The (speedy) Arrival of The Trama Trio

Well, what an amazing last few days we've had! I'll have to do it all in a few posts as we've had Babies, Newspapers, TV Interviews, Visitors, Breastfeeding, and Tired Eyes. But, let me take you back to where it all began......

On Wednesday morning I made (yes, made) my poor, suffering husband do the deed - first time in a long time, then sent him on his merry way to work. I dropped the kids at school/kindy and made my way home to await the arrival of Emily Black, my birth photographer who was flying up from Melbourne for the birth. In the mean time my best friend, Taryn came around to straighten my hair and spend some time with me. Yes. Straighten my hair. Trust me, I'm really not much of a girly girl but I figured I wanted my hair to look nice for the photos. Taryn knows me so well - I was going to ask her but she beat me to it!

While we were waiting for Emily to arrive I was getting little tightenings which continued throughout the day. Danielle, my home birth midwife also arrived, followed shortly after by Emily. I'd never met her, but we clicked straight away and the whole birth team (apart from Daniel) got to spend some time together before the big event. I was determined these babies would be born tonight! Emily did a few maternity shots around our property, all the time worried about me walking - walking is good to bring on labour!

That evening I sat down with the breast pump and began pumping 5 minutes on and 10 minutes off. As I went to put the 3rd round on, I got a great contraction - wahooo - this was working! During the third round I got another one and during the fourth, at about 8:04 my waters broke! Needless to say, I was stoked! I said 'honey, my waters just broke!' He pretty much jumped up and said 'have you called the hospital?' I started to reassure him that all was ok, I'd call and discuss with Danielle first. Then I tried to explain it to Amali who had snuck out for a cuddle with Daddy on the couch. I told her the babies were in balloons in my tummy that were filled with water and one had just popped. She took it all in her stride and went back to bed. Danielle and I agreed that it would be best to wait maybe half an hour and see what the contractions did. I started to gather the rest of the things I'd need all the while stopping and easily breathing through the contractions which I could feel were opening up my cervix really well! I decided to ring the hospital at 8:36 and they said to come on in. I reminded them that Dr Weaver had agreed to come in when I called and to please ring him. I'd also called Taryn and Emily and my Mum by this stage. Daniel went to get dressed and he really didn't take very long but I had 3 contractions during that time. They weren't intense, I could easily breathe through them but their speed was what was concerning me. By the time Mum had arrived, we we were ready to get in the car and they were 3 minutes apart. Just as I was about to climb into the front seat (with Daniel's help of course), I got another, more intense contraction that made me breathe harder and faster. This was not a cervix contraction. This was different. I started to think maybe things were happening a lot faster than I thought.

Now, if you have seen our driveway you'll know what I mean - it was torture! It's 1km long, straight, flat but with lots of pot holes and bumps. And I was sitting on a car seat, not standing like I would like to during a contraction. Daniel ended up doing about 5km/hr. We eventually got on the bitumen and during contractions I tried to get Daniel to calm down. 'Take 10 deep breaths honey' to which he replied. '3 will do'. And then did 3 rather shallow breaths! Mind you it did seem to do the trick. It takes us about 20 minutes to get to the hospital from our place and in the last 10 minutes I had 8 contractions. Some were cervix contractions, some were far more intense, and I tried so hard to not increase my breathing for fear of freaking Daniel out even more (You have to remember that this was a new experience for us, as both Jordan and Amali were home births)! We got to the large set of lights near the hospital and it was red. 'Run the light' I said. Daniel took one look at me and politely obliged with a look of terror on his face! We pulled up at emergency and he grabbed me a wheel chair and a lovely lady on her coffee break to us through a side entrance so I didn't have to go through the ER. I continued having contractions on the way up to birth suite, and Daniel wheeled me into our room, number 6. I asked where they wanted me and was told to hop onto the bed so they could do an internal and find out how far along I am. I joked that they'd find a head. How true that statement was about to become!

As I stood up on from the wheelchair a whopper of a contraction came over me. I looked up at the Registrar and Midwife who were in the room so far and in me most demanding voice said:

"I need to push. NOW."

Honestly, the looks on their faces said it all. Oh Fuck. I started pushing and could feel Isaac descending through the birth canal. At this point Daniel walked back in from depositing the wheelchair took one look at my face and new what was happening. Then there were people everywhere.
'She's pushing!'
'Where's the Paeds team?'
'Are the OBs here yet?'
'Get her on the bed'
You can imagine their panic! It affected me for a few minutes until my birth team walked in, Danielle, Emily and Taryn. Danielle had been at my last 2 births, we knew each other well. She could tell I was a tad shocked and scared that it was all happening too fast, she said nothing, she couldn't reach out to me, but the look on her face calmed me instantly. The staff were brilliant, but I could tell they were shitting themselves really! During contractions I had a guy putting a cannula in my arm and a midwife trying to strap 2 CTG monitors onto me - not part of the birth plan Ted and I had agreed on. I started arguing with her that this was not needed and they should be using a doppler. In the end neither of them got turned on! They got me on the bed, and without having seen the video, I'd say I had 3 or 4 more pushing contractions and he was out. There was no pain, only pressure. I felt him crown, then his little body came and he was handed to me. He was just perfect! I got to spend a few moments with him and then the next few waves of contractions started to they took him and checked him over before passing him to Daniel.

I was always sure it would be Ailah who came out second, but it ended up being Dylan, 11 minutes after Isaac. They scanned me and he was right there, but they couldn't quite tell if they were looking at a bum or a head! So an internal soon proved that it was a bum! Ted had told me they'd put me in stirrups for the breech birth, and they did. It was quite candid, there was the Registrar and a midwife telling me to 'push, push push', and being quite intense about it, and then next to them was another midwife saying 'just wait for the contraction and push when it's right'. Needless to say I focused on her. I even vaguely remember someone counting to 10 near me head. It was a bit weird, I felt like I was on an episode for One Born Every Minute! No one has ever told me when to push - really - who needs that unless they have an epi in place!! It wasn't until later when Emily showed me a pic of him entering the world that I realised he was a double footling breech! I hadn't even realised I had pushed out his legs. I heard them say 'here comes a bum' and although I kept pushing it didn't feel like anything was happening - but it was - and he slid out easily. He was passed to me and I got my hands around him but they soon realised that he needed a little help so they took him back without him getting to cuddle. At least I got to touch him :) He needed CPAP for a few minutes and was a little stressed so they took him straight to Special Care Nursery (SCN) and I sent Daniel with him.

While Dylan was on CPAP, Ailah made her entrance. Very, very fast! Exactly 3 minutes after Dylan came out to be precise! Again, they gave me an internal and there she was. That was probably the only thing I was slightly concerned about - how they would all line up - but I needn't have worried. She probably came out within 2 contractions and that was it! She was placed on my chest for a cuddle before being taken away and I was handed Isaac back, nicely wrapped up.

They asked me if I wanted the Synto injection to assist in the placental delivery, and I had already agreed with Ted that I'd do this as I didn't want to risk a post partum hemorrhage and not be there for my babies. I'm not sure exactly how long the placentas took, but it wasn't long! The babies had all been taken up to the SCN by this stage so I got to have a good look at the placentas while the midwife examined them. Isaac and Ailah's had fused together and Dylan's was joined by some membrane. The three of them made one huge mass, it was quite amazing to see and know that it had been in there too!

So, I guess you are all dying to know - where was Dr Ted?? The whole time I was labouring I was thinking the same thing. The on call OB walked in between Dylan and Ailah, 2 other paediatricians walked in towards the end - all dressed in their street clothes - as they had been called in.....but never Dr Ted. I was a bit to concerned with other matters to start asking where he was, so I let it slide and figured I ask in the morning. So who do you think popped his head in my room the next morning - yup - Dr Ted. I said 'where the bloody hell were you last night!?' His reply - 'they didn't call me'. Well, to say that my jaw dropped would have been an understatement. He went on to say that he thought it must have happened to quickly so that's why they hadn't called him. Then I explained I had called them an hour before arriving at the hospital and reminded them to call him. I think he was a bit shocked to say the least. I felt for him. He had agreed to let me have this birth, we had a great relationship going throughout my pregnancy, and then he was let down by someones stuff up. I don't think much would have gone differently, but I'd say the staff would have been calmer with him rather than a Registrar, and maybe Dylan's birth would have been a little more 'hands off', but all the babies are healthy and safe, as am I.

It had all happened mind blowingly fast, a little too fast, as I spent the next hour or so with my legs shaking uncontrollably! But I had done it, I got the vaginal birth I wanted!

Here are the stats:

• labour started just before 8pm on Wednesday 5th September
• waters broke around 8:04pm 
• rang the hospital at 8:36pm
• arrived at the hospital at 9:30pm
• Isaac arrived at 9:46pm
• Dylan arrive at 9:57pm, 11 minutes after his brother
• Ailah arrived at 10:00pm, 3 minutes after her brother

 

Isaac Daniel Trama

Weight: 2.420kg/ 5lbs3oz

Length: 44cm

Head Circumference: 32cm

 

Dylan David Trama 

Weight: 2.845kg/6lbs2oz

Length: 47cm

Head Circumference: 33cm

 

Ailah Elizabeth Trama

Weight: 2.310kg/5lbs1oz

Length: 43cm

Head Circumference: 31.5cm

The Trama Trio

 Dylan lending a hand (or some fingers) for Isaac to suck on!

Now, it's taken me 4 days to get this up as I'm feeding and expressing every 3 hours, which takes 1.5 hours each time, so forgive me!! The rest is in photos, I will keep updating the blog as much as I can! I am feeling really great and so in love (of course) and being looked after extremely well up here at Nambour. I have been medically discharged but am so lucky to be able to stay on as a boarder until the babies come home...which someone said this morning may be by the end of the week as they are doing so well.

I'll put posts on about the birth photography, our first few days and all the visitors that have come to see us soon! Thank you all for your well wishes and thoughts.....have a go at Googling Trama Triplets.....it's pretty funny!

The kids meting them for the first time

Jordan checking the equipment out

To say Amali was excited and happy to finally meet her brothers and sister for the first time is the worlds biggest understatement!!! 

Holding Ailah (her favourite)

 

The photo that made the front page of the Sunshine Coast Daily

Isaac's first bath, he loved it - but there's that Trama frown!

Milks in!

One happy Mumma with Dylan

Proud as punch Daddy with Ailah