We wanted to introduce you to our bundle of joy, baby Daphne, who was born on Friday morning around 9am

She was two days post due date and came naturally which overjoyed me to every end!   I had a sweep last Tuesday which then put me into slow but continuous early labour (contractions on and off hourly) from Tues eve through Thurs eve (stopping a bit for the afternoons)

It was a situation I wasn’t really prepared for as I didn’t realise you could be in “prep mode” for that long.  But in hindsight it was a great two days for Chris and I as we spent them all hunkered down at home going though every bit of the stuff we had talked about. We were in “help the shy oxytocin hormone” mode – lots of candles, aromatherapy, lots of hypnobirthing, snuggles, bit of healthy cooking and generally being at our very best just the two of us

When labour came full on around 1am Friday morning, I definitely had a bit of a panic. Contractions came fast and powerful getting quick my to almost 5 mins apart (they then slowed a bit). At that point I didn’t feel comfortable at home so wanted to get the hospital (water had broken, had the third overwhelming show, etc)

But what was most amazing to me was how Chris was the rock that never faltered.  In hindsight, I’m not sure I’ve seen him so calming and reassuring.  On the drive to the hospital just the two of us, I felt safe due to his words and demeanour

We got there and I was in rough shape because I couldn’t move around as I wanted. Baby’s head had dropped but the cervix was only 2cm dilated (which I didn’t know, they only told Chris thankfully).  But it meant gravity of any sort was excruciating even between contractions (couldn’t handle a bath or all fours or anything)

So there was about 4 hours from 3-7am where Chris and I laboured attached together (i was on my side propped up and we just took each contraction together with massage, candles and your hypnobirthing tracks).  The midwife on duty was super supportive (formerly at a birthing unit) and our doula came around 6am.  But mostly Chris was literally keeping me from absolutely losing it as the pain was unfortunately more complicated than just the contractions because of her head being so locked in

By 7am I had made it to full dilation, which no one could seem to comprehend.  My doula and the midwife turned into the most amazing cheering squad at that point because they knew I was completely wrecked and was actively saying I didn’t think I could do anymore

Doula and Chris managed to somehow get me into a kneeling on the back of the bed position to start pushing, which was actually better than the last few hours because her head had at least released itself into the open cervix which took much of that dagger like pain out of it

So I pushed for about an hour and a half and the little one came though right as she should.   Chris got to see the head crown through my all fours position and was so adorably excited.  

Final stage was all about breath and the doula helped so much moving me from “coping breathing” to more productive “down breathing” and then finally productive pushing breathing for last few contractions

Funniest thing to follow (as I didn’t expect it), I was so so out of it with all the hormones for about 3 hours post birth.  I felt so high I wasn’t even overly connected to the baby because I felt like I was having an out of body experience.  I kept telling everyone that I wanted to feel “normal” again.  
What crazy powerful drugs the body has.  Whoa!

But of course all settled and by lunchtime I was in calm bliss with my baby all skin to skin while having toast and juice 🙂

We can’t thank you enough. You got us, as a couple, to a place that I don’t think we would have gotten to on our own.  You gave us a shared understanding and reliance on one another that manifested itself in the most amazing ways in those days and then final intense hours of the birth. Thank you!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Amanda and Chris