Baby Annika

"Clever Girl-la."
That was the first thing the nurse told us when she discovered our little Annika was scheduled to be induced later that morning. Our clever little girl decided she wanted to come into the world on her own terms, 12 days later than her due date, but still 2 hours before our scheduled time to arrive at the hospital for induction.
The whole experience giving birth here in Singapore was fantastic, minus the 10 minute cab ride (from heck) to the hospital and the fact that once there, we had to climb two flights of stairs to the delivery room.
Here's our story, in brief:
After spending the whole day on Friday walking the city (apparently in labor), I woke up at midnight with contractions. Mild. But within 45 minutes, they became more intense. By 2:30, we were on our way out the door.
Our little Annika was born at 6:03 a.m. The most noticeable thing, not only to her parents, but to the hospital staff, was how big she was. I remember holding her in shock. Her legs were chunky. Not scrawny like our Olivia when she was born. Chunky. Chunky. Chunky. Mmmm. Got to love that baby chub.
Troy came in from the hall when they weighed her to announce how big: 9 lbs, 15 oz. It was notable for a few reasons. One being the fact the doctor had been concerned about her size and how it would affect delivery. Two, because she became known as the hospital's "big baby" during her stay.
Guess that explains why I got so many comments about looking like I was going to have twins while pregnant.
Otherwise, in comparison to our experience delivering a baby in Utah, our experience in Singapore was remarkably similar. The doctor and staff were more formal and serious, and we struggled sometimes with the language barrier with nurses, but that's about it.
Some quirky differences included the following:
1. New moms aren't allowed to drink cold water. Only hot. Stupid hot water.
2. I ended up with an epidural. The anesthesiologist looked like a woman on her way out from the club. Young. Beautiful. In a revealing dress. She did a good job, though.
3. Apparently papaya-fish soup is good for breastfeeding. And the nurses have no qualms pulling your shirt down to "help" you feed your baby.
4. No matter how many times you tell them you don't want coffee, tea, or milo, they still bring it twice a day.