Pregnancy and childbirth are notoriously difficult and dangerous, with some women spending up to a couple of days in labour.
However, a Singaporean mum surprised netizens when she posted a video of herself going on errands despite being 5cm dilated and staying relaxed even during labour.
Having made childbirth look like child’s play, the woman received praise for being “chill”.
On Wednesday (1 July), Natasha Faisal posted a video on social media of her recent childbirth experience.
At 3.21pm that day, despite learning she was 5cm dilated, she requested to go home so she could pick up her two young children at school.
Source: @irninat on Instagram
Her doctor warned her about the risk of leaving the hospital, saying she might deliver at home if she dilated further, but she decided to leave as she was not yet having any contractions.
Despite being in early labour, Ms Natasha was able to accomplish several errands effortlessly.
Source: @irninat on Instagram
She bought herself snacks, accompanied her husband to get a haircut, went on a grocery run, picked up her kids, fed them, had a shower, put on some makeup, and had a meal of nasi lemak before leaving to return to the hospital at 11.07pm.
Notably, after several hours of being active, Ms Natasha was only 7cm dilated when medical staff checked on her at 11.41pm.
At the hospital, Ms Natasha remained unruffled, even touching up her makeup and getting in some sleep.
Source: @irninat on Instagram
Eventually, she gave birth at 6.10am, seemingly without breaking a sweat.
“One push within 5 mins… and he slipped right out,” the overlaying text in her video read.
Source: @irninat on Instagram
Speaking to MS News, the 31-year-old radio presenter at 987FM said she was giving birth to her third child when she filmed the video.
She said her experiences giving birth had been completely different, with complications in her second pregnancy, when her water ruptured prematurely at 32 weeks.
Despite the harrowing experience, she says she always tries to stay calm, positive, and informed during pregnancy, “while also knowing that things can change at any moment”.
On this recent birth, Ms Natasha said she had not expected to deliver that day and had only gone for a routine check-up when she was told that she was already 5cm dilated.
Source: @irninat on Instagram
However, she thought about her two other children, who were still in school.
“I really wanted to see them one more time before heading into the hospital,” she told MS News.
“I wasn’t ready to disappear without giving them a hug and letting them know that mommy and daddy were going away for a little while to welcome their baby brother.”
Source: @irninat on Instagram
Since she wasn’t experiencing active labour, Ms Natasha decided to get groceries, so their helper had everything she needed to take care of the kids while she and her husband were away.
“The rest just happened by chance along the way. My husband spotted a barber, I got bubble tea and my nasi lemak!” she shared.
Ms Natasha said she was not having strong or regular contractions, and wouldn’t have guessed she was close to giving birth if it hadn’t been for her routine check-up.
She also believes she got an oxytocin boost from moving about and being with her family, which helped her labour progress smoothly.
Ms Natasha clarified that, while she did not take her doctor’s advice to head to the delivery suite immediately, labour can be different for every mum and symptoms can change very quickly.
Source: @irninat on Instagram
In her case, she felt well and trusted that she could monitor her body closely.
“My plan was always to return immediately if anything changed,” she said.
“I want to stress that this was a decision I made based on my own circumstances after understanding the risks and it certainly isn’t something I’d encourage others to copy.”
Additionally, Ms Natasha said she had hoped to go into labour naturally, rather than taking interventions when “there wasn’t an immediate medical need”.
She also shared that her husband and mum had been worried about her decision to leave the hospital.
However, they trusted that she wouldn’t knowingly put herself or the baby in danger.
Ms Natasha also noted that her recent childbirth video does not capture her whole pregnancy journey.
For months, she prepared for the birth, learning breathing techniques, practising pelvic movements, reading about hypnobirthing and trying to understand her body throughout the pregnancy.
Additionally, she attributed her preparedness to having a strong support system made up of her husband, family, and medical team.
Ms Natasha also said she doesn’t want others to think that her entire pregnancy had been effortless.
“I struggled with anxiety during my second trimester,” she revealed to MS News.
“I was admitted to the hospital for severe headaches and had to undergo an MRI, and there were plenty of moments that challenged me emotionally.”
Ms Natasha thanked netizens for the kind messages they left on her post.
However, she also reminded expecting mums not to compare their pregnancy or labour to what they see online, including hers.
“Every pregnancy is unique,” she said.
Beyond preparing the nursery and buying baby essentials, Ms Natasha stressed the importance of preparing one’s mindset for childbirth.
“Spend your energy preparing both physically and mentally. Listen to your healthcare team, hear different birth stories, ask questions and keep an open mind,” she advised. “I found that the more informed I became, the less fearful I felt.”
She added that being informed gave her confidence, which then helped her stay calm when the time finally came.
“I sincerely hope every mum gets a birth experience that leaves her feeling safe and empowered — whatever that looks like for her,” she told MS News.
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Featured image adapted from @irninat on Instagram.