08/01/2025
Zephy’s Birth Story 💞
I am going to share an 7 part series about Zephira’s arrival into the world.
This story has a happy ending, but getting there was quite traumatic.
Please note, there is a trigger warning for birth trauma, specifically induction.
When I fell pregnant, I decided on a home birth.
I wanted the freedom of being in the most comfortable place to birth, and that was my home, supported by my husband and 2 amazing midwifes.
My pregnancy was not textbook whatsoever.
I started becoming extremely unwell at 6 weeks and was diagnosed with severe pregnancy illness at 11 weeks.
I had to stop working at 12 weeks and spent a lot of time in the hospital, trying different medications to stop me from vomiting and getting hydrated through IV drips.
Being in the hospital was not the path I wanted for this pregnancy, but I also wanted to ensure I kept my baby safe. Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) can be very dangerous if left untreated.
Due to my inability to consume food and fluids, I opted for a general blood test to assess my blood markers. It revealed that I was extremely anaemic, and my glucose levels were too high. Without even completing the GTT(because they are poison), I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
Throughout my pregnancy, I had to be on high levels of insulin as I could not control my glucose readings.
This led to me having the exact opposite birth experience from what I had planned and giving birth in Canberra. When you are on insulin, the baby can have low glucose levels when born. This means you need to be with a specialized team to ensure the best care for your baby if needed. Therefore, home birth was no longer an option.
Continued tonight 🫶🏻
