Our boys birth….some beers….and overwhelming elation!

I just wanted to put down some words to share my experience, love and respect for Vicki, Doula Extraordinaire.

What would be the day my son was born all began in the early hours of a Sunday morning.

My wife woke me to tell me to go and turn the heater on in our front room, where we had set up our birth pool and birthing space for the impending arrival of baby number three.

I had even carefully added my touches of Essendon memorabilia to the space, much to Vicki’s disgust.

My wife was hanging out on the toilet in our ensuite and said to me, “I’m pretty sure tonight (today) is the day.”

As instructed I went and turned the heater on, to return less than a minute later and find things had ramped up in the blink of an eye.

We called our midwife who was now on her way, and I messaged Vicki to let her know. Vicki replied immediately that she would also be on her way.

I left my wife again, who was breathing through her surges to go and connect the hose to start filling the pool, put the dog inside, and open our locked front gates.

Again, I was called back to her a few minutes later as she was now finding her surges more intense and did not want me out of her sight. I applied the TENS machine and held her hand, talking her through her surges. Things were moving quickly, and I was trying my best to stay calm, with a million and one things running through my head (mainly being the empty birth pool).

My wife started getting quite vocal through her surges and told me she wanted to push, while she was still sitting on the toilet. A quick phone call to the midwife and I was instructed to get her the hell off the toilet!

She got as far as our bed on all fours and had no interest of going anywhere else…

Our midwife arrived and asked if my wife wanted a quick examination, which she did.

She was already 9cm dilated.

Bloody hell I thought to myself!!

Panic was setting in and not shifting.

Then, like a breath of fresh air, in walks Vicki, or as I like to call her – WONDER WOMAN.

The instant calmness that I immediately felt, knowing that Vicki was with us now words cannot explain.

This is our second birth with Vicki and with the familiarity of her presence, I knew we were good to go.

FINALLY I could sneak off and do a quick nervous poo, which I had been holding for what felt like eternity!!

Vicki simply just placed her hands on my wife and let her know she was here, she talked her through each surge, and my wife’s shoulders relaxed immediately.

My wife describes Vicki’s hands as magical.

Through each surge, Vicki would squeeze the bottom of her back, while I operated the TENS machine and held my wife’s hand.

Vicki knows exactly what to say and when to say it.

Continually bringing my wife back down when things were getting tough, with words of encouragement and love with a tad firmness that made you listen to her.

Our son was born calmly and lovingly on our bed, our second homebirth with Vicki by our side.

We have been elated ever since.

The birth of our three children have all been completely different experiences.

But we honestly could not ask for a better experience than our two home births with Vicki as my side kick.

She believes in you; she doesn’t judge you and she holds space for you.

Oh and what other Doula pops in the following day to see how we are going with – boobie biscuits and frozen peri-pads for the wife AND 4 long necks of Bush Chooks for me!!

I mean, come on – does this lady get any better??

Love ya Vicki Hobbs.

 

Chugga (AKA Paul)
September 2020