Jaundice

On the very second day, Doctor confirmed Ashley had jaundice and advise to stay back for monitoring. Ashley needs to put in the "sun tan" box for 24 hours. Hence, i need to stay back to company Ashley since i have to feed her. I dont mind to stay back for another day since i can have another day rest in hospital.

Ashley gets better after staying in the "sun tan" box and can discharge (3rd day old). Doctor advise us to sun tan her every morning at home for a week.

- Ashley just finished her "sun tan". The hairband like thing on her head is use to cover her eye during the tanning process. She looks cute though.

My Birthday | Feb 23, 2011

My birthday falls on my confinement month. Cant do anything but to celebrate my birthday at home. My mom cook me a very nice dinner. Mr Kuan grill a siew yuk too. Delicious. Thanks All...
All the dishes...

Steamed Groupa Fish

Mr Kuan homemade siew yuk

Egg rolled in chinese sausage and fish paste. Recipe originated from ME :)

Chicken and black fungus cook with rice wine

1st Hour of Baby Ashley

Forcep marks at her face. The marks went off the next day :)
She opens her big eye at the very first when she sees the new world.

Ang pao from her grandma (Ashley just in time to take ang pao, it is still chinese new year)

Ashley Birthday | Feb 15, 2011

Early in the morning about 4am (Feb 15, 2011), I had the very first so called contraction. I thought my stomach ache and went to the toilet and try to pass motion. Somehow, nothing comes out. I went back to bed and try to sleep. But the pain comes back. I went to the toilet again. I remember I went to the toilet 3 times with nothing comes out. Only after that it rings my bell that the pain is not stomach ache, it is my labor contraction. I timed the pain to make sure it is a regular pain and comes in approx every 5-10 minutes.

I called my god sister (a mother of 2) at 5.30am and tell her what happens to me. She confirmed that it is my contraction and asked me to clean myself and take a nice warm shower then eat something before admitting to hospital. After my shower I checked myself, I saw some blood.

By time I reached hospital, is already 6.30am. My contraction is getting nearer and more painful. Nurse took a checked in me and told me I already 5cm dilated (u need to have 10cm dilated before the delivery). Doctor later said i should be able to deliver my baby around noon. I took an epidural around 8am. My water bag burst itself around 10am. After the epidural, my contraction pain disappeared. I enjoy the waiting time by listening to music, checking mails via my phone, reading book. Somehow the dilation is so so so slow. By noon, I only 6-7cm dilated. Then doctor said I should able to delivery around 3pm…. Wait wait wait….

Up until 3pm, I started to feel the contraction again. And the pain is getting nearer and severe. I thought I should be pain free after the epidural. But I can still feel the pain. IT IS SO PAINFUL!!!!!.... The nurse added my epidural dosage, but the pain is still there, I don’t know why. I thought I should be fully dilated by then but I only 8cm dilated. And it took like century to get 1cm dilated. When I am 9cm dilated, Mr Kuan keeps asking the nurses, can i start pushing now. The pain is really killing me.

I remember, I tried to push my baby out lasted for 1.30 hours, but the baby cant come out. The doctor said he needs to do a forceps. I refused and said I want to push my baby out myself. The doctor was stunt at that moment. He said normally people will give up after 30-45 minutes of trying. But I have tried for 1.30 hours. And it has already passed the threshold time of 1 hour. He said he must do a forceps if not I am putting my baby at risk.

With the severe contraction pain… I only delivered my baby at 7pm in the evening. From morning 4.30am to 7pm… approx 15 hours.
Very naturally, when I hold my baby, the purple, bloody, sticky baby… I cried of joy.

Superstitious

There are so many superstitious during pregnancy. If you really follow everything, most probably you only can sit at home doing nothing. Just to name a few of them.

- Cannot hold any scissors or knife
- Cannot do any needle or sewing work
- Cannot move the bed
- Cannot perm or dye your hair
- Cannot do any manicure or pedicure
- Cannot do any renovation
- Cannot use the drill or hammer
- Cannot visit the dentist
- Cannot take x-ray
- …….
Above mentioned are some of the common superstitious which a pregnant lady should refrain from doing so. Somehow above are the things I did or I did more than what people said cannot.

My house is still under renovation during my first trimester of pregnant. On and off I need to come to my house and supervise the work. After we have shifted in to the new house, there are still some minor works that need to touch up by our own hands. So you can imagine the renovation part work that I need to involve. My very own thoughts are if you can’t explain scientifically why I can’t do that particular work; then please don’t stop me from doing so.
On the hair part, I did not dye my hair but I straighten my hair during that time. I read from the web site that there is no scientific proof that dying hair will cause the chemical to flow into the body and affect the baby. Just have to make sure that the ventilation is good at the saloon.

I visited the dentist 3 times during my pregnancy. Of course I have consulted my own doctor. His advice is to do it after the first trimester. I extracted one of my wisdom teeth in my 4th month of pregnancy. Can’t help it, the toothache is bothering me. Then in my 2nd trimester, visit the dentist twice to do some filling. I even took an x-ray. Of course I did make sure that it is safe to so.
With all the common superstitious, thanks god, I born a healthy baby girl on Feb 15, 2011.