Birth Stories

Wow! How amazing to read all the birth stories! Congratulations to every mom out there.

Wow Chris,awesome story that makes me wanna hold my LG....Congrats and enjoy raising them

elaine what an awesome birth story. Very inspiring.


Chris finally some pics. Congratualtions!!! They are perfect!

Wow Chris... I'm speachless.... They are absolutely beautiful.... gorgeous... perfect... A very big Congratulations!
Enjoy them, so happy for you and your hubby.

On Monday 13 Dec, we waddled to our scheduled scan to see what babies were up to. I had been feeling quite sore with a lot of pressure below. Dr did internal and said that the stitch was taking a lot of strain and tension. The amniotic fluid in the one sac was also starting to calcify. Dr had instructed to rest that week and not to do anything and see if babies could stay in another week, so if we didn’t see him at the hospital before, then Monday’s (20 Dec 2010) scheduled c-sec it would be. He gave me a pre-admission note for the Sunday and to start another round of steroids for babies lungs.

I developed the flu on the Wednesday and just felt so terrible, I went to our GP and he prescribed antibiotics. I really didn’t want to be sick when having my babies and also while they would be NNICU.

Sunday morning came, DH and I lay in bed, me with my eyes closed trying to rest, while thinking about the next day, DH lay with his eyes wide open, you could see the nerves kicking in. We went for breakfast at Wimpy just the 2 of us, we just sat and spoke about what was to come, how everyone was so excited (and more nervous than me, lol).

We got to the hospital at about 10am and filling in the forms at admission, the note had said PRE-TERM labour, and while DH and I sat together, one lady at reception asked me if I was ok and if I was not in pain, which I had said no I’m ok. She called one of the men to wheel me up to labour ward and the whole way there I was giggling inside, with a big fat grin on my face with my head down and my hand covering my face, all I could think of was, No, I’m not in labour!! But it sure is nice to be treated like I am and get some sort of “natural” experience out of this if these babies weren’t going to come before the booked day. The nurse at labour ward looked at me funny and asked if I was in labour and holding back the grin, I said no, but I’ve been booked in with pre term labour, she obviously saw my name on the list for next days c-sec. The rest of the day DH sat with me, the nurse checking babies with the fetal monitor had a field day, she called another later to help her do it as it is such a mission to try find 3 heart beats as the babies would move so much, DH and I would just laugh as it was just so funny, they eventually didn’t strap the monitors and just sat there holding them on my belly.

I asked what time I was going to go in on the Monday and they had said I was 3rd on the list; they started the c-secs at about 7, so I would go in about 8-ish. I got steroids shot at 16h30 and then 4h30am.

Monday I woke up at 3h30am, I was wide awake, couldn’t stop thinking about what was to come. Had a cry for my mom not being around (the first nurse who came to assist me in the ward had the same name as my mom).

At about 6h45 I went to the bathroom to go freshen up and have a shower before going in, I had asked DH to bring me new towels as the ones I had left fluff all over my body. While I waited for him I thought let me just brush my teeth, wash my face while doing so I heard ladies inside asking where I was and then had a knock on the bathroom door, calling me to stop whatever and move over as I was going in first.. HUH??? (thank goodness I showere the night before going to bed) DH wasn’t there yet. I went grabbed whatever I need to and they moved me to another ward. I phoned DH, he had just parked the car, I told him we were going in first. We did all the necessary prep, I asked the nurses if they could please put the catheter in after the spinal which they were fine with, but one came back asking me please if they could put it in before because there wasn’t enough time and a bit hectic in the theatre, to which I gave in. Flip, it was sore, there is just no space as these babies were taking all of it.

They wheeled me to theatre where I was given the spinal block, I would do this 10 times over before doing the catheter, I felt nothing, and as it worked, I was relieved not to feel the pain from the catheter. I lay on the table, DH behind me, I was worried that I could still feel my toes; I kept wiggling them to make sure that they could not be felt eventually. I told Dr that if I had the spinal every day I would carry full term.

Tears would well up in my eyes just thing about what was about to come, I turned to dh and said to him that what was I going to be like when the babies come out if I’m already tearing just thinking of it! (and now too).

I could not feel when they cut, but felt the tugs and pulls, then Dr asks us if we’re ready and told dh to get the camera, Dh ran to the front (and sore everything, lol) but was not phased, as our little boy came out tears just rolled down my face, my heart was racing and nothing, no thoughts or anything could prepare me for that moment, still crying now just thinking about it, all I could think was how beautiful he is and perfect, and mine, I have a baby! While they were getting the 2nd to come out, I thought to myself, ok, I have my boy, please make sure the next 2 are girls. The second came out, and she was so beautiful, just perfect too. It took longer for the 3rd to come out as she was far up under my ribs, she was just as beautiful and perfect, my family is complete, no words can describe the incredible joy and love I felt.

After they took Baby1 out, I felt this huge pressure lifted off my body, jeepers I couldn’t believe it, and after each baby this huge amount of pressure lifted from my body, I could breathe!!

My babies are beautiful, they are perfect and they are doing so well in NNICU.

Alessandro
Born - 8:21am
Weight - 1.620
Length - 43cm
Head circ - 30cm
Apgar 5mins - 9/10
Apgar 10mins - 10/10

Athena
Weight - 1.770
Born - 8:22am
Length - 41cm
Head circ - 29cm
Apgar 5mins - 9/10
Apgar 10mins - 9/10

Alexia
Weight - 1.780
Born - 8:24am
Length - 43cm
Head circ - 32cm
Apgar 5mins - 7/10
Apgar 10mins - 9/10

While back in our room, DH kept coming and going, he couldn’t stop telling me how excited was, you could see how proud he was and how excited he was, even now, he cannot wait to take his babies home, neither can I.

Before going in

Baby Boy

Baby Girl 1

Baby Girl 2

All my babies
(Girl 1, Boy, Girl 2)

After Birth

Nadia' birth. Induced water birth.


The morning of the 25th of November had finally arrived. This is it, we are going to meet our 4th little girl today. We arrived at the hospital at 5:30. They took me to a room, it was the last room in the ward before you get the labour rooms. Johan went to get my papers. They then filled out all the paper work and checked my BP. The sister then came to do an internal. She told me that baby was still high up and not engaged. I started worrying, my previous 2 inductions were rather quick, so I was scared that this one will take long, because she is still high. At 6:30 the sister came and inserted prostaglandin gel into my cervix. She then put the monitor on to monitor baby’s heart rate, we had a little scare there, she couldn’t find the heart rate and immediately asked me when last did I feel baby and I knew that I felt her the previous night and I started panicking, what if my baby is dead and then suddenly we heard the little heart beating, it was the best sound ever. I started to get very light period like pain a few minutes after that. At 7:00 they did a shift change. In came the midwife that was going to look after me during my labour. He, yes he, introduced himself. His name is Pravine (hope the spelling is correct). He asked me if I had any problem with a male midwife looking after me. I didn’t have a problem with it, my gynie is also a male. He then send a nurse to gave me an enema, that is probably the worst part of the whole induction for me.
Between 8:30 and 9:00 my gynie came around to check on me. I was 3cm dilated and he then decide to break my water. That was a bit painful. He then told Pravine to watch me, because I skip cm’s.....LOL. After my water broke I had a bit stronger contractions, nothing too serious, I could still talk through all of the contractions. At 10:00 Pravine did another internal and I was 4cm dilated. I then told me he is going to get the bath ready so that we can move to the labour room and so that I can get into the bath. I’ve decided on another water birth, I had two water births and wont do it any other way. After he left the room, I stood up from the bed. I stood there for just a minute or so and got some contractions. Suddenly I got one very strong contraction and I told Johan that I want to throw up, luckily the dustbin was close by. After I threw up I got another contraction and told Johan that I am feeling the need to push and he told me that I cant push now. I told him to go and call Pravine, he called him and when Pravine arrived and I told him that I want to push he had a shocking expression on his face and told me that I cant push now, because according to him I cant be fully dilated yet, it was 10 minutes ago that I was only 4cm. He told the nurses to call the gynie, we walked to the labour room and on the way there I just wanted to push and Pravine just kept telling me not to push. When we got to the room, I just wanted to get into the bath and was getting angry at Johan, because he isn’t helping me to get out of the gown. I felt so relieved when I got into the bath. Pravine then wanted to do an internal, but then he saw that baby is already crowning. He told Johan to call the nurse, he just walked to the door, then I got the urge to push again and I just went with my body and pushed, 2 pushes and she was out, when Johan came in again, Nadia was already lying on me, so he missed the whole birth and the gynie also wasn’t in time. She was almost born in the hallway. If they’ve put me in one of the first room in the ward, she would’ve been born in the hallway.
It was a great birth experience for me. I felt so high after her birth and I was so happy. I am really blessed to had the change to experience birth 4 times and each time it just got easier. I cant explain how good birth makes me feel. I am actually sad that this was my last time. I wish that every pregnant woman can experience birth like I did, it is such an amazing feeling to know that I have accomplished it. I know that there is women that envy me and that wishes that they can also experience it like this.

Hi Lagarbah - and I see your little boy arrived and your little girl is only a year and four months old! That's really inspiring - they say the longer you wait after a Caesar the better your chances of a VBAC are! Thank you so much for sharing your truly amazing story. Now I'm going to have to move to Cape Town