Cooze And Placenta Previa
Without Prejudice
Every day I hear a tiny knock at my door, always after kindy, always after a period of non contact
Every day without fail and the conversation goes like this.
Small muffled voice : hahnnn
Me: "Who is it ? "
Small muffled voice : " Cooze"
Me. "Whadda ya want? " I yell this like a New Jersey Housewife.
S.M.V. " Cooze "
I open the door and he dances, dances with delight, hands in the air, shaking, feet pumping up and down in a rhythm of " happy dance "
He pushes past me just in case I change my mind, too busy to play
a little delighted boy of nearly three.
Delighted and delightful, as my Mum would have said,
" I could eat him with a pinch of salt "
He's in, and plumps himself down next to me and we begin the litany of delights.
"Star" he points at the stars and moon hanging from the window.
"Moon", he loves the moon.
New colour today,
" Orange " he states as he points at the orange canisters.
He is fascinated by colours lately and it started with a red icy pole,
" Red " he said when I offered him one, ever after he came in to ask for a red.
I ask him for a cuggle and get one and a kiss snuck on to his cheek. Large brown eyes with long black lashes turn towards me and he smiles and the sun lights up the room, my heart melts and I think again how blessed I am to be here and see my eighth grandson everyday.
He came into the world in a rush. Yvette my second oldest daughter, second in my complete family of four girls, was swollen with two weeks to go of a complicated pregnancy. Her seventh. Her ankles swelled from three months on, a first for her. And she had placenta Previa, a dangerous condition and had been told she would possibly have to have a Caesarian birth, also a first for her.
She refused to have a Caesar, no matter what but I reserved judgement. I knew that whatever it took our goal was a healthy baby, and we knew it was another boy.
So the day was unsettled weather wise, one moment warm, the next rainy, typical four seasons in a day Melbourne. Yvette had to pick up her niece from work at McDonalds. I had gone inside Yvettes house at the front of my unit. I live in a fantastic one bedroom unit on her property. Far enough away for privacy but close enough to my beloved family.
I never go in her place without permission and she never comes into mine the same. Boundaries. My nurse sis, Helen said three generations can live together, as long as there is a door. I love my privacy but I also love having kids around and company so it's the best of both worlds.
But that day I was hovering, just hovering around Yvette, instinct, maybe.
If she went into early labour there was a good chance she could hemmorhage before we could get her to Hospital, she wasnt happy to be booked into Monash Hospital a good 40 minutes away. But the Placenta Praevia was the reason, complications meant Monash and not Casey Hospital, a mere ten minutes away.
As she went to go out the door to pick up her neice, my grand daughter, Jade, she leaned heavily on the tables edge and a look of strain came over her face. I looked sharply at her and she looked at me,
" Its just Braxton Hicks contractions, Mum " she said, as she saw my unspoken question.
" I've been having them for weeks "
" Put a pad on," I replied.
" Mum, don't be silly, I'm fine and I have to go"
" Just indulge me and put a pad on"
She sighed but did as she was told and disappeared to the bathroom and waddled out to the car, determined to drive. I didn't argue with her, she's a rebel and brooks no argument. And I waited for her return, nervous as a cat, all my senses tingling. Something was up and I sensed it. Normally I give Yvette and her partner space but this time I stayed in the house, just fiddling around, humming anxiously.
Yvette returned, waddling, legs splayed outwards,
" My waters have broken " she said.
I rang the hospital, they said ambulance, and I rang them.
Yvette was crouched by the bed.
She had gone straight into full contractions.
I helped her on to the bed and on her back, the boys let the paramedics in as I raised her up and put a towel underneath her. The man and woman paramedics both young took her vital signs and I told them she was Placenta Previa and then I saw Yvettes toes start to curl.
I know that sign.
She started bearing down.
" Looks like we are having it here " I said. I was quite excited as I have been at 13 live births.
I glanced up at the girl Paramedic and she nodded. The man looked a but hesitant.
"You have delivered a baby before "
Every day I hear a tiny knock at my door, always after kindy, always after a period of non contact
Every day without fail and the conversation goes like this.
Small muffled voice : hahnnn
Me: "Who is it ? "
Small muffled voice : " Cooze"
Me. "Whadda ya want? " I yell this like a New Jersey Housewife.
S.M.V. " Cooze "
I open the door and he dances, dances with delight, hands in the air, shaking, feet pumping up and down in a rhythm of " happy dance "
He pushes past me just in case I change my mind, too busy to play
a little delighted boy of nearly three.
Delighted and delightful, as my Mum would have said,
" I could eat him with a pinch of salt "
He's in, and plumps himself down next to me and we begin the litany of delights.
"Star" he points at the stars and moon hanging from the window.
"Moon", he loves the moon.
New colour today,
" Orange " he states as he points at the orange canisters.
He is fascinated by colours lately and it started with a red icy pole,
" Red " he said when I offered him one, ever after he came in to ask for a red.
I ask him for a cuggle and get one and a kiss snuck on to his cheek. Large brown eyes with long black lashes turn towards me and he smiles and the sun lights up the room, my heart melts and I think again how blessed I am to be here and see my eighth grandson everyday.
He came into the world in a rush. Yvette my second oldest daughter, second in my complete family of four girls, was swollen with two weeks to go of a complicated pregnancy. Her seventh. Her ankles swelled from three months on, a first for her. And she had placenta Previa, a dangerous condition and had been told she would possibly have to have a Caesarian birth, also a first for her.
She refused to have a Caesar, no matter what but I reserved judgement. I knew that whatever it took our goal was a healthy baby, and we knew it was another boy.
So the day was unsettled weather wise, one moment warm, the next rainy, typical four seasons in a day Melbourne. Yvette had to pick up her niece from work at McDonalds. I had gone inside Yvettes house at the front of my unit. I live in a fantastic one bedroom unit on her property. Far enough away for privacy but close enough to my beloved family.
I never go in her place without permission and she never comes into mine the same. Boundaries. My nurse sis, Helen said three generations can live together, as long as there is a door. I love my privacy but I also love having kids around and company so it's the best of both worlds.
But that day I was hovering, just hovering around Yvette, instinct, maybe.
If she went into early labour there was a good chance she could hemmorhage before we could get her to Hospital, she wasnt happy to be booked into Monash Hospital a good 40 minutes away. But the Placenta Praevia was the reason, complications meant Monash and not Casey Hospital, a mere ten minutes away.
As she went to go out the door to pick up her neice, my grand daughter, Jade, she leaned heavily on the tables edge and a look of strain came over her face. I looked sharply at her and she looked at me,
" Its just Braxton Hicks contractions, Mum " she said, as she saw my unspoken question.
" I've been having them for weeks "
" Put a pad on," I replied.
" Mum, don't be silly, I'm fine and I have to go"
" Just indulge me and put a pad on"
She sighed but did as she was told and disappeared to the bathroom and waddled out to the car, determined to drive. I didn't argue with her, she's a rebel and brooks no argument. And I waited for her return, nervous as a cat, all my senses tingling. Something was up and I sensed it. Normally I give Yvette and her partner space but this time I stayed in the house, just fiddling around, humming anxiously.
Yvette returned, waddling, legs splayed outwards,
" My waters have broken " she said.
I rang the hospital, they said ambulance, and I rang them.
Yvette was crouched by the bed.
She had gone straight into full contractions.
I helped her on to the bed and on her back, the boys let the paramedics in as I raised her up and put a towel underneath her. The man and woman paramedics both young took her vital signs and I told them she was Placenta Previa and then I saw Yvettes toes start to curl.
I know that sign.
She started bearing down.
" Looks like we are having it here " I said. I was quite excited as I have been at 13 live births.
I glanced up at the girl Paramedic and she nodded. The man looked a but hesitant.
"You have delivered a baby before "
