If you are wondering what new places have I travelled to in the past one year, the answer is none. 2016 is the year I press the “pause” button on all my travel plans as I prepared for a life-changing event of the year: the birth of my second son.
When I missed my period in March last year, I suspected that I might be pregnant. My suspicion was confirmed when I saw the two red lines on the pregnancy test stick. My hubby and I are thrilled to have our second baby, three years after my first born. We wasted no time to confirm the pregnancy with a gynecologist. I was six weeks pregnant and I could hear the baby’s heart beat loud and clear.
13 weeks pregnant. I was a little more anxious for the pregnancy this time as I decided to give birth in Qatar instead of going back to my home country, Malaysia. Everything was a bit different as compared to my first pregnancy. Here in Qatar hospital, the ultra sound, urine test, blood test and etc are done in separate departments, not by the same doctor and clinic like Malaysia. And every visit to the hospital was very time-consuming. In addition, the maternal expense is also doubled the price I paid for in Malaysia. Fortunately, my company insurance card covers half the cost.
26 weeks pregnant. I had my checkups at Al Emadi Hospital, Doha. Dr. Sonia is highly recommended by many, but she doesn’t do deliveries. I went instead with Dr. Maha Farouk. Overall, the hospital and the gynecologist is okay. However, in comparison with my experience in Pantai Hospital KL, I very much prefer the hospital back home in Malaysia.
I finally broke the good news to my family in Malaysia.
These photographs were taken at my apartment when I was 36 weeks pregnant. My three-year-old son didn’t really comprehend why mummy is growing a round belly. I told him that he’ll be having a younger brother soon but he merely giggled at my round belly. My eldest son is born two days before my expected due date. The entire delivery process was slow and steady. I was expecting something similar with my second pregnancy. Boy, I was wrong!
It was a Friday evening when I felt I had stomach ache. I didn’t suspect it was contraction at first as it was more than two weeks before my expected due date. I thought I was having an upset stomach and I went to the toilet a few times. But the ache never went away; it intensified in the short span of three hours. I grabbed my bag and told my hubby to fetch me to the hospital when the pain became unbearable. Fortunately, the hospital is nearby. I managed to reach there in less than fifteen minutes.
By then, it was hard for me to stand, let alone walk. The nurse quickly got me a wheelchair and wheeled me to the emergency room. In the midst of the chaos, I felt my water broke on the wheelchair and my heart skipped a beat. I knew instantly that the baby was coming. A minute later, with another contraction, I could no longer hold it in; baby Ethan is born while I was still sitting on the wheelchair! I didn’t even have time to be transferred onto the bed yet. I remembered I shouted, “Oh my God, the baby is out!” The nurse thought I was joking until she heard the baby’s cry. It was a blur to me in that moment. They put the baby on my lap for a few seconds before carrying him away to another room.
The nurse contacted my doctor. The first question the doctor asked when she met me was, “What happened?” I wanted to laugh. I answered, “I thought I was having a stomachache. I didn’t think it would be this fast.”
The baby did all the work for me. The labour pain was much more intense than I remembered from my first pregnancy. But thankfully, it only lasted a few hours. And most importantly, baby Ethan is born safe and healthy.
I stayed in the hospital for a night before checking out with my new born. This time it’s a single suite room and I got to rest without interruption.
My parents in law came to visit us in Qatar for a week when the baby is almost a month old. To celebrate, we held a full moon party for him.
Happy 1 month old, Ethan.
Welcome to this family, baby Ethan. Can’t wait for our next adventure together.
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