It is unimaginable how the two red lines on a lifeless strip changes a woman’s life. It was the month of July last year and the doubt was running in my head for the last 10 days, but I still didn’t have the guts to take a pregnancy test as I was afraid of taking up this big responsibility.
Somehow, I accumulated the courage and when I found that the result was indeed positive, tears rolled down my eyes and while I couldn’t hold on to share the news with my hubby, I still waited till the evening.
However, from the third month itself my gynaecologist Dr Soni put me on complete bed rest as I had heavy red spots . The feeling made it horrible and disgusting and I couldn’t wait to go out of the house.
Prenatal yoga was a blessing for me
Things got settled soon and Dr Soni insisted me to join Rolly’s Yoga, a popular Yoga class in my neighbourhood. Some of my close friends had even recommended her and so I took a trial class and found her session to be brimming with tremendous positive energy. I, too, started with my prenatal classes.
Needless to say her session would leave me positive and I looked forward to attend the, hardly missing any session. They also helped soothe the hormonal imbalance that I was undergoing.
Unfortunately, I also contracted Gestational Diabetes during my seventh month. This is when Dr Soni strictly instructed Rolly to take my case, who in turn put me on a strict diet and fitness routine.
Working out during the third trimester…
But, my family couldn’t come to terms with the fact that a pregnant woman was put on a diet and was asked to work out during her third trimester. They had no clue that that very same routine would help me deal with the labour pain at the last minute.
My workout routine comprised of 50 squats and duck walk, which is considered to be quite tough when you’re pregnant. But the push that I got from my instructor was incredible. She even conducted a sessions for new fathers-to-be and created a whole scenario for them in order to train them to deal with last minute emergency.
I was haunted day and night by the whole idea of delivering such a big baby. My expected due date was 21st March and I began my countdown from 22nd February. My husband had already predicted that
It was my husbands prediction that we will have a baby way before my due date on 6th March. On the fifth of March my husband had to leave for Pune and he kept on asking me if I was sure that he should leave me as the baby would be out on the 6th.
I laughed over it and said that there’s no chance that we are having an Arian baby! Interestingly, we both used to fight over the zodiac sign of our baby. I am an Arian and Kunal(my husband) is a Piscean, but the baby’s due date was 21st March!
My water broke but I was not sure…
The night of 5th March was quite uncomfortable and I wasn’t able to sleep. At 6 o’ clock in the morning a few drops of water started leaking, but I was not sure if my water had broken or it was my urine that was trickling out. Since it was early in the morning I kept my calm and at 9am the next day I called up my Yoga instructor to know what was it that was happening.
“Go to the hospital you are ready,”she said.
I panicked as my husband was not around, but my in-laws took me to the hospital. At the hospital the doctor said that my water has broken and I could deliver anytime.
They induced me orally, but nothing happened. The labour pains started very slowly after the second induction.
The pains started increasing in intensity after 3pm, but luckily my husband was next to me. Both my moms were also next to me rubbing my back, as explained in the Yoga session, to help soothe the contraction pain.
It kept going higher and higher, but I kept squatting in the hospital and my mom said that I was crazy to do so at this point of time. She asked me to relax and chill, but I didn’t give up walking around the room. My husband kept his calm and supported every minute by making me smile and diverting my mind.
The last stretch…
At 7.45 pm it was uncontrollable and even the hot bath tub I was in was not helping. I collapsed and was continously begging for an epidural, but the doctor said that I was only dilated 1 cm. I was heartbroken, but could do nothing but keep calm. The pain was unbearable! I kept crying and begging for epidural and they decided to check the baby’s heartbeats.
With every contraction the heartbeat would drop down and that is when the assistant doctor called up Dr Soni. She ordered to keep the OT ready and get me ready for a C-Section delivery. But I was not ready for it. I had put so much effort to exercise and learn squatting so that I can have a normal delivery. The contractions went higher and higher and at small intervals. I prayed and helplessly heaved a sigh!
At that time the doctor came and checked and said 9cm dilated and shouted “POSITION”.
My husband and I were not sure what was happening. I was set in the position and in the next 3 minutes the baby was out.
“It’s a baby boy.”
That moment was the best moment of my life and the delivery was actually a piece of cake for me all thanks to my Yoga instructor, Rolly Ma’am.
My baby Khrishay is 6 months old today and was exclusively breastfed. Feeding your own child is the best gift a mother can get and give to the baby. These breastfeeding days will never come back and I have lived every moment happily while feeding my little one…
Courtesy of Esha Bhatia, who shared her incredible labour story with us. If you too have a story to tell us and share with other readers, send it to us!