Hope's story - nine months of bliss

Pregnancy is not kind to everyone, but everyone who I came in to contact with me during my pregnancy said how good I looked. How much it suited me. I glowed, I didn’t get sick and I’d never felt healthier in all my life. I had shiny hair, strong nails and everything about it agreed with me. I never saw the need to complain; to me it was a romantic and joyful time.

I met Simon on Valentine’s Day in 1999 and I knew from very early on he was the man I would share my life with. We married in January, 2005 and I couldn’t imagine ever feeling so happy again. But I knew I would, and that would be when we had a baby.

After our wedding we wanted to do a few things – travel to Europe, buy a house and have a baby. We had nine fabulous weeks in Europe in 2006. A year later bought a cute little two-bedroom unit. And four months later, I was pregnant. Everything was going to plan.

When waiting to conceive, it felt like a lifetime. But it wasn’t. We fell pregnant on our second try, which I know is a lot sooner than many couples. We got the positive result at 5am on Thursday 13 December, 2007. I took the test early as I wasn’t able to sleep and pregnancy test packet had said the first morning pee was best.

Two lines, I was in shock. Even though we’d been trying, I still couldn’t believe it. “Ah, Simon, it worked”. I think his response was something along the lines of “what the hell?” We were of course elated though. We got ready and went to work and I remember sitting at my desk staring blankly at the computer screen thinking “I’m having a baby”.

I had to validate the news, and the best way I knew how was to shop. So I bought a beautiful knitted teddy with a bell in it. Simon called the teddy “jingle bear”.

We treasured those first few weeks when only we knew. It was our little secret, and we were both smiling on the inside while everyone else was none the wiser.

We thought Christmas Day would be a good time to tell our families, even though I would only be about six weeks along, and very much still in the “danger” period. We told Simon’s parents first. We barely slept the night before, just knowing our little secret was about to become the biggest news in our families for a long time. We spent half the day with Simon’s family then made the two hour trip to see my family. After exchanging gifts, we shared our big news, we were having a baby. My mum burst in to tears, my brother jumped off the couch. Mum poured glasses of bubbly, not for me though of course, already protecting the little bean I was carrying.

After Christmas we drove nine hours to Sydney to spend New Year with friends. I wasn’t much company and spent a lot of time sick on their couch, while Simon and the two of them went out and enjoyed the sunshine. Our friends were so excited, being the first we told. They named our baby “blueberry”, thanks to all the pregnancy websites that compare the size of your baby to different fruits.

The next weeks passed as smoothly as possible, just with a few pesky trips to the bathroom. Simon would fetch me whatever food my pregnant body was craving.

At about nine weeks, my morning sickness ground to a halt and I had a small bleed. I think my hormones were playing tricks on me but to be safe booked in for an early scan. The image of my little bean came up on the screen and Simon had the biggest cheesy grin on his face. He knew our baby was alive and well. I still needed some convincing.

“Is it alive?” I said. He said “well it just moved, so yes”. He showed us a few different angles and printed off a couple of pictures for us to take home and show off. We left with a huge weight off our shoulders, knowing if we’d seen a heartbeat, the odds were very much stacked in our favour. After that, my morning sickness flared up again. Damn hormones.

We told everyone else after our 12 week scan which reaffirmed what we knew – I had a perfectly healthy baby forming inside of me, a “text book pregnancy”.

At 14 weeks I was a bridesmaid at my best friend wedding and didn’t care I couldn’t have a drink with her. She was aching for me to have a baby so I could join her in motherhood. Our kids would grow up close together, and become great friends.

The next few months were the best of my life. I joined a pregnancy yoga class, learning everything I could about getting my body in to the best physical condition possible to bring my baby in to the world just as Mother Nature intended.

We attended our ante-natal classes and sat there with all the other first time parents soaking up all the information we could about childbirth and caring for a newborn.

We took a few more holidays including one to Western Australia to visit our siblings. One night on the trip I will always remember. I felt my baby kick. I was so relieved, as with morning sickness gone and without much of a bump, there wasn’t much to cling on to that I actually was pregnant. Now it was real. On returning home Simon shared in this joy – as we sat on our couch eating take away curry. He felt our baby move, too. Magic.

At our 20 week scan I got a buzz out of seeing Hope move on the screen and being able to feel her inside me at the same time. Things were still progressing very well.

We spent a weekend in Tasmania with friends. We strolled through the markets, me, Simon and my bump and bought all sorts of little goodies for our bundle. One item was a t-shirt with a lion on it, as our little baby was to be a Leo. Bold, strong and defiant.

We went about life with a spring in our steps. Stopping to talk to people in our street, proudly letting them know our due date and that yes, we were very excited. Our community is filled with families and we were elated we were about to join the elusive club, a club that we would have lifetime membership to.

We shopped for our baby, and purchased the best of everything. We were given second hand items, which we also treasured. We stocked up on cloth nappies and got a buzz out of washing all of the baby’s clothes and hanging them neatly in the wardrobe waiting for the big arrival. Friends spoiled us at a baby shower and whatever we didn’t get I bought later in the mid-year sales. The nursery was complete; just needed a baby.

We attended all of our check ups and sometimes I thought it was a bit over the top. We were always told the same thing – you are healthy, the baby is healthy, everything is fine.

The days finally ticked down to my last day at work, and I walked out of my office at 36 weeks with a smile on my face. I wasn’t sure I’d ever return.

The four weeks I spent at home nurturing my Hope before she was born are days I will treasure for ever. Finally the stress of work was gone and I could stay at home and relax. Simon went to work each day, muttering he wished he was on “maternity” leave, too. Every morning he kissed me and my belly and said: “Love you baby”. I would always reply: “Babies! You love us babies!” I loved having two hearts beating.

Our check ups became weekly and we took great delight in constantly hearing things were fine and the baby was a good size.

I caught up with all of my other friends on maternity leave with their babies and had more cups of tea and slices of cake than I knew possible.

Simon wasn’t planning on finishing work until he got “that” call. He wanted to save his leave so he could spend more time at home with me and the baby.

I had my hair done and I borrowed some maternity clothes off a friend. I felt like a new woman. And I was about to become a new woman, a Mother.

We didn’t write a “birth plan”, but we did put some of our ideas down. Much of these came from what I learnt at yoga. I was ready.

Everything was almost too good to be true.