Eli Oscar Atkinson

What an amazing experience! Monday morning started off as any other day I have had in recent weeks...I had been having early labour signs for the past 10 days and knowing you can have early labour for up to 4 weeks, I was getting used to them thinking that our baby would never come.

Zara and I went off doing some chores, had a nap and then went to swimming. On the way to swimming I asked her when our baby was going to be born and she said “Mommy on Monday – no Tuesday” Little did I know then that she would be quite right and in fact things were really imminent. After swimming we came home, I made her dinner and then went off to Yoga as usual. On my way to Yoga, I spoke to Andrea our Doula and she told me that Andrew and Clara (from our ante-natal classes) were in having their baby, so I kept talking to our baby, saying that even though we were ready for him/her, we needed to wait just a little longer so that we could all have Sharon.

Chris and I had supper, I had a lovely relaxing bath and then at about 10pm, I got a message from Taiya (another mommy to be from ante-natals) asking me if I was with Sharon... Guessing this meant that she was also in labour, I called her to let her know Clara was with Sharon at Genesis and they should probably get themselves to Genesis. Thinking we were still safely incubating early labour, Chris and I joked about the likelihood of three babies being born in one night... Little did we know that I would go into labour an hour later! Low and behold, by 11.45pm I was feeling strong contractions. I got into the bath again while Chris rallied around cooking me potatoes, trying to time contractions, make phone calls and pack the car... Mirriam came in to be with Zara and she helped Chris pack the car – we eventually were packed and ready to go – we got to Genesis at about 1.30/1.45am and I was very happy to have Sharon meet me at the car! She took me through to our room and it was all stations go.

Chris and Andrea were extremely busy getting photos set up, lighting candles, building the pool and getting our music playing. Chris certainly didn’t have a moment to spare so Sharon stayed with me, encouraging me all the way. At one point I was certain I just didn’t have it in me to carry on. The contactions were relentless - just one after the other with no break! But with Chris and Sharon’s gentle encouragement I managed to keep going. I was desperate to get into the birthing pool and poor Chris was trying to get both - the one we had hired as well as the Genesis bath - filled as quickly as he could! I’m not sure how long we had been there when I could finally get into the smaller Genesis pool. It was just taking too long to fill the bigger, more comfortable pool. The water was such a relief! Before I knew it Eli was out, born in the water, being passed into my arms. My first thought was that he looked exactly like Zara so Chris assumed we had another girl. We had to pry his legs open to see who he was and when I said a boy Chris was so surprised he had to double check. Eli Oscar Atkinson was born at 03.22am in his membranes - "in the Caul" - after a whirlwind 2hr 35min labour – a more perfect birth we couldn’t have wished for!