Mumma Files: Bobbie & Baby Beatrice
Earlier this week we caught up with one of our favourite new mummas in the M&B. community and asked her some questions about her pregnancy experience and welcoming her first child into the world only 16 days earlier.
Bobbie and hubby, John, experienced love at first sight with little baby Beatrice on the 21st of August, 2021. Keep reading to hear the ups, downs, laughs and surprises in their story!
Pregnancy
Tell us about the moment you found out you were pregnant.
We found out we were pregnant on Christmas Eve.
I’d taken a pregnancy test the week before when we were in Melbourne because it would have been great to be able to tell my family in person, but it was negative. Then while I was in Melbourne I had a light period, which seemed normal because it was my first after a missed-miscarriage in October.
We were going to be spending Christmas Day with my husband’s family back in Queensland. We had big plans for lobster, Moreton bay bugs, prawns and loads of champagne and wine.
Just to be on the safe side I took the last test I had at home. I was so sure it would be negative that I actually forgot to go back and check it for a couple of minutes. When I looked at it and the test said positive I almost couldn’t believe it, so at 6:30am on Christmas Eve I was running around trying to find another test to take.
It turns out the spotting I had in Melbourne was implantation bleeding. Our little girl is the best Christmas present I’ve ever received!!
What were your biggest fears during your pregnancy?
After our first pregnancy, where we had seen a baby with a heart beat and then at the next scan the baby had stopped growing and no longer had a heart beat, the fear of the unknown and of losing this baby was definitely challenging.
We saw each week we made it through as a small win but even in hospital it was almost too good to believe.
Did you keep the gender a surprise? Why?
Yes we did. There are so few surprises in life and we figured this was a really special opportunity. Also my husband has a family name that has been passed to the oldest boy for three generations, so it was nice for it to be a surprise for us as well as for everyone else when the baby was born.
What were the strangest things you experienced during your pregnancy?
Weird very vivid dreams! My husband had to tell me in the morning if my dreams were real. We were trying to buy a house when pregnant. One night I had a dream that he wanted to have a turn bidding at an auction for a place that was completely wrong for us. He accidentally ended up at the top bidder and spent all our money on a place we didn’t want, which meant we missed the one we wanted. I spent 3 days angry at him for it…. But it was just a dream! Haha.
Was there anything completely unexpected that happened during your pregnancy?
We had a small haematoma in early pregnancy which caused a little bit of bleeding. When we went to have a scan to check it was all ok, it disturbed the haematoma and made it bleed out. It was a scary time, but it turns out it’s relatively common and everything turned out ok in the end.
Birth
Did you have a home birth, natural birth or cesarian? Was that planned/expected and can you explain what that experience was like?
Natural birth. It was so quick that my body actually started pushing in the middle of our apartment. I spent the whole car ride talking to the baby, telling them to slow down and wait until we got to hospital.
I wasn’t against drugs, but everything went so quickly there was no time for it.
Everyone tells you that early labour can go for up to 18 hours and that it’s usually longer for a first delivery. I thought I was doing a terrible job of early labour and was definitely going to need drugs to help. Turns out I was actually moving through labour really quickly. From my waters breaking to baby in my arms was 4 hours and 35min… and it would have been quicker if we didn’t have to get to hospital before I could push properly.
Who did you have there with you at the hospital?
We were under covid restrictions, so I was only allowed my husband at the birth.
My midwife was on a day off so I had a different midwife with me. She arrived 15minutes before our baby was born.
We also worked with a student midwife who was completing her training. I spoke to her at 6:30 in the morning. She was working the morning and then was planning on meeting us at hospital in the afternoon/evening to help deliver our baby, but Beatrice had other plans and was born by 9:30am.
Can you explain how that first moment with your newborn felt?
As the baby was handed to me, my husband told me “this is Beatrice” which was the name we picked for a girl. I had suspected it was a boy, and just remember thinking we now had a sweet baby girl.
How long did you stay in the hospital and why did you stay? (if applicable)
Three days/two nights.
Because the birth was so quick my body had some trouble closing over the wound where the placenta came away. I was hemorrhagic so they kept me over night to monitor me. We stayed an extra day to try and get breast feeding down pat.
Home time
What's it been like trying to create a feeding and sleeping routine?
Beatrice is still a bit too little to have a routine for feeding and sleeping. We are working on demand at this point.
Beatrice has a tongue tie which has made all of that a bit more challenging, but we are working it out together.
Did you have family come and stay with you in those early weeks? If yes, what's that been like?
We would have loved to, but COVID has meant we are stuck in different states and we had to introduce Beatrice to her grandparents and 93 year old great grandmother via zoom. We are really hoping to be able to make to down to see them all soon.
How soon did you feel up to having visitors and were people pushing for that before you were ready?
We had our first visitor a couple of days after coming home and we felt ready.
I didn’t think I would be too concerned about people being whooping cough vaccinated, but once she got here I was more protective than I expected.
It’s been a weird situation. If we were in Melbourne we would have had a constant string of visitors, so it’s been a bit of a lonely time thanks for COVID.
What unexpected things have you learnt about your little one already?
I wish someone had told me sooner it takes a baby about 20-minutes to get into a deep sleep. In the middle of the night I was putting bub to bed straight away, but once I learnt to wait 20-minutes she was much less fussy and I actually got a little more sleep.
Motherly advice
What strange advice were you given about pregnancy and motherhood—especially if it turned out to be true!?
I decided to take every piece of advice (solicited or otherwise) and keep it in a knowledge bank. That way if something I’m trying doesn’t work, I have other suggestions stored away. This is especially useful because something that works one day, may not work the next.
Knowing what you now know about motherhood, what would you tell your pre-baby self?
You’ve got this Mama!
What advice would you give anyone who is planning or expecting their first child?
Watch a few episodes of One Born Every Minute. It makes birth seem much less scary and normal than it seems in the movies/tv shows.
Finally, which M&B. nappy bag do you own?
Ella in Liquorice (black)—it’s been great! Our pram only has a small basket underneath it, so John has been carrying the bag everywhere. It looks great and isn’t too girly so he’s very happy to carry it as well. Also, Ella made a really good hospital stay bag for all the baby clothes, nappies, wipes etc. we needed.
UNLOCK YOUR SECRET DISCOUNT %
JOIN US
Get special offers, the best baby-love content and hear about the latest release nursing accessories and nappy bags first!
(No spam mail, we promise!)