Donna Thomson is co-owner of Peaceful Willow and during 2006 she kept this diary to record the special moments and experiences during the pregnancy of her fourth child. Donna's psychic insights add a unique aspect to this pregnancy journey. We hope you enjoy it.
Introduction
I'm Donna, a 31 year old mum of three, expecting a fourth child around 8th January 2007. My husband is a loving man and devoted dad. Our eldest is a son aged 11, followed two daughters aged 8 and 21 months. Once we made the leap to continue our family after such a large gap (6 years), it wasn't too hard to decide to have the fourth (and final) child. The gap between our first two children was 2.5 years and as it turns out, the gap will be just a little less with the last two children. It is a great age gap and our eldest two are great with our 21 month old. I'm very proud to have such a great family.
I've started writing this journal at around week 10 of the pregnancy, so I'm reflecting over the main events that have happened from the beginning because there were some very interesting experiences surrounding the conception! I'll also follow on with weekly journal entries on how the pregnancy is going. The interesting twist to this journal is that I am psychic, so I may have additional experiences of a psychic or metaphysical nature to share. I'm aware that I have three guides working with me so expect to hear about my guides from time-to-time. I'm also an intuitive user of crystals and will share any experiences of using crystals in relation to the pregnancy. Who knows what will crop up over the course of the next few months! I hope you enjoy following me on this journey.
Pre-Conception Experiences
Earlier last year I had a reading performed by Ronnee and one of the questions I asked was if she could see us having another child. I was excited when she confirmed another child (a girl) and could also pick up on the spirit of the little boy we had miscarried before falling pregnant with our 21 month old. It was also great to have that confirmation that my feeling of the child having been a boy was accurate.
As the months went on I sought out a couple of other confirmations about this fourth child and was delighted to find consistency. My own psychic abilities had started developing during this time and one day I saw a little girl in a meditation. She was around 3 years of age and I can still hear the cute squealy giggle. My guides confirmed that they had shown me my future daughter!
I wasn't sure when we would become pregnant, if we would plan it, or if it would just happen somewhere along the line. From time-to-time I had doubts about the sanity of adding another child to our family but I did feel like there was already a connection in place on some other level. Then, one day, a few months ago, I received an email from Ronnee saying that if I didn't want to fall pregnant I had better take extra precautions because she felt pregnancy around me. I was excited by this and all doubts fell away. I still wasn't sure whether we actually had to try to become pregnant or whether it would happen in some fateful way, regardless.
Within a couple of days I went into a meditation. In this meditation I followed a rope to a wooden box which I didn't know if I could open. The rope was joined to the top of the box by a metal ring and all I had to do was pull the rope to make the sides fall to the ground. At first I saw nothing in the box. Then I noticed there was something tiny. Upon looking closer I realised it was a tiny embryo. I picked the embryo up and bathed it in water from a river flowing next to us. It really enjoyed this, so I asked it what else it wanted, to which it replied, "love". So I sent loving energy to the embryo which formed as a pink heart around it. I should mention that even when holding this embryo, it seemed to be floating. I carried this embryo in my arms until we came across a person who I felt was the baby's guide...I actually heard 'caretaker'. She was suddenly holding the embryo and I instantly longed for it to be back with me. I was told, "Not yet". When I came out of the meditation I knew this was my future child, but I had no idea if it would be months before I would become pregnant.
A day or two later I felt a spirit presence at my bedroom door and felt it was my future daughter, at around 3 years old like when my guides first showed her to me. I heard that unmistakeable giggle and she sat on the end of my bed. I had been wondering whether to mention anything about an impending pregnancy to my husband and my future daughter told me not to tell Daddy yet. Okay then, I would have to wait and see what happened I guess.
Conception
I couldn't stop thinking about everything to the stage that I was almost dancing around the house in excitement. It became obvious to my husband one evening and I knew the time was right to mention these events. This was maybe 10 days after Ronnee's email. My husband was happy to 'give it a go' straight away (well after the kids went to bed!). It turns out that that day was my most fertile of the month and also a full moon. It was also Easter Monday. I have no doubt that we conceived on that day because the very next day I came down with the flu and was up for no 'funny business' for about a week. I resigned myself to the (I thought obvious) fact that we could not be pregnant that month.
As I said, at the time of conception it was a full moon and I was more drawn to the moon than any other time in my life. I also felt drawn to moonstone crystals and frequently held them in the days that followed. I was also drawn to my carved rose quartz egg during that time and I feel that the egg shape is symbolic of fertility. Whether these crystals aided fertility and conception or supported what was happening anyway I am not certain, but I did feel a constant sense of fertility around that time, even if I thought it was wishful thinking at the time.
We were heading away for a week-long camping trip a couple of weeks later and I bought a couple of early detection pregnancy tests before going away. I took them a couple of days apart and both times they were negative. The last test was the day before going away...the day my monthly cycle was due. Early pregnancy tests had always worked for me in the past so again I resigned myself to "maybe next month".
Day one of camping...nothing. Day two...I started wondering but didn't want to get my hopes up. Day three...I realised that I had to pee a lot more often and I was getting excited because I am never late and this was THREE days late! Day four...I was 99% sure so I let hubby in on the little surprise. It was frustrating not having access to a test just to make sure, but it was also nice to just go with nature for the first time. Interestingly, the guides had told me via Ronnee at one stage that I would be 'surprised' with the pregnancy. This had played on my mind because I had wondered how I could be surprised when I could take early pregnancy tests. Looks like the guides had one up on me! Do they have the ability to tamper with pregnancy tests? Me thinks so in this case. Gotta love it!
The Early Weeks
What to say about the first trimester other than MORNING SICKNESS. Who ever called it 'morning' sickness anyway? I have not had once pregnancy where my nausea was limited to the morning! As usual for me, the morning sickness started in week 5. I felt nauseous from waking until going to bed every day. I tried ginger and lemon tea which sometimes helped but other times even the smell of that would be too strong. I found that cheese sandwiches was a hit...for about a week. Then I couldn't stomach them either. I had to keep eating or I would feel sicker, yet sometimes I ate too much and felt sicker anyway. Where does it end?
Around that fifth week I received a couple of crystals in the post - jade and rose quartz. I had intended on reselling them but once I saw them I couldn't part with them. I was so drawn to their energy as a pair that I took them everywhere with me for a day or two. I felt the energies so soft and comforting. They were just a delight to have around me, like they were nurturing me in that very early stage of the pregnancy. It was a lovely feeling.
Over the weeks I have still been quite nauseous sometimes when going to bed so I decided to see if my crystals could help. Each time I've found a grounding or base chakra crystal effective for settling my stomach. I've used both tiger's eye and carnelian to good effect, feeling much more settled and comfortable enough to sleep within minutes. I am always guided by instinct, so sometimes I will place the carnelian or tiger's eye on my stomach and other times I will be drawn to place it on my pelvic bone. I generally keep my hand over the crystal for at least the first few minutes and I think the warmth helps too.
So far the only pregnancy dream I've had was around my 8th week. In my dream I could feel the baby moving very vividly. I looked down and noticed that the 'baby' was just under my skin and rotating around in circles, except the baby wasn't a human, it was a very detailed seahorse! Curiously I didn't notice anything unusual with having a seahorse for a baby until I woke up and remembered the dream! I welcome anyone's suggestion at the seahorse's significance. I think I've had similar dreams in my other pregnancies where the baby will move just under the skin in a really unusual way...though never a seahorse!
Week 10
I haven't had any particular psychic experiences to do with the baby since I've become pregnant but I feel that this is due to having morning sickness and the flu. Curiously from early pregnancy to around week 10, I couldn't even think about anything to do with planning for the baby, naming the baby, or any other pregnancy or baby-related topic without it bringing on huge nausea! I feel that this may be the universe's way of having me relax and go with the flow because I'm usually one to try and plan out every detail as soon as possible. I tend to get caught up in planning things at the expense of focusing on the current moment.
My cravings lately have been for vegemite on toast, chips with gravy, and now it pretty much changes from day-to-day. They are not so much cravings, but what I feel like I can eat at any time. I'm finding that the most important thing for me to do is to eat often. My metabolism seems to have gone through the roof and I can feel like I haven't eaten an hour after eating, sometimes less. When I need to eat, the queasiness comes on quickly if I don't eat. The worst thing for me at the moment is the aftertaste of food. It has gotten so bad that I've bought some Listerine to try and help. Please end soon dear morning sickness!
Week 11
I have my fingers crossed that this will be my last week of morning sickness. If I didn't have the flu at the moment I'm sure I wouldn't feel so queasy. I don't recommend combining the two if you can help it!
I am happy to report that I am now able to think about baby names for a short time without feeling sick! I know I've been referring to this baby being a daughter but one day the guides made a point of saying "this child" rather than "daughter", so that got me thinking. I am still quite sure it is a girl but I have wondered whether a child you see as a girl in spirit before she is born can be born into this life as a boy. Really, I think the guides are just trying to keep me on my toes. We will find out eventually with the ultrasound scan.
I don't mind if it is a boy or girl. I would love a boy in one sense, because we have one boy and two girls already, so it would even up the score. In a more practical sense, we have all girl clothes from our youngest daughter so we will hardly have to buy anything new if we have a girl (though who can resist buying new stuff!). I truly don't mind either way. A baby is a baby and they are all divine little beings!
I can't believe we will be a family of 6 in a few months! I would never have expected that. In fact, I don't remember ever thinking about how many children I would want. I always wanted to be a mum and I guess because I was one of two siblings I would have expected to at least have two. My husband is one of three siblings and his mum and dad both have huge families. I think his family has rubbed off on me!
It is funny that even though I can think about names without feeling nauseous now, I can't find anything that is remotely close to what I hope will feel right. If I look at getting a baby name book I feel I shouldn't get it. I have this feeling that at some stage our daughter (or son) may help us out with a name somehow. We'll have to wait and see I guess. This is very hard for an overeager planner!
BIG NEWSFLASH!!!
I know my baby's name! Today (23rd June 2006) I sent my diary to Ronnee so she could read it and while she was reading the part about me not being able to part with the jade and rose quartz, the baby's guide came to her and stated that the significance of the crystals is because that is her name and that the baby chose it for herself (yes I can now confirm the daughter, though I'm sure some readers would still wait for the scan! LOL). So Jade Rose is the name my daughter has chosen for herself. It is so beautiful and not only that, it is everything I wanted for the baby's name. It goes well with the other children's names, it can't be shortened to a nickname (also consistent with the others)...and most importantly, it came from my daughter! I knew it!
I now know why I was so drawn to those crystals as a pair. I just couldn't figure it out but knew there was some significance! Not only this, but I am someone who very much works from the heart. The two heart colours of pink and green, I relate to myself. Would you believe that to be a coincidence? The universe astounds me! What a special gift and I am so delighted that Ronnee was the one to bring this news to me and share in the moment!
Week 12
The morning sickness is still here but I can handle it a bit better because my flu is mostly gone now. Yay!
Well, since the amazing baby naming story I have found myself getting warm and fuzzy out of the blue. All of a sudden I think "Jade Rose" and I can really associate this with my baby now. The whole pregnancy feels that much more real. It is starting to sink in now and I am excited.
Did You Know?
At 12 weeks baby is about 60-65 mm long (two and a half inches) and weighs about 14 grams. He or she has the ability to swallow and absorb and discharge fluids. The little hands are growing fingernails and tooth buds are appearing. The amniotic fluid is completely replaced every 3 hours, so baby's environment stays fresh. He or she is starting to open and close his or her mouth, clench fists, curl toes and even make facial expressions.
Week 13
I finally went to the doctor on Monday. He didn't even ask me about dates or anything to do with the pregnancy! All he did was order a blood test which I got done at pathology straight away. I was a bit woozy afterwards because when the pathologist went to detach the first vial, it was a little stuck and she had to push the needle back in further again. Ouchie! They also took four vials of blood and it took forever to finish, perhaps because of the cold weather? Anyway, the lovely pathologist was very sympathetic and gave me some water and jellybeans so I could drive home. I have to go back to the doctor to see if anything will need to be addressed based on the blood test results.
I think the morning sickness has subsided quite a bit but I still have to eat according to what I feel like at the time or it can set me off. Perhaps the morning sickness hasn't actually subsided but I've gotten used to managing it. I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but this time around, while I've had very bad nausea all day long, I haven't actually thrown up much (I know, too much info, but that's what you get for reading a pregnancy journal! LOL). In all my other pregnancies I was throwing up every day and I know this contributed to my low iron levels and lots of tiredness. Of course I'm very tired this time around too, but I feel fortunate that I must obviously be one step ahead of the other pregnancies in terms of health.
Weeks 14 & 15
Feeling fairly normal again. Hooray! I've been able to do more in these last two weeks than I've done for the last 12 weeks.
Looks like I'm getting a belly now too. There isn't much resistance the fourth time around so I can expand freely. Actually I met two other mums-to-be yesterday and they are due around the same time as me. I thought they both looked huge and wondered why I wasn't like that. Then I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror later in the day and suddenly realised that my tummy is out past my boobs, which is saying something! LOL (sorry guys).
I wonder how big this little one will be? My first was 8lb 9oz, my second was 7lb 7oz and my third was 8lb 8oz. Maybe we should have a poll on the forum? LOL
When I read back on my pregnancy diary so far, I am amazed at all the little things that have happened to make this a special experience. At first I wasn't sure how or if my psychic abilities would effect my pregnancy experience. When I was asked to keep a diary to place on the website, I felt that the only thing that had happened was lots of horrible all-day morning sickness. However when I sat down to write, I started remembering all these little things and especially the experiences leading up to the actual pregnancy. By recording them I could find links between all those small things that may otherwise have been overlooked. If I hadn't started this journal, I would not have found out my baby's name the way I did either!
Week 16
I woke on the morning I turned 16 weeks and felt I needed to still my mind before the daily thoughts set in. So as I lay in bed I cleared my mind, letting the thoughts drift away like clouds. Immediately I saw an image of a baby quite close-up. The baby had a white blanket wrapped around it and then I saw the face even closer. I saw a cute chubby newborn face with dark hair. I felt straight away that this was my baby perhaps in the first few hours after birth. I'm wondering whether I will experience deja vu when this little one is born?
I've felt more baby movements this week. One afternoon I had a couple of sips of warm coffee which must have made baby shuffle about because I felt a strong movement across my stomach - possibly an out-stretched leg. Exciting!
Did You Know?
At 16 weeks baby weighs around 85 grams (3 ounces) and 12 cm from crown to rump. Baby can move in a coordinated fashion. Tiny toenails are beginning to form. On an ultrasound, you may catch sight of the sucking reflex as your baby sucks his or her thumb. Baby's eyes are sensitive to light and if a bright light is held against the belly, it may gradually move its hands up to shield its eyes. Oh, and the gender is now recognisable!
Week 17
Not much has happened baby-wise this past week, except for continuing to notice little kicks. I have however started to withdraw from so much 'mind' activity so that I can meditate more and connect with my higher self. The guides told me that if I work through issues from the past and things that hold me back, this baby will be born into so much love. Of course this would happen anyway, but I understand that they mean on a deeper level - like being more in tune with my true self.
Week 18
I went to the doctor this week and was given the form for an ultrasound scan. It was also the first time I've heard this bub's heartbeat which was a great confirmation. Even though you know everything is fine it is great to actually hear that whoosh-whoosh-whoosh sound. The results of my blood test were through too. All is fine except a high cholesterol level which they would rather deal with after the baby is born. It is weird for me to not have low iron levels but I felt that I would be okay this time because I didn't have much throwing up with the morning sickness.
Weeks 19 & 20
The little kicks are getting stronger. I think they'll be able to be felt on the outside of my tummy soon so hubby will hopefully get to feel bubs. I've booked the ultrasound scan which will be done on Saturday 2nd September. That was the first available appointment so they must be busy! I found it interesting that the scan had been pushed just into September. I had an experience one evening perhaps 2 or 3 months before conceiving this baby. I felt so strongly that September was significant in relation to a baby - an extremely strong feeling. I'd also been told by another psychic since then that September would be significant in some way. At that time I knew I would have already had to be pregnant to actually have a baby due in September. I wasn't sure what would be significant at that time because even since being pregnant, I thought my ultrasound scan would be done by then. But alas....not so!
Something else that will make September special is that the 7th is hubby's and my 10th wedding anniversary. Mum and other family members have put in so that hubby and I can stay the Friday night (8th) at the little country bed and breakfast where we spent our wedding night - the actual same room too! It will be lovely. We also plan to have dinner at the restaurant where we had our wedding ceremony and reception. 10 years has flown by.
Did you Know?
At 20 weeks baby weighs about 285 grams (10 ounces) and is 16 cm crown-to-rump. A white, waxy-looking substance called vernix now protects baby's skin. At this stage baby is sleeping and waking much as a new born would, about 6 hours awake and about 18 hours asleep. If you are carrying a girl, she has six million eggs in her ovaries - six times the number she will have at birth!
Week 21
Well I've been for my hospital visit which was very boring and took 2 hours to see the midwife then doctor. Plus it was pouring rain when we left and my almost-2-year-old daughter and I had to make our way to the back corner of the carpark to get to the car. Ugh! So I've decided to stay doing shared care with my GP rather than go to the midwives at the hospital. After three kids already I don't need the extra chatter the midwives provide compared to the GP. I'm happy to know that baby and myself are healthy.
2 days until the ultrasound so I'll be back with news of that...
Week 22
Even though I was disappointed that hubby couldn't attend the ultrasound scan it was still a great experience. I saw little Jade moving around and saw that all results of the measurements and analysis showed a healthy little baby - and yes, she is definitely a girl (like we didn't already know!).
A bit of coincidence or divine intervention? I was told I'd have to pay $185 for the ultrasound which was going to eat into the week's income. Anyway, I turned up and was told that the attending radiographer didn't have a provider number yet so the scan would have to be bulk billed. What a great surprise! I felt $185 richer.
Did you Know?
At 24 weeks baby weighs around 625 grams (one pound, six ounces) and measures 21 cm crown-to-rump. Rapid eye movement has begun. Baby's lungs are gaining blood vessels now, preparing them for taking over the task of getting oxygen into the blood stream. They have also begun to develop surfactant, a substance that will help baby's lungs to expand following birth.
Week 26
Everything is pretty uneventful at this stage however my tummy is ever-growing and I'm finding sleeping more and more uncomfortable. In the last week I've noticed I'm starting to get restless leg syndrome which I've had with my other pregnancies. Fortunately it's not too bad at this stage and I'm really hoping it doesn't get worse as it really affects your ability to sleep. So far when it happens I've visualised my legs relaxing and the excess energy draining out through my feet and into the ground. This has actually helped.
Restless Leg Syndrome is apparently quite common and flares up when you are sitting or lying still for a long time. I usually find it starts when I'm just about to fall asleep and then it gets so frustrating due to the uncomfortable, wierd and sometimes painful feeling in the legs no matter what you do. There isn't really a cure. Some say it's due to iron deficiencies and others say it's caused by hormones. In any case it usually goes away in the weeks after birth.
I've received some suggestions that may or may not work for you but if you have RLS you will be willing to try anything! Putting a pillow between your legs while lying on your side or underneath them while on your back may help and it certainly helps you feel more comfortable sleeping in general as the tum gets bigger. You could also try getting your partner to massage your legs and even though they aren't sexy, those special stockings used for thrombosis may help too. If you find any tips that do work for you or you have others to share, why don't you share them on the forum?
Week 40 Update - better late than never...
As readers will know, this is my fourth child about to make her way into the world any day. With previous pregnancies I became so absorbed in anything and everything to do with pregnancy and childbirth. It was on my mind 24/7 and I had plans, lists and expectations worked out well in advance of the due date. The rest of my life would actually fall into the background. This time around I have been in a very different 'space' in my life. The pregnancy, while very important to me, has been just a natural part of my life while working on the website and buying a new home. We settled into our home just before Christmas and are still unpacking and organising our home into the haven we would like it to be.
It is only in the last couple of weeks that my attention has focused in more and more on the impending birth. I don't even think I read one birth story during this pregnancy though I may have purchased one or two magazines earlier on. I feel very much that everything will just happen as it is meant to happen. On a more spiritual level, in the last week or so I have felt the presence of more guides around and feel that they are waiting in preparation for the birth.
I have always had the feeling that this bub will come ahead of her due date and signs in the last couple of days are indicating that this may indeed be the case. I am officially due on 8th January and it is now the 4th. For the last three days I've had these spasms go up my back every once in a while which I feel are pre-labour pains. They aren't strong but they do get my attention and make me realise childbirth is not far away now. In the last day or so I've also just felt slightly different in myself physically, emotionally and even spiritually. I feel that sense of impending change and preparation. I want to stay around the house whereas last week I would go out almost every day to the shops. Yesterday the nesting instinct kicked in without a doubt as I started moving things around, unpacking boxes, sorting items and rechecking my hospital bags. It was like I was literally buzzing with energy and couldn't stop if I wanted to. It was only after my mother arrived for my eldest daughter's birthday that I could slow down and just socialise for the remainder of the day. But even then it took me a good 10 minutes to stop rushing from room-to-room and sit down!
The house is not in a perfect state to welcome a new baby. Our bedroom is filled with baskets, bags and boxes of clothes and other items which are yet to be given a new home in this house. We intend for bub to sleep in our room for the first few months and while I've washed the soft baby bed we haven't set up an area specifically for baby just yet. But, I have faith that it will be done and that everything I've now prepared will be enough for now. I know that my hubby will finish any remaining preparations by the time bub and I come home from hospital. There's just a sense of flow to everything and a sense of protection and security.
A 'nudge' story: On the 23rd December the rest of the family went off to wrap my Christmas and birthday gifts (my birthday is Christmas Eve) in the evening and I was left in the main part of the house by myself. Straight away I had a strong tightening which took my breath away for at least 15 minutes. I knew it wasn't labour as such, because it was constant rather than coming and going in waves. However, at that stage I didn't even know where the bags with baby items were amongst the boxes and I hadn't even created a list of what I needed for the hospital, either for myself or bub. I felt totally unprepared and anxious. This was definitely a warning to get my things in order. I found the hospital's maternity booklet with suggested list and created my own list. I then searched high and low around the house to quickly find as many items as I could. I eventually found some baby clothes, blankets etc and threw a load in to wash, followed by a spin in the drier. I checked off everything I could and went to the corner store on Christmas Eve to get any of the bits and pieces I didn't have, like nappies! Once I had those bags packed I felt much calmer and could once again settle back into feeling prepared. Of course I haven't had a similar pain since then. I call this my 'divine nudge' to get my butt into gear.
I expect that my next entry will be the birth story of Jade Rose. I did have a strong feeling that labour might kick off last night as it was a full moon. Seeing as the full moon was such a strong symbol at the time of Jade's conception, I wouldn't have put it past her to arrive by one too. I didn't sleep very well because I kept expecting a twinge or something to happen at some stage. But now it's a new day and I'm glad that there may be at least one day between my eldest daughter's birthday and my youngest.
There is something very special about this time and the arrival of Jade Rose. In the last week or so I've been reminded of what some people refer to as Crystal Children. I don't like to use labels but I feel that Jade may have some very special purposes throughout her life and I will be curious to see how things evolve. I also feel a deep change in my own life about to come forward and I'm sure readers will see this reflected throughout the website as it happens.
I wish you all well on your own journeys, whatever they may be. I look forward to my next installment being the introduction of a special little soul to the world.
Due Date - Still Waiting
Well I woke this morning without having had even a sign of impending labour. According to my natural dates I was due on the 8th January which was 2 days ago now. However, I had a hospital check-up today where they told me that according to the ultrasound scan done earlier in the pregnancy I am due today, the 10th January. Oh well. Does it really make me less impatient to meet this little one knowing that I may not actually be overdue? Not really. Of course, when labour kicks in I bet I regret ever being so impatient!
I've been out shopping most of the day with mum and the kids. I realised that I still needed to get a baby bath so I found one for a decent price thankfully, as some are ridiculously expensive.
Better go get some rest, though doing so in the afternoon usually means I'm awake half the night. I guess it's preparation for sleepness nights when baby arrives. How quickly we forget the realities of being so responsible for a little being. But as anyone who has a child knows, it is all worth it!
The Arrival of Jade Rose
Well I didn't stay pregnant forever like I thought I was going to be! At around 3am on the 17th January my waters broke. This was quite strange for me because my waters only broke well into labour while at the hospital with my first three children. I started to get mild contractions about half an hour apart and they worked their way down to around 5 minutes apart but I knew they weren't 'active' contractions because they didn't even take my breath away. I recorded the timing and decided to ring mum as she was coming to look after the other children and would have a drive of an hour and a quarter to get to our house. By the time mum arrived early that morning the contractions had stopped. Throughout the morning I just waited for the contractions to kick into gear again. At that stage I wasn't worried about the stop because I knew that things would definitely be happening due to my waters already having broken.
Around mid-morning we went for a walk around the local park to get things happening. Well, it was more like my daughters playing on the swings, my husband and son playing cricket, and me walking around the path - and around - and around. It was hot and I'd soon had enough of that torture so we headed home again. Family would call from time-to-time to see what was happening, only to be disappointed to hear there was no change.
Around 4:30-5pm I told hubby that I wanted he and I to go for a walk because it was cooler and shady along the footpath then. We did quite a long walk (for an unfit 9-month-pregnant woman) and I noticed that I was getting a lot of back pain which would come in waves. When we got back to the house I started having decent contractions about 10 minutes apart.
With my other pregnancies I wanted to get to the hospital as soon as things became regular. I think felt a security knowing that I had people on hand to help if labour progressed quickly. This time I was surprised to find that I felt quite comfortable to be at home for as long as possible. Thoughts of giving birth at home even entered my head but in hindsight I'd obviously forgotten that things were yet to become wayyyy more painful and I would prefer to at least have the gas on hand.
I don't know when I thought I should get to the hospital. I was quite content to lean over a pile of pillows, focus on my breathing, and to allow my body to do what it needed to do to allow bubs to be born. Ronnee thankfully had given me some advice about this and it really guided me through the labour more focused than I'd ever been before. It was just before 7pm and I decided that regular contractions of 10 minutes apart at least warranted a call to the hospital midwives. When they found out that my waters had broken and that this was my fourth child, they seemed surprised that I was still at home and said to come in straight away.
Whether it was the bumps along the road or not, the pains started coming closer together as soon as we left home. Luckily the hospital is only 10 minutes drive away. We parked and walked up the hill to the hospital - a slow but steady walk as I feared that if I stopped I may be having the baby before making it through the doors! We arrived at 7:15pm.
We made our way to the birthing suites where we were taken to a room and I was hooked up to the monitor for what was supposed to be half-an-hour. I was quite uncomfortable lying on the bed with monitors strapped tightly around my sore, contracting tummy. The pains were strong and lasting over a minute each time. The midwife then found that I was only 3cm dilated which really distressed me as I could sense that baby was moving down and my instincts said that I didn't have long until baby would be born. I feared I'd need intervention if I didn't dilate quickly.
Even though I had that bit of bad news, each time a contraction came, I would stop and focus on my breathing. It was quite instinctual and I found that I could almost release some of the pain when focusing on the strong outward breaths. As the pains started low and rose upward, I would try not to tense my body, bringing my attention to my 'head space' - my breathing. I would then allow the sensations of the contractions to do their work without overwhelming me. It did take a lot of focus but it certainly helped me cope better. I found that if I didn't get my focus from the very start of the contraction, it was very hard to stop the pain from taking over and feeling like I had no control. Fortunately when this happened one time I heard my guides almost snap me into focus and help me regain control via the focus on my breathing.
I also found that I heard encouraging words that I was doing well and that this was indeed a beautiful, spiritual event. The words were from the guides! I felt them there the whole time and knew that I could get through the process. On some occasions, when contractions would begin, I would feel the spirituality by sensing how natural the process was and focusing on allowing this baby to come into the world. I actually saw what seemed to be pink wings wrap around my lower abdomen as contractions started. It is hard to describe well, but I found that I was more in tune with the birthing process this time around than with my other labours, where the pain ended up being the main focus.
The monitors that were strapped to me kept moving and for this reason I think the midwives kept them on longer to get their half-hour of continuous monitoring. Part of it may have been to monitor the baby because my waters had been broken for 18 hours at that stage and there was a risk of infection. They inserted a cannula to give me penicillin for this reason too. I hate needles and have had to have a cannula in my hand with all four babies! Yes, I'm a sook!
By this stage I was having contractions on top of each other and thinking I was still maybe only 4-5 cm dilated. The monitors were still strapped on and a doctor came in asking if she could attach a fetal scalp monitor to baby's head. Again, fearing that baby was coming SOON and I would not be dilated enough, I just asked if I could have a caesarean! This is the stage I reached with all my babies - where you feel like you just can't go on any more. What it actually means is that baby is about to be born - known as the 'transition' stage.
Mum arrived at the hospital to see how I was doing (my sister took over the babysitting of our other children) and was amazed to see me in so much pain so soon after I had left home. I told her that I was only 3cm dilated when the midwife had checked, so mum went to phone family with that tidbit of news. In the meantime, the doctor said she would check to see how far along I was because I was saying I could feel the baby coming down. To the doctor's surprise I was fully dilated and she could feel the head! Yes! I knew that I knew my own body and that this baby was coming quickly!
Jade Rose was born with another 2 contractions and lifted onto my chest. I felt a rush of adrenaline and was so happy to meet this new little girl. I immediately forgot all the pain and just delighted that my baby was here (and I do admit I was soooo thankful that it didn't take any longer!). Anyway, I looked around the room and realised that mum wasn't in the room. I hadn't noticed her leave to make phone calls, so when she walked back in a few minutes later she saw the cord and realised that the baby had been born within the few minutes she was out of the room!
Jade Rose was born at 9:11pm, just under 2 hours after arriving at the hospital. She was the smallest of our bubs, weighing just 3140g (6lb 15oz) and measuring 48cm in length.
She is another quiet bub like our others, just squawking a little for a feed or if she has wind. You can barely hear her cry if you aren't in the same room! Here is a picture at just half-an-hour old...
And a photo at 4 days old, a day after coming home from hospital...
Resources: Did You Know? facts sourced from:
http://parenting.ivillage.com/pregnancy/0,,nc26,00.html
http://www.pregnancylounge.com/.