I am also very proud to say I delivered both my babies through WATER BIRTH.
Being the unconventional person that I naturally am, I have personally known many westerners personally who have done water birth right in their own home. I have seen the pictures and once you watch a video such as these, I knew immediately this would be the only way I would want to give birth to my own children.
For my 1st birth, my 1st tiny contractions started at about 3am. Of course being a 1st time mother, my friends and I were excited and rushed immediately to the hospital.
Arriving at the hospital with my closest friends.
Updating Facebook whilst going through contractions and waiting for the water tub.
My contractions were regular but very far apart and mild. So I managed some power naps in between whilst my friends also slept to rest. Finally 7am onwards, the contractions were regular and very uncomfortable, borderline pain! I was 2.5cm dilated and told that most likely I would birth in the late afternoon. So we all relaxed thinking that we are gonna have a lot time.
I applied the little knowledge I had about hypnobirthing and my Doula Catherine was with me all the way. She would massage my neck, home compress my womb and back and even put me on a medicine ball to massage my back. All this relieved me tremendously.
I went all the way and decided to do the full works: dim lights, soothing music, lavender aromatherapy, massage, hot bottle compress, warm water, sitting on the medicine ball and most importantly ZERO pain killers and NO EPIDURAL.
3 hours to the last half an hour before birthing, I kept going to the toilet every 10mins to pee a little and I kept feeling like I wanted to do a big poo.
Nearing 11am, I really felt like I wanted to go to the toilet to poo and I was encouraged to. This is to prevent accidentally poo whilst birthing. As I thought I was trying to poo, all of a sudden, I felt a HUGE BALL come out of my vagina. I thought the baby came out. It wasn't. Instead it was the water bag.
Nurse immediately examined me and then voila! I am fully dilated an ready to birth! It was a mad rush in the hospital. Everyone rushed to fill the tub quickly, pouring buckets of water, putting a hose in and even before the tub was full, I was already in the tub! Doctor has been alerted but we worried he won't arrive on time.
The minute I was in the water, immediately I felt so much relief during the contractions. So I can definitely vie for the fact that water birth helps with contractions.
To relieve the contractions that were happening every few minutes now, I would hum really loudly and squeeze my hands. I could feel the baby's head at the edge and I was told by my Doula that I was crowning.
I could feel the baby and I didn't care the doctor wasn't there yet. My Doula spoke to me in my ear and then my doctor walks in puts his gloves on really quick and next thing I knew, my doula said 1 more and that's it. I breathed my baby down and doc rushed into the water and got the baby out. All my best friends were with me and I knew this was it.
My 1st baby Alessi came out of the water with gusto. She was a strong baby who wailed out with a cute little frown (a trademark of my Indonesian side of my family). I could hold her in my arm for as long as I wanted. Her white greasy vernix was all over her and immediately she had a strong grip in her fingers. I could warm her up with my own body temperature. There was very little blood that came out of me and the tub water was still clear except for the area near the birth. Finally, I could cut her umbilical cord myself and only then my baby was taken from me to get cleaned, weighed and measured.
I had the gut feeling then that my baby girl was gonna be just as strong and feisty as her mama. I also knew that the bond we had then birthing her in the water will be one that will always keep me close to her.
Going through massive contractions on the left
On the right, Doctor finally arrived as I was breathing my baby down.
It is the most out of the world feeling and I will not trade that for any other way. I water birthed my 2nd daughter 2 years later as well.
After the water birth, I could step out of the tub to do a land birth of the placenta (something I never knew I had to do prior to birthing).
Breastfeeding for the 1st time
Once the placenta is out, baby's all done, baby was given back to me to breastfeed for the 1st time. I know the colustrum or the 1st milk which looks like honey instead of milk is most nutritious so I gladly let Alessi latch onto my breasts. She was a natural and I became a mother breastfeeding her baby.
A big thank you for the greatest support I could have possibly had during my water birth:
Professor Dr Chong Yap Seng of National University Hospital Singapore, the only Doctor and hospital that you can do Water Birth in Singapore.
Catherine Soon, my personal Doula from Parentlink and Trimester who helped me through all the painful contractions, made me believe that I could do it without the epidural and did/said the right things when I needed it most.
Deborah Fox, my Doula from NUH, that had the patient to explain to me all about water birth in NUH and linking me to Catherine.
My best friends who were by my side and tub: Alan, Nina, Richard and Yunda the donor.
Alessi's birth started with a party of great friends and people and love and it will always stay that way. The beauty of water birth - a few people allowed in the same room :)
My infamous Alessi with her infamous frown at birth
So yes, water birth is not only for Caucasians and for you to watch on YouTube. I am a living example and so is my doula Catherine that Water Birth is possible for Asians and it is available here in Singapore and in Malaysia at Pantai Hospital Bangsar.
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