Henry, born 9 May 2014

My guess date changed a fair bit through the pregnancy. First 25th may, then 23rd and finally 20th of May.
My first baby came exactly a week earlier than expected so I was kind of expecting this one to come a bit early as well but nothing was showing that that would happen.
Early in the week, on Monday, I had some really annoying cramps through the night. Just pretty standard period cramps that went away after a good sleep – well not such a good sleep as this time I was already as big as full term with Liam, our first, around my 30 weeks.
Ok, Monday had these silly cramps and then they went away.
Full on week ahead!!!
So much to do – why do we so this to ourselves?!
We moved 6 weeks ago and so but so much to be done still and Friday was my cut off date to have everything ready. Had my tv wall bracket installation scheduled for 9am, capsule to be installed in the car at 12 and my mums group gathering at my new place at 2pm.
After this full on day my plan was just to seat and wait for the baby.
Oh and my pregnancy photos scheduled for sat morning, and hairdresser for Tuesday… I can still go on….but all the hard work was to be finished on Friday.

Thursday night I bored to my very soul…Liam was in bed early and Simon was working late.
What to do?! I know what a 38week pregnant lady can easily do! Assembling the dinner table chairs! All 6 of them, lol!
Around 9 pm started having those silly cramps again. Earlier in the day had an OB appointment and all was good. I had a lot of clear normal discharge during that week and had a check to see if was not leaking liquid. All was good, all was super closed, no signs at all that the baby could come early. So silly cramps it is.
Went to bed really tired and was woken up hourly by those silly cramps… and Liam! Liam was all over the place that night to the point that I took him to bed with me. Needless to say I didn’t sleep very well.
Had my tracks on my phone and finally listened to the fear release that night. Sorry Melissa, I was such a bad student this time around…
Ok, 6:30 am and I had enough. Those silly cramps needed to stop. Such a big day ahead. Went for a shower in hope that feeling fresh would help. Didn’t work. The cramps started coming every 10m but still silly cramps.
Told simon not to go anywhere without the nanny arriving ’cause I was too uncomfortable to be my myself and having to lift Liam to change nappy etc. and he suggested to go to the Matter just for a check up while was so early and there was no traffic. So here we go!
(if you read my first birth story this happen before, exactly like before)
Observation unit … 8am
Had the monitors for a little while and the midwife asked how the cramping was going and was nothing super regular in terms of intensity, nothing special really… The monitors were telling her soomething thing else…
After a couple of minutes the midwife asked me if she could have a look to see if something was actually happening down there. Ok, no worries. I just want to go home to my busy day.
I heard the midwife telling the midwife student ” I can’t check anything, just get me a wheel chair”.
Great, I though! I’m going home! If she can’t check anything means there’s nothing to be checked!
Wrong!!!!
I asked her … So I’m going home? Nothing happening right?
Answer: “no honey, you’re going straight to the birthing suit. I can’t check any dilation because the baby’s head is here!”

Shock! Total shock!
I left home with my phone and sunglasses!
My husband was outside playing with Liam. Oh dear!
Had to call the nanny to pick Liam from the hospital and bring the baby’s bag. My bag was not even ready!
Yes, I should know better but again I ignored it all… I honestly thought this time I would know when it was happening! And I had no signs at all of what was happening apart of the silly cramps…no show, no release of membranes, nothing…
In the birthing suit another midwife came along and I didn’t really like her. Too bossy, too full of herself. Not sure if she was just being like that because a student was there but I started to freak out when she starts talking about me without talking to me – know the feeling? – and the word episiotomy comes along!
Lady, you touch me and I’ll kick you in the head! Not sure if that was spoken aloud or not but she kept her distance after making her call my OB on the spot! I knew he was there that Friday and through the weekend…
Finally he arrived and my surges were getting quite strong now. May be because now I knew what was happening and was not comfortable with that lady but a lot was going through my mind plus the shock of having a baby this morning!
Oh by the way my mum was arriving on Monday all the way from Europe and today was my sisters bday.
My OB arrives and I felt so much better. He saw me quite distressed and asked me what was going on. I was exhausted in so many ways and he asked me if I wanted to relax because everything was going fine. Baby was in the right position, all was going great. I had a mobile epidural with my last birth – baby was posterior and stuck in my pelvis -and I understood that was what he meant without saying it. He knew I didn’t want to be offered drugs but that made the trick. I went for it! My hip was giving me a lot of grief as well and in a couple of minutes I was relaxing and ready to embrace another miracle.
Again, felt a bit disappointed not to go through without drugs but this is what I wanted, to be relaxed and conscious of all that was happening and enjoy my birth.
All going well and baby is crowing but still no membrane release. My OB ” well we can stay here for another hour or two and wait for the baby to be born in the membrane or you can allow me to break it for you and the baby is here in 2 pushes, oh breaths” he winked.
I was tired, hungry and the thought of having such a special birth was very appealing but hey bring that baby to me!
He broke it and Henry made his way to my hands in two major breaths, just like he said.
11:05 am Amazing moment! Total shock for me and Simon but such a beautiful moment to share with such an amazing OB. He was there for me again and made it all possible.
Cord stopped clamping and Henry was already on the boob. Placenta came along after in 2 pieces … No real explanation for it but he assured me all came out and no need of any intervention. I had minimum tear, same place of last time… 2 stitches and that was it for a 3.4kg baby early 2 weeks.
The stay at the Mater was like a holiday for me. Simon this time didn’t stay overnight to be with Liam who was very upset for not having mummy for 4 days. I was able to connect with my new little one and have a well deserved rest. So much easier second time around though. The confidence of knowing what you are doing … Wasn’t that long ago too.
Don’t even know how to start to describe my recovery. Has been absolutely amazing. Not that was a hard one my first time but this time has really taken my breath away.
After a week of having my second baby I’m back on my normal clothes, back to my pre pregnancy weight, have no tummy at all. Hard to believe I was so pregnant last week!
And may be because of that I’ve been really tired… I forget that I had a baby a week ago and have been overdoing it but with a 19 months toddler and a newborn there’s not much you can do ☺️ And very little time to rest.
Henry is a very cool baby!
Haven’t heard him cry yet, feeds like a big boy, already back to his birth weight and more and breastfeeding is still as amazing as before. Such a beautiful gift of nature.
Took us a week to name the baby, as said before, we were not ready for this hehehehe
I truly believe that all the relaxation techniques and my chilled out state of mind made all this possible.
Coincidence or not, listening to the fear release track and surge of the sea through the night made me relax and sleep through all my labour.
We are over the moon with this baby and sometimes I think my heart is going to explode… How much love can one hold?!
As a mum you ask yourself if you can love another baby as much as your first one… But you can. Liam and Henry fill my heart with joy and we are truly blessed to have met you Melissa and be able to welcome them into this crazy world in such a beautiful way.