Our home birth.

This would be our last birth, our last baby, number 3 for the Callaghan clan.

Ever since completing my Doula course I knew I wanted a home birth surrounded by love and gentle energy. 

We found out I was pregnant and the next day had found a midwife, booked my doula and our home birth journey started. 

At 38 weeks I decided to have a mother’s blessing  to prepare for my birth and create a birth space to bring my 3rd child earthside in. 

Wednesday 10th June I dropped our two big boys to school. No idea that later that day may be the day. Hubby arrived home from work and we went and bought a basketball hoop for our boys. 

We had lunch and hubby went and got into bed leaving me to rest on the couch. 

After a funny movement from baby and a pop my waters broke. I have never experienced that before so was a little shocked. I went and had a shower and was a bit worried to see it was meconium stained. I got Geoff to call the midwife and my doula. I was scared and worried that my home birth dream may not even happen. I didn't get any contractions for at least an hour so by 1:30pm I was getting contractions and was in labour. 

Geoff filled the birth pool while my doula gave me a back massage with clary sage. This labour was so different to my last two so had no idea what was going to happen. 

My amazing midwife arrived and gave me the run down on what to with Mec  stained waters and we decided we were happy to stay home and keep to the plan. 

This labour was so hard, contractions were intense and I really didn't think I could do it. My midwife continued to check baby's heart rate thought my labour and baby was happy throughout. 

I decided it was time to get in the pool , and once I did things really took off. In the mean time my photographer arrived and started capturing our journey. 

The bath helped a little but it was so intense. I gave myself a check of my cervix and couldn't find it so thought it must be still high and closed. I got a little disheartened but kept positive. I checked again and it felt the same. Clearly I couldn't work it out as not long after I was having constant contractions and  was not far off pushing. At this point the fear took over and I was scared. I told  Geoff I was frightened and didn't think I could do it. But the next minute I was pushing. I didn't get an overwhelming urge to push I just tried to surrender and let my body do what it knew to do. As baby descended I experienced the full pain of the ring of fire as his head slowly came down with each push. Once his head was out it felt like at least 10minuted till his body came out but it was only a minute. I asked Geoff if he wanted to catch the baby but he couldn't do I reached down and bought baby up. 

I placed baby on my chest and felt so relieved o had baby close to my heart again. 

After about 5-10 minutes we decided to see if we had a boy or a girl. With a quick look we had another Son. We laughed and just opened our hearts to bring this new little soul into our lives. It was time to push for the placenta and it came out beautifully. Such a magnificent life support for my baby. I gave our Henry and his attached placenta to my husband who had his first cuddle as I got out of the pool. We then cut the cord and cuddled our baby boy together. 

Within half an hour my boys had arrived home with my mum and dad and hit to meet their new baby brother. They were super excited and thought he was the best. After meeting Henry they wanted to inspect the birth pool and then placenta. My amazing Doula Jacki explained the placenta to my two big boys while I was checked out for tearing. I only had a small tear which we decided to let heal itself. 

Henry had his first feed and latched beautiful, another breastfeeding journey had begun. 

After my shower my husband, myself and and our new little person all hopped into our beautiful comfy bed for our first night as a family of 5. We spent the next few days skin to skin in bed and in the comfort of my own home. 

This home birth has given my family so much, my little Henry got to arrive earthside into my arms safe with my husband, midwife, doula and photographer looking on. He is such a calm happy baby. Our very first home birth for our very last little baby. It was all I could imagine and more. 

To my husband who supported me through the every decision and held me through each contraction thank you. 

To my midwife and doula who sat quietly in the background but gave so much reassurance and love thank you. 

To my amazing photographer who captured every moment beautifully thank you. 

To all my family and friends who supported me thank you. 

And to all the amazing birthing women out there who have shared their stories thank you. 

Xx

*****All photos are property of Tanya Love photography. Visit her Facebook page to to see all her exquisite work 

https://www.facebook.com/TanyaLovePhotography ******

9 months ago....

My little Floobuckle was born, I haven't blogged in a while so thought I might blog my birth story of Flynn Douglas, who entered this world on Melbourne cup morning :)
Enjoy

Flynn Douglas arrival-

Monday 2nd November...both my boys (Dh and DS are alsep) woohoo I can finally colour my hair I am so grey and don't want to have baby looking like a an old lady lol. So Hair is done have caught up on all the important things BB of course so I head to bed.

I had some pain earlier in the afternoon but brushed it off as muscle pain from all the housework I did that day.

Around midnight I woke with a yucky feeling like cramps and took myself off to the toilet. Dh is still sleeping and wont leave for work till half 12. So I go back to bed but cant sleep through the pain, Dh goes to work and I sit up waiting to feel if its contraction pain.

I ring DH at work and let him know I think I am in labour, he tells me to keep him posted and that he is really busy with all the orders for Melbourne cup ( he is a baker for our bakery business )

I give my mum a call to come over and stay so ds will be happy in the morning if I have to go in. Also I give my gorgeous doula a call too and she stays on the phone with me while I go through contractions.

My mum arrives and by now the contractions are pretty regular and strong. I decide to ring DH back and tell it will probably be tonight...he asks for 3 hours to finish his work...its 2:30 at this stage and I tell him that wont be happening we need to go now

Dh arrives at home at about 3 i think and we get in the car and head to the hospital. I am in the back seat as i was wanting to be on all fours and this made the contractions not as intense but ended up hanging on for dear life to the handle things lol! There were so many cops on the road...where are they when you need them lol. So DH wasn't speeding just in case.

I felt I was controlling the pain quiet well but really had an urge to push and then I remember thinking I am so asking for drugs when i get there ...this was not in the birth plan and I really didn't want any. So thinking i had started transition.

We arrive at the hospital at roughly 4 am... my doula is waiting for me and gives a big hug...I am relieved we are here.

We head on down to the assessment unit and the midwife asks if she can give me an internal...I agree as i am curious as to how far dilated i am...i was thinking maybe 4cms...the internal was painful...she tells me i am about 7 cms and she can feel the sac bulging...no wonder i felt like pushing. I am feeling pretty proud of myself.

I head back out to the waiting area and they then send us into a birth suite, which was number 8 my fav number, this must be a sign i tell myself...all I wanted was to get in the bath so my doula starts to fill it! As she does i feel so relaxed that we made it that i let go as the contraction starts and feel so embarrassed as i had wet myself...didn't matter though as just as the water was getting hot my waters broke...wow so this is what it feels like to let my body do its thing.

At this point I am hanging onto a steel trolley which is moving ever so slightly with each contraction..unfortunately my waters were meconium stained so I wasn't able to use the bath..bummer. The poor midwife was frantically looking for the Doppler ...i had a hold of it in the trolley lol. Babies heart rate is good thank goodness!

I get this insane feeling to push...wow what a feeling....It felt like i was popping open with each contraction then closing it was pretty intense...poor dh was rubbing my back and i turned into the devil woman and yelled at him to stop haha.

So at this point the midwife tells me i cant give birth hanging onto a trolley and i should move to the bed..I told her i wont be on my back thanks and she agrees so Im on all fours ready for the pushing. about 20 mins had passed since my waters had broken and i began to push...I was so prepared for the burning feeling as everything streched over babies head but i couldn't feel a thing. I think i had 3 contractions and babies head had crowned...they asked me if wanted to feel the head but i was so in the zone i just wanted to meet my little person. Unfortunately my gorgeous OB was not here again as she was on holidays so i had someone else ...never saw her face till later lol.

One more push and my babies head was out...omg i did it ..i did it by myself and without any drugs....one more push and out came baby...plus a huge water fall of hind waters my doula told me, she said it was quiet spectacular. As baby was coming down it pooed again so they had to whisk it away and sucker it out to make sure no meconium was swallowed...I kept asking why baby hadn't cried yet but my doula reassured me the pead was doing a great job..in what felt like 5 mins but was actually more like 30secs i heard that beautiful cry...then my dh came over to tell me we had another son...so within 2 hours we went from being a family of 3 to a family of 4!

I had to be stitched as tore my old episiotomy scar from my forceps delivery last time. The Ob was great and let me continue 3rd stage naturally for a bit but i needed the synto which was fine by me. I actually got to see the placenta this time...pretty amazing.

Flynn was placed on my chest and we cuddled for a long time before he wanted to feed, we didn't have him weighed straight away which was nice to just be us. It would have been an hour later that we weighed him...the midwife, my doula and DH all were over at the scales...they weighed him 3 times as the couldn't believe his size...9lb 5oz! WOW I was shocked, Myles was 8lb 2oz...Flynn was 54.5 cms long too...I was so amazed at how i was able to do this all by myself.

He had his first feed which was magical once again and then i had a shower. By 7 am we were off to the ward...I still couldn't believe that last night i had been pregnant and now in such a short time I had my son in my arms. And it was Melbourne cup day...didn't pick a winner though and didn't call him shocking either lol, but was really looking forward to going to my uncles house for cup lunch..oh well next year!


So a 2 hour drug free labour...I did it ! And we have 2 beautiful sons


Aww now i am in tears thining of that night! What a beaitful thing to experience and my only wish is that all women get to experience a beautiful labour and birth with the help of loving experienced people...be it at home...in a paddock or in my case a hospital!
Love you Floobuckle! x