experience at NUH

Hi:) When you have: 1) regular contractions about 5 minutes apart, 2) show (blood mucus from the vagina) and/or 3) leaking liquor (clear fluid trickling from the vagina), call the delivery suite hotline (it should be in your folder, but save the number on your phone now. Heh). They’ll ask you for your particulars and symptoms. Then if you’re in labour, they’ll ask you to go to the hospital. When you reach NUH, if your husband is driving, you’ll need to park at the multistorey carpark. It’s nearer to NUS, and is some distance away, FYI. (If taking a taxi, ask the driver to send you to A&E). My water was leaking quite badly, and contractions were bad, so when we got to the ground floor, my husband put me in a wheelchair (it’s otherwise a 400m walk). You need to go to A&E, tell the triage people that you called the delivery suite already. They’ll check your temperature and symptoms, then call the delivery suite. Once the delivery suite gives the go-ahead, the A&E staff will push you in the wheelchair to the delivery suite (husband walks alongside). In the delivery suite, they’ll get you to your bed. If you’re definitely in labour, they’ll get you to change first. They’ll hook up the CTG (baby and contraction monitor), and if you’re in pain, you can start asking for pain relief (Entonox/epidural - will take some time to arrange). In the meantime, the doctor will come in when they can to take a history of your symptoms, and also examine you to see how dilated you are. You will get an IV plug for medicines and drips. The subsequent progress is highly variable, depending on how fast you dilate, which pain relief methods you choose, whether baby remains well or goes into distress, etc. (Do you have any specific questions you want to ask about the labour process?) Essentially, you need to get dilated to 10cm. It’s usually slower for the first pregnancy. They may start medication to help increase the contraction frequency, and may also break your water bag (the doctor will do it) if it doesn’t burst on its own when you’re 4cm dilated. Duration to get to 10cm is highly variable. Once you’re at 10cm, they’ll get you to push. Try to follow the instructions and also push like you’ve never pushed before (like trying to poop). You’ll need good breath control and try not to use your energy to scream so you have enough to push baby out 😅 After baby’s head is out, they’ll ask you to stop pushing so hard, and to puff repeatedly instead. Then they’ll carefully deiver baby’s body and place baby on your tummy, before clamping and cutting the cord. After that, baby goes to get measured and weighed, wiped down and wrapped up. You still have work to do. Haha. They’ll press hard on your tummy (it’s painful if you don’t have epidural) to deliver the placenta and to get rid of as much blood clots as possible. You’ll also get an injection to make your womb contract so as to prevent excess blood loss. Yes.. it’s like a constant contraction pain, if you don’t have painkillers. (They’ll usually give, don’t worry). If an episiotomy was required for delivery, they’ll stitch you up. Otherwise they’ll still check for tears and repair those. Once done, they’ll clean you up (it’s very messy), change you and get you comfortable. Then they’ll pass baby to you (if all the initial checks were okay) for skin-to-skin time, and to let baby start latching. You’ll be tired but happy:) If it’s a meal time, they may offer you food in the delivery suite (if it’s not, you’ll go to your ward first and eat there). Once your bed in the ward is ready, they’ll transfer you and baby to the trolley bed and push you up (husband walks alongside). In the ward, they encourage baby to be by your side most of the time, so you can learn baby’s cues and all. But the nurses are tremendously helpful. And because you’ll be tired from delivery, you can ask them to help you, especially in caring for baby, or if you need help in latching baby on, etc. They’ll also preiodically take baby to the nursery for checks, bath, topping up with formula (if needed), etc. You’ll have your vital signs taken very often too, and they’ll check that you’re not bleeding too much. They also chart down how long you latched baby for, what time, how many wet diapers and poop diapers were changed (and what time), so you and your husband should note all those down too. Heh. Unfortunately, he can’t stay overnight, so you’re on your own (but you can ask the nurses for help, as usual). The gynae doctors will check you the next morning to ensure everything’s okay. The baby doctors will also check baby, and baby will have the Hep B and BCG vaccinations (away from you, don’t worry). Nowadays, you’re usually discharged after 1 night, but the nurses will brief you on the necessary administrative things, medications, appointments, etc, before you leave. You’ll get to bring home the pack of diapers and wipes that were opened for your baby. They’ll also brief you on registering the birth of your baby (although my husband and I just used the app before the nurse arrived. Lol). Remember to bring a set of clothes for yourself (you can shower before going home, and they’ll also make sure you can pee well - they’ll ask you to pee into this container so they can measure your urine output) and a set of clothes for baby for going home. Hope this helps! :)