Monday morning and all is calm in 304. Erin has 6 days to go until her estimated due date, but first babies always go late right?! We have a to-do list a mile long but loads of time to do it. There is not even anywhere for it to sleep (sock drawer is our back-up plan). Erin has been growing rapidly but keeping active. On Sunday she had just done a good workout in our gym and baby seemed quite content where he was.
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| Growing |
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| Guns growing too |
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| This was the last side selfie taken before she popped, in the spinning room. Quite exaggerated proportions in that silhouette. |
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| We did not think this would be our last St Georges date together - happy man shown here with Javaman latte and peanut butter ball |
We managed to get one thing ticked off - our final date with just the 2 of us. We went to one of our favourite, but less-visited hangouts - Mourne Seafood Bar.
So much romance, so much fun, so few responsibilities, just the two of us. And we have at least a week to enjoy the last of this.... but we're back to 4.45am on Monday morning and Erin is all of a sudden awake. There is a slightly uncomfortable feeling but she lays there trying to get back to sleep. Eventually at 5.30am she gets up and goes to the bathroom. As Niall lays in slumberland he hears his name being called in a dream. Zzzzzz. His name is called again. Zzzzzz. On the final calling his eyes flash open on the realisation that his name is actually really being called from the bathroom by his 39 week pregnant wife. He hurriedly jumps to his feet in the dark room, stumbling and stubbing his toes on everything in between him and the bathroom. "I think my waters broke". He froze in disbelief, it was time to panic and be useless again.
But NO! He'd been here before. That day towards the end of Summer when Erin fainted in St Georges market and his life flashed before his eyes stood tattooed on his mind. The verbal berating he had received from those 3 women who actually did save Erin that day rang in his ears... 'Next time don't be so useless'....'you need to react better in a crisis situation son'.....'why on earth were you still holding your crepe in one hand and your fainted wife in the other?! Is food really that important to you'. I wisely chose not to answer that last one.
'OK, do you feel any contractions?' No. 'And are your waters clear?' I think so. 'A gush or a treacle?' Treacle. 'Right, I am going to call the antenatal ward, explain the situation, pack the hospital bag in case, and make you a smoothie'. Those 3 women would be proud :) We headed to the hospital and they hooked Erin up to a baby monitoring machine for 20 minutes. Baby's and momma's heart rate were fine. In fact, studly momma's was a healthy 53 bpm!
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| Lance Armstrong watch out |
After that the midwife said you're good to go. We've booked you an appointment to come in this evening and be induced. So I dropped Erin home and went to work knowing that would probably be the last day I only had to provide for one other person. Erin spent the day walking and chatting with her good friend Estelle, all the while leaking more and more of her water. It was really quite bizarre to know what was coming and yet still go about your day so casually.
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| Last time in 304 as a twosome. TJ's mango chunks in hand! |
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| En route to the hospital that night - a burrito pit-stop. This is why I married her!! |
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| Arrival at the hospital, blissfully ignorant to the marathon that lies ahead. |
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| The induction has begun, it might be a long night |
I feel as a man the narration I will provide you of the next 12 hours can't fail to be an injustice. But you'll just have to trust that I understand to some level of significance the trauma of what happened! Erin found the process of induction particularly painful and uncomfortable giving her little hope for what lay ahead. Tears were shed for that and the lamentation of the distance between her and her mother. At 7pm the contractions started, mild at first but still obviously uncomfortable. We began traipsing the halls of the delivery ward to distract Erin from the pains, the violent screams of laborious women providing a not-so-comforting backdrop. We took solace in the little things. A breastfeeding how-to poster had a picture of a boob squirting a baby in the face warning not to be alarmed if this happens. That provided a good 15 minutes of comic relief. Our farts too, though pungent and loud, were not particularly repulsive given our surroundings and also provided some comic (and gastronomic) relief.
I had misgivings about what type of comfort or support I could provide Erin that night. But to my delight she seemed to really depend on, and be thankful for, my presence. Which made the announcement that I had to go home at 11pm even more shocking?! Apparently the process could take a while and they wanted the birthing partner fully rested. They assured me they would call when things were really starting to happen (which to me seemed about 2 hours ago!!!). Erin was quite unsettled at this but resolved to stay strong in my absence and I left feeling a whole new level of uselessness. It was hard to leave.
My parents had driven the 2 hours up and I met them and let them in to 304, catching them up on what was happening. We all hit the hay at midnight. My mind was racing knowing what Erin was going through, and yet not knowing at all. Zzzzzzz. The phone rang. Eyes flung open again, 'Yes, is it happening?' It was just 12.59am. Well that seemed a bit pointless. They had moved her into the birthing pool room (she had wanted a water birth). They told me to come but no need to rush. I rushed, again stumbling over and stubbing my toes off anything I could find. I purposely left my parents asleep. There was no point in all of us only having 59 minutes sleep.
The sight that greeted me in that delivery room was a hard one to digest. Erin was sitting on a physio ball collapsed over the side of the birthing pool shivering and making scary animal noises. The sweat was dripping off her and she could hardly acknowledge my presence. Out of respect for all women I need to condense the next 4 hours. She might tell you in a blog post but I won't be touching that topic. The pushing phase lasted 2.5 hours!! The mid-wives wanted to take Erin out of the pool after 2 hours because Erin was getting exhausted and they might need to intervene. But Erin wasn't going to let them! She growled them off.
I've got to tell you - I was wrecked! I am not being a misogynist, or discrediting what Erin went through, but the position she had me in for 3 hours hurt! My back was killing me, my arms were bruised, and I hadn't slept. But do you think I was going to dare say 'excuse me, I'm a bit tired and sore' in front of three women, one in the throes of advanced labour?!
Well you've had to scroll a long way and I know the only reason you came here is for pictures of my adorable daughter. You probably didn't read anything above. So here she is, Méabh Collette Madden, born 7lb 10oz on January 20th 2015 at 04:55
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| These troopers waited 6 hours to see her. Crappy visitors hours. And yes, I have conjunctivitis in my right eye. |
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| Nana Madden - our savior for the next 4 days!! |
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| Granda, da, and Méabh |
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| Granda & Méabh |
I left at 9am to go home and get some sleep. At midday I returned, bearing a healthy juice from Soul Food. I've never seen Erin more thankful!
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| Wait! You're going to let us take this thing home now? 6pm the same day. Surely you don't trust us! |
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| Are you sure?! Last chance. |
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| Well, it's too late now. I guess we have full responsibility |
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| Good thing we have these experienced veterans on our team! Hopefully you don't mind me calling you veterans :) |
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| The snuggly Madden family just got snugglier |
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| Talking to the Dohms |
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| Mum and baby wrecked after a long first day |
Interesting fact about this little girl (little being the operative word!), according to World Health Organisation statistics she is taller than 99.8% of baby girls born full term!! Thank you Axel Stromberg and, by extension, Fern and Karen Munter.
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| She was 57cm long |
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| Just look at those legs |
I believe that to maintain mental wellbeing for mum and baby (and dad too really) you need to get out soon and often. So at three days old we got her started:
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| Her first coffee date |
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| Her first St Georges date |
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| Her first grocery shop |
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| Her first Skype with her Maternal Grandparents |
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| Well, we've really given up now. Cancelled our gym memberships. |
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| Enjoying the view from 304 |
And a video for those who won't meet her in person for a while:
