celine: this is your story

Dear Celine,

This is the story of how you came into our lives and complete our little family.

You were born on 22 March 2023; it was Wednesday, just seven minutes past midnight, at KKH. You were almost into your 39th week when suddenly on Tuesday around 9 PM, I felt a slightly painful contraction. I thought I could wait until morning to go to the hospital but the contractions got progressively more painful and frequent, we decided to rush to the hospital. I texted my OB, Dr Lee Jiah Min, to let her know that we were on the way to KKH. That was the first time I felt such painful contractions as when I was pregnant with your sister, I was happily laying down on the bed with epidural.

We reached the hospital about 10.30 PM and your father wheeled me on a wheelchair because I couldn’t walk anymore; the pain was excruciating. When a nurse came to check my cervix, she said it was dilated about 4 cm so I could be admitted to the delivery suite. In my head, with such pain, it couldn’t possibly be only dilated about 4 cm. It was already 11.40 PM when I reached the delivery suite, a nurse explained to me that in order to get an epidural injection, she needed to draw blood, check my blood pressure, and so on. I couldn’t process what she was saying because the intensity of the contractions. While changing into the hospital gown, I couldn’t stand the pain anymore, I told the nurse the pain was unbearable. A nurse (she looks like a senior nurse) came in and checked my cervix again and said, “You’re already 9 cm dilated, dear, no time for epidural anymore,” she then told me that Dr Lee was on the way. The nurse put a mask with ‘laughing gas’ on me to ease the pain. Your father finally came in and held my hand; we just locked eyes as if saying “It's happening!”

Dr Lee finally reached (in T-shirt and shorts), washed hands, then said, “Okay, Jeannette, now push!” I was like, “Yo, what?” but a huge contraction came and I pushed. I could feel that your head was out, then the next one was your body. Finally on the fourth push, you were born. I didn’t hear any sounds but then after a few seconds, I can hear a loud cry coming from you.

When I held you for the very first time, I couldn’t contain myself, I was so grateful that you finally came into my life. I had been through a lot when I was pregnant with you and to finally meet you, I was beyond blessed. Grow strong and healthy, my daughter. Papa and I love you.