Baby Ashley entered the world four-and-a-half years ago, on April 27, 2010 at Calvary Hospital, North Adelaide.
Four days overdue, her mum, Kate, recalls her lack of eagerness to leave the comfort of her womb.
“I was in labour for more than 24 hours, and eventually, the obstetrician had to use forceps.”
Baby Ashley with proud Father, Rob
“I hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in weeks, so I went into labour quite exhausted,” Kate said.Kate encountered a few tough days leading up to Ashley’s birth.
As a newborn, Ashley’s habits weren’t ideal. If Kate wasn’t feeding or holding her, she would constantly cry.
“The first seven months of Ashley’s life were very challenging and we did whatever we could to meet her needs,” said Kate.
Kate’s experience delivering her second child, Emily Kate, 9 months, was significantly different.
Emily was born on March 9, 2014, on her due date.
“My birthing experience was excellent the second time round.
“I took medication, had an epidural and a five-and-a-half hour labour,” Kate said.
“She slept, ate and wasn’t over-handled. I went into this birth and relationship educated and armed with a plan. I felt supported and definitely more confident and capable,” said Kate.As a newborn, Emily had great habits.
“There were some ‘funky’ days when I thought ‘what the?’, but those days quickly passed. It wasn’t a marathon like my first born.”
Kate was 32 when she gave birth to Ashley and 36 when she gave birth to Emily, citing she wanted to have children before the age of 40 to minimise her risk of complications.
“We also wanted to add a sibling to our family, and felt that my birthing and initial parenting experience surely wouldn’t be as challenging as it was with Ashley. Thank God it was different.
“I didn’t know parenting could be this good,” Kate said.
