Kaitlyn's birth story (very long!)

I woke at about 6am to go to the toilet and just felt like something was
different or was going to happen.
I was going to stay up and make the most of the hour I knew I would have
before the rest of the household woke up,
Have a shower and put on a load of washing and have my morning cuppa in
peace and quiet, but I decided nope, I'm going to
go back to bed and make the most of whatever sleep I could get.
It was 7'oclock when I woke up, Jess was just leaving for work. I said to
her that she might just get a phone call today as I felt something was going
on.
I made my cuppa and found a pen and some paper to start keeping times of the
'pains' I was feeling. Thats how I have to describe them, they just didn't
feel like the contractions I had felt with the others. Now that I look back,
it felt like I could actually feel my cervix thinning. There was no real
tightning of my stomach, it was all down much lower.

At about 7.30 the 2 girls woke up. By this stage the 'pains' were happening
about every 10 minutes. I was still breathing ok through them as I started
getting the girls ready for kinda and day-care. About 8 o'clock I woke Ben
to get ready for school. By this stage I was starting to have to stop what I
was doing and concentrate on what was happening to my body. This made
getting 3 children ready for school a bit of a challenge, but I knew I had
to get them there.
So at 8.30 we piled into the car and headed off for the school/kinda run. We
dropped Ben off first as usual then I headed around to kinda and day-care.
Still having 'pains' I tried to get in and out of kinda as quick as I could,
but of course with other mums and the teachers all knowing that I was due
the next day, they all wanted to know if anything was happening yet.
I told them that I wasn't too sure, but I did think something was going to
happen today!
So I finally got to leave there at about 9 o'clock.

It was really starting to get uncomfortable now. When I got home,at about 10
past 9, I told Andrew that I think today is going to be the day we meet our
little girl.
I decided that now was the time for me to have a shower. I was by this stage
having to keep on the go but stopping to breathe through the pains, which
were coming about every 5-6 minutes by now.
I still had to pack my toiletries in my suitcase.
At about 9.40am it was time to call Jess at work and let her know to come
home as something was definitey happening, but she would have time to get
home and come to the hospital with us. It takes Jess an hour to get home
from work.

I also had an OB appointment at 10 o'clock that morning. I rang the
receptionist to let them know that I was not going to make the appointment
but was going to the hospital instead. She wished me good luck.

The next phone call I made was to the delivery suite. The midwife asked me
how far apart were my contactions, I told her 5 minutes.
She asked me if this was my first baby, I said no it was my 6th.
She said to come in right away.
I still said to Andrew I hope that I'm not going too early!

By now the 'pains' were quite painful, right down low, really different to
what I had experienced as contractions with my previous labours.
I was pretty much moving the whole time except for when I had to hold onto a
chair and control my breathing. It was really starting to hurt. Andrew could
tell something was going on because of the noise I was starting to make with
the 'pains'.
Suddenly I felt a 'pop'! I exclaimed to Andrew that my water had just
broken.
I'm not sure who got the towel, me or Andrew, all I remember is thinking I
don't want to leak everywhere, but there didn't seem to be that much.
Almost immediately I had to push.
I said to Andrew call an ambulance, I have to push!
He said no, come on, it will take us the same amount of time to drive to the
hospital as the ambulance would.
I said no, I have to push, we won't make it! I just had to push!
Andrew rang 000 and then helped me get my pants off.

I was standing at our dining room table hanging onto the chair and the next
thing, with a grunt and a push and I felt bub's head come out. I remember
saying to Andrew her heads out, her heads out!!
Andrew was on the phone with the 000 operator and I was standing there
cupping my tiny daughter's head in my hand between my legs. I felt her turn
her head to be facing the way she should be, it was amazing, she just knew.
I remember Andrew putting the phone on speaker so he could help me. The
operator said to help me get down onto the floor. This wasn't the easiest as
we were kind of wedged between the table and the glass sliding door out to
the backyard. I put all my weight on Andrew and let him lift me down to the
floor. All I wanted to do was push!
The operator was in the process of telling Andrew what to do for the baby's
shoulders to come out when pop! OUt she came! We heard her tiny cries and I
thought to myself thats a good sign.
I remember hearing Andrew saying mate, hang on, she's out. Andrew made a
good catch! He turned her around and laid her on my stomach. I heard the
operator tell Andrew to get a clean towel and wrap her up and to stay on the
phone with him until the ambulance turned up which would be any second now.
Andrew walked to the front door and was greeted by the ambo's who were just
walking up the path.
They came in and clamped the cord for Andrew to cut.
Then they lifted her up and wrapped her in a warm blanket and passed her to
Andrew.
After a few minutes and some more pushing the placenta was delivered. Now it
was time to try and get up.
Andrew got my dressing gown and the ambo helped me get up and walk to the
bathroom. I had a wash and made my way back to the dining room where a
stretcher awaited me and our brand new daughter to take us to the hospital.

As it turned out Jess met us at the hospital.
Andrew had called her to let her know I had already had the baby at home and
was on the way to the hospital so to meet us there.
She was a bit disappointed as she wanted to be present for the birth, but
these things happen!

Our little girl weighed in at 5lb 4oz and was 44.5cm long.
As she was under 2500g, she was 2380g, she was taken to the special care
nursery for monitoring of her sugar and temp.
She had a good suck on her though.
She took to BF like a duck to water. She only had to stay in the SCN for 2
days and then it was back to mum.
We came home 2 day's later to her 5 brothers and sisters, and lots of hugs
and kisses! ;-)

Last Wednesday we had her weighed and she was up to 5lb 11oz, or 2580g. We
are due to be weighed again tomorrow.

Sorry this is so long , but this is actually the shorter version!
;-)

Trish

"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."

Congrats!
--

Jamie
Earth Angels:
Taylor Marlys, 1/3/03
Addison Grace, 9/30/04

Check out the family! -- www.MyFamily.com, User ID: Clarkguest1,
Password: Guest Become a member for free - go to Add Member to set up
your own User ID and Password

"~Hunee~" wrote in message
...

...snipped birth story..

Congrats!!!!!! What a great birth story, and how exciting it must have been
to have bubs at home.



--
Pip

My girls :
DD1 Jasmine - 5 weeks early - 21 March 02 -
Still as small as a peanut but as smart as a whip!

DD2 Abby - 8 weeks early - 3 Feb 05 -
"Uhhhhh ohhhhhh" is my new favourite phrase, now what other trouble can I
find!

"Yes you can drive me insane just by talking to me!"


--

"Me Myself and I" wrote in message
news:1162932388.528511@ftpsrv1...
"~Hunee~" wrote in message
...

..snipped birth story..

Congrats!!!!!! What a great birth story, and how exciting it must have
been to have bubs at home.



--
Pip

Thanks Pip.
It was rather exciting, with an element of fear thrown in too! ;-)
--
Trish

"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."

My girls :
DD1 Jasmine - 5 weeks early - 21 March 02 -
Still as small as a peanut but as smart as a whip!

DD2 Abby - 8 weeks early - 3 Feb 05 -
"Uhhhhh ohhhhhh" is my new favourite phrase, now what other trouble can I
find!

"Yes you can drive me insane just by talking to me!"


--

"Jamie Clark" wrote in message
news
Congrats!
--

Jamie
Earth Angels:
Taylor Marlys, 1/3/03
Addison Grace, 9/30/04

Thanks Jamie.
:-)
Trish

"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."

Check out the family! -- www.MyFamily.com, User ID: Clarkguest1,
Password: Guest Become a member for free - go to Add Member to set up
your own User ID and Password

STAND AND DELIVER

Congratulations - and thanks - to Trish/~Hunnee~ for this great birth
story.

Standing is one of the many delivery positions that allows the birth
canal to open an "extra" up to 30%.

Trish/~Hunnee~ wrote:

I was standing at our dining room table hanging onto the chair and the next
thing, with a grunt and a push and I felt bub's head come out. I remember
saying to Andrew her heads out, her heads out!!

TO PREGNANT WOMEN...

Semisitting and dorsal - the most common medical delivery positions
CLOSE the birth canal the "extra" up to 30%.

This means most babies born in America are forced through birth canals
senselessly closed the "extra" up to 30%.

WARNING: An estimated 4.6% of babies suffer unexplained brain bleeds
and some babies are discovered to have unexplained "lesser" motor and
perceptual deficits later in life.

It's easy to allow your birth canal to open the "extra" up to 30%.
Standing does this. Side-lying does it. Hands-and-knees does it.
Kneeling does it...

Squatting does it. (The mother of my youngest son resolved to squat to
deliver but suddenly stood from a squat. She said she just had to...)

Again, congratulations to Trish/~Hunnee~ - and thanks for this great
birth story.

Todd

Dr. Gastaldo
Hillsboro, Oregon
USA


Trish/~Hunee~ wrote:
I woke at about 6am to go to the toilet and just felt like something was
different or was going to happen.
I was going to stay up and make the most of the hour I knew I would have
before the rest of the household woke up,
Have a shower and put on a load of washing and have my morning cuppa in
peace and quiet, but I decided nope, I'm going to
go back to bed and make the most of whatever sleep I could get.
It was 7'oclock when I woke up, Jess was just leaving for work. I said to
her that she might just get a phone call today as I felt something was going
on.
I made my cuppa and found a pen and some paper to start keeping times of the
'pains' I was feeling. Thats how I have to describe them, they just didn't
feel like the contractions I had felt with the others. Now that I look back,
it felt like I could actually feel my cervix thinning. There was no real
tightning of my stomach, it was all down much lower.

At about 7.30 the 2 girls woke up. By this stage the 'pains' were happening
about every 10 minutes. I was still breathing ok through them as I started
getting the girls ready for kinda and day-care. About 8 o'clock I woke Ben
to get ready for school. By this stage I was starting to have to stop what I
was doing and concentrate on what was happening to my body. This made
getting 3 children ready for school a bit of a challenge, but I knew I had
to get them there.
So at 8.30 we piled into the car and headed off for the school/kinda run. We
dropped Ben off first as usual then I headed around to kinda and day-care.
Still having 'pains' I tried to get in and out of kinda as quick as I could,
but of course with other mums and the teachers all knowing that I was due
the next day, they all wanted to know if anything was happening yet.
I told them that I wasn't too sure, but I did think something was going to
happen today!
So I finally got to leave there at about 9 o'clock.

It was really starting to get uncomfortable now. When I got home,at about 10
past 9, I told Andrew that I think today is going to be the day we meet our
little girl.
I decided that now was the time for me to have a shower. I was by this stage
having to keep on the go but stopping to breathe through the pains, which
were coming about every 5-6 minutes by now.
I still had to pack my toiletries in my suitcase.
At about 9.40am it was time to call Jess at work and let her know to come
home as something was definitey happening, but she would have time to get
home and come to the hospital with us. It takes Jess an hour to get home
from work.

I also had an OB appointment at 10 o'clock that morning. I rang the
receptionist to let them know that I was not going to make the appointment
but was going to the hospital instead. She wished me good luck.

The next phone call I made was to the delivery suite. The midwife asked me
how far apart were my contactions, I told her 5 minutes.
She asked me if this was my first baby, I said no it was my 6th.
She said to come in right away.
I still said to Andrew I hope that I'm not going too early!

By now the 'pains' were quite painful, right down low, really different to
what I had experienced as contractions with my previous labours.
I was pretty much moving the whole time except for when I had to hold onto a
chair and control my breathing. It was really starting to hurt. Andrew could
tell something was going on because of the noise I was starting to make with
the 'pains'.
Suddenly I felt a 'pop'! I exclaimed to Andrew that my water had just
broken.
I'm not sure who got the towel, me or Andrew, all I remember is thinking I
don't want to leak everywhere, but there didn't seem to be that much.
Almost immediately I had to push.
I said to Andrew call an ambulance, I have to push!
He said no, come on, it will take us the same amount of time to drive to the
hospital as the ambulance would.
I said no, I have to push, we won't make it! I just had to push!
Andrew rang 000 and then helped me get my pants off.

I was standing at our dining room table hanging onto the chair and the next
thing, with a grunt and a push and I felt bub's head come out. I remember
saying to Andrew her heads out, her heads out!!
Andrew was on the phone with the 000 operator and I was standing there
cupping my tiny daughter's head in my hand between my legs. I felt her turn
her head to be facing the way she should be, it was amazing, she just knew.
I remember Andrew putting the phone on speaker so he could help me. The
operator said to help me get down onto the floor. This wasn't the easiest as
we were kind of wedged between the table and the glass sliding door out to
the backyard. I put all my weight on Andrew and let him lift me down to the
floor. All I wanted to do was push!
The operator was in the process of telling Andrew what to do for the baby's
shoulders to come out when pop! OUt she came! We heard her tiny cries and I
thought to myself thats a good sign.
I remember hearing Andrew saying mate, hang on, she's out. Andrew made a
good catch! He turned her around and laid her on my stomach. I heard the
operator tell Andrew to get a clean towel and wrap her up and to stay on the
phone with him until the ambulance turned up which would be any second now.
Andrew walked to the front door and was greeted by the ambo's who were just
walking up the path.
They came in and clamped the cord for Andrew to cut.
Then they lifted her up and wrapped her in a warm blanket and passed her to
Andrew.
After a few minutes and some more pushing the placenta was delivered. Now it
was time to try and get up.
Andrew got my dressing gown and the ambo helped me get up and walk to the
bathroom. I had a wash and made my way back to the dining room where a
stretcher awaited me and our brand new daughter to take us to the hospital.

As it turned out Jess met us at the hospital.
Andrew had called her to let her know I had already had the baby at home and
was on the way to the hospital so to meet us there.
She was a bit disappointed as she wanted to be present for the birth, but
these things happen!

Our little girl weighed in at 5lb 4oz and was 44.5cm long.
As she was under 2500g, she was 2380g, she was taken to the special care
nursery for monitoring of her sugar and temp.
She had a good suck on her though.
She took to BF like a duck to water. She only had to stay in the SCN for 2
days and then it was back to mum.
We came home 2 day's later to her 5 brothers and sisters, and lots of hugs
and kisses! ;-)

Last Wednesday we had her weighed and she was up to 5lb 11oz, or 2580g. We
are due to be weighed again tomorrow.

Sorry this is so long , but this is actually the shorter version!
;-)

Trish

"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."

wrote in message
oups.com...
STAND AND DELIVER

Congratulations - and thanks - to Trish/~Hunnee~ for this great birth
story.

Standing is one of the many delivery positions that allows the birth
canal to open an "extra" up to 30%.

Trish/~Hunnee~ wrote:

I was standing at our dining room table hanging onto the chair and the
next
thing, with a grunt and a push and I felt bub's head come out. I remember
saying to Andrew her heads out, her heads out!!

TO PREGNANT WOMEN...

Semisitting and dorsal - the most common medical delivery positions
CLOSE the birth canal the "extra" up to 30%.

This means most babies born in America are forced through birth canals
senselessly closed the "extra" up to 30%.

WARNING: An estimated 4.6% of babies suffer unexplained brain bleeds
and some babies are discovered to have unexplained "lesser" motor and
perceptual deficits later in life.

It's easy to allow your birth canal to open the "extra" up to 30%.
Standing does this. Side-lying does it. Hands-and-knees does it.
Kneeling does it...

Squatting does it. (The mother of my youngest son resolved to squat to
deliver but suddenly stood from a squat. She said she just had to...)

Again, congratulations to Trish/~Hunnee~ - and thanks for this great
birth story.

Todd

Dr. Gastaldo
Hillsboro, Oregon
USA


Thanks Todd.
I must say from my experience, and I have had 6 births now, that either
standing (I had one completely standing and it was great!) or kneeling on
all fours was far better than my one birth I 'had' to have lying on my back.
Cheers
Trish

"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."

Trish/~Hunee~ wrote:
I woke at about 6am to go to the toilet and just felt like something was
different or was going to happen.
I was going to stay up and make the most of the hour I knew I would have
before the rest of the household woke up,
Have a shower and put on a load of washing and have my morning cuppa in
peace and quiet, but I decided nope, I'm going to
go back to bed and make the most of whatever sleep I could get.
It was 7'oclock when I woke up, Jess was just leaving for work. I said to
her that she might just get a phone call today as I felt something was
going
on.
I made my cuppa and found a pen and some paper to start keeping times of
the
'pains' I was feeling. Thats how I have to describe them, they just
didn't
feel like the contractions I had felt with the others. Now that I look
back,
it felt like I could actually feel my cervix thinning. There was no real
tightning of my stomach, it was all down much lower.

At about 7.30 the 2 girls woke up. By this stage the 'pains' were
happening
about every 10 minutes. I was still breathing ok through them as I
started
getting the girls ready for kinda and day-care. About 8 o'clock I woke
Ben
to get ready for school. By this stage I was starting to have to stop
what I
was doing and concentrate on what was happening to my body. This made
getting 3 children ready for school a bit of a challenge, but I knew I
had
to get them there.
So at 8.30 we piled into the car and headed off for the school/kinda run.
We
dropped Ben off first as usual then I headed around to kinda and
day-care.
Still having 'pains' I tried to get in and out of kinda as quick as I
could,
but of course with other mums and the teachers all knowing that I was due
the next day, they all wanted to know if anything was happening yet.
I told them that I wasn't too sure, but I did think something was going
to
happen today!
So I finally got to leave there at about 9 o'clock.

It was really starting to get uncomfortable now. When I got home,at about
10
past 9, I told Andrew that I think today is going to be the day we meet
our
little girl.
I decided that now was the time for me to have a shower. I was by this
stage
having to keep on the go but stopping to breathe through the pains, which
were coming about every 5-6 minutes by now.
I still had to pack my toiletries in my suitcase.
At about 9.40am it was time to call Jess at work and let her know to come
home as something was definitey happening, but she would have time to get
home and come to the hospital with us. It takes Jess an hour to get home
from work.

I also had an OB appointment at 10 o'clock that morning. I rang the
receptionist to let them know that I was not going to make the
appointment
but was going to the hospital instead. She wished me good luck.

The next phone call I made was to the delivery suite. The midwife asked
me
how far apart were my contactions, I told her 5 minutes.
She asked me if this was my first baby, I said no it was my 6th.
She said to come in right away.
I still said to Andrew I hope that I'm not going too early!

By now the 'pains' were quite painful, right down low, really different
to
what I had experienced as contractions with my previous labours.
I was pretty much moving the whole time except for when I had to hold
onto a
chair and control my breathing. It was really starting to hurt. Andrew
could
tell something was going on because of the noise I was starting to make
with
the 'pains'.
Suddenly I felt a 'pop'! I exclaimed to Andrew that my water had just
broken.
I'm not sure who got the towel, me or Andrew, all I remember is thinking
I
don't want to leak everywhere, but there didn't seem to be that much.
Almost immediately I had to push.
I said to Andrew call an ambulance, I have to push!
He said no, come on, it will take us the same amount of time to drive to
the
hospital as the ambulance would.
I said no, I have to push, we won't make it! I just had to push!
Andrew rang 000 and then helped me get my pants off.

I was standing at our dining room table hanging onto the chair and the
next
thing, with a grunt and a push and I felt bub's head come out. I remember
saying to Andrew her heads out, her heads out!!
Andrew was on the phone with the 000 operator and I was standing there
cupping my tiny daughter's head in my hand between my legs. I felt her
turn
her head to be facing the way she should be, it was amazing, she just
knew.
I remember Andrew putting the phone on speaker so he could help me. The
operator said to help me get down onto the floor. This wasn't the easiest
as
we were kind of wedged between the table and the glass sliding door out
to
the backyard. I put all my weight on Andrew and let him lift me down to
the
floor. All I wanted to do was push!
The operator was in the process of telling Andrew what to do for the
baby's
shoulders to come out when pop! OUt she came! We heard her tiny cries and
I
thought to myself thats a good sign.
I remember hearing Andrew saying mate, hang on, she's out. Andrew made a
good catch! He turned her around and laid her on my stomach. I heard the
operator tell Andrew to get a clean towel and wrap her up and to stay on
the
phone with him until the ambulance turned up which would be any second
now.
Andrew walked to the front door and was greeted by the ambo's who were
just
walking up the path.
They came in and clamped the cord for Andrew to cut.
Then they lifted her up and wrapped her in a warm blanket and passed her
to
Andrew.
After a few minutes and some more pushing the placenta was delivered. Now
it
was time to try and get up.
Andrew got my dressing gown and the ambo helped me get up and walk to the
bathroom. I had a wash and made my way back to the dining room where a
stretcher awaited me and our brand new daughter to take us to the
hospital.

As it turned out Jess met us at the hospital.
Andrew had called her to let her know I had already had the baby at home
and
was on the way to the hospital so to meet us there.
She was a bit disappointed as she wanted to be present for the birth, but
these things happen!

Our little girl weighed in at 5lb 4oz and was 44.5cm long.
As she was under 2500g, she was 2380g, she was taken to the special care
nursery for monitoring of her sugar and temp.
She had a good suck on her though.
She took to BF like a duck to water. She only had to stay in the SCN for
2
days and then it was back to mum.
We came home 2 day's later to her 5 brothers and sisters, and lots of
hugs
and kisses! ;-)

Last Wednesday we had her weighed and she was up to 5lb 11oz, or 2580g.
We
are due to be weighed again tomorrow.

Sorry this is so long , but this is actually the shorter version!
;-)

Trish

"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."

Comment below ######


~Hunee~ wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
STAND AND DELIVER

Congratulations - and thanks - to Trish/~Hunnee~ for this great birth
story.

Standing is one of the many delivery positions that allows the birth
canal to open an "extra" up to 30%.

Trish/~Hunnee~ wrote:

I was standing at our dining room table hanging onto the chair and the
next
thing, with a grunt and a push and I felt bub's head come out. I remember
saying to Andrew her heads out, her heads out!!

TO PREGNANT WOMEN...

Semisitting and dorsal - the most common medical delivery positions
CLOSE the birth canal the "extra" up to 30%.

This means most babies born in America are forced through birth canals
senselessly closed the "extra" up to 30%.

WARNING: An estimated 4.6% of babies suffer unexplained brain bleeds
and some babies are discovered to have unexplained "lesser" motor and
perceptual deficits later in life.

It's easy to allow your birth canal to open the "extra" up to 30%.
Standing does this. Side-lying does it. Hands-and-knees does it.
Kneeling does it...

Squatting does it. (The mother of my youngest son resolved to squat to
deliver but suddenly stood from a squat. She said she just had to...)

Again, congratulations to Trish/~Hunnee~ - and thanks for this great
birth story.

Todd

Dr. Gastaldo
Hillsboro, Oregon
USA


Thanks Todd.
I must say from my experience, and I have had 6 births now, that either
standing (I had one completely standing and it was great!) or kneeling on
all fours was far better than my one birth I 'had' to have lying on my back.
Cheers
Trish

#### Trish, you are welcome - and thanks for your further details on
birth position.
#### Todd


"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."

Trish/~Hunee~ wrote:
I woke at about 6am to go to the toilet and just felt like something was
different or was going to happen.
I was going to stay up and make the most of the hour I knew I would have
before the rest of the household woke up,
Have a shower and put on a load of washing and have my morning cuppa in
peace and quiet, but I decided nope, I'm going to
go back to bed and make the most of whatever sleep I could get.
It was 7'oclock when I woke up, Jess was just leaving for work. I said to
her that she might just get a phone call today as I felt something was
going
on.
I made my cuppa and found a pen and some paper to start keeping times of
the
'pains' I was feeling. Thats how I have to describe them, they just
didn't
feel like the contractions I had felt with the others. Now that I look
back,
it felt like I could actually feel my cervix thinning. There was no real
tightning of my stomach, it was all down much lower.

At about 7.30 the 2 girls woke up. By this stage the 'pains' were
happening
about every 10 minutes. I was still breathing ok through them as I
started
getting the girls ready for kinda and day-care. About 8 o'clock I woke
Ben
to get ready for school. By this stage I was starting to have to stop
what I
was doing and concentrate on what was happening to my body. This made
getting 3 children ready for school a bit of a challenge, but I knew I
had
to get them there.
So at 8.30 we piled into the car and headed off for the school/kinda run.
We
dropped Ben off first as usual then I headed around to kinda and
day-care.
Still having 'pains' I tried to get in and out of kinda as quick as I
could,
but of course with other mums and the teachers all knowing that I was due
the next day, they all wanted to know if anything was happening yet.
I told them that I wasn't too sure, but I did think something was going
to
happen today!
So I finally got to leave there at about 9 o'clock.

It was really starting to get uncomfortable now. When I got home,at about
10
past 9, I told Andrew that I think today is going to be the day we meet
our
little girl.
I decided that now was the time for me to have a shower. I was by this
stage
having to keep on the go but stopping to breathe through the pains, which
were coming about every 5-6 minutes by now.
I still had to pack my toiletries in my suitcase.
At about 9.40am it was time to call Jess at work and let her know to come
home as something was definitey happening, but she would have time to get
home and come to the hospital with us. It takes Jess an hour to get home
from work.

I also had an OB appointment at 10 o'clock that morning. I rang the
receptionist to let them know that I was not going to make the
appointment
but was going to the hospital instead. She wished me good luck.

The next phone call I made was to the delivery suite. The midwife asked
me
how far apart were my contactions, I told her 5 minutes.
She asked me if this was my first baby, I said no it was my 6th.
She said to come in right away.
I still said to Andrew I hope that I'm not going too early!

By now the 'pains' were quite painful, right down low, really different
to
what I had experienced as contractions with my previous labours.
I was pretty much moving the whole time except for when I had to hold
onto a
chair and control my breathing. It was really starting to hurt. Andrew
could
tell something was going on because of the noise I was starting to make
with
the 'pains'.
Suddenly I felt a 'pop'! I exclaimed to Andrew that my water had just
broken.
I'm not sure who got the towel, me or Andrew, all I remember is thinking
I
don't want to leak everywhere, but there didn't seem to be that much.
Almost immediately I had to push.
I said to Andrew call an ambulance, I have to push!
He said no, come on, it will take us the same amount of time to drive to
the
hospital as the ambulance would.
I said no, I have to push, we won't make it! I just had to push!
Andrew rang 000 and then helped me get my pants off.

I was standing at our dining room table hanging onto the chair and the
next
thing, with a grunt and a push and I felt bub's head come out. I remember
saying to Andrew her heads out, her heads out!!
Andrew was on the phone with the 000 operator and I was standing there
cupping my tiny daughter's head in my hand between my legs. I felt her
turn
her head to be facing the way she should be, it was amazing, she just
knew.
I remember Andrew putting the phone on speaker so he could help me. The
operator said to help me get down onto the floor. This wasn't the easiest
as
we were kind of wedged between the table and the glass sliding door out
to
the backyard. I put all my weight on Andrew and let him lift me down to
the
floor. All I wanted to do was push!
The operator was in the process of telling Andrew what to do for the
baby's
shoulders to come out when pop! OUt she came! We heard her tiny cries and
I
thought to myself thats a good sign.
I remember hearing Andrew saying mate, hang on, she's out. Andrew made a
good catch! He turned her around and laid her on my stomach. I heard the
operator tell Andrew to get a clean towel and wrap her up and to stay on
the
phone with him until the ambulance turned up which would be any second
now.
Andrew walked to the front door and was greeted by the ambo's who were
just
walking up the path.
They came in and clamped the cord for Andrew to cut.
Then they lifted her up and wrapped her in a warm blanket and passed her
to
Andrew.
After a few minutes and some more pushing the placenta was delivered. Now
it
was time to try and get up.
Andrew got my dressing gown and the ambo helped me get up and walk to the
bathroom. I had a wash and made my way back to the dining room where a
stretcher awaited me and our brand new daughter to take us to the
hospital.

As it turned out Jess met us at the hospital.
Andrew had called her to let her know I had already had the baby at home
and
was on the way to the hospital so to meet us there.
She was a bit disappointed as she wanted to be present for the birth, but
these things happen!

Our little girl weighed in at 5lb 4oz and was 44.5cm long.
As she was under 2500g, she was 2380g, she was taken to the special care
nursery for monitoring of her sugar and temp.
She had a good suck on her though.
She took to BF like a duck to water. She only had to stay in the SCN for
2
days and then it was back to mum.
We came home 2 day's later to her 5 brothers and sisters, and lots of
hugs
and kisses! ;-)

Last Wednesday we had her weighed and she was up to 5lb 11oz, or 2580g.
We
are due to be weighed again tomorrow.

Sorry this is so long , but this is actually the shorter version!
;-)

Trish

"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."