I got up and made breakfast, the rest of the house still sleeping. (Even Daisy, it was a miracle). I chatted to my sisters and let them know what was happening, then called Stef the midwife around 5.30am. She said to come in for my check-up at 8am as planned, unless things escalated. She suggested to come in earlier if contractions were coming down to 2-3 minutes apart.
So I got the rest of the family up, pottered around the house through contractions, showered and got ready, and at 7.30am Dwayne and I got in the car to drive to the hospital, fully expecting to be coming back home later to labour some more before show time.
When we got there we took the stairs up to the maternity ward, I was still able to happily do that. As we waited for Stef in the waiting area of the birth suite, contractions were still regular and coming a bit closer. I was starting to want to hang onto Dwayne with my arms around his neck to work through each contraction, the same way I did with Daisy. Stef observed a few of these contractions and said she didn't think we'd be going home again until baby was born...
But things were still feeling pretty much under control, we were shown the room we were to stay in with all it's birthing balls and floor mattresses and other birthing paraphernalia. Contractions came and went, I hung onto Dwayne during them and chatted with Stef between them. When it was established that we weren't going home at all, I said it was a shame we left the bags in the car. Dwayne suggested he go get them quickly whilst there was still time, and I agreed I could still manage the contractions on my own so he should go right away. Stef was quite happy with that too.
Dwayne went to the car park, Stef did some paperwork over in the corner whilst keeping an eye on me, and I stood by the bed still fully clothed, leaning on it to take each contraction. I felt a couple of contractions with a bit of pressure, but not a lot and not enough that I mentioned it to Stef. I recognised the feeling and knew they would feel like that for a good while before proper pushing contractions took over. A few minutes had passed when everything suddenly kicked off!
All of the sudden the rest of the waters splashed out, Hollywood style this time, drenching me to my feet. At the same moment, I literally felt the baby fall down into my pelvis and my body start to push the baby out instantly. And I mean INSTANTLY. Stef heard my noises change and asked urgently if I was feeling pressure. I would have laughed if I had been capable. Pressure? There's a frickin' head!!
Stef got busy very quickly helping me down on my knees, me still holding onto the bed, she then did her best to get my trousers off whilst trying to get some towels and blankets underneath me, which was a challenge because I was pushing a baby out and was entirely incapacitated and could barely lift a knee. She kept saying "Wait, Dwayne is not here! Hold it!". Again, would have laughed if I could.
A mere few pushes later, the head came out. My body stopped for a short while, then pushed the little body out with Stef lowering the baby down on the towels beneath me. I was still leaning with my head on the bed, and it took a good couple of moments for me to catch on and realise the baby was out. "Pick the baby up! Go on!" I heard Stef say. So I sat back kneeling on the floor and picked my little pink baby up. She wasn't screaming, she just whimpered a little as I cuddled her up against my belly. And I didn't know she was a she until Stef reminded me to check. It was 8.45am and Clara Rose Cassidy had arrived!
Unfortunately, Dwayne hadn't...
I will never forget the sound of stunned silence when he picked up his mobile and I said" You missed it all, you have another daughter!" Then all he said was "JESUS!!"
Moments later he came in through the door, just in time to cut the cord.
It turns out he had stopped by the cafe in the main lobby to get a sandwich, thinking just like Stef and I that we had a couple of hours to go. He had left his sandwich there to run upstairs when I called. We keep wondering if he would have made it had he not stopped for food, but chances are he still wouldn't with the speed that little Clara decided to enter the world.
Clara turned out to be a clever little one, latching on to feed as if she'd never done anything else. This meant I didn't feel like I needed to stay in hospital at all, so by 3pm we packed up and went home so that Clara could meet her very excited big sister.
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