Arrival of Brendan and my rollercoaster emotions over the month!

Information of our new baby

Name: Chan Hao Hian, Brendan 曾浩轩
Date of Birth: 26 Feb 2009
Time of Birth: 2.37 p.m.
Place of Birth: Brigham Women Hospital, Boston
Birth Weight: 3.17 kg (7 pounds 0 ounces)
Birth Length: 19 inches (49 cm)

After waiting nervously for about a month, we have finally welcomed the arrival of our second baby boy, Brendan. At the beginning of my 36 weeks pregnancy, I was already beginning to get nervous and excited about the birth as I was going to try out for vaginal birth after a C-section, commonly known as VBAC. We were briefed about the risks and complications many times during the prenatal visits and have discussed all the possibilities with my Ob-gyn before we signed a consent form for our VBAC. Everyday since 36 weeks, I was becoming increasingly paranoid over any small little cramps and was worried that my mother would not be able to make it to Boston in time for the birth as I really wanted K to accompany me during the labour which I knew would not be possible if no one was around to care for Ry.

Fortunately, my mum made it safely to Boston on 17 Feb and my Braxton Hicks contractions started kicking in immediately the next day. On Thursday, 19 Feb, during my 38 weeks Ob-gyn visit, the doctor informed me that I was already 2 cm dilated and proceeded to strip the membrane around the cervix, hoping that it would initiate the labor soon. So for the following days, I was strutting around with trepidation while trying to get Ry comfortable with his grandma whom he had not seen for the past 6 months and also getting my mum into the routine of things around the house. I was getting more contractions after the stripping of the membrane but nothing really happened over the week. So, K and I were a little disappointed and we were quite prepared for another scheduled C-section on the due date, 2 March as days went by.

On Wednesday night, I went to bed pretty early at 10 am as I was very tired after bring Ry to his usual gym activity in the afternoon. In the middle of the night around 3 am, I was woken up by a sudden and consistent pain that is similar to a menstrual cramp. I thought it was the usual false contractions that I had been having for the past week, so I duly ignored it. But, the cramps continued and became regular at 5 - 10 minutes interval after they kept me awake. So I woke up K at 345 am and informed him of the possible onset of labor but told him to continue his sleep. At 430 am, I finally woke K up and asked him to call the Ob-gyn hotline to see whether we can go to the hospital. The nurse called back and after confirming that I was having a VBAC and my contractions were 5 minutes apart, she then advised us to go to Brigham Women Hospital. This is not the usual practice in US here as most mothers who are having their first labour would usually be advised to wait for another 3 hours before making their way to the hospital but since I was having a VBAC, I could go in earlier as they need to put me on monitor throughout my whole labor.

I bathed and packed my bag and left for the hospital at 6 am and reaching there around 6 30 am. The Ob-gyn on shift came and examined me at around 6 45 am and informed me that I was around 4 cm dilated and 100% effaced, which means that I could go into the delivery suite immediately. I was escorted to the delivery suite 505 and was hooked up onto the various monitors. The cramps were still coming in between 3 - 5 minutes apart but my water bag hasn't break. I was previously told by my Ob-gyn that I must have epidural so that I could go into emergency c-section immediately if there's a need so I need to inform the doctors when I felt the need and the pain becomes unbearable. So on the delivery bed, I was constantly debating whether should I ask for the epidural now or is the pain still bearable.

Me still in the observation ward when we just checked into the hospital.

Finally after a long wait till around 9 am, the next Ob-gyn on shift finally came in to examine me and said I was already 7-8 cm dilated and she was surprised that I had not ask for the epidural yet. She commented I was very stoic and had very high pain tolerance. So things went into a frenzy then, epidural was given and the doctor broke my water bag. Immediately, my contractions started picking up and I felt I was ready to deliver by 1 pm. By 2 pm, the nurse and the Ob-gyn got me to push and within 30 minutes, Brendan was delivered safely. He was crying even before he was completely out and everybody around me commented that he has a lot of hair. The only unfortunate event was that I had a low grade fever after birth and the doctor and pediatrician were worried that Brendan maybe infected too so they had to wheeled him away to the observation ward immediately to draw his blood for bacteria culture and putting IV drip on him so that they could administer antibiotics. Poor daddy hasn't even carried the baby yet!

Baby Brendan ready to be wheeled to the nursery for observation!

Daddy, my mum, Ryan and baby Brendan!

Ry's first interaction with baby! Simply adore him as he's been such a good boy ever since baby is here!

Baby Brendan is so much more chubbier than Ry at birth! We are definitely surprised with his weight as we have always assumed that he'll be in the same range as Ry at around 5 pounds plus.

Baby getting ready to leave the hospital! We'll definitely keep the blue hat in our family as it has sort of become the Chan's family heirloom since it has seen 3 baby boys out of the hospital. Hopefully, it'll be put to use the 4th time in the Chan family!

Personally, I never regretted opting for VBAC this time and I find the birth of Brendan more fulfilling and touching as compared to the C-section for Ry. The other plus side definitely is the shorter recovery time as I was up and about within the next 5 hours as compared to my C-section which I could only start moving after about 14 hours on bed, which thus made breastfeeding more difficult.