Max was born at 1:30am on May 31, 2012 to proud, exhausted mother, Sarah, 29, Adelaide. Busting to meet his parents, Max arrived a couple of weeks prior to his due date.
“When I finally started to really relax and enjoy the pregnancy, Max decided it was time to arrive,” recounted Sarah, who described her birth experience as “comical.”
“On the 20 minute journey to hospital, there were road works the whole way. Going over bumps in the road when you’re pregnant isn’t much fun,” Sarah said.
But this was just the beginning for Sarah, who aimed to have as natural a birthing experience as possible.
“After a few hours in labour, I had enough of the pain and chose to have an epidural,” Sarah said.
Sarah’s labour was quite a long process, lasting 20 hours.
“I went into labour at 6:30am on May 30, and Max was born 20 hours later,” said Sarah.
As a newborn, Max’s continuous habit was to constantly kick his legs and bounce.
“I’ve never seen a child move so much in my entire life,” recalled Sarah.
Sarah encountered various challenges within the early months of Max’s life.
“I wasn’t producing enough milk, so had to start Max on formula at four weeks of age. I only later discovered he was lactose intolerant,” Sarah said.
This intolerance unfortunately led to 11 months of sleep deprivation for both Sarah and Max.
Sarah was 29 when she gave birth to her first child Max.
“My husband and I were trying for a few years, but when it didn’t happen naturally, I just thought that was how it was meant to be,” said Sarah.
Fortunately for Sarah, Max had other plans.
“After we stopped trying to fall pregnant, Max decided it was time to come along, unexpectedly,” Sarah said.
Although Sarah’s birthing experience wasn’t as smooth as some, she reinforces the importance of becoming a parent.
“Being a parent is not only the most amazing thing, but it makes the world a better place. It truly makes you a better person.
“Max certainly knows how to pull on my heart strings,” said Sarah.
