Glitchtown

After much consideration and weighing in the pros and cons with our situation, we have decided to go with an elective C-section.

It was Friday, 05-JAN-2023 at 6.30am we left the house to go to the hospital. This was such an emotional morning for me since the next time I’m home, Freya will be a big sister and we would have another child to raise and love with all our hearts. Freya was still asleep when we left but I couldn’t get enough kissing her since the night before knowing how much bigger she will be to us once her sibling is around.

We arrived at 6.45am at the hospital for our 7am appointment and took us 10 minutes to find the Operating Theatre Reception, it was right at the end of the hospital.

We were the first one to get in even though we arrived just in time, thankfully coz there were 2 more other couples that came just a few minutes after us. It’s great to be the first one to go into surgery because I was already starving since I had to fast the night before and the last glass of water I can drink was by 5am. The quicker I get in, the quicker I get out of surgery and eat.

I can definitely tell you the details of this day since I was not exhausted from 16 hours of active labour and high on gas and air before they rolled me into the Operating Theatre like I was the last time.

This 2nd delivery I was very aware of every single thing. We arrived at the Reception to confirm and fill up some details and waited. These are our sleepy faces and I was so ready to have my baby out.

Then they called me into a room to ask a hundred questions and gave me 2 paracetamol before the surgery because apparently a spinal anaesthesia can cause nausea and headaches.

After all that, they got me to strip butt naked and wear a back opening patient gown and a blanket to cover myself and Halifi to wear a scrub over his clothes and a very flattering hairnet.

Then we walked to the operating theatre and into a room where the anaesthetist explained everything that will happen and the risks of the procedure and then they inserted the cannula into my vein on my left hand for antibiotics etc. The staff were absolutely lovely and reassuring the entire time which I truly appreciate and answered every little questions from me and I have requested that they walk me through during the surgery. Everything that goes in that IV and at what point they’re at with the surgery. The anaesthetist was the one that explained everything to me from start to finish.

They’ve also asked me to confirm about 5 times in my own words what I am about to go through before going in to the operating theatre and also when I was at the table. That’s me sitting on the table about to be administered the spinal anaesthesia. Halifi had to wait outside during this whole process until they are ready to start the surgery.

It took literally less than 15 seconds before I couldn’t feel the lower part of my body. Then the shivering started just like the last time except now I get to ask why this is happening haha. With Freya, it was more like just do whatever you need to do to safe both bubs and I – really didn’t care about anything else. So apparently, during spinal injection, your veins are dilated and you start losing heat where your lower body gets numbed and top half that isn’t numbed has to compensate for it. That is why you start shivering from the cold. They also did an ice test to check that everything was working as it should.

Then, about 10 mins since the start of the surgery, I heard the surgeon said “baby will be out any minute now. Get ready.” and I couldn’t stop smiling. I’ve waited monthsssss for this moment, they lowered the drape and I could see everyone around me getting ready with whatever they need to do. Halifi had the phone out for photos and I would love to share some of the photos here but I think it’s a bit too graphic when they pulled baby out of my abdomen.

And Praise Be to Allah, we have another gorgeous girl to love. One of the surgeons held the baby over the drape to show me and then I looked at Halifi and his expression was enough to make my year! I wished I had a camera in hand to capture this moment. I know he secretly wanted another girl even though he said he’s happy with either a boy or a girl as long as baby is healthy.

Then everything happened so quickly. They did delayed clamping and put baby on me for skin-to-skin as I’ve requested. It was such an amazing feeling. And just like that, I have my Aishwa Khadijah on me.

Then they proceeded with stitching me up and half way through I felt so sick, I started throwing up and the anaesthetist gave me anti-nausea medication through the IV and I started feeling better almost instantly. I told them that I wished I had this during my monthsss of morning sickness at the beginning of both pregnancies. They just laughed.

It took about 30-40 minutes to stitch me up and I was just chatting away with the medical staff there. The anaesthetist told me about his nieces and his time spent with them over the christmas and New Years break. The nurses were sharing about their kids too.

At this point, Halifi and the midwife have left to go to the recovery room for baby measurements, vital checks and basically everything in their checklist.

Once all that is done, they moved me from the operating table to a bed. I felt so useless when they rolled me back and forth to change my robe since there was blood on it and then moved me and I apologised since I can’t move a single muscle. It’s such a strange feeling to be completely awake and not be able to move.

Then they said “you do not have to worry about anything at all. We are here to do everything for you” and that was just so lovely to hear especially when I was feeling like that.

Then they rolled me to the recovery room where Halifi, Aishwa and the midwife were. Halifi was having skin-to-skin with Aishwa since she was not warming up. Then they did all the checks on both Aishwa and myself for our temperature, blood pressure, and then they started pressing my abdomen more to get rid of whatever’s remaining inside. Uncomfortable and gross but very necessary.

Breastfeeding started straight away. Nothing was out yet at this point but I was so determined, positive and so much more relax this time round. I was feeling very positive that the colostrum will come and flow if not on that day, it will be the day after InsyaAllah. Then they told me I had lost a lot of blood almost 700ml and I was borderline anaemic.

Then I was given a private room with a private bathroom and I couldn’t be more grateful. I thought, Thank You Ya Rabb, everything is going very well from the second we got to the hospital. More than I could ever ask for.

And that is the end of my birth story with Aishwa Khadijah.

I will write about my hospital stay in the next post. Aishwa is now awake for another feed. Ciao.

Dear Aishwa,

Anak sholehah-ku.

We are beyond grateful to be blessed with another beautiful child. You complete our family even more. We couldn’t thank Allah enough for believing and trusting us with another precious child to raise.

Doa Mama Papa for both our precious Freya Aafiyah and Aishwa Khadijah:

May Allah guard and protect you both from all danger and evil.

May He give you health, strength and courage to face this life.

May He give you happiness, joy and blessings throughout your lives.

May He give you the intelligence, wisdom and the ability to make the right decisions.

May Allah give you both the opportunity to provide sustenance and ease in all your affairs.

May He give you the ability to control your emotions and protect yourselves from the temptations of the world.

May He make you children who are full of compassion and love others.

May Allah bless you with a feeling of gratitude that always grows.

May you both always receive Allah’s mercy and grace at every time and opportunity.

May Allah bless you with the ability to respect and appreciate other people and have good relationships with others and be useful for the religion and everyone around you.

Ya Rabb, make my children people who are obedient and devoted to You.

O Allah, give us strength, patience, a thirst for knowledge and the ability to change and to continuously improve ourselves to be better people and parents to our children.

Aamiiin Ya Rabbal Aalamiin.