oldest daughter Sex: girl Born: 09 October, 1994 Age: 17 years & 131 days Birthday in: 234 days Starsign: Libra Development: See the 32 months page. Biggest achievement so far: -

middle daughter Sex: girl Born: 17 July, 1996 Age: 15 years & 215 days Birthday in: 150 days Starsign: Cancer Development: See the 32 months page. Biggest achievement so far: -

youngest daughter Sex: girl Born: 22 November, 1998 Age: 13 years & 86 days Birthday in: 279 days Starsign: Scorpio Development: See the 32 months page. Biggest achievement so far: -

Hadley William Sex: boy Born: 19 September, 2008 Age: 3 years & 148 days Birthday in: 217 days Starsign: Virgo Development: See the 32 months page. Biggest achievement so far: creating sunshine wherever he goes

Birth details

Hadley-William`s birthstory

So the last thing I wrote was that we were going to hospital as I was having contractions about 5 minutes apart after my shower. We got there and saw some midwives who said I was in very early labour and was still only 3cm dilated. While she was in there so to speak she stretched the membranes that bit more. I told them I was not really coping well with the pain already but they said if they put me in a delivery room now they would be in trouble as I wasn’t in ‘established’ labour. So we went for a walk around the hospital grounds where I managed some curb walking ie one leg up on the curb, one on the street. Then for a walk through the neighboring botanical gardens, while having contractions roughly 5 minutes apart. At one point they got to 2 minutes apart so we went back to the hospital again. Again they observed what was happening but my contractions had become a bit irregular although very painful. She said we could stay there in this little observation room or go home. AT first I thought there was no way I would go home as I was just in too much pain and already not coping. But I was uncomfortable and my feet were swollen and I felt inhibited. We went home and I hopped in the bath, all while having contractions. Hubby was pouring water on my back as the contractions came. Mum brought me in some mango, home made vegie soup and toast. I needed it. after about 2 hours and many water top ups I got out and lay in bed. I watched some documentary and tried to sleep. At this point I couldn’t care less about anything and a home birth sounded like a good idea. I was still having contractions a few minutes apart when all of a sudden my waters broke and I felt a huge gush. Hubby thought it was time to go back to the hospital so we all mobilised and drove back. On the way the contractions were still intense so hubby had me counting. I found I could keep attention on air going in and out and distract myself that way. At the hospital I was checked for dilation and was still only 3 or 4. She did another stretch on me and told me to go for a walk. I said there was no way I could walk and needed some pain relief right then. She finally said they would fill a bath and I should take a shower. We were shown the room and I was finally given access to the gas. I was cold and tried to get warm in the shower but it really was providing no relief and the gas made me feel a little silly. I tried kneeling, standing, kneeling on one leg, rocking and my version of a belly dance but nothing brought relief. After I don’t know how long, I got out and lay in bed under covers still having gas. The midwife who had been looking after me was leaving and she introduced me to the new midwife Jo. I hopped in the bath and expected to feel relief in the water while having the gas, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t comfortable, I wasn’t feeling better and nothing I did made any difference. I started to imagine every contraction was a tripod from war of the worlds shooting down things – don’t know why. The new midwife wasn’t qualified to do water births, as I had been warned might happen and after a discussion with other hospital staff, she said she would feel better if I got out. I started feeling like I was being tortured and began the process of begging for an epidural. The birthing centre would have had to move me out to another part of the hospital and I didn’t care, I just wanted it bad. The whole plan was to cope with the contractions with gas a bath and the gas did nothing for me and the bath wasn’t relieving. There was no way I would cope with the rest of the labour I knew that. I think they checked me again and had only dilated a little bit more, I cant really remember but I was talked into having some pethidine. I needed something badly. Once the pethidine kicked in I was able to cope with contractions a little better and even sleep between them. I draped myself over a bean bag on the bed. The sleeping part worried them and they thought this might slow things down so they got me up to walk around, which was very difficult. Did I mention that all this was done in the nude? At some point they decided they would put a drip in of the syntocinin to speed things up. I wish they had done this ages back but anyway. The cervix was stretchy apparently so she said that next time I had a contraction to push and see if anything happened but I could not push. Going to the toilet was hard work but they also encouraged me to do this to clear out the bladder. I begged them for more pethidine once it wore off and they put it off for about 2 miserable hours during which time I was literally begging them for an epidural or something else. At one point I felt I was pushing and from then on kept pushing until he was born. I looked up to find at least 4 midwives in the room and some were telling me to push and pant and all I wanted to do was push. I felt the burning ring of fire but I just wanted him out. Once I had the head out I just squeezed and out he came in rush. Apparently he had his cord wrapped around his shoulder which made exiting me that much more difficult. Also once he was born they quickly cut the cord and got him over to rub him and give him oxygen as he wasnt very responsive. I could not believe it was all over. A midwife injected me in the thigh and a few minutes later the placenta was born. They looked at me to see if I needed stitches but I just said I didn’t want them. They said there was only grazing anyway. Once baby is born, all the pain really is over.