Monty boy's birth story

Monty James
20 July 2009 12:17 p.m.

....Forty one weeks, six days... and COUNTING!!!

It was a funny evening at our unit on the Currumbin Coast. We had lost a set of keys to the unit that enabled us to get our car out of the underground parking space. Panic set in. Searched for over an hour and then found them in the door. Whew. Okay - off to bed. I was coming up to 5 weeks from being away from home and my nerves were a little shattered on waiting for this baby.

But wait! Why isn’t the toilet flushing? Oh crap. Literally. On the floor, flooding the laundry. CANNOT get it unstuck. One of the toddlers had put an entire roll of TP in after a #2. Joy. Okay - 11:30 after a lot of mopping up and much wretching - off to bed.

I had held out so long to go naturally. My previous 2 were induced/waters ruptured. I had decided that if I didn’t go naturally, I would have my waters broken the next morning. Niggle Niggle pains came and went. Hmm they were starting to be a bit regular! I woke nic sometime after 1 a.m. with regular contractions 8 minutes apart. He was excited.

I rang my wonderful doula, Michelle sometime around 2ish and she drove up with her daughter. Eliza hopped into our bed to look after B&G while we were at the hospital. We were standing around the kitchen bench timing my contractions till 5 minutes. We decided to go to the hospital.

I had a big one before we got into the car and off we went. None in the car. A mild one in the parking lot. None in the lift, etc. They had fizzled. I think I was so excited to have gone into labour naturally that I disrupted the process! The 3 of us found a comfortableish place to have a sleep and the contractions kept coming but were fairly unpredictable.

I rested a bit and in the morning my lovely, quiet, gentle OBGYN walked in at 8 a.m. and ruptured my membranes. Out came the green liquor. Not to panic. My lovely midwife Sally strapped me up to a mobile monitor and away I went.

My contractions came on thick and fast - I got into the tub. It was lovely to relax in in-between contractions and I got up and buried my head into a pillow during. I was fairly quiet except for a few grumpy “F’s” And then I began to tell all of them that I was not going to do this. Get away from me. I don’t want to do this. Umm - yeah you are.

My hypnobirthing preparation that Michelle introduced to me was incredibly helpful. I wanted my 25 ways to awaken your birth power. It brought me back to calm.

After a contraction, I lifted my head and told Michelle that I had made sandwiches and put them in the fridge for the kids. She chuckled and said very calmly - “thanks Amy.”

I realized that I was probably in transition - so I reached down and told them that I felt my baby’s head. I needed a change and the Midwife wanted me to get out of the tub to have a look. I stood up and that was when I glazed over and went into a different world. A contraction came and I clinged onto Nic and let myself go into it. That was powerful. I was quiet and calm and let go to my body.

I got out of the tub and leaned over on a chair for only one or two more contractions then I knew we were close and my body worked hard. I remember sweating but not feeling hot. I remember people in the room, but I didn’t see them or hear them clearly. I wanted strong loud music. “High” by James Blunt, “Khe Sahn” by Jimmy Barnes played and it sounded so good.

“Little Angel” by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was playing and my baby’s head came. One more push and he slithered out. I knew I had done it, but it took a moment for me to “come to.” They said, “Its a boy!” and I turned around and said, “are you sure??” Umm, yep - look at the hardware!

He was divine and I was incredibly proud of myself. I had done what I used to think I couldn’t do. I was so empowered.

I hoped up on the bed and gently pushed for the placenta. No worries - no synthetic hormones. How awesome was that??!

He was so perfect. He needed a bath, but he was so peaceful and perfect.