Skye was just a few weeks from her due date when her beloved father died. She planned to say her goodbyes and work through her overwhelming grief, before tackling the next challenge that lay before her of bringing her baby into the world. But on the day of her Dad’s funeral as she walked into the service, she felt her waters break.
Determined to give her Dad the farewell he deserved, Skye wasn’t going to leave before saying goodbye. Someone passed her a disposable nappy which she sat on throughout the lengthy service, with amniotic fluid gushing with every surge. She gave her heartfelt eulogy from her seat, explaining to the congregation why she couldn’t stand up. And at the conclusion of the service as her family and friends gathered to support one another, Skye, her husband Matt, youngest daughter Tahlei and best friend Kat quickly headed for home. It was at this moment when I first spoke to Skye. I could hear the urgency in her voice as she explained that things were moving along quickly and she wasn’t overly confident about making the 30 minute drive home. A contraction hit while we were speaking and I could hear the heaviness in her breathing, and by the time the contraction passed I was walking out my front door.
When Skye and her family arrived at home, the first midwife Dan, was already in the driveway unpacking his car. I arrived very soon after, followed by the second midwife Maria. We were all moving quickly, there was no time for chats and introductions as all the equipment was carried in and the birth pool filled. Skye was beautifully managing the surges that were rhythmically rolling in.
When the pool was barely half full, Skye asked if she could get in. Dan agreed but suggested that Matt should hop in also to help raise the water level. She knew her baby was just minutes away but it was on the next contraction when things suddenly became interesting. Skye reached down expecting to feel her baby’s head emerging but instead she felt two tiny feet. Dan began talking Skye through this unexpected breech delivery of her baby and Skye became very quiet and calm. It felt as if the whole world stopped in that moment. Dan assured Skye that she would be able to deliver her baby and all would be well but Skye didn’t need convincing. She just confidently replied “I know Dan, I’ll push her out”.
Within 40 minutes of Skye arriving home that day, her baby was in her arms. Nylah arrived quietly and gently, with nobody handling her until she was completely free. She lay against her mother’s breast, gazing at the world around her and her adoring family. They knew why she had chosen that day to join them, she was their sunshine on an otherwise rainy day. Skye’s mother and older daughter Caelan arrived soon after and the emotion of the day was palpable.
Sometimes mothers tell me they are scared of the uncertainty of birth. Unsure if they will be able to manage the intensity of it. I try with all my might to convince them of the strength within them, a superhuman strength they have not yet encountered in their life. To see a woman on the most difficult day of her life, draw on this strength left me speechless.
It was greatness. X
Kate Kennedy Birth Photography 