This time last year (easter saturday) I was extremely pregnant and I mean 'extremely'. I went to bed knowing my body was feeling very different from what it had the last nine months and that tomorrow was going to be an eventful day. Ella went to sleep relatively easily compared to normal, but as always, relocated into our bed sometime through the night.
At 4 am my contractions started with my daughter and husband next to me. I paced around the house trying to let them sleep as long as I could but knowing that we had no family in Australia at that time and were relying on friends to look after our daughter during the birth I had to make sure we gave them enough time to come to our house so that Ella could settle in with them before we took off. I rang the midwife to ask how close she thought I was and despite my contractions being only 16 minutes apart she said to take a panadol and try and get some more sleep. So I did.
At about 6.30 am Ella was up so I quickly nudged at Eric to get up so we could organise the Easter Egg Hunt for her. I did very vaguely mention that the contractions had started and that the midwife said that all was good for now. This was Ella's first Easter Egg Hunt so I wanted to make it special. She was petrified of the thought of a rabbit in our backyard so it took her a good hour to brave the steps to look for eggs. When she realised that they were chocolate and that it was relatively safe up there as the easter bunny was no longer there.. she wondered around in amazement collecting the eggs into her little basket.
The contractions started to get a little more painful but still bearable so I made the call to drive Ella to a friends 3rd birthday party. It seemed like the perfect set up, Ella gets distracted by the party, the jumping castle and our friends who were to take care of her would be there. Eric reluctantly agreed and just gently begged me to get going quickly. It was about a 45 minute drive so by the time we arrived I could safely say that I was in labour. What better way to have an active labour I thought casually to myself.
About an hour into the party and the inability to sit I gently prodded Eric to drive me to the hospital. I think it took him all of 3 seconds to have me packed into the car and drive off. I could tell he was a little anxious so I tried to reassure him that we're good and not to hurry. I at this point didn't feel comfortable sitting as I felt my pelvis stretching and kind of hovered above my seat a few centimeters for the duration of the hour trip down there.
When we pulled up Eric was about to drive up to the emergency drop off point, but I knew it was close and he may not have enough time to drop the car off and come back up so I asked him to just park the car in the car park so we could walk in together. During the walk from the car park to the assessment area I had about 3 whopping contractions and the tears started.. on the bright side it was kind of nice as we were taken straight up to the delivery suite and didn't have to wait. The midwife bought me a wheelchair to take me up to the delivery suite but I declined.. I wasn't going to squash my babies head.. was she nuts?? She just asked that we walk 'fast' in-between contractions.. so we did..
She was rushing around like a mad woman when we got there so I thought I would prompt her that she should probably check how dilated I was.. she just replied with "oh.. I don't need to love.. you're ready.."
"Do I need to take my pants off then?" I asked..
"That'd be a great idea" she replied..
So on the bed I hopped.. pushed.. asked for gas.. was refused.. pushed again.. eric got ready to catch.. pushed again.. eric missed (as I later found out).. then I was handed a little tiny boy.. Zaccy Zac..
I all deliriousness.. it was the most amazing, funny, eventful, painful and wonderful Easter Sunday I had ever had in my life!!! I had my little tiny boy, and the whole labour was just a laugh (in between contractions) really.
Don't know if I could ever beat that Easter Sunday but at the same time, I am so looking forward to tomorrow when I will have two beautiful little monkeys running around our backyard looking for eggs.. and I will be walking around a lot more comfortably with them.
Happy Easter Everyone!!!
What a beautiful story! I'm sure this Easter won't be quite as memorable, but I'm sure you'll have a lovely time with your family.
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