Dear Baby A,
It’s been 1 week and 3 days since you came into this world, and though you weren’t born on 21 December 2024, as I had mentioned in my earlier post, your arrival was nothing short of extraordinary.
On Friday, 20 December 2024, just a day before my scheduled elective caesarean, we went for one final scan with the doctor. To our surprise—yes, even the doctor’s!—your head had turned down and was engaged. It was an unexpected twist, but we decided to embrace it and give normal delivery a chance.
We scheduled the induction for Monday, 23 December 2024, and I was admitted that same day. With a set date, things felt calmer. We prepared as best as we could—cleaning the house, organizing everything for your big sister Kakak Iryss, and ensuring Atta and Tok Ma were ready to care for her while Abah and I were at the hospital.
But as things sometimes go, the plan didn’t unfold as smoothly as we’d hoped.
When I arrived on 23 December, the wards were full, so we were placed in the labor room instead. The induction began, and contractions followed. For the first six hours, the pain was manageable. I did yoga, exercised on the birthing ball, walked, squatted—everything I could to encourage dilation.
But progress was slow. After six hours, there was no dilation, and the contractions were weaker than expected. The doctors gave me a second dose of induction, and this time, the pain was intense. They administered a painkiller shot that finally allowed me to rest through the night.
The next day, 24 December, came and went. Despite the last dose of the induction tablet, I was only 2 cm dilated. The pain was unbearable, yet the contractions weren’t strong enough. By 4 PM, the doctor presented me with a choice: proceed with a caesarean or try a drip induction one last time.
I decided to give it one more shot—but with an epidural this time. The procedure gave me some relief, and they started the drip induction. I waited, hoping, praying. But after six hours, there was no progress. I was still at 2 cm.
And so, we moved forward with the emergency caesarean.
Initially scheduled for midnight, we had to wait our turn as an appendectomy took precedence. The epidural dosage was increased, and finally, at exactly 2:00 AM on 25 December 2024, you entered the world.
The moment I heard your first cry, tears streamed down my face. After everything—needles, contractions, inductions, painkillers, exhaustion—you were here. My heart was full, overwhelmed by gratitude and love.
This caesarean experience was different, one that tested my strength and faith in ways I never imagined. There were moments I thought my time had come, but Alhamdulillah, we made it through. That’s a story I’ll share another day, inshaAllah.
For now, this is your birth story, and oh, Baby A, it’s already one for the books.
We’ve chosen a name for you, and I’ll reveal it in my next post.
Till then, know this: Mama loves you deeply, more than words can express.
With all my heart,
Mama
P.S. We didn’t celebrate Christmas; it just so happened that you were born on December 25, which falls on the Christmas public holiday.
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