I love hearing about other people’s birth stories but don’t think I’ve actually shared one before. But everything went so smoothly this time around and was probably the most relaxed I was (maybe because I’ve had some practice at this) so I thought I’d share. And it all starts with the photo in the gown before I get wheeled down to theatre. I love having the before shot.
But really all the excitement starts the night before when you try to get ready, make sure everything is done and try to get some sleep. Like you can sleep knowing you are going to have a baby early the next morning. In the end I got 2 hours sleep in emerson’s bed and was straight up again at 3.30 to get dressed, sweep the floors and head out the door super early at 4am. We arrived at the hospital, up to the ward like we’ve done all the times before, quick shower, they give you a little shave before theatre and then you can relax until they come to wheel you down. The hospital had made a few changes to things so that the dads can stay with their partners and this included getting a one size fits all onesie instead of having the usual blue scrubs. You might not know this but I’m 5ft and married a 6ft 3 big guy. We’ll always joke about the time he had to get into the OSFA onesie and couldn’t sit in it. Yep, it was just a bit too short for him. Anyway the advantage is that he stays with you for almost the whole time so it’s a good thing………..they might just need to get some XLs in for the tall guys. And no he didn’t want a photo in it.
Retro daddy was dozing off in the corner until 6.15 when I ‘suggested’ he make a cup of tea and wake up a little. Quick practice on how to use the camera and then we met the anaesthetist. Now from my first OB appointment my biggest concern this time around was getting the spinal or epidural in the right spot. The last 2 times they have had a good go in my back 4 or more times trying to get it in. I met the lovely anaesthetist and for the first time I had a lovely lady. She suggested we go with a spinal rather than the spinal/epidural I’ve had the last few times. They had tried to get my records but they were over in another building so she would try to get the right spot and do a spinal. If there were complications or the surgery went for longer then they’d put me to sleep. I said I didn’t want to sleep through the birth and she reassured me that it would only happen after I’d met the baby and he was taken off. OK then I can do this. So then we were wheeled down.
They put the local in my back and then the spinal, and she got it right the first time. Woohoo. I knew that meant I wouldn’t have the back soreness that I’d had the last two times. I was wheeled into the theatre and the bright lights gave me a little panic so another quick prayer for a safe delivery and everyone was getting ready and introducing themselves to me. At this time I started to feel a heaviness in my chest and a bit short of breath. They fixed me up with a bit of oxygen and then I just knew I was going to throw up. I told them I was going to be sick and then the uncontrollable throw up started. I had to tip my head to one side as I couldn’t sit up or move and I kept apologising after each time. They’d say please don’t apologise then I’d throw up and say how sorry I was. after about 5 quick throw ups I felt great. No chest pain, my blood pressure adjusted and I actually felt really great and let everyone know that.
Retro daddy came back in and I said did you see all of that? no he’d been waiting outside the door until they were ready. And he sat down and they began and about 5 minutes later I heard my baby cry. It was magic. It always is. The tears come to your eyes and you get to see your little baby for the first time and I always kind of lose my breath in the excitement of seeing this beautiful baby. It really is a miracle how babies are created and come into the world and to have a 6th baby is just a dream for our family. And for the first time they actually passed the baby over to me so I could touch and kiss him before they cleaned him up. It was so special.
they took him away and the cord was cut and he was cleaned up.
And then he was brought over to me and I got the longest cuddles I’ve ever had in the theatre. It was perfect. He looked exactly like tillie and emerson did when they came out and was just perfect. No matter how straight forward your pregnancies are there is always that worry that something might go wrong or they might have some breathing or heart problems (and we’ve been there before and it’s terrifying) but he was absolutely perfect. I kept thinking they are about to take him back but they didn’t, I passed our little baby back to daddy and after a little while longer they went off to the nursery and I went to recovery.
Recovery was 45 minutes and I was very alert and everything was fine. My uterus was the size of a netball and still quite big but since it’s the 5th time I’ve done this I knew what to expect. I was feeling great and just so happy that everything had gone so smoothly. I was the first in theatre for the day and the first in recovery which was kind of nice. I’m used to being in there with people coming out from knee reconstructions or older people so it was nice having the room to myself. I told the anaesthetist how happy I was that it went so smoothly and I’m so happy she got it first time and that I was glad she was on for the day. Before I’d left recovery, one of the staff in the room asked if I had a tv (oh I haven’t heard that one before!). Everything was great so by 9am I was back in the room with our new baby.
The rest of the day I was a bit sleepy and then my blood pressure got really low so I was back on the oxygen and a little something for my nausea but apart from that recovered really quickly. The rest of the family came in to visit just after lunch. The girls were absolutely smitten with their new baby brother, the boys were excited to meet him and then were ok to do other things and leave it up to the girls to be near their new little brother. I had great intentions to get a photo of all us together in the room but it just didn’t happen. Bringing in 5 little ones to the hospital was a big job so sometimes I’d just have 2 or 3 of them in there with me during the week.
And that was Lawson’s first day in the world. We are trying to get back into routine at home, lots of feeding and I’m determined to breastfeed past the usual 6 or 8 weeks that I last. Things are a bit quieter on the home front with 3 at school and 1 at preschool so I’ll just be laying low and focusing on feeding my little guy and being at home with family. So far so good. Late night feeding did reveal that we have a mouse in the house so we’ve set up some sonic repellents (thanks to a reader for the tip) and a mouse trap and hope that we can get him soon. I like to watch tv at night/early morning while I feed but I don’t like to share the lounge room with little furry creatures scuttling across the floor.
Thank you so much for sharing your birth story Corrie. I have a very similar photo to number 3, it is lovely to have the photos to remember. Lawson is just beautiful.
Thank you for sharing your precious experience with us. It brought it all flooding back for me – even the comment about having a tv!! I love your before photos. How stunning you look. Just a young girl full of anticipation. Enjoy your newest blessing. There are fun times ahead xx
Well done on another beautiful bubba Corrie. Do you have any tips to get bubs off of Breastfeeding and onto the bottle? My little miss won’t take a bottle even if she’s starving.
I have my section in 15 days. I’m so ready to meet the little guy. Your story has just made me all the more excited! Thank you for sharing, Bless❤️
I had both my kids by C-section: like you I am short and have a large husband. I had my first under general (small country hospital with a GP anaesthetist) and my second with the spinal. I loved it, the thing that struck me was how everyone teared up when the baby started crying. I had a medical student assisting the anaesthetist who was seeing his first birth and he cried and just kept saying “amazing, wasn’t that incredible?” That made it very special to me
Thank you for sharing Corrie. Yesterday I found out that I will need to have a c-section..tomorrow! There are so many emotions, least of all the fact I thought I would get at least another week pregnant, your post has helped to calm my nerves. Not everything has been explained just yet to me so I found comfort in reading this, thank you!
And congratulations on the safe arrival of baby Lawson!
in the end, we had to go back to the old style trap to catch the mouse we had in a rental, good luck with the mouse catching. Beautiful baby, wonderful miracle, a new baby is very exciting.
What a great story, Corrie. A birth, no matter whether it is natural or a C-section, is always such a beautiful moment. Glad things went so smoothly and no pain, and now the healing begins. Lawson is such a sweet-looking baby. I hope he is as good natured as Emerson and you’re able to relax and enjoy him.
Congratulations Corrie. He is just beautiful. I just love how in love you are with him regardless of being number 6!. (I am number 6 in my family and not the youngest either). I have had two children, both naturally so it was quite interesting to read your birthing story. Enjoy.
Thank you for sharing your birth story, so glad it all went well for you.
If you have trouble feeding for long try some Hospital Sustagen, it’s the only way I was able to stay feeding my two.
Congratulations on another beautiful baby. Such a treasure. I am sure you will succeed with breastfeeding. Just don’t have any bottles or formula in the house. I had low supply with my first. took myself to bed for a couple of days and did nothing but breasfeed.The trick is to feed baby at the breast often and try not to expect a three or four hourly schedule of feeding as breastfeeding does not work like that. As you are very busy with the other little ones it would be worth your while learning how to carry baby in a wrap so you can breastfeed while doing other things sometimes. Also contact your local ABA leader and join the local group for lots of support and ideas.
I wish you the best
Jeanette
What great advice! Couldn’t have put it better myself. I’ve always had poor supply, but by persevering, demand feeding, and never offering formula I was able to b/f each of my kids for over a year. Now…. could anyone advise me on how to wean a two year old!!!
This is such a beautiful post Corrie, birth stories are so precious. So glad you had a better experience this time, you poor thing with the vomiting that would have been awful at the time. My last 2 C-sections once the spinal block was in my BP dropped and I thought I was going to pass out lying down (weird feeling), amazingly the situation was sorted and like you I felt much better once it passed.
Enjoy all those special koala cuddles with Lawson. Thanks for sharing.
Corrie what a gorgeous story, thank you so much for sharing. I had tears in my eyes the entire time, babies are so precious and the pictures of Lawson are just perfect. <3
Many congratulations on your gorgeous new boy. Thank you for sharing his arrival (and the rest of your family life!) with us out here on the internets.
Beautiful thanks for sharing! I’m having a planned csection for this next bub (no. 2) and bit nervous so happy to hear such positive experiences.
Great birth story Corrie! Big congrats to you & your family.
Breastfeeding is hard! I’ve had 3 kids, and only successfully breastfed that last.. I was always told it shouldn’t hurt, but it does until the sensitivity calms down. You got this mumma!
Beautiful Corrie. My birth with Phoebe was mirror image of yours 5 weeks ago. Had to be up early and had a similar reaction to the epi or spinal and my anaesthetist got it in right the first go which is such a relief. Lawson is just gorgeous! Enjoy every moment. The weeks seem to be flying with Phoebe! X
What a lovely birth story and photos! I adore your blue gown photo – you look so young, with the baby bump so low and large. Congratulations, what wonderful memories you and your family are making! Oh, how I miss those days. All the very best, Ros.
Absolutely adorable. What a blessing to have also a straight forward delivery. Congrats and rest up and enjoy those baby cuddles and feeding.
Thank you Corrie, you looked great pre Lawson and you look great after, enjoy all that lies ahead for each one of you…look forward to the many stories to come.
Lyn, Brisbane
Well I had to let my tears dry a little before I could type!
Such a beautiful moment for you to share with us. Bringing new life into the world is the most wonderful of miracles. Stay well and blessings to you rbeautiful family.
Si pleased that everything went well with the delivery. He’s such a gorgeous baby
Sending prayers your way for quick healing & plenty of milk!
What a beautiful baby Corrie! Well done to you and I’m so pleased everything went smoothly (despite the nausea)… who could be upset though when you get handed that gorgeous little package at the end! xxx
Oh this post brought tears to my eyes and a little lump in my throat Corrie, just beautiful. Took me back to all 3 of mine and most recently, my little lady born 4.5 months go. I can see little Lawson must be tall like his Daddy then, his legs look so long! You poor thing having to throw up at that point in the process. I had a bad reaction to the morphine and it made me throw up, as they were wheeling me up o recovery, horrible feeling :/ I was extremely nauseous after that and needed some medicine in the IV to help with it. All a small price to pay for a beautiful babe of course
Funny too that you wanted a pic of everyone in the hospital, so did I, but it didn’t happen, was too chaotic….and there are only 5 of us to organise. Can’t imagine how crazy 8 would be 
Thanks for sharing your lovely story and photos, I thoroughly enjoyed that xo
Congratulations. He is beautiful.Glad everything went well. Take care.
Just lovely. Congratulations on your new little man. V x
Congratulations Corrie! Thank you so much for sharing this!
I am completely gob smacked and speechless for the following reasons…(just I case you need some waffley light reading during one of the many feeds;) ! ) ….
1. You look THAT good after only having 2 hours sleep!!!
2. You had the energy to sweep the floor after only 2 hours sleep AND being 9 months pregnant!!
3. WOW. WOW. WOW!!!! I can’t believe that caesars can go that well. Seriously. I’m in complete shock about that one (but sooooo happy for you!) I had 3 babies and 3 caesars (by necessity). The first was an emergency caesar. VERY traumatic. The second (6 years later after losing 3 babies in early pregnancy) was another VERY traumatic birth via caesar. Then we unexpectedly and miraculously feel pregnant again and I think I held my breath the whole way through the pregnancy. It went ok – not traumatic but it certainly wasn’t fast. But my third little guy became sick at 3 months and would cry/scream every and all night for nearly the next two years until a paediatrician finally figured out the problem.
Needless to say we’ve decided not to have any more children! You do so great. I think it’s awesome how well it’s gone for you.
You don’t often get to read a caesarean birth story unless it’s an emergency. I think mine must have been spinals too because I was numb from the boobs down also had nausea but they tried 3 different meds before it settled down. You would get mega uterine cramps when breast feeding after 6 bubba’s they reckon they get stronger with each birth! Ouch!
Congratulations on another perfect little being. You really looked beautiful, wishing you continuing health and lots of happy!
I love birth stories – I have never had a C-section for my three so I always find it interesting to read about them. Congratulations on Lawson, he is just beautiful xo
Naww he is just gorgeous!
Congratulations to all of you xx
Love this blog … and I’ve come along just at the right time, with a new addition to your family. So sweet!
Congratulations Corrie thank you for sharing your beautiful birth story I was crying reading it brought back wonderful memories.
I am so glad you got such a positive experience – It is so nice to hear that, sometimes you only hear the horror stories and at 17 weeks pregnant it is nice to think there is hope of a positive birth in 20 something weeks time. Thank you for sharing and congratulations.
Such a wonderful birth story and he’s a little dream of a baby! Hope its all going well and you’ll have your desire of breastfeeding for longer than the previous babies
Congratulations, Corrie and thanks for sharing your boy’s birth with us!