Welcome Bowen: A Birth Story.

I could come back and back to this post and procrastinate over ways to write it. Levels of detail to include. What do I even remember? And how accurate and well ordered are all the snippets in my head?

Big deep breath... I'm just going to throw it at you...

Thursday 3:30am I wake up with hideous nausea and spend a couple of the early hours throwing up and crying in self pity to Steve. 

5:30am I'm lying in bed post puke and my waters pop! Gear change. We're going to have this baby. I don't claim Mother's intuition often, but right then I know my body's going to start up, and it does. I call my Mum to make her way over for Euna duties. Alert the community midwives office. By 7:00am I'm having some mild contractions and riding them out with a "hummm" and my hypnobirthing CD.

My mum arrives and lies on the bed with me. I've got a cool head on and tell her I'm fine, even though I'm still being sick... Less than ideal start to labour.

A midwife arrives at 8:30am. Karen, for some reason I'm pleased she's young? She checks my paper work, birth plan, "I like it!" she says and I appreciate the nice smile she gives it. Nice to know we're starting this with someone who gets what we want.

9:00am. I'm 3cm. Not active labour. She intends to scrawl some paperwork, finish her tea and leave us to it. She hopes I've been poorly all I can be, so I'll sleep a while, recoup and then be well enough to get walking and bouncing and jeering this labour on. "We don't need to worry about anything happening until 5 o clock tomorrow".

9:30am. I'm being more sick and the act of it is pushing the labour on. Stronger surges, every 5 minutes. I feel like crap. I worry I'm well enough to see this through. Midwife says "I AM doing it". Hmm... Thanks but you don't know how I feel and I'm eared up for a 2 day labour like last time. I can't start that marathon from this place. Midwife stays. 

I nest up on our sofa. Try the hypnobirthing CD. Bob in and out of "that place" to be ill. Steve potters. Mum takes Euna out.

10:30am. Hurts and I'm still being unwell. I can't stay in the chilled hypnobirth-y place I want to be in to deal with this and I want something else. Etinox or pool. Midwife says either could slow me down and I'm not in active labour yet. Last time I tried the pool from 3cm and it went well for a while so... We'll try it.

Steve goes to fill pool. Steve pulls some kind of Daddy slam WWF move on the tap connector. Steve storms out the door to GO TO HOMEBASE. On his way to the door we have a mild domestic row about his organisational skills but he had offered to do a practice run and I had told him not to bother... I imagine the midwife looks awkwardly at her notes at this point. Not our finest marital moment... *snigger*.

Steve needs to be here. This really REALLY hurts now. I apologise to the midwife. Steve is pulling some Stig-esc driving moves to Homebase. I beg for Etinox. Wonderful Etinox and Steve's back. Hot water tank, several kettle fulls and every pan we have is emptied of hot water in to the pool and it's still below the minimum level.

11:30am I AM getting in the pool. Midwife wants to check me before I get in. 5cm. Just in active labour. I get into the pool and it's barely minimum. Ahhhhh hot water. Swills round me and feels incredible. Thank GOD! I settle with my arms rested on the side of the pool and ride couple of contractions with Etinox. Steve crouches in front of me, he's been busy till now and I tell him he's stays with me now.

11:40am. I can feel baby moving down. I chug the Etinox. Midwife tells me to save it for contractions. I say I can't tell when they are anymore. Then I say I want to push. Don't push, it's too early. But I'm not doing it on purpose. I think back to Euna, I pushed to soon. Am I going to hurt this baby? Just stop pushing. I can't. I'm not doing it my body is. Etinox. More Etinox. Charlie you need to take it easy on that, we only have two canisters. Steve stop bloody moving around. Etinox. Can't feel the surges start and finish. I'm pushing. Theresa (usual midwife) arrives. Babies head. Baby. WHAT!? BABY! It's THERE! More baby... BABY! No one can get around to me quick enough.

I pick up baby. There's a BABY in my hands. Midwife hands appear over my left shoulder to assist. Steve is at my right. STEVE IT'S A BOY!!! I look at baby again, why have you cut the cord?! We haven't, it broke. Ok...?! Steve it's a boy. IT'S A BOY!

12:10pm. We have a son and he's here and I'm holding him.

We call my Mum back. "What is it?!" "We'll tell you when you get here" Midwives sort me out and I'm out on to dry land. Mum and Euna arrive. "IT'S A BOY!" My Mum cries and Euna runs over with an excited "HI! HI! HI!"

I sit with my babies. I have babies.

We all cuddle.

We celebrate.

He is blissful.

I have a son. 

We are four.

Welcome Bowen.

We love you.

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