RUFUS' BIRTH STORY

I can't believe that I didn't get to complete my 39 week update. On Saturday December 1st 2018 at 39+1 weeks pregnant, my tiny, beautiful surprise gender baby came storming into the world and stole my heart 1000000% and I couldn't be happier to have him finally in my arms.

My labour was quick and absolutely perfect and for my final ever birth I literally couldn't be more overjoyed by how well it went. SO, this is my birth story.

It all started at around 4:15/4:30amish on Saturday Morning, I had this sudden urge to go to the toilet, and as I wiped I noticed a "clot" which initially panicked me, but I knew it was likely to be my bloody show. I instantly started to cramp and realised quite quickly that I was having contractions. I called Brad who was at work and told him he needed to come home. Mid phone call we decided that I'd ring the labour line and then i'd call him back. I rang the labour line and explained everything and she said that because I was contracting that she wasn't concerned and that it was most likely my bloody show and to call back when I felt I needed to go in. I called Brad back and said to come home as we'd need to go in at some point, which bless his heart he literally ran all the way home.

In the meantime, I called my Mum and told her to be on stand-by, which led to my drunken Brother calling me. He was actually great to chat to, to be honest. I got off the phone to my Brother and within 10 minutes knew I needed to go into the hospital as within the past 45 minutes the pains had quickly become intense. I text my 'drunken' Brother to ask if he could come over as soon as possible. My Mum rang at 5 and I said I was starting to find the pains intense and by this point they had been coming every minute and a half or so. My Mum said she was just getting in the shower and she'd be over. I then rang the labour ward at 5:45 to tell them I was ready to come in. An hour and a half after my first contraction.

I started putting some foundation on and threw my hair up in a bun whilst stopping to breathe through the contractions. Brad put the Christmas tree lights on for me as a 'just in case my waters break' and this baby comes on my lounge floor. He started vlogging everything by this point which was great. What I will say is apart from the camera losing focus during Rufus actually being pushed out into the world and him not realising to fix it (which is totally okay as he was watching me give birth to his Baby and being supportive too) he did amazingly and i'm so overwhelmed by the amount of footage he got, such wonderful memory to have forever.

Anyway, My Mum arrived at 6am and so did our taxi. It was pouring with rain and I brought my rain coat with me... to sit on as a 'just in case my waters break'. We arrived at the hospital at 6:15am and headed straight up to Broadlands birthing centre where I was met by a midwife called Amy. She introduced herself as Amy the Mad-wife and I instantly knew I'd like her. She looked familiar and then I clicked that she was one of the midwives on one born every minute! She had delivered my friend Kaycey's baby on the show.
She got everything prepped and told me that pool room had not long vacated and that they were tracking someone down to clean it for me.

At 6:30am she asked if I wanted to be checked to see how dilated I was, which I did and to my surprise... I was already at 4cm! She gave me a membrane sweep whilst she was checking to help move things along a bit which was great! I was a little freaked out when she said I was 4cm as last labour when I reached 4cm I had 10 minutes until I reached 10cm! Thankfully with my waters still intact I was sure i'd be okay, I knew once they went, it would be go time. She also checked my OB's and listened in to baby's heartbeat and all was lovely and well.

Around 7am she asked if a medical student called 'Megan' (i'm sure she was Megan) could come in the room, which was absolutely fine and we had a little chat about Lucas and Iris and then I put my headphones on with my birthing playlist to listen to Buble serenading me and getting me into that festive mindset! Within about 30 minutes I started to feel the need for some pain relief. Brad, bless him was like "I think it's time Nicole got some pain relief, is it okay if you grab Amy to get her some". I was fine between contractions but I just needed something to bite down on and breathe with so in came the gas and air.

We were still waiting for the pool room to be cleaned and by this point I had explained to Amy how important it was for me to have a water birth because it was my last birth and I hadn't been allowed one with my previous births, blah, blah and that was it Amy was more determined than ever. She had already been pushing and pushing for it but she was now determined to make it happen.

At 7:30am we were introduced to the Midwife who was going to be taking over, her name was Linda! She was lovely too, so I was instantly relieved. At 7:45 I was told the pool was being run and they were just waiting on the floor to be cleaned! YAY.
Then 8am came and Linda came in to tell me that the pool was ready for me and I've never walked so fast across a corridor, ever!
I changed into my nursing bra and lost all care for privacy and stripped off my bottom half and got straight in the pool.

The instant relief feeling was amazing, the pain felt a lot more bearable (temporarily) I started off leaning on my knees but after a while my knees started to feel uncomfortable. Brad was amazing, shoving cameras in my face but supporting me still! Most people don't want cameras in their face but I did. I didn't want to miss a moment of this! I wanted to forever have these memories.

The pains started to get rather intense around 9am. I was still breathing through them but I started making a few hums by the this point. I was sipping my lucozade between contractions and by about 9:15am I was no longer getting a break between contractions and I knew it wouldn't be long. Linda was checking on baby's heartrate every fifteen minutes and it was all lovely and healthy. Baby was wiggling around before EVERY contraction too.

Then all of a sudden, shit got real!

At 9:24am I felt the urge to push and my waters burst! I didn't know they could actually hurt to burst! It was so strange, it was like being pinged with an elastic band. I dread to think what would have happened if I wasn't in the water... I can imagine they would have drenched both Brad and Linda! I can also imagine my camera equipment would have had a shower.
Well, as predicted but with shock at 9:25am baby's head was out! ONE MINUTE, that is all it took, ONE MINUTE! That even shocked me! At 9:25am my baby was born and put onto my chest and I got to look and see their gender and shout it out! It was a boy, I have another Son! Hello, baby Rufus.

We left him attached to the placenta until the cord stopped pulsing and Brad came and cut the cord! He wasn't crying still by this point, breathing, but in shock and not crying! Just as the midwife was about to take him to look at him, he let out a cry! Cheeky from the moment he was born!
I cannot express that love you feel the moment your baby is placed on your chest, the first cuddle, the first kiss, the first minutes earth side together and the instant bond.
Brad then took Rufus so I could get out the pool to birth the placenta! I don't remember the feeling of birthing it with Iris but with Rufus it was the weirdest feeling. To be fair she said it was a huge placenta!
I then had two stitches done and ate some toast and had a cuppa, facetimed my Mum and the littles and showed them their Brother and then I got myself up and dressed ready to go home to see Lucas and Iris and to introduce them properly to their little Brother.

Rufus was then given his vitamin K jab, weighed in at 8lbs and then Brad got Rufus dressed into his first little outfit! Llamas were on his first outfit, which was cute!

We were discharged at 13:10 an were on our way home to introduce our littles to each other!
I was so in love walking up to the front door to see Lucas and Iris' little excited faces in the window and how much they loved him instantly. We changed Rufus into a "little bro" sleepsuit. We'd bought one little Sister and one little Brother sleepsuit and this was officially now the start of our lives as a family of five and the best feeling it is too.