Welcome Lily...Surprise Home-birth for Baby No. 5

We arrived back in Auckland on Sat 13th Oct from our year-long escapade in Australia. I was 38 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Besides me was my husband and the 4 children in tow ranging from 9 years to 22 months. As if that was not enough, we had 10 large suitcases, 2 car-seats, a double buggy, a port-a-cot, 5 carry-on cases, and a baby-bag.

The kids had been very well behave considering they had been travelling or transiting in airports from 12 noon on the 12th. The only hiccup we had was a few bouts of vomiting by Joseph in the last hour before we touched down in Auckland.

We unpacked at mum and dad's and I contacted my previous midwife on the 15th to ask if she could deliver my 5th baby. She was delighted. She came over to see me on the morning of the 17th Oct (Weds). I had been having some reasonably convincing braxton-hicks contractions earlier in the morning, but they had died down before she arrived. She did some basic paperwork and gave me a form to get some blood tests done. However... I never got to do that. Tane took the boys to get their hair cut and I was baking alphabet cookies. I rang my mum as she was out to ask her where the cocoa was and she said she was going for a walk and would be back in an hour. "That's fine" I said as there was no action in the baby department.

However, a few minutes later the braxton-hicks came back... or so I thought. I felt sick too so I went downstairs to bed. By this time Tane had come home so he watched Ella while I went and laid down on the bed, with Anna-maria, bless her, giving me sips of water between the contractions. Tane came downstairs to check on me and said we had better go to the hospital, I told him we had better wait till mum gets home... as she was not yet. As soon as she arrived he called the midwife and told her to meet us at the hospital, however when he came to get me I told him it was to late as the baby was already coming. In the meantime Anna-Maria was a good helper and put towels over the floor.

I have never seen him run up those stairs so fast to call the midwife to tell her to come to mum and dad's house. The midwife arrived about 5 mins later and listened to the heartbeat... all good :). She told Tane to get the towels out of the dryer as the baby was about to be born. I stood up for my next contraction, my waters broke and out came our baby. I caught her just-in time so she did not land on the floor. When Tane walked back in the room he was in shock... There I was standing by the door with the baby in my arms.
The kids were so excited and were in there to see the baby.

Love you Lily-Grace... our beautiful baby number 5.