When Georgia met Bronte
My daughter was always on the smaller side in all her scans, she really slowed in growing around 32 weeks. I started having Fetal Medicine Scans at 34 weeks due to Gestational Diabetes. She was the size of a 30 week baby and all the scans up to her birth she was barely growing.
I was induced at 37 weeks 5 days - we tried all approaches to being induced and nothing was working.
My waters were broken at 38 weeks at 3am.
Labour started to ramp up from there. I had all types of issues like my blood pressure dropping dangerously low leading to me passing out, the epidural failed and then only worked on one of my legs, baby’s heart rate dropped really low. I was asking for a cesarean for 12 hours.
An obstetrician ended up calling it and taking me to theatre for a c section. My daughter was too low and they tried a forcep delivery and she was born at 8:33pm. 38 hours of labour, she was 2.6kg and thrived after she was born.
What do you wish you knew before birth?
That a birth plan doesn’t always go to plan.
If you could, would you do anything differently?
I would have loved to do the labour and delivery differently but my baby was born safe and healthy and I was safe and healthy.
What did your partner do that really helped during labour/birth?
Stayed with me, walked with me, advocated for me when I needed.
What advice/honest truth would give a mama-to-be about birth?
You need to advocate for yourself, you know your baby and your body best. It is one of the most challenging things you will ever do but one of the most amazing at the same time.