WaterBirth..

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Finally Bella is out with daddy. They are at their Jiddah’s house.. and mommy has a little time to spend writing her blog (and laundry!!!) Yay!! I have a lot of request from you guys about my water birth experience.. Today I would like to share it with you.. Of course even after almost 4 months, I can still remember my first birthing experience. The only thing that I have forgotten is the pain.. I’ve forgotten about it the moment I hold my baby for the first time in my hands.. Priceless!! It all happened on July 21, 2011…         0211H : Arrived at Pantai Hospital. Yes, I was all swollen up. I looked like a hot air balloon!! Hhahahha.. Org tua2 kata kalu nak beranak.. sampai hidung pun nmpk swollen.. yes.. I was swollen up to my nose!! Ala ala smurf gitu!! :D Thats the baby daddy.. smiling up to his ears!! Sorry S, baby doesnt want to wait till July 27.. she needs to come on today ;) And mommy-to-be tgh update Twitter, Facebook and check-in at Foursquare ;) Hahahha..

I’m bored.. biler nak beranak nih?

Since I’m a doctor.. I know how to read my own CTG.. The contractions are slowly building up.. and sometimes I can see my baby’s sleeping pattern from the CTG..Adeh.. sakett!!! Try to catch my breaths in between contractions.. When I came to the hospital, my cervix opening was only 4cm.. You are allowed to go into the birth pool when cervix opening is 5cm and above.. So, thats why I’m still on the bed..

That’s the birth pool next to my bed. The water temperature is maintained at 37-38′C at all time!! The warm temperature REALLY helps in reducing the pain intensity.. and besides, you can move about inside the pool. If you feel like going out of the pool, yes you can go jalan2 in the labour room or just lie in bed for a while.. Dok lamer2 dlm tu pun kecut pulak karang :D

And that is my labour partner/coach!! Making himself comfortable.. Hahahha.. tu sah-sah tgh main game.. But he never left my side.. ok, not really my side but he was in the labour room ALL the time except when he went for prayers..  Other than that, no.. he was in the labour room throughout.. Thank you, S ;)

And these are my younger brothers who were there to help us out with things.. tukang amik gambar and video, beli food, moral support, buat lawak… Amir is the one with bright blue sweater and Arif is with dark blue shirt.. Thank you to both of you.. KakNa loves you both!!!If you noticed, I didn’t have any intravenous drip (IV drip) attached to me. There was no drugs given to augment the contractions and no epidural. It’s all au natural ;) Therefore, I was allowed to eat and drink while I was in labour to give me some energy and keep myself hydrated. Yup, that was McDonald’s breakfast meal at 0520H. I also had a lot of dates in stock to eat just in case I was so much in pain and can’t even chew :D After the breakfast meal, I had a plate of char kuey tiow at around 8am :D

Throughout the labouring process, many people came to visit me.. my immediate family, in-laws family, ‘bestest’ friend forever, Dr Elly who was ObGyn in HUKM also dropped by to support me.

But no worries, none of them were inside the labour room when I was in the pool.. and all pictures were taken by my mom.. It’s kinda nice to be in the pool because you can move around to help to reduce the pain.. and warm water was really comfy. No, the pain doesn’t totally disappear, it is still there but slightly reduced. God gives you labour pain for a reason. It helps you to push the baby out. Why make it disappear? 

And my husband was in the pool with me when I was about to push the baby out.. Check out who else was in the pool?? Yellow duck!! Hahahha.. that’s the thermometer ok! Nope, not a toy!! Seems like my labour coach ni termenung lar pulak.. hahahha…

After 18 hours of labour, and 1 hour of pushing.. baby finally out at 2121H on 21/7/11.. The was the biggest joy in my life. My family and in-laws were there to celebrate the arrival of Sophea Isabella. She weigh 3.6kg with the length of 53cm.. She is the cutest baby girl I have seen ever. Well, that might be bias because she is my baby.. but never mind lar kan. You would say the same thing too to you baby kan!! Hhahhaha…

So, that’s my birthing story.. XOXO

70 thoughts on “WaterBirth..”

  1. hi dr! that was such an amazing experience I should say. anyhow, I’m wondering whether is there any episiotomy done for water birthing?

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  6. congratulation! I excited read. not expect at malaysia also already have waterbirth. perhaps I will be doing for second child later. what about the price and which hospital there is offer waterbirth?

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  8. thank you Dr. for sharing the story and great experience.
    Dr., last time when i gave birth to my first daughter, i have no energy to push her out. i was admitted to labour room @ 7am and i’m not allowed to eat food or beverages. mase tu yg drip kt tgn utk masukkn air je. pnat jgak meneran sbb xde tenaga.. but alhamdulillh slmt lahirkn bby on that afternoon pkl 3.30ptg. tp lps tu mmg lembik la.. minum air kosong je…

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  16. waaa…. Dr… Fareeq came out at 2121H on 15/8/2010….. but, i was on natural labour…. anyway, 18 hours on labour and 1 hour of pushing, mmg akak kalah ngan u laa… i was only 6 hours of labour and only 20 minutes of pushing ponnnn i takleh tahan (walaupun dah 3rd time ok?)… Fareeq was 3.9 kg tau Dr….
    Anyway… u r a supermommy laaa….. respekkkkk!!!! heheheeee……;-)

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  18. dr,may i know at the hospital, is there any person in charge during ur labour? or is that dr s only handling the labour? haha since both of you are a doctor!!

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  19. thanks halina 4 sharing..suka baca pengalaman org len nk bersalin…actually..sgt2 berminat dgn waterbirth ni since tgk kt ch 733(astro)…anyway..enjoy baca blog u nih…

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  21. salam dr…nice story…insyaAllah,wanna try to for my next 2nd child…in which hospital that provide this water birth??? and how about the cost?? is it more than 10 k???

    credit to bb B coz have a supermommy like Dr….Bb B,be a gud girl ye dear,

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  23. how wonderful moments!! i wish u all the best Dr may allah bless you and your little baby.. ^^ so proud of you & Dr muszaphar shukor

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  24. can i ask u something silly dr…do we have to shave when everytime we go for check up and as well as time nak deliver nanti?

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  30. its awesome that u have the guts to tr this for ur 1st born, anyways, which hospital provide this method? and how much, seriously i can feel the -less-pain effect of it, and i’d like to try it for myself too.. hope you can clarify,

    u r soo pretty at any angle!

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  33. KakNa,,,unfortunately x bayak kan hospital in malaysia yang provide method ni ? hopefully,,,, One day dorg akan Ada-kan lah… To help mothers-to-be outside there.. Since this method only popular and familiar in europe countries.. We should expose this to all Malaysian too. ;) :)

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  35. sobss.. ur pic in a pool really2 make me cry (over plak) and so speechless, as I can feel the pain. but then, ur skin still look flawless #uwaaaa… nak jugak skin mcm tu

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  37. TQ for sharing it with us. I have gave birth to 3 girls with normal labour and the help of Prof Dr Hashim of HUKM Cheras,, Special Ward 7th Floor…… and yes its true I can still remember that moment until today or everytime celebrate their b’day but I forgot the pain…do not know where its gone after hold them for the first time…You’re totally RIGHT about it. To me the beauty of natural birth is the Pain… all the excruciating pain for hours totally gone the moment you hold that tiny baby…

    Its only RM500 for the pool is it or you get better rate for being a doctor:)

    Sorry I was super bzzzzzzz preparing for people’s wedding/birthday paty/engagement etc since Oct. Will be a little bit free frm today until next Sat to follow your blog again.hehehe….

    Reply

  39. Sis, interesting post. Always wondered waterbirth mcm mana. Lagi satu, larat ye you makan time labour. I was induced and masa baru-baru dilated around 2.5cm pun tak boleh makan dah dek sakit. Terror lah you :)

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  42. tq doc for the sharing,feel touching when i look at ur pic,teringat momen2 masa deliver hari tu..teringin gak nk deliver dalam air..nk tengok pic lagi!!!hehe!

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  43. Salam Dr Halina,

    I believe congratulations is very much due and still not too late for both you and hubby! I am very intrigued that as a doctor you actually went down the au natural way to have a gentle physiological birth without any unnecessary medical interventions. Can you perhaps enlighten us how do you come about the decision to do a water birth? Also would you support that the Malaysia healthcare system, especially in the pregnancy and birth model, is in need of a midwifery system replacing the Obgyn model currently applied? FYI, I am a 1st time and informed mother and will be doing a waterbirth too but at the comfort of my own home as I can’t afford the exorbitant fee that Pantai is charging.

    I wish more doctors would be as open as you are in supporting the water birth and home birth in Malaysia and that can reflect in the decrease of unnecessary caesarean rate. If mothers can be given the choice of elective caesarean without anyone batting an eyelid, I don’t see why a drug free home birth couldn’t get the same support…

    Your birth story is a delight to read and shared over with my birth buddies… ^_^

    Reply

    • Hi Hayati..

      First of all, congratulations to you on the decision to deliver your baby au natural. Personally, I am not against the ObGyn system here in Malaysia. It does saves life but I have to admit sometimes there are unnecessary interventions done.

      I hope you still have your own ObGyn taking care of you during pregnancy and during labour. Eventhough I choose to do natural birth, I still have ObGyn taking care of me. I don’t really suggest you to do homebirthing especially if this is your first child because trust me, you do not know what to expect despite all the stories you heard from others. Every pregnancy / delivery is different.

      Waterbirth at the hospital is drug-free too. Discuss with your ObGyn that you really really do not want to go for c-section.. and discuss about your birth plan. make them clear of what you want and what you don’t want.

      If you have experience giving birth before, maybe home birth is fine. But for first baby, please think twice.. or maybe thrice..

      Thats just my opinion.. I’m wishing you all the best Hayati.. X

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  44. Salam dr, after gave birth to 3 kids and had exhausted experiences, i feel i want to have difference in my 4th delivery. Since i have severe back pain when i was in my confinement in 2010. Waterlabor is one of my option, since a few friends had delivered their sweet bunch in water, as well. I would to ask few questions:
    1) did you have tear during the labour?
    2) according to the cost of the hospital, you mentioned rm500. Is it because you are a goverment servants or less involvement of medical staffs?
    3) which doctor attended you?
    4) can i just walk-in even though i never have check-up at Pantai Hospital, Bangsar?

    Thank you. Anyway, nice stories and wish more pictures. :)

    Reply

    • Answering to your questions Pn Habibah..
      1) After 3 delivery, insyaAllah you don’t need any episiotomy. Little tear can be repaired
      2) It is standard rm500.. not included room stay..
      3) My ObGyn is Dr Idora of Pantai Hospital, Bangsar
      4) I dont think they will accept walk-in patient in labour for waterbirth because they need to get the birthpool ready.

      I hope I answered all your questions :)

      Reply

      • Hey!! I’m a medical student and it was nice to read your experience as I have not seen a water birth before. Here in the uk, they are done by midwives in special midwife-led units, so there is almost no hope of seeing it in hospital!!

        I still remember after seeing my first (normal) delivery, I thought to myself, “I am never getting pregnant/giving birth EVER!!” cause the lady was in so much pain. Eventually, I realised that after the baby dah lahir, everyone forgets about the problems/pain they had and they want more :P

        as for the waterbirth, i dont know how it works in malaysia, but as i mentioned before, waterbirths are (mostly) carried out in midwife-led units in the uk, and they tend to be for patients who are generally fit and well. they need to check the mother (checking for any medical problems e.g. high blood pressure, diabetes, etc) or the baby (any congenital defects, poly/oligohydramnios/activity levels) before they can give the green light for a waterbirth :)

        this is cause if you are not very healthy, they will need to have a doctor to be present at the delivery :)

        Take care!! and congratulations on such a cute baby girl :)

      • Hi Dr Halina,
        May I know whether DR Idora do waterbirth too? Thank you :) As I know there is only one dr in Pantai do waterbirth?

  45. Hi Dr Halina, Thanks for sharing your birth experience. I’m a HypnoBirthing practitioner and also a committee member of the Gentle Birthing Group. Too often birth is portrayed as something to be feared and scary. So much so that we forget that birth is a life event and not a medical event. Too many mothers have traumatic birth experiences because of this.. and the fact that they surrender their decisions to the people who they believe know about birth more than they do. It would be great if you could talk more about your natural birth experience and help spread awareness about gentle undisturbed births. Best, Nadine xx

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    • Hi Nadine..

      I would love to try hypnobirthing for my second baby.. together with waterbirth, of course ;) Well, not that I’m pregnant now but do you have any contact who can teach me hypnobirth? :D How soon should I go a learn hypnobirthing? Pls kindly email me at halinamohdyunos@gmail.com if you have any info.. Thanks, Nadine!

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  46. kak lina, btul kew sume adik kak lina ambik bidang perubatan….??????(hamizah,amirul arif n amirul amir)..sume suke bidang perubatan kew….

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    • yes Hidayah.. Hamizah is already a qualified doctor currently working in Dublin, Ireland.. Arif and Amir is still in med school :) Alhamdullillah..

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      • jauh nye kt Daulin,Ireland…sape yg belajar kt mesir…amirul arif or amirul amir………..????????????

  50. Hye Dr halina;

    Do u think waterbirth ada kt pantai medical ampang or cheras?..my due date is on 1st mac 2012..i would like to try waterbirth..if u can share, mse u deliverd to your ObGyn was around u?…atau they just leave u with ur hubby alone..untill the baby comes out?..

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    • im not sure about that yana. my obgyn came when i was ready to give birth. before that there was a midwife taking care of me all way long..

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  51. During my contraction (waiting for labour), I was thirsty. I’m afraid that I would dehydrated. So I ask my doctor can I have just a gulp of water. Doctor said yes, but not much. But then, when the nurse saw me drinking, she cynically told me actually I can’t have drink. Until now, I was wondering is it okay for us to eat or drink during the contraction?

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  52. I”m a mother with 6 children…before masuk labour room kawan i bagi petua… sesudu madu, sesudu milo, 2 biji telur kampung mentah dan sesudu planta… mix all and teguk…insya allah ada tenaga dan mudah bersalin…INSYA ALLAH…

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  54. Hello am about to a mother in early 2013, i watched alot of birthing processes and water birthing seems to be the better option for me i just was wondering how much did it cause? and were you taking in as a private or public patient? thanks hope to hear back from you

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    • Hi Jojo…noticed your comments here ^_^ anyways, when I was pregnant with my 1st born last year I did called Pantai Bangsar as it’s the only hospital in Klang Valley that offers waterbirth facility and ‘they’ told me that if I have RM10K then I might be able to be in the screening list (only Dr Choong agrees to oversee a waterlabor…and most often he’s fully booked)..so I went ahead and enrolled myself and my husband for HypnoBirth class to prepare for our 1st childbirth experience and it is well worth the investment…checkout my birth stories (yep I had my home unassisted waterbirth just a month ago with my 2nd bubs ^_^) here:
      http://hypnobirthing.com.my/node/685

      Reply

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