Let me rewind a few months - when our little belly babe was measuring consistently large on ultrasound, in a similar pattern to both of her big sisters. It seems that despite starting this pregnancy at a much healthier weight, genetics always wins - we were never destined to have petite, tiny babies! My OB and I kept a close eye on her growth and as the third trimester drew closer to its end, she was measuring almost the same size as Claire. (If you can remember, she was born at 4.1kg at 37+6 weeks.)

We also had the holidays to think about - would she come early on her own on Christmas Day, or in the lead up to Christmas? I didn't really mind in the grand scheme of things, but I really hoped we could avoid a Christmas Day baby, just so it wouldn't make the day too crazy for the rest of the family. My doctor was on call over that period, so thankfully I didn't have that issue to worry about - I really wanted him to be there for the birth.

I had an OB appointment on Monday 23rd December, where he estimated baby to be approx 3.7kg in size, and he did an internal exam - I was already dilated to 3cm and baby was engaged at that appointment, so very favourable for an induction later that week. We decided on Friday 27th December as d-day, unless of course she decided to come on her own before that!

Baby behaved, and we got through Christmas and Boxing Day and all of our family celebrations. So crazy that it was our last one as a family of four! I hit 38 weeks exactly on Christmas Day.
Like last time, it didn't take long for things to kick off. I had prepared a playlist on Spotify of my favourite calming/relaxing music and I just let that play on speaker phone while Jason and I were hanging out and waiting for the drug to ramp things up. I had told him that he was in charge of taking random photographs throughout the labour - since this was our last baby, I wanted to remember the whole experience. At first it was amusing, watching the contractions pick up and register - enough to laugh and make jokes through. Then, just like with Claire, things got hard and they got hard FAST.

The midwife on duty asked what my birth plan was. My reply: The plan is not to have a plan. I am a firm believer in just going with the flow - the more rigid I am with wanting something to work out, the more stressed I get when things don't go to plan. We have very little control over childbirth, particularly when you're being induced, so I basically wanted to go with the flow and see what happened. I'd had two vaginal births previously, so I trusted my body would know what to do. Georgia had been born with the help of an epidural; Claire had been born with gas alone.

As things ramped up, I asked for the gas to take the edge off. In that middle stage of labour, it really does take the pain away, and I was able to still talk through it all. I remember what songs were playing, I remember commenting to hubby that baby's heartrate had stayed firm in the 160's the whole labour so far, and I remember the midwife wanting to do a quick check to see how things were going. At this point, the contractions were coming harder and faster together, so I was keen to see if things were progressing - so I was really disappointed when she did an internal and I was only 4cm dilated. How was that possible? I'd STARTED the induction at 3cm! Talk about gutted.

I moved from the bed to the fitness ball, and continued using the gas to get through the contractions as they hit. It was around 11am at this point, and I was feeling slightly upset at this point. I'd hoped the labour would be short and sweet like Claire's, and she was born at 11:04am, a quick 2 hours after the induction started. If I was only 4cm dilated, I knew I'd be labouring for a lot longer with this baby, and I was getting more and more uncomfortable. It was around this point that I stopped talking to Jason, and the gas was no longer taking the pain away - it barely distracted me through them.

Everything was a bit of a blur from here on. I stopped paying attention to everything and I remember being in absolute agony - the music wasn't helping, and I was barely taking the gas tube out of my mouth between contractions anymore. Jason wanted to get the midwife in to see how I was progressing, but I didn't want her to check me, in case I was still 4cm. It had only been half an hour - how much could I really have progressed in that time? Unbeknownst to me, while I was having another fierce contraction, hubby went ahead and buzzed for her, so she decided to get me up for another check.

I was 8cm dilated! And while she was mid-internal, another contraction hit and she commented that she could see the baby - so she told me to give a little push, while she gave my cervix a slight sweep at the same time. Whoa nelly! The pressure hit me like a freight train, and I started bellowing about needing to push NOW. The midwife rang my OB and yep... it was go time! It was around 11.45am at that point.

There was so much pressure, and I could feel her right there - I was terrified that my OB wasn't going to make it there in time. The gas was making it feel as though time was slowing down, but then all of a sudden my doctor was in front of me, to my utter relief.

Time felt like a blur to me at this point, but I focused on the intense pressure - and Jason tells me I only pushed for around 10 minutes before her head was fully out, and her body the next contraction. The midwife lifted her up to me and placed her on my chest, and I remember wondering if she would be like Georgia or Claire. To be honest, at first I had no idea! She was completely covered in vernix, and it was hard to see her features at all.

I wiped her down with a warm towel while we had some delayed clamping time. My OB realised I was still contracting and that my placenta wasn't far from arriving, so he had Jason cut the umbilical cord. I cuddled our sweet girl while pushing it out, and it was delivered complete.

I couldn't believe that she was here! Born at 11.55am, that made my labour under 3 hours from start to finish. She let out lots of cries and was thankfully well and happy post-birth, so we didn't feel rushed having that first skin to skin time. She was squirming on my chest, so we attempted a little feed, and she latched on almost straight away. After Claire's tongue tie issues, I was super paranoid about this baby having similar problems - but for now, she was doing just fine.

Since it was midday, a lunch trolley arrived as if by magic, and I got to indulge in my favourite hospital food, the little mixed plate of sandwiches - bliss! (What can I say, I'm easily pleased!) Jason had skin to skin cuddles with the baby while I snacked, and then had a shower - and just like that, we were wheeled over to the ward.

It is still the most surreal feeling in the world, having a baby in your hospital room with you. I missed that experience with Georgia when she was admitted to special care after her birth, and I had it taken away from me a few days in with Claire, when she went up for jaundice light therapy. I savoured every moment of getting unlimited squishy cuddles with our tiny, fresh little human.. and best of all, the family could come and visit straight away!

Is there anything sweeter than seeing your children meet for the first time? I don't think so! The girls peering over into the bassinet to see their new sister was just priceless, as were their first cuddles. They were smitten with her from day one, and are still just as sweet with her all these weeks later.

As for our little girl, we named her Amelia. She is fair skinned and blue eyed like her biggest sister, with the tiny nose and mouth of her middle sister. She's a dream baby in the daytime, who loves snuggles and naps like a champ. She's also a party animal at night, just like she was in my belly... so we're all pretty tired around these parts. Tired, but oh so very blessed.