Chiara tells her birth stories in her own words…

Steven’s birth story:

I was due to have my 30 week scan and that day I was having pain that was coming and going down my back and leg. I joked to my colleague that I was in labour not thinking I actually was. At my OB appointment I told my OB about the pain and he was doing an internal ultrasound because he thought my placenta was low lying. After the scan he sat me down and said you are in labour (1-2cm dilated) and if the baby comes there is 90% chance of survival and 10% chance the baby will have brain damage.

I became quite emotional at this point. He took me into his midwife’s room and said we will give you a steroid shot to prepare the babies lungs and admit you to Canberra Hospital and we will try slow down labour but it’s likely the baby will come in the next few weeks.

I stayed over night at Canberra Hospital and the next day my labour pain progressed they kept monitoring the baby and me but the machine was not picking up my contractions. I was told it probably was just sciatic nerve pain and they would send me home after the second steroid shot. This was quite upsetting, I remember crying thinking how will I live in this much pain for the next 10 weeks.

The contraction’s were getting closer and quite intense so I asked the nurses to call my OB. He sent his fill in OB as he had gone to sleep for the night (who was amazing).

When she checked me I was 8 cm dilated. After being told this my waters broke (after throwing up for the first time in my pregnancy) and then it was chaos running me up to the delivery suite. In the delivery room there was so many doctors for me and the baby and lots of nurses and midwives.

They guided me through the pushing in the meantime monitoring me and the baby (still the machine not picking up my contractions) I was pushing for about an hour when the OB said to me if he doesn’t come soon we will have to use forceps as the baby was getting in distress. I remember thinking how small his head would be and how I didn’t want that, and within two pushes Steven was born.

I was lucky enough to have both my mum and husband in the delivery room. My mum told me after that one of the doctors had told her when the baby is born we will have to resuscitate him. But Steven came out screaming they put him on my belly for just a few seconds and then they took him to be checked and connected to the cpap machine and he went up to the NICU.

Steven was a tiny 1555kg and 43cm long the smallest baby I’d ever seen! Steven spent one week in the NICU and the rest of the time in the special care nursery at John James.

Just under 50 days he was born on the 4th of November 2020 (his due date 11th of January) and came home the day before Christmas. 

Sebastian’s birth story:

After having a 30 week premie my first pregnancy for no apparent reason except my cervix shortened and I went into labour my OB wanted to take extra precautions. He put a cervical suture in when I was 13 weeks pregnant.

At 37 weeks and 1 day I woke up and felt like I was having mild contractions but had a few things to get organised before the baby was born. I went about my day and then realised they were getting more intense so I called my OB who said to meet him at the hospital and we would remove the suture just in case. Once the suture was taken out I suspected I was in labour but like with my first born the machine wasn’t picking up contractions.

I went home wanting to see Steven just to tell him mummy was going to go to the hospital and when she came home his brother would come too. By the time I got home my contractions were quite close together and my pain was intense so after a quick cuddle with Steven I went back to the hospital. I was very emotional and scared. I was worried how Steven would go with getting a sibling and nervous because of my first labour and had a rush of not feeling ready!

When the midwife checked me I was 5cm dilated but the machine was not picking up the contractions. I felt upset because after my first birth after being told I wasn’t contracting I was worried it would happen again. But the midwife said to me although they aren’t coming up I can see by how you are reacting you are in labour. Sebastian was posterior so the pain felt much worse then with Steven, I asked for an epidural and received one.

After the epidural I was quite relaxed and asked my husband to get my Aunty to bring me some food as she lived around the corner. But as soon as it came the OB said I was fully dilated and I had to start pushing. I said to my husband see these kids don’t like me to eat (Steven always steals my food)! He was a bit stuck so they tried the vacuum but it wasn’t working so they had to use the forceps as I was starting to bleed and Sebastian’s heart rate was dropping.

Once he was born they lay him on my chest and I was able to hold him as long as I wanted which meant the world to me as I didn’t get that with Steven. Sebastian was 2.66kg and 48cm tall his head was all squished but his birth felt much calmer then Steven’s and it meant so much to be able to leave the hospital with him when I went home!

My happiest moment was seeing Steven meet him baby brother Sebastian he loved him instantly and kept saying my baby my baby and wouldn’t let anyone hold him! 

What do you wish you knew before birth?

I wish I knew I could advocate for myself more and to listen to my body which I was able to do with Sebastian.

If you could, would you do anything differently?

With Steven I wish I had pushed the hospital a bit more to listen to me.

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

Just being there for me holding my hand and making me feel like I had someone there supporting me! I panic a bit so my husband is very good at calming me down and making me feel like everything is ok

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

If you think you’re in labour you may be, don’t let them brush you off or send you home if you don’t feel comfortable.