"My birth story was not what I had anticipated but was made a positive rather than terrifying experience by all of the staff"

I had my previous child at another hospital and was referred to Townsville Hospital for baby number 2. I was able to research all of the care options available to me on the hospital website before my first appointment and chose Midwifery Group Practice as my model of care.

There were 2 midwives in this group, Helen and Aysha, with Aysha being my primary caregiver. I was able to attend most of my clinic appointments at the Kirwan Health Campus around the corner from my home with very minimal waiting time. I was able to contact Aysha or Helen at any time via their mobile numbers. I had high consistency of care which was fantastic.

At 41 weeks I had a doctors appointment to discuss my options. The doctor I had for this appointment was Ben. He clearly outlined my options and never made me feel like I had to choose one option over another or that I could make a 'wrong' decision. I made the decision to try induction later in the week as my baby was still sitting very high.

When I came in for induction, I was checked via external and internal methods as well as ultrasound and found that my baby had an unstable lie and induction would be risky. It was at this point that Dr Danny - Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology came to speak to me. He checked me over, he sat beside me on the bed and he spoke to me honestly and like a person rather than looming down on me from above with clinical terms and statistics. He included my family in the discussion as well.

I made the decision to have a caesarean at that point as I felt it would be safest for my baby. Dr Ben prepared me for this procedure and everything was explained clearly. I was fit onto an emergency list and was able to head to theatre later that day. Ben would lead the operation, Aysha would receive my baby and Danny was going to take some photos as a keepsake of the event. I also met Sam the anesthetist at this point who was again very calm and relaxed and explained everything to me clearly. He was at my head checking drips and lines and letting me know what was going on through the whole thing.

Afterward Ben came to see me in recovery and explain how things had gone and to check in. We were transferred to the maternity ward where I spent 3 nights being cared for by some amazing people. I can't remember all of the names but Anna, Jodie and Robyn were all stand outs. It was very difficult feeling so incapacitated and in pain which was different to my first birth experience. I felt confident that each time I pressed my buzzer, I would be greeted by a smile and a pair of hands ready to help me and my baby however we needed.

Ben came to see me on my last day despite the fact that I had been discharged from obstetrics and Danny sent me the most amazing photos of my baby's arrival. I am now back at home and receiving at home care with Aysha. My birth story was not what I had anticipated when I fell pregnant but was made a positive rather than terrifying experience by all of the staff at Townsville Hospital!