Rodney's home birth story

Everyone has "the" list ... you know the one, babies coming and magically this list appears "things to do". No matter how hard you work and toil over this list it just never seems to get smaller ...

So 9 months after starting on this list, (ok I had a few days out fishing) it was Saturday morning and all I had left was to plant 5 trees and fix the house.

I had been woken at 2am to be told that my wife had been having very mild contractions since 7pm the night before, but don't panic as this was the third time and baby was still a long way off. The midwives were due at 10am for a checkup.

10am rolls around the midwives arrived and we timed the contractions at about 30sec long and around 10 mins apart. Armed with the information that when they last 45sec and 5 min apart that we should head to the hospital. Yes this was originally supposed to be hospital birth, but the fact that this letter is in this magazine you already know the outcome…

Back to the story; 10.30am and my wife and I are in the back garden with the final job on the list. She is only there to supervise, while I am digging planting and timing the contractions. Just after 1pm the first contraction that went aver 45 sec came. Quickly finishing the last plant and fixing the hose, my job was done and the list complete.

Brent's Homebirths

This week is Home-Birth week, and I have been given permission from homebirth org and the fathers to post their amazing stories.

Enjoy

- Eric

Brent's home birth story

On 20 September last year Emily gave birth to our beautiful daughter Tui Suzanne. She is just the calmest, sweetest baby I have ever known.

Tui was born at our home in a birthing pool in the same room as her beautiful sister, Maia, who died inside Emily’s womb (at 10 days overdue) in late July 2006. We heartbreakingly buried our baby Maia at Taita Cemetery, close to a rangy gum tree where tui keep watch over her grave.

To start with it was hard not to call Tui, Maia, even though she already had her own name. Tui is so heavenly though that I’m sure Maia’s hands have woven some magical threads into what she hears, sees, understands and will become. Tui’s eyes and face shine with some deep understanding of what has come before.

So much has happened in the last year and a half, which has just rushed by... the arrival and departure of our baby Maia, already more than her lifetime ago, the joy of the safe arrival of Tui and an endless longing for Maia, our beautiful, feisty Maia, who had other plans. I want Maia to be with us too.