Actress Nadiah M. Din: "Choosing My Birthing Position Was The Best Decision I Made"
She shares more about what has changed since her first pregnancy, why women should discuss their birth plans with their doctors and more
By Michelle Lee SM -
Last year in December, actress and host Nadiah M. Din welcomed her third child, Ezhaan. The 32-year-old, who is married to French national Bilal Jeanpierre, has since been open about sharing her birthing experience on social media, including her prodromal labour (often called 'false labour') as well as her birth plan and choice of labour position. The couple are also parents to Nahyan, four, and Inaaya, who's nearly three.
In an exclusive interview, Nadiah tells The Weekly more about what has changed since her first pregnancy, why women should discuss their birth plans with their doctors, and her best parenting advice for new mums and dads.
What was your experience like with prodromal labour? How is it different from Braxton Hicks contractions?
Nadiah M. Din (ND): Prodromal contractions are very different from Braxton Hicks, which aren't as intense. Prodromal labour leads you to think that you're going into active labour, but then it doesn't happen and your contractions suddenly stop. The intensity can drop, and the duration from one contraction to another can become longer, before stopping altogether.
On the first day it happened to me, I checked in with my gynaecologist, and was already 4cm dilated. My contractions came on every half an hour, then 20 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes, and subsequently, every two minutes. I assumed I was already going into labour but later felt the intensity decreasing after a trip to the restroom. I didn't remember my previous active labour being as painful. Somehow, I managed to go back to sleep, and when I woke up, the contractions had stopped. Then it happened again on the second, third and fourth nights.
ND: I would say to not rush to the hospital. In some cases, mums-to-be rush to the hospitals, even though it isn't the real deal. When you go to the hospital too early, medical interventions or vaginal checks can fuel your stress levels, which can interfere with the potential real labour that can otherwise occur.
Personally, I knew when my actual labour had started when the contractions were so painful that I couldn't walk. But again, it differs from mother to mother — I think my pain threshold is quite high. Mothers whose pain thresholds are low can consider contraction trackers or mobile apps that track the patterns. They may also recommend whether you stay home or whether it's time to pack your stuff and head to the hospital.
ND: I went through a VBAC for the birth of my daughter. The reason why I wanted a VBAC was because it made so much sense — I wanted to recuperate faster and be stronger right after birth. I didn't have a good experience recovering from my first birth with Nahyan. The C-section was really painful and the wound took a long time to recover.
I couldn't get up by myself to breastfeed my child, couldn't squat, laugh, or even cough. Recovering from a VBAC is just a lot easier. I saw how some of my friends were back on their feet just days after a vaginal delivery.
ND: Not every day is going to be easy, especially at the start of your parenting journey. But at the end of the day, it will be very worthwhile. There are moments when I lose it as a mum, but at the end of the day, when I look at my children and put them to bed, I cry to myself because they are God's gift to us, and they are our responsibility to take care of properly.
I will say you'll need to have a lot of patience, but also enjoy the journey. Because not everyone has the opportunity to be a parent, so we're grateful for this. There are a lot of people out there who have been trying to conceive for many years or have to go through various procedures
As for the best advice I've received, it's to be best friends with your kids, and I think this is really true. We have to be stern, but at the same time, be the kind of parent who is fun, and whom our children can talk to about anything. They need to be able to trust us.
I can't wait for my kids to grow up and see what kind of secrets they'll share with me (laughs).
ND: We cleaned and sanitised the home extensively. We have cats, so I really made sure the place where the baby was sleeping was free of fur before he arrived.