby and I had provided a birth plan to my Gynae stating that if any vacuum pump or forcep is needed, please consult us first. However, later after the birth, my hubby told me that he saw the Gynae using the vacuum pump but the Gynae didn't told us. Then what's the point of us coming out with the birth plan in advance? We had even gone through the details one by one with the Gynae during one of the consultation visits. Is it just for a show?

After the labour, I was sent to the postnatal ward at around 7pm. Once again, there was no dinner prepared for me. I had not eaten a morsel since 7am in the morning and now the Hospital is denying me of my dinner! In the end, my hubby went to a nearby coffeeshop and bought me some food. This seems to me like a miscommunication between labour ward department and postnatal ward department.

Well by this time, you may think that the whole labour is done and my ordeal should have come the an end. You are WRONG! There were still more to tell. I'll recount the rest of the story in PART 3 ....