I lost my mucus plug on Friday morning which was unexpected as this was 10 days before my due date. I wasn't concerned or even thought bub might come soon. At around 4pm I had light period cramps that lasted for just under an hour. Again, I didn't think bub was even close. My friend had told me she'd been in early labour for a week and half so I was expecting at least a few more days of being pregnant! 

My husband Nick came home from work, we had dinner together and then he headed off to a concert around 7.15pm. At 8pm I had my first contraction. It was just like a sharper period pain cramp. I had 5 within 45 minutes and texted Nick to let him know but to stay at his concert. I got a heat pack and would pace my lounge room each time I contracted. By 10pm they were lasting for over a minute and were 2-3 minutes apart. I told Nick he needed to come home! When he got home, things escalated and I was vomiting up all my dinner and sitting on the toilet trying to empty my bowels. He called our midwife who told us to stay home, do all the things here (shower, massage, exercise ball etc) and she'd check in on us in the morning, so I assumed we weren't close. Nick asked if I wanted the TENS machine we'd hired and I said "no, I don't want to waste the sticky pads, I'm in early labour so let's save it for active labour" 😂Hindsight is such a great thing, as I was in active labour at that point! I had a shower, which felt great, and tried to get some rest.

I was laying in bed, breathing through each contraction while Nick slept next to me. Next thing I knew I felt like a needed to do a huge poo. I went to the toilet and realised I was trying push a baby. It was 2.30amand I yelled and woke Nick up who called the midwife immediately. She said to come in straight away but when I looked up at Nick he was as pale as a ghost like he was going to faint. Our midwife rushed to our place but by then Nick was OK and we sped to the hospital with her following us. Luckily it was 3am and there were no other cars out so the car ride went quick, but gosh I felt every bump, turn and acceleration all while trying to hold the urge to push in while I was contracting. There were 2 other midwives waiting at emergency with a wheelchair for me. 

Once I got to the Birth Centre at 3.10am, I was told to let my body do its thing so I let the pushes happen. I didn't want to sit, lie or go on all fours so was just leaning on the bed. I was asked if I wanted the bath and said yes. It felt like an eternity for it to fill up! While it was filling I asked if my midwife could see how far along I was. She did a check and said "I can feel the head, this baby is coming!" I got in the bath around 3.30am and pushed through every contraction. I asked for the gas at one point but was told it might slow things down, so I said no and pushed through (all while saying that I would never ever do this again as it was so painful)! Finally, at 5.03am the head came out and the next push the body followed and our baby girl was born at 5.05am on Saturday morning. 

I got immediate skin to skin in the bath and my husband cut the cord after they did delayed cord clamping. We got out of the bath and onto the bed. They examined me and I had a second grade tear of my perineum and 2 grazes. I got all stitched up and got to breastfeed Quinn. They did all her checks and she was perfect and weighing in at a little 2.85kg! I then had a shower and some brekky and by 10.45amwe were out the door, heading home as a family of 3.

It was all so surreal and such a blur, but we had such a smooth birth, with no interventions and I couldn't have asked for anything more! 

What do you wish you knew before birth?

Honestly, all my birth classes prepared me pretty well for birth. In saying that, there were no hiccups or major unexpected things in my birth so it was fairly straightforward. I knew it would be painful, but didn't expect it to be that painful. 

If you could, would you do anything differently?

Use my TENS machine and possible ask for gas earlier to relieve some of the pain! 

What did your partner do that really helped during labour/birth?

He came to all of the birth classes with me so he felt really prepared too and took all of the notes on his phone. This turned out to be great as he could look things up easily while I was going through the motions. He did everything I asked (even if I was rude!) He was super encouraging and calm which I needed and was in charge of making me drink water the whole time and keeping the towel on my head cold! 

What advice/honest truth would give a mama-to-be about birth?

Go in with an open mind. I didn't have an idea of what my birth looked like and I was open to whatever it was going to be. It meant no disappointment! Also, birth is SO painful but SO worth it!!