Baby M: A pregnancy, birth & postpartum journey

“I rolled over in bed at 5:30am and felt a 'pop'”

Labour is like the story ‘We're Going on a Bear Hunt’: You can't go over it; you can't go under it... you've got to go through it"

This story is the beautiful welcoming of a family’s third babe.

G decided to surprise her husband with her positive pregnancy test at Christmas time; telling him that it was a gift that had forgotten to be opened.

G decided that an induction was the best choice for them after her waters broke & it was clear that it was meconium.

Their beautiful baby girl was born petite but perfectly healthy into a very loving family. 

G & J chose to have Midwife Anita for birth preparation & postnatal care.

The Beginning

Can you give us a bit of backstory about your family life? How many children do you have, what do you do for work, etc.?

I'm a stay-at-home mum of two children and support my husband in running our carpentry business. Prior to the birth of my first child, I studied, travelled and I enjoyed a career in construction administration.

What sort of emotions did you experience on finding out about this pregnancy? How did you tell your partner?

I was very happy finding out about this pregnancy despite a little bit of shock with such a short gap after my 2nd child. I found out about the pregnancy on Boxing Day and gave the positive pregnancy test to my husband as "a Christmas present that forgot to be opened"- then I cried!

How was your pregnancy? Were you well overall? Was there anything that happened that you'd like to share?

I was well during pregnancy. Being my third pregnancy, it became more physically challenging as time went on (stretching, etc.) and all the while chasing two other babies. Before we knew it our beautiful baby girl was here! There were no real dramas, until, in the final weeks it was suspected she might be a little bit on the smaller side. This was the case and although petite, she was perfectly healthy.

Which Wise & Well package option did you choose?

Single appointments

(*this Mama approached us when we were offering single appointments. Unfortunately, we don't currently offer one-off consults but watch this space!)

Did you see any of our Allied Health team during your pregnancy or postpartum?

No, I didn't see any of the Allied Health team.

What tips do you have for other mums for a positive and healthy pregnancy?

Keep active. I took Pilates classes, but even regular brisk walks help both your physical and mental health as you near the birth of your child.

The Middle

How did labour start? Was it spontaneous or were you induced?

The night before/early morning I was experiencing tolerable cramping and I slept through with a heat pack. I rolled over in bed at 5:30am and felt a 'pop'. From previous experience I knew it was my waters breaking and the light green was meconium (baby had done a poo inside). Contractions didn't come on and so we went in for monitoring that morning. Because baby was known to be on the smaller side, we opted for an induction (plus the issue of having meconium in the waters). I had to let go of the fact that I wanted birth to go a certain way, I knew I had to meet her soon to allow for the best outcome for our baby. I ended up in the right place for this baby, with the right interventions for our situation.

Did you utilise any pain relief/techniques/strategies during labour? Did it help?

No pain relief. We did do some Spinning Babies techniques with our midwife. I particularly found the shower was helpful.

How did you feel during labour & birth? Supported? Is there anything that happened that you'd like to share?

I felt very well supported. I had a student midwife allocated to me when I went into birth.

What was the most helpful thing for you during labour and birth? Was there anything your support person did that worked well? Any tips for other mums/partners?

Labour is like the story "We're Going on a Bear Hunt": You can't go over it, you can't go under it, you can't go around it, you've got to go through it".

The shower and my husband's support were the most helpful thing. In order to birth well, you need to feel safe and secure. Ultimately, your partner is going to be able to provide that. You're going to take your birth experience with you into the future and reflect back on it so it's nice to have your partner as the main support in the room. I wanted my partner to be the dominant voice in the room. The student midwife was really enthusiastic and whilst she was lovely, her voice was dominant and she was talking quite a bit.

How did you feel immediately after your child was born? How was your support person/partner?

The main emotions were relief and happiness. She was very cute and looked very different to the others. My husband cut the cord and announced that our baby was a little girl. She was worth all of the hard effort.

The End (AKA The start of your next chapter)

How have you been adjusting to life with your new little person? How has your feeding journey been?

We've been adjusting really well. The transition from two to three children has been really smooth. It's busier but we're more organised and in more of a routine. Our baby girl just fits in with our routine and I'm more relaxed now. She breastfed for the first 7 weeks which was a really pleasant experience. Even when I was doing bottle top-ups, she never got nipple confusion. We then supplemented to 10 weeks, and then following that, we were fully formula feeding mainly out of convenience as she needed the extra supplementation. She was a hungry monkey!

What are your tips you have for other mums for a positive, supported and healthy postpartum journey?

Every baby is different so take it as it comes. Definitely don't be afraid to ask for help (family, friends and partner). Ask for what you need, not what you think people are happy to offer. This is something I have gotten better at with each child (but also there is a greater need for help now with 3 kids). Plus, when they're older, the kids are easier to take out to lighten my load. Allow your partner to take the load with some tasks, it's not forever that early postpartum period. The partner then also has a greater sense of purpose. They grow as fathers and we grow as mothers. Also, make sure you're doing the self-care. Private midwifery meant that I was caring for myself without leaving the home. It allowed me to prioritise my postpartum care.

Thank you to G, her husband, beautiful Baby M & the rest of their gorgeous family for sharing their beautiful story with us.

Each birth & postpartum experience unfolds differently, go gently.

Please reach out if you would like to discuss your own birth experience with us.