Zahra's estimated due date was Tuesday 9th August 2005 but due to my gestational diabetes becoming unstable and some abnormal blood results, I was booked for induction on Wednesday 27th July 2005.

I arrived at the hospital at 8am that morning, but had to wait for two hours as the midwives had just delivered another baby.

I was taken to the birth suite at just after 10am and changed into a hospital gown. My obstetrician came and examined me - a stretchy 4cm (so those pains in the past few weeks weren't for nothing!), my waters were broken and drip inserted.

It took a good hour for things to start - it was the same as I had been experiencing over the past month for quite a while so I walked up and down the maternity ward with my trusty IV stand and waited for something significant to happen. Well, when it did start, it well and truly started!!

I had already decided that I would have an epidural as soon as I was allowed as it had made my son's birth almost a pleasure compared to my first daughter, and it also made my dilation happen really quickly. The anaethetist was called and the epidural inserted. Not long after it was inserted, I started feeling nauseous and was getting pain in my rectum and commented to the midwife that I thought I might be fully dilated and ready to push. She pretty much dismissed it and said I wouldn't be fully dilated yet.

Now, all this time I was really really anxious - the CTG had been put on and with each contraction, Zahra's heartrate went down to 70bpm (or so) but after the contraction, it would go back to normal (around 140bpm). I was so worried that I was crying about it but was told it was normal and her head was being compressed during the contraction.

The pushing urge was becoming unbearable – I begged the midwife to examine me but was told that I should just breathe through the contraction. After each contraction I asked to be examined and finally she relented. I think she was quite shocked to find that Zahra’s head was 1 knuckle deep from crowing!! I was allowed to move into a pushing position (I had been on my side as she had turned posterior and they were trying to get her to turn anterior) and after 3 big pushes, my darling daughter was born.

I cut the cord – my last baby and I wanted to do it this time as DH had cut it for my other two children. She had a few little cries and then just laid there and looked around the room!!

So, at 3.37pm on Wednesday 27th July 2005, Zahra Mackenzie was born weighing 3280g (7lb 4oz), measuring 49cm in length and 35cm head circumference. She has a “Flame Naevis” on her forehead (stork mark) and over her right eyelid, which is expected to fade over the next twelve months or so. Funnily, after being told not to push by the midwife, the paediatrician asked me if there had been a problem with pushing as it probably caused the naevis!! I also wonder if the compression her head was enduring that caused her heartrate to drop with each contraction contributed also.

Something else that happened for me that was quite wonderful, was that I was to provide a medical student with his “first catch”!! Funnily, after being so worried before that birth that my obstetrician would not be there for the delivery due to political problems he was having with the hospital, I was more than happy (and even made it happen!) that he wasn’t there for the actual delivery and for the medical student to deliver my baby! (They called the ob as Zahra was 1 push away from crowning and so I was determined to push her out before he got there so the med student could do the delivery himself!!). The student had the biggest grin on his face – and it was still there the next day when he came to see us!! I hope that my allowing him to be there for the birth will influence him to come and work in the bush when he is a fully fledged doctor! Thanks Joel!!

My little princess was on intravenous dextrose for 48 hours after her birth as her blood sugars were too low.


She is a darling little girl – very placid and already smiling! We love her to bits and wonder how we ever thought that two children would be enough!!