Plus One Equals Four

The sunset on Sunday morning was filled with new life, hope and beautiful memories. It was the day that we were going to meet our beautiful baby boy as he has decided that it was the perfect time. I woke up to pains at 5am and excitedly shook Heath to wake him up and declare "IT'S ON BABY!". We were both so excited and scared.....the perfect mixture of both.

My dream was to labour at home in my safe place with my family surrounding me. I wanted to have control of the labour - I wanted to embrace it and I didn't want a million blood pressure checks and false hopes from nurses. Macie was induced and the whole experience of her birth was so medicated....and I wanted the complete opposite from that.  For months I had studied Hypnobirthing and in the last few weeks I spent hours a day on my fitball, listening to music, practicing my breathing and also accupunture. 

I spent the morning rocking on the fitball with Macie on my back. It was like she knew something was going on. She would stroke my head and rub my belly throughout a contraction. I thought I would find it distracting...but I found it soothing and beautiful to be able to share this with my beautiful little girl.   In between contractions I played with Macie, laughed with Heath and pottered around the house.  Heath was asking me every hour - "Do you think we should head to the hospital Babe?"....and I would answer "They will just send us home or tell me that I am only 4cm dilated after all this time....let's wait another hour." We spoke to our midwife via text and each text from her would say "Come in when you are ready...." Eventually the contractions got stronger, longer and closer together so I sang and rocked Macie to sleep, Heath rang his Mum to look after her and we decided to set off to the hospital.

We live 32km from the hospital on a bumpy highway.....I will never ever forget this trip. It was the longest trip of my life. I couldn't get on all fours as my belly was too big, so I just hung on for dear life and tried to breathe my way through the contractions to town. We found time to laugh at the fact that we just had to be stuck behind 3 trucks!!  We always said that we would head to town when my contractions were 5 minutes apart and 1 minute long - that would mean that I would only have to breathe through maximum 5 contraction on the way. That plan went out the window when we stopped counting on the 12th contraction....

Upon arrival at the hospital, I was told that I was infact 9cm dilated and this baby was going to be born within the hour....and he was.  At 4.50pm, William James was born weighing 7lb 14oz! He was born in the shower as I declared that I could not (and WOULD not!) move. Never in my life would I have imagined having a natural drug-free birth, but I did and now I can appreciate the beauty and magic of a human body so much more. Don't get me wrong....it was like I was hallucinating the word EPIDURAL....but it was too late for anything!

So a few hours after arriving to the hospital, we were walking out of the labour ward and to our room.  It felt surreal - amazing, scary and surreal.  We were so lucky to have the most amazing midwives who spent my whole pregnancy understanding what I wanted and were so supportive.  They just 'knew' when I needed them, what I wanted and how to explain to Heath that it was too late for an epidural and he was begging for them to give it to me!! They are more than just midwives - they are friends that shared such an amazing experience with us.

Quite possibly the best moment out of the last five days has been when Macie first walked in to meet her little brother.  Her face lit up, and she just said "Baby" over and over.  It was love at first sight.  Ever since, she has been the ever-so-helpful Big Sis - with a tiny bit of attitude but nothing that wasn't expected.  She loves to cuddle him and kiss him - and William actually loves it too.  He settles so beautifully when she is holding him or when they are lying on their little couch together.  It makes my heart (and uterus with afterpains) go absolutely bonkers watching them both.

As for Heath - he has been the most beautiful, supportive, caring and loving husband and Daddy that I could have wished for.  While Sorghum Harvest was in full swing and I could see him itching at the bit to get out there and help - he stayed home and supported me in our first five days as a family of four.  I am so thankful that his parents and our neighbours have been so great in making sure Harvest went off without a hitch without Heath and I am a bit sad to think that he is going to be back on the job next week.  I have loved having him home and watching him with William in one arm and Macie in the other....and then seeing that little twinkle in his eye....that twinkle that screams "I'M A PROUD DADDY!".

Everyone bathed and in PJS by 5pm.  Sleep deprieved much?

So life is busy yet beautiful with our family of four.  I am tired and sore yet deliriously happy. 

William has made our family complete. 

More newborn photos to come!!

**A big thankyou to Pa McNulty for the photos! **