She's here finally and I would love to share our very special day and the events leading up to it.
I went to see the fill in Ob the week before I was due. She said the head was very low and it could be any time now. I had been having regular episodes of very strong lower back pains which required a heat pack. Which is a sign of early labour. I started to worry a little because my mum was not due to arrive until the Saturday before my due date. After a phone call with mum she decided to catch a bus down the following day. I finally relaxed and really started to enjoy what was to be my last week of pregnancy.
As it always happens as soon as help arrived all my symptoms disappeared. I felt totally normal again. We spent the week getting so many things done around here like the girls room. Mum sewed curtains. We rearranged the furniture and the girls freckles quilts finally arrived. My mum got out in our garden and made it beautiful. Nick spent time catching up with business things and I spring cleaned the house.
Nick and I sneaked in a few wonderful child free outings during this week. We went to the movies, breakfast and one night the pancake parlour.
The Friday before my due date I had my last Ob appointment. As time was ticking with my mum's stay I decided to ask for an induction if my body was ready after an examination. My Ob happily obliged as she knew what I was capable of with my previous natural labours. She did a S&S in the hope I might go into labour. She took my blood pressure and it was very high. I was sent for bloods and urine tests and they all came back clear. I went into the delivery suite over the weekend and it had gone back to normal.
If nothing happened over the weekend I was booked in for an induction on Tuesday 25 September my due date.
My sister and her two boys arrived on the Friday afternoon so the house was a buzz of excitement with us all eager to meet the baby. I thought things might be happening that night when I had a bloody show and heaps of mucus. I went to bed early and nothing happened. I continued to loose the mucus plug all weekend.
We spent the weekend shopping, relaxing and going to floriade. It was a fun time which I will hold onto forever. My dad arrived on the Monday and we all went out for a lovely dinner.
Tuesday came and I was up early to prepare to go into hospital at 7am. I was putting some make up on after my shower when I heard the phone ring. I knew it would be the hospital. They were full so I would have to wait till lunch time. Nick and I casually dropped Maisie off at child care and went into the city on the way home to check mail and have another casual breakfast. We received another phone call from the hospital at around 10am to come in as soon as we could. We raced home very excited and packed the car and off we went.
I went into this labour with a simple plan. Hold off on drugs for as long as I could and try to get through each contraction by focusing on something in the room. I had a wonderful labour with Maisie using this technique. Another thing that I planned to use to help me through the contractions was thoughts of my late BIL Brian who died of cancer 4 years ago. I thought of him often when in labour with Maisie and it helped to ease the pain of contractions by focusing on his pain which was much worse than mine.
My Ob came in and broke my waters which didn't hurt at all. Because it was late in the day we decided to start me on the drip straight away. My midwife Julie said it would take about half an hour before I felt anything. She was right it was exactly half an hour later that I felt the first beautiful contraction. Something I had been waiting to feel for weeks now. I embraced each contraction and visualised my baby moving further down and my cervix opening more with each one. With each contraction I was one step closer to bring this little person into the world. I sat on a chair and found my object in the room to focus on. This was a dark grain line on a piece of wood on the wall opposite me.
I remember feeling the outline of her body being pushed down with each contraction. It was the same feeling you get when you take off in an aeroplane and you have that moment of pressure. Truly an amazing feeling to naturally experience with labour contractions. With all this going on and the contractions getting stronger and faster I imagined paddling down a stream. I was in full meditation at this point enjoying each contraction. Embracing each contraction.
It suddenly hit me like it had with Maisie. I knew it straight away and called Nick for the first time since my contractions started. I looked him in the eye because I knew the crazy woman was about to emerge. He knew it was time. I said it was time and I was about to get the urge to push. He raced out and told my midwife. She got me up on the bed as fast as she could. They all knew how fast the transition period goes for me from my previous labour with Maisie.
As she rushed out and rang my Ob I breathed through the urged to push saying in my head in sinc with breathing 'don't push now, don't push now'. I continued this until she came back into the room. She examined me and I was only 6cm. I was upset and she said my cervix was a soft as butter. If I wanted to push I could. So with my next contraction I pushed. This all happened very fast my Ob was now in the room and both of them had no time to even put on gloves. I pushed her out with no intervention. She came out with a gush of water and landed between my legs. It was the most natural wonderful experience.
Now the fun part. The contractions stopped and the crazy Belinda disappeared. And she was placed on my chest 1 hour and 20 mins after my first contraction. There is no other ultimate in life than meeting your child for the first time. This feeling of ecstasy is addictive and like no other.
She was just beautiful. So different to how we imagined she would look. She was tiny and looked nothing like her older sisters. She cried and cried in that first half an hour of life. The midwife left us with her on our own to explore her and give her the first feed. I have never had that with the other girls so it was a moment Nick and I will never forget.
One week on as I sit here reflecting on her birth I have a smile on my face. I loved every minute of it and have had an easy relaxing week getting to know her. I am lucky that my body came out of it unscathed. And I feel like I am back to normal. Each day my tummy is getting smaller and my milk supply is getting better.
We are so lucky and blessed to have another baby who we named Poppy Frances........
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