01/08/2025
Raw & honest motherhood post - 20 days. 20 days since birthing this queen. 20 days it’s taken for me to have the mental capacity to pick up my camera.
It’s been hard this time. Mental health wise, we aren’t as healthy as we’d like to be but I’ve got this 💃 I know it’s because I’ve had a tough time postnatally with having to be in and out of hospital for high blood pressure but I also feel like I have a constant panic head at the moment.
One thing that brings me joy is thinking about Orlas birth which was so blooming beautiful. I’d been contracting for a good week and on the Friday, I just couldn’t do it anymore. I was able to be put on the wait list to have my waters broken. We got the call at 18:00 to go into the delivery suite. I was grateful because it meant I’d most likely be birthing overnight and avoiding the 30 degree heat. My waters were broken around 19:45 (I think) and I was left to it. The midwife got everything ready as she was convinced it was going to be a quick labour. Unfortunately, Orla decided to move position 🫠 As her position didn’t allow for her to move down the birth canal, it meant everything took longer! An epidural was required at around 2am, and the midwife let me rest then did some biomechanics (to encourage baby to move).
During the second biomechanics position, I knew baby had moved and I could feel so much pressure. There was still 6 hours before they’d examine me again. I swore. I shouted for the gas and air and just focused on my breathing. They examined me and baby was ready to arrive. I shut off outside voices and got lost in the gas and air. I breathed out baby’s head, maybe a little push and then laughed/pushed the rest of baby out. I’m desperate to remember what we were laughing about! There’s so many other parts that I haven’t written but as much as it was painful and physically draining, it was also so incredible and powerful.
Women are amazing.
Anyway, meet Orla Stevie Bailey. 20 days new. Our “baby sister” or “fluffy”.
The photographer? Me although a 20 day postpartum, hormonal and anxiety ridden me.
