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Two.

Two years since I reached down into the water and pulled up your new little body, so limp and smooth.

How can it be that in that instant I knew I loved you so much and yet I had no idea what a wonder you truly are.

Thank you for two years my boy.

Printed huge on our wall, the first thing I see when I enter our room is a photo from your birth, the moment when I felt truly and utterly complete.

I sat and watched your birth video again today, oh my heart. How I long to hold your sweet newness again.

How lucky we are to have had you in our lives for two years today.

Happy birthday my little man. I wish for you every joy, many messes and wild adventures in this coming year.

I love you.

P.S I told you that you could have anything you liked for breakfast this morning. You requested ‘cookie’.

From Georgia: If you’ve checked out my new business website you might have seen the photographs of Ari’s birth. I had the honour of being present to document the peaceful waterbirth of little Ari Elliot. Today I have the honour of sharing with you the birth story of Ari, beautifully written by his mama Bianca. I hope you enjoy reading the story of his birth and are as touched as I am by Bianca’s story and her inspiring grace and strength bringing forth her third baby, Ari Elliott. 

My midwife warned me that third births are often stop start. And sure enough I had about 4 or 5 false starts in the weeks leading up to Ari’s birth. It was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting. On Saturday August 20^th I had another 2 hours of contractions in the wee hours of the morning.  When I woke I found my underwear damp, and smelled the distinct scent of amniotic fluid. When I smelt this scent at the breaking of my daughter’s waters, (hours before her labour began), my stomach flip flopped with excitement. The memory of my first born son, warm, soft, floppy and drenched in the foreign scent, had rushed to mind. But this time, the smell sent a screech of silent panic through me – labour, again. I had already been through 2 natural births, and the 2 and a half weeks of false labour had more than reacquainted me with the somewhat lost memory of contraction pain – I remembered clearly how hot and sharp they were now, and I felt afraid.

I got up and started moving around, hoping that this time would be for real. I made a cup of raspberry leaf tea and stood sipping it at the kitchen counter, timing contractions. To my utter disappointment they petered out. I was 7 days overdue and utterly discouraged. I called my midwife and decided to just head back to bed to rest, see how the day panned out, and call her back later in the day. It must have been about 8:30am. After 2 hours of sleep I woke feeling less tired, but still had no contractions. I pottered around the house, trying to keep occupied. Eventually my husband and I decided to head into the Birth Centre and get things assessed. I needed a sense of action to keep from despairing as I felt I would never go into labour.

We dropped our 4 and 2 year olds off to my Mum, and arrived at the Birth Centre around 4pm.  My midwife told me, after checking, that my waters didn’t appear to have broken. I didn’t seem to be losing anymore fluid. She said I was already 4cms dilated and the baby 3 fifths engaged. At least all that pre-labour had been doing something! She then performed a stretch and sweep as I was desperate to establish contractions and finally end my pregnancy!As we were leaving I began to feel the familiar rumblings of early contractions. Walking was almost impossible as I was tender and so very heavy.  We drove in towards the city, rather than back towards home, as I didn’t fancy the thought of a long car ride in active labour if we had to get back to the Birth Centre.

We pulled up to a nice restaurant, me wearing a cheap, old, yellow sundress, over black pj pants (that I had pulled out of my hospital bag in the boot), finished off with a large, knitted, purple cardigan and thongs! I felt like the slobbiest person on the face of the Earth, as though my baby would pop out between my legs at any moment, but could only laugh about being in a fancy eating precinct in such a fashion. Before we got out of the car a big, hot contraction rushed through me and I yelped, “There is no way I am going to go eat dinner in that restaurant!” Caleb suggested we go to the Japanese restaurant across the way and grab sushi instead, nice and easy, ready in a hurry, should we need to leave in a hurry. I agreed reluctantly and waddled in.

For 45 minutes we sat eating our last meal together as parents of 2. I sipped green tea, dipped dumplings into sauce and sampled black sesame seed ice cream, all the while contracting. I rocked on my stool when needed, breathed through the waves and thought, ‘this is it’.  We got ready to head back to the Birth Centre. I waddled ever so slowly to the toilet, and while in there my contractions began to subside. They continued to get more sporadic as we took the drive back to the Centre. Instead of parking in the car park we pulled into a side street as my contractions were all but gone. I had no idea what to do. Was this labour? Or should we just bite the bullet and head home? “Maybe I need to walk?” I asked Caleb. So off we headed to a nearby park. When we arrived I realised walking round an empty city park in the dark of night was actually a pretty stupid idea, and so, at a loss, we headed to a nearby bar for coffee instead.

All the 20-somethings were dressed to the nines enjoying their glasses of wine and bottles of cold beer as I sat in my daggy ensemble and sipped my coffee. Caleb and I chatted and listened to Massive Attack and my contractions begin to regulate again. At one point I stood, swaying gently to the music, laughing at the predicament we were in. And once again, to my horror, as we walked to the car to drive back to the Centre they stalled, again.  It’s a strange thing to find your body seemingly unable to get into established labour. When Caleb asked me what I wanted to do I told him all I wanted was to set up at the Birth Centre. To wheel my hospital bag in knowing I would need it. To settle into a steamy, cleansing shower, get out of my hideous ensemble and wait for my baby to join us. But was there any point of heading in, when we could very soon be heading back out?

Caleb decided to call Nicole and explained that I had been having sporadic contractions for 2 hours but thought if I could settle into a room, they would establish. Though she was back at home she was happy to meet us in there.  So we drove towards the Birth Centre again.Once there it felt very necessary to take my shoes off; I wanted to feel the floor with my feet. I paced in the waiting room and waited for Nicole to arrive. I felt nervous as though I shouldn’t really be there but tried to just relax.  The contractions started to ease back into my body.  I texted various friends and family to keep them updated. And when Nicole arrived we entered Room 1, the same one we had laboured in with the birth of our first.

In there I was a little uncertain what to do. It was obvious, though she sat inconspicuously in the corner, that Nicole was observing me and the contractions. I didn’t want her to have driven all the way in unnecessarily. I decided to bounce gently on an exercise ball, facing Caleb while he read out loud to me, Bill Bryson’s Notes From a Small Island. We had Lior playing on the CD player and I could hear Nicole singing along gently to it; I liked that.  I stretched my arms over my head, took breaths in and out, rolled my head, stretched my neck and straightened my legs – trying to relax.After a while Nicole left the room, and I told Caleb I wanted a shower. And as anticipated the shower was divine. The pain greatly diminished by concentrating the hot water right at the site where it hurt, on my stomach and back, and I was able to really relax. The contractions finally started to develop a consistent pattern.

After the shower I felt like a new woman. I popped on my bra and found I didn’t know what to wear on the bottom half and so ended up wrapping one of the small, scratchy hospital towels around my waist. The contractions very quickly became strong and powerful but I was more than ready for them and greeted each one with a deep breath and relaxed swaying; movement and motion to help the baby progress through the body and out quickly – labour, finally, time to work. It must have been around 9:30pm at this point.

I stayed on my feet the whole time, aware that gravity can help shorten the length of a labour. There were times when I wanted to sit or lie, but instead I leaned over the edge of the bed and rested my forehead on the mattress, closing my eyes and taking rest.I had already decided beforehand that I wanted to include Caleb much more actively in this birth. With my other 2 births I had been really internal. I had focused inward in order to deal with the pain of contractions without medication and so hadn’t really drawn on him for his strength and support. I wanted to do it differently this time. And as this was more than likely our last baby, our last labour experience, I wanted us to really unite and cherish the moment.

 I spent most of the contractions standing facing towards Caleb. When one approached I would talk to him about what I felt I needed. At one point it was enough just to nuzzle my face into his neck as the pain soared inside me, him sitting on the edge of the bed. The smoothness and warmth of his neck was a divine distraction, as was the texture of his t-shirt.

Once the contractions got stronger and more overpowering I felt I needed him to stand, to be level with me. Leaning down into him wasn’t going to work anymore. We grasped hands and wrists, and I steadied myself against him, throwing my head back and riding out the pains as they continued to roll.

For the most part, I think I was rather silent. I was aware that it’s important to not tense as a new contraction approaches. It’s best to exhale, relax your body and allow the process to unfold, rather than tensing your muscles against it, which can actually hinder the process and make a labour longer and more painful. So with each new contraction I would breathe out, sway, roll my head back, groan, draw traces across the floor with my feet, rock and pull against Caleb’s weight – any movement to help keep my body supple and relenting to the process, in spite of the pain. It has surprised me at each of my births what a transcendent mind space I have entered; hormones are an amazing thing! Each time I have paced with such a sense of restlessness. Small things have become heightened, tiny sounds, the temperature in the room, the feel of lip balm on my lips. I was acutely aware of the patterned bumps in the lino, the feel of them bumping along the soles of my feet as I traced along the floor was fantastic, as were the coarse fibres in the hospital towel that I rung back and forth over the towel rack. These small things became so very large in my mind and concentrating on them was a diversion away from the pain.

Eventually I decided to get in the tub. I was longing to submerge in the hot water and was really interested to see how it would affect the pain. With my second birth, I had hopped in the tub with very little thought to the process and after the event couldn’t actually recall if it had helped with the pain or not. This time I sunk in slowly, and decided to recline up against the side, with Caleb facing me. I tipped my head over the back of the tub and again breathed in and out. The pain relief was instant and quite amazing! I went from writhing in extreme pain out on the lino, to reclining silently through the next 3 contractions or so, my whole body letting go. Labouring in the tub was so comforting.

I decided I would attempt to squat in between contractions to allow my pelvis to open up to its maximum, (2 extra centimetres are gained in that position!). And I also wanted to let baby’s head push down onto the cervix. As I hadn’t had any internals I didn’t know how dilated I was and wanted to aid the process by using the pressure from baby’s skull.As each contraction began I would slowly recline against the side of the tub. Caleb helped me up and down each time, his strength a fantastic aid. After a while I decided though I didn’t feel the urge to push I would start gently pushing to see what it produced. At first I did it silently. After a couple of silent pushes things began to happen, much to my surprise. 3 births and never once did I get the all consuming desire to bear down and push that everyone speaks of!

Once the pushing began in earnest, Nicole and Caleb started to communicate with me about the process. They told me it wouldn’t take long if I continued to push ‘like that’, which again surprised me.  After a little while they could see baby’s head and Nicole encouraged me to touch it. After waiting so very long, 41 weeks and 1 day, enduring 20 weeks of morning sickness, even being admitted into hospital for re-hydration due to the endless vomiting, after waiting and dreaming and trying to conjure up just who this little person could be, I finally felt him. He was so real, firm and so not me. So…other. The relationship I had with bubs while he was in utero was one based on his movements within me. I would feel him knead me from inside. I would feel him drag limbs from inside my skin and I would press my hand against my own skin in an attempt to get to him. But here he was, so individual and real, and almost out. It was a wonderful feeling that only encouraged me to continue working hard, and to not give in to the feelings of ‘isn’t this over yet?!’

With my other 2 births I had pushed with every single ounce of strength I had in me and then some. I had so desperately wanted each labour over but for some reason now, each time I bore down and prepared to absolutely let loose with the force behind the push, I felt I should hold back a bit. This happened again and again, until I decided to ask Nicole whether I should be pushing like crazy or just taking it slow. She said there was no harm in taking it slow, and so that’s what I continued to do.

A contraction would begin, I would prepare and push – feeling the intensity of bone, full, bearing down inside me, propelling slowly out, and then I would just sustain the push, instead of reaching a fevered peak. With my next push I would use less intensity, rather than more, taking it slowly, slowly.

When his head finally crowned, the feeling was just as I remembered, stretching so great and so vast it’s almost incomprehensible. I tried to simply endure the sensation, rather than feel threatened. I focused on the little person that was almost here, instead of the feeling, letting the stretching take place. Nicole said, ‘the perineum is peeling back over the head’, or something to that effect. She said it in the gentlest tone, her voice so comforting, and at once I knew it to be true. Even though it felt like a tearing, like something bad, something to escape, I knew my body was just doing what it was created to do and all I had to do was trust and wait.

Once his head crowned (that most glorious of feelings) I had to wait for the next contraction to birth his body. And while half-birthed, he moved. It was the strangest of sensations, akin to a fish darting in the water. “He’s moving!” I yelped to Nicole. When she assured me he was just moving to get into the right position to be birthed with the next contraction, I knew she was right. I knew that babies turn so one shoulder and then the other can be birthed. And so I relaxed, and he turned that little bit more, and when the next contraction began I pushed him out into the water where he propelled and spun, all new limbs moving beneath the reflections on the water in torchlight.

Nicole unravelled the cord from around his neck, counting aloud, “1, 2, 3.” And I had wondered all along as he was growing inside me. And I had prayed silently time and time again that if the cord was around his neck it wouldn’t be a problem, that he would be delivered to me alright, that he would grow hidden and safe.

While I cradled his new body against mine, we worked at getting him to breathe deep, steady breaths. I rubbed his floppy back and smeared the vernix between my fingers and thumb. I am sure he was taking gentle, quiet breaths, his eyes closed, no crying. But as the cord had been around his neck Nicole wanted to see evidence of big steady breaths. So we kept rubbing and she told me to blow gently, and I did. I blew into his sweet little face, face with eyes closed and cheeks so soft. Eventually I decided to lift him slightly out of the water, so the cold air would touch his torso and encourage him to suck in deep breaths of air. And it did, and he began to roar.

The arrival of a new babe fresh into your arms, so warm and wet, so sweet and soft, has got to be one of the most divine experiences we get here on this Earth. I swear if it wasn’t for the endless months of painful pregnancy I would be tempted do it again and again, just to savour another moment when a new soul is handed to me and I get to meet them and love them for the first time. Their eyes bleary and dark, limbs floppy, the smell of amniotic fluid drenched all over their perfect little body.

Images of women screaming in pain and fear during labour is the most common portrayal of birth we see, usually in films or TV shows but birth doesn’t have to be terrifying. On my ‘quest’ for unmedicated, gentle births, I have searched out positive birth stories to bolster my nerves. I’ve read book after book to educate myself on the physiological process so as to understand what causes the pain and learn ways to help alleviate it. And consequently I have been able to enter into all 3 of my births with trust, trust both in the process and my body.

I remembered to look into Caleb’s eyes soon after Ari was born. I wanted to drink in the interaction between the 2 of us and savour the exchange, to file away the look on his face in my memory. He looked so proud, he made me feel proud. And he looked at Ari and I with such love.

 Ari Elliot

21st August 2011

12:08 am

8lbs 8oz

 (more birth photos here)

Tomorrow is my sweet Peach’s 2nd birthday and I am imagining we’ll be too busy having birthday fun to post tomorrow. I can’t believe that this time 2 years ago I was yet to meet my girl. At this point, I had already been in labour for 18 hours and I was more than eager to meet the Peach!

On the eve of her birthday though I’ve been thinking about our journey to her birth. I find myself still processing the events that seemed to almost hurl me into motherhood. When Leigh from Marvelous Kiddo wrote about Theo’s birth story here, she entitled it ‘Welcoming Theo’ and that is how I feel about Theo’s birth, it was welcoming. I felt as though we were ready and waiting for him to arrive, his labour was calm and I was prepared mentally and physically.

I am not sure what the heck I was doing during the 9 months I was pregnant with Priya but I didn’t feel like I was ready at all, it did not feel ‘welcoming’. The whole process of her birth seemed abrupt and terrifying – not at all the natural and beautiful outcome of a pregnancy. Perhaps because I had no idea what to expect, perhaps because I hadn’t researched enough and decided exactly what it was I wanted or perhaps it was just a hard labour (and fighting the natural process before it’s even started  is hard, let me assure you!). But regardless, I am getting a little ahead of myself.

If you would like to read Priya’s exceptionally long and picture heavy pregnancy & birth story, please press ‘read more’!

Read more »

Georgia pregnant with Theo by Zali

Theo Mabini Brizuela
13th February 2010
10lbs 7oz
AGPAR 9/10
Delicious.

It’s only been two days and already the little details of your birth are becoming warm and fuzzy in my mind, blurring into a cloudy memory that makes my heart swell.

Just like your big sister, you came nice and late. We had suspected that you might come late so I had added a few days to your conception date to give you more time to come when you were ready. Your due date came and passed and we weren’t surprised. The weekend before you were born it was a lovely rainy weekend and your dad, sister and I thought you might come. We waited at home, the house scrubbed and cleaned, hoping you might decide to arrive. You didn’t. With your sister I had gone into labour at 41 + 6 so when that date rolled around you didn’t arrive, I started to worry you weren’t ever coming out.

On Friday evening I knew if you didn’t come the next day, I would be risked out of the birth centre for being too far post dates. I really wanted to have you in the water with our wonderful midwives so I was rolling around like a crazed woman on an exercise ball, hoping it might make you come. Sure enough once we’d put your sister to bed and I’d rolled on the ball for a few hours, contractions started coming. They were coming quite close and hard, about 5 minutes apart. I was excited knowing that this could be the start of labour. As I continued rolling and the contractions kept coming, I looked at the clock, it was 10:40 and I suddenly felt very tired. I knew what a task lay ahead of me and suddenly didn’t feel ready; I hadn’t had enough sleep to labour properly. I decided I should try and get some sleep then but it was very hard to fall asleep with the contractions coming so regularly. I told your dad I couldn’t sleep so he put on a very boring film and I was able to doze off right away. I woke a number of times throughout the night and the contractions were still coming. They had slowed significantly, to about 10 minutes apart, but still there.

I woke feeling fresh and ready for labour at 4:30 am and decided to roll on the ball again to speed the contractions back up. Within a few minutes the contractions were very close together. I knew you would be coming that day. Priya woke too and she helped me with some last minute things I wanted to do before you came. Between contractions we peeled and juiced apples so I could have a fresh juice to keep up my energy. Then we did some folding of nappies and ironed some shirts. By 6 am I woke your dad because the contractions were very close (about 3 minutes apart) and I was having trouble keeping calm during them with your sister wanting my attention. Your dad moaned and said he wanted to sleep for another 5 minutes. I got cross and told him if he didn’t get out of bed, he wouldn’t be getting a baby!

I texted your aunty Hailey and told her that she could head over soon. She was coming to film and photograph the birth and Andrew and the girls were coming to play with Priya. I told her that she shouldn’t rush and to come when she was ready. It’s a 40 minute drive from their house so I wasn’t expecting them for a while.

While Peach and dad played in the lounge, I put on my hypnobirthing affirmations and settled in our bedroom. The hypnobirthing tracks were great and helped me really relax and get into a rhythm with the contractions. I could still talk easily between contractions and felt really excited knowing each one was bringing me closer to meeting you! Since the contractions were now about 2.5 minutes apart, I told your dad to tell Hailey to come sooner if she could. I focused on my tracks and my breathing and continued labouring while resting my head on the edge of our bed. Once Hailey arrived your dad was free to come and support me which was great, I felt so much more able with his hand to hold or him rubbing my back. This labour was very different than Priya’s, during her labour I felt like I was alone labouring. Your dad had been there supporting me, but I didn’t really let him, I found his kind words annoying and unsupportive. This time though, I really relied on your dad, trusted him and let him support me. I don’t think I could have done it without him, he was there through every contraction, massaging me, icing me, telling me I could do it.

Hailey chatted with me a bit and started filming the labour. At 8:00 am I told your dad we should call the midwife because the contractions were so close. I spoke with the midwife Michelle and she said I didn’t sound like I was in established labour and to call back when the contractions were three minutes apart and I couldn’t talk through them. Michelle asked if I had seen a bloodstained show which I had not. After I spoke with her I went to the toilet and sure enough, there it was. I was really hot in our bedroom because the morning sun streams through our double glass sliding doors making it like a little oven. I decided to move to the spare room which was darker and cooler. Again, I laboured sitting on the floor, leaning over the bed. I began to feel quite nauseated and asked Hailey to bring me a bucket in case I needed to throw up. Not long after she arrived with the bucket I did throw up and I felt much better afterwards. It was about 8:30 at this point and I felt like I wanted to head to the Birth Centre before the contractions got any closer together and made the trip unbearable. Your dad called Michelle and she told us to meet her there but to give her a 20 minute head start as she lives a fair way from the hospital. Your dad busied himself getting our things together to take with us and I stayed on the floor in the spare room. I felt particularly bad at this point because your dad wasn’t there to support me. Soon we were ready to go into the Birth Centre and we all piled in the car. The trip seemed much longer than usual. Every time we braked the contractions felt worse and I gripped the seatbelt as hard as I could. We stopped in the Emergency bay of the hospital and Hailey and I walked up to the Birth Centre while your dad parked. I was walking slowly and contracting so we were only in the elevators by the time your dad had parked the car and caught up with us.

I felt so happy as we entered the Birth Centre and I could see our midwife, Michelle waiting in the hallway. We had a team of three midwives and I had really been hoping that Michelle would be on call when I went into labour. She had briefly been in Priya’s labour and I had really loved her and didn’t want her to leave. You are a very clever boy arriving on that day! We headed into Room 4 which was the same room your cousin Zen was born in. It’s hard to explain but there was something so exciting and wonderful about those first minutes settling in the Birth Centre. Michelle looked so excited and happy and the energy in the room felt great. It was a nice boost. Michelle offered the standard hospital procedures which she had to offer. She offered the CTG monitoring as she was rolling the machine out of the room! I really love her. She told me that the hospital would like me to have a VE but that she was happy not to do it. We did have a listen to your heartbeat with a doppler and she felt what position you were in. I knew you were still posterior (I could feel your little limbs right out front) but Michelle just felt my tummy, smiled and said everything looked great. I was happy she didn’t tell me that you were in the ‘wrong position’ as I was told with your big sister. I laboured for a little while standing and then decided to kneel over the bean bag. I had my ipod in and focused on my hypnobirthing track.

I was quite thirsty and sipped on energy drink and icy poles between contractions. Your dad rubbed my back and Michelle rubbed my feet, it felt so good. I had a heat pack on my lower back which felt wonderful, I was very sore. I felt sick again and threw up. Michelle suggested I go to the toilet. Getting up and moving to the toilet wasn’t as hard as I had thought it would be. Though the contractions were now very intense, they felt good, they felt productive and I was really happy.

After the toilet I came out and stood not knowing where I wanted to be. Michelle asked me if I would like to use the bath which was ready and tempting me. I didn’t want to hop into the bath too early as I really wanted you to be born in the water and hadn’t been able to stay very long in the water with Priya before I overheated. Since we’d only been in the Birth Centre only 2 hours, I thought it was a little too early to be hopping in. I’d mentally prepared myself to be labouring all day. The contractions were changing though and I decided I did want to hop in, though I still didn’t believe I was close to having you.

As soon as I lowered myself into the water I felt downward pressure and almost like I was ready to push. I was a little alarmed as I couldn’t get over how fast things were going. I didn’t think I should be ready to push yet and told the Midwife worriedly that I felt like pushing, she smiled and said “Good”. The next contraction I couldn’t help myself, I just started pushing. In my hypnobirthing we had learnt about ‘breathing the baby out’ and allowing the body to work on it’s own. I tried focusing on the breathing they had suggested for pushing but every ounce of me just wanted to push. I was on my knees in the water gripping your dads thighs as he sat in the water facing me. Poor dad had me right in his face making the most primal of sounds. Michelle told me she could see the waters and that they were still intact, she thought you might be born in the caul. During the next contraction your waters broke with a nice big pop. I cried out “what was that!?!?” – it felt like a bullet shooting out of me, they definitely popped with force. Right after the waters broke your heart rate dropped down to 90. Michelle asked me to turn over so that she could have a better listen. I told her I didn’t want to, she told me I would and I could, she needed to listen to your heartbeat. I turned over and she checked again, your heart rate was fine.

The next push your head came out. I remember thinking the whole time “so this is that ring of fire”. It burnt to push, but also felt so good. Michelle said she could see your head and I felt between my legs and there you were, so soft and velvety. It was the most amazing feeling touching your head. It felt like a soft wet fuzzy peach. Your body came out the next push and you were passed up to me. Your birth time was 12:06pm. Your cord was wrapped loosely around your neck, and after you were untangled, I held you. I could hear your dad sobbing as he held me from behind. I was so overwhelmed. You looked so tiny and beautiful. I kept saying to you “you’re so beautiful, you’re so beautiful”. It was so beautiful. I couldn’t believe how wonderful it was, pulling you from the water and holding you straight away. I had one hand holding you between your legs and thought I could feel a penis. I thought it may have been your cord, so I did a little check and sure enough – testicles! I told your dad, “It’s a boy!” and he cried some more.

We hopped out of the water after this so I could birth your placenta. We waited until the placenta had been delivered before your dad cut your cord. Michelle checked me for tears and I was so surprised to be told I didn’t have any! Your dad then disappeared from the room. I was starting to get annoyed that he had left and not told anyone where he was going until he returned and placed a medallion around my neck. On the back the medallion read

“World’s greatest achievememt – Birth
* Congratulations *
Georgia Peach Brizuela
For your commitment passion and love!”

My heart melted and I forgave your dad for disappearing.

After we lay together for a while we all got curious staring at you about how big you were. We asked Michelle to weigh you and we were all blown away that you were 10lbs 7oz. You looked so tiny to me. Unlike Priya, you were not chubby at all – just long – 56cm. After this, we put you to the breast and you fed. And fed. And fed. You latched perfectly first go and haven’t had much time off the breast since. You are an excellent nurser.

Once you were fed I showered and hopped into the double bed with your dad. Your Noni and Pa arrived and wanted to see you. They also brought me a Sub which I devoured very quickly. I was starving. I also ate two muesli bars, two scones, an icy pole and some lollies. We all took the time to hold you and admire your perfect features. Your dad let all our friends know that you had been born safe and sound.

We wanted to sleep but we also wanted to get home as soon as possible. We stayed awake so the paediatrician could come and give you a check before discharge. The paediatrician came and checked you over, wrote in your notes and said we were fine to go home. We all laughed after he left because he looked like he was 12. Michelle joked that she knew she was getting old because she kept thinking the doctors needed packed lunches. We decided we want to leave the Birth Centre and get home to your sister. Your Noni wanted me to take a wheelchair from the birth centre to the car but when they took too long to arrive, I walked instead. I felt great, walking out of there only a few hours after you were born, proudly holding you close. We couldn’t believe we were home by 4:30 pm introducing you to your big sister.

Your birth was beautiful and empowering Theo, I hope one day you can witness your own baby being born in such a rewarding way.
I love you.

And now the video version made by my lovely sister, Hailey. It is by far, my favourite 7 mins of film.

Theo’s Birth video from hailey bartholomew on Vimeo.