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Birthing the biggest baby she has attended – Home birth of Alexander George

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Forty weeks came and went with baby number 6 but I didn’t think much of it. I was cranky, sore and huge but only one of my previous babes had come on 40 weeks, the rest were closer to 41 so I knew I still had. At least a week of being cranky. I went and had some relaxation acupuncture which definitely helped me be a bit more calm and easy to live with for me family!

My 41 weeks appointment with midwife rolled around on the Wednesday and Bub was happy, partly engaged and in LOA, a good position for birth. We discussed what would happen in the next week or so if Bub still hadn’t arrived and discussed making space for baby to come in, maybe getting someone to watch my kids for me for a night or 2.
I went home feeling happy that Bub was engaged as most of my bubs only did this in labour and I made an appointment for chiropractic care the next day as my neck and upper back were a bit sore.

On Thursday I had chiropractic in the afternoon and went home feeling good. Thursday evening after cooking dinner surges started that were a little more uncomfortable than the nightly braxton hicks I’d been having so I busied  myself cleaning my room while hubby put the kids to bed. I timed a few at 8mins apart and lasting 30 sec so I knew they may fizzle out or progress to active labour but either way they were doing something.  I tried a shower and sleep but they were uncomfy enough that I tossed and turned. At about 1am my daughter woke and came into my bed and everything stopped. I managed to get about 4hrs sleep but woke for the day feeling cranky and defeated.

I decided that Friday to send my big girls to school, and my 3 youngest to my mums house for a sleep over and tried to make the day a day for me and my baby.

I went for walks in the fresh winter air, ordered Indian take away and moved a mattress onto the lounge room floor so I could snuggle and watch a movie. Hubby and I also used the time to reconnect and after some “cuddles” I decided to try and sleep around 8pm.

I remember tossing and turning for about 2 hours until I gave up and got up for the toilet. I had the runs and when I got up a mild contraction that lasted about 30seconds.

I decided to go relax in the bath for a while and listened to music in the dark floating in the warm water. I noticed every 3 songs I’d have a contraction that would last about 30 seconds. They were painful enough to stop me but easy to breath through.
After about an hour I decided to get out and try and sleep a bit more because the contractions were too short to be real labour and I was really exhausted.
Mick warmed my heat packs and rubbed my back until I fell asleep. Every 20 mins or so I was awoken by a painful contraction but I breathed through it and went back to sleep.
After about 3 hours of this I got up for the toilet again.
I had a contraction almost as soon as I stood and had to vocalise through it.
Hubby looked at me and said “time to call the midwife”
I laughed at him and went to toilet, another contraction as soon as I stood up again. I moaned through it.
“Call the midwife” hubby said. I refused again and told him the contractions were still 5mins apart and only lasting 30secs. He argued that the noise I was making suggested it was labour so I gave him my phone and told him he could time some if he wanted but I wouldn’t call the midwife until there was a pattern.
I went to my room and diffused some oils ( may Chang and frankinscence )
And set up the area with some towels, a bin, some blueys and other things I might need after birth. Hubby kept timing contractions. And at about 3.30am told me he really wanted me to call the midwife.
I reluctantly called martina and told her I thought it was too early but mick wanted her there so she told me she’d be there around 4am.
I went back into my room and put on some music and set up my bed with old blankets and a drop sheet still expecting everything to slow down once the midwife arrived.
I kept going back and fourth to the toilet as I noticed with each contraction the pressure was so great I was weeing a little bit. Turns out this was likely my waters but they didn’t really go in a big gush so I wasn’t sure.
Martina arrived, checked babies heart rate and went to sit in the lounge room. We had discussed earlier that I laboured better on my own so she stayed away unless I called her. She set up her supplies and I went and had a shower to manage my back pain.
At some stage the second midwife arrived and moved into the lounge room too but I was unaware she was here.
I experimented with ways to feel more comfortable as my legs were tired of standing but in the end found standing leaning over a chair with a heat pack on my lower back the best way for me to manage the pain.
Some where over the next hour or so I began to feel a little pushy. I told martina who said to just go with what my body wanted to do. So I pushed a little with each contraction while standing but felt baby wasn’t going anywhere. Hubby came in and I cried and told him I couldn’t do it and nothing was happening. In my mind the contractions had really slowed down and it felt like I’d been not really labouring for a while. I felt nauseous and exhausted so I asked hubby to bring me a banana which I ate between contractions.
Not long after I called martina in and asked her to break my waters.
She laughed and said no, I can’t do that at home. She asked me what the problem was and I explained I felt like I wanted to push but I was unproductive
She asked if I wanted to push or if my body had to push. I said I didn’t know and went on to my bed to sulk, leaning over the fit ball on all fours.
Martina sat quietly in the room. I breathed through the next few contractions while mick applied counter pressure to my lower back. Suddenly that feeling of no holding back hit and my body began to silently push. It was really slow and painful but I could feel slow progress and martina assured me that soon I’d be able to feel my baby. As his head got closer to crowning I went into runners pose which definitely openup my pelvis like I needed. Soon I could feel that familiar wrinkly velvet head which gave me the energy to push harder than I ever had before.
Babies head crowned and martina told me to breath as she could see I was starting to tear. As I pushed she announced the parts of his face as he was being born. Once his head was born I was having trouble moving the rest of him down when martina announced his hand was coming out under his chin.
Martina touched his hand and he extended his arm out which allowed me to birth his shoulders, then the rest of his body. He slithered out between my legs and  grabbed him and tried to pick him up.
He was slippery and yet to cry so martina rubbed him a little with a towel and I lifted him to my chest as he let out an almighty cry. I was so relieved. The time was 6.38am
I snuggled my perfect baby while I waited to deliver the placenta. We marvelled at the length and thickness of babies cord. We also joked about babies weight as I have a history of big babies and made guesses. Martina  was 4.7kg, mine 4.9kg.

The placenta came away and after some toast and some water daddy snuggled Bub while I had a shower.

Once I was out we weighted and measured Bub.

40cm head circumference

55cm length and wait for it

5.06kg (11lb2oz )

Martina congratulated me on cracking the 5kg and birthing the biggest baby she has attended.

I got snuggled up on the couch with Bub to feed and mick went to get me something yummy for breakfast.

Over all one of the most challenging yet empowering experiences of my life!!

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