It’s so beautiful… I have yet to find out the exact name of this color at Loewe, but it’s like a shocking pink… Size is perfect 36x23x15cm… Leather is ostrich…

I am now considering to get a small Amazona bag as well…

Now I might still look for the Kelly Double Tour…

I’d like to announce the birth of my daughter Lauren who came to the world on Wednesday 31 August 2011 weighing 7lbs @ HK Sanatorium and Hospital.

I want to kinda write a short documentation of what happened because the birth and the week after were traumatic to me and my family.

First of all, the IV drip was inserted in a really weird location that caused a lot of pain to my hand. Then, the anesthesiologist came to give me a spinal block which made me worry because he said there is something wrong with my back hence he had to use a rather unusual spot to give me the spinal block. That information already made me really really nervous. I already started to cry while waiting for the spinal to become effective. Everything seemed to take ages. The delivery room/operation theatre wasn’t ready yet, so the nurses, my OBGYN and I were waiting around. My husband wasn’t sent in yet, who was already dressed up to accompany me in the room next door. Things just didn’t feel right for me.

After the delivery room was ready, the doctor started on my bottom half which felt ever so heavy to me. I think it only took her a few minutes to cut through the layers to get to my baby, because very soon I felt how something was pulled out of my tummy. My baby-girl was born. I heard her crying. My hubby was busy taking videos/photos and holding my hand at the same time. Plus he missed cutting the umbilical cord last time when we had Angelina, so this time he was very focused on cutting it for Lauren.
The nurse brought me Lauren wrapped up in a towel for a quick photo with me and my hubby, while my doc was sewing me up.
Afterwards, I was brought back to my suite. My dad was waiting patiently in my suite to see the baby, as usually a nurse would show the newborn to the family members waiting. However, when I asked my dad if he had seen the baby, he said no. I thought that was weird. A few minutes later, the Paediatrician Dr C attending Lauren (whom I asked to come since he is Angelina’s Paediatrician) came to my suite with some bad news. Lauren had TTN (transient tachypnea in newborns) which basically means she still had fluids in her lungs which she couldn’t pump out herself causing difficulties in breathing. My world fell apart for me! I was in tears not knowing what implications that had on my newborn. Dr C said she had to be put in a box with a drip, some tubes inserted into her nostrils for extra oxygen as well as putting her on machines that supply continuous stream of pressurized air (CPAP).
I wanted to see her immediately, but wasn’t allowed to get off bed for the entire day, so my hubby went. He came back telling me about her serious retractions (when the skin pulls in between the ribs or under the ribcage during rapid breathing), which made me cry non-stop. My poor little Lauren! I was in agony with myself.
Dr C said this is most likely due to me delivering her via c-section at 37 weeks and 1 day. Too early. Should have waited until 38 weeks. But I had my reasons for going under the knife slightly earlier: 1) because of my serious pelvic pain which caused me not being able to walk/move/sleep, get up myself etc, 2) my OBGYN was going on holiday for 2 weeks and I didn’t want to go with a different doctor for delivery of my baby so last minute, 3) baby was good weight and I didn’t want a massive baby like sister Angelina who was born 38 weeks weighing 8lbs 9oz at the time.
I was told TTN was quite common in newborns especially when delivered via c-section or fast vaginal birth.
Lauren was in special care. We hired a private nurse to look after her 24/7 as recommended by Dr C. The nurses at the hospital didn’t have the time to give her special attention since there were so many babies.
On 2/9, Dr C told us Lauren wasn’t making much positive progress, which I knew from seeing her very visible retractions. I didn’t know what else to do apart from crying. Dr C told us we should have Lauren sent to the ICU of Queen Mary Hospital which is the best hospital in such cases given the expertise and the machines available there. She stayed there for 5 nights/6 days. We visited her every day with my expressed breast milk. She was in good hands when I saw how professional the ICU staff members were.
Since 7/9 (1 week old) she’s home – healthy with no future implications (so we were told).
This was a heart wrenching experience for me!

As for me, I am still recovering from the c-section and the post-partum issues. Here is the list of things I have been dealing/still dealing with:
-Glands swelling under my armpits.
-Breasts are engorged.
-Incision hurts like hell and got puss on both ends (coz been moving and walking around too much last week since I had to go visit Lauren).
-Lochia period still there.
-Urinary tract infection from the stupid 尿管 / pee tube the nurse used while I was at the hospital.
-Legs/feet are swollen.
-Low white blood cell count.
全身冇樣正常.

Before and after pics…

Despite above, I am still doing a lot with my 3.5 year old daughter! I even take her to school and pick her up etc…

Now, I am due on 20 Sept, but I have my appointment booked with my doc and the hospital for a C-section a little earlier. Can’t wait really! I wish I could deliver now!!!

I am beginning to get paranoid about C-section since my previous one was so bloody painful (the cut hurt for more than 3 months!).
And the other concern I have is breastfeeding. Ideally, I’d like to do it longer (last time I only breastfed for one month), but really have no idea if I can last that long…
And after all is sorted, I’ll have to focus on losing the baby/pregnancy weight. Till my C-section, I think I will have put on 40lbs! Aaaarrrggghhhhh!!!! Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back in shape quickly! But people keep telling me it’s more difficult after the 2nd one! I should look up to VB maybe! She’ll surely inspire me on that front!

Anyways, so much for now!
Lots of love to those who are still reading my blog… Muah muah muah…