Being classified as a “geriatric pregnancy” there was always worry in the back of my mind. We had no idea of gender, and once I had given birth to my beautiful baby daughter all worry or doubt left my mind when I held her in my arms for the very first time. 

Throughout my pregnancy little miss was difficult to find in ultrasounds, always wriggling around and never staying in one spot to track heartbeats. 

For this exact reason all health professionals continued to guess it was a boy. We then convinced ourselves it was a boy too, as both sides of the family only have boys. 

At around 37 weeks, I had reached my “point”, I went in for a routine appointment with my obstetrician who offered me a “stretch and sweep”, at this point we were both convinced bub would arrive days after. 

I then had 3 more stretch and sweeps with none of them assisting the birth process along. 

At 40 weeks I went in for my final appointment and had an induction booked the following week. 

At this appointment my blood pressure was extremely high and my obstetrician was worried about pre-clampsia, so off to the hospital I went. 

After a few hours of tests and some medication no danger was identified, however as I had reached full term they changed my induction date to the following day. I just didn’t want to have a baby on May 4 (for obvious may the 4th be with you jokes). 

All of a sudden we had a date booked in for induction & bub was to be with us any moment now. 

As we arrived the next day, on 2 May 2023, around 8am, packed like we were going on vacation, the induction process was explained & seemed fairly straight forward. 

They were to insert a thin tube called a catheter, with a balloon on the end into my cervix and the balloon was filled with water. Essentially, applying pressure to my cervix to help open it for labour. 

Once inserted the hospital said we could leave, go for a nice walk, have a nice lunch at the pub and come back late in the afternoon to prepare for labour. This was around 10am. 

My excitement was real, a last pub lunch & a relaxing day ahead before we met bub. 

It was a strange feeling, felt like a massive tampon string down my leg and as my partner & I laughed about walking around Queanbeyan with a giant tampon string hanging out - all of a sudden, pain hit me!! 

I said to my partner, this really hurts, it must just be the balloon “doing its thing”. The pain lasted for another hour before both my partner & I thought it was strange it hadn’t changed (gotten less considering the hospitals directions). At around lunch time my partner hit the button to call for a nurse, as she came in looking confused, she offered some pain medication & went to find the obstetrician. 

Another hour or so past, and my pain got worse and worse, the obstetrician arrived and let out some of the water in the balloon, which should ease some of the pain. It was at this point we realised contractions had started. 

After another short time the balloon catheter was removed and further pain medication was offered, by this point it was around 6pm at night. I had moved from the bed to a shower and back again to try help with each contraction. 

My partner had been given one of those “fold out chair beds” and at this point in between my contractions, we were laughing about who was in more pain - him on the chair/bed or my contractions. Laughter was short lived when contractions were getting shorter and pain was increasing. 

At around 10pm and after lots of pain medication, it was time to move to the birthing suite. I received an Epidural, which was unsuccessful on half of my body. 

During labour I was informed I kept apologising to the nurses. 

My partner had his “camping lights” on over the bed with a playlist we had made prior. 

After many hours of what felt like I was not progressing, we welcome the biggest surprise, a little baby girl, on 3 May 2023 at 5.27am. 

(If it was appropriate sharing the photo of when we found out it was a girl I would, but all my bits are showing!)

The hospital staff were beyond amazing, as was my obstetrician who was with us the whole journey & in labour. We got so lucky!! 

What do you wish you knew before birth?

Breastfeeding doesn’t come naturally, not easy. 

Generally if you make a birth plan, it doesn’t go to plan.

If you could, would you do anything differently?

Stop apologising to the hospital nurses every 5 minutes during labour & just get on with the “job” 😂

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

Moral support & advocating for me when things didn’t seem to go to plan or seemed out of place.

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

It is not easy, it is hard, no matter your journey or how it happens you are the strongest women for making it through.