Absolutely, Cricket, I didn't mean that *only* doulas have that objective watching part of their brain happening during birth, I only meant that being a doula/registered nurse was the reason *I* was. And a posterior brow presentation - at home - WOW! I am seriously impressed, what an awesome job, mama! Congratulations! So you have 4 big girls and a little man - and we have 3 big girls and a little man - and yes you are right - it is wonderful having the helping hands and he's a blessed boy to have all the love and attention he gets.

Rory (Ruardhri) is 13 months old now and I see in your sig that your boy is 1, so they must have been born not far apart. Rory was born 10 Dec 2010.

I'm wondering how your recovery after the birth was, Cricket? Mine took a while. I bounced back pretty easy after the girls' births. Not sure what the issue was this time, perhaps him being posterior? Although I know heaps of women who've had no probs after posterior births, so I don't mean that they cauyse any particular problem - they don't - but I think in my case somehow my pelvis twisted a bit during pregnancy (I had sacral pain for the first time ever) and I think the post-birth hormones exaccerbated this, so I had sacral pain, pain in the ball joint of my right hip and pain in my left knee joint: walking was really hard for nearly 8 months. I feel almost fully recovered now - but it was the only post natal time where I felt quite wrecked and it took a while to get my fitness back. Probably just random, who know, my age??? Dunno. I'm just relieved to be doing better now.

The other curve ball this birth threw me is that after having no probs with the first three, I had low milk supply with Rory. I really grieved over this. But that's another whole story for another time! At 13 months, he still boobs a bit, just for comfort really ... but at least it is something.

All the best Cricket, and other readers, thanks for posting in this thread and sharing our baby glee.